Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a key continuous extracorporeal life support technology that can partially or completely replace a patient's cardiopulmonary function, thereby winning valuable time for the diagnosis and treatment of the primary disease. With the widespread application of ECMO, the need for transport has increased. However, during transfers, the standard heater unit is often large and inconvenient to carry, while alternative warming measures tend to be ineffective. This frequently leads to complications such as hypothermia or the inability to maintain body temperature, which can seriously affect the patient's prognosis. In response to this challenge, the medical and nursing staff of the critical care medicine department at Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University jointly designed an insulation device for ECMO transport pipelines. The device was successfully granted a National Utility Model Patent of China (patent number: ZL 2021 2 0653569.3). It primarily consists of key components such as a heating pad, velcro straps, a cover layer, a backing layer, an electric heating layer, and a wiring plug. Its advantages include portability, the ability to effectively wrap around and warm the ECMO circuit during transit, and a reduction in the incidence of hypothermia-related complications. Furthermore, its transparent material design allows for real-time monitoring of the ECMO system's status, making it both economical and practical.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation/instrumentation* ; Humans ; Equipment Design

Objective To investigate the relationship between non-high-density lipoprotein cho-lesterol(non-HDL-C)and cardiovascular disease(CVD)in maintenance hemodialysis(MHD)pa-tients.Methods A total of 124 MHD patients were enrolled and divided into CVD group(53 pa-tients)and non-CVD group(71 patients)based on the presence or absence of CVD.Clinical data be-tween the two groups were compared.Additionally,patients were divided into severe calcification group[coronary artery calcification score(C ACS)≥ 400,40 patients]and non-severe calcification group(CACS＜400,84 patients)based on CACS,and clinical data between these two groups were also compared.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the independent risk fac-tors for CVD in MHD patients,and the predictive performance of related indicators for CVD in MHD patients was assessed using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.Results The levels of serum total cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),and non-HDL-C were higher,while the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)was lower in the CVD group compared with the non-CVD group(P＜0.05).The levels of serum total cholesterol,LDL-C,and non-HDL-C were higher,and the level of HDL-C was lower in the severe calcification group compared with the non-severe calcification group(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that high levels of LDL-C and non-HDL-C were both independent risk factors for CVD in MHD patients(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under the curve for predicting CVD in MHD patients were 0.858 and 0.723 for non-HDL-C and LDL-C,respectively,and non-HDL-C had high-er specificity and Youden index than LDL-C.Conclusion Elevated non-HDL-C level is an inde-pendent risk factor and has high predictive performance for CVD in MHD patients.

Objective:To preliminarily evaluate the lumen gain of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) mediated by sinoporphyrin sodium at carotid and femoral atherosclerotic plaque sites, and to assess whether concomitant statin use, lesion location, plaque echogenicity/type, and baseline stenosis severity modify the therapeutic response.Methods:This single-center, prospective, exploratory pilot clinical study enrolled patients with peripheral artery disease who attended the outpatient cardiology clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between February and September 2016. All enrolled patients received optimized oral medical therapy in combination with a single session of SDT. Vascular evaluation was performed using color Doppler ultrasound before treatment and 1 and 4 weeks after treatment. The primary efficacy endpoint was the percent change from baseline in luminal diameter stenosis at the site of the atherosclerotic plaque (%Δ) at week 4, while the secondary efficacy endpoint was %Δ at week 1. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to prior statin use, plaque location, plaque characteristics, and baseline degree of luminal stenosis.Results:A total of 24 patients, aged (70.7±2.2) years were enrolled. There were 20 (83%) males. Compared to baseline, luminal diameter stenosis at the plaque site reduced by week 4 ((50.1±1.2)% vs. (57.2±1.1)%, P<0.001), %Δ was(12.32±1.05)%; and luminal diameter stenosis also reduced by week 1 ((51.7±1.2)% vs. (57.2±1.1)%, P<0.001)), %Δ was(9.61±0.85)%. In subgroup analyses, the treatment effect on diameter stenosis was independent of prior statin use; SDT reduced stenosis in both carotid and femoral plaques; with superior efficacy observed in hypoechoic and mixed-echo plaques; and efficacy was observed across mild, moderate, and severe baseline stenosis categories (all P<0.05). Conclusion:In this single-center pilot study, SDT demonstrates therapeutic efficacy across mild, moderate, and severe stenoses, as well as in hypoechoic and mixed-echo plaques, showing potential to rapidly promote luminal gain at carotid and femoral atherosclerotic plaque sites.

