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Extraction and antioxidant activity of panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) were studied. PNS were extracted by enzymatic hydrolysis combined with ultrasonic treatment (EH & UT), and the antioxidant activity of the extracts was researched by pyrogallol autoxidation method and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The results showed that the optimum parameters of ultrasonic treatment were 1:15 ratio of material to liquid, 70% of ethanol concentration, 35 min of ultrasonic time, and the optimum conditions of enzymatic hydrolysis were as follows: enzymatic hydrolysis time – 60 min, enzymatic hydrolysis temperature – 40°C, dosage of cellulase – 2.2%, pH value – 4.0, under which the extraction rate of PNS reached 1.795%. In addition, the extracts of PNS can remove superoxide anion free radicals, and can reduce ferric iron to divalent ions, which indicated that the extracts of PNS have a certain antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To assess the ability of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for evaluating T stage and correlation with histological T stage of rectal cancer. Method The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of T 2 WI and DWI combined with T 2 WI for T stage were evaluated. Mean tumor apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was compared with histological T stage. Result There were no significant differences in the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity no matter what kind of T stage was concerned. The difference between ADC values and histological T stage were significantly different. Conclusion DWI was useful for evaluating T stage of rectal cancer. The ADC may predict the histological grade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To explore the mismatched manifestation between regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) of astrocytomas. Methods: Both conventional and perfusion CT were performed on 29 patients with pathologically confirmed astrocytomas (15 cases in Grades I–II, 14 cases in Grades III–IV). Time-density curves were plotted, cerebral blood flow and volume maps were generated, and the values between rCBF and rCBV in the same region of interest (ROI) were compared. Results: Twelve low-grade astrocytomas showed low or medium values of both rCBF (46.95±22.92 ml ⋅ 100 g−1 ⋅ mm−1) and rCBV (5.74±3.61 ml ⋅ 100 g−1); 12 high-grade astrocytomas showed high values of both rCBF (95.44±42.58 ml ⋅ 100 g−1 ⋅ min−1) and rCBV (9.24±5.32 ml ⋅ 100g−1). These cases exhibited agreement between the values of rCBF and rCBV. However, the remaining five astrocytomas were mismatched, showing reduced rCBF value and increased rCBV value in the same ROI. The discrepancy may mislead to an inaccuracy of perfusion CT in grading gliomas. Conclusions: The mismatched manifestation between rCBF and rCBV occasionally exists in some areas of astrocytomas. Hence, attention should be paid to assessments in preoperative grading of astrocytomas and in monitoring therapeutic effects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Recent evidence has demonstrated that abnormal expression and regulation of circular RNA (circRNAs) are involved in the occurrence and development of a variety of tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of circ_PPAPDC1A in Osimertinib resistance in NSCLC. Methods: Human circRNAs microarray analysis was conducted to identify differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs in Osimertinib-acquired resistance tissues of NSCLC. The effect of circ_PPAPDC1A on cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis was assessed in both in vitro and in vivo. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, RT-qPCR, Western-blot, and rescue assay were employed to confirm the interaction between circ_PPAPDC1A/miR-30a-3p/IGF1R axis. Results: The results revealed that circ_PPAPDC1A was significantly upregulated in Osimertinib acquired resistance tissues of NSCLC. circ_PPAPDC1A reduced the sensitivity of PC9 and HCC827 cells to Osimertinib and promoted cell proliferation, invasion, migration, while inhibiting apoptosis in Osimertinib-resistant PC9/OR and HCC829/OR cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Silencing circ_PPAPDC1A partially reversed Osimertinib resistance. Additionally, circ_PPAPDC1A acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by targeting miR-30a-3p, and Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 Receptor (IGF1R) was identified as a functional gene for miR-30a-3p in NSCLC. Furthermore, the results confirmed that circ_PPAPDC1A/miR-30a-3p/IGF1R axis plays a role in activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in NSCLC with Osimertinib resistance. Conclusions: Therefore, for the first time we identified that circ_PPAPDC1A was significantly upregulated and exerts an oncogenic role in NSCLC with Osimertinib resistance by sponging miR-30a-3p to active IGF1R/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. circ_PPAPDC1A may serve as a novel diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for NSCLC patients with Osimertinib resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: This study aimed to determine a contrast medium injection rate that ensures both accuracy for data and safety for operation by comparing hemodynamic parameters of brain CT perfusion imaging with varied injection rates. Methods: Twenty-four healthy volunteers were divided into three groups based on contrast medium injection rates (4.5, 6.0, and 7.5 ml/s). For all subjects, CT perfusion scanning was started at 4 s after antecubital venous bolus of contrast media injection. A perfusion-analyzing software package was used to produce a time–density curve in the anterior cerebral artery and the superior sagittal sinus and calculate the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the gray matter and the white matter. The hemodynamic indices were compared among the three groups, and statistical analysis was carried out using the F test. Results: The time for the arterial rise to reach the peak value for the 7.5-ml/s group was only 0.2 s ahead of the initiation time for the rise of the superior sagittal sinus. The differences of rCBF in the gray matter and the white matter among the three groups were statistically significant. rCBF in the gray matter and the white matter for the 7.5-ml/s group was 52.8 ml · min−1 100 g−1 · (±3.1) and 21.9 ml · min−1 · 100 g−1 (±2.4), respectively. Conclusions: The use of the 7.5-ml/s injection rate can meet the prerequisite of the maximum slope model, and the resulting rCBF can be very close to that measured by positron emission tomography. Therefore, 7.5 ml/s was an ideal contrast medium injection rate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

