Flat silk cocoons: A candidate material for fabricating lightweight and impact-resistant composites.

The utilization of silk cocoons in the production of lightweight and tough composites has been gaining increasing attention. However, the limited applications of normal silk cocoons (NSC) are attributed to their small size and irregular shape. To overcome this deficiency, flat silk cocoons (FSC) with a similar structure and controllable size were prepared.

Genome-wide analysis of the gene family and function exploration of in rose (. 'The Fairy').

are a class of plant-specific transcription factors that play key roles in plant growth and stress responses. However, the mechanism by which influence adventitious root development in remains unclear. In this study, gene family in rose was identified and phylogenetically analyzed using bioinformatics analysis.

Assessment of Coronary Involvement with MDCT and Long-term Outcomes in Patients with Takayasu's Arteritis.

Rationale And Objectives: Takayasu's arteritis (TA) mainly affects the aorta and its branches involving the coronary arteries. Coronary CT angiography can be used to detect coronary artery lesions. Outcome of TA patients with coronary involvement has not been well established.

Preoperative Quantitative Flow Ratio, Intraoperative Transit Time Flow Measurement Parameters, and Their Predictive Value for Short-Term Graft Failure After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Background: Studies on the relationship between the preoperative quantitative flow ratio (QFR) and parameters of intraoperative transit time flow measurement (TTFM) are extremely rare. In addition, the predictive value of QFR and TTFM parameters for early internal mammary artery (IMA) failure after coronary artery bypass grafting still needs to be validated.

Methods And Results: We retrospectively collected data from 510 patients who underwent in situ IMA grafting to the left anterior descending (LAD) artery at Fuwai Hospital.

Coronary computed tomography angiography-derived total coronary plaque burden associated with subsequent cardiovascular outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objective: To investigate the association of coronary plaque burden variables derived from coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) before patients underwent their first percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) after PCI.

Methods: Patients who underwent CCTA before their first PCI were included retrospectively. A radiologist and a cardiologist analyzed CCTA images on a dedicated workstation.

Performance of the 2019 ESC pre-test probability model in predicting obstructive coronary artery disease in a Chinese population using coronary computed tomography angiography outcomes.

Background: The 2019 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines proposed a pre-test probability (PTP) model to determine the likelihood of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the prediction accuracy of this model has not yet been evaluated in Chinese populations. This study aimed to validate the 2019 ESC-PTP model in predicting CAD using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) outcomes in a Chinese population.

Evaluation of associations between outflow morphology and rupture risk of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the association between the outflow morphology and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture risk, to find risk factors for future prediction models.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 46 patients with ruptured AAAs and 46 patients with stable AAAs using a 1:1 match for sex, age, and maximum aneurysm diameter. The chi-square test, paired t-test, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to compare variables.

Prognostic value of coronary CT angiography for the prediction of all-cause mortality and non-fatal myocardial infarction: a propensity score analysis.

To explore the relationship between comprehensive assessment of coronary atherosclerosis by coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and all-cause mortality and non-fatal myocardial infarction in the Chinese population. Sixty-three patients from the prospective long-term study who experienced major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) during the follow-up were included. No-MACE patients were 1:1 propensity-matched.

Assessing the timing and the duration of exposure to air pollution on cardiometabolic biomarkers in patients suspected of coronary artery disease.

Air pollution can affect cardiometabolic biomarkers in susceptible populations, but the most important exposure window (lag days) and exposure duration (length of averaging period) are not well understood. We investigated air pollution exposure across different time intervals on ten cardiometabolic biomarkers in 1550 patients suspected of coronary artery disease. Daily residential PM and NO were estimated using satellite-based spatiotemporal models and assigned to participants for up to one year before the blood collection.

Effects of intensive lipid lowering compared with moderate-intensity lipid lowering on coronary atherosclerotic plaque phenotype and major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with low to intermediate 10-year ASCVD risk (ILLUMINATION study): protocol for a multicentre, open-label, blinded-endpoint, randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Current guidelines recommend moderate-intensity lipid lowering (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C of <2.6 mmol/L or 30%-49% reduction from the baseline) for patients with intermediate 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. The effects of intensive lipid lowering (LDL-C of <1.

