Objective To observe the incidence of pericardial tamponade(PT)after left atrial appendage closure(LAAC)in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation(NVAF),and to explore its related factors and outcomes.Methods NVAF patients who were hospitalized and treated with LAAC in Department of Cardiology of our hospital from August 2014 to March 2023 were selected for the study.The general clinical data,preoperative transthoracic echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography data,results of routine preoperative laboratory tests,intraoperative data and follow-up data of the patients were collected through the hospital medical record management system.The enrolled patients were classified into the non-PT group(n=8)and the PT group(n =1184)according to whether PT occurred after LAAC or not.The incidence of PT,related risk factors and outcomes were statistically analyzed.Results This study included 639 males(53.6%)and 553 females(46.4%),with an average age of 68.1±9.65 years.The CHA2 DS2-VASc score was 4.51±1.72,and the HAS-BLED score was 3.36±1.09.PT occurred in 8 cases(0.67%),among them,6 cases occurred 1 to 33 h after LAAC,and 2 cases occurred on day 19 and day 27 after LAAC.As for the results of transesophageal echocardiography(TEE)and LAA angiography,compared with the non-PT group,the PT group had the significantly larger maximum caliber of the LAA(P=0.025,P=0.015),smaller maximum depth of the LAA(P=0.028,P=0.031),and lower success rate of one-time placement of the occluder(P=0.031);The occluder compression rate of the PT group was significantly greater than that of the non-PT group(P=0.046).Multivariate analysis showed that larger maximum diameter of LAA,smaller average effective depth of LAA and larger compression rate of occluder were the main risk factors for PT.All the 8 PT patients were cured by stopping antithrombotic drugs,pericardiocentesis or surgical drainage.During a mean follow-up of 39±27 months,there were no device-related thrombosis(DRT),ischemic stroke,systemic embolism and other complications in the PT group.Conclusion The incidence of PT after LAAC is low,which is related to the large diameter of LAA,the relatively insufficient depth of the LAA and the large compression rate of the occlude.PT can be cured by stopping antithrombotic drugs and pericardiocentesis/surgical drainage.

The growth of three plague phages from Qinghai Plateau in two Yersinia pestis strains(plague vaccine strains EV76 and 614F)and four non-Yersinia pestis strains(Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PTB3,PTB5,Escherichia coli V517,and Yersinia enterocolitica 52302-2)were detected through a micromethod based on the OmniLogTM microbial identification system and by the drop method,to provide a scientific basis for future ecological studies and classification based on the host range.For plague vaccine strains EV76 and 614F,successful phage infection and subsequent phage growth were observed in the host bacte-rium.Diminished bacterial growth and respiration and a concomitant decrease in color were observed with the OmniLogTM mi-crobial identification system at 33 ℃ for 48 h.Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PTB5 was sensitive to Yersinia pestis phage 476,but Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PST5 was insensitive to phage 087 and 072204.Three strains of non-Yersinia pestis(Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PTB3,Escherichia coli V517,and Yersinia enterocolitica 52302-2)were insensitive to Yersinia pestis pha-ges 087,072204,and 476 showed similar growth curves.The growth of phages 476 and 087,as determined with the drop method,in two Yersinia pestis strains(plague vaccine strains EV76 and 614F)and four non-Yersinia pestis strains(Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PTB3,Escherichia coli V517,and Yersin-ia enterocolitica 52302-2)showed the same results at 37 ℃,on the basis of comparisons with the OmniLogTM microbial i-dentification system;in contrast,phages 072204 did not show plaques on solid medium at 37 ℃ with plague vaccine strains EV76 and 614F.Determination based on the OmniLogTM detection system can be used as an alternative to the traditional determination of the host range,thus providing favorable application val-ue for determining the interaction between the phage and host bacteria.

