Utilizing Single-Branched Stent in Combination With Fenestration or Chimney for Endovascular Repair of Aortic Arch Lesions With Aberrant Subclavian Artery.

OBJECTIVE: The study was to figure out the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of a single-branched stent graft, namely Castor, in combination with fenestration or chimney in the context of aortic arch lesions presenting with aberrant subclavian artery (ASA) and/or Kommerell's diverticulum (KD). METHODS: All consecutive patients with aortic arch lesions and ASA and/or KD receiving Castor from June 2018 to June 2023 were investigated. RESULTS: Incorporating 18 patients, the study encompassed 11 cases with KD, 3 cases with dysphagia; 2 cases of right-sided aortic arch with left-sided aberrant left subclavian artery (ALSA), and 16 cases of left-sided aortic arch with right-sided aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA). The mean operation time was 132±23 minutes. The mean measured proximal aortic diameter was 30.9±1.6 mm, and proximal diameter of Castor stent was 34 (32, 34.5) mm, with oversize of 9.1±1.6%; the mean measured branch diameter was 8.8±0.97 mm, and branch diameter of Castor stent was 10 (8, 10) mm, with oversize of 0.86±0.57 mm. Technical success rate was 100%, and no in-hospital mortality, no stroke, and no endoleak were identified. One (5.6%) case with spinal cord ischemia and one (5.6%) case with poor healing of operative site were identified. During the follow-up period, no aortic-related death or secondary intervention was recorded. The maximal aortic diameter was significantly reduced at the sixth postoperative month (padj=0.031); KD diameter was significantly reduced at the third (padj=0.001) and sixth (padj<0.001) postoperative month. CONCLUSION: Totally endovascular repair of aortic arch lesions with ASA and KD via Castor stent in combination with fenestration or chimney is feasible, effective, and safe, which can achieve an encouraging medium-term outcome and provide excellent remodeling at the lesions. CLINICAL IMPACT: Single branched stent in combination with fenestration or chimney achieved a sufficient proximal landing zone and provided an encouraging medium-term outcome in this retrospective review of 18 patients receiving endovascular treatment of pathological aortic arch with aberrant subclavian artery and/or Kommerell's diverticulum. The authors suggest this time-saving and efficient technique to establish systematic experience for the treatment in this kind of patients.

Monitoring longitudinal antimicrobial resistance trends of Staphylococcus aureus strains worldwide over the past 100 years to decipher its evolution and transmission.

Staphylococcus aureus inhabits diverse habitats including food waste and wastewater treatment plants. Cases of S. aureus-induced infection are commonly reported worldwide. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of S. aureus is a growing public health threat worldwide. Here, we longitudinally monitored global trends in antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) of 586 S. aureus strains, isolated between 1884 and 2022. The ARGs in S. aureus exhibited a significant increase over time (P < 0.0001). Mobile genetic elements play a crucial role in the transfer of ARGs in S. aureus strains. The structural equation model results revealed a significant correlation between the human development index and rising antibiotic consumption, which subsequently leads to an indirect escalation of AMR in S. aureus strains. Lastly, a machine learning algorithm successfully predicted the AMR risk of global terrestrial S. aureus with over 70% accuracy. Overall, these findings provided valuable insights for managing AMR in S. aureus.

Horizontal gene transfer in activated sludge enhances microbial antimicrobial resistance and virulence.

Activated sludge (AS) plays a vital role in removing organic pollutants and nutrients from wastewater. However, the risks posed by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between bacteria in AS are still unclear. Here, a total of 478 high-quality non-redundant metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) were obtained. >50 % and 5 % of MAGs were involved in at least one HGT and recent HGT, respectively. Most of the transfers (82.4 %) of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) occurred among the classes of Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria. The bacteria involved in the transfers of virulence factor genes (VFGs) mainly include Alphaproteobacteria (42.3 %), Bacteroidia (19.2 %), and Gammaproteobacteria (11.5 %). Moreover, the number of ARGs and VFGs in the classes of Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria was higher than that in other bacteria (P < 0.001). Mobile genetic elements were important contributors to ARGs and VFGs in AS bacteria. These results have implications for the management of antimicrobial resistance and virulence in activated sludge microorganisms.

