Preoperative ECG-assisted feature engineering enhances prediction of new-onset atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery.

Background: New-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common complication following cardiac surgery, associated with adverse outcomes. However, the predictive accuracy of existing models remains unsatisfactory, primarily due to insufficient utilization of electrocardiogram (ECG) data and limitations in model development methodologies. This study aims to develop an accurate prediction model for POAF by comprehensively analyzing the predictive power of various preoperative ECG features.

Enzymatically Interesterified Oil: A Novel Shortening for Enhanced Nutritional Quality and Sustainability.

Trans-fatty acids (TFAs) in conventional shortenings are associated with health concerns. Here, we explore approaches to produce a healthier alternative using oil (TSO) and soybean oil (SO). Through optimized enzymatic interesterification (EIE), a 6:4 TSO to SO ratio was used, with a reaction temperature of 60 °C, enzyme dosage of 2%, and 240 min duration.

Preliminary screening of new biomarkers for sepsis using bioinformatics and experimental validation.

Background: The morbidity and mortality of sepsis remain high, and so far specific diagnostic and therapeutic means are lacking.

Objective: To screen novel biomarkers for sepsis.

Methods: Raw sepsis data were downloaded from the Chinese National Genebank (CNGBdb) and screened for differentially expressed RNAs.

Protective effect of ulinastatin against negative inflammatory response and organ dysfunction in acute aortic dissection surgery: The PANDA trial.

Ulinastatin is a protease-inhibiting drug with anti-inflammatory and other pharmacological properties. Little is known regarding its role following acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) surgery. We perform a randomized controlled trial to investigate the protective effect of ulinastatin against negative inflammatory response and organ dysfunction in ATAAD surgery (PANDA).

Chemical cross-linking facilitates antigen uptake and presentation and provides improved protection from Mpox with a dual-antigen subunit vaccine.

Antigen uptake, processing, and presentation are crucial for the immune responses of protein-based vaccines. Herein, we introduced a reversible chemical cross-linking strategy to engineer protein antigens, which can be tracelessly removed upon antigen-presenting cell (APC) uptake and cellular reduction. The chemically cross-linked antigen proteins presented significantly enhanced uptake and epitope presentation by APC.

Case Report: Surgical treatment of type B aortic dissection in an adult with double aortic arch.

Background: Double aortic arch (DAA) with type B aortic dissection in adults is a rare aortic vascular disease. The abnormal anatomical structure of the aortic arch in such patients presents significant challenges in the selection of surgical approaches, and there is a notable lack of exploration into endovascular repair approaches that simultaneously preserve asymptomatic vascular rings.

Case Description: A 43-year-old female patient was admitted due to recurrent chest and back pain lasting for over a month.

Macrophage-derived cathepsin L promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and M2 polarization in gastric cancer.

Background: Advanced gastric tumors are extremely prone to metastasize the in 20%-30% of gastric cancer, and patients have a poor prognosis despite systemic chemotherapy. Peritoneal metastases from gastric cancer usually indicate the end stage of the disease without curative treatment.

Aim: To peritoneal metastasis for facilitating clinical therapy are urgently needed.

The novel COVID-19 treatment VV116 is a potential inhibitor of Zika virus.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne, positive-stranded RNA virus, ZIKV infection during pregnancy threatens pregnancy and fetal health, and it remains a global health threat, there are no clinically approved vaccines or antiviral drugs for the treatment of ZIKV infection. VV116 is an oral drug candidate of nucleoside analog against SARS-CoV-2 that has demonstrated a satisfactory safety and tolerability in healthy subjects. Our study shows for the first time that VV116 has potent activity against ZIKV.

Mn Doping at High-Activity Octahedral Vacancies of γ-FeO for Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrocatalysis in Metal-Air Batteries.

γ-FeO with the intrinsic cation vacancies is an ideal substrate for heteroatom doping into the highly active octahedral sites in spinel oxide catalysts. However, it is still a challenge to confirm the vacancy location of γ-FeO through experiments and obtain enhanced catalytic performance by preferential occupation of octahedral sites for heteroatom doping. Here, a Mn-doped γ-FeO incorporated with carbon nanotubes catalyst was developed to successfully achieve preferential doping into highly active octahedral sites by employing γ-FeO as the precursor.

Comprehensive analysis and validation of TP73 as a biomarker for calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis using machine learning and in vivo and in vitro experiments.

Calcium oxalate (CaOx) nephrolithiasis constitutes approximately 75% of nephrolithiasis cases, resulting from the supersaturation and deposition of CaOx crystals in renal tissues. Despite their prevalence, precise biomarkers for CaOx nephrolithiasis are lacking. With advances in high-throughput sequencing, we aimed to identify biomarkers of CaOx nephrolithiasis by combining two CaOx nephrolithiasis datasets (GSE73680 and GSE117518).

