Effects of Six Processing Parameters on the Size of PCL Fibers Prepared by Melt Electrospinning Writing.

Melt electrospinning writing is a new and promising method for fabricating micro/nanofibers, which has shown great prospects in the biomedical fields such as 3D printing of porous scaffolds. The diameter of the melt electrospinning writing fiber can determine the resolution of the microstructure; thus, the controllability of the fiber diameter is of great significance to the whole fabrication process. In this paper, an orthogonal design experiment (six factors, three levels) was used to explore the impacts of six melt electrospinning parameters (melt temperature, collector speed, tip-to-collector distance, melt flow rate, voltage, and needle gauge) on the fiber diameter. In this experiment, the diameter of fibers obtained with the designed experimental parameters and conditions varied from 10.30 µm to 20.02 µm. The range analysis of orthogonal test results showed that the melt flow rate was the most important factor influencing the diameter of melt electrospinning writing fiber, while the voltage was the least influential factor. The variance analysis of orthogonal test results showed that melt temperature, collector velocity, tip-to-collector distance and melt flow rate had a significant influence on the diameter of melt electrospinning writing fiber. On the basis of the first-order regression equation, the fiber diameter of poly-ε-caprolactone can be accurately controlled, thus improving the engineering applications of poly-ε-caprolactone.

Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Genetic Targets Using Nanoporous Waveguide Based Competitive Displacement Assay.

Rapid detection of unlabeled SARS-CoV-2 genetic target was demonstrated using a competitive displacement hybridization assay made by a nanostructured anodized alumina oxide (AAO) membrane. The assay applied the toehold-mediated strand displacement reaction. The nanoporous surface of the membrane was functionalized with a complementary pair consisting of Cy3-labeled probe and quencher-labeled nucleic acids through a chemical immobilization process. In the presence of the unlabeled SARS-CoV-2 target, the quencher-tagged strand of the immobilized probe-quencher duplex was separated from the Cy3-modifed strand. A stable probe-target duplex formed and regained a strong fluorescence signal, thus enabling real-time and label-free SARS-CoV-2 detection. Assay designs with different numbers of base pair (bp) matches were synthesized to compare their affinities. Because of the large surface of a free-standing nanoporous membrane, two orders enhancement of the fluorescence was observed, where the detection limit of the unlabeled concentration can be improved to 1 nM. The assay was miniaturized by integrating a nanoporous AAO layer onto an optical waveguide device. The detection mechanism and the sensitivity improvement of the AAO-waveguide device were illustrated from the finite difference method (FDM) simulation and the experimental results. Light-analyte interaction was further improved due to the presence of the AAO layer, which created an intermediate refractive index and enhanced the waveguide's evanescent field. Our competitive hybridization sensor is an accurate and label-free testing platform applicable to the deployment of compact and sensitive virus detection strategies.

Can proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors regress coronary atherosclerotic plaque? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Whether inhibition of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) promotes the regression of coronary atherosclerotic plaque in statin-treated individuals remains unclear. This study examined whether PCSK9 inhibitors combined with statin therapy could increase atherosclerotic plaque regression compared with statin therapy alone. METHODS: PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), the database Clinical trials, and the Web of Science were searched to report the coronary atherosclerotic plaque of PCSK9 inhibitors using intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) or optical coherence tomography (OCT) in statin patients. The weighted mean difference (WMD) of the random-effects/fixed-effects model was used to pool data that satisfied our inclusion criteria obtained from the included studies. RESULTS: When compared with statin therapy alone, pooled studies revealed that PCSK9 inhibitors combined with statin therapy significantly decreased percent atheroma volume (PAV) (WMD: -1.06%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.39 to -0.73; P<0.001) and total atheroma volume (TAV) (WMD: -6.38 mm3, 95% CI: -10.12 to -2.64; P=0.001). Moreover, the fibrous cap thickness (FCT) of the coronary atherosclerotic plaque increases to 21.31 um (WMD: 21.31, 95% CI: 7.08 to 35.53, P<0.001), and the maximum lipid arc decreases 10.9° (WMD: -10.9, 95% CI: -15.24 to -5.34, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: In our systematic review and meta-analysis, PCSK9 inhibitors combined with statin therapy were found to be more effective than statin therapy alone for slowing coronary plaque progression by decreasing PAV, TAV, and increasing FCT, maximum lipid arc.

Mid-Infrared Serial Microring Resonator Array for Real-Time Detection of Vapor-Phase Volatile Organic Compounds.

