High-temperature concomitant metal-insulator and spin-reorientation transitions in a compressed nodal-line ferrimagnet Mn3Si2Te6.

Symmetry-protected band degeneracy, coupled with a magnetic order, is the key to realizing novel magnetoelectric phenomena in topological magnets. While the spin-polarized nodal states have been identified to introduce extremely-sensitive electronic responses to the magnetic states, their possible role in determining magnetic ground states has remained elusive. Here, taking external pressure as a control knob, we show that a metal-insulator transition, a spin-reorientation transition, and a structural modification occur concomitantly when the nodal-line state crosses the Fermi level in a ferrimagnetic semiconductor Mn3Si2Te6. These unique pressure-driven magnetic and electronic transitions, associated with the dome-shaped Tc variation up to nearly room temperature, originate from the interplay between the spin-orbit coupling of the nodal-line state and magnetic frustration of localized spins. Our findings highlight that the nodal-line states, isolated from other trivial states, can facilitate strongly tunable magnetic properties in topological magnets.

Paucibacter sediminis sp. nov., isolated from sediment in a freshwater pond.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, oxidase-positive, weakly catalase-positive, motile by means of a single polar flagellum, rod-shaped bacterium designated as strain S2-9T was isolated from sediment sampled in Wiyang pond, Republic of Korea. Growth of this strain was observed at 10-40 °C (optimum, 35 °C) and pH 5.5-9.5 (optimum, pH 7.0-8.0) and in the presence of 0-0.5 % NaCl in Reasoner's 2A broth. The major fatty acids (>10 %) of strain S2-9T were C16 : 0 and summed feature 3 (comprising a mixture of C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c). Ubiquinone-8 was detected as the respiratory quinone. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. Strain S2-9T showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Paucibacter oligotrophus CHU3T (98.7 %), followed by 'Paucibacter aquatile' CR182 (98.4 %), all type strains of Pelomonas species (98.1-98.3 %), Mitsuaria chitosanitabida NBRC 102408T (97.9 %), Kinneretia asaccharophila KIN192T (97.8 %), Mitsuaria chitinivorans HWN-4T (97.4 %), and Paucibacter toxinivorans 2C20T (97.4 %). Phylogenetic trees based on the 16S rRNA gene and whole-genome sequences showed that strain S2-9T formed a tight phylogenetic lineage with Paucibacter species (CHU3T, CR182, and 2C20T). Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain S2-9T and Paucibacter strains were 76.6-79.3% and 19.5-21.5 %, respectively. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain S2-9T was 68.3 mol%. Notably, genes responsible for both sulphur oxidation and reduction and denitrification were found in the genome of strain S2-9T, suggesting that strain S2-9T is involved in the nitrogen and sulphur cycles in pond ecosystems. Based on the polyphasic taxonomic results, strain S2-9T represents a novel species of the genus Paucibacter, for which the name Paucibacter sediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S2-9T (= KACC 22267T= JCM 34541T).

Highly Efficient Room-Temperature Spin-Orbit-Torque Switching in a Van der Waals Heterostructure of Topological Insulator and Ferromagnet.

All-Van der Waals (vdW)-material-based heterostructures with atomically sharp interfaces offer a versatile platform for high-performing spintronic functionalities at room temperature. One of the key components is vdW topological insulators (TIs), which can produce a strong spin-orbit-torque (SOT) through the spin-momentum locking of their topological surface state (TSS). However, the relatively low conductance of the TSS introduces a current leakage problem through the bulk states of the TI or the adjacent ferromagnetic metal layers, reducing the interfacial charge-to-spin conversion efficiency (qICS). Here, a vdW heterostructure is used consisting of atomically-thin layers of a bulk-insulating TI Sn-doped Bi1.1Sb0.9Te2S1 and a room-temperature ferromagnet Fe3GaTe2, to enhance the relative current ratio on the TSS up to ≈20%. The resulting qICS reaches ≈1.65 nm-1 and the critical current density Jc ≈0.9 × 106 Acm-2 at 300 K, surpassing the performance of TI-based and heavy-metal-based SOT devices. These findings demonstrate that an all-vdW heterostructure with thickness optimization offers a promising platform for efficient current-controlled magnetization switching at room temperature.

