Ultra-low dose dual-layer detector spectral CT for pulmonary nodule screening: image quality and diagnostic performance.

Objectives: To investigate the image quality and diagnostic performance with ultra-low dose dual-layer detector spectral CT (DLSCT) by various reconstruction techniques for evaluation of pulmonary nodules.

Materials And Methods: Between April 2023 and December 2023, patients with suspected pulmonary nodules were prospectively enrolled and underwent regular-dose chest CT (RDCT; 120 kVp/automatic tube current) and ultra-low dose CT (ULDCT; 100 kVp/10 mAs) on a DLSCT scanner. ULDCT was reconstructed with hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR), electron density map (EDM), and virtual monoenergetic images at 40 keV and 70 keV.

A clinical analysis and literature review of eleven cases with primary pulmonary angiosarcoma.

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the clinicopathological features, radiographic manifestations, treatment options, and prognosis of primary pulmonary angiosarcoma (PPAS).

Method: We summarized and analyzed the clinical data of 11 patients with primary pulmonary angiosarcoma treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between January 2018 and January 2024. A retrospective analysis was conducted in conjunction with a review of the relevant literature.

Differentiation of pathological subtypes and Ki-67 and TTF-1 expression by dual-energy CT (DECT) volumetric quantitative analysis in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: To explore the value of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in differentiating pathological subtypes and the expression of immunohistochemical markers Ki-67 and thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Between July 2022 and May 2024, patients suspected of lung cancer who underwent two-phase contrast-enhanced DECT were prospectively recruited. Whole-tumor volumetric and conventional spectral analysis were utilized to measure DECT parameters in the arterial and venous phase.

Differentiating the Invasiveness of Lung Adenocarcinoma Manifesting as Ground Glass Nodules: Combination of Dual-energy CT Parameters and Quantitative-semantic Features.

Rationale And Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of dual-energy CT (DECT) parameters and quantitative-semantic features for differentiating the invasiveness of lung adenocarcinoma manifesting as ground glass nodules (GGNs).

Materials And Methods: Between June 2022 and September 2023, 69 patients with 74 surgically resected GGNs who underwent DECT examinations were included. CT numbers on virtual monochromatic images were calculated at 40-130 keV generated from DECT.

Clinical Effect of Platelet-Rich Fibrin Combined with BIO-GENE Artificial Bone Meal in Bone Defects After Jaw Cyst Surgery.

Purpose: To compare the clinical repair effects of leaving the defect empty and using Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) combined with BIO-GENE artificial bone powder in patients with bone defects 6 months after jaw cystectomy.

Patients And Methods: From June 2021 to June 2022, 70 patients who were admitted to the Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University, and were diagnosed with jaw cysts postoperatively were selected. All of the patients were divided into two groups according to random method, among which 35 patients who underwent cystectomy alone were recorded as group A, which served as blank control; 35 patients who underwent cystectomy and PRF combined with BIO-GENE artificial bone meal repaired bone defects during the same period were recorded as group B.

CLSSL-ResNet: Predicting malignancy of solitary pulmonary nodules from CT images by chimeric label with self-supervised learning.

Background: Pulmonary granulomatous nodules (GN) with spiculation or lobulation have a similar morphological appearance to solid lung adenocarcinoma (SADC) under computed tomography (CT). However, these two kinds of solid pulmonary nodules (SPN) have different malignancies and are sometimes misdiagnosed.

Objective: This study aims to predict malignancies of SPNs by a deep learning model automatically.

Radiomics Analysis of Multiphasic Computed Tomography Images for Distinguishing High-Risk Thymic Epithelial Tumors From Low-Risk Thymic Epithelial Tumors.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to preoperatively investigate the value of multiphasic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics signatures for distinguishing high-risk thymic epithelial tumors (HTET) from low-risk thymic epithelial tumors (LTET) compared with conventional CT signatures.

Materials And Methods: Pathologically confirmed 305 thymic epithelial tumors (TETs), including 147 LTET (Type A/AB/B1) and 158 HTET (Type B2/B3/C), were retrospectively analyzed, and were randomly divided into training (n = 214) and validation cohorts (n = 91). All patients underwent nonenhanced, arterial contrast-enhanced, and venous contrast-enhanced CT analysis.

Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Analysis on the Relationship between the Mandibular Third Molar and the Position of the Mandibular Canal in Koreans from the Yanbian Area and the Han People.

Objective: To analyze differences in the positional relationships between the mandibular third molar (MTM) and the mandibular canal in Korean and Han patients using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to provide a basis for preoperative risk assessments.

Materials And Methods: The CBCT imaging data of 260 Korean and Han patients were collected. The patients' genders, ages, impaction types and depths, relative positions between the MTMs and the mandibular nerve canals, and the shortest distances and shapes at the root tips and cortical bones were all recorded and analyzed.

Erratum: In-Tether Chiral Center Induced Helical Peptide Modulators Target p53-MDM2/MDMX and Inhibit Tumor Growth in Stem-Like Cancer Cell: Erratum.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7150/thno.19840.

Evaluation of topologically distinct constrained antimicrobial peptides with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short cationic peptides with a high affinity for membranes and emerged as a promising therapeutic approach with potential for treating infectious diseases. Chemical stabilization of short peptides proved to be a successful approach for enhancing their bio-physical properties. Herein, we designed and synthesized a panel of conformationally constrained antimicrobial peptides with either α-helical or β-hairpin conformation using templating strategies.

Reversible stapling of unprotected peptides chemoselective methionine bis-alkylation/dealkylation.

We have developed a general peptide macrocyclization strategy that involves a facile and chemoselective methionine bis-alkylation/dealkylation process. This method provides a straightforward and easy approach to generate cyclic peptides with tolerances of all amino acids (including Cys), variable loop sizes, and different linkers. The Met bis-alkylation we apply in this strategy yields two additional on-tether positive charges that could assist in the cellular uptake of the peptides.

Malignant solitary pulmonary nodules: assessment of mass growth rate and doubling time at follow-up CT.

Background: The differentiation of benign and malignant solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs), especially subsolid nodules, is still challenging because of the small size, slow growth, and atypical imaging characteristics of these nodules. We aimed to determine the significance of mass growth rate (MGR) and mass doubling time (MDT) at follow-up CT of malignant SPNs.

Methods: This retrospective study included 167 patients (169 SPNs, diameter 8-30 mm).

Is a 5-mm diameter an appropriate cut-off value for the diagnosis of atypical adenomatous hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma in situ on chest computed tomography and pathological examination?

Background: Preinvasive lesions, such as atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) and adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), usually appear as pure ground-glass nodules (pGGNs) on thin-section computed tomography (TSCT). AAH is usually less than 5 mm wide on imaging and pathological examinations. We aimed to determine whether a 5-mm cut-off value was appropriate for the diagnosis of AAH and AIS.

Achieving enhanced cell penetration of short conformationally constrained peptides through amphiphilicity tuning.

Due to their enhanced stability and cell permeability, cyclic cell-penetrating peptides have been widely used as delivery vectors for transporting cell-impermeable cargos into cells. In this study, we synthesized a panel of conformationally constrained peptides with either α-helix or β-hairpin conformations. We tuned the amphiphilicity of these constrained peptides with different distributions of charged or hydrophobic residues and compared their cellular uptake efficiencies in different cell lines.

Stage I synchronous multiple primary non-small cell lung cancer: CT findings and the effect of TNM staging with the 7th and 8th editions on prognosis.

Background: Studies have reported that up to 8% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) involve multiple lesions; no detailed study has assessed the prognosis of early synchronous multiple primary non-small cell lung cancer (SMPNSCLC) (T1N0M0, T2aN0M0). We aimed to assess the spiral CT manifestations of SMPNSCLC during stage I and evaluate the effect of TNM staging with the 7th and 8th editions on the prognosis.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients who were examined, operated, and pathologically confirmed as having NSCLC from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2010, and were followed-up for 5 years.

