Objective To analyze the clinical application value of cinematic rendering(CR)reconstruction technology in acute aortic dissection(AAD),and to compare the imaging quality between CR and volume rendering(VR)reconstruction.Methods Patients with suspected A AD who underwent aortic computed tomography angiography(CTA)were analyzed retrospectively.All images were uploaded to Siemens Syngo.via post-processing workstation for VR and CR three-dimensional reconstruction,respectively.The optimized view angle,staining and transparency were selected and segmented by a radiologist to display the lesion to the full extent.All subjective evaluations of post-processing images were randomly evaluated on Siemens Syngo.via post-processing workstation by two radiologists.The two radiologists reached a consensus after consultation,and the results without consensus were evaluated by another senior radiologist.The 3-point scale was used in the subjective evaluation of post-processing images.The scores of rupture,endometrium,and true and false cavity were recorded.The diagnostic confidence was also recorded.Results A total of 21 ADD patients were enrolled,11 patients(52.3％)were Debakey Ⅲ type.The scores of rupture in CR and VR reconstruction were 2.952 points and 2.619 points,respectively,which had significant difference(P=0.016).For the endometrium of AAD,the score of all 21 patients in the CR reconstruction was 3 points,while only 7 patients(33.3％)in the VR reconstruction had 3 points,which showed significant difference between the both(P＜0.001).For the true and false cavity of AAD,only 1 patient(4.8％)in the VR reconstruction was 3 points,while all 21 patients in the CR reconstruction had 3 points(P＜0.001).The scores of CR reconstruction on the diagnostic confidence were significantly higher than those of VR reconstruction(P＜0.001).Conclusion CR reconstruction can provide photorealistic anatomical post-processing images,and can improve the display and evaluation of AAD.

Objective:To investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) in patients with heart failure.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study of patients with heart failure who underwent CCM placement at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from February to June 2022. With a follow-up of 3 months, CCM sensation, impedance, percent output, and work time were monitored, and patients were compared with pre-and 3-month postoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) values, and 6-minute walk test distance and New York Heart Association (NYHA) cardiac function classification, and the occurrence of complications was recorded.Results:CCM was successfully implanted in all 9 patients. Seven(7/9) of them were male, aged (56±14) years, 3 patients had ischaemic cardiomyopathy and 6 patients had dilated cardiomyopathy. At 3-month postoperative follow-up, threshold was stable, sense was significantly lower at follow-up than before (right ventricle: (16.3±7.0) mV vs. (8.2±1.1) mV, P<0.05; local sense: (15.7±4.9) mV vs. (6.7±2.5) mV, P<0.05), and impedance was significantly lower at follow-up than before (right ventricle (846±179) Ω vs. (470±65) Ω, P<0.05, local sense: (832±246) Ω vs. (464±63) Ω, P<0.05). The CCM output percentage was (86.9±10.7) %, the output amplitude was (6.7±0.4) V, and the daily operating time was (8.6±1.0) h. LVEF was elevated compared to preoperative ((29.4±5.2) % vs. (38.3±4.3) %, P<0.05), the 6-minute walk test was significantly longer than before ((96.8±66.7)m vs. (289.3±121.7)m, P<0.05). No significant increase in the number of NYHA Class Ⅲ-Ⅳ patients was seen (7/9 vs. 2/9, P>0.05). The patient was not re-hospitalised for worsening heart failure symptoms, had no malignant arrhythmic events and experienced significant relief of symptoms such as chest tightness and shortness of breath. No postoperative complications related to pocket hematoma, pocket infection and rupture, electrode detachment, valve function impairment, pericardial effusion, or cardiac perforation were found. Conclusions:CCM has better short-term safety and efficacy in patients with heart failure.

Objective:To analyze the relationship between CT attenuation value of pulmonary artery thrombi and the efficacy of interventional thrombolysis in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (APE).Methods:This was a single center cross-sectional study. The clinical and imaging data of 89 APE patients who underwent interventional thrombolysis in Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2018 to December 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) before and after thrombolysis, the CT attenuation value of pulmonary artery thrombi and ratio of CT attenuation value of thrombi to left subscapularis muscle CT value were obtained; and the difference of Qanadli embolism index (ΔQ) before and after thrombolysis was calculated. According to the median ΔQ, patients were classified as good efficacy group (ΔQ>50%) and poor efficacy group (ΔQ≤50%). The clinical characteristics and quantitative parameters of CT were compared between the two groups, and the factors associated with efficacy of thrombolysis were analyzed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The correlation between CT attenuation value of pulmonary artery thrombi and ΔQ was analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis.Results:The CT attenuation value of thrombi and ratio of attenuation value of thrombi to left subscapularis muscle CT value showed significant difference between the two groups ( P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that compared with CT attenuation value of emboli≤53.47 HU, the value>53.47 HU might be associated with the good efficacy of thrombosysis ( OR=9.175, 95% CI: 0.937-89.846, P=0.057). There was a positive correlation between CT value of pulmonary artery thrombi and ΔQ ( r=0.365, P<0.001). Conclusion:The CT attenuation value of thrombi can predict the efficacy of interventional thrombolysis in APE patients, and patients with higher CT attenuation value would have a better treatment response.

Objective:To evaluate the morphological characteristics of the fetal heart and the contractile function of the left and right ventricles in fetuses with pulmonary stenosis (PS) and pulmonary atresia (PA) using fetal heart quantitative analysis technology (fetal HQ), and to assess the impact of different degrees of right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (RVOTO) on the contractile function of the fetal left and right ventricles. To accumulate early data and explore parameters for constructing a predictive model and clinical decision-making tool for the progression of fetal PS and PA.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 42 cases of mild to moderate PS and 23 cases of severe PS or PA detected through fetal echocardiography in the Department of Ultrasound, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, from July 2020 to December 2021. A control group of 195 normal fetal cases matching gestational weeks was selected. The fetal HQ technique was employed to measure the global sphericity index (GSI), left ventricular ejection fraction (EF), left/right ventricular area change percentage (LVFAC, RVFAC), and left/right ventricular longitudinal strain (LVGLS, RVGLS). Additionally, 24-segment sphericity index (SI) and fractional shortening (FS) for both left and right ventricles were measured. Comparative analyses were performed between the case and control groups, as well as within the case group.Results:In comparison with the control group, the case group exhibited significantly decreased GSI, LVGLS, LVEF, LVFAC, RVGLS, and RVFAC.The differences were statistically significant in the mild to moderate PS group (all P<0.05) and highly significant in the severe PS/PA group (all P<0.01). In the mild to moderate PS group, the left ventricle′s 2nd segment, right ventricle′s 24th segment SI, and the left ventricle′s 1st-13th segments, right ventricle′s 1st-16th and 20th-24th segments FS showed statistically significant differences compared to the control group (all P<0.05). In the severe PS/PA group, the right ventricle′s 1st-22nd segment SI, and the left ventricle′s 6th-13th, 21st-24th segments, and the right ventricle′s 1st-14th segments FS were reduced, showing statistically significant differences compared to the control group (all P<0.05). The severe PS/PA group showed lower RVGLS, RVFAC, and SI for the right ventricle′s 1st to 17th segments when compared to the mild to moderate PS group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Quantitative indices derived by fetal HQ is capable of evaluating the cardiac morphology and function of fetuses with PS/PA, which may provide for reference information for comprehensive understanding of cardiac morphological and functional changes in such fetuses.

Objective:To compare the lymph node tracing of indocyanine green (ICG) and nanocarbon in laparoscopic right hemicolectomy.Methods:Fifty-two patients with right colon cancer were randomly divided into two groups: ICG group and nanocarbon group at Peking University International Hospital between Oct 2020 and Jul 2022. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping and standard oncologic resection was performed. The micrometastasis was to detect when the routine SLN pathological test was negative.Results:In ICG group, the detection rate of SLN was 100%, the sensitivity was 93%, the false negative rate was 7%, and the accuracy was 96%,which were better than nanocarbon group (92%,57%,43%,77%). The number of SLN and positive SLN detected in ICG group were significantly higher than nanocarbon group [(3.2±0.7) vs. (2.6±1.1), t=4.424, P=0.020; (1.2±1.2) vs.(0.5±0.8), t=15.176, P=0.013]. The SLN biopsy accuracy of patients with BMI ≥24 kg/m 2 and tumor diameter ≥3 cm in ICG group was significantly higher than nanocarbon group (90% vs. 44%, χ 2=7.935, P=0.005; 90% vs.57%, χ 2=4.309, P=0.038). The detection rate of micrometastasis in SLN of ICG group was significantly different from nanocarbon group (35% vs. 15%, χ 2=5.853, P=0.016). Conclusion:ICG fluorescence imaging is superior to nanocarbon in SLN biopsy during laparoscopic radical right hemicolectomy, especially when patients' BMI ≥24 kg/m 2 and tumor diameter ≥3 cm.

