Engineering the surface of NbCT MXenes to versatile bio-activity towards microorganisms.

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides/nitrides (MXenes) are potential antibacterial agents. However, their activity against microorganisms is not fully understood. It could relate to MXenes' surface which further influences their biocidal action.

Understanding the mechanism of Nb-MXene bioremediation with green microalgae.

Rapidly developing nanotechnologies and their integration in daily applications may threaten the natural environment. While green methods of decomposing organic pollutants have reached maturity, remediation of inorganic crystalline contaminants is major problem due to their low biotransformation susceptibility and the lack of understanding of material surface-organism interactions. Herein, we have used model inorganic 2D Nb-based MXenes coupled with a facile shape parameters analysis approach to track the mechanism of bioremediating 2D ceramic nanomaterials with green microalgae Raphidocelis subcapitata.

Transition Metal Carbo-Chalcogenide "TMCC:" A New Family of 2D Materials.

Here, a new family of 2D transition metal carbo-chalcogenides (TMCCs) is reported, which can be considered a combination of two well-known families, TM carbides (MXenes) and TM dichalcogenides (TMDCs), at the atomic level. Single sheets are successfully obtained from multilayered Nb S C and Ta S C using electrochemical lithiation followed by sonication in water. The parent multilayered TMCCs are synthesized using a simple, scalable solid-state synthesis followed by a topochemical reaction.

Pre-Sodiated TiCT MXene Structure and Behavior as Electrode for Sodium-Ion Capacitors.

Layered titanium carbide (TiCT) MXene is a promising electrode material for use in next-generation electrochemical capacitors. However, the atomic-level information needed to correlate the distribution of intercalated cations with surface redox reactions, has not been investigated in detail. Herein we report on sodium preintercalated MXene with high sodium content (up to 2Na per TiCT formula) using a solution of Na-biphenyl radical anion complex ( ≈ -2.

Structure and Dynamics of Aqueous Electrolytes Confined in 2D-TiO/TiCT MXene Heterostructures.

The synthesis of heterostructures of different two-dimensional (2D) materials offers an approach to combine advantages of different materials constituting the heterostructure and ultimately enhance their performance for applications such as electrochemical energy storage, achieving high energy, and high-power densities. Understanding the behavior of ions and solvents in confinement between these dissimilar layers is critical to understand their performance and control. Considering aqueous electrolytes, we explore the heterostructure of 2D lepidocrocite-type TiO (2D-TiO) and hydroxylated or O-terminated TiC MXene using ReaxFF molecular dynamics simulations and elastic/quasielastic neutron scattering techniques.

Impact of Cation Intercalation on the Electronic Structure of TiCT MXenes in Sulfuric Acid.

Intercalation in TiCT MXene is essential for a diverse set of applications such as water purification, desalination, electrochemical energy storage, and sensing. The interlayer spacing between the TiCT nanosheets can be controlled by cation intercalation; however, the impact of intercalation on the TiCT MXene chemical and electronic structures is not well understood. Herein, we characterized the electronic structure of pristine, Li-, Na-, K-, and Mg-intercalated TiCT MXenes dispersed initially in water and 10 mM sulfuric acid (HSO) using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS).

Rainbow: a tool for large-scale whole-genome sequencing data analysis using cloud computing.

Background: Technical improvements have decreased sequencing costs and, as a result, the size and number of genomic datasets have increased rapidly. Because of the lower cost, large amounts of sequence data are now being produced by small to midsize research groups. Crossbow is a software tool that can detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data from a single subject; however, Crossbow has a number of limitations when applied to multiple subjects from large-scale WGS projects.

Stormbow: A Cloud-Based Tool for Reads Mapping and Expression Quantification in Large-Scale RNA-Seq Studies.

RNA-Seq is becoming a promising replacement to microarrays in transcriptome profiling and differential gene expression study. Technical improvements have decreased sequencing costs and, as a result, the size and number of RNA-Seq datasets have increased rapidly. However, the increasing volume of data from large-scale RNA-Seq studies poses a practical challenge for data analysis in a local environment.

Right ventricular support for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting studied with bi-ventricular pressure--volume loops in sheep.

Objectives: Tilting the heart during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) causes a strong decrease in cardiac output. It is hypothesized that this decrease is caused by reduced right ventricular filling and that right ventricular support is thus the best way to restore cardiac output. Simultaneous left and right ventricular pressure-volume loops were used to test this hypothesis.

Acute and short-term effects of partial left ventriculectomy in dilated cardiomyopathy: assessment by pressure-volume loops.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term effects of partial left ventriculectomy (PLV) on left ventricular (LV) pressure-volume (P-V) loops, wall stress, and the synchrony of LV segmental volume motions in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Surgical LV volume reduction is under investigation as an alternative for, or bridge to, heart transplantation for patients with end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy.

