Enhanced triolein and ethyl ferulate interesterification performance by CRL-AuNPs.

This study established a Candida rugosa lipase (CRL) system to catalyze triolein and ethyl ferulate interesterification. The products were identified, and the binding mode between the substrates and CRL was predicted through molecular docking. Three methods for preparing CRL-AuNPs were proposed and characterized. It was found that the addition of 40 mL of 15 nm gold nanoparticles increased the CRL activity from 3.05 U/mg to 4.75 U/mg, but the hybridization efficiency was only 32.7 %. By using 4 mL of 0.1 mg/mL chloroauric acid, the hybridization efficiency was improved to 50.7 %, but the enzyme activity was sharply decreased. However, when the molar ratio of Mb to HAuCl4 was 0.2, the hybridization efficiency increased to 71.8 %, and the CRL activity was also enhanced to 5.98 U/mg. Under optimal conditions, the enzyme activity of CRL-AuNPs③ was maintained at 95 % after 6 repetitions and 85.6 % after 30 days at room temperature.

Coagulation parameters for the differential diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in the early stage: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, conventional coagulation (CC) and thromboelastography (TEG) parameters have been reported to be closely related to the progression of pancreatic cancer (PC). However, the potential utility of these parameters in differentiating benign and malignant pancreatic diseases is still unclear. OBJECTIVES: A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of coagulation parameters in differentiating pancreatic cancer/early stage pancreatic cancer (EPC, TNM stages I and II) from benign control conditions, and to further explore whether coagulation parameters could improve the differential value of CA199. METHODS: Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and logistic regression analysis were used to identify the diagnostic value of each coagulation parameter or combination of parameters. RESULTS: Compared with benign pancreatic disease (BPD), patients with pancreatic malignant tumors had significant coagulation disorders, specifically manifested as abnormal increases or decreases in several CC and TEG parameters (such as activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (FIB), D-dimer (DD2), K time, R time, Angle, maximum amplitude (MA), coagulation index (CI), and Ly30). In the training group, ROC curve showed that FIB, DD2, Angle, MA, and CI had favorable efficacy at differentiating PC or EPC from BPD (for PC, AUC = 0.737, 0.654, 0.627, 0.602, 0.648; for EPC, AUC = 0.723, 0.635, 0.630, 0.614, 0.648). However, several combined diagnostic indicators based on FIB, DD2 and CI failed to outperform the individual coagulation indexes in diagnostic efficiency. Combinations of certain coagulation indexes with CA199 outperformed CA199 alone at identifying PC or EPC, especially FIB + CA199 (for PC, AUC = 0.904; for EPC, AUC = 0.905), FIB + DD2 + CA199 (for PC, AUC = 0.902; for EPC, AUC = 0.900), FIB + CI + CA199 (for PC, AUC = 0.906; for EPC, AUC = 0.906), and FIB + DD2 + CI + CA199 (for PC, AUC = 0.905; for EPC, AUC = 0.900). The results from a validation set also confirmed that these combinations have advantageous diagnostic value for PC and EPC. CONCLUSIONS: A significant hypercoagulable state was common in PC. Some CC and TEG parameters are valuable in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant pancreatic diseases. In addition, coagulation indexes combined with CA199 can further enhance the differential diagnosis efficacy of CA199 in PC and EPC.

Digital measurement and clinical significance of proximal femur in the older people of Inner Mongolia population, China.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to measure the parameters of the proximal femur in the older people of Inner Mongolia, China and understand the influence of age and gender so as to provide guidance for the design and improvement of prosthesis for total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: A total of 236 patients who underwent CT angiography of lower limbs in the Department of Imaging, Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University of China were collected. They were divided into 4 groups according to age: < 60 (group A), 60-69 (group B), 70-79 (group C), and > 80 years (group D). Four anatomical parameters, including femoral head diameter (FHD), femoral neck-shaft angle (FNSA), femoral offset (FO), femoral neck anteversion (FNA), were measured by Mimics 21.0. Comparisons were made between age groups of the same gender and between genders in the same age group to analyze the correlation of the 4 parameters of proximal femur with age and gender. In addition, the results of this study were compared with previous studies. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in FHD and FO between age groups, indicating no correlation with age. FNSA and FNA were no significantly different between group C and group D in the same gender, whereas there were significant differences between other age groups and were negatively correlated with age. There were significant differences in FHD and FO between genders in the same age group, with the males being larger than the females. FNSA and FNA were no significant differences between genders in the same age group. CONCLUSIONS: FNSA and FNA decrease with age. FHD and FO were larger in males than in females in all age groups. Age and gender should be considered in the design of prosthesis.

