Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of the Corheart 6 left ventricular assist system in patients with end-stage heart failure. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on patients with end-stage heart failure who were treated with Corheart 6 left ventricular assist system from March 2022 to June 2024 in 4 hospitals in Jiangsu Province. The efficacy of the device was evaluated by comparing changes in clinical indicators at preoperative, discharge, 3-month postoperative, and 6-month postoperative timepoints, including the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD). The safety of the device was assessed by analyzing the intraoperative position and orientation of the blood pump inlet cannula, as well as the incidence of adverse events. Results In this study, 39 patients were collected, including 34 males and 5 females with a mean age of (56.4±12.5) years, ranging from 20 to 75 years. There was no operative death. There was no death in postoperative 3 months with a survival rate of 100.0%. There were 3 deaths in 6 months postoperatively, with a survival rate of 92.3%. All patients had a preoperative NYHA cardiac function classification of class Ⅳ. The NYHA cardiac function class of the patients improved (P<0.05) at discharge, 3 and 6 months after surgery when compared to the preoperative period. LVEF was significantly higher at 3 months after surgery than that during the preoperative period (P<0.05). LVEDD was significantly smaller at discharge, 3 and 6 months after surgery than that during the preoperative period (P<0.05). The safety evaluation's findings demonstrated that all 39 patients' intraoperative blood pump inlet tubes were oriented correctly, the artificial blood vessel suture sites were appropriate, there were no instances of device malfunction or pump thrombosis, or instances of bleeding or hemolysis, and the rate of the remaining adverse events was low. Conclusion With a low rate of adverse events and an excellent safety profile, the Corheart 6 left ventricular assist system can efficiently enhance cardiac function in patients with end-stage heart failure. It also has considerable clinical uses.

Objective:To analyze the clinical data of patients with end-stage ankle and hindfoot ar-thropathy who underwent tibiotalocalcaneal(TTC)arthrodesis by the same surgeon,explore the short-and mid-term clinical results,complications and functional improvement,and discuss the clinical progno-sis and precautions of TTC arthrodesis.Methods:Retrospective analysis was made on the clinical data of 40 patients who underwent TTC arthrodesis by the same surgeon from March 2011 to December 2020.In this study,23 males and 17 females were included,with an average age of(49.1±16.0)years.All the patients underwent unilateral surgery.The clinical characteristics,imaging manifestations,main diagno-sis and specific surgical techniques of the patients were recorded.The clinical outcomes were evaluated by comparison of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society(AOFAS)ankle-hindfoot score and visual analogue scale(VAS)between pre-operation and at the last follow-up.The fusion healing time,symptom improvement(significant improvement,certain improvement,no improvement or deterioration)and postoperative complications were also recorded.Results:The median follow-up time was 38.0(26.3,58.8)months.The preoperative VAS score was 6.0(4.0,7.0),and the AOFAS score was 33.0(25.3,47.3).At the last follow-up,the median VAS score was 0(0,3.0),and the AOFAS score was 80.0(59.0,84.0).All the significantly improved compared with their preoperative corre-sponding values(P＜0.05).There was no wound necrosis or infection in the patients.One patient suf-fered from subtalar joint nonunion,which was syphilitic Charcot arthropathy.The median bony healing time of other patients was 15.0(12.0,20.0)weeks.Among the included patients,there were 25 cases with significant improvement in symptom compared with that preoperative,8 cases with certain improve-ment,4 cases with no improvement,and 3 cases with worse symptoms than that before operation.Con-clusion:TTC arthrodesis is a reliable method for the treatment of the end-stage ankle and hindfoot ar-thropathy.The function of most patients was improved postoperatively,with little impact on daily life.The causes of poor prognosis included toe stiffness,stress concentration in adjacent knee joints,nonunion and pain of unknown causes.