Objective:To analyze the correlation between left and right atrial diameters and fetal biological growth parameters of normal fetuses in middle and late trimester, and to establish normal reference and Z-score model for left and right atria.Methods:Three hundred and ninety-two fetuses in middle and late trimester were prospectively selected from July 2022 to October 2022 in Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital.Non-cardiac biometric parameters included biparietal diameter (BPD), femoral length (FL), and gestational age (GA) based on menstrual age were assessed.Left and right atrial widths (LAW, RAW) and atrial lengths (LAL, RAL) at end-systole, left and right atrial areas (LAA, RAA) at end-systole and the heart area (HA) at end-diastole were measured in standard apical four-chamber or basal four-chamber view. The ratio of RA and LA transverse diameters (RAW/LAW), the ratio of RA and LA length diameters (RAL/LAL), ratio of RA and LA area (RAA/LAA), spherical index of the ratio of RA and LA length to transverse diameter (RASI, LASI), ratio of LA and RA area to heart area (LAA/HA, RAA/HA) were calculated. The best regression equation was established using GA, BPD and FL as independent variables and LAL, LAW, LAA, RAL, RAW, RAA as dependent variable. The correlation between the standard deviation (SD) and the independent variables GA, BPD and FL was analyzed, and then the above statistics were used to calculate the corresponding Z-score for each variable of RA and LA using the regression equation.Results:①Significant positive correlations were found between LAW, RAW, LAL, RAL, LAA and RAA with the increase of GA, BPD and FL, and the highest degree of correlation between RAA, LAA and GA was denoted ( r=0.927, 0.920, all P<0.001). ②Taking GA as an example, there was no significant correlation between RAL/LAL, RAW/LAW and GA ( r=-0.064, 0.077; all P>0.05). RAA/LAA showed a very weak positive correlation with GA ( r=0.106, P=0.037), with normal reference values of 1.002±0.091, 1.091±0.093, 1.059±0.090, respectively. Interestingly RAL/LAL was found close to 1, while RAW/LAW and RAA/LAA were always >1. No significant correlations were found between LAA/HA, RAA/HA and GA ( r=0.003, 0.056; all P>0.05), with normal reference values of 0.155±0.026, 0.163±0.026, respectively, and RAA/HA was found larger than LAA/HA. LASI showed a very weak positive correlation with GA ( r=0.112, P=0.027), while there was no significant correlation between RASI and GA ( r=0.003, P>0.05), the normal reference values were 1.068±0.113, 0.980±0.105, respectively. ③The SD of LAL, LAW, etc.showed a simple linear relationship with the independent variables. Taking RAA and GA as examples, the linear regression equation for RAA was Y=-1.690+ 0.107 0GA ( r=0.927, P<0.001) and the linear regression equation for RAA-SD was Y=-0.107+ 0.010 4GA ( r=0.320, P<0.001). The Z-scores for LAL, LAW, LAA, RAL, RAW and RAA were relatively constant with the growth of GA, BPD and FL, with the corresponding Z-scores for GA were -1.817~3.631( r=0.000 3), -1.605~2.995( r<-0.000 1), -1.700~3.107( r<0.000 1), -1.617~3.466( r=0.000 1), -1.491~3.025( r<-0.000 1), -1.566~3.104( r=0.000 2), respectively. Conclusions:This study preliminarily establish the reference value ranges and Z-score of atrial diameters in normal fetuses during middle and late trimester, providing a reference basis for accurate quantitative evaluation of fetal atrial development and analysis of fetal congenital heart abnormalities, and contributing to the early detection of pathological conditions leading to abnormal atrial size.

SARS-CoV-2 is a new RNA virus affecting humans and spreads extensively throughout the world since its first outbreak in December,2019.Whether the transmissibility and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 in humans after zoonotic transfer are actively evolving,and driven by adaptation to the new host and environments is still under debate.Understanding the evolutionary mechanism underlying epidemiological and pathological characteristics of COVID-19 is essential for predicting the epidemic trend,and providing guidance for disease control and treatments.Interrogating novel strategies for identifying natural selection using within-species polymorphisms and 3,674,076 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences of 169 countries as of December 30,2021,we demonstrate with popula-tion genetic evidence that during the course of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in humans,1)SARS-CoV-2 genomes are overall conserved under purifying selection,especially for the 14 genes related to viral RNA replication,transcription,and assembly;2)ongoing positive selection is actively driving the evolution of 6 genes(e.g.,S,ORF3a,and N)that play critical roles in molecular processes involving pathogen-host interactions,including viral invasion into and egress from host cells,and viral inhi-bition and evasion of host immune response,possibly leading to high transmissibility and mild symptom in SARS-CoV-2 evolution.According to an established haplotype phylogenetic relation-ship of 138 viral clusters,a spatial and temporal landscape of 556 critical mutations is constructed based on their divergence among viral haplotype clusters or repeatedly increase in frequency within at least 2 clusters,of which multiple mutations potentially conferring alterations in viral transmis-sibility,pathogenicity,and virulence of SARS-CoV-2 are highlighted,warranting attention.

