Patients with Takayasu arteritis combined with aortic valve disease often have a poor prognosis following surgical valve replacement, frequently encountering complications such as perivalvular leakage, valve detachment, and anastomotic aneurysm. This article presents a high-risk case wherein severe aortic valve insufficiency associated with Takayasu arteritis was successfully managed through transcatheter aortic valve implantation via the transapical approach. The patient had satisfactory valve function with no complications observed during the six-month postoperative follow-up. This case provides a minimally invasive and feasible alternative for the clinical management of such high-risk patients.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) on the outcome of microscopic testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) in patients with non-mosaic Klinefelter syndrome (KS) of the clinical data and to identify effective predictors for successful micro-TESE.Methods:A retrospective case-control study was conducted on the clinical data of 118 non-mosaic KS patients treated at the Center for Reproductive Medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between May 2018 and September 2023. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether sperm were successfully retrieved via micro-TESE: the sperm retrieved group ( n=45) and the no sperm retrieved group ( n=73). Differences between the two groups were compared, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing sperm retrieval. Changes in testicular volume and sex hormone levels before and after surgery were also assessed. Results:The sperm retrieval rate was 38.1% (45/118). Patients in the sperm retrieved group were significantly younger [(26.93±3.80) years] than those in the no sperm retrieved group [(28.27±3.92) years, P=0.029], and the AMH level was significantly higher [0.44 (0.18, 1.13) μg/L] than that in the no sperm retrieved group [0.10 (0.03, 0.22) μg/L, P<0.001]. AMH was identified as an independent predictor of micro-TESE outcome in non-mosaic KS patients ( OR=7.867, 95% CI: 2.727-27.242, P=0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.802 (95% CI: 0.722-0.883), and the optimal reference threshold for AMH was ≥0.265 μg/L. Postoperatively, testosterone levels decreased significantly by a median of 0.27 μg/L ( P=0.019), while luteinizing hormone levels increased by a median of 2.08 U/L ( P=0.049), with a more significant decline in testosterone levels observed in the no sperm retrieved group by a median of 0.29 μg/L ( P=0.022). Conclusion:AMH can predict successful micro-TESE in non-mosaic KS patients, with higher AMH levels indicating a higher likelihood of success.

Objective:To investigate the effects of methylphenidate combined with exercise intervention on at-tention,self-awareness and problem behaviors in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 106 children with ADHD receiving methylphenidate treat-ment.Based on whether exercise intervention was applied,participants were divided into the joint intervention group(n=49)and the control group(n=57).The Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test,Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale,and Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire(PSQ)were used to measure children's attention,self-awareness,and problem behaviors.Results:After intervention,children in the joint inter-vention group had shorter reaction time,fewer omissions and errors,and lower PSQ scores(in all dimensions except anxiety and depession)than those in the control group.Additionally,their scores on the full response control quo-tient,full attention quotient,auditory response control quotient,visual response control quotient,auditory attention quotient and visual attention quotient,and Piers-Harrisscores in each dimension were higher than those in the control group(Ps＜0.05).Conclusion:Methylphenidate combined with exercise intervention could effectively enhance at-tention and self-awareness of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,and reduce problem behaviors.

Objective:To investigate the effects of methylphenidate combined with exercise intervention on at-tention,self-awareness and problem behaviors in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 106 children with ADHD receiving methylphenidate treat-ment.Based on whether exercise intervention was applied,participants were divided into the joint intervention group(n=49)and the control group(n=57).The Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test,Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale,and Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire(PSQ)were used to measure children's attention,self-awareness,and problem behaviors.Results:After intervention,children in the joint inter-vention group had shorter reaction time,fewer omissions and errors,and lower PSQ scores(in all dimensions except anxiety and depession)than those in the control group.Additionally,their scores on the full response control quo-tient,full attention quotient,auditory response control quotient,visual response control quotient,auditory attention quotient and visual attention quotient,and Piers-Harrisscores in each dimension were higher than those in the control group(Ps＜0.05).Conclusion:Methylphenidate combined with exercise intervention could effectively enhance at-tention and self-awareness of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,and reduce problem behaviors.

