The Diagnostic Value of Conventional MRI Combined With Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in Microprolactinomas.

Background: Turbo spin-echo (TSE) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences may reduce susceptibility artifacts and image distortion in sellar region, allowing better visualization of small pituitary lesions, and may be used to assist in the diagnosis of pituitary microadenomas.

Purpose: To explore the application value of conventional MRI combined with DWI sequences in the diagnosis of microprolactinomas.

Study Type: Prospective.

Global urbanicity is associated with brain and behaviour in young people.

Urbanicity is a growing environmental challenge for mental health. Here, we investigate correlations of urbanicity with brain structure and function, neuropsychology and mental illness symptoms in young people from China and Europe (total n = 3,867). We developed a remote-sensing satellite measure (UrbanSat) to quantify population density at any point on Earth.

Combined Assessment of Elevated Plasma Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A and Plaque Enhancement Improved Accuracy in the Risk of Acute Ischemic Stroke in Patients with Intracranial Artery Stenosis.

Purpose: We evaluated the relationship between plasma lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A (Lp-PLA) concentration and plaque characteristics in patients with intracranial artery stenosis and their clinical relevance in acute ischemic stroke.

Methods: Eighty-seven patients with intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (66 males, 21 females) were retrospectively enrolled. Plasma Lp-PLA concentration was measured, and vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging (VW-MRI) was used to determine intracranial vascular stenosis and plaque characteristics, including plaque enhancement, surface morphology, and T hyperintensity.

CHIMGEN: a Chinese imaging genetics cohort to enhance cross-ethnic and cross-geographic brain research.

The Chinese Imaging Genetics (CHIMGEN) study establishes the largest Chinese neuroimaging genetics cohort and aims to identify genetic and environmental factors and their interactions that are associated with neuroimaging and behavioral phenotypes. This study prospectively collected genomic, neuroimaging, environmental, and behavioral data from more than 7000 healthy Chinese Han participants aged 18-30 years. As a pioneer of large-sample neuroimaging genetics cohorts of non-Caucasian populations, this cohort can provide new insights into ethnic differences in genetic-neuroimaging associations by being compared with Caucasian cohorts.

MRI Radiomics Analysis for Predicting the Pathologic Classification and TNM Staging of Thymic Epithelial Tumors: A Pilot Study.

The purpose of this study was to explore the performance of MRI radiomics in predicting the pathologic classification and TNM staging of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). Clinical and MRI data for 189 patients with TETs were retrospectively collected. A total of 2088 radiomics features were extracted from T2-weighted images and T2-weighted fat-suppressed (FS) images.

Predicting pathological subtypes and stages of thymic epithelial tumors using DWI: value of combining ADC and texture parameters.

Objectives: To explore the value of combining apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) and texture parameters from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in predicting the pathological subtypes and stages of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs).

Methods: Fifty-seven patients with TETs confirmed by pathological analysis were retrospectively enrolled. ADC values and optimal texture feature parameters were compared for differences among low-risk thymoma (LRT), high-risk thymoma (HRT), and thymic carcinoma (TC) by one-way ANOVA, and between early and advanced stages of TETs were tested using the independent samples t test.

Circ_0075932 in adipocyte-derived exosomes induces inflammation and apoptosis in human dermal keratinocytes by directly binding with PUM2 and promoting PUM2-mediated activation of AuroraA/NF-κB pathway.

It remains unclear why obese persons displayed a slower wound healing rate than the normal. In this study, we found that has_circ_0075932, a single-exon circular RNA, was outstandingly expressed in human normal adipose tissue and overexpressed in burned skin of obese persons compared with that of non-obese persons. Circ_0075932 overexpression or silencing in dermal keratinocytes had no obvious effect on cell behaviors, unless dozens of times overexpression, since its basal expression level in keratinocytes is too low.

MicroRNA-423-5p inhibits the progression of trophoblast cells via targeting IGF2BP1.

Introduction: Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the leading causes of maternal and fetal mortality globally. The imbalance of trophoblast homeostasis is closely linked with the pathogenesis of PE. MicroRNA-423-5p (miR-423-5p) has been reported to be abnormally expressed in placenta and blood plasma of pregnant women with PE.

Iodine Quantification Using Dual-Energy Computed Tomography for Differentiating Thymic Tumors.

Unlabelled: The aim of the study was to explore the efficacy of iodine quantification with dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in differentiating thymoma, thymic carcinoma, and thymic lymphoma.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-seven patients with pathologically confirmed low-risk thymoma (n = 16), high-risk thymoma (n = 15), thymic carcinoma (n = 14), and thymic lymphoma (n = 12) underwent chest contrast-enhanced DECT scan were enrolled in this study. Tumor DECT parameters including iodine-related Hounsfield unit (IHU), iodine concentration (IC), mixed HU (MHU), and iodine ratio in dual phase, slope of energy spectral HU curve (λ), and virtual noncontrast (VNC) were compared for differences among 4 groups by one-way analysis of variance.

Transarterial chemoembolization plus sorafenib for the management of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the recommended treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients at Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) B-stage, whereas sorafenib is an orally administered small molecule target drug for BCLC C-stage. This updated systemic review and meta-analysis focuses on identifying the efficacy of the combination of TACE with sorafenib, which remains controversial despite years of exploration.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and the Cochrane Library were systematically reviewed to search for studies published from January 1990 to May 2017.

Alterations of White Matter Integrity and Hippocampal Functional Connectivity in Type 2 Diabetes Without Mild Cognitive Impairment.

: To investigate the white matter (WM) integrity and hippocampal functional connectivity (FC) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients without mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), respectively. : Twelve T2DM patients without MCI and 24 age, sex and education matched healthy controls (HC) were recruited. DTI and rs-fMRI data were subsequently acquired on a 3.

Radiomics strategy for glioma grading using texture features from multiparametric MRI.

Background: Accurate glioma grading plays an important role in the clinical management of patients and is also the basis of molecular stratification nowadays.

Purpose/hypothesis: To verify the superiority of radiomics features extracted from multiparametric MRI to glioma grading and evaluate the grading potential of different MRI sequences or parametric maps.

Study Type: Retrospective; radiomics.

Gender differences in functional connectivities between insular subdivisions and selective pain-related brain structures.

Background: The incidence of pain disorders in women is higher than in men, making gender differences in pain a research focus. The human insular cortex is an important brain hub structure for pain processing and is divided into several subdivisions, serving different functions in pain perception. Here we aimed to examine the gender differences of the functional connectivities (FCs) between the twelve insular subdivisions and selected pain-related brain structures in healthy adults.

Structural and advanced imaging in predicting MGMT promoter methylation of primary glioblastoma: a region of interest based analysis.

Background: The methylation status of oxygen 6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter has been associated with treatment response in glioblastoma(GBM). Using pre-operative MRI techniques to predict MGMT promoter methylation status remains inconclusive. In this study, we investigated the value of features from structural and advanced imagings in predicting the methylation of MGMT promoter in primary glioblastoma patients.