Yicheng Yang

Background:To explore the correlation between electrical and mechanical dyssynchrony of right ventricle (RV)in pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension (PcPH) patients, and further compare their capability in predicting risk stratification. Methods: We consecutively enrolled PcPH patients at Fuwai Hospital from April 2017 to March 2018, then classified them into low and non-low risk groups based on recommendations of 2015 European Society of Cardiology Guidelines. RV mechanical dyssynchrony were measured using off-line softwares (GE EchoPAC version 201), referred to as RV-SD6. Electrical dyssynchrony, represented as QRS duration, was measured manually from the chest lead V2 with electronic calipers. Results: Sixty-six PcPH patients (average 35 years, 19 males and 47 females) were finally enrolled, 37 in low-risk group, while 29 in non-low-risk group. QRS duration was significantly correlated with RV-SD6 (r = 0.25, P = 0.047). Both RV-SD6 and QRS duration significantly correlated with N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (r = 0.44, P＜0.001 vs r = 0.26, P = 0.039). Furthermore, RV-SD6 (area under curve, AUC 0.75, 95% CI 0.64–0.87, P ＜0.001) and QRS duration (AUC 0.65, 95% CI 0.52–0.78, P = 0.036) both had the potential to predict non-low risk stratification. Multivariate Logistic regression analyses identified RV-SD6 (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01–1.03, P = 0.009) and QRS duration (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.00–1.15, P = 0.045) as independent predictors of non-low risk of PcPH patients. Conclusion: RV mechanical dyssynchrony presented by RV-SD6 correlates with QRS duration and has a better capability in predicting risk stratification in PcPH patients without complete bundle branch block.

The gut microbiota is a complex community of microorganisms inhabiting the intestinal tract, which plays a vital role in human health. It is intricately involved in the metabolism, and it also affects diverse physiological processes. The gut–lung axis is a bidirectional pathway between the gastrointestinal tract and the lungs. Recent research has shown that the gut microbiome plays a crucial role in immune response regulation in the lungs and the development of lung diseases. In this review, we present the interrelated factors concerning gut microbiota and the associated metabolites in pulmonary hypertension (PH), a lethal disease characterized by elevated pulmonary vascular pressure and resistance. Our research team explored the role of gut‐microbiota‐derived metabolites in cardiovascular diseases and established the correlation between metabolites such as putrescine, succinate, trimethylamine N‐oxide (TMAO), and N, N, N‐trimethyl‐5‐aminovaleric acid with the diseases. Furthermore, we found that specific metabolites, such as TMAO and betaine, have significant clinical value in PH, suggesting their potential as biomarkers in disease management. In detailing the interplay between the gut microbiota, their metabolites, and PH, we underscored the potential therapeutic approaches modulating this microbiota. Ultimately, we endeavor to alleviate the substantial socioeconomic burden associated with this disease. This review presents a unique exploratory analysis of the link between gut microbiota and PH, intending to propel further investigations in the gut–lung axis.

Background: Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), the gut microbiota-dependent metabolite, is a potential biomarker in several cardiovascular diseases. However, no study has investigated its value in pulmonary hypertension (PH). Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association between plasma TMAO levels and prognosis in patients with PH.Methods: Inpatients with idiopathic/heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH/HPAH), PAH associated with congenital heart disease (CHD-PAH), and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) at Fuwai Hospital were enrolled after excluding those with relative comorbidities. The endpoint was defined as a composite outcome including death, rehospitalisation due to heart failure, and at least 15% decreased 6-min walk distance from the baseline. Fasting blood samples were collected to measure plasma levels of TMAO and other clinical indicators. The associations between TMAO levels with disease severity and patients’ prognosis were investigated.Results: In total, 163 patients with PH were included, with a mean follow-up duration of 1.3 years. After adjusting for confounding factors, elevated TMAO levels were still associated with severe disease conditions. TMAO levels dynamically decreased in stable and improved patients after treatment [ΔTMAO = − 0.2 (− 1.6, 0.7) μmol/L,P = 0.006]. Moreover, high plasma TMAO levels predicted a poor prognosis in the PH cohort (P < 0.001), and the association remained significant after adjusting the confounders, including treatment, risk stratification, and PH subtypes.Conclusion: Elevated plasma TMAO levels were associated with severe disease conditions and poor prognosis in patients with PH, indicating its potential biomarker role in PH.

