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ObjectivesTo identify clinical characteristics and risk factors for pulmonary involvements in asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant by chest imaging analysis.MethodsDetailed data and chest computed tomography (CT) imaging features were retrospectively analyzed from asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients infected with Omicron between 24 April and 10 May 2022. We scored chest CT imaging features and categorized the patients into obvious pulmonary involvements (OPI) (score > 2) and not obvious pulmonary involvements (NOPI) (score ≤ 2) groups based on the median score. The risk factors for OPI were identified with analysis results visualized by nomogram.ResultsIn total, 339 patients were included (145 were male and 194 were female), and the most frequent clinical symptoms were cough (75.5%); chest CT imaging features were mostly linear opacities (42.8%). Pulmonary involvements were more likely to be found in the left lower lung lobe, with a significant difference in the lung total severity score of the individual lung lobes (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed age stratification [odds ratio (OR) = 1.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.548–2.383); p 8d) [OR = 1.842, 95% CI (1.104–3.073); p = 0.019], and pulmonary diseases [OR = 4.698, 95% CI (1.159–19.048); p = 0.03] as independent OPI risk factors.ConclusionAsymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients infected with Omicron had pulmonary involvements which were not uncommon. Potential risk factors for age stratification, prolonged NCT, and pulmonary diseases can help clinicians to identify OPI in asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients infected with Omicron.

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a promising neurostimulation approach for emotion regulation. This research aimed to clarify the underlying neural basis responsible for taVNS’s impact on emotional regulation related brain regions. Thirty-two healthy volunteers were allocated into a taVNS group, which received electrical stimulation at the concha area of the ear, and a sham group, which received earlobe stimulation. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from both the taVNS and sham groups pre- and post-stimulation. To evaluate the alterations in neural activity and connectivity resulting from auricular electrical stimulation, degree centrality and functional connectivity analyses were used. The results indicated that taVNS modulated the neural activity of several brain regions, including the bilateral precuneus, temporal gyrus, precentral gyrus, and postcentral gyrus, whereas earlobe stimulation did not produce such effects. taVNS may improve emotion regulation by modulating neural activation and functional connectivity in key brain regions, then facilitating the integration of emotional responses, memories, and experiences. Thus, these brain regions may serve as potential therapeutic targets for taVNS in treating disorders associated with emotional dysregulation. These findings provide insight into the neural basis through which taVNS influences emotion regulation and hold potential for the development of neuromodulation-based therapeutic strategies for emotional disorders.

Purpose: The aim was to determine the combined value of serological lipid metabolism and an orbital MRI quantitative parameter in predicting the effectiveness of glucocorticoid (GC) therapy in patients with thyroid eye disease (TED). Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 46 patients with active and moderate-to-severe TED (GC-effective group, n = 29; GC-ineffective group, n = 17). Serological lipid metabolism, the orbital MRI-based minimum signal intensity ratio of extraocular muscles (EOM-SIRmin), as well as other clinical parameters before GC therapy were collected and compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were adopted to identify independent predictable variables and assess their predictive performances. Results: Compared to the GC-ineffective group, the GC-effective group showed lower serum total cholesterol levels (P = 0.006), lower serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (P = 0.019), higher EOM-SIRmin values (P = 0.005), and shorter disease durations (P = 0.017). Serum total cholesterol and EOM-SIRmin were found to be independent predictors of GC-effective TED through multivariate analysis (odds ratios = 0.253 and 2.036 per 0.1 units, respectively) (both P < 0.05). The integration of serum total cholesterol ≤4.8 mmol/L and EOM-SIRmin ≥ 1.12 had a better predictive efficacy (area under the curve, 0.834) than EOM-SIRmin alone, with a sensitivity of 75.9% and a specificity of 82.4% (P = 0.031). Conclusion: Serological lipid metabolism, combined with an orbital MRI-derived parameter, was a useful marker for predicting the effectiveness of GCs in patients with active and moderate-to-severe TED.