NADPH oxidases (NOXs), mostly known as respiratory burst oxidase homologs (RBOHs), are the key producers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants. A lot of literature has addressed ROS signaling in plant development regulation and stress responses as well as on the enzyme's structure, evolution, function, regulation and associated mechanisms, manifesting the role of NOXs/RBOHs as the vital performers and center hubs during plant growth and signaling. This review focuses on recent advances of NOXs/RBOHs on cell growth, hormone interaction, calcium signaling, abiotic stress responses, and immunity. Several primary particles, including Ca2+, CDPKs, BIK1, ROPs/RACs, CERK, FER, ANX, SnRK and SIK1-mediated regulatory mechanisms, are fully summarized to illustrate the signaling behavior of NOXs/RBOHs and their sophisticated and dexterous crosstalks. Diverse expression and activation regulation models endow NOXs/RBOHs powerful and versatile functions in plants to maintain innate immune homeostasis and development integrity. NOXs/RBOHs and their related regulatory items are the ideal targets for crop improvement in both yield and quality during agricultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate microvascular alterations in the Glisson system of biliary atresia (BA) patients after Kasai portoenterostomy (KP) using three-dimensional (3D) virtual histopathology based on X-ray phase-contrast CT (PCCT). Methods: Liver explants from BA patients were imaged using PCCT, and 32 subjects were included and divided into two groups: KP (n = 16) and non-KP (n = 16). Combined with histological analysis and 3D visualization technology, 3D virtual histopathological assessment of the biliary, arterial, and portal venous systems was performed. According to loop volume ratio, 3D spatial density, relative surface area, tortuosity, and other parameters, pathological changes of microvasculature in the Glisson system were investigated. Results: In the non-KP group, bile ducts mostly manifested as radial multifurcated hyperplasia and twisted into loops. In the KP group, the bile duct hyperplasia was less, and the loop volume ratio of bile ducts decreased by 13.89%. Simultaneously, the arterial and portal venous systems presented adaptive alterations in response to degrees of bile duct hyperplasia. Compared with the non-KP group, the 3D spatial density of arteries in the KP group decreased by 3.53%, and the relative surface area decreased from 0.088 ± 0.035 to 0.039 ± 0.015 (p <.01). Deformed portal branches gradually recovered after KP, with a 2.93% increase in 3D spatial density and a decrease in tortuosity from 1.17 ± 0.06 to 1.14 ± 0.04 (p <.01) compared to the non-KP group. Conclusion: 3D virtual histopathology via PCCT clearly reveals the microvascular structures in the Glisson system of BA patients and provides key insights into the morphological mechanism of microvascular adaptation induced by biliary tract dredging after KP in BA disease. Key Points: • 3D virtual histopathology via X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography clearly presented the morphological structures and pathological changes of microvasculature in the Glisson system of biliary atresia patients. • The morphological alterations of microvasculature in the Glisson system followed the competitive occupancy mechanism in the process of biliary atresia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to develop and validate an artificial intelligence (AI)-aided Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADSAI) for prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis based on MRI. Methods: The deidentified MRI data of 1540 biopsy-naïve patients were collected from four centres. PI-RADSAI is a two-stage, human-in-the-loop AI capable of emulating the diagnostic acumen of subspecialists for PCa on MRI. The first stage uses a UNet-Seg model to detect and segment biopsy-candidate prostate lesions, whereas the second stage leverages UNet-Seg segmentation is trained specifically with subspecialist' knowledge-guided 3D-Resnet to achieve an automatic AI-aided diagnosis for PCa. Results: In the independent test set, UNet-Seg identified 87.2% (628/720) of target lesions, with a Dice score of 44.9% (range, 22.8–60.2%) in segmenting lesion contours. In the ablation experiment, the model trained with the data from three centres was superior (kappa coefficient, 0.716 vs. 0.531) to that trained with single-centre data. In the internal and external tests, the triple-centre PI-RADSAI model achieved an overall agreement of 58.4% (188/322) and 60.1% (92/153) with a referential subspecialist in scoring target lesions; when one-point margin of error was permissible, the agreement rose to 91.3% (294/322) and 97.3% (149/153), respectively. In the paired test, PI-RADSAI outperformed 5/11 (45.5%) and matched the performance of 3/11 (27.3%) general radiologists in achieving a clinically significant PCa diagnosis (area under the curve, internal test, 0.801 vs. 0.770, p < 0.01; external test, 0.833 vs. 0.867, p = 0.309). Conclusions: Our closed-loop PI-RADSAI outperforms or matches the performance of more than 70% of general readers in the MRI assessment of PCa. This system might provide an alternative to radiologists and offer diagnostic benefits to clinical practice, especially where subspecialist expertise is unavailable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To develop and test a Prostate Imaging Stratification Risk (PRISK) tool for precisely assessing the International Society of Urological Pathology Gleason grade (ISUP-GG) of prostate cancer (PCa). Methods: This study included 1442 patients with prostate biopsy from two centres (training, n = 672; internal test, n = 231 and external test, n = 539). PRISK is designed to classify ISUP-GG 0 (benign), ISUP-GG 1, ISUP-GG 2, ISUP-GG 3 and ISUP GG 4/5. Clinical indicators and high-throughput MRI features of PCa were integrated and modelled with hybrid stacked-ensemble learning algorithms. Results: PRISK achieved a macro area-under-curve of 0.783, 0.798 and 0.762 for the classification of ISUP-GGs in training, internal and external test data. Permitting error ±1 in grading ISUP-GGs, the overall accuracy of PRISK is nearly comparable to invasive biopsy (train: 85.1% vs 88.7%; internal test: 85.1% vs 90.4%; external test: 90.4% vs 94.2%). PSA ≥ 20 ng/ml (odds ratio [OR], 1.58; p = 0.001) and PRISK ≥ GG 3 (OR, 1.45; p = 0.005) were two independent predictors of biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival, with