Chip-scale infrared spectrometers consisting of a microring resonator array (MRA) were developed for volatile organic compound (VOC) detection. The MRA is serially positioned to serve as a wavelength sorting element that enables wavelength demultiplexing. Unlike conventional devices operated by a single microring, our MRA can perform multiwavelength mid-infrared (mid-IR) sensing by routing the resonant wavelength light from a broadband mid-IR source into different sensing channels. Miniaturized spectrometer devices were fabricated on mid-IR transparent silicon-rich silicon nitride (SiNx) thin films through complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes, thus enabling wafer-level manufacturing and packaging. The spectral distribution of the resonance lines and the optimization of the microring structures were designed using finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) modeling and then verified by laser spectrum scanning. Using small microring structures, the spectrum showed a large free spectral range (FSR) of 100 nm and held four spectral channels without crosstalk. Unlike near-infrared microrings using refractive index sensing, our MRA can detect hexane and ethanol vapor pulses by monitoring the intensity variation at their characteristic mid-IR absorption bands, thus providing high specificity. Applying multiwavelength detection, the sensor module can discriminate among various VOC vapors. Hence, our mid-IR MRA could be an essential component to achieve a compact spectroscopic sensing module that has the potential for applications such as remote environmental monitoring and portable health care devices.

CoO Nanoparticles Combined with MRI: Analysis of No-Reflow in Patients with Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction after PCI and the Effect of Coronary Nicorandil.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become one of the most important medical imaging techniques in the clinic due to its high degree of soft tissue resolution and no radiation damage, and it plays an important role in the early diagnosis and treatment of tumors. This article mainly studies the analysis of no-reflow in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction after PCI and the effect of coronary nicorandil on CoO nanoparticles combined with MRI. In this paper, the synthesized water-soluble nanoparticles are dispersed in a 2% xanthan gum or agarose solution. In an MRI analyzer, the T1 value is tested with the inversion recovery sequence, and the T2 value is tested with the hard pulse CPMG sequence. The gyroscope imaging sequence performs T1-weighted and T2-weighted imaging tests. Calculated densitometry (QCA) was used to measure the stenosis of the coronary lesions, the length of the lesions and the diameter of the lumen before stent implantation. In order to facilitate the collection of urine samples, this article adopts the method of inserting a catheter to drain the patient for sampling. From the baseline state at the time of enrollment to 150 minutes after PCI, polyethylene containing 0.1% butylated hydroxyanisole is used. Urine samples were taken from the test tube every 30 minutes, a total of 6 times were collected, and the collected urine samples were stored in a low-temperature refrigerator at -80℃ for the final inspection. This paper uses calculation software to calculate the risk of death and death/myocardial infarction in the hospital and at 6 months after discharge. The data showed that the postoperatively detected CKMB and cTnI were higher than those before the operation, but the peak value of the nicorandil group was lower than that of the control group, but there was still no statistical difference (P>0.05). The results show that nicorandil can significantly improve the no-reflow phenomenon in AMI patients during PCI.

Effect of Water Uptake, Adhesion and Anti-Corrosion Performance for Silicone-Epoxy Coatings Treated with GLYMO on 2024 Al-Alloy.

Water uptake, adhesion and corrosion performance of silicone-epoxy coating on 2024 Al-alloy treated with different GLYMO were systematically studied by gravimetry, electrochemical measurements, DSC, pull-off adhesion and salt spray tests. The results showed that GLYMO not only enhanced the cross-linking of the silicon-epoxy coating but also enhanced the bonding between the coating and the Al-alloy interface. This gives the coating better wet adhesion, less water absorption and improves the corrosion resistance of the coating. The micro-nano silane layer, preferentially between the coating and Al-alloy oxide layer, was validated by the model of the water concentration jump.

Febuxostat Protects Human Aortic Valve Endothelial Cells From Oxidized Low-density Lipoprotein-Induced Injury and Monocyte Attachment.

