Transcatheter arterial embolization(TAE)is the mainstay for treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),and the performance of the embolization material is crucial in TAE.With the development of medical imaging and the birth of"X-ray-free"technologies,we designed a new dual-mode imaging material of dimethoxy tetraphenyl ethylene(DMTPE)via emulsification by mixing poly(N-iso-propylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid)(PNA)with lipiodol and fluorocarbons,which was evaluated for temperature sensitivity,stability,and dual-mode visualization in vitro.Additionally,blood vessel casting embolization and renal artery imaging were assessed in healthy rabbits.In a rabbit model with a VX2 tumor,the effectiveness of TAE for treating HCC was examined,with an emphasis on evaluating long-term outcomes of embolization and its effects on tumor growth,necrosis,and proliferation through imaging techniques.In vitro experiments confirmed that the temperature-sensitive dual-oil-phase Pickering emulsion had good flow,stable contrast,and embolism when the oil-to-oil ratio and water-to-oil ratio were both 7∶3(v/v)and stabilized with 8％PNA.Similarly,in vivo,arterial embolization confirmed the excellent properties of DMTPE prepared at the abovementioned ratios.It was observed that DMTPE not only has an antitumor effect but can also achieve dual imaging using X-rays and ultrasound,making it a promising excellent vascular embolization material for TAE in tumor treatment.

Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) is the mainstay for treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the performance of the embolization material is crucial in TAE. With the development of medical imaging and the birth of "X-ray-free" technologies, we designed a new dual-mode imaging material of dimethoxy tetraphenyl ethylene (DMTPE) via emulsification by mixing poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (PNA) with lipiodol and fluorocarbons, which was evaluated for temperature sensitivity, stability, and dual-mode visualization in vitro. Additionally, blood vessel casting embolization and renal artery imaging were assessed in healthy rabbits. In a rabbit model with a VX2 tumor, the effectiveness of TAE for treating HCC was examined, with an emphasis on evaluating long-term outcomes of embolization and its effects on tumor growth, necrosis, and proliferation through imaging techniques. In vitro experiments confirmed that the temperature-sensitive dual-oil-phase Pickering emulsion had good flow, stable contrast, and embolism when the oil-to-oil ratio and water-to-oil ratio were both 7:3 ( v/v) and stabilized with 8% PNA. Similarly, in vivo, arterial embolization confirmed the excellent properties of DMTPE prepared at the abovementioned ratios. It was observed that DMTPE not only has an antitumor effect but can also achieve dual imaging using X-rays and ultrasound, making it a promising excellent vascular embolization material for TAE in tumor treatment.

Objective:To investigate the alterations of brain gray matter volume (GMV) and functional connectivity (FC) in parents with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who lost their only child. The correlation of the GMV and FC with the severity of CAPS symptoms was also explored.Methods:A total of 19 parents with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD group), 28 parents without PTSD (non-PTSD group), and 27 healthy controls (HCs), admitted in our hospital from October 2017 to May 2019, were recruited in our study. The three groups were matched in age, gender and education level. All the participants were scanned by 3.0T MRI examination, followed by a clinical evaluation with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) for the PTSD diagnosis and to assess the severity. A whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) approach was used to characterize the GMV. The brain regions with significant differences in gray matter volume between the PTSD group and the non-PTSD group were used as seed points, and based on the seed points, the whole brain was explored its functional connection. The ANOVA and two sample t-test were used to compare the differences in GMV and FC values among groups. The AlphaSim correction was carried out and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The correlations of the GMV and FC values in significant regions with clinical scale scores were also analyzed. Results:Compared to the non-PTSD group, the PTSD patients showed decreased GMV in the left superior frontal gyrus and right precuneus and increased GMV in left fusiform gyrus; compared to the HCs, the non-PTSD group showed increased GMV in right hippocampus, right rolandic operculum and right precuneus. Seed-based FC analyses showed that the PTSD patients had decreased FC in bilateral orbitofrontal gyrus, left cerebellum and left hippocampus, which were positively correlated with the CAPS scores; while increased FC in right insula and right angular gyrus, which were negatively correlated with the CAPS scores (all P<0.01). In the PTSD group, GMV in the left fusiform gyrus was negatively correlated with the avoidance/numbing symptom ( r=-0.555, P=0.014), while positively associated with the time since trauma ( r=0.457, P=0.049). Conclusion:There are alterations of GMV and functional connectivity in multiple brain regions in parents who have lost their only child. Less connectivity in the prefrontal-medial temporal lobe (MTL) circuit and more activation of the key node within fear network may contribute to the development of PTSD, while the structural compensation in brain region associated with visual processing may be an important factor in relieving PTSD symptom and PTSD duration.