Objective To establish two osteoarthritis models of destabilization of the medial meniscus(DMM)and chronic ankle instability(CAI)in mice,and compare the effects of knee osteoarthritis with varus deformity on ipsilateral ankle cartilage degeneration.Methods Thirty 6-week-old C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into a control group and two surgical groups(DMM group and CAI group),respectively.The progression of ankle joint degeneration was quantitatively evaluated through behavioral observation,imaging techniques and histopathology analysis in each group of mice over a 12-week period.Results A decline in gait stability and balance was observed in two surgical groups.Compared to the control group,the time required to cross the balance beam was increased by 23.20％,and the number of slips was increased by 43.26％at 12th week postoperatively in the DMM group.The bone volume fraction and bone mineral density of ankle joints also increased.Meanwhile,wear and tear of the ankle cartilage were found,with the formation of osteophytes,and OARSI score was increased by 88.89％.These changes in ankle joint were more pronounced in the CAI group.Conclusions This mouse model-based study revealed a coupling relationship between the knee and ankle motion.Knee osteoarthritis with varus deformity could lead to a significant ankle joint degeneration,while the damage was less severe than that observed in CAI.

Objective:To evaluate the role of NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-mediated microglia activation in myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion-induced brain injury in mice.Methods:Fifty-two SPF healthy male wild-type C57BL/6 mice and 52 NLRP3 -/- mice, aged 8-10 weeks, were divided into 4 groups ( n=26 each) using a random number table method: wild type sham operation group (W-S group), wild type myocardial ischemia-reperfusion group (W-IR group), NLRP3 -/- sham operation group (NLRP3 -/--S group), and NLRP3 -/- myocardial ischemia-reperfusion group (NLRP3 -/--IR group). The myocardial ischemia-reperfusion-induced brain injury model was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery for 45 min followed by 24 h of reperfusion in anesthetized mice. The cognitive function was evaluated using the modified Morris water maze test at 24 h of reperfusion. The mice were sacrificed after blood specimens were collected, and brain tissues were obtained for measurement of the blood-brain barrier permeability and water content, for microscopic examination of the pathological changes of brain tissues, and for determination of serum S-100β protein and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) concentrations, contents of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in hippocampal tissues (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), expression of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), cleaved cysteine aspartate protease 1 (cleaved-caspase-1), gasdermin D (GSDMD), ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba-1), and occludin in hippocampal tissues (by immunofluorescence and/or Western blot). The apoptosis rate of neurons and density of dendritic spine were calculated. Results:Compared with sham operation group, the escape latency was significantly prolonged, the number of crossing the original platform was decreased, and the time spent in the target quadrant was shortened, the concentrations of serum S-100β protein and NSE were increased, the blood-brain barrier permeability and brain water content were increased, the dendritic spine density in the hippocampal CA1 area was decreased, the contents of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were increased, the expression of NLRP3, ASC, cleaved-caspase-1, GSDMD and Iba-1 was up-regulated, and the expression of occludin was down-regulated ( P<0.05), and the pathological injury to brain tissues was found in ischemia-reperfusion group. Compared with W-IR group, the escape latency was significantly shortened, the number of crossing the original platform was increased, and the time spent in the target quadrant was prolonged, the concentrations of serum S-100β protein and NSE were decreased, the blood-brain barrier permeability and brain water content were decreased, the dendritic spine density in the hippocampal CA1 area was increased, the contents of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were decreased, the expression of NLRP3, ASC, cleaved-caspase-1, GSDMD and Iba-1 was down-regulated, and the expression of occludin was up-regulated ( P<0.05), and the pathological injury to brain tissues was alleviated in NLRP3 -/--IR group. Conclusions:NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated microglia activation is involved in myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion-induced brain injury in mice.

