1.Current quality status and management countermeasures of occupational health technical services in Zhejiang Province
Qiuliang XU ; Feng HAN ; Peng WANG ; Zhen ZHOU ; Fei LI ; Hongwei XIE ; Yong HU ; Weiming YUAN ; Lifang ZHOU ; Hua ZOU
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2026;43(3):341-346
Background The quality of occupational health technical services is directly linked to the protection of workers' health rights and the efficacy of occupational disease prevention and control. However, the industry still faces critical challenges: sporadic instances of institutional non-compliance and persistent irregularities in professional practice continue to undermine overall service performance. Objective To assess the current quality status of occupational health technical services in Zhejiang Province and propose countermeasures for quality improvement, providing a scientific basis for policy optimization and service delivery quality enhancement. Methods A total of 69 occupational health technical service institutions in Zhejiang Province that obtained formal accreditation as of April 30, 2024, were sampled, including 3 public institutions and 66 private institutions (comprising 3 formerly Class-A, 28 formerly Class-B, 11 formerly Class-C, and 24 newly certified institutions). Following the Technical Protocol for Quality Monitoring of Occupational Health Technical Service in Zhejiang Province and the Technical Protocol for Proficiency Testing of Occupational Health Detection in Zhejiang Province, a quality assessment task force comprising national and provincial experts was established. Evaluation was conducted across four dimensions: qualification maintenance and compliance, standardization of technical services, authenticity of technical services, and proficiency testing, utilizing a combination of document review, on-site inspections, and technical skill assessments. Results The occupational health technical service institutions in Zhejiang Province were predominantly private entities (82.5%), with significant disparities in overall service quality. The pass rates for qualification maintenance and compliance, technical service standardization, technical service authenticity, and the excellence rate for laboratory proficiency testing were 81.5%, 80.7%, 97.3%, and 90.4%, respectively. Regarding qualification maintenance, the pass rates for "environmental conditions" (49.8%, 56.7%) and "instrumentation and equipment" (58.2%、65.6%) were significantly lower for formerly Class-C and newly certified institutions compared to other categories. In terms of technical standardization, "standardized on-site inspections" recorded the lowest pass rate (67.4%), with newly certified institutions at only 48.0%. Regarding technical service authenticity, formerly Class-C institutions exhibited issues such as missing raw chromatograms for blank samples (85.7% pass rate). In laboratory proficiency testing, public and formerly Class-A institutions achieved 100% excellence rates, but the performance of formerly Class-C and newly certified institutions was comparatively weak; specifically, the failure rate for organic analysis in formerly Class-C institutions reached 20%; the failure rate for dust testing items in newly certified institutions was 10.3%. Conclusion The overall quality of occupational health technical services in Zhejiang Province still requires significant improvement, particularly in basic institutional conditions, the standardization of on-site inspections, and laboratory proficiency in organic and dust analysis. Formerly Class-C and newly certified institutions should be the primary focus of quality management efforts. Differentiated regulatory strategies are recommended, alongside strengthening interim and ex-post supervision to gradually enhance the quality of occupational health technical services across all institutions.
2.Exploring on Quality Evaluation Methods of Clinical Case Reports in Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on China Clinical Cases Library of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Kaige ZHANG ; Feng ZHANG ; Bo ZHOU ; Haimin CHEN ; Yong ZHU ; Changcheng HOU ; Liangzhen YOU ; Weijun HUANG ; Jie YANG ; Guoshuang ZHU ; Shukun GONG ; Jianwen HE ; Yang YE ; Yuqiu AN ; Chunquan SUN ; Qingjie YUAN ; Buman LI ; Xingzhong FENG ; Kegang CAO ; Hongcai SHANG ; Jihua GUO ; Xiaoxiao ZHANG ; Zhining TIAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(1):271-276
As the core vehicle for preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) academic thought and clinical experience, the establishment of a robust quality evaluation system for TCM clinical case reports is a crucial component in the current standardization and modernization of TCM. Based on the practical experience of constructing the China Clinical Cases Library of Traditional Chinese Medicine by the China Association of Chinese Medicine, this study conducted a comprehensive analysis of critical challenges, including insufficient authenticity and unfocused evaluation criteria. It proposed a three-dimensional evaluation framework grounded in the structure-process-outcome logic, encompassing three dimensions of authenticity and standardization, characteristics and advantages, application and translational impact. This framework integrated 12 key evaluation indicators in a systematic manner. The model preserved the academic characteristics of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment, while aligning with modern scientific research standards, achieving a balance between individualized TCM experience and standardized evaluation. Concurrently, this study provided theoretical foundations and methodological guidance for evaluating the quality of TCM clinical cases, contributing significantly to the inheritance of TCM knowledge, evidence-based practice, and the reform of talent evaluation mechanisms.
