A bibliometric analysis of the application of physical therapy in knee osteoarthritis from 2013 to 2022.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common chronic joint diseases. Physical therapy, a non-invasive approach, is extensively used in its treatment. Although bibliometrics is a reliable method to evaluate the significance and impact of research fields, systematic bibliometric analyses in this area are lacking. This study aims to perform a bibliometric analysis covering 2013 to 2022, to highlight the current state, key focuses, and trends in physical therapy for KOA. Methods: This study utilizes the Web of Science Core Collection to gather relevant literature on physical therapy and KOA from 2013 to 2022. CiteSpace and VOSviewer software facilitated the visual analysis of the annual publications, geographic and institutional distributions, journals, authors, references, and keywords in this field. Results: The study analyzed 1,357 articles, showing an overall increase in publications over time from 71 countries and 2,302 institutions. The United States and Australia emerged as leaders in this field. The analysis identified 6,046 authors, with Kim L. Bennell as the most prolific and Bellamy N. receiving the most citations. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders published the most articles, while Osteoarthritis and Cartilage received the most citations. High-impact articles were authored notably by McAlindon TE, Bannuru RR, Fernandes L, and Bennell KL. Keyword analysis highlighted a strong focus on patient self-management, exercise therapy, physical factor therapy, and remote rehabilitation. Conclusion: The bibliometric analysis confirms significant interest and ongoing research in physical therapy for KOA treatment from 2013 to 2022, indicating a growing field. Journals and authors in this area show influential and collaborative dynamics. Future research should focus on enhancing international and institutional collaboration and explore emerging trends like internet-guided treatments.

Microplastics are associated with elevated atherosclerotic risk and increased vascular complexity in acute coronary syndrome patients.

BACKGROUND: Microplastics, widely present in the environment, are implicated in disease pathogenesis through oxidative stress and immune modulation. Prevailing research, primarily based on animal and cell studies, falls short in elucidating microplastics' impact on human cardiovascular health. This cross-sectional study detected blood microplastic concentrations in patients presenting with chest pain using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and evaluating inflammatory and immune markers through flow cytometry, to explore the potential effects of microplastic on acute coronary syndrome. RESULTS: The study included 101 participants, comprising 19 controls and 82 acute coronary syndrome cases. Notably, acute coronary syndrome patients exhibited elevated microplastic concentrations, with those suffering from acute myocardial infarction presenting higher loads compared to those with unstable angina. Furthermore, patients at intermediate to high risk of coronary artery disease displayed significantly higher microplastic accumulations than their low-risk counterparts. A significant relationship was observed between increased microplastic levels and enhanced IL-6 and IL-12p70 contents, alongside elevated B lymphocyte and natural killer cell counts. CONCLUSION: These results suggest an association between microplastics and both vascular pathology complexity and immunoinflammatory response in acute coronary syndrome, underscoring the critical need for targeted research to delineate the mechanisms of this association. HIGHLIGHTS: 1 Blood microplastic levels escalate from angiographic patency, to angina patients, peaking in myocardial infarction patients. 2 Microplastics in acute coronary syndrome patients are predominantly PE, followed by PVC, PS, and PP. 3 Microplastics may induce immune cell-associated inflammatory responses in acute coronary syndrome patients.

Association between IL-2 Receptor and Severe Coronary Artery Calcification in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a crucial marker for coronary atherosclerosis, and the extent of CAC is closely linked to the incidence and progression of cardiovascular diseases. The interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor (IL-2R), which plays a critical role in mediating the proliferation and differentiation of immune cells, may also be involved in the development of CAC. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between IL-2R and CAC, with the goal of providing new insights into cardiovascular diseases. Methods: In this study, we enrolled 606 patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease to assess CAC. Based on coronary artery calcification score (CACS), patients were divided into two groups: the non-severe CAC group (CACS ≤ 400 Agatston units, AU) and the severe CAC group (CACS > 400 AU). Results: The results showed that IL-2R levels were significantly higher in patients with severe CAC compared to those with non-severe CAC (383 vs. 352 pg/mL, p = 0.002). Moreover, the level of IL-2R was positively correlated with the severity of CAC, independent of other clinical risk factors. According to Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, the IL-2R prediction model demonstrated a good capability in distinguishing severe CAC with the Area Under the Curve (AUC) value of 0.726. Conclusions: Our study suggests that IL-2R is independently associated with the occurrence of severe CAC in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Additionally, IL-2R may play a crucial role in the development of advanced atherosclerosis. Consequently, therapeutic strategies targeting the IL-2/IL-2R pathway may be effective in preventing or treating CAD.

