Abnormal neuroanatomical patterns as potential diagnostic biomarkers for cocaine use disorder.

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a global health problem with serious consequences for both individuals and society. Previous studies on abnormal anatomical patterns in CUD have mainly used voxel-based morphometry to investigate grey matter volume changes, while surface-based morphometry (SBM) has been found to provide detail information on cortical thickness (CT), surface area and cortical meancurve, which can contribute to a better understanding of structural brain changes associated with CUD. In this study, SBM was conducted to investigate abnormal neuroanatomical patterns in CUD and whether these abnormal patterns could be used as potential diagnostic biomarkers for CUD. Sixty-eight CUD individuals and 52 matched healthy controls were enrolled, and all participants performed once MRI scanning and clinical assessments. We found that CUD individuals exhibited altered morphological indicators across widespread brain regions and these abnormal anatomical alterations were significantly predictive of CUD status. Furthermore, the CT reduction of right insula was significantly associated with years of cocaine use in CUD. These findings revealed the association of abnormal anatomical patterns in specific brain regions in CUD, which further improve the understanding of CUD pathophysiology and provide the alternative diagnostic biomarkers for CUD.

A software program for automated compressive vertebral fracture detection on elderly women's lateral chest radiograph: Ofeye 1.0.

Background: Because osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF) on chest radiographs is commonly missed in radiological reports, we aimed to develop a software program which offers automated detection of compressive vertebral fracture (CVF) on lateral chest radiographs, and which emphasizes CVF detection specificity with a low false positivity rate. Methods: For model training, we retrieved 3,991 spine radiograph cases and 1,979 chest radiograph cases from 16 sources, with among them in total 1,404 cases had OVF. For model testing, we retrieved 542 chest radiograph cases and 162 spine radiograph cases from four independent clinics, with among them 215 cases had OVF. All cases were female subjects, and except for 31 training data cases which were spine trauma cases, all the remaining cases were post-menopausal women. Image data included DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) format, hard film scanned PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format, DICOM exported PNG format, and PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) downloaded resolution reduced DICOM format. OVF classification included: minimal and mild grades with <20% or ≥20-25% vertebral height loss respectively, moderate grade with ≥25-40% vertebral height loss, severe grade with ≥40%-2/3 vertebral height loss, and collapsed grade with ≥2/3 vertebral height loss. The CVF detection base model was mainly composed of convolution layers that include convolution kernels of different sizes, pooling layers, up-sampling layers, feature merging layers, and residual modules. When the model loss function could not be further decreased with additional training, the model was considered to be optimal and termed 'base-model 1.0'. A user-friendly interface was also developed, with the synthesized software termed 'Ofeye 1.0'. Results: Counting cases and with minimal and mild OVFs included, base-model 1.0 demonstrated a specificity of 97.1%, a sensitivity of 86%, and an accuracy of 93.9% for the 704 testing cases. In total, 33 OVFs in 30 cases had a false negative reading, which constituted a false negative rate of 14.0% (30/215) by counting all OVF cases. Eighteen OVFs in 15 cases had OVFs of ≥ moderate grades missed, which constituted a false negative rate of 7.0% (15/215, i.e., sensitivity 93%) if only counting cases with ≥ moderate grade OVFs missed. False positive reading was recorded in 13 vertebrae in 13 cases (one vertebra in each case), which constituted a false positivity rate of 2.7% (13/489). These vertebrae with false positivity labeling could be readily differentiated from a true OVF by a human reader. The software Ofeye 1.0 allows 'batch processing', for example, 100 radiographs can be processed in a single operation. This software can be integrated into hospital PACS, or installed in a standalone personal computer. Conclusions: A user-friendly software program was developed for CVF detection on elderly women's lateral chest radiographs. It has an overall low false positivity rate, and for moderate and severe CVFs an acceptably low false negativity rate. The integration of this software into radiological practice is expected to improve osteoporosis management for elderly women.

Altered Spontaneous Brain Activity in Left-Behind Children: A Resting-State Functional MRI Study.

