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The processing of GNSS triple-frequency cycle slips is an important prerequisite for providing high-precision location services. Cycle slip detection is achieved by constructing a group of detection combinations, namely two geometry-free phase combinations and one pseudo-range phase combination of GNSS observations. However, cycle slip estimation would be strongly affected by ill-conditioned equations, which means that even a slight fluctuation in the observations will cause large biases to the final results. To deal with this problem, a new cycle slips estimation algorithm of adjusting coefficient matrix based on residual information (ACMRI algorithm) is proposed. In our algorithm, a parameter k is utilized to adjust the coefficient matrix of the normal equation to compensate for the deviation of the observations, so as to reduce the influence of the ill-conditioned normal equation. However, it is significantly challenging to search for the value of k. To solve this difficulty, we firstly developed a new way to obtain the search region of the parameters using the method of statistics–verification–optimization based on numerous experiments. Then, a new two-order search method, based on the principle of minimum least-square residual and rounding residual, is proposed. Once the cycle slips are determined, the two residuals are used as the reliability index of cycle slips repair. Two geometry-free phase combinations [1 1– 2], [1 –2 1] and one pseudo-range phase combination [1 4 –5] are selected for the experiments using BDS2, BDS3, GPS, and Galileo observations. Experimental results show the proposed algorithm improves the success rates of triple-frequency cycle slips repair from least-squares solution rates of 89.3% (Galileo), 14.5% (BDS2), and 48.1% (BDS3) to 100% for all systems, and reduces the RMS error of the residual between the float solutions of cycle slips and their true values more than 90% compared with the least-squares method. To further evaluate the feasibility of the algorithm, 60 groups of combinations are set for the four GNSS systems. Results indicate that the proposed algorithm can significantly improve the triple-frequency cycle slip estimation and the success rate of cycle slip repair for all combinations of all the four systems.

This phase II clinical trial investigated the efficacy and safety of intramuscular injection of plasmid pUDK-HGF, which encodes the human hepatocyte growth factor gene in patients with critical limb ischemia. Resting pain patients (

BACKGROUND A 63-year-old female was diagnosed with acute Stanford type A aortic dissection. The patient had pain in the chest and back for 1 wk. The computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed Stanford type A aortic dissection (Myla type III aortic arch). The intimal tear was located at the top of the aortic arch and retrograded to the ascending aorta. CASE SUMMARY Preoperatively, a three-dimensional (3D)-printed model of the aortic arch was made according to CTA data. Then, under the guidance of the 3D-printed aortic model, a pre-fenestrated stent-graft was customized, and the diameter of the stent-graft was reduced intraoperatively by surgeons. 3D printing, triple pre-fenestration, and reduced diameter techniques were used during the surgery. The CTA examinations were performed at the 3rd mo and 1st year after the surgery; the results showed that the aortic dissection was repaired without endoleak, and all three branches of the aortic arch remained unobstructed. CONCLUSION Applying the triple pre-fenestration technique for aortic arch lesions was feasible and minimally invasive in our case. The technique provides a new avenue for thoracic endovascular aortic repair of Stanford type A aortic dissection.

Background The aim of this study was to summarize the experience and outcomes of total endovascular repair of aortic arch disease using three-dimensional (3D) printing to guide the application of modified prefenestrated/branched stent grafts. Patients and methods From April 2018 to March 2019, 17 patients with aortic arch disease were treated in our department. Five patients had an aortic arch aneurysm and 12 had undergone an aortic arch dissection. Thirteen men and 4 were women, with an average age of 57.82 ± 10.47 years. Preoperatively, a 3D-printed model of the aorta was made according to computed tomography data. Then, under the guidance of the 3D-printed aortic model, modified prefenestrated/branched stent grafts were prepared, and the diameter of the stent grafts was reduced intraoperatively by a physician for total endovascular repair. Aortic computed tomography angiography was performed 3 and 6 months after the surgery. Results All procedures were completed in one stage with no conversions to sternotomy. Among all 17 patients, the operation was successful in 16. One patient was treated with a chimney graft and a stent graft fenestrated in situ because of distortion of the stent. The success rate of the technique was 94.18%. The average operation time was 4.18 ± 1.57 hr, and no patients died. No neurologic complications, such as cerebral infarction or paraplegia, were observed during the follow-up period. Conclusions Three-Dimensional printing can be used to help guide the treatment of aortic arch disease using modified prefenestrated/branched stent grafts. This minimally invasive total treatment technique is accurate, allows quick recovery, and has a low complication rate. The short-term follow-up data show the safety and reliability of the method; however, further research and development are needed.

Purpose: To summarize the experience and outcomes of total endovascular repair of thoracoabdominal aortic disease using 3-dimensional (3D) printed models to guide on-site creation of fenestrations in aortic stent-grafts. Materials and Methods: From April 2018 to March 2019, 34 patients (mean age 58±14 years; 24 men) with thoracoabdominal aortic disease were treated in our department. Nineteen patients had thoracoabdominal aortic dissection and 15 had thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. Preoperatively, a 3D printed model of the aorta was made according to computed tomography images. In the operating room, the main aortic stent-graft was completely released in the 3D printed model, and the position of each fenestration or branch was marked on the stent-graft. The fenestrations were then made using an electric pen. Wires were sewn to the edge of the fenestrations using nonabsorbable sutures. After customization, the aortic stent-graft was reloaded into the delivery sheath and deployed. Results: The printing process took ~5 hours (1 hour for image reconstruction, 3 hours for printing, and 1 hour for postprocessing). The physician-modified stent-grafts had a total of 107 fenestrations secured by 102 bridging stent-grafts, including 73 covered stents and 29 bare stents. The average procedure time was 5.6±1.2 hours, including a mean 1.3 hours for stent-graft customization. No renal insufficiency or paraplegia occurred. Two branch arteries were lost during the operation. One patient (3%) died 1 week after surgery from a retrograde dissection rupture. One patient developed a minor cerebral infarction postoperatively. The mean follow-up time was 8.5 months. There was 1 endoleak from a fenestration (coil embolized) and 4 distal ruptures of the aortic dissection (3 treated and 1 observed). Conclusion: Three-dimensional printing can be used to guide creation of fenestrated stent-grafts for the treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic diseases involving crucial branches. This technique appears to be more accurate than the traditional measurement method, with short-term follow-up demonstrating the safety and reliability of the method. However, further research and development are needed.

