Voxel-Based Morphometry of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Using a 3D Fast Low-angle Shot Localizer Image: A Comparison with Magnetization-Prepared Rapid Gradient Echo.

PURPOSE: Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is widely used to investigate white matter (WM) atrophy in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). In contrast to high-resolution 3D T1-weighted imaging such as magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition with gradient echo (MPRAGE) sequences, the utility of other 3D sequences has not been sufficiently evaluated. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of using a 3D fast low-angle shot sequence captured as a localizer image (L3DFLASH) for VBM analysis of WM atrophy patterns in patients with PSP. METHODS: This retrospective study included 12 patients with pathologically or clinically confirmed PSP, and 18 age- and sex-matched healthy controls scanned with both L3DFLASH and MPRAGE sequences. Image processing was conducted with the Computational Anatomy Toolbox 12 in statistical parametric mapping 12. In addition to the atrophic WM pattern of PSP on VBM, we assessed the WM volume agreement between the two sequences using simple linear regression and Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS: Despite the slightly larger clusters on MPRAGE, VBM using both sequences showed similar characteristics of PSP-related WM atrophy, including in the midbrain, pons, thalamus, and precentral gyrus. In contrast, VBM showed gray matter (GM) atrophy of the precuneus and right superior parietal lobule exclusively on L3DFLASH. Unlike the measured values of total intracranial volume, GM, and cerebrospinal fluid on MPRAGE, the value of WM was larger on L3DFLASH. In contrast to the total intracranial volume, brainstem, and frontal and occipital lobes, the correlation with WM volume in other regions was relatively low. However, the Bland-Altman plots demonstrated strong agreement, with over 90% of the values falling within the agreement limits. CONCLUSION: Both MPRAGE and L3DFLASH are useful for detecting PSP-related WM atrophy using VBM.

Comparison of consistency in centiloid scale among different analytical methods in amyloid PET: the CapAIBL, VIZCalc, and Amyquant methods.

OBJECTIVE: The Centiloid (CL) scale is a standardized measure for quantifying amyloid deposition in amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. We aimed to assess the agreement among 3 CL calculation methods: CapAIBL, VIZCalc, and Amyquant. METHODS: This study included 192 participants (mean age: 71.5 years, range: 50-87 years), comprising 55 with Alzheimer's disease, 65 with mild cognitive impairment, 13 with non-Alzheimer's dementia, and 59 cognitively normal participants. All the participants were assessed using the three CL calculation methods. Spearman's rank correlation, linear regression, Friedman tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and Bland-Altman analysis were employed to assess data correlations, linear associations, method differences, and systematic bias, respectively. RESULTS: Strong correlations (rho = 0.99, p < .001) were observed among the CL values calculated using the three methods. Scatter plots and regression lines visually confirmed these strong correlations and met the validation criteria. Despite the robust correlations, a significant difference in CL value between CapAIBL and Amyquant was observed (36.1 ± 39.7 vs. 34.9 ± 39.4; p < .001). In contrast, no significant differences were found between CapAIBL and VIZCalc or between VIZCalc and Amyquant. The Bland-Altman analysis showed no observable systematic bias between the methods. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated strong agreement among the three methods for calculating CL values. Despite minor variations in the absolute values of the Centiloid scores obtained using these methods, the overall agreement suggests that they are interchangeable.

Integrated analysis identified prognostic microRNAs in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play pivotal roles in the development and progression of breast cancer (BC). In this study, we attempted to identify miRNAs associated with BC prognosis and progression via integrated analysis. METHODS: We first screened 83 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) in 1249 BC samples and 151 normal samples. We then validated their roles in expression and prognosis of BC, identified two survival-related DEMs, and established a risk model. The prediction efficiency was assessed in both the training and validation groups. Tissue and cell experiments were conducted to verify the regulatory effects of miR-127 in BC. RESULTS: The ROC curve indicated good prediction ability with 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of 0.73, 0.72, and 0.72, respectively. Moreover, hsa-miR-127 was found to be an independent prognostic factor of BC. Functional analyses revealed that it is involved in various cancer pathways such as the PI3K-Akt and p53 pathways. miR-127 expression was down-regulated in both BC tissues and cell lines. The knockdown of miR-127 substantially increased, whereas overexpression decreased BC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. This effect of miR-127 was consistent with its tumorigenic ability and tumor volume in nude mice. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that low expression of miR-127 contributes to BC migration, invasion, and tumorigenesis and that it can be a therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker for BC.