Increased IL-12p70 Levels in Intraoperative Pericardial Fluid Are Predictive of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation Onset after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.

Background: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a frequent complication of heart surgery, prolonging hospital stays, as well as increasing morbidity and mortality rates. While previous studies have investigated the determinants influencing atrial fibrillation (AF) following heart surgery, the specific risk factors contributing to POAF occurrence after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) are not well understood. Here we used the human magnetic Luminex assay to assess whether biomarkers, particularly cytokines, within intraoperative pericardial fluid could serve as predictive markers for POAF onset among CABG individuals. Methods: In this study we identified 180 patients who underwent CABG with no atrial arrhythmia history. The human magnetic Luminex assay was used to quantify the levels of 36 cytokines in pericardial fluid samples collected during the surgery. The occurrence of POAF was continuously monitored, using both postoperative electrocardiograms and telemetry strips, until the time of discharge. Results: In our cohort of 124 patients, POAF was observed in 30 patients, accounting for 24.19% of the study population. These patients exhibited significantly higher levels of interleukin (IL)-12p70 in their intraoperative pericardial fluids compared to those with normal sinus rhythms (SR, p < 0.001). Subsequently, IL-12p70 was found to be an independent risk factor for POAF, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis established a cut-off threshold for predicting POAF onset of 116.435 pg/mL, based on the maximum Youden index (area under the curve: 0.816). Conclusions: this study establishes a significant association between elevated IL-12p70 levels in intraoperative pericardial fluid and the risk of POAF, particularly when IL-12p70 concentrations exceed the identified cut-off value of 116.435 pg/mL. These findings suggest that IL-12p70 levels could potentially be utilized as a predictive biomarker for the onset of POAF in patients undergoing CABG. This marker may aid in the early identification and management of patients at heightened risk for this complication.

Percutaneous coronary intervention leads to microplastics entering the blood: Interventional devices are a major source.

Microplastics (MPs) is an emerging pollutant potentially harmful to health. Medical practices using plastic devices, such as percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), may result in MPs entering into the blood. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effect of PCI on microplastic levels in patients' blood. Laser direct infrared (LDIR) was used to detect MPs in the blood of 23 patients before and after PCI. MPs in the water in which devices used in PCI were washed were also examined. The concentration of MPs in the blood was significantly elevated (93.57 ± 35.95 vs. 4.96 ± 3.40 particles/10 mL of blood, P < 0.001) after PCI compared to before, and the increased MPs were polyamide (PA), polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PU), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which was consistent with the types of MPs detected in the device washing water. The maximum diameter of MPs in blood before PCI was 50 µm, whereas after PCI it was 213 µm, and even 336 µm in device washing water. These findings indicated that PCI will cause MPs to enter the blood, and devices used during PCI were a major source, a range of medical practices that use plastic devices may be a new route for MPs to enter the human body.

A Room-Temperature All-Solid-State Na-Ag Battery with a Long Cycle Life and Low Overpotential.

Aqueous Zn-Ag batteries have been developed and commercialized for nearly a century, offering stable discharge and high specific energies. Sodium, with its lower redox potential, smaller charge-to-mass ratio, and abundant resources, presents a promising alternative to zinc. In this study, we successfully developed an all-solid-state Na-Ag battery system. This battery demonstrates stable discharge and charge voltages, low overpotential (0.27 V), high energy efficiency (>91%), and long cycle life under moderate humidity at room temperature. The reaction mechanism was elucidated through combined analyses using differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Our findings indicate that metallic Ag in the cathode materials acts as an effective catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction during the initial discharge process, forming NaOH as the discharge product. Ag is then oxidized during the charging process and recovered during discharge, serving as an active reactant in the Na-Ag battery. This work demonstrates superior performance of all-solid-state Na-Ag battery over aqueous Zn-Ag battery. Na-Ag battery may be of interest in applications with stringent requirements on stable discharge voltage and high specific energy.

Association Between Vitamin D Level and Clinical Outcomes of Assisted Reproductive Treatment: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis.

