Background:Cervical cancer screening primarily uses the human papillomavirus (HPV) test with partial genotyping (HPV 16/18) and liquid-based cytology using ThinPrep cytology test (TCT) to triage women with a positive HPV test. Although quantitative DNA ploidy analysis has shown reliability, its integration into screening guidelines as a triage test, compared to partial genotyping and TCT, has not been fully established. The objective of the study is to evaluate the clinical utility of DNA ploidy analysis as a triage test for women with a positive HPV test in primary screening, comparing it to HPV 16/18 genotyping and TCT. Methods:We retrospectively analyzed data from 335 women aged ≥18 years who participated in a cervical cancer screening program at Shanghai Ruijin Hospital and underwent triage using HPV 16/18, TCT, and DNA ploidy testing. The sensitivities and specificities of these methods, both individually and combined, were evaluated. Results:The test showed sensitivities and specificities of 35.4% and 76.1% for HPV 16/18, 29.2% and 88.2% for TCT, and 93.8% and 92.7% for DNA ploidy, respectively. Combining these tests improved outcomes, with DNA ploidy plus HPV 16/18 genotyping showing enhanced sensitivity and high specificity. Notably, DNA ploidy alone identified high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and cervical cancer with a higher detection rate and lower positivity rate in triage than HPV 16/18 and TCT. Conclusions:DNA ploidy analysis demonstrated superior specificity and sensitivity in the triage of women with positive HPV test results, offering a more effective alternative for detecting high-grade lesions and cervical cancer. These findings support the potential of integrating DNA ploidy into current cervical cancer screening protocols to enhance triage effectiveness and reduce unnecessary colposcopy referrals.

Accurate determination of microsatellite instability (MSI) status is critical for tailoring treatment approaches for gastric cancer patients. Existing clinical techniques for MSI diagnosis are plagued by problems of suboptimal time efficiency, high cost, and burdensome experimental requirements. Here, we for the first time establish the classification model of gastric cancer MSI status based on Raman spectroscopy. To begin with, we reveal that tumor heterogeneity-induced signal variations pose a prominent impact on MSI classification. To eliminate this issue, we develop Euclidean distance-based Raman Spectroscopy (EDRS) algorithm, which establishes a standard spectrum to represent the "most microsatellite stable" status. The similarity between each spectrum of tissues with the standard spectrum is calculated to provide a direct assessment on the MSI status. Compared to machine learning-algorithms including k-Nearest Neighbors, Random Forest, and Extreme Learning Machine, the EDRS method shows the highest accuracy of 94.6 %. Finally, we integrate the EDRS method with the clinical diagnostic modality, computed tomography, to construct an innovative joint classification model with good classification performance (AUC = 0.914, Accuracy = 94.6 %). Our work demonstrates a robust, rapid, non-invasive, and convenient tool in identifying the MSI status, and opens new avenues for Raman techniques to fit into existing clinical workflow.

Background To assess the reliability of constrained undistorted single-shot diffusion-weighted imaging (FOCUS_DWI), multiplexed sensitivity-encoding_DWI (MUSE_DWI), single-shot echo planar imaging DWI (SS_DWI) and the combination of FOCUS and MUSE (FOCUS-MUSE_DWI) in primary rectal cancer by evaluating image quality and T staging performance. Methods Patients with primary rectal cancer underwent 3.0T MR scans with four DWI sequences. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured. T stage and subjective image quality were assessed. Statistical analyses included intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Fleiss Kappa test, Friedman test, Chi-square tes, Paired t-test, and Spearman correlation analysis. Results A total of 45 patients (mean age: 60.45 ± 9.79, 30 men) were evaluated. FOCUS-MUSE_DWI exhibited the highest CNR (6.43 ± 0.94 and 6.44 ± 0.90 for two readers, respectively), adequate SNR (49.81 ± 6.60 and 49.67 ± 6.09 for two readers, respectively) with the best ADC repeatability (mean absolute difference: 8.44). No significant T staging differences were observed among DWI sequences (p ≥ 0.908). FOCUS-MUSE_DWI achieved the highest total image quality score (median value: 16) compared with other three sequences (p ≤ 0.001). Good to excellent agreement observed in both interobserver and intraobserver assessments (kappa > 0.600). Conclusion FOCUS-MUSE_DWI demonstrated good reliability with commendable T staging performance, the best ADC repeatability, sufficient SNR, the best CNR among four DWI sequences and could be the recommended sequence for clinical evaluation.

