Cryoprotective effects and mechanisms of soybean oligosaccharides on the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) surimi during frozen storage.

BACKGROUND: Conventional cryoprotectant mixtures (sucrose and sorbitol) impart excessive sweetness and calories to surimi. Therefore, there is a need to explore alternative cryoprotectants with low sweetness and low-calorie content. The cryoprotective effects and possible mechanisms of soybean oligosaccharides (SBOS) on the frozen stability of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) surimi were investigated during 120 days of frozen storage in a comparison with commercial cryoprotectants (4% sucrose and 4% sorbitol, w/w). RESULTS: SBOS at 6-8% (w/w) and commercial cryoprotectants could restrain water mobility and reduce thawing loss of frozen surimi by increasing non-freezable water content. SBOS could maintain the structural stability of proteins by preventing sulfhydryl groups from being rapidly oxidized to disulfide bonds, retarding the reduction of the solubility, Ca2+-ATPase activity and α-helix content of myofibrillar proteins (MP), as well as hindering the increasing surface hydrophobicity of MP of surimi during 120 days of frozen storage. The introduction of SBOS increased the gel strength and water-holding capacity of frozen-stored surimi. Compared with commercial cryoprotectants, 8% SBOS was more effective in stabilizing protein structure, whereas it was slightly less effective with respect to ice-forming inhibition. CONCLUSION: The results obtained in the present study suggest that 8% SBOS could be potentially developed as a new cryoprotectant for surimi as a result of its ice-forming inhibition abilities and protein structure stability. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

The RNA binding protein MEX3A promotes tumor progression of breast cancer by post-transcriptional regulation of IGFBP4.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent malignant tumor in women worldwide with exceptionally high morbidity. The RNA-binding protein MEX3A plays a crucial role in genesis and progression of multiple cancers. We attempted to explore its clinicopathological and functional significance in BC in which MEX3A is expressed. METHODS: The expression of MEX3A detected by RT-qPCR and correlated the results with clinicopathological variables in 53 BC patients. MEX3A and IGFBP4 profile data of BC patients were downloaded from TCGA and GEO database. Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis was used to estimate the survival rate of BC patients. Western Blot, CCK-8, EdU, colony formation and flow cytometry were performed to investigate the role of MEX3A and IGFBP4 in BC cell proliferation, invasion and cell cycle in vitro. A subcutaneous tumor mouse model was constructed to analyze in vivo growth of BC cells after MEX3A knockdown. The interactions among MEX3A and IGFBP4 were measured by RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: The expression of MEX3A was upregulated in BC tissues compared to adjacent tissues and high expression of MEX3A was associated with poor prognosis. Subsequent in vitro studies demonstrated that MEX3A knockdown inhibited BC cells proliferation and migration, as well as xenograft tumor growth in vivo. The expression of IGFBP4 was significantly negatively correlated with MEX3A in BC tissues. Mechanistic investigation showed that MEX3A binds to IGFBP4 mRNA in BC cells, decreasing IGFBP4 mRNA levels, which further activated the PI3K/AKT and other downstream signaling pathways implicated cell cycle progression and cell migration. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that MEX3A plays a prominent oncogenic role in BC tumorigenesis and progression by targeting IGFBP4 mRNA and activating PI3K/AKT signaling, which can be used as a novel therapeutic target for BC.

LncRNA TDRKH-AS1 promotes breast cancer progression via the miR-134-5p/CREB1 axis.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is a prevalent malignancy with complex etiology and varied clinical behavior. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as key regulators in cancer progression, including BC. Among these, lncRNA TDRKH-AS1 has been implicated in several cancers, but its role in BC remains unclear. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive investigation to elucidate the role of TDRKH-AS1 in BC. Clinical samples were collected from BC patients, and BC cell lines were cultured. Bioinformatics analysis using the starBase database was carried out to assess TDRKH-AS1 expression levels in BC tissue samples. Functional experiments, including knockdown, colony formation, CCK-8, Transwell, and wound-healing assays, were conducted to determine the role of TDRKH-AS1 in BC cell proliferation and invasion. Luciferase reporter and RIP assays were used to examine the interactions between TDRKH-AS1 and miR-134-5p. In addition, the downstream target gene of miR-134-5p, cAMP response element-binding protein 1 (CREB1), was identified and studied using various methods, including RT-qPCR, immunoprecipitation, and rescue experiments. In vivo experiments using mouse tumor xenograft models were conducted to examine the role of TDRKH-AS1 in BC tumorigenesis. RESULTS: TDRKH-AS1 was found to be significantly upregulated in BC tissues and cell lines. High TDRKH-AS1 expression correlated with advanced BC stages and worse patient outcomes. Knockdown of TDRKH-AS1 led to decreased BC cell proliferation and invasion. Mechanistically, TDRKH-AS1 acted as a sponge for miR-134-5p, thereby reducing the inhibitory effects of miR-134-5p on CREB1 expression. Overexpression of CREB1 partially rescued the effects of TDRKH-AS1 knockdown in BC cells. In vivo studies further confirmed the tumor-promoting role of TDRKH-AS1 in BC. CONCLUSIONS: Our study unveiled a novel regulatory axis involving TDRKH-AS1, miR-134-5p, and CREB1 in BC progression. TDRKH-AS1 functioned as an oncogenic lncRNA by promoting BC cell proliferation and invasion through modulation of the miR-134-5p/CREB1 axis. These findings highlighted TDRKH-AS1 as a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for BC treatment.

