Continental drift triggered the Early Permian aridification of North China.

The boundary between wet and arid climate zones in the Tethys Ocean remains challenging to trace, complicating our understanding of global aridification pattern during the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian transition. The North China Block (NCB), situated in the Tethys Ocean, underwent a transition from humid to arid climate during the Early Permian, providing a rare opportunity to trace this climate boundary across this region. Here, we present paleomagnetic evidence indicating that the NCB underwent rapid northward drift between 290 and 281 million years ago.

Propofol Triggers Cell Death in Lung Cancer Cells by Increasing PANX1 Expression, Activating the Mitochondrial Cell Death Pathway, and Enhancing ROS Levels.

Background: Lung cancer treatment remains a global challenge due to tumor cell resistance. Propofol, traditionally used as an anesthetic, has demonstrated potential anti-tumor properties. This study seeks to elucidate how propofol induces cell death in lung cancer cells by upregulating Pannexin 1 (PANX1) expression, activating the mitochondrial cell death pathway, and augmenting reactive oxygen species (ROS) production.

Bessel acoustic-beam acoustic lens for extending the depth of field of detection in optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy.

As an important part of optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy, the acoustic lens is responsible for efficient collection of photoacoustic signals. The spherical focused acoustic lens is commonly used in photoacoustic microscopy because of its efficient detection of the photoacoustic signal in the focus area. However, the narrow depth of field of the spherical focused acoustic lens limits the expansion of the depth of field of the photoacoustic microscopy.

genotype and platelet aggregation test-guided dual antiplatelet therapy after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is recommended in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery (OPCAB). Clopidogrel is less effective among patients with loss-of-function (LoF) of alleles, while ticagrelor has direct effects on P2Y receptor. Whether a genotype plus platelet aggregation test (PAgT)-guided DAPT after CABG could improve clinical outcomes remain uncertain.

Predictors of vein graft disease progression between one week and one year after surgical coronary revascularization: Impact of secondary prevention medications.

Objective: This study aimed to detect the predictors of vein graft disease (VGD) progression between 1 week and 1 year after surgery and to evaluate the impact of secondary prevention medications.

Methods: A total of 218 consecutive patients underwent surgical coronary revascularization were evaluated by coronary computed tomography angiography both at 1-week and 1-year follow-up. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the predictors of VGD progression.

Tanshinone IIA Ameliorates Progression of CAD Through Regulating Cardiac H9c2 Cells Proliferation and Apoptosis by miR-133a-3p/EGFR Axis.

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) leads to the highest mortality worldwide, seriously threatening human health. Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA), which could be extracted from Danshen, is applied in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) play pivotal roles in cell proliferation and cell apoptosis of the cardiovascular system.

Pericardial fluid levels of growth differentiation factor 15 in patients with or without coronary artery disease: a prospective study.

Background: Growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) has already been reported as a novel efficient biomarker in patients with coronary artery diseases (CAD). However, very little is demonstrated about the potential impact of pericardial fluid GDF-15 accumulation on CAD. The aim of this study was to evaluate pericardial fluid and plasma GDF15 levels in patients with ischemic heart disease.

Predictors of early vein graft failure after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting: angiocomputed tomographic results of 233 patients.

Objectives: Low saphenous vein graft (SVG) patency has become the bottleneck in surgical revascularization. This study aimed to identify the predictors of early vein graft failure (VGF) after off-pump coronary bypass grafting (OPCAB).

Methods: A total of 233 patients who had OPCAB were postoperatively evaluated by coronary computed tomography angiography.

Perivascular adipose tissue-derived stromal cells contribute to vascular remodeling during aging.

Aging is an independent risk factor for vascular diseases. Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), an active component of the vasculature, contributes to vascular dysfunction during aging. Identification of underlying cell types and their changes during aging may provide meaningful insights regarding the clinical relevance of aging-related vascular diseases.

Long-term outcomes of multiple and single arterial off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: To compare the clinical outcomes between multiple arterial (MA) and single arterial (SA) off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) when applied to left main coronary disease or three-vessel disease.

Methods: A total of 537 patients with left main coronary disease or three-vessel disease underwent MA OPCAB (n=114) or SA OPCAB (n=423) in our center from January 2006 to December 2008. The propensity score matching (PSM) was used to obtain the risk-adjusted outcome.

Chordal replacement versus quadrangular resection in degenerative posterior mitral leaflet repair.

Background: As an alternative to quadrangular resection (QR), little is known of the potential of chordal replacement (CR) for treating posterior mitral leaflet (PML) prolapse when comparing these two techniques. This study aimed to assess mid- to long-term outcomes of CR versus QR for isolated degenerative PML (idPML) repair.

Methods: We reviewed 112 consecutive patients using CR or QR for idPML repair from 4/2010 to 12/2015.

Does the site of coronary endarterectomy have an impact on the clinical outcomes and graft patency?

Objectives: To explore whether coronary endarterectomy (CE) sites have obvious impacts on the clinical outcomes and graft patency in off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB).

Methods: The patients who underwent OPCAB with CE in our unit between January 2009 and December 2016 were included. The patients and the grafts were grouped according to the CE sites.

