Characterization of chemical and sensory properties of Cabernet Sauvignon and Marselan wines made by flash détente technique.

This study aimed to characterize the sensory profiles of wines produced using the flash détente (FD) technique and to identify the flavor compounds contributing to the sensory characteristics. The FD technique was applied to two major grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon and Marselan, from the Changli region of China to produce high-quality wines with aging potential. Compared to the traditional macerated wines, the FD wines showed greater color intensity, mainly due to the higher levels of anthocyanins. Regarding the aroma characteristics, FD wines were found to have a more pronounced fruitness, especially fresh fruit note, which was due to the contribution of higher concentration of esters. Concurrently, FD wines showed an increased sweet note which was associated with increased lactones and furanones. In addition, FD wines exhibited reduced green and floral notes due to lower levels of C6 alcohols and C13-norisoprenoids. With regard to mouthfeel, FD wines presented greater astringency and bitterness, which was due to the higher levels of phenolics. The total concentration of condensed tannins and condensed tannins for each degree of polymerization was considerably higher in FD wines due to the strong extraction of the FD technique. A significant increase in grape-derived polysaccharides and glycerol was also found in FD wines, contributing to a fuller body. This study contributed to an increase in the knowledge of the Changli region and demonstrated that the FD technique could be applied to the wine production in this region to address the negative impacts of rainfall in individual vintages.

A preliminary study of dobutamine myocardial flow reserve on 99mTc-Sestamibi CZT-SPECT.

BACKGROUND: With improved resolution and sensitivity, the cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) detector measures myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial flow reserve (MFR) via single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Recently, many studies have used vasodilator stress to obtain quantitative indexes. However, dobutamine used as a pharmaceutical stress has been rarely used to quantify myocardial perfusion using CZT-SPECT. Our study retrospectively analyzed the blood flow performance of 99mTc-Sestamibi (99mTc -MIBI) CZT-SPECT comparing dobutamine to adenosine. PURPOSE: The study aims to explore whether dobutamine stress can be used for the myocardial perfusion quantitative analysis via CZT-SPECT as well as compare dobutamine MBF and MFR to adenosine. METHODS: It was a retrospective study. A total of 68 patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease (CAD) were consecutively enrolled in this study. Thirty-four patients underwent dobutamine stress 99mTc-MIBI CZT-SPECT. Another thirty-four patients underwent adenosine stress 99mTc-MIBI CZT-SPECT. Patient characteristics, myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) results, gated-myocardial perfusion imaging (G-MPI) results and quantitative analysis of MBF and MFR were collected. RESULTS: In dobutamine stress group, stress MBF was significantly higher than rest MBF (median [interquartile range], 1.63 [1.46-1.94] vs. 0.89 [0.73-1.06], P < 0.001). In adenosine stress group, similar results were observed (median [interquartile range], 2.01 [1.34-2.20] vs. 0.88 [0.75-1.01], P < 0.001). When comparing the dobutamine and adenosine stress group, global MFR showed significant differences (median [interquartile range], the dobutamine group: 1.88 [1.67-2.38] vs. the adenosine group: 2.19 [1.87-2.64], P = 0.037). CONCLUSION: MBF and MFR can be measured using dobutamine 99mTc -MIBI CZT-SPECT. In small sample single-center study, there was a difference in MFR produced by adenosine and dobutamine within the suspected or the known CAD population.

