Early systemic anticoagulation reduces hospital readmission in acute necrotizing pancreatitis patients: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Early systemic anticoagulation (SAC) is a common practice in acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP), and its impact on in-hospital clinical outcomes had been assessed. However, whether it affects long-term outcomes is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of SAC on 90-day readmission and other long-term outcomes in ANP patients. METHODS: During January 2013 and December 2018, ANP patients admitted within 7 days from the onset of abdominal pain were screened. The primary outcome was 90-day readmission after discharge. Cox proportional-hazards regression model and mediation analysis were used to define the relationship between early SAC and 90-day readmission. RESULTS: A total of 241 ANP patients were enrolled, of whom 143 received early SAC during their hospitalization and 98 did not. Patients who received early SAC experienced a lower incidence of splanchnic venous thrombosis (SVT) [risk ratio (RR) = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.26-0.60, P < 0.01] and lower 90-day readmission with an RR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.41-0.91, P = 0.02) than those who did not. For the quality of life, patients who received early SAC had a significantly higher score in the subscale of vitality (P = 0.03) while the other subscales were all comparable between the two groups. Multivariable Cox regression model showed that early SAC was an independent protective factor for 90-day readmission after adjusting for potential confounders with a hazard ratio of 0.57 (95% CI: 0.34-0.96, P = 0.04). Mediation analysis showed that SVT mediated 37.0% of the early SAC-90-day readmission causality. CONCLUSIONS: The application of early SAC may reduce the risk of 90-day readmission in the survivors of ANP patients, and reduced SVT incidence might be the primary contributor.

Deep Learning Nomogram for the Identification of Deep Stromal Invasion in Patients With Early-Stage Cervical Adenocarcinoma and Adenosquamous Carcinoma: A Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Deep stromal invasion (DSI) is one of the predominant risk factors that determined the types of radical hysterectomy (RH). Thus, the accurate assessment of DSI in cervical adenocarcinoma (AC)/adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) can facilitate optimal therapy decision. PURPOSE: To develop a nomogram to identify DSI in cervical AC/ASC. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. POPULATION: Six hundred and fifty patients (mean age of 48.2 years) were collected from center 1 (primary cohort, 536), centers 2 and 3 (external validation cohorts 1 and 2, 62 and 52). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 5-T, T2-weighted imaging (T2WI, SE/FSE), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI, EPI), and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (CE-T1WI, VIBE/LAVA). ASSESSMENT: The DSI was defined as the outer 1/3 stromal invasion on pathology. The region of interest (ROI) contained the tumor and 3 mm peritumoral area. The ROIs of T2WI, DWI, and CE-T1WI were separately imported into Resnet18 to calculate the DL scores (TDS, DDS, and CDS). The clinical characteristics were retrieved from medical records or MRI data assessment. The clinical model and nomogram were constructed by integrating clinical independent risk factors only and further combining DL scores based on primary cohort and were validated in two external validation cohorts. STATISTICAL TESTS: Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, or Chi-squared test were used to compare differences in continuous or categorical variables between DSI-positive and DSI-negative groups. DeLong test was used to compare AU-ROC values of DL scores, clinical model, and nomogram. RESULTS: The nomogram integrating menopause, disruption of cervical stromal ring (DCSRMR), DDS, and TDS achieved AU-ROCs of 0.933, 0.807, and 0.817 in evaluating DSI in primary and external validation cohorts. The nomogram had superior diagnostic ability to clinical model and DL scores in primary cohort (all P < 0.0125 [0.05/4]) and CDS (P = 0.009) in external validation cohort 2. DATA CONCLUSION: The nomogram achieved good performance for evaluating DSI in cervical AC/ASC. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