a C-index of 0.76 (95% CI, 0.73–0.79) for BCR-free survival prediction. Conclusions: PRISK might offer a potential alternative to non-invasively assess ISUP-GG of PCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To prospectively evaluate the inter- and intraobserver agreement of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements in free breathing, breath-hold, and respiratory triggered diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of lung cancer. Methods Twenty-two patients with lung cancer (tumor size > 2 cm) underwent DWIs (3.0 T) in three imaging methods. Lesion ADCs were measured twice by both of the two independent observers and compared. Results No statistical significance was found among methods, though respiratory-triggered DWI tended to have higher ADCs than breath-hold DWI. Great inter- and intraobserver agreement was shown. Conclusion ADCs had good inter- and intraobserver agreement in all three DWI methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal peritoneal carcinomatosis (CRPC) is a primary cause of death in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. In the past, computed tomography (CT) has been the primary method used to evaluate the distribution of CRPC. This study uses 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) to investigate the distribution characteristics of CRPC. Materials and Methods: The distribution characteristics of 46 patients with CRC who were treated in the authors' hospital were retrospectively analyzed using the peritoneal cancer index (PCI). Results: The 46 patients in the study showed CRPC involvement in 203 of the 598 abdominal and pelvic regions studied (33.9%, 203/598). The regional proportions of CRPC involvement, from high to low, were as follows: region 6 (13.8%), region 0 (10.3%), region 1 (9.9%), region 5 (8.9%), region 7 (8.4%), region 3 (8.4%), region 2 (7.4%), region 4 (7.4%), region 11 (6.9%), region 8 (6.4%), region 12 (5.4%), region 9 (3.4%), and region 10 (3.4%). Thirty-three patients had a PCI of <20, and 13 patients had a PCI of ≥20. Those 13 were among the 17 (37% 17/46) who had CRPC involvement in all three regions. According to the location of the primary CRC focus, the 46 patients were divided into three groups: right hemicolon, left hemicolon, and rectum. The frequency of CRPC was greater in the rectum group than in the left hemicolon group, and the SUVmax of CRPC was greater in the right hemicolon group than in the left hemicolon group; these differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The distribution of CRPC has certain characteristics in the abdominal and pelvic cavities. The PET-PCI scores can provide a basis for the diagnosis and clinical treatment strategies in patients with CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary: We develop an efficient visible‐light photoreodox‐catalyzed hydrodecarboxylation and deuterodecarboxylation of fatty acids for alkanes and deuterium alkanes. The key to the efficient transformation should attribute to the co‐catalysis of the suitable methoxy substituted acridine photocatalyst (Mes‐1,3,6,8‐tetramethoxy‐Acr‐3",5"‐dimethoxy‐Ph) and the hydrogen atom transfer catalyst 4′,4′‐dimethyl diphenyldisulfane, possibly via facilitating of quenching the active alkyl radicals to overcome the competitive homocoupling products, olefins via the disproportionation, cracking products via the C—C bond β‐scission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the value of radiomics analysis of dual-layer spectral-detector computed tomography (DLSCT)-derived iodine maps for predicting tumor deposits (TDs) preoperatively in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).A total of 264 pathologically confirmed CRC patients (TDs + (n = 80); TDs − (n = 184)) who underwent preoperative DLSCT from two hospitals were retrospectively enrolled, and divided into training (n = 124), testing (n = 54), and external validation cohort (n = 86). Conventional CT features and iodine concentration (IC) were analyzed and measured. Radiomics features were derived from venous phase iodine maps from DLSCT. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was performed for feature selection. Finally, a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was employed to develop clinical, radiomics, and combined models based on the most valuable clinical parameters and radiomics features. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the model’s efficacy.The combined model incorporating the valuable clinical parameters and radiomics features demonstrated excellent performance in predicting TDs in CRC (AUCs of 0.926, 0.881, and 0.887 in the training, testing, and external validation cohorts, respectively), which outperformed the clinical model in the training cohort and external validation cohorts (AUC: 0.839 and 0.695; p: 0.003 and 0.014) and the radiomics model in two cohorts (AUC: 0.922 and 0.792; p: 0.014 and 0.035).Radiomics analysis of DLSCT-derived iodine maps showed excellent predictive efficiency for preoperatively diagnosing TDs in CRC, and could guide clinicians in making individualized treatment strategies.The radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps has the potential to aid in the accurate preoperative prediction of TDs in CRC patients, offering valuable guidance for clinical decision-making.Accurately predicting TDs in CRC patients preoperatively based on conventional CT features poses a challenge.The Radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps outperformed conventional CT in predicting TDs.The model combing DLSCT iodine maps radiomics features and conventional CT features performed excellently in predicting TDs.Accurately predicting TDs in CRC patients preoperatively based on conventional CT features poses a challenge.The Radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps outperformed conventional CT in predicting TDs.The model combing DLSCT iodine maps radiomics features and conventional CT features performed excellently in predicting TDs.Materials and methods: To investigate the value of radiomics analysis of dual-layer spectral-detector computed tomography (DLSCT)-derived iodine maps for predicting tumor deposits (TDs) preoperatively in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).A total of 264 pathologically confirmed CRC patients (TDs + (n = 80); TDs − (n = 184)) who underwent preoperative DLSCT from two hospitals were retrospectively enrolled, and divided into training (n = 124), testing (n = 54), and external validation cohort (n = 86). Conventional CT features and iodine concentration (IC) were analyzed and measured. Radiomics features were derived from venous phase iodine maps from DLSCT. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was performed for feature selection. Finally, a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was employed to develop clinical, radiomics, and combined models based on the most valuable clinical parameters and radiomics features. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the model’s efficacy.The combined model incorporating the valuable clinical parameters and radiomics features demonstrated excellent performance in predicting TDs in CRC (AUCs of 0.926, 0.881, and 0.887 in the training, testing, and external validation cohorts, respectively), which outperformed the clinical model in the training cohort and external validation cohorts (AUC: 0.839 and 0.695; p: 0.003 and 0.014) and the radiomics model in two cohorts (AUC: 0.922 and 0.792; p: 0.014 and 0.035).Radiomics analysis of DLSCT-derived iodine maps showed excellent predictive efficiency for preoperatively diagnosing TDs in CRC, and could guide clinicians in making individualized treatment strategies.The radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps has the potential to aid in the accurate preoperative prediction of TDs in CRC patients, offering valuable guidance for clinical decision-making.Accurately predicting TDs in CRC patients preoperatively based on conventional CT features poses a challenge.The Radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps outperformed conventional CT in predicting TDs.The model combing DLSCT iodine maps radiomics features and conventional CT features performed excellently in predicting TDs.Accurately predicting TDs in CRC patients preoperatively based on conventional CT features poses a challenge.The Radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps outperformed conventional CT in predicting TDs.The model combing DLSCT iodine maps radiomics features and conventional CT features performed excellently in predicting TDs.Results: To investigate the value of radiomics analysis of dual-layer spectral-detector computed tomography (DLSCT)-derived iodine maps for predicting tumor deposits (TDs) preoperatively in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).A total of 264 pathologically confirmed CRC patients (TDs + (n = 80); TDs − (n = 184)) who underwent preoperative DLSCT from two hospitals were retrospectively enrolled, and divided into training (n = 124), testing (n = 54), and external validation cohort (n = 86). Conventional CT features and iodine concentration (IC) were analyzed and measured. Radiomics features were derived from venous phase iodine maps from DLSCT. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was performed for feature selection. Finally, a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was employed to develop clinical, radiomics, and combined models based on the most valuable clinical parameters and radiomics features. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the model’s efficacy.The combined model incorporating the valuable clinical parameters and radiomics features demonstrated excellent performance in predicting TDs in CRC (AUCs of 0.926, 0.881, and 0.887 in the training, testing, and external validation cohorts, respectively), which outperformed the clinical model in the training cohort and external validation cohorts (AUC: 0.839 and 0.695; p: 0.003 and 0.014) and the radiomics model in two cohorts (AUC: 0.922 and 0.792; p: 0.014 and 0.035).Radiomics analysis of DLSCT-derived iodine maps showed excellent predictive efficiency for preoperatively diagnosing TDs in CRC, and could guide clinicians in making individualized treatment strategies.The radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps has the potential to aid in the accurate preoperative prediction of TDs in CRC patients, offering valuable guidance for clinical decision-making.Accurately predicting TDs in CRC patients preoperatively based on conventional CT features poses a challenge.The Radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps outperformed conventional CT in predicting TDs.The model combing DLSCT iodine maps radiomics features and conventional CT features performed excellently in predicting TDs.Accurately predicting TDs in CRC patients preoperatively based on conventional CT features poses a challenge.The Radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps outperformed conventional CT in predicting TDs.The model combing DLSCT iodine maps radiomics features and conventional CT features performed excellently in predicting TDs.Conclusion: To investigate the value of radiomics analysis of dual-layer spectral-detector computed tomography (DLSCT)-derived iodine maps for predicting tumor deposits (TDs) preoperatively in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).A total of 264 pathologically confirmed CRC patients (TDs + (n = 80); TDs − (n = 184)) who underwent preoperative DLSCT from two hospitals were retrospectively enrolled, and divided into training (n = 124), testing (n = 54), and external validation cohort (n = 86). Conventional CT features and iodine concentration (IC) were analyzed and measured. Radiomics features were derived from venous phase iodine maps from DLSCT. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was performed for feature selection. Finally, a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was employed to develop clinical, radiomics, and combined models based on the most valuable clinical parameters and radiomics features. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the model’s efficacy.The combined model incorporating the valuable clinical parameters and radiomics features demonstrated excellent performance in predicting TDs in CRC (AUCs of 0.926, 0.881, and 0.887 in the training, testing, and external validation cohorts, respectively), which outperformed the clinical model in the training cohort and external validation cohorts (AUC: 0.839 and 0.695; p: 0.003 and 0.014) and the radiomics model in two cohorts (AUC: 0.922 and 0.792; p: 0.014 and 0.035).Radiomics analysis of DLSCT-derived iodine maps showed excellent predictive efficiency for preoperatively diagnosing TDs in CRC, and could guide clinicians in making individualized treatment strategies.The radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps has the potential to aid in the accurate preoperative prediction of TDs in CRC patients, offering valuable guidance for clinical decision-making.Accurately predicting TDs in CRC patients preoperatively based on conventional CT features poses a challenge.The Radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps outperformed conventional CT in predicting TDs.The model