Capability of arterial spin labeling and intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging to detect early kidney injury in chronic kidney disease.

OBJECTIVES: To prospectively investigate the capability of arterial spin labeling (ASL) and intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) for the identification of early kidney injury in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with normal estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). METHODS: Fifty-four CKD patients confirmed by renal biopsy (normal eGFR group [eGFR ≥ 90 mL/min/1.73 m2]: n = 26; abnormal eGFR group [eGFR < 90 mL/min/1.73 m2]: n = 28) and 20 healthy volunteers (HV) were recruited. All subjects were examined by IVIM-DWI and ASL imaging. Renal blood flow (RBF) derived from ASL, true diffusion coefficient (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) derived from IVIM-DWI were measured from the renal cortex. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare MRI parameters among the three groups. The correlation between eGFR and MRI parameters was evaluated by Spearman correlation analysis. Diagnostic performances of MRI parameters for detecting kidney injury were assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: The renal cortical D, D*, f, and RBF values showed statistically significant differences among the three groups. eGFR was positively correlated with MRI parameters (D: r = 0.299, D*: r = 0.569, f: r = 0.733, RBF: r = 0.586). The areas under the curve (AUCs) for discriminating CKD patients from HV were 0.725, 0.752, 0.947, and 0.884 by D, D*, f, and RBF, respectively. D, D*, f, RBF, and eGFR identified CKD patients with normal eGFR with AUCs of 0.735, 0.612, 0.917, 0.827, and 0.733, respectively, and AUC of f value was significantly larger than that of eGFR. CONCLUSION: IVIM-DWI and ASL were useful for detecting underlying pathologic injury in early CKD patients with normal eGFR. KEY POINTS: • The renal cortical f and RBF values in the control group were significantly higher than those in the normal eGFR group. • A negative correlation was observed between the renal cortical D, D*, f, and RBF values and SCr and 24 h-UPRO, while eGFR was significantly positively correlated with renal cortical D, D*, f, and RBF values. • The AUC of renal cortical f values was statistically larger than that of eGFR for the discrimination between the CKD with normal eGFR group and the control group.

Evaluation of interstitial fibrosis in chronic kidney disease by multiparametric functional MRI and histopathologic analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the diagnostic value of functional MRI to assess renal interstitial fibrosis in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). METHODS: We prospectively recruited 80 CKD patients who underwent renal biopsies and 16 healthy volunteers to undergo multiparametric functional MRI examinations. The Oxford MEST-C classification was used to score the interstitial fibrosis. The diagnostic performance of functional MRI to discriminate interstitial fibrosis was evaluated by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: IgA nephropathy (60%) accounted for the majority of pathologic type in the CKD patients. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was correlated with interstitial fibrosis (rho = -0.73). Decreased renal blood flow (RBF) derived from arterial spin labeling (rho = -0.78) and decreased perfusion fraction (f) derived from DWI (rho = -0.70) were accompanied by increased interstitial fibrosis. The T1 value from T1 mapping correlated with interstitial fibrosis (rho = 0.67) (all p < 0.01). The areas under the ROC curve for the discrimination of ≤ 25% vs. > 25% and ≤ 50% vs. > 50% interstitial fibrosis were 0.87 (95% confidence interval, 0.78 to 0.94) and 0.93 (0.86 to 0.98) by ADC, 0.84 (0.74 to 0.91) and 0.94 (0.86 to 0.98) by f, 0.93 (0.85 to 0.98) and 0.90 (0.82 to 0.96) by RBF, and 0.91 (0.83 to 0.96) and 0.77 (0.66 to 0.85) by T1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Functional MRI parameters were strongly correlated with the interstitial fibrosis of CKD. Therefore, it might a powerful tool to assess interstitial fibrosis of CKD noninvasively. KEY POINTS: • In CKD patients, the renal cortical ADC value decreased and T1 value increased significantly compared with healthy volunteers. • Functional MRI revealed significantly decreased renal perfusion in CKD patients compared with healthy volunteers. • The renal cortical ADC, f, RBF, and T1 values were strongly correlated with the interstitial fibrosis of CKD.

