Quantitative chemical exchange saturation transfer (qCEST) MRI – omega plot analysis of RF‐spillover‐corrected inverse CEST ratio asymmetry for simultaneous determination of labile proton ratio and exchange rate

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI is sensitive to labile proton concentration and exchange rate, thus allowing measurement of dilute CEST agent and microenvironmental properties. However, CEST measurement depends not only on the CEST agent properties but also on the experimental conditions. Quantitative CEST (qCEST) analysis has been proposed to address the limitation of the commonly used simplistic CEST‐weighted calculation. Recent research has shown that the concomitant direct RF saturation (spillover) effect can be corrected using an inverse CEST ratio calculation. We postulated that a simplified qCEST analysis is feasible with omega plot analysis of the inverse CEST asymmetry calculation. Specifically, simulations showed that the numerically derived labile proton ratio and exchange rate were in good agreement with input values. In addition, the qCEST analysis was confirmed experimentally in a phantom with concurrent variation in CEST agent concentration and pH. Also, we demonstrated that the derived labile proton ratio increased linearly with creatine concentration (P < 0.01) while the pH‐dependent exchange rate followed a dominantly base‐catalyzed exchange relationship (P < 0.01). In summary, our study verified that a simplified qCEST analysis can simultaneously determine labile proton ratio and exchange rate in a relatively complex in vitro CEST system. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

叙事医学护理干预对脑卒中患者的临床应用价值

【摘要】 目的 探讨叙事医学护理干预对脑卒中患者的临床应用价值。方法 选取2017年7月?2019年7月辽 阳市中心医院收治的脑卒中患者128例作为研究对象，采用随机数字表法分为实验组65例与对照组63例。对照组采 取常规护理干预，实验组在此基础上给予叙事医学护理干预。比较两组患者干预前、干预3个月后焦虑、抑郁评分；生活 质量简明SF-36评分；睡眠情况、认知功能、神经功能、运动功能；以及干预3个月后生存质量改善情况与并发症发生情 况。结果 干预3个月后，两组焦虑自评量表(SAS)、抑郁自评量表(SDS)评分均显著低于干预前，且实验组显著低于 对照组(均P＜0. 05)；两组生活质量简明SF-36评分均显著高于干预前，且实验组明显优于对照组(均P＜0. 05)；两组 睡眠情况均显著优于干预前，且实验组睡眠总时间、睡眠效率明显高于对照组，而觉醒次数、入睡潜伏时间明显低于对 照组(均P＜0.05)；实验组生存质量改善率显著高于对照组(均P＜0.05)；两组简明精神状态量表(MMSE)、脑卒中神 经功能缺损评分表(NIHSS)、运动功能评定量表(FMA)评分均显著优于干预前，且实验组MMSE.FMA评分显著高于 对照组,NIHSS评分显著低于对照组(均P＜0.05)；实验组与对照组患者干预后并发症发生率差异无统计学意义(P> 0.05)。结论叙事医学护理干预可有效缓解脑卒中焦虑抑郁情绪，改善患者生活、生存质量，提高认知、神经及运动功能，护理效果明确。     

Therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stem cell on Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in a rat model by modulating Th17/Treg cell balance

Abstract

The autoimmune condition Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is a disease wherein lymphocytes mediate the autoimmune damage and destruction of the thyroid gland. There are currently no effective means of treating HT, with the primary strategies of thyroid hormone therapy, surgery, or immunomodulatory therapy being associated with serious risks and side effects. There is thus a clear and urgent need to identify novel treatments for HT. In this study, we utilize female SD rats induced HT to evaluated the ability of transplanted MSCs to regulate Th17/Treg interactions in a rat Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) model system. The results showed that Rats in the HT model group exhibited increased thyroid autoantibody levels consistent with successful model development, whereas these levels were lower in rats treated with MSCs. There were also fewer thyroid lesions and less lymphoid infiltration of the thyroid in MSC-treated rats relative to HT model rats, as well as fewer Th17 cells and more Treg cells – an observation consistent with the cytokine analyses. All of these showed that MSCs can regulate Th17/Treg interactions in a rat Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) model system. It suggested that transplanted MSCs could be a potential immunotherapy strategy for the treatment of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.     

Exploration of D022-Type Al3TM(TM = Sc,Ti, V,Zr, Nb,Hf, Ta): Elastic Anisotropy,Electronic Structures,Work Function and Experimental Design

The structural properties, elastic anisotropy, electronic structures and work function of D0₂₂-type Al₃TM (TM = Sc, Ti, V, Y, Zr, Nb, La, Hf, Ta) are studied using the first-principles calculations. The results indicate that the obtained formation enthalpy and cohesive energy of these compounds are in accordance with the other calculated values. It is found that the Al₃Zr is the most thermodynamic stable compound. The mechanical property indexes, such as elastic constants, bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and Vickers hardness are systematically explored. Moreover, the calculated universal anisotropic index, percent anisotropy and shear anisotropic factors of D0₂₂-type Al₃TM are analyzed carefully. It demonstrates that the shear modulus anisotropy of Al₃La is the strongest, while that of Al₃Ta is the weakest. In particular, the density of states at Fermi level is not zero, suggesting that these phases have metal properties and electrical conductivity. More importantly, the mechanisms of correlation between hardness and Young’s modulus are further explained by the work function. Finally, the experimental design proves that D0₂₂-Al₃Ta has an excellent strengthening effect.     

