A systematic review of guidelines for dual antiplatelet therapy in coronary artery bypass graft.

BACKGROUND: In most situations, many patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) are on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), which is also required after CABG. The adjustment of antiplatelet strategy remains controversial. In this study, we systematically review current guidelines, seeking consensus and controversies to facilitate clinical practice. METHODS AND RESULTS: Guidelines are searched in PubMed, Embase, ECRI Guidelines Trust and websites of guidelines organizations and professional society. Guidelines with recommendations of DAPT for patients undergo CABG are included. Two reviewers appraised guidelines with the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II). Relevant recommendations are extracted and summarized. A total of 14 guidelines meeting inclusion criteria are selected, with average AGREE II scores from 44% to 86%. Most guidelines score high in domains other than 'applicability'. Many guidelines are not detailed enough in reporting considerations behind recommendations. Current guidelines are consistent on the management of antiplatelet strategy before elective CABG and using DAPT after surgery for preventing graft vessel occlusion. Evidence is still lacking in urgent CABG and resumption of the previous DAPT after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Current guidelines on DAPT in CABG are generally satisfying. Suspending P2Y12 inhibitors while aspirin continued before elective CABG is recommended, as well as 12 months of DAPT following CABG. More evidence is needed to guide antiplatelet therapy in urgent CABG and to prove the benefits of resuming previous DAPT.

Overexpression of synoviolin facilitates the formation of a functional synovial biomembrane.

Digital flexor tendon repair poses a significant challenge for hand surgeons. Currently, extrasynovial tendon grafts are frequently used in clinical settings to bridge flexor tendon defects. However, the healing process is always accompanied by postoperative adhesion. This is mostly due to the fact that no synovial membrane covers the extrasynovial tendon surface, in contrast to the intrasynovial tendon. In this study, we present an efficient method of developing a functional synovial biomembrane on the surface of the extrasynovial tendon. Synoviocytes were isolated from the knee joint of a Japanese white rabbit. After being infected with lentivirus, the over-expression of synoviolin in these synoviocytes was confirmed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting. Cellular proliferation and increased hyaluronic acid secretion were confirmed in the synoviolin over-expressing synoviocytes by MTT-based method, cell cycle assays and ELISA. Furthermore, the synoviolin over-expressing synoviocytes were co-cultured with extrasynovial tendons that were harvested from the hind leg of rabbits. After being co-cultured in vitro for 3 and 7 days, these infected synoviocytes were found to accelerate the formation of a biomembrane on the tendon surface compared to the control group. More importantly, Alcian blue staining confirmed the ability of this cultured biomembrane to produce specific matrices containing acidic carboxyl mucopolysaccharides (mainly hyaluronic acid). All these results demonstrate that the over-expression of synoviolin stimulates the proliferation and HA secretion of synoviocytes and facilitates the formation of a functional synovial biomembrane.

Composition and phylogenetic analysis of wheat cryptochrome gene family.

Cryptochrome (CRY) gene family encodes photoreceptors mediating developmental responses to blue light throughout the life of plants. We report here the characterization of CRY gene family in hexaploid wheat. Degenerate PCR amplification of the regions encoding the conserved flavin-binding domain of CRY proteins yielded seven bands, resulting from amplification of CRY1a, CRY1b and CRY2 homologous genes. Assignment of individual amplicons to subgenomes was accomplished by comparing their sequence compositions with those from the ancestor species of wheat. ESTs coding for CRY-DASH like proteins were identified in wheat EST database in GenBank. Southern blot showed that TaCRY1a, TaCRY1b and TaCRY2 are single copy genes. We mapped TaCRY1a and TaCRY2 to chromosomes of homoeologous group 6, TaCRY1b to group 2, and TaCRY-DASH to group 7. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CRY subfamily diversification occurred before the divergence of monocots and dicots. The regulatory and functional changes of CRY members within subfamily are discussed.

Silver(I) N-heterocyclic carbene-bridged calix[4]arene analogues as efficient [60]fullerene receptors.

Two silver(I) N-heterocyclic carbene-bridged calix[4]arene analogues 4 and 5 were synthesized by a fragment-coupling approach; the preliminary inclusion properties of 5 with [60]fullerene shows that it is a novel efficient [60]fullerene fluorescent sensor.

Extended calix[4]arene analogues by two P-CuI-P bridges and anion encapsulation.

Two novel extended calix[4]arene analogues by two P-Cu(I)-P bridges have been synthesized. The molecular structures and anion encapsulation ability for ClO4- and BF4- have been studied by X-ray analysis.

Gold(I) eta2-arene complexes.

The reaction of 9-{[N-n-propyl-N-(diphenylphosphino)amino]methyl}anthracene (1) with Au(SMe2)Cl yields complex 2 with an arm-opening configuration. The latter is treated with AgClO4 to form complex 4 and then respectively reacted with acetonitrile, pyridine, and triphenylphosphine sulfide to afford novel gold(I) eta2-arene complexes 3a-c, which have arm-closing configurations and feeble or weak fluorescence emissions. The observation can be attributed to charge transfer from the anthracene unit to the Au+ ion. When the solution of 3a or 4 in CH2Cl2 was added with 1 equiv of Ph3P, complex 5 with the arm-opening configuration was formed and strong emission was restored.

Suppression subtractive hybridization analysis of Ms2 near-isogenic lines of wheat reveals genes differentially expressed in spikelets and anthers.