Is it possible to use low-dose deep learning reconstruction for the detection of liver metastases on CT routinely?

OBJECTIVES: To compare the image quality and hepatic metastasis detection of low-dose deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) with full-dose filtered back projection (FBP)/iterative reconstruction (IR). METHODS: A contrast-detail phantom consisting of low-contrast objects was scanned at five CT dose index levels (10, 6, 3, 2, and 1 mGy). A total of 154 participants with 305 hepatic lesions who underwent abdominal CT were enrolled in a prospective non-inferiority trial with a three-arm design based on phantom results. Data sets with full dosage (13.6 mGy) and low dosages (9.5, 6.8, or 4.1 mGy) were acquired from two consecutive portal venous acquisitions, respectively. All images were reconstructed with FBP (reference), IR (control), and DLIR (test). Eleven readers evaluated phantom data sets for object detectability using a two-alternative forced-choice approach. Non-inferiority analyses were performed to interpret the differences in image quality and metastasis detection of low-dose DLIR relative to full-dose FBP/IR. RESULTS: The phantom experiment showed the dose reduction potential from DLIR was up to 57% based on the reference FBP dose index. Radiation decreases of 30% and 50% resulted in non-inferior image quality and hepatic metastasis detection with DLIR compared to full-dose FBP/IR. Radiation reduction of 70% by DLIR performed inferiorly in detecting small metastases (< 1 cm) compared to full-dose FBP (difference: -0.112; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.178 to 0.047) and full-dose IR (difference: -0.123; 95% CI: -0.182 to 0.053) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: DLIR enables a 50% dose reduction for detecting low-contrast hepatic metastases while maintaining comparable image quality to full-dose FBP and IR. KEY POINTS: • Non-inferiority study showed that deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) can reduce the dose to oncological patients with low-contrast lesions without compromising the diagnostic information. • Radiation dose levels for DLIR can be reduced to 50% of full-dose FBP and IR for detecting low-contrast hepatic metastases, while maintaining comparable image quality. • The reduction of radiation by 70% by DLIR is clinically acceptable but insufficient for detecting small low-contrast hepatic metastases (< 1 cm).

Clinical and epidemiological features of high-risk human papillomavirus infection in patients with cervical intraepithelial lesions.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we analyzed the clinical and epidemiological features of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection in patients with cervical intraepithelial lesions. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 240 cases of histologically confirmed cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions to determine any correlation between HPV infection characteristics, age distribution, and cervical epithelial lesions. RESULTS: Patients between the ages of 31 and 40 with cervical intraepithelial lesions were more likely to have high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL; 40.7%) than low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL; 31.3%) (P < 0.05). In patients with HSIL, HR-HPV16, HR-HPV33, and HR-HPV52 were the most common types of HPV infection, while in patients with LSIL, HR-HPV16, HR-HPV52, and HR-HPV58 were the most common types of HPV infection. The highest percentage of single infections occurred in the HSIL group (69.6%), followed by the LSIL group (68.8%). HSIL was present in a significant number of patients (28.6%) aged 30 years and above who tested positive for 12 HPV types but negative for TCT. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HSIL is greatest in younger patients. Patients with cervical epithelial lesions typically have a single infection of a high-risk HPV genotype-HR-HPV16, HR-HPV33, HR-HPV52, or HR-HPV58. Patients aged 30 years and above who test positive for one of 12 types of HPV but negative for TCT are at increased risk for developing HSIL. In order to detect cervical lesions early and begin treatment without delay, colposcopy should be performed regardless of whether or not a high-risk HPV infection is present.

Preliminary Exploration of the Application of Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) in Post-treatment Patients With Bladder Cancer: A Prospective Single-Center Study.