Objective:To investigate the current situation of the use of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) for portal hypertension, which should aid the development of TIPS in China.Methods:The China Portal Hypertension Alliance (CHESS) initiated this study that comprehensively investigated the basic situation of TIPS for portal hypertension in China through network research. The survey included the following: the number of surgical cases, main indications, the development of Early-TIPS, TIPS for portal vein cavernous transformation, collateral circulation embolization, intraoperative portal pressure gradient measurement, commonly used stent types, conventional anticoagulation and time, postoperative follow-up, obstacles, and the application of domestic instruments.Results:According to the survey, a total of 13 527 TIPS operations were carried out in 545 hospitals participating in the survey in 2021, and 94.1% of the hospital had the habit of routine follow-up after TIPS. Most hospitals believed that the main indications of TIPS were the control of acute bleeding (42.6%) and the prevention of rebleeding (40.7%). 48.1% of the teams carried out early or priority TIPS, 53.0% of the teams carried out TIPS for the cavernous transformation of the portal vein, and 81.0% chose routine embolization of collateral circulation during operation. Most of them used coils and biological glue as embolic materials, and 78.5% of the team routinely performed intraoperative portal pressure gradient measurements. In selecting TIPS stents, 57.1% of the hospitals woulel choose Viator-specific stents, 57.2% woulel choose conventional anticoagulation after TIPS, and the duration of anticoagulation was between 3-6 months (55.4%). The limitation of TIPS surgery was mainly due to cost (72.3%) and insufficient understanding of doctors in related departments (77.4%). Most teams accepted the domestic instruments used in TIPS (92.7%).Conclusions:This survey shows that TIPS treatment is an essential part of treating portal hypertension in China. The total number of TIPS cases is far from that of patients with portal hypertension. In the future, it is still necessary to popularize TIPS technology and further standardize surgical indications, routine operations, and instrument application.

Objective:To observe the clinical curative effect of long-time needle retaining at Baihui(GV20)combined with multidirectional point-toward-point needle insertion with needle shaking at Fengchi(GB20)for the treatment of cervical vertigo(CV)and its influence on the blood flow velocity of vertebrobasilar arteries. Methods:Seventy patients with CV were randomly divided into a treatment group(35 cases,1 dropout)and a control group(35 cases,2 dropouts)according to the random number table method.Those in the treatment group were treated with long-time needle retaining at Baihui(GV20)combined with multidirectional point-toward-point needle insertion with needle shaking at Fengchi(GB20),and those in the control group were treated with conventional acupuncture.The treatment was performed every other day,7 sessions as a treatment course,for a total of 2 courses.The clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups by observing changes in the evaluation scale for symptoms and functions of cervical vertigo(ESCV)and the mean blood flow velocity(Vm)of vertebrobasilar arteries. Results:The total effective rate and the cured plus markedly effective rate were 91.2%and 79.4%,respectively,in the treatment group,versus 78.8%and 54.5%in the control group,respectively,with a statistically significant difference in the cured plus markedly effective rate between the two groups(P<0.05).The ESCV score and the Vm of vertebrobasilar arteries in the two groups improved significantly after treatment.The Vm of the left vertebral artery(LVA),right vertebral artery(RVA),and basilar artery(BA)increased in patients with low and normal flow velocities(P<0.05),and the Vm of the LVA,RVA,and BA decreased in patients with a high flow velocity(P<0.05);the results in the treatment group were significantly better than those in the control group(P<0.05). Conclusion:Long-time needle retaining at Baihui(GV20)combined with multidirectional point-toward-point needle insertion with needle shaking at Fengchi(GB20)can significantly reduce the clinical symptoms of CV and regulate the blood flow rate of vertebrobasilar arteries bidirectionally,and thus is an effective therapy for CV.