Association of a Healthy Lifestyle With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Among Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective Study in UK Biobank.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of a healthy lifestyle, involving seven low-risk factors mentioned in diabetes management guidelines (no current smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, regular physical activity, healthy diet, less sedentary behavior, adequate sleep duration, and appropriate social connection), with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This study included 13,366 participants with baseline type 2 diabetes from the UK Biobank free of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. Lifestyle information was collected through a baseline questionnaire. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 11.7 years, 1,561 deaths were documented, with 625 from cancer, 370 from CVD, 115 from respiratory disease, 81 from digestive disease, and 74 from neurodegenerative disease. In multivariate-adjusted model, each lifestyle factor was significantly associated with all-cause mortality, and hazard ratios associated with the lifestyle score (scoring 6-7 vs. 0-2 unless specified) were 0.42 (95% CI 0.34, 0.52) for all-cause mortality, 0.57 (0.41, 0.80) for cancer mortality, 0.35 (0.22, 0.56) for CVD mortality, 0.26 (0.10, 0.63) for respiratory mortality, and 0.28 (0.14, 0.53) for digestive mortality (scoring 5-7 vs. 0-2). In the population-attributable risk analysis, 29.4% (95% CI 17.9%, 40.9%) of deaths were attributable to a poor lifestyle (scoring 0-5). The association between a healthy lifestyle and all-cause mortality was consistent, irrespective of factors reflecting diabetes severity (diabetes duration, glycemic control, diabetes-related microvascular disease, and diabetes medication). CONCLUSIONS: A healthy lifestyle was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and mortality due to CVD, cancer, respiratory disease, and digestive disease among individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Application value of computer-assisted surgery system in pediatric hepatic hemangioma.

PURPOSE: To explore the treatment of pediatric hepatic hemangioma and the role of the Hisense computer-assisted surgery (Hisense CAS) system in diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: We collected the clinical and follow-up data of all pediatric hepatic hemangioma cases in our pediatric surgery department from March 2008 to March 2021 for retrospective analysis. The Hisense CAS system was used to create three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions based on computed tomography data. RESULTS: There were 71 patients, mainly infants (prenatal to 39 months). There were more males than females (42 vs. 29), and the alpha-fetoprotein level was significantly increased in 8 cases. 3D reconstruction by the Hisense CAS system showed that hepatic artery tracking was helpful for the differential diagnosis of pediatric hepatic hemangioma. Twenty-three children treated with propranolol showed significant differences in the tumour diameter, volume, and tumour-to-liver volume ratio after treatment (all P < 0.05). Compared with early surgical treatment, the curative effect of this approach was obvious. CONCLUSION: As a non-surgical treatment for symptomatic pediatric hepatic hemangioma, propranolol can replace surgical resection to a certain extent and reduce the proportion of children who need surgical intervention. Hisense CAS has advantages in evaluating the tumour volume before and after propranolol treatment. The liver volume and the liver tumour volume percentage provide new perspectives for evaluating the tumour outcome.

Identification of Novel Prognostic Risk Signatures of Soft Tissue Sarcoma Based on Ferroptosis-Related Genes.

BACKGROUND: The role of ferroptosis in tumorigenesis has been confirmed in previous studies. However, the comprehensive analysis of ferroptosis-related gene (FRG) to study the role of FRG in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is lacking. METHODS: RNA sequencing profile of TCGA-SARC cohort and GTEx were used to select differentially expressed FRGs (DEFRGs). Univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox analyses were selected to determine overall survival (OS)- and disease-free survival (PFS)-related FRGs. Two prognostic signatures were established and validated in two independent sets from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Finally, the expression of key FRGs were validated with RT-qPCR. RESULTS: In total, 198 FRGs (90.4%) were abnormally expressed in STS. Twelve DEFRGs were incorporated in the final signatures and showed favorable discrimination in both training and validation cohorts. Patients in the different risk groups not only showed different prognosis, but also showed different infiltration of immune cells. Two nomograms combining signature and clinical variables were established and the C-indexes were 0.852 and 0.752 for the OS and DFS nomograms, respectively. Finally, the expression of NOX5, HELLS, and RPL8 were validated with RT-qPCR. CONCLUSION: This comprehensive analysis of the FRG landscape in STS revealed novel FRGs related to carcinogenesis and prognosis. These findings have implications for prognosis and therapeutic responses, which revealed potential prognostic biomarkers and promote precision medicine.

Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Promote Proliferation, Invasion and Migration of Osteosarcoma Cells via the lncRNA MALAT1/miR-143/NRSN2/Wnt/ß-Catenin Axis.

INTRODUCTION: Osteosarcoma is a malignant primary bone tumor. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells-derived extracellular vesicles (BMSC-EVs) bear repair function for bone and cartilage. This study investigated the mechanism of BMSC-EVs in osteosarcoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion. METHODS: BMSC-EVs were isolated and identified. The effects of different concentrations of EVs on osteosarcoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion were evaluated. LncRNA MALAT1 expression in osteosarcoma cells was detected. BMSCs were transfected with si-MALAT1 or si-NC. The binding relationships between MALAT1 and miR-143, and miR-143 and NRSN2 were verified. Levels of NRSN2 and Wnt/ß-catenin pathway key proteins were detected. miR-143 mimic was transfected into EVs-treated osteosarcoma cells. Nude mice were injected with MG63 cells to verify the effect of EVs on osteosarcoma growth in vivo. RESULTS: BMSC-EVs facilitated proliferation, invasion and migration of osteosarcoma cells. BMSC-EVs carried MALAT1 into osteosarcoma cells. BMSC-EVs-treated osteosarcoma cells showed increased MALAT1 and NRSN2 expressions, decreased miR-143 expression, and activated Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. miR-143 mimic or si-MALAT1 reversed the effects of BMSC-EVs on osteosarcoma cells. In vivo experiment confirmed that BMSC-EVs promoted tumor growth in nude mice. DISCUSSION: BMSC-EVs promoted proliferation, invasion and migration of osteosarcoma cells via the MALAT1/miR-143/NRSN2/Wnt/ß-catenin axis. This study might offer new insights into osteosarcoma management.

A Novel Model Incorporating Tumor Stiffness, Blood Flow Characteristics, and Ki-67 Expression to Predict Responses After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ability of tumor stiffness, tumor blood flow, and Ki-67 expression alone or in combination in predicting the pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 145 breast cancer patients treated with NACT. Tumor stiffness (maximum stiffness (Emax), mean stiffness (Emean)), blood score (BS), and their relative changes, were evaluated before (t0), during (t1-t5), and at the end of NACT (t6) by shear-wave elastography and optical imaging. Ki-67 expression was quantitatively evaluated by immunohistochemistry using core biopsy specimens obtained before NACT. Pathological responses were evaluated by residual cancer burden. The ability of tumor stiffness, BS, Ki-67, and predRCB-which combined ΔEmean (t2) (the relative changes in Emean after the second NACT cycle), BS2 (BS after the second NACT cycle), and Ki-67-in predicting tumor responses was compared using receiver operating characteristic curves and the Z-test. RESULTS: Tumor stiffness and BS decreased during NACT. ΔEmean (t2), BS2, and Ki-67 had better predictive performance than other indexes in identifying a favorable response (AUC = 0.82, 0.81, and 0.80) and resistance responses (AUC = 0.85, 0.79, and 0.84), with no significant differences between the three (p > 0.05). PredRCB had better predictive performance than any parameter alone for a favorable response (AUC = 0.90) and resistance (AUC = 0.93). CONCLUSION: Tumor stiffness, BS, and Ki-67 expression showed good and similar abilities for predicting the pathological response to NACT, and predRCB was a significantly better predictor than each index alone. These results may help design therapeutic strategies for breast cancer patients undergoing NACT.

Long noncoding RNA LINC01410 promotes the tumorigenesis of neuroblastoma cells by sponging microRNA-506-3p and modulating WEE1.

