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BackgroundWe describe a rare case of patent foramen ovale (PFO) associated stroke in a patient with pulmonary embolism, inferior vena cava thrombosis and undergoing filter implantation who successfully underwent PFO closure using the right internal jugular venous approach.Case SummaryThis is a rare case of a 42-year-old patient who presented with stroke and pulmonary embolism and was diagnosed with a PFO, inferior vena cava thrombosis and underwent filter implantation. The patient suffered from stroke and pulmonary embolism successively; that is, embolic events occurred in both the arterial and venous systems. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) showed a PFO with an atrial septal aneurysm (ASA), which we considered a “pathological” PFO. Due to the obstructive nature of the inferior vena cava approach, we successfully performed PFO closure via the right internal jugular venous approach under the guidance of X-ray and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE).DiscussionThe right jugular venous approach provides a simple technical solution for patients who require PFO closure when femoral venous access is unavailable, which can be performed under X-ray and TTE guidance.

Cryptosporidium spp., ubiquitous enteric parasitic protozoa of vertebrates, recently emerged as an important cause of economic loss and zoonosis. The present study aimed to determine the distribution and species of Cryptosporidium in post-weaned and adult pigs in Shaanxi province, northwestern China. A total of 1,337 fresh fecal samples of post-weaned and adult pigs were collected by sterile disposable gloves from 8 areas of Shaanxi province. The samples were examined by Sheather's sugar flotation technique and microscopy at × 400 magnification for Cryptosporidium infection, and the species in positive samples was further identified by PCR amplification of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene. A total of 44 fecal samples were successfully amplified by the nested PCR of the partial SSU rRNA, with overall prevalence of 3.3%. The average prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in each pig farms ranged from 0 to 14.4%. Species identification by sequencing of SSU rRNA gene revealed that 42 (3.1%) samples were Cryptosporidium suis and 2 (0.15%) were Cryptosporidium scrofarum. C. suis had the highest prevalence (7.5%) in growers and the lowest in breeding pigs (0.97%). C. suis was the predominant species in pre-weaned and adult pigs, while C. scrofarum infected pigs older than 3 months only. A season-related difference of C. suis was observed in this study, with the highest prevalence in autumn (5.5%) and the lowest (1.7%) in winter. The present study provided basic information for control of Cryptosporidium infection in pigs and assessment of zoonotic transmission of pigs in Shaanxi province, China.

Due to the limitation of the structure and working principle of the steering device of the secondary planetary steering machine, it is impossible to adjust the braking force of the small brake and the steering radius on the basis of the first position. It is difficult to correct the direction accurately when driving at high speed, which affects the performance of the vehicle. The steering device of a tracked vehicle is analyzed. In order to solve the problems, a hydraulic control device was designed, and the tracked vehicle was reformed. The improved prototype was tested and the steering radius could be adjusted steplessly in a large radius range.

Platypnea orthodeoxia syndrome is associated with dyspnea and arterial oxygen desaturation accentuated by an upright posture. It can be secondary to an intracardiac shunt. We report a case of platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome (POS) in a 58-year old male patient who had a pre-existing patent foramen ovale (PFO) and substantial pulmonary pathologies. He was successfully treated by percutaneous transcatheter closure of the PFO. Our case highlights the importance of recognition of this rare syndrome in patients who present with unexplained hypoxia for whom transcatheter closure of the interatrial shunt can be safely carried out.