Intratumoral and peritumoral MRI radiomics nomogram for predicting parametrial invasion in patients with early-stage cervical adenocarcinoma and adenosquamous carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a comprehensive nomogram based on MRI intra- and peritumoral radiomics signatures and independent risk factors for predicting parametrial invasion (PMI) in patients with early-stage cervical adenocarcinoma (AC) and adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC). METHODS: A total of 460 patients with IB to IIB cervical AC and ASC who underwent preoperative MRI examination and radical trachelectomy/hysterectomy were retrospectively enrolled and divided into primary, internal validation, and external validation cohorts. The original (Ori) and wavelet (Wav)-transform features were extracted from the volumetric region of interest of the tumour (ROI-T) and 3mm- and 5mm-peritumoral rings (ROI-3 and ROI-5), respectively. Then the Ori and Ori-Wav feature-based radiomics signatures from the tumour (RST) and 3 mm- and 5 mm-peritumoral regions (RS3 and RS5) were independently built and their diagnostic performances were compared to select the optimal ones. Finally, the nomogram was developed by integrating optimal intra- and peritumoral signatures and clinical independent risk factors based on multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: FIGO stage, disruption of the cervical stromal ring on MRI (DCSRMR), parametrial invasion on MRI (PMIMR), and serum CA-125 were identified as independent risk factors. The nomogram constructed by integrating independent risk factors, Ori-Wav feature-based RST, and RS5 yielded AUCs of 0.874 (0.810-0.922), 0.885 (0.834-0.924), and 0.966 (0.887-0.995) for predicting PMI in the primary, internal and external validation cohorts, respectively. Furthermore, the nomogram was superior to radiomics signatures and clinical model for predicting PMI in three cohorts. CONCLUSION: The nomogram can preoperatively, accurately, and noninvasively predict PMI in patients with early-stage cervical AC and ASC. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The nomogram can preoperatively, accurately, and noninvasively predict PMI and facilitate precise treatment decisions regarding chemoradiotherapy or radical hysterectomy in patients with early-stage cervical AC and ASC. KEY POINTS: The accurate preoperative prediction of PMI in early-stage cervical AC and ASC can facilitate precise treatment decisions regarding chemoradiotherapy or radical hysterectomy. The nomogram integrating independent risk factors, Ori-Wav feature-based RST, and RS5 can preoperatively, accurately, and noninvasively predict PMI in early-stage cervical AC and ASC. The nomogram was superior to radiomics signatures and clinical model for predicting PMI in early-stage cervical AC and ASC.

SO2F2-Mediated Fluorination of P(O)-H and P(O)-OH Compounds under Mild Conditions.

With the increasing relevance of organophosphorus fluorine compounds in the pharmaceutical industry, their synthesis has attracted great attention. Herein, we report an efficient fluorination strategy for P(O)-H and P(O)-OH compounds using sulfuryl fluoride as the fluorination reagent. Avoiding the use of expensive or complex prepreparation reagents for fluoridation, this strategy could conveniently construct a variety of fluorophosphonates and phosphonofluoridates under mild conditions and without additional oxidants.

Targeting Mitochondrial ROS-Mediated Ferroptosis by Quercetin Alleviates High-Fat Diet-Induced Hepatic Lipotoxicity.

Background: The protective effect of quercetin on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been reported, but its mechanism remains poorly understood. Recently, quercetin was reported to be capable of inhibiting ferroptosis, which is a recognized type of regulated cell death. Moreover, hepatic ferroptosis plays an important role in the progression of NAFLD, but experimental evidence is limited. Hence, our study aimed to investigate the effect of quercetin on hepatic ferroptosis in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD and further elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were fed either a normal diet (ND), an HFD, or an HFD supplemented with quercetin for 12 weeks. Hepatic lipid peroxidation, steatosis, ferroptosis and iron overload were examined. In vitro, steatotic L-02 cells was used to study the potential mechanism. Results: We found that the HFD caused lipid peroxidation, lipid accumulation and ferroptosis in the liver, which were rescued by quercetin supplementation. Consistent with the in vivo results, quercetin alleviated lipid droplet accumulation and reduced the levels of lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ferroptosis in steatotic L-02 cells. Using a mitochondrial ROS (MtROS) scavenger (Mito-TEMPO) and ferroptosis specific inhibitor (Fer-1), we found that quercetin remarkably alleviated lipid droplet accumulation and lipid peroxidation by reducing MtROS-mediated ferroptosis in steatotic L-02 cells. Conclusion: Our data showed that HFD consumption induced lipid accumulation and triggered ferroptosis in liver, ultimately leading to hepatic lipotoxicity, which can be alleviated by quercetin. Findings from this study provide new insight into the mechanism by which quercetin can be used for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

