Prognostic Value of Myocardial CT-ECV in Severe Aortic Stenosis Requiring Aortic Valve Replacement: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Aim: Computed tomography (CT)-derived extracellular volume fraction (ECV) is a non-invasive method to quantify myocardial fibrosis. Evaluating CT-ECV during aortic valve replacement (AVR) planning CT in severe aortic stenosis (AS) may aid prognostic stratification. This meta-analysis evaluated the prognostic significance of CT-ECV in severe AS necessitating AVR.

Germline and Somatic Genomic Testing for Metastatic Prostate Cancer: ASCO Guideline.

Purpose: To evaluate evidence on germline and somatic genomic testing for patients with metastatic prostate cancer and provide recommendations.

Methods: A systematic review by a multidisciplinary panel with patient representation was conducted. The PubMed database was searched from January 2018 to May 2024.

Central Nervous System Tumor-Embryonal Tumors Type With Neuroendocrine Differentiation.

The central nervous system (CNS) tumor with embryonal tumors type is a rare type of CNS tumor with lack of unifying genetic alterations or diagnostic markers. The CNS tumor-embryonal tumors (CETs) have limited therapeutic options with high probability of adverse events associated with conventional treatment. Identification of somatostatin receptor expression and/or prostate-specific membrane antigen expression in CET patients by using PET/CT imaging may be helpful for deciding therapeutic approaches in these patients as theranostics.

Superiority of 18F-FAPI-42 PET/CT in Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders.

We report a rare case of eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders in a 60-year-old woman, which extensively involved the digestive tract from the esophagus, gastric, duodenum to the small intestine, depicted well by 18F-FAPI-42 PET/CT, superior to 18F-FDG PET/CT. Under the guidance of 18F-FAPI-42 PET/CT, the biopsy was successfully performed, and the diagnosis was established. This case highlights that 18F-FAPI-42 PET/CT may serve as a novel noninvasive method for evaluating eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders.

Syphilitic Lymphadenitis and Clavicle Pathological Fracture Mimicking Malignant Tumor on 18F-FDG PET/CT.

A 66-year-old woman presented with 9 days of left clavicle pain, with no history of recent trauma. CT images showed a left clavicle fracture with a surrounding soft tissue mass. An 18F-FDG PET/CT scan revealed increased FDG uptake in the tonsils, multiple lymph nodes, and the pathologically fractured clavicle, initially suggesting malignancy.

18F-FDG PET/CT of Intrapulmonary Schwannoma Mimicking Lung Cancer in the Right Lower Lobe.

A 53-year-old woman was found to have a soft tissue mass in the right lower lung lobe on chest CT, raising suspicion of lung cancer. For staging, 18F-FDG PET/CT was performed, which demonstrated intense tracer uptake in the mass (SUVmax, 14.6).

Hip-Spine Relationship in Femoroacetabular Impingement: Does Hip Arthroscopy Affect Pelvic Mobility?

Background: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a well-recognized cause of hip pain in adults. The hip-spine relationship between the femur, pelvis, and lumbosacral spine has garnered recent attention in hip arthroplasty. However, the hip-spine relationship has not been well described in patients with FAI.

Adult Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma of the Prostate Presented on 18F-FDG and Al18F-FAPI-74 PET/CT.

A 21-year-old man with a 2-week history of abdominal pain and urinary hesitancy was admitted to our hospital. Sarcoma was suspected based on his PSA level, age, and MRI findings. He underwent 18F-FDG and Al18F-FAPI-74 PET/CT scans.

FDG PET/CT in a Case of Gardner Syndrome.

Gardner syndrome is characterized by multiple intestinal polyps and extraintestinal lesions. We describe FDG PET/CT findings of the extraintestinal lesions in a patient with Gardner syndrome. FDG PET/CT showed 2 hypermetabolic desmoid tumors in the abdominal wall, sclerotic areas with multifocal activity in the maxilla and mandible, multiple osteomas in the bilateral parietal, left frontal, sphenoid and ethmoid bones, an impacted tooth in the right maxilla, and bone islands in the T2 and T5 vertebral bodies.

