Recent trends in scientific research in chest radiology: What to do or not to do? That is the critical question in research.

Hereby inviting young rising stars in chest radiology in Japan for contributing what they are working currently, we would like to show the potentials and directions of the near future research trends in the research field. I will provide a reflection on my own research topics. At the end, we also would like to discuss on how to choose the themes and topics of research: What to do or not to do? We strongly believe it will stimulate and help investigators in the field.

Clinical and radiological features of gastric and small intestinal anisakiasis: comparison with gastric ulcers and crohn's disease.

Purpose: To compare the clinical and radiological features of gastric and small intestinal anisakiasis with those of gastric ulcers and Crohn's disease.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 205 cases of anisakiasis (148 gastric; 53 small intestinal) were identified between July 2003 and February 2022. The control groups included 130 and 31 patients with gastric ulcers and Crohn's disease, respectively.

Characterization of jugular bulb position on computed tomography (CT) with implications for excision of vestibular schwannomas.

To describe the distribution of jugular bulb position and pneumatization of posterior lip of internal auditory meatus (IAM) in patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS). This retrospective study included 43 patients who had a thin slice (< 2 mm) CT temporal bone for preoperative planning of retrosigmoid approach for excision of VS between March 2011 and March 2021. On computed tomography (CT), high riding jugular bulb was defined by its relationship to IAM and correlated with type of jugular bulb according to Manjila et al.

Efficacy and safety of anesthetic agents in awake craniotomy using monitored anesthesia care protocol: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Awake craniotomy (AC) facilitates real-time brain mapping, maximizing tumor resection while preserving critical neurological functions. This study systematically reviews the efficacy of several anesthetic protocols under Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC) during AC, focusing on clinical outcomes. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted using data from observational studies and randomized trials involving AC under MAC.

The human and non-human primate developmental GTEx projects.

Many human diseases are the result of early developmental defects. As most paediatric diseases and disorders are rare, children are critically underrepresented in research. Functional genomics studies primarily rely on adult tissues and lack critical cell states in specific developmental windows.

Impact of Ga-FAPI positron emission tomography/computed tomography on staging and tumor management in patients with gastric cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the added value of additional Ga-FAPI PET/CT following CT for primary staging, detection of postoperative recurrence, and management of gastric cancer patients.

Methods: We retrospectively included patients with gastric cancers who underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomography (ceCT), followed by Ga-FAPI PET/CT within 30 days. Ga-FAPI PET/CT was performed for initial staging or detection of postoperative recurrence.

Dentoalveolar alterations after interventions to relieve mouth breathing : Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Mouth breathing is related to morphological and functional alterations in growing individuals. Understanding early events that can lead to these changes can prevent or decrease the need for orthodontic treatment.

Objective: The goal was to assess the prognosis for dental alterations evidenced by changes in the incisor inclination and arch width after surgical intervention to normalize the mode of breathing in growing patients.

A predictive clinical-radiomics nomogram for early diagnosis of mesenteric arterial embolism based on non-contrast CT and biomarkers.

Purpose: Mesenteric artery embolism (MAE) is a relatively uncommon abdominal surgical emergency, but it can lead to catastrophic clinical outcomes if the diagnosis is delayed. This study aims to build a prediction model of clinical-radiomics nomogram for early diagnosis of MAE based on non-contrast computed tomography (CT) and biomarkers.

Method: In this retrospective study, a total of 364 patients confirmed as MAE (n = 131) or non-MAE (n = 233) who were randomly divided into a training cohort (70%) and a validation cohort (30%).

Practical approach to extracardiac findings in CT and MR for the non-radiologist.

Cross-sectional cardiac imaging plays an essential role in the evaluation of pediatric patients with congenital and acquired heart disease. While the focus of cardiac imaging is primarily on evaluating cardiac structures, it also provides valuable insights into extracardiac structures and associated abnormalities. The radiologists and cardiologists interpreting these exams play a critical role in recognizing these findings and providing recommendations for follow-up testing when indicated.