BACKGROUND: A 46-year-old male underwent ascending aortic replacement, total arch replacement, and descending aortic stent implantation for Stanford type A aortic dissection in 2016. However, an intraoperative stent-graft was deployed in the false lumen inadvertently. This caused severe iatrogenic thoracic and abdominal aortic dissection, and the dissection involved many visceral arteries. CASE SUMMARY: The patient had pain in the chest and back for 1 mo. A computed tomography scan showed that the patient had secondary thoracic and abdominal aortic dissection. The ascending aortic replacement, total arch replacement, and descending aortic stent implantation for Stanford type A aortic dissection were performed 2 years prior. An intraoperative stent-graft was deployed in the false lumen. Endovascular aneurysm repair was performed to address this intractable situation. An occluder was used to occlude the proximal end of the true lumen, and a covered stent was used to direct blood flow back to the true lumen. A three-dimensional printing technique was used in this operation to guide pre-fenestration. The computed tomography scan at the 1(st)mo after surgery showed that the thoracic and abdominal aortic dissection was repaired, with all visceral arteries remaining patent. The patient did not develop renal failure or neurological complications after surgery. CONCLUSION: The total endovascular repair for false lumen stent-graft implantation was feasible and minimally invasive. Our procedures provided a new solution for stent-graft deployed in the false lumen, and other departments may be inspired by this case when they need to rescue a disastrous stent implantation.

NL003 is a plasmid engineered to simultaneously express two isoforms of hepatocyte growth factor. This phase II study was performed to assess the clinical safety and efficacy of intramuscular injection of NL003 in critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients for 6 months. Two hundred patients (Rutherford scale 4-5) were randomly assigned: placebo (n = 50), low-dose NL003 (n = 50), middle-dose NL003 (n = 50), or high-dose NL003 (n = 50). The drug was administered in the affected limb of 197 patients on days 0, 14, and 28. No significant differences in the incidence of adverse events (AEs) or serious AEs were found among the groups. At 6 months, pain severity was significantly reduced in all NL003 groups, but not in the placebo group (p 0.05). The proportion of patients with complete ulcer healing in the high-dose group was significantly higher than that of the placebo group (p = 0.0095). There were no statistically significant differences in transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO

Purpose: To report a novel internal and external blood bypass method for cerebral protection during in situ triple-fenestrated stent-graft repair in the aortic arch. Technique: A method was devised to combine internal and external blood bypass circuits to preserve cerebral blood flow when all 3 supra-aortic branches are covered by the stent-graft. Long 14-F to 18-F introducers are placed retrogradely into the right and left common carotid arteries (CCAs). Smaller sheaths are placed antegradely into the internal carotid arteries (ICAs) bilaterally and into the right CCA introducer, which has had an aperture cut into it for flow to pass into the smaller sheath. The right CCA introducer is positioned in the ascending aorta to supply the innominate artery; the smaller sheath in the right CCA introducer is positioned at the aperture. The small sheath in the right CCA is connected to the left ICA sheath, and the left CCA fenestration is made and stented. The left ICA sheath is connected to the right ICA sheath, and the right CCA introducer is pulled back to the origin of the innominate artery and the smaller sheath removed. The fenestrations for the innominate and left subclavian arteries are opened sequentially. In 8 patients, complete bypass to maintain brain perfusion was performed for an average 17.6±6.9 minutes; intraoperative transcranial Doppler monitoring during flow bypass showed no notable decline in intracranial blood flow velocity. Two patients suffered stroke; one recovered completely. Conclusion: A cerebral protection strategy that integrates internal and external blood flow bypass techniques to maintain adequate brain blood flow is simple and feasible for in situ triple-fenestration aortic arch stent-graft repairs. However, neurological complications were not avoided with this method; thus, further research and development are required.

Background To demonstrate the correlation between guide pin-shaft angle (PSA) at the anteroposterior film and anteversion angle of guide pin at the lateral film and investigate whether excellent tip–apex distance (TAD) can be obtained by changing the entry point via axial rotation of the main intramedullary nail. Methods Fifty patients with intertrochanteric femoral fractures (IFFs) undergoing internal fixation with intramedullary nails under 2D fluoroscopy were retrospectively enrolled. Both of the PSA at the anteroposterior film and anteversion angle at the lateral film before and after adjustment of the guide pin were collected. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to investigate their correlation. Intraoperative and postoperative outcomes were recorded. Furthermore, the software of Mimics 10.0 and Pro/E were used to establish the 3D models of the proximal femur and main intramedullary nail/guide pin, respectively. Surgery was simulated on the Pro/E software platform and solid geometry analysis was conducted to calculate the correlation between the PSA and the anteversion angle. Results Pearson correlation analysis indicated there was a positive correlation between PSA and anteversion angle, with the correlation coefficient of 0.902 (p Conclusion Our findings suggest altering the PSA and anteversion angle may be beneficial for obtaining excellent TAD and achieving superior outcomes.

Filter-bank multicarrier with offset quadrature amplitude modulation (FBMC-OQAM) has been considered as an alternative scheme to orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). However, the traditional channel estimation techniques of the OFDM cannot be directly applied to the FBMC-OQAM system because of the real-field orthogonality of the FBMC-OQAM signals. Although traditional channel estimation techniques, such as least square (LS) and minimum mean square error (MMSE), are widely applied to the FBMC-OQAM system via canceling the intrinsic imaginary interference from adjacent data symbols, the LS algorithm is subject to noise enhancement and it results in large mean square error (MSE), while the mmse algorithm needs to know the statistical information of channel in advance. Due to sparsity of the wireless channel, channel estimation is investigated as a compressive sensing (CS) problem. In this paper, we first introduce the coding method to cancel intrinsic imaginary interference for the FBMC-OQAM system. Then, a novel sparse adaptive subspace pursuit (SASP) method is proposed to improve the accuracy of LS channel estimation. Finally, we develop two distinctive algorithms, namely, auxiliary pilot (AP) SASP and coding-SASP, to estimate channel frequency respond (CFR) in the FBMC-OQAM system. The simulation results show that the AP-SASP and coding-SASP algorithms can offer a low complexity and fewer measurements compared with conventional orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) and regularized OMP (ROMP) methods. Moreover, the proposed AP-SASP and coding-SASP algorithms have a better bit error ratio (BER) performance than the conventional OMP and ROMP methods for FBMC system in the doubly selective channels.

With the development of precise positioning with multi-GNSS, the inter-system bias (ISB) has become an issue that cannot be ignored. ISB is introduced from the differences among satellite reference clocks and different receiver hardware delay biases. To analyze the characteristics of multi-GNSS ISB, the precise point positioning (PPP) with full-rank uncombined model was derived for GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, while the GPS receiver clock was selected as the reference. In addition, a recommended ISB parameter processing model was adopted. Data of 28-days from the Multi-GNSS Experiment (MGEX) station was used to estimate and analyze the ISB parameters. Based on a statistical analysis of the acquired data, results demonstrate that: (a) The rms of multi-GNSS PPP positional bias can reach 4.6 mm, 3.4 mm and 8.5 mm for E, N and U directions, respectively, which guarantees the reliability and accuracy of the ISB parameter solution. (b) The intra-day ISB time series of the three groups is relatively stable with standard deviations less than 0.6 ns. The ISB parameters between the GALILEO and GPS system are the most stable and the standard deviation was the smallest, at about 0.37 ns, which may be related to the good signal quality of the GALILEO system. (c) The mean of the single-day solution of the ISB parameter is not stable and the amplitude of the jump can be up to 60 ns. However, each station shows a similar variation for the same ISB parameter on the same day. The situation is independent of the type of receiver and antenna, however, it may be affected by the satellite reference clock of different systems. (d) There is a clear relationship between the ISB parameters and receiver types.

