Efficiency of different annuloplasty in treating functional tricuspid regurgitation and risk factors for recurrence

AbstractBackgroundFunctional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) is frequent in patients with mitral valve disease. Untreated tricuspid regurgitation (TR) may cause poor clinical outcomes. The surgical factors involved in annuloplasty for FTR remain controversial. Our objective was to compare effectiveness of different tricuspid annuloplasty (TVP), and reveal the risk factors of recurrence.MethodsWe analyzed the clinical details of 399 consecutive patients who underwent mitral surgery with concomitant TVP, from 2006 to 2011, in two Chinese single-centers. Three methods were used for TVP: De Vega surgery was completed in 242 patients; annuloplasty using a flexible band was completed in 98 patients; and surgery with a rigid ring was performed in 59 patients.ResultsThe operative mortality rate was 2.3%. After surgery, the TR grade of all patients decreased significantly. At three years postoperatively, 13.7% of patients were diagnosed with recurrent FTR. At the three year time point, severe TR in the De Vega group was 18%, which was higher than those in the flexible (8.4%) and rigid planner ring groups (5.2%). During follow-up, the recurrent rates in the rigid group were significantly lower than in the flexible group. Multivariate analysis revealed that pre-operative atrial fibrillation, severe TR, large left atrial, ejection fraction (EF)<40%, De Vega annuloplasty, and postoperative permanent pacemaker installation were independent risk factors for severe recurrent TR.ConclusionsRigid ring annuloplasty efficaciously improved post-operative tricuspid valve function in patients with FTR. Atrial fibrillation, a large left atrium, low EF and postoperative permanent pacemaker installation were independent risk factors for severe recurrent TR

Research Progress on the Effects of Anthocyanidin Compounds on Physicochemical Properties of Starch

Anthocyanidin compounds include proanthocyanidins, anthocyanidins, anthocyanins, etc. Among them, proanthocyanidin is a kind of polyphenol compound, then anthocyanidin and anthocyanin belong to flavonoid compounds. When heated in an acidic medium, proanthocyanidins can produce anthocyanidins, which combine with sugars via glycosidic bonds to produce anthocyanins. Proanthocyanidins, anthocyanidins and anthocyanins are widely distributed in dark grains, berries and vegetables, all of them have various functional effects. Starch is low in price, rich in sources, and has a variety of functional properties. The sensory quality and nutritional value of starch-based foods are mainly determined by the changes of starch gelatinization properties, thermodynamic properties, rheological properties, aging properties and digestive properties. There have been many studies about the co-existence of starch and other compounds that can improve the original properties of starch. However, there is limited overview on the effects of anthocyanidin compounds on starch properties. Therefore, this paper reviews the latest research progress of anthocyanidin compounds and their effects on the gelatinization properties, thermodynamic properties, rheological properties, aging properties and digestive properties of starch through increasing the gelatinization temperature of starch and reducing its gelatinization enthalpy can affect its thermodynamic properties, as well as reduce its aging enthalpy and aging rate, additionally and the digestion rate of starch etc. These can provide guidance for the use of anthocyandin compounds to improve the processing properties, sensory and nutritional quality of starch-based foods

Mapping of Cu and Pb Contaminations in Soil Using Combined Geochemistry, Topography, and Remote Sensing: A Case Study in the Le’an River Floodplain, China

Heavy metal pollution in soil is becoming a widely concerning environmental problem in China. The aim of this study is to integrate multiple sources of data, namely total Cu and Pb contents, digital elevation model (DEM) data, remote sensing image and interpreted land-use data, for mapping the spatial distribution of total Cu and Pb contamination in top soil along the Le’an River and its branches. Combined with geographical analyses and watershed delineation, the source and transportation route of pollutants are identified. Regions at high risk of Cu or Pb pollution are suggested. Results reveal that topography is the major factor that controls the spatial distribution of Cu and Pb. Watershed delineation shows evidence that the streamflow resulting from rainfall is the major carrier of metal pollutants

Elevated Brain Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor Availability in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Positron Emission Tomography Study

Endocannabinoids and their attending cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1) have been implicated in animal models of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, their specific role has not been studied in people with PTSD. Herein, we present an in vivo imaging study using positron emission tomography (PET) and the CB1-selective radioligand [11C]OMAR in individuals with PTSD, and healthy controls with lifetime histories of trauma (trauma controls [TC]) and those without such histories (healthy controls [HC]). Untreated individuals with PTSD (N=25) with non-combat trauma histories, and TC (N=12) and HC (N=23) participated in a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging scan and a resting PET scan with the CB1 receptor antagonist radiotracer [11C]OMAR, which measures volume of distribution (VT) linearly related to CB1 receptor availability. Peripheral levels of anandamide, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), oleoylethanolamide (OEA), palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), and cortisol were also assessed. In the PTSD group, relative to the HC and TC groups, we found elevated brain-wide [11C]OMAR VT values (F(2,53)=7.96, p=.001; 19.5% and 14.5% higher, respectively) which were most pronounced in women (F(1,53)=5.52, p=.023). Anandamide concentrations were reduced in the PTSD relative to the TC (53.1% lower) and HC (58.2% lower) groups. Cortisol levels were lower in the PTSD and TC groups relative to the HC group. Three biomarkers examined collectively—OMAR VT, anandamide, and cortisol—correctly classified nearly 85% of PTSD cases. These results suggest that abnormal CB1 receptor-mediated anandamide signaling is implicated in the etiology of PTSD, and provide a promising neurobiological model to develop novel, evidence-based pharmacotherapies for this disorder