Non-Invasive Assessment of VEGF and Prognosis in Gastric Cancer through Radiomic Features.

Introduction: Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with delayed diagnosis often limiting effective treatment options. This study introduces a novel, non-invasive radiomics-based approach utilizing [18F] FDG PET/CT to predict VEGF status and survival in GC patients. The ability to non-invasively assess these parameters can significantly influence therapeutic decisions and outcomes.

Systematic Review: Efficacy of Medical Therapy on Outcomes Important to Pediatric Patients with X-Linked Hypophosphatemia.

Objective: To examine the evidence addressing the management of X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) in children to inform treatment recommendations.

Methods: We searched Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central up to May 2023. Eligible studies included RCTs and observational studies of individuals less than 18yrs with clinically or genetically confirmed XLH.

Endovascular laser fenestration of a frozen elephant trunk stent graft for treatment of chronic cerebral malperfusion.

Objectives: Mal-deployment of the thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) stent graft during a frozen elephant trunk (FET) procedure for an acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) leads to devastating complications. We report a hemiarch replacement with TEVAR stent graft covering the aortic arch vessels salvaged through an endovascular approach.

Methods: A 69-year-old man with ATAAD in 2018, status post-hemiarch repair with TEVAR, presented in 2023 with progressive dizziness/syncope and lower extremity hypertension with inability to tolerate anti-hypertensives.

Evaluation and adaptation of a two-way text messaging intervention in the WIC breastfeeding peer counseling program: A qualitative analysis.

Breastfeeding (BF) is vital for maternal and infant health, yet post-hospital discharge support remains a challenge. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides BF peer counseling prenatally and up to 1-year postpartum among low-income women in the United States. The Lactation Advice Through Texting Can Help (LATCH) intervention is an evidence-based two-way text messaging intervention that provides BF education and support in the WIC peer counseling program.

A Qualitative Assessment of Barriers, Facilitators, and Outcomes in a Simulation-Based Collaborative Quality Improvement Program: The ImPACTS Project.

Objectives: ImPACTS (Improving Acute Care Through Simulation) is a collaborative simulation-based program partnering pediatric specialty centers ("hubs") with general emergency departments (GEDs) to improve pediatric acute care. Objective measurements of ImPACTS, such as evaluating Pediatric Readiness Score (PRS) and simulation-based outcome improvements, have been reported previously. Barriers to and facilitators of program involvement and the downstream effects of the program have not been previously described.

Genome-Wide A → G and C → T Mutations Induced by Functional TadA Variants in .

The fusion expression of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) replication-related proteins with nucleotide deaminase enzymes promotes random mutations in bacterial genomes, thereby increasing genetic diversity among the population. Most previous studies have focused on cytosine deaminase, which produces only C → T mutations, significantly limiting the variety of mutation types. In this study, we developed a fusion expression system by combining DnaG (RNA primase) with adenine deaminase TadA-8e (DnaG-TadA) in , which is capable of rapidly introducing A → G mutations into the genome, resulting in a 664-fold increase in terms of mutation rate.

Outcomes of catheter ablation in cardiac sarcoidosis patients with ventricular tachycardia: a propensity score-matched retrospective analysis.

Background: Ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) can lead to sudden cardiac death. The role of ventricular tachycardia ablation (VTA) in CS has been investigated in a few small, single-center, and larger observational studies, but the evidence still needs to be provided. This study aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of VTA in patients with CS admitted with a diagnosis of VT.

Bio-Conjugated Carbon Quantum Dots for Intracellular Uptake and Bioimaging Applications.

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs) demonstrate outstanding biocompatibility and optical properties, making them ideal for monitoring cellular uptake. Due to their ultra-small size (typically < 10 nm) and fluorescent nature, CQDs hold significant potential as nanoparticles for bioimaging and tracking intracellular processes. The study examined the optimization parameters for conjugating calf thymus DNA (Ct-DNA) to CQDs to facilitate Ct-DNA internalization in mouse fibroblast cells (L929) and human breast cancer cells (MCF-7).

Circulating metabolomic biomarkers of 5-year body weight and composition change in a biracial cohort of community-dwelling older adults.