RNase H-Driven crRNA Switch Circuits for Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Various Analytical Targets.

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/Cas12a) system has exhibited great promise in the rapid and sensitive molecular diagnostics for its trans-cleavage property. However, most CRISPR/Cas system-based detection methods are designed for nucleic acids and require target preamplification to improve sensitivity and detection limits. Here, we propose a generic crRNA switch circuit-regulated CRISPR/Cas sensor for the sensitive detection of various targets. The crRNA switch is engineered and designed in a blocked state but can be activated in the presence of triggers, which are target-induced association DNA to initiate the trans-cleavage activity of Cas12a for signal reporting. Additionally, RNase H is introduced to specifically hydrolyze RNA duplexed with the DNA trigger, resulting in the regeneration of the trigger to activate more crRNA switches. Such a combination provides a generic and sensitive strategy for the effective sensing of the p53 sequence, thrombin, and adenosine triphosphate. The design is incorporated with nucleic acid nanotechnology and extensively broadens the application scope of the CRISPR technology in biosensing.

Distinct increase in antimicrobial resistance genes among Vibrio parahaemolyticus in recent decades worldwide.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a common pathogen, and has emerged with multiple antimicrobial resistance (AMR). However, few studies have conducted large-scale investigations of AMR and virulence trends of V. parahaemolyticus worldwide. This study longitudinally monitored antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and virulence factor genes (VFGs) trends of 1540 V. parahaemolyticus isolates isolated from 1951 to 2021. The number of ARGs in V. parahaemolyticus isolates distinctly increased over the years (P = 5.9e-10), while the number of VFGs decreased significantly (P < 2.2e-16). However, the number of VFGs of isolates isolated from humans has not changed significantly over the years (R = 0.013, P = 0.74), suggesting that the pathogenic risk to humans has not been reduced. Besides, mobile genetic elements are important contributors to ARGs in V. parahaemolyticus (R = 0.34, P < 2.2e-16), but have no promoting effect on VFGs (P = 0.50). The structural equation model illustrated that the human development index promoted the consumption of antibiotics, thereby indirectly promoting an increase in the AMR of the V. parahaemolyticus isolates. Finally, the random forest was performed to predict the ARG and VFG risks of global terrestrial V. parahaemolyticus isolates, and successfully map these threats with over 80% accuracy. This study aimed to evaluate the global risks posed by AMR and virulence, which helps to develop methods specifically targeting V. parahaemolyticus to mitigate these threats.

Monitoring Longitudinal Trends and Assessment of the Health Risk of Shigella flexneri Antimicrobial Resistance.

Shigella flexneri infection is the main cause of diarrhea in humans worldwide. The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of S. flexneri is a growing public health threat worldwide, while large-scale studies monitoring the longitudinal AMR trends of isolates remain scarce. Here, the AMR gene (ARG) profiles of 717 S. flexneri isolates from 1920 to 2020 worldwide were determined. The results showed that the average number of ARGs in isolates has increased significantly, from 19.2 ± 2.4 before 1970 to 29.6 ± 5.3 after 2010. In addition, mobile genetic elements were important contributors to ARGs in S. flexneri isolates. The results of the structural equation model showed that the human development index drove the consumption of antibiotics and indirectly promoted the antibiotic resistance. Finally, a machine learning algorithm was used to predict the antibiotic resistance risk of global terrestrial S. flexneri isolates and successfully map the antibiotic resistance threats in global land habitats with over 80% accuracy. Collectively, this study monitored the longitudinal AMR trends, quantitatively surveilled the health risk of S. flexneri AMR, and provided a theoretical basis for mitigating the threat of antibiotic resistance.

Baicalein suppresses HER2-mediated malignant transformation of HER2-overexpressing ovarian cancer cells by downregulating HER2 gene expression.