Objective To observe the cage subsidence after oblique lateral interbody fusion(OLIF)for lumbar spondylo-sis,summarize the characteristics of the cage subsidence,analyze causes,and propose preventive measures.Methods The data of 144 patients of lumbar spine lesions admitted to our hospital from October 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively ana-lyzed.There were 43 males and 101 females,and the age ranged from 20 to 81 years old,with an average of(60.90±10.06)years old.Disease types:17 patients of lumbar intervertebral disc degenerative disease,12 patients of giant lumbar disc hernia-tion,5 patients of discogenic low back pain,33 patients of lumbar spinal stenosis,26 patients of lumbar degenerative spondy-lolisthesis,28 patients of lumbar spondylolisthesis with spondylolisthesis,11 patients of adjacent vertebral disease after lumbar internal fixation,7 patients of primary spondylitis in the inflammatory outcome stage,and 5 patients of lumbar degenerative scoliosis.Preoperative dual-energy X-ray bone mineral density examination showed 57 patients of osteopenia or osteoporosis,and 87 patients of normal bone density.The number of fusion segments:124 patients of single-segment,11 patients of two-seg-ment,8 patients of three-segment,four-segment 1 patient.There were 40 patients treated by stand-alone OLIF,and 104 patients by OLIF combined with posterior pedicle screw.Observed the occurrence of fusion cage settlement after operation,conducted monofactor analysis on possible risk factors,and observed the influence of fusion cage settlement on clinical results.Results All operations were successfully completed,the median operation time was 99 min,and the median intraoperative blood loss was 106 ml.Intraoperative endplate injury occurred in 30 patients and vertebral fracture occurred in 5 patients.The mean follow-up was(14.57±7.14)months from 6 to 30 months.During the follow-up,except for the patients of primary lumbar interstitial in-flammation and some patients of lumbar spondylolisthesis with spondylolisthesis,the others all had different degrees of cage subsidence.Cage subsidence classification:119 patients were normal subsidence,and 25 patients were abnormal subsidence(23 patients were grade Ⅰ,and 2 patients were grade Ⅱ).There was no loosening or rupture of the pedicle screw system.The height of the intervertebral space recovered from the preoperative average(9.48±1.84)mm to the postoperative average(12.65±2.03)mm,and the average(10.51±1.81)mm at the last follow-up.There were statistical differences between postop-erative and preoperative,and between the last follow-up and postoperative.The interbody fusion rate was 94.4％.The low back pain VAS decreased from the preoperative average(6.55±2.2 9)to the last follow-up(1.40±0.82),and there was statistically significant different.The leg pain VAS decreased from the preoperative average(4.72±1.49)to the final follow-up(0.60± 0.03),and the difference was statistically significant(t=9.13,P＜0.000 1).The ODI index recovered from the preoperative av-erage(38.50±6.98)％to the latest follow-up(11.30±3.27)％,and there was statistically significant different.The complication rate was 31.3％(45/144),and the reoperation rate was 9.72％(14/144).Among them,8 patients were reoperated due to fusion cage subsidence or displacement,accounting for 57.14％(8/14)of reoperation.The fusion cage subsidence in this group had obvious characteristics.The monofactor analysis showed that the number of abnormal subsidence patients in the osteopenia or osteoporosis group,Stand-alone OLIF group,2 or more segments fusion group,and endplate injury group was higher than that in the normal bone mass group,OLIF combined with pedicle screw fixation group,single segment fusion group,and no endplate injury group,and the comparison had statistical differences.Conclusion Cage subsidence is a common phenomenon after 0-LIF surgery.Preoperative osteopenia or osteoporosis,Stand-alone OLIF,2 or more segments of fusion and intraoperative end-plate injury may be important factors for postoperative fusion cage subsidence.Although there is no significant correlation be-tween the degree of cage subsidence and clinical symptoms,there is a risk of cage migration,and prevention needs to be strengthened to reduce serious complications caused by fusion of cage subsidence,including reoperation.

