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Objectives A predictive model was developed based on enhanced computed tomography (CT), laboratory test results, and pathological indicators to achieve the convenient and effective prediction of single lymph node metastasis (LNM) in gastric cancer. Methods Sixty-six consecutive patients (235 regional lymph nodes) with pathologically confirmed gastric cancer who underwent surgery at our hospital between December 2020 and November 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. They were randomly allocated to training (n = 38, number of lymph nodes = 119) and validation (n = 28, number of lymph nodes = 116) datasets. The clinical data, laboratory test results, enhanced CT characteristics, and pathological indicators from gastroscopy-guided needle biopsies were obtained. Multivariable logistic regression with generalised estimation equations (GEEs) was used to develop a predictive model for LNM in gastric cancer. The predictive performance of the model developed using the training and validation datasets was validated using receiver operating characteristic curves. Results Lymph node enhancement pattern, Ki67 level, and lymph node long-axis diameter were independent predictors of LNM in gastric cancer (p p = 0.001). The area under the curve and accuracy of the model, with 95% confidence intervals, were 0.944 (0.890–0.998) and 0.897 (0.813–0.952), respectively, in the training dataset and 0.836 (0.751–0.921) and 0.798 (0.699–0.876), respectively, in the validation dataset. Conclusion The predictive model constructed based on lymph node enhancement pattern, Ki67 level, and lymph node long-axis diameter exhibited good performance in predicting LNM in gastric cancer and should aid the lymph node staging of gastric cancer and clinical decision-making.

This paper proposes a fast and stable iterative algorithm for wheel–rail contact geometry based on constraint equations, which can be implemented in dynamic wear simulations that real-time profile updating is needed. Further, critical factors that determine convergence and iteration stability are analyzed. A B-spline is adopted for wheel–rail profile modeling because it does not contribute to changes in the global shape of curves. It is found that the smoothness of the first and second derivative curves significantly affects the numerical stability of the Jacobian matrix, which determines the increments in iterations. Moreover, a damped Newton's iteration formula with a scaling factor of 0.5 is proposed considering the convergence rate and out-of-bound issues for the updated step. The influence of the initial iteration parameters on the convergence is studied using Newton fractals. The range within ±3 mm, centered on the target contact point, is found to be an unconditionally stable domain. The proposed method could achieve convergence within 10 and 30 steps under thread and flange contact conditions, respectively.

In this study, the phase composition, morphology, and element distribution of Mg impurities in a low-grade titanium slag and in its chlorinated residue after carbochlorination were identified using XRD, SEM-EDS, and MLA. Most Mg impurities existed as anosovite, rutile, titanaugite, and Ti silicate phases before the carbochlorination process. The thermodynamic analysis revealed that the chlorination tendencies of Mg, Ti, Ca, Fe, and Mn oxides in the original titanium slag was much higher than those of Si and Al oxides in the temperature range of 700–850 °C. In addition, the binary phase diagram analysis indicates that the magnesium chloride (MgCl2) byproduct formed Na2MgCl4 eutectic salts in the NaCl-based salt bath. The carbochlorination experiments of the Mg-bearing titanium slag show that the chlorination ratio of magnesium oxide was above 93% under the suitable industrial conditions used for the extraction of titanium from Mg-bearing titanium slag. In addition, the formation of Na2MgCl4 eutectic salts after carbochlorination was confirmed, indicating that the negative effect of MgCl2 on the chlorination process was effectively eliminated. The Mg impurities in the chlorinated residue existed as titanaugite, quartz, chlorite, and rutile phases. Furthermore, we found that the carbochlorination of Mg-bearing titanium slag in chloride media effectively improved the comprehensive utilization efficiency of the Mg-bearing titanium slag. We believe that the proposed carbochlorination mechanism of the Mg-bearing titanium slag will provide thorough understanding and useful guidance on the practical industrial application of Mg-bearing titanium slag.