The investigation about association between vitamin D level and clinical outcomes of assisted reproductive treatment showed various outcomes. This study aimed to review the correlation between vitamin D and outcomes of assisted reproductive treatment. The search was registered on the PROSPERO database (CRD42023458040). PubMed, Embase, Medline, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane databases were searched up to July 2023. Twenty-three observational studies were selected for meta-analysis. Comparing groups with deficient and 'insufficient + sufficient' vitamin D level, meta-analysis showed positive correlation between clinical pregnancy rate and vitamin D (OR 0.81, 95%CI: 0.70, 0.95, P = 0.0001). Comparing groups with 'deficient + insufficient' and sufficient vitamin D level, meta-analysis showed positive correlation between vitamin D and clinical pregnancy rate (OR 0.71, 95%CI: 0.55, 0.91, P = 0.006), vitamin D and live birth rate (OR 0.69, 95%CI: 0.54, 0.89, P = 0.003). Subgroup analysis did not show the source of high heterogeneity. No correlation was found in biochemical pregnancy rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate and implantation rate. In dose-response meta-analysis, a nonlinear association was found between vitamin D levels and outcomes when levels are below approximately 24 ng/L. The study shows that vitamin D level is associated with clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate. Low vitamin D level does not influence biochemical pregnancy rate, ongoing pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate and implantation rate. Furthermore, 24 ng/L may be a possible threshold of vitamin D concentration in assisted reproduction therapy.

The association between low serum calcium level and new-onset atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the relationship between serum calcium (SC) levels and the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. METHODS: This retrospective, observational cohort study consecutively enrolled patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021. Patients with a previous history of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter or requiring concomitant cardiac surgery were excluded. A logistic regression model was used to determine predictors of POAF. Multivariable adjustment, inverse probability of treatment weighting and propensity score matching were used to adjust for confounders. Moreover, we conducted univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses on preoperative and postoperative SC and ionized SC levels. RESULTS: The analysis encompassed 12 293 patients. The POAF rate was significantly higher in patients with low SC level than those without (1379 [33.9%] vs 2375 [28.9%], P < 0.001). Low SC level was associated with an increased odds ratio of POAF (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.27 [1.18-1.37], P < 0.001). Inverse probability of treatment weighting and propensity score matching analyses confirmed the results. The increased POAF rate in low SC level group still existed among subgroup analysis based on different age, sex, body mass index, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, CHA2DS2-VASc and magnesium. CONCLUSIONS: Low SC level indicates elevated POAF risk in patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery even after the adjustment for age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors, echocardiographic parameters and laboratory markers.

Microplastics in three types of human arteries detected by pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS).

Microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment. Human body can be exposed to microplastics through inhalation and ingestion and some microplastics can enter the blood and accumulate in various tissues and organs throughout the body. Animal experiments have suggested that microplastics may promote atherosclerosis. However, data on microplastics in human arteries and clinical evidence supporting a link between microplastics and atherosclerosis are currently lacking. Pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) was used in this study to detect microplastics in three types of human arteries: coronary and carotid arteries with atherosclerotic plaques, as well as the aorta without plaques. Microplastics were detected in all 17 arterial samples, with an average concentration of 118.66 ± 53.87 µg/g tissue. Four types of microplastics were identified: polyethylene terephthalate (PET, 73.70%), polyamide-66 (PA-66, 15.54%), polyvinyl chloride (PVC, 9.69%), and polyethylene (PE, 1.07%). Most importantly, the concentration of microplastics in arteries containing atherosclerotic plaques, both coronary arteries (156.50 ± 42.14 vs. 76.26 ± 14.86 µg/g tissue, P = 0.039), and carotid arteries (133.37 ± 60.52 vs. 76.26 ± 14.86 µg/g tissue, P = 0.015), was significantly higher than that in aortas which did not contain atherosclerotic plaques, suggesting that microplastics might be associated with atherosclerosis in humans. This study provides valuable data for further hazard assessments of microplastics on human cardiovascular health.

Regioselective Alkynylation and Alkenylation at the More Hindered C-B Bond of 1,2-Bis(Boronic) Esters.

Selective transformations at the more sterically hindered sites of organic molecules represent a frontier in the ability to precisely modify molecules. The lack of effective synthetic methods stands in stark contrast to the large number of encumbered sites encountered in molecules of interest. Here, we demonstrate that 1,2-bis(boronates) undergo selective alkynylation and alkenylation at the more sterically hindered C-B bond. Our preliminary mechanistic studies disclosed that this reaction can proceed through two convergent pathways involving direct coupling of sterically encumbered site versus 1,2-boron migratory coupling. Notably, this method facilitated convenient access to alkenyl and alkynyl boron products, which can be diversified by an array of transformations.

