Aortic Arch Plaques and the Long-Term Risk of Stroke and Cardiovascular Events in the Statin Era.

BACKGROUND: Aortic arch plaques are associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke in patients with cryptogenic stroke or prior embolic events. However, this relationship is unclear in the community. We investigated (1) the long-term risk of stroke and cardiovascular events associated with arch plaques and (2) whether statin therapy prescribed for any indication modified the association. METHODS: A total of 934 stroke-free participants (72±9 years; 37% men) from the CABL study (Cardiovascular Abnormalities and Brain Lesion) were evaluated. Arch plaques were assessed by suprasternal transthoracic echocardiography; plaques ≥4 mm in thickness were classified as large plaques. The primary outcome was ischemic stroke; the secondary outcome was combined cardiovascular events (ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular death). The plaque-related risk of outcomes was also analyzed according to the presence of statin treatment. No plaque was used as a reference. RESULTS: Aortic arch plaques were present in 645 participants (69.1%), with large plaques in 114 (12.2%). During a mean follow-up of 11.3±3.6 years, 236 (25.3%) cardiovascular events occurred (76 ischemic strokes, 27 myocardial infarctions, and 133 cardiovascular deaths). Large arch plaques were independently associated with combined events (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.19 [95% CI, 1.40-3.43]) but not stroke alone (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.09 [95% CI, 0.50-2.38]). The association between large plaques and cardiovascular events was significant in participants receiving statins (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.57 [95% CI, 1.52-4.37]) but not in others; however, participants on statin treatment also had a worse risk profile (higher body mass index, greater frequencies of hypertension, diabetes, and coronary artery disease). CONCLUSIONS: Aortic arch plaques may be a marker of cardiovascular risk rather than a direct embolic stroke source in older adults without prior stroke. The efficacy of broader cardiovascular risk factors control, beyond cholesterol levels alone, for primary prevention of cardiovascular events in individuals with aortic arch plaques may require further investigation.

Prevalence of glucose metabolism disorders and its association with left atrial remodelling before and after catheter ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation.

AIMS: To investigate the exact prevalence of glucose metabolism disorders, and their impact on left atrial (LA) remodelling and reversibility in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS: We examined 204 consecutive patients with AF who underwent their first catheter ablation (CA). Oral glucose tolerance test was used to evaluate glucose metabolism disorders in 157 patients without known diabetes mellitus (DM). Echocardiography was performed before and 6 months after CA. Oral glucose tolerance test identified abnormal glucose metabolism in 86 patients [11 with newly diagnosed DM, 74 with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and 1 with impaired fasting glucose (IFG)]. Ultimately, 65.2% of patients had abnormal glucose metabolism. Diabetes mellitus group had the worst LA reservoir strain and LA stiffness (both P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in baseline LA parameters between normal glucose tolerance (NGT) group and IGT/IFG group. The prevalence of LA reverse remodelling (≥15% decrease in the LA volume index at 6 months after CA) was significantly higher in NGT group compared with IGT/IFG and DM group (64.1 vs. 38.6 vs. 41.5%, P = 0.006). Both DM and IFG/IGT carry a significant risk of lack of LA reverse remodelling independent of baseline LA size and AF recurrence. CONCLUSION: Approximately 65% of patients with AF who underwent their first CA had abnormal glucose metabolism. Patients with DM had significantly impaired LA function compared with non-DM patients. Impaired glucose tolerance/IFG as well as DM carries significant risk of unfavourable LA reverse remodelling. Our observations may provide valuable information regarding the mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of glucose metabolism-related AF.

Impact of insulin resistance on subclinical left ventricular dysfunction in normal weight and overweight/obese japanese subjects in a general community.

