WeChat Group of Chest Pain Center for Patients with Acute ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Faster Treatment Speed and Better Prognosis

Objective: To explore the effect of establishing a WeChat platform for a chest pain center as a medium to increase the treatment speed and improve the prognosis of patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI).Methods: The chest pain center, established by the creation of a WeChat group, included primary hospitals in Chongqing that are not able to perform PPCI and the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, which is the core of the center and which includes medical staff of the catheter laboratory, the cardiology department, the emergency, the vascular surgery department, and the cardiothoracic surgery department. Patients with acute STEMI who underwent PPCI from January 2017 to November 2018 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were enrolled. The patients (including emergency department visitors, 120 callers, and patients transferred from the critical care unit or other departments) were divided into a WeChat pre-admission startup group (n=311) and a non-WeChat pre-admission startup group (control group, n=172). Patients’ door-to-balloon time, standard door-to-balloon time achievement rate, artery puncture to balloon dilation time, heart failure rate, length of stay, and incidence of adverse events (including fatal arrhythmia, cardiogenic shock, and death) during hospitalization were compared between the two groups.Results: Four hundred eight-three consecutive patients were enrolled. There was no significant difference in patients’ sex, age, length of stay, and cardiovascular events during hospitalization between the two groups (P>0.05). The door-to-balloon time of the patients in the WeChat pre-admission startup group was much shorter than that of patients in the non-WeChat pre-admission startup group (27.35±10.58 min vs. 88.15±53.79 min, P<0.05). The standard door-to-balloon time achievement rate was significantly higher in the WeChat pre-admission startup group than in the non-WeChat pre-admission startup group (100% vs. 72.09%, P<0.05).Conclusion: The application of a WeChat platform significantly shortened the door-to-balloon time of patients receiving PPCI and increased the standard door-to-balloon time achievement rate for patients with STEMI. In addition, the platform is also conducive to integrating medical resources and sharing medical information. The establishment of the platform increased the treatment speed and improved the prognosis of patients with STEMI.

A Study on Process Parameters for Plasma Pre-Treatment of Cotton Fiber Prior to Titanium Dioxide Wrinkle-Resistant Treatment

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been found feasible to improve wrinkle resistant property of cotton fiber. In this study, the performance of TiO2 wrinkle resistant treatment was further enhanced by plasma pre-treatment compared with the conventional wet treatment. Different plasma pre-treatment process parameters (treatment speed, i.e. treatment time; oxygen flow rate; and jet-to-substrate distance) were used for determining the optimum conditions (of plasma pre-treatment) for the subsequent wrinkle resistant treatment with TiO2. The optimum conditions for plasma pre-treatment of cotton fabrics before TiO2 treatment were obtained through the orthogonal array testing strategy (OATS): 10mm/s treatment speed, 0.3L/min oxygen flow rate and 6mm jet-to-substrate distance. This was found to be the most effective combination of plasma pre-treatment conditions for improving wrinkle resistant property of cotton fiber. After plasma, if the cotton fiber was treated with 0.1% TiO2, the wrinkle resistant property was further enhanced. Based on the OATS analysis, not only the optimum conditions for plasma pre-treatment could be obtained, but the level of relative importance of the three process parameters could also be obtained.

The Transducer Pressure Variable: Its Influence on Acoustic Energy Transmission

During the administration of therapeutic ultrasound, the amount of pressure at the sound head-tissue interface may affect the physiological response to and the outcome of treatment. Speed of sonification; size of the treatment area; frequency, intensity, and type of wave; and coupling media are important parameters in providing the patient with an appropriate ultrasound treatment. Pressure variations affect ultrasound transmissivity, yet pressure differences have been virtually unexplored. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of sound head pressure on acoustic transmissivity. Three trials were conducted whereby pig tissue was subjected to increased sound head pressures using manufactured weights. The weights were added in 100 g increments, starting with 200 g and finishing with 1,400 g. Increased pressure on the transmitting transducer did affect acoustic transmissivity; acoustic energy transmission was increased from 200 g (0.44 lb) up to and optimally at 600 g (1.32 lb). However, there was decreased transmissivity from 700 to 1, 400 g (1.54 to 3.00 lb).