Usefulness of two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in assessment of left atrial fibrosis degree and its application in atrial fibrillation.

This study aimed to establish a clinical prediction model for assessing the degree of left atrial fibrosis (LAF) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) by combining two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE). Additionally, the study sought to evaluate the predictive utility of 2D-STE for left atrial appendage thrombosis (LAAT) and the recurrence of AF after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA). A total of 195 patients with AF were included, and late gadolinium enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance was adopted to assess LAF degree.

Anti Helicobacter pylori activity and gastrointestinal protective effects of Terminalia bellirica: Mechanistic insights from in vitro and in vivo studies.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb. (Combretaceae) (T.

Atrial fibrillation and cognitive impairment: mechanisms, influencing factors, and prospects.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent cardiac arrhythmia and a significant contributor to cardioembolic stroke, a condition closely linked to cognitive decline. However, research reveals that AF itself is independently associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment. This high incidence of cognitive decline in AF patients may result from various mechanisms, including reduced cerebral perfusion, microembolism, decreased cardiac output, and chronic inflammation.

Macrophage SUCLA2 coupled glutaminolysis manipulates obesity through AMPK.

Obesity is regarded as a chronic inflammatory disease involving adipose tissue macrophages (ATM), but whether immunometabolic reprogramming of ATM affects obesity remains unclarified. Here we show that in ATM glutaminolysis is the fundamental metabolic flux providing energy and substrate, bridging with AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity, succinate-induced interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production, and obesity. Abrogation of AMPKα in myeloid cells promotes proinflammatory ATM, impairs thermogenesis and energy expenditure, and aggravates obesity in mice fed with high-fat diet (HFD).

Estimated pulse wave velocity is associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in individuals with stroke: A national-based prospective cohort study.

Extensive evidence underscores the potential of estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV) as a robust tool for predicting disease prevalence and mortality. However, its comparative effectiveness in forecasting all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, particularly among stroke populations, remains inadequately characterized in relation to the traditional Framingham Risk Score (FRS) model. This prospective study included 1202 individuals with stroke from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 1999 and 2014, with comprehensive follow-up data.

Left atrioventricular accessory pathway with Mahaim fiber characteristics: a rare case report.

Antidromic atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia (AVRT) is a rare clinically wide-QRS tachycardia that can often be misdiagnosed as ventricular tachycardia (VT). If the accessory pathway (AP) is slower than the normal atrioventricular (AV) junction, evidence of preexcitation will not appear on the surface electrocardiogram (ECG), which increases the difficulty of diagnosis. This report describes a 13-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with VT at a local hospital at the time of onset of palpitation.

Failure Behavior of Nano-Metakaolin Concrete Under Splitting Tension Based on Digital Image Correlation Method.

Nano metakaolin (NMK) has attracted considerable interest for its potential to improve the durability of cementitious materials. However, the effect of NMK on the splitting tensile performance of concrete has not been systematically investigated. This study investigates the splitting tensile performance of NMK concrete and analyzes its failure behavior under splitting load.

Hybrids of copper cysteamine nanosheets and silver nanocluster ensure superior bactericidal capability via enhanced photodynamic effect.

Over the past decades, bacterial infections resulting from the misuse of antibiotics have garnered significant attention. Among the alternative antibacterial strategies, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a promising non-antibiotic approach. However, persistent bacterial biofilms, particularly those composed of gram-negative bacteria with their protective outer membranes, have exhibited remarkable resilience to PDT.

5-Hydroxytryptophan artificial synaptic vesicles across the blood-brain barrier for the rapid-acting treatment of depressive disorder.

Conventional antidepressants are slow to work and have serious side effects and poor response rates. As a precursor to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) can be safely increased in concentration and rapidly metabolized into 5-HT in the brain, but the effectiveness of 5-HTP is severely limited due to its short half-life and lack of targeting. To traverse the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and achieve effective targeting, we designed a near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive artificial synaptic vesicles functionalized with an aptamer and loaded with 5-HTP and IR780.

Incidental Finding of Isolated Accessory Mitral Valve Tissue in Two Adults.

Accessory mitral valve tissue is a rare congenital anomaly often linked to the anterior mitral leaflet, diagnosed via echocardiography. It may cause left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, with prognosis depending on obstruction severity and regular monitoring essential in asymptomatic cases.

Is an 8 mm cutoff necessary when performing primary common bile duct closure after laparoscopic common bile duct exploration?

Objective: To evaluate whether the efficacy and safety of primary duct closure(PDC) was limited to patients with a wider common bile duct(CBD) (≥8 mm).

