Objective To evaluate the application value of the three-point localization method in improving the quality and efficiency of four-chamber view acquisition in cardiac magnetic resonance(CMR)imaging.Methods A total of 215 patients who underwent four-chamber view in CMR imaging from January 2022 to October 2023 were retrospectively enrolled and divided into two groups.The control group(n=109)received traditional localization method while the study group(n=106)received three-point localization method.The image quality of mitral valve,tricuspid valve and cruciform structure in four-chamber view images were assessed by two radiologists using a Likert 4-piont scale.The time-consumption from scout imaging to the finish of four-chamber view imaging was recorded.Constituent data and numeral data were compared by Chi-square test and two-sample t test,respectively.Kappa test was used to analyze the inter-observer consistency.Results There were no significant inter-group differences in gender,age,disease profile,or the radiographers'experience.The mean quality scores of the mitral valve,tricuspid valve and cruciform structure in the control group and the study group were 3.44±0.64 and 3.63±0.49(P=0.023),3.43±0.67 and 3.53±0.60(P=0.202),3.71±0.49 and 3.83±0.35(P=0.047),respectively.The image quality score was higher in the study group than in the control group,with the differences in mitral valve and cruciform structure reaching statistical significance.The time-consumption for obtaining four-chamber view for the control group and the study group was 11.67±3.49 minutes and 7.212±1.83 minutes,respectively,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.001).Conclusion Compared with the traditional localization method,the three-point localization method provides better image quality in four-chamber view imaging with shortened imaging time.

Objective To investigate the value of abdominal aortic combined with routine one-stop triple rule-out computed tomography angiography(TRO-CTA)in the examination of patients with acute chest pain.Methods A total of 1 482 patients with nontraumatic chest pain were included in this retrospective study.Of them 414 patients underwent the conventional TRO-CTA scanning while 1 068 patients underwent TRO-CTA that included the abdominal aorta(TRO-CTAwAA)under the request of clinicians.All scanning parameters were the same,except the scanning range for the third phase in TRO-CTA:conventional TRO-CTA covered only the thoracic aorta,while TRO-CTAwAA extended to the entire aorta.Patient etiology was investigated and the detection rates of major vessel abnormalities(aortic dissection,aneurysm,penetrating ulcer,intramural hematoma,vascular occlusion,and thrombosis)between the two groups was compared using chi square tests.The radiation dose(CTDIvol and DLP)and scanning time between the two groups were compared using analysis of variance(ANOVA).Results The TRO-CTAwAA had significantly higher detection rate of major artery abnormalities than the TRO-CTA group(35.1％vs.4.8％,P＜0.001).In the TRO-CTAwAA group,26.5％of the vascular anomalies were detected in both the thoracic and abdominal aortas,and another 8.6％were seen only in the abdominal aorta.With regard to the radiation dose between the two groups,the total DLP was significantly higher in the TRO-CTAwAA group than in the conventional TRO-CTA group(P＜0.001).The two groups did not significantly differ in scanning time(P=0.410).Conclusion TRO-CTA with scan range including the abdominal aorta significantly improves the detection rate for major vessel abnormalities in patients with chest pain without increasing the examination process.

Objective To evaluate the relationship between the pericoronary fat attenuation index(FAI)and the image reconstruction parameters of computed tomography(CT)coronary angiography,including reconstruction kernel,iterative reconstruction algorithm and image thickness.Methods Forty-four CT coronary angiography scans were prospectively enrolled.All scans were reconstructed by three means as follows:① Four different kernels(Soft_AA,Soft_BA,Soft_CA,and Soft_DA,sharpness from low to high)as the iterative reconstruction algorithm(KARL5)and image thickness(0.5 mm)remained unchanged.② Filtered back projection(FBP)and iterative reconstruction kernel(KARL5)as the kernel and image thickness(0.5 mm)remained unchanged.③ Different image thickness(0.5 mm and 1 mm)as the kernel(Soft_AA)and iterative reconstruction algorithm(KARL5)remained unchanged.The FAI of left anterior descending artery(LAD),left circumflex artery(LCX),and right coronary artery(RCA)was calculated using a dedicated software.Paired t-test and analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis.Results For LAD,LCX and RCA:① The differences of FAI among different reconstruction kernels reached statistical significance(P＜0.001),and FAI decreased as the sharper kernel was used.③ Compared with FBP,the FAI of KARL5-reconstructed images significantly increased(P＜0.001).③ Compared with 0.5 mm,the FAI of images with 1.0 mm thickness significantly decreased(P＜0.001).Conclusion The kernel,iterative reconstruction algorithms,and image thickness all have a significant impact on the FAI of each coronary artery.When using FAI for clinical diagnosis,the effect of CT reconstruction parameters should be taken into account.