OBJECTIVE: Neuroblastoma (NBL) is an extra-cranial solid tumor in children. This study was attempted to investigate the regulatory mechanism of long noncoding RNA LINC01410 (LINC01410) on NBL. METHODS: The expression of LINC01410, miR-506-3p, and WEE1 in NBL was evaluated by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. The proliferation and colony formation ability of NBL cells were analyzed by MTT and colony formation assay. Flow cytometry assay was executed to measure the apoptosis and cell cycle. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the targeted relationships among LINC01410, miR-506-3p, and WEE1. Additionally, the role of LINC01410 on NBL in vivo was evaluated according to a tumor xenograft model. RESULTS: The expression of LINC01410 and WEE1 was enhanced and miR-506-3p was inhibited in NBL. LINC01410 knockdown attenuated the cell proliferation, colony formation ability, and inhibited tumor growth. Moreover, LINC01410 silencing facilitated the apoptosis and arrested the cell cycle. LINC01410 interacted with miR-506-3p to elevate the WEE1 expression in NBL. Additionally, miR-506-3p inhibition or WEE1 overexpression weakened the reduction effects of sh-LINC01410 on cell proliferation, colony formation ability, apoptosis, and cell cycle. CONCLUSIONS: Knockdown of LINC01410 inhibited the development of NBL by miR-506-3p/WEE1 axis in vitro, which could serve as a potential therapeutic target for NBL therapy.

Hydrogen-Bonded Polymer-Small Molecule Complexes with Tunable Mechanical Properties.

A novel type of polymeric material with tunable mechanical properties is fabricated from polymers and small molecules that can form hydrogen-bonded intermolecular complexes (IMCs). In this work, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-glycerol hydrogels are first prepared, and then they are dried to form IMCs. The tensile strengths and moduli of IMCs decrease dramatically with increasing glycerol content, while the elongations increase gradually. The mechanical properties are comparable with or even superior to those of common engineering plastics and rubbers. The IMCs with high glycerol content also show excellent flexibility and cold-resistance at subzero temperatures. Cyclic tensile and stress relaxation tests prove that there is an effective energy dissipation mechanism in IMCs and dynamic mechanical analysis confirms their physical crosslinking nature. FTIR and NMR characterizations prove the existence of hydrogen bonding between glycerol and PVA chains, which suppresses the crystallization of PVA from X-ray diffraction measurement. These PVA-glycerol IMCs may find potential applications in barrier films, biomedical packaging, etc., in the future.

Clinical Significance of Pelvic Peritonization in Laparoscopic Dixon Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic floor peritoneum reconstruction is a key step in various standard resections for open radical rectal cancer. However, during endoscopic surgery, most surgeons do not close the pelvic floor peritoneum. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of pelvic peritonization during laparoscopic Dixon surgery using an observational study. METHODS: A total of 189 patients, who underwent laparoscopic Dixon surgery at Tianjin Union Medical Center, China, were analyzed retrospectively. All of the cases were divided into two groups according to the differences of surgical procedure. The 92 patients in Group A (observation group) underwent pelvic peritonization and the 97 patients in Group B (control group) did not undergo this procedure. Postoperative complications were observed in the two groups, compared, and analyzed using the Chi-square or Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: The incidence of anastomotic leakage was significantly lower in Group A than in Group B (P = 0.014). A significant difference was found in the postoperative short-term (P = 0.029) and long-term (P = 0.029) ileus rates between the two groups, with Group A exhibiting a lower rate than Group B. Patients in Group A had significantly lower rates of postoperative infections than those in Group B (χ2 = 7.606, P = 0.006; χ2 = 4.464, P = 0.035). Patients in Group A had significantly lower rates of deep venous thrombosis than those in Group B (χ2 = 8.531, P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic peritonization effectively reduces postoperative complications, such as anastomotic leakage, which warrants its increased use in laparoscopic surgery.

A case report of an emergency in the scrotum of a 4-month-old boy: A hair in the spermatic cord.

RATIONALE: Retained foreign body (FB) in soft tissues of children is commonly encountered in the emergency room. The FBs include different kinds of material and associate with some nonspecific symptoms. They usually penetrate the skin or other soft tissues and show some entry holes. PATIENT: A 4-month-old male infant was admitted to our department due to the edema on the right of scrotum, higher skin temperature, and a funicular lump with serious haphalgesia in the right groin and scrotum. DIAGNOSES: Imaging studies revealed a foreign body in right spermatic cord. A surgical exploration was performed, and a hair was dislodged. The pathological diagnosis was hyperplastic fibrous connective tissue and inflammatory reaction. INTERVENTIONS: A surgical exploration was performed to dislodge the foreign body. OUTCOMES: The boy had an uneventful course after the surgery and was discharged from the hospital one week later. The incision healed well when the boy came back for follow-up one week later. LESSONS: We still have no idea that how this FB got to the soft tissue. Few previous studies can be retrieved to help us. But we can learn that foreign body should be one of consideration for the origin of inflammation or infection of soft tissues even there is not any laceration and penetration injuries.