Fangchinoline Inhibits Zika Virus by Disrupting Virus Internalization.

The Zika virus (ZIKV) has garnered significant public attention, particularly following the outbreak in Brazil, due to its potential to cause severe damage to the central nervous system and its ability to cross the placental barrier, resulting in microcephaly in infants. Despite the urgency, there remains a lack of targeted therapies or vaccines for the prevention or treatment of ZIKV infection and its related diseases. Fangchinoline (FAN), an alkaloid derived from traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, has a range of biological activities.

SPP1 is a plasma biomarker associated with the dia gnosis and prediction of prognosis in sepsis.

In this study, peripheral whole blood samples from 22 hospitalized patients and 10 healthy individuals were analyzed using a combination of Data Independent Acquisition (DIA) and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) techniques to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in sepsis patients' plasma. The aim was to provide accurate and detailed biomarkers, such as SPP1, for determining the pathological stages of sepsis. SPP1, known as osteopontin1 is a pleiotropic protein with a wide distribution and multifunctional effects.

Emerging small-molecule antiviral agents in long COVID prevention.

Long COVID, or Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), was characterized by persistent symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive impairments. These symptoms, emerging one to 2 months post-infection and persisting for several months, cannot be attributed to other diagnoses. The pathophysiology of long COVID remained elusive; however, emerging studies suggested multiple potential mechanisms, including the reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus, persistent SARS-CoV-2 reservoirs, neuroinflammation, and vascular damage, which may contribute to its development.

The safety and feasibility of laparoscopic partial splenectomy: analysis of perioperative indications from different vascular subtypes and improvement of surgical approach.

Introduction: While laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) has been widely used in benign splenic tumor, more concerns have been raised for postoperatively short-term and long-term complications. Laparoscopic partial splenectomy (LPS) is a surgical option, to preserve splenic function, and reduce postoperative complications. The aim of our study was to retrospectively identify the safety and feasibility of LPS compared with LS in patients with splenic benign tumor.

Intragallbladder versus intravenous indocyanine green (ICG) injection for enhanced bile duct visualization by fluorescent cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Iatrogenic bile duct injuries (BDIs) prevention during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) relies on meticulous anatomical dissections through direct visualization. Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) with indocyanine green (ICG) improves the visualization of extrahepatic biliary structures. Although ICG can be administered either intravenously or intragallbladder, there remains uncertainty regarding the optimal method for different patient populations.

Association between perioperative hemoglobin decrease and outcomes of transfusion in patients undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery: An observational study from two Chinese heart centers.

Background: It is unclear how perioperative hemoglobin decrease (ΔHb) influences the balance between risks and benefits of red blood cell transfusion after cardiac surgery.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data on 8186 adults who underwent valve surgery and/or coronary artery bypass grafting under cardiopulmonary bypass at two large cardiology centers. We explored the potential association of ΔHb, defined relative to the preoperative level and postoperative nadir, with a composite outcome of in-hospital mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and acute kidney injury using multivariable logistic regression, restricted cubic spline, and piecewise-linear models.

Zn-facilitated surface reconstruction of Ni-MOF for an enhanced oxygen evolution reaction.

Facilitating the surface reconstruction of pre-catalysts has been considered an effective strategy for constructing low-cost and highly efficient OER electrocatalysts. Metal doping is a feasible way to activate the surface reconstruction, thus enhancing the OER performance. Herein, we report a facile hydrothermal method to synthesize a series of Zn-doped Ni-MOF on nickel foam (NiZn-MOF/NF) as promising pre-catalysts toward the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

Prognostic and clinicopathological value of systemic immune-inflammation index in patients with osteosarcoma: a meta-analysis.

Background: The efficiency of systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in predicting prognosis of osteosarcoma (OSA) patients has been extensively analyzed, but no consistent findings are obtained. Therefore, this meta-analysis focused on identifying the precise prognostic value of SII for OSA.

Methods: We comprehensively searched electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) from inception to 24 February, 2024.

Developmental endothelial locus 1: the present and future of an endogenous factor in vessels.

Developmental Endothelial Locus-1 (DEL-1), also known as EGF-like repeat and discoidin I-like domain-3 (EDIL3), is increasingly recognized for its multifaceted roles in immunoregulation and vascular biology. DEL-1 is a protein that is mainly produced by endothelial cells. It interacts with various integrins to regulate the behavior of immune cells, such as preventing unnecessary recruitment and inflammation.

Advancing Equitable Ambulatory Telehealth Through Dashboard Development.

Telehealth has the potential to improve access to health care by mitigating barriers related to geography, time, and finances. However, the increased adoption of ambulatory telehealth has inadvertently widened access gaps for socially disadvantaged and marginalized populations. Quality improvement approaches are a valuable strategy to address health care access inequities and disparities, involving data-driven implementation, assessment, and adaptation of tests of change over time.