Objective:To analyze the relationship between health belief and the stages of parental decision-making on childhood 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) immunization in China.Methods:Cross-sectional multistage survey sampling method was used to select study subjects. The study subjects were parents who were aged 20-45 years and had one and more children ≤5 years old in three cities in China. A self-administered questionnaire designed based on health belief model was used to collect the information. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationships between perceived susceptibility, perceived severity of illness, perceived effect of PCV13 and stages of parental decision-making on childhood PCV13 immunization.Results:A total of 1 716 valid questionnaires were returned (89.33%). The average age of the study subjects was (35.33±4.95) years, and 79.60% of them were women. In the study subjects, 48.31% had in action, 21.79% were in contemplation and 29.90% were in pre-contemplation. The multinominal logistic regression analysis indicated that high perceived susceptibility ( OR=0.14, 95% CI:0.09-0.22; OR=0.54, 95% CI:0.39-0.76), high perceived severity of illness ( OR=0.55, 95% CI:0.42-0.73), and high perceived effect of PCV13 ( OR=0.27, 95% CI:0.18-0.40; OR=0.51, 95% CI:0.32-0.81) were significantly lower in those who were in contemplation or pre-compared with those who had in action. For study subjects with low perceived susceptibility, high perceived effect of PCV13 might decrease the probabilities of contemplation ( OR=0.53, 95% CI:0.32-0.87) and pre-contemplation ( OR=0.27, 95% CI:0.18-0.41). For those with high perceived susceptibility, perceived severity of illness might decrease the probability of contemplation ( OR=0.43, 95% CI:0.23-0.82). Conclusions:Childhood PCV13 vaccination willingness and level is low in China. It is important to pay greater attention to the intervention on health belief in child parents, such as perceived effect of PCV13, perceived severity of illness, and perceived susceptibility, in health policy development and health promotion.

Objective     To investigate the clinical characteristics, risk factors and perioperative outcome of prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) in elderly patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods     The data of elderly patients receiving CABG in the Nanjing First Hospital from January 2013 to June 2019 were collected. All patients were divided into a control group and a PMV group according to whether ventilation time≥24 h. The clinical characteristics and risk factors of PMV were compared between the two groups. Variables were 1∶1 balanced through propensity score matching (PSM) and perioperative outcomes of two groups was analyzed. Results     Finally 956 patients were collected, including 187 in the PMV group and 769 in the control group. There were 586 males and 370 females aged 70-94 (74.3±3.5) years. Compared with the control group, the PMV group had higher rates of smoking,  preoperative renal impairment, intraoperative blood transfusion and intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) implantation, worse cardiac function, lower glomerular filtration rate and ejection fraction, larger left atrial diameter, longer cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic cross-clamping time (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in other clinical data between the two groups (P>0.05). Binary multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that females, smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, left ventricular ejection fraction≤56.0%, cardiopulmonary bypass time>106.0 min, IABP implantation and intraoperative blood transfusion were independent risk factors for PMV in elderly patients. After PSM, there were 146 patients in the control group and the PMV group, respectively. The PMV group had longer ICU stay and length of hospital stay and more drainage volume compared with the control group (all P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in perioperative mortality or other complications between the two groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion    There are a lot of factors associated with PMV of the elderly patients undergoing on-pump CABG. In order to establish a complete and formal PMV prediction model, clinicians can make a further step of assessment according to perioperative elements, and improve the prognosis of such patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the early effectiveness of a new minimally invasive plate in the treatment of varus-type ankle arthritis. METHODS: A clinical data of 15 patients with varus-type ankle arthritis who met the selection criteria between March 2021 and October 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients were treated with medial open-wedge supramalleolar osteotomy and fibular osteotomy. The osteotomies were fixed with the new minimally invasive plate. There were 7 males and 8 females with an average age of 49.8 years (range, 16-71 years). The causes of ankle arthritis included post-fracture deformity in 1 case, sprain in 8 cases, and acquired clubfoot in 1 case; and 5 cases were without obvious factors. The disease duration ranged from 1 to 12 years, with an average of 4.1 years. Comparisons were made between pre-operation and the last follow-up in the Takakura staging, the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score, foot function index (FFI), visual analogue scale (VAS) score, tibial anterior surface angle (TAS), tibial lateral surface angle (TLS), and talar tilt (TT). RESULTS: All incisions healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 7-18 months (mean, 12.8 months). At last follow-up, the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score, FFI, VAS score, and Takakura staging significantly improved when compared with the preoperative ones ( P<0.05). X-ray films showed that the osteotomy healed at 3 months after operation. At last follow-up, TAS significantly increased and TT decreased when compared with the preoperative ones ( P<0.05), and the difference in TLS between pre- and post-operation was not significant ( P>0.05). Complications included 1 case of intraoperative screw breakage and 2 cases of nerve injury of the affected foot. None of the patients complained of significant discomfort at the plate placement during follow-up, and no loosening of the internal fixator occurred. Eleven patients were very satisfied with the effeectiveness, while 4 were relatively satisfied. CONCLUSION The new minimally invasive plate for the varus-type ankle arthritis has good early effectiveness in relieving ankle pain, correcting deformity, improving limb alignment and ankle function, and reducing the incidence of postoperative incisional complications.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ankle ; Ankle Joint/surgery* ; Osteoarthritis/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Tibia/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Aged

