Optimal Monochromatic Imaging of Spectral Computed Tomography Potentially Improves the Quality of Hepatic Vascular Imaging.

Objective: To investigate the efficiency of spectral computed tomography (CT) optimal monochromatic images in improving imaging quality of liver vessels.

Materials And Methods: The imaging data of 35 patients with abdominal CT angiography were retrospectively analyzed. Hepatic arteries, portal veins, and hepatic veins were reconstructed with mixed energy (quality check, QC), 70 keV and optimal monochromatic mode.

[Value of CT Features on Differential Diagnosis of Pulmonary Subsolid Nodules and Degree of invasion Prediction in Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma].

Background: Subsolid pulmonary nodules are common computed tomography (CT) findings of primary lung adenocarcinoma. It is of clinical value to determine the clinical treatment strategies based on CT features. The aim of this study is to find the valuable CT characteristics on differential diagnosis and the degree of invasion prediction by a retrospectively analysis of three groups subsolid nodules, including benign, and invasive adenocarcinoma.

Small Tenuous Intracranial Arteries Can Well Tolerate the Deployment of 2 Stents in Y Configuration or an Overlapping Manner in Treating Intracranial Aneurysms.

Objective: To investigate parent vessel response to deployment of 2 stents for treatment of cerebral aneurysms.

Methods: Fifteen patients (11 women and 4 men; age range, 25-83 years) with 18 wide-necked intracranial aneurysms were treated with 2 stents with or without subsequent coiling. The vascular diameter was measured and compared within the native parent artery, and the single stent and double stent were measured and compared before and immediately after stenting and at angiographic follow-up.

Association of Basilar Bifurcation Aneurysms With Age, Sex, and Bifurcation Geometry.

Background And Purpose: Basilar artery (BA) bifurcation aneurysms are common, but the correlation between BA bifurcation morphology and aneurysm formation remains to be established. Our purpose was to determine the association of BA bifurcation aneurysms with patient age, sex, bifurcation angle, and branch diameter.

Methods: Three-dimensional angiographic data of 195 patients were used, including 59 patients with BA bifurcation aneurysms and 136 control subjects.

Automatic spectral imaging protocol selection combined with iterative reconstruction can enhance image quality and decrease radiation and contrast dosage in abdominal CT angiography.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of automatic spectral imaging protocol selection (ASIS) and adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR) technology in reducing radiation and contrast dosage.

Methods: Sixty-four patients were randomly divided into two groups for abdominal computed tomography (CT): the experiment group with ASIS plus 50% ASIR and the control with 120 kVp voltage.

Results: The CT dose-index volume decreased by 23.

Presence of Anterior Communicating Artery Aneurysm Is Associated With Age, Bifurcation Angle, and Vessel Diameter.

Background And Purpose: The anterior communicating artery (Acom) aneurysm is the most complex in all cerebral aneurysms, and wider vascular bifurcation angles are considered to be associated with aneurysm formation. The objective of this study was to investigate association of the Acom aneurysm formation with patient age and vascular bifurcation morphology.

Methods: Three-dimensional angiographic data of 665 patients were used in this study, including 160 patients with Acom aneurysms, 66 with non-Acom aneurysms, and 439 control subjects with no aneurysms.

Progesterone down-regulates SLIT/ROBO expression in mouse corpus luteum.

Background: Progesterone produced by the corpus luteum (CL) is essential for preparation, implantation and maintenance of gestation. Furthermore, progesterone plays a protective role against luteolysis in rodents. It has been reported that Slit/Robo family members expressed in the CL and involved in prostaglandin F (PGF) induced luteolysis.

Management of antibiotic-associated pseudomembranous colitis in Non-hospitalized and hospitalized patients.

Proper management of antibiotic-associated pseudo membranous colitis is not clear. This article is to investigate proper treatment of antibiotic-associated pseudo membranous colitis. Data of 67 patients (aged 18-69 years, with 31 males and 46 females) with antibiotic-associated pseudo membranous colitis were retrospectively analyzed including the demography, antibiotics to induce and for treatment of the pseudo membranous colitis, and other supportive measures.

The optimal monochromatic spectral computed tomographic imaging plus adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction algorithm can improve the superior mesenteric vessel image quality.

Objective: To investigate the effect of the optimal monochromatic spectral computed tomography (CT) plus adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction on the improvement of the image quality of the superior mesenteric artery and vein.

Materials And Methods: The gemstone spectral CT angiographic data of 25 patients were reconstructed in the following three groups: 70KeV, the optimal monochromatic imaging, and the optimal monochromatic plus 40%iterative reconstruction mode. The CT value, image noises (IN), background CT value and noises, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and image scores of the vessels and surrounding tissues were analyzed.

Construction of an in vivo carotid siphon model for testing endovascular devices for neuro-interventions.

Objective The aim of this study was to construct an in vivo carotid siphon model for testing neurovascular devices for endovascular interventions. Methods A model of a human carotid siphon was pre-shaped using a glass tube from a human cadaver and used to confine a segment of one side of the common carotid artery (CCA) in canines. This segment of CCA with the glass carotid siphon on was interposed end-to-end onto the contralateral CCA so as to simulate a human carotid artery siphon in vivo.

Effects of troxerutin on cognitive deficits and glutamate cysteine ligase subunits in the hippocampus of streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus rats.

Increasing evidence demonstrates an association between diabetes and hippocampal neuron damage. This study aimed to determine the effects of troxerutin on cognitive deficits and glutamate cysteine ligase subunits (GCLM and GCLC) in the hippocampus of streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) rats. At 12weeks after streptozotocin injection, T1DM rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=15 each group) to receive no treatment (T1DM), saline (T1DM+saline), alpha-lipoic acid (T1DM+alpha-lipoic acid), and troxerutin (T1DM+troxerutin), respectively, for 6weeks.

