Objective To preliminarily evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a novel non-implantable atrial shunt device based on radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of chronic heart failure(CHF).Methods This was a prospective single-arm study.From January 2023 to December 2023,five eligible CHF patients were consecutively enrolled at Beijing Anzhen Hospital,Capital Medical University,and underwent inter-atrial shunt using Shenzhen Betterway atrial shunt device.Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure(PCWP),right atrial pressure(RAP),pulmonary artery pressure(PAP),total pulmonary resistance(TPR),pulmonary vascular resistance(PVR),and pulmonary/systemic blood flow ratio(Qp/Qs)were measured using right heart catheterization before and immediately after procedure.Patients were followed up for 90 days,and echocardiography,right heart catheterization,and cardiac functional indicators were evaluated.The primary endpoint was procedural success.Secondary endpoints included clinical success,echocardiographic changes,6-minute walk distance(6MWD)changes,New York Heart Association(NYHA)class changes,Kansas city cardiomyopathy questionnaire(KCCQ)score changes,and amino-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)level changes at 90 days.The safety endpoint was major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular adverse events and device-related adverse events.Results All five patients successfully achieved left-to-right atrial shunt.Compared with baseline,PCWP decreased significantly immediately after procedure in all five patients,with a procedural success rate of 100％.There were no significant changes in RAP,PAP,TPR,and PVR before and immediately after procedure.After 90 days follow-up,four patients had persistent left-to-right atrial shunt,and PCWP was significantly lower than baseline,with a clinical success rate of 80％.Compared with baseline,LVEF increased,left ventricular end-diastolic diameter decreased,and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and right ventricular fractional area change were not impaired in all five patients at 90 days.KCCQ scores and 6MWT improved,NT-proBNP decreased,and NYHA class did not change significantly.There were no deaths,rehospitalizations for heart failure,stroke-related adverse events,or device-related adverse events during the follow-up.Conclusions The novel non-implantable atrial shunt catheter can safely and effectively improve hemodynamic,echocardiographic,and cardiac functional indicators in patients with heart failure.However,larger-scale clinical studies are still needed to validate its long-term clinical effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the stress distribution of the mandibular first molar with different thicknesses and heights of the axial wall restored by the endocrown with two marginal designs and thus provide a theoretical basis for selecting clinical preparation through the finite-element method. METHODS: Two marginal endocrowns of the mandibular first molar with different axial-wall thicknesses (t=1, 2, 3 mm) and heights (h=2, 3, 4 mm) were established. Group A was the butt-joint design, whereas group B was the shoulder-surrounded design. After applying vertical and oblique loads , the size and distribution of the maximum principal stress and equivalent stress of residual tooth tissue were recorded. RESULTS: The maximum principal stress and equivalent stress distribution of residual tooth tissue were similar among different models. Group A showed a lower maximum principal stress and equivalent stress than group B at the same thickness and height under vertical load. Meanwhile, under oblique load, the maximum principal stress values of groups A and B decreased with increased thickness at constant height. Group A showed lower equivalent stress than group B at the same thickness and height of 2 and 
3 mm. However, when the height was 4 mm, the trend was reversed. CONCLUSIONS In mastication, when bearing the vertical force, the retention of the butt-joint marginal endocrown preferred to the shoulder-surrounded one. Given the higher axial wall of the shoulder-surrounded marginal endocrown, it showed better ability to bear the oblique force than the butt-joint one.
Crowns ; Dental Stress Analysis ; Finite Element Analysis ; Mastication ; Molar

Panax japonicus( PJ) is a valuable medicinal plant belonging to the genus Panax of Araliaceae,the recumbent rhizome of which is widely used in clinic therapy,healthcare products and as cosmetic additives with functions of dissipating stasis,reducing swelling,stanching bleeding,and reinforcing deficiency,etc. PJ contains abundant levels of oleanane-and dammarane-type triterpene saponins,which are considered as the material basis for exerting pharmacodynamic action. Based on the previous researches,more than110 triterpene saponins have been reported from PJ. These triterpene saponins were summarized in this review,and could be classified into dammarenediol Ⅱ,protopanaxadiol,protopanaxatiol,ocotillol,oleanolic acid,ursolic acid and miscellaneous subtypes,according to their molecular skeletons in biosynthesis processes. Further more,the structural features of these triterpene saponins in the seven different subtypes,together with their~(13)C-NMR spectroscopic characteristics were described,hoping to provide available information for chemical diversity research of PJ.
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Panax ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Saponins ; chemistry ; Triterpenes ; chemistry