combing DLSCT iodine maps radiomics features and conventional CT features performed excellently in predicting TDs.Accurately predicting TDs in CRC patients preoperatively based on conventional CT features poses a challenge.The Radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps outperformed conventional CT in predicting TDs.The model combing DLSCT iodine maps radiomics features and conventional CT features performed excellently in predicting TDs.Clinical relevance statement: To investigate the value of radiomics analysis of dual-layer spectral-detector computed tomography (DLSCT)-derived iodine maps for predicting tumor deposits (TDs) preoperatively in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).A total of 264 pathologically confirmed CRC patients (TDs + (n = 80); TDs − (n = 184)) who underwent preoperative DLSCT from two hospitals were retrospectively enrolled, and divided into training (n = 124), testing (n = 54), and external validation cohort (n = 86). Conventional CT features and iodine concentration (IC) were analyzed and measured. Radiomics features were derived from venous phase iodine maps from DLSCT. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was performed for feature selection. Finally, a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was employed to develop clinical, radiomics, and combined models based on the most valuable clinical parameters and radiomics features. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the model’s efficacy.The combined model incorporating the valuable clinical parameters and radiomics features demonstrated excellent performance in predicting TDs in CRC (AUCs of 0.926, 0.881, and 0.887 in the training, testing, and external validation cohorts, respectively), which outperformed the clinical model in the training cohort and external validation cohorts (AUC: 0.839 and 0.695; p: 0.003 and 0.014) and the radiomics model in two cohorts (AUC: 0.922 and 0.792; p: 0.014 and 0.035).Radiomics analysis of DLSCT-derived iodine maps showed excellent predictive efficiency for preoperatively diagnosing TDs in CRC, and could guide clinicians in making individualized treatment strategies.The radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps has the potential to aid in the accurate preoperative prediction of TDs in CRC patients, offering valuable guidance for clinical decision-making.Accurately predicting TDs in CRC patients preoperatively based on conventional CT features poses a challenge.The Radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps outperformed conventional CT in predicting TDs.The model combing DLSCT iodine maps radiomics features and conventional CT features performed excellently in predicting TDs.Accurately predicting TDs in CRC patients preoperatively based on conventional CT features poses a challenge.The Radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps outperformed conventional CT in predicting TDs.The model combing DLSCT iodine maps radiomics features and conventional CT features performed excellently in predicting TDs.Key Points: To investigate the value of radiomics analysis of dual-layer spectral-detector computed tomography (DLSCT)-derived iodine maps for predicting tumor deposits (TDs) preoperatively in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).A total of 264 pathologically confirmed CRC patients (TDs + (n = 80); TDs − (n = 184)) who underwent preoperative DLSCT from two hospitals were retrospectively enrolled, and divided into training (n = 124), testing (n = 54), and external validation cohort (n = 86). Conventional CT features and iodine concentration (IC) were analyzed and measured. Radiomics features were derived from venous phase iodine maps from DLSCT. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was performed for feature selection. Finally, a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was employed to develop clinical, radiomics, and combined models based on the most valuable clinical parameters and radiomics features. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the model’s efficacy.The combined model incorporating the valuable clinical parameters and radiomics features demonstrated excellent performance in predicting TDs in CRC (AUCs of 0.926, 0.881, and 0.887 in the training, testing, and external validation cohorts, respectively), which outperformed the clinical model in the training cohort and external validation cohorts (AUC: 0.839 and 0.695; p: 0.003 and 0.014) and the radiomics model in two cohorts (AUC: 0.922 and 0.792; p: 0.014 and 0.035).Radiomics analysis of DLSCT-derived iodine maps showed excellent predictive efficiency for preoperatively diagnosing TDs in CRC, and could guide clinicians in making individualized treatment strategies.The radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps has the potential to aid in the accurate preoperative prediction of TDs in CRC patients, offering valuable guidance for clinical decision-making.Accurately predicting TDs in CRC patients preoperatively based on conventional CT features poses a challenge.The Radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps outperformed conventional CT in predicting TDs.The model combing DLSCT iodine maps radiomics features and conventional CT features performed excellently in predicting TDs.Accurately predicting TDs in CRC patients preoperatively based on conventional CT features poses a challenge.The Radiomics model based on DLSCT iodine maps outperformed conventional CT in predicting TDs.The model combing DLSCT iodine maps radiomics features and conventional CT features performed excellently in predicting TDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the improvement in postprocessing time and image quality of 3D negative-contrast CT cholangiography (nCTC) with minimum intensity projection (minIP). Methods: Thirty-eight patients with suspected biliary obstruction who underwent portal phase helical CT were retrospectively studied. Three-dimensional nCTC was generated using 3D tools with manual cut function in three methods: one-slice, two-slice, and vari-slice cut slab, respectively. After adjusting the threshold level to about −20 HU, the erosion function with a value of one voxel was employed each time for further cleaning up hypodense interfering voxels such as fat and air that remained and the procedure was stopped before the biliary and pancreatic ducts were overeroded. Results: Mean values of the total postprocessing time of the three manual cut methods for 3D nCTC were 57.8, 29.9, and 20.6 min, respectively. After the first erosion, interfering voxels were removed in more than half of the cases and they could be primarily eliminated following the second erosion. Meanwhile, the pancreaticobiliary ducts showed obvious erosion findings at the third erosion. Conclusions: The vari-slice manual cut method was shown to be the most timesaving postprocessing method and the image quality for 3D nCTC can be improved when one to two frequencies of erosion are applied. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: NAD kinases (NADKs) are the only known enzymes that directly phosphorylate NAD(H) to generate NADP(H) in different subcellular compartments. They participate in multiple life activities, such as modulating the NADP/NAD ratio, maintaining the intracellular redox balance and responding to environmental stresses. However, the functions of individual NADK in plants are still under investigation. Here, a rice NADK, namely, OsNADK1, was identified, and its functions in plant growth regulation and stress tolerance were analysed by employing a series of transgenic plant lines. Results: OsNADK1 is a cytosol-localized NADK in rice. It was expressed in all rice tissues examined, and its transcriptional expression could be stimulated by a number of environmental stress treatments. Compared with wild-type (WT) rice, the mutant plant osnadk1 in which OsNADK1 was knocked out was a dwarf at the heading stage and had decreased NADP(H)/NAD(H), ascorbic acid (ASA)/dehydroascorbate (DHA) and reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) ratios, which led to increased oxidation states in the rice cells and sensitivity to drought. Moreover, certain stress-related genes showed differential expression patterns in osnadk1 under both normal growth and drought-stress conditions compared with WT. Among these genes, OsDREB1B and several WRKY family transcription factors, e.g., OsWRKY21 and OsWRKY42, showed correlated co-expression patterns with OsNADK1 in osnadk1 and the plants overexpressing or underexpressing OsNADK1, implying roles for these transcription factors in OsNADK1-mediated processes. In addition, overexpression of OsNADK1 enhanced the drought tolerance of rice plants, whereas loss of function of the gene reduced the tolerance. Furthermore, the proline content was dramatically increased in the leaves of the OsNADK1-overexpressing lines under drought conditions. Conclusions: Altogether, the results suggest that an OsNADK1-mediated intracellular redox balance is involved in the tolerance of rice plants to drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sun, Z.-l.; Gao, Y.; Xu, D.; Hu, C.-h.; Fang, H.-w., and Xu, Y.-p., 2019. A new formula for the transport capacity of nonuniform suspended sediment in estuaries. Journal of Coastal Research, 35(3), 684–692. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. A new formula for calculating the sediment transport capacity is developed as a function of the time-dependent Froude number and the particle Reynolds number. Considering the relation between suspension and transport of sediment, a critical condition for suspension is introduced into the formula. The proposed formula provides a consistent formulation for the fractional and total transport capacity of nonuniform sediments and leads to an expression for the mean fall velocity that makes physical sense. The coefficients in the proposed formula were determined with laboratory data of uniform sediment, and it is verified by field data measured from alluvial rivers. The concept of instantaneous equilibrium was proposed so that applicability of the formula extended to estuaries. The results show that the present formula performs well in conditions of laboratories, rivers, and estuaries. This can provide a key parameter or bottom boundary condition for two-dimensional/three-dimensional mathematical models of nonuniform sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Biomechanical properties can be used as biomarkers to diagnose tumors, monitor tumor development, and evaluate treatment efficacy. The purpose of this preliminary study is to characterize the biomechanical environment of two typical liver tumors, hemangiomas (HEMs) and hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), and to investigate the potential of using strain metrics as biomarkers for tumor diagnosis, based on a limited clinical dataset. Methods: Magnetic resonance (MR) tagging was used to quantify the motion and deformation of the two types of liver tumors. Displacements of the tumors arising from a heartbeat were measured over one cardiac cycle. Local biomechanical conditions of the tumors were characterized by estimating two principal strains (ε1 and ε2) and an octahedral shear strain (εsoct) of the tumor and its peripheral region. Biomechanical conditions of the tumors were compared with those of the arbitrarily selected regions from healthy volunteers. Results: We observed that the HCCs had significantly smaller strain values compared to their peripheral tissues. However, the HEMs did not have significantly different strains from those of the peripheral tissues, and were similar to healthy liver regions. The sensitivity of using ε1, ε2, and εsoct to diagnose HCC were all 1, while the sensitivity of using ε1, ε2, and εsoct to diagnose HEM were 0.67, 0.17, and 0.67, respectively. Conclusions: Lagrangian strain metrics provide insight into the biomechanical conditions of certain liver tumors in the human body and may provide another perspective for tumor characterization and diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electromagnetic actuator was designed for magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). The actuator is unique in that it is simple, portable, and capable of brain, abdomen, and phantom imagings. A custom-built control unit was used for controlling the vibration frequency and synchronizing the trigger signals. An actuation unit was built and mounted on the specifically designed clamp and holders for different imaging applications. MRE experiments with respect to gel phantoms, brain, and liver showed that the actuator could produce stable and consistent mechanical waves. Estimated shear modulus using local frequency estimate method demonstrated that the measurement results were in line with that from MRE studies using different actuation systems. The relatively easy setup procedure and simple design indicated that the actuator system had the potential to be applied in many different clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Intratumoral and peritumoral fat is distinct and changeable. • Subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue are associated with cancer prognosis. • Imaging methods of fat quantification evolve. • Fat quantification techniques show great potential for