In [16], using Rudin sets, Miao, Li and Zhao introduced a new concept of weakly well-filtered spaces—$ k $-bounded well-filtered spaces. Now, also using Rudin sets, we introduce another type of $ T_0 $ spaces—weakly bounded well-filtered spaces, which are strictly stronger than $ k $-bounded well-filtered spaces. Some basic properties of $ k $-bounded well-filtered spaces and weakly bounded well-filtered spaces are investigated and the relationships among some kinds of weakly sober spaces and weakly well-filtered spaces are posed. It is proved that the category $ {\bf KBWF} $ is not reflective in the category $ {\bf Top}_{0} $.

In this paper, we mainly study function spaces related to some kinds of weakly sober spaces, such as bounded sober spaces, $ k $-bounded sober spaces and weakly sober spaces. For $ T_{0} $ spaces $ X $ and $ Y $, it is proved that $ Y $ is bounded sober iff the function space $ {\bf{Top}}(X, Y) $ of all continuous functions $ f : X\longrightarrow Y $ equipped with the pointwise convergence topology is bounded sober iff $ {\bf{Top}}(X, Y) $ equipped with the Isbell topology is bounded sober. But for a $ k $-bounded sober space $ X $, the function space $ {\bf{Top}}(X, Y) $ equipped with the pointwise convergence topology or the Isbell topology may not be $ k $-bounded sober. It is shown that if the function space $ {\bf{Top}}(X, Y) $ equipped with the pointwise convergence topology or the Isbell topology is weakly sober (resp., a cut space), then $ Y $ is weakly sober (resp., a cut space). Relationships among some kinds of (weakly) sober spaces are also investigated.

ObjectiveTo report the efficacy, long-term safety, and tolerability of using a small dose (125 mg/m2 weekly for 4 weeks) of rituximab to treat Chinese patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO).MethodsSeven patients with active moderate-to-severe TAO were prospectively recruited in this study. A small dose of rituximab (125mg/m2 body surface area) was given weekly with a duration of four weeks. Thyroid function, thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb), B cell and T cell subsets, ophthalmological examination, magnetic resonance imaging derived parameters, and adverse reactions were recorded at each visit.ResultsSeven patients were followed for an average of 224 weeks. B-cell depletion was observed in all patients following rituximab infusion. The clinical activity score (CAS) decreased from 4.86 ± 0.69 to 3.00 ± 0.82 at 5 weeks after treatment (P = 0.033) and remained significantly lower than baseline values at the end of follow-up (P = 0.001). Compared to baseline values, significant decreases in exophthalmos of the right eye, the thickness of extraocular muscles with maximum signal intensity, and the highest signal intensity ratio (SIR) of extraocular muscle to ipsilateral temporal muscle values were observed at the last follow-up (all P < 0.05). Disease progressions or recurrences were not observed during follow-up. Only mild fatigue was observed after the first infusion as a side effect (n = 1).ConclusionSmall dose of rituximab may be a promising option with adequate safety, tolerability, and long-term efficacy for patients with active moderate-to-severe TAO.

We introduce and study a new class of $T_0$ spaces, called open well-filtered spaces. The main results we proved include (1) every well-filtered space is an open well-filtered space; (2) every core-compact open well-filtered space is sober. As an immediate corollary, we deduce that every core-compact well-filtered space is sober. This provides another different and relatively more straight forward method to answer the open problem posed by Jia and Jung: Is every core-compact well-filtered space sober?

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a highly aggressive and the most lethal type of thyroid cancer. The standard-of-care for unresectable ATC is radiotherapy and chemotherapy, usually based on doxorubicin (Dox). However, most patients develop resistance shortly after treatment. To overcome the drug resistance, we synthesized the mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (MONPs) loaded with Dox and stabilized the nanocomposites by bovine serum albumin (BSA). The surface area and pore volume of MONPs were 612.653 m2/g and 0.589 cm3/g. The loading capacity of Dox-MONPs reached 47.02%. Compared to Dox-MONPs and free Dox, BSA-Dox-MONPs had more durable tumor-killing power on both drug-sensitive cell line HTh74 and drug-resistant cell line HTh74R. The cellular uptake of BSA-Dox-MONPs was 28.14 and 65.53% higher than that of Dox-MONP in HTh74 and HTh74R. Furthermore, the BSA coating decreased the efflux rate of nanocomposites in HTh74 (from 38.95 to 33.05%) and HTh74R (from 43.03 to 32.07%). In summary, BSA-Dox-MONPs reversed the chemotherapy resistance of ATC cells via increased drug uptake and inhibited drug efflux, offering a promising platform for the treatment of chemo-resistant ATC.

PURPOSEDiffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) - fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) mismatch was proven useful to time the onset of wake-up stroke; however, identifying the status of FLAIR imaging has been mostly subjective. We aimed to evaluate the value of relative DWI signal intensity (rDWI), and relative apparent diffusion coefficient (rADC) in identifying the FLAIR status in the acute period.METHODSAutologous clot was used to embolize left middle cerebral artery in 20 dogs. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed 3–6 hours and 24 hours after embolization. DWI-FLAIR mismatch was defined as hyperintense signal detected on DWI, but not on FLAIR. The mean values of rDWI or rADC of FLAIR- and FLAIR+ lesions were compared and the critical cutoff values of rDWI and rADC for identifying the FLAIR status were determined.RESULTSStroke models were successfully established in all animals. DWI+ lesions were found in all 20 dogs from three hours, while FLAIR+ lesions were found in three, 11, 16, 19, and 20 dogs at five time points after embolization, respectively. The mean rDWI values were significantly different between FLAIR- and FLAIR+ lesions (P < 0.001), but rADC values were not (P = 0.73). Using rDWI=1.90 as the threshold value, excellent diagnostic efficacy was achieved (AUC, 0.88; sensitivity, 0.77; specificity, 0.88). However, rADC appeared not useful (AUC, 0.48; sensitivity, 0.52; specificity, 0.58) in identifying the FLAIR status.CONCLUSIONIn our embolic canine stroke model, rDWI was useful to identify FLAIR imaging status in the acute period, while rADC was not.

AIMS:This retrospective study was carried out to compare the outcomes between elderly (≥70 years of age) and nonelderly patients (

