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OBJECTIVES Hybrid catheter and surgical ablation has emerged as an effective therapy for patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). The aims of this study were to evaluate the relationship between intraprocedural arrhythmia termination and the long-term outcomes of hybrid ablation in patients with long-standing persistent AF. METHODS From May 2015 through April 2019, 50 patients with persistent AF with a mean duration of 73.3 ± 62.1 (median 54) months underwent single-step hybrid ablation. Pulmonary vein isolation, left atrial posterior wall isolation and left atrial appendage excision or closure were performed through a left-sided thoracoscopic approach. Subsequently, all patients underwent high-density endocardial mapping and electrogram-based ablation with the end point of AF termination. RESULTS We achieved intraprocedural AF termination in 84% (42/50) patients; this end point was reached in 16 patients during surgical ablation and in 26 patients during catheter ablation. Seven patients underwent repeat catheter ablation. After a mean follow-up period of 29 ± 13 months, the freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmia of a single procedure without the use of antiarrhythmic drugs was 70% (35/50). In the Cox regression model, intraprocedural termination of AF (hazard ratio 0.205, 95% confidence interval 0.058–0.730; P = 0.014) was the sole predictor of success. CONCLUSIONS The 2-year outcomes of a one-stop hybrid ablation with an end point of AF termination are promising in patients with long-standing persistent AF.

To solve the online diagnosis difficult of the induction motors electrical faults, a new online diagnosis method based on the joint estimation unscented Kalman filter(UKF) is proposed in this paper. First, we studied the models of the broken rotor bars fault and the stator winding internal short fault of the induction motor, and it is determined that the rotor resistance and the stator resistance are used as the characteristic parameters of the online electrical fault diagnosis. Then, the state equation of the three-phase induction motor in the two-phase coordinate system is extended to the equation of state including the undetermined parameters for fault diagnosis. Finally, it is estimated based on the joint estimation UKF for the induction motor normal condition, broken rotor bars and stator winding internal short. The induction motor electrical faults are diagnosed online through an example. The result shows that the proposed method can realize the induction electrical fault diagnosis online quickly.

Objective The objective of this study was to develop a team-based institutional infrastructure for navigating management of a novel disease, to determine a safe and effective approach for performing tracheostomies in patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure, and to review outcomes of patients and healthcare personnel following implementation of this approach. Methods An interdisciplinary Task Force was constructed to develop innovative strategies for management of a novel disease. A single-institution prospective non-randomized cohort study was then conducted on patients with COVID-19 respiratory failure who underwent tracheostomy using an induced bedside apneic technique at a tertiary care academic institution between April 27th, 2020, and June 30th, 2020. Results 28 patients underwent tracheostomy with induced apnea. The median lowest procedural oxygen saturation was 95%. The median number of ventilated days following tracheostomy was 11. There were 3 mortalities (11%) due to sepsis and multiorgan failure; of 25 surviving patients, 100% were successfully discharged from the hospital and 76% are decannulated, with a median time of 26 days from tracheostomy to decannulation (range 12 - 57). There was no symptomatic disease transmission to healthcare personnel on the COVID-19 Tracheostomy Team. Conclusions Patients with respiratory failure from COVID-19 disease may benefit from tracheostomy. This can be completed effectively and safely, without viral transmission to healthcare personnel. Performing tracheostomies earlier in the course of disease may expedite patient recovery and improve ICU resource utilization. Creation of a collaborative Task Force is an effective strategic approach for management of novel disease.