Topological Complex Charge Conservation in Nontrivial Z2 × Z2 Domain Walls.

Localized topological modes such as solitons, Majorana Fermions, and skyrmions are attracting great interest as robust information carriers for future devices. Here, a novel conserved quantity for topological domain wall networks of a Z2 × Z2 order generated with spin-polarized current in Sr2VO3FeAs is discovered. Domain walls are mobilized by the scanning tunneling current, which also observes in atomic scale active dynamics of domain wall vertices including merge, bifurcation, pair creation, and annihilation. Within this dynamics, the product of the topological complex charges defined for domain wall vertices is conserved with a novel boundary-charge correspondence rule. These results may open an avenue toward topological electronics based on domain wall vertices in generic Z2 × Z2 systems.

Thrombocytopenia after Aortic Valve Replacement Using Sutureless Valves.

Background: Sutureless valves are widely used in aortic valve replacement surgery, with Perceval valves and Intuity valves being particularly prominent. However, concerns have been raised about postoperative thrombocytopenia with Perceval valves (Corcym, UK). We conducted a comparative analysis with the Intuity valve (Edwards Lifesciences, USA), and assessed how thrombocytopenia affected patient and transfusion outcomes. Methods: Among 595 patients who underwent aortic valve replacement from June 2016 to March 2023, sutureless valves were used in 53 (Perceval: n=23; Intuity: n=30). Platelet counts were monitored during hospitalization and outpatient visits. Daily platelet count changes were compared between groups, and the results from patients who underwent procedures using Carpentier Edwards Perimount Magna valves were used as a reference group. Results: Compared to the Intuity group, the Perceval group showed a significantly higher amount of platelet transfusion (5.48±1.64 packs vs. 0.60±0.44 packs, p=0.008). During the postoperative period, severe thrombocytopenia (<50,000/µL) was significantly more prevalent in the Perceval group (56.5%, n=13) than in the Intuity group (6.7%, n=2). After initial postoperative depletion, daily platelet counts increased, with significant differences observed in the extent of improvement between the Perceval and Intuity groups (p<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in early mortality or the incidence of neurological complications between the 2 groups. Conclusion: The severity of postoperative thrombocytopenia differed significantly between the Perceval and Intuity valves. The Perceval group showed a significantly higher prevalence of severe thrombocytopenia and higher platelet transfusion volumes. However, thrombocytopenia gradually recovered during the postoperative period in both groups, and the early outcomes were similar in both groups.

Risk factors and cognitive correlates of white matter hyperintensities in ethnically diverse populations without dementia: The COSMIC consortium.

INTRODUCTION: White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are an important imaging marker for cerebral small vessel diseases, but their risk factors and cognitive associations have not been well documented in populations of different ethnicities and/or from different geographical regions. METHODS: We investigated how WMHs were associated with vascular risk factors and cognition in both Whites and Asians, using data from five population-based cohorts of non-demented older individuals from Australia, Singapore, South Korea, and Sweden (N = 1946). WMH volumes (whole brain, periventricular, and deep) were quantified with UBO Detector and harmonized using the ComBat model. We also harmonized various vascular risk factors and scores for global cognition and individual cognitive domains. RESULTS: Factors associated with larger whole brain WMH volumes included diabetes, hypertension, stroke, current smoking, body mass index, higher alcohol intake, and insufficient physical activity. Hypertension and stroke had stronger associations with WMH volumes in Whites than in Asians. No associations between WMH volumes and cognitive performance were found after correction for multiple testing. CONCLUSION: The current study highlights ethnic differences in the contributions of vascular risk factors to WMHs.

