Application of apical myocardial perfusion quantitative analysis by contrast-enhanced ultrasound utilizing high-frequency linear probe.

Background: Due to insufficient near-field resolution and artifacts, it is challenging to evaluate the left ventricular apical perfusion with phased-array probes. By combining high-frequency linear probe and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), imaging of apical myocardial perfusion could be improved. The study aims to evaluate the preliminary application of CEUS by high-frequency linear probes to assess the apical perfusion.

Assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction in artificial intelligence based on left ventricular opacification.

Background: Left ventricular opacification (LVO) improves the accuracy of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by enhancing the visualization of the endocardium. Manual delineation of the endocardium by sonographers has observer variability. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to improve the reproducibility of LVO to assess LVEF.

Echocardiography of a left ventricular apical thrombus after myocardial infarction: A complementary role of the linear transducer array.

We presented a 28-year-old man with myocardial infarction with an apical mass detected by echocardiography. Compared with routine imaging using a phased transducer array, linear transducer arrays were used in two-dimensional and contrast echocardiography to enhance apical visualization and successfully demonstrated the shape and blood perfusion of apical thrombus with precision. We successfully explored the feasibility of imaging the apical thrombus with a linear transducer array.

Effects of a steam explosion pretreatment on sugar production by enzymatic hydrolysis and structural properties of reed straw.

Reed lignocellulose was subjected to a steam explosion pretreatment to obtain a high conversion rate of sugar after subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis using a commercial cellulase mixture. Under conditions of differing temperature (200 °C, 220 °C and 240 °C) and residence time (2, 5, and 8 min), the effect of the pretreatment on the sugar yield from enzymatic hydrolysis was studied. The highest respective reducing sugar and glucose yields were 36.