To report the early results of castor device, a kind of unibody single-branched stent graft, in the treatment of type B aortic dissection (TBAD) involving the LSA. From April 2013 to February 2014, 21 patients with TBADs underwent TEVAR with LSA revascularization by unibody single-branched stent grafts. Three patients with penetrating aortic ulcers in the aortic arch received additional reconstruction of left common carotid artery with chimney technique. Follow-up evaluations were conducted with computed tomography angiography (CTA) at 6, 12 months and annually after that. All of the proximal entry tears were completely excluded. Good patency of the grafts was found in all cases. A small type I endoleak occurred in one patient during the procedure. Perioperative mortality is null, and there was no occurrence of serious complications. All patients completed the follow-up except one lost contact after discharge. One death occurred within 6 months after the operation, resulting from myocardial infarction, considered unrelated to the stent implantation. No endoleak occurred during follow-up. One compression of a chimney stent and one twist of side branch graft of castor were observed in 2 different patients, respectively. In other cases, CTA scans showed good patency of both the branched and chimney grafts. Two patients had partial thrombosis of the false lumen during follow-up. In other patients, complete thrombosis in the false lumen in thoracic aorta was revealed. The single-branched stent graft was safe and efficient in the 1-year follow-up. Further studies are required to determine its long-term outcomes.

Objective This study aimed to describe treatment of serious complications after primary thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in type B aortic dissection. Methods From June 2008 to March 2016, serious complications occurred in 58 patients without Marfan syndrome who received TEVAR for type B aortic dissection. Results Complications included endoleak, distal true lumen collapse, retrograde dissection, stroke, stent–graft (SG) migration and mistaken deployment, lower limb ischaemia, and SG fracture. Treatment included endovascular repair, surgical procedures, or conservative medication. Forty-six patients recovered from complications. Twelve patients were not cured. The median follow-up time was 29.5 months (2–61 months). The overall 30-day mortality rate was 1.7% (1/58) and the total mortality rate following secondary complications was 8.6% (5/58). The causes of death were stroke and aortic rupture. Conclusion Some treatments need to be performed after TEVAR because of severe complications. A reduction in these complications can be achieved by optimal evaluation of patients, selection of SGs, and specialized endovascular manipulation.

This study explored the application of shale ceramsite (SC) overlaid onto active alumina (AA) to function as a double-layer substrate in tidal flow constructed wetland (TFCW, SC-AA-TFCW) for decentralized domestic sewage treatment. This was compared to AA or SC substrate alone (AA-TFCW or SC-TFCW) for nitrogen removal, variation of dissolved oxygen and porosity in TFCWs, as well as structure of bacterial communities at varied hydraulic load (HL) of 0.204–2.448 m3/m2 d with time ratio of the wet and dry phase of 3:1. The results demonstrate that SC-AA-TFCW removed 86% NH4+-N and 79% total nitrogen at HL of 0.612 m3/m2 d, which was better than AA-TFCW(76%) or SC-TFCW(49%). The higher nitrogen removal performance in SC-AA-TFCW was mainly attributed to enhanced oxygen transportation due to non-uniform flow field and irregular gap distribution in layered structure, as well as less pore blockage during long-term operation. Denitrifying bacteria including Dechloromonas, Acidovorax, Chryseobacterium and Thermomonas species took up 32% of the microbiome in SC-AA-TFCW, which was higher than in AA-TFCW (17%) and SC-TFCW (7.7%). This study highlighted the importance of layered structures and determined an optimal HL of TFCW to achieve an efficient and stable nitrogen removal for domestic sewage treatment.

Objective Previous studies have suggested that stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF1) plays a pivotal role in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) development. The SDF1-3′A polymorphism (G to A, rs1801157), located in the 3′ untranslated region, could influence the expression of SDF1. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship of SDF1-3′A polymorphism with the risk of AAA occurrence and size. Methods A total of 205 AAA patients and 216 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited. The SDF1-3′A polymorphism was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction, followed by restriction enzyme analysis. Results The frequency of A allele was similar between groups. The genotype distribution also displayed no statistically significant differences under both the dominant model (odds ratio [OR], 0.922; P = .678) and the recessive model (OR, 1.617; P = .300). The multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the association between the polymorphism and AAA remained insignificant when applied to the dominant model. However, AAA patients with GG genotype were more likely to develop aneurysms larger than 50 mm (OR, 0.497; P = .014). AAA patients with SDF1-3′A allele have reduced plasma SDF1α levels. In addition, plasma SDF1α levels were positively correlated with AAA size. Conclusions Our study suggests that SDF1-3′A polymorphism is associated with size but not occurrence of AAA, providing further evidence that SDF1 is implicated in AAA progression.

Yepeng Zhang,1 Hanfei Tang,1 JianPing Zhou,2 Zhao Liu,1 Changjian Liu,1 Tong Qiao,1 Min Zhou1 1Department of Vascular Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 2Department of General Surgery, Yixin People’s Hospital, Yixin, People’s Republic of China Background: Endovascular option has been proposed for a very limited and selected number of Stanford type A aortic dissection (TAAD) patients. We have performed a computed tomography (CT)-based TAAD study to explore appropriate endograft configurations for the ascending aortic pathology. Methods: TAAD patients treated with optimal CT scans were retrospectively reviewed, and their entry tears (ETs) were identified using three-dimensional and multiplanar reconstructions in an EndoSize workstation. After generating a centerline of flow, measurements, including numerous morphologic characteristics of anatomy, were evaluated and a selected subset of patients were determined to be suitable for endovascular treatments. Proximal diameter and distal diameter of endograft were selected based on diameters measured at the ET level and at the innominate artery (IA) level, with 10% oversizing with respect to the true lumen, but not exceeding the original aortic diameter. The length of the endograft was determined by the distance from the sinotubular junction to IA. Results: This study covered 126 TAAD patients with primary ET in ascending aorta, among which, according to the assumed criteria, 48 (38.1%) patients were deemed to be suitable for endovascular treatment. The diameters of ascending aorta from the sinotubular junction to the IA level presented a downward trend, and the proximal diameters differed significantly from distal diameters of the endograft for TAAD (39.9versus 36.2mm, P

Clinical Named Entity Recognition for identifying sensitive information in clinical text, also known as Clinical De-identification, has long been critical task in medical intelligence. It aims at identifying various types of protected health information (PHI) from clinical text and then replace them with special tokens. Along with the development of deep learning technology, lots of neural-network-based methods have been proposed to deal with Named Entity Recognition. As one of the state-of-the-art methods to address this problem, Bi-LSTM-CRF has become the mainstream due to its simplicity and efficiency. In order to better represent the entity-related information expressed in the context of clinical text, we design a novel Capsule-LSTM network that is able to combine the great expressivity of capsule network with the sequential modeling capability of LSTM network. Experiments on 2014 i2b2 dataset show that the proposed method outperforms the baseline and thus reveal the effectiveness of the newly proposed Capsule-LSTM network.