Objective:To investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) on inflammation-related atrial fibrillation (AF) susceptibility.Methods:Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse and HL-1 mouse atrial myocyte models were used. (1) In vivo study: experimental groups included control, LPS, LPS+SDT, and SDT groups, with 20 mice in each group. Atrial fibrillation inducibility and duration were assessed by electrical stimulation. Western blot was used to analyze atrial expression of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-18. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 C (CACNA1C) expression. (2) In vitro study: cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Western blot were used to determine the optimal and safe LPS concentration. The safe incubation condition for the sonosensitizer sinoporphyrin sodium was determined by CCK-8 and fluorometry. An LPS-induced inflammatory model in HL-1 atrial myocytes was used, with experimental groups including control, LPS, LPS+SDT, LPS+sinoporphyrin sodium, and LPS+ultrasound groups. NLRP3 was overexpressed using plasmid transfection, with experimental groups including control, NLRP3 plasmid, negative control plasmid, and NLRP3 plasmid+SDT groups. SDT was applied to LPS-stimulated or NLRP3-overexpressing HL-1 cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to measure mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), Cleaved Caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, and CACNA1C. The NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 was used to validate the relationship of NLRP3 and CACNA1C. The experimental groups included control, LPS, LPS+MCC950, and MCC950 groups. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected using the probe DCFH-DA, and the ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) was used to test if the effects of SDT was ROS-dependent.Results:(1) In vivo: The LPS+SDT group exhibited a lower incidence of atrial fibrillation induction and a shorter duration of atrial fibrillation compared to the LPS group(both P<0.05). Protein expression levels of NLRP3 and IL-1β were lower than those in the LPS group (all P<0.05), while the expression of CACNA1C subunit tended to increase relative to the LPS group ( P>0.05). (2) In vitro: The safe concentration of LPS for administration was ≤20 μg/ml, with an optimal pro-inflammatory concentration of 4 μg/ml. The safe concentration of sinoporphyrin sodium for administration was 0.4 μmol/L, with an optimal incubation time of 4 hours. Compared to the LPS group or NLRP3 plasmid group, the LPS+SDT group or NLRP3 plasmid+SDT group exhibited lower expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, Cleaved Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18, and higher mRNA and protein levels of CACNA1C (all P<0.05). The LPS+MCC950 group had higher CACNA1C protein expression than the LPS group ( P<0.05). SDT increased intracellular ROS levels, and NAC blocked the regulatory effects of SDT on NLRP3 and CACNA1C. Conclusion:SDT reduces atrial fibrillation susceptibility in mice by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in atrial cardiomyocytes, thereby upregulating the L-type calcium channel subunit CACNA1C.

Objective:To investigate the mediating role of psychological capital between the perception of decent work and work engagement among Operating Room nurses, and to provide insights for improving their work engagement.Methods:From December 2023 to February 2024, a total of 307 Operating Room nurses from four class ⅢGrade A hospitals in Beijing, Chongqing, Dalian, and Zhuhai were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, Work Engagement Scale, Decent Work Scale, and Nurses' Psychological Capital Scale. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships among psychological capital, perception of decent work, and work engagement. Structural equation modeling and mediation analysis were performed using AMOS 24.0 software.Results:A total of 307 questionnaires were distributed, and 301 valid responses were collected, with an effective response rate of 98.05%. The mean scores for work engagement, perception of decent work, and psychological capital were (41.01±10.76), (67.30±17.86), and (93.30±15.15), respectively. Work engagement was positively correlated with both the perception of decent work and psychological capital (all P<0.01), and the perception of decent work was positively correlated with psychological capital ( P<0.01). Psychological capital partially mediated the relationship between the perception of decent work and work engagement, with the mediating effect accounting for 62.63%. Conclusions:Psychological capital plays a partial mediating role between the perception of decent work and work engagement among Operating Room nurses. Nursing managers can enhance nurses' work engagement by improving their perception of decent work and strengthening their psychological capital.

Objective:To investigate the mediating role of psychological capital between the perception of decent work and work engagement among Operating Room nurses, and to provide insights for improving their work engagement.Methods:From December 2023 to February 2024, a total of 307 Operating Room nurses from four class ⅢGrade A hospitals in Beijing, Chongqing, Dalian, and Zhuhai were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, Work Engagement Scale, Decent Work Scale, and Nurses' Psychological Capital Scale. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships among psychological capital, perception of decent work, and work engagement. Structural equation modeling and mediation analysis were performed using AMOS 24.0 software.Results:A total of 307 questionnaires were distributed, and 301 valid responses were collected, with an effective response rate of 98.05%. The mean scores for work engagement, perception of decent work, and psychological capital were (41.01±10.76), (67.30±17.86), and (93.30±15.15), respectively. Work engagement was positively correlated with both the perception of decent work and psychological capital (all P<0.01), and the perception of decent work was positively correlated with psychological capital ( P<0.01). Psychological capital partially mediated the relationship between the perception of decent work and work engagement, with the mediating effect accounting for 62.63%. Conclusions:Psychological capital plays a partial mediating role between the perception of decent work and work engagement among Operating Room nurses. Nursing managers can enhance nurses' work engagement by improving their perception of decent work and strengthening their psychological capital.

