Validation and responsiveness of the English version of the Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia Distress Scale (CADS) in breast cancer patients.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to validate the Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia Distress Scale (CADS) in a diverse English-speaking population and patients with endocrine treatment-induced alopecia (EIA). OBJECTIVE: Chemotherapy and endocrine therapy commonly cause alopecia in breast cancer patients, leading to significant psychological and social challenges. The CADS was developed to assess the psychosocial impact of alopecia, but its generalizability beyond Korean patients requires further investigation. METHODS: Data from the CHANCE study (NCT02530177), which focused on non-metastatic breast cancer, was used. The cohort included 256 patients, and CADS data were collected at baseline, 6 months after chemotherapy completion, or 12 months after initiating endocrine therapy. The CADS questionnaire comprised 17 items covering physical and emotional health, daily activities, and relationships. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, and responsiveness was measured by effect size. RESULTS: The CADS exhibited good reliability, with Cronbach's alpha of 0.91 for the overall score, indicating acceptable internal consistency in both chemotherapy (0.89) and endocrine therapy (0.86) groups. Longitudinal responsiveness was supported by an effect size of 0.49 between decreasing satisfaction with hair growth and increasing emotional distress. Cross-sectional validity was confirmed, with effect sizes of 0.91 and 0.92 for satisfaction with hair growth and emotional and activity domains, respectively. CONCLUSION: The CADS is a valid and responsive tool for assessing the psychosocial impact of chemotherapy-induced alopecia and endocrine treatment-induced alopecia in a diverse Western patient population.

[Diagnostic value of high frequency oscillation in localization of type â ¡ focal cortical dysplasia epilepsy].

Retrospective analysis was conducted on 9 patients with type Ⅱ focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) who underwent stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) implantation in the Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from November 2020 to February 2023. The onset area, onset time, and frequency of high-frequency oscillations (HFO) were analyzed and the correlation of HFOs with interictal, preictal, and ictal periods. SEEG recordings of 80-500 Hz HFOs were observed in both interictal and ictal periods in 9 patients, with 6 patients exhibiting fast ripples (FR) in the range of 250-500 Hz. Surgical resection of the seizure onset area and FR-generating electrodes was performed, and postoperative follow-up for over 2 years indicated Engel I in 5 cases. 6 patients showed continuous discharge during the preictal period, and the distribution index of continuous discharge was positively correlated with seizure frequency. HFOs in the range of 80-500 Hz were present in all four seizure onset patterns during the ictal period. The onset area and FR-emitting electrode were surgically removed in 6 patients with continuous discharge and overlapping HFOs during the preictal period, with 5 cases of Engel I. Type Ⅱ FCD discharges exhibited complexity, high discharge indices, and a close association with HFOs. Compared with the spike wave, the electrode range of HF is more limited, and the incidence of HF before attack is significantly increased, which is closely correlated with the onset area. The simultaneous occurrence of HFO and the spike waves has higher diagnostic value than the individual occurrence, effectively enhancing surgical efficacy.

Direct thermal injury to the popliteal artery after total knee arthroplasty.

Vascular damage after total knee arthroplasty is rare. However, delayed diagnosis and management may cause adverse outcomes for patients. In particular, direct thermal injury to the popliteal artery after total knee arthroplasty is extremely rare. A 74-year-old woman presented to another institution with a left popliteal artery injury after left total knee arthroplasty. Arteriography revealed total occlusion of the popliteal artery, and emergency surgery was performed. Because of the total occlusion of the popliteal artery due to severe direct thermal injury, anastomosis was performed in an end-to-end fashion with a right great saphenous vein graft. At the time of discharge, she had no specific symptoms other than pain at the surgical site, with a palpable left dorsalis pedis pulse. While performing total knee arthroplasty, the anatomical position of the popliteal artery should be carefully considered to prevent injury.

Inactivation of Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes on alfalfa seeds by the combination treatment of vacuumed hydrogen peroxide vapour and vacuumed dry heat.

