Performance of Lactate and CO2-Derived Parameters in Predicting Major Postoperative Complications After Cardiac Surgery With Cardiopulmonary Bypass: Protocol of a Diagnostic Accuracy Study.

Background: CO2-derived parameters are increasingly used to identify either low-flow status or anaerobic metabolism in shock resuscitation. However, the performance of CO2-derived parameters in cardiac surgical patients is poorly understood. This study aims to compare the performance of lactate and CO2-derived parameters in predicting major postoperative complications after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Methods: This is a prospective, single-center, diagnostic accuracy study. All patients who receive elective cardiac surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass will be screened for study eligibility. Blood samples will be taken for the calculation of CO2-derived parameters, including the venous-arterial difference in CO2 partial pressure (PCO2 gap), venous-arterial difference in CO2 content to arterial-venous O2 content ratio (Cv-aCO2/Ca-vO2), and venous-arterial difference in CO2 partial pressure to arterial-venous O2 content ratio (Pv-aCO2/Ca-vO2) at ICU admission, and 3, 6, and 12 h later. Baseline, perioperative data will be collected daily for 7 days; patients will be followed up for 28 days to collect outcome data. The primary endpoint is the occurrence of major postoperative complications. Receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis will be carried out to assess the predictive performance of lactate and CO2-derived parameters. The performance of the ROC curves will be compared. Discussion: The performance of lactate and CO2-derived parameters in predicting major postoperative complications will be investigated in the non-sepsis population, which has not been extensively investigated. Our study will compare the two surrogates of respiratory quotient directly, which is an important strength. Trial Registration: ChiCTR, ChiCTR2000029365. Registered January 26th, 2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=48744.

Isolation and characterization of 10 SSR markers of Momordica charantia (Cucurbitaceae).

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Microsatellite markers were isolated and characterized from the genome of Momordica charantia (bitter melon) to be applied in studies of genetic diversity and population structure. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-five microsatellite loci were isolated from the genome of bitter melon using the Fast Isolation by AFLP of Sequences COntaining Repeats (FIASCO) method. Ten loci were polymorphic, and the number of alleles per locus ranged from three to seven, with the observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.46 to 0.65. The markers also amplified successfully in the related species M. cochinchinensis and Cucurbita pepo. CONCLUSIONS: These markers will have potential utility for applications in genetic diversity evaluation, molecular fingerprinting, identification, comparative genomics analysis, and genetic mapping in Momordica species, as well as in C. pepo.