The upregulation of the HER2 oncogene is associated with a variety of human cancers and is associated with poor prognosis. Baicalein is reported to have anti-tumor activity, but the molecular mechanism of this effect in HER2-positive cancer cells has not been studied. In this study, our data showed that baicalein can inhibit the proliferation and transformation potential of ovarian cancer cells overexpressing HER2. Baicalein treatment caused a dose-dependent inhibition of HER2 gene expression at the transcriptional level. Baicalein acted on ovarian cancer cells overexpressing HER2 to downregulate the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway downstream of HER2 and inhibit the expression or activity of downstream targets, such as VEGF and cyclin D1 and MMP2. Oral administration of baicalein supplemented with a pharmaceutical excipient significantly inhibited the growth of HER2-overexpressing ovarian SKOV-3 cancer xenografts in mice. These results suggest that downregulation of HER2 gene expression by baicalein at the transcriptional level contributes to inhibit the in vitro and in vivo proliferation and HER2-mediated malignant transformation of HER2-overexpressing ovarian cancer cells.

Metabolite-Based Mutualistic Interaction between Two Novel Clostridial Species from Pit Mud Enhances Butyrate and Caproate Production.

Pit mud microbial consortia play crucial roles in the formation of Chinese strong-flavor baijiu's key flavor-active compounds, especially butyric and caproic acids. Clostridia, one of the abundant bacterial groups in pit mud, were recognized as important butyric and caproic acid producers. Research on the interactions of the pit mud microbial community mainly depends on correlation analysis at present. Interaction between Clostridium and other microorganisms and its involvement in short/medium-chain fatty acid (S/MCFA) metabolism are still unclear. We previously found coculture of two clostridial strains isolated from pit mud, Clostridium fermenticellae JN500901 (C.901) and Novisyntrophococcus fermenticellae JN500902 (N.902), could enhance S/MCFA accumulation. Here, we investigated their underlying interaction mechanism through the combined analysis of phenotype, genome, and transcriptome. Compared to monocultures, coculture of C.901 and N.902 obviously promoted their growth, including shortening the growth lag phase and increasing biomass, and the accumulation of butyric acid and caproic acid. The slight effects of inoculation ratio and continuous passage on the growth and metabolism of coculture indicated the relative stability of their interaction. Transwell coculture and transcriptome analysis showed the interaction between C.901 and N.902 was accomplished by metabolite exchange, i.e., formic acid produced by C.901 activated the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway of N.902, thereby enhancing its production of acetic acid, which was further converted to butyric acid and caproic acid by C.901 through reverse ß-oxidation. This work demonstrates the potential roles of mutually beneficial interspecies interactions in the accumulation of key flavor compounds in pit mud. IMPORTANCE Microbial interactions played crucial roles in influencing the assembly, stability, and function of the microbial community. The metabolites of pit mud microbiota are the key to flavor formation of Chinese strong-flavor baijiu. So far, researches on the interactions of the pit mud microbial community have been mainly based on the correlation analysis of sequencing data, and more work needs to be performed to unveil the complicated interaction patterns. Here, we identified a material exchange-based mutualistic interaction system involving two fatty acid-producing clostridial strains (Clostridium fermenticellae JN500901 and Novisyntrophococcus fermenticellae JN500902) isolated from pit mud and systematically elucidated their interaction mechanism for promoting the production of butyric acid and caproic acid, the key flavor-active compounds of baijiu. Our findings provide a new perspective for understanding the complicated interactions of pit mud microorganisms.

Spatial heterogeneity of the microbiome and metabolome profiles of high-temperature Daqu in the same workshop.