Influence of Preoperative COVID-19 Vaccination on Outcomes After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting-A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Reports of intravascular thrombosis and cardiac complications have raised concerns about the safety of COVID-19 vaccinations, particularly in patients with high cardiovascular risk. Herein, we aimed to analyze the impact of preoperative COVID-19 vaccination on outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS AND RESULTS: Among 520 patients who underwent isolated CABG from 2020 to 2022, 481 patients (mean±SD age: 67±11 years, 86 women) whose COVID-19 vaccination status could be confirmed were included. A total of 249 patients who had not received any COVID-19 vaccine before CABG (never vaccinated group) and 214 patients who had completed primary vaccination (fully vaccinated group) were subjected to 1:1 propensity score matching, and 156 pairs of patients were matched. There was no significant difference in early mortality between the 2 groups after matching. After matching, overall survival (P=0.930) and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event-free survival (P=0.636) did not differ between the 2 groups. One-year graft patency also did not differ significantly between the 2 groups; all patent grafts in 85/104 patients (82%) and 62/73 patients (85%) in the never vaccinated and fully vaccinated groups, respectively (P=0.685). Subgroup analysis showed equivalent overall and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event-free survival among AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccine recipients and between those with ≤30 days versus >30 days from vaccination to CABG. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the very high cardiovascular risk for patients undergoing CABG, COVID-19 vaccination did not affect major outcomes after CABG. Therefore, there is no reason for patients with coronary artery disease requiring CABG to avoid preoperative COVID-19 vaccination.

Acute type A aortic dissection features and outcomes in octogenarians: a propensity score analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The clinical characteristics and early outcomes of surgical repair in octogenarians with acute type A aortic dissection were compared with those in nonoctogenarians. METHODS: All patients who underwent emergency surgical repair for acute type A aortic dissection in our institution between 2003 and 2022 were included in this study. The patients were divided into an octogenarian group and a nonoctogenarian group. The patients in the 2 groups were propensity score matched at a ratio of 1:1. Before matching, the baseline characteristics were compared between 2 groups. The major complication and 30-day mortality rates were compared in the matched population. RESULTS: A total of 495 patients were screened, and 471 were included in the analysis, with 48 in the octogenarian group and 423 in the nonoctogenarian group. Before matching, DeBakey type II dissection was significantly more prevalent in the octogenarians (42% vs 14% in the octogenarians and nonoctogenarians, respectively, P < 0.001). Additionally, intramural haematomas (39.6% vs 14.4%, P < 0.001) were more prevalent in the octogenarians. However, severe aortic regurgitation (4.2% vs 15.4%, P = 0.046) and root enlargement (0% vs 13.7%, P = 0.009) were less prevalent in the octogenarians. After matching (36 pairs), the incidence of postoperative delirium was higher in the octogenarians (56% vs 25%, P = 0.027). However, there were no significant differences in 30-day and in-hospital mortality rates, intensive care unit stay or major complications, including stroke, paraplegia, respiratory complications, mediastinitis and haemodialysis. CONCLUSIONS: The octogenarians with acute type A aortic dissection had higher incidences of DeBakey type II dissection and intramural haematomas and lower incidences of severe aortic regurgitation and aortic root enlargement than the nonoctogenarians. Being an octogenarian was not associated with an increased risk of early major complications or mortality after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection.

In Vitro Neutrophil-Bacteria Assay in Whole Blood Microenvironments with Single-Cell Confinement.

