Functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) has been widely applied in many fields,such as neurology,psychology,etc.Recently it has also been used to study the visceral hypersensitivity of the gut.This review gives an overview of the basic principle of fMRI and its application in the visceral sensitivity of esophagus and rectum.

Objective To explore the relation between the enlargement of orbital volume and the degree of enophthalmos, and that between the enlarged volume of floor together with that of medial wall and the degree of enophthalmos. Methods A total of 17 patients of unilarteral orbital fracture were scanned by MSCT (slice width 0.625mm), who suffered late enophthalmos as a results of combination fracture of the medial wall and floor. The clinical data were collected, and input into a software named MIMICS in order to measure orbital volume, the degree of enophthalmos, the enlarged volume of medial wall, and that of orbital floor. Simple linear correlation and regression were carried out between the enlargement of orbital volume and the degree of enophthalmos. Mutiple linear correlation and regression were carried out between the enlarging volume of floor together with that of medial wall and the degree of enophthalmos. Results The equation of the enlargement of orbital volume (V) and the degree of enophthalmos (E) was E= 0.851 V-0.197 (Pearson r=0.969, P＜0.01, the 95% confidence intervals of 0.732-0.970). The standardized equation between the enlarged volume of floor together with that of medial wall and the degree of enophthalmos was E= 0.690 VF+0.413 VM-0. 086 (setpwise, entry =0.5, removal= 0. 11,P＜0.01 ); Comparing the standardized coefficients of independent variables, the outcome was bF (0.690) ＞ bM(0.413). Conclusion Significant linear correlation between the increment of the orbital volume and the degree of enophthalmos is found that 1.0 ml enlargeement in bony volume causes approximately 0.9 mm of enophthalmos; enlarged volume of floor has more powerful influence on the degree of enophthalmos than enlarged volume of medial wall, the former is 1.56 times of the latter.

BACKGROUND:Stem celltumorigenicity is a practical issue concerning stability in the clinical application of stem cells. Therefore, it is particularly important to clear whether stem cells have tumorigenic ability or not. Nude mice occupy an increasingly important position in oncology, immunology, and safety evaluation of drugs and biological products.
OBJECTIVE:To observe the tumorigenicity of neural stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells in Balb/c nude immunodeficient mice.
METHODS:Balb/c nude mice were randomly divided into control group, negative group, positive group, neural stem cellgroup and mesenchymal stem cellgroup. HepG-2 cells, RPE cells, passage 4 neural stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells were injected subcutaneously into nude mice from different groups, respectively. After 12 weeks of injection, anatomical observation was performed to detect the tumor formation in the transplantation site. Meanwhile, soft agar colony formation assay was applied to investigate neural stem celland mesenchymal stem cellclone in vitro.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After 12 weeks of injection, the tumorigenicity study results showed that no tumor developed in the transplantation site in the control group, negative group, neural stem cellgroup and mesenchymal stem cellgroup. Histopathologic examinations also showed no abnormality in these groups. Soft agar colony formation assay showed in soft agar resistance medium, neural stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells did not exhibit clone ability. These findings indicate that neural stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells undergoing short-term passages have no tumorigenic growth.

Purpose Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is lack of objective imaging marker.This study evaluates characteristics of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and gray matter atrophy in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) by using 3D arterial spin labeling (3D ASL) and thin slice 3D T1 weighted images of voxel-based method (VBM).Materials and Methods Sixteen mild AD patients (mild AD group) and sixteen normal control subjects (control group) were recruited.3D ASL and T1WI SPGR sequences were performed.By using voxel-based method,the whole brain CBF and T1WI images were analyzed.CBF and volume of gray matter were compared between two groups,and correlation analysis was done.Results Compared with control group,CBF hypoperfusion was detected in bilateral precuneus,cunei,middle temporal cortex,superior temporalcortex,left parahippocampal gyrus,left superior temporal pole and right superioroccipital gyrus in mild AD group (t=3.84,Pcorrected＜0.05).Compared with control group,gray matter atrophy was found in bilateral hippocampi,amygdalae,superior temporal pole,left parahippocampal gyrus,left inferior temporal cortex in mild AD group (t=4.12,Pcorrected＜0.05).There was a correlation in left parahippocampal gyrus and left upper pole of the temporal between changes of CBF and volume of gray matter in mild AD patients (r=0.50,P＜0.05).Conclusion Voxel-based VBM and ASL can evaluate AD patients' cerebral atrophy and CBF change in early stage,and there is a correlation between changes of CBF and gray matter atrophy in some overlap areas.

3T3-L1 adipocytes were cultured with various concentrations of high-density lipoprotein ( HDL, 0, 10, 50, and 100 μg/ml ) for 16 h and with lipopolysaccharide ( LPS, 100 ng/ml ) for another 6 h. Interleukin-8 in the medium was determined by ELISA, and PPAR-γ mRNA expression by reverse transacription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Interleukin-8 levels were increased in LPS-treated cells ( P＜0.05 ), but decreased in HDL-treated cells in the dose-dependent manner. PPARγ mRNA expressions were increased in HDL-treated groups than those treated only with LPS. These results suggested HDL may decrease interleukin-8 secretion via up-regulating PPARγ expression in adipocytes.

