Search

Background: Cox‐Maze procedure is currently the gold standard treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, data on the effectiveness of the Cox‐Maze procedure after concomitant mitral valve surgery (MVS) are not well established. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of Cox-Maze procedure versus no-maze procedure n in AF patients undergoing mitral valve surgery through a systematic review of the literature and meta‐analysis. Methods: A systematic search on PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials (Cochrane Library, Issue 02, 2017) databases were performed using three databases from their inception to March 2023, identifying all relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing Cox-Maze procedure versus no procedure in AF patients undergoing mitral valve surgery. Data were extracted and analyzed according to predefined clinical endpoints. Results: Nine RCTs meeting the inclusion criteria were included in this systematic review with 663 patients in total (341 concomitant Cox‐Maze with MVS and 322 MVS alone). Across all studies with included AF patients undergoing MV surgery, the concomitant Cox‐Maze procedure was associated with significantly higher sinus rhythm rate at discharge, 6 months, and 12 months follow‐up when compared with the no-Maze group. Results indicated that there was no significant difference between the Cox‐Maze and no-Maze groups in terms of 1 year all-cause mortality, pacemaker implantation, stroke, and thromboembolism. Conclusions: Our systematic review suggested that RCTs have demonstrated the addition of the Cox‐Maze procedure for AF leads to a significantly higher rate of sinus rhythm in mitral valve surgical patients, with no increase in the rates of mortality, pacemaker implantation, stroke, and thromboembolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron (Fe), the fourth abundant element in soil, commonly exists as ferrous (Fe(II)) and ferric (Fe(Ⅲ)) forms, playing a crucial role carbon cycling. However, the effect of Fe(II) and Fe(Ⅲ) on soil organic carbon (SOC) remains unclear, especially in carbon-rich peatland soils. Therefore, this study added Fe (Ⅱ) and Fe (Ⅲ) into the drained and waterlogged soils sampled from the Zoige plateau peatland to conduct a 95-day incubation experiment to reveal the role of Fe forms in driving carbon cycling. The dynamics of carbon compositions (phenolics, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), SOC, Fe-bound SOC (Fe–SOC)) and enzyme activity (phenol oxidase and β-glucosidase) were tested along with incubation time. Moreover, soil functional groups and bacteria were determined over the incubation period. The results demonstrated that Fe(II) and Fe(Ⅲ) addition in the drained soil decreased phenolics, DOC and SOC but increased Fe–SOC, soil organic functional groups (i.e., aromatic hydroxyl), and chemical bonds (i.e., C–O bonds); the reduced DOC and phenolics by the increased Fe(III)/Fe(II) ratio (extracted by 0.5 M HCl solution) was the primary reason for SOC loss. In waterlogged soil, Fe(II) and Fe(Ⅲ) addition increased carbon compositions and soil functional groups; the increased DOC and phenolics by the reduced pH was the possible reason for SOC accumulation. It can be known that the wide existence of Fe(II) and Fe(Ⅲ) in peatland may accelerate carbon loss from drained soil but prevent carbon loss from waterlogged soil and enhance SOC stability. • How Fe(II)/Fe(III) addition affects soil C cycling was explored in Zoige peatland. • Fe(II)/Fe(III) addition increased Fe–SOC in drained and waterlogged peatland soil. • Fe input made SOC lost from drained soil but accumulated in waterlogged soil. • The reduced soluble C by higher Fe3+/Fe2+ ratio explained C loss from drained soil. • The increased soluble C by lower pH explained SOC accumulation in waterlogged soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the effect of perceived stress and coping behaviors on quality of life and clinical outcomes in patients with ulcerative colitis.Methods: This is a prospective cohort study in a tertiary inflammatory bowel disease center in China. A total of 263 ulcerative colitis patients were enrolled consecutively between June 2013 and February 2015. The Perceived Stress Scale, the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire, and the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire were used to assess perceived stress, medical coping and quality of life at baseline. Patients were followed up for hospitalization due to relapse over a one-year period. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify whether perceived stress and medical coping behavior were related to quality of life and hospitalization.Results: Patients with invalid questionnaires (n = 6) and those lost to follow-up (n = 28) were excluded. A total of 229 ulcerative colitis patients (mean age 40.4 ± 12.6, 50.7% male) were included in the final analysis, and 23 patients had been hospitalized during the one-year follow-up period. After adjusting other associated variables, perceived stress (OR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.19) and acceptance-resignation behavior (OR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.21 to 1.65) were independently associated with poor quality of life. Patients scoring highly for acceptance-resignation behavior (OR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.46) were more likely to be hospitalized during the one-year follow-up period.Conclusion: In patients with ulcerative colitis, identifying those who adopted more acceptance-resignation behavior and improving their medical coping behavior by psychotherapy could be helpful to achieve better quality of life and disease control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Enzymic latch and iron gate were compared to reveal regulators of C in Zoige soils. • Phenol oxidase and Fe2+ were not crucial regulators of C in soils of Zoige Plateau. • The effect of moisture on SOC was remarkably higher than phenol oxidase and Fe2+. • Moisture indirectly affected SOC via adjusting enzymes, phenolics, and Fe oxides. • Fe oxides significantly affected SOC in non-waterlogged but not in waterlogged soils. Due to the enormous amount of carbon (C) stored in peatlands, understanding the regulator of soil organic carbon (SOC) in peatlands is critical for global C cycling. Currently, "enzymic latch" and "iron gate" are the frequently debated mechanisms that propose phenol oxidase (PHO) and Fe2+ as important regulators driving SOC cycling in peatland. Therefore, this study compared "enzymic latch" and "iron gate" in the same peatland (Zoige Plateau, the largest peatland in China) to figure out the crucial regulator of SOC content via investigating the interrelationships among soil properties, C-related enzymes, phenolics, and iron (Fe) oxides. Moreover, waterlogged and non-waterlogged soils were chosen to take samples in both dry and wet season to understand the potential role of moisture in regulating SOC content. It was found that the contents of dissolved organic C, phenolics, SOC, Fe oxides, and β-glucosidase (BG) activities in waterlogged soils were higher than those in non-waterlogged soils. Compared to the dry season, soils in the wet season had higher phenolics, SOC, and Fe oxides contents. Also, this study observed an insignificant relationship between PHO and SOC (p > 0.05) and the small amounts of Fe2+ to total Fe (<2‰) in soils. Meanwhile, the highest effect of moisture (0.89) and negligible effect of PHO (0.04) and Fe2+ (-0.08) on SOC based on pathway analysis suggested that moisture might be the crucial regulator of SOC. Furthermore, pathway analysis implied that moisture could indirectly affect SOC by adjusting BG (p < 0.05) and soluble phenolics (p < 0.05). This study provided valuable information for understanding the importance of moisture in driving C cycling and helping against soil C loss by moisture management in Zoige Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peatland soils are important carbon (C) sinks, and microbial nutrient limitation controls C storage or release through microbial metabolism under the available nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Currently, soil, ecoenzymatic, and microbial biomass C:N:P are widely used stoichiometric indicators to reveal nutrient status. However, it is unclear whether these indicators are effective in revealing microbial nutrient limitation consistently and which one of them can better indicate nutrient limitation and C dynamics. Therefore, this study compared nutrient status using these C:N:P ratios in different types and depths of Zoige peatland soils and evaluated the relationships between various C:N:P ratios and soil organic C (SOC) contents. Results showed that soil and ecoenzymatic C:N:P ratios indicated P limitation, while microbial biomass C:N:P ratios suggested N limitation. The homeostasis index suggested that microbes were in strict homeostasis, implying that microbial biomass C:N:P stoichiometry was a better indicator for microbial nutrient limitation and status. In addition, it was found that the direct effect of microbial C:N:P ratio on SOC (44%) was higher than soil and ecoenzymatic C:N:P ratios (32%); N-acquiring enzymes and different N species were more closely related to SOC than the counterparts of P. Therefore, microbial biomass C:N:P ratio might be a better indicator to reveal C dynamics in the peatland ecosystem. With the microbial biomass C:N:P ratios, the nutrient status of the microbiomes and the dynamics of SOC under nutrient intervention (e.g., N deposition) can be delineated. [Display omitted] • Soil and ecoenzymatic C:N:P indicated microbial P limitation in Zoige peatland soils. • Microbial biomass C:N:P indicated microbial N limitation in Zoige peatland soils. • Microbial biomass C:N:P showed the highest direct effect on SOC in Zoige peatland. • N and N-acquiring enzyme were more significantly related to SOC than P counterparts. • Microbial biomass C:N:P indicated nutrient limitation and SOC better in Zoige soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]