Association of Thallium with Diabetes Risk among Patients with Hearing Loss: Result from NHANES 2013 to 2018.

To evaluate the correlation between thallium and diabetes risk among participants with hearing loss. This retrospective cohort study extracted related data such as demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, and laboratory findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database (2013-2018). Logistic regression analysis and interaction analysis were adopted to analyze the correlation between thallium and diabetes risk among patients with hearing loss. Then, the restricted cubic spline was employed to assess the nonlinear relationship between thallium and diabetes risk. The receiver operating characteristic curve and decision curve analysis were used to assess the predictive values of 3 multivariate models with or without thallium for diabetes risk. The Delong test was adopted to assess the significant change of the area under the curves (AUCs) upon thallium addition. A total of 425 participants with hearing loss were enrolled in the study: without diabetes group (n = 316) and diabetes group (n = 109). Patients with hearing loss in the diabetes group had significantly lower thallium (P < .05). The thallium was an independent predictor for diabetes risk after adjusting various covariates (P < .05). The restricted cubic spline (RCS) result showed that there was a linear correlation between thallium and diabetes risk (P nonlinear > .05). Finally, the receiver operating characteristic and decision curve analysis results revealed that adding thallium to the models slightly increased the performance in predicting diabetes risk but without significance in AUC change. Thallium was an independent predictor of diabetes risk among patients with hearing loss. The addition of thallium might help improve the predictive ability of models for risk reclassification. However, the conclusions should be verified in our cohort in the future due to the limitations inherent in the NHANES database.

Predicting the efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation for uterine leiomyomas based on DTI indicators and imaging features.

PURPOSE: To predict the efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation for uterine leiomyomas based on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) indicators and imaging features. METHODS: Sixty-two patients with 85 uterine leiomyomas were consecutively enrolled in this retrospective study and underwent DTI scanning before HIFU treatment. Based on whether the non-perfused volume ratio (NPVR) was greater than 70%, all patients were assigned to sufficient ablation (NPVR ≥ 70%) or insufficient ablation (NPVR < 70%) groups. The selected DTI indicators and imaging features were incorporated to construct a combined model. The predictive performance of DTI indicators and the combined model were assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: There were 42 leiomyomas in the sufficient ablation group (NPVR ≥ 70%) and 43 leiomyomas in the insufficient ablation group (NPVR < 70%). The fractional anisotropy (FA) and relative anisotropy (RA) values were higher in the sufficient ablation group than in the insufficient ablation group (p < 0.05). Conversely, the volume ratio (VR) and mean diffusivity (MD) values were lower in the sufficient ablation group than those in the insufficient ablation group (p < 0.05). Notably, the combined model composed of the RA and enhancement degree values had high predictive efficiency, with an AUC of 0.915. The combined model demonstrated higher predictive performance than FA and MD alone (p = 0.032 and p < 0.001, respectively) but showed no significant improvement compared with RA and VR (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: DTI indicators, especially the combined model incorporating DTI indicators and imaging features, can be a promising imaging tool to assist clinicians in predicting HIFU efficacy for uterine leiomyomas.

A new logistic regression model for early prediction of severity of acute pancreatitis using magnetic resonance imaging and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scoring systems.

Background: The aim of this study was to develop a new model constructed by logistic regression for the early prediction of the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scoring system. Methods: This retrospective study included 363 patients with AP. The severity of AP was evaluated by MRI and the APACHE II scoring system, and some subgroups of AP severity were constructed based on a combination of these two scoring systems. The length of stay and occurrence of organ dysfunction were used as clinical outcome indicators and were compared across the different subgroups. We combined the MRI and APACHE II scoring system to construct the regression equations and evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of these models. Results: In the 363 patients, 144 (39.67%) had systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), 58 (15.98%) had organ failure, and 17 (4.68%) had severe AP. The AP subgroup with a high MRI score and a simultaneously high APACHE II score was more likely to develop SIRS and had a longer hospitalization. The model, which predicted the severity AP by combining extrapancreatic inflammation on magnetic resonance (EPIM) and APACHE II, was successful, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.912, which was higher than that of any single parameter. Other models that predicted SIRS complications by combining MRI parameters and APACHE II scores were also successful (all P<0.05), and these models based on EPIM and APACHE II scores were superior to other models in predicting outcome. Conclusions: The combination of MRI and clinical scoring systems to assess the severity of AP is feasible, and these models may help to develop personalized treatment and management.