Background: Deep learning has developed rapidly, and deep learning reconstruction (DLR) methods in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are gaining attention for their potential to improve efficacy in clinical work. The preoperative MRI assessment of rectal cancer is crucial for patient management, but the imaging quality is currently limited by a number of factors. DLR could be applied to the preoperative MRI assessment of primary rectal cancer, but research about its specific reliability is limited. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the reliability of DLR in the preoperative MRI examination of primary rectal cancer. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine from March 2022 to October 2022. Patients with primary rectal cancer underwent routine MRI scans on a 3.0T magnetic resonance scanner (SIGNA Architect, GE Healthcare, USA) with 32-channels flexible coil with conventional reconstruction (ConR) and DLR. The DLR method had three noise reduction levels: DLR-H: 75% noise reduction reconstruction; DLR-M: 50% noise reduction reconstruction; and DLR-L: 25% noise reduction reconstruction. Three components were evaluated: objective image quality; subjective image quality; and diagnostic performance. The objective image quality assessment included the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). The subjective image quality assessment involved evaluating five subjective image quality parameters based on a 4-point Likert scale. The diagnostic performance assessment included tumour (T) staging, node (N) staging, as well as the circumferential resection margin and extramural vascular invasion evaluation. The images were evaluated in a blinded manner by two radiologists with different levels of experience. The paired sample Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Kappa test, interclass correlation coefficient, Chi-square test, Friedman test, and weighted kappa coefficients were used for the statistical analysis. Results: In total, 61 patients (mean age: 65 +/- 12 years; 38 men) were enrolled in the study. The DLR method improved the SNR and CNR values of the images relative to the ConR method, while the DLR-H produced the greatest improvement (P<0.040). The subjective image quality of the DLR-H images was superior to that of the ConR images (P<0.001), but there was no significant difference between the DLR-H and DLR-M images (P >= 0.075). The evaluators showed good agreement in subjective scoring, and in the DLR image scoring, the evaluators have the best consistency in the DLR-H images scoring (kappa =0.921, P<0.001). The diagnostic efficacy of the DLR images was comparable to that of the ConR images in terms of T staging [Reader 1 (R1): P=0.603; Reader 2 (R2): P=0.206] and N staging (R1: P=0.990; R2: P=0.884). Conclusions: The DLR method improved the quality of the images, and had comparable diagnostic efficacy without additional scanning time to that of the ConR method, and thus could be a feasible option for replacing the ConR method in the preoperative MRI examination of primary rectal cancer.

Deep learning reconstruction (DLR) has exhibited potential in saving scan time. There is limited research on the evaluation of accelerated acquisition with DLR in staging rectal cancers. Our first objective was to explore the best DLR level in saving time through phantom experiments. Resolution and number of excitations (NEX) adjusted for different scan time, image quality of conventionally reconstructed T2W images were measured and compared with images reconstructed with different DLR level. The second objective was to explore the feasibility of accelerated T2W imaging with DLR in image quality and diagnostic performance for rectal cancer patients. 52 patients were prospectively enrolled to undergo accelerated acquisition reconstructed with highly-denoised DLR (DLR_H40sec) and conventional reconstruction (ConR2min). The image quality and diagnostic performance were evaluated by observers with varying experience and compared between protocols using κ statistics and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The phantom experiments demonstrated that DLR_H could achieve superior signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), detail conspicuity, sharpness, and less distortion within the least scan time. The DLR_H40sec images exhibited higher sharpness and SNR than ConR2min. The agreements with pathological TN-stages were improved using DLR_H40sec images compared to ConR2min (T: 0.846vs. 0.771, 0.825vs. 0.700, and 0.697vs. 0.512; N: 0.527vs. 0.521, 0.421vs. 0.348 and 0.517vs. 0.363 for junior, intermediate, and senior observes, respectively). Comparable AUCs to identify T3-4 and N1-2 tumors were achieved using DLR_H40sec and ConR2min images (P > 0.05). Consequently, with 2/3-time reduction, DLR_H40sec images showed improved image quality and comparable TN-staging performance to conventional T2W imaging for rectal cancer patients.

To evaluate the robustness of radiomics features among photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT) and dual-energy CT (DECT) systems. A texture phantom consisting of twenty-eight materials was scanned with one PCD-CT and four DECT systems (dual-source, rapid kV-switching, dual-layer, and sequential scanning) at three dose levels twice. Thirty sets of virtual monochromatic images at 70 keV were reconstructed. Regions of interest were delineated for each material with a rigid registration. Ninety-three radiomics were extracted per PyRadiomics. The test-retest repeatability between repeated scans was assessed by Bland-Altman analysis. The intra-system reproducibility between dose levels, and inter-system reproducibility within the same dose level, were evaluated by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Inter-system variability among five scanners was assessed by coefficient of variation (CV) and quartile coefficient of dispersion (QCD). The test–retest repeatability analysis presented that 97.1

Background: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) has some shortcomings in the risk stratification in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Myocardial strain/strain rate (SR) can be acquired from unenhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) images and detect cardiac dysfunction sensitively. The present study aimed to evaluate the additional prognostic values of myocardial strain/SR beyond LGE for the risk stratification in pa-tients with HCM.Methods: 293 patients with HCM who underwent CMR were enrolled in this prospective study. LGE/left ven-tricular (LV) mass, LV global strain, and SR were acquired based on CMR. Also, conventional clinical, echo-cardiography, and CMR parameters and established risk factors for HCM were evaluated.Results: 14/293 patients had major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) during the median follow-up of 15.0 months, including eight all-cause deaths, four resuscitated cardiac arrests and two cardiac transplantations. Peak systolic (PS)-global longitudinal SR (GLSR) was independently associated with MACEs (hazard ratio: 15.297, P < 0.001) after adjusting for conventional clinical characteristics, echocardiography, and CMR parameters. The model constructed by conventional variables plus PS-GLSR had significantly stronger predictive ability than the model constructed by conventional variables plus LGE/LV mass (C-statistic: 0.850 vs 0.708, P = 0.030). The addition of PS-GLSR to the conventional model also significantly improved the sensitivity (92.9% vs 71.4%) and specificity (71.0% vs 57.3%), and lowered false positives (81 patients vs 119 patients) compared to the addition of LGE/LV mass. Conclusion: LV PS-GLSR derived from CMR has the potential to be a novel biomarker for risk stratification of HCM and provide additional prognostic value over LGE/LV mass.

Developing a rapid and quantitative method to accurately evaluate the physiological abilities of living cells is critical for tumor control. Many experiments have been conducted in the field of biology in an attempt to measure the proliferation and movement abilities of cells, but existing methods cannot provide real-time and objective data for label-free cells. The quantitative imaging technique, including an automatic segmentation algorithm for individual label-free cells, has been a breakthrough in this regard. In this study, we develop a combined automatic image processing algorithm of CellPose and watershed segmentation for the long-term and real-time imaging of label-free cells. This method shows strong reliability in cell identification regardless of cell densities, allowing us to obtain accurate information about the number and proliferation ability of the target cells. Additionally, our results also suggest that this method is a reliable way to assess real-time data on drug cytotoxicity, cell morphology, and cell movement ability.

The prognosis analysis of gastric cancer is critical for selection of treatments and development of advanced therapeutic methods. A prognosis approach that is accurate, fast, convenient, and of low cost for gastric cancers is in high demand. Raman spectroscopy is a label-free and non-destructive technique to provide molecular fingerprints of biological samples, holding promises for cancer prognosis. However, the major challenge of gastric cancer prognosis lies in the widely existing tumor heterogeneity, which leads to unexpected spectral variations within one type of samples. In this work, we have developed the Euclidean distance (ED)-based Raman spectroscopy (EDRS) method for the prognosis analysis of gastric cancer to eliminate the influence of tumor heterogeneity. Raman spectra were first collected on the slices of paraffin-preserved tumor tissues from gastric cancer patients. A standard spectrum to represent the ‘worst prognostic tumor cells’ was then established. The similarity between each spectrum of tissues and the standard spectrum was assessed by ED, to provide a direct assessment on the prognosis status. We have successfully classified the patients into poor and favorable prognosis groups, either based on the averaged regional ED values (sensitivity of 75 %, specificity of 96.8 %), or based on the minimal ED values at the patient level (sensitivity of 90 %, specificity of 100 %). EDRS was also investigated for survival analysis (AUC = 0.955), much better than the commonly applied post-neoadjuvant therapy (ypTNM) category (AUC = 0.718). Our work highlights EDRS as a rapid, accurate, low-cost and robust tool for heterogeneous cancer-related prognosis assessment and survival prediction, providing new insights for spectroscopic tumor analysis.