Objectives To describe epidemiological trends and spatial distributions of HIV/AIDS among older adults (aged ≥50) in Sichuan Province, China during 2008–19, and provide scientific reference for HIV/AIDS prevention, intervention and treatment. Methods Data on HIV/AIDS cases reported in 2008–19 was extracted from the Case Report System. The Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to determine epidemic trends. Spatial autocorrelation and space-time analysis were conducted with ArcGIS10.6 and ArcGIS Pro2.4, respectively. Results A total of 77 854 HIV/AIDS cases among older adults were included in the study. Newly reported cases increased from 320 in 2008 to 22 189 in 2019, and the reported incidence rate (number of new reported cases/older adult population) rose from 0.001% to 0.077%. Infections through heterosexual transmission increased from 65.3% to 98.2% of total cases in older adults in this period. Spatial analysis at the county-level showed significant clustering throughout Sichuan, with the main hot spots concentrated in the southeast. Spatiotemporal analysis indicated that most of the southeastern counties/districts were Consecutive Hot Spots. Conclusions Older adults have become a key population in the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Sichuan; comprehensive prevention and intervention measures targeted to older adults are urgently needed to control the spread of HIV/AIDS.

ε-Poly-l-lysine (ε-PL) is a natural antimicrobial polymer with significant inhibitory activity against a broad spectrum of microorganisms, and nowadays used widely as a preservative in the food industry. In the present study, ε-PL broth was obtained from Streptomyces ahygroscopicus GIM8 fermentation in a nutrient-limited liquid medium. The in vitro antifungal activity of the broth against fruit pathogens Penicillium expansum and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides was investigated, and its usage for postharvest storage of two highly perishable fruits wax apple and guava was evaluated. Results showed that ε-PL concentration in the broth reached 0.61 g/L, and the nutrition level of the broth was low. The antifungal activity of ε-PL broth was comparable to that of the aqueous solution of ε-PL under the same concentration. Immersion with the diluted broth (200 mg/L ε-PL) markedly delayed the decline in the quality of postharvest wax apple and guava fruits during storage, and the decay incidences were also greatly decreased as compared to their respective controls (distilled water immersion). A further investigation demonstrated that the ε-PL broth immersion induced an increase in the activity of defense-related enzymes peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase in the two fruits during storage. The present study proved that the fermentation broth of ε-PL could be used as a promising alternative to high purity ε-PL and synthetic fungicides for preserving fruits at postharvest stage.

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI), and in its severe form the Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), results in increased pulmonary vascular inflammation and permeability, and is a major cause of mortality in many critically ill patients. Although cell-based therapies have shown promise in experimental ALI, strategies are needed to enhance potency of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to develop more effective treatments. Genetic modification of MSC has been demonstrated to significantly improve therapeutic benefits of these cells; however, the optimal vector for gene transfer is not clear. Given the acute nature of ARDS, transient transfection is desirable to avoid off target effects of long-term transgene expression, as well as the potential adverse consequences of genomic integration. Methods: Here, we explored whether a minicircle DNA (MC) DNA vector containing human angiopoietin 1 (MC-ANGPT-1) can provide more effective platform for gene-enhanced MSC therapy of ALI/ARDS. Results: At 24 hours after transfection, nuclear-targeted electroporation using a MC-ANGPT1 vector resulted in a 3,7 fold greater increase in human ANGPT1 protein in MSC conditioned media compared to the use of a plasmid ANGPT1 (pANGPT1) vector (2048±567pg/mL vs. 552.1±33.5pg/mL). In the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI model, administration of pANGPT1 transfected MSC significantly reduced bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) neutrophil counts by 57%, while MC-ANGPT1 transfected MSC reduced it by 71% (p Coclusions: Overall, using a minicircle vector, we demonstrated an efficient and sustained expression of the ANGPT1 transgene in MSC and enhanced therapeutic effect on ALI model compared to plasmid. These results support the potential benefits of the MC-ANGPT1 gene enhancement of MSC therapy to treat ARDS.