MRI Texture Analysis for Preoperative Prediction of Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients with Nonsquamous Cell Cervical Carcinoma.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To preoperatively predict lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with cervical nonsquamous cell carcinoma (non-SCC) based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) texture analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 104 consecutive patients (mean age of 47.2 ± 11.3 years) with stage IB-IIA cervical non-SCC. According to the ratio of 7:3, 72, and 32 patients were randomly divided into the training and testing cohorts. A total of 272 original features were extracted. In the process of feature selection, features with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) less than 0.8 were eliminated. The Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were applied to reduce redundancy, overfitting, and selection biases. Further, a support vector machine (SVM) with linear kernel function was applied to select the optimal feature set with a high discrimination power. RESULTS: The T2WI + DWI-based, T2WI + DWI + CE-T1WI-based and T2WI + DWI + LNS-MRI (LN status on MRI)-based SVM models yielded an AUC and accuracy of 0.78 and 0.79; 0.79 and 0.69; 0.79 and 0.81 for predicting LNM in the training cohort, and 0.82 and 0.78; 0.82 and 0.69; 0.79 and 0.72 in the testing cohort. The T2WI + DWI-based, T2WI + DWI + CE-T1WI-based and T2WI + DWI + LNS-MRI-based SVM models performed better than morphologic criteria of LNS-MRI and yield similar discrimination abilities in predicting LNM in the training and testing cohorts (all p-value > 0.05). In addition, the T2WI + DWI-based and T2WI + DWI + LNS-MRI-based SVM models showed robust performance in the AC and ASC subgroups (all p-value > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The T2WI + DWI-based, T2WI + DWI + CE-T1WI-based and T2WI+DWI+LNS-MRI-based SVM models showed similar good discrimination ability and performed better than the morphologic criteria of LNS-MRI in predicting LNM in patients with cervical non-SCC. The inclusion of the CE-T1WI sequence and morphologic criteria of LNS-MRI did not significantly improve the performance of the T2WI + DWI-based model. The T2WI + DWI-based and T2WI + DWI + LNS-MRI-based SVM models showed robust performance in the subgroup analysis.

MRI-Based Radiomics Nomogram for Selecting Ovarian Preservation Treatment in Patients With Early-Stage Endometrial Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian preservation treatment (OPT) was recommended in young women with early-stage endometrial cancer [superficial myometrial invasion (MI) and grades (G) 1/2-endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EEC)]. A radiomics nomogram was developed to assist radiologists in assessing the depth of MI and in selecting eligible patients for OPT. METHODS: From February 2014 to May 2021, 209 G 1/2-EEC patients younger than 45 years (mean 39 ± 4.3 years) were included. Of them, 104 retrospective patients were enrolled in the primary group, and 105 prospective patients were enrolled in the validation group. The radiomics features were extracted based on multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm was applied to reduce the dimensionality of the data and select the radiomics features that correlated with the depth of MI in G 1/2-EEC patients. A radiomics nomogram for evaluating the depth of MI was developed by combing the selected radiomics features with the cancer antigen 125 and tumor size. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the radiomics nomogram and of radiologists without and with the aid of the radiomics nomogram. The net reclassification index (NRI) and total integrated discrimination index (IDI) based on the total included patients to assess the clinical benefit of radiologists with the radiomics nomogram were calculated. RESULTS: In the primary group, for evaluating the depth of MI, the AUCs were 0.96 for the radiomics nomogram; 0.80 and 0.86 for radiologists 1 and 2 without the aid of the nomogram, respectively; and 0.98 and 0.98 for radiologists 1 and 2 with the aid of the nomogram, respectively. In the validation group, the AUCs were 0.88 for the radiomics nomogram; 0.82 and 0.83 for radiologists 1 and 2 without the aid of the nomogram, respectively; and 0.94 and 0.94 for radiologists 1 and 2 with the aid of the nomogram, respectively. The yielded NRI and IDI values were 0.29 and 0.43 for radiologist 1 and 0.23 and 0.37 for radiologist 2, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The radiomics nomogram outperformed radiologists and could help radiologists in assessing the depth of MI and selecting eligible OPTs in G 1/2-EEC patients.