We evaluated the combined effects of vacuumed hydrogen peroxide vapour (VHPV) and vacuum-sealed dry heat (vacuum heat, VH) to inactivate food-borne pathogens (Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes) on alfalfa seeds. Alfalfa seeds inoculated with food-borne pathogens were sequentially treated initially with 1·0 ml of 0 or 30% VHPV for 1 min and later with dry heat (DH) or VH for 2 h, and the rate of seed germination was evaluated. The combination treatment decreased the populations of three food-borne pathogens below the limit of detection (1·0 log CFU per gram) on alfalfa seeds without decreasing germinability. The sequential treatment using VHPV and VH greatly reduced the total treatment time needed to inactivate pathogens on alfalfa seeds by more than 5 log CFU per gram. These results demonstrate that a combination of VHPV and VH has potentially employed as a new method for pasteurization of alfalfa seeds without affecting their germinability.

[Postoperative outcomes and influencing factors of diffuse low-grade glioma-related epilepsy].

The clinical and pathological features and postoperative outcomes of 49 patients with diffuse low-grade glioma -related epilepsy who were admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from January 2015 to December 2018 were analyzed. After 1-year follow-up, 33 patients (67.3%) in the good prognosis group and 16 patients (32.7%) in the poor prognosis group were enrolled. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicatedthat subtotal tumor resection (OR=5.56, 95%CI:1.21-25.44,P=0.027) and no postoperative radiotherapy (OR=9.24, 95%CI:2.05-41.75, P=0.004) were the risk factors for poor prognosis of postoperative epilepsy. Therefore, for patients with diffuse low-grade glioma-related epilepsy, total tumor resection and postoperative radiotherapy are beneficial to the control of epilepsy.

[Analysis of the usage of post-exposure prophylaxis and related factors among men who have sex with men].

A survey was conduct to analyze the usage situation of post-exposure prophylaxis(PEP) and related factors among men who have sex with men(MSM) in 6 cities of Shandong Province. Total of 2 620 subjects, the use ratio was 2.98% (78/2 620). Compared with age≤24 years,monthly income<5 000 yuan,non-commercial sex, non-DU,non-STD,role for being insert in the anal intercourse,MSM was more likely to use PEP with age≥45 years(OR=3.87, 95%CI:1.12-13.36),monthly income≥5 000 yuan(OR=1.87, 95%CI:1.07-3.28),commercial sex (OR=3.13, 95%CI:1.56-6.28), drug users (DUs) (OR=4.63, 95%CI:2.51-8.52),STD patient (OR=2.35,95%CI:1.05-5.27),the mixed sex role group(OR=2.25,95%CI:1.10-4.62).

Comparison of a covered metallic ureteral stent and a double-J stent for malignant ureteral obstruction in advanced gastric cancer.

AIM: To compare the patency and safety of covered metallic stents (CMS) and the double-J stent (DJS) for treating malignant ureteral obstruction (MUO) in advanced gastric cancer (AGC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2016 and 2018, the medical records of 61 patients (84 ureters; CMS, 39 patients, 54 ureters; DJS, 22 patients, 30 ureters) with MUO caused by AGC were reviewed retrospectively. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to evaluate differences of primary or assisted primary patency between groups. Cox regression was conducted separately for early (within 7 days) and late (after 7 days) primary patency. RESULTS: Technical success of CMS placement was 100% (54/54) and 96.8% (29/30) for DJS (p=0.357). The cumulative stent patency rates at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months were 77%, 74%, 70%, and 70%, in the CMS group and 72%, 60%, 53%, and 26%, in the DJS group. Apart from the period within 7 days (p=0.784), primary patency was consistently higher in the CMS group when compared to the DJS group over the entire follow-up period (p=0.034). Assisted primary patency was consistently higher in the CMS group than in the DJS group over the entire follow-up period (p=0.001). The CMS group was more likely to have complications than the DJS group (48.1% versus 16.7%, p=0.004). Complications were minor, self-limiting events such as haematuria/haematoma. CONCLUSION: CMS had better late patency and assisted primary patency than DJS. Procedure-related minor complications more frequently occurred with CMS.