Progress of MRI Radiomics in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer in the world and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Although the diagnostic scheme of HCC is currently undergoing refinement, the prognosis of HCC is still not satisfactory. In addition to certain factors, such as tumor size and number and vascular invasion displayed on traditional imaging, some histopathological features and gene expression parameters are also important for the prognosis of HCC patients. However, most parameters are based on postoperative pathological examinations, which cannot help with preoperative decision-making. As a new field, radiomics extracts high-throughput imaging data from different types of images to build models and predict clinical outcomes noninvasively before surgery, rendering it a powerful aid for making personalized treatment decisions preoperatively. OBJECTIVE: This study reviewed the workflow of radiomics and the research progress on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics in the diagnosis and treatment of HCC. METHODS: A literature review was conducted by searching PubMed for search of relevant peer-reviewed articles published from May 2017 to June 2021.The search keywords included HCC, MRI, radiomics, deep learning, artificial intelligence, machine learning, neural network, texture analysis, diagnosis, histopathology, microvascular invasion, surgical resection, radiofrequency, recurrence, relapse, transarterial chemoembolization, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, therapeutic response, and prognosis. RESULTS: Radiomics features on MRI can be used as biomarkers to determine the differential diagnosis, histological grade, microvascular invasion status, gene expression status, local and systemic therapeutic responses, and prognosis of HCC patients. CONCLUSION: Radiomics is a promising new imaging method. MRI radiomics has high application value in the diagnosis and treatment of HCC.

Application of Diffusion Weighted Imaging in Prostate Cancer Bone Metastasis: Detection and Therapy Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Bone metastasis is one of the most common complications of Prostate Cancer (PCa). The detection of distal bone metastasis at the time of initial PCa diagnosis is valuable for the determination of therapeutic methods and for the prognosis of PCa. Many current therapeutic methods target PCa bone metastasis, but no uniform evaluation standard for therapeutic efficacy has been established; in addition, traditional therapeutic evaluation standards that rely on changes in the measured tumor volume are quite controversial. In clinical practice, the volumes of some tumors often change nonsignificantly at the early stage of therapy (especially targeted therapy), while the volumes of other tumors, such as metastatic bone lesions, are difficult to measure. Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI) not only reflects the diffusion characteristics of tissues but can also allow the analysis of microstructural and functional changes in tissues. Therefore, DWI is suitable for evaluations of early responses to tumor therapy. OBJECTIVE: This study mainly reviews the principle of DWI and its progress in the detection and therapy evaluation of PCa bone metastasis. METHODS: PubMed was searched to identify eligible articles up to December 26, 2020. The keywords of the analysis included DWI, PCa, bone metastasis, therapeutic response, targeted therapy, Bone Scintigraphy (BS), Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) and metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC). RESULTS: This review based on collected articles achieved an imaging biomarker for detection and therapy evaluation of PCa bone metastasis. CONCLUSION: DWI is a promising imaging method for the detection and therapeutic evaluation of PCa bone metastases.

Pachymic acid protects oocyte by improving the ovarian microenvironment in polycystic ovary syndrome mice†.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are characterized by endocrine disorders accompanied by a decline in oocyte quality. In this study, we generated a PCOS mice model by hypodermic injection of dehydroepiandrosterone, and metformin was used as a positive control drug to study the effect of pachymic acid (PA) on endocrine and oocyte quality in PCOS mice. Compared with the model group, the mice treated with PA showed the following changes (slower weight gain, improved abnormal metabolism; increased development potential of GV oocytes, reduced number of abnormal MII oocytes, and damaged embryos; lower expression of ovarian-related genes in ovarian tissue and pro-inflammatory cytokines in adipose tissue). All these aspects show similar effects on metformin. Most notably, PA is superior to metformin in improving inflammation of adipose tissue and mitochondrial abnormalities. It is suggested that PA has the similar effect with metformin, which can improve the endocrine environment and oocyte quality of PCOS mice. These findings suggest that PA has the similar effect with metformin, which can improve the endocrine environment and oocyte quality of PCOS mice.

MR imaging of hemorrhage associated with acute pancreatitis.