In Situ Spectroscopic Elucidation of the Electrochemical Potential Drop at Polyelectrolytes/Au Interfaces.

Polyelectrolytes have been widely applied in electrochemical devices. Understanding the polyelectrolyte/electrode interfaces is pivotal for polyelectrolyte-based applications. Here, we measured the electrochemical potential drop and the local activity of the mobile ion of H+ or OH- at the polyelectrolytes/Au interfaces by in situ electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and voltammetry in three-electrode cells. We found that the potential dependences of the electrochemical potential drop in polyelectrolytes were smaller than that in conventional electrolyte solutions. The interfacial activity of H+ or OH- was much lower than that of bulk polyelectrolytes. The potential-dependent molecular dynamics simulations showed that the mobility of ionomers of polyelectrolytes in an electrostatic field was limited by a polymer matrix. These results suggested a characteristically thicker compact layer in the electrical double layer of a polyelectrolyte/electrode interface due to the accumulation of mobile H+ or OH- with a thicker hydration layer and immobile ionomers.

Interleukin-4 and Interleukin-17 are associated with coronary artery disease.

INTRODUCTION: The present study aimed to examine the correlation between serum cytokine levels and the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD), a leading cause of mortality globally, which is known to have a strong association with inflammatory factors. The study further sought to determine the predictors of CAD to distinguish patients with coronary artery lesions from those suspected of having CAD. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this study, 487 patients who underwent coronary angiography as a result of suspected CAD but without acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were recruited. The serum levels of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon (IFN)-α, and IFN-γ were measured using a multiplexed particle-based flow cytometric assay technique. The results of the study revealed that the levels of IL-4, IL-12p70, IL-17, IFN-α, and IFN-γ in the CAD group were significantly lower compared to those in the non-CAD group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that two serum cytokines (IL-4 and IL-17), one protective factor (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C]), and three risk factors (sex, smoking, and diabetes) were independently predictive of CAD. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the combined use of these predictors in a multivariate model demonstrated good predictive performance for CAD, as evidenced by an area under the curve value of 0.826. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicated that serum IL-4 and IL-17 levels serve as independent predictors of CAD. The risk prediction model established in the research, which integrates these serum cytokines (IL-4 and IL-17) with relevant clinical risk factors (gender, smoking, and diabetes) and the protective factor HDL-C, holds the potential to differentiate patients with CAD from those suspected of having CAD but without AMI.

Double-layer horizontal cross sutures for intra-atrial mitral valve implantation: An effective surgical method for severe mitral annular calcification.

Objective: Severe mitral annular calcification (MAC) can make prosthetic implantation extremely difficult. Although intra-atrial mitral valve prosthesis implantation without annular decalcification offers a simpler approach, it poses a potential rupture risk due to high left ventricular pressure. We developed a double-layer (DL) horizontal cross-suture technique, which ensures close proximity of the valve prosthesis to the calcified annulus and segregates the left atrial wall from the left ventricle. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of DL suture with conventional single-layer (SL) suture in patients with severe MAC. Methods: This retrospective cohort study consecutively enrolled patients with severe MAC undergoing mitral valve replacement at Beijing Anzhen Hospital from May 2018 to December 2022. A detailed description of the DL suture method is described. Follow-up medical evaluations, including transthoracic echocardiography measurements, were obtained through outpatient chart reviews. Results: The study included 10 patients in the DL suture group and 20 in the SL suture group. All patients in the DL group and all but 3 in the SL group achieved technical success. Compared with the SL group, the DL suture technique was associated with lower rates of perivalvular leakage, stroke, new-onset atrial fibrillation, reoperation, and 30-day mortality. Follow-up was complete, with 1 late mortality in the DL group due to stroke and 4 cardiovascular deaths in the SL group. Conclusions: The DL horizontal cross-suture technique offers a more effective and safer approach for intra-atrial mitral valve implantation in severe MAC cases than the conventional SL suture method.

Rationale and design of a randomized trial of the dapagliflozin evaluation on atrial fibrillation patients followed Cox-Maze IV: the DETAIL-CMIV study.

