Objective:To design and develop a cone-beam CT imaging system for small animals with continuously adjustable spatial resolution.Methods:The imaging system used an X-ray source with a focal spot size of 30 μm and a flat panel detector with a pixel size of 100 μm. On this premise, a " stepping-focusing-rotating" image acquisition mode was proposed, in which the " focusing" and " stepping" systems were sequentially embedded in the " rotating" system. In this acquisition mode, the X-ray source and flat panel detector were relatively stationary to form the " focusing" system. When the " stepping" system accurately transported the object to the scanning position, the " focusing" system could achieve adjustable spatial resolution by making linear motion around the object to be scanned according to different experimental requirements. Finally the " rotating" system achieve high-quality imaging.Results:The variable spatial resolution of small animal CBCT ranges from 35.7 μm to 71.4 μm, and the FOV ranges from 39.6 mm to 108.0 mm. The conversion time for the limit spatial resolution is 19.125 s, which allowed accurate 3D reconstruction of normal mice at different resolutions with high reproducibility.Conclusions:A cone-beam CT suitable for small animals has been developed, whose spatial resolution and FOV can be adjusted arbitrarily within a certain range, which can meet the different imaging requirements in rodent experiments.

Objective:To design and develop a cone-beam CT imaging system for small animals with continuously adjustable spatial resolution.Methods:The imaging system used an X-ray source with a focal spot size of 30 μm and a flat panel detector with a pixel size of 100 μm. On this premise, a " stepping-focusing-rotating" image acquisition mode was proposed, in which the " focusing" and " stepping" systems were sequentially embedded in the " rotating" system. In this acquisition mode, the X-ray source and flat panel detector were relatively stationary to form the " focusing" system. When the " stepping" system accurately transported the object to the scanning position, the " focusing" system could achieve adjustable spatial resolution by making linear motion around the object to be scanned according to different experimental requirements. Finally the " rotating" system achieve high-quality imaging.Results:The variable spatial resolution of small animal CBCT ranges from 35.7 μm to 71.4 μm, and the FOV ranges from 39.6 mm to 108.0 mm. The conversion time for the limit spatial resolution is 19.125 s, which allowed accurate 3D reconstruction of normal mice at different resolutions with high reproducibility.Conclusions:A cone-beam CT suitable for small animals has been developed, whose spatial resolution and FOV can be adjusted arbitrarily within a certain range, which can meet the different imaging requirements in rodent experiments.

Objective To compare the efficacy of endovascular interventional treatment and surgical clipping in posterior communicating artery aneurysm (PCoAA) patients with fetal-type posterior cerebral artery (fPCA).Methods The PCoAA patients with fPCA were enrolled.Their baseline clinical data were collected.The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was used to assess the clinical outcomes at six months after procedure.The mRS score 0-2 was defined as good outcome.Results A total of 35 PCoAA patients with fPCA were enrolled into the study,23 were treated with interventional embolization therapy and 12 were treated with craniotomy clipping.There were no significant differences in age,gender,preoperative Fisher grade,Hunt-Hess grade,baseline GCS scores,and aneurysm typing between the 2 groups.The good outcome rate of the interventional embolization group at 6 months was higher than that of the surgical clipping group,but there was no significant difference (65.22％ vs.41.67％;P =0.282).Results The efficacy of PCoAA using interventional embolization therapy combined fPCA is almost the same as craniotomy clipping.

BACKGROUND:There are a lot of reports about the association between estrogen receptor α polymorphism and osteoarthritis susceptibility, but the results are stil some controversial. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the relationship between the estrogen receptor α gene PvuII, XbaI site polymorphisms and genetic susceptibility of osteoarthritis. METHODS: A computer-based search of PubMed, web of science, Wanfang, CNKI, Weipu and China Biology Medicine Disc was performed for the published case-control studies addressing the association between estrogen receptor α gene PvuII, XbaI site polymorphism and osteoarthritis susceptibility. Odds radio (OR) and 95% confidence interval were used to analyze the correlation between estrogen receptor α gene PvuII, XbaI site polymorphism and osteoarthritis. Fixed or random effect models were selected for pooledOR calculation. Publication bias was assessed. Al statistical analysis was constructed with Revman5.1 software. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Nine case-control studies including 3 228 cases of osteoarthritis and 6 327 healthy controls were included. Overal, the pooledOR values of PvuII loci aleles and genotypes (Cvs. T; CTvs. TT; CCvs. TT; CT+CCvs. TT; CCvs. CT+TT) were less than 1; the pooled OR values of Asian which grouped by region were greater than 1 (except CTvs. TT); the pooledOR values of Europe and the Americas were less than 1. The pooledOR values of XbaI loci aleles and genotypes (Gvs.A; GAvs. AA; GGvs. AA; GA+GGvs. AA; GGvs. GA+AA) were less than 1; the pooledOR values of Asian which grouped by region were less than 1; the pooledOR value of Europe and the Americas were less than 1 (except GGvs.GA+AA). Estrogen receptor α gene PvuII, XbaI site polymorphism is not associated with osteoarthritis susceptibility. However, the susceptibility of PvuII loci in the Asian is a little higher compared with that of the Europeans and American population. On the contrary, the susceptibility of XbaI loci in the recessive genetic model of Europeans and American population is a little higher compared with that of the Asian, suggesting a possible role of ethnic differences in genetic backgrounds.

Objective To analyze the clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with occult breast cancer ( OBC) , as well as to explore the best treatment .Methods The clinical data of 72 patients with OBC confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed , while 320 cases with other kind of breast cancer were the control group .Results Axillary mass was the first sign of the 72 patients with OBC.The diagnosis rate of MRI was higher than mammary graphy ( 71.4% vs 53.5%) .The difference had statistical significance (χ2 =11.876, P=0.001) .The characteristics of OBC with axillary lymph node metastasis was mainly moderately or low differenti -ated, usually with diffuse infiltrative cancer cells , flaky, like large Apocrine cells.Compared with the control group, the positive rate of CK7, CK20 and TTF-1 had no statistical differences (χ2 =0.058, P=0.810).The posi-tive rate of ER and PR was 46.7% and 36.7%, lower than the control group (χ2 =4.535, P=0.033).Clinical stage, operating method and the number of lymph node metastasis may be the independent factors influencing prog -nosis.Conclusions Axillary mass is the first symptom of OBC .To combine MRI with immunohistochemistry is helpful in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of the disease .The positive rate of ER and PR for OBC patients is low.Modified radical mastectomy combined with adjuvant therapy may be the better choice .