PURPOSE: To study MRI findings of hemorrhage in acute pancreatitis (AP) and correlate the presence and extent of hemorrhage with the MR severity index (MRSI), Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores, and clinical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 539 patients with AP. Hemorrhage was defined as areas of hyperintensity in or outside the pancreas on liver imaging with volume acceleration flexible (LAVA-Flex). The presence of hemorrhage was classified into three areas: within the pancreatic parenchyma, retroperitoneal space, and sub-or intraperitoneal space. Involvement of each area was awarded 1 point resulting in the hemorrhage severity index (HSI) score. The predicted severity of AP was graded by MRSI and APACHE II score. The association between HSI, MRSI, and APACHE II scores was analyzed. The length of hospital stay and organ dysfunction was used as clinical outcome parameters. RESULTS: Among 539 AP patients, 62 (11.5%) had hemorrhage. The prevalence of hemorrhage was 1.1% (2/186), 13.9% (43/310), and 39.5% (17/43) in predicted mild, moderate, and severe AP, respectively, based on MRSI (χ2 = 55.3, p = 0.00); and 7.7% (21/273) and 19.2% (18/94) in predicted mild and severe AP, respectively, based on APACHE II (χ2 = 21.2, p = 0.00). HSI score significantly correlated with MRSI (r = 0.36, p < 0.001) and APACHE II scores (r = 0.21, p = 0.00). The prevalence of organ dysfunction was higher and length of hospital stay was longer in patients with hemorrhage than in those without hemorrhage (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Hemorrhage in AP is common. The presence of hemorrhage, rather than its extent, correlates with poor clinical outcome.

Balloon-assisted ultrasonic localization: a novel technique for direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy.

Direct percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy (DPEJ) is a useful method for the establishment of enteral nutrition (EN) pathway. However, the identification of stomal puncture points for DPEJ is difficult. Here we present a case treated with an improved technique for DPEJ puncture-point localization, which was named DPEJ with balloon-assisted ultrasonic localization (DPEJ-BAUL). There were four steps after insertion of an endoscope into the jejunum: (1) a balloon dilatation catheter was inserted through the endoscope working channel; (2) the balloon was fully filled with water; (3) the site of puncture was selected with an ultrasonic probe percutaneously locating the water-filled balloon; and (4) a jejunostomy tube was placed by introducer technique. Rapid localization of a puncture site was possible with BAUL and the DPEJ procedure was successful. The patient's nutritional status was improved with EN and no postoperative complications were observed. DPEJ-BAUL is a feasible and effective technique to increase the technical success rate of DPEJ in patients with negative transillumination test results.

Gastrointestinal tract involvement in acute pancreatitis: initial findings and follow-up by magnetic resonance imaging.

BACKGROUND: To study the initial and follow up patterns of gastrointestinal tract involvement in acute pancreatitis (AP) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: A total of 209 patients with AP undergoing abdominal MRI on 1.5 T MRI were compared to 100 control patients selected from our daily clinical caseload who underwent MRI over the same recruitment period and had no other disease which can cause abnormality of gastrointestinal tract. Initial and follow up MRI examinations of gastrointestinal tract abnormalities were noted for AP patients. The severity of AP was graded by the MRSI and APACHE II. Spearman correlation of gastrointestinal tract involvement with MRSI and APACHE II was analyzed. RESULTS: In 209 patients with AP, 63% of the AP patients on their initial MRI exams and 5% of control subjects had at least one gastrointestinal tract abnormality (P<0.05). In the control group, thirty-seven patients were normal on MRI, 24 patients with renal cysts, eighteen patients with liver cysts, eleven patients with liver hemangiomas, and ten patients with splenomegaly. The abnormalities of gastrointestinal tract observed in AP patients included thickened stomach wall (20%), thickened duodenum wall (27%), thickened ascending colon wall (11%), thickened transverse colon wall (15%), and thickened descending colon wall (26%), among others. Gastrointestinal tract abnormalities were correlated with the MRSI score (r=0.46, P<0.05) and APACHE II score (r=0.19, P<0.05). Among 62 patients who had follow up examinations, 26% of patients had gastrointestinal tract abnormality, which was significantly lower than that in the initial exams (P<0.05). Resolution of gastrointestinal tract abnormal MRI findings coincided with symptom alleviation in AP patients. CONCLUSIONS: Gastrointestinal tract abnormalities on MRI are common in AP and they are positively correlated with the severity of AP. It may add value for determining the severity of AP.