3.Value of immunoglobulin G/immunoglobulin M ratio in predicting the prognosis of patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitor and programmed cell death protein-1 inhibitor
Xingzhi LI ; Wei LUO ; Yuan FENG ; Yu CAI ; Xiaohong LIU ; Feixiang WU ; Yong PENG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(1):117-124
ObjectiveTo investigate the association between immunoglobulin G (IgG)/immunoglobulin M (IgM) ratio and prognosis in patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (iuHCC) receiving TTP triple therapy with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), and programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitors. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 151 iuHCC patients who received TTP triple therapy in Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, from November 2019 to December 2022, and according to IgG/IgM ratio, they were divided into high IgG/IgM group (IgG/IgM ratio >13.23) and low IgG/IgM group (IgG/IgM ratio ≤13.23). The t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test were used for survival analysis, and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the potential influencing factors for overall survival (OS). ResultsThe 151 patients had a median OS of 26.7 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 19.8-not reached) and a median progression-free survival of 12.5 months (95%CI: 10.4 — 15.8). The objective response rate was 83.4% and the disease control rate was 94.0%. There were no significant differences in baseline data between the high IgG/IgM group and the low IgG/IgM group (all P>0.05). There was a significant difference in median OS between the high IgG/IgM group and the low IgG/IgM group (20.6 months vs not reached, P=0.016). In both the high IgG/IgM group and the low IgG/IgM group, salvage hepatectomy was significantly associated with the improvement in OS (χ2=8.297 and 10.307, both P<0.05). The multivariate analysis showed that high IgG/IgM ratio (hazard ratio [HR]=1.799, 95%CI: 1.077 — 3.006, P=0.025), baseline alpha-fetoprotein >400 ng/mL (HR=1.762, 95%CI: 1.017 — 3.050, P=0.043), and BCLC stage (HR=2.265, 95%CI: 1.212 — 4.232, P=0.010) were independent influencing factors for OS. ConclusionHigh IgG/IgM ratio is associated with a poorer prognosis in iuHCC patients receiving TTP triple therapy, and salvage hepatectomy has a potential value in improving the prognosis of patients with a high IgG/IGM ratio.
4.Construction and Practice Evaluation of an Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Postoperative Rehabilitation Teaching Model Supported by MedOncoGPT
Can BAI ; Zi-Jian WU ; Xian-Jun HAN ; Yuan GAO ; Yong TANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1264-1278
ObjectiveTo enhance teaching in postoperative cancer rehabilitation, this study developed an integrative Chinese-Western medicine postoperative oncology rehabilitation system, termed the medical oncology generative pre-trained transformer (MedOncoGPT). By introducing MedOncoGPT as an intelligent assistant, an integrated teaching model combining Chinese and Western medicine was established. The study evaluated its impact on students’ integrative clinical reasoning and practical abilities, providing support for instructional reform in related courses. MethodsUsing teaching resources as the knowledge base, MedOncoGPT was built upon the open-source ChatGLM model and incorporated Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) fine-tuning and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) techniques to address postoperative integrative oncology scenarios. The system was applied in courses and clinical clerkships related to integrative oncology. In alignment with course objectives, a five-stage instructional process—pre-class preparation, in-class inquiry, simulated multidisciplinary consultation, clinical reinforcement, and teaching reflection—was designed to guide students in completing syndrome differentiation, comprehensive assessment, and follow-up planning within real or simulated case contexts. Comparative analyses of student engagement, syndrome differentiation thinking, evidence-based awareness, and interdisciplinary integration skills before and after the teaching reform were conducted using questionnaires, course assessments, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews. ResultsFollowing the implementation of MedOncoGPT, students demonstrated improved performance in case analysis, prescription formulation, and integrative Chinese-Western medical evaluation compared with those receiving traditional instruction. Classroom participation and the relevance of student inquiries also increased. Self-assessment results indicated high levels of satisfaction with respect to clarity of integrative clinical reasoning, ability to retrieve and apply guideline-based evidence, and awareness of appropriate use of intelligent tools in clinical decision-making. More than 92% of students reported that the system facilitated understanding of abstract theoretical concepts presented in textbooks. Instructors noted that the system helped reduce lesson preparation time, enriched typical case materials and discussion scenarios, and promoted the translation of research findings into classroom teaching. Pilot data showed that, with MedOncoGPT assistance, the mean time for initial syndrome differentiation decreased from 18.4 min to 12.1 min, and the agreement rate increased from 68.3% to 82.5%. In the teaching pilot, the experimental group achieved a higher mean score on the final case analysis assessment than the control group (82.6 vs. 74.3). ConclusionThe integration of MedOncoGPT into teaching on postoperative integrative cancer rehabilitation enabled the establishment of a stable instructional process within existing curricula and enhanced students’ integrative clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice capabilities. The approach demonstrates positive potential for advancing the integration of research, clinical practice, and education and represents a valuable exploratory strategy for instructional reform in courses on integrative Chinese-Western medicine.
5.Construction and Practice Evaluation of an Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Postoperative Rehabilitation Teaching Model Supported by MedOncoGPT
Can BAI ; Zi-Jian WU ; Xian-Jun HAN ; Yuan GAO ; Yong TANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1264-1278
ObjectiveTo enhance teaching in postoperative cancer rehabilitation, this study developed an integrative Chinese-Western medicine postoperative oncology rehabilitation system, termed the medical oncology generative pre-trained transformer (MedOncoGPT). By introducing MedOncoGPT as an intelligent assistant, an integrated teaching model combining Chinese and Western medicine was established. The study evaluated its impact on students’ integrative clinical reasoning and practical abilities, providing support for instructional reform in related courses. MethodsUsing teaching resources as the knowledge base, MedOncoGPT was built upon the open-source ChatGLM model and incorporated Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) fine-tuning and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) techniques to address postoperative integrative oncology scenarios. The system was applied in courses and clinical clerkships related to integrative oncology. In alignment with course objectives, a five-stage instructional process—pre-class preparation, in-class inquiry, simulated multidisciplinary consultation, clinical reinforcement, and teaching reflection—was designed to guide students in completing syndrome differentiation, comprehensive assessment, and follow-up planning within real or simulated case contexts. Comparative analyses of student engagement, syndrome differentiation thinking, evidence-based awareness, and interdisciplinary integration skills before and after the teaching reform were conducted using questionnaires, course assessments, classroom observations, and semi-structured interviews. ResultsFollowing the implementation of MedOncoGPT, students demonstrated improved performance in case analysis, prescription formulation, and integrative Chinese-Western medical evaluation compared with those receiving traditional instruction. Classroom participation and the relevance of student inquiries also increased. Self-assessment results indicated high levels of satisfaction with respect to clarity of integrative clinical reasoning, ability to retrieve and apply guideline-based evidence, and awareness of appropriate use of intelligent tools in clinical decision-making. More than 92% of students reported that the system facilitated understanding of abstract theoretical concepts presented in textbooks. Instructors noted that the system helped reduce lesson preparation time, enriched typical case materials and discussion scenarios, and promoted the translation of research findings into classroom teaching. Pilot data showed that, with MedOncoGPT assistance, the mean time for initial syndrome differentiation decreased from 18.4 min to 12.1 min, and the agreement rate increased from 68.3% to 82.5%. In the teaching pilot, the experimental group achieved a higher mean score on the final case analysis assessment than the control group (82.6 vs. 74.3). ConclusionThe integration of MedOncoGPT into teaching on postoperative integrative cancer rehabilitation enabled the establishment of a stable instructional process within existing curricula and enhanced students’ integrative clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice capabilities. The approach demonstrates positive potential for advancing the integration of research, clinical practice, and education and represents a valuable exploratory strategy for instructional reform in courses on integrative Chinese-Western medicine.