BACKGROUND: Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) has been shown to be effective in diagnosing muscle invasion of bladder cancer (BC) in primary patients. PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of VI-RADS in a BC target population which included post-treatment patients, and to determine the repeatability. STUDY TYPE: Prospective. POPULATION: Seventy-three patients (42 with primary BC, 31 with post-treatment BC). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3.0 T MRI with propeller fast spin-echo T2 WI, echo planer imaging diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging (DCEI). ASSESSMENT: VI-RADS scores were independently assessed by five radiologists with different levels of experience. The diagnostic efficiency in each group (primary and post-treatment) and of each radiologist was assessed. STATISTICAL TESTS: Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV), and area under the curve (AUC) in receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were calculated to evaluate VI-RADS diagnostic performance. Interobserver agreement was assessed using weighted Kappa statistics. A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: At the corresponding cut-off, AUC values of three groups range from 0.936 to 0.947 and AUC values of five observers range from 0.901 to 0.963. There was no significant difference between the AUCs in the primary and post-treatment groups (P = 0.870). The cut-off of the whole group and the post-treatment group was ≥4, and the cut-off of the primary group was ≥3. The Kappa values of interobserver agreements range from 0.709 to 0.923. CONCLUSIONS: After expanding the target population to include post-treatment patients, VI-RADS still has good diagnostic efficacy and repeatability. VI-RADS could potentially be a preoperative staging tool for post-treatment patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2.

Can radiomic analysis of a single-phase dual-energy CT improve the diagnostic accuracy of differentiating enhancing from non-enhancing small renal lesions?

BACKGROUND: The value of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT)-based radiomics in renal lesions is unknown. PURPOSE: To develop DECT-based radiomic models and assess their incremental values in comparison to conventional measurements for differentiating enhancing from non-enhancing small renal lesions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 349 patients with 519 small renal lesions (390 non-enhancing, 129 enhancing) who underwent contrast-enhanced nephrographic phase DECT examinations between June 2013 and January 2020 on multiple DECT platforms were retrospectively recruited. Cohort A included all lesions, while cohort B included Bosniak II-IV and solid enhancing renal lesions. Radiomic models were built with features selected by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression (LASSO). ROC analyses were performed to compare the diagnostic accuracy among conventional and radiomic models for predicting enhancing renal lesions. RESULTS: The individual iodine concentration (IC), normalized IC, mean attenuation on 75-keV images, radiomic model of iodine images, 75-keV images and a combined model integrating all the above-mentioned features all demonstrated high AUCs for predicting renal lesion enhancement in cohort A (AUCs = 0.934-0.979) as well as in the test dataset (AUCs = 0.892-0.962) of cohort B (P values with Bonferroni correction >0.003). The AUC (0.864) of mean attenuation on 75-keV images was significantly lower than those of other models (all P values ≤0.001) except the radiomic model of 75-keV images (P = 0.038) in the training dataset of cohort B. CONCLUSION: No incremental value was found by adding radiomic and machine learning analyses to iodine images for differentiating enhancing from non-enhancing renal lesions.

CT Radiomic Features of Superior Mesenteric Artery Involvement in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Pilot Study.

Background Current imaging methods for prediction of complete margin resection (R0) in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are not reliable. Purpose To investigate whether tumor-related and perivascular CT radiomic features improve preoperative assessment of arterial involvement in patients with surgically proven PDAC. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included consecutive patients with PDAC who underwent surgery after preoperative CT between 2012 and 2019. A three-dimensional segmentation of PDAC and perivascular tissue surrounding the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was performed on preoperative CT images with radiomic features extracted to characterize morphology, intensity, texture, and task-based spatial information. The reference standard was the pathologic SMA margin status of the surgical sample: SMA involved (tumor cells ≤1 mm from margin) versus SMA not involved (tumor cells >1 mm from margin). The preoperative assessment of SMA involvement by a fellowship-trained radiologist in multidisciplinary consensus was the comparison. High reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.7) and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test were used to select features included in the logistic regression model. Results A total of 194 patients (median age, 66 years; interquartile range, 60-71 years; age range, 36-85 years; 99 men) were evaluated. Aside from surgery, 148 patients underwent neoadjuvant therapy. A total of 141 patients' samples did not involve SMA, whereas 53 involved SMA. A total of 1695 CT radiomic features were extracted. The model with five features (maximum hugging angle, maximum diameter, logarithm robust mean absolute deviation, minimum distance, square gray level co-occurrence matrix correlation) showed a better performance compared with the radiologist assessment (model vs radiologist area under the curve, 0.71 [95% CI: 0.62, 0.79] vs 0.54 [95% CI: 0.50, 0.59]; P < .001). The model showed a sensitivity of 62% (33 of 53 patients) (95% CI: 51, 77) and a specificity of 77% (108 of 141 patients) (95% CI: 60, 84). Conclusion A model based on tumor-related and perivascular CT radiomic features improved the detection of superior mesenteric artery involvement in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. © RSNA, 2021 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Do and Kambadakone in this issue.

