Deep learning-based reconstruction improves the image quality of low-dose CT enterography in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Purpose: Lifelong re-examination of CT enterography (CTE) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may be necessary, and reducing radiation exposure during CT examinations is crucial. We investigated the potential application of deep learning reconstruction (DLR) in CTE to reduce radiation dose and improve image quality in IBD.

Methods: Thirty-six patients with known or suspected IBD were prospectively recruited to the low-dose CTE (LDCTE) group, while forty patients were retrospectively selected from previous clinical standard-dose CTE (STDCTE) scans as controls.

A spin-mechanical quantum chip for exploring exotic interactions.

How to illuminate dark matter has become the foremost open question in fundamental science nowadays, which is of great significance in understanding the laws of nature. Exploring exotic interactions beyond the standard model is one of the essential approaches to searching for dark matter particles. Although it has been explored in a variety of lab-scale and tabletop-scale setups over the past years, no such interactions have been observed, and improving the sensitivity significantly becomes of paramount importance, but challenging.

Clinical outcome is distinct between radiological stricture and endoscopic stricture in ileal Crohn's disease.

Objectives: Differences in clinical adverse outcomes (CAO) based on different intestinal stricturing definitions in Crohn's disease (CD) are poorly documented. This study aims to compare CAO between radiological strictures (RS) and endoscopic strictures (ES) in ileal CD and explore the significance of upstream dilatation in RS.

Methods: This retrospective double-center study included 199 patients (derivation cohort, n = 157; validation cohort, n = 42) with bowel strictures who simultaneously underwent endoscopic and radiologic examinations.

Preoperative computed tomography enterography-based radiomics signature: A potential predictor of postoperative anastomotic recurrence in patients with Crohn's disease.

Background: More than half of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) require at least one surgery for symptom management; however, approximately half of the patients may experience postoperative anastomotic recurrence (PAR).

Objectives: This study aims to develop and validate a preoperative computed tomography enterography (CTE)-based radiomics signature to predict early PAR in CD.

Design: A total of 186 patients with CD (training cohort, n = 134; test cohort, n = 52) who underwent preoperative CTE and surgery between January 2014 and June 2020 were included in this retrospective multi-centre study.

Linc279227 contributes to mitochondrial dysfunction in high glucose-treated mouse renal tubular epithelial cells.

Background: The aberrant expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been associated with diabetic nephropathy (DN), a major complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). This study investigated the differential expression of lncRNAs in DM without renal damage and DM with renal damage, known as DN, and elucidated the functions of a pathogenic lncRNA.

Methods: High-throughput sequencing was performed on the kidneys of male db/db mice with kidney injury, db/db mice without kidney involvement and db/m control littermates.

Experimental Realization of Nonreciprocal Adiabatic Transfer of Phonons in a Dynamically Modulated Nanomechanical Topological Insulator.

High quality nanomechanical oscillators are promising platforms for quantum entanglement and quantum technology with phonons. Realizing coherent transfer of phonons between distant oscillators is a key challenge in phononic quantum information processing. Here, we report on the realization of robust unidirectional adiabatic pumping of phonons in a parametrically coupled nanomechanical system engineered as a one-dimensional phononic topological insulator.

Mesenteric abnormalities play an important role in grading intestinal fibrosis in patients with Crohn's disease: a computed tomography and clinical marker-based nomogram.

Background: While the grading of intestinal fibrosis is closely related to the therapeutic strategy of patients with Crohn's disease (CD), it has not yet been well resolved. Mesenteric abnormalities are inextricably linked to intestinal fibrosis.

Objectives: We aimed to establish an optimal model for assessing intestinal fibrosis using computed tomography enterography (CTE) and clinical markers.

A Type I Collagen-Targeted MR Imaging Probe for Staging Fibrosis in Crohn's Disease.

Fibrostenosis is a serious complication of Crohn's disease (CD), affecting approximately one-half of all patients. Surgical resection is the typical clinical end due to ineffective antifibrotic therapy mainly through anti-inflammatory treatment and fibrosis can be reverted only at early stages. Mover, human fibrotic disorders is known to be associated with aging process.

Development and validation of a simple equation to evaluate dietary protein intake using the blood urea nitrogen/serum creatinine ratio in patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease.

Purpose: The aim of this research was to develop a simple equation to evaluate dietary protein intake (DPI) in patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD) using the blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/serum creatinine (SCr) ratio (BUN/SCr).

Methods: In a prospective cohort of 136 inpatients with stage 3 CKD from 2 centres, the estimated dietary protein intake (DPI) was calculated using Maroni's formula after the patients implemented a 7 day protein-restricted diet. We developed estimation equations based on BUN/SCr and the spot urinary urea nitrogen (UUN)/urinary creatinine (UCr) ratio (UUN/UCr) in combination with sex and body mass index (BMI).

Diagnostic Value of Serum N1-Methylnicotinamide in Cervical Cancer Patients.

Background: The current study evaluated the level of serum N1-methylnicotinamide (me-NAM) in cervical cancer patients and further explored whether serum me-NAM was related to the prognosis of cervical cancer.

Methods: Fifty-eight cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia patients, 78 cases of cervical cancer patients, and 52 healthy women were included in the present study. Serum me-NAM concentrations were determined by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

Dynamic Observation of Topological Soliton States in a Programmable Nanomechanical Lattice.

