[en] Objective: To discuss the feasibility of using Amplatzer vascular plug n to occlude perimembraneous ventricular septal defects (VSD). Methods: Transcatheter closure by using Amplatzer vascular plug n was carried out in 5 patients with perimembraneous VSD. The patients included 3 girls and 2 boys, with a mean age of (3.8 ± 1.3) years (ranged 3-6 years) and a body weight of (11.8-22.0) kg. The vascular plug was released after its position was confirmed by angiography and echocardiography. After the treatment,left ventricular and aortic angiography as well as color echocardiography was performed to evaluate the therapeutic results. Each patient underwent electrocardiographic and echocardiographic examination at 24 hours after closure, at the time of discharge from the hospital, and at 1, 3, 6 month during the follow-up period. The results were analyzed. Results: The echocardiogram and angiogram showed that the diameter of VSD was 6.4-9.0 mm in the left ventricle side with an aneurysmal transformation and was 2.1-2.9 mm in the right ventricle side. The distance from the upper rim of VSD to aortic valve was 2.1-3.8 mm. Transcatheter deployment of the device was successfully accomplished in all patients. The size of deployed device ranged from 4 to 10 mm. Angiogram and echocardiogram revealed that the defect was successfully occluded in all patients except one who showed a trivial residual shunt at the lower rim of the device, and the residual shunt disappeared one month later. During follow-up period, no patient developed bundle branch block or atrioventricular block. The position of the device remained stable. Conclusion: Transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects, especially in the patients with long-tube type aneurysmal transformation, the use of Amplatzer vascular plug II as the occluder is safe and effective. (authors)

[en] Objective: To explore the indication, methodology and complication of transcatheter coil closure of ventricular septal defect (VSD) in children. Methods: Transcatheter closure of perimembranous VSD with coils was performed in 4 cases from 2003 to 2005. The Duct-Occlude (pfm) and detachable coil (Cook) were chosen for embolization depending on the results of the left ventricular angiogram. The coil size was generally about 1-4 mm larger than the diameter of VSD. Follow up was carried out with echocardiography, ultrasound and clinical examination. Results: The defect diameters of the four cases were 2.0 mm, 2.7 mm, 2.5 mm and 1.5 mm respectively. The Duct-Occlude were successfully implanted in 3 cases of perimembranous VSD with the same type coil (OD[mm]7-3-6, windings 5-3-4) for each. One detachable coil (Cook) (5 x 5) was implanted in the remaining case. All cases had trivial residual shunt immediately after implantation which disappeared 24 hours later. Follow-up for 2 months to one year showed no coil displacement and secondary bacterial arteritis. No tricuspid and aortic regurgitation, no emboli, no endocarditis, and no arrhythmia were found. Conclusions: Coil closure of some small VSD with membranate part pseudo-ventricular aneurysm has good efficacy with the advantages of simple operation, less metal content and mini-invasion also applicable for infants. (authors)

[en] Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of multi-fenestrated septal occluder for transcatheter closure therapy of fenestrated atrial septal defects (ASD) in children. Methods: During the period from Oct. 2011 to Feb. 2012 three patients (one female and two males) with fenestrated atrial septal defects were admitted to the hospital. Preoperative routine examinations were carefully conducted and no contra-indications were found. Based on the echocardiography and catheterization findings, the proper balloon and occluder were selected to plug the ASD. Three days after the procedure the patients were discharged from hospital. After leaving hospital the patients were asked to take Asprin (3-5 mg/k/d) orally. Results: Echocardiography showed that one case suffered from type II ASD with three shunt pores as well as PS, and the gradient pressure between PA and RV determined by echocardiography and catheterization was 70 mmHg and 52 mmHg, respectively. The diameter of the valve ring of PA was 14.4 mm and the high-pressure balloon sized 18 by 30 mm (production of BLAT) was used to dilate the PS, and after two times dilatation the gradient pressure was decreased to 36 mmHg. Echocardiography was performed to measure the ASD holes, the diameter of the three holes was 7, 1.8 and 2.9 mm respectively. The distance between two anterior holes was 5.4 mm, while the distance between two posterior holes was 3.6 mm. The distance between the middle hole and the aortic valve was 13.2 mm, and the distance between the middle hole and the mitral valve was 10.3 mm. The total septal length was 28 mm. A 25 mm Cribriform occluder was used. Echocardiography demonstrated that the second patient had ASD with two holes, the bigger one was 4.5 mm, and the small one was 4 mm in diameter. The distance between the two holes was 3 mm, and the length of septum was 35 mm. A 25 mm Cribriform occluder was employed. The remaining patient had multiple ASD with many openings. The bigger hole was about 7.2 mm in diameter, and the other holes assumed a multi-fenestrated septal defect appearance with the biggest opening being 2.5 mm in size. The length of septum was 33 mm. A 30 mm Cribriform was adopted. No residual shunt or valvular regurgitation was found after the procedure. Conclusion: Cribriform occluder can be successfully and safely used in patients with multiple ASD, however, postoperative anticoagulation therapy should be emphasized. (authors)