Digenic Inheritance and Gene-Environment Interaction in a Patient With Hypertriglyceridemia and Acute Pancreatitis.

The etiology of hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) and acute pancreatitis (AP) is complex. Herein, we dissected the underlying etiology in a patient with HTG and AP. The patient had a 20-year history of heavy alcohol consumption and an 8-year history of mild HTG. He was hospitalized for alcohol-triggered AP, with a plasma triglyceride (TG) level up to 21.4 mmol/L. A temporary rise in post-heparin LPL concentration (1.5-2.5 times of controls) was noted during the early days of AP whilst LPL activity was consistently low (50∼70% of controls). His TG level rapidly decreased to normal in response to treatment, and remained normal to borderline high during a ∼3-year follow-up period during which he had abstained completely from alcohol. Sequencing of the five primary HTG genes (i.e., LPL, APOC2, APOA5, GPIHBP1 and LMF1) identified two heterozygous variants. One was the common APOA5 c.553G > T (p.Gly185Cys) variant, which has been previously associated with altered TG levels as well as HTG-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP). The other was a rare variant in the LPL gene, c.756T > G (p.Ile252Met), which was predicted to be likely pathogenic and found experimentally to cause a 40% loss of LPL activity without affecting either protein synthesis or secretion. We provide evidence that both a gene-gene interaction (between the common APOA5 variant and the rare LPL variant) and a gene-environment interaction (between alcohol and digenic inheritance) might have contributed to the development of mild HTG and alcohol-triggered AP in the patient, thereby improving our understanding of the complex etiology of HTG and HTG-AP.

Radiologists with MRI-based radiomics aids to predict the pelvic lymph node metastasis in endometrial cancer: a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: To construct a MRI radiomics model and help radiologists to improve the assessments of pelvic lymph node metastasis (PLNM) in endometrial cancer (EC) preoperatively. METHODS: During January 2014 and May 2019, 622 EC patients (age 56.6 ± 8.8 years; range 27-85 years) from five different centers (A to E) were divided into training set, validation set 1 (351 cases from center A), and validation set 2 (271 cases from centers B-E). The radiomics features were extracted basing on T2WI, DWI, ADC, and CE-T1WI images, and most related radiomics features were selected using the random forest classifier to build a radiomics model. The ROC curve was used to evaluate the performance of training set and validation sets, radiologists based on MRI findings alone, and with the aid of the radiomics model. The clinical decisive curve (CDC), net reclassification index (NRI), and total integrated discrimination index (IDI) were used to assess the clinical benefit of using the radiomics model. RESULTS: The AUC values were 0.935 for the training set, 0.909 and 0.885 for validation sets 1 and 2, 0.623 and 0.643 for the radiologists 1 and 2 alone, and 0.814 and 0.842 for the radiomics-aided radiologists 1 and 2, respectively. The AUC, CDC, NRI, and IDI showed higher diagnostic performance and clinical net benefits for the radiomics-aided radiologists than for the radiologists alone. CONCLUSIONS: The MRI-based radiomics model could be used to assess the status of pelvic lymph node and help radiologists improve their performance in predicting PLNM in EC. KEY POINTS: • A total of 358 radiomics features were extracted. The 37 most important features were selected using the random forest classifier. • The reclassification measures of discrimination confirmed that the radiomics-aided radiologists performed better than the radiologists alone, with an NRI of 1.26 and an IDI of 0.21 for radiologist 1 and an NRI of 1.37 and an IDI of 0.24 for radiologist 2.

