Scientific reports
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Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a serious yet common complication after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. Previous study have identified multiple genetic susceptibility loci for POAF susceptibility after CABG, although some studies are under-powered. However, none of these studies have been conducted among Asians. ⋯ After adjustment for clinical predictors of POAF, two variants in GRK5 gene (rs4752292, and rs11198893) were replicated with significance were replicated in the validation cohort. The ORs for each additional copy of minor allele were 1.32 (95% CI: 1.15-1.50, P = 5.82 × 10(-5)) and 1.47 (95% CI: 1.28-1.69, P = 1.16 × 10(-7)), respectively. In this two-stage independently collected cardiac surgery cohorts, genetic variations in the GRK5 gene are independently associated with POAF risk in patients who undergo CABG surgery in Asians.
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Research studies on the three-dimensional (3D) morphological alterations of the spinal cord microvasculature after injury provide insight into the pathology of spinal cord injury (SCI). Knowledge in this field has been hampered in the past by imaging technologies that provided only two-dimensional (2D) information on the vascular reactions to trauma. The aim of our study is to investigate the 3D microstructural changes of the rat spinal cord microvasculature on day 1 post-injury using synchrotron radiation micro-tomography (SRμCT). ⋯ Furthermore, the area of injury did not remain concentrated at the epicenter; rather, the signs of damage expanded rostrally and caudally along the spinal cord in 3D. The observed pathological changes were also confirmed by histological tests. These results demonstrate that SRμCT is an effective technology platform for imaging pathological changes in small arteries in neurovascular disease and for evaluating therapeutic interventions.
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We investigated commonalities and differences in brain responses to enhanced bodily attention around acupuncture points with and without stimulation. Fourteen participants received acupuncture needles at both PC6 and HT7 acupoints in the left hand. To enhance bodily attention to acupoints, participants responded to the locations of stimulations in a two-alternative forced choice task. ⋯ Genuine acupuncture stimulation exhibited greater brain activation in the posterior insula, posterior operculum and the caudal part of the anterior cingulate cortex, compared with pseudo-stimulation. We demonstrated that enhanced bodily attention triggered by genuine acupuncture stimulation can activate the salience network and deactivate the default mode network regardless of the type of stimulation. The component of enhanced attention to a certain part of the body is significant in the brain response to acupuncture stimulation.
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In this study, we have investigated localization-based microscopy to achieve full-field super-resolution. For localized sampling, we have considered combs consisting of unit pulses and near-fields localized by surface nanoapertures. ⋯ Among the parameters, the resolution was largely determined by sampling period while the effect of width of a sampling pulse on PSNR was relatively limited. For the range of sampling parameters that we considered, the highest resolution achievable is estimated to be 70 nm, which can further be enhanced by optimizing the localization parameters.
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Meta Analysis
Anti-inflammatory Effects of Perioperative Dexmedetomidine Administered as an Adjunct to General Anesthesia: A Meta-analysis.
The aim of this meta-analysis is to examine the effects of dexmedetomidine on serum inflammatory markers when administered perioperatively. We searched multiple electronic databases for relevant research papers, and carried out meta-analyses of weighted mean differences and interpreted in the light of statistical heterogeneity (I(2)). Fifteen RCTs recruiting 641 patients were included. ⋯ IL-10 levels were found to increase significantly a day after surgery (8.33 [3.31, 13.36]; P = 0.001). Subgroup analyses did not reveal significant differences. In conclusion, perioperative adjunctive use of dexmedetomidine substantially decreases serum IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels.