Objectives:To investigate the predictive value of epicardial fat volume(EFV)and atrioventricular groove fat thickness(AVGT)—morphological biomarkers of epicardial adipose tissue—for major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM).Methods:This study enrolled 216 DCM patients.EFV and AVGT were obtained from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging(CMR).Patients were divided into event-free group(n=142)and event group(n=74)based on MACE occurrence during follow-up.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was used to determine optimal cutoff values.Survival differences were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis,Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors,and restricted cubic spline(RCS)models were used to evaluate dose-response relationships.Results:AVGT and EFV were significantly higher in the event group than in event-free group(both P<0.05).ROC analysis identified optimal MACE-predicting cutoffs as follows:AVGT≥7.74 mm(area under the curve[AUC]=0.57)and EFV≥78.6 ml(AUC=0.62).Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed significantly lower MACE-free survival rates in patients with AVGT≥7.74 mm and EFV≥78.6 ml(both P<0.05).Cox regression analysis confirmed that AVGT(HR=2.18,95%CI:1.34-3.54)and EFV(HR=1.81,95%CI:1.11-2.96)were independent MACE risk factors(both P<0.05)in this patient cohort.RCS models demonstrated the significant linear associations between EFV/AVGT and MACE risk(bothoverall P<0.05).Conclusions:EFV and AVGT,the non-invasive imaging biomarkers quantifying and characterizing fat distribution,are independently correlated with elevated MACE risk in DCM patients.These metrics serve as potential prognostic indicators,enriching risk stratification indicators for early identification of high-risk patients and guiding personalized medication strategies.

The incidence rate of metabolic associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)is gradually increasing,and it has become a common chronic liver disease globally.MAFLD is closely associated with metabolic dysfunction,with dietary and exercise interventions as the primary treatment method,among which dietary control is of particular importance.This article summarizes related articles on the prevention and treatment of MAFLD through different fasting patterns in recent years,and the analysis showed that by restricting food intake and controlling calorie consumption,fasting therapy can help to reduce body weight and improve metabolic disorders.Further studies and clinical practice are needed to explore and validate the value of different fasting patterns in the prevention and treatment of MAFLD.

Objectives:To investigate the predictive value of epicardial fat volume(EFV)and atrioventricular groove fat thickness(AVGT)—morphological biomarkers of epicardial adipose tissue—for major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM).Methods:This study enrolled 216 DCM patients.EFV and AVGT were obtained from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging(CMR).Patients were divided into event-free group(n=142)and event group(n=74)based on MACE occurrence during follow-up.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was used to determine optimal cutoff values.Survival differences were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis,Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors,and restricted cubic spline(RCS)models were used to evaluate dose-response relationships.Results:AVGT and EFV were significantly higher in the event group than in event-free group(both P<0.05).ROC analysis identified optimal MACE-predicting cutoffs as follows:AVGT≥7.74 mm(area under the curve[AUC]=0.57)and EFV≥78.6 ml(AUC=0.62).Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed significantly lower MACE-free survival rates in patients with AVGT≥7.74 mm and EFV≥78.6 ml(both P<0.05).Cox regression analysis confirmed that AVGT(HR=2.18,95%CI:1.34-3.54)and EFV(HR=1.81,95%CI:1.11-2.96)were independent MACE risk factors(both P<0.05)in this patient cohort.RCS models demonstrated the significant linear associations between EFV/AVGT and MACE risk(bothoverall P<0.05).Conclusions:EFV and AVGT,the non-invasive imaging biomarkers quantifying and characterizing fat distribution,are independently correlated with elevated MACE risk in DCM patients.These metrics serve as potential prognostic indicators,enriching risk stratification indicators for early identification of high-risk patients and guiding personalized medication strategies.

The incidence rate of metabolic associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)is gradually increasing,and it has become a common chronic liver disease globally.MAFLD is closely associated with metabolic dysfunction,with dietary and exercise interventions as the primary treatment method,among which dietary control is of particular importance.This article summarizes related articles on the prevention and treatment of MAFLD through different fasting patterns in recent years,and the analysis showed that by restricting food intake and controlling calorie consumption,fasting therapy can help to reduce body weight and improve metabolic disorders.Further studies and clinical practice are needed to explore and validate the value of different fasting patterns in the prevention and treatment of MAFLD.

