Application of Imaging Indicators Based on 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Colorectal Peritoneal Carcinomatosis.

Objective: The imaging features of peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) with different locations and pathological types of colorectal cancer (CRC) on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) were analyzed and discussed. Methods: The PET/CT data of 132 patients with colorectal peritoneal carcinomatosis (CRPC) who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria between May 30, 2016, and December 31, 2019, were collected and analyzed. Observations included the location and pathological type of CRC, the peritoneal cancer index (PCI), standardized uptake maximum value (SUVmax), and retention index (RI) of the CRPC. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 20.0 software, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: (1) The range of the PCI in the 132 patients studied was 2-30, with a mean value of 7.40 ± 8.14. The maximum long diameter of the CRPC lesions ranged from 0.6 to 12.1 cm, with an average of 3.23 ± 1.94 cm. The SUVmax ranged from 1.2 to 31.0, with a mean value of 9.65 ± 6.01. The SUVmax and size correlation coefficient for maximal CRPC lesions was r = 0.47 (P < 0.001). The RI range of the 72 patients who underwent time-lapse scanning was -10.0-112.2%, with RI quartiles of 13.5-48.9%; RI was ≥5% in 65 cases and <5% in seven cases. (2) The patients were grouped by the location of their CRC: the right-sided colon cancer (RCC, n = 37), left-sided colon cancer (LCC, n = 44), and rectal cancer groups (RC, n = 51). There were significant differences in the CRC pathological types (P = 0.009) and PCI scores (P = 0.02) between the RCC and RC groups and the RI between the RCC group and the other two groups (P < 0.001). (3) There were 88 patients organized into three groups by the pathology of their CRC: the moderately well-differentiated adenocarcinoma (group A, n = 57), poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (group B, n = 16), and mucinous adenocarcinoma groups (group C, n = 15 cases, including one case of signet-ring cell carcinoma). There were significant differences in the CRC position (P = 0.003) and SUVmax (P = 0.03) between groups A and C. Conclusion: The PCI, SUVmax, and RI of peritoneal metastatic carcinoma caused by CRC in different locations and pathological types vary. Mucinous adenocarcinoma and poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma are relatively common in the right colon, and the PCI of peritoneal metastatic carcinoma is fairly high, but the SUVmax and RI are somewhat low.

Distribution Characteristics of Colorectal Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Based on the Positron Emission Tomography/Peritoneal Cancer Index.

Background: Colorectal peritoneal carcinomatosis (CRPC) is a primary cause of death in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. In the past, computed tomography (CT) has been the primary method used to evaluate the distribution of CRPC. This study uses 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) to investigate the distribution characteristics of CRPC. Materials and Methods: The distribution characteristics of 46 patients with CRC who were treated in the authors' hospital were retrospectively analyzed using the peritoneal cancer index (PCI). Results: The 46 patients in the study showed CRPC involvement in 203 of the 598 abdominal and pelvic regions studied (33.9%, 203/598). The regional proportions of CRPC involvement, from high to low, were as follows: region 6 (13.8%), region 0 (10.3%), region 1 (9.9%), region 5 (8.9%), region 7 (8.4%), region 3 (8.4%), region 2 (7.4%), region 4 (7.4%), region 11 (6.9%), region 8 (6.4%), region 12 (5.4%), region 9 (3.4%), and region 10 (3.4%). Thirty-three patients had a PCI of <20, and 13 patients had a PCI of ≥20. Those 13 were among the 17 (37% 17/46) who had CRPC involvement in all three regions. According to the location of the primary CRC focus, the 46 patients were divided into three groups: right hemicolon, left hemicolon, and rectum. The frequency of CRPC was greater in the rectum group than in the left hemicolon group, and the SUVmax of CRPC was greater in the right hemicolon group than in the left hemicolon group; these differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The distribution of CRPC has certain characteristics in the abdominal and pelvic cavities. The PET-PCI scores can provide a basis for the diagnosis and clinical treatment strategies in patients with CRC.