Methods: A retrospective study of patients who underwent PDC after laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) at Taicang Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from March 2012 to June 2019 was performed. Fifty-five patients were enrolled and classified into two groups according to the diameter of the CBD: the wider group (Group-W, CBD diameter≥8 mm, n=36) and the slender group (Group-S, CBD diameter<8 mm, n=19).

Bronchial artery embolization leading to acute myocardial infarction: a case report on bronchial artery-coronary artery fistula.

A 22-year-old woman presented with hemoptysis for three days, averaging 150 ml of blood per day. She had no history of childhood chest disease. On admission, a chest scan suggested a potential lung infection, and laboratory results showed no significant abnormalities.

Elucidating the Chemical Pre-Lithiation Mechanism of Hard Carbon Anodes for Ultra-high Stability Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The hard carbon (HC) anode materials demonstrate high capacity and excellent rate performance in lithium-ion batteries. However, HC anodes suffer from excessive loss of Li ions during the formation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film, leading to poor cycling stability, which hinders their large-scale applications. Herein, a facile pre-lithiation strategy is proposed to achieve multi-functional precompensation of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) anodes.

Chyle leakage after laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a patient with duplicated cystic ducts: A case report and literature review.

Rationale: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is widely performed as a standard treatment for cholelithiasis, and chyle leakage after LC has rarely been reported. Duplicated cystic ducts draining a single gallbladder is an extraordinarily rare variation.

Patient Concerns: We presented a case of chyle leakage after LC in a 53-year-old female with a rare variation of duplicated cystic ducts.

Research on Vault Settlement during Three-Step Tunnel Construction Process Based on Sandstone Rheological Experiment.

Tunnel stability is influenced by the rheological properties of the surrounding rock. This study, based on the Ganshen high-speed railway tunnel project, examines the rheological characteristics of siltstone and sandstone through laboratory tests and theoretical analysis. Rheological curves and parameters are derived, revealing the time-dependent deformation mechanisms of the surrounding rocks.

Diagnosis and surgical treatment of obturator hernia in the recent decade with long-term follow-up: A single center experience.

Obturator hernia (OH) is a rare and dangerous disease that can lead to life-threatening consequences, and pelvic computed tomography (CT) is widely used for its diagnosis. There is no consensus regarding the surgical approach and repair methods. Retrospective analysis of the clinical and follow-up data of 15 cases of incarcerated hernias patients admitted to the Department of General Surgery, affiliated to Taicang Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, from January 2011 to December 2022.

Animal models of pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with atrial septal defect.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a well-known complication of congenital heart disease (CHD). The lack of a satisfactory animal model for PAH associated with CHD (PAH-CHD) has limited progress in understanding the pathogenesis of PAH and the development of therapeutic agents. The development of a rat model for PAH associated with atrial septal defect (ASD) was achieved through atrial septal puncture and thermal ablation.

Morphology and ITS sequences provide insights into the phylogeny of Tongoloa (Apiaceae) from China.

Background: Tongoloa is a genus comprising approximately 20 species, primarily distributed in the mountainous regions of southwest China. The insufficiency of specimen materials and morphological similarities among species render it a taxonomically challenging genus within the Apiaceae family. To elucidate the phylogenetic relationships and taxonomy of Chinese Tongoloa, this study utilized a total of 115 nrITS sequences, including 47 recently obtained sequences, for phylogenetic reconstruction.

Prenatal exposure to PM and childhood body mass index growth trajectories from birth to 6 years old.

This study aimed to determine the relationships between prenatal PM exposure and childhood growth trajectories during the first 6 years of life. A total of 47,625 pairs of mothers and children were recruited from a prospective birth cohort conducted between 2011 and 2013 in Wuhan, China, and followed for 6 years. We used the group-based trajectory models to classify the population into three trajectory groups: slow growth (n = 13,671, 28.

High-temperature PTT/CDT coordination nanoplatform realizing exacerbated hypoxia for enhancing hypoxia-activated chemotherapy to overcome tumor drug resistance.

Background: Hypoxia-activated prodrugs present new opportunities for safe and effective tumor drug resistance therapy due to their high selectivity for hypoxic cells. However, the uneven distribution of oxygen in solid tumor and insufficient hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment greatly limit its therapeutic efficacy.

Results: In this paper, a novel AQ4N-Mn(II)@PDA coordination nanoplatform was designed and functionalized with GMBP1 to target drug-resistant tumor cells.

Phellodendron chinense C.K.Schneid: An in vitro study on its anti-Helicobacter pylori effect.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Phellodendron chinense C.K.Schneid(P.