Background: With the development and application of medical information system, semantic interoperability is essential for accurate and advanced health-related computing and electronic health record (EHR) information sharing. The openEHR approach can improve semantic interoperability. One key improvement of openEHR is that it allows for the use of existing archetypes. The crucial problem is how to improve the precision and resolve ambiguity in the archetype retrieval.Method: Based on the query expansion technology and Word2Vec model in Nature Language Processing (NLP), we propose to find synonyms as substitutes for original search terms in archetype retrieval. Test sets in different medical professional level are used to verify the feasibility.Result: Applying the approach to each original search term (n = 120) in test sets, a total of 69,348 substitutes were constructed. Precision at 5 (P@5) was improved by 0.767, on average. For the best result, the P@5 was up to 0.975.Conclusions: We introduce a novel approach that using NLP technology and corpus to find synonyms as substitutes for original search terms. Compared to simply mapping the element contained in openEHR to an external dictionary, this approach could greatly improve precision and resolve ambiguity in retrieval tasks. This is helpful to promote the application of openEHR and advance EHR information sharing.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection has spread rapidly across the world and become an international public health emergency. Both SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV belong to subfamilyCoronavirinaein the familyCoronaviridaeof the orderNidoviralesand they are classified as the SARS-like species while belong to different cluster. Besides, viral structure, epidemiology characteristics and pathological characteristics are also different. We present a comprehensive survey of the latest coronavirus—SARS-CoV-2—from investigating its origin and evolution alongside SARS-CoV. Meanwhile, pathogenesis, cardiovascular disease in COVID-19 patients, myocardial injury and venous thromboembolism induced by SARS-CoV-2 as well as the treatment methods are summarized in this review.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acupuncture at LR3 and KI3 on hypertension at different time points and on related cerebral regions using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Methods: We randomly divided 29 subjects into two groups: Group A (receiving acupuncture at LR3 + KI3; 15 subjects) and group B (receiving acupuncture at LR3 and a sham location not corresponding to any traditional acupuncture point; 14 subjects). Acupuncture was performed. Blood pressure (BP) changes were recorded and analyzed using SPSS 20.0 statistical software. We used a 3.0T MRI scanner and standard GE 8 channel head coil to collect whole brain fMRI data in both groups. Data analysis and processing was based on the R2009a MATLAB platform. REST 1.8 software was used to analyze the whole brain amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF). Results: After acupuncture, a statistically significant reduction in BP at different time points was observed in group A. In group B, a statistically significant reduction was found only in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and was not sustained. Acupuncture at LR3 + KI3 specifically affected brain areas involved in BP regulation, as well as those involved in auditory sense, speech, vision, movement and sensation. Conclusion: Acupuncture at LR3 + KI3 showed positive immediate and long-term effects on BP, particularly systolic blood pressure (SBP). After ALFF analysis, we concluded that LR3 + KI3 activates brain areas related to BP regulation. In addition, after acupuncture at LR3 + KI3, a highly targeted effect was observed in brain areas associated with BP. In addition, extracerebral areas involving vision, motion control, cognition and hearing were activated, which could potentially contribute to the mitigation of hypertensive complications in patients in an advanced stage of the disease.

As one of the important religions of Korea, Shamanism has collided with Buddhism and Confucianism in the special historical development, which has resulted in localized “difference”. This cultural phenomenon has triggered diversified discussions among the international academia of different fields. During the study in Korea, the author has felt that the traditional dance of Korea, as an important symbol of Korean culture, not only expresses the traditional elements of Korea with an aesthetic attitude in the contemporary society, but also keeps developing by spreading the “contemporary traditional dance creation of Korea”. The author’s research intention has thus been evoked. Through literature review, the author has found that the Korean culture scholars and dancers who are studying Korean culture share a consensus at different levels. On the basis of previous argumentation of other scholars, the research starts from the observation of the “Dharma wheel” manifestation in the contemporary traditional dances of Korea, and explores the seemingly simple relationship between the “manifestation of urban Shamanism Dharma wheel” and the contemporary traditional dance creation of Korea. It makes an attempt to expound the new relationships of Korean dance creation that keeps reshaping the manifestation of dance’s life taking the elements in “cities” as a social mirror, by analyzing and surveying different literature and objects from a cross-cultural perspective. This research is believed to highlight the multiple meanings of disciplines such as anthropology, history and social science to the performing art studies and is expected to fill the research gap in the contemporary Shaman “Dharma wheel” and performing arts through the connection with “contemporary traditional dance creation of Korea”.

Defective interfering particles (DIPs), derived naturally from viral particles, are not able to replicate on their own. Several studies indicate that DIPs exert antiviral effects via multiple mechanisms. DIPs are able to activate immune responses and suppress virus replication cycles, such as competing for viral replication products, impeding the packaging, release and invasion of viruses. Other studies show that DIPs can be used as a vaccine against viral infection. Moreover, DIPs/DI genomes display antitumor effects by inducing tumor cell apoptosis and promoting dendritic cell maturation. With genetic modified techniques, it is possible to improve its safety against both viruses and tumors. In this review, a comprehensive discussion on the effects exerted by DIPs is provided. We further highlight the clinical significance of DIPs and propose that DIPs can open up a new platform for antiviral and antitumor therapies.