Objective. The purpose is to observe the effects and neural mechanism of cutting upper thoracic sympathetic trunk (TST) on the ventricular rate (VR) during persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods. Twelve beagle dogs were halving to the control group and experimental group, 6 dogs for each group. Both groups were performed with left atrial rapid pacing (600 beats/min) to induce sustained AF. The experimental group underwent cutting upper TST after a sustained AF model was established, while the control group received thoracotomy without cutting TST. Bilateral stellate ganglion (SG) and left atrial myocardium were harvested for tyrosine-hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemical staining. Results. After cutting upper TST for 30 minutes, the average VR was 121.5 ± 8.7 bpm (95% CI, 114.8 to 128.0) in the experimental group, which was significantly slower than that of the control group (144.5 ± 4.2 bpm (95% CI, 141.5 to 148.0)) ( P < 0.001 ). After cutting upper TST for 1 month, the average VR of the experimental group (106.5 ± 4.9 bpm (95% CI, 102.0 to 110.0)) was also significantly slower versus that of the control group (139.2 ± 5.6 bpm (95% CI, 135.0 to 143.8)) ( P < 0.001 ). Compared with the control group, both left stellate ganglion (LSG) and right stellate ganglion (RSG) of the experimental group caused neural remodeling characterized by decreased ganglionic cell density and reduced TH staining. TH-positive component was significantly decreased in the left atrium of the experimental group compared with the control group. Conclusions. Cutting upper TST could reduce fast VR during persistent AF. Cutting upper TST induced bilateral SG neural remodeling and reduced sympathetic nerve density in the left atrium, which could contribute to the underlying mechanism of VR control during AF.

Thoracoscopic ablation has emerged as an effective therapy for patients with long-standing persistent Atrial fibrillation (LsPAF). We aimed to investigate the immediate electrophysiological characteristics following modified ablation with 3 circular and 3 linear lesions in the thoracoscopic procedure via a unilateral approach. Between May 2015 and October 2018, 40 patients underwent the one-stage hybrid procedure for LsPAF. Isolation of the pulmonary veins (PV) and left atrium posterior wall (LAPW), excision of the left atrial appendage (LAA), and high-density endocardial mapping and individualized percutaneous catheter ablation for AF termination were performed. The modified thoracoscopic procedure may enable successful PV and LAPW isolation and LAA removal. Endocardial electrophysiological examination showed 6 out of 40 (15%) patients with a right PV gap, 3 (7.5%) patients with incomplete roof lesions, and 8 (20%) patients with incomplete Dallas lesions. A total of 44 driving areas were mapped and ablated. Thirty-five patients achieved procedural AF termination. After a mean follow-up period of 26 months, the success rate of a single procedure was 85%. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the failure of procedural AF termination may be a risk factor in atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence. Endocardial electrophysiological examination is a necessary partner to thoracoscopic ablation. Our modified thoracoscopic ablation and driving areas-based ablation contribute to high rates of procedural AF termination, which may lead to reduced recurrence rate. The hybrid procedure may be an effective strategy for the management of LsPAF.

Atrial fibrillation is a common clinical arrhythmia with high morbidity and a risk of stroke. The Cox-maze IV procedure that uses radiofrequency energy for ablation is established as an effective way to eliminate atrial fibrillation. Compared to the Cox-maze IV procedure, the video-assisted Wolf mini-maze procedure is associated with reduced surgical trauma, but still requires bilateral thoracotomies, and the ablation line connecting the right and left pulmonary vein isolations cannot be created with a bipolar ablation clamp. We have developed a novel video-assisted mini-maze technique that uses a unilateral (left chest) thoracoscopic approach (the Mei mini-maze procedure).

The objectives of this study are: (1) to collect and analyze the data of pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits in central Taiwan; (2) to compare the statistics of pesticide residues data in vegetables and fruits in 4 regions of Taiwan; and (3) to introduce the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system to industries and growers of vegetables and fruits for improving the safety of agricultural products. The 1999 samples of vegetables and fruits were collected from supermarkets and traditional markets by 6 local bureau of health in central Taiwan (1999-2004) and analyzed for the presence of 70~79 pesticide residues using multiresidue analysis methods (MRMs). The detection limits of these methods ranged from 0.03 to 0.4 ppm. For central Taiwan (1999-2004), pesticide residues were either absent or compliant with the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) in 99.8% of the samples. Only 4 samples contained a pesticide residue that exceeded the MRL (0.2%, 4 of 1999). In whole Taiwan (1997-2003), pesticide residues were detected in 13.9% of the 9955 samples and 1.2% were violative. To decrease the health risk to human and environment from exposure to pesticides, the government samples and analyzes agricultural products for pesticide residues to enforce the limits set by Department of Health every year. Risk assessment and HACCP have some overlapping components; both HACCP and risk assessment are encompassed in risk analysis. HACCP is a preventative system and will provide a high level of food safety assurance. However, effective HACCP requires the consideration of all hazards, i.e. chemical (food additives, heavy metal contamination, pesticide residues, and animal drug residues), microbiological and physical hazards. HACCP principles have been incorporated into food safety legislation in Taiwan and worldwide.

While Baccillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is used worldwide, tuberculosis (TB) is still a global concern due to the poor efficacy of BCG. Novel vaccine candidates are therefore urgently required. In this study, two attenuated recombinant Listeria strains, LMΔ-msv and LIΔ-msv were constructed by deletion of actA and plcB and expression of a fusion protein consisting of T cell epitopes from four Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigens (Rv2460c, Rv2660c, Rv3875, and Rv3804c). The safety and immunogenicity of the two recombinant strains were evaluated in C57BL/6J mice. After intravenous immunization individually, both recombinant strains entered liver and spleen but eventually were eliminated from these organs after several days. Simultaneously, they induced antigen-specific cell-mediated immunity, indicating that the recombinant Listeria strains were immunogenic and safe in vivo. LMΔ-msv immunization induced stronger cellular immune responses than LIΔ-msv immunization, and when boosted with LIΔ-msv, antigen-specific IFN-γ CD8+ T cell responses were notably magnified. Furthermore, we evaluated the protection conferred by the vaccine candidates against mycobacterial infection via challenging the mice with 1 × 107 CFU of BCG. Especially, we tested the feasibility of application of them as heterologous BCG supplement vaccine by immunization of mice with BCG firstly, and boosted with LMΔ-msv and LIΔ-msv sequentially before challenging. Combination immune strategy (LMΔ-msv prime-LIΔ-msv boost) conferred comparable protection efficacy as BCG alone. More importantly, BCG-vaccinated mice acquired stronger resistance to Mycobacterial challenge when boosted with LMΔ-msv and LIΔ-msv sequentially. Our results inferred that heterologous immunization with Listeria-based recombinant strains boosted BCG-primed protection against pulmonary mycobacterial infection.

Jia-An Zhang,* Chao Luan,* Dan Huang, Mei Ju, Kun Chen, Heng Gu Institute of Dermatology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Skin Diseases and STIs, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Kun Chen; Heng GuInstitute of Dermatology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Skin Diseases and STIs, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, 12 JiangWangMiao Street, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86 25 85478030Email kunchen181@aliyun.com; doctor_guheng@hotmail.comBackground: Baicalin, a natural product isolated from Scutellaria radix, has been reported to exert anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic effects on skin, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the possible mechanism of anti-UVB effect of baicalin in human skin fibroblasts.Methods: Cell proliferation was estimated by CCK-8 Kit. Apoptotic incidence was detected by flow cytometry with Annexin V-PE/PI apoptosis detection kit. Autophagy was determined by the evaluation of fluorescent LC3 puncta and Western blotting. Cell signalling was analysed by Western blotting.Results: Baicalin exerted cytoprotective effects in UVB-induced HSFs. Moreover, baicalin increased autophagy and suppressed UVB-induced apoptosis of HSFs. Pretreatment with 3-MA, an autophagy inhibitor, attenuated baicalin-induced HSFs autophagy and promoted apoptosis. Baicalin activated AMPK, which leads to suppression of basal mTOR activity in cultured HSFs. Administration of compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, abrogated AMPK phosphorylation and increased mTOR phosphorylation and apoptosis compared with baicalin alone.Conclusion: Taken together, these results indicate the important role of mTOR inhibition in UVB protection by baicalin and provide a new target and strategy for better prevention of UV-induced skin disorders.Keywords: autophagy, baicalin, ultraviolet B, apoptosis, AMPK

Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) as a unique photophysical process has been intensively explored for their features in fields from optical sensing, bioimaging to optoelectronic devices. However, all AIE luminogens (AIEgens) hardly recover into the initial dispersed state after illuminating at the ultimate aggregated state, which limits AIEgens to achieve reversible sensing and reproducible devices. To real-time manipulate the emission of AIEgen, here we take the advantage of confined space in the quartz nanopore to achieve a nanopore-size-dependent restriction of AIEgens for reversible conversions of “on-to-off” and “off-to-on” emission. By electrochemically manipulating 26 fL AIEgen solution inside nanopore confinement, AIE illuminates while moves along nanopore from the constricted tip to inside cavity at a velocity of 1.4–2.2 μm s−1, and vice versa. We further apply this dynamic manipulation for a target delivery of AIEgen into single cells, which opens up new possibility to design powerful and practical AIE applications., The difficulty in recovering the aggregation-induced emission fluorogens (AIEgens) to the initial dispersed state upon illuminating has limited their applications. Here, the authors employ the confined space in the quartz nanopore to achieve a nanopore-size dependent restriction of AIEgens.

Background/Aims: Pulmonary fibrosis is a common outcome of various interstitial lung diseases. Prodigiosin (PG) is a series of red pigment with methoxypyrrole ring. This studyinvestigates therole of prodigiosin in pulmonary fibrosis and its underlying mechanisms. Methods: A pulmonary fibrosis rat model was established by intra-trachealinjection ofbleomycin A5. Rats were divided into 4 groups: Normal group, pulmonary fibrosis Model group, Prodigiosin treatment group and hydrocortisone treatmentgroup. HE and Masson staining were carried outto evaluate histopathological changes. The content of hydroxyproline in lung tissue was determined by alkaline hydrolysis. The expression of PICP and PIIINP was examined by ELISA. The mRNA expression of miR-410, TGF-β1 and ADAMTS1 in lung homogenate were detected by RT-PCR. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissues of rats were collected and analyzed. Human embryonic pulmonary fibroblast (HEPF) was used for study in vitro. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was conducted to examine the effect of miR-410 on ADAMTS1 expression. Cell transfection was conducted to inhibit miR-410. MTT assay was performed to investigate cell proliferation. The expressions of miR-410, TGF-β1, ADAMTS1and other fibrosis related biomarkers (Col I, Col III, and α-SMA) wereexamined by RT-PCR and Western Blot. Results: HE and Masson staining showed thickened alveolar septum, hyperplasticcapillaries, and large areas of collagen fiber deposition in pulmonary fibrosis model rats. Rats in prodigiosin and hydrocortisone treatment groups had alleviated symptoms. There was high hydroxyproline expression in model rats, whereas the expression of hydroxyproline reduced after prodigiosin or hydrocortisone treatments. RT-PCR results showed high miR-410,high TGF-β1 and low ADAMTS1 in lung tissue of model rats. The expression of PICP and PIIINP werehigher in BALF of model group than in treatment groups. Prodigiosin and hydrocortisone treatment significantly reduced PICP and PIIINP content. RT-PCR and Western Blot analysis showed that prodigiosin inhibited expression of miR-410 and TGF-β1, but up-regulated ADAMTS1 expression. MTT assay indicated that prodigiosin inhibited HEPF proliferation induced by miR-410 overexpression. Conclusion: Prodigiosin down-regulates the expression of miR-410 and TGF-β1, up-regulates ADAMTS1, leading to decrease accumulation of fibrotic proteins. It could be used in alleviating pulmonary fibrosis.