The current study proposes a novel method of preparing Ti–Al–V alloy by electrochemical co-deposition by adding Ti2O3 and V2O3 into the molten salt system. The influence of chlorination of Ti2O3 and V2O3 in KCl–LiCl–MgCl2–AlCl3 melt was studied by inductively-coupled plasma emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The results revealed that the optimal chlorination temperature ranged from 600 °C to 700 °C and the main chlorination products were TiCl3, VCl3, and Al2O3 byproduct. The electrochemical behavior of Ti3+, V3+ and Al3+ in a molten AlCl3-containing chloride salt was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The stepwise reduction in the cathode could be given as: V3+→V2+, Ti3+→Ti2+, V2+→V, Ti2+→Ti, Ti2+/V2+/Al3+→Ti–Al–V alloy. The electrolytic products were also characterized by XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results demonstrated that, as metallic Al was used as an anode, a dendritic Al3Ti alloy and Al sheet were obtained after the addition of Ti2O3 into the KCl–LiCl–MgCl2–AlCl3 melt. However, the presence of both Ti2O3 and V2O3 resulted in fishbone-like Al3Ti, Al3Ti0.8V0.2 and Al3Ti0.666V0.333 alloys, as well as dense granules of metallic Al.

Purpose The study aimed to explore the value of tumor deposits in stage III colorectal cancer (CRC) and verify whether patients with more tumor deposit numbers have higher risk of recurrence. Methods The retrospective cohort analysis was performed at two cancer centers of China. Stage III CRC patients who underwent radical resection at the center between April 2008 and February 2019 were identified. The Univariate/Multivariate Cox regression, Kaplan–Meier analysis, and PSM were recurrence-free survival (RFS) used. Results Total 1080 stage III CRC patients (634 [58.7%] men; median [IQR] age, 60 [50–68] years) who underwent radical surgical resection were identified for inclusion in this study. Patients with tumor deposits had a 12.8% lower 3-year RFS (n = 236 [69.9%]) than the patients without tumor deposits (n = 844 [82.7%]) (P ≤ 0.0001). The 3-year RFS of patients with stage N2 (n = 335 [61.2%]) was 18.6% lower (P ≤ 0.0001) than the original cohort of patients with stage N1 (n = 745 [79.8%]), but it was similar to the RFS of patients with 4 or more tumor deposits plus lymph node metastases (n = 58 [61.4%]) (P = 0.91). The RFS for patients with 4 or more tumor deposits plus number of lymph node metastases (n = 58 [61.4%]) was 15.8% lower than the cohort of patients with 1–3 tumor deposits + number of lymph node metastases (n = 687 [77.2%]) (P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed that patients with 4 or more tumor deposits + the number of lymph node metastases (hazard ratio [HR], 1.88; 95% CI, 1.24–2.87) were independently associated with a shorter RFS. Conclusion The number of tumor deposits is an indicator of poor postoperative prognosis. It is necessary to incorporate the number of tumor deposits combined with the number of lymph node metastases to stratify postoperative stratification of stage III CRC, which may provide a new theoretical basis for adjuvant therapy for patients with N1 stage CRC after surgery.