Topological soliton states, existing in the topological structures with edge defect or interface defect, are usually studied under steady state. Here, we experimentally observe the dynamic processes of the generation and the extinction of such soliton states in the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. The different topological structures are implemented on a programmable nanomechanical lattice, consisting of eight adjacent string resonators which are parametrically coupled by manipulation voltages.

Diabetic Kidney Disease Benefits from Intensive Low-Protein Diet: Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

A dietary protein intake (DPI) of between 0.6 and 0.8 g protein per kilogram body weight per day (g/kg/day) is frequently recommended for adults with moderate-to-advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Comparison of Two Rabbit Models with Deficiency of Corneal Epithelium and Limbal Stem Cells Established by Different Methods.

Limbal stem cell defect model is an important animal model that provides a basis for the study of ocular surface diseases. The rabbit cornea is of moderate size and is widely used in such studies as an experimental animal model. At present, the main modeling methods are alkali burns, and corneal limbus girdling and corneal epithelium doctoring.

What is the Difference in Morphologic Features of the Thoracic Pedicle Between Patients With Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis and Healthy Subjects? A CT-based Case-control Study.

Background: Describing the morphologic features of the thoracic pedicle in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is necessary for placement of pedicle screws. Previous studies showed inadequate reliability owing to small sample size and heterogeneity of the patients surveyed.

Questions/purposes: To use CT scans (1) to describe the morphologic features of 2718 thoracic pedicles from 60 female patients with Lenke Type 1 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and 60 age-, sex-, and height-matched controls; and (2) to classify the pedicles in three types based on pedicle width and analyze the distribution of each type.

Generating giant and tunable nonlinearity in a macroscopic mechanical resonator from a single chemical bond.

Nonlinearity in macroscopic mechanical systems may lead to abundant phenomena for fundamental studies and potential applications. However, it is difficult to generate nonlinearity due to the fact that macroscopic mechanical systems follow Hooke's law and respond linearly to external force, unless strong drive is used. Here we propose and experimentally realize high cubic nonlinear response in a macroscopic mechanical system by exploring the anharmonicity in chemical bonding interactions.

Congenital left intrahepatic bile duct draining into gastric wall mimicking biliary reflux gastritis.

Abnormalities and variations of the biliary ducts are not rare. Most aberrant bile ducts eventually drain into the descending part of duodenum through the papilla of vater. However, drainage of the left hepatic bile duct into the stomach is extremely rare.

[Application value of MDCT with vessel probe for isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection].

Objective: To assess the value of MDCT with vessel probe(VP) in the diagnosis and treatment of isolated superior mesenteric artery dissection (ISMAD).

Methods: Clinical and imaging data of 15 patients with ISMAD admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University from June 2008 to May 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Relationship among radiograpic features, clinical symptoms and therapeutic options of ISMAD was examined based on the imaging of 64-MDCT with VP.

CT findings of intrarenal yolk sac tumor with tumor thrombus extending into the inferior vena cava: a case report.

Yolk sac tumor (YST) is a rare germ cell neoplasm of childhood that usually arises from the testis or ovary. The rare cases of YST in various extragonadal locations have been reported, but the primary intrarenal YST is even more uncommon. Here, we report a case of a primary intrarenal YST with tumor thrombus of the inferior vena cava and left renal vein in a 2-year-old boy, with an emphasis on the CT features.

Generation of human epidermis-derived mesenchymal stem cell-like pluripotent cells (hEMSCPCs).

We isolated human epidermis-derived mesenchymal stem cell-like pluripotent cells (hEMSCPCs) and demonstrate efficient harvesting, maintenance in vitro for at least 30 passages, reprogramming into multiple phenotypes in vivo, and integration into adult host tissues after injection into the mouse blastocyst to create chimeras. Cell phenotype was examined by karyotyping, immunostaining, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry. A nested PCR protocol using primers specific for human SRY genes was designed to detect hEMSCPC-derived cells in female chimeric mice.

[Effect of tetrandrine on bax, bcl-2 and TGF-β2 mRNA expressions in cultured human Tenon's capsule fibroblasts].

Objective: To investigate the effect of tetrandrine (Tet) on the expression of bax, bcl-2, and transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) mRNA in cultured human fibroblasts of Tenon's capsules (TCFS) and explore its possible mechanism.

Methods: The third passage of TCFS cultured in vitro were exposed to 1×10(-5) mol/L Tet for 24 h, and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect the changes in the expressions of bax, bcl-2, and TGF-β2 mRNA.

Results: The expression level of bax mRNA was obviously higher, while bcl-2 and TGF-β2 mRNA levels were significantly lower in Tet-treated TCFS than those in the control cells (P<0.

Microarray profiles on age-related genes in the earlier postnatal rat visual cortex.

Background: Accumulating evidence indicates that both innate and adaptive mechanisms are responsible for the postnatal development of the mammalian visual cortex. Most of the studies, including gene expression analysis, were performed on the visual cortex during the critical period; few efforts were made to elucidate the molecular changes in the visual cortex during much earlier postnatal stages. The current study aimed to gain a general insight into the molecular mechanisms in the developmental process of the rat visual cortex using microarray to display the gene expression profiles of the visual cortex on postnatal days.

Adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells transdifferentiate in vitro and integrate into the retina in vivo.

Adult peripheral blood-derived cells are able to differentiate into a variety of cell types, including nerve cells, liver-like cells and epithelial cells. However, their differentiation into retina-like cells is controversial. In the present study, transdifferentiation potential of human adult peripheral blood mononuclear cells into retina-like cells and integration into the retina of mice were investigated.