[en] Objective: To discuss the feasibility of using Amplatzer duct occluder Ⅱ to treat perimembranous ventricular septal defects. Methods: Transcatheter closure by using Amplatzer duct occluder Ⅱ was carried out in two female infants with small perimembranous ventricular septal defect. One female infant was 3 years old. The echocardiogram showed that the diameter of VSD was 5.5 mm in left ventricle side and 2.3 mm in right ventricle side. The distance of the upper border of VSD to aortic valve was 4 mm. The other female infant was 2 years and 10 months old, the diameter of VSD was 7.8 mm in left ventricle side and 2.0 mm in right ventricle side. The distance between the upper border of VSD to aortic valve was 5.8 mm. Results: For one infant the 4 by 4 mm Amplatzer duct occluder Ⅱ and 5 F TorqVue low profile delivery catheter was employed, while for the other infant 3 by 4 mm Amplatzer duct occluder Ⅱ and 4 F delivery catheter was used. In accordance with the standard procedure the arteriovenous pathway was set up first, than the left shed and right shed were released in turn. After the operation, echocardiogram showed that there was no residual shunt and aortic regurgitation in occluded site, but mild atrioventricular regurgitation was seen in one infant. The electrocardiogram performed two days after procedure was normal. Conclusion: Transcatheter closure by using Amplatzer duct occluder Ⅱ is very effective for the treatment of small perimembranous ventricular septal defects in infants. This technique has some advantages such as the use of small delivery catheter, minimally-invasive to the vessels, etc. In a short-term after the operation no complications such as residual shunt, valve regurgitation, arrhythmia, etc. occur. (authors)

[en] As a part of statistical freeze-out study in antisymmetrized molecular dynamics (AMD), an analysis of "1"1"2Sn + "1"1"2Sn at 50 MeV/nucleon is presented. Using the self-consistent method combined with the Modified Fisher model, the fragmenting source density, ρ/ρ0 = 0.69 ± 0.03, temperature, T = (6.1 ± 0.2) MeV, are extracted. By comparing the maximum density in the system during the time evolution of AMD calculation, a significantly lower density is found for the fragmenting source density. The extracted fragmenting source density and temperature are very similar to those for "4"0Ca + "4"0Ca at 35 MeV/nucleon and "6"4Zn + "1"1"2Sn at 40 MeV/nucleon. These indicate that there is a common statistical freeze-out volume at the time of the formation of intermediate mass fragments (IMFs) in AMD transport model. (authors)

[en] An improved method is proposed for the extraction of the symmetry energy coefficient relative to the temperature, a_sym/T, for the heavy-ion reactions near the Fermi energy region, based on the modified Fisher Model (MFM). This method is applied to the primary fragments of the Anti-symmetrized Molecular Dynamics (AMD) simulations for the reactions of ⁴⁰Ca + ⁴⁰Ca at 35 MeV/nucleon. The density and the temperature at the fragment formation stage are extracted using a self-consistent method. (authors)

