HRCT Features of Dermatomyositis-/Polymyositis- Associated Interstitial Lung Disease

Objective: To evaluate high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) features of dermatomyositis-/polymyositis- associated interstitial lung disease (DM/PM-ILD). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the HRCT images of 148 patients with DM/PM-ILD at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2019. Results: The HRCT features of DM/PM-ILD were characterized by ground-glass opacities (GGO) (87.2%, 123/141), interlobular septal thickening (78.0%, 110/141), intralobular interstitial thickening (63.8%, 90/141), consolidation (29.1%, 41/141), subpleural lines (26.2%, 37/141), traction bronchiectasis (19.9%, 28/141), and honeycombing (3.5%, 5/141). Pneumomediastinum (3), pleural effusion (15), and pericardial effusion (18) were also observed. The two main radiological patterns were non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) and organism pneumonia (OP). Conclusion: HRCT features of DM/PM-ILD are heterogeneous, with various radiological patterns. Mastering the main characteristics of HRCT manifestation and the radiological patterns of DM/PM-ILD will be helpful for early identification and timely treatment

Discriminating Small-Sized (2 cm or Less), Noncalcified, Solitary Pulmonary Tuberculoma and Solid Lung Adenocarcinoma in Tuberculosis-Endemic Areas

Background. Pulmonary tuberculoma can mimic lung malignancy and thereby pose a diagnostic dilemma to clinicians. The purpose of this study was to establish an accurate, convenient, and clinically practical model for distinguishing small-sized, noncalcified, solitary pulmonary tuberculoma from solid lung adenocarcinoma. Methods. Thirty-one patients with noncalcified, solitary tuberculoma and 30 patients with solid adenocarcinoma were enrolled. Clinical characteristics and CT morphological features of lesions were compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to identify independent predictors of pulmonary tuberculoma and lung adenocarcinoma. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to investigate the discriminating efficacy. Results. The mean age of patients with tuberculoma and adenocarcinoma was 46.8 ± 12.3 years (range, 28–64) and 61.1 ± 9.9 years (range, 41–77), respectively. No significant differences were observed concerning smoking history and smoking index, underlying disease, or tumor markers between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed age and lobulation combined with pleural indentation demonstrated excellent discrimination. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and the area under the ROC curve were 87.1%, 93.3%, 90.2%, and 0.956 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.901–1.000), respectively. Conclusion. The combination of clinical characteristics and CT morphological features can be used to distinguish noncalcified, solitary tuberculoma from solid adenocarcinoma with high diagnostic performance and has a clinical application value

Effect of Winding Steel Wire on the Collapse Pressure of Submarine Hose

The submarine hose plays a vital role in the single-point mooring system and is a necessary channel for medium transportation. Once crushed under the load of the seawater external pressure, it will cause oil and gas leakage and major safety accidents. It is a composite hose composed of a rubber layer, cord layer and steel helix wire, of which the steel helix wire plays an important part in bearing mechanical properties. In this work, python language was used to model the submarine hose parametrically, the finite element (FE) analysis software ABAQUS was utilized to analyze the ultimate bearing capacity of the hose under uniformly distributed external pressure loads and the influence of the initial ovality of the submarine hose, the diameter and pitch of the helix wire, the yield strength of the helix wire material on the ultimate bearing capacity of the submarine hose were studied. Through a large number of FE results, the ultimate bearing capacity of the hose was obtained by fitting the prediction formula

Tactile and Thermal Sensors Built from Carbon–Polymer Nanocomposites—A Critical Review

This paper provides a critical review of tactile and thermal sensors which are built from carbon nanomaterial-filled polymer composites (CNPCs). To make the review more comprehensive and systematic, the sensors are viewed as a system, and a general knowledge architecture for a system called function-context-behavior-principle-state-structure (FCBPSS) is employed to classify information as well as knowledge related to CNPC sensors. FCBPSS contains six basic concepts, namely, F: function, C: context, B: behavior, P: principle, and SS: state and structure. As such, the principle that explains why such composites can work as temperature and pressure sensors, various structures of the CNPC sensor, which realize the principle, and the behavior and performance of CNPC sensors are discussed in this review. This review also discusses the fabrication of the CNPC sensor. Based on the critical review and analysis, the future directions of research on the CNPC sensor are discussed; in particular, the need to have a network of CNPC sensors that can be installed on curved bodies such as those of robots is elaborated