Blood is a common medium through which invasive bacterial infections disseminate in the human body. In vitro neutrophil-bacteria assays allow flexible mechanistic studies and screening of interventional strategies. In standard neutrophil-bacteria assays, both the immune cells and microorganisms are typically interrogated in an exogenous, homogeneous, bulk fluid environment (e.g., culture media or bacterial broth in microtiter plates), lacking the relevant physicochemical factors in the heterogenous blood-tissue microenvironment (e.g., capillary bed) with single-cell confinement. Here we present an in vitro neutrophil-bacteria assay by leveraging an open microfluidic model known as "µ-Blood" that supports sub-microliter liquid microchannels with single-cell confinement. In this study we compare the exogenous and endogenous fluids including neutrophils in RPMI (standard suspension cell culture media) and whole blood in response to Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus , a gram-positive, non-motile bacterium) in phosphate buffered saline (PBS), Mueller Hinton Broth (MHB), and human serum. Our results reveal a significant disparity between the exogenous and endogenous fluid microenvironments in the growth kinetics of bacteria, the spontaneous generation of capillary (i.e., Marangoni) flow, and the outcome of neutrophil intervention on the spreading bacteria.

Tranexamic Acid Can Reduce Early Tendon Adhesions After Rotator Cuff Repair and Is Not Detrimental to Tendon-Bone Healing: A Comparative Animal Model Study.

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of topical tranexamic acid (TXA) administration on tendon adhesions, shoulder range of motion (ROM), and tendon healing in an acute rotator cuff repair rat model. METHODS: A total of 20 Sprague Dawley rats were used. Tendon adhesion, ROM, and biomechanical and histological analysis of tendon-bone healing was conducted at 3 and 6 weeks after surgery. The rats underwent rotator cuff repair surgery on both shoulders and were administered TXA via subacromial injections. The tendon adhesion was evaluated macroscopically and histologically. Biomechanical tendon healing was measured using a universal testing machine, and histological analysis was quantified by H&E, Masson's trichrome, and picrosirius red staining. RESULTS: At 3 weeks after surgery, the adhesion score was significantly lower in the TXA group (2.10 ± 0.32) than in the control group (2.70 ± 0.48) (P = .005), but there was no significant difference between the 2 groups at 6 weeks. Regarding ROM, compared with the control group, the TXA group showed significantly higher external rotation (36.35° ± 4.52° vs 28.42° ± 4.66°, P < .001) and internal rotation (45.35° ± 9.36° vs 38.94° ± 5.23°, P = .013) 3 weeks after surgery. However, at 6 weeks, there were no significant differences in external and internal rotation between the 2 groups. In the biomechanical analysis, no significant differences in gross examination (3 weeks, P = .175, 6 weeks, P = .295), load to failure (3 weeks, P = .117, 6 weeks, P = .295), or ultimate stress (3 weeks, P = .602, 6 weeks, P = .917) were noted between the 2 groups 3 and 6 weeks after surgery. In the histological analysis of tendon healing, no significant differences in the total score (3 weeks, P = .323, 6 weeks, P = .572) were found between the 2 groups 3 and 6 weeks after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Topical TXA administration showed a beneficial effect in reducing tendon adhesions and improving ROM 3 weeks postoperatively and had no effect at 6 weeks. This suggests that additional intervention with TXA may be useful in achieving long-term improvement in shoulder stiffness. Additionally, TXA may increase tissue ground substance accumulation in the late postoperative period but does not adversely affect tendon-bone interface healing. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The use of TXA after rotator cuff repair has no effect on tendon-bone interface healing in clinical practice and can improve shoulder stiffness in the early postoperative period. Additional research on the long-term effects is needed.

Effects of sleep quality on diurnal variation of brain volume in older adults: A retrospective cross-sectional study.

AIM: Brain volume is influenced by several factors that can change throughout the day. In addition, most of these factors are influenced by sleep quality. This study investigated diurnal variation in brain volume and its relation to overnight sleep quality. METHODS: We enrolled 1,003 healthy Koreans without any psychiatric disorders aged 60 years or older. We assessed sleep quality and average wake time using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and divided sleep quality into good, moderate, and poor groups. We estimated the whole and regional brain volumes from three-dimensional T1-weighted brain MRI scans. We divided the interval between average wake-up time and MRI acquisition time (INT) into tertile groups: short (INT1), medium (INT2), and long (INT3). RESULTS: Whole and regional brain volumes showed no significance with respect to INT. However, the `interaction between INT and sleep quality showed significance for whole brain, cerebral gray matter, and cerebrospinal fluid volumes (p < .05). The INT2 group showed significantly lower volumes of whole brain, whole gray matter, cerebral gray matter, cortical gray matter, subcortical gray matter, and cerebrospinal fluid than the INT1 and INT3 groups only in the individuals with good sleep quality. CONCLUSION: Human brain volume changes significantly within a day associated with overnight sleep in the individuals with good sleep quality.