Background: To investigate structural and functional changes of brain in children with intermittent exotropia (IXT) and their relationship with clinical features. Methods: Twenty-one IXT patients (mean age 9.38 ± 2.62 years) and 21 age-, gender-, education-, and handedness-matched healthy controls (HCs, mean age 9.52 ± 3.28 years) underwent high-resolution T1 imaging, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). The gray and white matter volume analyzed by voxel-based morphometry (VBM) based on T1 imaging, the fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) indices based on DTI, and the amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) value based on rs-fMRI were compared between these 2 groups. The correlations between MRI-derived parameters in significant brain regions and various clinical characteristics of IXT were analyzed. Results: Compared with HCs, IXT children showed significantly decreased FA in right precentral gyrus (PRG) and right postcentral gyrus (POG), and significantly decreased ALFF in bilateral calcarine sulcus, bilateral cuneus, left lingual gyrus, and left superior occipital gyrus. The FA value in right PRG and right POG was negatively correlated with disease duration (r = 20.520, P = 0.016), angle of exodeviation at near (r = 20.549, P = 0.010), and angle of exodeviation at distance (r = 20.547, P = 0.010). Conclusions: IXT children exhibited abnormalities of white matter microstructure and reduced spontaneous neural activities in brain regions involving in oculomotor performance and binocular fusion. Further studies are needed to determine whether these findings are related to the neuropathologic mechanism or downstream changes of IXT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the near-field area of strong earthquakes, the information recorded by a strong seismometer includes ground motion information and complex low-frequency noise. This noise results in the presence of an "extra" acceleration component in the record that is independent of ground motion, and these components are integrated into the velocity and displacement time history to cause offset. In order to solve this problem, this paper adopts a baseline correction method based on variational mode decomposition (VMD), which decomposes seismic signals into modal functions of different frequencies and then extracts the low-frequency modal functions. It is worth noting that these low-frequency modal function components contain linear trend terms, a property that allows us to perform baseline corrections efficiently. The results show that the permanent displacement obtained by this method is in good agreement with the coseismic displacement observed by GPS stations nearby. This method provides an efficient approach for estimation permanent displacement which helps revealing the focal mechanism of an earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis is an important scientific basis for building seismic fortification. Unlike most seismic hazard analyses starting from the perspective of magnitude, this paper presents a seismic hazard analysis method based on the monthly maximum peak ground acceleration (PGA) distribution. In this paper, cities of Chongqing, Chengdu, and Kunming in southwest China are taken as examples where historical earthquake events from 1920 to 2020 with surface wave magnitude (Ms) greater than or equal to 3 and epicentral distances within 400 km are selected for analysis. PGA data are back-calculated from Ms data recorded in the earthquake catalog using the attenuation relation of seismic parameters. By considering the monthly maximum PGA values of the three cities as statistical samples, regression analysis is performed to obtain the monthly maximum PGA distribution and the frequency-PGA relation respectively. Based on the Poisson model and the parameters obtained from the regression analysis, then seismic hazard analysis is conducted to derive year exceedance probability vs. PGA curves and recurrence interval vs. PGA curves. Finally, earthquake events with the epicentral distance within 200 km, 300 km, and 400 km are respectively analyzed to discuss the influence of the epicentral distance on results of seismic hazard analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The notion of generalized completely distributivity is modified in order to obtain a tractable and consistent property of ordered sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report details the CT and MR imaging findings of a primary orbital Ewing's sarcoma case involving the middle cranial fossa in a 13-year old boy. CT showed an ill-circumscribed homogeneous soft-tissue density mass with needle-like bone reaction. On MRI, the mass showed homogeneous iso-intensity on T1WI, heterogeneous hyperintensity on T2WI, and marked homogeneous enhancement. Meanwhile, the mass was hyper-intense on DWI, and ADC value was 575×10-6 mm2/s. The mass showed as high rCBV and rCBF, prolonged MTT based on DCSPWI, and wash-out pattern of TIC derived from the DCE-MRI. Our case suggests that functional MRI modalities, including DWI, DSC-PWI or DCE-MR, could provide additional information for differential diagnoses. Both CT and MRI should be performed and comprehensively analyzed for limiting differential diagnoses, determining lesion extension and facilitating operative approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have indicated that the temporal change of relative diffusion weighted imaging (rDWI) signal intensity may help to determine the onset time of a stroke. Furthermore, several studies have indicated that high b value DWI offered improved detection rates for hyper-acute ischemic lesions compared with standard b value DWI. However, the temporal changes of the rDWI on high b value DWI remain unclear. Therefore, based on our embolic canine stroke model, we evaluated the temporal evolution of rDWI on high b value DWI, and further compared its diagnostic value in predicting the onset time of ischemic stroke with rDWI on standard b value DWI. Twelve canine MCAO models were established, and DWI was performed at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 h after MCAO, with 3 b values of 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000. High b value DWI detected all ischemic lesions after 1 h, while standard b value did not detect the ischemic lesions in one dog at 1 h. With all three of the tested b values, rDWIs increased continuously within 6 h, while relative apparent diffusion coefficient (rADC) values rapidly decreased in 1 h, then became relatively stable. The area under the curve values for rDWI with b value of 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000, in predicting ischemic lesions within 3 h were 0.897, 0.929 and 0.938, while for rADC were 0.645, 0.583 and 0.599, respectively. Therefore, the results indicated that the rDWI was helpful in aging hyper-acute ischemic stroke, while rADC appeared not to be. High b value DWI had a higher detection rate for ischemic lesions and better predictive efficacy in determining the onset time of hyper-acute stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) of the orbit is exceedingly rare and little is known regarding its radiologic features. Here, we reviewed the CT and MRI findings of one case of ASPS of the orbit with emphasis on its salient imaging features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of locally strong compactness on domains is generalized to general topological spaces. It is proved that for each distributive hypercontinuous lattice L, the space Spec L of nonunit prime elements endowed with the hull-kernel topology is locally strongly compact, and for each locally strongly compact space X, the complete lattice of all open sets $$ \mathcal{O} $$( X) is distributive hypercontinuous. For the case of distributive hyperalgebraic lattices, the similar result is given. For a sober space X, it is shown that there is an order reversing isomorphism between the set of upper-open filters of the lattice $$ \mathcal{O} $$( X) of open subsets of X and the set of strongly compact saturated subsets of X, which is analogous to the well-known Hofmann-Mislove Theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]