Avicel is made of a mixture of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and used for virus plaque assay. The avicel in common use is produced by FMC Biopolymer. Due to the relatively fixed proportion of MCC and CMC, avicel in common use is not suitable for plaque determination experiment of all types of viruses. In this study, we evaluated the effect of avicel made of different proportions of MCC and CMC on virus plaque assay, and developed an improved avicel virus plaque assay featured with simple and convenient operation, good practicability and high stability. To generate avicel overlays with different proportions of MCC and CMC, twelve different 2×avicel solutions were prepared. Their overall viscosity and bottom viscosity were measured to evaluate the ease of operation. The results showed that most of the 2×avicel solutions (except the 4.8% MCC+1.4% CMC and 4.8% MCC+1.0% CMC group) were easy to absorb and prepare nutrient overlap than 2×CMC solution. In order to find the best scheme to detect the titer of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), these avicel overlay solutions with different proportion of MCC and CMC were used as a replacement in the standard plaque assay. By comparing the size, clarity, stability and titer accuracy of virus plaque, we identified that 0.6% MCC and 0.7% CMC was the most preferable composition of avicel overlay for PEDV plaque assay. In conclusion, we developed an improved virus plaque assay based on avicel, which may facilitate the research of virus etiology, antiviral drugs and vaccines.
Animals ; Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium/chemistry* ; Cellulose/chemistry* ; Swine

Objective:To explore the short- and mid-term clinical outcomes of surgical treatment of chronic Lisfranc injuries.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted of the clinical and imaging data of the 19 patients with chronic Lisfranc injury who had been treated surgically from April 2013 to September 2020 at Department of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital. There were 13 males and 6 females, aged from 25 to 58 years (mean, 49 years). The median course of disease before operation was 24 months (from 3 to 312 months). All patients underwent fusion of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd tarsometatarsal joints (TMTJ) plus reduction and fixation or arthroplasty of the 4th and 5th TMTJ by the same surgeon. The clinical outcomes were evaluated by comparison of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) midfoot score, visual analogue scale (VAS) and Lublin score between pre-operation and the final follow-up and by Likert satisfaction scale and post-operative complications as well.Results:The 19 patients were followed up for (66.1±23.2) months (from 12 to 104 months). At the final follow-up, the AOFAS midfoot score was 87 (79, 90), the VAS score 1 (0, 2), and the Lublin score 70 (60, 75), all significantly improved compared with their preoperative corresponding values [51 (44, 63), 4 (4, 6) and 50 (40, 55), respectively] ( P<0.05). Sixteen patients were satisfied with their surgery. Fusion was not healed in 3 cases; plate breakage happened in one case but none of the cases had infection or other complications related to the skin or wound. Conclusion:Fusion of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd TMTJ plus reduction and fixation or arthroplasty of the 4th and 5th TMTJ can lead to good short- and mid-term clinical outcomes in the surgical treatment of chronic Lisfranc injuries.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis via the fibula-preserving anterolateral approach.Methods:From March 2018 to February 2021, 23 patients underwent tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis via the fibula-preserving anterolateral approach at the Department of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital.Of them, 15 were males and 8 females. Their average age at surgery was 54.4 years (range, from 28 to 72 years). There were 11 cases of traumatic arthritis, 2 cases of Charcot arthropathy, 6 cases of neurogenic equinovarus, 2 cases of traumatic equinovarus, and 2 cases of Kashin-Beck disease. Comparisons were made between preoperation and the last follow-up in ankle-hindfoot score of American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), visual analogue scale (VAS), foot function index (FFI), hindfoot alignment angle (HA), hindfoot alignment distance (HD), and hindfoot alignment ratio (HR). The tibia-foot angle on lateral weight-bearing and patient satisfaction at the last follow-up and postoperative complications were documented.Results:This cohort were followed up for an average of 24.7 months (from 12 to 48 months). The AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score (78.2 ± 9.2), VAS [2.0 (0.5, 2.0)], FFI [19.0 (10.5, 35.0)], HA (2.7° ± 5.8°), HD [(0.1 ± 0.8) cm] and HR [44.2 (36.4, 59.2)%] at the last follow-up were significantly improved than the preoperative values [43.4 ± 12.7, 4.0 (4.0, 6.0), 98.0 (60.0, 127.0), 22.0° ± 14.3°, (2.2 ± 1.6) cm and 86.0 (66.3, 100.0)%] (all P<0.05). The tibia-foot angle on lateral weight-bearing was 89.0° (87.1°, 90.4°) at the last follow-up. By the Likert scale, 17 cases were very satisfied with the surgery, 4 cases satisfied and 2 cases tolerate, giving a satisfaction rate of 91.3%(21/23). Infection occurred in one case and nonunion in one. Conclusion:Tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis via the fibula-preserving anterolateral approach yields good mid- to short-term clinical and radiographic outcomes, showing a strong capability to correct ankle and hindfoot varus and equinus.