Complete genome sequence of Levilactobacillus brevis NSMJ23, makgeolli isolate with antimicrobial activity.

We report the complete genome sequence of Levilactobacillus brevis NSMJ23 with probiotic properties. The final genome assembly consisted of a 2,389,998-bp chromosome and seven plasmids with 45.59% GC content, which comprised 2,624 genes including 2,457 protein coding sequences.

Microliter whole blood neutrophil assay preserving physiological lifespan and functional heterogeneity.

For in vitro neutrophil functional assays, neutrophils are typically isolated from whole blood, having the target cells exposed to an artificial microenvironment with altered kinetics. Isolated neutrophils exhibit limited lifespans of only a few hours ex vivo, significantly shorter than the 3-5 day lifespan of neutrophils in vivo. In addition, due to neutrophil inherently high sensitivity, neutrophils removed from whole blood exhibit stochastic non-specific activation that contributes to assay variability. Here we present a method - named micro-Blood - that enables functional neutrophil assays using a microliter of unprocessed whole blood. micro-Blood allows multiple phenotypic readouts of neutrophil function (including cell/nucleus morphology, motility, recruitment, and pathogen control). In micro-Blood, neutrophils show sustained migration and limited non-specific activation kinetics (<0.1% non-specific activation) over 3-6 days. In contrast, neutrophils isolated using traditional methods show increased and divergent activation kinetics (10-70% non-specific activation) in only 3 h. Finally, micro-Blood allows the capture and quantitative comparison of distinct neutrophil functional heterogeneity between healthy donors and cancer patients in response to microbial stimuli with the preserved physiological lifespan over 6 days.

Optical Transitions of a Single Nodal Ring in SrAs_{3}: Radially and Axially Resolved Characterization.

SrAs_{3} is a unique nodal-line semimetal that contains only a single nodal ring in the Brillouin zone, uninterrupted by any trivial bands near the Fermi energy. We performed axis-resolved optical reflection measurements on SrAs_{3} and observed that the optical conductivity exhibits flat absorption up to 129 meV in both the radial and axial directions, confirming the robustness of the universal power-law behavior of the nodal ring. The axis-resolved optical conductivity, in combination with theoretical calculations, further reveals fundamental properties beyond the flat absorption, including the overlap energy of the topological bands, the spin-orbit coupling gap along the nodal ring, and the geometric properties of the nodal ring such as the average ring radius, ring ellipticity, and velocity anisotropy. In addition, our temperature-dependent measurements revealed a spectral weight transfer between intraband and interband transitions, indicating a possible violation of the optical sum rule within the measured energy range.

Exploring shared neural substrates underlying cognition and gait variability in adults without dementia.

BACKGROUND: High gait variability is associated with neurodegeneration and cognitive impairments and is predictive of cognitive impairment and dementia. The objective of this study was to identify cortical or subcortical structures of the brain shared by gait variability measured using a body-worn tri-axial accelerometer (TAA) and cognitive function. METHODS: This study is a part of a larger population-based cohort study on cognitive aging and dementia. The study included 207 participants without dementia, with a mean age of 72.6, and 45.4% of them are females. We conducted standardized diagnostic interview including a detailed medical history, physical and neurological examinations, and laboratory tests for cognitive impairment. We obtained gait variability during walking using a body-worn TAA along and measured cortical thickness and subcortical volume from brain magnetic resonance (MR) images. We cross-sectionally investigated the cortical and subcortical neural structures associated with gait variability and the shared neural substrates of gait variability and cognitive function. RESULTS: Higher gait variability was associated with the lower cognitive function and thinner cortical gray matter but not smaller subcortical structures. Among the clusters exhibiting correlations with gait variability, one that included the inferior temporal, entorhinal, parahippocampal, fusiform, and lingual regions in the left hemisphere was also associated with global cognitive and verbal memory function. Mediation analysis results revealed that the cluster's cortical thickness played a mediating role in the association between gait variability and cognitive function. CONCLUSION: Gait variability and cognitive function may share neural substrates, specifically in regions related to memory and visuospatial navigation.