High-temperature Daqu, usually used as a fermentation starter for sauce-flavor Baijiu production, plays an essential role in the yield and flavor quality of Baijiu. The environmental heterogeneity of different locations in the workshop during fermentation led to the final production of Daqu with three different types (i.e., white, yellow, and black Daqu). How to use these three types of Daqu in Baijiu production mainly depends on the workers' experience so far. Here, we aimed to reveal the potential functions of different types of Daqu by comparing enzyme activity, volatile metabolites, and microbiota characteristics. White_Qu exhibited the highest liquefaction and saccharification enzyme activities, while the highest neutral proteinase and cellulase enzyme activities were detected in black_Qu. The total volatile content of yellow_Qu and black_Qu was roughly double that of white_Qu, and multivariate analysis revealed distinct volatile dissimilarities across different types of Daqu. Significant differences in bacterial and fungal community structures, assembly patterns, and potential functional profiles were discovered among different types of Daqu. At the genus level, Oceanobacillus and Thermomyces dominated the white_Qu microbiota, and the abundant microbes in yellow_Qu and black_Qu were scattered in Kroppenstedtia and Thermoascus. Bacterial and fungal communities were dominated by deterministic and stochastic assembly processes, respectively, suggesting that bacteria may be more affected by abiotic environmental factors and species interaction than fungi. Co-occurrence network analysis showed positive correlations characterized Daqu microbial networks, and network topological features indicated stronger interactions between bacterial taxa compared with fungal community. The Spearman correlation analysis revealed that four bacterial genera (Kroppenstedtia, Virgibacillus, Scopulibacillus, and Staphylococcus) and two fungal genera (Thermoascus and Aspergillus) exhibited positive correlations with almost all of the abundant volatiles. This work reveals that spatially varying environments lead to the microbiome and metabolome heterogeneity of high-temperature Daqu in the same workshop.

Comparative Genomics Unveils the Habitat Adaptation and Metabolic Profiles of Clostridium in an Artificial Ecosystem for Liquor Production.

Clostridium inhabiting pit mud (PM) is one of the important bacterial populations for synthesizing flavor compounds of Chinese strong-flavor baijiu. The long-term cereal fermentation with sorghum as the main raw material creates an environment rich in starch, ethanol, and organic acids (mainly lactic acid). However, the genetic factors underpinning Clostridium's adaptation to PM remain poorly understood. Here, we performed comparative genomic analysis between 30 pit mud-associated (PMA) and 100 non-pit mud-associated (NPMA) Clostridium strains. Comparison analysis of the enrichment of KEGG pathways between PMA and NPMA Clostridium strains showed two-component system, flagellar assembly, and bacterial chemotaxis pathways related to environmental adaptation were enriched in PMA strains. The number of genes encoding alcohol dehydrogenase and l-lactate dehydrogenase in PMA Clostridium strains was significantly higher than that in NPMA, which is helpful for them to adapt to the ethanol- and lactic acid-rich environment. The analysis of carbohydrate-active enzymes demonstrated that glycoside hydrolases (GHs) was the most abundant family in all Clostridium strains, and genes encoding GH4 and GH13, involved in starch and sucrose metabolism, were enriched in PMA Clostridium. Horizontal gene transfer analysis revealed that multiple genes encoding the enzymes involved in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism were transferred from Bacillus to Clostridium in pit mud. Most of the PMA Clostridium strains had good potential for butyric acid synthesis from ethanol, lactic acid, and starch. Collectively, this study furthers our understanding of the habitat adaptation and metabolic potential of PMA Clostridium strains. IMPORTANCE Pit mud is a typical artificial ecosystem for Chinese liquor production. Clostridium inhabiting pit mud plays essential roles in the flavor formation of strong-flavor baijiu. The relative abundance of Clostridium increased with pit mud quality, further influencing the quality of baijiu. So far, the ecological adaptation of Clostridium to a pit mud-associated lifestyle is largely unknown. Here, comparative genomic analysis of pit mud-associated (PMA) and non-pit mud-associated (NPMA) Clostridium strains was performed. We found genes related to the metabolism of starch, ethanol, and lactic acid were enriched in PMA Clostridium strains, which facilitated their adaptation to the unique brewing environment. In addition, horizontal gene transfer contributed to the adaptation of Clostridium to pit mud. Our findings provide genetic insights on PMA Clostridium strains' ecological adaptation and metabolic characteristics.

Impact of minimally invasive mitral valve surgery on sexual dysfunction in male patients.