Morphologic classification of the right auricule on 256-slice computed tomography.

Purpose: To investigate the shape of right auricule on 256-slice computed tomography (CT).

Materials And Methods: Five hundred people (250 men, age range 16-84 years) who had cardiac multidetector CT angiography were recruited in this study. All patients had normal sinus rhythm with normal blood pressure (<140/90 mmHg for systolic/diastolic pressure).

Quantitative analysis of the right auricle with 256-slice computed tomography.

Purpose: To quantitatively measure the morphology parameters of the right auricle with 256-slice multidetector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) in healthy people.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis of 200 patients who had undergone coronary MDCTA with negative findings was performed. The raw imaging data were reconstructed and the right auricular volume, right atrial volume, right auricle height, base long and short axes, base perimeter and area, normal angle, and distance were quantitatively measured.

Correlation of the leucocyte count with traditional and non-traditional components of metabolic syndrome.

Objectives: To investigate correlation of the white blood cell (WBC) and its subtype count with the traditional and non-traditional components of the metabolic syndrome.

Methods: Between January 2012 and December 2013, 18,222 people were enrolled in this study. The height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure were measured, and blood samples were tested for all subjects after an overnight fast.

Comparison of surgical and endovascular approaches in the management of multiple intracranial aneurysms.

Objective: To investigate the outcomes and safety of endovascular compared with surgical clipping for multiple intracranial aneurysms.

Material And Methods: 98 patients with 260 multiple intracranial aneurysms were treated with endovascular, surgical clipping, combined treatment, and observation. Data were retrospectively studied following treatment and at follow-up.

Evaluation of left gastric vein in Chinese healthy adults with multi-detector computed tomography.

Objectives: To evaluate the classification and diameter of left gastric vein (LGV) in healthy Chinese adults with multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT).

Methods: MDCT angiography was performed in 234 healthy adults for the portal venous system. CT cross-sectional thin-layer reconstruction combined with maximum intensity projection, volume rendering and multiplanar reconstruction were applied.

Prognostic utility of combination of NT-proBNP with high sensitive cTn I in patients with heart failure: Results from retrospective study in an emergency department.

Background: N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) and cardiac troponin I (cTn I) are widely used for the diagnosis of myocardial injury, but have not been used for routine evaluation in heart failure (HF) population.

Aims: To evaluate the prognostic utility of combination of NT-proBNP and cTn I in patients with HF, including serial NT-proBNP/cTn I measurements and discharge NT-proBNP/cTn I levels.

Patients And Methods: A total of 610 patients presenting in our emergency department for acute HF were studied.

Quantitative evaluation of left ventricular volume and function in middle-aged healthy chinese people with 3 Tesla MRI.

Purpose: To quantitatively investigate left ventricular volume and function in middle-aged healthy subjects.

Materials And Methods: Ninety healthy volunteers underwent cardiac 3 Tesla MRI. The left ventricular end-diastolic volume (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF), cardiac output (CO), myocardial mass (MM), and their normalized indices (EDVI, ESVI, SVI, CI, and MI, respectively) after corrected with the body surface area (BSA) were analyzed and compared at different ages.

Wingspan stenting can effectively prevent long-term strokes for patients with severe symptomatic atherosclerotic basilar stenosis.

Objective: To investigate the safety and long-term effect of using the Wingspan stent for severe symptomatic atherosclerotic basilar artery stenosis (≥70%).

Materials And Methods: Between July 2007 and April 2013, we had 91 consecutive patients (age range 41-82 years old) with symptomatic severe basilar stenosis (70-99%) who underwent Wingspan stenting at our center. All patients had stenosis-related temporary ischemic attack or strokes.

Uterine Leiomyomas: Safety and Efficacy of US-guided Suprapubic Transvaginal Radiofrequency Ablation at 1-year Follow-up.

Purpose To assess the safety and efficacy of ultrasonography (US)-guided suprapubic transvaginal (ST) radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the treatment of symptomatic uterine leiomyomas at 1-year follow-up. Materials and Methods The institutional review board approved this prospective study, and all patients provided informed consent. ST RFA was performed as an outpatient procedure 3 days after menstruation in 51 women (age range, 32-52 years; mean age, 42.

CXCL12-CXCR4 Axis Promotes Proliferation, Migration, Invasion, and Metastasis of Ovarian Cancer.

The CXCL12-CXCR4 chemokine axis may play a very important role in ovarian cancer cells proliferation, migration, invasion, and peritoneal metastasis in vitro and in vivo. In this study, transfected SKOV3-CXCR4, transfected vector SKOV3-negative, nontransfected SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells, and human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) were cultivated in vitro, and the proliferation, migration, and invasion of these ovarian cancer cells were investigated with or without the influence of the CXCL12-CXCR4 axis. Nude mice models of ovarian cancer were created by injection of ovarian cancer cells into the peritoneal cavity for investigation of ovarian cancer cells metastasis.

Outcomes of middle cerebral artery angioplasty and stenting with Wingspan at a high-volume center.

Introduction: This study was to investigate the periprocedural stroke rates, safety, and long-term effect of Wingspan stenting for symptomatic severe stenosis of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) at a high-volume center.

Methods: Between July 2007 and April 2013, 196 consecutive patients with severe MCA atherosclerotic stenosis (≥70%) who were treated with Wingspan stenting were retrospectively studied. All patients had arterial stenosis-related temporary ischemic attack or strokes.