To compare the short-term efficiency of two different endovascular repairs for type B aortic dissection involving the left subclavian artery. From February 2013 to March 2016, a cohort of 43 patients with TBADs involving the LSA underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in two departments, consisting of 22 (Group A) with chimney grafts (CGs) and 21 (Group B) with single-branched stent graft (SBSG). Results of the two groups in perioperative and follow-up period (≥ 3 months) were comparatively analyzed, especially on aortic remodeling. Endoluminal repair of the two groups was successfully carried out. The median follow-up period was 19 months (range, 3–43 months) in Group A and 12 months in Group B (range, 6–32 months). During the TEVAR, one CG compression occurred in Group A and one type I endoleak in Group B. During follow-up, four complications occurred in Group A (two CGs occlusion, one type I endoleak and one death from dissecting aneurysm rupture), compared with two occurred in Group B (one sidearm graft twist and one death from myocardial infarction). Complete thrombosis of the false lumen (FL) in thoracic aorta was revealed in 83.3% (15/18) cases in Group A and 89.5% (17/19) in Group B. Partial thrombosis of the FL was revealed in 16.7% (3/18) cases in Group A and 10.5% (2/19) in Group B. In the abdominal aorta, complete thrombosis of the FL was noted in 23.1% (3/13) cases in Group A and 36.4% (4/11) in Group B. Partial thrombosis of the FL was revealed in 76.9% (10/13) cases in Group A and 63.6% (7/11) in Group B. Significant true lumen re-expansion and false lumen regression were observed in different levels of the descending aorta by computed tomography angiography (CTA) in both Groups A and B (P

In recent years, there has been increasing demand for personalized anatomy modelling for medical and industrial applications, such as ergonomics device development, clinical radiological exposure simulation, biomechanics analysis, and 3D animation character design. In this study, we constructed deformable torso phantoms that can be deformed to match the personal anatomy of Chinese male and female adults. The phantoms were created based on a training set of 79 trunk computed tomography (CT) images (41 males and 38 females) from normal Chinese subjects. Major torso organs were segmented from the CT images, and the statistical shape model (SSM) approach was used to learn the inter‐subject anatomical variations. To match the personal anatomy, the phantoms were registered to individual body surface scans or medical images using the active shape model method. The constructed SSM demonstrated anatomical variations in body height, fat quantity, respiratory status, organ geometry, male muscle size, and female breast size. The masses of the deformed phantom organs were consistent with Chinese population organ mass ranges. To validate the performance of personal anatomy modelling, the phantoms were registered to the body surface scan and CT images. The registration accuracy measured from 22 test CT images showed a median Dice coefficient over 0.85, a median volume recovery coefficient (RC (vlm)) between 0.85 and 1.1, and a median averaged surface distance (ASD)

Aim Vascular endothelial-cadherin (VE-cadherin) is specifically expressed by outgrowth endothelial cells (OECs). Zwitterionic stent showed high antifouling and excellent blood compatibility. Therefore, we hypothesized that anti-VE-cadherin antibody-coated zwitterionic stents (VE-cad-Z stents) would promote re-endothelialization, reduce neointimal formation, and resist thrombus. Methods VE-cad-Z stents were examined using platelet adhesion test, platelet activation, and OEC capture ability in vitro. In vivo effect of VE-cad-Z stents on re-endothelialization, thrombus-resistance, and neointima hyperplasia was investigated in left common carotid arteries of rabbits (n=15). Results In vitro, VE-cad-Z stents showed better platelet-resistance and OEC-capture ability (DNA concentration: 297.23±22.71 versus 67.49±15.26 ng/µL, P＜0.01). In vivo, VE-cad-Z stents exhibited better patency rate than bare metal stents (BMS) (15/15 versus 12/15), and it significantly reduced platelet adhesion and neointima formation (neointima area: 1.13±0.05 versus 1.00±0.05mm(2), P＜0.01 and 3.04±0.11versus 1.05±0.06mm(2), P＜0.01, at 3 and 30 days, respectively; % stenosis: 20.99±0.98 versus 18.72±0.97, P＜0.01 and 56.46±2.20 versus 19.45±1.24, P＜0.01, at 3 and 30 days, respectively). Conclusion These data suggested that VE-cad-Z stents could specifically capture OECs, consequently promote endothelial healing, and also reduce platelet adhesion and neointima formation.

Background A custom-made unibody single-branch endograft (USBE) could provide great gains in the landing zone, while maintaining a left subclavian artery (LSA) perfusion in some patients with Stanford type B dissections (TBADs). We performed a computed tomography (CT)-based planning study to determine the proportion of TBAD patients who could benefit from this custom-made USBE and ascertained the possibility of an off-the-shelf USBE in an emergency setting. Methods We carried out a retrospective study of TBAD patients with optimal CT scans at our center from 2007 to 2013. Patients' CT scans were analyzed using 3-dimensional reconstruction software. After generating a centerline of flow, measurements (including numerous morphologic characteristics of anatomy) were evaluated. A selected subset of patients suitable for USBE was determined. Finally, the most frequently used configurations of endografts were figured out by subgroup analysis. Results A total of 314 patients with optimal digital imaging communications in medicine (DICOM) data were included in our study. The main primary entry tears (MPETs) were located at 22.8 ± 17.3 and 36.3 ± 18.6 mm distal to the LSA and the left common carotid artery, respectively. Overall, 169 (54.2%) patients with MPET distal to LSA (＞20 mm) could be treated by tubular stent grafts. Of the 143 patients who had intimal tears adjacent to the LSA (≤20 mm), there were 111 (35.4%) patients who could benefit from treatment using USBE based on our selection criteria. Subgroup analysis estimated the number of graft configurations needed to treat a proportion of patients: 1 design would treat 6.7% of the population, 5 designs would treat 23.1%, 10 designs would treat 37.6%, and 20 configurations would treat 54.8% . Conclusions In all, 35.4% patients with TBAD could potentially benefit from USBE. The use of off-the-shelf endografts might be possible in cases of emergency, given the evidence of recurrent configurations.

