Rationale of decreasing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol below 70 mg/dL in patients with coronary artery disease: A retrospective virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound study

Background: The associations between statin and coronary plaque compositional changes were re­ported according to the use of high dose or not. An evaluation of the impact of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) < 70 mg/dL by using real world dosages of statin on coronary plaque composition was undertaken. Methods: The study subjects consisted of 61 patients (mean 59.9 years old, 45 males) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention, baseline and follow-up (F/U; mean 8.4 months) virtual histology- -intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) examination. Change of plaque composition at peri-stent area, which was selected in order to measure the identical site at F/U study, was compared according to the F/U LDL-C level. Results: Body mass index, prevalence of dyslipidemia, baseline total cholesterol and baseline LDL-C were significantly lower in F/U LDL-C < 70 mg/dL group (14 segments in 10 patients) than F/U LDL-C ≥ 70 mg/dL group (79 segments in 51 patients). F/U high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.00–1.11, p = 0.054) and F/U LDL-C < 70 mg/dL (OR 3.43, 95% CI 0.97–12.17, p = 0.056) showed strong tendency of regression of necrotic core volume (NCV) ≥ 10%. In multivariable logis­tic regression analysis, F/U HDL-C (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01–1.14, p = 0.020) and F/U LDL-C < 70 mg/dL (OR 8.02, 95% CI 1.58–40.68, p = 0.012) were the independent factors for regression of NCV ≥ 10%. Conclusions: Follow-up LDL-C level < 70 mg/dL with any types of statins and increase of HDL-C were associated with regression of NCV ≥ 10% in patients with coronary artery disease

Photocatalytic Oxidation of Trichloroethylene in Water Using a Porous Ball of Nano-ZnO and Nanoclay Composite

The presence of nondegradable organic compounds and xenobiotic chemicals in water is a great concern for the general public because of their polar properties and toxicity. For instance, trichloroethylene (TCE) is a widely used solvent in the chemical industry, and it is also a contaminant of soil, surface water, and groundwater. Recent studies on new treatment technologies have shown that photocatalyst-based advanced oxidation processes are appropriate for removing these polar and toxic compounds from water. The objective of this study was to remove TCE from water using novel nano-ZnO-laponite porous balls prepared from photocatalyst ZnO with nanoscale laponite. These nano-ZnO-laponite porous balls have a porosity of approximately 20%. A lower initial concentration of TCE resulted in high removal efficiency. Moreover, the removal efficiency increased with increasing pH in the photocatalytic degradation experiments employing UVC light with nano-ZnO-laponite. The optimal dosage of nano-ZnO-laponite was 30 g and the use of UVC light resulted in a higher removal efficiency than that achieved with UVA light. In addition, the removal efficiency of TCE significantly increased with increasing light intensity. We think that TCE’s removal in water by using porous ball of nano-ZnO and nanoclay composite is a result of degradation from hydroxide by photons of nano-ZnO and physical absorption in nanoclay

In-stent restenosis-prone coronary plaque composition: A retrospective virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound study

  Background: The mechanism of in-stent restenosis (ISR) is multifactorial, which includes biological, mechanical and technical factors. This study hypothesized that increased inflammatory reaction, which is known to be an important atherosclerotic process, at a culprit lesion may lead to higher restenosis rates. Methods: The study population consisted of 241 patients who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention with virtual histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) and a 9-month follow-up coronary angiography. Compared herein is the coronary plaque composition between patients with ISR and those without ISR. Results: Patients with ISR (n = 27) were likely to be older (66.2 ± 9.5 years vs. 58.7 ± 11.7 years, p = 0.002) and have higher levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP, 1.60 ± 3.59 mg/dL vs. 0.31 ± 0.76 mg/dL, p < 0.001) than those without ISR (n = 214). VH-IVUS examination showed that percent necrotic core volume (14.3 ± 8.7% vs. 19.5 ± 9.1%, p = 0.005) was higher in those without ISR than those with ISR. Multivariate analysis revealed that hs-CRP (odds ratio [OR] 3.334, 95% con­fidence interval [CI] 1.158–9.596, p = 0.026) and age (OR 3.557, 95% CI 1.242–10.192, p = 0.018) were associated with ISR. Conclusions: This study suggests that ISR is not associated with baseline coronary plaque composition but is associated with old age and increased expression of the inflammatory marker of hs-CRP. (Cardiol J 2018; 25, 1: 7–13

