[On-pump total arterial revascularization in coronary artery disease patients with left ventricular dysfunction: a multi-center retrospective study].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of on-pump total arterial revascularization with bilateral radial artery (BRA) and left internal mammary artery (LIMA) as conduits in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients with left ventricular dysfunction (LVD). Methods: All the perioperative medical records and follow-up results of coronary artery disease patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 40% undergoing CABG from 24 heart centers of 15 provinces and autonomous regions in China between July 2015 and December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: A total of 87 consecutive patients (55 males and 32 females) underwent on-pump CABG with BRA and LIMA, with a mean age of (57.5±9.1) years old. There were 22 patients complicated with primary hypertension, 12 with diabetes mellitus, 8 with peripheral vascular disease, 7 with chronic obstructive lung disease, 12 with mild renal injury and 3 with partial aortic calcification. There were 43 cases with in-stent stenosis, and 21 had left main disease. The mean LVEF and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) was (35.5±7.3)% and (65.5±2.6) mm, respectively. The mean graft number, aortic cross-clamp time and cardiopulmonary bypass duration was 3.2±0.9, (90.5±22.7) min and (113.4±19.2) min, respectively. There were 32 mitral and 9 aortic valve replacements, and 5 tricuspid annuloplasties. Prophylactic intra-aortic balloon pumps were implanted in 27 patients. There were 2 operative deaths from acute heart failure. After surgery, there were 15 cases of atrial fibrillation, 1 case of acute kidney injury, 1 case of acute myocardial infarction, and 1 cases of stroke. All the patients fulfilled the follow-up, with a mean time of (39.5±7.7) months. At 3 months after surgery, LVEDD was decreased and LVEF was improved significantly compared with pre-operative indicators [(53.0±1.5) mm vs (65.5±2.6) mm, t=9.51 P=0.02; (45.2±3.3)% vs (35.5±7.3)%, t=13.79, P=0.001]. No major cardiac events were reported during the follow-up. At (30.5±7.4) months after surgery, 62.4% of patients (53/85) underwent coronary CT angiography examination, and the results indicated that the graft patency was 98.8%, with only one case of RA occlusion occurred. Conclusion: In selected patients of LVD, on-pump total arterial revascularization with BRA and LIMA conduits was proved to be safe and effective.

Epidemiological analysis of pneumoconiosis in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and cases reported by the Urumqi Railway Bureau.

This study investigated the incidence and development of pneumoconiosis in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and cases reported by the Urumqi Railway Bureau to provide a scientific basis for developing prevention and control measures against pneumoconiosis. Data from pneumoconiosis cases were input into Excel and analyzed by SPSS version 17.0. There were 13,165 cases of pneumoconiosis through 2010. Coal workers accounted for the largest proportion of cases. From July 2006 through 2010, a total of 1233 new cases of pneumoconiosis were reported in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; most cases were reported in Urumqi. From 1981 to 2012, 3332 new cases of pneumoconiosis had been confirmed by the Urumqi Railway Bureau, including 77.73, 16.96, and 5.31% stage I, II, and III cases, respectively. In the last 30 years, the number of new pneumoconiosis cases peaked in 1986; most of them were silicosis cases. In addition, there were more than 200 cases of pneumoconiosis combined with pulmonary tuberculosis reported by the Urumqi Railway Bureau. The coal industry in Urumqi is the main industry in which occupational pneumoconiosis occurs in Xinjiang. Thus, substantial effort is still required to eliminate pneumoconiosis by 2030.

Agreement between periapical radiographs and cone-beam computed tomography for assessment of periapical status of root filled molar teeth.

