Predicting Breast Cancer Subtypes Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging Based Radiomics With Automatic Segmentation.

Objective: The aim of the study is to demonstrate whether radiomics based on an automatic segmentation method is feasible for predicting molecular subtypes.

Methods: This retrospective study included 516 patients with confirmed breast cancer. An automatic segmentation-3-dimensional UNet-based Convolutional Neural Networks, trained on our in-house data set-was applied to segment the regions of interest.

Computed tomography-based COVID-19 triage through a deep neural network using mask-weighted global average pooling.

Background: There is an urgent need to find an effective and accurate method for triaging coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients from millions or billions of people. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a novel deep-learning approach for COVID-19 triage based on chest computed tomography (CT) images, including normal, pneumonia, and COVID-19 cases.

Methods: A total of 2,809 chest CT scans (1,105 COVID-19, 854 normal, and 850 non-3COVID-19 pneumonia cases) were acquired for this study and classified into the training set (n = 2,329) and test set (n = 480).

A comparison of carotid atherosclerosis in symptomatic patients between 2002-2005 and 2012-2015 cohorts using multi-contrast magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging.

Objective: To compare the morphological and compositional characteristics of carotid plaques in two cohorts (2002-2005 and 2012-2015) of Chinese patients using magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging.

Methods: Symptomatic patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaques who underwent carotid vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging between 2002-2005 and 2012-2015 were retrospectively recruited. Plaque morphology [including mean wall area, wall thickness, and maximum normalized wall index (NWI)] and composition [including calcification, intraplaque hemorrhage, and lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC)] in symptomatic carotid arteries were evaluated and compared between patients in these two time periods.

Establishment of a Large Animal Model for Eustachian Tube Functional Study in Miniature Pigs.

This study was performed to investigate whether miniature pigs are a suitable animal model for studies of the Eustachian tube (ET). Sixteen Chinese experimental miniature pigs were used in this investigation. Ten animals were used for anatomical and morphometric analyses to obtain qualitative and quantitative information regarding the ET.

[Relationship between Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Gene Polymorphism and Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque: A Study Based on Vessel Wall Magnetic Resonance Imaging].

Objective To investigate the relationship between angiotensin converting enzyme(ACE) gene polymorphism and carotid plaque composition,vessel wall morphology,and clinical symptoms based on vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging. Methods Totally 75 hypertensive patients(75 internal carotid artery plaques) with maximum plaque thickness≥1.5 mm,according to the ACE insertion(I) or deletion(D) gene polymorphism,were divided into ACE 2 genotype group(n=37) and ACE ID/DD genotype group(n=38).

CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides may be effective for preventing ionizing radiation induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a serious adverse effect of radiotherapy for thoracic tumor, which is believed to be a process that is tightly regulated by the phenotype of the developing Th response after radiation. Here, we will investigate whether CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) prevent radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis by shifting the imbalance of Th1 and Th2 response and summarizes the possible mechanism. In this study, female C57BL/6 mice were chosen to preform pulmonary fibrosis model, the whole-thorax of mice was exposed to a single radiation dose of 15 Gy.

[Magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of unilateral versus bilateral intraplaque hemorrhage in patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaques].

Objective: To investigate the difference in the vulnerability of carotid atherosclerotic plaques in patients with unilateral and bilateral intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted among 44 patients with unilateral IPH (30 cases) or bilateral IPH (14 cases) in the carotid plaques detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in our hospital between December, 2009 and December, 2012. The age, maximum wall thickness and incidence of fibrous cap rupture were compared between the two groups.

Protective Effects of Myrtol Standardized Against Radiation-Induced Lung Injury.

Background/aims: As a major complication after thoracic radiotherapy, radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) has great impact on long term quality of life and could result in fatal respiratory insufficiency The present study was aimed to evaluate the effects of Myrtol standardized on RILI, and to investigate the underlying mechanism.

Methods: A mouse model of radiation-induced lung injury was generated by using thoracic irradiation with a single dose of 16Gy. Mice were orally administrated with Myrtol (25 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks after irradiation, while prednisone (5 mg/kg/day) was used as a positive control.

Gene expression changes in residual advanced cervical cancer after radiotherapy: indicators of poor prognosis and radioresistance?

Background: Different sensitivity of advanced cervical cancer to irradiation can decrease effectiveness of radiotherapy in some cases. We attempted to identify the differentially expressed genes in residual cervical cancer after radiotherapy that might be associated with poor prognosis and radioresistance.

Material/methods: Differential genes expression was identified by an oligonucleotide microarray in cervical cancer tissues before radiation and after a 50-Gy dose of radiation.

Protective effect of CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides against low- and high-LET irradiation.

Background/aims: CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) are synthetic DNA sequences containing unmethylated cytosine-guanine motifs with potent immunomodulatory effects. Previous reports showed a powerful protective effect of CpG-ODN against the damage induced by low-LET γ-rays. In this study, we explored whether CpG-ODN also protects against the damage induced by high-LET irradiation.