ABSTRACT: Atherosclerosis (AS) is a common cardiovascular disease with high morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of AS is closely related to endothelial dysfunction, which is mainly induced by oxidative stress, inflammation, and enhanced adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells on the vessel wall. Febuxostat is a novel antigout agent recently reported to exert protective effects on endothelial dysfunction. This study aims to investigate the protective capacity of febuxostat against oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced injury and monocyte attachment to endothelial cells. Human aortic valve endothelial cells (HAVECs) were stimulated with ox-LDL in the presence or absence of febuxostat (5 and 10 µM) for 6 hours. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species were measured using MitoSox red staining, and the level of protein carbonyl was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expressions of IL-6, TNF-α, tissue factor (TF), VCAM-1, and ICAM-1 were evaluated with qRT-PCR assay and ELISA. Calcein-AM staining was used to determine the attachment of U937 monocytes to HAVECs. quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to measure the expression level of early growth response 1 (Egr-1) in HAVECs. First, the elevated expression of LOX-1, activated oxidative stress, excessive secreted inflammatory factors, and promoted expression of TF induced by stimulation with ox-LDL were significantly reversed by febuxostat, indicating a protective effect of febuxostat against endothelial dysfunction. Second, the upregulated VCAM-1 and ICAM-1, as well as the increased proportion of adhered monocytes to HAVECs induced by ox-LDL, were significantly alleviated by febuxostat. Finally, the promoted expression level of Egr-1 induced by ox-LDL was pronouncedly suppressed by febuxostat. We conclude that febuxostat protected HAVECs from ox-LDL-induced injury and monocyte attachment.

Detection of volatile organic compounds using mid-infrared silicon nitride waveguide sensors.

Mid-infrared (mid-IR) sensors consisting of silicon nitride (SiN) waveguides were designed and tested to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs). SiN thin films, prepared by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), have a broad mid-IR transparent region and a lower refractive index (nSiN = 2.0) than conventional materials such as Si (nSi = 3.4), which leads to a stronger evanescent wave and therefore higher sensitivity, as confirmed by a finite-difference eigenmode (FDE) calculation. Further, in-situ monitoring of three VOCs (acetone, ethanol, and isoprene) was experimentally demonstrated through characteristic absorption measurements at wavelengths λ = 3.0-3.6 µm. The SiN waveguide showed a five-fold sensitivity improvement over the Si waveguide due to its stronger evanescent field. To our knowledge, this is the first time SiN waveguides are used to perform on-chip mid-IR spectral measurements for VOC detection. Thus, the developed waveguide sensor has the potential to be used as a compact device module capable of monitoring multiple gaseous analytes for health, agricultural and environmental applications.

Cardiopulmonary exercise test-based assessment of the effects of sacubitril/valsartan on the blood pressure response to exercise in patients with acute myocardial infarction during hospitalization.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of sacubitril/valsartan (S/V) on cardiopulmonary function and blood pressure response to exercise during hospitalization in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) based on the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). METHODS: A total of 265 AMI patients were treated with either perindopril or S/V within 24 hours of admission. CPET was completed for all patients before discharge. There were 182 cases in the perindopril group and 83 cases in the S/V group. RESULTS: The proportion of exercise oscillatory ventilation (EOV) was higher in the S/V group than in the perindopril group (10.8% vs 1.6%, X2 = 11.148, P = .001). The resting heart rate (HR), resting diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and warm-up DBP were lower in the S/V group than in the perindopril group (P < .05). The resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 9.0 mmHg lower (115.7 ± 17.5 vs 106.7 ± 15.0, P < .001), the SBP during warm-up was 9.5 mmHg lower (124.8 ± 23.7 vs 115.3 ± 22.5,P = .002), the SBP at the anaerobic threshold (AT) was 10.5 mmHg lower (135.3 ± 24.8 vs 127.1 ± 25.1,P = .021),the SBP at max watts was 11.5 mmHg lower (148.9 ± 26.4 vs 137.4 ± 26.4,P = .001), and the SBP during one-minute recovery was 12.3 mmHg lower (146.5 ± 27.1 vs 134.2 ± 24.4, P = .001)in the S/V group than in the perindopril group. The S/V group had a higher oxygen ventilation equivalent and carbon dioxide ventilation equivalent (VE/VCO2) at AT and a lower oxygen uptake-work rate relationship during max watts (P < .05). The differences in the oxygen pulse, stroke volume, peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak), and VE/VCO2 slope were not statistically significant between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Treatment with S/V was able to reduce the exercise blood pressure in patients with AMI during hospitalization, but did not significantly improve the VO2 peak, VE/VCO2 slope, or exercise tolerance.