Non-human primates (NHPs) are confirmed as reservoirs of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi. In this study, 197 fresh fecal samples from 8 NHP species in Qinling Mountains, northwestern China, were collected and examined using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) method. The results showed that 35 (17.8%) samples were positive for tested parasites, including Cryptosporidium spp. (3.0%), G. intestinalis (2.0%), and E. bieneusi (12.7%). Cryptosporidium spp. were detected in 6 fecal samples of Macaca mulatta, and were identified as C. parvum (n=1) and C. andersoni (n=5). Subtyping analysis showed Cryptosporidium spp. belonged to the C. andersoni MLST subtype (A4, A4, A4, and A1) and C. parvum 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) subtype IId A15G2R1. G. intestinalis assemblage E was detected in 3 M. mulatta and 1 Saimiri sciureus. Intra-variations were observed at the triose phosphate isomerase (tpi), beta giardin (bg), and glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) loci, with 3, 1, and 2 new subtypes found in respective locus. E. bieneusi was found in Cercopithecus neglectus (25.0%), Papio hamadrayas (16.7%), M. mulatta (16.3%), S. sciureus (10%), and Rhinopithecus roxellana (9.5%), with 5 ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) genotypes: 2 known genotypes (D and BEB6) and 3 novel genotypes (MH, XH, and BSH). These findings indicated the presence of zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium spp. and E. bieneusi in NHPs in Qinling Mountains. This is the first report of C. andersoni in NHPs. The present study provided basic information for control of cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, and microsporidiosis in human and animals in this area.
Animals ; China ; Cryptosporidiosis/*parasitology ; Cryptosporidium/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Enterocytozoon/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Genotype ; Giardia lamblia/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Giardiasis/parasitology/*veterinary ; Male ; Microsporidiosis/parasitology/*veterinary ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Primate Diseases/*parasitology ; Primates/classification/parasitology

Objective To explore the correlation between mental disorder and craniocerebral injury,and notifying its related risk factors.Methods 342 patients from Sep.2008 to Sep.2012 with craniocerebral injury were selected and related clinical data on general their conditions,including sex,age,educational level,satisfaction on careers and relations to family were collected.All the patients received CT-scans to the head,IQ test,MQ test,SCID-1/P,PDQC and SCICP detection.Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the general information and cerebral injurious conditions of patients regarding the incidence of mental disorders.Results 249 patients with mental disorder were noticed out of the total 342 patients with craniocerebral injury,with the incidence rate as 72.8％ including 117 depression (47.0％),95 anxiety disorders (38.2％),27 mania (10.8％),69 intelligence and memory disorders (27.7％) cases.Data from correlation analysis showed that factors as sex,age,educational level,satisfaction on careers and family of patients as well as type,severity and location of the craniocerebral injuries appeared to have important correlation with mental disorder.Results also showed that the age of patients (OR ＞ 1.04),severity and location of the craniocerebral injuries (OR1 ＞1.28,OR2＞ 1.31) were independent risk factors (P＜0.05).Conclusion The age of patients,severity and location of the craniocerebral injuries were independent risk factors for mental disorder in patients with craniocerebral injury.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Splenectomy ; methods

BACKGROUNDIschaemic reperfusion injury (IRI) is inevitable during major liver surgery. Ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) has been proven an effective intervention against hepatic IRI. Recently, it was demonstrated that ischaemic postconditioning (IPO) provided effective cardioprotection on IRI. We evaluated the protective effects of IPO on warm/cold IRI in rat liver by a comparison with IPC and assessed the role of apoptosis in the process.

