A Glass-Ultra-Thin PDMS Film-Glass Microfluidic Device for Digital PCR Application Based on Flexible Mold Peel-Off Process.

The microfluidic device (MFD) with a glass−PDMS−glass (G-P-G) structure is of interest for a wide range of applications. However, G-P-G MFD fabrication with an ultra-thin PDMS film (especially thickness less than 200 μm) is still a big challenge because the ultra-thin PDMS film is easily deformed, curled, and damaged during demolding and transferring. This study aimed to report a thickness-controllable and low-cost fabrication process of the G-P-G MFD with an ultra-thin PDMS film based on a flexible mold peel-off process.

A nomogram to predict left atrial appendage thrombus and spontaneous echo contrast in non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients.

Background: Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) significantly increases the risk of stroke. Although there is availability of prediction models, their ability to predict the risk of stroke in NVAF patients remains suboptimal. Therefore, there is need to improve prediction of high-risk individuals, which is critical for efficient management of patients with NVAF.

Percutaneous Patent Foramen Ovale Closure in Patients with Cryptogenic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is associated with cryptogenic stroke (CS). Transcatheter closure of PFO is superior to pharmacotherapy for patients with CS or transient ischemic attack (TIA). More evidence is needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PFO closure in Chinese patients.

Preliminary Study: Learning the Impact of Simulation Time on Reentry Location and Morphology Induced by Personalized Cardiac Modeling.

Personalized cardiac modeling is widely used for studying the mechanisms of cardiac arrythmias. Due to the high demanding of computational resource of modeling, the arrhythmias induced in the models are usually simulated for just a few seconds. In clinic, it is common that arrhythmias last for more than several minutes and the morphologies of reentries are not always stable, so it is not clear that whether the simulation of arrythmias for just a few seconds is long enough to match the arrhythmias detected in patients.

Four-dimensional echocardiography and left ventricular systolic strain measured via two-dimensional speckle-tracking for Danon disease: a case series.

Background: Danon disease is an X-linked multisystemic disorder characterized by skeletal myopathy, cardiomyopathy, and intellectual disability.

Case Summary: Herein, we describe two patients affected by Danon disease from the same family, a father (Patient 1) and his daughter (Patient 2). In Patient 1, a short PR interval with pre-excitation was evident.

Myocardial strain measured via two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in a family diagnosed with arrhythmogenic left ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Background: Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is a myocardial disorder characterized by ventricular arrhythmias, right and/or left ventricular involvement, and fibrofatty infiltrations in the myocardium. We report a family diagnosed with arrhythmogenic left ventricular cardiomyopathy (ALVC) and depict their echocardiographic characteristics.

Methods And Results: Fifteen family members were divided into three groups based on whether they carried the TMEM43 mutation and had been diagnosed with ALVC.

Mitral early-diastolic inflow peak velocity (E)-to-left atrial strain ratio as a novel index for predicting elevated left ventricular filling pressures in patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.

Objectives: We sought to explore the relationship between an index of left ventricular diastolic function parameters combined with left atrial strain and the diastolic function of patients with preserved ejection fraction.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 388 patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50%, 49 of whom underwent left heart catherization. Transthoracic echocardiography was performed within 12 h before or after the procedure.

Right ventricular outflow tract septal pacing is superior to right ventricular apical pacing.

Background: The effects of right ventricular apical pacing (RVAP) and right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) septal pacing on atrial and ventricular electrophysiology have not been thoroughly compared.

Methods And Results: To identify a more favorable pacing strategy with fewer adverse effects, 80 patients who had complete atrioventricular block with normal cardiac function and who were treated with either RVAP (n=42) or RVOT septal pacing (n=38) were recruited after an average of 2 years of follow-up. The data from electrocardiography and echocardiography performed before pacemaker implantation and at the end of follow-up were collected.

Simvastatin activates the PPARγ-dependent pathway to prevent left ventricular hypertrophy associated with inhibition of RhoA signaling.

Left ventricular hypertrophy is an independent risk factor for major adverse cardiovascular events. Statins have positive effects on this condition; however, the mechanisms are incompletely understood. In this study, we examined whether the effect of simvastatin on left ventricular hypertrophy can be mediated with the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ-dependent pathway in rabbits with nonischemic heart failure (HF).

Usefulness of the Echocardiographic Multi-Parameter Score (EMPS) in evaluating left ventricular global heart function.

In this study, we established a new index by combining several echocardiographic parameters to quantify heart failure. We selected 233 consecutive patients who underwent both echocardiographic and plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) tests within 24 hours after referral for suspected heart failure. The echocardiographic parameters included systolic function, diastolic function, left ventricular chamber remodeling, valvular lesions, systolic pulmonary arterial pressure, and regional wall-motion abnormality.

Postconditioning the human heart in percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: It has been proved in animal models that postconditioning (PC) could attenuate reperfusion injury. But there are not many clinical studies on the application of PC.

Hypothesis: Four cycles of 1-minute balloon inflation and deflation, following initial balloon reperfusion in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI) but before stenting, might improve clinical outcomes compared with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) alone.

Mutation of Arg723Gly in beta-myosin heavy chain gene in five Chinese families with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a form of cardiomyopathy with an autosomal dominant inherited disease, which is caused by mutations in at least one of the sarcomeric protein genes. Mutations in the beta-myosin heavy chain (beta-MHC) are the most common cause of HCM. This study was to reveal the disease-causing gene mutations in Chinese population with HCM, and to analyze the correlation between the genotype and phenotype.

[Malignant hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by the Arg723Gly mutation in beta-myosin heavy chain gene in a Chinese pedigree].

Objective: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous disease and an Arg723Gly mutation in beta-myosin heavy chain (beta-MHC) gene was found in 3 Spanish families with malignant HCM. We detected this gene mutation in 5 Chinese pedigrees with hypertensive cardiomyopathy.

Methods: Five Chinese pedigrees with HCM and 80 age-matched normal control subjects were chosen for the study.