Incremental value of combinatorial contrast echocardiography and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in giant right atrial myxomas.

Although several studies have shown that myocardial contrast echocardiography and 18-FDG PET/CT can differentiate between benign and malignant intracardiac masses, it is rarely used in practice to evaluate myxoma. This case describes the contrast echocardiography and 18-FDG PET/CT findings of a giant myxoma with an atypical location and subclinical symptoms.

Ultrasound-Based Deep Learning Radiomics Nomogram for Tumor and Axillary Lymph Node Status Prediction After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the feasibility of the deep learning radiomics nomogram (DLRN) for predicting tumor status and axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with breast cancer. Additionally, we employ a Cox regression model for survival analysis to validate the effectiveness of the fusion algorithm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 243 patients who underwent NAC were retrospectively included between October 2014 and July 2022. The DLRN integrated clinical characteristics as well as radiomics and deep transfer learning features extracted from ultrasound (US) images. The diagnostic performance of DLRN was evaluated by constructing ROC curves, and the clinical usefulness of models was assessed using decision curve analysis (DCA). A survival model was developed to validate the effectiveness of the fusion algorithm. RESULTS: In the training cohort, the DLRN yielded area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.984 and 0.985 for the tumor and LNM, while 0.892 and 0.870, respectively, in the test cohort. The consistency indices (C-index) of the nomogram were 0.761 and 0.731, respectively, in the training and test cohorts. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that patients in the high-risk group had significantly poorer overall survival than patients in the low-risk group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The US-based DLRN model could hold promise as clinical guidance for predicting the status of tumors and LNM after NAC in patients with breast cancer. This fusion model can also predict the prognosis of patients, which could help clinicians make better clinical decisions.

[Effects of ganoderma lucidum spores on mitochondrial calcium ion and cytochrome C in epididymal cells of type 2 diabetes rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of ganoderma lucidum spores (GLS) on mitochondrial calcium ion and cytochrome C in the epididymal cells of type 2 diabetes rats. METHODS: Fifty adolescent rats were randomly divided into a model group (n=20), a GLS group (n=20) and a control group (n=10). The animals of the former two groups were injected with 2% STZ via vena caudalis for one time to induce type 2 diabetes. Then the model group was given high-fat-sugar diet, the GLS group high-fat-sugar diet + GLS (250 mg/kg x d), and the control group normal diet + CA-citrate sodium buffer. The bilateral epididymides were obtained 10 weeks later and the contents of mitochondrial calcium and cytochrome C detected. RESULTS: Type 2 diabetes models were successfully constructed. The content of mitochondrial calcium in the epididymal cells was significantly higher in the model group ([3.279 +/- 0.502] mg/L) than in the control group ([2.606 +/- 0.048] mg/L, P < 0.01), with no significant difference between the GLS group ([2.693 +/- 0. 196] mg/L) and the control (P > 0.05). In the model group, the content of mitochondrial cytochrome C ([3.213 +/- 1.511] micromol/L) was significantly lower (P < 0.05) while that of cytoplasm cytochrome C ([2.484 +/- 0.661] micromol/L) significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in the control ([5.688 +/- 1.679] micromol/L and [1.574 +/- 0.329] micromol/L, respectively). In the GLS group, the content of mitochondrial cytochrome C ([5.258 +/- 1.560] micromol/L) was higher, with no significant difference (P > 0.05), and that of cytoplasm cytochrome C ([1.727 +/- 0.396] micromol/L) significantly lower than in the model group (P < 0.05), but the difference between the GLS and the control group was not significant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: With disequilibrium of calcium homeostasis and damage to mitochondria, there might be excessive apoptosis in the epididymal cells of type 2 diabetes rats. Ganoderma lucidum spores could protect epididymal cells and counteract their apoptosis in diabetic condition.