Genetic and clinical spectrum of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome with nuclear pore gene mutation.

Background: Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) is insensitive to steroid therapy and overwhelmingly progresses to kidney failure (KF), the known pathogenic genes of which include key subunits of the nuclear pore complex (NPC), a less-recognized contributor to glomerular podocyte injury.

Methods: After analyzing their clinical characterizations and obtaining parental consent, whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on patients with SRNS. Several nucleoporin (NUP) biallelic pathogenic variants were identified and further analyzed by cDNA-PCR sequencing from white cells of peripheral blood, minigene assay, immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, and electron microscopy (EM) ultrastructure observation of kidney biopsy, as well as multiple in silico prediction tools, including 3D protein modeling.

Paravertebral crystal deposition disease: a retrospective study of clinical presentation, prevalence, and CT imaging findings.

Objectives: Paravertebral crystal deposition disease, characterized by the deposition of crystals around the vertebral bodies leading to acute inflammation and pain, is a condition that remains largely unrecognized. This study aims to elucidate the prevalence, clinical features, and CT findings associated with this disease.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 14,839 consecutive patients who underwent chest and/or abdominal CT (September 2017 to September 2024) owing to chest, abdominal, or back pain.

Development of an interpretable machine learning model based on CT radiomics for the prediction of post acute pancreatitis diabetes mellitus.

This study sought to establish and validate an interpretable CT radiomics-based machine learning model capable of predicting post-acute pancreatitis diabetes mellitus (PPDM-A), providing clinicians with an effective predictive tool to aid patient management in a timely fashion. Clinical and imaging data from 271 patients who had undergone enhanced CT scans after first-episode acute pancreatitis from March 2017-June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were classified into PPDM-A (n = 109) and non-PPDM-A groups (n = 162), and split into training (n = 189) and testing (n = 82) cohorts at a 7:3 ratio.

Specification of claustro-amygdalar and palaeocortical neurons and circuits.

The ventrolateral pallial (VLp) excitatory neurons in the claustro-amygdalar complex and piriform cortex (PIR; which forms part of the palaeocortex) form reciprocal connections with the prefrontal cortex (PFC), integrating cognitive and sensory information that results in adaptive behaviours. Early-life disruptions in these circuits are linked to neuropsychiatric disorders, highlighting the importance of understanding their development. Here we reveal that the transcription factors SOX4, SOX11 and TFAP2D have a pivotal role in the development, identity and PFC connectivity of these excitatory neurons.

Study on the crack propagation morphology and initiation law of coal rock under the action of underwater electric pulse.

Based on the symmetric initiation mechanism of double-wing cracks in coal rock mass induced by high-pressure electro-recoil water pressure, fracturing experiments have been performed on coal rock mass under different water pressures and discharge conditions using high-voltage electric pulse hydraulic fracturing devices. Combined with CT scans, the crack spatial distribution inside the post-break coal rock mass was analyzed and found that the edge of the water injection hole is prone to produce double-wing cracks along the drilling hole diameter. ABAQUS is used to verify the physical test and extend the test conditions, the geometric parameter change, morphological expansion rule and crack initiation mechanism of double-wing crack in coal rock mass under different discharge conditions and ground stress conditions are studied.

Stability of small incision lenticule extraction over laser in situ keratomileusis at an altitude of 3874 m.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) when ascending from near sea level to an altitude of 3874 m. The visual acuity (VA), intraocular pressure (IOP), spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and biometric parameters of 20 normal subjects (40 eyes, controls) and 36 subjects who underwent corneal refractive surgery (35 eyes with SMILE and 36 eyes with LASIK) were examined in Chongqing (C, 500 m above sea level) and 7-10 days after a collective travel to Shigatse (S, 3874 m above sea level). SER and corneal thickness (CT) were choosed as main indicators of the stability of corneal refractive surgery at high altitude.

Influence of drilling incidence angle on the drilling force distribution of pneumatic impactor.