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance carries increased risk of heart failure, although the pathophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. LV global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) assessed by speckle-tracking echocardiography has emerged as an important tool to detect early LV systolic abnormalities. This study aimed to investigate the association between insulin resistance and subclinical left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in a sample of the general population without overt cardiac disease. METHODS: We investigated 539 participants who voluntarily underwent extensive cardiovascular health check including laboratory test and speckle-tracking echocardiography. Glycemic profiles were categorized into 3 groups according to homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR): absence of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR < 1.5), presence of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR ≥ 1.5) and diabetes mellitus (DM). Multivariable logistic regression models were conducted to evaluate the association between abnormal glucose metabolism and impaired LVGLS (> - 16.65%). RESULTS: Forty-five (8.3%) participants had DM and 66 (12.2%) had abnormal HOMA-IR. LV mass index and E/e' ratio did not differ between participants with and without abnormal HOMA-IR, whereas abnormal HOMA-IR group had significantly decreased LVGLS (- 17.6 ± 2.6% vs. - 19.7 ± 3.1%, p < 0.05). The prevalence of impaired LVGLS was higher in abnormal HOMA-IR group compared with normal HOMA-IR group (42.4% vs. 14.0%) and similar to that of DM (48.9%). In multivariable analyses, glycemic abnormalities were significantly associated with impaired LVGLS, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and pertinent laboratory and echocardiographic parameters [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.38, p = 0.007 for abnormal HOMA-IR; adjusted OR 3.02, p = 0.003 for DM]. The independent association persisted even after adjustment for waist circumference as a marker of abdominal adiposity. Sub-group analyses stratified by body mass index showed significant association between abnormal HOMA-IR and impaired LVGLS in normal weight individuals (adjusted OR 4.59, p = 0.001), but not in overweight/obese individuals (adjusted OR 1.62, p = 0.300). CONCLUSIONS: In the general population without overt cardiac disease, insulin resistance carries independent risk for subclinical LV dysfunction, especially in normal weight individuals.

Deep learning algorithm for detection of aortic dissection on non-contrast-enhanced CT.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a deep learning-based algorithm to detect aortic dissection (AD) and evaluate the diagnostic ability of the algorithm compared with those of radiologists. METHODS: Included in the study were 170 patients (85 with AD and 85 without AD). An AD detection algorithm was developed using a convolutional neural network with Xception architecture. Of the patient data, 80% were used for training and validation and 20% were used for testing. Fivefold cross-validation was performed to evaluate the method. An average of 6688 non-contrast-enhanced CT images (slice thickness, 5 mm) were used for training. A radiologist reviewed both contrast-enhanced and non-contrast-enhanced images and identified the slices of AD. The identified slices were used as ground truth. Receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC) analysis was performed. Five radiologists independently evaluated the images. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the algorithm and those of the radiologists were compared. RESULTS: The AUC of the developed algorithm was 0.940, and a cutoff value of 0.400 provided accuracy of 90.0%, sensitivity of 91.8%, and specificity of 88.2%. For the radiologists, median (range) accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were 88.8 (83.5-94.1)%, 90.6 (83.5-94.1)%, and 94.1 (72.9-97.6)%, respectively. There was no significant difference in performance in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, or specificity between the algorithm and the average performance of the radiologists (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The developed algorithm showed comparable diagnostic performance to radiologists for detecting AD, which suggests the potential of the proposed method to support clinical practice by reducing missed ADs. KEY POINTS: • A deep learning-based algorithm for detecting aortic dissection was developed using the non-contrast-enhanced CT images of 170 patients. • The algorithm had an AUC of 0.940 for detecting aortic dissection. • The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the algorithm were comparable to those of radiologists.

Diagnostic performance for pulmonary adenocarcinoma on CT: comparison of radiologists with and without three-dimensional convolutional neural network.