METHODSWarm IRI model (clamping hepatic pedicle for 30 minutes) and cold IRI model (orthotopic liver transplantation with 2 hours cold storage) were established. Each model consisted of 3 groups: (1) control group, normal warm/cold IRI; (2) IPC group, 5 minutes of ischaemia followed by 5 minutes of reperfusion twice prior to warm/cold IRI; (3) IPO group, 30 seconds of reperfusion followed by 30 seconds of reocclusion for three times after warm/cold ischaemia. The levels of serum transaminase, glucose, and gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) in bile, histopathological examination, apoptotic activity of hepatocyte, and apoptosis related protein Fas, at 3 hours after operation were compared. Survival rates one week after intervention were also compared.

RESULTSIPO and IPC protected the functions of hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells, inhibited the hepatocellular apoptosis by preventing expression of Fas gene, and elevated the one week survival rate compared with control group in both models (P < 0.05). IPO and IPC groups were comparable in levels of serum transaminase levels, glucose, and GGT in bile, Fas positive expression index, and one week survival. In cold ischaemic models, IPO had lower apoptotic index than IPC (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCompared with ischaemic preconditioning, ischaemic postconditioning is associated with comparable protections of rat liver from warm or cold ischaemic reperfusion injury.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Ischemic Preconditioning ; Liver ; blood supply ; pathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reperfusion Injury ; prevention & control ; Survival Rate ; fas Receptor ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo summarize the experience of laparoscopic common bile duct exploration.

METHODSThe clinical data of 587 cases who underwent laparoscopic common bile duct exploration from June 1992 to May 2006 were analyzed.

RESULTSThe surgery was successful in 585 cases (99.7%), 2 cases were converted to open common bile duct exploration. The duration of operation was 60 approximately 230 min (averaged 85 min), the complications consisted of biliary fistula (n=13), injury of the duodenum (n=1), abscess of drainage tube orifice (n=1), titanium clip discharging out from T tube (n=3), residual common bile duct stones (n=35). The patients could take food and walk on the second postoperative day and average postoperative hospital stay was 4.6 days.

CONCLUSIONSLaparoscopic common bile duct exploration is a safe and effective procedure in treating the calculus of bile duct.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biliary Tract Diseases ; surgery ; Biliary Tract Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Common Bile Duct ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; prevention & control ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDLaparoscopic splenectomy (LS) has been considered as the standard approach to remove a normal-sized spleen, but it is facing technical challenges when applied to splenomegaly. Hand-assisted laparoscopic technique was designed to facilitate the performance of difficult laparoscopic procedure. This study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy and superiority of hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy (HALS) for splenomegaly.

METHODSFrom November 1994 to January 2006, 36 patients with splenomegaly (final spleen weight > 700 g) were treated with laparoscopic operations for splenectomy in our hospital. Conventional LS was performed in 16 patients (7 men and 9 women, group 1) and HALS in the other 20 patients (12 men and 8 women, group 2). The patients' features, intraoperative details and the postoperative outcomes in the both groups were compared.

RESULTSThe both groups were comparable in the terms of patient's age ((38 +/- 12) years vs (43 +/- 14)years, P > 0.05), the greatest splenic diameter ((24 +/- 5)cm vs (27 +/- 7)cm, P > 0.05), preoperative platelet count ((118 +/- 94) x 10(9)/L vs (97 +/- 81) x 10(9)/L, P > 0.05) and diagnosis. Compared with LS group, operation time ((195 +/- 71) minutes vs (141 +/- 64) minutes, P < 0.05) was shorter, intraoperative blood loss ((138 +/- 80)ml vs (86 +/- 45)ml, P < 0.05) and conversion rate (4/16 vs 0/20, P < 0.05) were lower, but hospital stay ((5.3 +/- 3.8) days vs (7.4 +/- 1.6) days, P < 0.05) was longer in HALS group. There was no significant difference in the aspects of intraoperative and postoperative complication rate (2/16 vs 0/20, P > 0.05) or recovery time of gastrointestinal function ((16.3 +/- 11.6) hours vs (18.7 +/- 8.1) hours, P > 0.05) between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSIn the cases of splenomegaly, HALS significantly facilitates the surgical procedure and reduces the operational risk, while maintaining the advantages of conventional LS. HALS is more feasible and more effective than conventional LS for the removal of splenomegaly.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Splenectomy ; methods ; Splenomegaly ; surgery