Diffusion-weighted MRI in the evaluation of the thyroid nodule: Comparison between integrated-shimming EPI and conventional 3D-shimming EPI techniques.

This study aimed to evaluate whether a prototype echo planar imaging sequence with integrated-shimming (iShim-EPI) can improve image quality in the thyroid gland in comparison to 3D-volume shimming echo planar imaging (3D-Shim-EPI), and to compare ADC values derived from iShim-EPI with those of 3D-Shim-EPI. Twenty-one patients with thyroid disease were enrolled and underwent axial DWIs with iShim-EPI and 3D-Shim-EPI using a 3 Tesla magnetic resonance scanner in this prospective study. Both sets of DWI images were evaluated by two independent observers who identified susceptibility and ghost artifacts and evaluated the images' capacity to detect thyroid nodules using quantitative scores.

MicroRNA-3200-5p Promotes Osteosarcoma Cell Invasion via Suppression of BRMS1.

Tumour metastasis is one of the most serious challenges of cancer as it is the major cause of mortality in patients with solid tumours, including osteosarcoma (OS). In this regard, anti-metastatic genes have potential for metastasis inhibition strategies. Recent evidence showed the importance of breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1) in control of OS invasiveness, but the regulation of BRMS1 in OS remains largely unknown.

Effect of Ticagrelor Plus Aspirin, Ticagrelor Alone, or Aspirin Alone on Saphenous Vein Graft Patency 1 Year After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The effect of ticagrelor with or without aspirin on saphenous vein graft patency in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is unknown.

Objective: To compare the effect of ticagrelor + aspirin or ticagrelor alone vs aspirin alone on saphenous vein graft patency 1 year after CABG.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Randomized, multicenter, open-label, clinical trial among 6 tertiary hospitals in China.

Buyang Huanwu Decoction Ameliorates Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Rats via Downregulation of Related Protein and Gene Expression.

Little is known about the effects of Buyang Huanwu decoction on pulmonary fibrosis. Herein, 144 healthy SD rats were randomly divided into six groups: blank control group (B), model control group (M), positive medicine control group (Mp), and high-, moderate-, and low-dose Buyang Huanwu decoction groups (Hd, Md, and Ld). A pulmonary fibrosis model was established by endotracheal injection of bleomycin.

Retro-inverso follicle-stimulating hormone peptide-mediated polyethylenimine complexes for targeted ovarian cancer gene therapy.

Background: The development of nanoparticle drug delivery systems with targeted ligands has the potential to increase treatment efficiency in ovarian cancer.

Methods: We developed a 21-amino acid peptide, YTRDLVYGDPARPGIQGTGTF (L-FP21) conjugated to polyethylenimine (PEI) and methoxy polyethylene glycol (mPEG) to prepare a nanoparticle drug vehicle to target follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) in ovarian cancer. At the same time, we optimized the ligand of the nanoparticle vehicle using D-peptides, which consist of D-amino acids (D-FP21).

The consensus on indications, conditioning regimen, and donor selection of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for hematological diseases in China-recommendations from the Chinese Society of Hematology.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is widely used to treat malignant hematological neoplasms and non-malignant hematological disorders. Approximately, 5000 allo-HSCT procedures are performed in China annually. Substantial progress has been made in haploidentical HSCT (HID-HSCT), pre-transplantation risk stratification, and donor selection in allo-HSCT, especially after the establishment of the "Beijing Protocol" HID-HSCT system.

Kupffer cell-derived TNF-α promotes hepatocytes to produce CXCL1 and mobilize neutrophils in response to necrotic cells.

The damage-associated molecular pattern molecules (DAMPs) released by necrotic cells can trigger inflammatory response, which will facilitate the clearance of these dead cells. Neutrophil mobilization is a very important step for the dead cell clearance, however the detailed mechanisms for DAMPs induce neutrophil mobilization remains largely elusive. In this study, by using a necrotic cell-induced neutrophil mobilization mice model, we found that both neutrophil number and percentage rapidly (as early as 30 min) increased with necrotic cells but not live cell treatment.

The clinicopathological features and prognosis of tumor MSI in East Asian colorectal cancer patients using NCI panel.