Objective:To investigate the immediate and lasting effects of enhanced external counterpulsation(EECP)on blood pressure in elderly patients with hypertension.Methods:In this real-world prospective non-randomized controlled study, the elderly hypertensive patients who were newly diagnosed as hypertension or had poor blood pressure control in the Geriatrics Department of Shandong University Qilu Hospital from May 2019 to December 2019, were enrolled as EECP group, and those with systolic blood pressure(SBP)≥180mmHg(1mmHg=0.133 kPa)or had contraindications for EECP treatment were excluded from EECP group(28 cases). Based on the 1∶1 ratio being consistent with the tendency score-matching method, patients' blood pressure was matched at 3 d before the start of the EECP treatment course, with other matched data of baseline data, coexisting disease, cardiovascular medication were choosed as control group(n=28). The EECP group received an additional 36 hours of EECP treatment(6 times/week, 1 hour/time)including lifestyle improvement and anti-hypertensive drugs.The patient's supine blood pressure was collected 3 minutes before each EECP treatment(baseline), 30 minutes during treatment, and 3 minutes after treatment.In the EECP group, family self-measured blood pressure was collected 3 days before the start of the 6-week treatment course(0w), the 6th week(6w)of the treatment course, and the 2nd week(+ 2w), 4th week(+ 4w)and 12th week(+ 12w)after the end of the treatment course, respectively.And the data of control group were collected at the same time point mentioned above.Results:Compared with baseline, the average immediate SBP of elderly hypertensive patients at the 30th minute of EECP treatment was decreased by(5.5±13.6)mmHg( P<0.001), and the average immediate diabolic blood pressure(DBP)was decreased by(1.1±7.5)mmHg( P<0.001). When the baseline SBP was between 160 and 169 mmHg, the probability of a further increase in SBP during treatment was 2.2%(2/89 cases), and when the baseline SBP was between 170 and 179 mmHg, the probability of a further increase in SBP during treatment was 0%(0/57). At 6 weeks, the decrease in SBP was significantly greater in the EECP group than in the control group[(-17.0±8.7)mmHg vs.(-10.5±7.3)mmHg, P<0.01], and the difference continued to + 2w[(-15.5±6.6)mmHg vs.(-10.6±2.5)mmHg, P<0.01]and + 4w[(-13.3±5.4)mmHg vs.(-10.7±2.1)mmHg, P<0.05]. At + 12w, the blood pressure drop was still greater in EECP group than in the control group, but it did not achieve statistically significant differences.Smoking history, history of diabetes, family history of hypertension, and improvement of comorbidities were the key factors that affect the continuous anti-hypertensive effect of EECP. Conclusions:EECP treatment has an immediate effect on lowering blood pressure in elderly hypertensive patients.A 6-week course of EECP treatment has a sustained effect on lowering blood pressure, and the effect can last from 4 to 12 weeks after the end of the course of treatment.

Objective:To explore the accuracy and clinical application value of a Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning framework (MARL framework) in three-dimensional ultrasound to automatically locate the coronal plane of the uterus.Methods:A total of 144 female patients who underwent routine gynecological examinations in Luohu People′s Hospital during May 2020 were selected as the experimental subjects. The three-dimensional volume data of the uterus of all the experimental subjects were collected by using the Resona-8 high-end color Doppler ultrasound system. A sonographer with more than 5 years of clinical experience manually locate the coronal plane of the uterus in all collected data, and at the same time automatically locate the coronal plane of the uterus MARL framework. The coronal plane images of the uterus obtained by the two methods were saved, and the operation time of the two methods was recorded. The coronal plane uterine images obtained by the two methods were mixed together, and the images were scored 0-1 by two senior ultrasound experts in a double-blind manner. The average score greater than or equal to 0.6 points was considered qualified.Results:①In 144 volunteers, among the coronal planes of the uterus located by the two methods, 131 were qualified by the manual method, and 137 were qualified by the automatic method.There was no statistical difference between the manual and automatic coronal plane images of the uterus (χ 2=1.934, P=0.164) by the chi-square test. ②Using interquartile range analysis, the median and interquartile range of the image score of the automatic group was 0.80(0.75, 0.90), while the median and interquartile range of the image score of the manual group was 0.80(0.75, 0.90). The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to analyze the quality of the coronal plane images obtained by manual and automatic methods, and the difference was not statistically significant ( Z=1.241, P=0.215). ③The paired t test was used to compare the time required to locate the coronal surface of the uterus, by manual method (63.65±10.182)s, by automatic method (3.25±0.294)s, the difference between the two methods was statistically significant ( t=19.52, P<0.001). Conclusions:The method based on MARL framework has a high correlation with the manual locating of the coronal plane of uterus in three-dimensional ultrasound, and greatly reduces the operation time. It can be effectively applied in clinical practice and lays a foundation for the automatic diagnosis of uterine related diseases.