TRF1 and TRF2 use different mechanisms to find telomeric DNA but share a novel mechanism to search for protein partners at telomeres

Human telomeres are maintained by the shelterin protein complex in which TRF1 and TRF2 bind directly to duplex telomeric DNA. How these proteins find telomeric sequences among a genome of billions of base pairs and how they find protein partners to form the shelterin complex remains uncertain. Using single-molecule fluorescence imaging of quantum dot-labeled TRF1 and TRF2, we study how these proteins locate TTAGGG repeats on DNA tightropes. By virtue of its basic domain TRF2 performs an extensive 1D search on nontelomeric DNA, whereas TRF1's 1D search is limited. Unlike the stable and static associations observed for other proteins at specific binding sites, TRF proteins possess reduced binding stability marked by transient binding (? 9-17 s) and slow 1D diffusion on specific telomeric regions. These slow diffusion constants yield activation energy barriers to sliding ? 2.8-3.6 ?(B)T greater than those for nontelomeric DNA. We propose that the TRF proteins use 1D sliding to find protein partners and assemble the shelterin complex, which in turn stabilizes the interaction with specific telomeric DNA. This 'tag-team proofreading' represents a more general mechanism to ensure a specific set of proteins interact with each other on long repetitive specific DNA sequences without requiring external energy sources

The Senescence-Associated Endonuclease, PhENDO1, Is Upregulated by Ethylene and Phosphorus Deficiency in Petunia

The upregulation of endonuclease activities and subsequent decreases in the nucleic acid content of leaves and petals are characteristics of senescence that allow for nutrient remobilization from dying organs. We previously identified a 43-kDa endonuclease activity (PhNUC1) that was upregulated in Petunia × hybrida petals during senescence. PhNUC1 has optimal activity at neutral pH, is enhanced by Co2+, and degrades both DNA and RNA. The peptide sequence of a 43-kDa endonuclease identified from senescing petals by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to clone the gene (PhENDO1) encoding the senescence-associated protein. PhENDO1 expression was upregulated in petals during the senescence of unpollinated and pollinated flowers and by ethylene treatment. When petunias were grown under nutrient deficient conditions, P-starvation, and to a lesser extent N-starvation, induced expression of PhENDO1. The endogenous expression of PhENDO1 was down regulated using virus induced gene silencing (VIGS), and in-gel endonuclease assays confirmed that the activity of the 43-kDa PhNUC1 was decreased in senescing corollas from PhENDO1-silenced (pTRV2:PhCHS:PhENDO1) plants compared to controls (pTRV2:PhCHS). Down regulating PhENDO1 in petunias did not alter flower longevity. While PhENDO1 may be involved in nucleic acid catabolism during senescence, down regulating this gene using VIGS was not sufficient to delay flower senescence

Foundational typed assembly language with certified garbage collection

Type-directed certifying compilation and typed assembly language (TAL) aim to minimize the trusted computing base of safe languages by directly type-checking low-level machine code. However, the safety of TAL still heavily relies on its safe interaction with the underlying garbage collector. Based on a recent variant of foundational proof-carrying code (FPCC), we introduce a general methodology for combining foundational TAL with a certified garbage collector. We demonstrate the practicality of this approach by linking a typical TAL with a conservative garbage collector. This includes proving the safety of the collector, the soundness of TAL, and the safe interaction between TAL programs and the garbage collector. Our work is fully mechanized in the Coq proof assistant and the certified programs can be shipped immediately as FPCC packages. 1

Real-Time Fault Diagnosis and Fault-Tolerant Control Strategy for Hall Sensors in Permanent Magnet Brushless DC Motor Drives

The Hall sensor is the most commonly used position sensor of the permanent magnet brushless direct current (PMBLDC) motor. Its failure may lead to a decrease in system reliability. Hence, this article proposes a novel methodology for the Hall sensors fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control in PMBLDC motor drives. Initially, the Hall sensor faults are analyzed and classified into three fault types. Taking the Hall signal as the system state and the conducted MOSFETs as the system event, the extended finite state machine (EFSM) of the motor in operation is established. Meanwhile, a motor speed observer based on the super twisting algorithm (STA) is designed to obtain the speed signal of the proposed strategy. On this basis, a real-time Hall sensor fault diagnosis strategy is established by combining the EFSM and the STA speed observer. Moreover, this article proposes a Hall signal reconstruction strategy, which can generate compensated Hall signal to realize fault-tolerant control under single or double Hall sensor faults. Finally, theoretical analysis and experimental results validate the superior effectiveness of the proposed real-time fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control strategy