Non-invasive assessment of esophageal and fundic varices in patients with primary biliary cholangitis.

Objectives: The Baveno VII consensus recommends endoscopic screening for varicose veins in cases of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) ≥ 20 kPa or platelet count ≤ 150 × 10/L. Whether this approach was appropriate for patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) remains uncertain. This study expanded the observed risk factors by adding analysis of ultrasound images as a non-invasive tool to predict the risk of esophageal or fundic varices.

Numerical Simulation and Parameter Optimization for Water-to-CO Flooding in a Strongly Water-Sensitive Reservoir.

Carbon dioxide flooding can accelerate the development of low-permeability reservoirs of the Kexia group in the K region of the T oil field, thus resolving the issue of inadequate water drive effects. This study was focused on the well group 80513 in the K region, and based on the reservoir and fluid parameters, a simulation model of water-sensitive post-CO flooding was constructed to refine the gas injection strategy gradually. The injection rate of the continuous gas injection stage was preferred based on the degree of recovery.

LiveBoost: A GB-based prediction system for liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B patients in China - A multi-center retrospective study.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of LiveBoost™, a gradient boosting (GB)-based prediction system based on standard biochemical values (AST, ALT, platelet count) and age, in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and compare its performance with FIB-4 (fibrosis-4 score) and APRI (the aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index).

Methods: This retrospective trial enrolled 454 participants, including 279 CHB patients who underwent liver biopsy and 175 normal controls from 3 centers in China. All participants underwent laboratory blood testing.

Experimental Study on Enhanced Oil Recovery Effect of Profile Control System-Assisted Steam Flooding.

Steam flooding is an effective development method for heavy oil reservoirs, and the steam flooding assisted by the profile control system can plug the dominant channels and further improve the recovery factor. High-temperature-resistant foam as a profile control system is a hot research topic, and the key lies in the optimal design of the foam system. In this paper, lignin was modified by sulfonation to obtain a high-temperature-resistant modified lignin named CRF; the foaming agent CX-5 was confirmed to have good high-temperature foaming ability by reducing the surface tension; the formula of the profile control system (A compound system of CRF and CX-5, abbreviated as PCS) and the best application parameters were optimized by the foam resistance factor.

Ultrasound imaging findings in primary biliary cholangitis.

Background: Our study aimed to analyze the characteristics of ultrasound images corresponding to each histological stage of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).

Methods: We prospectively analyzed 75 confirmed cases of PBC and used liver biopsy as the gold standard to determine the disease stage.

Results: The typical ultrasound images of patients with PBC were characterized by a thickening of the portal vein wall (PVW) and periportal hypoechoic band (PHB) width with increasing histological stages, and significant increases in the left hepatic lobe diameter (LHLD) in stage II (by 64.

Spleen stiffness determined by spleen-dedicated device accurately predicted esophageal varices in cirrhosis patients.

Background: The advantages of spleen stiffness in prediction of high-risk varices (HRV) in cirrhosis patients have been confirmed. Recently, a new device utilizing a 100 Hz probe dedicated to spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) was developed.

Objectives: To validate the clinical applicability of SSM@100 Hz in predicting HRV by comparing it with other non-invasive tests (NITs).

Dual elastography to discriminate adjacent stages of fibrosis and inflammation in chronic hepatitis B: A prospective multicenter study.

Background And Aims: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of dual elastography (dual-elasto) in continuous differentiation of liver fibrosis and inflammation in a large prospective cohort of patients with chronic HBV.

Approach And Results: Adults with positive HBsAg for at least 6 months were recruited from 12 medical centers. Participants underwent dual-elasto evaluations.

A new method to estimate the histological stage of primary biliary cholangitis.

Objective: To analyze the diagnostic efficacy of the periportal hypoechoic band (PHB) in the histological stage of patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).

Methods: We prospectively included 77 cases of PBC pathologically or clinically confirmed, and high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) measurements of the PHB were performed in all included patients. Ludwig staging system of histopathology was used as the gold standard.

Echocardiographic assessment of left cardiac structure and function in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve people living with HIV/AIDS.

Background: Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to HIV-negative people. Left heart dysfunction is the most common cardiac complication in people living with HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (PLWHA), and diastolic dysfunction is an important predictor of cardiovascular events. The aims of this study were (1) to detect changes in left cardiac structure and function in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive PLWHA using echocardiography; and (2) to investigate the risk factors for the development of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) in ART-naive PLWHA.

Staging liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B using two-dimensional shear wave elastography based on histopathological findings: a prospective multicenter study.

Background: With the rapid development of shear wave elastography technology, the clinical application prospect of two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D SWE) for non-invasive monitoring of liver fibrosis is extremely promising. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of ElastQ, a noval 2D SWE method, in the staging of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B with histopathological results as the reference standard.

Methods: Between August 2020 and December 2021, a prospective multicenter study of 602 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis B was conducted in 14 hospitals.

mG regulator-mediated methylation modification patterns define immune cell infiltration and patient survival.

Unlabelled: Numerous studies have demonstrated the important roles of epigenetic modifications in tumorigenesis, progression and prognosis. However, in hepatocellular carcinoma, the potential link between N-methylguanosine (mG) modification and molecular heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment (TME) remains unclear.