Background: Parental migration has been associated with a higher risk of cognitive and behavioral abnormalities in left-behind children (LBC). This study aimed to explore the spontaneous brain activity in LBC and reveal the mechanisms underlying behavioral and cognitive abnormalities. Methods: Involved LBC (n = 36) and non-LBC (n = 22) underwent resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) examination and cognitive and behavioral assessment. The fMRI-based amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and fractional ALFF (fALFF) were assessed to analyze the spontaneous brain activity pattern. The relationships among abnormal spontaneous brain activity, behavioral and cognitive deficits and altered family environment were assessed by partial correlation analysis. Results: Compared with non-LBC, LBC exhibited increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in the right lingual gyrus (LING), while a decreased ALFF was observed in the bilateral insula and right orbital part of the middle frontal gyrus (ORBmid) (two-tailed voxel-level p < 0.01 and cluster-level p <0.05, Gaussian Random Field (GRF) correction). The fALFF in LBC were significantly increased in the left cerebellum 9 (Cbe9) and right cerebellum Crus2 (CbeCru2), while it decreased in the right hippocampus and left superior temporal gyrus (STG) (two-tailed voxel-level p < 0.01 and cluster-level p < 0.05, GRF correction). The ALFF and fALFF values in abnormal brain regions were found to be correlated with the learning ability, except for the right insula, while the fALFF values of the left STG were positively correlated with the full-scale IQ scores (p < 0.05). Moreover, the ALFF and fALFF values in all abnormal brain regions correlated with the education level of caregivers (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our study provided empirical evidence that the lack of direct parental care during early childhood could affect brain function development involving cognition, behavior, and emotion. Our findings emphasized that intellectual and emotional cares are essential for LBC.

MR Imaging Provides Practical Information for Preoperative Assessment of Radial Polydactyly with Bifurcation at the Metacarpophalangeal Joint Level.

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize unossified bone sites that are often not visible with radiography in pediatric radial polydactyly patients with bifurcation at the metacarpophalangeal (MP) joint level. The MRI validation could help in planning for surgical procedures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 141 thumbs in 139 pediatric patients with bifurcation at the MP joint on radiography were included in this study. All the patients had undergone MRI with proton density-weighted fat-suppressed fast spin-echo (FS PDWI) sequence and fast fat-suppressed 3D spoiled gradient-recalled echo (FS 3D SPGR) sequence. The MR images of the cartilaginous structure and joint characteristics at the MP joint were evaluated and categorized by two experienced radiologists. RESULTS: Our analysis demonstrated that MR imaging, especially the FS 3D SPGR sequence, yields better visibility of the cartilaginous structure and shows clearer joint characteristics that could not be detected by radiography. The abnormalities included a cartilaginous connection on the base of duplicated proximal phalanx, cartilaginous joint connection and the shape of articular cartilage on the head of metacarpal and soft tissue band. Radiologically encountered duplications at the MP joint level were successfully classified into six types based on the MRI-detected structural changes. The distribution of the six types was 17.7% (25/141) in type 1, 53.9% (76/141) in type 2, 2.8% (4/141) in type 3, 9.9% (14/141) in type 4, and 13.5% (19/141) in type 5. CONCLUSION: This data showed that MR imaging provides practical information on the anatomic characteristics in radial polydactyly with bifurcation at the MP joint level that could aid surgical decision-making processes. Thus, the FS 3D SPGR sequence could be used as a MR imaging technique in radial polydactyly.

Underreporting characteristics of osteoporotic vertebral fracture in back pain clinic patients of a tertiary hospital in China.

AIM: Osteoporotic vertebral compressive fractures (VCFs) â€‹are known to be commonly missed in X-rays indicated for pulmonary or heart diseases. In this study, we investigated the underreporting status of VCF in back pain clinic patients when the spine was the focus of interest. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of 105 female cases (mean: 72 years, range: 55-93 years) from a tertiary hospital in China (facility A, FA). The patients with back and/or leg pain were referred for a spine X-ray. The images were retrieved and transferred to a central reading facility (facility B, FB), where images were double-read by two readers experienced in evaluating osteoporotic vertebral compressive deformity (VCD)/VCF. A qualitative VCD with <20%, 20-25%, 25-40%, and >40% vertebral body height loss was recorded as minimal, mild, moderate, and severe grades, respectively. A â€‹VCD coexisted with endplate/cortex fracture (ECF) was VCF. FB readings were considered as the reference. RESULTS: There were 34 true negative cases where FA and FB had a consensus. In 7 cases with minimal VCD, 3 cases with ECF, and 7 cases with minimal or mild VCFs, the FA readings were false negative. No standalone singular moderate or severe VCD/VCF in a patient was missed in FA's reports. In 25 FA reading positive cases with multiple VCFs, one VCF was missed in 8 cases, more than one VCF was missed in 15 cases, and one additional ECF was missed in 2 cases. In 14 cases, FA and FB had VCF number agreement, with the term 'vertebral fracture' was used appropriately in FA reports. In 15 cases, FA and FB had agreement in VCF number; however, the appropriate term 'vertebral fracture' was not used in FA reports; instead the terms of 'compressive change' or 'wedging change' were used. In most VCFs, severity grading was not given in FA. In 13 VCFs where grading was reported, all were marked as 'mild', including seven mild VCFs, five moderate VCFs, and even one severe VCF. CONCLUSION: Among the patients with VCD/VCF, the false negative rate among was 23.9% (17/71), but the missed cases were all minimal or mild grades. One or more VCFs were missed in 32.4% (23/71) of the cases with multiple VCFs. Appropriate severity grading was not reported for most cases. THE TRANSLATIONAL POTENTIAL OF THIS ARTICLE: The underreporting rate of osteoporotic vertebral compressive fracture in back pain clinic patients in a typical tertiary hospital setting in China compared favorably with literature reports. However, there is a general lack of awareness of vertebral endplate/cortex fracture sign and vertebral fracture severity grading, while minimal and mild VCD with endplate/cortex fracture may have clinical significance. Moreover, after one VCF is spotted in a patient, it is highly advisable to carefully check the whole spine so that multiple VCFs will not be missed.