Hongjiang Pu,1,* Peiyi Xie,2,* Yaxue Chen,3,* Yanrong Zhao,4 Xi Ye,5 Guiyu Lu,4 Dafu Zhang,6 Zhenhui Li6 1Department of Oncology, Dazhou Central Hospital, Dazhou, Sichuan, 635000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Radiology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510655, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Nursing, Dazhou Vocational and Technical College, Dazhou, Sichuan, 635000, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Colorectal Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, Yunnan Cancer Centre, Kunming, 650118, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of Oncology, The First People’s Hospital of Honghe State, Mengzi, 661100, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, Yunnan Cancer Centre, Kunming, 650118, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Dafu Zhang; Zhenhui LiDepartment of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, Yunnan Cancer Centre, Kunming, Yunnan, 650118, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/ Fax +86 87168179594; +86 87168179549Email tosney@126.com; lizhenhui621@qq.comPurpose: Based on a multi-centered and a large sample size, this study aims to analyze the relationship between preoperative and postoperative serum CEA and recurrence of rectal cancer without preoperative therapy.Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled stage I to III rectal cancer patients without preoperative therapy (N = 1,022) who received radical resection of rectal cancer from 2 hospitals in China. Based on the preoperative and postoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen, the patients were subdivided into 3 groups ie, normal preoperative CEA (≤ 5.0 ng/mL, N = 627), elevated preoperative (> 5.0 ng/mL) but normalized postoperative CEA (normalized postoperative CEA, N = 255), as well as elevated preoperative and postoperative CEA (elevated postoperative CEA, N = 67). The generalized additive model was used to assess the relationship between carcinoembryonic antigen and the risk of recurrence. Further, the Cox regression model was used to evaluate the relationship between carcinoembryonic antigen and 3-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) after adjusting for potential confounders.Results: The 3-year RFS of patients with elevated postoperative CEA was 45.8% (95% CI, 35.2% − 59.5%), which was significantly lower compared to the other two groups of patients (normalized postoperative CEA: 75.9%, 95% CI, 70.8%-81.4%; and normal preoperative CEA: 84.9%, 95% CI, 82.2%-87.8%) (P < 0.001). Based on multivariable Cox model analysis, the elevated postoperative CEA was a prognostic factor for 3 years RFS (hazard ratio [HR], 3.08; 95% CI, 2.05– 4.66; P< 0.001). At the same time, normalized postoperative CEA was insignificantly correlated with 3-year RFS (HR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.00– 1.92; P = 0.05) and was not an independent risk factor.Conclusion: We found that preoperative and postoperative serum CEA of rectal cancer patients were related to the 3-year recurrence-free survival rate. Moreover, the risk of recurrence in the normalized postoperative CEA group of patients was insignificantly different from that of the normalized preoperative CEA patients. Therefore, it is necessary to combine preoperative and postoperative CEA to predict the prognosis of patients with rectal cancer, rather than using it alone.Keywords: preoperative and postoperative serum CEA, rectal cancer, RFS

The Hengduan mountain area, located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River of China, is an important ecological barrier that significantly impacts the climate and ecological environment of the surrounding region and western China as a whole. This paper introduces the gravity center model used to analyze the spatial-temporal variation patterns of vegetation Net Primary Productivity (NPP) from 2000 to 2015, which were determined by the use of MOD17A3 NPP products. Additionally, the dominant driving factors of the spatial—temporal changes of vegetation NPP of the Hengduan Mountain area were quantitatively determined with a geographical detector over 2000–2015. The results revealed that: (1) From 2000 to 2015, there was an increasing trend of vegetation NPP in the Hengduan mountain area. Throughout the whole study region, the vegetation NPP with a mean value of 611.37 gC·m−2·a−1 indicated a decreasing trend from southeast to northwest in terms of spatial distribution. (2) The gravity centers of vegetation NPP in 2000–2015 were mainly concentrated in Zhongdian County. During the study period, the gravity center of vegetation NPP moved northward, which indicated that the increment and increasing rate of vegetation NPP in the northern parts were greater than that of the southern areas. (3) The vegetation NPP showed a moderately positive correlation with temperature, accumulated temperature (>10°C), and sunshine, while there was an overall negative relationship between NPP and precipitation. (4) The dominant factors and interactive dominant factors changed in different sub-regions over different segments of the study period. The dominant factors of most sub-regions in Hengduan mountain were natural factors, and the climate change factors played an increasingly greater role over the 16 years of the study period.

This study optimized the slope and slope length factor (LS) and crop management factor (P) of the RUSLE model and then introduced the gravity centre model to analyze the spatial–temporal variation patterns of soil erosion in Yellow River Basin from a new perspective. Results showed that: (1) The improved model of RUSLE with optimized factors of LS and P had better applicability in Yellow River Basin; (2) The average erosion intensity was 2777.5 t/a, which belonged to moderate erosion. The soil erosion intensity of the Yellow River Basin showed an overall trend of increasing firstly (1990–2005) and then decreasing (2005–2015). (3) During 1990–2015, the gravity centre of soil erosion moved to the southwest, indicating that the increment and increasing rate of soil erosion in the southwest parts of the Yellow River Basin were greater than that in the northeast parts. (4) The intensity of soil erosion aggravated with the increasing slope. The sandy soil, chestnut soil, light-grey calcium soil and fluvo aquic soil had severe erosion intensity due to the regional climate and their own physical–chemical structure. The woodland and shrubbery land were more susceptible to soil erosion.