Pericardial adipose tissue, which comprises both epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and paracardial adipose tissue (PAT), has recently been recognized as a novel factor in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases, especially coronary artery disease (CAD). The goal of this study was to evaluate differences in the brown-like characteristic and proteome among human EAT, PAT, and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) to identify candidate molecules causing CAD. Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) and other brown-related proteins were highly expressed in pericardial adipose tissue but was weakly expressed in SAT from the same non-CAD patient. Moreover, pericardial adipose tissues displayed a higher thermogenesis than SAT. However, brown-related genes were lower in CAD pericardial fat. Remarkably, there were lower levels of metabolic enzymes involved in glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and fatty acid metabolism in pericardial adipose tissues of CAD. EAT is an organ adjacent to aortic root without anatomy barriers, which differs from PAT. We found that the expression of ribosomal protein S3A (RPS3A) was decreased in human EAT as well as in mouse perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT). Knockdown of RPS3A significantly inhibited adipocyte differentiation in preadipocytes and impaired the function of mitochondria in mature adipocytes. Moreover, RPS3A knockdown in mouse periaortic adipose tissue impaired browning of PVAT, accelerated vascular inflammation, and atherosclerosis progression. Mechanistically, RPS3A can migrate to the mitochondria to maintain the function of brown adipocytes. These findings provide compelling evidence that RPS3A was a key factor for modulating the brown fat-specific gene UCP-1 and carbon metabolic enzymes in EAT for preventing CAD.

Ischemic stroke is the leading cause of death around the world. Ginkgolide K (GK) has been used to treat ischemic stroke due to its neuroprotective potential. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the neuroprotective effect of GK in ischemic stroke is still almost blank. In this study, astrocytes were divided into four groups: control group, oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) group, OGD + GK group and OGD + GK + Compound C (CC) group. The viability and proliferation of astrocytes were examined by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay, respectively. Transwell migration and wound scratch assays were conducted to evaluate astrocyte migration. The protein expression in astrocytes were determined by western blot assay. We found that GK pretreatment promoted astrocyte proliferation and migration after OGD as shown by the increase in the viability of astrocytes, glial fibrillary acidic protein level, the number of EdU positive cells and migrated cells, and the migration distance. GK pretreatment induced autophagy after OGD, as indicated by upregulation of autophagy-related protein 7, Beclin-1 protein and increase of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)-II/LC3-I, and downregulation of p62 protein. Moreover, GK pretreatment activated the AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (m-TOR)/ULK1 pathway in astrocytes following OGD. Notably, CC treatment blocked the promotory effect of GK on astrocyte proliferation and migration after OGD. Collectively, GK promoted astrocyte proliferation and migration after OGD via inducing protective autophagy through the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 signaling pathway. Our findings suggested that GK might be a potential agent for cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Monitoring specific processes such as gelation in a ratiometric and visual manner is of scientific value and has practical implications but remains challenging. Herein, an innovative fluorescent low-molecular-weight gelator (DPAC-CHOL) capable of revealing and self-revealing the gelation processes in situ and in real time via the ratiometric fluorescence change from orange-red to blue has been developed. By virtue of its vibration-induced emission attribute, the gelation point, critical gelation concentration, and the internal stiffness of the gel networks of DPAC-CHOL and other gelation systems could be facilely evaluated in a ratiometric and naked-eye-observable fashion. Noteworthily, the DPAC-CHOL-doped gelation system Ph-CHOL can quantitatively identify the environmental temperature in a daily-concerned range (i.e., 20-55 °C). This work not only provides a versatile advanced material but also opens up a new avenue for the investigation of gelation systems.

Eco-friendly “green” electronics are attracting increasing interests in recent years. Here, biodegradable organic/inorganic hybrid indium-tin-oxide electric double layer (EDL) transistors were fabricated on plastic substrates. Solution processed chitosan based polysaccharide films were used as gate dielectrics. Due to extremely high EDL capacitances of the chitosan-based electrolytes, the oxide EDL transistors exhibit good performances. Resistor loaded inverters were also built, exhibiting full-swing characteristics and high voltage gains at low operation voltages. Wave-type conversions were realized including conversions from sinusoid waves into rectangular waves and from noise signals into two-bit outputs. Furthermore, the organic/inorganic hybrid transistors can be dissolved in water easily. The proposed organic/inorganic hybrid oxide transistors may have potential applications in “green” portable devices.

