Long-term outcomes of primary cardiac malignant tumors: Difference between African American and Caucasian population.

BACKGROUND: The survival outcome for primary cardiac malignant tumors (PMCTs) based on race has yet to be fully elucidated in previously published literature. This study aimed to address the general long-term outcome and survival rate differences in PMCTs among African Americans and Caucasian populations. METHODS: The 18 cancer registries database from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program from 1975 to 2016 were utilized. Ninety-four African American (AA) and 647 Caucasian (CAU) patients from the SEER registry were available for survival analysis. The log-rank test was used to compare the difference in mortality between two populations and presented by the Kaplan-Meier curves. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression was used to determine the independent predictors of all-cause mortality. RESULTS: The overall 30-day, 1-year, and 5-year survival rates were 74%, 44.3%, and 16.6%, respectively, with a median survival of 10 months. There was no significant difference in survival rate between the two races (p-value = 0.55). The 1-year survival rate improved significantly during the study timeline in the AA population (13.3% during 1975-1998, 40.9% during 1999-2004, 50% during 2005-2010, and 59.7% during 2011-2016, p-value = 0.0064). Age of diagnosis, type of tumor, disease stage, and chemotherapy administration are the main factors that predict survival outcomes of PMCT patients. Interactive nomogram was developed based on significant predictors. CONCLUSIONS: PMCTs have remained one of the most lethal diseases with poor survival outcome. Survival rate improved during the timeline in AA patients, but in general, racial differences in survival outcome were not observed.

Minimally Invasive Ozaki Procedure in Aortic Valve Disease: The Preliminary Results.

OBJECTIVE: The Ozaki procedure for aortic valve reconstruction was reported in 2014 with low mortality, a highly reproducible rate and a good midterm result. However, the procedure still requires conventional sternotomy to be accomplished. The aim of the study was to start an initial evaluation for the feasibility of the minimally invasive approach in combination with the Ozaki technique. METHODS: From January 06, 2017, to January 12, 2017, nine patients with severe aortic valve diseases underwent minimally invasive Ozaki procedure through an upper ministernotomy. The pericardium was harvested endoscopically using three trocars in different intercostal spaces. Then, a ministernotomy was performed and the Ozaki procedure was accomplished in a similar manner to the conventional technique. We analyzed the in-hospital mortality and complications of this group. RESULTS: The mean age was 47.4 years and 55.6% patients were female. The predominant pathology was chronic rheumatic valve disease (66.7%) and other patients were diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve. The mean aortic cross-clamp time was 106.8 minutes, the mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 153.6 minutes, the mean ventilation time was 8.4 hours, and the mean intensive care unit time was 1.6 days. No mortality was recorded in our series, no conversion to full sternotomy was required, one patient experienced right hemothorax requiring drainage, and one patient required valve replacement. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography and predischarge transthoracic echocardiography showed five competent valves and three valves with trivial regurgitation, and no stenosis was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Ministernotomy combined with Ozaki procedure might be feasible, as well as an alternative to conventional sternotomy. This approach is associated with low mortality and morbidity and may be beneficial in younger populations.

Gelation of barramundi (Lates calcarifer) minced muscle as affected by pressure and thermal treatments at low salt concentration.

BACKGROUND: Barramundi minced muscle with salt 10 g kg-1 and 20 g kg-1 added is gelled by different combinations of pressurisation (300, 400 and 500 MPa at 4 °C for 10 min), cooking (0.1 MPa, 90 °C for 30 min) and setting (0.1 MPa, 50 °C for 2 h) to improve mechanical properties of barramundi gels and reduce salt added to barramundi gels. RESULTS: At the low salt concentration of 10 g kg-1 , pressurisation prior to cooking (P-C) treatment induced barramundi gels with comparable mechanical properties and water-holding capacity to those of conventional heat induced (HI) gels with 20 g kg-1 added salt. At salt concentration of 20 g kg-1 , pressurisation prior to setting (P-S) and P-C gels exhibited higher mechanical properties and water-holding capacity as compared to HI gels. Scanning electron microscopy images showed a smooth and dense microstructure of P-C and P-S gels whereas the microstructure of HI gels is rough and less compact. CONCLUSIONS: P-C treatment can reduce salt concentration added to barramundi gels to 10 g kg-1 . P-S and P-C treatment can result in higher mechanical and functional properties of barramundi gels at conventional salt concentration (20 g kg-1 ) as compared to HI gels. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Reference interval evaluation of high-sensitivity troponin T and N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide in Vietnam and the US: The North South East West Trial.

BACKGROUND: Reference intervals of high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-cTnT) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) have been determined from Western populations. No data are available regarding expected values in Asian populations. METHODS: A total of 1157 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals (mean age, 41.2 years; 48.0% male) were prospectively enrolled from the US (n = 565) and Vietnam (n = 592). Blood samples were analyzed for hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP. Median values were determined for each country and compared in unadjusted analyses and in analyses adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, study site, race, and vital signs. RESULTS: Median hs-cTnT concentrations were slightly higher for individuals from the US than for those from Vietnam, but both were below the limit of detection (3.7 vs 3.0 ng/L, respectively; P = 0.03). More US participants had an hs-cTnT concentration above the limit of detection (57.2% vs 47.3%; P = 0.001), but the 99th percentile concentration was slightly higher for Asians (US 15.1 vs Vietnam 19.0 ng/L). Concentrations for >98% of both populations were below the standard hs-cTnT 99th percentile of 14.0 ng/L (P = 0.54). Median NT-proBNP concentrations were slightly higher for US participants compared with Vietnamese participants (28 vs 16 ng/L, respectively; P < 0.001). Following adjustment, differences in concentrations of NT-proBNP between healthy US and Vietnamese populations remained significant, whereas for hs-cTnT the differences were no longer significant. Inclusion of hs-cTnT values down to the limit of blank did not change the result. CONCLUSIONS: The differences in hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP between healthy individuals from the US and Vietnam are small. Previously derived reference intervals for both analytes may be applied in Asian populations.