Reproducibility of a single-volume dynamic CT myocardial blood flow measurement technique: validation in a swine model.

Background: We prospectively assessed the reproducibility of a novel low-dose single-volume dynamic computed tomography (CT) myocardial blood flow measurement technique.

Methods: Thirty-four pairs of measurements were made under rest and stress conditions in 13 swine (54.3 ± 12.

A patient-specific timing protocol for improved CT pulmonary angiography.

Rationale And Objectives: To improve the image quality of CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) using a patient-specific timing protocol.

Material And Methods: A total of 24 swine (48.5 ± 14.

Reproducibility of a semiautomatic lobar lung tissue assignment technique on noncontrast CT scans: a study on swine animal model.

Background: To evaluate the reproducibility of a vessel-specific minimum cost path (MCP) technique used for lobar segmentation on noncontrast computed tomography (CT).

Methods: Sixteen Yorkshire swine (49.9 ± 4.

Clinical features of inflammatory bowel disease unclassified: a case-control study.

Background: Approximately 10-15% of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients with overlapping features of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are termed as inflammatory bowel disease unclassified (IBDU). This study aimed to describe the clinical features of IBDU and evaluate the potential associated factors of reclassification.

Methods: The clinical data of 37 IBDU patients were retrospectively analyzed from November 2012 to November 2020.

Dynamic Contrast-enhanced CT Lymphangiography to Quantify Thoracic Duct Lymphatic Flow.

Background CT lymphangiography has been used to image the lymphatic anatomy and assess lymphatic abnormalities. There is, however, a need to develop a method for quantification of lymphatic flow rate in the thoracic duct (TD). Purpose To develop and validate a TD lymphatic flow measurement technique using dynamic contrast-enhanced CT lymphangiography.

Validation of an automated technique for quantification of pulmonary perfusion territories using computed tomography angiography.

Background: Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is the primary modality for the detection and diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) while the stratification of PE severity remains challenging using angiography. Hence, an automated minimum-cost path (MCP) technique was validated to quantify the subtended lung tissue distal to emboli using CTPA.

Methods: A Swan-Ganz catheter was placed in the pulmonary artery of seven swine (body weight: 42.

Contrast media timing optimization for coronary CT angiography: a retrospective validation study in swine.

Objectives: The objective was to retrospectively develop a protocol in swine for optimal contrast media timing in coronary CT angiography (CCTA).

Methods: Several dynamic acquisitions were performed in 28 swine (55 ± 24 kg) with cardiac outputs between 1.5 and 5.

Decoding the multidimensional signatures of resident and expanded natural killer cells generated from perinatal blood.

Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes and play a pivotal role in innate and adaptive immune responses against infections and malignancies. Longitudinal studies have indicated the feasibility of perinatal blood for large-scale NK cell generation, yet the systematic and detailed comparations of the signatures of resident and expanded NK cells (rNKs, eNKs) are largely obscure. Herein, we harvested rNKs from umbilical cord blood (rUC-NKs) and placental blood (rP-NKs) as well as the corresponding eNKs (eUC-NKs, eP-NKs).

Contrast timing optimization of a two-volume dynamic CT pulmonary perfusion technique.

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate an optimal timing protocol for a low-radiation-dose CT pulmonary perfusion technique using only two volume scans. A total of 24 swine (48.5 ± 14.

Association of Nighttime Systolic Blood Pressure With Left Atrial-Left Ventricular-Arterial Coupling in Hypertension.

Objective: Hypertension (HT) induces left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, and an increase in arterial stiffness. In this study, we investigated the association between LA-LV-arterial coupling and nighttime systolic blood pressure (BP) as well as BP circadian rhythm in essential hypertension.

Methods: We enrolled 290 HT patients.

Absolute cerebral blood flow: Assessment with a novel low-radiation-dose dynamic CT perfusion technique in a swine model.

Rationale And Objectives: To validate the accuracy of a novel low-dose dynamic CT perfusion technique in a swine model using fluorescent microsphere measurement as the reference standard.

Materials And Methods: Contrast-enhanced dynamic CT perfusion was performed in five swine at baseline and following brain embolization. Reference microspheres and intravenous contrast (370 mg/ml iodine, 1 ml/kg) were injected (5 ml/s), followed by dynamic CT perfusion.

Effects of blood pressure and heart rate circadian rhythms on left atrial function.

Objective: We examined the associations among the circadian rhythms of blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and left atrial function in essential hypertensive patients.

Methods: The study included 237 essential hypertensive patients who completed 24-h ambulatory BP, HR monitoring and two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE). The strain and strain rate images were studied, and the following parameters were measured: left atrial reservoir strain and strain rate (LAS-S and LASR-S), left atrial conduit strain and strain rate (LAS-E and LASR-E), and left atrial booster strain and strain rate (LAS-A and LASR-A).

Quantification of airway dimensions using a high-resolution CT scanner: A phantom study.

Purpose: Small airways with inner diameters less than 2 mm are sites of major airflow limitations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. The purpose of this study is to investigate the limitations for accurate assessment of small airway dimensions using both high-resolution CT (HRCT) and conventional normal-resolution CT at low dose levels.

Methods: To model the normal human airways from the 3rd to 20th generations, a cylindrical polyurethane phantom with 14 airway tubes of inner diameters (ID) ranging from 0.

Thymic Egress Is Regulated by T Cell-Derived LTβR Signal and Distinct Thymic Portal Endothelial Cells.

Thymic blood vessels at the perivascular space (PVS) are the critical site for both homing of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) and egress of mature thymocytes. It has been intriguing how different opposite migrations can happen in the same place. A subset of specialized thymic portal endothelial cells (TPECs) associated with PVS has been identified to function as the entry site for HPCs.

Combining perfusion and angiography with a low-dose cardiac CT technique: a preliminary investigation in a swine model.

Morphological and physiological assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD) is necessary for proper stratification of CAD risk. The objective was to evaluate a low-dose cardiac CT technique that combines morphological and physiological assessment of CAD. The low-dose technique was evaluated in twelve swine, where three of the twelve had coronary balloon stenosis.

Left atrial stiffness index as a marker of early target organ damage in hypertension.

This study aimed to evaluate left atrial (LA) mechanics using two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) and investigate their correlations with measures of target organ damage (TOD) in hypertension. We enrolled 42 healthy controls (Group I) and 286 hypertension patients: Group II (n = 79) had an LA volume index (LAVI) <28 ml/m; Group III (n = 92) had an LAVI ≥28 ml/m; and Group IV (n = 115) had hypertension with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). We measured the following parameters: LA reservoir strain and strain rate (LA, LA), LA conduit strain and strain rate (LA and LA), and LA booster strain and strain rate (LA and LA).

Dynamic pulmonary CT perfusion using first-pass analysis technique with only two volume scans: Validation in a swine model.

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of a low-dose first-pass analysis (FPA) CT pulmonary perfusion technique in comparison to fluorescent microsphere measurement as the reference standard.

Method: The first-pass analysis CT perfusion technique was validated in six swine (41.7 ± 10.

Low-Radiation-Dose Stress Myocardial Perfusion Measurement Using First-Pass Analysis Dynamic Computed Tomography: A Preliminary Investigation in a Swine Model.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of a prospective first-pass analysis (FPA) dynamic computed tomography (CT) perfusion technique for accurate low-radiation-dose global stress perfusion measurement.

Materials And Methods: The prospective FPA technique was evaluated in 10 swine (42 ± 12 kg) by direct comparison to a previously validated retrospective FPA technique. Of the 10 swine, 3 had intermediate stenoses with fractional flow reserve severities of 0.

Risk-Oriented Product Assembly System Health Modeling and Predictive Maintenance Strategy.

Assembly quality is the barometer of assembly system health, and a healthy assembly system is an important physical guarantee for producing reliable products. Therefore, for ensuring the high reliability of products, the operational data of the assembly system should be analyzed to manage health states. Therefore, based on the operational data of the assembly system collected by intelligent sensors, from the perspective of quality control based on risk thinking, a risk-oriented health assessment method and predictive maintenance strategy for managing assembly system health are proposed.

Timing optimization of low-dose first-pass analysis dynamic CT myocardial perfusion measurement: validation in a swine model.

Background: Myocardial perfusion measurement with a low-dose first-pass analysis (FPA) dynamic computed tomography (CT) perfusion technique depends upon acquisition of two whole-heart volume scans at the base and peak of the aortic enhancement. Hence, the objective of this study was to validate an optimal timing protocol for volume scan acquisition at the base and peak of the aortic enhancement.

Methods: Contrast-enhanced CT of 28 Yorkshire swine (weight, 55 ± 24 kg, mean ± standard deviation) was performed under rest and stress conditions over 20-30 s to capture the aortic enhancement curves.

A Mission Reliability-Driven Manufacturing System Health State Evaluation Method Based on Fusion of Operational Data.

The rapid development of complexity and intelligence in manufacturing systems leads to an increase in potential operational risks and therefore requires a more comprehensive system-level health diagnostics approach. Based on the massive multi-source operational data collected by smart sensors, this paper proposes a mission reliability-driven manufacturing system health state evaluation method. Characteristic attributes affecting the mission reliability are monitored and analyzed based on different sensor groups, including the performance state of the manufacturing equipment, the execution state of the production task and the quality state of the manufactured product.

Contrast-to-Noise Ratio Optimization in Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography: Validation in a Swine Model.

Rationale And Objectives: The accuracy of coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography depends upon the degree of coronary enhancement as compared to the background noise. Unfortunately, coronary contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) optimization is difficult on a patient-specific basis. Hence, the objective of this study was to validate a new combined diluted test bolus and CT angiography protocol for improved coronary enhancement and CNR.

Comparison of clinical characteristics of radiological forms of autoimmune pancreatitis.

Background: There is limited understanding of the clinical characteristics of different radiological forms of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP). This retrospective study compared the clinical features of radiological forms of AIP.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of patients with AIP treated from 2005 to 2015.

Autoimmune Pancreatitis:Typing,Diagnosis,and Treatment.

Autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP),a special type of chronic pancreatitis,is autoimmune-mediated and can be accompanied by swelling of the pancreas and irregular stenosis of the pancreatic duct. The main pathological features are fibrosis of pancreatic duct with IgG4-positive lymphoplasmacytic infiltration. Different typing methods of AIP can have differerent disease conditions.

Clinical Characteristics of Ulcerative Colitis Complicated with Opportunistic Infections in Elderly Patients.

Objective To summarize the clinical features,management,and outcome of ulcerative colitis (UC) complicated with opportunistic infections in the elderly patients. Methods The clinical data of 43 elderly UC patients in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2006 to 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into two groups for comparisons:the infection group (complicated with opportunistic infection,n=14) and control group (without opportunistic infection,n=29).