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Background: Research has shown that carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) could help to predict carotid plaque (CP) progression in patients with mild carotid stenosis. However, the debate continues as to the value of carotid intima thickness (CIT) in monitoring the development of CP in patients with severe carotid stenosis. This study sought to evaluate the relationships between CIT and the ultrasonic characteristics of CP and to analyze the value of CIT and the ultrasonic parameters of CP in assessing plaque vulnerability in advanced human carotid atherosclerosis., Methods: A total of 55 individuals who underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) were included in the study (mean age: 65±7 years; female: 9.1%). CIMT and CIT were examined at the common carotid artery (CCA). Plaque textural features, such as the gray-scale median (GSM), superb microvascular imaging (SMI) level, and total plaque area (TPA), were also identified. A Spearman correlation coefficient analysis was performed to examine the relationship between CIT and the ultrasonic parameters of CP. The CIT of various plaque types was compared. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to analyze the diagnostic values of the ultrasound characteristics to evaluate CP vulnerability., Results: The mean CIT of all the participants was 0.382±0.095 mm, the mean CIT of the participants with stable plaques was 0.328±0.031 mm, and the mean CIT of participants with vulnerable plaques was 0.424±0.106 mm (P<0.001). CIT was associated with the SMI level (Spearman's correlation coefficient: r=0.392, P=0.005), TPA (Spearman's correlation coefficient: r=0.337, P=0.012). Patients with thicker CIT had larger lipid cores, higher levels of plaque vulnerability, and more intraplaque hemorrhages (IPHs). The areas under the ROCs (AUCs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for CIMT, CIT, the SMI level, the GSM, the TPA, and the combined model for identifying vulnerable plaques were 0.673 (0.533-0.793), 0.849 (0.727-0.932), 0.771 (0.629-0.879), 0.669 (0.529-0.790), 0.858 (0.738-0.938), and 0.949 (0.854-0.990), respectively., Conclusions: CIT was associated with both the histology and ultrasonic features of CP. CIT may be helpful in the detection of severe CP development., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://qims.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/qims-23-1193/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Artemisia ordosica is a forerunner species of wind-break and sand-fixation in desert steppe in China, which plays an important role in ecosystem restoration and reconstruction. How-ever, it could influence human health. Based on 89 valid data of current distribution of A. ordosica in China and 19 typical climatic factors, the MaxEnt model was used to simulate the potential distribution of A. ordosica in China under current and two scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5; 2050s and 2070s). The SDM toolbox of ArcGIS software was used to analyze the potential distribution range of A. ordosica and its changes in China. The importance of key climatic factors was evaluated by comprehensive contribution rate, Jackknife method, and response curve of environmental variables. The accuracy of model was tested and evaluated by area under the curve (AUC) of the test subject working characteristic (ROC). The results showed that the MaxEnt model worked well (AUC=0.980). which predicted that A. ordosica was mainly concentrated in and around Mu Us Sandy Land, consistent with the current actual distribution range. The distribution area of A. ordosica of potential high fitness under the future two scenarios decreased by 5.2%-26.8%, which was negatively affected by future climate change. Seasonal variation of temperature, mean precipitation in the coldest season, and mean annual temperature had the greatest impact. The core area of future potential distribution of A. ordosica in China was located in Mu Us Sandy Land, with a tendency for spreading to northeast (Jilin, Heilongjiang, Liaoning and some parts of Hebei).