Objectives: To prolong the survival, the value of a computed tomography-based radiomic score (RS) in stratifying survival and guiding personalized chemotherapy strategies in far-advanced gastric cancer (FGC) was investigated. Materials and Methods: This retrospective multicenter study enrolled 283 FGC patients (cT4a/bNxM0-1) from three centers. Patients from one center were randomly divided into the training (n = 166) and internal validation (n = 83) cohorts, whereas the external validation cohort (n = 34) consisted of patients from the two other centers. The RS was calculated for each patient to predict progression-free survival (PFS). Features from the primary tumor and main metastasis (peritoneum, liver, and lymph node) were integrated in the training cohort and then validated for its ability to stratify PFS and overall survival (OS) in the validation cohort. The association between the RS and efficacy of neoadjuvant intraperitoneal and systemic (NIPS) therapy was also explored. Results: The RS demonstrated a favorable prognostic ability to predict PFS in all cohorts (training: C-index 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.788-0.872; internal validation: C-index 0.75, 95% CI: 0.682-0.818; external validation: C-index 0.76, 95% CI: 0.669-0.851; all p < 0.05), as well as an excellent ability to stratify the PFS and OS in both the whole population and metastatic subgroups (p < 0.05). Patients with a low score were more likely to undergo surgery after perioperative chemotherapy ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, only high-scoring patients with peritoneal metastasis benefited from NIPS. Conclusion: The RS may be an effective risk stratifier for the outcomes of FGC patients and may be used to select patients who can benefit from NIPS therapy.

The crosstalk between tumor cells and macrophages under hypoxic conditions has been acknowledged as a pivotal determinant in the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Previous research has underscored the significance of exosomes derived from hypoxic tumor cells in facilitating tumor progression through inducing the polarization of macrophages towards the M2-like phenotype. The precise influence of hypoxic macrophage-derived exosomes (HMDEs) on the progression of CRC has not yet been fully elucidated. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of HMDEs in the progression of CRC. We discovered that there was an elevated release of exosomes derived from macrophages in hypoxic conditions. Additionally, the hypoxia-induced macrophage-derived exosomes played a crucial role in promoting the progression of CRC. We have also demonstrated that HMDEs have the ability to induce cell cycle transition and inhibit cell apoptosis, thereby promoting the growth of CRC cells. Furthermore, the underlying molecular mechanisms of these effects have been identified. The overexpression of Hif-1α results in its direct interaction with distinct regions (-521− -516 bp and -401− -391 bp) of the Hsp90 promoter during hypoxic circumstances. This binding event led to the overexpression of Hsp90 and the subsequent elevation of Hsp90 protein levels within HMDEs. Importantly, the crucial interaction between Hsp90 and Lats1 resulted in the deactivation of Lats1 and the inhibition of Yap phosphorylation. Ultimately, this series of events lead to the deactivation of the Hippo signaling pathway. Our in vivo and in vitro studies presented compelling evidence for the crucial role of hypoxic macrophage-derived exosomal Hsp90 in promoting CRC progression through the inhibition of the Hippo signaling pathway. These findings represented a significant advancement in our comprehension of the complex interplay between macrophages and CRC cells under hypoxic conditions.

Objective:To observe the efficacy and safety of single-port laparoscopy for giant ovariotubal cysts.Methods:38 patients with giant ovarian and fallopian tube cysts in Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University Hospital from January 2018 to June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into transumbilical single-port laparoscopy group (18 cases) and traditional laparoscopy group (20 cases). The perioperative related indexes such as operation time, intraoperative bleeding and the number of analgesic cases were compared between the two groups.Results:All 38 patients successfully completed the operation without conversion to laparotomy, and no auxiliary hole was added in the single-port laparoscopy group; There were no postoperative complications and no cystic fluid leakage. In the single-port laparoscopy group, 18 patients were satisfied with the concealment of umbilical scar. There was no statistically significant difference in operation time [(51.67±13.72)min vs (55.50±14.59)min], intraoperative blood loss [(52.22±24.38)ml vs (61.50±28.88)ml] and first postoperative anal exhaust time [(25.77±8.59)h vs (27.60±6.67)h] between single-port laparoscopy group and traditional laparoscopy group (all P>0.05); The number of cases requiring postoperative analgesia in the single-port laparoscopy group (2 cases vs 12 cases) was less than that in the traditional laparoscopy group ( P<0.05); The out of bed activity time [(20.95±3.65)h vs (26.95±5.43)h] and postoperative discharge time [(3.11±0.68)h vs (4.30±1.21)h] were shorter than those in the traditional laparoscopy group (all P<0.05). All 38 patients were followed up in the gynecological clinic for 6-24 months. The incision healed well without recurrence. Conclusions:Transumbilical single-port laparoscopic surgery for giant ovarian and fallopian tube cysts is reliable and safe when the possibility of malignant ovarian and fallopian tube tumors was excluded before operation.