Aim: To compare test results obtained from a PCR assay for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) five loci criteria for detecting microsatellite instability (MSI) with those obtained from immunohistochemistry of mismatch repair and a five-mononucleotide site amplification system in East Asian patients with colorectal cancer.

Patients & Methods:  A total of 245 East Asian patients with colorectal cancer were studied retrospectively at our institution.

Results: The consistency of the NCI panel PCR method compared with detection of mismatch repair protein expression by immunohistochemistry was 0.

Aberrant expression of STYK1 and E-cadherin confer a poor prognosis for pancreatic cancer patients.

Previous studies showed that aberrant Serine/threonine/tyrosine kinase 1 (STYK1, also known as NOK) or/and E-cadherin were involved in the progression of some types of human cancers. However, whether they contributed to the development of pancreatic cancer was unknown. Here, we investigated the prognostic significance of aberrant STYK1 and E-cadherin in pancreatic cancer.

Determination of cycloserine in microdialysis samples using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with benzoyl chloride derivatization.

A new method for the analysis of cycloserine (4-amino-3-isoxazolidinone, CYC) in rat microdialysis samples has been developed. This method consists of derivatizing the CYC with benzoyl chloride, which transforms primary amines into highly stable derivatives. An attractive feature of this method was that the derivatization reaction is straightforward and can be completed within 10 min.

Photoelectron Transfer at ZnTPyP Self-Assembly/TiO Interfaces for Enhanced Two-Photon Photodynamic Therapy.

Two-photon (TP) absorption nanomaterials are highly desirable for deep-tissue clinical diagnostics and orthotopic disease treatment. Here, a well-designed core/shell nanostructure was successfully synthesized with a ZnTPyP self-assembly nanocrystal (ZSN) inner core coated by a homogeneous TiO layer outside (ZSN-TO). The ZSN is a good photosemiconductor, showing both one-photon (OP) and TP absorption properties for red fluorescence emission and electron-hole pair generation; TiO with good biocompatibility acts as the electron acceptor, which can transfer photoelectron from ZSN to TiO for highly effective electron-hole separation, favoring the production of long-life superoxide anion (O) by electrons and oxygen and strong oxidizing hydroxyl radical (•OH) by holes and surrounding HO.

Hydrogen Treatment Protects Mice Against Chronic Pancreatitis by Restoring Regulatory T Cells Loss.

Background/aims: Chronic pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas characterized by progressive tissue destruction and fibrogenesis. The development of chronic pancreatitis is associated with immune cell dysregulation. Currently, the specific and effective treatment of chronic pancreatitis remains absent.

Optimized ROI size on ADC measurements of normal pancreas, pancreatic cancer and mass-forming chronic pancreatitis.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of region of interest (ROI) sizes on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements for the differentiation of normal pancreas (NP), pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and mass-forming chronic pancreatitis (MFCP).

Results: There were no significant differences for the mean ADCs measured by 12 different-size ROIs for MFCP, or PDAC and NP ( = 0.858-1.

Comparative study of 4D CTA and DSA for vascular assessment in moyamoya disease.

Purpose: To evaluate the vascular stenosis and collateral circulation in moyamoya disease using 4D CTA.

Methods: Two neuroradiologists evaluated 4D CTA and DSA for 101 moyamoya patients. The performance of 4D CTA relative to DSA was determined using consistency checks (kappa values, 95% CI) and correlation analysis.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms of nucleotide excision repair pathway are significantly associated with outcomes of platinum-based chemotherapy in lung cancer.

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway plays critical roles in repairing DNA disorders caused by platinum. To comprehensively understand the association between variants of NER and clinical outcomes of platinum-based chemotherapy, 173 SNPs in 27 genes were selected to evaluate association with toxicities and efficiency in 1004 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The results showed that consecutive significant signals were observed in XPA, RPA1, POLD1, POLD3.

Fat poor angiomyolipoma differentiation from renal cell carcinoma at 320-slice dynamic volume CT perfusion.

Purpose: To compare various CT perfusion features of fat poor angiomyolipoma (AML) with those of size-matched renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Methods: One hundred and seventy-four patients [16 with fat poor AML (mean diameter, 3.1 cm; range, 1.