Methods: We measured P-V loops in eight patients with dilated cardiomyopathy before, during and two to five days after PLV.

The incidence and consequences of mental disturbances in elderly patients post cardiac surgery--a comparison with younger patients.

Background: Limited data exist about the incidence and consequences of mental confusion following open heart surgery in different age groups. Likewise, little is known about preoperative predictors of mental confusion.

Methods: Two-hundred consecutive patients, aged > or =75 years (Group 1), and 400 procedure- and gender-matched younger patients (Group 2) who underwent coronary or valvular surgery were included in a prospective study.

The enabler right ventricular circulatory support system for beating heart coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Background: Beating heart coronary artery bypass graft surgery of the left anterior descending, diagonal, and right coronary artery can be performed safely with the Octopus Stabilization System. However, tilting of the heart, which is necessary to reach the obtuse marginal and distal right coronary arteries, causes hemodynamic instability. This study was performed to investigate the possible role of the Enabler right ventricular circulatory support system in counteracting this instability.

Comparison of quality of life after coronary and/or valvular cardiac surgery in patients > or =75 years of age with younger patients.

Quality of life after cardiac surgery appeared to be comparable in patients aged > or =75 years and younger patients. Preoperative depression had more impact on postoperative well-being in the elderly compared with younger patients.

Impending paradoxical embolus: clinical imaging and successful surgical treatment.

In a patient with pulmonary emboli, transesophageal echocardiography showed a thrombus straddling the foramen ovale (impending paradoxical embolism). Proximal pulmonary emboli were visualized by spiral computed tomography and subsequent surgical treatment, consisting of removal of intracardiac clot, closure of the open foramen ovale and pulmonary embolectomy, was successful.

A rare complication of coronary arteriography.

We describe a 66-year-old man with acute mesenteric ischemia and myocardial ischemia within 6 hr after coronary arteriography. He underwent successful emergency surgery with embolectomy of the mesenteric artery and coronary artery bypass grafting.

Traumatic tricuspid valve rupture with luxation of the heart.

Three patients are described with the combination of a luxation of the heart through a pericardial tear and traumatic rupture of the papillary muscle of the tricuspid valve. In only 1 patient was the dislocation of the heart suspected preoperatively. In all 3 patients operative treatment was performed with considerable delay after the accident; nevertheless, all 3 patients survived.

Aortic dissection after aortic valve replacement: incidence and consequences for strategy.

From 1986 to 1994, 10 patients were observed to have developed an acute aortic dissection at some stage after an aortic valve replacement (AVR). Study of the characteristics of these patients showed that all patients had an aortic diameter of 50 mm or more (range 50 to 80 mm, mean 64 mm), and 70% suffered from systemic hypertension. Subsequently, the echocardiographic database, containing data from 33,105 studies in 21,484 patients, was searched for cases of AVR in which an accurate aortic dimension could be measured.

Porcine-valved Dacron conduits in Fontan procedures.

From a series of 52 Fontan procedures between 1976 and 1984, the cases of the 27 consecutive patients who received a porcine-valved conduit were reviewed. There were 5 hospital deaths among these 27 patients. Follow-up ranges from 11 years 9 months to 3 years 9 months.

Mediastinal hemorrhage after treatment of thyrotoxicosis using radioiodine.

A patient presented with a massive mediastinal hemorrhage due to a ruptured thyroid artery, occurring eight weeks after treatment with radioiodine for thyrotoxicosis. Suspicion of a causal relation is supported by vascular abnormalities found in the thyroid after treatment with radioiodine.

Antigen test for early diagnosis of active cytomegalovirus infection in heart transplant recipients.

An assay was developed for the detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigens in blood leukocytes and evaluated for its diagnostic significance in six heart transplant recipients. Slides of cytocentrifuged blood leukocytes were prepared at regular intervals during the posttransplantation period and stained with CMV-specific monoclonal antibodies, a procedure that took 3 hours. CMV-antigen-positive leukocytes were detected in all five patients with active CMV infection but not in the patient without CMV infection.

Thoracotomy as a staging procedure after chemotherapy in the treatment of Stage III nonseminomatous carcinoma of the testis.

Of 108 patients with a nonseminomatous testicular carcinoma, 28 with lung metastases were studied. After combination chemotherapy with cisplatin, vinblastine, and bleomycin (PVB), 11 patients underwent exploratory thoracotomy. Viable carcinomatous tissue, along with fibrosis, necrosis, and mature teratoma, was found in 4 patients.