Adsorption Properties and Mechanisms of Methylene Blue by Modified Sphagnum Moss Bio-Based Adsorbents.

The abundant pore structure and carbon composition of sphagnum peat moss render it a bio-based adsorbent for efficient methylene blue removal from wastewater. By utilizing sphagnum moss sourced from Guizhou, China, as raw material, a cost-effective and highly efficient bio-based adsorbent material was prepared through chemical modification. The structure and performance of the modified sphagnum moss were characterized using SEM, EDS, FTIR, and TGA techniques.

Impact of 1-week preoperative auto-CPAP treatment on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing heart valve replacement surgery: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

Background: Whether preoperative continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment improves postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement (CVR) remains unknown.

Hypothesis: This study was to evaluate the effects of 1-week perioperative auto-continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on postoperative heart and pulmonary outcomes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and valvular heart disease.

Methods: Thirty-two patients with OSA and valvular heart disease were randomly assigned to 1-week CPAP ( = 15) group and non-CPAP treatments ( = 17) group.

Mathematical models for intraoperative prediction of metastasis to regional lymph nodes in patients with clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer.

It remains challenging to determine the regions of metastasis to lymph nodes during operation for clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to establish intraoperative mathematical models with nomograms for predicting the hilar-intrapulmonary node metastasis (HNM) and the mediastinal node metastasis (MNM) in patients with clinical stage I NSCLC. The clinicopathological variables of 585 patients in a derivation cohort who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy with complete lymph node dissection were retrospectively analyzed for their association with the HNM or the MNM.

Perirenal adipose afferent nerves sustain pathological high blood pressure in rats.

Hypertension is a pathological condition of persistent high blood pressure (BP) of which the underlying neural mechanisms remain obscure. Here, we show that the afferent nerves in perirenal adipose tissue (PRAT) contribute to maintain pathological high BP, without affecting physiological BP. Bilateral PRAT ablation or denervation leads to a long-term reduction of high BP in spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR), but has no effect on normal BP in control rats.

A method to improve multi-node power transmission efficiency of inductively coupled mooring cable.

The inductively coupled mooring cable is an important tool for monitoring the ocean hydrological data. The mooring cable is an open-loop structure that uses a section of seawater as the transmission medium. The power transmission efficiency of this structure is very low due to the large power loss of the seawater medium, and it is rarely studied.

Long noncoding RNA ArfGAP with RhoGAP domain, ankyrin repeat and PH domain 1 antisense RNA 1 recruits enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit to promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells.

The detailed function of ARAP1-AS1, the antisense RNA of Arf-GAP with Rho-GAP domain, ANK repeat and PH domain-containing protein 1 (ARAP1), in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has not been clearly elucidated and required further investigation. Our study is committed to exploring the role of ARAP1-AS1 in LUAD. Gene expression in LUAD was measured by real-time quantitative polymerase-chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

FAK-targeting PROTAC demonstrates enhanced antitumor activity against KRAS mutant non-small cell lung cancer.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) has been established as a promising therapeutic target for KRAS mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, phase II clinical trials of a FAK inhibitor (Defactinib) have only shown modest antitumor activity. To address this challenge, here we report the use of a FAK-targeting proteolysis targeting chimera (D-PROTAC) to treat KRAS mutant NSCLC.

Prognosis of early stage pulmonary mucinous adenocarcinoma with different treatments.

Background: The effects of surgical approach and adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) of early stage pulmonary mucinous adenocarcinoma (MAD) have not been thoroughly studied yet. This study intends to clarify whether AC provides clinical benefit to the early stage MAD patients and the survival difference between surgical approaches.

Methods: All cases of stage I MAD were identified from the SEER database during the period of 2009-2014.

Prediction of lymph node metastatic status in superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma using an assessment model combining clinical characteristics and pathologic results: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: It is important to identify the risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with superficial esophageal squamous carcinoma (SESC) who have received endoscopic resection (ER). We aimed to develop a risk-predicting model for metastasis of SESC to lymph nodes using clinicopathological features and pathological results.

Methods: Clinical data on 539 consecutive patients who underwent esophagectomy for SESC in our hospital were collected.

Cardiac Sympathetic Denervation Suppresses Atrial Fibrillation and Blood Pressure in a Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia Rat Model of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Background Chronic intermittent hypoxia ( CIH ) is a distinct pathological mechanism of obstructive sleep apnea ( OSA ), which is recognized as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. The aims of this study were to ascertain whether CIH induces atrial fibrillation ( AF ), to determine whether cardiac sympathetic denervation ( CSD ) can prevent it and suppress blood pressure, and to explore the potential molecular mechanisms involved. Methods and Results Sixty Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: sham, CSD , CIH , CIH + CSD .

Simultaneously surgical management of adult complex coarctation of aorta concomitant with intracardiac abnormality.