The efficacy and safety of edoxaban versus warfarin in preventing clinical events in atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of arrhythmia. Warfarin reduces the incidence and mortality of strokes in patients with AF. Edoxaban reduces the bleeding risk in patients with AF. This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of edoxaban versus warfarin in preventing clinical events in patients with AF through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). RCTs were retrieved from medical literature databases. Risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to compare the primary and safety endpoints. In total, five articles (10 trial comparisons) containing 24,836 patients were retrieved. Of these patients, 16,268 (65.5%) received edoxaban and 8,568 (34.5%) received warfarin. Compared with warfarin, edoxaban significantly reduced the incidence of cardiovascular death (CVD), major bleeding, and non-major bleeding (RR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.80-0.93, I2 : 0.0%; RR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.59-0.71, I2 : 75.6%; and RR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.77-0.84, I2 : 79.3%, respectively). Edoxaban did not increase the incidence of stroke, systemic embolic events, myocardial infarction, and adverse events compared with warfarin (RR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.90-1.11, I2 : 42.8%; RR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.67-1.49, I2 : 0.0%; RR: 1.08, 95% CI: 0.93-1.27, I2 : 0.0%; RR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.91-1.10, I2: 46.4%, respectively). This meta-analysis indicated that compared with warfarin, edoxaban can significantly reduce the incidence of CVD and major and non-major bleeding. The anticoagulant effect and safety of edoxaban may be better than those of warfarin.

Surface Functionalized Anodic Aluminum Oxide Membrane for Opto-Nanofluidic SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Target Detection.

An ultra-thin and highly sensitive SARS-CoV-2 detection platform was demonstrated using a nano-porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane. The membrane surface was functionalized to enable efficient trapping and identification of SARS-CoV-2 genomic targets through DNA-DNA and DNA-RNA hybridization. To immobilize the probe oligonucleotides on the AAO membrane, the pore surface was first coated with the linking reagents, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) and glutaraldehyde (GA), by a compact vacuum infiltration module. After that, complementary target oligos with fluorescent modifier was pulled and infiltrated into the nano-fluidic channels formed by the AAO pores. The fluorescent signal applying the AAO membrane sensors was two orders stronger than a flat glass template. In addition, the dependence between the nano-pore size and the fluorescent intensity was evaluated. The optimized pore diameter d is 200 nm, which can accommodate the assembled oligonucleotide and aminosilane layers without blocking the AAO nano-fluidic channels. Our DNA functionalized membrane sensor is an accurate and high throughput platform supporting rapid virus tests, which is critical for population-wide diagnostic applications result in a page being rejected by search engines.

Latest Clinical Evidence About Effect of Acetylcysteine on Preventing Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in Patients Undergoing Angiography: A Meta-Analysis.

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a serious complication of angiographic procedures. It is the third most common cause of hospital acquired acute renal injury. As there are currently no approved therapies for CIN, prevention could be the best strategy to address this issue. Acetylcysteine may indirectly play an antioxidant role by inducing the synthesis of glutathione. Acetylcysteine can also reduce renal vasoconstriction induced by contrast medium stimulation by stabilizing nitric oxide and acting directly or indirectly on renal cortex and medulla microcirculation. To evaluate the effect of acetylcysteine on the prevention of CIN in patients after angiography, we systematically searched and analyzed the clinical data of patients including the incidence of CIN and change in serum creatinine (SCr) at 48 hours after angiography from selected articles. The result showed that acetylcysteine significantly reduces the incidence of CIN (risk ratios: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.68-0.90, I2 = 37.3%) and the level of SCr (standardized mean difference: -0.53, 95% CI: -0.93 to -0.12, I2 = 91.5%) after angiography compared with the control group. Overall, the use of acetylcysteine in patients after angiography was associated with a significant reduction of CIN and the level of SCr.

The Efficacy And Safety Of Aspirin As The Primary Prevention Of Cardiovascular Disease: An Updated Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: Information regarding the use of aspirin for patients with no known cardiovascular disease remains conflicting. We performed an updated meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane library databases were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing aspirin with placebos or no treatment published up until November 1, 2018. The primary efficacy endpoint was all-cause death. The secondary endpoints included cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke. The safety endpoints included major bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding, and hemorrhagic stroke. RESULTS: Fourteen studies were included. Aspirin use was associated with a lower risk of myocardial infarction than placebo use or no treatment (risk ratio [RR], 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73-0.95, P = 0.005). Additionally, compared with the control groups, aspirin use was not associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality or cardiovascular mortality. In terms of safety, aspirin use was associated with a higher risk of major bleeding (RR, 1.40, 95% CI: 1.25-1.57, P = 0.000), gastrointestinal bleeding (RR, 1.58, 95% CI: 1.25-1.99, P = 0.000), and hemorrhagic stroke (RR, 1.30, 95% CI: 1.06-1.60, P = 0.011). Furthermore, the treatment effect was not significantly modified by patients' clinical characteristics. No publication bias was present. CONCLUSION: Aspirin use reduced the myocardial infarction risk in patients without known cardiovascular disease, but had no effect in terms of reducing the risk of all-cause death, cardiovascular death, and stroke, and increased the risk of major bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeding, and hemorrhagic stroke.