OBJECTIVES: To compare diagnostic performance for pulmonary invasive adenocarcinoma among radiologists with and without three-dimensional convolutional neural network (3D-CNN). METHODS: Enrolled were 285 patients with adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS, n = 75), minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA, n = 58), and invasive adenocarcinoma (IVA, n = 152). A 3D-CNN model was constructed with seven convolution-pooling and two max-pooling layers and fully connected layers, in which batch normalization, residual connection, and global average pooling were used. Only the flipping process was performed for augmentation. The output layer comprised two nodes for two conditions (AIS/MIA and IVA) according to prognosis. Diagnostic performance of the 3D-CNN model in 285 patients was calculated using nested 10-fold cross-validation. In 90 of 285 patients, results from each radiologist (R1, R2, and R3; with 9, 14, and 26 years of experience, respectively) with and without the 3D-CNN model were statistically compared. RESULTS: Without the 3D-CNN model, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the radiologists were as follows: R1, 70.0%, 52.1%, and 90.5%; R2, 72.2%, 75%, and 69%; and R3, 74.4%, 89.6%, and 57.1%, respectively. With the 3D-CNN model, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the radiologists were as follows: R1, 72.2%, 77.1%, and 66.7%; R2, 74.4%, 85.4%, and 61.9%; and R3, 74.4%, 93.8%, and 52.4%, respectively. Diagnostic performance of each radiologist with and without the 3D-CNN model had no significant difference (p > 0.88), but the accuracy of R1 and R2 was significantly higher with than without the 3D-CNN model (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The 3D-CNN model can support a less-experienced radiologist to improve diagnostic accuracy for pulmonary invasive adenocarcinoma without deteriorating any diagnostic performances. KEY POINTS: • The 3D-CNN model is a non-invasive method for predicting pulmonary invasive adenocarcinoma in CT images with high sensitivity. • Diagnostic accuracy by a less-experienced radiologist was better with the 3D-CNN model than without the model.

Independent effect of visceral fat on left atrial phasic function in the general population.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Obesity increases the risk for atrial fibrillation (AF), although the impact of abdominal fat distribution on left atrial (LA) morphology and functional remodeling remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether increased abdominal adiposity is independently associated with impaired LA function and/or LA enlargement in a sample of the general population and to evaluate the role of adipokines in this association. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study cohort consisted of 527 participants (362 men; 57 ± 10 years) without overt cardiac disease who underwent laboratory testing, abdominal computed tomographic examination and echocardiography. Abdominal adiposity was quantitatively assessed as visceral fat area (VFA) and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) at the level of the umbilicus. Speckle-tracking echocardiography was performed to assess LA phasic function including reservoir, conduit and pump strain. LA reservoir and conduit strain decreased with increasing VFA quartiles (both p < 0.05), whereas no significant differences were observed in LA volume index and pump strain. When stratified by SFA, there were no significant differences in LA size and function across the quartiles. In multivariable analysis, VFA was significantly associated with LA conduit strain independent of cardiovascular risk factors, and pertinent laboratory and echocardiographic parameters (standardized ß = -0.136, p = 0.019). VFA was correlated with serum adiponectin level (r = -0.51, p < 0.001), but there was no association between adiponectin level and three LA phasic strains. CONCLUSION: In a sample of the general population, VFA accumulation was independently associated with worse LA conduit strain, which may be involved in the pathophysiological mechanism of obesity-related AF.

Thickness change and deformation of custom-made mouthguards after two years of use by Bangladeshi field hockey players.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Sports mouthguards are effective devices that prevent dental trauma in sports activities. Players should change mouthguards on a regular basis because of thickness reduction and shape deformation. However, there is no guidance regarding the best timing to change mouthguards. The aims of this study were to analyze the thickness change and deformation of mouthguards after 2 years of use in Bangladesh field hockey players and to consider appropriate evaluation criteria. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty-seven field hockey players belonging to the Bangladesh Sports Education Institute participated in this study. Participants were provided with double-layered mouthguards made of polyolefin-based material using a vacuum-forming machine. Mouthguards were fabricated using 2-mm-thick sheet as the first layer and 3-mm-thick sheet as the second layer. Players used the mouthguards for 2 years. Before and after using the mouthguards, the thicknesses of nine areas were measured. In addition, the lengths of five areas were used to analyze shape deformation. RESULTS: After 2 years, the thicknesses of all measured areas had significantly reduced, and the lengths had significantly increased. Thickness reduction of the posterior-occlusal and anterior-incisal areas and deformation of the posterior-buccal and posterior-palatal areas were significantly larger than those in other measured areas. CONCLUSIONS: Mouthguards should be changed on a regular basis to minimize thickness reduction and deformation. Occlusal and incisal thickness and length of the buccal-posterior area and the palatal-posterior area are factors to be considered in establishing guidelines regarding the timing of mouthguard change.