Background: To explore surgical management of complex coarctation of aorta (COA) concomitant with intracardiac abnormality, in order to provide recommendations for safe and reliable treatment.

Methods: Totally, six adult cases demonstrating complex COA concomitant with intracardiac abnormality were reviewed from our department between May 2012 and June 2017. Four patients were male and two patients were female, the age range being 43.

A hybrid approach for patent ductus arteriosus closure using the Amplatzer Duct Occluder.

Objective: We performed closure of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) using a hybrid approach with an Amplatzer Duct Occluder.

Methods: Six patients (two males and four females) underwent PDA closure at a mean age of 7.8 months (range 2-24 months) and a mean weight of 6.

Overexpression of filamin c in chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis is a potential cardioprotective target for obstructive sleep apnea.

Purpose: Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is key pathological mechanism of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which induced cardiac dysfunction. Filamin c (FLNC) is a muscle-restricted isoform and predominantly expressed in muscle tissue. In this study, we utilized a recently developed CIH rat model to mimic OSA, investigated the expression of FLNC in cardiomyocytes, and examined the correlations of FLNC with active caspase-3 to ascertain whether FLNC regulates the survival of cardiomyocytes.

Iodine stimulates estrogen receptor singling and its systemic level is increased in surgical patients due to topical absorption.

Iodine is crucial for thyroid hormone production. However, recent epidemiologic studies have shown that breast cancer patients have an elevated risk of developing thyroid cancer and vice versa. A notable finding in this study is that iodine stimulated the transcriptional activity of estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) in breast cancer cells.

Idiopathic isolated fibrotic atrial cardiomyopathy underlies unexplained scar-related atrial tachycardia in younger patients.

Aims: Unexplained scar-related atrial tachycardia (AT) has been frequently encountered in clinical practice. We hypothesized that idiopathic, isolated fibrotic atrial cardiomyopathy (ACM) underlies this rhythm disorder. This study was aimed to characterize the underlying substrate and to explore the aetiology of this unexplained scar-related AT.

Bilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy attenuates the progression of β-aminopropionitrile-induced aortic dissection in rats.

Aims: Aortic dissection (AD) represents one of the most common aortic emergencies with high incidence of morbidity and mortality. Clinical studies have shown that the increased excitability of the sympathetic nerve may be associated with the formation of AD. In this study, we examined the effects of bilateral superior cervical sympathectomy (SCGx) on the progression of β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN)-induced AD in rats.

Biomechanical characterization of a novel ring connector for sutureless aortic anastomosis.

The surgical treatment for aortic diseases remains a challenge for any cardiac surgeon. The use of sutureless ring connector in aortic anastomosis can simplify the procedure and shorten anastomosis time. Therefore, we developed a novel device for sutureless aortic anastomosis.

Sex-dependent aortic valve pathology in patients with rheumatic heart disease.

Background: Rheumatic heart disease is an autoimmune disease caused by group A streptococci infection and frequently affects the aortic valve. Sex differences are common in the disease progression, treatment, and outcome. However, little is known about the sex differences in the pathology of aortic valves in rheumatic heart disease.

Cardiac autotransplantation for repair of left ventricular rupture after mitral valve replacement.

Left ventricular rupture is an infrequent but potentially fatal complication of mitral valve replacement. Here, we report a case of large posterior mid-ventricular rupture following mitral valve replacement, which was successfully treated by a sandwich style repair and autotransplantation.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Increases the Perioperative Risk of Cardiac Valve Replacement Surgery: A Prospective Single-Center Study.

Study Objectives: Sleep apnea is common in patients referred for cardiac valve replacement (CVR). We aimed to determine the association of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA) with perioperative events in CVR surgery in patients with rheumatic valvular heart disease (RVHD).

Methods: Between April 2010 and April 2014, 290 patients with RVHD undergoing CVR were screened for sleep apnea 1 to 7 days before CVR.

Safety and feasibility of chronic transvenous phrenic nerve stimulation for treatment of central sleep apnea in heart failure patients.

Introduction: Central sleep apnea (CSA) is common in patients with heart failure (HF) and is associated with poor quality of life and prognosis. Early acute studies using transvenous phrenic nerve stimulation (PNS) to treat CSA in HF have shown a significantly reduction of CSA and improvement of key polysomnographic parameters. In this study, we evaluated the safety of and efficiency chronic transvenous PNS with an implanted neurostimulator in HF patients with CSA.

Overnight fluid shifts in subjects with and without obstructive sleep apnea.

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of baseline body fluid content and overnight fluid shifts between non-obstructive sleep apnea (non-OSA) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) subjects.

Methods: A case-controlled study was performed between February 2013 and January 2014, with 36 (18 OSA and 18 non-OSA) outpatients enrolled in this study. Polysomnographic parameters and results of body fluid were compared between the two groups.