Objective To evaluate the short-term efficacy of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) using Venus A-Plus valve delivery system in patients with severe aortic stenosis. Methods The clinical data of patients undergoing TAVR in our hospital from August 2018 to March 2022 were collected and they were divided into a Venus A-Plus and a Venus A group according to the type of valve delivery system used. The perioperative data of the two groups were compared. Results A total of 121 patients were included, including 70 patients in the Venus A-Plus group [45 males and 25 females with a mean age of (67.81±6.62) years], and 51 patients in the Venus A group [33 males and 18 females with a mean age of (68.25±7.01) years]. All patients underwent TAVR, and the postoperative hemodynamic features (left ventricular ejection fraction, mean cross-valve pressure difference, peak flow rate) were significantly improved (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in surgical success rate, all-cause mortality, conversion to thorax opening, valve-in-valve placement, moderate or above perivalvular regurgitation, new left bundle branch block or new right bundle branch block between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion TAVR with Venus A-Plus valve delivery system in patients with severe aortic stenosis shows comparable efficacy to the first-generation Venus A system and is satisfactory, safe and reliable.

Objective: To investigate the associations between childhood obesity and performance of six minute walk test (6MWT), providing evidence for exercise tolerance assessment and exercise intervention strategies for children and adolescents. Methods: From March 2021 to December 2023, a cohort study was conducted among students recruited from a primary and secondary school in Chongqing, a total of 709 valid samples were included. The 6MWT was used to assess exercise tolerance, with vital signs measured before and after the test. Anthropometric indicators, including height, weight, and waist circumference, were measured using standardized procedures. Generalized additive models (GAM) and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression were employed to analyze the nonlinear relationships between obesity related indicators and six minute walk distance (6MWD). Results: The mean 6MWD of participants was (602.59±70.73)m. GAM showed that after adjusting for confounding factors, body mass index (BMI) and weight had non linear relationships with 6MWD [effective degrees of freedom were 1.55 and 7.13 respectively], and overweight/obesity was associated with a decrease in 6MWD ( β =-18.65) (all P <0.01). Further RCS regression analysis showed that both BMI and weight showed an "inverted U shaped" non linear relationship with 6MWD in the overall population and sex stratified subgroups; the 6MWD of females was lower than that of males, and it showed a significant downward trend with the increase of BMI or weight (all P <0.05). Conclusion Body weight and BMI in children and adolescents have an important impact on 6MWD, and obesity in children and adolescents is markedly associated with decline in exercise tolerance.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of rigid ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy combined with N-trap(RULL+N-trap),which is scoop-shaped,in the treatment of ureteral stones with a maximum diameter ≥1.5 cm.Methods:This retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with ureteral calculi who underwent rigid ureteroscopic lithotripsy(RULL)combined with N-Trap stone entrapment system at the Department of Urology,Peking University Third Hospital,by the same surgical team between June 2021 and September 2024.A total of 364 patients were initially enrolled.After excluding 21 patients due to missing critical outcome variables,two distinct cohorts were established:38 patients with ureteral stones measuring ≥1.5 cm in maximum diameter,and 305 patients with stones＜1.5 cm in maximum diameter.To minimize selection bias and control for confounding variables,propensity score matching(PSM)was employed.This resulted in two well-balanced groups:31 patients with stones 1.5 cm in maximum diameter and 31 patients with stones＜1.5 cm in maximum diameter,matched on baseline demographic and clinical characteristics.The primary outcomes assessed between the two groups included stone clearance.Secondary outcomes included changes in renal function indicators,specifically serum creatinine(SCr)and estimated glomerular filtration rate(GFR),and other factors like postopera-tive hospital stay and operative time.Results:In the matched cohort,the patients with stones ≥1.5 cm in maximum diameter had significantly longer operative time compared with those with smaller stones:(85.8±28.8)min vs.(62.4±24.6)min(P＜0.05).Postoperative length of hospital stay showed no significant difference:(2.26±1.79)d vs.(2.03±0.80)d(P＞0.05).The stone clearance on postoperative day one was 90.3％in the study group vs.100.0％in the control group(P＞0.05).One month postoperatively,the stone clearance was 93.5％vs.100.0％,respectively(P＞0.05).Changes in SCr were(-6.58±16.10)μmol/L vs.(-13.70±12.50)μmol/L,and changes in GFR were(5.92±14.90)mL/(min·1.73 m2)vs.(7.47±11.20)m L/(min·1.73 m2),with no statistically significant differences observed between the two groups for either renal function marker(P＞0.05).Conclusion:Ureteroscopic lithotripsy combined with N-trap is an optional method for treating ureteral stones with a maximum diameter ≥1.5 cm.The overall therapeutic efficacy is comparable,with the added benefit of significantly reducing the economic burden on patients.

Objective:To investigate clinical characteristics and genetic variations in a case of self-improving collodion ichthyosis in the adult stage.Methods:An adult patient with clinically suspected self-improving collodion ichthyosis was collected from the Department of Dermatology, Henan Provincial People′s Hospital in April 2023. Clinical data were collected from the patient and her parents. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from them, and whole blood DNA was extracted. Whole-exome sequencing was performed to screen genetic variation sites, which were then verified by Sanger sequencing. The deleteriousness of the identified variants was assessed using pathogenicity analysis software.Results:The 54-year-old female patient presented with facial and neck flushing, mild dry skin on the trunk and limbs, sheepskin-like skin of the dorsal hand, and short fingers. Genetic testing identified two in-frame deletion mutations c.406_408del (p.E136del) and c.769_801del (p.H257_Q267del) in the non-repetitive region of the ALOX12B gene in the patient, which were inherited from her father and mother respectively. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that both genetic variations were deleterious pathogenic mutations.Conclusions:Two in-frame deletion mutations c.406_408del (p.E136del) and c.769_801del (p.H257_Q267del) were identified in the non-repetitive region of the ALOX12B gene in the patient with self-improving collodion ichthyosis, which may contribute to the clinical phenotype of the patient. The mutation c.769_801del had not been reported in literature.