Lung Adenocarcinoma at CT with 0.25-mm Section Thickness and a 2048 Matrix: High-Spatial-Resolution Imaging for Predicting Invasiveness.

Background High-spatial-resolution (HSR) CT provides detailed information and clear delineation of lung anatomy and disease states. HSR CT may have high diagnostic performance for predicting invasiveness of lung adenocarcinoma. Purpose To examine the diagnostic performance of HSR CT in predicting the invasiveness of lung adenocarcinoma. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, 89 consecutive patients with adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA), or invasive adenocarcinoma (IVA) were included who underwent surgery for lung cancer between January 2018 and December 2019. All patients underwent HSR CT with 0.25-mm section thickness and a 2048 matrix. Two independent observers evaluated the images for the presence or absence of the following HSR CT findings: lobulation, spiculation, pleural indentation, vessel convergence, homogeneity of ground-glass opacity, reticulation, irregularity and centrality of solid portion, and air bronchiologram (irregularity, disruption, or dilatation). The total diameter (≤1.6 cm or >1.6 cm) and the longest diameter of the solid portion (≤0.8 cm or >0.8 cm) were evaluated. Logistic regression models were used to identify findings associated with MIA plus IVA. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to determine diagnostic performance. Results Eighty-nine patients (mean, 69 years ± 11 [standard deviation]; 49 men) were evaluated. The size of the nodules with invasion was a mean of 2.5 cm ± 1.2. Univariable analysis revealed lobulation, spiculation, pleural indentation, irregular and central solid portion, air bronchiologram with disruption and/or irregular dilatation, and total and solid portion diameters as associated with MIA plus IVA (all, P < .05). After adjustment for age, sex, and pack-years of smoking, disruption of air bronchogram and solid portion diameter greater than 0.8 cm remained as predictors of invasiveness (P = .001 and P = .02, respectively). The diagnostic performance of these two findings combined were as follows: sensitivity of 97% (59 of 61 patients; 95% confidence interval: 94%, 100%) and specificity of 86% (19 of 22 patients; 95% confidence interval: 65%, 97%), with an area under the curve of 0.94. Conclusion Using high-spatial-resolution CT, disruption of air bronchiologram and a solid portion greater than 0.8 cm were independently associated with a greater likelihood of invasiveness in lung adenocarcinoma. © RSNA, 2020 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Lynch and Oh in this issue.

Influence of field of view size on image quality: ultra-high-resolution CT vs. conventional high-resolution CT.

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted in order to compare the effect of field of view (FOV) size on image quality between ultra-high-resolution CT (U-HRCT) and conventional high-resolution CT (HRCT). METHODS: Eleven cadaveric lungs were scanned with U-HRCT and conventional HRCT and reconstructed with five FOVs (40, 80, 160, 240, and 320 mm). Three radiologists evaluated and scored the images. Three image evaluations were performed, comparing the image quality with the five FOVs with respect to the 160-mm FOV. The first evaluation was performed on conventional HRCT images, and the second evaluation on U-HRCT images. Images were scored on normal structure, abnormal findings, and overall image quality. The third evaluation was a comparison of the images obtained with conventional HRCT and U-HRCT, with scoring performed on overall image quality. Quantitative evaluation of noise was performed by setting ROIs. RESULTS: In conventional HRCT, image quality was improved when the FOV was reduced to 160 mm. In U-HRCT, image quality, except for noise, improved when the FOV was reduced to 80 mm. In the third evaluation, overall image quality was improved in U-HRCT over conventional HRCT at all FOVs. Noise of U-HRCT increased with respect to conventional HRCT when the FOV was reduced from 160 to 40 mm. However, at 240- and 320-mm FOVs, the noise of U-HRCT and conventional HRCT showed no differences. CONCLUSIONS: In conventional HRCT, image quality did not improve when the FOV was reduced below 160 mm. However, in U-HRCT, image quality improved even when the FOV was reduced to 80 mm. KEY POINTS: • Reducing the size of the field of view to 160 mm improves diagnostic imaging quality in high-resolution CT. • In ultra-high-resolution CT, improvements in image quality can be obtained by reducing the size of the field of view to 80 mm. • Ultra-high-resolution CT produces images of higher quality compared with conventional HRCT irrespective of the size of the field of view.