Inhibition of cervical cancer cell proliferation and cervical tumorigenicity caused by farnesoid X receptor activation or over-expression is related to CDKN2A-p14ARF-MDM2-p53 pathway / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE Cervical cancer is the third most malignant tumor in the world. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a member of nuclear receptor superfamily. It is highly expressed in liver, kidney and small intestine, while it showed low expression level in other tissues. It not only plays an important role in the metabolism of bile acids and sugars, but also in the production of chronic inflammation in the early stage of cancer, the proliferation and migration of tumor. Compared with the normal tissue, the expression of FXR in most tumor tissues decreased. But there is no correlation between cervical cancer and FXR. So we aimed to find out the relationship between FXR and cervical cancer. METHODS A clinical study using qPCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry detected the expression of FXR in tumor tissues and normal tissues of clinical patients. FXR was activated by agonists or over-expressed by lentivirus. MTT, clone formation and flow cytometry were used to detect the relationship between FXR and proliferation of cervical cell lines. Tumor growth ability of FXR was detected by nude mice tumorigenicity. The interaction between FXR and CDKN2A-p14ARF-MDM2-p53 pathway was detected by qPCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS FXR was decreased in cancer tissues compared to normal control. Activation of FXR by agonist or constitutively- over- expression of FXR inhibited cervical cell proliferation. Over- expressed FXR attenuated Caski, Hela and Siha xenograft tumor growth in nude mice compared with control. Over-expression of FXR caused G1 cell-cycle arresting and up-regulated CDKN2A-p14ARF-MDM2-p53 pathway. CONCLUSION FXR inhibits cervical cancer cell proliferation and cervical tumorigenicity which is related to CDKN2A-p14ARF-MDM2-p53 pathway. Activation or overexpression of FXR may be a potential target for the treatment of cervical cancer.

[Analysis of HPA gene Polymorphisms in Children with Acute or Chronic ITP].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequency distribution of human platelet antigen allele HPA-2 and HPA-15 among the pediatric patients with acute or chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in Chinese Guangxi area, and to explore the potential correlation of ITP with HPA-2 and HPA-15 gene polymorphisms. METHODS: The clinical and laboratorial data of 46 children diagnosed as acute ITP and 46 children diagnosed as chronic ITP between January 2007 and December 2014 were collected. Genotyping of HPA-2 and HPA-15 in 92 ITP patients and 48 healthy controls was performed by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) combined with direct sequencing. RESULTS: The allele frequencies of HPA-2 and HPA-15 were significantly different among the acute, chronic and control groups; the allele frequencies were significantly different between the chronic ITP group and the control group (P<0.0167), while the difference was not statistically significant between the acute and chronic ITP groups as well as between the acute ITP and the control group (P>0.0167). CONCLUSION: The gene polymorphism of HPA-2 and HPA-15 may correlate with the risk of chronic ITP, but may not correlate with acute ITP in children.

Magnetic resonance imaging of retroperitoneal interfascial plane involvement in acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: To study the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of acute pancreatitis (AP) involving the retroperitoneal interfascial planes and to analyze the correlations of interfascial plane involvement with the magnetic resonance severity index (MRSI) and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) scoring system. METHODS: A total of 316 consecutive patients with AP between November 2011 and August 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. The extension and path of the inflammation spreading along the retroperitoneal interfascial plane on MRI were graded from grade 0 to grade 5. The relationships between interfascial plane involvement and MRSI and APACHE II were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 316 patients with AP, 293 patients (92.7%) had interfascial plane involvement, which appeared as interfascial plane edema, thickening and effusion. There were 60, 105, 78, 25, and 25 patients in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Interfascial plane involvement strongly correlated with the MRSI score (r=0.703), but was only weakly correlated with the APACHE-II score (r=0.291). CONCLUSIONS: MRI depicts the characteristics of interfascial plane involvement in AP. The value of interfascial plane involvement for determining the disease severity is likely to be limited.

Acute pancreatitis with gradient echo T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.

