Accuracy of Endorectal Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer (LARC) Restaging After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy (NAT): A Meta-Analysis.

Background/aims: Endorectal endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) can provide accurate and reliable information for initial staging of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) in both the depth of rectal cancer penetration (T-stage) and regional lymph node involvement (N-stage). However, there is still no consensus about its accuracy in retagging LARC after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NAT).

Methodology: In this study, we retrieved previous studies and performed a meta-analysis for assessing the accuracy of EUS for retagging of LARC after NAT.

Role of electricity production in the anaerobic decolorization of dye mixture by exoelectrogenic bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1.

This study investigated the anaerobic decolorization of the dye mixture containing methyl orange (MO) and naphthol green B (NGB) by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. S. oneidensis MR-1 showed a strong ability to decolorize the dye mixture.

Quantitative assessment of left ventricular systolic function in patients with coronary heart disease by velocity vector imaging.

Objective: To assess the left ventricular (LV) longitudinal systolic function and asynchrony in patients with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (CAD) by syngo velocity vector imaging (VVI).

Methods: Twenty-eight control subjects and 79 patients with CAD were examined, including 28 patients with myocardial infarction, 26 patients with coronary lumen stenosis <50%, and 25 patients with myocardial ischemia. According to the results of coronary arteriography and electrocardiogram (ECG), the myocardial segments of the LV of CAD patients were divided into four groups: ischemic, infarcted, nonischemic, and normal.

[Comparison of five different ultrasonographic parameters for diagnosis of lethal fetal pulmonary hypoplasia].

Objective: To evaluate the clinic value of five different ultrasonographic fetal parameters for prenatal diagnosis of pulmonary hypoplasia.

Methods: Two hundred and seventy-one normal singleton pregnancies with well-established dates between 20 and 40 weeks of gestation were studied to establish normal reference range of five different ultrasonographic fetal parameters. The five parameters, which could reflect fetal lung mass, were as follows: lung area/body weight ratio, lung area, thoracic circumference/ abdominal circumference ratio, lung area/thoracic area ratio and lung area/head circumference.

Utilising ductus venosus Doppler waveform and four-chamber view to screen for foetal cardiac malformation in early second trimester of pregnancy.

Background: Foetal echocardiography has become a diagnostic method to detect foetal congenital heart disease with high probability. However, it is not only time consuming and but also difficult to visualize outflow tract of foetus early in the second trimester of pregnancy, even for an experienced obstetric ultrasonographer. Recently, many methods for screening foetal cardiac anomalies were explored, but much more work is needed to develop an effective and suitable screening method.