AIMS: Dapagliflozin has been widely used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and heart failure (HF). However, data concerning the association between dapagliflozin and the recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF), especially in patients following Cox-Maze IV (CMIV), are rare. We aim to explore the effect of dapagliflozin on the recurrence of AF after CMIV with and without T2DM or HF. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study of dapagliflozin evaluation in AF patients followed by CMIV (DETAIL-CMIV) is a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 240 AF patients who have received the CMIV procedure will be randomized into the dapagliflozin group (10 mg/day, n = 120) and the placebo group (10 mg/day, n = 120) and treated for 3 months. The primary endpoint is any documented atrial tachyarrhythmia (AF, atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia) lasting 30 s following a blanking period of 3 months after CMIV. CONCLUSION: DETAIL-CMIV will determine whether the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor dapagliflozin, added to guideline-recommended post-operative AF therapies, safely reduces the recurrence rate of AF in patients with and without T2DM or HF.

Co-Exposure of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Phthalates with Blood Cell-Based Inflammation in Early Pregnant Women.

Cumulative evidence has demonstrated that exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or phthalates (PAEs) contributes to a variety of adverse health effects. However, the association of PAHs and PAEs co-exposure with blood cell-based inflammatory indicators during early pregnancy is still unclear. We aimed to investigate the single and mixed associations of exposure to PAHs and PAEs with blood cell-based inflammatory indicators among early pregnant women. A total of 318 early pregnant women were included in this study. General linear regressions were used to estimate the relationships of individual OH-PAHs and mPAEs with blood cell-based inflammatory indicators. The key pollutants were selected by an adapted least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalized regression model and wasemployed to build the Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and quantile g-computation (Q-g) models, which can assess the joint association of OH-PAHs and mPAEs with blood cell-based inflammatory indicators. General linear regression indicated that each 1% increase in MOP was associated with a 4.92% (95% CI: 2.12%, 7.68%), 3.25% (95% CI: 0.50%, 6.18%), 5.87% (95% CI: 2.22%, 9.64%), and 6.50% (95% CI: 3.46%, 9.64%) increase in WBC, lymphocytes, neutrophils, and monocytes, respectively. BKMR and Q-g analysis showed that the mixture of OH-PAHs and mPAEs was linked with increased levels of white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes, and MOP was identified as the dominant contributor. OH-PAHs and mPAEs co-exposure in early pregnancy was associated with elevated blood cell-based inflammatory indicators reactions. More attention should be paid to the inflammation induced by environmental pollution for perinatal women, especially early pregnant women.

Deep neural networks predict class I major histocompatibility complex epitope presentation and transfer learn neoepitope immunogenicity.

Identifying neoepitopes that elicit an adaptive immune response is a major bottleneck to developing personalized cancer vaccines. Experimental validation of candidate neoepitopes is extremely resource intensive and the vast majority of candidates are non-immunogenic, creating a needle-in-a-haystack problem. Here we address this challenge, presenting computational methods for predicting class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I) epitopes and identifying immunogenic neoepitopes with improved precision. The BigMHC method comprises an ensemble of seven pan-allelic deep neural networks trained on peptide-MHC eluted ligand data from mass spectrometry assays and transfer learned on data from assays of antigen-specific immune response. Compared with four state-of-the-art classifiers, BigMHC significantly improves the prediction of epitope presentation on a test set of 45,409 MHC ligands among 900,592 random negatives (area under the receiver operating characteristic = 0.9733; area under the precision-recall curve = 0.8779). After transfer learning on immunogenicity data, BigMHC yields significantly higher precision than seven state-of-the-art models in identifying immunogenic neoepitopes, making BigMHC effective in clinical settings.

Association of serum cytokines with coronary chronic total occlusion and their role in predicting procedural outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Cytokines are strongly associated with coronary artery disease (CAD); however, few studies have explored the relevance of cytokines in coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO). This study aimed to clarify the association of cytokines with CTO and its procedural outcomes. METHODS: A total of 526 patients with suspected CAD but not acute myocardial infarction were enrolled and divided into CTO (n = 122) and non-CTO (n = 404) groups based on coronary angiography. Furthermore, serum levels of 12 cytokines [Interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-α (IFN-α), and IFN-γ] were measured for each patient. RESULTS: Patients with CTO had higher rates of male (P = 0.001), smoking (P = 0.014), and diabetes (P = 0.008); higher levels of IL-6 (P < 0.001), total triglycerides (P = 0.020), serum creatine (P = 0.001), and high-sensitivity troponin I (P = 0.001); and lower IL-4 (P < 0.001), total cholesterol (P = 0.027), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (P < 0.001) levels compared to those without CTO. IL-4 (OR = 0.216, 95%CI:0.135-0.345, P < 0.001), IL-6 (OR = 1.248, 95%CI:1.165-1.337, P < 0.001), and HDL-C (OR = 0.047, 95%CI:0.010-0.221, P < 0.001) were identified as independent predictors of CTO. And good predictive performance (AUC = 0.876) for CTO, with a sensitivity of 81.96% and specificity of 81.19%, could be achieved by combining these three predictors. Furthermore, patients with procedural success had younger age (P = 0.004) and lower serum IL-6 levels (P = 0.039) compared to those with procedural failure, and IL-6 levels (OR = 0.962, 95%CI: 0.931-0.995, P = 0.023) were associated with procedural success. CONCLUSION: IL-4, IL-6, and HDL-C levels were strongly associated with CTO, and IL-6 also linked to procedural outcomes of CTO.