HRCT findings predict 1-year mortality in patients with acute exacerbation of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies-associated interstitial lung disease

Background: Acute exacerbation of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies-associated interstitial lung disease (AE-IIM-ILD) is a significant event associated with increased morbidity and mortality. However, few studies investigated the potential prognostic factors contributing to mortality in patients who experience AE-IIM-ILD. Objectives: The purpose of our study was to comprehensively investigate whether high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) findings predict the 1-year mortality in patients who experience AE-IIM-ILD. Methods: A cohort of 69 patients with AE-IIM-ILD was retrospectively created. The cohort was 79.7 % female, with a mean age of 50.7. Several HRCT features, including total interstitial lung disease extent (TIDE), distribution patterns, and radiologic ILD patterns, were assessed. A directed acyclic graph (DAG) was used to evaluate the statistical relationship between variables. The Cox regression method was performed to identify potential prognostic factors associated with mortality. Results: The HRCT findings significantly associated with AE-IIM-ILD mortality include TIDE (HR per 10%-increase, 1.64; 95%CI, 1.29–2.1, p < 0.001; model 1: C-index, 0.785), diffuse distribution pattern (HR, 3.75, 95%CI, 1.5–9.38, p = 0.005; model 2: C-index, 0.737), and radiologic diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) pattern (HR, 6.37, 95 % CI, 0.81–50.21, p = 0.079; model 3: C-index, 0.735). TIDE greater than 58.33 %, diffuse distribution pattern, and radiologic DAD pattern correlate with poor prognosis. The 90-day, 180-day, and 1-year survival rates of patients who experience AE-IIM-ILD were 75.3 %, 66.3 %, and 63.3 %, respectively. Conclusion: HRCT findings, including TIDE, distribution pattern, and radiological pattern, are predictive of 1-year mortality in patients who experience AE-IIM-ILD

Visual expertise modulates resting-state brain network dynamics in radiologists: a degree centrality analysis

Visual expertise reflects accumulated experience in reviewing domain-specific images and has been shown to modulate brain function in task-specific functional magnetic resonance imaging studies. However, little is known about how visual experience modulates resting-state brain network dynamics. To explore this, we recruited 22 radiology interns and 22 matched healthy controls and used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and the degree centrality (DC) method to investigate changes in brain network dynamics. Our results revealed significant differences in DC between the RI and control group in brain regions associated with visual processing, decision making, memory, attention control, and working memory. Using a recursive feature elimination-support vector machine algorithm, we achieved a classification accuracy of 88.64%. Our findings suggest that visual experience modulates resting-state brain network dynamics in radiologists and provide new insights into the neural mechanisms of visual expertise

Primate‐Specific DAZ Regulates Translation of Cell Proliferation‐Related mRNAs and is Essential for Maintenance of Spermatogonia

Abstract Primate‐specific DAZ (deleted in azoospermia) has evolved in the azoospermia factor c (AZFc) locus on the Y chromosome. Loss of DAZ is associated with azoospermia in patients with deletion of the AZFc region (AZFc_del). However, the molecular mechanisms of DAZ in spermatogenesis remain uncertain. In this study, the molecular mechanism of DAZ is identified, which is unknown since it is identified 40 years ago because of the lack of a suitable model. Using clinical samples and cell models, it is shown that DAZ plays an important role in spermatogenesis and that loss of DAZ is associated with defective proliferation of c‐KIT‐positive spermatogonia in patients with AZFc_del. Mechanistically, it is shown that knockdown of DAZ significantly downregulated global translation and subsequently decreased cell proliferation. Furthermore, DAZ interacted with PABPC1 via the DAZ repeat domain to regulate global translation. DAZ targeted mRNAs that are involved in cell proliferation and cell cycle phase transition. These findings indicate that DAZ is a master translational regulator and essential for the maintenance of spermatogonia. Loss of DAZ may result in defective proliferation of c‐KIT‐positive spermatogonia and spermatogenic failure