Differentiation of low- and high-grade clear cell renal cell carcinoma: Tumor size versus CT perfusion parameters.

Purpose: To compare the utility of tumor size and CT perfusion parameters for differentiation of low- and high-grade clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Materials And Methods: Tumor size, Equivalent blood volume (Equiv BV), permeability surface-area product (PS), blood flow (BF), and Fuhrman pathological grading of clear cell RCC were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: High-grade clear cell RCC had significantly higher tumor size and lower PS than low grade.

Risk Factors for Graft-Versus-Host Disease After Transplantation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells from Unrelated Donors in the China Marrow Donor Program.

BACKGROUND We identified risk factors for acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD and cGVHD, respectively) in recipients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from unrelated donors in the China Marrow Donor Program (CMDP). MATERIAL AND METHODS We analyzed follow-up clinical information from 1824 patients who underwent HSCT between 2001 and 2010. RESULTS The incidence of aGVHD and cGVHD after transplantation was 49.

Effect of region of interest size on ADC measurements in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Background: To investigate the influence of region of interest (ROI) size on tumor apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements in pancreatic cancer.

Methods: The study population consisted of 64 patients with pathologically proved pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs), who underwent preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). The tumor ADCs were measured by two independent readers using six round ROIs with sizes ranging from 20 to 214 mm (9 to 97 pixels) in both the six separate measurements.

Intravoxel incoherent motion DWI of the pancreatic adenocarcinomas: monoexponential and biexponential apparent diffusion parameters and histopathological correlations.

Background: To investigate the associations between the diffusion parameters obtained from multiple-b-values diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and the aggressiveness and local stage prediction, and assess the values of the quantitative parameters for the discrimination of tumors from healthy pancreas.

Methods: Fifty-one patients with surgical pathology-proven PDAC (size, 35 ± 12 mm) and fifty-seven healthy volunteers were enrolled. Diffusion parameters including monoexponential apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC and ADC) and biexponential intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) parameters (ADC, ADC and f) based on 9 b-values (0 to 1000s/mm) DWI were calculated for the lesions and the healthy pancreas.

Association between polymorphisms of autophagy pathway and responses in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy.

Platinum-based chemotherapy is an important treatment for non-small cell lung cancer. However, the effectiveness of the treatment varies among the patients. We investigated the association between DNA polymorphisms of the autophagy pathway and responses of such treatment among 1004 Chinese patients.

Genetic variant of miR-4293 rs12220909 is associated with susceptibility to non-small cell lung cancer in a Chinese Han population.

Non-small cell lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Genetic variants in regulatory regions of some miRNAs might be involved in non-small cell lung cancer susceptibility and survival. rs12220909 (G/C) genetic polymorphism in miR-4293 has been shown to be associated with decreased risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Correlation between CT perfusion parameters and Fuhrman grade in pTlb renal cell carcinoma.

Purpose: To evaluate the correlation of CT perfusion parameters with the Fuhrman grade in pT1b (4-7 cm) renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Methods: CT perfusion imaging and Fuhrman pathological grading of pT1b RCC were performed in 48 patients (10 grade 1, 27 grade 2, 9 grade 3, and 2 grade 4). Equivalent blood volume (BV ), permeability surface area product (PS), and blood flow (BF) of tumors were measured.

Uric acid, renal function and risk of hypoglycaemia in Chinese type 2 diabetes patients.

Background: This study aimed to explore independent associations between serum uric acid and hypoglycaemia, and whether mildly increased serum uric acid exacerbated the association between mild decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and hypoglycaemia.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 6713 inpatients with type 2 diabetes and eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m and admitted to 81 tertiary care hospitals in China was conducted.

RICTOR polymorphisms affect efficiency of platinum-based chemotherapy in Chinese non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

Aim: We investigated the association between RICTOR polymorphisms and clinical outcomes of platinum-based chemotherapy for Chinese non-small-cell lung cancer patients.

Materials & Methods: Ten tag SNPs were genotyped in 1004 patients to assess their association with clinical benefit, overall survival, progression-free survival, gastrointestinal toxicity, neutropenia, anemia and thrombocytopenia.

Results: rs6878291 was significantly associated with clinical benefit (odds ratio: 2.