Intrathecal Injection of Botulinum Toxin Type A has an Analgesic Effect in Male Rats CCI Model by Inhibiting the Activation of Spinal P2X4R.

Purinergic receptor P2X4 (P2X4R) plays an essential role in neuropathic pain. However, the specific mechanism needs to be clarified. Botulinum toxin type A is a neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum type A. This study found that intrathecal injection of botulinum toxin type A produced an excellent analgesic effect in a rat model of chronic constriction sciatic nerve injury and inhibited the activation of P2X4R, microglia, and astrocytes. The administration of a P2X4R activator can up-regulate the expression of P2X4R and eliminate the analgesic effect of intrathecal injection of botulinum toxin type A. In addition, we found that microglia and astrocytes in the spinal cord of rats injected with botulinum toxin type A were reactivated after administration of the P2X4R activator. Our results suggest that intrathecal injection of botulinum toxin type A has an analgesic effect in a rat model of chronic constriction sciatic nerve injury by inhibiting the activation of P2X4R in the spinal cord.

Establishment and validation of a nomogram based on coagulation parameters to predict the prognosis of pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, multiple coagulation and fibrinolysis (CF) indexes have been reported to be significantly related to the progression and prognosis of some cancers. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to comprehensively analyze the value of CF parameters in prognosis prediction of pancreatic cancer (PC). METHODS: The preoperative coagulation related data, clinicopathological information, and survival data of patients with pancreatic tumor were collected retrospectively. Mann Whitney U test, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Cox proportional hazards regression model were applied to analyze the differences of coagulation indexes between benign and malignant tumors, as well as the roles of these indexes in PC prognosis prediction. RESULTS: Compared with benign tumors, the preoperative levels of some traditional coagulation and fibrinolysis (TCF) indexes (such as TT, Fibrinogen, APTT, and D-dimer) were abnormally increased or decreased in patients with pancreatic cancer, as well as Thromboelastography (TEG) parameters (such as R, K, α Angle, MA, and CI). Kaplan Meier survival analysis based on resectable PC patients showed that the overall survival (OS) of patients with elevated α angle, MA, CI, PT, D-dimer, or decreased PDW was markedly shorter than other patients; moreover, patients with lower CI or PT have longer disease-free survival. Further univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that PT, D-dimer, PDW, vascular invasion (VI), and tumor size (TS) were independent risk factors for poor prognosis of PC. According to the results of modeling group and validation group, the nomogram model based on independent risk factors could effectively predict the postoperative survival of PC patients. CONCLUSION: Many abnormal CF parameters were remarkably correlated with PC prognosis, including α Angle, MA, CI, PT, D-dimer, and PDW. Furthermore, only PT, D-dimer, and PDW were independent prognostic indicators for poor prognosis of PC, and the prognosis prediction model based on these indicators was an effective tool to predict the postoperative survival of PC.

Aging phenomena in non-crosslinked polyolefin blend cable insulation material: Electrical treeing and thermal aging.

Non-crosslinked polyolefin blends have become a favorable alternative material to crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) cable insulation owing to their low power consumption in the production process and good recyclability at the end of service life. Although studies on non-crosslinked materials have achieved significant results, the electrical and thermal aging properties of these materials undeniably need extensive research attention and systematic exploration. Aging performance is directly related to the lifetime and reliability of cables. In this study, the electrical treeing and thermal aging phenomena of 70 wt.% linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and 30 wt.% high-density polyethylene (HDPE) blends (abbreviated as 70L-30H) were studied and compared with those of XLPE by investigating the microstructural feature, electrical treeing behavior, and mechanical performance during thermal aging. Electrical treeing tests show that 70L-30H blends exhibited smaller treeing dimensions and lower electrical tree growth rates than those of XLPE. Thermal aging tests exhibit that the mechanical property degradation of 70L-30H blends is less than that of XLPE under the same aging time. Through differential scanning calorimetry analysis and microstructure observation, the 70L-30H blend shows higher melting temperature, thicker lamellae, and higher crystallinity with a uniform and fine spherulite structure, which are responsible for good anti-aging performance. This study indicates that the blends exhibit better electrical and thermal aging resistance than XLPE, which provides a performance guarantee for its further application in the non-crosslinked cable system.