A nondestructive continuous instrumented wheelset design is proposed based on strain gauges placing inside of the wheel web and wireless telemetry system. The signal feature analysis including frequency contents and high order harmonic ripples is also carried out. The strain gradient decoupling method for vertical and lateral force identification is proposed based on the strain distributions under respective loads. The method implements minimum crosstalk effects and insensitive to the varying contact points. The KMT telemetry system is adopted for wireless inductive powering and signal transferring. The drilling holes on the wheel and axles are avoidable to ensure the integrity and long-term using of the wheelset. Bridging and demodulating schemes for lateral and vertical force are designed respectively as they have dramatic differences at the dynamic signal features. High order harmonic ripple analysis and error estimation are gotten by independent waveforms. Based on the data form calibration test rig, it is indicated that the high order ripple amplitudes are below 10% of the demodulation amplitudes and fulfill designed requirements.

The differences between the imaging environments of sensors lead to great differences in remote sensing images of the same area in different seasons. Relative radiation correction has high practical value as the main method to reduce such differences. However, the differences in vegetation radiation caused by seasonal changes are difficult to correct by traditional radiation correction methods. The corrected results also have difficulty achieving better results at the level of human eye visual perception. Moreover, the traditional measurement of the relative radiation correction result image quality index is not consistent with the human eye visual perception effect. To address the above two problems, this paper performs seasonal relative radiation correction on high-resolution remote sensing images by CycleGAN based on a convolutional neural network, including two transformations: 1) the transformation of remote sensing images from autumn-winter to spring-summer and 2) the transformation of remote sensing images from spring-summer to autumn-winter. The similarity between the relative radiation-corrected image and the reference image is measured by the convolutional neural network model with the ability to discriminate distances. The results show that the visual effect of this method is significantly better than that of other relative radiation correction methods, and the visual perception distance is consistent with the human eye visual perception judgment. The changed area still retains its original feature characteristics. The visual perception distance of the conversion from autumn-winter to spring-summer images is improved by 9% compared with other state-of-the-art methods. The visual perception distance of spring-summer images to autumn-winter images is improved by 3%. We expect that the method in this paper can be used for preprocessing to improve the accuracy of algorithms for remote sensing image classification, image change detection, etc.

Purpose: This study aimed to establish a recurrence risk prediction model composed of postoperative CEA combined with pathological features for postoperative recurrence risk stratification in stage II to III colon cancer. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 1,321 patients who underwent radical surgery for stage II/III colon cancer from April 2008 to January 2019. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the independent recurrence prognostic factors of patients with recurrence-free survival (RFS). The recurrence risk score was established based on independent recurrence prognostic factors, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the patient's recurrence-free survival curve and overall survival (OS) curve.Results: The median follow-up period of all patients was 49.73 months. Multivariate analysis of COX proportional hazards model showed that postoperative CEA increased (HR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.5), higher stage N (HR, 2.0; 95 % CI, 1.1-3.5), tumor deposition (HR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.5) is independently associated with shorter RFS. The recurrence risk score is an independent stratified prognostic factor of RFS and OS.Conclusion: Based on postoperative CEA, N stage and tumor deposition positive are powerful predictors of recurrence survival and prognosis for patients with stage II to III colon cancer.

Purpose This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting the malignancy of small (8-20 mm) solid indeterminate solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) in a Chinese population by using routine clinical and computed tomography data. Methods The prediction model was developed using a retrospective cohort that comprised 493 consecutive patients with small indeterminate SPNs who were treated between December 2012 and December 2016. The model was independently validated using a second retrospective cohort comprising 216 consecutive patients treated between January 2017 and May 2018. The investigated variables included patient characteristics (e.g., age and smoking history), nodule parameters (e.g., marginal spiculation and significant enhancement), and tumor biomarker levels (e.g., carcinoembryonic antigen). A prediction model was developed by using multivariable logistic regression analysis, and the model's performance was presented as a nomogram. The model was evaluated based on its discriminative ability, calibration, and clinical usefulness. Results The developed nomogram was ultimately based on age, marginal spiculation, significant enhancement, and pleural indentation. The Harrell concordance index values were 0.869 in the training cohort (95% confidence interval: 0.837-0.901) and 0.847 in the validation cohort (95% confidence interval: 0.792-0.902). The Hosmer-Lemeshow test revealed good calibration in each of the training and validation cohorts. Decision curve analysis confirmed that the nomogram was clinically useful (risk threshold from 0.10 to 0.85). Conclusion Patient age, marginal spiculation, significant enhancement, and pleural indentation are independent predictors of malignancy in small indeterminate solid SPNs. The developed nomogram is easy-to-use and may allow the accurate prediction of malignancy in small indeterminate solid SPNs among Chinese patients.