Objective To establish two osteoarthritis models of destabilization of the medial meniscus(DMM)and chronic ankle instability(CAI)in mice,and compare the effects of knee osteoarthritis with varus deformity on ipsilateral ankle cartilage degeneration.Methods Thirty 6-week-old C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into a control group and two surgical groups(DMM group and CAI group),respectively.The progression of ankle joint degeneration was quantitatively evaluated through behavioral observation,imaging techniques and histopathology analysis in each group of mice over a 12-week period.Results A decline in gait stability and balance was observed in two surgical groups.Compared to the control group,the time required to cross the balance beam was increased by 23.20％,and the number of slips was increased by 43.26％at 12th week postoperatively in the DMM group.The bone volume fraction and bone mineral density of ankle joints also increased.Meanwhile,wear and tear of the ankle cartilage were found,with the formation of osteophytes,and OARSI score was increased by 88.89％.These changes in ankle joint were more pronounced in the CAI group.Conclusions This mouse model-based study revealed a coupling relationship between the knee and ankle motion.Knee osteoarthritis with varus deformity could lead to a significant ankle joint degeneration,while the damage was less severe than that observed in CAI.

Objective:To evaluate the sound localization ability of patients with different degrees of unilateral conductive hearing loss (UCHL) in quiet and noisy environments, and to explore the changes and characteristics of sound localization.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. 41 patients with UCHL were hospitalized in Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital from January to April 2024, including 22 males and 19 females, aged 18-55 years old, with an average age of 36.9 years. According to the pure-tone average (PTA) of 500, 1000 and 2000 Hz in the suffered ear, subjects were divided into slight-mild UCHL group (20 numbers) and moderate-moderately severe UCHL group (21 numbers). 21 patients with normal hearing (NH) were enrolled as controls. All subjects were assessed through pure-tone audiometry, horizontal sound localization test (including azimuth identification test in quiet and noisy environments), Chinese edition short form of Spatial Hearing Questionnaire (C-SHQ12) and twelve-item version of Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ12). SPSS, version 26.0, was used for statistical analysis.Results:There were significant differences in the root-mean-square errors (RMSE) of the sound localization azimuth identification test in quiet and noisy environments among the NH group, slight-mild UCHL group, and moderate-moderately severe UCHL group (Quiet: F=29.109, P<0.001; Noisy: F=24.351, P<0.001). This presented statistically marked difference in the RMSEs between the two listening environments in the slight-mild UCHL group ( t=-4.911, P<0.001). There was a statistical difference in the RMSEs between the normal and affected sides of the subjects in the slight-mild UCHL group in the quiet environment ( t=-2.055, P<0.05), but not in the noisy environment. For moderate-moderately severe UCHL subjects, there were no differences in the RMSEs between the quiet and noisy environments ( P>0.05). What’s more，no significant differences were found between normal side and affected side in both environments ( P>0.05). The RMSEs of UCHL patients in quiet and noisy environments were positively correlated with PTA of air-conduction in the suffered ears (Quiet: r=0.681, P<0.001; Noisy: r=0.346, P<0.05). RMSEs in quiet and noisy environments were negatively correlated with the average localization scores in C-SHQ12 (Quiet: r=-0.576, P<0.001, Noisy: r=-0.613, P<0.001) and in SSQ12 (Quiet: r=-0.634, P<0.001, Noisy: r=-0.663, P<0.001). Conclusions:The sound localization ability of UCHL subjects decreased compared with those with normal hearing, and the RMSE gradually increased with the worse of air conduction hearing threshold. The localization ability of UCHL subjects was further reduced in the noisy environment compared with that in the quiet environment. The slight-mild UCHL subjects had better localization performance in the normal ears while worse in the suffered ears, however, when they were in noisy environment or their hearing loss deteriorated, the localization advantage of the normal ears was no longer obvious, and both sides of the subjects presented poor localization performance.