AIM: To assess the agreement between periapical radiograph (PA) and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for periapical assessment of root filled maxillary and mandibular molars. METHODOLOGY: Periapical radiograph and CBCT (iCat) images of 60 previously root filled molars (30 maxillary and 30 mandibular) were obtained at a review clinic. Agreement between PA and CBCT assessments of (i) number of canals per tooth, (ii) number of lesions per tooth, (iii) mesial-distal dimension of lesions, (iv) coronal-apical dimension of lesions and (v) presence of 'J'-shaped lesions were determined in comparison analyses and correlation analysis. RESULTS: There were significant differences between PA and CBCT assessment for the mean number of canals (P < 0.001) and periapical lesions (P < 0.001), mean mesial-distal (P < 0.001) and coronal-apical dimension of the lesion (if present; P < 0.001) and the mean number of 'J'-shaped lesions (P < 0.05). The magnitude of the statistical differences (or bias) was greater for maxillary than mandibular molars regarding the number and size of the lesions identified. Correlation values were weaker between PA and CBCT assessments of maxillary molars than for mandibular molars in all parameters assessed. CONCLUSION: There were substantial disagreements between PA and CBCT for assessing the periapical status of molar teeth, especially for the maxillary arch. The findings have implications in periapical diagnosis and for evaluating the outcome of endodontic care.

[Bibliometric analysis on relations between cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction].

Objective: To understand the current situation and trend on the relations between erectile dysfunction (ED) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) through analyzing the epidemiologic research data. Methods: We conducted a literature search on the Scopus for potentially relevant epidemiologic studies on ED and CVD published from 1957 to October, 28, 2016. Age of the article, types, regions, citation, and co-authorship of the documents were recorded. Results: A total number of 412 pieces of literature were published in the past six decades, with original articles the most common types of ED and CVD. ED and CVD associated epidemiologic topics had an annual increase in number, and remained stable in the past decade, with occident countries as the United States and Italy taking the lead in this area. Clinical and epidemiological studies were the hottest areas, with most authors sharing a co-authorship. Conclusion: Our results suggested that inter-disciplinary cooperation with emphasize on clinical application were the effective starting points for ED and CVD associated epidemiologic studies.

Interactions of acylated methylglucoside derivatives with CO2: simulation and calculations.

Carbohydrates have drawn considerable interest from researchers recently due to their affinity for CO2. However, most of the research in this field has focused on peracetylated derivatives. Compared with acetylated carbohydrates, which have already been studied in depth, methyl D-glucopyranoside derivatives are more stable and could have additional applications. Thus, in the present work, ab initio calculations were performed to elucidate the characteristics of the interactions of methylglucoside derivatives with CO2, and to investigate how the binding energy (ΔE) is affected by isomerization or the introduction of various acyl groups. Four methyl D-glucopyranosides (each with two anomers) bearing acetyl, propionyl, butyryl, and isobutyryl moieties, respectively, were designed as substrates, and the 1:1 complexes of a CO2 molecule with each of these sugar substrates were modeled. The results indicate that ΔE is mainly influenced by interaction distance and the number of negatively charged donors or interacting pairs in the complex; the structure of the acyl group present in the substrate is a secondary influence. Except in the case of methyl 2-O-acetyl-D-glucopyranose, the ΔE values of the α- and ß-anomers of each methylglucoside were found to be almost the same. Therefore, we would expect the CO2 affinities of the four derivatives studied here to be as strong as or even stronger than that of peracetylated D-glucopyranose. Graphical Abstract The binding energy between methyl D-glucopyranoside derivatives with various substituted acyl groups and CO2 are evaluated by ab initio calculations. The strong interaction between these methyl dglucopyranoside derivatives and CO2 showed the potential of their application for CO2 capture.

A fluorescent quantitative PCR approach to map gene deletions in the Drosophila genome.

We report the application of TaqMan quantitative PCR (QPCR) to map Drosophila chromosome deficiencies by discrimination of twofold copy number differences. For a model system, we used this technology to confirm the X chromosomal mapping of Dspt6 given the autosomal mapping of Dspt4. We then used this technique on both preexisting deletion mutant flies and flies that we generated with deletions to demonstrate the presence or absence of Dspt6, Dspt4, and swa in various deletion mutant flies. In contrast with in situ hybridization studies, QPCR both vitiates the need to do these more intricate studies, and it is more accurate as the site of deletion can be known down to the 10(2)-bp level. We then successfully applied the technique to the analysis of transcription, demonstrating that the amount of Dspt6 or Dspt4 transcriptional product depended directly on the dosage of the Dspt6 or Dspt4 gene, respectively. The rapidity and precision of this method demonstrates its applicability in Drosophila genetics, the rapid and accurate mapping of Drosophila deletion mutants.