OBJECTIVES We retrospectively analysed data from non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) patients who underwent minimally invasive surgical AF ablation at our centre. Our purpose was to explore the atrial endocardial expression of von Willebrand factor (vWF) and thrombomodulin (TM) and their association with rhythm results after the procedure. METHODS From January 2014 to May 2015, 60 patients underwent minimally invasive surgical AF ablation at our centre. Left atrial appendage samples were obtained during the procedure and immunohistochemistry for endocardial markers including vWF and TM was performed and semi-quantitatively graded. All patients underwent postoperative rhythm documentation at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months. RESULTS At the 2-year interval, 49 (82%) patients maintained sinus rhythm, and all patients were asymptomatic. Univariate analysis shows that patients with AF recurrence have higher vWF score 2/3 and longer AF duration (P

BACKGROUND: Our previous study reported a modified endoscopic procedure for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) that requires only 3 ports in the left chest wall. HYPOTHESIS: Certain preoperative variables might be predictive risk factors for AF recurrence among patients who underwent this procedure. METHODS: From October 2010 to April 2014, 114 patients with either paroxysmal AF (PAF) or nonparoxysmal AF (non‐PAF) underwent the procedure and completed postoperative cardiac‐rhythm measurement via electrocardiography and Holter monitoring. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the possible AF‐related risk factors were conducted. RESULTS: During 2‐year follow‐up, 99 of 114 patients (86.8%) were free from atrial tachyarrhythmia. Results from univariate analyses showed that AF duration, left atrial diameter (LAD), left atrial minimum volume, left atrial empty fraction, left atrial expansion index, and left atrial active empty fraction (LAAEF) were significantly associated with postoperative AF recurrence. Results from multivariate analyses showed that AF duration (odds ratio [OR]: 1.194, 95% CI: 1.063‐1.340, P = 0.003), LAD (OR: 1.101, 95% CI: 1.005‐1.205, P = 0.039), and LAAEF (OR: 0.490, 95% CI: 0.277‐0.865, P = 0.014) were independent risk factors. There was no difference in AF recurrence between patients with PAF and non‐PAF (P = 0.250). CONCLUSIONS: Our 2‐year follow‐up study suggested that low LAAEF, long AF duration, and large LAD might be potential predictive risk factors for AF recurrence. Patients with PAF and non‐PAF had a similar AF recurrence rate after modified endoscopic ablation.

Cox-maze IV ablation by bipolar radiofrequency clamp was considered to be only performed through median sternotomy (MS), but impossible through right minithoracotomy (RM). Now, we developed a novel technique of performing Cox-maze IV ablation entirely by bipolar clamp through RM. To compare the outcomes of RM or MS for patients undergoing mitral valve surgery and concomitant Cox-maze IV ablation with entirely bipolar clamp. All 152 patients underwent mitral valve surgery and concomitant Cox-maze IV ablation with bipolar clamp through RM (n = 69) or MS (n = 83) were analyzed for outcome differences. The etiology of mitral valve disease was rheumatic (n = 97) and degenerative (n = 55). All patients had long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Diameter of left atrium ranged from 42 to 60 mm. All patients successfully underwent Cox-maze IV ablation by bipolar clamp. RM group had longer cardiopulmonary bypass time (130.3 ± 17.7 vs 115.3 ± 14.4 min; P