Preoperative Assessment for High-Risk Endometrial Cancer by Developing an MRI- and Clinical-Based Radiomics Nomogram: A Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: High- and low-risk endometrial cancer (EC) differ in whether lymphadenectomy is performed. Assessment of high-risk EC is essential for planning surgery appropriately. PURPOSE: To develop a radiomics nomogram for high-risk EC prediction preoperatively. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. POPULATION: In all, 717 histopathologically confirmed EC patients (mean age, 56 years ± 9) divided into a primary group (394 patients from Center A), validation groups 1 and 2 (146 patients from Center B and 177 patients from Centers C-E). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 1.5/3T scanners; T2 -weighted imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging, apparent diffusion coefficient, and contrast enhancement sequences. ASSESSMENT: A radiomics nomogram was generated by combining the selected radiomics features and clinical parameters (metabolic syndrome, cancer antigen 125, age, tumor grade following curettage, and tumor size). The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operator characteristic was used to evaluate the predictive performance of the radiomics nomogram for high-risk EC. The surgical procedure suggested by the nomogram was compared with the actual procedure performed for the patients. Net benefit of the radiomics nomogram was evaluated by a clinical decision curve (CDC), net reclassification index (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). STATISTICAL TESTS: Binary least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression, linear regression, and multivariate binary logistic regression were used to select radiomics features and clinical parameters. RESULTS: The AUC for prediction of high-risk EC for the radiomics nomogram in the primary group, validation groups 1 and 2 were 0.896 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.866-0.926), 0.877 (95% CI: 0.825-0.930), and 0.919 (95% CI: 0.879-0.960), respectively. The nomogram achieved good net benefit by CDC analysis for high-risk EC. NRIs were 1.17, 1.28, and 1.51, and IDIs were 0.41, 0.60, and 0.61 in the primary group, validation groups 1 and 2, respectively. DATA CONCLUSION: The radiomics nomogram exhibited good performance in the individual prediction of high-risk EC, and might be used for surgical management of EC. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2020;52:1872-1882.

Gene-environment interaction between APOA5 c.553G>T and pregnancy in hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: The etiology of hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) and, consequently, HTG-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP), is complex. OBJECTIVE: Herein, we explore a possible gene-environment interaction between APOA5 c.553G>T (p.185Gly>Cys, rs2075291), a common variant associated with altered triglyceride levels, and pregnancy in HTG-AP. METHODS: We enrolled 318 Chinese HTG-AP patients and divided them into 3 distinct groups: Group 1, male patients (n = 183); Group 2, female patients whose disease was unrelated to pregnancy (n = 105); and Group 3, female patients whose disease was related to pregnancy (n = 30). APOA5 rs2075291 genotype status was determined by Sanger sequencing. A total of 362 healthy Han Chinese subjects were used as controls. Data on body mass index, peak triglyceride level, age of disease onset, episode number, and clinical severity of HTG-AP were collected from each patient. Multiple comparisons, between patient groups, between patient groups and controls, or within each patient group, were performed. RESULTS: A robust association of APOA5 rs2075291 with HTG-AP in general, and HTG-AP during pregnancy in particular, was demonstrated. The minor T allele showed a stronger association with Group 3 patients than with either Group 1 or Group 2 patients. This stronger association was due mainly to the much higher frequency of TT genotype in Group 3 patients (20%) than that (<6%) in Group 1 and Group 2 patients. Moreover, the TT genotype was associated with a significantly higher peak triglyceride level in Group 3 patients compared with the GG genotype. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide evidence for an interaction between APOA5 rs2075291 and pregnancy in HTG-AP.

Identification of a novel LPL nonsense variant and further insights into the complex etiology and expression of hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is a leading cause of acute pancreatitis. HTG can be caused by either primary (genetic) or secondary etiological factors, and there is increasing appreciation of the interplay between the two kinds of factors in causing severe HTG. OBJECTIVES: The main aim of this study was to identify the genetic basis of hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP) in a Chinese family with three affected members (the proband, his mother and older sister). METHODS: The entire coding and flanking sequences of LPL, APOC2, APOA5, GPIHBP1 and LMF1 genes were analyzed by Sanger sequencing. The newly identified LPL nonsense variant was subjected to functional analysis by means of transfection into HEK-293 T cells followed by Western blot and activity assays. Previously reported pathogenic LPL nonsense variants were collated and compared with respect to genotype and phenotype relationship. RESULTS: We identified a novel nonsense variant, p.Gln118* (c.351C > T), in the LPL gene, which co-segregated with HTG-AP in the Chinese family. We provided in vitro evidence that this variant resulted in a complete functional loss of the affected LPL allele. We highlighted a role of alcohol abuse in modifying the clinical expression of the disease in the proband. Additionally, our survey of 12 previously reported pathogenic LPL nonsense variants (in 20 carriers) revealed that neither serum triglyceride levels nor occurrence of HTG-AP was distinguishable among the three carrier groups, namely, simple homozygotes, compound heterozygotes and simple heterozygotes. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings, taken together, generated new insights into the complex etiology and expression of HTG-AP.