Objective:To investigate the alterations of brain gray matter volume (GMV) and functional connectivity (FC) in parents with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who lost their only child. The correlation of the GMV and FC with the severity of CAPS symptoms was also explored.Methods:A total of 19 parents with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD group), 28 parents without PTSD (non-PTSD group), and 27 healthy controls (HCs), admitted in our hospital from October 2017 to May 2019, were recruited in our study. The three groups were matched in age, gender and education level. All the participants were scanned by 3.0T MRI examination, followed by a clinical evaluation with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) for the PTSD diagnosis and to assess the severity. A whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) approach was used to characterize the GMV. The brain regions with significant differences in gray matter volume between the PTSD group and the non-PTSD group were used as seed points, and based on the seed points, the whole brain was explored its functional connection. The ANOVA and two sample t-test were used to compare the differences in GMV and FC values among groups. The AlphaSim correction was carried out and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The correlations of the GMV and FC values in significant regions with clinical scale scores were also analyzed. Results:Compared to the non-PTSD group, the PTSD patients showed decreased GMV in the left superior frontal gyrus and right precuneus and increased GMV in left fusiform gyrus; compared to the HCs, the non-PTSD group showed increased GMV in right hippocampus, right rolandic operculum and right precuneus. Seed-based FC analyses showed that the PTSD patients had decreased FC in bilateral orbitofrontal gyrus, left cerebellum and left hippocampus, which were positively correlated with the CAPS scores; while increased FC in right insula and right angular gyrus, which were negatively correlated with the CAPS scores (all P<0.01). In the PTSD group, GMV in the left fusiform gyrus was negatively correlated with the avoidance/numbing symptom ( r=-0.555, P=0.014), while positively associated with the time since trauma ( r=0.457, P=0.049). Conclusion:There are alterations of GMV and functional connectivity in multiple brain regions in parents who have lost their only child. Less connectivity in the prefrontal-medial temporal lobe (MTL) circuit and more activation of the key node within fear network may contribute to the development of PTSD, while the structural compensation in brain region associated with visual processing may be an important factor in relieving PTSD symptom and PTSD duration.

Objective To assess the clinical value of the implantation of 125I seed-loading stent in treating middle-late stage esophageal cancer.Methods A total of 64 patients with middle-late stage esophageal cancer,who were treated with esophageal stent implantation during the period from July 2013 to December 2015,were included in this study.According to patient's own will,the patients were divided into group A (n=28,using conventional stent) and group B (n=36,using 125I seed stent).Based on the treatment planning system (TPS) and tumor morphology,conformal comprehensive isodose distribution of 125I seeds was formulated.The success rate of stent implantation,the complication rate,the improvement rate of dysphagia,the stent patency rate,the average hospitalization days,the hospitalization expenses and the survival time were compared between the two groups.Results In both groups,the success rate of stent implantation and the improvement rate of dysphagia were all 100％.The 12-month stent patency rate of group B was evidently higher than that of group A,and the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.05).No statistically significant difference in the average hospitalization days existed between the two groups (P＞O.05).The mean hospitalization expenses between the two groups was statistically significant (P＜0.05),with the mean medical expense in group B being 13,769.57 RMB more than that in group A.Both the mean survival time and the median survival time of group B were longer than those of group A (P＜0.05).Conclusion It is safe and effective to use 125I seed stent to treat middle-late stage esophageal cancer.This technique can evidently prolong the survival time of patients,although its medical cost is higher than that of the ordinary stent.