Objectives To report the midterm safety and efficacy of the Aegis™-B (Microport, Shanghai, China) unibody bifurcated stent graft for endovascular treatment of isolated abdominal aortic dissection (IAAD). Background Isolated abdominal aorta dissection (IAAD) is a rare event. Endovascular stent grafts seem to offer an efficient therapeutic approach to treat IAAD. However, the relatively small diameter of the infrarenal aorta and aortic bifurcation remains the main anatomical limitation to endovascular repair. Methods Between 2008 and 2015, we retrospectively evaluated 32 IAAD patients (21 men; mean age 58 ± 18 years), who underwent endovascular repair using Aegis™-B unibody bifurcated stent graft. Narrow proximal landing zone and narrow distal aorta was present in 11 (34.4%) patients and 10 (31.3%) patients, respectively. In the follow-up period, aortic remodeling was observed with computed tomography angiography. Results All patients were treated by endovascular means, with a primary technical success rate of 100%. During a mean follow-up period of 30.71 ± 16.36 months (range, 8–56 months), no death, rupture, stent fracture, material failure, or device migration was observed. Complete false lumen thrombosis was observed in all patients at 1 year, and all patients were free from false lumen growth in the follow-up. Conclusions Endovascular treatment of IAAD using the Aegis™-B system appears to be safe and effective. Results from this study suggest this algorithm can provide stable, secure fixation for IAAD patients with narrow proximal landing zone, and distal aorta.

Several observational studies have demonstrated that lipid-modifying therapy may improve long-term survival in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients after repair. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating the effect of lipid-modifying therapy on long-term mortality. We conducted a systematic search of multiple databases up to April 2014. Studies that evaluated exposure to lipid-modifying therapy, reported mortality data and hazard ratio (HR) or provided survival curve for their estimation were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled HR estimates with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the random-effects model. Eight studies (seven cohorts, one post hoc study of a randomization controlled trial) reporting 2,605 patients on lipid-modifying therapy were included. Meta-analysis showed a significant 39 % reduction in long-term mortality with lipid-modifying therapy (HR 0.61; 95 % CI 0.51–0.73). After exclusion of one study which was contributing to considerable heterogeneity, a significant 33 % reduction in mortality risk was a more conservative, consistent estimate (HR 0.67; 95 % CI 0.59–0.77). Meta-analysis of studies supports a protective role of lipid-modifying therapy on mortality risk after AAA repair. Aggressive lipid intervention should be recommended to those who receiving AAA repair.

We investigated the hypothesis that an antioxidant, Vitamin C, could attenuate abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) development in a rat model.An AAA model induced by intraluminal infusion was created in 36 male Sprague Dawley rats, which were randomly distributed into three groups: Sham (saline infused, placebo treated), Control (elastase infused, placebo treated), and Vitamin C (elastase infused, vitamin C treated). Vitamin C and placebo were intraperitoneally injected, initiating 1 wk before the infusion and continuing throughout the study. The aortic dilatation ratio was measured, and aortic tissues were further examined using biochemical and histologic techniques.Vitamin C attenuated the development of AAA, decreasing maximal aortic diameter by 25.8% (P 0.05) and preserving elastin lamellae (P 0.05). Vitamin C also decreased 8-hydroxyguanine (a marker of oxidative damage to DNA) and 8-isoprostane content (a marker of oxidative stress) in aortic tissues (P 0.05, respectively). The proteins of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and interleukin 6 were markedly downregulated (P 0.05, respectively), accompanied with notably reduced messenger RNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-α, MMP-2/9, and interleukin 1β (P 0.05, respectively). However, messenger RNA of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1 and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-2 were both significantly upregulated in Vitamin C group. Vitamin C treatment had no significant effect on systolic blood pressure (P 0.05).Vitamin C attenuated AAA development in an elastase-induced rat model via crucial protective effect, which was mediated by an increased level of antioxidant in cooperation with preserving elastin lamellae, inhibiting matrix-degrading proteinases and suppressing inflammatory responses.

Complex aortic aneurysms are difficult to treat endovascularly and so techniques have been developed to broaden the management options. We report a case of 51-year-old man with several thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) who underwent endovascular repair with “off-label” stent grafts. Three aortic stent grafts and four branched stent grafts were used in the procedure using chimney and periscope techniques. The patient was followed for three years with regular computed tomography angiography (CTA). Scans at 3 and 12 months showed that the TAAAs were repaired and all visceral arteries were patent. Although, scans at the two- and three-year follow-ups showed that the stent graft in the superior mesenteric artery was occluded, the patient did not have any complications probably as a result of coeliac artery compensation.

We experimentally investigate the effects of the surface roughness of gold thin films on the properties of surface plasmon resonance. By annealing at different temperatures, film samples with different surface morphologies are obtained. Specifically, due to the diffusion of the gold atoms towards the films’ surface, the surface root-mean-square roughness decreases with the increasing annealing temperature. Then, we measure the surface plasmon resonance of the samples. The results show that the resonance angle of the surface plasmon resonance is sensitive to the root-mean-square roughness, and it gradually decreases by reducing the surface root-mean-square roughness.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether chronic administration of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) following angioplasty in a dog model of atherosclerotic iliac stenosis may restore endothelium function and prevent restenosis (RS). In total, 40 dogs with atherosclerotic stenosis of the right iliac arteries were used in the study. A total of 20 dogs underwent histological examination of the lumen areas prior to (n=10) and immediately following angioplasty (n=10). Intravenous bFGF was administered to 10 dogs (bFGF group) and an additional 10 dogs received vehicle injection (control group). Animals in the two groups were sacrificed 42 days following surgery for in vitro analysis of vascular reactivity and morphometric assessment of the histological cross-sectional areas. The bFGF group exhibited significantly greater maximal endothelium-dependent acetylcholine-induced relaxation (Emax, 43±9%) when compared with the control group (Emax, 8±6%; P

The purpose of this study was to determine whether myeloid differentiation factor88-dependent Toll-Like Receptor-4 (TLR-4) signaling contributed to the inhibition of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) by Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA).Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 12 / group) were randomly distributed into three groups: Tan IIA, control, and sham. The rats from Tan IIA and control groups under-went intra-aortic elastase perfusion to induce AAAs, and those in the sham group were perfused with saline. Only the Tan IIA group received Tan IIA (2 mg / rat / d). Aortic tissue samples were harvested at 24 d after perfusion and evaluated using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.The over-expression of Toll-Like Receptor-4 (TLR-4), Myeloid Differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), Phosphorylated Nuclear Factor κB (pNF-κB) and Phosphorylated IκBα (pIκBα) induced by elastase perfusion were significantly decreased by Tan IIA treatment.Tan IIA attenuates elastase-induced AAA in rats possibly via the inhibition of MyD88-dependent TLR-4 signaling, which may be one potential explanation of why Tan IIA inhibits AAA development through multiple effects.Hintergrund: Das Ziel dieser Studie war es, festzustellen, ob das vom myeloischen Differenzierungsfaktor88 (MyD88)-abhängige Toll-like-Rezeptor-4 (TLR-4) Signal zur Hemmung des Bauchaortenaneurysmas (BAA) durch Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) beiträgt. Material und Methoden: Männliche Sprague-Dawley Ratten (n = 12 pro Gruppe) wurden zufällig in drei Gruppen aufgeteilt: Tan IIA, Kontrolle und Scheinbehandlung. Die Ratten von Tan IIA und der Kontrollgruppe wurden einer intraaortalen Elastase Perfusion unterzogen, um ein BAA zu induzieren, und in der Gruppe mit Scheinbehandlung wurde mit Kochsalzlösung perfundiert. Nur die Tan IIA Gruppe erhielt Tan IIA (2 mg / Ratte / Tag). Aortale Gewebeproben wurden 24 Tage nach Perfusion genommen und mit Reverse Transkriptase Polymerase Kettenreaktion, Western Blot, Immunhistochemie und Immunfluoreszenz ausgewertet. Ergebnisse: Die Überexpression von TLR-4, MyD88, phosphoryliertem nuclear factor kappaB (pNF-κB) und phosphoryliertem IκBα (pIκBα), welche durch Elastase Perfusion induziert waren, wurden wesentlich durch Tan IIA Behandlung verringert. Schlussfolgerungen: Tan IIA dämpft das Elastase-induzierte BAA in Ratten möglicherweise über die Hemmung der MyD88-abhängigen TLR-4-Signalisierung, was eine Erklärung dafür sein kann, warum Tan IIA die Entwicklung eines BAA durch mehrere Effekte verringert.

