Background　Quantitatively assessing myocardial perfusion and its reserve is of great importance for the diagnosis and stratification of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), and represents an important goal of myocardial contrast echocardiography. In this study we sought to test the usefulness of low dose dobutamine stress real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography (RT-MCE) in the assessment of CAD, and to explore the relationship between perfusion reserve and contractile reserve.Methods　Twenty-six patients with suspected or clinical diagnosed CAD were enrolled and underwent RT-MCE at baseline and under low dose dobutamine stress, and subsequent coronary angiography. RT-MCE images were analyzed quantitatively from microbubble replenishment curves for myocardial perfusion and its reserve. Results　At baseline, significant differences in beta (0.28±0.12, 0.25±0.09, 0.22±0.06, 0.20±0.07 respectively, P＜0.01) and A×beta (1.37±0.46, 1.28±0.47, 1.13±0.37, 0.91±0.32, respectively, P＜0.01) were observed among four segment groups with graded coronary artery stenosis severity (normal; 30%-69% stenosis; 70%-90% stenosis; and beyond 90% stenosis), but not observed in parameter A. When under stress, significant differences in A (5.73±1.28, 5.63±1.01, 4.96±0.81, 4.57±0.62, respectively, P＜0.01), beta (0.67±0.17, 0.55±0.19, 0.32±0.13, 0.25±0.08, respectively, P＜0.01) and A×beta (3.81±1.20, 3.11±1.17, 1.59±0.82, 1.12±0.37, respectively, P＜0.01) were observed among the formerly mentioned groups. Graded decreases in A reserve (1.20±0.53, 1.11±0.16, 0.98±0.12, 0.99±0.13, respectively, P＜0.01), beta reserve (2.65±1.07, 2.32±0.82, 1.44±0.40, 1.29±0.34,respectively, P＜0.01) and A×beta reserve (3.05±1.63, 2.59±1.01, 1.42±0.44, 1.27±0.34, respectively, P＜0.01) could also be observed with increasing coronary stenosis severity. In five segments groups scored by WMS (1-5), concordance between contractile function and myocardial perfusion could be found both at rest (beta: 0.28±0.11, 0.22±0.08, 0.21±0.05, 0.17±0.05, 0.19±0.06, respectively, P＜0.01; A×beta: 1.29±0.48, 0.98±0.45, 0.94±0.29, 0.76±0.30, 0.92±0.32, respectively, P＜0.01) and under stress (beta: 0.59±0.20, 0.35±0.15, 0.27±0.08, 0.17±0.05, 0.20±0.05, respectively, P＜0.01; A×beta: 3.07±1.38, 1.62±0.82, 1.28±0.40, 0.78±0.24, 0.93±0.22, respectively, P＜0.01). This concordance is also valid in terms of the reserves, and the MCE parameters in segments with ameliorated contractile function are significantly higher than in those without. Conclusions　Quantitative RT-MCE in conjunction with dobutamine stress shows promise in identifying and stratifying CAD and in exploring the perfusion-contractile correlation.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the properties of screw-bone interface of expansive pedicle screw (EPS) in osteoporotic sheep using micro-CT and histology.

METHODSSix female sheep with bilateral ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis were employed in this experiment and were randomly assigned into 2 groups: A and B. After EPS insertion in each femoral condyles, sheep in group A were bred for 3 months, while those in group B 6 months. Femoral condyles with EPS were 3D-imaged and reconstructed by micro-CT. Histology was evaluated thereafter.

RESULTSThe trabecular microstructure was denser at the screw-bone interface than in the distant parts in expansive section, especially within spiral marking. In the non-expansive section, however, there was no significant difference between the interface and the distant parts. The regions of interest (ROI) adjacent to EPS were reconstructed and analyzed by micro-CT using the same thresholds. The 3D-parameters generated, including tissue mineral density (TMD), bone volume fraction (BVF, BV/TV), bone surface/bone volume (BS/BV) ratio, trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), were significantly better in expansive than in non-expansive sections (P < 0.05). Histologically, newly formed bone trabeculae crawled along the expansive fissures and into the center of EPS. The newly formed bones, as well as the bone at the bone-screw interface, closely contacted the EPS and constructed four compartments.

CONCLUSIONSBased on micro-CT and histological evaluation, the study suggest that EPS can significantly provide stabilization in osteoporotic cancellous bone.

Animals ; Bone Density ; Bone Screws ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Femur ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; surgery ; Osteoporosis ; etiology ; pathology ; surgery ; Ovariectomy ; adverse effects ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sheep ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the properties of screw-bone interface of expansive pedicle screw (EPS) in osteoporotic sheep by micro-CT and histological observation.