Pneumatic impactor is widely used in the drilling process of various medium and high hard rocks with poor drill ability. Currently, there is relatively little analysis on the impact of the inclination of the rock surface during the drilling process on the drilling efficiency and excavation capability of pneumatic impactors. Based on the dynamic theory of impact drilling and finite element method (FEM), the constitutive model of HJC criterion and INVENTOR 3D mechanical structure design software, a 3D numerical analysis system of piston-bit head-rock during pneumatic impactor drilling is established by ANSYS LS-DYNA, a nonlinear dynamic analysis software.

Extracting organs of interest from medical images based on convolutional neural network with auxiliary and refined constraints.

Accurately extracting organs from medical images provides radiologist with more comprehensive evidences to clinical diagnose, which offers up a higher accuracy and efficiency. However, the key to achieving accurate segmentation lies in abundant clues for contour distinction, which has a high demand for the network architecture design and its practical training status. To this end, we design auxiliary and refined constraints to optimize the energy function by supplying additional guidance in training procedure, thus promoting model's ability to capture information.

Determining anatomically-safe corridors for placement of lateral mass screws in the first cervical vertebra of the Emirati population - a CT study.

The first cervical vertebra (C1) is atypical in shape and bears a complex relationship with important neurovascular structures such as the vertebral artery and cervical spinal cord which are at risk of injury during misplaced screw fixation of C1. Placement of screws into the lateral mass of C1 vertebra is performed for stabilization of the craniovertebral junction. The objective of this study was to describe ideal screw dimensions, precise entry points, safe bony corridors, and ideal trajectories for placement of lateral mass screws in the Emirati population.

A network meta-analysis of therapies for hyperphosphatemia in CKD based on randomized trials.

To update the efficacy and safety of different drugs for the treatment of patients with hyperphosphatemia in chronic kidney disease, we conducted a network meta-analysis of 22 therapies for the treatment of uncontrolled hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). All randomized controlled trials on hyperphosphatemia published from January 2013 to November 2023 were searched from CNKI, VIP database, Wanfang database, PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane databases. Meta-analysis was used to evaluate the serum phosphorus, calcium levels, total effective rate and adverse events of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Effects of high-intensity laser therapy in patients with De Quervain's tenosynovitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: De Quervain's tenosynovitis (QT) is common among individuals performing repetitive manual tasks and significantly affects daily activities due to pain. While traditional treatments often provide limited relief, high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) shows as a potential analgesic resource.

Purpose: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the analgesic effects of HILT in patients with QT.

Girentuximab imaging in renal cancer: diamond in the rough or just ZIRCON?

Small renal masses (SRM), especially those under 7 cm pose significant diagnostic challenges when using conventional imaging (CT/MRI). PET/CT with [Zr]Zr-girentuximab offers a promising alternative in this setting by enabling molecular-level imaging. The ZIRCON trial, a phase 3 multicenter study, evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of [Zr]Zr-girentuximab PET/CT in detecting clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) in SRM.

Evaluation of the endocranial anatomy of the early Paleogene north African gavialoid crocodylian Argochampsa krebsi and evolutionary implications for adaptation to salinity tolerance in marine crocodyliforms.

Argochampsa krebsi is a gavialoid crocodylian from the early Paleogene of North Africa. Based on its recovered phylogenetic relationship with South American species, it has been inferred to have been capable of transoceanic dispersal, but potential anatomical correlates for a marine lifestyle have yet to be identified. Based on CT scans of a mostly complete and well-preserved skull, we reconstruct the endocranial anatomy of Argochampsa and compare it to that of other gavialoids.

[F]FDG PET/CT in Metastatic Extragonadal Choriocarcinoma.

Extragonadal choriocarcinoma in men is an extremely rare and highly aggressive malignancy. Inconclusive biopsies due to a high necrotic component often delay diagnosis. Here is such a case, in which suggestive imaging findings on [F]FDG PET/CT, a raised level of serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin, and gynecomastia clinched the diagnosis.