Impact of Preoperative Quantitative Flow Ratio of the Left Anterior Descending Artery on Internal Mammary Artery Graft Patency and Midterm Patient Outcomes After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Background In coronary artery bypass grafting, grafting a target vessel with nonsignificant stenosis increases the risk of graft failure. The present study aims to investigate the impact of preoperative quantitative flow ratio (QFR), a novel functional assessment of the coronary artery, on internal mammary artery graft failure rate and midterm patient outcomes. Methods and Results Between January 2016 and January 2020, we retrospectively included 419 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting who had received preoperative angiography and postoperative coronary computed tomographic angiography in our center.

Combination therapy with PD-1 inhibition plus rapamycin and metformin enhances anti-tumor efficacy in triple negative breast cancer.

Immunotherapy using PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors has been proved to be effective in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), albeit only in a fraction of patients. Emerging evidences indicate mTOR blockade and metformin may re-orchestrate the immune system in tumors. Herein, in this study we aimed to evaluate the anti-tumor efficacy of PD-1 monoclonal antibody with mTOR inhibitor rapamycin or with the anti-diabetic drug metformin.

The value of quantitative plaque analysis based on coronary computed tomography angiography in predicting the percutaneous coronary intervention outcome of chronic total occlusion lesions.

Background: Due to the uncertainty of the success of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and the complexity of selecting suitable treatment cases, the interventional outcome of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) remains challenging. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of quantitative plaque analysis based on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in predicting the CTO-PCI outcome.

Methods: We retrospectively included 78 patients with CTO (80 lesions) confirmed by invasive coronary angiography from July 2016 to December 2018.

Chromosome-scale Genome Assembly of the Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus).

The yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L. 1753) is an unconventional oil plant with oil-rich tubers, and a potential alternative for traditional oil crops. Here, we reported the first high-quality and chromosome-level genome assembly of the yellow nutsedge generated by combining PacBio HiFi long reads, Novaseq short reads, and Hi-C data.

Association of the bovine aortic arch and bicuspid aortic valve with thoracic aortic disease.

Background: Both bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and bovine aortic arch (BA) are considered as markers of thoracic aortic disease (TAD). But the association between them is not yet clear. This study aimed to explore the potential association of BAV and BA with TAD.

Acupuncture-assisted anaesthesia for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation to reduce the consumption of morphine hydrochloride and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Patients often experience postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) because of the use of opioids for anaesthesia and analgesia during the procedure. Some clinical trials have demonstrated that acupuncture-assisted anaesthesia (AAA) reduces opioid consumption and prevents PONV. Although several studies have been conducted on AAA, its safety and efficacy in AF catheter ablation remain unclear due to small sample sizes and a paucity of methodologically rigorous designs.

Changes in soil properties in different land use types in a desert-oasis ecotone, Inner Mongolia, China.

This study aims to examine the changes in soil chemical properties (soil organic matter, SOM; available nitrogen, AN; available phosphorus, AP; available potassium, AK; total nitrogen, TN; total phosphorus, TP and pH) in three depths (i.e. 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 cm) from different land use types of the Green Beach Desert-oasis Ecotone, Inner Mangolia, China.

The Perivascular Fat Attenuation Index Improves the Diagnostic Performance for Functional Coronary Stenosis.

Background: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is an established first-line test in the investigation of patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD), while the perivascular fat attenuation index (FAI) derived from CT seems to be a feasible and efficient tool for the identification of ischemia. The association between the FAI and lesion-specific ischemia as assessed by fractional flow reserve (FFR) remains unclear. Methods: In a total of 261 patients, 294 vessels were assessed for CCTA stenosis, vessel-specific FAI, lesion-specific FAI, and plaque characteristics.

Pericoronary fat attenuation index and coronary plaque quantified from coronary computed tomography angiography identify ischemia-causing lesions.

Background: The association between pericoronary fat attenuation index (FAI), plaque characteristics, and lesion-specific ischemia identified by fractional flow reserve (FFR) remains unclear.

Methods: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) stenosis, FAI, plaque characteristics, FFR derived from computed tomography (FFR) and FFR were assessed in 280 vessels of 247 patients. Stenosis ≥50% was considered obstructive.

Identification of pathology-confirmed vulnerable atherosclerotic lesions by coronary computed tomography angiography using radiomics analysis.

Objectives: To explore whether radiomics-based machine learning (ML) models could outperform conventional diagnostic methods at identifying vulnerable lesions on coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA).

Methods: In this retrospective study, 36 heart transplant recipients with coronary heart disease (CAD) and end-stage heart failure were included. Pathological cross-section samples of 350 plaques were collected and coregistered to patients' preoperative CCTA images.