Determination of Malignant and Invasive Predictors in Branch Duct Type Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms of the Pancreas: A Suggested Scoring Formula

Prediction of malignancy or invasiveness of branch duct type intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (Br-IPMN) is difficult, and proper treatment strategy has not been well established. The authors investigated the characteristics of Br-IPMN and explored its malignancy or invasiveness predicting factors to suggest a scoring formula for predicting pathologic results. From 1994 to 2008, 237 patients who were diagnosed as Br-IPMN at 11 tertiary referral centers in Korea were retrospectively reviewed. The patients' mean age was 63.1 ± 9.2 yr. One hundred ninty-eight (83.5%) patients had nonmalignant IPMN (81 adenoma, 117 borderline atypia), and 39 (16.5%) had malignant IPMN (13 carcinoma in situ, 26 invasive carcinoma). Cyst size and mural nodule were malignancy determining factors by multivariate analysis. Elevated CEA, cyst size and mural nodule were factors determining invasiveness by multivariate analysis. Using the regression coefficient for significant predictors on multivariate analysis, we constructed a malignancy-predicting scoring formula: 22.4 (mural nodule [0 or 1]) + 0.5 (cyst size [mm]). In invasive IPMN, the formula was expressed as invasiveness-predicting score = 36.6 (mural nodule [0 or 1]) + 32.2 (elevated serum CEA [0 or 1]) + 0.6 (cyst size [mm]). Here we present a scoring formula for prediction of malignancy or invasiveness of Br-IPMN which can be used to determine a proper treatment strategy

Photocatalytic Oxidation of Trichloroethylene in Water Using a Porous Ball of Nano-ZnO and Nanoclay Composite

The presence of nondegradable organic compounds and xenobiotic chemicals in water is a great concern for the general public because of their polar properties and toxicity. For instance, trichloroethylene (TCE) is a widely used solvent in the chemical industry, and it is also a contaminant of soil, surface water, and groundwater. Recent studies on new treatment technologies have shown that photocatalyst-based advanced oxidation processes are appropriate for removing these polar and toxic compounds from water. The objective of this study was to remove TCE from water using novel nano-ZnO-laponite porous balls prepared from photocatalyst ZnO with nanoscale laponite. These nano-ZnO-laponite porous balls have a porosity of approximately 20%. A lower initial concentration of TCE resulted in high removal efficiency. Moreover, the removal efficiency increased with increasing pH in the photocatalytic degradation experiments employing UVC light with nano-ZnO-laponite. The optimal dosage of nano-ZnO-laponite was 30 g and the use of UVC light resulted in a higher removal efficiency than that achieved with UVA light. In addition, the removal efficiency of TCE significantly increased with increasing light intensity. We think that TCE’s removal in water by using porous ball of nano-ZnO and nanoclay composite is a result of degradation from hydroxide by photons of nano-ZnO and physical absorption in nanoclay

Synthesis of an oxidized mesoporous carbon-based magnetic composite and its application for heavy metal removal from aqueous solutions

The aim of this study was to synthesize and consider an oxidized mesoporous carbon-based magnetic composite (M-O-MC) for heavy metal removal from aqueous solutions. The M-O-MC used was a black powdery particle that was attracted to external magnets and thus separated from aqueous solutions. The M-O-MC had an average particle size of 232 +/- 63 nm, with a BET specific surface area of 179 m(2)/g and a total pore volume of 0.18 cm(3)/ g. The X-ray diffractometer pattern of the M-O-MC showed characteristic peaks related to maghemite due to the impregnation of iron oxide nanoparticles. Fourier-transform infrared spectra showed that carboxylic and Fe-O bonds were assigned on the M-O-MC due to surface functionalization. The X-ray photoelectron spectra showed that carboxyl functional groups on the surface of the M-O-MC were involved in the adsorption of Cu(II). Batch tests were performed using Cu(II) as a target heavy metal. The Cu(II) adsorption to the M-O-MC was influenced by solution pH and other cations. In the four cycles of adsorption-desorption testing, the M-O-MC was successfully regenerated and reused, maintaining its magnetic property. The equilibrium time for the Cu(II) adsorption was 3 h, whereas the maximum adsorption capacity was 51.4 mg/g. The Cu(II) adsorption was endothermic, increasing with a rise in temperature from 15 degrees C to 45 degrees C. In batch tests with plating wastewater containing various metal ions (Cu(II), total Cr, Ni(II), Zn(II), etc.), the M-O-MC was applied as an adsorbent for the removal of heavy metal ions.N