Objective To investigate the impact of silymarin(SM)on the malignant growth of glioma cells and the regulatory mechanism on the miR-124-3p/WEE1 axis.Methods Glioma U87 cells were grouped into control,SM low,medium,and high concentration groups,and SM high concentration + miR-124-3p inhibitor group(SM high + miR-124-3p inhibitor group).CCK-8 was used to measure the proli-feration rate of cells;Transwell? assay was applied to assay the migration and invasion of cells;cell cycle progression was detected by flow cytometry;Western blotting was applied to measure the expression of cyclin D1 and apoptosis-related proteins;the levels of miR-124-3p and WEE1 mRNA were determined by qRT-PCR;and a luciferase activity test was applied to verify the targeting relationship between miR-124-3p and WEE1;in addition,the establishment,administration,and analysis of a NOD/SCID mouse model of intracranial trans-planted tumor were conducted.Results Compared with the control group,the cell proliferation,the numbers of migrating and invading cells,the expression of cyclin D1,and the level of WEE1 mRNA in the various SM treatment groups decreased,the number of cells in G0/G1 phase,the expression of cleaved caspase-8,cleaved caspase-9,cleaved caspase-3 and miR-124-3p increased(P＜0.05);furthermore,transfection of miR-124-3p inhibitor reversed the inhibitory effect of SM on the malignant behavior of glioma cells.In vivo experiments with mice showed that the weights and volumes of tumors in the SM treatment group were lower than those in the model group(P＜0.05),and there was no discernible change in the weight of the mice(P＞0.05).Conclusion SM can inhibit the malignant growth of glioma cells by upregulating miR-124-3p and downregulating WEE1.

Objective:To compare the prevalence and progression of subclinical atherosclerosis (SA) in populations with different cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks in China, and clarify the relationship between CVD risk stratification and SA.Methods:All participants were from Beijing Community-Based Cohort of Atherosclerosis. A total of 1 462 participants underwent carotid ultrasound and coronary computed tomography scan during 2008-2009 and 2013-2014. After excluding 191 participants with history of CVD and incomplete baseline data, 1 271 participants were included in final analysis. The 10-year CVD risk for participants were calculated based on the Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China (China-PAR) equation, and risk stratification was performed. The prevalence and progression of SA was determined by carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), carotid plaque score and coronary artery calcification (CAC) score.Results:In the participants included in this study, 536 (42.2%), 418 (32.9%) and 317 (24.9%) were classified to have low, intermediate and high 10-year risk, respectively. With the rising level of 10-year risk, the proportion of patients with SA and SA progression increased. In low, intermediate and high CVD risk groups, the proportions of participants with CAC were 16.4%, 36.4% and 52.0% (trend P<0.001); and 15.4%, 36.4% and 53.6% had progression of CAC during follow-up, respectively (trend P<0.001); compared with low-risk group, RRs for CAC progression of intermediate and high-risk groups were 2.316 (95% CI: 1.714-3.129) and 3.322 (95% CI: 2.472-4.463), respectively (trend P<0.001). The trend of relationship between CVD risk stratification and cIMT and carotid plaque progression were consistent with CAC. Conclusions:This current study shows CVD risk stratification is closely related to the prevalence and progression of atherosclerosis in Chinese population. However, many people with low CVD risk have atherosclerotic change in their carotid and coronary artery.