目的 探索基于扩散峰度成像(DKI)扫描参数的推算序列代替常规扩散加权成像(DWI)序列扫描的应用价值.方法 回顾性分析2019年11月至2020年10月瑞金医院确诊的直肠癌患者62例,其手术前2周内均行MR扫描,将DKI图像经后处理推算出b=1000 s/mm2扩散图像,两名医师分别对推算序列与常规DWI序列的b=1000s/mm2的图像进行比较.结果 DKI推算序列的主观图像质量、信噪比(SNR)、对比噪声比(CNR)及信号强度比(SIR)均优于常规DWI序列(P ＜0.050).两者术前T分期的准确率分别为91.94％ (57/62)、74.19％(46/62),差异有统计学意义(P ＜0.050);N分期的准确率分别为70.97％ (44/62)、66.13％ (41/62),差异无统计学意义(P ＞0.050).结论 DKI推算序列具有代替常规DWI序列、减少扫描时间、优化扫描流程及T分期诊断效能的潜在应用价值.

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to evaluate the computed diffusion-weighted images (DWI) in image quality and diagnostic performance of rectal cancer by comparing with the acquired DWI.MethodsA total of 103 consecutive patients with primary rectal cancer were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent two DWI sequences, namely, conventional acquisition with b = 0 and 1,000 s/mm2 (aDWIb1,000) and another with b = 0 and 700 s/mm2 on a 3.0T MR scanner (MAGNETOM Prisma; Siemens Healthcare, Germany). The images (b = 0 and 700 s/mm2) were used to compute the diffusion images with b value of 1,000 s/mm2 (cDWIb1,000). Qualitative and quantitative analysis of both computed and acquired DWI images was performed, namely, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and signal intensity ratio (SIR), and also diagnostic staging performance. Interclass correlation coefficients, weighted κ coefficient, Friedman test, Wilcoxon paired test, and McNemar or Fisher test were used for repeatability and comparison assessment.ResultsCompared with the aDWIb1,000 images, the cDWIb1,000 ones exhibited significant higher scores of subjective image quality (all P <0.050). SNR, SIR, and CNR of the cDWIb1,000 images were superior to those of the aDWIb1,000 ones (P <0.001). The overall diagnostic accuracy of computed images was higher than that of the aDWIb1,000 images in T stage (P <0.001), with markedly better sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing T1–2 tumors from the T3–4 ones (P <0.050).ConclusioncDWIb1,000 images from lower b values might be a useful alternative option and comparable to the acquired DWI, providing better image quality and diagnostic performance in preoperative rectal cancer staging.

BACKGROUND:To assess the value of characteristic computed tomography (CT) findings in predicting the survival of patients with pulmonary B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). METHODS:Eighty-four patients who were histopathologically confirmed with pulmonary B-cell NHL between 2004 and 2018 were retrospectively enrolled. All patients underwent chest CT scan at the time of initial diagnosis in our hospital. Characteristic CT findings and clinicopathological features of the patients were analyzed, and Cox regression models were used to determine the relationship of CT findings with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS:Air bronchogram occurred more frequently in patients with early-stage disease, primary pulmonary lymphoma (PPL) and the indolent histological type of lymphoma than in patients with advanced-stage disease, secondary pulmonary lymphoma (SPL), and the aggressive histological type (all P<0.05). The halo sign was observed most in the SPL group (19/48, 40%; P=0.004), while the presence of cross-lobe sign was higher in patients with PPL (13/36, 36%; P=0.010). Pleural involvement and hilar/mediastinal lymphadenopathy were observed more in patients with SPL and the aggressive histological type (33/48 and 27/48; 31/46 and 26/46, respectively; all P<0.05). Survival analyses showed that the number of lung lesions, cross-lobe sign, and pleural involvement were independent prognostic factors for PFS, while the halo sign and pleural involvement were significantly correlated with OS (all P<0.05). More aggressive, advanced-stage cases and male patients showed worse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS:The halo sign and pleural involvement are independent prognostic factors for OS, while the number of lung lesions, cross-lobe sign, and pleural involvement are correlated with PFS.