Pathological assessment of chronic kidney disease with DWI: Is there an added value for diffusion kurtosis imaging?

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide health problem, precise functional and pathological assessment is beneficial to better treatment. Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) can evaluate non-Gaussian diffusion and may help to assess renal pathology and function. PURPOSE: To assess pathological and functional alterations in CKD using DKI compared with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). STUDY TYPE: Prospective study. POPULATION: 70 CKD patients and 20 healthy volunteers. FIELD STRENGTH: 1.5 T. ASSESSMENT: All participants underwent DKI, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), mean diffusivity (MD), and mean kurtosis (MK) of renal parenchyma were acquired. Correlation between renal parenchymal ADC, MD, MK, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), pathological scores were assessed. The diagnostic efficacy of ADC, MD, and MK for assessing the degree of renal pathological injury were compared. STATISTICAL TESTS: ANOVA, Spearman correlation analysis, and ROC curve analysis. RESULTS: The cortical ADC, MD were significantly higher than medulla for all participants, whereas medullary MK was significantly higher than cortex (P < 0.01). Whether eGFR reduced or not, renal parenchymal MK were significantly higher in patients than controls (P < 0.05). Positive correlation was found between eGFR and ADC (cortex, r = 0.562; medulla, r = 0.527), and negative correlation between eGFR and MK (cortex, r = -0.786; medulla, r = -0.709) (all P < 0.001). There was positive correlation between MK and glomerular injury (cortex, r = 0.681; medulla, r = 0.652), tubulointerstitial lesion (cortex, r = 0.650; medulla, r = 0.599) (all P < 0.001). For discrimination between mild and m-s renal injury group, the AUC values of ADC, MD, MK were cortex: 0.723, 0.655, 0.864 and medulla: 0.718, 0.581, 0.829. The AUC values of ADC, MD, MK were cortex: 0.708, 0.679, 0.770 and medulla: 0.713, 0.830, 0.780 for differentiating control group from mild renal injury group. DATA CONCLUSION: DKI is practicable for noninvasive assessment of renal pathology and function of CKD, DKI offer better diagnostic performance than DWI. Evidence Level 1 Technical Efficacy 2.

Diagnostic performance of single-phase dual-energy CT to differentiate vascular and nonvascular incidental renal lesions on portal venous phase: comparison with CT.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether single-phase dual-energy CT (DECT) differentiates vascular and nonvascular renal lesions in the portal venous phase (PVP). Optimal iodine threshold was determined and compared to Hounsfield unit (HU) measurements. METHODS: We retrospectively included 250 patients (266 renal lesions) who underwent a clinically indicated PVP abdominopelvic CT on a rapid-kilovoltage-switching single-source DECT (rsDECT) or a dual-source DECT (dsDECT) scanner. Iodine concentration and HU measurements were calculated by four experienced readers. Diagnostic accuracy was determined using biopsy results and follow-up imaging as reference standard. Area under the curve (AUC) was calculated for each DECT scanner to differentiate vascular from nonvascular lesions and vascular lesions from hemorrhagic/proteinaceous cysts. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses evaluated the association between variables and the presence of vascular lesions. RESULTS: A normalized iodine concentration threshold of 0.25 mg/mL yielded high accuracy in differentiating vascular and nonvascular lesions (AUC 0.93, p < 0.001), with comparable performance to HU measurements (AUC 0.93). Both iodine concentration and HU measurements were independently associated with vascular lesions when adjusted for age, gender, body mass index, and lesion size (AUC 0.95 and 0.95, respectively). When combined, diagnostic performance was higher (AUC 0.96). Both absolute and normalized iodine concentrations performed better than HU measurements (AUC 0.92 vs. AUC 0.87) in differentiating vascular lesions from hemorrhagic/proteinaceous cysts. CONCLUSION: A single-phase (PVP) DECT scan yields high accuracy to differentiate vascular from nonvascular renal lesions. Iodine concentration showed a slightly higher performance than HU measurements in differentiating vascular lesions from hemorrhagic/proteinaceous cysts. KEY POINTS: • A single-phase dual-energy CT scan in the portal venous phase differentiates vascular from nonvascular renal lesions with high accuracy (AUC 0.93). • When combined, iodine concentration and HU measurements showed the highest diagnostic performance (AUC 0.96) to differentiate vascular from nonvascular renal lesions. • Compared to HU measurements, iodine concentration showed a slightly higher performance in differentiating vascular lesions from hemorrhagic/proteinaceous cysts.