Comparison of the effectiveness and safety of ultrasound- and CT-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of non-operation hepatocellular carcinoma.

To retrospectively compare the effectiveness and safety of ultrasound (US)- and computer tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) in treating patients with non-operation hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Forty patients with non-operation HCC who were treated with US-guided PRFA (20 patients with 24 HCC lesions) or CT-guided PRFA (20 patients with 27 HCC lesions) were enrolled in this study. Follow-up was performed with US and CT/MRI. Complete ablation rate, local recurrence rate, and overall survival rate were used to evaluate the efficacy of the two therapeutic choices. The PRFA-related complications including hilar bile duct injury, sepsis, liver failure, renal dysfunction, peritoneal hemorrhage, and skin burn were assessed. The operation time of CT-guided group was significantly longer than that of the US-guided group (P < 0.05). The single ablation times for tumors with similar size showed no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). The differences in complete ablation rate (79.2 vs. 88.9 %, P > 0.05) and local recurrence rate (16.7 vs. 14.8 %, P > 0.05) between US- and CT-guided groups were not statistically significant. In the US-guided group, the 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rates were 85, 74, and 68 %, respectively, while they were 84, 72, and 58 % in the CT-guided group. The differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). No severe complications were found in the two groups. Both US- and CT-guided PRFA are safe and effective therapies for patients with HCC when surgical options are precluded.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and atomic force microscopic studies of electrical and mechanical properties of nano-black lipid membranes and size dependence.

We present electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) and two-chamber AFM investigations of the electrical and mechanical properties of solvent-containing nano-BLMs suspended on chip-based nanopores of diameter of 200, 400, and 700 nm. The chips containing nanoporous silicon nitride membranes are fabricated based on low-cost colloidal lithography with low aspect ratio of the nanopores. BLMs of DPhPC lipid molecules are constructed across the nanopores by the painting method. Two equivalent circuits are compared in view of their adequacy in description of the EIS performances of the nano-BLMs and more importantly the structures associated with the nano-BLMs systems. The BLM resistance and capacitance as well as their size and time dependence are studied by EIS. The breakthrough forces, elasticity in terms of apparent spring constant, and lateral tension of the solvent-containing nano-BLMs are investigated by AFM force measurements. The exact relationship of the breakthrough force of the nano-BLM as a function of pore size is revealed. Both EIS and AFM studies show increasing lifetime and mechanical stability of the nano-BLMs with decreasing pore size. Finally, the robust 200 nm diameter nanopores are used to accommodate functional BLMs containing DPhPC lipid molecules and gramicidins by using a painting method with drop of mixture solutions of DPhPC and gramicidins. EIS investigation of the functional nano-BLMs is also performed.

Growth and shape-ordering of iron nanostructures on Au single crystalline electrodes in an ionic liquid: a paradigm of magnetostatic coupling.

Fe electrodeposition on Au(111) and Au(100) in BMIBF(4) ionic liquid is found to form hitherto unreported shape-ordered nanoscale morphologies of pseudorods and pseudosquare rings, respectively, both composed of grains of 4-7 nm. The manner of growth of the square rings is a ring-on-ring structure with enlarging side length and slightly protruding four corners. The generality of the growth mechanism is verified by the formation of almost exactly the same shape-ordered Fe nanostructures on Pt, i.e., pseudorod structure on Pt(111) and pseudosquare rings Pt(100). These structures are explained within the framework of magnetostatic interactions of spontaneously magnetized grains under crystallographic constraint of the substrate surface, which result in an antiparallel arrangement in magnetization of the grains at pseudorods and magnetic flux closure at the pseudosquare rings. The closed magnetic flux further leads to magnetic field-enhanced growth at the four corners and the outer peripheries of the pseudosquare rings. The observed shape-ordering of the Fe thin film serves as a paradigm of magnetostatic coupling, in which the roles of ionic liquid as surfactant and magnetic media may not be underestimated. The present work adds a new dimension to electrodeposition in ionic liquid, by which new magnetic film structures may be expected.