Natural Sequential Collapse Method: A Common Technique to Identify the Intersegmental Plane.

The natural sequential collapse method (NSCM) can be employed during surgery to reduce the duration of segmentectomy. This method avoids inflating the lung by rapidly blocking vessels within the tumor basin. It is important to note that the color of the lungs should be used to determine the surgical procedure. The NSCM is efficient and straightforward in revealing the intersegmental plane.

Indication of the prognosis of pulmonary hypertension by using CMR function parameters.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the cardiac function among different sub-types of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and to explore the independent predictors of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). METHODS: Eighty-seven PH patients diagnosed by right heart catheterization (RHC) were recruited. Patients underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and RHC examination within 2 weeks. The CMR images were analyzed to calculate the cardiac functional parameters including right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle (LV) end-diastolic volume index (EDVI), end-systolic volume index (ESVI), stroke volume index (SVI), ejection fraction (EF), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), and myocardial mass (MM). The median follow-up time was 46.5 months (interquartile range: 26-65.5 months), and the endpoints were the occurrence of MACE. RESULTS: RVEDVI, LVEDVI, and LVESVI were higher in congenital heart disease-related PH (CHD-PH) than in other sub-types (p < 0.05). RVMM, RVSVI, and RVCI were highest in CHD-PH. There was no significant difference in the prognosis among different sub-types (p > 0.05). Comparing with the non-MACE group, RVEF, TAPSE, and LVSVI significantly decreased in the MACE group, while the RVESVI significantly increased (p < 0.05). TAPSE ≤ 15.65 mm and LVSVI ≤ 30.27 mL/m2 were significant independent predictors of prognosis in PH patients. CONCLUSION: CHD-PH had a higher RV function reserve but lowest LVEF comparing to other subgroups. TAPSE and LVSVI could contribute to the prediction of MACE in PH patients. KEY POINTS: • CMR imaging is a noninvasive and accurate tool to assess ventricular function. • CHD-PH had higher RV function reserve but lowest LVEF. • TAPSE and LVSVI could contribute to the prediction of MACE in PH patients.

A nomogram to predict the risk of colorectal anastomotic leakage combining inflammatory-nutritional and abdominal aorta calcium index.

Background: Anastomotic leakage is a serious complication after colorectal cancer surgery, which affects the quality of life and the prognosis. This study aims to create a novel nomogram to predict the risk of anastomotic leakage for patients with colorectal cancer based on the preoperative inflammatory-nutritional index and abdominal aorta calcium index. Methods: 292 patients at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital (Tianjin, China) from January 2018 to October 2021 who underwent colorectal cancer surgery with a primary anastomosis were retrospectively reviewed. A nomogram was constructed based on the results of multivariate logistic regression model. The calibration curves and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to verify the efficacy of the nomogram. Results: Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that tumor location (P = 0.002), preoperative albumin (P = 0.006), preoperative lymphocyte (P = 0.035), preoperative neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (P = 0.024), and superior mesenteric artery calcium volumes score (P = 0.004) were identified as the independent risk factors for postoperative anastomotic leakage in patients with colorectal carcinoma. A nomogram was constructed based on the results of the multivariate analysis, and the C-index of the calibration curves was 0.913 (95%CI: 0.870-0.957) in the training cohort and 0.840 (95%CI: 0.753-0.927) in the validation cohort. Conclusion: The nomogram, combining basic variables, inflammatory-nutritional index and abdominal aorta calcium index, could effectively predict the possibility of postoperative anastomotic leakage for patients with colorectal cancer, which could guide surgeons to carry out the appropriate treatment for the prevention of anastomotic leakage.

The Variation in the Diastolic Period with Interventricular Septal Displacement and Its Relation to the Right Ventricular Function in Pulmonary Hypertension: A Preliminary Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Study.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is known to alter the biventricular shape and temporal phases of the cardiac cycle. The presence of interventricular septal (IVS) displacement has been associated with the severity of PH. There has been limited cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) data regarding the temporal parameters of the cardiac cycle in PH. This study aimed to quantify the temporal changes in the cardiac cycle derived from CMR in PH patients with and without IVS displacement and sought to understand the mechanism of cardiac dysfunction in the cardiac cycle. Methods: Patients with PH who had CMR and right heart catheterization (RHC) examinations were included retrospectively. Patients were divided into an IVS non-displacement (IVSND) group and an IVS displacement (IVSD) group according to IVS morphology, as observed on short-axis cine CMR images. Additionally, age-matched healthy volunteers were included as the health control (HC). Temporal parameters, IVS displacement, ventricular volume and functional parameters were obtained by CMR, and pulmonary hemodynamics were obtained by RHC. The risk stratification of the PH patients was also graded according to the guidelines. Results: A total of 70 subjects were included, consisting of 33 IVSD patients, 15 IVSND patients, and 22 HC patients. In the IVSND group, only the right ventricle ejection fraction (RVEF) was decreased in the ventricular function, and no temporal change in the cardiac cycle was found. A prolonged isovolumetric relaxation time (IRT) and shortened filling time (FT) in both ventricles, along with biventricular dysfunction, were detected in the IVSD group (p < 0.001). The IRT of the right ventricle (IRTRV) and FT of the right ventricle (FTRV) in the PH patients were associated with pulmonary vascular resistance, right cardiac index, and IVS curvature, and the IRTRV was also associated with the RVEF in a multivariate regression analysis. A total of 90% of the PH patients in the IVSD group were stratified into intermediate- and high-risk categories, and they showed a prolonged IRTRV and a shortened FTRV. The IRTRV was also the predictor of the major cardiovascular events. Conclusions: The temporal changes in the cardiac cycle were related to IVS displacement and mainly impacted the diastolic period of the two ventricles in the PH patients. The IRT and FT changes may provide useful pathophysiological information on the progression of PH.

A specific probe for two-photon fluorescence lysosomal imaging.

Lysosomes are vital organelles in physiological processes, as they receive and degrade macromolecules from the secretory and endocytic procedures. Evidences have shown that lysosomes were related to oncogenic activation and cancer progression, so lysosomes targeting and imaging probes make them convenient to be observed. In this study, a lysosome specific probe W-7 was designed and synthesized via convenient one-pot reaction and Heck reaction. This probe was derived from Tröger's base with a dimethylaminomethyl end group. The optical properties of this compound were measured. W-7 also showed two-photon absorption (TPA) effect by using laser excitation at the wavelength of infrared light. In vivo experiment, W-7 showed high specificity and selectivity for lysosomes in living cells (HeLa cells, MRC-5 cells and NRK cells), compared with LT Red, GT Red and MT Red (R=0.96). Two-photon fluorescence images of HeLa cells stained by W-7 were obtained. And high resolution 3D reconstruction of lysosomes in one HeLa cell was provided by using two-photon confocal microscopy. The anantioseparation of racemic W-7 was carried out by chiral-HPLC, and the two enantiomers showed no significant difference in lysosomes imaging.