术前预后营养指数对肺癌术后并发症风险的预测价值

目的:探讨术前预后营养指数（prognostic nutritional index，PNI）对肺癌术后并发症风险的预测价值。方法:回顾分析2015年12月至2018年3月于我院行手术治疗的非小细胞肺癌患者180例，收集患者的临床资料以及术后并发症的发生情况，采用Logistic回归分析患者术后并发症的影响因素。结果:多因素Logistic回归分析表明，术前低PNI值是术后并发症Clavien-Dindo评分≥II级的独立危险因素（OR:1.10，95%CI:1.02~1.17，P=0.023）；根据术前PNI值将患者分为三组，分别为PNI≥50组（n=113）、45≤PNI<50组（n=47）、PNI<45组（n=20），各组术后并发症Clavien-Dindo评分≥II级以及Clavien-Dindo评分≥III级发生的比例分别为22.1%、40.4%、40.0%和6.2%、17.0%、25.0%，不同PNI值术后并发症发生率存在显著差异；PNI值可作为术后并发症发生风险及气胸、肺外感染的独立危险因素。结论:PNI值可作为肺癌患者术后并发症风险的有效预测因子。     

Meta-Analysis of Saturated Fatty Acid Intake and Breast Cancer Risk

The associations between saturated fatty acid (SFA) consumption and risk of breast cancer (BC) remains inconclusive. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to determine the quantitative relations between dietary SFA intake and incidence of BC.Literatures published up to April 2015 were systematically screened through Pubmed and Web of Science. Relevant publication quality was evaluated by conducting the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. We used fixed effects models or random effect models to calculate the summary relative risks (RRs) and odds ratios (ORs), and conducted sensitivity analyses and evaluated the publication bias.We identified a total of 52 studies (24 cohort studies and 28 case–control studies), with over 50,000 females diagnosed with BC. The associations between dietary SFA intake and risk of BC were 1.18 for case–control studies (high vs low intake, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03–1.34) and 1.04 for cohort studies (95% CI = 0.97–1.11). When restricted analyses to population-based studies, positive associations were observed for both cohort (RR [95% CI] = 1.11 [1.01–1.21]) and case–control studies (OR [95% CI] = 1.26 [1.03–1.53]). Additionally, for case–control studies, significant positive associations between higher SFA intake and BC risk were observed for Asian (OR [95% CI] = 1.17 [1.02–1.34]) and Caucasian (OR [95% CI] = 1.19 [1.00–1.41]), as well as for postmenopausal women (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.02–1.73). In contrast, higher dietary SFA intake was not associated with risk of BC among premenopausal women, in cohort studies or hospital-based studies.A positive association between higher dietary SFA intake and postmenopausal BC risk was observed in case–control but not in cohort studies. More studies are warranted to confirm these findings.     

多原发结直肠癌的临床特征和预后

目的探讨多原发结直肠癌的临床特征和预后。方法回顾性分析南京医科大学第一附属医院2013年1月至2018年12月收治的42例多原发结直肠癌患者的临床资料,对其临床病理特征、诊治及预后进行总结。结果符合多原发结直肠癌诊断的患者42例,占同期收治的所有结直肠癌患者的1.20%(42/3499),病理类型以腺癌为主。其中,同时性多原发癌32例,年龄38~86岁,中位年龄66岁,共发现73处结直肠癌灶,多位于近端结肠、乙状结肠及直肠;共检出淋巴结527枚,阳性10枚(1.9%),淋巴结阳性患者占同时性多原发癌的37.5%(12/32);27例为双原发癌,3例为三原发癌,2例为五原发癌;1、3年总生存率分别为83.75%和74.38%。异时性多原发癌10例,年龄33~86岁,第一癌多位于直肠和乙状结肠区域,第二癌多位于升结肠区域;共检出淋巴结276枚,阳性率12.3%(34枚),1、3年总生存率分别为100.00%和66.67%。结论多原发结直肠癌在临床上不少见,其分布有一定规律。临床中应引起重视,提高早期诊断率。应早期手术治疗以提高患者的生存率。     

ArcCHECK系统在食管癌螺旋断层放疗计划验证中的应用

目的 探讨ArcCHECK系统在食管癌断层治疗旋转照射和固定野照射计划验证中的应用,总结相关经验。方法 对32例不同部位食管癌分别制作Helical旋转照射和Direct固定野照射验证计划,并通过ArcCHECK测量、分析,对比验证结果通过率。分析靶体积与计划验证通过率的相关性。将靶体积较小的治疗验证计划分别放在ArcCHECK模体中心和外周探测点处,分析验证通过率差异。结果 Helical计划验证通过率高于Direct计划(P<0.01),其靶体积与验证通过率的相关系数分别为-0.364和-0.042,P值分别为0.041和0.819。Helical计划采用3%/2mm标准时,高剂量区放在模体中心和外周探测点处测得的通过率不同(P=0.005),后者通过率更高;采用3%/3mm标准时与Direct计划的3%/3m、3%/2mm标准的相近(P均>0.05)。结论 Helical计划验证通过率普遍高于Direct计划,原因可能与ArcCHECK探测器的角度响应以及因更多参考点受到低剂量辐射而未参与计算有关,另外还可能跟Direct计划对断层治疗剂量控制系统要求更高有关。在Helical验证计划中,当采用3%/3mm标准时,靶体积越大,验证时出现较低通过率的可能性增加,但相关系数较低。验证计划的高剂量区位于模体中心或者探测点处都可以实现计划验证,综合考量建议放在模体等中心处。