We report our three-year experience with the visceral hybrid procedure for patients with thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms, dissections and Takayasu's arteritis. We also evaluate and discuss the outcomes of hybrid procedures. Hybrid procedures include debranching of the visceral or renal arteries followed by endovascular repair of the disease. The surgical strategy was designed individually to reduce trauma and minimize stent coverage area. A series of 11 patients (9 men, mean age 52 years) were treated between June 2008 and September 2011. The pathologies were aneurysmal disease (thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms) (5, 45.5%), aortic dissection (thoracoabdominal aortic dissection) (4, 36.4%) or true/false aneurysm formation after Takayasu's arteritis (2, 18.2%). Simultaneous approach (9, 81.8%) and staged approach (2, 18.2%) were performed. The mean follow-up was 13.5 months (range 1–36). The technical success was 100%. Stent grafts were implanted in the entire or part of the thoracoabdominal aorta. The overall mortality rate was 9.1% (1/11) with no aneurysm-related death. The permanent paraplegia and bypass graft occlusion rate was 0%. The overall morbidity was 36.4% with two endoleaks (2/11, 18.2%). In conclusion, hybrid procedures can minimize surgical invasiveness in treatments of thoracoabdominal aortic pathologies, and it is a safe method with acceptable morbidity and mortality.

Objective To investigate the abnormal expressions of Tie1 on the valves of great saphenous varicose vein, and to discuss the relationship between the phenomenon and pathogenesis of varicose vein of lower extremity. Methods Varicose veins group 18 samples, normal control group 14 samples. Immunohistochemistry staining has investigated the expression of CD31 and Tie1 in the first valves of great saphenous veins. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has checked mRNA expression of Tie1. Western blot has checked the expression of Tie1 protein in venous valves. Results In normal control group valves, there was no difference between proximal and distal sides endothelium, which expressing CD31 in both valvar basement and valve cusp (positive endothelial cells [ECs] percentage: P > 0.05, P > 0.05). However, the endothelium of the proximal side demonstrates Tie1 stronger than distal side in valvar basement (positive ECs percentage: P < 0.05), which was not found at valve cusp (positive ECs percentage: P > 0.05). In varicose veins group, the endothelium of proximal side cells expresses CD31 weaker than distal side at both valvar basement and valve cusp (positive ECs percentage: P < 0.05, P < 0.05) besides the morphological alteration of valves. Moreover, it expresses Tie1 much weaker than diatal side (positive ECs percentage: P < 0.01). Semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that valves of varicose veins group expressed Tie1 much weaker than the normal control group ( P < 0.01). Western blot could not detect the expression of Tie1 in venous valves. Conclusion The decreasing expression of Tie1 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of primary lower extremity varicose veins.

BACKGROUND Varicose veins (VVs) have a substantial impact on patients' quality of life. OBJECTIVE The study aimed to retrospectively compare the short-term clinical outcomes of 2 treatment methods for VVs, namely high ligation and stripping (HL/S) of the great saphenous vein combined with foam sclerotherapy (FS), and FS alone. MATERIALS AND METHODS Totally, 180 patients with VVs were included and treated with FS alone or HL/S+FS. Assessments included the first injection efficacy, postoperative status, complications, operative time, and recovery time. A follow-up duration was performed. Patient satisfaction was also recorded. RESULTS No significant differences in the complete occlusion rate of the varicose tributaries, as well as in postoperative complications, were found between the treatment groups (p > 0.05). The complete occlusion rates of the varicose tributaries in the FS and HL/S+FS groups were 90% and 90%, respectively. Although mild phlebitis and local pigmentation were found in both groups, they disappeared during the follow-up period. Operative and recovery times were higher in the HL/S+FS group than in the FS group. CONCLUSION The HL/S+FS and FS alone showed equivalent efficacy for treating patients with VVs. Considering the increased operative and recovery times, FS alone is recommended to treat VVs in clinical practice.

Typical iliac vein compression syndrome (IVCS) is characterized by compression of left common iliac vein (LCIV) by the overlying right common iliac artery (RCIA). We described an underestimated type of IVCS with dual compression by right and left common iliac arteries (LCIA) simultaneously. Thirty-one patients with IVCS were retrospectively included. All patients received trans-catheter venography and computed tomography (CT) examinations for diagnosing and evaluating IVCS. Late venography and reconstructed CT were used for evaluating the anatomical relationship among LCIV, RCIA and LCIA. Imaging manifestations as well as demographic data were collected and evaluated by two experienced radiologists. Sole and dual compression were found in 32.3% (n = 10) and 67.7% (n = 21) of 31 patients respectively. No statistical differences existed between them in terms of age, gender, LCIV diameter at the maximum compression point, pressure gradient across stenosis, and the percentage of compression level. On CT and venography, sole compression was commonly presented with a longitudinal compression at the orifice of LCIV while dual compression was usually presented as two types: one had a lengthy stenosis along the upper side of LCIV and the other was manifested by a longitudinal compression near to the orifice of external iliac vein. The presence of dual compression seemed significantly correlated with the tortuous LCIA (p = 0.006). Left common iliac vein can be presented by dual compression. This type of compression has typical manifestations on late venography and CT.

Compared with the qualitative analysis, the quantitative analysis of VTEC (vertical total electron content) is more conducive to the modeling, forecasting, and correcting of ionosphere delay. With Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD), the mean nighttime VTEC are investigated qualitatively using global grid ionospheric data from IGS (the International GPS Service for Geodynamic). The evaluation is done in this paper by comparing GIMs data with the quantitative analysis result and Klobuchar model. The final result indicates that the quantitative analysis result is reliable to describe and forecast the trend of the global mean nighttime VTEC in a solar activity cycle.