6.Nucleic Acid-driven Protein Degradation: Frontiers of Lysosomal Targeted Degradation Technology
Han YIN ; Yu LI ; Yu-Chuan FAN ; Shuai GUO ; Yuan-Yu HUANG ; Yong LI ; Yu-Hua WENG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):5-19
Distinct from the complementary inhibition mechanism through binding to the target with three-dimensional conformation of small molecule inhibitors, targeted protein degradation technology takes tremendous advantage of endogenous protein degradation pathway inside cells to degrade plenty of “undruggable” target proteins, which provides a novel route for the treatment of many serious diseases, mainly including proteolysis-targeting chimeras, lysosome-targeting chimeras, autophagy-targeting chimeras, antibody-based proteolysis-targeting chimeras, etc. Unlike proteolysis-targeting chimeras first found in 2001, which rely on ubiquitin-proteasome system to mainly degrade intracellular proteins of interest, lysosome-targeting chimeras identified in 2020, which was act as the fastly developing technology, utilize cellular lysosomal pathway through endocytosis mediated by lysosome-targeting receptor to degrade both extracellular and membrane proteins. As an emerging biomedical technology, nucleic acid-driven lysosome-targeting chimeras utilize nucleic acids as certain components of chimera molecule to replace with ligand to lysosome-targeting receptor or protein of interest, exhibiting broad application prospects and potential clinical value in disease treatment and drug development. This review mainly introduced present progress of nucleic acid-driven lysosome-targeting chimeras technology, including its basic composition, its advantages compared with antibody or glycopeptide-based lysosome-targeting chimeras, and focused on its chief application, in terms of the type of lysosome-targeting receptors. Most research about the development of nucleic acid-driven lysosome-targeting chimeras focused on those which utilized cation-independent mannose-6-phosphonate receptor as the lysosome-targeting receptor. Both mannose-6-phosphonate-modified glycopeptide and nucleic aptamer targeting cation-independent mannose-6-phosphonate receptor, even double-stranded DNA molecule moiety can be taken advantage as the ligand to lysosome-targeting receptor. The same as classical lysosome-targeting chimeras, asialoglycoprotein receptor can also be used for advance of nucleic acid-driven lysosome-targeting chimeras. Another new-found lysosome-targeting receptor, scavenger receptor, can bind dendritic DNA molecules to mediate cellular internalization of complex and lysosomal degradation of target protein, suggesting the successful application of scavenger receptor-mediated nucleic acid-driven lysosome-targeting chimeras. In addition, this review briefly overviewed the history of lysosome-targeting chimeras, including first-generation and second-generation lysosome-targeting chimeras through cation-independent mannose-6-phosphonate receptor-mediated and asialoglycoprotein receptor-mediated endocytosis respectively, so that a clear timeline can be presented for the advance of chimera technique. Meantime, current deficiency and challenge of lysosome-targeting chimeras was also mentioned to give some direction for deep progress of lysosome-targeting chimeras. Finally, according to faulty lysosomal degradation efficiency, more cellular mechanism where lysosome-targeting chimeras perform degradation of protein of interest need to be deeply explored. In view of current progress and direction of nucleic acid-driven lysosome-targeting chimeras, we discussed its current challenges and development direction in the future. Stability of natural nucleic acid molecule and optimized chimera construction have a great influence on the biological function of lysosome-targeting chimeras. Discovery of novel lysosome-targeting receptors and nucleic aptamer with higher affinity to the target will greatly facilitate profound advance of chimera technique. In summary, nucleic acid-driven lysosome-targeting chimeras have many superiorities, such as lower immunogenicity, expedient synthesis of chimera molecules and so on, in contrast to classical lysosome-targeting chimeras, making it more valuable. Also, the chimera technology provides new ideas and methods for biomedical research, drug development and clinical treatment, and can be used more widely through further research and optimization.