A ubiquitin-related gene signature for predicting prognosis and constructing molecular subtypes in osteosarcoma.

Background: Ubiquitination is medicated by three classes of enzymes and has been proven to involve in multiple cancer biological processes. Moreover, dysregulation of ubiquitination has received a growing body of attention in osteosarcoma (OS) tumorigenesis and treatment. Therefore, our study aimed to identify a ubiquitin-related gene signature for predicting prognosis and immune landscape and constructing OS molecular subtypes. Methods: Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) was regarded as the training set through univariate Cox regression, Lasso Cox regression, and multivariate Cox regression. The GSE21257 and GSE39055 served as the validation set to verify the predictive value of the signature. CIBERSORT was performed to show immune infiltration and the immune microenvironment. The NMF algorithm was used to construct OS molecular subtypes. Results: In this study, we developed a ubiquitin-related gene signature including seven genes (UBE2L3, CORO6, DCAF8, DNAI1, FBXL5, UHRF2, and WDR53), and the gene signature had a good performance in predicting prognosis for OS patients (AUC values at 1/3/5 years were 0.957, 0.890, and 0.919). Multivariate Cox regression indicated that the risk score model and prognosis stage were also independent prognostic prediction factors. Moreover, analyses of immune cells and immune-related functions showed a significant difference in different risk score groups and the three clusters. The drug sensitivity suggested that IC50 of proteasome inhibitor (MG-132) showed a notable significance between the risk score groups (p < 0.05). Through the NMF algorithm, we obtained the three clusters, and cluster 3 showed better survival outcomes. The expression of ubiquitin-related genes (CORO6, UBE2L3, FBXL5, DNAI1, and DCAF8) showed an obvious significance in normal and osteosarcoma tissues. Conclusion: We developed a novel ubiquitin-related gene signature which showed better predictive prognostic ability for OS and provided additional information on chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The OS molecular subtypes would also give a useful guide for individualized therapy.

The activity of cytokines in dental pulp.

BACKGROUND: After binding to their corresponding receptors, cytokines mediate a variety of biological activities. However, the activity of cytokines in dental pulp has not been studied at the single cell level. METHODS: The cytokines activity of dental pulp was analyzed through CytoSig with the single cell sequencing data of dental pulp. RESULTS: In total, 43 cytokine signalling pathways were analyzed with CytoSig. The activity of TRAIL, NO, IL3, CXCL12 and IL1A was high in the majority of cells in dental pulp. NO, TRAIL, CXCL12, BMP4 and BMP6 had higher activity in dental pulp stem cells, whereas CXCL12, BMP4, BMP6, BMP2 and IFN1 were the cytokines with high activity in pulp cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show the landscape of cytokine activity in dental pulp.

Molecular Characteristics and Genetic Diversity of Fasciola Hepatica from Sheep in Xinjiang, China.

Introduction: Fasciola hepatica is a trematode infecting ruminants worldwide and occasionally affecting other animal species, including humans. It causes significant economic losses. Geographic distribution and patterns of infection must be considered before control and management measures are developed for this parasite. DNA molecular markers are useful for the identification of flukes and elucidation of their genetic evolution. Therefore, the population structure of F. hepatica was studied using this method in sheep in Xinjiang, China. Material and Methods: The molecular characteristics, genetic relationships within the population and dispersal patterns of F. hepatica isolates were analysed based on the cox1 and nad1 genes. The population structure of F. hepatica from three regions of Xinjiang was explored and a neutrality test was conducted. Results: The cox1 and nad1 genes have 21 and 42 variable sites, respectively, which can be classified into 34 and 33 haplotypes. Median-joining network and phylogenetic tree analyses showed that there was no significant variation in F. hepatica isolates between the three geographical regions. Analysis of variance revealed that the genetic variation of F. hepatica was mainly present within the populations. The neutrality test indicated that the populations were relatively stable but the Hami population may have undergone short-term expansion. Conclusion: This study revealed for the first time the molecular characteristics, genetic diversity and dispersal patterns of F. hepatica isolates from sheep in Xinjiang, thus providing new insights into the genetic variation and haplotype diversity of F. hepatica from indigenous sheep.