Combination of Deep Learning-Based Denoising and Iterative Reconstruction for Ultra-Low-Dose CT of the Chest: Image Quality and Lung-RADS Evaluation.

OBJECTIVE. The objective of our study was to assess the effect of the combination of deep learning-based denoising (DLD) and iterative reconstruction (IR) on image quality and Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS) evaluation on chest ultra-low-dose CT (ULDCT). MATERIALS AND METHODS. Forty-one patients with 252 nodules were evaluated retrospectively. All patients underwent ULDCT (mean ± SD, 0.19 ± 0.01 mSv) and standard-dose CT (SDCT) (6.46 ± 2.28 mSv). ULDCT images were reconstructed using hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR) and model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR), and they were postprocessed using DLD (i.e., HIR-DLD and MBIR-DLD). SDCT images were reconstructed using filtered back projection. Three independent radiologists subjectively evaluated HIR, HIR-DLD, MBIR, and MBIR-DLD images on a 5-point scale in terms of noise, streak artifact, nodule edge, clarity of small vessels, homogeneity of the normal lung parenchyma, and overall image quality. Two radiologists independently evaluated the nodules according to Lung-RADS using HIR, MBIR, HIR-DLD, and MBIR-DLD ULDCT images and SDCT images. The median scores for subjective analysis were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed rank test with Bonferroni correction. Intraobserver agreement for Lung-RADS category between ULDCT and SDCT was evaluated using the weighted kappa coefficient. RESULTS. In the subjective analysis, ULDCT with DLD showed significantly better scores than did ULDCT without DLD (p < 0.001), and MBIR-DLD showed the best scores among the ULDCT images (p < 0.001) for all items. In the Lung-RADS evaluation, HIR showed fair or moderate agreement (reader 1 and reader 2: κw = 0.46 and 0.32, respectively); MBIR, moderate or good agreement (κw = 0.68 and 0.57); HIR-DLD, moderate agreement (κw = 0.53 and 0.48); and MBIR-DLD, good agreement (κw = 0.70 and 0.72). CONCLUSION. DLD improved the image quality of both HIR and MBIR on ULDCT. MBIR-DLD was superior to HIR_DLD for image quality and for Lung-RADS evaluation.

Effect of cigarette smoking on carotid artery atherosclerosis: a community-based cohort study.

Cigarette smoking is closely associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship between cigarette smoking and subclinical atherosclerosis has not been fully studied. We sought to clarify the association between cigarette smoking and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in a general Japanese population. Among 1,209 participants who received a medical check-up with cardiovascular examination at our institution, 450 participants (37.2%) were smokers (including both past and current smokers). We evaluated cIMT as a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis. The value of cIMT and rate of carotid plaque defined as IMT ≥ 1.1 mm did not differ between smokers and never smokers. However, the rate of carotid high-risk atheroma, defined as carotid artery atheroma including hypoechoic dominant and ulceration, was significantly higher among smokers than never smokers (30.4%, vs 23.6%, p = 0.009). Even after adjustment for covariates, cigarette smoking was independently associated with high-risk atheroma formation (odds ratio 1.384, 95% CI 1.019-1.880; p = 0.038). The value of cIMT and the rate of high-risk atheroma were significantly higher in smokers than never smokers in the subgroup of participants aged ≥ 60 years, whereas the rate of high-risk atheroma only was higher in smokers than never smokers in the subgroup of participants aged < 60 years. In conclusion, the development of high-risk carotid artery atheroma may precede the thickening of cIMT in cigarette smokers, which suggests the novel insight for the pathological mechanism underlying cardiovascular events and cigarette smoking.