Objective To explore the feasibility of decreasing radiation dose of enhanced abdominal examination in 320-row CT using 80 kV tube voltage combined with Karl iterative reconstruction.Methods One hundred patients with body mass index(BMI)＜25.0 kg/m2 who underwent enhanced abdominal examination in 320-row CT were divided into group A and group B(50 patients for each group).120 kV tube voltage and filtered back projection(FBP)reconstruction were used for group A,while 80 kV tube voltage,FBP recon-struction and Karl iterative reconstruction were used for group B.Radiation dose and image quality between the two groups were evaluated.Results The effective dose(ED)were(11.0±1.7)mSv in group A and(5.6±0.7)mSv in group B for single scan(P＜0.01).Compared with group A,the ED in group B was decreased by 49.1％.The noise on the Karl images in group B was significantly decreased compared with the FBP images in group B(P＜0.01),and there was no significant difference in noise of liver between the FBP ima-ges in group A and the Karl images in group B(P＞0.05).Compared with the FBP images in group A,the noise of abdominal aorta and portal vein on the Karl images in group B was slightly increased(P＜0.05),while the signal-to-noise ratio(SNR)and the con-trast-to-noise ratio(CNR)of abdominal aorta and portal vein on the Karl images in group B were significantly increased(P＜0.01).Image quality scores for liver,spleen,pancreas,kidney,gastrointestinal tract,abdominal aorta and portal vein on the Karl images in group B were significantly higher than those on the FBP images in group B(P＜0.01),and there was no significant difference in the image quality scores for liver,spleen,pancreas,kidney,gastrointestinal tract,and abdominal aorta between the FBP images in group A and the Karl images in group B(P＞0.05),while the image quality score for portal vein on the Karl images in group B was higher than that on the FBP images in group A(P＜0.05).Conclusion Radiation dose can be decreased obviously in 320-row CT enhanced abdominal examination using 80 kV tube voltage combined with Karl iterative reconstruction for the patients with BMI＜25.0 kg/m2,while image quality can be maintained for diagnosis.

Objective To investigate the relationship between cognitive impairment and sleep parameters in acute ischemic stroke patients with obstructive sleep apnea(OSA).Methods A total of 343 patients with acute ischemic stroke and OSA were selected.The cognitive function was assessed using the simple mental state examination scale(MMSE).Patients were divided into the stroke with OSA and cognitive impairment group(MMSE＜27 points,n=119)and the stroke with OSA without cognitive impairment group(MMSE≥27 points,n=224).General data,TOAST etiological classification and distribution of cerebral infarction lesions were collected.The intelligent sleep monitoring system was used to calculate apnea hypopnea index(AHI)and evaluate OSA.Objective sleep monitoring parameters were collected at night.Sleep monitoring was conducted within 24 h of admission and continuous monitoring for≥3 nights.Continuous monitoring duration≥7 h every night to obtain night sleep structure parameters.Multifactor Logistics regression was used to analyze the relationship between cognitive impairment and sleep parameters in stroke patients with OSA.Results Compared with the stroke with OSA without cognitive impairment group,the proportion of age,diabetes history and HHcy history,the proportion of patients with infarct lesions located in frontal,temporal,parietal,occipital,thalamus,basal ganglia,brainstem and hemioval center increased in the stroke with OSA and cognitive impairment group,and the number of years of education decreased,the number of waking times,the proportion of light sleep and AHI increased,the nighttime sleep efficiency and deep sleep period decreased(P＜0.05).Logistics regression analysis showed that after controlling for years of education,age and other interference factors,nighttime sleep efficiency and AHI were strongly associated with cognitive impairment in acute ischemic stroke patients with OSA(P＜0.05).The increased nighttime sleep efficiency was protective factor for cognitive impairment,and increased AHI was risk factor for cognitive impairment.Conclusion Cognitive impairment in acute ischemic stroke patients with OSA is closely related to sleep parameters,in which the increased sleep efficiency at night is a protective factor for cognitive impairment,and the increased AHI is a risk factor.

Objective To investigate the clinical experience of cochlear implantation(CI)in patients with postlingual hearing loss accompanied by cholesterol granuloma(CG)in the middle ear.Methods A retrospective study was conducted on the clinical data of 6 patients with postlingual hearing loss who underwent CI with middle ear CG at Fuyang hospital of Anhui Medical University from December 2018 to December 2022.The selection of surgical methods,surgical efficacy,and postoperative complications of patients undergoing CI surgery during the same period were summarized and analyzed.The categories of auditory performance(CAP)and speech intelligibility rating(SIR)were used to evaluate the effectiveness of auditory speech rehabilitation.Results Six patients were treated by individualized surgical methods based on preoperative CT findings and successfully completed cochlear im-plant surgery.According to the scope of the lesion,three patients were treated with canal wall up mastoidectomy(CWUM)and CI,the other three patients were treated with radical mastoidectomy(RM),CI and middle ear clo-sure(MEC).All patients did not experience complications such as incision infection,facial paralysis,labyrinthitis,intracranial infection,recurrence,or electrode exposure after surgery and during follow-up.The CAP and SIR scores of postoperative patients were significantly improved compared to preoperative with statistical significance(P＜0.05).Conclusion For patients with severe sensorineural hearing loss and middle ear CG,simultaneous cochlear implantation can achieve good auditory rehabilitation effects.However,appropriate surgical methods should be se-lected based on the lesion range,and the lesion must be completely removed to prevent postoperative complications.