7.Controllability Analysis of Structural Brain Networks in Young Smokers
Jing-Jing DING ; Fang DONG ; Hong-De WANG ; Kai YUAN ; Yong-Xin CHENG ; Juan WANG ; Yu-Xin MA ; Ting XUE ; Da-Hua YU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):182-193
ObjectiveThe controllability changes of structural brain network were explored based on the control and brain network theory in young smokers, this may reveal that the controllability indicators can serve as a powerful factor to predict the sleep status in young smokers. MethodsFifty young smokers and 51 healthy controls from Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology were enrolled. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to construct structural brain network based on fractional anisotropy (FA) weight matrix. According to the control and brain network theory, the average controllability and the modal controllability were calculated. Two-sample t-test was used to compare the differences between the groups and Pearson correlation analysis to examine the correlation between significant average controllability and modal controllability with Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND) in young smokers. The nodes with the controllability score in the top 10% were selected as the super-controllers. Finally, we used BP neural network to predict the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in young smokers. ResultsThe average controllability of dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, supplementary motor area, lenticular nucleus putamen, and lenticular nucleus pallidum, and the modal controllability of orbital inferior frontal gyrus, supplementary motor area, gyrus rectus, and posterior cingulate gyrus in the young smokers’ group, were all significantly different from those of the healthy controls group (P<0.05). The average controllability of the right supplementary motor area (SMA.R) in the young smokers group was positively correlated with FTND (r=0.393 0, P=0.004 8), while modal controllability was negatively correlated with FTND (r=-0.330 1, P=0.019 2). ConclusionThe controllability of structural brain network in young smokers is abnormal. which may serve as an indicator to predict sleep condition. It may provide the imaging evidence for evaluating the cognitive function impairment in young smokers.
8.Deep learning model based on fundus images for detection of coronary artery disease with mild cognitive impairment
Yi YE ; Wei FENG ; Yao-dong DING ; Qing CHEN ; Yang ZHANG ; Li LIN ; Tong MA ; Bin WANG ; Xian-gang CHANG ; Zong-yuan GE ; Xiao-yi WANG ; Long-jun CAI ; Yong ZENG
Chinese Journal of Interventional Cardiology 2025;33(6):303-311
Objective To develop a deep learning model based on fundus retinal images to improve the detection rate of mild cognitive impairment(MCI)in patients with coronary heart disease,achieve early intervention and improve prognosis.Methods The study was a single-center cross-sectional study that retrospectively included patients diagnosed with coronary heart disease(CHD)by coronary angiography(≥50% stenosis of at least one coronary vessel)from Beijing Anzhen Hospital between November 2021 and December 2022.The whole data set was randomly divided into the training set and the testing set according to the ratio of 8∶2 for model development.After that,the patient data of the same center from January 2023 to April 2023 were included in the time verification method to verify the model.The diagnostic criteria for MCI were MMSE<27 or MoCA<26.Four kinds of convolutional neural network(CNN)architectures were used to train fundus images,and a comprehensive vision model of MCI detection was established through model integration.The area under the curve(AUC),sensitivity and specificity of the receiver operating curve(ROC)were used to evaluate the performance of the AI model.Results We collected 5 880 eligible fundus images from 3 368 CHD patients.Based on the results of the MMSE scale,the algorithm was labeled,including 2 898 males and 527 MCI patients.The AUC of the deep learning model in the test group is 0.733(95%CI 0.688-0.778),and the sensitivity of the algorithm in the test group is 0.577(95%CI 0.528-0.625)by using the operating point with the maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity.With a specificity of 0.758(95%CI 0.714-0.802),corresponding to a validated AUC of 0.710(95%CI 0.601-0.818).Based on the results of the MoCA scale,the algorithm labels 2 437 males and 1 626 MCI patients.The AUC of the deep learning model in the test group was 0.702(95%CI 0.671-0.733).The operating point with the maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity was selected,and the sensitivity of the algorithm was 0.749(95%CI 0.719-0.778)and the specificity was 0.561(95%CI 0.527-0.595),corresponding to the AUC value of the verification group was 0.674(95%CI 0.622-0.726).Conclusions The deep learning algorithm model based on fundus images has good diagnostic performance,and may be used as a new non-invasive,convenient and rapid screening method for MCI in CHD population.