High expression of serine and arginine-rich splicing factor 9 (SRSF9) is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma progression and a poor prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Serine and arginine-rich splicing factor 9 (SRSF9) has been linked to the occurrence and progression of various cancers; however, its effects and mechanism of action hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been reported. In this study, we used a bioinformatics approach and in vitro assays to evaluate the expression of SRSF9 in HCC, its prognostic value, and its underlying regulatory mechanisms, including analyses of related pathways and the role of methylation. METHODS: Transcriptomic and DNA methylation data for 357 HCC cases and 50 paratumor tissues in The Cancer Genome Atlas database were obtained. Additionally, protein expression data for cell lines and tissue samples were obtained from the Human Protein Atlas. The CMap databased was used to predict candidate drugs targeting SRSF9. Various cell lines were used for in vitro validation. RESULTS: SRSF9 expression was significantly elevated in HCC and was negatively regulated by its methylation site cg06116271. The low expression of SRSF9 and hypermethylation of cg06116271 were both associated with a longer overall survival time. A correlation analysis revealed ten genes that were co-expressed with SRSF9; levels of CDK4, RAN, DENR, RNF34, and ANAPC5 were positively correlated and levels of RBP4, APOC1, MASP2, HP, and HPX were negatively correlated with SRSF9 expression. The knockdown of SRSF9 in vitro inhibited the proliferation and migration of HCC cells and significantly reduced the expression of proteins in the Wnt signaling pathway (DVL2 and ß-catenin) and cell cycle pathway (Cyclin D and Cyclin E). A CMap analysis identified two drugs, camptothecin and apigenin, able to target and inhibit the expression of SRSF9. CONCLUSIONS: This study expands our understanding of the molecular biological functions of SRSF9 and cg06116271 and provides candidate diagnostic and therapeutic targets for HCC.

Increased ATP2A1 Predicts Poor Prognosis in Patients With Colorectal Carcinoma.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the digestive system. Traditional diagnosis and treatment methods have not significantly improved the overall survival of patients. In this study, we explored the value of ATP2A1 as a biomarker in predicting the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. We used the TCGA database to reveal the relationship between ATP2A1 mRNA level and prognosis, methylation, and immune invasion in colorectal cancer. The results showed that the expression of ATP2A1 was increased in colorectal cancer. The overall survival of patients with high expression of ATP2A1 was significantly lower than patients with low expression of ATP2A1. Cox regression analysis showed that high expression of ATP2A1 was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients. In addition, we used three datasets to perform a meta-analysis, which further confirmed the reliability of the results. Furthermore, we revealed that ATP2A1 could significantly inhibit the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells by inhibiting the autophagy process and was associated with several immune cells, especially CD8 + T cells. Finally, four small molecule drugs with potential inhibition of ATP2A1 expression were found by CMap analysis. This study demonstrates for the first time that ATP2A1 is a potential pathogenic factor, which may play a significant role in colorectal cancer.

The localization and lateralization of fear aura and its surgical prognostic value in patients with focal epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: Fear aura has traditionally been considered relevant to epileptic discharges from mesial temporal areas, and few studies have investigated its effect on surgical outcome in drug-resistant epilepsy. We aim to assess the localizing and lateralizing value as well as prognostic significance of fear aura in patients with focal epilepsy. METHODS: The occurrence of fear aura in relation to epileptogenic origin and its association with postoperative outcome were analyzed in 146 consecutive patients undergoing resective surgery for intractable epilepsy. RESULTS: Ninety-four (64.4%) patients reported auras, and 31 (21.2%) reported fear aura in their seizures. One hundred ten (75.3%) patients had an Engel class I outcome until last follow-up, of whom 24 experienced fear aura preoperatively. Fear aura appeared more frequently during temporal and frontal lobe seizures, but did not lateralize the seizure onset zone. There were no significant baseline differences between patients with and without fear aura. No correlation was found between postoperative outcome and the presence of auras. Occurrence of fear aura failed to show predictive value in surgical outcome whether in pooled or subgroup analysis. INTERPRETATION: This study advances our understanding of the origin of fear aura, and is helpful for presurgical evaluation and outcome prediction. Without lateralizing value, fear aura is more commonly seen with temporal or frontal origin. When taken as a whole, auras do not have a significant impact on seizure outcome in focal epilepsy. Patients with fear aura are no more likely to become seizure-free than those without fear aura.