Unintentional weight loss in older populations is linked to greater mortality and morbidity risks. This study aims to understand the metabolic mechanisms of unintentional weight loss and their relationship with body composition changes in older adults. We investigated plasma metabolite associations with weight and body composition changes over 5 years in 1335 participants (mean age 73.

Heterogeneity in Developmental Trajectories of Internalizing and Externalizing Symptomatology: Associations with Risk and Protective Factors.

Among a large sample of youth (9-10 years old at baseline) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study® (n = 11,661) we modeled trajectories of psychopathology over three years and associated risk and protective factors. Growth mixture modeling characterized latent classes with distinct psychopathology trajectories. Results indicated four different internalizing trajectories: a high-decreasing class, a moderate-decreasing class, a moderate-increasing class, and a low-stable class.

Evaluating the prognostic value of radiomics and clinical features in metastatic prostate cancer using [Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT.

Prostate cancer is a significant global health issue due to its high incidence and poor outcomes in metastatic disease. This study aims to develop models predicting overall survival for patients with metastatic biochemically recurrent prostate cancer, potentially helping to identify high-risk patients and enabling more tailored treatment options. A multi-centre cohort of 180 such patients underwent [Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT scans, with lesions semi-automatically segmented and radiomic features extracted from lesions.

Registry versus claims-based index dates for studies of cancer diagnosis in administrative data.

Purpose: Studies of healthcare encounters leading to cancer diagnosis have increased over recent years. While some studies examine healthcare utilization before the cancer registry date of diagnosis, relevant pre-diagnosis interactions are not always immediately prior to this date due to date abstraction guidelines. We evaluated agreement of a registry date with a claims-based index and examined Emergency Department (ED) involvement in cancer diagnosis as an example of possible pre-diagnostic healthcare misclassification that could arise from improper date choice.

Integrating CT-based radiomics and clinical features to better predict the prognosis of acute pancreatitis.

Objectives: To develop and validate the performance of CT-based radiomics models for predicting the prognosis of acute pancreatitis.

Methods: All 344 patients (51 ± 15 years, 171 men) in a first episode of acute pancreatitis (AP) were retrospectively enrolled and randomly divided into training (n = 206), validation (n = 69), and test (n = 69) sets with the ratio of 6:2:2. The patients were dichotomized into good and poor prognosis subgroups based on follow-up CT and clinical data.

Age-stratified anatomical differences of orbital floor and medial orbital wall blowout fractures.

Purpose: To define the anatomical variance between orbital floor and medial orbital wall blowout fractures, and its change with age.

Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study analyzing data from 557 patients with isolated blowout fractures of the orbital floor or medial orbital wall. Axial and quasi-sagittal CT images were analyzed to compare radiologic data on orbital wall morphology between fracture site groups and among age groups.

Oocyte maturation defect in women undergoing IVF: contributing factors and effects on mature sibling oocyte outcomes.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify demographic and clinical factors associated with low maturation rates and to investigate if the rate of immature oocytes impacts the outcomes of mature sibling oocytes.

Methods: Women undergoing their first IVF-ICSI cycle between 2018 and 2022 at a fertility clinic were included. Cycles were classified into five groups according to the proportion of Metaphase II stage oocytes (MII): Null (0% MII, n = 46), Poor (1-25% MII, n = 44), Low (26-50% MII, n = 453), Acceptable (51-75% MII, n = 1641), and Optimal (76-100% MII, n = 2642).

Are we systematically overdosing women? Revisiting standardized contrast protocols for thoracoabdominal CT scans.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the iodine contrast in blood and solid organs differs between men and women and to evaluate the effect of BMI, height, weight, and blood volume (BV) on sex-specific contrast in staging CT.

Materials And Methods: Patients receiving a venous-phase thoracoabdominal Photon-Counting Detector CT (PCD-CT) scan with 100- or 120-mL CM between 08/2021 and 01/2022 were retrospectively included in this single-center study. Image analysis was performed by measuring iodine contrast in the liver, portal vein, spleen, left atrium, left ventricle, pulmonary trunk, ascending and descending aorta on spectral PCD-CT datasets.