Are there gender differences in the association between body mass index and left ventricular diastolic function? A clinical observational study in the Japanese general population.

BACKGROUND: Increased body mass index (BMI) is a major risk factor for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and HFpEF is more prevalent in elderly females than males. We hypothesized that there may be gender differences in the association between BMI and echocardiographic left ventricular (LV) diastolic parameters. METHODS: We enrolled 456 subjects (243 males) without overt cardiac diseases, all of whom underwent a health checkup. Early (E) and late (A) diastolic transmitral flow velocity, early diastolic mitral annular velocity (e'), and left atrial (LA) volume index were measured by echocardiography to assess LV diastolic function. To examine gender differences in the association between BMI and LV diastolic function, we analyzed the interaction effects of gender on the association between BMI and echocardiographic LV diastolic parameters. RESULTS: Although there were significant gender differences in the association between BMI and E/A and e' in the crude model (interaction effect 0.037 and 0.173, respectively; P = .006 and .022, respectively), these differences were not statistically significant after adjustment for factors related to LV diastolic function. On the other hand, there were significant associations between BMI and LV diastolic parameters in each gender, even after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest there is no gender difference in the association between BMI and echocardiographic LV diastolic parameters. However, the association between BMI and LV diastolic parameters was significant in both genders. Controlling body weight might be beneficial for both women and men to prevent progression of LV diastolic dysfunction and development of HFpEF.

Atrial ectopy after pulmonary vein isolation and left heart reverse remodeling in patients with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Maintenance of sinus rhythm after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with left atrial (LA) and ventricular (LV) reverse remodeling, although the degree varies among individuals. We hypothesized that frequent premature atrial complex (PAC) after PVI may attenuate the left heart reverse remodeling benefited from maintenance of sinus rhythm. METHODS: We included 82 AF patients who underwent first-time PVI and 24-h Holter recordings at 6 months after PVI. All patients had no AF recurrence before this time. The number of PAC was categorized into tertiles: <90, 90-488 and >488 PACs/day. All patients underwent two-dimensional echocardiography and serum plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) measurement before and 6 months after PVI. LA reverse remodeling was defined as ≥15% decrease in LA volume index. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the baseline characteristics among the PAC tertiles except for sex. Six months after PVI, LA volume index, LV mass index, and serum BNP levels were significantly decreased in lower and middle PAC tertiles (all P < .05), whereas no significant changes were observed in upper PAC tertile. Frequency of LA reverse remodeling was significantly lower in upper tertile of PAC compared with middle and lower tertiles (22.2%, 57.1%, and 59.3%, P < .001). Baseline LA volume index, changes in LV mass index, and the frequency of PAC were independently associated with LA reverse remodeling (all P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Frequent PAC after PVI was associated with less left heart reverse remodeling in AF patients even without AF recurrence.

Computed tomography-guided preoperative localization of small lung nodules with indocyanine green.

Background Small, deep-seated lung nodules and sub-solid nodules are often difficult to locate without marking. Purpose To evaluate the success and complication rates associated with the use of indocyanine green (ICG) to localize pulmonary nodules before resection. Material and Methods This retrospective study was approved by our institutional review board. Informed consent for performing preoperative localization using ICG marking was obtained from all patients. Thirty-seven patients (14 men, 23 women; mean age = 63.1 years; age range = 10-82 years) with small peripheral pulmonary nodules underwent computed tomography (CT)-guided ICG marking immediately before surgery between March 2007 and June 2016. The procedural details and complication rates associated with ICG marking are described. Results The average nodule size and depth were 9.1 mm (range = 2-22 mm) and 9.9 mm (range = 0-33 mm), respectively. Marking was detected at the pleural surface in 35 patients (95%). Three cases of mild pneumothorax (8%), five cases of cough (14%), and one case of mild bloody sputum (3%) with no clinical significance were noted. There were no severe complications. The average duration required to perform the marking was 19.4 min (range = 12-41 min). Conclusion Our results indicate that CT-guided ICG marking is safe and useful for detecting the location of small pulmonary nodules preoperatively.