Prevalence of Clostridium difficile Infection in the Hematopoietic Transplantation Setting: Update of Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients are vulnerable to Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) due to risk factors such as immunosuppression, antimicrobial use, and frequent hospitalization. We systematically searched PubMed and Embase to screen relevant studies from April 2014 to November 2021. A meta-analysis was performed to identify the association between CDI and hematopoietic transplantation based on the standard mean difference and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Among the 431 retrieved citations, we obtained 43 eligible articles, which included 15,911 HSCT patients at risk. The overall estimated prevalence of CDI was 13.2%. The prevalence of CDI among the 10,685 allogeneic transplantation patients (15.3%) was significantly higher than that among the 3,840 autologous HSCT recipients (9.2%). Different incidence rates of CDI diagnosis over the last 7 years were found worldwide, of which North America (14.1%) was significantly higher than Europe (10.7%) but not significantly different from the prevalence among Asia (11.6%). Notably, we found that the estimated prevalence of CDI diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (17.7%) was significantly higher than that diagnosed by enzyme immunoassay (11.5%), indicating a significant discrepancy in the incidence rate of CDI owing to differences in the sensibility and specificity of the detection methods. Recurrence of CDI was found in approximately 15% of the initial patients with CDI. Furthermore, 20.3% of CDI cases were severe. CDI was found to be a common complication among HSCT recipients, displaying an evident increase in the morbidity of infection.

Mannose inhibits the growth of prostate cancer through a mitochondrial mechanism.

The limited treatment options for advanced prostate cancer (PCa) lead to the urgent need to discover new anticancer drugs. Mannose, an isomer of glucose, has been reported to have an anticancer effect on various tumors. However, the anticancer effect of mannose in PCa remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that mannose inhibits the proliferation and promotes the apoptosis of PCa cells in vitro, and mannose was observed to have an anticancer effect in mice without harming their health. Accumulation of intracellular mannose simultaneously decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential, increased mitochondrial and cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and reduced adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production in PCa cells. Mannose treatment of PCa cells induced changes in mitochondrial morphology, caused dysregulated expression of the fission protein, such as fission, mitochondrial 1 (FIS1), and enhanced the expression of proapoptotic factors, such as BCL2-associated X (Bax) and BCL2-antagonist/killer 1 (Bak). Furthermore, lower expression of mannose phosphate isomerase (MPI), the key enzyme in mannose metabolism, indicated poorer prognosis in PCa patients, and downregulation of MPI expression in PCa cells enhanced the anticancer effect of mannose. This study reveals the anticancer effect of mannose in PCa and its clinical significance in PCa patients.

A novel screening on the specific peptide by molecular simulation and development of the electrochemical immunosensor for aflatoxin B1 in grains.

In this work, based on a specific antibody was obtained from the Protein Data Bank (PDB), a library of the specific peptides of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was constructed by combining key amino acids, amino acid mutations and molecular docking. Then, the porous gold nanoparticles (porous AuNPs) were fabricated on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). A novel, sensitive and no-label signal immunosensor was developed by signal enhancement with the specific peptide as the recognition element for the detection of AFB1 in cereals. Under the optimal conditions, the limit of detection (S/N = 3) was 9.4 × 10-4 µg·L-1, and the linear range was 0.01 µg·L-1 to 20 µg·L-1. The recovery results were 88.4%∼102.0%, which indicated an excellent accuracy. This sensor is an ideal candidate for screening the peptides of AFB1, and a novel immunosensor was used to detect AFB1 in cereals.

Screening and analysis for autophagy-related lncRNA in fibroblast-like synoviocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. / ç±»é£Žæ¹¿å ³èŠ‚ç‚Žæ»‘è†œæˆçº¤ç»´æ ·ç»†èƒžè‡ªå™¬ç›¸å ³é•¿é“¾éžç¼–ç RNA筛选和分析.