Tough and Thermosensitive Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/Graphene Oxide Hydrogels with Macroscopically Oriented Liquid Crystalline Structures.

Bulk graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposite materials with macroscopically oriented GO liquid crystalline (LC) structures exhibit interesting anisotropic properties, but their facile preparations remain challenging. This work reports for the first time the facile preparation of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM)/GO nanocomposite hydrogels with macroscopically oriented LC structures with the assistance of a flow field induced by vacuum degassing and the in situ polymerization accelerated by GO. The hydrogel prepared with a GO concentration of 5.0 mg mL(-1) exhibits macroscopically aligned LC structures, which endow the gels with anisotropic optical, mechanical properties, and dimensional changes during the phase transition. The hydrogels show dramatically enhanced tensile mechanical properties and phase transition rates. The oriented LC structures are not damaged during the phase transition of the PNIPAM/GO hydrogels, and hence their LC behavior undergoes reversible change. Moreover, highly oriented LC structures can also be formed when the gels are elongated, even for the gels which do not have macroscopically oriented LC structures. Very impressively, the oriented LC structures in the hydrogels can be permanently maintained by drying the gel samples elongated to and then kept at a constant tensile strain. The thermosensitive nature of PNIPAM and the angle-dependent nature of the macroscopically aligned GO LC structures allow the practical applications of the PNIPAM/GO hydrogels as optical switches, soft sensors, and actuators and so on.

Anomalous origin of one pulmonary artery from the ascending aorta (hemitruncus) in a premature infant: a case report and literature review.

Anomalous origin of one pulmonary artery from the aorta (AOPA) is a rare congenital anomaly. Here, we report the case of a premature infant with a delayed diagnosis of AOPA who died before surgical repair could be attempted, and we review the literature regarding the diagnosis and surgical approaches in premature infants with AOPA.

Spatial changes of the peri-acetabular pelvic in developmental dysplasia of the hip---a combined 3-dimentional computed tomography (3D-CT) study in patients and experimental study in rats.

Few previous studies noticed the three bony structures that formed the acetabulum in developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). This study aimed at investigating the spatial changes of the peri-acetabular pelvis in developmental dysplasia of the hip through radiological evaluation of the patients and experimental observations in rat models. 115 unilateral DDH patients were studied through 3D-CT. In reconstruction workstation, the iliopubic inner plate angle, ilioischial inner plate angle and ischialpubic inner plate angle were measured and compared. 58 neonatal Wistar rats were divided into two groups and the rats in experiment group were swaddled to establish DDH models. The hips were sectioned, stained. The same three angles were measured and compared. The ilioischial inner plate angle of the affected hip decreased while the ischialpubic inner plate angle increased compared to those of the contralateral side. The iliopubic inner plate angle showed no difference between the affected and unaffected hips. In animal models we observed the same pathological pattern. The three angles measured on the sections showed similar tendency as those in the patients with DDH. The ischium rotates up and forwardly around the posterior and vertical limbs of the triradiate cartilage complex in DDH, just as a lifted piece of Pizza.

Atypically located pericardial cyst compressing the left ventricle during the whole cardiac cycle: a case report.

We report the uncommon case of a pericardial cyst with unremitting compression of the left ventricle during the whole cardiac cycle, but normal ejection fraction. On CT scan, the cyst was found at an atypical location, lateral to the pulmonary artery, the ascending aorta, and the right ventricular outflow tract in the left anterior mediastinum. The radio-density of the cyst was 41 Hounsfield units (HU), higher than other cases reported in the literature. As the cyst was stable, conservative treatment was adopted. The usefulness of echocardiography for the diagnosis and follow-up of pericardial cysts is discussed.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma occurring on the abdominal wall of a 2-year-old child.

Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a rare soft tissue malignant neoplasm that affects young people. It can occur in any region of the body and at any stage of development. But ASPS on the abdominal wall is rarely reported. However, a few cases were reported in children under the age of 10 years. In this study we report a case of ASPS that occurred on the abdominal wall of a 2-year-old patient.