Objective:To investigate the practicality of TrueFidelity deep learning reconstruction algorithm in low-dose abdominal and pelvic CT angiography (CTA).Methods:The patients who required abdominal and pelvic CTA were prospectively included at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University from June 2020 to March 2021. All patients underwent low-dose CTA with a tube voltage of 80 kV and smart tube current modulation (100-720 mA). Images were reconstructed using the traditional FBP, adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction with a strength of 50% (ASIR-V 50%), TrueFidelity with medium (TF-M) and high (TF-H) strength. The CT value and standard deviation (SD value) of the abdominal aorta, psoas major muscle and subcutaneous fat in the same layer were measured, signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) were calculated. We also introduced the measurement of skewness of CT value in psoas major muscle with uniform density. The above indexes of the four groups of reconstructed images were compared. A 5-point scoring method was used to evaluate the granularity, fuzziness and beam-hardening artifacts of all images. Objective measurement indicators, such as CT values, were tested by repeated measure ANOVA with the Bonferroni post hoc test.Results:There were forty-six patients in the study. The volume CT dose index of the scan was low at (1.09±0.31)mGy. There was no significant difference in CT values of vessels and muscles between the four groups ( P>0.05), but there was a significant difference in SD value( P<0.001). The SD value of the FBP group was the largest and that of the TF-H group was the smallest. The difference between SNR and CNR was statistically significant ( P<0.001), and the overall trend was opposite to that of the SD value. There was no significant difference in the skewness between the four groups. The granularity score of the FBP group was the largest, that of the TF-H group was the smallest, and there was a significant difference among the four groups. The score of fuzziness in the TF-H group was slightly higher than that in the other three groups, but there was no significant difference. The beam-hardening artifact score of FBP and ASIR-V 50% group was the worst, and the TF-H group was the best ( P<0.001). Conclusions:Compared with FBP and ASIR-V, TrueFidelity reconstruction algorithm provides better image quality (comprehensively considering image noise, fuzziness, uniformity, and hardening artifacts) in low-dose CT scanning of abdominal and pelvic vessels, and TF-H has the best image quality.

Objectives:This study aims to investigate the association between cumulative fasting blood glucose(FBG)and presence of coronary artery calcification(CAC). Methods:A total of 1 113 participants were recruited from the Beijing Community-based Cohort of Atherosclerosis.Anthropometric measurements and laboratory examinations including FBG were performed in 1998,2008-2009 and 2013-2014 respectively,and coronary CT scan was performed in 2013-2014.Participants were classified into 4 groups according to the level of cumulative FBG(10-year weighted cumulative value of at least 2 FBGs):<50.0 mmol/L group(n=495),50.0-55.9 mmol/L group(n=345),56.0-69.9 mmol/L group(n=176),and≥70.0 mmol/L group(n=97).CAC score>0 was defined as presence of CAC.Multivariable logistic regression model was applied to analyze the impact of cumulative FBG exposure on the risk of CAC,and subgroup analyses were conducted according to factors such as sex and age. Results:The mean age of enrolled participants was(59.7±6.4)years,523(47.0%)were male and 478(42.9%)had CAC.The proportion of subjects with CAC increased with the increment of cumulative FBG.Compared with the<50.0 mmol/L group,the multivariable-adjusted OR(95%CI)for CAC in the 50.0-55.9 mmol/L group,56.0-69.9 mmol/L group,and≥70.0 mmol/L group were 1.43(1.04-1.98),1.92(1.24-2.99)and 2.79(1.35-5.77),respectively(Ptrend<0.05).The risk for CAC increased by 34%per 10 mmol/L increase in cumulative FBG,with OR(95%CI)of 1.34(1.12-1.59).There was no statistically significant difference in the risk of CAC presence for each 10 mmol/L increase in cumulative FBG level between the subgroups(all P≥0.05). Conclusions:Elevated cumulative FBG is a risk factor for the prevalence of CAC,indicating the importance of maintaining healthy FBG in preventing the occurrence of CAC.