OBJECTIVES: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has become a key epigenetic regulator that regulates gene expression and affects a variety of biological processes. LncRNA plays an important role in the occurrence and development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study on lncRNA in peripheral blood cells of RA patients has been reported. However, there is no study on autophagy regulation by lncRNA in RA patients. This study aims to provide a new direction for the diagnosis and treatment of RA via screening the changes of lncRNAs in RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLSs) before and after autophagy and finding the key lncRNAs targeting RA-FLSs autophagy. METHODS: Synovial tissues of 6 RA patients after knee and hip joint surgery were obtained, and RA-FLSs were cultured to the 5th generation for further experiments (tissue culture method). After treatment with mTOR inhibitor PP242, the expression of LC3-II was detected by Western blotting. Total RNAs of 3 cases of RA-FLSs before and after treatment with mTOR inhibitor PP242 were extracted by TRIzol and screened by Agilent Human ceRNA Microarray 2019 (4×180 K, design ID: 086188) chip. The lncRNAs with significantly changed expression levels were selected (difference multiple≥2.0, P<0.05). Bioinformatics technology was used to analyze the gene ontology (GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway of the differentially expressed lncRNAs, and to explore the possible role of differentially expressed lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of RA. Subsequently, ENST00000584721.1 and ENST00000615939.1 were identified in all the 6 samples of RA-FLSs using real-time RT-PCR, which were selected by previous chip screen combined with GO enrichment analysis and KEGG analysis. RESULTS: RA-FLSs were successfully isolated and cultured from the synovial tissues of the patient's knee or hip joint. After 6 RA-FLSs were treated with PP242, the expression level of autophagy marker protein LC3-II was increased (P<0.05). PP242 induced autophagy in RA-FLSs. LncRNA sequencing analysis showed that a total of 591 lncRNAs were significantly changed, of which 428 were up-regulated and 163 were down-regulated.Go analysis showed that these differentially expressed lncRNAs were associated with negative regulation of Th17 function, T cell related cytokines production, and TGF-ß receptor signaling pathway, as well as IL-6 receptor complex formation and type I TGF-ß receptor binding. KEGG analysis showed that autophagy pathway, TGF-ß, TNF-α, IL-17 signaling pathway, and Th17, Th1, Th2, osteoclast differentiation pathway were the most abundant signal pathways of differentially expressed lncRNAs during autophagy. The expression of ENST00000584721.1 was up-regulated (P<0.05) and the expression ofENST00000615939.1 was down-regulated (P<0.05) in RA-FLSs undergoing autophagy, by using real-time RT-PCR validation which was in consistent with the microarray results. The reliability of microarray screening differential genes was confirmed. GO analysis showed that ENST00000584721.1 and ENST00000615939.1 were related to ribosome transport and autophagy assembly, respectively. KEGG analysis showed that ENST00000584721.1 was related to mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, and ENST00000615939.1 was related to FoxO signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Differentially expressed lncRNAs in RA-FLSs have been identified with microarray analysis. In RA, differential expression of lncRNAs is involved in the autophagy of RA-FLSs. The underlying mechanisms based on bioinformatics analysis include regulating the secretion of cytokines, such as IL-6, TGF-ß, TNF-α and IL-17, participating in the immune cell differentiation, such as Th17, Th1, Th2 cells and osteoclasts, as well as regulating the autophagy pathway, MAPK, FoxO, and other signaling pathways. It has been verified that the expression of ENST0000584721.1 is up-regulated and ENST0000615939.1 is down-regulated after autophagy of RA FLSs, which provides a good experimental basis for further study on the mechanism of lncRNA in RA-FLSs autophagy.

Zirconium and Aluminum MOFs for Low-Pressure SO2 Adsorption and Potential Separation: Elucidating the Effect of Small Pores and NH2 Groups.