The influence of transarterial chemoembolization on serum levels of soluble programed cell death ligand-1 in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

AIMS: To investigate the implications of soluble programmed cell death-ligand 1 (sPD-L1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and to evaluate the potential value of sPD-L1 to guide selection of the optimal time to begin combination therapy with TACE and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-one HCC patients suitable for TACE and 55 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Three milliliters of peripheral venous blood of patients were collected on 1 day before TACE and 3, 7, and 30 days after TACE respectively for assay of sPD-L1 using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The associations of the sPD-L1 level with the clinical features, outcomes, and the fluctuation of sPD-L1 during the treatment were analyzed. RESULTS: The initial sPD-L1 level of patients was significantly higher than that of the control group. And it was significantly associated with BCLC stage, portal venous invasion, tumor size, and number of foci. The sPD-L1 levels of 3 and 7 days after TACE were both significantly higher than the initial level. And that of 30 days after TACE was lower than the initial level, but the difference was not statistically significant. There was no significant difference of sPD-L1 level after embolization with embolic beads of different size. The level of sPD-L1 of CR patients was lower than that of PR, SD patients, but the differences were not significant. CONCLUSION: The level of sPD-L1 was associated with tumor aggressiveness and outcomes, suggesting its role as a possible predictive biomarker. The increases in sPD-L1 after TACE suggests that combined treatment with TACE and ICIs may be a promising therapeutic strategy in HCC. One week after TACE might be a suitable time to begin the administration of immunotherapy.

Excessive application of chemical fertilizer and organophosphorus pesticides induced total phosphorus loss from planting causing surface water eutrophication.

Total phosphorus (TP) loss from planting was one of the resources causing agricultural non-point source pollution. It is significant to clarify the factors influencing TP loss, as well as explore the relationship between TP loss from planting and surface water eutrophication for making recommendations on the reduction of environmental pollution. In this study, the minimum and maximum of average TP loss was appeared in Qinghai and Shandong province with the TP loss of 7.7 × 102 t and 7.5 × 103 t from 2012 to 2014, respectively. The results of structural equation model (SEM) indicating that the effect of anthropogenic drivers on TP loss was more important than natural conditions due to the higher path coefficient of anthropogenic drivers (0.814) than that of natural conditions (0.130). For anthropogenic drivers, the path coefficients of usage of fertilizer and pesticides, which was often excessively applied in China, were 0.921 and 0.909, respectively causing they the two dominant factors affecting TP loss. Annual precipitation and relative humidity, which were belongs to natural conditions, increased TP loss by enhancing leaching and surface runoff. However, light duration could reduce TP loss by promoting crop growth and increasing TP absorption of crops, with a path coefficient of - 0.920. TP loss of each province in per unit area from planting was significantly correlated with TP concentration of its surface water (p < 0.05), suggesting that TP loss from planting was the main factor causing surface water eutrophication. This study targeted presented three proposals to reduce the TP loss from planting, including promotion of scientific fertilization technologies, restriction of organophosphorus pesticides, and popularization of water saving irrigation technologies. These findings as well as suggestions herein would provide direction for the reduction of TP loss from planting.

Prognostic Role of BRAF Mutation in Low-Grade Gliomas: Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Newly emerged molecular markers in gliomas provide prognostic values beyond the capabilities of histologic classification. BRAF mutation, especially BRAF V600E, is common in a subset of gliomas and may represent a potential prognostic marker. The aim of our study is to investigate the potential use of BRAF mutations on the prognosis of low-grade glioma patients. METHODS: Four electronic databases were searched for potential articles including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane. Data of hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival and progression-free survival were directly obtained from original papers or indirectly estimated from the Kaplan-Meier curve. A random effect model weighted by inverse variance method was used to calculate the pooled HR. From 483 articles, we finally included 8 articles with 698 glioma patients for the final analysis. The overall estimates showed that BRAF V600E was associated with an improved overall survival in glioma patients (HR = 0.64; 95% confidence interval = 0.45-0.92). RESULTS: Results for progression-free survival, however, were not statistically significant (HR = 0.97; 95% confidence interval = 0.7-1.36). In subgroup analyses, BRAF V600E showed its effect in improving survival in pediatric patients but did not have prognostic value in adult. Our meta-analysis provides evidence that BRAF mutation has a favorable prognostic impact in low-grade gliomas, and its prognostic value might be dependent on patient age. CONCLUSIONS: This mutation can be used as a prognostic factor in low-grade glioma, but additional studies are required to clarify its prognostic value taking into account other confounding factors.