9.Whole genome sequencing and analysis of multidrug resistant ST314 Salmonella Kentucky from a broiler slaughterhouse
Jia-rui LI ; Rui-yuan SUN ; Pei-jie HE ; Hao-tian LIU ; Ru-yi KUANG ; Jing XIA ; Min CUI ; Yong HUANG ; Li-kou ZOU ; Xin-feng HAN
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(5):537-543
This study investigated the potential pathogenicity and genetic characteristics of ST314 Salmonella Kentucky(S.Ken-tucky)isolates from a broiler slaughterhouse.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing(WGS)were used to determine antimicrobial resistance,virulence factors,and the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes(ARGs)and mobile genetic elements(MGEs)among the isolates.The three multidrug resistant(MDR)isolates exhibited high resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents.The F4-2S strain exhibited resistance to 14 drugs across seven categories,whereas the F4T strain showed resistance to 13 drugs in the same number of categories.In contrast,the Y23 strain was resistant to nine drugs in six categories.Notably,F4-2S dem-onstrated high homology with F4T:both possessed 13 ARGs distributed across nine categories,in addition to a wide range of virulence factors,including secretion systems and effector proteins.The presence of IncR and IncX1 plasmids significantly enhanced both the antimicrobial resistance and pathogenicity of the isolates.The genome map of Y23 revealed a chromosome alongside two plasmids.The chromosome containedonly one resistance gene but several virulence factors,including the type III secretion system(T3SS),which is crucial for bacterial invasion.The plasmid pY23-1 contained eight types of 19 ARGs.Comparative analysis indicated that pY23-1 ex-hibited high homology with pZ1323SSL0055 and pSAL-045,all of which contained multiple ARGs,thus suggesting critical roles of these genes in the evolution of bacterial resistance.In conclusion,ST314 S.Kentucky demonstrated a complex mechanism of resis-tance coupled with significant pathogenic potential.The ARGs and MGEs in the plasmid contributed to the emergence and dissemina-tion of antimicrobial resistance.The multiple virulence factors present in the chromosome may be key factors driving the increasing virulence of ST314 S.Kentucky.
10.Preliminary study on coronary artery image quality and calcified plaque evaluation using ultra-high-resolution photon-counting detector CT
Yaru YANG ; Yan'e ZHAO ; Huixin ZHANG ; Yong YUAN ; Qiuju HU ; Jiliang CHEN ; Yujie GAO ; Dongsheng JIN ; Song LUO ; Guangming LU
Chinese Journal of Radiology 2025;59(12):1361-1368
Objective:To investigate the differential impact of ultra-high-resolution photon-counting detector CT (UHR PCD-CT) and energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT) on image quality and calcified plaque-induced luminal stenosis in coronary CT angiography (CCTA).Methods:This retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent both EID-CT and UHR PCD-CT CCTA at the Geriatric Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2021 and November 2024. A total of 141 patients were included in the study, within 46 patients having scans within a 12-month interval. Image quality of all coronary artery segments was subjectively evaluated. Patients with paired scans (interval≤12 months) were included for calcified plaque analysis. Subjective visualization of calcified plaques evaluated. The blooming artifact was calculated as an objective evaluation index for assessing the calcified plaques. Additionally, the degree of coronary artery lumen stenosis resulting from calcified plaques was assessed, along with the measurement of plaque volume and the Agatston score. Changes in lumen stenosis between the two scans were also evaluated. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the subjective scores of coronary artery image quality and calcified plaques between the two groups, and paired-sample t-tests were used to compare the blooming artifact and lumen stenosis degree. Results:The PCD-CT image quality score was significantly higher than that of EID-CT [PCD-CT : 5 (4,5), EID-CT: 4 (4,5); Z=-21.38, P<0.001]. Compared to EID-CT, PCD-CT reduced the blooming artifact (PCD-CT: 38.88%±9.09%, EID-CT: 50.11%±11.52%; t=-12.97, P<0.001), significantly improving the subjective score for visualization of calcified plaques [PCD-CT: 5 (4,5), EID-CT: 3 (2,3); Z=-9.68, P<0.001], and the measured lumen stenosis was notably lower in PCD-CT(PCD-CT:34.88%±18.20%, EID-CT:45.31%±23.42%; t=-9.93, P<0.001). Among 129 analyzed calcified plaques, luminal stenosis was reduced on PCD-CT in 110 plaques (85.3%) and increased in 19 (14.7%), including 4 plaques that had unclear boundaries with the adjacent lumen in EID-CT CCTA images, making the stenosis difficult to assess. Conclusion:Compared to EID-CT, UHR PCD-CT for CCTA significantly improves coronary artery image quality, provides clearer visualization of calcified plaques and adjacent lumen details, and it can reduce the overestimation of coronary artery caleified plaque stenosis.

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