Finding new adsorbents for the desulfurization of flue gases is a challenging task but is of current interest, as even low SO2 emissions impair the environment and health. Four Zr- and eight Al-MOFs (Zr-Fum, DUT-67(Zr), NU-1000, MOF-808, Al-Fum, MIL-53(Al), NH2-MIL-53(Al), MIL-53(tdc)(Al), CAU-10-H, MIL-96(Al), MIL-100(Al), NH2-MIL-101(Al)) were examined toward their SO2 sorption capability. Pore sizes in the range of about 4-8 Å are optimal for SO2 uptake in the low-pressure range (up to 0.1 bar). Pore widths that are only slightly larger than the kinetic diameter of 4.1 Å of the SO2 molecules allow for multi-side-dispersive interactions, which translate into high affinity at low pressure. Frameworks NH2-MIL-53(Al) and NH2-MIL-101(Al) with an NH2-group at the linker tend to show enhanced SO2 affinity. Moreover, from single-gas adsorption isotherms, ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) selectivities toward binary SO2/CO2 gas mixtures were determined with selectivity values between 35 and 53 at a molar fraction of 0.01 SO2 (10.000 ppm) and 1 bar for the frameworks Zr-Fum, MOF-808, NH2-MIL-53(Al), and Al-Fum. Stability tests with exposure to dry SO2 during ≤10 h and humid SO2 during 5 h showed full retention of crystallinity and porosity for Zr-Fum and DUT-67(Zr). However, NU-1000, MOF-808, Al-Fum, MIL-53(tdc), CAU-10-H, and MIL-100(Al) exhibited ≥50-90% retained Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET)-surface area and pore volume; while NH2-MIL-100(Al) and MIL-96(Al) demonstrated a major loss of porosity under dry SO2 and MIL-53(Al) and NH2-MIL-53(Al) under humid SO2. SO2 binding sites were revealed by density functional theory (DFT) simulation calculations with adsorption energies of -40 to -50 kJ·mol-1 for Zr-Fum and Al-Fum and even above -50 kJ·mol-1 for NH2-MIL-53(Al), in agreement with the isosteric heat of adsorption near zero coverage (ΔHads0). The predominant, highest binding energy noncovalent binding modes in both Zr-Fum and Al-Fum feature µ-OHδ+···Î´-OSO hydrogen bonding interactions. The small pores of Al-Fum allow the interaction of two µ-OH bridges from opposite pore walls with the same SO2 molecule via OHδ+···Î´-OSOδ-···Î´+HO hydrogen bonds. For NH2-MIL-53(Al), the DFT high-energy binding sites involve NHδ+···Î´-OS together with the also present Al-µ-OHδ+···Î´-OS hydrogen bonding interactions and C6-πδ-···Î´+SO2, Nδ-···Î´+SO2 interactions.

Huanglian decoction suppresses the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by reducing CCNB1 expression.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers in human populations worldwide. Huanglian decoction is one of the most important Chinese medicine formulas, with the potential to treat cancer. AIM: To investigate the role and mechanism of Huanglian decoction on HCC cells. METHODS: To identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), we downloaded gene expression profile data from The Cancer Genome Atlas Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE45436) databases. We obtained phytochemicals of the four herbs of Huanglian decoction from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform. We also established a regulatory network of DEGs and drug target genes and subsequently analyzed key genes using bioinformatics approaches. Furthermore, we conducted in vitro experiments to explore the effect of Huanglian decoction and to verify the predictions. In particular, the CCNB1 gene was knocked down to verify the primary target of this decoction. Through the identification of the expression levels of key proteins, we determined the primary mechanism of Huanglian decoction in HCC. RESULTS: Based on the results of the network pharmacological analysis, we revealed 5 bioactive compounds in Huanglian decoction that act on HCC. In addition, a protein-protein interaction network analysis of the target genes of these five compounds as well as expression and prognosis analyses were performed in tumors. CCNB1 was confirmed to be the primary gene that may be highly expressed in tumors and was significantly associated with a worse prognosis. We also noted that CCNB1 may serve as an independent prognostic indicator in HCC. Moreover, in vitro experiments demonstrated that Huanglian decoction significantly inhibited the growth, migration, and invasiveness of HCC cells and induced cell apoptosis and G2/M phase arrest. Further analysis showed that the decoction may inhibit the growth of HCC cells by downregulating the CCNB1 expression level. After Huanglian decoction treatment, the expression levels of Bax, caspase 3, caspase 9, p21 and p53 in HCC cells were increased, while the expression of CDK1 and CCNB1 was significantly decreased. The p53 signaling pathway was also found to play an important role in this process. CONCLUSION: Huanglian decoction has a significant inhibitory effect on HCC cells. CCNB1 is a potential therapeutic target in HCC. Further analysis showed that Huanglian decoction can inhibit HCC cell growth by downregulating the expression of CCNB1 to activate the p53 signaling pathway.

Molecular characterization and environmental impacts of water-soluble organic compounds of bio-oil from the thermochemical treatment of domestic sewage sludge.