Detection of erbB-2 amplifications in tumors and sera from esophageal carcinoma patients.

We used TaqMan PCR to detect quantitative anomalies of tumor markers in both tumor and serum DNA from esophageal cancer patients. We demonstrated the potential of this methodology by detecting erbB-2 amplifications in a plurality of esophageal tumor samples. These amplifications were corroborated by Southern blots. We then showed the potential of this methodology to detect quantitative anomalies of erbB-2 in serum DNA from individuals with a corresponding amplification in the tumor. The capability of TaqMan PCR to detect abnormalities in serum of esophageal cancer patients creates an opportunity to diagnose esophageal cancer and to monitor the outcome of treatment with a blood test.

High-level expression of human butyrylcholinesterase gene in Bombyx mori and biochemical-pharmacological characteristic study of its product.

The human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE, EC 3.1.1.8) gene was highly expressed in Bombyx mori using baculovirus vector, and the biochemical-pharmacological properties of its product were studied. BChE cDNA was cloned into transfer vector pBn96 and co-transfected with wild-type Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) DNA into BmN cells. The recombinant virus with the highest enzyme activity was sorted out and purified. Once the BmN cells or silkworm larvae had been infected with the recombinant virus, recombinant human BChE (rhBChE) could be secreted into the culture medium or the hemolymph of the larvae at levels of 1.5 mg x L(-1) and 35 mg x L(-1), respectively. Western blot and enzymatic staining of the electrophoresis gel of non-denatured protein showed that rhBChE manifested similar antigenicity and enzyme activity to native human BChE (nhBChE). The production of rhBChE in the hemolymph was 23-fold higher than that in BmN cells and about 280-fold that in Chinese hamster overy cells (125 microg x L(-1)). This is the first report of human BChE expression in silkworm with the highest level of yield so far. rhBChE was highly similar to nhBChE in respect to substrate affinity, inhibitor sensitivity, and reactivity of the inhibited enzyme. It is suggested that rhBChE functions as well as nhBChE and has potential practical value.

Analysis of CYP21 coding polymorphisms in three ethnic populations: further evidence of nonamplifying CYP21 alleles among whites.

BACKGROUND: Adrenal steroid 21-hydroxylase is essential for the synthesis of both mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids. The gene for this enzyme, CYP21, contains several frequent coding polymorphisms. Because of its essential function in steroid synthesis, polymorphisms in this enzyme might influence a variety of disease processes. However, before disease-association studies are performed, it is important to understand the frequency of these polymorphisms among normal individuals. METHODS: Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with restriction enzyme digestion or size length polymorphism analysis, we measured the frequencies of the +Leu(10), Arg102Lys, and Ser268Thr polymorphisms in CYP21 in healthy whites, blacks, and Indian Americans. The subjects were all young female college students participating in a study of relative risks for cardiovascular disease in these populations. RESULTS: The frequency of each polymorphism among whites, blacks, and Indian Americans were as follows: +Leu(10), 0.55, 0.96, 0.75; Arg102, 0.63, 0.97, 0.82; and Ser268, 0.92, 0.68, 0.79, respectively. With the exception of the frequencies of the Ser268Thr polymorphism among blacks and Indian Americans, there were significantly different frequencies of each polymorphism among all groups (P<.05). Among whites, the distribution of genotypes for the +Leu(10) and Arg102Lys polymorphisms deviated significantly from expected Hardy-Weinberg values because of an excess of homozygotes. CONCLUSIONS: Among the ethnic groups, there are statistically significant differences in the frequencies of these common coding polymorphisms in CYP21 that need to be considered in disease-association studies. Deviation from Hardy-Weinberg distributions might be explained by allelic dropout during PCR, a phenomenon previously reported at this locus.