METHODSSix female sheep with bilateral ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis were employed in this experiment. After EPS insertion in each femoral condyle, the sheep were randomly divided into two groups: 3 sheep were bred for 3 months (Group A), while the other 3 were bred for 6 months (Group B). After the animals being killed, the femoral condyles with EPS were obtained, which were three-dimensionally-imaged and reconstructed by micro-CT. Histological evaluation was made thereafter.

RESULTSThe trabecular microstructure was denser at the screw-bone interface than in the distant parts in expansive section, especially within the spiral marking. In the non-expansive section, however, there was no significant difference between the interface and the distant parts. The regions of interest (ROI) adjacent to EPS were reconstructed and analyzed by micro-CT with the same thresholds. The three-dimensional (3-D) parameters, including tissue mineral density (TMD), bone volume fraction (BVF, BV/TV), bone surface/bone volume (BS/BV) ratio, trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), were significantly better in expansive sections than non-expansive sections (P less than 0.05). Histologically, newly-formed bony trabeculae crawled along the expansive fissures and into the center of EPS. The newly-formed bones, as well as the bones at the bone-screw interface, closely contacted with the EPS and constructed four compartments.

CONCLUSIONSThe findings of the current study, based on micro-CT and histological evaluation, suggest that EPS can significantly provide stabilization in osteoporotic cancellous bones.

Animals ; Bone Screws ; Bone and Bones ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Female ; Osteoporosis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Sheep ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Chorioamnionitis is associated with high maternal and neonatal morbidity and serious complication. In developed countries, due to timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment, it is getting a great progress in the treatment of chorioamnionitis. In the developing countries, where lack the healthcare facilities and effect diagnosis, women are frequently overlooked and not properly treated. In addition to its impact on maternal health, a significant morbidity and mortality will happen in neonate. We discuss chorioamnionitis from pathogenesis to therapeutic environment.

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),which is caused by SARS-CoV-2,varies with regard to symptoms and mortality rates among populations.Humoral immunity plays critical roles in SARS-CoV-2 infection and recovery from COVID-19.However,differences in immune responses and clinical features among COVID-19 patients remain largely unknown.Here,we report a database for COVID-19-specific IgG/IgM immune responses and clinical parameters(named COVID-ONE-hi).COVID-ONE-hi is based on the data that contain the IgG/IgM responses to 24 full-length/truncated proteins corresponding to 20 of 28 known SARS-CoV-2 proteins and 199 spike protein peptides against 2360 serum samples collected from 783 COVID-19 patients.In addition,96 clinical parameters for the 2360 serum samples and basic information for the 783 patients are integrated into the database.Furthermore,COVID-ONE-hi provides a dashboard for defining samples and a one-click analysis pipeline for a single group or paired groups.A set of samples of interest is easily defined by adjusting the scale bars of a variety of parameters.After the"START"button is clicked,one can readily obtain a comprehensive analysis report for further interpretation.COVID-ONE-hi is freely available at www.COVID-ONE.cn.

OBJECTIVE: Identification of new risk factors is needed to improve prediction of adverse outcomes in patients with three-vessel disease (TVD). The present study aimed to evaluate the prognostic values of serum chloride and sodium levels in patients with TVD. METHODS: We used data from a prospective cohort of consecutive patients with angiographically confirmed TVD. The primary endpoint was all-cause death. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to analyze the relationship of serum chloride and sodium levels with long-term outcomes of TVD patients. RESULTS: A total of 8,318 participants with available serum chloride and sodium data were included in this analysis. At baseline, patients in the low tertiles group of serum chloride level (⪕ 102.0 mmol/L) or serum sodium level (⪕ 139.0 mmol/L) had more severe disease conditions. During a median follow-up of 7.5-year, both low serum chloride level and low serum sodium level were found to be associated with an increased risk for mortality in univariate analysis. However, when both parameters were incorporated into a multivariate model, only low serum sodium level remained to be an independent predictor of all-cause death (hazard ratio: 1.16, 95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.34, P = 0.041). Modest but significant improvement of discrimination was observed after incorporating serum sodium level into the Synergy between percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery score. CONCLUSION Serum sodium level is more strongly associated with long-term outcomes of TVD patients compared with serum chloride level. Low serum sodium level is an independent risk factor for mortality, but only provides modest prognostic information beyond an established risk model.
Aged ; China ; epidemiology ; Chlorides ; blood ; Coronary Artery Disease ; blood ; diagnosis ; mortality ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies ; Sodium ; blood