Water-soluble organic compounds derived from bio-oil (WOCB) are regarded as potential risk sources of sludge thermochemical treatment. This study showed that 10.35 mg of water-soluble organic carbon and 1.32 mg of water-soluble organic nitrogen were released per gram of sludge when the final temperature of thermochemical treatment was 600 °C. WOCB was mainly formed at 300-500 °C. Furthermore, FT-ICR MS results indicated that high temperatures promoted deamination reactions, and low molecular weight (LMW) compounds with low oxygen number polymerized into aromatic compounds with increasing temperature. Noteworthily, WOCB released at 20-600 °C showed strong phytotoxicity to wheat. LMW compounds with lignin/carboxylic rich alicyclic molecules (CRAM)-like structures derived from low temperatures (200-400 °C) induced this inhibitory effect, but lipids containing nitrogen and sulfur from high temperatures (400-600 °C) can act as nutrients to promote wheat growth. This study provides theoretical support for the risk control and benefits assessments of sludge thermochemical treatment.

Apolipoprotein L1 is transcriptionally regulated by SP1, IRF1 and IRF2 in hepatoma cells.

Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) participates in lipid metabolism. Here, we investigate the mechanisms regulating APOL1 gene expression in hepatoma cells. We demonstrate that the -80-nt to +31-nt region of the APOL1 promoter, which contains one SP transcription factor binding GT box and an interferon regulatory factor (IRF) binding ISRE element, maintains the maximum activity. Mutation of the GT box and ISRE element dramatically reduces APOL1 promoter activity. EMSA and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay reveal that the transcription factors Sp1, IRF1 and IRF2 could interact with their cognate binding sites on the APOL1 promoter. Overexpression of Sp1, IRF1 and IRF2 increases promoter activity, leading to increased APOL1 mRNA and protein levels, while knockdown of Sp1, IRF1 and IRF2 has the opposite effects. These results demonstrate that the APOL1 gene could be regulated by Sp1, IRF1 and IRF2 in hepatoma cells.

A novel collision tumour of myofibroblastoma and low-grade adenosquamous carcinoma in breast.

BACKGROUND: Myofibroblastoma (MFB) and low-grade adenosquamous carcinoma (LGASC) are rare tumours in the breast, respectively. However, a collision tumour of the two types has never been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A 42-year-old female presented with a palpable mass in diameter of about 2.5 cm in the left breast. Morphologically, the lesion was predominately composed of bland spindle cells admixed with some islands of mature adipocytes and a few epithelial elements dispersing in infiltrating way which formed both tubule and solid structures. The mass showed low positive index of Ki-67. The spindle cells were strongly and diffusely positive for CD34, SMA, desmin, ER and PR. The epithelial elements were positive for CK and EMA, and negative for ER and PR completely. CK5/6 and P63 were positive in the outer-layer of the tubules and nearly all the cells of the solid nests. CONCLUSIONS: A collision tumour of MFB and LGASC in breast is extremely rare and either component is supposed to be not overlooked. Excision and close follow-up are advised.

Can conventional DWI accurately assess the size of endometrial cancer?

PURPOSE: To compare T2-weighted image (T2WI) and conventional Diffusion-weighted image (cDWI) of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for sensitivity of qualitative diagnosis and accuracy of tumor size (TS) measurement in endometrial cancer (EC). Meanwhile, the effect of the lesion size itself and tumor grade on the ability of T2WI and cDWI of TS assessment was explored. Ultimately, the reason of deviation on size evaluation was studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 34 patients with EC were enrolled. They were all treated with radical hysterectomy and performed MR examinations before operation. Firstly, the sensitivity of T2WI alone and T2WI-DWI in qualitative diagnosis of EC were compared according to pathology. Secondly, TS on T2WI and cDWI described with longitudinal (LD) and horizontal diameter (HD) were compared to macroscopic surgical specimen (MSS) quantitatively in the entire lesions and the subgroup lesions which grouped by postoperative tumor size itself and tumor grade. Thirdly, the discrepancy of mean ADC values (ADC mean) and range ADC values (ADC range) between different zones of EC were explored. RESULTS: For qualitative diagnosis, the sensitivity of T2WI-DWI (97%) was higher than T2WI alone (85%) (p = 0.046).For TS estimation, no significant difference (PLD = 0.579; PHD = 0.261) was observed between T2WI (LDT2WI = 3.90 cm; HDT2WI = 2.88 cm) and MSS (LD = 4.00 cm; HD = 3.06 cm), whereas TS of cDWI (LDDWI = 3.01 cm; HDDWI = 2.54 cm) were smaller than MSS (PLD = 0.002; PHD = 0.002) in all lesions. In subgroup of tumor with G1 (grade 1) and small lesion (defined as maximum diameter < 3 cm), both T2WI and cDWI were not significantly different from MSS; In subgroup of tumor with G2 + 3 (grade 2 and grade 3) and big lesion (maximum diameter ≥ 3 cm), T2WI matched well with MSS still, but DWI lost accuracy significantly. The result of ADC values between different zones of tumor showed ADC mean of EC rose from central zone to peripheral zone of tumor gradually and ADC range widened gradually. CONCLUSION: cDWI can detect EC very sensitively. The TS on cDWI was smaller than the fact for the ECs with G2/3 and big size. The TS of T2WI was in accordance with the actual size for all ECs. The heterogeneity may be responsible for the inaccuracy of cDWI.