Associations between folate metabolism enzyme polymorphisms and breast cancer: A meta-analysis.

We performed this meta-analysis to explore associations between folate metabolism enzyme polymorphisms and breast cancer (BC) in a larger pooled population. Systematic literature research was performed to identify eligible studies for pooled analyses. Totally 92 genetic association studies were included for analyses. The pooled analyses revealed significant findings for MTRR rs1801394 polymorphism in South Asians, for MTR rs1805087 polymorphism in Caucasians and East Asians, and for MTHFR rs1801133 polymorphism in East Asians. In conclusion, the present meta-analysis indicated that MTRR rs1801394, MTR rs1805087, and MTHFR rs1801133 polymorphisms could be used to identify individuals at high risk of developing BC.

Preparation of sludge-based hydrochar at different temperatures and adsorption of BPA.

This study sought a new way to utilize sludge as a low cost and efficient adsorbent. Preparation of sludge adsorbent by hydrothermal carbonization was done at different temperatures (160-250 °C). Various characterization techniques were used in this study including elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The adsorption performance of the organic matter was analyzed by adsorption experiments with the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA). Results showed that as the hydrothermal temperature increased, the solid yield of hydrochar decreased from 84.73% to 55.19%, and the maximum specific surface area was 11.9 m2/g. Elemental analysis showed that the hydrochar contains more aromatic carbon than the raw sludge. It was found using the FT-IR and XPS that the hydrochar retains a large amount of oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface after hydrothermal treatment. Hydrochar can be used as an organic-pollutant adsorbent in water; it has a good adsorption effect on BPA and the removal rate can reach 96%. The adsorbed hydrochar can be hydrothermally retreated and returned to the sewage treatment plant for reuse.

Amplification of lncRNA PVT1 promotes ovarian cancer proliferation by binding to miR-140.

Gene deletion or gene amplification acts as a driving factor of onset, progress, and metastasis in various cancers, including ovarian cancers. By mining the whole genome data of ovarian cancer patients, we identify the long noncoding RNA PVT1 as the most amplified gene. Knockdown of PVT1 was then achieved using a shRNA in two ovarian cancer cell lines, and cell viability was determined by trypan blue exclusion assay, cell metabolism by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay, and cell cycle alteration by propidium iodide cell cycle analysis. Potential targeting microRNAs were predicted with starBase v2.0, and direct binding of miR-140 on PVT1 was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay and microRNA pull-down assay. Evolutionary conserved transcription factor-binding site was predicted via rVista 2.0. Our results show that PVT1 was the most amplified gene in ovarian cancer patients, and it was highly correlated with poor survival outcomes. Knockdown of PVT1 caused decreased cell viability, metabolic activity, and smaller proportion of S-phase cells. PVT1 directly bound to miR-140 and acted as a microRNA sponge, while transcription of PVT1 was regulated by the transcription factor FOXO4. In conclusion, viability, metabolism, and cell cycle of ovarian cancers are regulated by the FOXO4/PVT1/miR-140 signaling pathway.

Differentiating between malignant and benign renal tumors: do IVIM and diffusion kurtosis imaging perform better than DWI?

OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively compare the diagnostic values of conventional diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in differentiating between malignant and benign renal tumors. METHODS: Multiple b value DWIs and DKIs were performed in 180 patients with renal tumors, which were divided into clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), non-ccRCC, and benign renal tumor group. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), true diffusivity (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), perfusion fraction (f), mean kurtosis (MK), and mean diffusivity (MD) maps were calculated. The diagnostic efficacy of various diffusion parameters for predicting malignant renal tumors was compared. RESULTS: The ADC, D, and MD values of ccRCCs were higher, while D*, f, and MK values were lower than those of benign renal tumors (all p < 0.025). The D* and f values of non-ccRCCs were lower than those of benign renal tumors (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively). The difference of ADC, D, MD, and MK values between non-ccRCCs and benign renal tumors was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The ADC, D, MD, and f values of ccRCCs were higher, while MK values were lower than those of non-ccRCCs (all p < 0.001). The AUC values of ADC, D, D*, f, MK, and MD were 0.849, 0.891, 0.708, 0.656, 0.862, and 0.838 for differentiating ccRCCs from benign renal tumors, respectively. The AUC values of D* and f were 0.772 and 0.866 for discrimination between non-ccRCCs and benign renal tumors, respectively. CONCLUSION: IVIM parameters are the best, while DWI and DKI parameters have similar performance in differentiating malignant and benign renal tumors. KEY POINTS: • The D value is the best parameter for differentiating ccRCC from benign renal tumors. • The f value is the best parameter for differentiating non-ccRCC from benign renal tumors. • Conventional DWI and DKI have similar performance in differentiating malignant and benign renal tumors.