Recognizing osteoporotic vertebral deformity on frontal view radiograph: a cohort analysis and a pictorial review.

PURPOSE: Opportunities exist to detect osteoporotic vertebral deformities (VDs) on frontal radiograph (FR) indicated for lung or abdominal diseases, while literature have been mostly based on lateral radiograph (LR). This study analyzed the detectability of moderate and severe grades VD on FR. METHODS: There were 105 female cases (mean 72 years, range 55~93 year), who were referred for digital spine FR and LR with back and/or leg pain. The LR and FR were read, osteoporotic VDs with < 20%, 20-25%, 25-40%, and > 40% vertebral body height loss were recorded as minimal, mild, moderate, and severe grades, respectively. After a 10-month interval, only FRs were read again, and each vertebra was classified as (1) no notable VD, (2) with notable VD, and (3) ambiguous. The first reading was the reference, while the second reading was allowed to miss minimal/mild VCD and endplate/cortex fracture. RESULTS: Counting by subjects, for 98 cases, the two reading sessions had agreement, including 43 "true negative" cases and 55 true positive cases. There were two false positive cases, and five ambiguous cases. In total, 1286 vertebra were assessed, FR reading had 1126 vertebrae "true negative," 130 vertebrae true positive, one vertebra false negative, 3 vertebrae false positive, and 26 ambiguous vertebrae (65.4% being true negative and 34.6% being true positive). Most of the disagreements were associated with kyphosis or poor X-ray projection. Nineteen illustrative cases are presented graphically. CONCLUSION: Moderate and severe grades of VD are identifiable on FR as long as the involved vertebrae are clearly filmed.

Enhancement of ball-miling on pyrite/zero-valent iron for arsenic removal in water: A mechanistic study.

In this study, the effect of ball milling on pyrite (FeS2) promoting arsenic (As) removal by zero-valent iron (Fe0) was investigated. The influences of different mass ratios of ball-milled FeS2/Fe0, the dosage of ball-milled FeS2/Fe0 used and initial pH value were evaluated by batch experiments. The results showed that the ball-milled FeS2/Fe0 system had a higher total As removal efficiency than the mixed FeS2-Fe0 system, ball-milled FeS2 and ball-milled Fe0 systems in equal mass. Higher As removal efficiency in ball-milled FeS2/Fe0 system was primarily related to the accelerated corrosion of Fe0, which was supported by the determination of total Fe2+ release and electrochemical experiments. SEM-EDS and XPS characterizations revealed that there were iron sulfides (Fe(II)-S and Fe(III)-S) produced on the surface of Fe0 in ball-milled FeS2/Fe0, which could facilitate the electron transfer of Fe0 and enhanced the corrosion of it. BET test also indicated that ball-milled FeS2/Fe0 possessed a higher specific surface area than ball-milled Fe0. In addition, the results also showed the optimum mass ratio of FeS2 and Fe0 in ball-milled FeS2/Fe0 to remove As ([As(III)] = 2 mg/L) was 1:1, and the optimum dosage was 0.5 g/L, thereby indicating the optimal As:Fe0 molar ratio was about 1:168. And the removal rate of As by ball-milled FeS2/Fe0 was faster in acidic condition than that in alkaline condition. These findings suggest that Fe0-based arsenic removal efficiency can be enhanced by ball-milling with FeS2, making it more feasible for remediation of arsenic-polluted water.

Degradation of ronidazole by electrochemically simultaneously generated persulfate and ferrous ions.