[Genomic investigation of human Streptococcus suis infection in Shandong Province].

To investigate Streptococcus suis (S.suis) isolated from patients in Shandong province using genomic epidemiology and pathogenologic analysis. To provide the foundation to establish reasonable and accurate prevention and control measures of human S. suis infection. Molecular typing, whole genome phylogenetic tree, virulence gene typing, antibiotic resistance profile and mobile genetic elements carrying antibiotic resistance genes of isolated S. suis strains were investigated. The pathogenicity of isolated strains was also evaluated by comparing their capacity to induce pro-inflammatory cytokine production in vitro. S. suis infections in Shandong province were predominantly due to serotype 2 and sequence type 1 strains. The major symptoms were meningitis. The studied strains could be divided into five lineages. All strains belong to highly pathogenic type in Shandong province,Strains from lineage 2 possessed higher capacity to stimulate pro-inflammatory cytokine production than other strains did, even though other strains belong to highly pathogenic strains. In addition, multiple antibiotic resistance genes and corresponding mobile genetic elements werewidespread in S. suis strains from Shandong province, except strains from lineage 3. High diversities in genome, evolutionary path and pathogenicity of S. suis strains from Shandong province were revealed. It was necessary to surveillant the S. suis strain in genomic level.

Fructose metabolism as a common evolutionary pathway of survival associated with climate change, food shortage and droughts.

Mass extinctions occur frequently in natural history. While studies of animals that became extinct can be informative, it is the survivors that provide clues for mechanisms of adaptation when conditions are adverse. Here, we describe a survival pathway used by many species as a means for providing adequate fuel and water, while also providing protection from a decrease in oxygen availability. Fructose, whether supplied in the diet (primarily fruits and honey), or endogenously (via activation of the polyol pathway), preferentially shifts the organism towards the storing of fuel (fat, glycogen) that can be used to provide energy and water at a later date. Fructose causes sodium retention and raises blood pressure and likely helped survival in the setting of dehydration or salt deprivation. By shifting energy production from the mitochondria to glycolysis, fructose reduced oxygen demands to aid survival in situations where oxygen availability is low. The actions of fructose are driven in part by vasopressin and the generation of uric acid. Twice in history, mutations occurred during periods of mass extinction that enhanced the activity of fructose to generate fat, with the first being a mutation in vitamin C metabolism during the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction (65 million years ago) and the second being a mutation in uricase that occurred during the Middle Miocene disruption (12-14 million years ago). Today, the excessive intake of fructose due to the availability of refined sugar and high-fructose corn syrup is driving 'burden of life style' diseases, including obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Inactivation of Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and Bacillus cereus in roasted grain powder by radio frequency heating.

AIMS: The objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of radio frequency (RF) heating and the combination treatment of RF heating with ultraviolet (UV) radiation against foodborne pathogens in roasted grain powder (RGP). METHODS AND RESULTS: Foodborne pathogens inoculated on RGP were subjected to RF heating or RF-UV combination treatments. After 120 s of RF heating, 4·68, 3·89 and 4·54 log reductions were observed for Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium and Bacillus cereus vegetative cells respectively. The combined RF-UV treatment showed synergistic effects of over 1 log unit compared to the sum of individual treatment for E. coli and S. Typhimurium, but not for B. cereus vegetative cells because of their high UV resistance. Germinated B. cereus cells were not significantly inactivated by RF heating (<1 log CFU per gram), and increased heat resistance compared to the vegetative cells was verified with mild heat treatment. The colour of RGP was not significantly affected by the RF or RF-UV treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Applying RF heating to grain-based food products has advantages for the inactivation of E. coli and S. Typhimurium in RGP. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The results of the present study could be used as a basis for determining the treatment conditions for inactivating E. coli and other foodborne pathogens such as S. Typhimurium and B. cereus in RGP.

