Objective:To investigate the value of using ultrasound excited contrast agents to assess extracorporeal hydrostatic pressure on the basis of ultrasound contrast imaging.Methods:An extracorporeal hydrostatic pressure evaluation system was established. The changes in contrast intensity was first evaluated for the same concentration of microbubble contrast agent at ambient pressures of 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 cmH 2O. Contrast agents with the same initial intensity were placed at different pressures for 1 s, 3 s, and 5 s, and the percentage change in contrast agent intensity was analyzed to select the optimal excitation time. Finally, the contrast agent at different pressures was stimulated using an acoustic excitation device, and correlation analysis was performed using the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. Linear regression analysis was used to establish the relationship between different pressures and the percentage change in intensity. Results:When the ambient pressure was varied under 6 gradients of 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 cmH 2O, the contrast strength decreased with the pressure increased, and there was a negative correlation between contrast strength and the pressure ( r=-0.971, P<0.001). Under different pressures, the contrast agent intensity showed different degrees of natural decrease in 1 s, 3 s, and 5 s. The difference in the percentage change in contrast agent intensity in each pressure gradient was not statistically significant in 1 s ( P>0.05), whereas the differences in the percentage change in contrast agent intensity in 3 s and 5 s were statistically significant in each pressure gradient (all P<0.05). After microbubble contrast agent was stimulated by ultrasound excitation for 1s, the percentage change in contrast agent intensity was significantly correlated with ambient pressure ( r=-0.976, P<0.001). A linear regression model was fitted with the percentage change in contrast agent intensity after 1 s of stimulation as the independent variable and the pressure as the dependent variable, with the model equation: y=60.075-2.559×x1, where x1 is the percentage change in contrast agent ( R2=0.952, P<0.001). Conclusions:The percentage change in contrast intensity after 1 s of ultrasound excitation of microbubble contrast agent is a favorable predictor of hydrostatic pressure at 6 pressure gradients of 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45 cmH 2O, which may provide a new method for noninvasive monitoring of portal vein pressure for clinicans.

Objective To systematically evaluate the efficacy of β-blocker in pediatric patients with congestive heart failure and congenital heart disease,and to provide evidence for clinician.Methods Before-and-after self-control study and randomized controlled trials were retrieved from PubMed,EMbase,the Cochrane Library,CNKI,WanFang,VIP databases,and the search time was from the establishment of the database to October 31,2023.All outcomes included left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left ventricular fraction shortening,LVFS),left ventricular end-diastolic dimension(LVDD),Left ventricular end-systolic dimension(LVSD),N-terminal proB brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP),heart rate,blood pressure and cardiac function improvement.Results A total of 20 trials involving 1 068 children with heart failure(dilated cardiomyopathy and endocardial fibroelastosis were included.Meta-analysis results showed that the addition of β-blockers(metoprolol succinate,bisoprolol and carvedilol)on the basis of conventional drug therapy for heart failure had significant effects on LVEF[MD=13.06,95%CI(11.67,14.45),P<0.001],LVFS[MD=6.96,95%CI(6.54,7.37),P<0.001],LVDD[MD=-6.43,95%CI(-7.58,-5.28),P<0.001]and LVSD[MD=-8.30,95%CI(-8.83,-7.76),P<0.001]were significantly improved.In addition,blood pressure,heart rate,NT-proBNP and cardiac function could also be improved.Conclusion The combination regimen of β-blockers on the basis of conventional drug therapy for heart failure can improve cardiac function and symptoms of heart failure in children with congestive heart failure.Therefore,it is recommended that β-blockers should be actively used in the conventional treatment regimen for children with congestive heart failure.

Objective:To establish a nomogram prediction model for recurrence within 2 years after radical resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on clinical and ultrasonographic characteristics.Methods:Clinical data from 405 HCC patients (including 327 males and 78 females), aged 60 (53, 66) years old, who underwent radical hepatectomy in the Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, from January to December 2021, were retrospectively collected. The patients were divided into two groups: the training group ( n=283) and the validation group ( n=122). Based on recurrence within 2 years after surgery, the 283 patients in the training group were further categorized into the recurrence group ( n=73) and the non-recurrence group ( n=210). Among the 122 patients in the validation group, 33 had recurrence within 2 years, while 89 did not. Data on age, microvascular invasion, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), AFP lentil lectin-reactive fraction (AFP-L3), protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II), tumor number, and enhancement homogeneity were collected. Logistic regression analysis was performed on the training group to identify risk factors associated with postoperative recurrence, and a nomogram model for predicting HCC recurrence was constructed based on these factors. Calibration curves were used to compare the consistency between predicted and actual outcomes in both the training and validation groups. Results:Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that younger age ( OR=0.976, 95% CI: 0.953-1.000, P=0.004), higher AFP-L3 ( OR=1.066, 95% CI: 1.014-1.120, P=0.012), higher PIVKA-II ( OR=1.000, 95% CI: 1.000-1.001, P=0.042), multiple tumors ( OR=0.399, 95% CI: 0.225-0.706, P=0.038), and heterogeneous enhancement ( OR=0.472, 95% CI: 0.243-0.916, P=0.045) were significant risk factors for recurrence after partial hepatectomy in HCC patients. The nomogram constructed based on these variables had a C-index of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.81-0.93) in the training group and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.77-0.89) in the validation group. The calibration curves for predicting recurrence within 2 years after partial hepatectomy in HCC patients showed a high degree of fit in both the training and validation groups, indicating a good agreement between predicted and actual outcomes. Conclusion:The nomogram model constructed based on preoperative clinical and ultrasonographic characteristics can effectively predict the risk of recurrence within 2 years after radical resection of HCC.