Nitroimidazoles are found in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and, when discharged into the environment, have adverse effects on human health and survival. Advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs) based on persulfate (PS) can rapidly and efficiently degrade organic pollutants via strong oxidizing radicals under activation conditions. This study investigated the degradation of ronidazole (RNZ) by indirect electrolytic generation of PS and its activator, ferrous ion (Fe2+). An electrochemical system was developed, with a high concentration of PS generated at the anode while the activator Fe2+ was produced at the cathode. It showed that ammonium polyphosphate (APP) could effectively promote the electrolysis of PS. A high current efficiency (88%) at the anode could be obtained after 180 min at a high current density (300 mA cm-2). However, Fe2+ was inhibited at the cathode due to material control. The degradation of RNZ in the Fe2+/PS system generated from the electrochemical system was also explored. Increasing PS concentration and Fe2+/PS ratio were beneficial to the RNZ degradation. In homogeneous reactions, the degradation efficiency of RNZ could be improved by decreasing the Fe2+ addition rate through a peristaltic pump. Five intermediates were also detected and the degradation pathways were proposed. These findings provide a new method and mechanism for rapid and efficient degradation of RNZ.

Effect of pyrite on enhancement of zero-valent iron corrosion for arsenic removal in water: A mechanistic study.

In this study, the enhanced effect of pyrite (FeS2) on zero-valent iron (Fe0) corrosion for arsenic (As) removal was investigated in a combined-Fe0/FeS2 system. The effects of different Fe0/FeS2 composition, dosage and initial pH were evaluated by batch experiments. Results showed that the best combination ratio of Fe0:FeS2 (w/w) was 1:1 and the optimal dosage of mixture was 2.0 g/L. The combination of Fe0 and FeS2 in a system significantly enhanced the reactivity of Fe0 for effective As removal within a broad pH range (3.0-9.0). The effective As removal in the combined-Fe0/FeS2 system was primarily ascribed to being enhanced corrosion of Fe0 by addition of FeS2. SEM and XRD characterizations strongly verified this point. Specifically, the mechanism study (the releases of Fe2+ and total Fe ion, variations of pH values as well as XPS characterization) suggested that FeS2 in the combined-Fe0/FeS2 system could alleviate the passivation of Fe0 (pHini 3.0-5.0) and accelerate the dissolution of pristine oxide film that coated on Fe0 surface (pHini 6.8-9.0). Besides, FeS2 in combined-Fe0/FeS2 system could also accelerate the reactions between Fe0 to O2 at pHini 3.0-9.0. These phenomena were well explained by a galvanic couple between Fe0 and FeS2, where FeS2 was a cathode and Fe0 was an anode. Consequently, electrons released from Fe0 that mediated by FeS2 to oxide film, passivation layer and O2 were accelerated in combined-Fe0/FeS2 system and thereby enhanced the corrosion of Fe0 for efficient As removal. Our findings suggest that utilizing FeS2 to enhance the corrosion of Fe0 would be a promising technology for remediation of As-contaminated water.

Brain Structural Alterations in Left-Behind Children: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Parental migration has caused millions of children left behind, especially in China and India. Left-behind children (LBC) have a high risk of mental disorders and may present negative life outcomes in the future. However, little is known whether there are cerebral structural alterations in LBC in relative to those with parents. This study is to explore the effect of parental migration on brain maturation by comparing gray matter volume (GMV) and fractional anisotropy (FA) of LBC with well-matched non-LBC. Thirty-eight LBC (21 boys, age = 9.60 ± 1.8 years) and 30 non-LBC (19 boys, age = 10.00 ± 1.95 years) were recruited and underwent brain scans in 3.0 T MR. Intelligence quotient and other factors including family income, guardians' educational level and separation time were also acquired. GMV and FA were measured for each participant and compared between groups using 2-sample t-tests with atlas-based analysis. Compared to non-LBC, LBC exhibited greater GMV in emotional and cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits, and altered FA in bilateral superior occipitofrontal fasciculi and right medial lemniscus (p < 0.05, Cohen's d > 0.89, corrected for false-discovery rate). Other factors including family income, guardians' educational level and separation time were not associated with these brain changes. Our study provides empirical evidence of altered brain structure in LBC compared to non-LBC, responsible for emotion regulation and processing, which may account for mental disorders and negative life outcome of LBC. Our study suggests that absence of direct biological parental care may impact children's brain development. Therefore, public health efforts may be needed to provide additional academic and social/emotional supports to LBC when their parents migrate to seeking better economic circumstances, which has become increasingly common in developing countries.

Evaluation and validation of the diagnostic value of the apparent diffusion coefficient for differentiating early-stage endometrial carcinomas from benign mimickers at 3T MRI.