In-Tether Chiral Center Induced Helical Peptide Modulators Target p53-MDM2/MDMX and Inhibit Tumor Growth in Stem-Like Cancer Cell.

Inhibition of the interaction between p53 and MDM2/MDMX has attracted significant attention in anticancer therapy development. We designed a series of in-tether chiral center-induced helical stabilized peptides, among which MeR/PhR effectively reactivated p53. The activation of p53 inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in both the MCF-7 normal tumor cell line and the PA-1 pluripotent cancer cell line with only minimal cellular toxicity towards normal cells or cancer cell lines with p53 mutations.

An in-tether chiral center modulates the proapoptotic activity of the KLA peptide.

The helical peptide KLA (KLAKLAKKLAKLAK) is a well-known inducer of cellular apoptosis, acting to disrupt the mitochondrial membrane. However, its weak cellular uptake impedes development of any further applications. Here, we have utilized a novel in-tether chiral center induced helicity strategy (CIH) to develop a potent apoptosis inducer based on this KLA sequence.

Effect of Stapling Architecture on Physiochemical Properties and Cell Permeability of Stapled α-Helical Peptides: A Comparative Study.

Stapled peptides have emerged as a new class of targeting molecules with high binding affinity and specificity for intracellular undruggable targets. Their ability to penetrate cell membranes is exceptionally intriguing but remains elusively and controversially discussed. To understand the effect of stapling architectures on their physiochemical properties and to aid in promoting their cell permeability, we report herein a comparative study on the physiochemical properties and cell permeability of stapled α-helical peptides with different types of crosslinks.

An in-tether sulfoxide chiral center influences the biophysical properties of the N-capped peptides.

Thanks to their large binding interfaces, peptides are attractive ligands targeting protein-protein interactions compared with small molecules. Various strategies to improve peptides' pharmaceutical properties have been developed to constrain peptides into their functional three-dimensional structures. In our previous work, we reported that an in-tether chiral center could modulate peptides' biophysical properties.

Computed Tomography Manifestations and Excision Cross-Complementation Group 1 Expression of Stage I Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Their Correlation With Prognosis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the computed tomography (CT) manifestations and expression of the excision cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) and their correlation with prognosis in stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: A total of 133 patients with stage I NSCLC with complete 3- and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) data, who underwent thoracic CT and pathological examination, were included. Expression of ERCC1 in tumor samples was evaluated using semiquantitative immunohistochemical analysis.

A proline-derived transannular N-cap for nucleation of short α-helical peptides.

We report herein a proline-derived transannular N-cap as a helix nucleating template in diverse bio-related peptide sequences via macrolactamization on resin. This approach takes advantage of synergistic stabilization effects of both N-capping properties of proline and substitution of a main chain hydrogen bond with a covalent bond.

Stapling of unprotected helical peptides photo-induced intramolecular thiol-yne hydrothiolation.

Peptide stapling emerged as a versatile strategy to recapitulate the bioactive helical conformation of unstructured short peptides in water to improve their therapeutic properties in targeting intracellular "undruggable" targets. Here, we describe the development of photo-induced intramolecular thiol-yne macrocyclization for rapid access to short stapled peptides with enhanced biophysical properties. This new peptide stapling technique provides rapid access to conformationally constrained helices with satisfying functional group tolerance.

Askin tumor: CT and FDG-PET/CT imaging findings and follow-up.

The aim of the study was to describe the imaging findings of Askin tumors on computed tomography (CT) and fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET/CT).Seventeen cases of Askin tumors confirmed by histopathology were retrospectively analyzed in terms of CT (17 cases) and FDG-PET/CT data (6 cases).Fifteen of the tumors were located in the chest wall and the other 2 were in the anterior middle mediastinum.