Background The dynamic monitoring of perioperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is recommended by current colorectal cancer (CRC) guidelines, while the benefits of additional measurements of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) have remained controversial. Methods This retrospective longitudinal cohort included 3539 CRC patients who underwent curative resection. Distinct trajectory groups were identified by the latent class growth mixed model. Patients were grouped into subgroups jointly by CEA, CA19-9, and CA125 according to preoperative levels and longitudinal trajectories, respectively. The end points were overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Findings Three distinct trajectory groups were characterized for serum CEA, CA19-9, and CA125: low-stable, early-rising, and later-rising. Jointly, patients were grouped into six preoperative (trajectory) joint groups. Compared with the three-low group, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associated with death were 1.87 (1.29-2.70), 3.82 (2.37-6.17), 1.87 (0.97-3.61), 2.81 (1.93-4.11), and 4.99 (2.80-8.86) for the CEA-high, CA19-9-high, CA125-high, two-high, and three-high group, respectively. And compared with the three-stable trajectory group, the corresponding HRs (95% CIs) were 1.59 (1.10-2.30), 1.55 (0.77-3.10), 6.25 (4.02-9.70), 4.05 (2.73-6.02), and 12.40 (5.77-26.70) for the five rising trajectory groups, respectively. Similar associations between joint groups and RFS were observed. Notably, the trajectory joint group still had prognostic significance after adjusting for preoperative levels. The CA19-9-high group (HR: 3.82, 95% CI: 2.37-6.17) was associated with higher risk of death than the two-high group (HR: 2.81, 95% CI: 1.93-4.11). Likewise, for the CA125-rising trajectory group and two-rising trajectory group, the HRs (95% CIs) were 6.13 (3.75-10.00) and 3.99 (2.63-6.05) for death, and 3.08 (2.07-4.58) and 2.10 (1.52-2.90) for recurrence. Interpretation In addition to CEA, the dynamic measurements of CA19-9 and CA125 are recommended to monitor the prognosis of CRC patients. Funding National Natural Science Foundation of China [81973147, 82001986, 81960592, 82073569, 81660545].

Background Radiomics is an emerging image analysis framework that provides more details than conventional methods. In present study, we aimed to identify structural radiomics features of gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM), and to develop and validate the classification model for major depressive disorder (MDD) and subthreshold depression (StD) diagnosis using radiomics analysis. Methods A consecutive cohort of 142 adolescents and young adults, including 43 cases with MDD, 49 cases with StD and 50 healthy controls (HC), were recruited and underwent the three-dimensional T1 weighted imaging (3D-T1WI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). We extracted radiomics features representing the shape and diffusion properties of GM and WM from all participants. Then, an all-relevant feature selection process embedded in a 10-fold cross-validation framework was used to identify features with significant power for discrimination. Random forest classifiers (RFC) were established and evaluated successively using identified features. Results The results showed that a total of 3030 features were extracted after preprocessing, including 2262 shape-related features from each T1-weighted image representing GM morphometry and 768 features from each DTI representing the diffusion properties of WM. 25 features were selected ultimately, including ten features for MDD versus HC, eight features for StD versus HC, and seven features for MDD versus StD. The accuracies and area under curve (AUC) the RFC achieved were 86.75%, 0.93 for distinguishing MDD from HC with significant radiomics features located in the left medial orbitofrontal cortex, right superior and middle temporal regions, right anterior cingulate, left cuneus and hippocampus, 70.51%, 0.69 for discriminating StD from HC within left cuneus, medial orbitofrontal cortex, cerebellar vermis, hippocampus, anterior cingulate and amygdala, right superior and middle temporal regions, and 59.15%, 0.66 for differentiating MDD from StD within left medial orbitofrontal cortex, middle temporal and cuneus, right superior frontal, superior temporal regions and hippocampus, anterior cingulate, respectively. Conclusion These findings provide preliminary evidence that radiomics features of brain structure are valid for discriminating MDD and StD subjects from healthy controls. The MRI-based radiomics approach, with further improvement and validation, might be a potential facilitating method to clinical diagnosis of MDD or StD.