Whole solid tumor volume histogram parameters for predicting the recurrence in patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma: a feasibility study on quantitative DCE-MRI.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative prediction of the recurrence of epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) can guide the clinical treatment and improve the prognosis. However, there are still no reliable predictive biomarkers. PURPOSE: To evaluate whether whole solid tumor volume histogram parameters measured from quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) can predict the recurrence in patients with EOC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We followed up 56 patients with surgical and histopathologically diagnosed EOC who underwent quantitative DCE-MRI scans. The differences of the histogram parameters between patients with and without recurrence were compared. Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson's Chi-squared test, or Fisher's exact test, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: All histogram parameters of Ktrans, kep, and ve were not significantly different between EOC patients with and without recurrence (P>0.05). For 30 patients with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC), the histogram parameters of Ktrans (mean and 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th percentiles) and kep (mean and 50th percentile) in 12 patients with recurrence were significantly lower than those in 18 patients without recurrence (all P<0.05). ROC curves showed that the 5th percentile of Ktrans had the largest area under the curve (AUC) of 0.792 for predicting the recurrence in patients with HGSOC. When the threshold value was ≤0.0263/min, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 100%, 66.7%, and 80%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Instead of predicting the recurrence of EOC, whole solid tumor volume quantitative DCE-MRI histogram parameters could predict the recurrence of HGSOC and may be potential biomarkers for the prediction of HGSOC recurrence.

Baseline Sensitivity and Control Efficacy of Pyraclostrobin Against Botryosphaeria dothidea Isolates in China.

Botryosphaeria dothidea is an important fungal pathogen that causes apple ring rot, which can significantly reduce apple yield. Fungicide applications are the main control measure of apple ring rot worldwide. Pyraclostrobin is a quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicide that has yet to be registered for control of B. dothidea in China. Baseline sensitivity of B. dothidea to pyraclostrobin (EC50 of mycelial growth inhibition) was assessed for 97 isolates collected in Shandong Province. The EC50 values ranged from 0.7010 to 7.1378 µg/ml with the mean value of 3.0870 µg/ml and displayed a unimodal frequency distribution. After cultured on fungicide-free PDA medium or on apples for multiple generations, the B. dothidea-resistant isolates (RST) remained resistant to pyraclostrobin, but exhibited similar virulence as the susceptible isolates (ST). Cross-resistance investigation revealed that pyraclostrobin was not cross-resistant to tebuconazole, flusilazole, carbendazim, and iprodione. Field evolution showed that pyraclostrobin at 200 and 250 g a.i./ha provided greater than 80% control efficacy against apple ring rot disease when applied as a therapeutic or preventive fungicide. The efficacy was similar to fungicides that have been registered for apple.

Role of proton MR spectroscopy in the differentiation of borderline from malignant epithelial ovarian tumors: A preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Due to the overlapping imaging appearances between borderline and malignant epithelial ovarian tumors (EOTs), borderline EOTs often represent a diagnostic challenge on conventional MRI. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1 H-MRS) might have potential to differentiate borderline from malignant tumors. PURPOSE: To investigate the ability of 1 H-MRS to differentiate borderline from malignant EOTs. STUDY TYPE: Prospective. POPULATION: In all, 278 patients with adnexal masses. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 1.5 T Siemens Avanto MRI system and 1 H-MRS using a point-resolved spectroscopy sequence (PRESS). ASSESSMENT: Resonance peak integrals of the most common metabolites were analyzed and compared between the two groups. STATISTICAL TESTS: The ratios of metabolites between borderline and malignant EOTs were compared with the Mann-Whitney U-test. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine their differential diagnosis performances. RESULTS: In the solid components of borderline and malignant EOTs, the mean Cho/Cr, NAA/Cr, and NAA/Cho ratios were 4.4 ± 1.1 and 9.9 ± 2.8; 10.4 ± 3.0 and 2.2 ± 1.0; and 2.4 ± 0.7 and 0.3 ± 0.1, respectively (all P < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) were 91%, 100%, and 0.98 for the Cho/Cr ratio; 100%, 98%, and 0.99 for the NAA/Cr ratio; and 100%, 100%, and 1.00 for the NAA/Cho ratio, respectively. In the cystic components, the mean Cho/Cr, NAA/Cr, and NAA/Cho ratios were 3.2 ± 0.8 and 5.1 ± 1.2; 9.1 ± 3.4 and 2.3 ± 1.4; and 2.9 ± 1.2 and 0.5 ± 0.4, respectively (all P < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, and AUC were 84%, 82%, and 0.89 for the Cho/Cr ratio; 94%, 97%, and 0.99 for the NAA/Cr ratio; and 94%, 97%, and 0.99 for the NAA/Cho ratio, respectively. DATA CONCLUSION: The NAA/Cho ratio is a reliable biomarker for differentiating borderline from malignant EOTs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;49:1684-1693.