The Effect of Teeth Clenching on Dynamic Balance at Jump-Landing: A Pilot Study.

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of teeth clenching on dynamic balance at jump landing. Twenty-five healthy subjects performed jump-landing tasks with or without teeth clenching. The first 3 trials were performed with no instruction; subsequently, subjects were ordered to clench at the time of landing in the following 3 trials. We collected the data of masseter muscle activity by electromyogram, the maximum vertical ground reaction force (vGRFmax) and center of pressure (CoP) parameters by force plate during jump-landing. According to the clenching status of control jump-landing, all participants were categorized into a spontaneous clenching group and no clenching group, and the CoP data were compared. The masseter muscle activity was correlated with vGRFmax during anterior jump-landing, while it was not correlated with CoP. In comparisons between the spontaneous clenching and the no clenching group during anterior jump-landing, the spontaneous clenching group showed harder landing and the CoP area became larger than the no clenching group. There were no significant differences between pre- and postintervention in both spontaneous clenching and no clenching groups. The effect of teeth clenching on dynamic balance during jump-landing was limited.

Root cap-dependent gravitropic U-turn of maize root requires light-induced auxin biosynthesis via the YUC pathway in the root apex.

Gravitropism refers to the growth or movement of plants that is influenced by gravity. Roots exhibit positive gravitropism, and the root cap is thought to be the gravity-sensing site. In some plants, the root cap requires light irradiation for positive gravitropic responses. However, the mechanisms regulating this phenomenon are unknown. We herein report that maize roots exposed to white light continuously for ≥1-2h show increased indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels in the root tips, especially in the transition zone (1-3mm from the tip). Treatment with IAA biosynthesis inhibitors yucasin and l-kynurenine prevented any increases in IAA content and root curvature under light conditions. Analyses of the incorporation of a stable isotope label from tryptophan into IAA revealed that some of the IAA in roots was synthesized in the root apex. Furthermore, Zmvt2 and Zmyuc gene transcripts were detected in the root apex. One of the Zmyuc genes (ZM2G141383) was up-regulated by light irradiation in the 0-1mm tip region. Our findings suggest that IAA accumulation in the transition zone is due to light-induced activation of Zmyuc gene expression in the 0-1mm root apex region. Light-induced changes in IAA levels and distributions mediate the maize root gravitropic U-turn.

Prediction of solid and micropapillary components in lung invasive adenocarcinoma: radiomics analysis from high-spatial-resolution CT data with 1024 matrix.

PURPOSE: To predict solid and micropapillary components in lung invasive adenocarcinoma using radiomic analyses based on high-spatial-resolution CT (HSR-CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this retrospective study, 64 patients with lung invasive adenocarcinoma were enrolled. All patients were scanned by HSR-CT with 1024 matrix. A pathologist evaluated subtypes (lepidic, acinar, solid, micropapillary, or others). Total 61 radiomic features in the CT images were calculated using our modified texture analysis software, then filtered and minimized by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression to select optimal radiomic features for predicting solid and micropapillary components in lung invasive adenocarcinoma. Final data were obtained by repeating tenfold cross-validation 10 times. Two independent radiologists visually predicted solid or micropapillary components on each image of the 64 nodules with and without using the radiomics results. The quantitative values were analyzed with logistic regression models. The receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to predict of solid and micropapillary components. P values < 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Two features (Coefficient Variation and Entropy) were independent indicators associated with solid and micropapillary components (odds ratio, 30.5 and 11.4; 95% confidence interval, 5.1-180.5 and 1.9-66.6; and P = 0.0002 and 0.0071, respectively). The area under the curve for predicting solid and micropapillary components was 0.902 (95% confidence interval, 0.802 to 0.962). The radiomics results significantly improved the accuracy and specificity of the prediction of the two radiologists. CONCLUSION: Two texture features (Coefficient Variation and Entropy) were significant indicators to predict solid and micropapillary components in lung invasive adenocarcinoma.