Method: We performed a comprehensive evaluation of mG modification patterns in 816 hepatocellular carcinoma samples based on 24 mG regulatory factors, identified different mG modification patterns, and made a systematic correlation of these modification patterns with the infiltration characteristics of immunocytes.

Lung ultrasonography findings of coronavirus disease 2019 patients: Comparison between primary and secondary regions of China.

Background: An unexplained pneumonia occurred in Wuhan, China in December 2019, later identified and named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to compare the ultrasonographic features of the lung between patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan (the primary region) and those in Beijing (the secondary region) and to find the value of applying ultrasound in COVID-19.

Methods: A total of 248 COVID-19 cases were collected, including long-term residents in Wuhan (138), those who had a short-term stay in Wuhan (72), and those who had never visited Wuhan (38).

Pilot study on the value of echocardiography combined with lung ultrasound to evaluate COVID-19 pneumonia.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between echocardiography results and lung ultrasound score (LUS) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia patients and evaluate the impact of the combined application of these techniques in the evaluation of COVID-19 pneumonia.

Methods: Hospitalized COVID-19 pneumonia patients who underwent daily lung ultrasound and echocardiography were included in this study. Patients with tricuspid regurgitation within three days of admission were enrolled.

The liver steatosis severity and lipid characteristics in primary biliary cholangitis.

Background: Patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) often have comorbid dyslipidemia, and determining the degree of hepatic steatosis can help predict the risk of cardiovascular events in PBC patients. The aim of our study was to analyze the characteristics of lipid distribution and the degree of hepatic steatosis in PBC.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 479 cases of PBC, chronic hepatitis B (CHB), chronic hepatitis C (CHC), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and healthy subjects (Normal) diagnosed by liver biopsy or definitive clinical diagnosis.

Comparing radiomics models with different inputs for accurate diagnosis of significant fibrosis in chronic liver disease.

Objective: The non-invasive discrimination of significant fibrosis (≥ F2) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) is clinically critical but technically challenging. We aimed to develop an updated deep learning radiomics model of elastography (DLRE2.0) based on our previous DLRE model to achieve significantly improved performance in ≥ F2 evaluation.

Diagnostic accuracy of spleen stiffness to evaluate portal hypertension and esophageal varices in chronic liver disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: To systematically review studies on the diagnostic accuracy of spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) for the detection of clinical significant portal hypertension (CSPH), severe portal hypertension (SPH), esophageal varices (EV), and high-risk esophageal varices (HREV) in patients with chronic liver diseases (CLD).

Methods: Through a systematic search, we identified 32 studies reporting the accuracy of SSM for the diagnosis of portal hypertension (PH) and/or EV in adults with CLD. A bivariate random-effects model was performed to estimate pooled sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic odds ratios (DOR).

Ultrasonographic assessment of right heart intracardiac mass in patients with hepatitis B virus infection.

Objective: The characteristics of right heart intracardiac mass in hepatitis B virus infection patients are not well known. Our aim is to describe their ultrasonographic features and nature of such masses.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed imaging reports of hepatitis B virus infection patients from January 2014 to December 2018.

Diagnostic effect of shear wave elastography imaging for differentiation of malignant liver lesions: a meta-analysis.

Background: Shear wave elastography (SWE) imaging have been proposed for characterization of focal liver lesions. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the accuracy and clinical utility of SWE imaging for differentiation of malignant and benign hepatic lesions.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were systematically reviewed to search for studies published between January 1, 1990, and November 30, 2018.

Comparison of Acoustic Structure Quantification, Transient Elastography (FibroScan) and Histology in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B and without Moderate to Severe Hepatic Steatosis.

The purpose of this study was to compare acoustic structure quantification (ASQ) with transient elastography for staging liver fibrosis. One hundred eighty-two patients with chronic hepatitis B and without moderate to severe hepatic steatosis scheduled for liver biopsy underwent ASQ and transient elastography examinations. All ASQ parameters, including total mode, total average, red mode, red average, red standard deviation, blue mode, blue average, blue standard deviation and focal disturbance (FD) ratio and liver stiffness obtained via transient elastography were found to correlate with fibrosis stage (Spearman's r = 0.

Liver Fibrosis with Two-dimensional US Shear-Wave Elastography in Participants with Chronic Hepatitis B: A Prospective Multicenter Study.

Purpose To investigate the diagnostic performance of two-dimensional (2D) shear-wave elastography (SWE) in chronic hepatitis B. Materials and Methods This prospective multicenter study from January 2015 to January 2016 was conducted at 12 hospitals and included 654 participants with chronic hepatitis B who had undergone liver biopsy and 2D SWE examination. Participants were divided into chronic infection and chronic hepatitis groups.

Deep learning Radiomics of shear wave elastography significantly improved diagnostic performance for assessing liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B: a prospective multicentre study.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the performance of the newly developed deep learning Radiomics of elastography (DLRE) for assessing liver fibrosis stages. DLRE adopts the radiomic strategy for quantitative analysis of the heterogeneity in two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) images.

Design: A prospective multicentre study was conducted to assess its accuracy in patients with chronic hepatitis B, in comparison with 2D-SWE, aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index and fibrosis index based on four factors, by using liver biopsy as the reference standard.