To evaluate the feasibility of a swine model of thrombotic inferior vena cava (IVC) occlusion (IVCO) created by autologous thrombus injection with assistance of intra-caval net knitting. Sixteen pigs were included and divided into two groups: Group A (n = 10), IVCO model created by knitting a caval net followed by autologous thrombus injection; Group B (n = 6), control model created by knitting a net and normal saline injection. Venography was performed to assess each model and the associated thrombotic occlusion. The vessels were examined histologically to analyse the pathological changes postoperatively. IVCO model was successfully created in 10 animals in Group A (100%). Immediate venography showed extensive clot burden in the IVC. Postoperative venography revealed partial caval occlusion at 7 days and complete occlusion coupled with collateral vessels at 14 days. Histologically, Group A animals had significantly greater venous wall thickening, with CD163-positive and CD3-positive cell infiltration. Recanalization channels were observed at the margins of the thrombus. By contrast, no thrombotic occlusion of the IVC was observed in Group B. The thrombotic IVCO model can be reliably established in swine. The inflammatory reaction may contribute to the caval thrombus propagation following occlusion.

To compare the differences between macromolecular and small molecular contrast agents in interstitial magnetic resonance (MR) lymphography.In two groups of rabbits (N = 12 each), 0.5-mL volumes of 0.5 M and 0.1 M gadodiamide, respectively, were injected subcutaneously into the dorsal feet of both hind legs. After a 24-hour interval, 0.5 mL of Gd [DTPA-bis (2-aminoethoxy) ethane] polymeric contrast agent (Gd-poly-DTPA-EOEA) injection (0.1 M) was injected into the same sites in each rabbit. T1-weighted three-dimensional gradient-echo and maximum intensity projection (MIP) images were obtained before and after the administration of each agent. The nodal maximum short-axis diameter (MSAD) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at each time point were measured. Postmortem measurements of nodal MSADs were also performed. The nodal MSAD measurements obtained by MR lymphography were compared with the postmortem measurements. As an additional control experiment, six rabbits received a subcutaneous injection of 0.5 mL of 0.1 M gadodiamide at the same sites as those described above. This procedure was repeated after a 24-hour interval to determine whether the first injected gadodiamide had any effect on the performance of the subsequently injected agent, by comparing the differences in nodal MSADs obtained by MR lymphography after each injection.Gd-poly-DTPA-EOEA showed a significantly longer enhancement plateau compared to gadodiamide. In comparison with postmortem measurements, nodal measurements by MR lymphography with Gd-poly-DTPA-EOEA at the peak-enhancement phase revealed no significantly different MSADs (P0.05), whereas nodal measurements by MR lymphography with gadodiamide showed significantly smaller MSADs (P0.05). A comparison of the nodal MSADs measured in two gadodiamide-enhanced MR examinations after the 24-hour interval showed no significant difference (P0.05).Interstitial MR lymphography with polymeric Gd-poly-DTPA-EOEA enhancer enables more sufficient and reliable visualization of lymph nodes compared to small molecular gadodiamide.

Objectives Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is often asymptomatic until rupture occurs. Although ultrasound screening has significantly improved the early diagnosis of AAA, the timely biomarker-based diagnosis of AAA remains a major clinical challenge. In this study, we aimed to assess plasma microRNAs (miRNAs) as promising novel biomarkers in patients with AAA. Methods Pooled plasma samples from 10 AAA and 10 healthy controls were profiled by microarray. The differentially expressed miRNAs were evaluated in a separate cohort of 120 subjects, including 60 AAA patients and 60 normal controls. Results The initial profiling study identified 151 miRNAs that showed more than two-fold change. Among them, three miRNAs, miR-191-3p, miR-455-3p and miR-1281 exhibited the largest increase in the patient group (fold change > 5). A subsequent validation study confirmed the elevation of these three miRNAs. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis using the expression ratio of miR-191-3p, miR-455-3p and miR-1281 showed an area under the curve of 0.9700, 0.9825 and 0.9206, respectively. Conclusion Our results suggest that plasma miR-191-3p, miR-455-3p and miR-1281 may be used as potential diagnosis biomarkers for AAA.

To characterize type A aortic dissection (TAAD) in the Chinese population using high-resolution computed tomography (CT) and explore potential candidacy for endovascular repair of TAAD.The imaging studies and medical records of all 302 patients presenting with TAAD at two Chinese hospitals from 2010 to 2013 were reviewed. Of these, 221 patients were excluded because of missing/inadequate preoperative CT scans. The remaining 91 patients (64 men; mean age 51.1±7.5 years) had CT data adequate to assess anatomical suitability for endovascular treatment. Entry tears were identified using multiplanar reconstructions, while morphological measurements were based on a centerline of flow (CLF) technique. Suitability for endovascular treatment was based on a proximal landing zone ≥20 mm long, a true lumen aortic diameter ≤38 mm, and a total aortic diameter ≤46 mm; no coronary bypass grafts originating from the ascending aorta; no malfunctioning aortic valve; and good cerebral and cardiac perfusion.In the 91 patients, the precise location of the primary proximal entry tear could be identified in only 34 (37.4%) patients; in these patients, the identifiable intimal tears were located 36.4±41.0 mm distal to the closest coronary artery. The CLF was successfully generated in the CT scans of all patients; the mean lumen and total aortic lumen diameters at the entry tear level were 37.6±6.3 and 44.3±13.3 mm, respectively. Based on the CT measurements, stent-graft repair would have been anatomically feasible in 35 (38.5%) patients. No proximal landing zone (n=23), large aortic diameter (n=15), abnormal aortic valve (n=10), previous coronary bypass graft surgery (n=5), and poor cerebral and cardiac perfusion (n=3) were obstacles that affected the suitability for this treatment.Based on high-resolution CT scans, our pilot study suggested that 38% of Chinese patients with TAAD could potentially be treated by stent-grafting based on the anatomical characteristics of the proximal dissection.

Min Zhou, Dian Huang, Chen Liu, Zhao Liu, Min Zhang, Tong Qiao, Chang-Jian Liu Department of Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China Objective: To compare outcomes of hybrid (combined surgical and endovascular) procedures (HYBRID) with open surgical reconstructions (OPEN) in patients with multilevel infrainguinal artery occlusive diseases. Design: Case series study with retrospective analysis of prospectively collected nonrandomized data.Methods: Between 2008 and 2012, 64 patients underwent OPEN and 43 underwent HYBRID. Patient characteristics, technique success, clinical improvement, and procedure-related morbidity were reviewed and compared. Patency rates and limb salvages were analyzed and compared using Kaplan–Meier life tables. Cox regression analyses were used to assess the influence of various risk factors on primary patency.Results: HYBRID patients were older and presented with worse New York Heart Association function compared with OPEN patients. The increase in the ankle-brachial index and improvement of Ruthford category after procedures were equivalent between two groups, but HYBRID patients had shorter hospital length of stay (7.6±12.0 versus 15.5±17.3; P= 0.018) and less overall perioperative morbidity (12% versus 28%; P=0.042) compared with OPEN patients. No statistically significant difference in 36-month primary (47.1%±7.1% versus 50.1%±9.4%; P=0.418), assisted primary (57.0%±7.9% versus 62.4%±9.2%; P=0.517), or secondary (82.0%±6.8% versus 83.1%±7.3%; P=0.445) patency was seen between the two groups. Limb salvage rates of HYBRID vs OPEN at 3 years were similar (76.3%±9.3% versus 80.4%±8.2%; P=0.579). Critical limb ischemia was a negative predictor of long-term patency of patients in both the HYBRID and OPEN groups (P=0.012 and P

Considering that modernized GPS L1C signal utilizes random constructed LDPC as the FEC coding scheme, it’s a waste of storage resources because of the irregularity of the parity-check matrix, though owning superb error-control performance. This paper proposed a constructing algorithm for Quasi-Cyclic LDPC code which is suitable for GNSS signal, it avoids the existence of short cycle with the length of 4 in the Tanner graph from the beginning, by limiting the cross-correlation values of sparse sequences. Better performance can be achieved by making the parity-check matrix sparser. Using 802.11n protocol as a reference, parity-check part is double diagonal, which makes the encoding process possible directly with parity-check matrix. Simulation results show this LDPS code performs slightly better than what GPS L1C uses, lower encoding and decoding complexity makes it more suitable for GNSS.