Background::Genetic variants of dopaminergic transcription factor-encoding genes are suggested to be Parkinson’s disease (PD) risk factors; however, no comprehensive analyses of these genes in patients with PD have been undertaken. Therefore, we aimed to genetically analyze 16 dopaminergic transcription factor genes in Chinese patients with PD.Methods::Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed using a Chinese cohort comprising 1917 unrelated patients with familial or sporadic early-onset PD and 1652 controls. Additionally, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed using another Chinese cohort comprising 1962 unrelated patients with sporadic late-onset PD and 1279 controls.Results::We detected 308 rare and 208 rare protein-altering variants in the WES and WGS cohorts, respectively. Gene-based association analyses of rare variants suggested that MSX1 is enriched in sporadic late-onset PD. However, the significance did not pass the Bonferroni correction. Meanwhile, 72 and 1730 common variants were found in the WES and WGS cohorts, respectively. Unfortunately, single-variant logistic association analyses did not identify significant associations between common variants and PD. Conclusions::Variants of 16 typical dopaminergic transcription factors might not be major genetic risk factors for PD in Chinese patients. However, we highlight the complexity of PD and the need for extensive research elucidating its etiology.

Objective To investigate the effect of minocycline(Mino)on the polarization of types M1/M2 microglia(pro-and anti-inflammatory type)in the spinal dorsal horn of rats with neuropathic pain(NP)induced by spinal nerve ligation(SNL)and its underlying mechanism.Methods A total of 36 adult male SD rats were randomly stratified into Sham-operation(Sham)group,SNL group and Mino+SNL group by stratified random sampling based on body weight.Mechanical pain threshold and cold nociceptive thresholds of rat hind paw were measured in 1 d before and 14 d after modelling.Spinal cord tissue at the lumbar 5(L5)segment was taken at 14 d after modelling,and the total number of microglia as well as the numbers of M1 and M2 microglia in the spinal dorsal horn were measured with immunohistochemistry and stereology.With aid of bioinformatics techniques,the core target in the spinal cord,Cst7,was selected.Then,the protein levels of microglia marker Iba-1,M1 microglia marker iNOS,M2 microglia marker CD206,Cst7 encoded protein cystatin F(CF)and pathway CatS/CX3CL1/CX3CR1 were detected with Western blotting.The expression levels of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-10 in the spinal cord tissues were measured with ELISA.Results The mechanical pain and cold nociceptive thresholds were both significantly higher in the M+SNL group than the SNL group at 7～14 d after modelling(P＜0.01).The total number of microglia and the numbers of M1/M2 microglia in the spinal dorsal horn as well as the expression levels of CatS,CX3CL1,CX3CR1,TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-10 in the spinal cord tissues were obviously increased,and the expression level of CF was notably decreased in the SNL model group than the Sham group(P＜0.01).While,Mino treatment remarkably reversed above phenomena,with decreased total number of microglia and number of M1 microglia as well as expression levels of CatS,CX3CL1,CX3CR1,TNF-α and IL-6,and increased number of M2 microglia as well as CF and IL-10 levels when compared with the SNL group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Mino alleviates SNL induced neuropathic pain,probably through up-regulating CF in the microglia,and thus inhibiting the CatS/CX3CL1/CX3CR1 signaling pathway,promoting the conversion of microglia from type M1 to M2 to balance the imbalance in the M1/M2 polarization,and thus reducing neuroinflammation.

