The role of carotid stenosis ultrasound scale in the prediction of ischemic stroke.

INTRODUCTION: To improve the accuracy of ultrasound techniques for the assessment of carotid stenosis, we designed a novel carotid artery stenosis ultrasound scale (CASUS), and evaluated its accuracy, reliability, and its value in predicting the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in a prospective study. METHODS: A total of 750 patients with first-time ischemic stroke and hospitalized within 24 h were enrolled in the study. Using color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS), the degree of stenosis and blood flow (BF) in bilateral internal carotid arteries (ICA) and the V1-V3 segment of vertebral arteries (VA) was assessed. Cubic simulation curves for BF and global blood flow (GBF) over the stenosis score (SS), total stenosis score (TSS), and radiological imaging- total stenosis score (RI-TSS) were fitted and compared. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves using TSS, RI-TSS, or GBF to predict various ischemic stroke endpoints were also analyzed and compared. RESULTS: There was a linear relationship between SS and BF both ICA and VA (R2 were 0.734 and 0.783, respectively, both P < 0.05). Both TSS and RI-TSS with GBF showed an inverse "S" curve relationship (R2 was 0.839 and 0.843, all P < 0.05). The AUC values of TSS-based and RI-TSS-based predictions of each endpoint were all greater than 0.7 (all P < 0.05), but the differences of the AUC values between TSS, RI-TSS, and GBF were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The novel CASUS can better reflect the level of cerebral reperfusion in patients with ischemic stroke and can better predict the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Hollow Carbon Microspheres/MnO2 Nanosheets Composites: Hydrothermal Synthesis and Electrochemical Behaviors.

This article reported the electrochemical behaviors of a novel hollow carbon microspheres/manganese dioxide nanosheets (micro-HC/nano-MnO2) composite prepared by an in situ self-limiting deposition method under hydrothermal condition. The results of scanning electron microscopy reveal that MnO2 nanosheets homogeneously grow onto the surface of micro-HC to form a loose-packed microstructure. The quantity of MnO2 required in the electrode layer has thereby been reduced significantly, and higher specific capacitances have been achieved. The micro-HC/nano-MnO2 electrode presents a high capacitance of 239.0 F g-1 at a current density of 5 mA cm-2, which is a strong promise for high-rate electrochemical capacitive energy storage applications.