The value of MR-detectable ipsilateral ovaries in characterizing the origin and malignancy of an adnexal tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging morphological relationship between adnexal tumors and the ipsilateral ovaries to characterize the origin and malignancy of tumors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Clinical and MR imaging data of 496 adnexal tumors confirmed by histology (ovary tumors, n = 400, non-ovarian tumors, n = 96; benign tumors, n = 183, borderline tumors, n = 120, and malignant tumors, n = 193) were retrospectively analyzed. The presence and shape of the ipsilateral ovaries within the context of adnexal tumors of different origins, malignancies and configurations were evaluated. The relationships between the presence of the ipsilateral ovary and patient age, menstrual status and tumor size were also analyzed. RESULT: The ipsilateral ovary was detected on MRI in 23% (90/400) of ovarian tumors and in 45% (43/96) of non-ovarian tumors (p < 0.001). A normal ovoid morphology of the ipsilateral ovary was found in only 7% (26/400) of ovarian tumors and in 26% (25/96) of non-ovarian tumors (p < 0.001). The ipsilateral ovary was detectable in 38% (69/183) of benign tumors, 35% (42/120) of borderline tumors, and 11% (22/193) of malignant tumors (p < 0.001); in 24% (24/101) of cystic tumors, 27% (49/179) of mixed cystic-solid tumors and 28% (60/216) of solid tumors (p = 0.737); and in 40% (120/303) of adnexal tumors in premenopausal patients and 7% (13/193) of adnexal tumors in postmenopausal patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Detection of the ipsilateral ovary contributes to the localization and characterization of adnexal tumors. The ipsilateral ovary can be detected more frequently in non-ovarian tumors and in benign or borderline ovarian tumors.

Quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging for differentiating benign, borderline, and malignant ovarian tumors.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of quantitative DCE-MRI for characterizing ovarian tumors. METHODS: We prospectively assessed the differences of quantitative DCE-MRI parameters (Ktrans, kep, and ve) among 15 benign, 28 borderline, and 66 malignant ovarian tumors; and between type I (n = 28) and type II (n = 29) of epithelial ovarian carcinomas (EOCs). DCE-MRI data were analyzed using whole solid tumor volume region of interest (ROI) method, and quantitative parameters were calculated based on a modified Tofts model. The non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson's chi-square test, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), variance test, and receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The largest Ktrans and kep values were observed in ovarian malignant tumors, followed by borderline and benign tumors (all P < 0.001). Kep was the better parameter for differentiating benign tumors from borderline and malignant tumors, with a sensitivity of 89.3% and 95.5%, a specificity of 86.7% and 100%, an accuracy of 88.4% and 96.3%, and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.94 and 0.992, respectively, whereas Ktrans was better for differentiating borderline from malignant tumors with a sensitivity of 60.7%, a specificity of 78.8%, an accuracy of 73.4%, and an AUC of 0.743. In addition, a combination with kep could further improve the sensitivity to 78.9%. The median Ktrans and kep values were significantly higher in type II than in type I EOCs. CONCLUSION: DCE-MRI with volume quantification is a technically feasible method, and can be used for the differentiation of ovarian tumors and for discriminating between type I and type II EOCs.