A Controlled Trial Comparing One-Year Hemodynamics of Two Bovine Pericardial Valves.

BACKGROUND: This randomized controlled trial was designed to compare 1-year hemodynamic performances and clinical outcomes after aortic valve replacement (AVR) using a recently introduced (the AVALUS group) and worldwide used (the CEPME group) bovine pericardial bioprostheses. METHODS: Patients were screened to enroll 70 patients in each group based on a noninferiority design. The primary endpoint of the trial was the mean pressure gradient across the aortic valve (AVMPG) at 1 year after surgery. One-year echocardiographic data were obtained from 92.1% (129 of 140 patients) of the study patients. RESULTS: There were no differences in baseline characteristics, including sex and body surface area (1.64 ± 0.18 vs. 1.65 ± 0.15 m2) between the groups. The AVMPG on 1-year echocardiography was 14.0 ± 4.3 and 13.9 ± 5.1 mmHg in the AVALUS and CEPME groups, respectively (the p-value for noninferiority was 0.0004). In the subgroup analyses for the respective size of the prostheses, AVMPG of the 19-mm prostheses was significantly lower in the AVALUS group than in the CEPME group (14.0 ± 4.3 vs. 20.0 ± 4.7 mmHg, p = 0.012), whereas those of the other sizes were not significantly different between the two groups. There were no significant differences in the effective orifice area (1.49 ± 0.40 vs. 1.53 ± 0.38 cm2, p = 0.500) or effective orifice area index (0.91 ± 0.22 vs 0.93 ± 0.23 cm2/m2, p = 0.570) in all the patients, or in the subgroup analysis for the 19-mm prosthesis. There were no differences in the 1-year clinical outcomes between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The 1-year hemodynamic and clinical outcomes of the AVALUS group were noninferior to those of the CEPME group (NCT03796442).

Improved clinical outcomes following introduction of an attending intensivist for patients admitted to the cardiac surgical intensive care unit after valvular heart surgery: a single-center experience.

Background: Although numerous studies have documented the improved clinical outcomes of patients undergoing cardiac surgery following introduction of attending intensivist, most of these studies included heterogeneous patient populations. We aimed to investigate the impact of an attending intensivist on the clinical outcomes of patients admitted to the cardiac surgical intensive care unit (CSICU) following valvular heart surgery. Methods: Patients who underwent valvular heart surgery between January 2007 and December 2012 (control group, n=337) were propensity matched (1:1) between January 2013 and June 2017 (intensivist group, n=407). Results: During the propensity score matching analysis, 285 patients were extracted from each group. Patients in the intensivist group underwent mechanical ventilation for a significantly shorter time than those in the control group (21.8±69.8 vs. 39.2±115.3 hours, P=0.021). More patients were extubated within 6 hours in the intensivist group than in the control group (53.7% vs. 42.8%, P=0.015). The incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (1.4% vs. 4.9%, P=0.031), cardiac arrest due to cardiac tamponade associated with post-cardiotomy bleeding (0.4% vs. 3.9%, P=0.002), and acute kidney injury (2.8% vs. 7.7%, P=0.011) in the intensivist group was significantly lower than that in the control group. The 30-day mortality rate of the intensivist group was significantly lower than that of the control group (2.1% vs. 6.7%, P=0.015). Conclusions: Critical care provided in the CSICU staffed by an attending intensivist is associated with a lower 30-day mortality rate and reduced incidence of postoperative complications.