[The Chinese urban metabolisms based on the emergy theory].

By using emergy indices of urban metabolisms, this paper analyzed 31 Chinese urban metabolisms' systematic structures and characteristics in 2000 and 2010. The results showed that Chinese urban metabolisms were characterized as resource consumption and coastal external dependency. Non-renewable resource emergy accounted for a higher proportion of the total emergy in the inland cities' urban metabolisms.

Inhibition of TBK1 attenuates radiation-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition of A549 human lung cancer cells via activation of GSK-3β and repression of ZEB1.

Radiotherapy is an effective treatment method for lung cancer, particularly when the disease is at an advanced stage. However, previous researchers have observed that the majority of patients with conventional radiation therapy develop distant metastases and succumb to the disease. Thus, identifying and understanding novel pathways for the development of new therapeutic targets is a major goal in research on pulmonary neoplasms.

CpG-Oligodeoxynucleotide Treatment Protects against Ionizing Radiation-Induced Intestine Injury.

Background: the bone marrow and the intestine are the major sites of ionizing radiation (IR)-induced injury. Our previous study demonstrated that CpG-oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) treatment mitigated IR-induced bone marrow injury, but its effect on the intestine is not known. In this study, we sought to determine if CpG-ODN have protective effect on IR-induced intestine injury, and if so, to determine the mechanism of its effect.

[Oblique-sagittal black-blood contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in preoperative evaluation for carotid endarterectomy].

Objective: To evaluate the value of oblique-sagittal black-blood contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (OB-CEMRI) in atherosclerotic carotid artery (CA) assessment before carotid endarterectomy (CEA).

Methods: Twenty-five patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic stenosis in the carotid artery (involving 26 arteries) were scheduled for CEA. OB-CEMRI and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were conducted within 1 week prior to CEA, and two radiologists independently assessed the location of maximal lumen stenosis, plaque rupture, degree of maximal lumen stenosis and plaque involvement on DSA and OB-CEMRI images.

[Evaluation of atherosclerotic carotid plaque composition with magnetic resonance imaging using different sequences].

Objective: To evaluate the capability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using different sequences in displaying atherosclerotic carotid plaque composition.

Methods: Thirty-five patients received pre- and post-contrast carotid MRI examination on a 3.0T scanner.

[Atherosclerotic area measurement in the vascular wall of the carotid artery: comparison between 16-slice computed tomography angiography and high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging].

Objective: To assess the accuracy of computed tomography angiography (CTA) in quantifying atherosclerotic area in the vascular wall of the carotid artery in comparison with high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: Eighteen subjects (15 males and 3 females aged 63-/+8 years) with >or=50% stenosis in at least one carotid artery were enrolled in this study. CTA and high-resolution MRI scans (in-plane pixel size of 0.

[Proteomic analysis of proteins related to radiation-induced carcinogenesis].

Background & Objective: Carcinogenesis is the most serious late effect of radiation, but the mechanism of radiation-induced carcinogenesis remains unknown. This study was to compare the protein expression profiles between radiation-induced cancer cells and normal cells.

Methods: Immortalized human bronchia epithelial cell line BEAS-2B was irradiated by gamma-ray to prepare malignant BR22P50 cells.

[Effects of STAT3 antisense oligonucleotide on proliferation and apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer cell line A549].

Background & Objective: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is highly expressed in various human tumor tissues and tumor cell lines, and may be involved in tumor genesis and development. This study was to design effective antisense oligonucleotide targeting STAT3 mRNA, and explore its effect on the proliferation and apoptosis of human non-small cell lung cancer cell line A549.

Methods: Ten sets of antisense sequences targeting STAT3 were designed with RNAstructure4.

[Effects of STAT3 antisense oligodeoxynucleotides on apoptosis and proliferation of mouse melanoma cell line B16].

Background & Objective: STAT3 protein has been found constitutively activated in a wide variety of human tumor tissues and cell lines. It may be involved in tumorigenesis and development. This study was to observe the activation of STAT3 protein in mouse melanoma cell line B16, human liver cancer cell lines SMMC-7721 and HepG-2, human lung cancer cell line A549, and human cervical cancer cell line HeLa, and to investigate the effects of STAT3 antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ASODN) on proliferation and apoptosis of B16 cells.

Classification of human carotid atherosclerotic lesions with in vivo multicontrast magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Recent studies demonstrated that in vivo and ex vivo MRI can characterize the components of the carotid atherosclerotic plaque, such as fibrous tissue, lipid/necrotic core, calcium, hemorrhage, and thrombus. The purpose of this study was to determine whether in vivo high-resolution multicontrast MRI could accurately classify human carotid atherosclerotic plaque according to the American Heart Association classification.

Methods And Results: Sixty consecutive patients (mean age 70 years; 54 males) scheduled for carotid endarterectomy were imaged with a 1.