Background::Acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is a fatal cardiovascular disease, yet missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis often occur due to non-specific symptoms and signs. A simple, objective technique will help clinicians make a quick and precise diagnosis. In population studies, machine learning (ML) plays a critical role in characterizing cardiovascular risks, predicting outcomes, and identifying biomarkers. This work sought to develop an ML model for helping APE diagnosis and compare it against current clinical probability assessment models.Methods::This is a single-center retrospective study. Patients with suspected APE were continuously enrolled and randomly divided into two groups including training and testing sets. A total of 8 ML models, including random forest (RF), Na?ve Bayes, decision tree, K-nearest neighbors, logistic regression, multi-layer perceptron, support vector machine, and gradient boosting decision tree were developed based on the training set to diagnose APE. Thereafter, the model with the best diagnostic performance was selected and evaluated against the current clinical assessment strategies, including the Wells score, revised Geneva score, and Years algorithm. Eventually, the ML model was internally validated to assess the diagnostic performance using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.Results::The ML models were constructed using eight clinical features, including D-dimer, cardiac troponin T (cTNT), arterial oxygen saturation, heart rate, chest pain, lower limb pain, hemoptysis, and chronic heart failure. Among eight ML models, the RF model achieved the best performance with the highest area under the curve (AUC) (AUC = 0.774). Compared to the current clinical assessment strategies, the RF model outperformed the Wells score ( P = 0.030) and was not inferior to any other clinical probability assessment strategy. The AUC of the RF model for diagnosing APE onset in internal validation set was 0.726. Conclusions::Based on RF algorithm, a novel prediction model was finally constructed for APE diagnosis. When compared to the current clinical assessment strategies, the RF model achieved better diagnostic efficacy and accuracy. Therefore, the ML algorithm can be a useful tool in assisting with the diagnosis of APE.

Objective To assess the predictive value of computed tomography pulmonary angiography(CTPA)cardiovascular parame-ters for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension(CTEPH)under the 2022 European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society(ESC/ERS)guidelines,and to compare with the 2021 Chinese guidelines.Methods A total of 201 suspected CTEPH patients were retrospectively selected.All patients underwent right heart catheterization(RHC)and CTPA evaluation.According to the Euro-pean guidelines,they were divided into three groups:mean pulmonary artery pressure(mPAP)≤20 mmHg control group(63 cases)(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa),mPAP＞20 mmHg CTEPH group(138 cases),and mPAP≥25 mmHg CTEPH group(123 cases).Inter-group comparison of CTPA cardiovascular parameters was performed,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was performed for each parameter.Results Under the 2022 European guidelines,the diagnostic efficacy of the diameter of the main pulmonary artery trunk(MPAd)was the highest[area under the curne(AUC)was 0.933].The binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the MP Ad,right ventricular free wall thickness(RVWT),and interventricular septal angle(IVSA)were inde-pendent risk factors for the diagnosis of CTEPH(P＜0.05).Under both the Chinese and European guidelines,the MPAd,the transverse diameter and area of the right atrium,the transverse diameter and area of the bi-ventricle,the RVWT,and the IVSA showed significant statistical differences in CTEPH and control groups(P＜0.05).Conclusion Under both the Chinese and European guidelines,the MP Ad measured by CTPA has the highest diagnostic efficacy for CTEPH,while the IVSA has the strongest correlation with clinical prognostic indicators.The right atrium structure also has evaluation value.