BACKGROUND: Sexual dysfunction after cardiac surgery can seriously affect patients' quality of life, but the impact of cardiac surgery on sexual function has long been neglected. Compared with conventional cardiac surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery has the advantages of aesthetic appearance and no disruption of the sternal structure, which can greatly improve the patient's quality of life. However, studies focusing on the effects of minimally invasive mitral valve surgery (MIMVS) on sexual function have not been reported. The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of totally endoscopic mitral valve surgery on health-related quality of life and sexual function in male patients and to provide possible recommendations. METHODS: Patients who underwent median sternotomy or totally endoscopic mitral valve surgery at our institution from January 2019 to December 2020 were selected using an electronic medical record system. Data were collected by questionnaires, including the MOS 36-item short-form health survey and the International Erectile Function Questionnaire. RESULTS: There were 156 male patients who participated in our study. Of these, 112 patients completed all questionnaires. Forty-five patients (40.18%) developed postoperative sexual dysfunction, including 15 patients (29.41%) in the MIMVS group and 30 patients (49.18%) in the conventional MVS group, indicating that the incidence of sexual dysfunction could be reduced by MIMVS and that the MIMVS group scored better on the International Erectile Function Questionnaire (P < 0.05). On the evaluation of health-related quality of life, the MIMVS group scored better than the MVS group on the mental health and bodily pain subscales of the MOS 36-item short-form health survey. In addition, our study showed that postoperative sexual dysfunction was associated with physical functioning and mental health. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, totally endoscopic mitral valve surgery had less adverse effects on sexual function in male patients than conventional mitral valve surgery. In terms of health-related quality of life, totally endoscopic mitral valve surgery was superior to conventional surgery. Patients who opt for totally endoscopic mitral valve surgery may have a more satisfying and healthier sexual life than those who undergo conventional mitral valve surgery.

Extensive repair of acute type A aortic dissection through a partial upper sternotomy and using complete stent-graft replacement of the arch.

BACKGROUND: Partial upper sternotomy (mini-ER) can be used in some adult cardiac surgeries but is seldom performed in the treatment of acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD). This study aimed to assess the feasibility and short-term outcomes of complete stent-graft replacement of the arch with triple-branched stent graft for AAAD through a mini-ER. METHODS: From 2015 to 2018, 254 patients with AAAD underwent complete stent-graft replacement of the arch with a triple-branched stent graft. Replacement was performed with conventional full sternotomy (con-ER) in 142 patients and with mini-ER in the other 112 patients. Using propensity score matching, the clinical data were compared between 100 patients in the mini-ER group and 100 patients in the con-ER group. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, there were no significant between-group differences in aortic cross-clamp time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, or total operative time. The amount of mediastinal drainage and number of red blood cell units were significantly lower in the mini-ER group compared with the con-ER group (P < .001). The intubation time was significantly shorter in the mini-ER group (P < .001). The treatment costs were also lower in the mini-ER group (P < .001). There were no significant between-group differences in 30-day mortality (9% vs 8%; P > .99) or postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that extensive repair of AAAD through a mini-ER is feasible. It was superior to con-ER in terms of blood loss, postoperative ventilation time, and treatment costs.

Learning Curve from 100 Cases of Totally Thoracoscopic Mitral Valve Replacement.

BACKGROUND: To investigate and analyze the learning curve of totally thoracoscopic mitral valve replacement and provide a quantitative reference for cardiac surgeons to carry out the operation step by step. METHODS: The clinical data were retrospectively analyzed of 100 consecutive patients with totally thoracoscopic mitral valve replacement successively performed by the same surgeon in a single center from May 2019 to June 2020. The learning curve was divided into 2 stages by using cumulative sum analysis, and relevant surgical parameters and perioperative indicators were analyzed. RESULTS: The first stage of the learning curve is the skill acquisition stage, which includes 1 to 40 surgical procedures. The second stage is the proficiency stage, involving 41 to 100 operations. Among the surgical parameters of the patients in the 2 stages, detectable improvements were observed in operative time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, cross-clamp time, and intraoperative injury. After surgery, the amount of drainage, length of hospital stay, blood creatinine levels, and oxygenation index 24 h after surgery were also significantly different between the 2 groups (all P < .05). The age and sex distributions of the patients were balanced, and there was no statistically significant difference in terms of conversion to median sternotomy between the 2 stages (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Cumulative sum analysis was used to accurately analyze the learning curve of totally thoracoscopic mitral valve replacement, indicating that 40 cases are needed to master the technique.

Novisyntrophococcus fermenticellae gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from an anaerobic fermentation cellar of Chinese strong-flavour baijiu.