Malignant Arrhythmia with Variants of Desmocollin-2 and Desmoplakin Genes.

Malignant arrhythmia is a fast cardiac arrhythmia that can lead to a hemodynamic abnormality within a short time, most of which is ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation (VF), which should be managed in time. Both organic and nonorganic cardiac diseases have the potential to cause malignant arrhythmia. We report a noteworthy case of malignant arrhythmia in a teenager during exercise. Transthoracic echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), electrophysiological study, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, electroencephalography, chest X-ray, and blood tests were all normal. Twelve-lead electrocardiography showed incomplete right bundle branch block (IRBBB). Two heterozygous missense variants of the desmocollin-2 gene (DSC2, c.G2446A/p.V816M) and desmoplakin gene (DSP, c.G3620A/p.R1207K) were detected in the peripheral blood of this teenager and his father by genetic testing, which encoded a desmosomal protein that was related to arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). In these two rare variants, DSC2 V816M has been reported but uncertain significance, whereas DSP R1207K is never reported. Therefore, the two site variants in DSC2 and DSP genes are likely to become a new research focus for diagnosis and treatment of ARVC in the future. Meanwhile, this report emphasizes that, in addition to a standard set of laboratory tests and examinations, genetic testing may be useful for analyzing the causes of malignant arrhythmia.

Independent and combined effects of dietary iron composition and selected risk factors on the risk of NAFLD in a Chinese population.

Iron is an essential mineral required for most forms of life. However, very little is known in relation to the different forms of dietary iron on the development of NAFLD. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of iron intake from different food types on risk of NAFLD and whether this effect may be modified by other factors. We conducted a hospital-based case-control study including 1,273 NAFLD cases and 1,273 gender and age-matched controls. We conducted in-person interviews while participants completed a questionnaire on food habits. We assessed animal- and plant-derived intake of iron and fat. We observed that animal-derived iron intake (>4.16 mg/day) was positively associated with augmented NAFLD risk in a Chinese population (ORadjusted = 1.66 in the highest quartile compared with the lowest, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01-2.73). In contrast, a high consumption of iron (>16.87 mg/day) from plant-based foods was associated with a decreased NAFLD risk (ORadjusted = 0.61 in the highest quartile compared with the lowest; 95% CI = 0.40-0.935). In addition, high intake of fat or being overweight may exacerbate this effect. Reduced consumption of iron and fat from animal sources could reduce NAFLD risk, as would weight loss.

Diffuse cavernous hemangioma of the skull misdiagnosed as skull metastasis in breast cancer patient: one case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Primary intraosseous cavernous hemangiomas (PICHs) of the skull are extremely rare. To date, diffuse cranial hemangioma of skull has not been reported. In cancer patients, it is often misdiagnosed as metastasis. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we presented a case of a 50-year-old female patient suffering from slightly headache who received breast cancer modified radical mastectomy in 2004, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings revealed abnormal lesions of diffuse skull which were misdiagnosed as skull metastasis, and the relevant literatures were also reviewed. CONCLUSIONS: Diffuse cavernous hemangioma of the skull is exceedingly rare, and imaging data are not typical. The condition is often misdiagnosed, and pathological evaluation is necessary and important. In cases where the mass cannot be completely removed by surgery, radiotherapy could be beneficial.