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Objective:To summarize the experience of blood glucose management and nursing for a newborn with repeated hypoglycemia in Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.Method:A multidisciplinary team was formed, and formulated an individualized care plan for a large infant with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. A dynamic blood glucose monitoring system was used to closely monitor blood glucose fluctuations for this children, dynamically adjusted the amount of infusion and milk according to the blood sugar situation, detected and dealed with hypoglycemia in time, strengthened the skin care of child and implemented psychological care for the family.Results:After refined treatment and care, the child′s vital signs were stable, and his blood sugar could maintain within a normal range before being discharged from the hospital.Conclusions:The use of dynamic blood glucose monitoring system under the guidance of a multidisciplinary team can effectively monitor and control the blood glucose fluctuations of children with BWS syndrome, which can provide a basis for further treatment of children.

Acupuncture can improve the motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, and the effect of acupuncture combined with drug therapy is better than that of drug therapy alone. The possible mechanism includes inhibiting α-synuclein aggregation, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation, inhibiting the apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons, and achieving a neuroprotective effect. The points mainly selected for Acupuncture treatment for this disease are Zusanli (ST 36), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Taichong (LR 3), Xuehai (SP 10), and other points. Early use of acupuncture and acupuncture combined with medical treatment strategy is worthy of clinical application.

Objective:To explore the clinical utility of tongue pressure resistance feedback training in the treatment of post-stroke dysphagia.Methods:Twenty stroke survivors with dysphagia were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. Both groups were given conventional swallowing rehabilitation training, while the experimental group was additionally provided with tongue pressure resistance feedback training. Before and after the treatment, MBSImp analysis and the Rosenbek penetration aspiration scale were used to quantify the control of the tongue, food delivery, oral residue, laryngeal elevation, hyoid bone movement, epiglottis turnover, larynx closure, vestibular larynx closure, pharyngal peristalsis and contraction, opening of the upper esophageal sphincter UES, contraction of the base of the tongue, pharyngeal residue and aspiration.Results:No significant differences were observed between the two groups before the intervention. Afterward the average pharyngeal period and aspiration score of the experimental group had decreased significantly compared with the control group′s values.Conclusions:Tongue pressure resistance feedback training is effective in improving pharyngeal swallowing and reducing the risk of aspiration after swallowing.

The precise recognition of feature points of impedance cardiogram (ICG) is the precondition of calculating hemodynamic parameters based on thoracic bioimpedance. To improve the accuracy of detecting feature points of ICG signals, a new method was proposed to de-noise ICG signal based on the adaptive ensemble empirical mode decomposition and wavelet threshold firstly, and then on the basis of adaptive ensemble empirical mode decomposition, we combined difference and adaptive segmentation to detect the feature points, A, B, C and X, in ICG signal. We selected randomly 30 ICG signals in different forms from diverse cardiac patients to examine the accuracy of the proposed approach and the accuracy rate of the proposed algorithm is 99.72%. The improved accuracy rate of feature detection can help to get more accurate cardiac hemodynamic parameters on the basis of thoracic bioimpedance.

The similarities and differences between trigger points of myalgia and acupoints were explored. Nodules could be detected by B-ultrasound at trigger points of myalgia, but not acupoints. In clinical symptoms, the referred pain pathway of trigger points of myalgia is similar with the pathway of acupuncture meridian. Therefore, the location of trigger points of myalgia should take referred pain as pathway, which is similar with locating acupoints as meridian. Acupuncture at trigger points of myalgia takes jumping feeling as criterion, while acupuncture at acupoints are mainly based on acid swelling and numbness. From clinical observation to basic experimental research, a lot of pathophysiological evidence is provided for trigger point of myalgia. It is believed that the trigger point of myalgia might be the precise acupoint in modern scientific research, and the meridian is the synthesis of the mechanics of nerve, blood vessel and fascia. Although acupuncture and dry needling are different in theory, but the scientific foundation of TCM and western medicine is coherent.