Long-term radiological and pulmonary function abnormalities at 3†years after COVID-19 hospitalisation: a longitudinal cohort study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the longitudinal progression of residual lung abnormalities (ground-glass opacities, reticulation and fibrotic-like changes) and pulmonary function at 3 years following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: This prospective, longitudinal cohort study enrolled COVID-19 survivors who exhibited residual lung abnormalities upon discharge from two hospitals. Follow-up assessments were conducted at 6 months, 12 months, 2 years and 3 years post-discharge, and included pulmonary function tests, 6-min walk distance (6MWD), chest computed tomography (CT) scans and symptom questionnaires. Non-COVID-19 controls were retrospectively recruited for comparative analysis. RESULTS: 728 COVID-19 survivors and 792 controls were included. From 6 months to 3 years, there was a gradual improvement in reduced diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (D LCO <80% predicted: 49% versus 38%; p=0.001), 6MWD (496 versus 510 m; p=0.002) and residual lung abnormalities (46% versus 36%; p<0.001), regardless of disease severity. Patients with residual lung abnormalities at 3 years more commonly had respiratory symptoms (32% versus 16%; p<0.001), lower 6MWD (494 versus 510 m; p=0.003) and abnormal D LCO (57% versus 27%; p<0.001) compared with those with complete resolution. Compared with controls, the proportions of D LCO impairment (38% versus 17%; p<0.001) and respiratory symptoms (23% versus 2.2%; p<0.001) were significantly higher in the matched COVID-19 survivors at the 3-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients exhibited improvement in radiological abnormalities and pulmonary function over time following COVID-19. However, more than a third continued to have persistent lung abnormalities at the 3-year mark, which were associated with respiratory symptoms and reduced diffusion capacity.

Risk factors for distal stent graft-induced new entry after endovascular repair in uncomplicated type B aortic dissection.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the risk factors for distal stent graft-induced new entry (dSINE) after thoracic endovascular aortic repair for patients with uncomplicated type B aortic dissection (TBAD) and reported the outcomes of using a tapered stent graft and dSINE reintervention. METHODS: A total of 226 patients with uncomplicated TBAD who had undergone thoracic endovascular aortic repair between January 2010 and December 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. The global features of the thoracic aorta and the local features of the proximal and distal landing zones were evaluated and compared between the dSINE and non-dSINE groups. A multivariate Cox model was used to identify the independent risk factors for dSINE. The cumulative incidence of reintervention was estimated using competing risk models. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 4.6 years, 16 patients (7.1%) had developed dSINE. Multivariable Cox regression analysis demonstrated that a type III aortic arch, decreased angle, increased distal oversizing, and increased distal mismatch ratio were significant risk factors for dSINE. Of the patients with tapered stent grafts, five with a ≤4-mm taper had developed dSINE. However, no dSINE was seen in the >4-mm taper group (P = .024). Reintervention was performed for 7 of the 16 patients with dSINE (43.8%). The mean time from the initial detection of dSINE to reintervention was 6.43 ± 4.62 months. The competing risk analyses showed that the cumulative incidence of reintervention in the dSINE group at 1, 3, and 5 years was 25.0%, 37.5%, and 43.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A type III aortic arch, excessive distal oversizing and mismatch ratio, and severe angulation were associated with dSINE in patients with uncomplicated TBAD. The use of a tapered stent graft with a >4-mm taper could help prevent dSINE in patients with a high taper ratio. Aggressive reintervention was associated with favorable long-term outcomes for patients with progressive dSINE.

Microwave drying method investigation for the process and kinetics of drying characteristics of zinc-leaching residue.

Due to the high moisture content in the zinc-leaching residue, it is easy to cause safety problems when directly entering the kiln. Microwave drying can minimize particle agglomeration and promote cracks on the mineral surface, which benefits the subsequent recovery and smelting of zinc-leaching residue. The results showed that increasing microwave power and particle size range could improve the maximum drying rate and reduce the drying time. The maximum drying rate of 20 g zinc-leaching slag with a microwave power of 700 W, a particle size of 1-10 mm, and a moisture content of 20% can be higher than 0.365%/s and reach complete drying within 120 s. The drying results were fitted and statistically analyzed using nine common kinetic models of drying, the surface diffusion coefficient changes were further analyzed at four levels, and the reaction activation energy (Ea) was calculated. According to Fick's second law, when the average particle size increased from 0.044 to 5.5 mm, the surface diffusion coefficient increased from 6.2559 × 10-9 to 3.8604 × 10-6 m2/s, which showed that the effect of particle size change on microwave drying process was significant. The Ea of the drying reaction was 18.1169 kJ/mol. This method provides an idea for efficiently treating secondary resources containing valuable metals.

Safety and efficacy of lenvatinib combined with camrelizumab plus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A two-center retrospective study.

Objectives: To compare the safety and efficacy of lenvatinib (LEN) combined with camrelizumab plus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE-LEN-C) and TACE combined with LEN (TACE-LEN) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). Methods: Eighty-three patients with uHCC treated with TACE-LEN-C or TACE-LEN from September 2018 to May 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective study. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), local tumor response, and adverse events (AEs) were evaluated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the factors affecting survival. Results: There were 31 patients in the TACE-LEN-C group and 52 patients in the TACE-LEN group. The median follow-up period was 14.2 months (range 7.2-25.2 months) in the whole study. The combination of triple therapy was found to significantly prolong the PFS (12.5 months vs. 6.6 months, P<0.001) and OS (18.9 months vs. 13.9 months, P<0.001. In terms of tumor response, the combination demonstrated a higher objective response rate (71% vs. 42.3% by the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, P=0.023) without a statistically significant difference in the disease control rate (93.5% in TACE-LEN-C, 80.8% in TACE-LEN, P=0.195). In the multivariate analysis, two independent factors affecting PFS were identified: number of tumors and treatment. Three independent factors affected OS: number of tumors, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage, and treatment. All the AEs were tolerable. Conclusion: TACE-LEN-C is a safe and effective treatment for patients with uHCC, and could be a potential treatment option.