Chronic kidney disease: Pathological and functional evaluation with intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging.

BACKGROUND: Because chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide problem, accurate pathological and functional evaluation is required for planning treatment and follow-up. Intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) can assess both capillary perfusion and tissue diffusion and may be helpful in evaluating renal function and pathology. PURPOSE: To evaluate functional and pathological alterations in CKD by applying IVIM-DWI. STUDY TYPE: Prospective study. SUBJECTS: In all, 72 CKD patients who required renal biopsy and 20 healthy volunteers. FIELD STRENGTH: 1.5T. ASSESSMENT: All subjects underwent IVIM-DWI of the kidneys, and image analysis was performed by two radiologists. The mean values of true diffusion coefficient (D), pseudo diffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) were acquired from renal parenchyma. Correlation between IVIM-DWI parameters and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), as well as pathological damage, were assessed. STATISTICAL TESTS: One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), paired sample t-test and Spearman correlation analysis. RESULTS: The paired sample t-test revealed that IVIM-DWI parameters were significantly lower in medulla than cortex for both patients and controls (P < 0.01). Regardless of whether eGFR was reduced, ANOVA revealed that f values of renal parenchyma were significantly lower in patients than controls (P < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis revealed that there were positive correlations between eGFR and D (cortex, r = 0.466, P < 0.001; medulla, r = 0.491, P < 0.001), and between eGFR and f (cortex, r = 0.713, P < 0.001; medulla, r = 0.512, P < 0.001). Negative correlations were found between f and glomerular injury (cortex, r = -0.773, P < 0.001; medulla, r = -0.629, P < 0.001), and between f and tubulointerstitial lesion (cortex, r = -0.728, P < 0.001; medulla, r = -0.547, P < 0.001). DATA CONCLUSION: IVIM-DWI might be feasible for noninvasive evaluation of renal function and pathology of CKD, especially in detection of renal insufficiency at an early stage. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:1251-1259.

[Value of MR imaging in the diagnosis of intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the value of MR imaging in diagnosis of intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct (IPN-B). METHODS: Fourteen patients with intraductal papillary neoplasms of the bile duct confirmed by surgical pathology were included in this study. The patients underwent MR routine plain scanning and enhancement scanning (including T1WI, T2WI with fat suppression, FALSH T1WI, and three-phase enhancement scanning), diffusion weighted imaging(DWI) and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) before operation. The imaging data were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively in comparison with the surgical and pathological results. RESULTS: In these patients, 7 cases had tumors located in the left lobe, 2 cases had tumors in both the left and right lobes, 2 cases in the hepatic hilum, 2 cases in the common bile duct, and 1 case in both the right lobe and the common bile duct. Solitary or multiple intraductal masses could be found in 12 cases, with 11 cases appeared as papillary masses and one case as flat mass. In the other two cases the tumor was not visible (one case had too many stones, and in another case the tumor was too small). The tumors in the 12 cases showed hypointensity on T1WI and hyperintensity on T2WI. On the dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, 11 cases showed mild and one showed moderate enhancement in arterial phase, and all the cases showed mildly and gradually delayed enhancement. On DWI, the lesion areas showed high signal intensity in all the cases, and the ADC value of the tumor area (1.697×10(-3)mm(2)/s) was significantly lower than that of the normal bile (3.973×10(-3)mm(2)/s) (t = -10.94, P < 0.05). Twelve cases demonstrated filling defects on primary MRCP coronary thin section images. On 3D-reconstruction MRCP images, 7 cases exhibited diffuse bile duct dilatation with the tumor areas more prominent, 3 cases exhibited aneurysmal bile dilatation, while the rest 4 cases exhibited segmental or lobar bile duct dilatation ( including 2 with invisible tumors ). In the 3 cases with aneurysmal bile dilatation, the multiple directions of MRCP images helped to find the communication between the aneurysmal dilatation and the bile duct. All the cases showed significant proximal bile duct dilatation (the extent of dilatation >100%), and 9 cases also showed distal bile duct dilatation. Bile duct stones were noted in 6 cases, 4 at the tumor area, and the other 2 away from the tumor area. No adjacent tissue invasion and no distal tissue or lymph node metastasis were observed. CONCLUSION: Intraductal papillary neoplasms of the bile ducts have characteristic imaging appearances on MRI, and MRI is an important method helpful to making correct diagnosis.