Association between interstitial lung abnormality and mortality in patients with esophageal cancer.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs) and mortality in patients with esophageal cancer and the cause of mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study investigated patients with esophageal cancer from January 2011 to December 2015. ILAs were visually scored on baseline CT using a 3-point scale (0 = non-ILA, 1 = indeterminate for ILA, and 2 = ILA). ILAs were classified into subcategories of non-subpleural, subpleural non-fibrotic, and subpleural fibrotic. Five-year overall survival (OS) was compared between patients with and without ILAs using the multivariable Cox proportional hazards model. Subgroup analyses were performed based on cancer stage and ILA subcategories. The prevalences of treatment complications and death due to esophageal cancer and pneumonia/respiratory failure were analyzed using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: A total of 478 patients with esophageal cancer (age, 66.8 years ± 8.6 [standard deviation]; 64 women) were evaluated in this study. Among them, 267 patients showed no ILAs, 125 patients were indeterminate for ILAs, and 86 patients showed ILAs. ILAs were a significant factor for shorter OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-2.55, P = 0.016) in the multivariable Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for age, sex, smoking history, clinical stage, and histology. On subgroup analysis using patients with clinical stage IVB, the presence of ILAs was a significant factor (HR = 3.78, 95% CI 1.67-8.54, P = 0.001). Subpleural fibrotic ILAs were significantly associated with shorter OS (HR = 2.22, 95% CI 1.25-3.93, P = 0.006). There was no significant difference in treatment complications. Patients with ILAs showed a higher prevalence of death due to pneumonia/respiratory failure than those without ILAs (non-ILA, 2/95 [2%]; ILA, 5/39 [13%]; P = 0.022). The prevalence of death due to esophageal cancer was similar in patients with and without ILA (non-ILA, 82/95 [86%]; ILA 32/39 [82%]; P = 0.596). CONCLUSION: ILAs were significantly associated with shorter survival in patients with esophageal cancer.

Association of Atrial Fibrillation Progression With Left Atrial Functional Reserve and Its Reversibility.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) progression is closely related to heart failure occurrence, and catheter ablation carries a beneficial effect for heart failure prevention. Recently, particular attention has been given to left atrial (LA) function and functional reserve in the pathogenesis linking AF and heart failure, although its significance and reversibility is not well studied. METHODS AND RESULTS: We prospectively investigated 164 patients with AF with normal left ventricular systolic function and free from heart failure who underwent first catheter ablation and pre-/postprocedural echocardiography. Conventional and speckle-tracking echocardiography were performed at rest and during passive leg lifting to assess LA size, LA reservoir strain (LARS), and functional reserve calculated as passive leg lifting-LARS - rest-LARS. Patients were categorized into 3 AF subtypes: paroxysmal AF (N=95), persistent AF (PeAF; N=50), and long-standing persistent AF (LS-PeAF; N=19). The PeAF and LS-PeAF groups had larger LA size and reduced LARS compared with the paroxysmal AF group (all P<0.05). LA functional reserve was significantly impaired in the LS-PeAF group (P=0.003). In multivariable analysis, LS-PeAF and advanced age were significantly associated with impaired LA functional reserve. Among 149 patients with sinus rhythm 1 to 2 days after catheter ablation, LARS was significantly improved in both PeAF and LS-PeAF groups but was still lower than that in the paroxysmal AF group. Sinus rhythm restoration also led to amelioration of LA functional reserve in patients with LS-PeAF. CONCLUSIONS: AF progression was related to impaired LARS and LA functional reserve, and restoration of sinus rhythm might contribute to early LA reverse remodeling.