Objective:To evaluate the performance of key performance indicator (KPI) lean teaching management system in clinical medical laboratory.Methods:Combining lean teaching management in universities with KPI system of enterprises, an innovative KPI lean teaching management system was developed and applied in Clinical Medical Laboratory of Guangdong Provincial People′s Hospital (GDPH). A total of 106 teachers, who had worked from January 2021 to December 2022 in GDPH, joined this study. Teachers were divided into 8 professional groups. Firstly, we quantified the teaching workload by class hours, evaluated the teaching outcomes base on national, provincial, school, and college levels to assign different teaching points, and linked the teaching KPI scores to the evaluation, salary, and professional title of teachers. Then, we analyzed the overall teaching points and teaching points for each professional group (2021-2022). Finally, we asked teaching managers, teachers, and colleagues to evaluate the KPI lean teaching management system and compared the effects before and after the implementation of this system.Results:Compared with 2021, the teaching scores of 106 teachers increased significantly from 1.0 (0.2, 2.7) to 3.8 (2.3, 6.0) in 2022 ( Z=8.1, P<0.01). The teaching scores of clinical molecules, clinical coagulation, clinical immunology, clinical microbiology, Huifu laboratory, and clinical biochemistry group were significantly higher in 2022 than the scores they got in 2021 (all P<0.05). Compared with 2021, there were 3 new set up of educational reform projects, 2 submitted teaching articles, 3 new competition awards, 7 outstanding teachers, and 5 outstanding students in 2022. After application of KPI lean teaching management, the evaluation scores of teaching work by teaching managers, teachers, and colleagues are all significantly improved ( P<0.05). Conclusion:KPI lean teaching management system could effectively enhance teachers′ work initiative, improve teaching efficiency and outcome, and promote the teaching quality. Therefore, based on the performance of KPI lean teaching management system in our study, it is possible to realize its potential in terms of lean management in clinical medical laboratory.

Objective:To explore the comparative study of video laryngoscopy combined with bronchial blocker and video laryngoscopy combined with double-lumen tube in the teaching of endotracheal intubation in thoracic surgery in the standardized residency training of anesthesia.Methods:The trainees of the standardized residency training were randomly divided into control group and experimental group for clinical teaching, with 25 ones in each group. The experimental group was treated with visual laryngoscopy combined with bronchial blocker, while the control group was treated with visual laryngoscopy combined with double-lumen tube group. The intubation time, intubation success rate, positioning time, hemodynamic changes, and complication incidence during intubation, as well as student assessment results were recorded. GraphPad Prism 6.0 was used for t test and Chi-square test. Results:The time of endotracheal intubation [(95.3±10.1) vs. (137.5±13.5)] and positioning time [(100.8±11.7) vs. (155.4±15.3)] in the experimental group were both shorter than those of the control group ( P< 0.001), the hemodynamic changes in patients with immediate intubation were smaller ( P<0.001), the success rate of intubation was higher (92% vs. 68%) ( P<0.001), the complication incidence was lower ( P<0.001) and the students' performance was higher ( P<0.001). Conclusion:In the anesthesia teaching of thoracic surgery, bronchial blocker can reduce the time of endotracheal intubation, lower the hemodynamic changes during intubation, cut down the incidence of complications, improve the success rate of endotracheal intubation and enhance the confidence of students.

The afferant projections and their chemical nature from the midbrain raphe nuclei and periaqueductal gray to the thalamic ventral posterior nucleus were st- udied by HRP retrograde tracing combined with PAP immunocytochemical method Following injections of HRP into the thalamic ventral posterior nucleus, and reactions by HRP and PAP were performed subsequently. The double labelling cells containing HRP-positive granules and substance P-like immunoreactivity were found in various areas of brain, that is, the contralateral principal sensory nucleus of trigeminal nerve,nucleus gracilis,nucleus cuneatus, bilateral ventrola- teral divisions of the periaqueductal gray and midbrain raphe nuclei.A comparison of cell counts of double labeled cells with the total HRP-labeled cells indicated that the cells observed in the dorsal raphe nuclei were 21?7 in each rat, which constituted 48% of total HRP-labeling cells; The double labeling neurons in nuclei raphe centralis superior were found in two cases only, the cell bodies were very sparse and distributed mainly in the caudal area of these nuclei The double labeling cells were detected in bilateral ventrolateral divisions of periaqu- eductal gray, predominantly ipsilaterally. The double labeling cells observed in each rat were 26?9 ipsilaterally and 11?4 contralateraIly. The numbers of double labeling cells were 38% of the total counts of HRP-labeling cells in each side. These results above indicate that the thalamic ventral posterior nucleus receives afferent projections from midbrain raphe nuclei and ventrolateral division of periaqueductal gray and in the pathway, a part of substance P-positive neurons are exhibited. Therefore, this study provides evidence for existance ascending projection of substance P-like immunoreactivity.