In this study,an ON/OFF type micro-valve with a sandwich(glass-silicon-glass)structure was designed and fabricated based on the micro-electro-mechanical system(MEMS)technique.The deformable membrane of this micro-valve was prepared on the silicon on insulator(SOI)substrate and sealed using Si-Si bonding and anodic bonding methods.The micro-valve had high-temperature stability and was suitable for integration with other gas chromatography components.The deformable membrane with a thickness of 10 μm was processed on the top silicon of the SOI substrate.The flow control of the micro-valve could be achieved by changing the driving pressure applied to the deformable membrane to deform it.Compared with polymer membranes,the deformable membrane prepared on the top layer silicon of SOI had better temperature stability and could be released using the deep reactive ion etching technique after silicon-silicon bonding,avoiding deformation during the preparation process.In addition,due to the small gap between the membrane and the inlet/outlet holes,the dead volume of the microvalve was very small.The test results indicated that the micro-valve achieved flow control and ON/OFF functions with good repeatability.

A monolithic integrated gas chromatography chip,consisting of a micro gas chromatography column(μGCC)and a micro helium discharge ionization detector(μHDID)was proposed.The chip was fabricated using micro electromechanical system(MEMS)technique,and its sensitivity was improved from two aspects.On one hand,open tubular column was selected as the separation device,and the auxiliary helium channel width of μHDID was modulated based on the microchannel width of the μGCC to match the flow rates of μHDID and μGCC.On the other hand,the electrode structure inside the μHDID collection zone was optimized,a bias electrode group around the collection electrode was constructed,and the ion collection efficiency was improved.After coating HKUST-1 as the stationary phase,the monolithic integrated gas chromatography chip could achieve baseline separation and detection of light hydrocarbon gas mixture(methane,ethane,propane,andn-butane),with a detection limit for propane as low as 25 pg.The chip could carried out test under temperature-programmed conditions,with a resolution of 9.24 for ethane and propane.

A micro gas chromatographic column with mesoporous surface micro column array prepared by anodization method was proposed.A porous support layer with a characteristic pore size of about 30 nm inside the chromatographic column was prepared in situ using anodization method,and a uniform alumina stationary phase was deposited on the mesoporous support layer using atom layer deposition(ALD)technique.The existence of a mesoporous support layer increased surface area of the chromatographic column,thereby increasing the total amount of stationary phase loading and enhancing column capacity,which facilitated chromatographic separation.The test results showed that the porous support layer significantly reduced the longitudinal molecular diffusion and mass transfer resistance of the micro gas chromatographic column,and significantly increased the number of theoretical plates(n-nonane increased by 290.2%).Furthermore,column efficiency of the chromatographic column was less affected by flow rate,which was conducive to rapid separation of heavy hydrocarbon mixtures.

As a pediatric radiation oncologist, it is necessary to master and evaluate the sedative/anesthesia indications, adverse reactions and solutions and deliver whole-course management of sedation/anesthesia in pediatric radiotherapy under sedation. Although significant progress has been made in sedation/anesthesia, the psychological stress and family burden of sedation/anesthesia still exist. There is still great research potential in the field of investigating effective nonpharmacological interventions to reduce sedation/anesthesia use. In this article, the issues and challenges of sedative management and complications of pediatric radiotherapy and interventions for reducing sedation/anesthesia of radiotherapy were reviewed.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of peroral super minimally invasive incision for esophageal diverticulum.Methods:The clinical data of patients with esophageal diverticulum who underwent super minimally invasive surgery (SMIS) at the First Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from April 2022 to September 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. These data include clinical baseline data, endoscopic surgical parameters, preoperative and postoperative Eckardt scores, surgical costs, and the duration of hospitalization.Results:Thirteen patients successfully completed submucosal tunneling endoscopic septum division (STESD) surgery without any postoperative adverse events. The duration of operation was (37.00 ± 5.82) min, the application time of proton pump inhibitors (PPI) was 4 (4, 4) d, the application time of antibiotics was 3 (2, 4) d, the surgical cost was 22 580 (27 044, 34 255) yuan, and the hospital stay was 12 (10, 22) d. The Eckardt scores before and after the operation were 3 (2, 4) scores and 1 (0, 1) score respectively, the Eckardt score after the operation decreased significantly compared with that before the operation.Conclusions:STESD is a safety and efficient operation for the treatment of esophageal diverticulitis. It has the advantages of short term curative effect and obvious improvement of the patient′s symptoms.