Long-term clinical outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection for colorectal neoplasia with or without the hybrid technique.

AIM: The main aim of this study was to compare the long-term outcome of a conventional colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in which submucosal dissection was continued throughout until the completion of resection (ESD-T) to hybrid endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD-H) in the colorectum. METHOD: Medical records of 836 colorectal neoplasia patients treated by ESD-T or ESD-H were reviewed. ESD-H was defined as colorectal ESD with additional snaring in the final stage of the procedure. Primary outcomes were the overall and metastatic recurrence rates. Secondary outcomes were short-term outcomes such as the en bloc resection rate, procedure time and adverse events. RESULTS: The overall recurrence rate was higher in the ESD-H than in the ESD-T group (5.7% vs 0.7%, P = 0.001). The metastatic recurrence rate showed no significant difference between these groups (1.4% vs 1.4%, P = 1.000). Multivariate analysis revealed that a failed en bloc resection (hazard ratio 24.097; 95% CI 5.446-106.237; P < 0.001) and larger tumour size (hazard ratio 1.042; 95% CI 1.014-1.070; P = 0.003) were independently associated with overall recurrence. The ESD-H group showed a lower en bloc resection rate (56.8% vs 96.5%, P < 0.001), shorter procedure time (45.6 vs 54.3 min, P < 0.001) and higher perforation rate (10.3% vs 6.0%, P = 0.029). CONCLUSION: Although long-term outcomes in terms of overall recurrence are inferior following ESD-H, a failed en bloc resection and large tumour size are the only independent risk factors for recurrence. Further investigations are warranted to improve the long-term outcomes of ESD-H.

Percentage volume of delayed kinetics in computer-aided diagnosis of MRI of the breast to reduce false-positive results and unnecessary biopsies.

AIM: To investigate the best cut-off percentage volume of delayed kinetics using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) to reduce unnecessary biopsies in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2017 and December 2018, 94 malignant and 56 benign masses were analysed using MRI CAD. All malignant and benign masses measured <2 cm and were confirmed histopathologically. The optimal cut-off values for washout, plateau, and persistent components were determined using the maximum Youden Index. The positive predictive value (PPV) was analysed using morphological descriptors and combining the percentage volume of delayed kinetics. RESULTS: The area under the curve (AUC) was highest at ≤73% persistent component (AUC=0.759). In the subgroup analyses of masses <1 cm, the AUC was highest a plateau of >26% (AUC=0.697). When the persistent ≤73% criterion was applied to the lesions of C4a, the positive predictive value (PPV) increased from 61.9% to 72.44% with reduced false-negative cases and when applied to the lesions of C4a and C4b, the PPV increased from 61.9% to 78.1% with slightly increased false-negative cases. For subcentimetre lesions, the PPV increased from 46.77% to 54.72% with the same number of false-negative cases, when a plateau of >26% was applied to C4a, and the PPV increased from 46.77% to 61.36% with five false-negative cases when applied to C4a and C4b. CONCLUSION: The percentage volume of delayed kinetics has the potential to improve the PPV of breast MRI. When suspicious masses <2 cm do not show ≤73% persistence, follow-up rather than biopsy could be considered; however, to avoid increasing false-negative cases, delayed kinetic information should be used with caution and accurate margin assessment is essential.

[Clinicopathologic characteristics and causes of difficulty in locating the "difficult to locate" intractable epilepsy].