[Spectral characterization of amorphous fluorinated carbon film with a low dielectric constant].

Amorphous fluorinated carbon films have been prepared from the gaseous mixture of CH4 and C4F8 by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method. The dielectric constant of the deposited film under the experimental conditions is 2.3. Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR) indicates that the film contains minor unsaturated double bonds such as C=O, C=C, etc in addition to CFn (n = 1-3) configurations. However, no sign reveals the existence of C-H and O-H in the film. Further, X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS) verifies that carbon in the deposited film has six chemical states, which are CF3 (8%), CF2(19%), CF (26.7%), C-CFn (42.5%), C-C(3.3%) and C=O (0.5%). It indicates that about 54% of carbon atoms in the film bond with fluorine atoms, and around 43% bond with carbon atoms of CFn configurations instead of bonding directly with fluorine atoms. The adjacent carbon atoms without bonding with fluorine are very less.

Synergism of procoagulation effect of thrombin-like enzymes from Dienagkistrodon acutus and Agkistrodon halys snake venoms.

AIM: To study the synergistic effect of thrombin-like enzymes (TLE) of Dienagkistrodon acutus (DA) and Agkistrodon halys (AH) venoms. METHODS: TLE were isolated from venoms of DA and AH by successive column chromatography. Effects of combination of DATLE and AHTLE and related factors on the clotting time and clot quality were tested in vitro. RESULTS: One coagulation unit was 2.7 micrograms for DATLE and 304.4 micrograms, for AHTLE with reference standard of thrombin (42.2 micrograms). TLE-induced clot was a fibrin monomer which was fragile and did not retract. Combination of AHTLE and DATLE shortened the clotting time and decreased the solubility of the clot in urea 5 mol.L-1. When subthreshold concentration of thrombin or physiological concentration of Ca2+ was added, the clotting time was further shortened, the clot was no longer soluble in urea and retracted well, and the resistance of the clot to plasmin degradation was increased. CONCLUSION: A synergistic effect of DATLE and AHTLE accelerated hemocoagulation and improve clot quality.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in intron 2 of CYP21P: evidence for a higher rate of mutation at CpG dinucleotides in the functional steroid 21-hydroxylase gene and application to segregation analysis in congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

BACKGROUND: Intron 2 of CYP21, the functional steroid 21-hydroxylase gene contains several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We tested the hypothesis that intron 2 of the pseudogene, CYP21P, might also be polymorphic and provide markers for segregation analysis of this region of the genome, including observable markers for segregation analysis of CYP21 gene deletions. A comparison of SNPs in both genes might provide insights into the rates of mutation in these duplicated genes. METHODS: After amplification with PCR, we examined restriction site polymorphisms in intron 2 of CYP21P in 24 members of the parental generation of the Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain families and selected offspring. RESULTS: Intron 2 of CYP21P contains frequent SNPs around nucleotide 398 and nucleotide 509, which can be typed by PCR/restriction enzyme digestion with HaeIII. Of the 48 CYP21P alleles examined, 44 could be characterized unambiguously. Of these 44 alleles, 4 were deleted, and the frequencies of restriction at the polymorphic HaeIII sites were 20 of 40 at nucleotide 398 and 30 of 40 at nucleotide 509. Both polymorphisms result from C-->T transitions that occur at CpG dinucleotides. The frequencies of C at these nucleotides in CYP21P are significantly higher than at the corresponding nucleotides in CYP21 of the same individuals (P <0.01). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that these CpG dinucleotides are more frequently mutated in CYP21 than in CYP21P, and that several mutations at CpG dinucleotides in the coding regions of CYP21 might result from CpG instability rather than the more usually proposed mechanism of gene conversion. These frequent SNPs provide useful markers for studying both allelic segregation of CYP21, particularly for chromosomes with known CYP21 deletions, and for investigating the origin of these polymorphisms.