Objective:To estimate the costs of dementia from a societal perspective in Tongliao City and ex-plore the influencing factors of these costs.Methods:Dementia was diagnosed using the 10/66 Dementia Research Group assessment instruments.Data on healthcare utilization,caregiver's care time or costs,and the distress due to caregiving were collected.The cost-proportion conversion method was used to estimate the per capita cost of health services based on data from the National Statistical Yearbook.The human capital approach was used to estimate the unit value of informal care time,and the willingness-to-pay method was used to measure the intangible costs of car-egivers.The total societal costs of dementia were calculated based on the reference year 2023,and a two-part model was employed to analyze the factors influencing the societal costs.Results:A total of 390 dementia patients were di-agnosed,with an average societal cost per capita of 117 877 Yuan.The largest cost component was informal care provided by unpaid family members,accounting for 73.1％of the total societal cost.The societal costs for female patients were 61 395 Yuan higher than those for male patients.Patients with comorbid stroke had a higher societal cost of 63 008 Yuan compared to patients without stroke,and each additional chronic disease added 5 868 Yuan to societal costs.Additionally,each non-memory dimension impairment in the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale in-creased the societal costs by 53 997 Yuan.Conclusion:Dementia poses a significant socio-economic burden,with informal care being the major component of this burden.

Objective:To investigate alterations in the glymphatic system of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) patients based on quantitative MRI, and its association with genetic information and motor dysfunction.Methods:The study was a cross-sectional study. This prospective study recruited 39 confirmed SCA3 patients (SCA3 group) and 40 matched healthy controls (HC group) who were seen at the Southwest Hospital of Army Medical University from May 2017 to June 2023. All subjects underwent cranial MRI scanning. Clinical assessments were conducted on all participants using the scale for the assessment and rating of ataxia (SARA) and the international cooperative ataxia rating scale (ICARS). The automatic segmentation and volume measurement of the choroid plexus based on Freesurfer 6.0; the perivascular interstitial space (PVS) was automatically segmented based on the deep-learning model VB-Net, and the volume of the PVS in each brain region was quantified after manual correction. Independent samples t-test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to analyze the changes in the class lymphatic system in the SCA3 group and the HC group. Pearson partial correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between CAG repeats, the glymphatic system, and motor dysfunction. Results:The standardized choroid plexus volume in the SCA3 group was (1.24±0.36)×10 3 mm 3, and that in the HC group was (0.96±0.34)×10 3 mm 3, with a statistically significant difference ( t=4.01, P<0.001). PVS volumes in the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, basal ganglia, cerebellum, thalamus, and brainstem regions in the SCA3 group were significantly higher than those of HC group ( P<0.05). Partial correlation analysis revealed that CAG repeats in SCA3 group were positively correlated with SARA, ICARS, and basal ganglia PVS volumes ( r=0.65, 0.58, 0.29; P=0.001, 0.001, 0.042). Cerebellar and temporal lobe PVS volumes were positively correlated with SARA ( r=0.59, 0.47; P=0.001, 0.003), and positively correlated with ICARS scores ( r=0.61, 0.40; P=0.001, 0.011). Choroid plexus volume was positively correlated with cerebellar and basal ganglia PVS volumes ( r=0.41, 0.31; P=0.009, 0.043). Conclusions:The glymphatic system of SCA3 patients have significant alteration and have association with CAG repeats and motor dysfunction.