BackgroundWhether elevated postoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels are prognostic in patients with stage II colorectal cancer (CRC) remains controversial.Patients and MethodsPrimary and sensitivity analysis populations were obtained from a retrospective, multicenter longitudinal cohort including consecutive patients without neoadjuvant treatment undergoing curative resection for stage I–III CRC. Serum CEA levels before (CEApre-m1) and within 1 (CEApost-m1), 2–3 (CEApost-m2–3), and 4–6 months (CEApost-m4–6) after surgery were obtained, and their associations with recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed using Cox regression. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were performed.ResultsPrimary and sensitivity analysis populations included 710 [415 men; age, 54.8 (11.6) years] and 1556 patients [941 men; age, 56.2 (11.8) years], respectively. Recurrence hazard ratios (HRs) in the elevated CEApre-m1, CEApost-m1, CEApost-m2–3, and CEApost-m4–6 groups were 1.30 (95% CI: 0.91–1.85), 1.53 (95% CI: 0.89–2.62), 1.88 (95% CI: 1.08–3.28), and 1.15 (95% CI: 0.91–1.85), respectively. The HRs of the elevated CEApre-m1, CEApost-m1, CEApost-m2–3, and CEApost-m4–6 groups for OS were 1.09 (95% CI: 0.60–1.97), 2.78 (95% CI: 1.34–5.79), 2.81 (95% CI: 1.25–6.30), and 3.30 (95% CI: 1.67–.536), respectively. Adjusted multivariate analyses showed that both in the primary and sensitivity analysis populations, elevated CEApost-m2–3, rather than CEApre-m1, CEApost-m1, and CEApost-m4–6, was an independent risk factor for recurrence, but not for OS. The RFS in the elevated and normal CEApost-m2–3 groups differed significantly among patients with stage II disease [n = 266; HR, 2.89; 95% CI, 1.02–8.24 (primary analysis); n = 612; HR, 2.69; 95% CI, 1.34–5.38 (sensitivity analysis)].ConclusionsElevated postoperative CEA levels are prognostic in patients with stage II CRC, with 2–3 months after surgery being the optimal timing for CEA measurement.

Background Accurate predictions of distant metastasis (DM) in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) are helpful in developing appropriate treatment plans. This study aimed to perform DM prediction through deep learning radiomics. Methods We retrospectively sampled 235 patients receiving nCRT with the minimum 36 months’ postoperative follow-up from three hospitals. Through transfer learning, a deep learning radiomic signature (DLRS) based on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was constructed. A nomogram was established integrating deep MRI information and clinicopathologic factors for better prediction. Harrell's concordance index (C-index) and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) were used as performance metrics. Furthermore, the risk of DM in patients with different response to nCRT was evaluated with the nomogram. Findings DLRS performed well in DM prediction, with a C-index of 0·747 and an area under curve (AUC) at three years of 0·894 in the validation cohort. The performance of nomogram was better, with a C-index of 0·775. In addition, the nomogram could stratify patients with different responses to nCRT into high- and low-risk groups of DM (P Interpretation MRI-based deep learning radiomics had potential in predicting the DM of LARC patients receiving nCRT and could help evaluate the risk of DM in patients who have different responses to nCRT. Funding The funding bodies that contributed to this study are listed in the Acknowledgements section.