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) remains a life-threatening complication of arthroplasty. It remains controversial for anticoagulation strategies after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to determine whether clinical risk factors and/or genetic variants might predict the development of DVT and find efficient anticoagulation strategies. Nanjing DVT study (NJDVTS), a retrospective and largest study conducted in a single center included 908 subjects who received knee or hip arthroplasty. Results: A total of 328 subjects (215 women and 113 men) who underwent uncemented THA were studied. Patients were followed up 3 months later after surgery. DVT was tested by contrast venography (CV). We checked genetic variants for DVT by a case-control study. Logistic regression analysis was performed to predict of the ability of each covariate and genetic factor. We also used logistic regression analysis with variable selection for obtaining the prediction model of DVT. Conclusions: DVT after THA was affected by personal (age) and clinical factors (mechanical compression, duration of surgery). THA with short duration of surgery did not require prophylactic anticoagulation. Extended anticoagulation was unnecessary for non-DVT patients after discharge from hospital.

Background Bladder cancer results from complex interactions between many genetic and environment factors. The polymorphism Ser326Cys in hOGG1 gene has been reported to be associated with bladder cancer in some studies, though the results remain inconclusive. To explore this relationship of hOGG1 polymorphism and the susceptibility for bladder cancer and the impact of smoking exposures, a cumulative meta-analysis was performed in this study. Methods We extracted the data from the Pubmed database up to January 9, 2012 using the search phrases “hOGG1, Ser326Cys polymorphism and bladder cancer”. Seven case–control studies were identified, including 2474 patients and 2408 controls. Four of them provided the analysis of smoking effects, with 1372 smokers and 947 non-smokers. The odds ratios (ORs) and associated 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using fixed- or random- effects models. Results Regarding the overall association between the hOGG1 326Cys allele and bladder cancer risk, the meta-analysis did not reveal a significant effect in the additive model (OR: 1.06, 95 % CI: 0.96-1.26; p = 0.49), the recessive genetic model (OR: 1.05, 95 % CI: 0.65-1.70; p = 0.85) or the dominant genetic model (OR: 1.07, 95 % CI: 0.87-1.32; p = 0.53). Similarly, no significant relationship was observed in the stratified analysis by ethnicity, study design and Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (all p > 0.05). In the non-smokers, however, hOGG1 326Cys allele significantly increased the risk for bladder cancer and the ORs in the additive model, homozygote contrast and recessive genetic model were 1.59 (p = 0.02), 2.53(p = 0.003) and 2.41(p = 0.0005), respectively. Nevertheless, in the smoker subgroup, similar findings could not be found in all genetic models (all p > 0.05). Conclusions The association between the hOGG1 326Cys allele and bladder cancer was significant in non-smoker population, while was non-detectable in common or smoker populations. This meta-analysis suggests that the hOGG1 Ser326Cys polymorphism may be a risk factor for bladder cancer without exposure to smoking. Further functional studies are needed to elucidate the gene polymorphism-bladder cancer relationship and gene-environment interactions.

Three across-shelf Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) moorings were deployed on the continental shelf in the northern South China Sea in 2006 and 2007, in order to obtain time series of ocean currents. During each of the three observational periods, in spring, autumn, and winter seasons, the observation was sustained for at least 1 month. Conductivity-temperature-depth data were also collected in the vicinity of these ADCP moorings. The two diurnal baroclinic constituents (O-1 and K-1) are found to be more prominent than the semidiurnal baroclinic ones (M-2 and S-2) at each mooring site, which are different from the barotropic tides. The highest diurnal (semidiurnal) baroclinic kinetic energy density exceeded 10 (2.7) kJ/m(2) during the observational periods. In each observational period, the vertical structures of baroclinic tidal ellipses indicate mode-1 characteristics for O-1 and K-1, whereas some of the semidiurnal internal tides show mode-2 characteristics in autumn. Propagation directions of the diurnal and semidiurnal internal tides are basically across-shelf, and their phase speeds estimated from phase changes and buoyancy frequencies indicate deceleration of internal tides, when the internal tidal waves propagate from deeper shelf break to shallower shelf. The increased stratification in autumn is favorable for maintaining internal tidal waveform and preserving internal tidal energy, while the intensity of the internal tidal flow decreases significantly in winter.

PURPOSE To present results of a 9 year followup of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and stents placement in patients with Budd-Chiari Syndrome (BCS) and to evaluate the clinical value and applicability of this approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS 44 consecutive patients with BCS (25 male and 19 female; average age, 42.6 years; age range, 19-77 years) were treated with PTA and stents during a 9-year period. The mean duration of symptoms was 46 months. Underlying active malignancy was the cause of occlusion in 5 patients. 3 patients had a history of taking oral contraceptives. The obstructed inferior vena cava (IVC) or hepatic vein (HV) were first dilated by a percutaneous transluminal balloon, and then a self-expanding stent was placed. Clinical patency was defined as absence or improvement of symptoms. Clinical follow-up was supplemented with colour Doppler sonography, CT scan, or both. RESULTS Technical success was achieved in 97.2% (35/36) IVC and 83% (10/12) HV PTA and stents. Significantly, the IVC pressure decreased from 2.7 kPa (SD = 0.3) to 1.5 kPa (SD = 0.4) and HV pressure dropped from 2.3 kPa (SD = 0.4) to 1.3 kPa (SD = 0.2). The symptoms and signs disappeared or were relieved after operation in most of the patients. A few serious related complications including one stent migration and one pulmonary emboli occurred and were resolved in time. Patients were followed for a mean of 44 months (range 3-102). Short- and long-term results were satisfactory except for 3 patients (9.4%, 1 IVC, 2 HV) who presented with a restenosis or thrombosis and underwent additional therapy. There were 5 deaths owing to underlying malignant disease 3-17 months after the procedures. CONCLUSION PTA and stent placements proved a safe and effective treatment in BCS and had a good long-term outcome and should be considered in patients who have symptoms or have no adequate alternative therapy.