A Gram-stain-negative, coccus-shaped, obligately anaerobic, non-motile and non-spore-forming bacterium, designated strain JN500902T, was isolated from the mud in a fermentation cellar used continuously over 30 years for Chinese strong-flavour baijiu production. Colonies were white, circular, convex and smooth-edged. Growth was observed at 20-40 °C (optimum, 37 °C), at pH 5.0-10 (optimum, pH 7.5), with 0-2 % (w/v) NaCl and with 0-4 % (v/v) ethanol. The Biolog assay demonstrated positive reactions of strain JN500902T in the metabolism of l-fucose and pyruvate. The predominant cellular fatty acids (>10 %) consisted of C16 : 0 and C14 : 0. The major end metabolites of strain JN500902T were acetic acid and ethanol when incubated anaerobically in liquid reinforced clostridial medium. Acetate was the major organic acid end product. The complete genome size of strain JN500902T was 3 420 321 bp with 3327 identified genes. The G+C content was 43.5 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences affiliated strain JN500902T with the family Lachnospiraceae, having low sequence similarity (92.8 %) to the nearest type strain, Syntrophococcus sucromutans DSM 3224T and forming a clearly distinct branch. Core genome phylogenetic analysis of the isolate and 134 strains belonging to the family Lachnospiraceae also revealed that strain JN500902T was well-separated from other genera of this family as a monophyletic clade. The average nucleotide identity and amino acid identity values between strain JN500902T and 134 Lachnospiraceae strains were less than 74 and 65 %, respectively. Considering its polyphasic characteristics, strain JN500902T represents a novel genus and species within the family Lachnospiraceae, for which the name Novisyntrophococcus fermenticellae gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JN500902T (=CICC 24502T=JCM 33939T).

Circular RNA circ_0089153 acts as a competing endogenous RNA to regulate colorectal cancer development by the miR-198/SUMO-specific peptidase 1 (SENP1) axis.

Increasing evidence has indicated the implications of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we investigated the functional role and mechanism of circ_0089153 in CRC pathogenesis. The expression levels of circ_0089153, microRNA (miR)-198, and SUMO-specific peptidase 1 (SENP1) were gauged by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) or western blot. Cell proliferation, sphere formation, tube formation, and apoptosis abilities were detected by 5-Ethynyl-2'-Deoxyuridine (EdU), sphere formation, tube formation, and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The direct relationship between miR-198 and circ_0089153 or SENP1 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. The mouse xenograft assays were performed to evaluate the role of circ_0089153 in vivo. Our data showed that circ_0089153 was overexpressed in CRC tissues and cells. Depletion of circ_0089153 repressed cell proliferation, sphere formation ability, and enhanced cell apoptosis, as well as inhibited tube formation in vitro. Moreover, circ_0089153 depletion diminished tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, circ_0089153 targeted miR-198, and the effects of circ_0089153 were mediated by miR-198. SENP1 was identified as a direct and functional target of miR-198. Circ_0089153 worked as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to post-transcriptionally regulate SENP1 expression by miR-198. Our findings identify circ_0089153 as a novel regulator of CRC development through the regulation of the miR-198/SENP1 axis and establish a strong rationale for developing circ_0089153 as a promising therapeutic against CRC.

Deciphering the succession patterns of bacterial community and their correlations with environmental factors and flavor compounds during the fermentation of Zhejiang rosy vinegar.