Background: MRI native T1 mapping and extracellular volume fraction (ECV) are quantitative values that could reflect various myocardial tissue characterization. The role of these parameters in predicting the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is still poorly understood. Aim: This study aims to investigate the ability of native T1 mapping and ECV values to predict major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in HCM, and its incremental values over the 2014 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and enhanced American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines. Methods: Between July 2016 and October 2020, HCM patients and healthy individuals with sex and age matched who underwent cardiac MRI were prospectively enrolled. The native T1 and ECV parameters were measured. The SCD risk was evaluated by the 2014 ESC guidelines and enhanced ACC/AHA guidelines. MACE included cardiac death, transplantation, heart failure admission, and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator implantation. Results: A total of 203 HCM patients (54.2 ± 14.9 years) and 101 healthy individuals (53.2 ± 14.7 years) were evaluated. During a median follow-up of 15 months, 25 patients (12.3%) had MACE. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, global native T1 mapping (hazard ratio (HR): 1.446; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.195–1.749; P < 0.001) and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) (HR: 4.949; 95% CI, 2.033–12.047; P < 0.001) were independently associated with MACE. Ten of 86 patients (11.6%) with low SCD risk assessed by the two guidelines had MACE. In this subgroup of patients, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that global native T1 mapping was independently associated with MACE (HR: 1.532; 95% CI: 1.221–1.922; P < 0.001). In 85 patients with conflicting results assessed by the two guidelines, end-stage systolic dysfunction was independently associated with MACE (HR: 7.942, 95% CI: 1.322–47.707, P = 0.023). In 32 patients with high SCD risk assessed by the two guidelines, NSVT was independently associated with MACE (HR: 9.779, 95% CI: 1.953–48.964, P = 0.006). Conclusion: The global native T1 mapping could provide incremental values and serve as potential supplements to the current guidelines in the prediction of MACE.

Background: Obesity has become an epidemic in China with its increased prevalence, especially in the male population. Disparities in fat distribution rather than increasing body mass index (BMI) confer the risk of different diseases, including cardiac abnormalities. Therefore, early detection of cardiac abnormalities is important for treatment to reverse the progression to heart failure. Nowadays, strain analysis based on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has been established to assess myocardial function in diverse cardiac diseases. We aimed to assess the relationship between fat distribution and subclinical diastolic dysfunction in obese Chinese men assessed by deformation registration algorithm (DRA)-based myocardial strain rate (SR) analysis. Methods: A total of 115 male participants with different BMI underwent CMR scanning using a 1.5T MAGNETOM Aera (Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany) and computed tomography (CT) scan. All the participants were enrolled from September 2017 to April 2018. They were dassified into 3 groups according to their BMIs with 23 and 27.5 kg/m(2) being the cutoff values. A Trufi-Strain prototype software (version 2.0, Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany) was used to quantify SR in both early and late diastole from CMR cine images. Ratios of early and late SRs were calculated. Areas of epicardial and pericardial adipose tissue (EAT and PAT) were measured on a single 4-chamber-view slice of cine images. Volumes of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT and SAT) were acquired semi-automatically from CT images using the dedicated software Cardiac Risk2 .0 (Siemens Healthcare). Waist and hip circumferences were manually measured (WC and HC). Analysis of variance or nonparametric tests, along with correlation and stepwise multivariate regression analysis models, was applied for statistical analysis. Results: Peak late diastolic SRs were higher in obese men compared with their lean counterparts [-36.25 +/- 10.46 vs. -29.46 +/- 8.17, 66.97 +/- 18.58 vs. 45.62 (42.44, 55.96), and 56.81 +/- 15.07 vs. 41.40 +/- 6.41 for radial, circumferential, and longitudinal SRs, respectively; P<0.05]. All SR ratios in the obese subgroups were lower than those of lean men (3.12 +/- 1.14 vs. 4.63 +/- 1.24, 2.12 +/- 0.58 vs. 2.96 +/- 0.62 and 1.63 +/- 0.50 vs. 2.20 +/- 0.63 for radial, circumferential, and longitudinal directions, respectively; P<0.05). EAT was a significant predictor of diastolic function assessed by radial and circumferential SR ratios (beta=-0.439 and -0.337 respectively; all P<0.001), while VAT was a significant predictor of circumferential and longitudinal SR ratios (beta=-0.216 and -0.355, respectively, P<0.05). Conclusions: Decreased LV diastolic function assessed by DRA-based SR analysis in obesity is associated with fat distribution. Furthermore, EAT and VAT might be better predictors of a decrease of diastolic function in obese Chinese men than BMI.