Objective:To compare the efficacy and safety of the gastrointestinal endoscopic super minimally invasive surgery (eSMIS) and the laparoscopic minimally invasive procedure (LS) for the treatment of gastric glomus tumors(GGT).Methods:This study retrospectively included 15 patients with GGT who underwent eSMIS at the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from May 2014 to May 2024. Data on demographic characteristics, surgical indexes, efficacy evaluation indexes, postoperative medical disposition, health economics indexes and postoperative laboratory indexes were collected and analyzed, the patients were followed up for survival outcomes and the postoperative quality of life, efficacy and safety of the two groups were compared.Results:The amount of bleeding in the eSMIS group was lower than that in the LS group: 1.25 (0, 3.75) ml vs. 41.56 (10.00, 50.00) ml, and the surgical cost in the eSMIS group was lower than that in the LS group: 10 792.87 (8 424.90, 12 730.30) yuan vs. 21 773.06 (19 940.60, 24 843.10) yuan, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). The surgical efficacy, postoperative laboratory indicators and medical treatment convenience between the two groups had no statistical differences ( P>0.05). Conclusions:In the choice of surgical procedures for the treatment of GGT, eSMIS is superior to LS in terms of bleeding and surgical cost, and not inferior to LS in other indicators. This suggested that the treatment of GGT with eSMIS is feasible, safe and effective.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a novel reduction device in the treatment of A3N0/1 thoracolumbar fracture using navigation-assisted techniques.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 45 patients (29 males, 16 females; mean age 40.67±16.11 years, range 24-57) with thoracolumbar fractures who underwent fracture reduction and pedicle screw fixation via the Wiltse approach at Zhengzhou Orthopaedic Hospital between January 2022 and January 2023. Injury levels included: T 10 in 2 cases, T 11 in 5 cases, T 12 in 13 cases, L 1 in 20 cases, L 2 in 3 cases, L 3 in 2 cases. All patients underwent fracture reduction via the Wiltse approach using the spinal fracture reduction instrument for vertebral body reduction. Among them, 20 patients received O-arm navigation-assisted internal fixation and vertebral reduction (O-arm group), while 25 received C-arm fluoroscopy-guided internal fixation and vertebral reduction (C-arm group). Operative time, intraoperative blood loss, vertebral reduction time using the instrument, first-time screw placement success rate, screw placement accuracy, and complications were compared. Mid-vertebral body height ratio (MVBHr), local Cobb angle of the fractured vertebra, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were compared preoperatively, at 1 week postoperatively, 3 months postoperatively, and final follow-up. Results:All surgeries were successfully completed in both groups. Operative time was significantly shorter in the O-arm group (106.8±14.4 min) than in the C-arm group (119.1±16.4 min, P<0.05). All patients were followed up for a mean duration of 15.9±3.9 months (range 12-20 months). Vertebral reduction time was significantly shorter in the O-arm group (11.0±2.2 min) than in the C-arm group (20.4±5.7 min, P<0.05). The first-time screw placement success rate was significantly higher in the O-arm group (100%) than in the C-arm group (95.3%, P<0.05). Screw placement accuracy (Grade I) was significantly higher in the O-arm group (117 screws, 97.5%) than in the C-arm group (136 screws, 90.7%, P<0.05). No cases of wrong-level surgery, infection, or spinal cord/nerve injury occurred. Both groups showed significant improvements in MVBHr, Cobb angle, VAS, and ODI at all postoperative time points compared to preoperative values ( P<0.05). At final follow-up, the O-arm group demonstrated significantly better outcomes than the C-arm group in MVBHr (90.6%±4.5% vs. 86.4%±6.9%, P<0.05), Cobb angle (7.6°±1.8° vs. 10.1°±3.2°, P<0.05), VAS (1.3±0.4 vs. 1.7±0.6, P<0.05), and ODI (4.6%±1.9% vs. 7.7%±2.0%, P<0.01). Conclusion:O-arm navigation-assisted intrasegmental push reduction for A3N0/1 type thoracolumbar fractures demonstrates advantages including faster and more accurate screw placement, precise reduction with improved outcomes, and significant postoperative pain relief.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Yangxue Qingnao Pills (YXQNP) combined with amlodipine in treating patients with grade 1 hypertension. METHODS: This is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study. Adult patients with grade 1 hypertension of blood deficiency and Gan (Liver)-yang hyperactivity syndrome were randomly divided into the treatment or the control groups at a 1:1 ratio. The treatment group received YXQNP and amlodipine besylate, while the control group received YXQNP's placebo and amlodipine besylate. The treatment duration lasted for 180 days. Outcomes assessed included changes in blood pressure, Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome scores, symptoms and target organ functions before and after treatment in both groups. Additionally, adverse events, such as nausea, vomiting, rash, itching, and diarrhea, were recorded in both groups. RESULTS: A total of 662 subjects were enrolled, of whom 608 (91.8%) completed the trial (306 in the treatment and 302 in the control groups). After 180 days of treatment, the standard deviations and coefficients of variation of systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were lower in the treatment group compared with the control group. The improvement rates of dizziness, headache, insomnia, and waist soreness were significantly higher in the treatment group compared with the control group (P<0.05). After 30 days of treatment, the overall therapeutic effects on CM clinical syndromes were significantly increased in the treatment group as compared with the control group (P<0.05). After 180 days of treatment, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, ankle brachial index and albumin-to-creatinine ratio were improved in both groups, with no statistically significant differences (P>0.05). No serious treatment-related adverse events occurred during the study period. CONCLUSIONS Combination therapy of YXQNP with amlodipine significantly improved symptoms such as dizziness and headache, reduced blood pressure variability, and showed a trend toward lowering urinary microalbumin in hypertensive patients. These findings suggest that this regimen has good clinical efficacy and safety. (Registration No. ChiCTR1900022470).
Humans ; Amlodipine/adverse effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Hypertension/complications* ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Adult ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Double-Blind Method ; Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents/adverse effects*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the accuracy and safety of pedicle screw placement using 3D-printed auxiliary guides in scoliosis correction surgery for adolescents. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 51 patients who underwent posterior scoliosis correction surgery from January 2020 to March 2023. Among them, there were 35 cases of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and 16 cases of congenital scoliosis. The patients were divided into two groups based on the auxiliary tool used:the 3D-printed auxiliary guide screw placement group (3D printing group) and the free-hand screw placement group (free-hand group, without auxiliary tools). The 3D printing group included 32 patients (12 males and 20 females) with an average age of (12.59±2.60) years;the free-hand group included 19 patients (7 males and 12 females) with an average age of (14.58±3.53) years. The two groups were compared in terms of screw placement accuracy and safety, spinal correction rate, intraoperative blood loss, number of intraoperative fluoroscopies, operation time, hospital stay, and preoperative and last follow-up scores of the Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 707 pedicle screws were placed in the two groups, with 441 screws in the 3D printing group and 266 screws in the free-hand group. All patients in both groups successfully completed the surgery. There was a statistically significant difference in operation time between the two groups (P<0.05). The screw placement accuracy rate of the 3D printing group was 95.46% (421/441), among which the Grade A placement rate was 89.34% (394/441);the screw placement accuracy rate of the free-hand group was 86.47% (230/266), with a Grade A placement rate of 73.31% (195/266). There were statistically significant differences in the accuracy of Grade A, B, and C screw placements between the two groups (P<0.05), while no statistically significant differences were observed in intraoperative blood loss, number of fluoroscopies, correction rate, or hospital stay (P>0.05). In the SRS-22 questionnaire scores, the scores of functional status and activity ability, self-image, mental status, and pain of patients in each group at the last follow-up were significantly improved compared with those before surgery (P<0.05), but there were no statistically significant differences in all scores between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION In scoliosis correction surgery, compared with traditional free-hand screw placement, the use of 3D-printed auxiliary guides for screw placement significantly improves the accuracy and safety of screw placement and shortens the operation time.
Humans ; Male ; Scoliosis/surgery* ; Female ; Adolescent ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Retrospective Studies ; Pedicle Screws ; Child