clinical work on cancer. Recently, the study of the relationship between lipid metabolism and cancer has evolved. The characteristics of intratumoral and peritumoral fat are distinct and changeable during cancer development. Subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue are also associated with cancer prognosis. In non-invasive imaging, fat quantification parameters such as controlled attenuation parameter, fat volume fraction, and proton density fat fraction from different imaging methods complement conventional images by providing concrete fat information. Therefore, measuring the changes of fat content for further understanding of cancer characteristics has been applied in both research and clinical settings. In this review, the authors summarize imaging advances in fat quantification and highlight their clinical applications in cancer precaution, auxiliary diagnosis and classification, therapy response monitoring, and prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The value of interventional ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of submucous myoma of the uterus was assessed to study the ultrasonographic features of modified sonohysterography for submucous polyp of uterus. A total of 25 patients diagnosed preliminarily as submucous myoma of the uterus via conventional ultrasound examination from June 2014 to December 2016 were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis was made via the comprehensive analysis of ultrasound-guided modified SHG, followed by ultrasound-guided needle biopsy and sclerotherapy of tumor. After modified SHG and ultrasound-guided needle biopsy, 96% (24/25) cases were confirmed pathologically as submucous myoma of the uterus. After treatment, the maximum diameter of myoma in patients with submucous myoma of uterus was significantly different, and the volume of myoma was significantly reduced. After treatment, the clinical symptoms of patients with submucous myoma of the uterus were obviously improved compared to before treatment (P<0.05). It was found in the follow-up after treatment that a small number of patients suffered from mild abdominal pain, increased secretion, slight vaginal bleeding, cold sweat, pale complexion, dizziness and other symptoms, which, however, disappeared after treatment for about 1 week. The score of 36 item Short-Form Health Survey Questionnaire of patients with submucous myoma of the uterus was significantly different before and after treatment (P<0.05). Interventional ultrasonography can effectively diagnose the submucous myoma of uterus. The treatment of submucous myoma of uterus with ultrasound-guided intratumor injection of lauromacrogol is characterized by simple operation, which can effectively reduce the tumor diameter and volume, improve the blood flow in patients, reduce the postoperative adverse reactions and alleviate the patient's pain, so it is a new type of minimally invasive treatment method of submucous myoma of the uterus, and it is worthy of clinical promotion and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a reaction to the dasatinib drug in a 49-year-old man with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) harboring a e8a2 BCR-ABL1 transcript gene with a somatic mutation of TP53BP2 and cadherin-10 (CDH10) gene. The patient was diagnosed with CML harboring the e8a2 transcript, and his variant BCR-ABL1:ABL1 ratio was revealed. He obtained complete remission at the molecular and hematological level.

Objective: Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is significantly more malignant than other type of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In this study, we aimed to identify specific global gene expression signatures of TSCC to investigate the more invasive behavior of the deeply infiltrating cancer. Methods: Using RNA-seq technology, we detected gene expression of 20 TSCCs, 20 matched paratumor tissues, and 10 healthy normal mucosa tissues. Enrichment analysis of gene ontology (GO) and pathway was conducted using online tools DAVID for the dysregulated genes. Additionally, we performed the quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) to validate the findings of RNA-Seq in 10 samples of TSCC, matched paratumor, and normal mucosa, respectively. Results: We detected 252 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between TSCC and matched paratumor tissue, including 117 up-regulated and 135 down-regulated genes. For comparison between TSCC and normal mucosa, 234 DEGS were identified, consisting of 67 up-regulated and 167 down-regulated genes. For both two comparisons, GO categories of muscle contraction (GO: 0006936), epidermis development (GO: 0008544), epithelial cell differentiation (GO: 0030855), and keratinization (GO: 0031424) were commonly enriched. Altered gene expression affected some cancer-related pathways, such as tight junction. The qRT-PCR validation showed that gene expression patterns of FOLR1, NKX3-1, TFF3, PIGR, NEFL, MMP13, and HMGA2 were fully in concordance with RNA-Seq results. Conclusion: Findings in this study demonstrated the genetic and molecular alterations associated with TSCC, providing new clues for understanding the molecular mechanisms of TSCC pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Ultrasound ( US) imaging has been widely used in breast tumor diagnosis and treatment intervention. Automatic delineation of the tumor is a crucial first step, especially for the computer-aided diagnosis ( CAD) and US-guided breast procedure. However, the intrinsic properties of US images such as low contrast and blurry boundaries pose challenges to the automatic segmentation of the breast tumor. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to propose a segmentation algorithm that can contour the breast tumor in US images. Methods To utilize the neighbor information of each pixel, a Hausdorff distance based fuzzy c-means ( FCM) method was adopted. The size of the neighbor region was adaptively updated by comparing the mutual information between them. The objective function of the clustering process was updated by a combination of Euclid distance and the adaptively calculated Hausdorff distance. Segmentation results were evaluated by comparing with three experts' manual segmentations. The results were also compared with a kernel-induced distance based FCM with spatial constraints, the method without adaptive region selection, and conventional FCM. Results Results from segmenting 30 patient images showed the adaptive method had a value of sensitivity, specificity, Jaccard similarity, and Dice coefficient of 93.60 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To access the effect of