17β-estradiol promotes recovery after myocardial infarction by enhancing homing and angiogenic capacity of bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells through ERα-SDF-1/CXCR4 crosstalking.

17β-estradiol (E2) has been shown to mediate endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to repair infarcted myocardium. Both estrogen receptor α (ERα) and stromal derived factor-1 (SDF-1)/CXCR4 signaling pathways may play a critical role in regulating homing and angiogenesis of EPCs in this process. However, the interaction between ERα and SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling pathways remains unclear.

Long non-coding RNA H19 contributes to hypoxia-induced CPC injury by suppressing Sirt1 through miR-200a-3p.

Cardiomyocyte death is the chief obstacle that prevents the heart function recovery in myocardial infarction (MI)-induced heart failure (HF). Cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs)-based myocardial regeneration has provided a promising method for heart function recovery after MI. However, CPCs can easily lose their proliferation ability due to oxygen deficiency in infarcted myocardium.

LncRNA-MALAT1 promotes CPC proliferation and migration in hypoxia by up-regulation of JMJD6 via sponging miR-125.

The death of cardiomyocytes after myocardial infarction (MI) often leads to ventricular remodeling as well as heart failure (HF). The cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) have the ability to regenerate functional heart muscle in patients after MI, which provides a promising method for MI-induced HF therapy. However, to date, CPCs can easily lose their proliferation ability in the infarcted myocardium.

Ten-year real-life effectiveness of coronary artery bypass using radial artery or great saphenous vein grafts in a single centre Chinese hospital.

Objectives: Long-term effectiveness of coronary artery bypass grafting using radial artery (RA) or great saphenous vein (SVG) grafts as a second conduit was compared.

Methods: Patients received simple elective off-pump coronary artery bypass involving both the left internal thoracic artery (LITA) and the left anterior descending artery between January 1999 and December 2005 at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, China. RA graft patients (n = 147 LITA + RA and n = 61 LITA + RA + SVG) were matched with SVG graft patients (n = 208 LITA + SVG).

Plasma levels of matrix metalloproteinase 9 in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) has recently emerged as a risk predictor in patients with cardiovascular diseases. However, little is known about the significance of increased plasma MMP9 in patients with perioperative myocardial injury. We aimed to investigate the role of MMP9 in the occurrence of myocardial injury during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB).

Off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery outcomes in patients with ischaemic left ventricular systolic dysfunction with or without detected viable myocardium.

Objectives: The prognostic value of myocardial viability before coronary bypass grafting remains controversial. The present study evaluated the effects of off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) grafting on patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) with or without viable myocardium (VM) preoperatively detected via nuclear imaging.

Methods: A total of 115 consecutive patients with 3-vessel disease and impaired left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF ≤ 45%) who underwent OPCAB grafting were recruited in this prospective study.

Outcomes of off-pump versus on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery in patients with severely dilated left ventricle.

Background: Currently, off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) grafting has been the standard procedure for surgical revascularization in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). This study aimed to examine the safety and applicability of OPCAB compared with on-pump coronary artery bypass (ONCAB) in patients with severely dilated left ventricle.

Methods: A retrospective study of giant left ventricle patients [left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) ≥ VE mm] undergoing coronary bypass grafting from 2009 through 2015 at a single center was conducted.

Plasma levels of growth differentiation factor-15 are associated with myocardial injury in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) has recently emerged as a risk predictor in patients with cardiovascular diseases. We therefore aimed to investigate the role of GDF-15 in the occurrence of cardiac injury during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB). 55 consecutive patients with coronary artery diseases were recruited in this prospective, observational study.

Robot-assisted coronary artery bypass grafting improves short-term outcomes compared with minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Robot-assisted coronary artery bypass grafts (RACAB) utilizing the da Vinci surgical system are increasingly used and allow the surgeon to conveniently harvest internal mammary arteries (IMAs). The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of off-pump RACAB and minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting (MIDCAB) in the short and medium term.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 132 patients with single- or multiple-vessel coronary artery disease who underwent minimally invasive off-pump CABG (OPCAB) between May 2009 and May 2014.

Immobilization of pectinase onto Fe3O4@SiO2-NH2 and its activity and stability.

Fe3O4 magnetic nanometer particles (MNPS) with a diameter of 30-40nm and coated by ammoniated silicon dioxides were developed by sol-gel method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern indicates that the Fe3O4 is wrapped in the amorphous SiO2, and the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis confirmed the NH2 group had been successfully introduced onto the surface of Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles. The main factors related to the immobilization process of pectinase onto the magnetic support were optimized by multi-factor orthogonal experiments, and the recommended combination is that 3% glutaraldehyde (coupling agent), pH=8.

Placental Growth Factor Promotes Cardiac Muscle Repair via Enhanced Neovascularization.

Background/aims: Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) improves post-injury cardiac muscle repair using ill-defined mechanisms. Recently, we have shown that production and secretion of placental growth factor (PLGF) by MSCs play a critical role in the MSCs-mediated post-injury cardiac muscle repair. In this study, we addressed the underlying molecular mechanisms, focusing specifically on the interactions between MSCs, macrophages and endothelial cells.