Objective To observe the value of habitat model based on lung CT for predicting brain metastasis(BM)of lung adenocarcinoma with epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)mutation.Methods Data of plain lung CT of 198 lung adenocarcinoma patients with EGFR-mutant were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into training set(n=138)and test set(n=60)at the ratio of 7∶3,and further divided into BM subgroup and non-BM subgroup in each set.Then a logistic regression(LR)clinical model was constructed using variables being statistically different between subgroups in training set.For features extracted from tumor and subregion of tumor,radiomics models and habitat models were constructed based on random forest,Gaussian process(GP)and support vector machine(SVM)algorithms,and the best radiomics and habitat models with generalization ability were screened.LR combined model was constructed based on the predicted values of the best radiomics and habitat models with generalization ability,as well as the clinical model.Then receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn,and the area under the curves(AUC)were calculated to evaluate the efficacy of each model for predicting BM of lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR-mutant.Spearman correlation analysis was performed to observe the correlations between Ki-67 and habitat features of lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR-mutant.Results AUC of LR clinical model,GP radiomics model,SVM habitat model and LR combined model for predicting BM of lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR-mutant was 0.700,0.726,0.801 and 0.834 in training set,0.754,0.600,0.715 and 0.848 in test set,respectively.AUC of LR combined model was higher than that of LR clinical model in training set(P＜0.001),also higher than that of GP radiomics model in test set(P=0.010).Compared with GP radiomics model and SVM habitat model,the performance of LR combined model was significantly and positively improved in training set(integrated discrimination improvement index[IDI]=8.60%,8.55%,both P＜0.001).Ki-67 level of EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma was lowly and positively correlated with habitatmap_original_glszm_lalgle extracted from habitat map(│rs│=0.201,P=0.004).Conclusion The habitat model based on lung CT could be used to predict BM of lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR-mutant effectively.

Here,5 important pathogens carried by ticks in Maanshan City,Anhui Province,China were identified.In to-tal,642 ticks were collected from 13 villages around Maanshan City and identified by morphological and mitochondrial COI genes.The 16S rRNA gene of Francisella tularensis,ssrA gene of Bartonella,16S rRNA,ompA and ompB genes of Rickett-sia,16S rRNA and gltA genes of Anaplasma,and groEL and rpoB genes of Coxiella were sequenced.Reference sequences were retrieved from a public database.Phylogenetic trees were constructed with MEG A1 1.0 software.In total,36 Rickettsiae isolates were detected in 640 Haemaphysalis longicornis ticks,which included 20 isolates of Rickettsia heilongjian-gensis,16 of Candidatus Rickettsia jingxinensis,2 of Ana-plasma bovis,and 186 of Coxiella-like endosymbiont.R.hei-longjiangensis HY2 detected in this study and Anhui B8 strain,Ca.R.jingxinensis QL3 and those from Shanxi Prov-ince and Jiangsu Province,A.bovis JX4 and those from Shanxi Province were clustered on the same branch.Overall,17 ticks had combined infections and none of the 5 bacteria were detected in two Amblyomma testudinarium ticks.This is the first report of Ca.R.jingxinensis detected in H.longicornis ticks from Anhui Province.It is recommended that the two types of Rickettsia that cause spotted fever and A.bovis should be reported to local health authorities to initiate appropriate prevention and control measures.

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy of anterior column reconstruction using single or double titanium mesh cage (TMC) after total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) of thoracic and lumbar spinal tumors. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed involving 39 patients with thoracic or lumbar spinal tumors. All patients underwent TES, followed by anterior reconstruction and screw-rod instrumentation via a posterior-only procedure. Twenty-two patients in group A were treated with a single TMC to reconstruct the anterior column, whereas 17 patients in group B were reconstructed with double TMCs. Results: The overall follow-up is 20.5 ± 4.6 months. There is no significant difference between the 2 groups regarding age, sex, body mass index, tumor location, operative time, and intraoperative blood loss. The time for TMC placement was significantly shortened in the double TMCs group (5.2 ± 1.3 minutes vs. 15.6 ± 3.3 minutes, p = 0.004). Additionally, postoperative neural complications were significantly reduced with double TMCs (5/22 vs. 0/17, p = 0.046). The kyphotic Cobb angle and mean intervertebral height were significantly corrected in both groups (p ≤ 0.001), without obvious loss of correction at the last follow-up in either group. The bone fusion rates for single TMC and double TMCs were 77.3% and 76.5%, respectively. Conclusion Using 2 smaller TMCs instead of a single large one eases the placement of TMC by shortening the time and avoiding nerve impingement. Anterior column reconstruction with double TMC is a clinically feasible, and safe alternative following TES for thoracic and lumbar tumors.