[en] Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of transcatheter closure of congenital coronary artery fistulas (CAFs). Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on 19 patients mean age of (5.5 ± 4.1) years treated from February 1995 to December 2005 with transcatheter closure of CAFs using transcatheter spring coil embolization. Amplatzer PDA occluder or Amplatzer plug. One case had a residual fistula postoperatively associated with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Results: The abnormal parameters included mean fistula diameter (3.7 ± 1.6) mm (2.5-8.2 mm), pulmonary mean pressure (28.0 ± 5.0 mmHg (25.0-67.0 mmHg) and pulmonary to systemic shunt (Qp/Qs) 1.6 ± 0.8 (1.0-2.3). The sites of the fistulas were originated in right coronary artery 11, left anterior descending coronary artery or left circumflex coronary artery 8. Abnormal communication sites of these fistulas were to right ventricle in 14 and right atrium in 5. Various occlusion devices used to close these fistulas included one Gianturco coil in 10, 2-4 Gianturco coils in 3, Duct-Occlud in 3. Amplatzer duct occluder in 2 and Amplatzer plug in 1. the post-operative residul fistula with PDA was treated successfully with PDA occlusion. the immediate, one month and one year complete occlusion rates were 55.6%(10/18), 88.9%(16/18), 100%(18/18), respectively. The coil slipped into the left pulmonary artery in 1 case and correction was obtained by retrieving with forceps. Follow-up studies at 3 months to 4.3 years showed complete abolition of shunt in all patients with no evidence of recanalization leading to recurrences of shunt. Conclusion: Transcatheter closure of CAFs is a safe and effective alternative to surgical repair. (authors)

[en] The symmetry energy at the time of the production of intermediate mass fragments (IMFs) is studied using experimentally observed IMF multiplicities combined with quantum statistical model calculations (QSM of Hahn and Stocker). The ratios of difference in chemical potentials between neutrons and protons relative to the temperature, (μ_n -μ_p)/T , and the double ratio temperature, T, were extracted experimentally in the reactions of "6"4","7"0Zn, "6"4Ni+"5"8","6"4Ni, "1"1"2","1"2"4Sn, "1"9"7Au, "2"3"2Th at 40A MeV. The extracted (μ_n-μ_p)/T scales linearly with δ_N_N, where δ_N_N is the asymmetry parameter: (N-Z)/A, of the emitting source and (μ_n -μ_p)/T = (11.1±1.4) δ_N_N -0.21 was derived. The experimentally extracted (μ_n -μ_p)/T and the double ratio temperatures are compared with those from the QSM calculations. The temperatures, T, and densities, ρ, extracted from the (μ_n -μ_p)/T values agreed with those from the double ratio thermometer which used the yield ratios of d, t, h and a particles. However the two analyses of the differential chemical potential analysis and the initial temperature analysis end up almost identical relation between T and ρ. T=5.25±0.75 MeV is evaluated from the (μ_n -μ_p)/T analysis, but no density determination was possible. From the extracted T value, the symmetry energy coefficient E_s_w_y=14.6±3.5 MeV is determined for the emitting source of T=5.25±0.75 MeV (authors)

[en] An experimental method was used to evaluate the primary isotope yields of semi-central collisions in the reaction system "6"4Zn+"1"1"2Sn at 40A MeV, The characteristic nature of the hot nuclear matter at the time of the isotope formation was studied. The multiplicities of light particles (LPs) associated with intermediate mass fragments (IMFs) were determined experimentally by using a kinematical focusing technique. The primary isotope distributions, reconstructed by a Monte Carlo method, were compared with those of the AMD-Gemini simulations. a_c/T=0.11 and a_s_y_m/T=3.34 were extracted from the reconstructed primary fragments yield. These are consistent with those of the primary fragments of the AMD simulation. (authors)

[en] Highlights: • A cation-π interaction utilization strategy is developed with a graphene-based humidity driven nanogenerator. • The hydrophobic surface of graphene can accelerate the evaporation while preventing the aggregation of water droplets. • Electricity is generated by manipulating the formation of ionic liquid microdroplets as the humidity varies. -- Abstract: Strong non-covalent cation-π interactions were discovered about three decades ago. However, the application of such interfacial behavior on carbon nanomaterials has been investigated only in recent years. In particular, with the increasing interests in graphene, efforts have been made to promote the energy generation through macroscopically shifts of the liquid/solid boundary over the carbon surface, yet the effective ways to avoid the physical wearing caused by the macroscopically shifts still lack. In the present work, a high-efficiency humidity driven electric nanogenerator based on the interfacial cation-π interaction was reported. The generator was prepared using the wrinkled graphene with intentionally increased defects and uniformly distributed wrinkles for ultrafast water evaporation, preventing excessive water accumulation and deposition of well-distributed salt crystals. Electricity was generated by manipulating the formation of ionic liquid microdroplets on the graphene surface via water adsorption and desorption of salt crystals as the humidity varied. Our work provided a new strategy for the application of strong cation−π interactions, such as energy generation, gas sensing and biointerface for cell stimulation, with readily achievable stimuli, high stability, comparable efficiency and long lifetime.