Objective:To comparae the accuracy of imaging examination in preoperative parathyroid localization, and the safety and effect of total parathyroidectomy on secondary hyperparathyroidism complicated by chronic renal failure.Method:A total of 257 patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism who underwent total parathyroidectomy at the Department of General Surgery , Zhongshan Hospital, Dalian University from Mar 2012 to Mar 2022 were analyzed retrospectively.Result:Six hundred fourty parathyroid glands were found by color Doppler ultrasound and 954 parathyroid glands were by enhanced CT before the operation. Among them, the number of patients with accurate location of all 4 parathyroid glands by color Doppler ultrasound was 54, while that by enhanced CT was 216. The parathyroid detection rate by enhanced CT was significantly higher than that of color Doppler ultrasound ( χ2=325.480, P<0.001), and the accuracy rate was significantly higher tnan that of color ultrasound ( χ2=215.146, P<0.001). The average values of iPTH before operation, on the day after operation, on the 1st day and 7th day after operation were (1 880±890), (137±82), (66±46) and (34±23) pg/ml, respectively. The clinical symptoms of all patients were significantly relieved. Conclusions:Enhanced CT is superior to color Doppler ultrasound in the overall detection rate and individual localization accuracy of preoperative parathyroid localization. Total parathyroidectomy is safe and reliable in the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism complicated by chronic renal failure.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and long-term effect of total parathyroidectomy in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism.Methods:One hundred fifty-four patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism who underwent total parathyroidectomy in Zhongshan Hospital,Dalian University from Mar 2012 to Mar 2018 were followed up for 3-9 years,including the level of iPTH, serum calcium and phosphorus and dosing of calcium supplement.Results:Among the 154 patients, the iPTH level in 149 patients fluctuated within 15-60 pg/ml. After oral calcium carbonate, the blood calcium fluctuated in 1.8-2.4 mg/ml, and serum phosphorus was 0.8-1.6 mg/ml. The level of iPTH in 5 patients was between 80-150 pg/ml, which was higher than the normal value 10-70 pg/ml. The clinical symptoms of all patients were significantly relieved.Conclusion:Total parathyroidectomy is safe and reliable in the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism with low recurrence rate and stable long-term effect.

【Objective】 To retrospectively analyze the transfusion records of COVID-19 patients from Feb to Mar 2020 in the Optical Valley Branch of Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, and summarize the clinical features and blood use of those patients. 【Methods】 1) The utilization of blood components in 81 blood recipients were collected and retrospectively analyzed; 2) Propensity score matching (PSM, by the clinical classification of COVID-19) was used to match the transfused and non-transfused patients according to the ratio of 1∶2, and the clinical features of the two groups were compared. 【Results】 The total transfusion rate in our hospital was 5.5%(81/1 463), among which 88.9%(72/81)transfused red blood cell (RBC). Ten patients received RBC transfusion > 20 U, consumed 48.3%(330/680)RBC, 57.5%(53 500/93 100)plasma, 36.2%(42/116)platelets, and 62.3%(114.25/183.25)cryoprecipitates due to ECMO or gastrointestinal bleeding. Compared to non-transfused patients, transfused patients showed worse lab-indexes related to inflammation, infection, and coagulation at admission, higher incidences of acute liver, kidney and cardiac injury, admission to the ICU and mortality(P<0.01). 【Conclusion】 The related functional indexes and prognosis of transfused COVID-19 patients were significantly worse than non-transfused ones. RBC transfusions were dominant, and massive blood transfusions were seldom.

Objective: To provide data support for AIDS prevention and control by investigating HIV testing among technician school students in Guangzhou. Methods: A total of 1 112 students were investigated with a questionnaire about AIDS knowledge, attitude, sexual behavior and HIV testing through a stratified cluster random sampling method in October 2018. A Logistic regression analysis was conducted for influencing factors of students’ HIV testing. Results: The HIV testing rate of technician school student was 10.3%. The HIV testing rate (12.1%-24.3%) of male, under 18 years of age, with monthly living expenses over 3 000 yuan and with poor family atmosphere was higher than that of the corresponding group (6.6%-8.4%), the difference were statistically significant (χ2=12.07,7.25,10.73,9.77, P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that <18 years of age, willingness to participate in relevant AIDS prevention activities, homosexuality, “support for multiple sexual partners” and having sexual behavior were associated with more HIV testing(P<0.05). Conclusion The incidence of sexual behavior of students in technician school is high while the rate of HIV testing is low, especially for male and male homosexuals.The health and education departments should strengthen students’ AIDS counseling and testing services and raise students’ awareness of AIDS risk in order to improve the coverage of students’ HIV testing.