A systematic comparison of computational methods for expression forecasting.

Due to the abundance of single cell RNA-seq data, a number of methods for predicting expression after perturbation have recently been published. Expression prediction methods are enticing because they promise to answer pressing questions in fields ranging from developmental genetics to cell fate engineering and because they are faster, cheaper, and higher-throughput than their experimental counterparts. However, the absolute and relative accuracy of these methods is poorly characterized, limiting their informed use, their improvement, and the interpretation of their predictions. To address these issues, we created a benchmarking platform that combines a panel of large-scale perturbation datasets with an expression forecasting software engine that encompasses or interfaces to current methods. We used our platform to systematically assess methods, parameters, and sources of auxiliary data. We found that uninformed baseline predictions, which were not always included in prior evaluations, yielded the same or better mean absolute error than benchmarked methods in all test cases. These results cast doubt on the ability of current expression forecasting methods to provide mechanistic insights or to rank hypotheses for experimental follow-up. However, given the rapid pace of innovation in the field, new approaches may yield more accurate expression predictions. Our platform will serve as a neutral benchmark to improve methods and to identify contexts in which expression prediction can succeed.

Detection of Various Microplastics in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery.

Microplastics have been detected in human stool, lungs, and placentas, which have direct exposure to the external environment through various body cavities, including the oral/anal cavity and uterine/vaginal cavity. Crucial data on microplastic exposure in completely enclosed human organs are still lacking. Herein, we used a laser direct infrared chemical imaging system and scanning electron microscopy to investigate whether microplastics exist in the human heart and its surrounding tissues. Microplastic specimens were collected from 15 cardiac surgery patients, including 6 pericardia, 6 epicardial adipose tissues, 11 pericardial adipose tissues, 3 myocardia, 5 left atrial appendages, and 7 pairs of pre- and postoperative venous blood samples. Microplastics were not universally present in all tissue samples, but nine types were found across five types of tissue with the largest measuring 469 µm in diameter. Nine types of microplastics were also detected in pre- and postoperative blood samples with a maximum diameter of 184 µm, and the type and diameter distribution of microplastics in the blood showed alterations following the surgical procedure. Moreover, the presence of poly(methyl methacrylate) in the left atrial appendage, epicardial adipose tissue, and pericardial adipose tissue cannot be attributed to accidental exposure during surgery, providing direct evidence of microplastics in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Further research is needed to examine the impact of surgery on microplastic introduction and the potential effects of microplastics in internal organs on human health.

Calcium promotes vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic switching in Marfan syndrome.

Fibrillin 1 (Fbn1) mutations cause Marfan syndrome (MFS), with aortic root dilatation, dissection, and rupture. Few studies reported the blood calcium and lipid profile of MFS, and the effect of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotypic switching on MFS aortic aneurysm is unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of calcium-related VSMC phenotypic switching in MFS. We retrospectively collected MFS patients' clinical data, performed bioinformatics analysis to screen the enriched biological process in MFS patients and mice, and detected markers of VSMC phenotypic switching on Fbn1C1039G/+ mice and primary aortic vascular smooth muscle cells. We found that patients with MFS have elevated blood calcium levels and dyslipidemia. Furthermore, the calcium concentration levels were increased with age in MFS mice, accompanied by the promoted VSMC phenotypic switching, and SERCA2 contributed to maintaining the contractile phenotype of VSMCs. This study provides the first evidence that the increased calcium is associated with the promoted VSMC phenotype switching in MFS. SERCA may become a novel therapeutic target for suppressing aneurysm progression in MFS.