Lumbar disc (LD) herniation and aging are prevalent conditions that can result in substantial morbidity. This study aimed to clarify the mechanisms connecting the LD aging and herniation, particularly focusing on cellular senescence and molecular alterations in the nucleus pulposus (NP). We performed a detailed analysis of NP samples from a diverse cohort, including individuals of varying ages and those with diagnosed LD herniation. Our methodology combined histological assessments with single-nucleus RNA sequencing to identify phenotypic and molecular changes related to NP aging and herniation. We discovered that cellular senescence and a decrease in nucleus pulposus progenitor cells (NPPCs) are central to both processes. Additionally, we found an age-related increase in NFAT1 expression that promotes NPPC senescence and contributes to both aging and herniation of LD. This research offers fresh insights into LD aging and its associated pathologies, potentially guiding the development of new therapeutic strategies to target the root causes of LD herniation and aging.
Intervertebral Disc Displacement/metabolism* ; Humans ; Aging/pathology* ; Nucleus Pulposus/pathology* ; Male ; Female ; Transcriptome ; Middle Aged ; Lumbar Vertebrae/pathology* ; Adult ; Cellular Senescence ; Stem Cells/pathology* ; Aged ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration/metabolism*

Microvascular invasion is one of the critical factors influencing the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.Accurate preoperative prediction for its occurrence holds pivotal significance for the formulation of clinical individualized treatment decisions.Traditional diagnosis primarily relies on the evaluation of postoperative histopathological results,which exhibits a certain degree of lag.However,the emergence of radiomics features and biomarkers offers new insights for the preoperative prediction of mi-crovascular invasion.The preoperative prediction model based on radiomics and biomarkers is capable of precisely analyzing and efficiently predicting the occurrence risk of microvascular invasion from both macro-scopic imaging features and microscopic molecular levels,thereby providing multi-dimensional and precise scientific evidence for clinical decision-making.

Objective To explore the value of 3D printing technology in transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)for bicuspid aortic stenosis.Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients who underwent TAVR for bicuspid aortic stenosis at the Department of Cardiac Surgery of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University between January 2020 and January 2023.Seven-ty patients were divided into 3D printing and non-3D printing groups of 35 each,based on whether or not 3D printing technology was applied,and the perioperative clinical data of the two groups were compared.Results The patients' postoperative symptoms signifi-cantly improved compared with those before the operation,and the left ventricular ejection fraction increased to varying degrees.Compared with the non-3D printing group,the operation time,X-ray irradiation time.and transvalvular time in the 3D printing group were signifi-cantly shortened,and the probabilities of the occurrence of postoperative"flap-to-flap"implantation and conduction block were signifi-cantly reduced,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference(P＞0.05)in the inci-dence of moderate and above perivalvular leakage,valve displacement,or conversion to thoracotomy between the two groups after surgery.Conclusion 3D printing technology can effectively guide the TAVR treatment of bicuspid aortic stenosis.While significantly shortening the operation time,it can effectively increase the success rate of TAVR and reduce the risk of adverse events,providing a new approach for the transcatheter treatment of bicuspid aortic stenosis.

Objective:To reveal the coupling mechanism of beam temporal profile and tissue oxygen content on radical kinetics, further explain the potential biological basis of the FLASH effect, and provide a reference for beam optimization and treatment planning design of FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT).Methods:TOPAS-nBio v3.0 was used to simulate the physical and chemical processes of electron beams in water, and a full-scale kinetic model was established covering the generation, diffusion, reaction, and quenching of free radicals such as hydroxyl radical (·OH) and hydrated electrons (e aq-). Under different beam temporal profiles (single pulse, multi-pulses, continuous wave irradiation) and different oxygen concentration conditions, the evolution dynamics of free radicals were systematically simulated. At the same time, the data on e aq- content were obtained by experimental measurement of laser absorption spectroscopy to verify the accuracy of the model prediction. Results:The changing trend of e aq- concentration measured in the experiment was highly consistent with the simulation result, verifying the reliability of the constructed model. The beam time structure had a significant impact on the peak value and duration of free radical concentration. The single-pulse structure can cause the free radicals to rapidly increase and then quickly quench in a short time, while the continuous or long-pulse structure can cause the radical concentration to remain at a high level for a long time. The evolution of ·OH was not sensitive to the oxygen environment, while e aq- are greatly affected by the oxygen environment. The scavenging efficiency of free radicals in a hypoxic environment was significantly decreased, leading to an enhanced accumulation of oxidative damage to biological macromolecules. The lifespan of e aq- in an oxygen-rich environment decreased rapidly. Conclusions:Radical kinetics are regulated by both the beam temporal profile and oxygen content. FLASH-RT can utilize single-pulse or multi-pulses intervals to form periodic windows, reducing normal tissue damage by efficiently scavenging free radicals through antioxidants, while free radicals in tumor tissues continuously accumulate and amplify damage, thus generating a selective protective effect.