Objective: To summarize the clinicopathological characteristics of "difficult to locate" intractable epilepsy patients, and investigate the causes of difficulty in their location. Method: Retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 58 patients who underwent resection of the epileptogenic zones after intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) detection at the Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from January 2010 to December 2018. Clinicopathological characteristics and lesion lobes of "difficult to locate" intractable epilepsy were summarized. The prognosis of patients was assessed according to Engel grading.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the relevant factors affecting the prognosis of patients with "difficult to locate" intractable epilepsy related to malformation of cortical development(MCD). Results: Among the 58 patients, there were 47 cases of MCD (12 cases with mild malformation of cortical development (mMCD), 35 cases with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD)), and 11 cases of other types. Among the 47 MCD cases, univariate analysis showed that patients with preoperative magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) positive and completed resection of the epileptogenic zones had better prognosis (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that completed resection of epileptogenic zones was an independent factor affecting the postoperative efficacy of MCD (P=0.013,Wald χ(2)=6.149, 95%CI: 0.07-0.56). And among the 47 MCD cases, 18 cases were with mono-lobar lesions and 29 cases were with multi-lobar lesions, however, there was no significant difference of the efficacy between the two groups (P=0.511). Conclusions: MCD, especially FCD, is the main pathological types of patients with "difficult to locate" intractable epilepsy. Multi-lobar pathological changes, especially multi-lobar MCD, are the main reasons of being difficult to locate, however, accurate locating of epileptogenic zones and functional areas via effective use of iEEG can achieve satisfactory efficacy in these patients after resection of the epileptogenic zones.

[Short-term effect of sodium zirconium cyclosilicate on potassium lowering in chronic kidney disease patients with hyperkalemia].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of sodium zirconium cyclosilicate on emergency correction of hyperkalemia in chronic kidney disease patients. Methods: Patients with chronic kidney disease who were admitted to the Department of Nephrology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from May to June 2020 were selected. Those who had hyperkalemia and took sodium zirconium cyclosilicate powder were finally included. The patient's clinical data and laboratory results were collected. Results: A total of 24 results were included from 21 patients. The age of patients was (48.9±13.5) years old. Fourteen patients were male, and 7 patients were female. After 2 hours of administration, the venous potassium level decreased from (5.85±0.52) mmol/L to (5.15±0.43) mmol/L (P<0.001, n=21), with an average decline of (0.71±0.43) mmol/L. Meanwhile, the arterial potassium level decreased from (5.50±0.40) mmol/L to (4.88±0.33) mmol/L (P<0.001, n=10), with an average decline of (0.62±0.29) mmol/L. Based on the initial venous potassium level, the patients were further divided into three groups. The average potassium decrease in<5.5 mmol/L group (4 patients), 5.5-<6.0 mmol/L group (11 patients) and ≥6.0 mmol/L group (6 patients) was (0.46±0.26) mmol/L, (0.62±0.38) mmol/L and (1.04±0.45) mmol/L, respectively. There was statistically significant difference of potassium reduction among the three groups (P=0.045). Moreover, the extent of potassium reduction was positively correlated with baseline venous potassium level (r=0.603, P=0.004, n=21). The study did not reveal any treatment-related adverse event. Conclusion: Sodium zirconium cyclosilicate powder can rapidly and effectively reduce the serum potassium level in chronic kidney disease patients with hyperkalemia.

[Analysis of rush poppers use and related factors in men who have sex with men in Jinan and Qingdao, 2016].

Objective: To understand the use of drug and its related factors among men who have sex with men, and to provide reference for the development of reasonable intervention measures. Methods: MSM was recruited from Jinan and Qingdao by means of on-site and internet recruiting from March to June in 2016. Anonymous questionnaires were conducted and HIV and syphilis serological tests were performed. The questionnaire included the general situation, sexual behavior, HIV related services and so on. Multi-factor unconditioned logistic regression model was used to explore related factors about rush poppers use. Results: The rush poppers use rate of 901 MSM was 30.1%（271/901）, the age was (29.3±8.1) years, the HIV infection rate was 4.6% (41/901) and the syphilis infection rate was 8.7% (78/901). Multivariate analysis showed that compared with those who were>25 years old, the OR (95%CI) of those who were ≤ 25 years old was 1.571 (1.110-2.224); compared with the number of anal sexual behavior was<2 times in the last week, the OR (95%CI) of those whose number of anal sexual behavior was ≥2 times was 2.991 (1.100-8.132); compared with those who had not received peer education services in the last year, the OR (95%CI) of those who received peer education services was 13.651 (7.239-25.742). Conclusion: Rush poppers are very popular in the MSM crowd, and those who aged less than 25 years old, who had anal sex more than twice in the past week, and who had received peer education services were more likely to use rush poppers. We should carry out targeted interventions according to the characteristics.