Drought features prominently among natural disasters in Chinese history. Analysing the laws that govern the spatial and temporal evolution of drought could support decision-making for drought prevention and control. However, few studies have investigated the long-term evolution rules of drought events on different spatial and temporal scales. In this paper, the spatio-temporal change patterns of drought in China were analysed with geostatistical methods based on the 1470–2000a drought datasets in China, and then the possible future drought trend was predicted. Results showed that (1) the drought risk in the northern region was the highest during the past 500 years. And the drought intensity index showed an overall increasing trend with a detail pattern of weakening->strengthening-> weakening-> strengthening; (2) the drought condition in the north was severe than that in the south, but the drought trend in the south was significantly aggravated. (3) The drought gravity centres were mainly distributed in the north, but they showed a tendency to move southward. (4) From 1470 to 2000, the study area showed a significant drought enhancement, which was predicted to show an increasing trend of drought after 2000.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) among a multicenter cohort of Chinese patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) who underwent preoperative therapy followed by surgery. This nomogram might help identify patients who would benefit from postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and close follow-up. Materials and methods: All data from 228 patients in two independent Chinese cohorts (118 patients and 110 patients) were pooled and subjected to survival analysis. One cohort’s data were used to develop multivariate nomograms based on Cox regression, and the second cohort was used for external validation. The variables were sex, age, clinical tumor stage, tumor location, preoperative therapy protocol, adjuvant chemotherapy, surgical procedure, surgical approach, pTNM stage, tumor deposit, tumor regression grade, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, pretreatment serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, preoperative CEA level, and postoperative CEA level. The model’s performance was evaluated based on its discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness. Results: The nomogram was based on ypT stage and ypN stage, and the C-index values for 3-year DFS were 0.70 in the training cohort (95% confidence interval: 0.62–0.78) and 0.78 in the validation cohort (95% confidence interval: 0.68–0.89). The Hosmer-Lemeshow calibration test revealed good calibration for predicting 3-year DFS in the training and validation cohorts, and decision curve analysis demonstrated that the nomogram was clinically useful. Conclusion: This nomogram including the ypT stage and ypN stage could predict DFS at 3 years after surgery, which may help better identify Chinese patients who would benefit from additional postoperative adjuvant systemic treatment.

Supplemental digital content is available in the text., Objective The aim of the study was to assess the value of cinematic rendering (CR) from volumetric computed tomography data in evaluating the relationship between deep soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) of the extremities and the adjacent major vessels. Methods Preoperative contrast-enhanced axial imaging (CEAI) in the arterial phase with three-dimensional volume rendering (VR) and CR of contrast-enhanced computed tomography were used to assess adjacent vascular invasion in 43 cases of deep STSs of the extremities. The imaging assessments were compared with surgical findings and interpreted as negative (no vascular invasion) or positive (vascular invasion was present). Intrareader and interreader agreement were assessed using Cohen κ statistics. The diagnostic performance of CEAI, VR, and CR was evaluated by receiver operating curve analysis and compared using the DeLong test. Results Thirty-four and nine cases were classified as negative and positive, respectively, in surgery. Intrareader agreement values for the CEAI, VR, and CR assessments were all excellent (0.984, 0.934, and 0.914, respectively), whereas the interreader agreement for CEAI assessments was greater than that for VR and CR (0.969 vs 0.804 and 0.761). Cinematic rendering showed lower accuracy (0.698), sensitivity (0.778), specificity (0.676), positive predictive values (0.389), and negative predictive values (0.920) for vascular invasion diagnosis than CEAI or VR; the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values increased to 0.767, 0.889, 0.735, 0.471, and 0.962 for both CEAI and VR. The results were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). Conclusions Cinematic rendering has the potential to be used to evaluate vascular invasion in cases of deep STSs of the extremities, but it should be used alongside the traditional methods such as CEAI.

Drought is a prominent disaster in Chinese history. Analysing the spatial and temporal evolution laws of drought could provide decision supports for drought prevention and control. However, fewer studies were applied to investigate the long-term evolution rules of drought events on different spatial and temporal scales. In this paper, the spatio-temporal changes patterns of drought in China were analysed with geostatistical methods based on the 1470–2000a drought datasets in China, and then the possible future drought trend was predicted. Results showed that :(1) The drought risk in the northern region was the highest during the past 500 years. And, the drought intensity index showed an overall increasing trend with detail pattern of weakening->strengthening-> weakening-> strengthening; (2) The drought condition in the north was server than that in the south, but the drought trend in the south was significantly aggravated. (3) The drought gravity centres were mainly distributed in the north, but it showed a tendency to move southward. (4) From 1470 to 2000, the study area showed a significant drought enhancements, which was predicted to show an increasing trend of drought after 2000.