Background: s/Aims: Sarcomatoid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare histological subtype of HCC characterized by extremely poor prognosis; however, its molecular characterization has not been elucidated. Methods: In this study, we conducted an integrated multiomics study of whole-exome sequencing, RNA-seq, spatial transcriptome, and immunohistochemical analyses of 28 paired sarcomatoid tumor components and conventional HCC components from 10 patients with sarcomatoid HCC, in order to identify frequently altered genes, infer the tumor subclonal architectures, track the genomic evolution, and delineate the transcriptional characteristics of sarcomatoid HCCs. Results: Our results showed that the sarcomatoid HCCs had poor prognosis. The sarcomatoid tumor components and the conventional HCC components were derived from common ancestors, mostly accessing similar mutational processes. Clonal phylogenies demonstrated branched tumor evolution during sarcomatoid HCC development and progression. TP53 mutation commonly occurred at tumor initiation, whereas ARID2 mutation often occurred later. Transcriptome analyses revealed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and hypoxic phenotype in sarcomatoid tumor components, which were confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. Moreover, we identified ARID2 mutations in 70% (7/10) of patients with sarcomatoid HCC but only 1–5% of patients with non-sarcomatoid HCC. Biofunctional investigations revealed that inactivating mutation of ARID2 contributes to HCC growth and metastasis and induces EMT in a hypoxic microenvironment. Conclusions We offer a comprehensive description of the molecular basis for sarcomatoid HCC, and identify genomic alteration (ARID2 mutation) together with the tumor microenvironment (hypoxic microenvironment), that may contribute to the formation of the sarcomatoid tumor component through EMT, leading to sarcomatoid HCC development and progression.