BACKGROUND: To study gradient recalled echo (GRE) T2*-weighted imaging (T2*WI) for normal pancreas and acute pancreatitis (AP). METHODS: Fifty-one patients without any pancreatic disorders (control group) and 117 patients with AP were recruited. T2* values derived from T2*WI of the pancreas were measured for the two groups. The severity of AP was graded by the magnetic resonance severity index (MRSI) and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Healthy Evaluation II (APACHE II) scoring system. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between the T2* values and AP severity. The usefulness of the T2* value for diagnosing AP and the relationship between the T2* values and the severity of AP were analyzed. RESULTS: On GRE-T2*WI, the normal pancreas showed a well-marinated and consistently homogeneous isointensity. Edematous AP, as well as the non-necrotic area in necrotizing AP, showed ill-defined but homogeneous signal intensity. AP with pancreatic hemorrhage showed a decreased T2* value and a signal loss on the signal decay curve. The T2* value of pancreas in the AP group was higher than that of the control group (t=-8.20, P<0.05). The T2* value tended to increase along with the increase in MRSI scores but not with the APACHE II scores (P>0.05). AP was associated with a one standard deviation increment in the T2* value (OR =1.37; 95% CI: 1.216-1.532). CONCLUSIONS: T2*WI demonstrates a few characteristics of the normal pancreas and AP, which could potentially be helpful for detecting hemorrhage, and contributes to diagnosing AP and its severity.

[Association between gene polymorphisms of Perforin 1 and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate frequency distribution of gene polymorphisms of PRF1 gene in children with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), and to explore whether the possible gene polymorphisms of PRF1 gene confer an increased risk of susceptibility to HLH. METHODS: Forty-eight children who were diagnosed with HLH between January 2009 and December 2013 (HLH group) and 100 healthy children (control group) were enrolled in this study. The gene polymorphisms in the coding region of PRF1 gene, which consists of three exons and two introns, were genotyped by PCR, followed by direct sequencing. RESULTS: Three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were revealed in the coding sequence of PRF1 in the 48 children with HLH. Seven SNPs were detected in the noncoding sequence. Other two SNPs in the noncoding sequence including rs10999426 and rs10999427 were detected only in 5 healthy children (5%). There was no significant difference in allelic frequencies of all the SNPs above between the HLH and control groups (P>0.05). Haplotype analysis showed there was a pair-wise linkage disequilibrium between rs10999426 and rs10999427 (D=1, r2=1), but there was no significant difference in the distribution of A-T haplotype between the HLH and control groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is no association between gene polymorphisms of PRF1 gene and the susceptibility to HLH. There is a pair-wise linkage disequilibrium between rs10999426 and rs10999427, but a low detection rate of A-T haplotype in healthy children indicates that it might not play a protective role in the development of HLH.

The angle of pancreaticobiliary junction correlates with acute pancreatitis: a magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation between the angle of the pancreaticobiliary junction (APJ) and the prevalence of acute pancreatitis using magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From February 2014 to October 2014, thirty two subjects with normal pancreas (group A) and 40 patients with acute pancreatitis (group B) who underwent MRCP were enrolled into our study. The type of biliary duct and main pancreatic duct joining the duodenal wall was reviewed and divided into V, B-P and P-B type. The V type is the pancreatic duct and biliary duct joining the duodenal wall without a common channel; the B-P type is the biliary duct draining into the pancreatic duct and forming a common channel; and the P-B type is the pancreatic duct draining into the biliary duct and forming a common channel. APJ was measured on MRCP. The correlation between the APJ and the prevalence of acute pancreatitis was analyzed. RESULTS: The APJ in group A was smaller than in group B (51.45°±13.51° vs. 65.76°±15.61°, P<0.05). According to the type of biliary duct and main pancreatic duct joining the duodenal wall, the prevalence of acute pancreatitis in the V type and in the B-P type was higher than in the P-B type (12/17 vs. 10/29, or 18/26 vs. 10/29, respectively, all P<0.05), whereas there were no significant difference for the prevalence of acute pancreatitis between the V type and B-P type (P>0.05). The APJ were 59.32°±20.04°, 60.22°±11.06°, 57.13°±17.27°, respectively in V type, B-P type and P-B type joining of main pancreatic duct (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A larger APJ is related to a higher prevalence of acute pancreatitis.

Preparation of polydopamine nanocapsules in a miscible tetrahydrofuran-buffer mixture.

A miscible tetrahydrofuran-tris buffer mixture has been used to fabricate polydopamine hollow capsules with a size of 200 nm and with a shell thickness of 40 nm. An unusual non-emulsion soft template mechanism has been disclosed to explain the formation of capsules. The results indicate that the capsule structure is highly dependent on the volume fraction of tetrahydrofuran as well as the solvent, and the shell thickness of capsules can be controlled by adjusting the reaction time and dopamine concentration.