Objective:To preliminarily evaluate the lumen gain of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) mediated by sinoporphyrin sodium at carotid and femoral atherosclerotic plaque sites, and to assess whether concomitant statin use, lesion location, plaque echogenicity/type, and baseline stenosis severity modify the therapeutic response.Methods:This single-center, prospective, exploratory pilot clinical study enrolled patients with peripheral artery disease who attended the outpatient cardiology clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between February and September 2016. All enrolled patients received optimized oral medical therapy in combination with a single session of SDT. Vascular evaluation was performed using color Doppler ultrasound before treatment and 1 and 4 weeks after treatment. The primary efficacy endpoint was the percent change from baseline in luminal diameter stenosis at the site of the atherosclerotic plaque (%Δ) at week 4, while the secondary efficacy endpoint was %Δ at week 1. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to prior statin use, plaque location, plaque characteristics, and baseline degree of luminal stenosis.Results:A total of 24 patients, aged (70.7±2.2) years were enrolled. There were 20 (83%) males. Compared to baseline, luminal diameter stenosis at the plaque site reduced by week 4 ((50.1±1.2)% vs. (57.2±1.1)%, P<0.001), %Δ was(12.32±1.05)%; and luminal diameter stenosis also reduced by week 1 ((51.7±1.2)% vs. (57.2±1.1)%, P<0.001)), %Δ was(9.61±0.85)%. In subgroup analyses, the treatment effect on diameter stenosis was independent of prior statin use; SDT reduced stenosis in both carotid and femoral plaques; with superior efficacy observed in hypoechoic and mixed-echo plaques; and efficacy was observed across mild, moderate, and severe baseline stenosis categories (all P<0.05). Conclusion:In this single-center pilot study, SDT demonstrates therapeutic efficacy across mild, moderate, and severe stenoses, as well as in hypoechoic and mixed-echo plaques, showing potential to rapidly promote luminal gain at carotid and femoral atherosclerotic plaque sites.

Objective:To investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) on inflammation-related atrial fibrillation (AF) susceptibility.Methods:Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse and HL-1 mouse atrial myocyte models were used. (1) In vivo study: experimental groups included control, LPS, LPS+SDT, and SDT groups, with 20 mice in each group. Atrial fibrillation inducibility and duration were assessed by electrical stimulation. Western blot was used to analyze atrial expression of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-18. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 C (CACNA1C) expression. (2) In vitro study: cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Western blot were used to determine the optimal and safe LPS concentration. The safe incubation condition for the sonosensitizer sinoporphyrin sodium was determined by CCK-8 and fluorometry. An LPS-induced inflammatory model in HL-1 atrial myocytes was used, with experimental groups including control, LPS, LPS+SDT, LPS+sinoporphyrin sodium, and LPS+ultrasound groups. NLRP3 was overexpressed using plasmid transfection, with experimental groups including control, NLRP3 plasmid, negative control plasmid, and NLRP3 plasmid+SDT groups. SDT was applied to LPS-stimulated or NLRP3-overexpressing HL-1 cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to measure mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC), Cleaved Caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, and CACNA1C. The NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 was used to validate the relationship of NLRP3 and CACNA1C. The experimental groups included control, LPS, LPS+MCC950, and MCC950 groups. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected using the probe DCFH-DA, and the ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) was used to test if the effects of SDT was ROS-dependent.Results:(1) In vivo: The LPS+SDT group exhibited a lower incidence of atrial fibrillation induction and a shorter duration of atrial fibrillation compared to the LPS group(both P<0.05). Protein expression levels of NLRP3 and IL-1β were lower than those in the LPS group (all P<0.05), while the expression of CACNA1C subunit tended to increase relative to the LPS group ( P>0.05). (2) In vitro: The safe concentration of LPS for administration was ≤20 μg/ml, with an optimal pro-inflammatory concentration of 4 μg/ml. The safe concentration of sinoporphyrin sodium for administration was 0.4 μmol/L, with an optimal incubation time of 4 hours. Compared to the LPS group or NLRP3 plasmid group, the LPS+SDT group or NLRP3 plasmid+SDT group exhibited lower expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, Cleaved Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18, and higher mRNA and protein levels of CACNA1C (all P<0.05). The LPS+MCC950 group had higher CACNA1C protein expression than the LPS group ( P<0.05). SDT increased intracellular ROS levels, and NAC blocked the regulatory effects of SDT on NLRP3 and CACNA1C. Conclusion:SDT reduces atrial fibrillation susceptibility in mice by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in atrial cardiomyocytes, thereby upregulating the L-type calcium channel subunit CACNA1C.