Objective: To report our initial experience with extraperitoneal approach Robotic-Assisted Urethra-sparing simple prostatectomy(US-RASP)on large-gland (>100 ml) benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH). Methods: From August 2015 to April 2018, 32 patients with large volume prostate underwent US-RASP performed by single surgical team were retrospectively reviewed. The patient's median age was 73 (range 59-80) years, and median BMI was 24.9 (19.3-34.8 ) kg/m^2, The estimated prostate volume(V), postvoid residual volume(PV) by transrectal ultrasonography and PSA were 152.0(119.0-223.1)ml, 145(0-280)ml and 13.7(5.2-27.3)ng/ml, respectively. Four of 32 patients underwent preoperative urinary catheterization. The perioperative functional parameters including international prostate symptom score (IPSS) questionnaire, maximum flow rate (Q_max), maximum voided volume(V_max), quality of life questionnaires (QOL) and International Index of erectile function-erectile function (IIEF-EF) were 27(23-33), 5.9 (2.5-7.8) ml/s, 110 (80-210)ml, 5(3-6), and 27(26-29), respectively. Functional parameters including IPSS, QOL, Qmax, Vmax, PV and IIEF-EF were compared and analyzed at 3 and 12 months postoperatively during the following-up. Results: The US-RASP was completed in all 32 patients and no open conversion. Median operation time was 180 (115-240) min, the estimated blood loss was 300(range 100 to 400)ml, Hemoglobin loss was 17(5-38)g/L. The median Foley catheterization time was 7 (5-12) days and drainage was removed after a median of 5 (4-7) days with median hospital stay of 8(6-14)days. Median specimen weight on pathological examination was 107.7 (79.8-147.4)g with median of 64.2% (49.4%-86.2%) resection ratio. At 3-mo follow-up, median IPSS score, Q_max, V_max, PV and QOL were 6(4-18), 17.3 (13.8-21.1)ml/s, 167(140-310)ml, 50(0-61)ml, 1(0-3) , respectively. At 12-mo follow-up, median IPSS score, Q_max, V_max, PV and QOL were 4(1-9), 20.1 (17.9-24.1)ml/s, 205(176-305)ml, 24(0-35)ml and 1(0-2) , respectively. All patients showed great improvement of IPSS, Q_max, V_max, PV and QOL after median 17 (12-44) months follow-up compared with preoperative parameters (P<0.05). Erectile function was not impaired in 17 patients who have normal erectile function pre-operatively and 14 cases (82.4%) preserved satisfactory anterograde ejaculation. No significant complication occurred during the procedure. No patient developed permanent urinary incontinence. Conclusions US-RASP is a safe and effective treatment option for selected patients with large-gland obstructive BPH(>100 ml). Our data showed significant improvement in voiding function and maintaining satisfactory anterograde ejaculation following urethral-sparing technique. It may be a new alternative method in the future for large-volume symptomatic BPH.

Objective To investigate the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes distribution rule of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) and its correlation with related clinical indexes.Methods The general condition,TCM four diagnostic methods,biochemical and CT results in 1950 cases of NAFLD in Chongqing City were investigated for analyzing the TCM syndromes distribution rule and its correlation with biochemistry and CT.Results In 1950 cases,the accumulation and binding of damp-heat,congestion of dampness turbidity,stagnation of liver-QI with spleen deficiency,intermin-gled phlegm and blood stasis and yin deficiency of both liver and kidney accounted for 36.62 ％,27.69 ％,19.38 ％,10.10 ％ and 6.21 ％ respectively;there was statistically significant difference in age among different TCM syndromes(P＜0.05);the vin deficiency syndrome of both liver and kidney and intermin-gled phlegm and blood stasis in severe fatty liver were maximal;glutamic-pyruvic transaminase(ALT) and glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase(AST) level was higher in the accumulation and binding of damp-heat;the level of fasting plasma gluco se(FBG) was higher in the yin deficiency syndrome of both liver and kidney;the total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG) and FBG levels were lower in the stagnation of liver-QI with spleen deficiency,the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion In NAFLD patients,the accumulation and binding of damp-heat distribution is maximal,the proportion of severe fatty liver with vin deficiency syndrome of both liver and kidney is higher.Different dialectical types may play an important role in the clinical indexes and disease development.