Various diffusion magnetic resonance imaging techniques for pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors and remains a treatment-refractory cancer with a poor prognosis. Currently, the diagnosis of pancreatic neoplasm depends mainly on imaging and which methods are conducive to detecting small lesions. Compared to the other techniques, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has irreplaceable advantages and can provide valuable information unattainable with other noninvasive or minimally invasive imaging techniques. Advances in MR hardware and pulse sequence design have particularly improved the quality and robustness of MRI of the pancreas. Diffusion MR imaging serves as one of the common functional MRI techniques and is the only technique that can be used to reflect the diffusion movement of water molecules in vivo. It is generally known that diffusion properties depend on the characterization of intrinsic features of tissue microdynamics and microstructure. With the improvement of the diffusion models, diffusion MR imaging techniques are increasingly varied, from the simplest and most commonly used technique to the more complex. In this review, the various diffusion MRI techniques for pancreatic cancer are discussed, including conventional diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), multi-b DWI based on intra-voxel incoherent motion theory, diffusion tensor imaging and diffusion kurtosis imaging. The principles, main parameters, advantages and limitations of these techniques, as well as future directions for pancreatic diffusion imaging are also discussed.

Common bile duct diameter in an asymptomatic population: A magnetic resonance imaging study.

AIM: To measure the common bile duct (CBD) diameter by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in a large asymptomatic population and analyze its some affecting factors. METHODS: This study included 862 asymptomatic subjects who underwent MRCP. The CBD diameter was measured at its widest visible portion on regular end-expiration MRCP for all subjects. Among these 862 subjects, 221 volunteers also underwent end-inspiration MRCP to study the effect of respiration on the CBD diameter. The age, sex, respiration, body length, body weight, body mass index (BMI), portal vein diameter (PVD), length of the extrahepatic duct and CBD, cystic junction radial orientation and location were recorded. The subjects were divided into 7 groups according to age. All of the above factors were compared with the CBD diameter on end-expiration MRCP. RESULTS: Among the 862 subjects, the CBD diameter was 4.13 ± 1.11 mm (range, 1.76-9.45 mm) and was correlated with age (r = 0.484; P < 0.05), with a dilation of 0.033 mm per year. The upper limit of the 95% reference range was 5.95 mm, resulting in a reasonable upper limit of 6 mm for the asymptomatic population. Respiration and other factors, including sex, body length, body weight, BMI, PVD, length of the extrahepatic duct and CBD, cystic junction radial orientation and location, were not related to the CBD diameter. CONCLUSION: We established a reference range for the CBD diameter on MRCP for an asymptomatic population. The CBD diameter is correlated with age. Respiration did not affect the non-dilated CBD diameter.

Magnetic resonance imaging for the normal mesostenium and involvement of the mesostenium in acute pancreatitis.

The main point of this paper is to study MRI findings of the normal mesostenium and the involvement of the mesostenium in acute pancreatitis and to discuss the relationship between the involvement of the mesostenium and the severity of acute pancreatitis. In clinical practice, the mesenterical involvement in acute pancreatitis was often observed on MRI in daily works, which was little recorded in the reported studies. We conducted the current study to assess the mesenterical involvement in acute pancreatitis with MRI. We found that the mesenterical involvement of acute pancreatitis patients is common on MRI. The mesenterical involvement has a positive correlation with the MR severity index and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Healthy Evaluation II scoring system. It has been shown that MR can be used to visualize mesenterical involvement, which is a supplementary indicator in evaluating the severity of acute pancreatitis and local and systemic complications.

Rare earth elements activate endocytosis in plant cells.

It has long been observed that rare earth elements (REEs) regulate multiple facets of plant growth and development. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. Here, using electron microscopic autoradiography, we show the life cycle of a light REE (lanthanum) and a heavy REE (terbium) in horseradish leaf cells. Our data indicate that REEs were first anchored on the plasma membrane in the form of nanoscale particles, and then entered the cells by endocytosis. Consistently, REEs activated endocytosis in plant cells, which may be the cellular basis of REE actions in plants. Moreover, we discovered that a portion of REEs was successively released into the cytoplasm, self-assembled to form nanoscale clusters, and finally deposited in horseradish leaf cells. Taken together, our data reveal the life cycle of REEs and their cellular behaviors in plant cells, which shed light on the cellular mechanisms of REE actions in living organisms.