[Clinical analysis of 350 cases of pneumoconiosis complicated with spontaneous pneumothorax].

Objective: To explore the clinical features of pneumoconiosis complicated with spontaneous pneumothorax to improve the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. Methods: Analyze the clinical characteristics and treatment of 350 cases of pneumoconiosis complicated with spontaneous pneumothorax in Hunan Prevention and Treatment Institute for Occupational Diseases from May 2016 to May 2018. Results: In 350 patients, 22 cases are pneumoconiosis stage I, accounting for 6.3%, 26 cases are pneumoconiosis stage Ⅱ, accounting for 7.4%, 302 cases were pneumoconiosis stage Ⅲ, accounting for 86.3%.168 cases were recurrent pneumothorax, the recurrence rate was as high as 48%.There were 232 cases occurred in winter and spring, accounting for 66.3%. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary infection were 54.9% and 47.4%, respectively. 233 patients were treated with basic therapy such as high flow oxygen therapy, with an effective rate of 93.1%. 114 cases were treated with thoracic closed drainage, with an effective rate of 86%. Conclusion: Spontaneous pneumothorax is a common complication of pneumoconiosis with high recurrence rate. According to the different conditions to give different treatments in a timely manner can achieve better results.

Optimization of broth recovery for repair of heat-injured Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7.

AIMS: The purpose of this research was to determine optimum conditions for broth recovery of heat-injured Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7. METHODS AND RESULTS: Exposure to 55°C for 15 and 25 min, respectively, induced cellular injury to those pathogens. Comparison was made with the commonly used overlay method using selective medium for recovering sublethally injured cells of S. Typhimurium. For E. coli O157:H7, phenol red agar base with 1% sorbitol was used. After cell suspensions were heated at 55°C for selected time intervals, microbes were 10-fold diluted with brain heart infusion (BHI), tryptic soy broth (TSB) and TSB with 0·6% yeast extract (TSBYE) and incubated at 37°C for up to 3 h. At hourly intervals, diluents were plated onto selective medium for recovery. Simultaneously, diluents were plated onto tryptic soy agar (TSA) for recovery of sublethally injured cells. For overlays, diluents were plated onto TSA and overlaid with selective agar after a resuscitation interval. Broth recovery conditions for S. Typhimurium and E. coli O157:H7 were determined to be 1 h in any of the following broth media: BHI, TSB or TSBYE. When liquid resuscitation was applied to sublethally injured cells in food samples (milk), 1 h was also sufficient time for recovery. CONCLUSIONS: The broth recovery method is a convenient alternative to conventional recovery methods. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Cells sublethally injured by control interventions might not grow on selective medium because they have no resistance to several selective compounds. However, injured cells can recuperate and multiply under conditions sufficient for recovery. To repair and detect heat-injured cells, the overlay method is commonly used but this method has some limitations. This study confirms the effectiveness of liquid resuscitation method on recovery of injured cells. The broth recovery can replace the overlay method due to greater convenience and timesaving.

Comparison of the diagnostic performance of abbreviated MRI and full diagnostic MRI using a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system in patients with a personal history of breast cancer: the effect of CAD-generated kinetic features on reader performance.