Objective:To investigate the application effects of a novel framework: the external septal retention bionic framework in East Asian rhinoplasty.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed based on the clinical data of the patients who received treatments in Department of Plastic and Aesthetic ( Burn) Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University from January 2022 to July 2023 using an external septal retention bionic framework with autologous costal cartilage rhinoplasty. The patients were all treated with a V-shaped incision at the nasal columella, which continued to both sides of the nose to form a bird-shaped incision. During the operation, the sixth or seventh costal cartilage was sculpted to form the nasal columella support grafts (sturt), external nasal septal graft, cap grafts, and shield grafts, in which the nasal column support graft and external nasal septal graft were implanted in a mortise-and-tenon joint structure to form a septum bionic retained external stent in order to lengthen the nasal columellar column and strengthen the septum. A capsular graft was used to shape the tip of the nose and the rectus abdominis fascia was covered to soften the tip of the nose, and the shield grafts were used to fill out the subnasal lobules. A bulb was sculpted, shaped and implanted in the dorsal space to elevate the nasal dorsum. To observe the postoperative results and complications, a postoperative satisfaction survey was completed using the rhinoplasty outcome evaluation (ROE) and the visual analogue scale (VAS) with regular follow-up. Comparison of preoperative and postoperative scale scores was performed using paired samples t-test. Nasal stent stability was assessed by measuring the patients’ preoperative and postoperative nasolabial angle and nasal tip protrusion. The comparison of preoperative and postoperative nasolabial angle was performed using the paired-sample t-test, and the comparison of nasal tip protrusion was performed using the Wilcoxon signed rank-sum test, P<0.05 considered a statistically significant difference. Results:A total of 33 patients were enrolled, including 4 males and 29 females, with average age of 23.8 years(15-42 years). The follow-up period is (14.52 ± 4.72) months (3 to 21 months). Thirty-three patients recovered well after surgery, and no short-term complications such as infection or bleeding occurred. The patients' nasal aesthetic problems such as saddle nose, deviated nasal columella, bilateral asymmetry of the nose, bilateral nasal base depression, and rounded shield of the nasal tip were improved after surgery. Satisfaction survey results: ROE and VAS scores were significantly higher than those before surgery, which were [(17.92±2.56) vs.(12.78±3.14)] and [(8.08±1.66)vs(5.15±1.99)], ( P<0.05), 87.9% (27/33)of the patients were satisfied with the aesthetic and functional outcomes of the nose. Comparisons of nasolabial angle [(87.28±2.58)° vs. (97.64±1.95)°] and tip protrusion [1.88 (1.78, 1.95) cm vs. 2.16(2.01, 2.32) cm] measurements between preoperative and postoperative period of the 33 patients, the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Rhinoplasty for East Asians employs an external septal retention bionic framework to retain the nasal septum. This technique can avoid septal cartilage resorption caused by compression of grafts transplanted in the future, and cause less damage to the anatomy and physiology of the nose. The framework is relatively easy to construct, with a stable and strong stent, and good patient satisfaction. It can achieve a more desirable aesthetic effect of the nose.

Objective To explore the value of CT-derived fractional flow reserve(CT-FFR)and pericoronary fat attenuation index(FAI)combined with clinical and coronary CT angiography(CCTA)characteristics for predicting major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)after aortic valve replacement(AVR).Methods Data of 139 patients with aortic stenosis who underwent AVR were retrospectively analyzed.According to occurrence of MACE or not during follow-up,the patients were divided into MACE group and non-MACE group.Cox proportional hazard regression was used to analyze clinical and CCTA data,as well as CT-FFR and FAI to screen independent predictors of MACE after AVR,and nested models based on clinical data,CCTA characteristics,CT-FFR and right coronary artery(RCA)FAI were constructed.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were drawn,the area under the curve(AUC)and Harrell C index(C-index)were calculated to assess the diagnostic efficacy of each model,and their goodness of fit were evaluated.Results There were 22 cases in MACE group and 117 in non-MACE group.CT-FFR(HR=3.683)and RCA-FAI(HR=3.261)were both independent predictors of MACE in patients after AVR.The AUC of clinical model,modelclinical+CCTA,modelclinical+CCTA+CT-FFR and modelclinical+CCTA+CT-FFR+RCA-FAI was 0.636,0.730,0.758 and 0.817,and the C-index was 0.614,0.707,0.733 and 0.782,respectively.The predicted results of modelclinical+CCTA+CT-FFR+RCA-FAI were most consistent with actual results,with the best goodness of fit.Conclusion CT-FFR and RCA-FAI combined with clinical and CCTA characteristics could effectively predict MACE in patients after AVR.