The dominant male sterility gene Ms2 in wheat has been widely used in recurrent selection and variety improvement. Identification of genes associated with the male sterility in Ms2-carrying wheat will help us understand how Ms2 functions. Using a pair of isogenic lines of Ms2, subtractive hybridization was conducted with cDNA from bulked spikelets at meiophase of sterile plants as the tester and cDNA from the same tissues of fertile plants as the driver. Two major bands at 270 bp and 450 bp were obtained by suppression PCR (polymerase chain reaction) of the subtractive cDNA. A total of 882 recombinants from PCR product cloning were isolated for reverse Northern analysis. The results demonstrated that up to 90% of the inserts in the library were up-regulated in the sterile spikelets. Twenty-one unique inserts from this library were sequenced. Similarity search showed that eighteen of them were homologous to ESTs (expression sequence tags) derived from spike or anther tissues at meiophase. The chromosome locations of nine of the ESTs were determined using C.S. (Chinese spring) nulli-tetrasomic lines, one of which was assigned to chromosome group 4 that includes chromosome 4D where Ms2 is located. In addition, four additional ESTs could also be assigned to this group according to their homology to BACs (bacterial artificial chromosomes) or PAC (P1 artificial chromosomes) of rice chromosome 3. The expression patterns of eight of the inserts examined displayed increased expression in spikelets and anthers of the sterile plants.

Cloning and characterization of TOM7-like gene in wheat.

The cDNA encoding TOM7 (translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane subunit 7) like protein in wheat was cloned through RT-PCR, and its genomic DNA fragment was subsequently cloned. This gene was tentatively designated as TaTOM7. It has no intron in the coding region and its product possesses one hydrophobic trans-membrane domain in the middle, and one hydrophilic domain in the N-terminal and C-terminal domain, respectively. The amino acid composition in the trans-membrane domain of the TaTOM7 subunit is highly conserved among plants, animals and fungi. According to the phylogenetic tree, TOM7-like proteins from different species can be classified into three groups, representing plants, animals and fungi respectively. TaTOM7 is a single- or oligo-copy gene in the wheat genome, displaying different expression levels between Ms2 near-isogenic lines in some tissues, suggesting a role of Ms2 in its expression. TaTOM7 was mapped to chromosome group three of wheat.

[Serial thin cross-sectional anatomy and computerized three-dimensional reconstruction of metacarpal fascial spaces of hand].

OBJECTIVE: To build three-dimensional (3-D) visible model for surgical treatment of infection of fascial spaces of hand. METHODS: Serial thin cross-sections (0.2 mm) of hand were made by cryomicrotome, and the thin cross-sections of metacarpal parts were observed. A personal computer was employed to reconstruct 3-D model of metacarpal fascial space. RESULTS: The shapes, locations and adjacent relations of the mid-palmar space, thenar space and metacarpal bones were displayed clearly from computerized 3-D model, which could be the cross-reference of the cross-sections expediently. CONCLUSION: The computerized 3-D reconstruction of metacarpal fascial spaces can provide some guidance for surgical treatment of infection and other diseases of metacarpal fascial spaces.

Synthesis of a tweezer-like bis(arylthiaalkoxy)calix[4]arene as a cation sensor for ion-selective electrodes: an investigation of the influence of neighboring halogen atoms on cation selectivity.

Two novel tweezer-like 25,27-dihydroxy-26,28-bis(phenylthiaethoxy)calix[4]arenes 6 and 7 were synthesized by the reaction of 25,27-dihydroxy-26,28-bis(bromoethoxy)calix[4]arenes 3 and 4 for the evaluation of their ion-selectivity in ion-selective electrodes (ISEs). X-ray structural analysis indicated that calix[4]arene 7 is in an interesting infinite linear aggregate via self-inclusion. For investigation of the influences of substitutes on the behavior of the ISEs, the halogen substituted aryl analogues of 25,27-dihydroxy-26,28-bis(arylthiaethoxy)calix[4]arenes 8-12 were also synthesized and their ISE performances were evaluated under the same conditions. ISEs based on 6-12 as neutral ionophores were prepared, and their selectivity coefficients for Ag+ (log KAg,M(pot)) were investigated against other alkali metal, alkaline-earth metal, lead, ammonium ions and some transition metal ions using the fixed interference method (FIM). These ISEs showed excellent Ag+ selectivity over most of the interfering cations examined, except for Hg2+ having relative smaller interference (log KAg,Hg(pot) < or = 2.1). The 19F NMR spectra of 9 and 9.AgClO4 were recorded for investigation the fluorine environments in the complex. The 19F NMR spectra strongly suggested that the fluorine atoms on ionophore 9 participated in ligation with silver cation.

Linear heterotrinuclear complexes derived from an alkyl platinum(II) twelve-membered macrocycle.

The P,N,P-tridentate ligand 2,6-bis(diphenylphosphino)pyridine, L, was employed to generate a twelve-membered metallomacrocyclic host species cis-Pt(2)Me(4)(mu-L)(2) that encapsulates Tl(I) and Cu(I) guest ions. The ligand was also used to synthesize another two linear heterotrinuclear complexes, [Me(2)Pt(mu-L)(2)Ag(2)(MeCN)(2)](BF(4))(2).MeCN and [(CO)(3)Fe(mu-L)(2)Ag(2)(Et(2)O)](ClO(4))(2), both containing a metal-metal dative bond (Pt-->Ag and Fe-->Ag, respectively) and stabilized by the d(10)-d(10) argentophilic interaction.