Resistance mechanisms of cereal plants and rhizosphere soil microbial communities to chromium stress.

Agricultural soils contaminated with heavy metals poison crops and disturb the normal functioning of rhizosphere microbial communities. Different crops and rhizosphere microbial communities exhibit different heavy metal resistance mechanisms. Here, indoor pot studies were used to assess the mechanisms of grain and soil rhizosphere microbial communities on chromium (Cr) stress. Millet grain variety 'Jingu 21' (Setaria italica) and soil samples were collected prior to control (CK), 6 hours after (Cr_6h), and 6 days following (Cr_6d) Cr stress. Transcriptomic analysis, high-throughput sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used for sample determination and data analysis. Cr stress inhibited the expression of genes related to cell division, and photosynthesis in grain plants while stimulating the expression of genes related to DNA replication and repair, in addition to plant defense systems resist Cr stress. In response to chromium stress, rhizosphere soil bacterial and fungal community compositions and diversity changed significantly (p < 0.05). Both bacterial and fungal co-occurrence networks primarily comprised positively correlated edges that would serve to increase community stability. However, bacterial community networks were larger than fungal community networks and were more tightly connected and less modular than fungal networks. The abundances of C/N functional genes exhibited increasing trends with increased Cr exposure. Overall, these results suggest that Cr stress primarily prevented cereal seedlings from completing photosynthesis, cell division, and proliferation while simultaneously triggering plant defense mechanisms to resist the toxic effects of Cr. Soil bacterial and fungal populations exhibited diverse response traits, community-assembly mechanisms, and increased expression of functional genes related to carbon and nitrogen cycling, all of which are likely related to microbial survival during Cr stress. This study provides new insights into resistance mechanisms, microbial community structures, and mechanisms of C/N functional genes responses in cereal plants to heavy metal contaminated agricultural soils. Portions of this text were previously published as part of a preprint (https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-2891904/v1).

Imaging Characteristics of Clear Cell Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma: Identifying the Sheep in Wolf's Clothing.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the characteristics of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of clear cell papillary renal cell carcinoma (CCPRCC). METHODS: This retrospective study comprised 27 patients diagnosed with 29 tumors of CCPRCC. The study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee and the requirement for the informed consent was waived. The inclusion criteria stipulated pathology-confirmed CCPRCCs with at least one preoperative imaging examination, including CT or MRI. Two experienced radiologists independently analyzed the imaging characteristics, including size, location, growth mode, morphology, texture, density, and enhancement pattern. Paired t-test was used to compare differences in CT Hounsfield unit values and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) imaging between the tumor and the renal cortex. RESULTS: The mean age of the 27 patients was 57.0 ± 14.2 years. Nineteen patients underwent CT, while 12 underwent MRI (There are 4 patients underwent not only CT but also MRI). Among the cases, 26 (96%) were single, and 1 (4%) was multiple, consisting of three lesions. Out of the 29 tumors, 15 (52%) were located in the left kidney and 14 (48%) in the right kidney. The mean tumor diameter was 3.3 ± 1.7 cm. Furthermore, 19 (66%), 3 (10%), and 7 (24%) tumors were solid, cystic, mixed solid, and cystic type, respectively. The growth mode was endogenous and exogenous in 8 (28%) and 21 (72%) tumors, respectively. The tumor shape was irregular and round in 5 (17%) and 24 (83%) tumors, respectively. The CT value of the tumor was approximately 33.2 ± 9.8 HU, which was not significantly different from that of the renal cortex(31.1 ± 6.3HU)(p = 0.343). Furthermore, 7 (24%), 12 (41%), and 3 (10%) had calcification, cystic degeneration, and hemorrhage, respectively. In 12 tumors, hypointense and hyperintense were predominant on T1 and T2-weighted images, respectively. The tumor capsule was found at the edge of 12 tumors. The average ADC value of the tumor (1.54 ± 0.74 × 10-3 mm2/s) and that of the renal cortex(1.68 ± 0.63×10-3mm2 /s) was not statistically significantly different (p = 0.260). The enhancement scanning revealed "wash-in and wash-out" enhancement in 19 (68%) tumors, continuous or progressive enhancement in 6 (21%) tumors, and enhanced cystic wall and central separation in 3 (11%) tumors. CONCLUSION: CCPRCC occurs more likely in middle-aged and elderly individuals, and the tumor is prone to cystic degeneration, with rare bleeding and calcification, and no obvious limitation on MRI diffusion-weighted imaging, which enhancement form performs as mainly "wash-in and washout," but the final diagnosis depends on histopathology.