Zhejiang Rosy Vinegar (ZRV) is a traditional condiment in Southeast China, produced using semi-solid-state fermentation techniques under an open environment, yet little is known about the functional microbiota involved in the flavor formation of ZRV. In this study, 43 kinds of volatile flavor substances were identified by HS-SPME/GC-MS, mainly including ethyl acetate (relative content at the end of fermentation: 1104.1 mg/L), phenylethyl alcohol (417.6 mg/L) and acetoin (605.2 mg/L). The most abundant organic acid was acetic acid (59.6 g/L), which kept rising during the fermentation, followed by lactic acid (7.0 g/L), which showed a continuously downward trend. Amplicon sequencing analysis revealed that the richness and diversity of bacterial community were the highest at the beginning and then maintained decreasing during the fermentation. The predominant bacteria were scattered in Acetobacter (average relative abundance: 63.7%) and Lactobacillus (19.8%). Both sequencing and culture-dependent analysis showed Lactobacillus dominated the early stage (day 10 to 30), and Acetobacter kept highly abundant from day 40 to the end. Spearman correlation analysis displayed that the potential major groups involved in the formation of flavor compounds were Acetobacter and Lactobacillus, which were also showed strong relationships with other bacteria through co-occurrence network analysis (edges attached to Acetobacter: 61.7%; Lactobacillus: 14.0%). Moreover, structural equation model showed that the contents of ethanol, titratable acid and reducing sugar were the major environmental factors playing essential roles in influencing the succession of bacterial community and their metabolism during the fermentation. Overall, these findings illuminated the dynamic profiles of bacterial community and flavor compounds and the potential functional microbes, which were expected to help us understand the formation of flavor substances in ZRV.

Transthoracic Device Closure, Transcatheter Device Closure, and Surgical Repair via Right Submammary Thoracotomy for Restrictive Ventricular Septal Defect, a Respective Comparative Study.

BACKGROUND: Few comparative studies have focused on the advantages and disadvantages of transthoracic device closure, transcatheter device closure, and surgical repair via right submammary thoracotomy for restrictive ventricular septal defect (VSD). In this article, we compared the safety, efficacy, and clinical effects of these three treatments. Methods: The clinical data of 192 pediatric patients with a restrictive VSD in our hospital from January 2017 to May 2018 were retrospectively collected and analyzed. According to the different treatments, the patients were divided into three groups (the surgical and device groups). Results: There was no significant difference in the demographic characteristics, VSD size, mean pulmonary artery pressure, or cardiothoracic ratio. In addition, there were significant differences in the duration of mechanical ventilation, operation, hospitalization, and ICU stay between the two device groups and the surgical group, but there were no significant differences between the two device groups. Conclusions: Transthoracic device closure, transcatheter device closure, and surgical repair via right submammary thoracotomy for restrictive VSD repair are all safe and feasible. These three treatments have their own disadvantages and advantages and should be selected according to individual patients.

Novel Approach for Repair of a Left Atrial Esophageal Fistula After Radiofrequency Ablation.

Herein we described a novel repair approach for a left atrial esophageal fistula. Complete mediastinal debridement and simultaneous primary repairs of the left atrial posterior wall and the esophagus were completed under a median sternotomy, central cardiopulmonary bypass, left atrial circular incision around four pulmonary veins, inflamed left atrial posterior wall removal, and posterior pericardial opening.

Patch Neointima Technique in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection: Midterm Results of 147 Cases.

BACKGROUND: The patch neointima technique is a modified valve-sparing aortic root repair surgery for acute type A aortic dissection and the short-term outcomes are satisfactory. The midterm outcomes have not been reported. METHODS: From January 2009 to December 2012, 147 patients underwent valve-sparing aortic root repair with the patch neointima technique for type A aortic dissection in our center. The midterm outcomes of the patients were evaluated by echocardiography and aortic computed tomography angiography. RESULTS: Of 147 patients, 32 patients (21.8%) underwent proximal arch repair, and 115 patients (78.2%) underwent proximal arch repair combined with triple-branched stent graft implantation. The perioperative mortality was 5.4%. Preoperative aortic insufficiency (AI) was observed in 94 patients (63.9%); 131 patients (89.1%) left the operating room with 0 AI; the remaining 16 patients (10.9%) had trace or less than 1+ AI. A total of 128 patients (87.1%) completed 7-year follow-up. The mean follow-up time was 5.7 ± 1.2 years. As many as 82% of patients (105) were 0 AI and 15.6% of patients (20) were 0.5+ trace or less than 1+ AI. No reoperation was performed for the aortic root. The diameters of sinotubular junction and sinus were reduced to the normal range (28.3 ± 4.2 mm and 30.5 ± 3.6 mm, respectively) and remained stable (28.9 ± 5.6 mm, P = .300, and 30.8 ± 4.2 mm, P = .540, respectively) during 7 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Valve-sparing aortic root repair with patch neointima technique was associated with stable function of the aortic valves and no expansion of the aortic root in the midterm.