Occurrence of Gastrointestinal Parasites in Camels in the Tianshan Mountains Pastoral Area in China.

INTRODUCTION: Gastrointestinal parasites are some of the most common pathogens which are seriously harmful to the camel's health. The infection status of gastrointestinal parasites in camels (Camelus bactrianus) in the Tianshan Mountains pastoral area in China is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the species and infection intensity of gastrointestinal tract parasites in local camels. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 362 fresh faecal samples were collected and examined for parasite eggs using the saturated saline floating and natural sedimentation method. The parasite eggs were subjected to morphological and molecular examination and identification, and the infection rate and mean intensity of the parasites were analysed. RESULTS: A total of 15 gastrointestinal tract parasite species' eggs were identified, with a detection rate of 100%. Ostertagia spp. (100%) and Trichostrongylus spp. (98.1%) were dominant. Camels were often coinfected by 5-14 species. The average number of eggs per gram of faeces was higher for Ostertagia spp. (298), Haemonchus contortus (176) and Nematodirus spp. (138). The number of species of parasites infecting young camels was significantly lower than that of adult camels, but the infection intensity in young camels was significantly higher. CONCLUSION: Gastrointestinal parasites were highly prevalent in camels from the Tianshan Mountains pastoral area in China. This finding provides important epidemiological data for the prevention and control of associated infections in camels.

Developing interim water quality criteria for emerging chemicals of concern for protecting marine life in the Greater Bay Area of South China.

This study aimed to establish marine water quality criteria (MWQC) for emerging chemicals of concern (ECCs) for protecting aquatic life in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) of South China. Despite the frequent occurrence and elevated concentrations of these ECCs in the GBA, there is a lack of regional MWQC for these contaminants. We screened 21 common ECCs that were classified into the following six groups: (1) new persistent organic contaminants; (2) brominated flame retardants; (3) perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; (4) pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs); (5) plasticizers; and (6) personal care products. Globally, MWQC for PhACs remain largely unavailable despite their increasing occurrence in marine environments. Using an integrative scientific approach, we derived interim MWQC for the GBA with specific protection goals. The approach described herein can be applied for the derivation of MWQC for ECCs and the establishment of guidelines for ecological risk assessment in the GBA and other regions.

Algae Extraction Controllable Delamination of Vanadium Carbide Nanosheets with Enhanced Near-Infrared Photothermal Performance.

The two-dimensional (2D) vanadium carbide (V2 C) MXene has shown great potential as a photothermal agent (PTA) for photothermal therapy (PTT). However, the use of V2 C in PTT is limited by the harsh synthesis condition and low photothermal conversion efficiency (PTCE). Herein, we report a completely different green delamination method using algae extraction to intercalate and delaminate V2 AlC to produce mass V2 C nanosheets (NSs) with a high yield (90 %). The resulting V2 C NSs demonstrated good structural integrity and remarkably high absorption in near infrared (NIR) region with a PTCE as high as 48 %. Systemic in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that the V2 C NSs can serve as efficient PTA for photoacoustic (PA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided PTT of cancer. This work provides a cost-effective, environment-friendly, and high-yielding disassembly approach of MAX, opening a new avenue to develop MXenes with desirable properties for a myriad of applications.

An efficient simulated annealing algorithm for the RNA secondary structure prediction with Pseudoknots.

BACKGROUND: RNA pseudoknot structures play an important role in biological processes. However, existing RNA secondary structure prediction algorithms cannot predict the pseudoknot structure efficiently. Although random matching can improve the number of base pairs, these non-consecutive base pairs cannot make contributions to reduce the free energy. RESULT: In order to improve the efficiency of searching procedure, our algorithm take consecutive base pairs as the basic components. Firstly, our algorithm calculates and archive all the consecutive base pairs in triplet data structure, if the number of consecutive base pairs is greater than given minimum stem length. Secondly, the annealing schedule is adapted to select the optimal solution that has minimum free energy. Finally, the proposed algorithm is evaluated with the real instances in PseudoBase. CONCLUSION: The experimental results have been demonstrated to provide a competitive and oftentimes better performance when compared against some chosen state-of-the-art RNA structure prediction algorithms.