iodinate contrast agent (ICA) on DNA double-stand breaks (DSBs) in human peripheral blood lymphocytes during computed tomography (CT) examinations.Materials and Methods: This present study was approved by the institutional ethics committee; written informed patient consent was obtained from 70 patients. A total of 48 patients underwent computed tomography urography (CTU), in which only one time CT scanning was examined after injecting ICA, and 22 patients received unenhanced whole abdominal CT, among them 10 patients were selected to get ICA injection immediately after irradiation. Blood samples were taken from all patients prior to and immediately after CT scan, as well as 8min after the injection of ICA. The lymphocytes in these blood samples were separated by using density-gradient centrifugation, fixed and immunostained with γH2AX antibody. The average number of phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX) foci per lymphocyte was counted under a fluorescence microscopy. Differences in the number of γH2AX-foci were statistically analyzed using independent sample t test and one way ANOVA.Result: The three patient groups had no significant differences in the baseline foci numbers(P>0.05). The γH2AX-focus levels increased in both groups after CT scan. Patients who underwent CTU examinations had a greater DSBs level (mean±standard error of mean, 0.945±0.184 foci per cell) than those who received unenhanced whole abdominal CT scan (mean±standard error of mean, 0.700±0.112 foci per cell), increasing by about 37.9%; The ICA injected before CT scan itself had an effect on the DSBs, which increased DSBs level by approximately 90.3% (0.059±0.018vs 0.031±0.025, P<0.05), but no significant difference was found if added after irradiation, increasing DSBs level only by 3.2% approximately (0.711±0.091vs 0.689±0.108, P=0.499).Conclusion: The iodinated contrast agent itself can lead to an increase in the level of DSBs as assessed with γH2AX foci formation, and the application of ICA can amplify DNA damage induced by diagnostic x-ray procedures such as whole abdominal CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A considerable number of cells expressing typical immature neuronal markers including doublecortin (DCX+) are present around layer II in the cerebral cortex of young and adult guinea pigs and other larger mammals, and their origin and biological implication await further characterization. We show here in young adult guinea pigs that these DCX+ cells are accompanied by in situ cell division around the superficial cortical layers mostly in layer I, but they co-express proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and an early neuronal fate determining factor, PAX6. A small number of these DCX+ cells also colocalize with BrdU following administration of this mitotic indicator. Cranial X-ray irradiation causes a decline of DCX+ cells around layer II, and novel environmental exploration induces c-Fos expression among these cells in several neocortical areas. Together, these data are compatible with a notion that DCX+ cortical neurons around layer II might derive from proliferable neuronal precursors around layer I in young adult guinea pig cerebrum, and that these cells might be modulated by experience under physiological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: To retrospectively assess the diagnostic efficacy of dual-source CT angiography (DSCTA) in detecting and grading coronary stenosis. Methods: Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained. One hundred ten patients were performed with both DSCTA and conventional coronary angiography (CCA) without heart rate or rhythm control in 1 week. Regarding CCA as the gold standard, the assessable rate of coronary arteries and diagnostic value of coronary stenosis using DSCTA were analyzed, respectively. The intermodality agreement between DSCTA and CCA in grading coronary stenosis was assessed using κ test. The value of DSCTA in diagnosing >50% coronary stenoses was also assessed. Results: The overall assessable rate of DSCTA was 98.6% in detecting coronary arteries; there was no significant difference between assessable rates from different groups of heart rate (χ 2=0.45, P > .05). The efficacy of DSCTA was of 97.9% sensitivity, 97.3% specificity, 90.4% positive predictive value, and 99.4% negative predictive value for coronary stenosis; and 94.7% sensitivity, 96.8% specificity, 83.7% positive predictive value, and 99% negative predictive value for >50% stenoses. The intermodality agreement in diagnosing coronary stenosis was satisfactory (k=0.87, u=58.46, P<.01). Conclusions: As an effective noninvasive diagnostic tool, DSCTA yields a promising accuracy and reliability in assessing coronary stenosis. It may be recommended as a valuable screening tool for coronary artery disease, and a potential challenge to CCA as well. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between myocardial extracellular volume (ECV) fraction measured using dual-energy computed tomography with late iodine enhancement (LIE-DECT) and risk of heart failure (HF) in patients without coronary artery disease (CAD), and to evaluate the relationship between ECV and left ventricular structure and function.Materials and Methods: Sixty consecutive HF patients without CAD and 60 consecutive participants without heart disease who underwent coronary CT angiography (CCTA) following LIE-DECT were included. ECV of the left ventricle was calculated from the iodine maps and hematocrit levels using the American Heart Association (AHA) 16-segment model. Cardiac structural and functional parameters were collected including left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left atrial volume (LAV), interventricular septal thickness (IVST), and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP).Results: ECV in HF patients without CAD (31.3 ± 4.0 %) was significantly higher than that in healthy subjects (27.1 ± 3.7 %) (P < 0.001). Multivariate linear analysis revealed that ECV was associated with age (β = 0.098, P = 0.010) and hypertension (β = 2.093, P = 0.011) in all participants. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and drinking, ECV was a risk factor affecting the occurrence of HF in those without CAD (OR = 1.356, 95 %CI：1.178-1.561, P < 0.001). A positive correlation was found between ECV and NT-pro-BNP, LVEDV, LVESV, and LAV (r = 0.629, 0.329, 0.346, and 0.338, respectively; all P < 0.001) in all participants.Conclusions: ECV could be measured using LIE-DECT iodine maps. ECV elevation was a risk factor for HF without CAD and correlated with cardiac structure and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]