Objective:To evaluate the radiologic and clinical outcomes of supramalleolar dome osteotomy in the treatment of varus-type ankle arthritis.Methods:From June 2018 to December 2019, 13 patients with varus-type ankle arthritis underwent supramalleolar dome osteotomy at Department of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital. Of them, 13 (5 males and 8 females) were included in the study. Their average age at surgery was 47.2 years (range, from 16 to 65 years). By the modified Takakura staging for arthritis, 3 cases were stage 2, 4 cases stage 3a and 6 cases stage 3b. Comparisons were made between preoperation and the last follow-up in ankle-hindfoot score of American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS), foot function index (FFI), visual analogue scale (VAS), Takakura staging, dorsal extension, plantar flexion, range of motion (ROM), tibial anterior surface angle (TAS), tibial lateral surface angle (TLS), and talar tilt (TT).Results:This cohort were followed up for 12 to 29 months (average, 17.2 months). At the last follow-up, AOFAS score (86.5±8.0), FFI (14.5±1.6), VAS score (1.5±1.0), Takakura staging (2.7±1.3), ROM (39.4°±8.0°), TAS (92.4°±6.0°), TT (3.7°±4.4°) were significantly improved than the preoperative values (68.3±14.4, 43.7±3.0, 4.2±1.4, 3.2±0.8, 43.3°±7.6°, 78.2°±8.3° and 7.0°±5.1°), and dorsal extension (10.9°±4.4°) was significantly smaller than the preoperative value (13.6°±5.1°) (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences between preoperation and the last follow-up in plantar flexion (29.7°±4.6° versus 28.5°±5.2°) or TLS (77.8°±4.5° versus 78.1°±5.3°) ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Supramalleolar dome osteotomy has shown promising short-term clinical efficacy in the treatment of varus-type ankle arthritis. It can significantly relieve pain, improve function, substantially correct deformity and retard progression of arthritis, but it may affect dorsal extension.

Objective:To evaluate the role of hippocampal hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) in electroacupuncture (EA)-induced reduction of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced brain injury in mice.Methods:Twenty-four healthy adult C57BL/6J mice of both sexes, weighing 18-22 g, were divided into 4 groups ( n=6 each) using a random number table method: control group (group C), LPS-induced brain injury group (LPS group), LPS plus EA group, and LPS plus EA plus HO-1 inhibitor zinc protoporphyria (ZnPP) group (LPS+ EA+ ZnPP group). A virus carrying calcium ion fluorescent probes was injected into and an optical fiber was implanted into the hippocampal CA1 region to record changes in the calcium fluorescence signals.Three weeks later, Baihui, Quchi and Zusanli acupoints were stimulated with constant voltage (2/15 Hz) and disperse-dense waves for 30 min once a day for 5 consecutive days, and the stimulation intensity was defined as less than 1 mA causing slight muscle contraction.ZnPP 50 μmol/kg was intraperitoneally injected at 12 h before each stimulation in LPS+ EA+ ZnPP group, and the equal volume of normal saline was given instead in the other groups.After the end of EA stimulation on the last day, LPS 5 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected to induce brain injury.Open field tests were performed at 1 day after LPS injection to record the number of rearing and amplitude of neuronal calcium signals during rearing.Novel object recognition tests were conducted at 3 days after LPS injection, and the exploration index and amplitude of neuronal calcium signals while exploring novel objects were recorded.The mice were sacrificed after the end of behavioral testing, and the brain tissues were obtained and stained by Nissl, and the neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region were counted. Results:Compared with group C, the number of rearing and amplitude of calcium signals in neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region during rearing were significantly decreased, the exploration index and amplitude of calcium signals in neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region while exploring novel objects were decreased, and the neuron counts were reduced in LPS, LPS+ EA and LPS+ EA+ ZnPP groups ( P<0.05 or 0.01). Compared with group LPS, the number of rearing and amplitude of calcium signals in neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region during rearing were significantly increased, and the exploration index and amplitude of calcium signals in neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region while exploring novel objects were increased in group LPS+ EA ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in the parameters mentioned above in group LPS+ EA+ ZnPP ( P>0.05). Compared with group LPS+ EA, the number of rearing and amplitude of calcium signals in neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region during rearing were significantly decreased, and the exploration index and amplitude of calcium signals in neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region while exploring novel objects were decreased in group LPS+ EA+ ZnPP ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The mechanism by which EA reduces LPS-induced brain injury is related to the activation of the endogenous protective mechanism HO-1 in mice.