Laser absorption spectroscopy data processing method based on co-frequency and dual-wavelength and its application.

In the detection process of atmospheric laser absorption spectroscopy in open space, the transmitted beam is inevitably affected by atmospheric turbulence, resulting in superimposed fluctuation noise in the received optical signal. First, the correction method of atmospheric turbulence is theoretically analyzed. In order to reduce the error influence factors and the error transfer coefficient, a new method of spectral data processing based on co-frequency and dual-wave has been proposed. By modifying scintillation noise and background noise, the influence of atmospheric turbulence noise in open space is reduced. An atmospheric detection system in open space based on co-frequency and dual-wave has been established. The experimental results show that the maximum fluctuation of the spectral signal processed by the method of spectrum data processing based on the co-frequency and dual-wave is reduced from 12.854% to 4.635%, and the single-intensity absorbance is fitted by Voigt with its correlation coefficient of 0.9525. The mean of the standard deviation of the algorithm is 0.1370, while the mean value of the standard deviation of the existing algorithm in a short time is 0.6928. And, through the comparative experiment, the standard deviation of the existing data processing techniques of two-wavelength differential absorption is 0.2974, while the standard deviation of the method of spectrum data processing based on the co-frequency and dual-wave is 0.1038. It can be concluded that the co-frequency and dual-wave method can effectively reduce the influence of atmospheric turbulence noise and laser flashing to improve the stability of concentration measurement, which has practical engineering value.

Function of glutaredoxin 3 (Grx3) in oxidative stress response caused by iron homeostasis disorder in Candida albicans.

AIM: Glutaredoxin is a conserved oxidoreductase in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. This study aimed to determine the role of Grx3 in cell survival, iron homeostasis and the oxidative stress response in Candida albicans. MATERIALS & METHODS: A grx3Δ/Δ mutant was obtained using PCR-mediated homologs recombination. The function of Grx3 was investigated by a series of biochemical methods. RESULTS: Deletion of GRX3 impaired growth and cell cycle, disturbance of iron homeostasis and activated the oxidative stress response. Furthermore, disruption of GRX3 caused oxidative damage and growth defects of C. albicans. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide new insights into the role of GRX3 in C. albicans.

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. Baseline medications, cardiac function, sleep parameters, perioperative events, and related risk factors were evaluated. RESULTS: OSA patients had longer duration of intensive care unit (ICU) stay and mechanical ventilation compared with no sleep-disordered breathing and CSA patients. Patients with CSA had a higher rate of pacemaker use and higher first dose of dobutamine in ICU. NYHA Class and the presence of OSA were independently associated with overall worsening of postoperative recovery (ICU stay ≥ 25 h). Age, NYHA class, and the presence of OSA were independently associated with postoperative respiratory insufficiency (mechanical ventilation ≥ 20 h). Preoperative atrial fibrillation, pulmonary hypertension, and OSA were independently associated with postoperative pacemaker use. CONCLUSIONS: RVHD patients with OSA have an increased incidence of perioperative adverse events. OSA was independently associated with overall postoperative recovery, respiratory insufficiency, and higher rate of postoperative pacemaker use, while CSA was not associated with postoperative events.

Lagrange Interpolation Learning Particle Swarm Optimization.

In recent years, comprehensive learning particle swarm optimization (CLPSO) has attracted the attention of many scholars for using in solving multimodal problems, as it is excellent in preserving the particles' diversity and thus preventing premature convergence. However, CLPSO exhibits low solution accuracy. Aiming to address this issue, we proposed a novel algorithm called LILPSO. First, this algorithm introduced a Lagrange interpolation method to perform a local search for the global best point (gbest). Second, to gain a better exemplar, one gbest, another two particle's historical best points (pbest) are chosen to perform Lagrange interpolation, then to gain a new exemplar, which replaces the CLPSO's comparison method. The numerical experiments conducted on various functions demonstrate the superiority of this algorithm, and the two methods are proven to be efficient for accelerating the convergence without leading the particle to premature convergence.