Previous researchers obtained various apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) cutoff values to differentiate endometrial carcinoma from benign mimickers with 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Few studies have used 3T MRI or validated the effectiveness of these cutoff ADC values prospectively. This study was designed in two stages to obtain a cutoff ADC value at 3T MRI and to validate prospectively the role of the ADC value. First, we conducted a retrospective study of 60 patients to evaluate the diagnostic value of ADC by obtain a theoretical cutoff ADC value for differentiating between benign and malignant endometrial lesions. Student's t test revealed that ADC values for stage I endometrial carcinomas were significantly lower than those for benign lesions. The area under the curve value of the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.993, and the cutoff ADC value was 0.98 × 10-3 mm2/s. The sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy of diagnosing stage I endometrial carcinoma were 100%, 97.1%, and 98.3%, respectively. Second, we conducted a prospective study of 26 patients to validate the use of the cutoff ADC value obtained in the study's first stage. The sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy for differentiating malignant from benign endometrial lesions based on the cutoff ADC value obtained earlier were as follows: radiologist 1 attained 86.67%, 100.0%, and 92.31%, respectively; radiologist 2 attained 86.67%, 91.0%, and 88.5%, respectively. Our results suggest that ADC values could be a potential biomarker for use as a quantitative and qualitative tool for differentiating between early-stage endometrial carcinomas and benign mimickers.

Altered brain network topology in left-behind children: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Whether a lack of direct parental care affects brain function in children is an important question, particularly in developing countries where hundreds of millions of children are left behind when their parents migrate for economic or political reasons. In this study, we investigated changes in the topological architectures of brain functional networks in left-behind children (LBC). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained from 26 LBC and 21 children living within their nuclear family (non-LBC). LBC showed a significant increase in the normalized characteristic path length (λ), suggesting a decrease in efficiency in information access, and altered nodal centralities in the fronto-limbic regions and motor and sensory systems. Moreover, a decreased nodal degree and the nodal betweenness of the right rectus gyrus were positively correlated with annual family income. The present study provides the first empirical evidence that suggests that a lack of direct parental care could affect brain functional development in children, particularly involving emotional networks.

Chinese preparation Xuesaitong promotes the mobilization of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in rats with cerebral infarction.

After cerebral ischemia, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells are mobilized and travel from the bone marrow through peripheral circulation to the focal point of ischemia to initiate tissue regeneration. However, the number of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells mobilized into peripheral circulation is not enough to exert therapeutic effects, and the method by which blood circulation is promoted to remove blood stasis influences stem cell homing. The main ingredient of Xuesaitong capsules is Panax notoginseng saponins, and Xuesaitong is one of the main drugs used for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. We established rat models of cerebral infarction by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and then intragastrically administered Xuesaitong capsules (20, 40 and 60 mg/kg per day) for 28 successive days. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that in rats with cerebral infarction, middle- and high-dose Xuesaitong significantly increased the level of stem cell factors and the number of CD117-positive cells in plasma and bone marrow and significantly decreased the number of CD54- and CD106-positive cells in plasma and bone marrow. The effect of low-dose Xuesaitong on these factors was not obvious. These findings demonstrate that middle- and high-dose Xuesaitong and hence Panax notoginseng saponins promote and increase the level and mobilization of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in peripheral blood.

[Research about formulas for activating blood and resolving stasis Xuesaitong capsule regulate CD117+ hemopoietic stem cell to produce new blood].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanism that the formulas for activating blood and resolving stasis can regulate hemopoietic stem cell to produce new blood. METHOD: Rats were established animal model of acute cerebral infarction by referencing Olivette' method. They were randomly divided into model group, the group of the high, middle, low dose of the formulas for activating blood and resolving stasis. Each group and then wasrandomly divided into subgroups by 1, 3, 7, 14, 28 d. Xuesaitong capsule was formulated into 20, 40, 60 g x L(-1) with normal saline. The rats were given gavage drugs once a day until the experient ended, and the model group was administrated by intragastrical perfusion of normal saline. ELISA was used to detect the expression of SCF in peripheral blood and bone marrow among different groups at different time points. Flow cytometry was used to observe the changes of CD117 in blood and bone marrow. RESULT: The CD117+ HSC and SCF concentration in peripheral blood and bone marrow of model group were increasing during 1-14 d,there was a peak on the 14th day, then the expression was reducing. CD117+ HSC and SCF concentration rising trend in the group of the high, middle dose of the formulas for activating blood and resolving stasis was preceded model group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Activating blood and resolving stasis can regulate hemopoietic stem cell to produce new blood, and it is through the regulation of CD117+ HSC number to achieve the purpose.