Objectives To evaluate the prognostic value of the coronary artery calcium (CAC) score in patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods A total of 334 consecutive patients with SAP who underwent first PCI following multi-slice computer tomography (MSCT) were enrolled from our institution between January 2007 and June 2012. The CAC score was calculated according to the standard Agatston calcium scoring algorithm. Complex PCI was defined as use of high pressure bal-loon, kissing balloon and/or rotablator. Procedure-related complications included dissection, occlusion, perforation, no/slow flow and emer-gency coronary artery bypass grafting. Main adverse cardiac events (MACE) were defined as a combined end point of death, non-fatal myo-cardial infarction, target lesion revascularization and rehospitalization for cardiac ischemic events. Results Patients with a CAC score>300 (n=145) had significantly higher PCI complexity (13.1%vs. 5.8%, P=0.017) and rate of procedure-related complications (17.2%vs. 7.4%, P=0.005) than patients with a CAC score≤300 (n=189). After a median follow-up of 22.5 months (4-72 months), patients with a CAC score≤300 differ greatly than those patients with CAC score>300 in cumulative non-events survival rates (88.9 vs. 79.0%, Log rank 4.577, P=0.032). After adjusted for other factors, the risk of MACE was significantly higher [hazard ratio (HR):4.3, 95%confidence inter-val (95%CI):2.4-8.2, P=0.038] in patients with a CAC score>300 compared to patients with a lower CAC score. Conclusions The CAC score is an independent predictor for MACE in SAP patients who underwent PCI and indicates complexity of PCI and proce-dure-related complications.

Objective:To evaluate the practical value of ultrasound, ultrasound new technologies (ultrasound elastography, contrast enhanced ultrasound) and computed tomography (CT) examination alone or the combination of both of the four in the clinical diagnosis of lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer by meta-analysis system.Methods:This study screened relevant literature on ultrasound, new ultrasound technologies, and CT in the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer by searching Chinese and English databases from January 2006 to August 2023. Two scholars independently assessed the quality of the literatures and scored them using the QUADAS scale. Then, the diagnostic ratio of single and combined examinations was analyzed by Meta-Disc software, and the heterogeneity test and meta-analysis were performed to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic ratio, accuracy, and area under curve (AUC). Finally, the diagnostic efficacies of different diagnostic techniques and their combination in identifying lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer were assessed by calculating OR and P values by two-by-two comparisons. Results:Sixty-nine diagnostic studies totaling 30, 666 lesions were finally included. The meta-analysis study showed that contrast enhanced ultrasound had the highest sensitivity[0.83(0.77-0.87)], ultrasound specificity was the highest [0.84(0.79-0.88)], the highest AUC was for contrast enhanced ultrasound (0.90), and contrast enhanced ultrasound and ultrasound elastography had high accuracies (0.81, 0.80, respectively) both of them were higher than those of ultrasound (0.77) and CT (0.69). Contrast enhanced ultrasound and ultrasound elastography were both more sensitive than CT, with statistically significant differences between them ( P<0.01); contrast enhanced ultrasound + ultrasound elastography had the highest accuracy, while ultrasound + contrast enhanced ultrasound and contrast enhanced ultrasound + ultrasound elastography were both more sensitive, with no statistically significant differences between them ( P>0.05), but the latter had the highest specificity [0.90(0.88-0.92)], which were statistically significantly different from each other ( P<0.05), ultrasound+ contrast enhanced ultrasound and contrast enhanced ultrasound+ ultrasound elastography had higher sensitivities than ultrasound+ CT, which were statistically different from each other ( P<0.05), and ultrasound+ CT had the lowest specificity [0.76(0.70-0.81)]. Conclusions:The diagnostic efficacy of thyroid cancer lymph node metastasis is highest with contrast enhanced ultrasound. The new ultrasound technique for diagnosing thyroid cancer lymph node metastasis has a higher diagnostic value than CT, and it can be used as a complementary examination to conventional ultrasound.When the two techniques are used in combination, contrast enhanced ultrasound + ultrasound elastography has the highest accuracy, contrast enhanced ultrasound + ultrasound elastography and ultrasound + contrast enhanced ultrasound both have high sensitivity and specificity, and the diagnostic performance of both is higher than that of ultrasound + ultrasound elastography and ultrasound + CT, and in actual clinical practice when ultrasound elastography combined with contrast enhanced ultrasound is limited in the examination, ultrasound combined with contrast enhanced ultrasound can effectively serve as an alternative means to provide a good diagnostic support.

Background::Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and diameter, stiffness, and wave reflections, are independent and important clinical biomarkers and risk predictors for cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the present study was to establish nationwide reference values of carotid properties for healthy Chinese adults and to explore potential clinical determinants.Methods::A total of 3053 healthy Han Chinese adults (1922 women) aged 18-79 years were enrolled at 28 collaborating tertiary centers throughout China between April 2021 and July 2022. The real-time tracking of common carotid artery walls was achieved by the radio frequency (RF) ultrasound system. The IMT, diameter, compliance coefficient, β stiffness, local pulse wave velocity (PWV), local systolic blood pressure, augmented pressure (AP), and augmentation index (AIx) were then automatically measured and reported. Data were stratified by age groups and sex. The relationships between age and carotid property parameters were analyzed by Jonckheere-Terpstra test and simple linear regressions. The major clinical determinants of carotid properties were identified by Pearson’s correlation, multiple linear regression, and analyses of covariance.Results::All the parameters of carotid properties demonstrated significantly age-related trajectories. Women showed thinner IMT, smaller carotid diameter, larger AP, and AIx than men. The β stiffness and PWV were significantly higher in men than women before forties, but the differences reversed after that. The increase rate of carotid IMT (5.5 μm/year in women and 5.8 μm/year in men) and diameter (0.03 mm/year in both men and women) were similar between men and women. For the stiffness and wave reflections, women showed significantly larger age-related variations than men as demonstrated by steeper regression slopes (all P for age by sex interaction <0.05). The blood pressures, body mass index (BMI), and triglyceride levels were identified as major clinical determinants of carotid properties with adjustment of age and sex. Conclusions::The age- and sex-specific reference values of carotid properties measured by RF ultrasound for healthy Chinese adults were established. The blood pressures, BMI, and triglyceride levels should be considered for clinical application of corresponding reference values.