Risk factors and cognitive correlates of white matter hyperintensities in ethnically diverse populations without dementia: the COSMIC consortium.

INTRODUCTION: White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are an important imaging marker for cerebral small vessel diseases, but their risk factors and cognitive associations have not been well-documented in populations of different ethnicities and/or from different geographical regions. METHOD: Magnetic resonance imaging data of five population-based cohorts of non-demented older individuals from Australia, Singapore, South Korea, and Sweden (N = 1,946) were examined for WMH and their associations with vascular risk factors and cognition. RESULT: Factors associated with larger whole brain WMH volumes included diabetes, hypertension, stroke, current smoking, body mass index, higher alcohol intake and insufficient physical activity. Participants with moderate or higher physical activity had less WMH than those who never exercised, but the former two groups did not differ. Hypertension and stroke had stronger associations with WMH volumes in the White, compared to Asian subsample. DISCUSSION: The current study highlighted the ethnic differences in the contributions of vascular risk factors to WMH.

Sniffer worm, C. elegans, as a toxicity evaluation model organism with sensing and locomotion abilities.

Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, has revolutionized the way we create objects. However, its layer-by-layer process may lead to an increased incidence of local defects compared to traditional casting-based methods. Factors such as light intensity, depth of light penetration, component inhomogeneity, and fluctuations in nozzle temperature all contribute to defect formations. These defective regions can become sources of toxic component leakage, but pinpointing their locations in 3D printed materials remains a challenge. Traditional toxicological assessments rely on the extraction and subsequent exposure of living organisms to these harmful agents, thus only offering a passive detection approach. Therefore, the development of an active system to both identify and locate sources of toxicity is essential in the realm of 3D printing technologies. Herein, we introduce the use of the nematode model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), for toxicity evaluation. C. elegans exhibits distinctive 'sensing' and 'locomotion' capabilities that enable it to actively navigate toward safe zones while steering clear of hazardous areas. This active behavior sets C. elegans apart from other aquatic and animal models, making it an exceptional choice for immediate and precise identification and localization of toxicity sources in 3D printed materials.

Elevated troponin I is associated with a worse long-term prognosis in patients undergoing beating-heart coronary surgery.

OBJECTIVES: The impacts of elevated troponin I levels after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on long-term outcomes were investigated. METHODS: A total of 996 patients who underwent elective isolated CABG for stable or unstable angina were enrolled. Patients were divided into higher and lower groups based on 80th percentile postoperative peak troponin I (ppTnI) levels. The relationship between ppTnI and long-term clinical outcomes was analysed. RESULTS: The median ppTnI was 1.55 (2.74) ng/ml and was significantly higher in the conventional CABG subgroup than in the beating-heart CABG subgroup: 4.04 (4.71) vs 1.24 (1.99) ng/ml, P < 0.001. The 80th percentile of ppTnI was 3.3 ng/ml in the beating-heart CABG subgroup and 8.9 ng/ml in the conventional CABG subgroup. In the conventional CABG subgroup (n = 150), 10-year overall survival showed no significant difference between the higher (≥8.9 ng/ml) and lower (<8.9 ng/ml) ppTnI groups: 71% (10%) vs 76% (5%), P = 0.316. However, the beating-heart CABG subgroup (n = 846) showed significantly worse 10-year overall survival in the higher ppTnI group (≥3.3 ng/ml) than in the lower ppTnI group (<3.3 ng/ml): 64% (6%) vs 73% (3%), P = 0.010. In the beating-heart CABG subgroup, multivariable analysis showed that ppTnI exceeding the 80th percentile was a risk factor for overall death (hazard ratio: 1.505, 95% confidence interval: 1.019-2.225, P = 0.040). CONCLUSIONS: Higher ppTnI over the 80th percentile was associated with worse long-term survival in beating-heart CABG, but not in conventional CABG.