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a well-known cause for thromboembolism. Although blood stasis in the left atrium and hypercoagulable state of the blood have been emphasized as important mechanisms, limited attention has been paid to the endocardial changes in maintaining the balance of local coagulation, which may also contribute to the thrombus formation in AF. In the present study, left atrial appendage samples were obtained at heart surgery from nonvalvular AF and non-AF patients without atrial thrombus. Immunohistochemistry for endocardial markers including thrombomodulin (TM) and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) was performed and semiquantitatively graded. In immunohistochemistry analysis, decreased expression of TM was found in patients with nonvalvular AF compared with those without AF ( P < .001). There was no difference in TFPI expression between the 2 groups ( P = .213). Patients with TM score of 0 or 1 seemed to have larger left atrial diameter (LAD) than those with TM score of 2 or 3 (44.0 (7.9) vs 40.6 (3.9); P = .009), while no relationship between LAD and TFPI expression was found (43.4 (7.0) vs 42.9 (7.8); P = .485). In conclusion, TM expression in the atrial endocardium is decreased in nonvalvular AF without atrial thrombus, while TFPI expression is not. Downregulated TM expression might be associated with enlarged LAD.

To investigate roaming paths planning for diagnosis of congenital heart diseases (CHD) using a cardiovascular virtual endoscopy (VE) system. Forty children were enrolled. VE system was applied to support in establishing a diagnosis. Performance in diagnosing CHDs by CT, VE using automatically planned roaming paths (VE-auto, objects were treated as left heart system and right heart system), VE using manually planned paths (VE-manual), and VE using automatically planned path for left heart system and manually planned path for right heart system (VE-combined) were studied and compared. Comparable accuracy of 93%, 93%, 95% and 95% was found by CT, VE-auto, VE-manual and VE-combined. However, in diagnosing tetralogy of Fallot, significantly higher performance was found by VEs, compared with CT. For VE-auto, poor performance with an accuracy of 85% and sensitivity of 22% was revealed in diagnosing muscular ventricular septal defect, compared with VE-manual and VE-combined. Compared with VE-manual, VE-combined illustrated comparable diagnostic accuracy on all CHDs; however, significantly smaller diagnostic time was utilized (P

We present Arecibo 327 MHz confirmation and follow-up studies of seven new pulsars discovered by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST). These pulsars are discovered in a pilot program of the Commensal Radio Astronomy FAST Survey (CRAFTS) with the ultra-wide-bandwidth commissioning receiver. Five of them are normal pulsars and two are extreme nulling slow pulsars. PSR J2111+2132’s dispersion measure(DM: 78.5 pc cm−3) is above the upper limits of the two Galactic free electron density models, NE2001 and YMW16, and PSR J2057+2133’s position is out of the Scutum-Crux Arm, making them uniquely useful for improving the Galactic free electron density model in their directions. We present a detailed single pulse analysis for the slow nulling pulsars. We show evidence that PSR J2323+1214’s main pulse component follows a non-Poisson distribution and marginal evidence for a sub-pulse-drift or recurrent period of 32.3±0.4 rotations from PSR J0539+0013. We discuss the implication of our finding to the pulsar radiation mechanism.

Luminescent bioprobes are powerful analytical means for biosensing and optical imaging. Luminogens featured with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) attributes have emerged as ideal building blocks for high-performance bioprobes. Bioprobes constructed with AIE luminogens have been identified to be a novel class of FL light-up probing tools. In contrast to conventional bioprobes based on the luminophores with aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) effect, the AIE-based bioprobes enjoy diverse superiorities, such as lower background, higher signal-to-noise ratio and sensitivity, better accuracy, and more outstanding resistance to photobleaching. AIE-based bioprobes have been tailored for a vast variety of purposes ranging from biospecies sensing to bioimaging to theranostics (i.e., image-guided therapies). In this review, recent five years' advances in AIE-based bioprobes are briefly overviewed in a perspective distinct from other reviews, focusing on the most appealing trends and progresses in this flourishing research field. There are altogether 11 trends outlined, which have been classified into four aspects: the probe composition and form (bioconjugtes, nanoprobes), the output signal of probe (far-red/near-infrared luminescence, two/three-photon excited fluorescence, phosphorescence), the modality and functionality of probing system (dual-modality, dual/multifunctionality), the probing object and application outlet (specific organelles, cancer cells, bacteria, real samples). Typical examples of each trend are presented and specifically demonstrated. Some important prospects and challenges are pointed out as well in the hope of intriguing more interests from researchers working in diverse areas into this exciting research field.