ATG16L1 phosphorylation is oppositely regulated by CSNK2/casein kinase 2 and PPP1/protein phosphatase 1 which determines the fate of cardiomyocytes during hypoxia/reoxygenation.

Recent studies have shown that the phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of ULK1 and ATG13 are related to autophagy activity. Although ATG16L1 is absolutely required for autophagy induction by affecting the formation of autophagosomes, the post-translational modification of ATG16L1 remains elusive. Here, we explored the regulatory mechanism and role of ATG16L1 phosphorylation for autophagy induction in cardiomyocytes. We showed that ATG16L1 was a phosphoprotein, because phosphorylation of ATG16L1 was detected in rat cardiomyocytes during hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). We not only demonstrated that CSNK2 (casein kinase 2) phosphorylated ATG16L1, but also identified the highly conserved Ser139 as the critical phosphorylation residue for CSNK2. We further established that ATG16L1 associated with the ATG12-ATG5 complex in a Ser139 phosphorylation-dependent manner. In agreement with this finding, CSNK2 inhibitor disrupted the ATG12-ATG5-ATG16L1 complex. Importantly, phosphorylation of ATG16L1 on Ser139 was responsible for H/R-induced autophagy in cardiomyocytes, which protects cardiomyocytes from apoptosis. Conversely, we determined that wild-type PPP1 (protein phosphatase 1), but not the inactive mutant, associated with ATG16L1 and antagonized CSNK2-mediated phosphorylation of ATG16L1. Interestingly, one RVxF consensus site for PPP1 binding in the C-terminal tail of ATG16L1 was identified; mutation of this site disrupted its association with ATG16L1. Notably, CSNK2 also associated with PPP1, but ATG16L1 depletion impaired the interaction between CSNK2 and PPP1. Collectively, these data identify ATG16L1 as a bona fide physiological CSNK2 and PPP1 substrate, which reveals a novel molecular link from CSNK2 to activation of the autophagy-specific ATG12-ATG5-ATG16L1 complex and autophagy induction.

Rosuvastatin may reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndromes receiving percutaneous coronary intervention by suppressing miR-155/SHIP-1 signaling pathway.

PURPOSE: The beneficial effect of rosuvastatin against percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) related procedural myocardial injury has been determined mostly in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). However, the detailed therapeutic mechanism has not been well studied. METHODS: Patients with ACS receiving PCI (n = 159) were randomized to control group (placebo treatment) or to rosuvastatin group (20 mg 12 h before PCI, and a further 20 mg 2 h preprocedure dose). Levels of INF-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, miR-155/SHIP-1, and CD4(+)FoxP3(+)Treg in peripheral blood were detected before PCI and 24 h after PCI. Clinical data of these patients were also collected in this prospective study. RESULTS: Compared with placebo, rosuvastatin treatment significantly reduced the incidence of periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI) and levels of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) associated with decreased relative expression of serum miR-155, levels of inflammatory cytokines (INF-γ, TNF-α, and IL-6), increased SHIP-1 expression and CD4(+)FoxP3(+)Treg percentage values (P < 0.05). In addition, patients with rosuvastatin pretreatment also reduced incidence of 30 days major adverse cardiac events (MACE) compared to the patients with placebo treatment (16 patients vs. 28 patients, P = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that high loading dose rosuvastatin pretreatment may reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events and levels of inflammatory markers in patients with ACS receiving PCI, which may be explained at least in part, by mechanism involving suppression of miR-155/SHIP-1 signaling pathway.

[Effect of extubation time of indwelling urinary catheters on postoperative recovery after cesarean section].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of extubation time of indwelling urinary catheters on postoperative recovery after cesarean section. METHODS: A total of 138 parturients undergoing elective cesarean delivery were randomized into experimental group and control group to have the urinary catheters removed at 6-8 h and 24 h after cesarean section, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the experimental group showed significantly decreased incidences of urinary tract infection and urethral irritation (P<0.05), with also a significantly increased rate of autonomous urination and a higher degree of comfort (P<0.05) after removing the catheter. CONCLUSION: A shortened indwelling time of urinary catheters can promote postoperative recovery after cesarean section.