AIM: To compare the diagnostic performance of abbreviated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and full diagnostic MRI with computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system in patients with a personal history of breast cancer and to evaluate how the kinetic features affect the performance of two radiologists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2017, 3,834 breast MRI examinations in 2,310 patients with a history of breast cancer comprised the study population. MRI images were reviewed retrospectively by two radiologists. First, two radiologists independently reviewed T1-weighted images scanned at 90 seconds after the contrast medium injection and T2-weighted images. After 6 months, the two readers reviewed contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images with five consecutive delayed images using CAD. The diagnostic performance of the abbreviated-sequence and full-sequence MRI were compared. RESULTS: Fifty-one intramammary recurrences were detected with breast MRI in 47 patients. Of the 51 tumour recurrences, 36 (70.6%) lesions occurred >3 years after initial cancer surgery and seven (13.7%) lesions at <2 years after initial surgery. The sensitivity and specificity were 92.2-94.1% and 97.6-98.6% on the abbreviated sequence and 94.1-96.1% and 97.9-98.3% on the full diagnostic MRI. Of 51 malignant lesions, six showed delayed persistent pattern, of which three lesions were non-mass enhancement and three lesions were small enhancing masses <1 cm. CONCLUSION: Overall diagnostic performances of abbreviated MRI and full diagnostic MRI were similar in both readers. The CAD-generated kinetic features could affect reader performance and the sensitivity could be improved or the specificity improved according to the reader.

Effect of Interface Traps on the Device Performance of InGaAs-Based Gate-All-Around Tunneling Field-Effect Transistors.

The effect of interface traps on InGaAs-based vertical gate-all-around (GAA) tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs) has been investigated using technology computer-aided design (TCAD) simulation. The interface traps distributed within different energy levels (Et) in the energy bandgap of a semiconductor material exhibit various influences on the device performances. In this work, InGaAs-based TFETs are simulated to analyze the effects on the on-state current (Ion), off-state current (Ioff), threshold voltage (Vth), subthreshold swing (SS), and the ambipolar characteristics according to Et and type of the interface traps. We have confirmed that Ioff and SS are degraded by the interface traps. Further, it can be shown that Ion is mainly affected by the acceptor-like traps and ambipolar behavior is affected by the donor-like traps. All the effects increase as Et becomes closer to the midgap. The effects of the interface traps with gate underlap and overlap at the source-channel region also have been investigated, considering the device fabrication. Additionally, the analysis of the effect of junction trap created at the source-channel junction has been performed.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Immediate Hypersensitivity Reactions Associated With Low-Osmolar Iodinated Contrast Media: A Longitudinal Study Based on a Real-Time Monitoring System.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the incidence of immediate hypersensitivity reaction (HSR) caused by different types of low-osmolar contrast media (LOCM) and cumulative exposure to LOCM. METHODS: This cohort study included all consecutive patients who underwent LOCM-enhanced computed tomography from 2012 through 2014. We assessed 5 LOCM (iobitridol, iohexol, iomeprol, iopamidol, and iopromide). All patients were monitored for adverse events, and new symptoms and signs were recorded in real time using the Contrast Safety Monitoring and Management System (CoSM2oS). RESULTS: The overall incidence of immediate HSR to LOCM was 0.97% (2004 events resulting from 205 726 exposures). Incidence differed significantly depending on whether the patient had a previous history of HSR to LOCM (0.80% in patients with no history and 16.99% in patients with a positive history of HSR to LOCM, P=.001). The incidence of HSR to individual LOCM ranged from 0.72% (iohexol) to 1.34% (iomeprol), although there were no significant differences across the 5 LOCM. A longitudinal analysis demonstrated that the incidence of HSR increased gradually with more frequent previous exposure to LOCM (HR=2.006 [95%CI, 1.517-2.653], P<.001). However, this cumulative increase in risk was observed in patients who had experienced HSR to LOCM, but not in those who had not. CONCLUSION: The incidence of HSR did not differ significantly across the 5 LOCM assessed in the study. Repeated exposure to LOCM did not increase the risk of HSR among patients who had never experienced HSR to LOCM.