Purpose The left internal mammary artery (LIMA) is the preferred graft for coronary artery bypass grafting, but the reasoning for LIMA occlusion is unclear. We sought to examine whether the wall shear stress (WSS) values of LIMA grafts during the perioperative period reflected the 1-year patency by using combining computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) images. Methods CCTA was performed in 233 patients with LIMA graft perioperatively and 1 year later from October 2014 to May 2017. LIMA occlusion was detected in six patients at the 1-year follow-up CCTA. Two patients were excluded due to poor imaging quality. The remaining four patients were enrolled as occlusive (OCC) group, and eight patients with patent LIMA were recruited as patent (PAT) group. The WSS values of LIMA during perioperative period were calculated. LIMA graft was artificially divided into three even segments, proximal (pLIMA), middle (mLIMA) and distal (dLIMA) segments. The independent samples t -test and the Student-Newman-Keuls test were used. Results The WSS values of dLIMA were significantly higher in the PAT group than in the OCC group (4.43 vs. 2.56, p <0.05). The WSS values of dLIMA in the PAT group were significantly higher than pLIMA, which was absent in the OCC group. Conclusions A higher WSS value of the distal segment of LIMA and a higher WSS value of the distal segment compared with the proximal segment of LIMA in the PAT were observed; this tendency might be helpful in predicting the 1-year patency of LIMA.

Objective To investigate the clinical effects of uterine artery embolisation in combination of dilation and curettage (D&C) to the patients with cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP). Methods Data about the treatment of trichosanthin injection to 42 patients with CSP during the period of July 2011 to January 2018 from Ruijin Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine were collected and retrospective analysis of their clinical treatment was made. All the patients were divided into two groups. Women in the research group (n=22) underwent uterine artery embolisation in combination of dilation and curettage with ultrasonic. Women in the control group (n=20) underwent dilation and curettage with ultrasonic. The effect of uterine artery embolization in the treatment of CSP was studied. Results There was no difference in success rate between the research group [95.45% （21/22）] and control group [95.00% （19/20）] (P>0.05）. The volume of blood loss during operation [(59.09±101.95) mL], the duration of hospital stay [(6.86±1.28) d] and time for β-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) recovery [(17.54±3.75) d] in the research group were significantly smaller than those in the control group [(212.00±432.54) mL, (9.35±1.98) d, (21.75±4.50) d] (P<0.001, P<0.001, P=0.002 1). Conclusion It is proved that treatment for uterine artery embolisation in combination of control with ultrasonic to the patients with CSP is safe and effective. Key words: Cesarean section; Scarred uterus; Cesarean scar pregnancy; Uterine artery embolisation

To quantify epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in Chinese adults with impaired glucose regulation (IGR) or diabetes and compare the contributions of EAT and VAT to the occurrence of IGR and diabetes with those of traditional obesity indices. Cardiac and abdominopelvic noncontrast computed tomographic images of 668 individuals were used to measure EAT and VAT volume. Multivariable logistic regression and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to illustrate the contributions of these tissues. Patients with IGR or diabetes had larger EAT and VAT volumes than did the controls, and the VAT volume was significantly different between the IGR and diabetic groups. In multivariable models, higher EAT or VAT volume was positively associated with the presence of IGR and diabetes. After adjusting further for body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), a higher EAT volume was still positively associated with IGR (odds ratio (OR) = 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04–2.03), and a higher VAT volume was positively associated with IGR (OR = 1.86; 95% CI, 1.15–3.02) and diabetes (OR = 1.86; 95% CI, 1.16–2.99). The areas under the curve (AUCs) of the association of EAT (AUC = 0.751; 95% CI, 0.712–0.789) and VAT (AUC = 0.752; 95% CI, 0.713–0.792) with dysglycemia (IGR + diabetes) were significantly larger than those of the traditional obesity indices (all P < 0.05). High EAT or VAT volume is positively associated with IGR and diabetes in Chinese adults. With a given WHR and BMI, such an association still exists to some extent. The correlation may be stronger than those of the traditional obesity indices.