Objective:To investigate the impact of tumor origin (ventral pancreatic origin and dorsal pancreatic origin) on prognosis in patients with pancreatic head cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 150 patients with pancreatic head cancer who received surgical treatment at the First Affiliated Hospital of the Naval Medical University from October 2014 to December 2017. Among these patients, 92 were male and 58 were female, aged (61.2±8.8) years. The 150 patients were divided into two groups based on tumor origin: the ventral pancreatic cancer group ( n=72) and the dorsal pancreatic cancer group ( n=78). A comparative analysis of clinical, pathological, and imaging charac-teristics was conducted between the two groups. Univariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze the association between pancreatic head cancer origin and overall survival (OS). Results:Patients with pancreatic head carcinoma arising from the ventral and dorsal pancreas accounted for 48%(72/150) and 52%(78/150) of the study cohort, respectively. Pancreatic head carcinoma arising from the dorsal pancreas were more likely to show pathological features of pancreatic parenchymal atrophy [73.1%(57/78) vs. 47.2%(34/72), χ2=10.49, P=0.001] and pancreatitis [44.9%(35/78) vs. 29.2%(21/72), χ2=3.95, P=0.047]. In contrast, patients with pancreatic head carcinoma arising from the ventral pancreas was more frequently associated with contact with the superior mesenteric artery [25.0%(18/72) vs. 1.3%(1/78), χ2=19.04, P<0.001], perineural invasion [100%(72/72) vs. 88.5%(69/78), χ2=8.84, P=0.003], and positive surgical margins [15.3%(11/72) vs. 2.6%(2/78), χ2=7.65, P=0.006], with all differences statistically significant. The ventral pancreatic cancer group demonstrated cumulative survival rates of 33.2% and 0 at 1-year and 2-year postoperative intervals, respectively, while the dorsal pancreatic cancer group exhibited rates of 56.7% and 24.8% at the corresponding timepoints. Comparison of Kaplan-Meier survival curves between the two groups showed a statistically significant difference ( χ2=6.00, P=0.014). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis identified dorsal pancreatic origin pancreatic head cancer as an independent predictor of increased mortality risk compared to ventral origin tumors ( HR=2.75, 95% CI: 1.52-4.98, P=0.001). Conclusion:The embryonic origin of pancreatic head cancer determines its clinical, pathological, and imaging heterogeneity, and pancreatic head cancer arising from the ventral pancreas demonstrates significantly worse prognostic outcomes compared to dorsal pancreatic origin.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) on the outcome of microscopic testicular sperm extraction (micro-TESE) in patients with non-mosaic Klinefelter syndrome (KS) of the clinical data and to identify effective predictors for successful micro-TESE.Methods:A retrospective case-control study was conducted on the clinical data of 118 non-mosaic KS patients treated at the Center for Reproductive Medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between May 2018 and September 2023. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether sperm were successfully retrieved via micro-TESE: the sperm retrieved group ( n=45) and the no sperm retrieved group ( n=73). Differences between the two groups were compared, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing sperm retrieval. Changes in testicular volume and sex hormone levels before and after surgery were also assessed. Results:The sperm retrieval rate was 38.1% (45/118). Patients in the sperm retrieved group were significantly younger [(26.93±3.80) years] than those in the no sperm retrieved group [(28.27±3.92) years, P=0.029], and the AMH level was significantly higher [0.44 (0.18, 1.13) μg/L] than that in the no sperm retrieved group [0.10 (0.03, 0.22) μg/L, P<0.001]. AMH was identified as an independent predictor of micro-TESE outcome in non-mosaic KS patients ( OR=7.867, 95% CI: 2.727-27.242, P=0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.802 (95% CI: 0.722-0.883), and the optimal reference threshold for AMH was ≥0.265 μg/L. Postoperatively, testosterone levels decreased significantly by a median of 0.27 μg/L ( P=0.019), while luteinizing hormone levels increased by a median of 2.08 U/L ( P=0.049), with a more significant decline in testosterone levels observed in the no sperm retrieved group by a median of 0.29 μg/L ( P=0.022). Conclusion:AMH can predict successful micro-TESE in non-mosaic KS patients, with higher AMH levels indicating a higher likelihood of success.