Retrospective analysis of OCT on MB characteristics and 1-year follow-up of the ISR incidence after the DES implantation in patients with MB

We used optical coherence tomography (OCT) to analyze the "half-moon" like phenomenon and its characteristics and observe 1-year follow-up of the in-stent restenosis (ISR) incidence after the drug eluted stent (DES) implantation in patients with the myocardial bridge (MB). Patients were retrospectively analyzed from January 2013 to December 2019. We used OCT to check 45 patients with MB and found a visible muscle layer (VML) around the vessel adventitia with the same or high density compared to the vessel media layer. There was not any significant difference in maximal thickness, maximal arch, and total length between the half-moon layer and the visible muscle layer groups (p > 0.05). Maximal thickness, arch, and total length of the half-moon layer were significantly positively related to VML, respectively (r = 0.962, 0.985, 0.742, p < 0.01). Of these 626 patients with MB seen by OCT, only 300 could be checked out by coronary angiography (CAG). Besides, the larger the thickness and arch of the VML around the vessel adventitia, the more severe the MB in these patients (p < 0.05). After the OCT use, there was no coronary perforation in these patients with MB covered with DES. After 1-year follow-up, ISR in MB covered with DES showed a notable difference among no MB, mild MB, moderate MB, and severe MB groups (p < 0.05), and ISR in DES aggravated with the MB severity. However, ISR in MB with and without covered with DES had no significant difference among the 4 groups (p > 0.05). OCT could evaluate MB characteristics accurately compared to IVUS and had a higher rate of detecting MB than CAG. Moreover, it is safe and effective to guide DES covering the mild MB segment in patients with severe coronary lesions detected by the OCT.

Non-malignant conjunctival epithelial masses with ocular surface squamous neoplasia-like optical coherence tomography features

Purpose To observe and describe the anterior segment optical coherence tomography features of limbally localised non-malignant epithelial mass lesions Methods Thirteen patients (age: 66.9 ± 16.3 years) with conjunctival mass suggesting ocular surface squamous neoplasia with biomicroscopic examination were imaged using anterior segment ocular coherence tomography (anterior segment optical coherence tomography)/Cirrus HD-OCT, Model 4000, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Dublin, CA, and Spectralis HRA + OCT system, Heidelberg Engineering, Vista, CA/. Cases with ocular surface squamous neoplasia-like anterior segment optical coherence tomography (hyperreflective, thickened epithelium and an abrupt transition from normal to abnormal) were included in the study. Maximal thickness of the epithelium was measured. Histological diagnosis was gained from an excisional or incisional biopsy or impression cytology specimens. Results In six patients (age: 68.5 ± 15.4 years) with ocular surface squamous neoplasia-like anterior segment optical coherence tomography features, the histological diagnosis was other than ocular surface squamous neoplasia (papilloma, parakeratosis and a keratotic plaque with mild dysplasia), and ocular surface squamous neoplasia in seven cases (age: 65.6 ± 18.0 years). The maximal epithelial thickness was between 250 and 859 µm in non-ocular surface squamous neoplasia cases and between 252 and 596 µm in ocular surface squamous neoplasia cases. Conclusion Non-malignant epithelial lesions can mimic ocular surface squamous neoplasia on anterior segment optical coherence tomography.

P1262VASCULAR CALCIFICATION OF ABDOMINAL AORTA AND COMMON ILIAC ARTERY AFTER KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION

Background and Aims Vascular calcification is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality in dialysis and transplant patients. Previous studies have shown that coronary artery calcification correlates with cardiovascular mortality. However, it is not known whether vascular calcification of the abdominal aorta and common iliac artery (CIA) may impact clinical outcomes after kidney transplantation. The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors of vascular calcification after kidney transplantation. Method In this retrospective study, we assessed 100 patients who underwent kidney transplantation between 2008 and 2017. Of these, 62 patients received a computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen twice with an interval of at least 6 months. We examined the characteristics of vascular calcification of the abdominal aorta and iliac artery and divided the patients into three groups based on dialysis modality before transplantation: hemodialysis (HD group), peritoneal dialysis (PD group) and preemptive kidney transplantation (PEKT group). Then, we identified the risk factors for the progression of calcification. Abdominal aortic calcification was assessed based on the aortic calcification index (ACI), and calcification of CIA was assessed based on the maximal thickness of calcification. Results At baseline, abdominal aortic calcification was present in 66% of patients, and the median ACI was 10 [0-30]. Calcification of the CIA was present in 62% of patients, and maximal thickness of the CIA was 2.4 mm [0-4.6]. The mean duration of follow-up was 68 ± 29 months, and the mean interval of CT was 40 ± 29 months. After kidney transplantation, the progression rate of ACI and maximal thickness of CIA were 1.6 ± 2.5 per year and 0.17 ± 0.41 mm per year, respectively. The maximal thickness of CIA calcification was significantly higher, and ACI tended to be higher in the HD group than in the PEKT group. Age, male gender, diabetes mellitus and dialysis vintage were the independent variables related to both ACI and maximal thickness of CIA calcification. The progression rates of ACI and maximal thickness of CIA were comparable among the three groups in terms of dialysis modality. Age and rejection within the first 6 months were independent risk factors for ACI progression, and diabetes mellitus was an independent risk factor for progression of maximal thickness of CIA. No significant association was found between the progression of vascular calcification and dialysis-related parameters, including dialysis modality and vintage. Conclusion This study suggests that dialysis vintage was the independent variable related to calcification of the abdominal aorta and common iliac artery, whereas dialysis modality was not a significant predictor of vascular calcification and its progression in these blood vessels.

Factors influencing the presence of hemiparesis in chronic subdural hematoma

OBJECTIVEChronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) has a variety of clinical presentations, including hemiparesis. Hemiparesis is of the utmost importance because it is one of the major indications for surgical intervention and influences outcome. In the current study, the authors intended to identify factors influencing the presence of hemiparesis in CSDH patients and to determine the threshold value of hematoma thickness and midline shift for development of hemiparesis.METHODSThe authors retrospectively reviewed 325 patients (266 with unilateral and 59 with bilateral hematomas) with CSDH who underwent surgical evacuation, regardless of presence or absence of hemiparesis.RESULTSIn univariate analysis, hematoma loculation, age, hematoma maximal thickness, and midline shift were significantly associated with hemiparesis. Moreover, patients with unilateral hematomas had a higher rate of hemiparesis than patients with bilateral hematomas. Sex, trauma history, anticoagulant and antiplatelet drug use, presence of comorbidities, Glasgow Coma Scale score, hematoma density characteristics on CT scan, and hematoma signal intensity on T1- and T2-weighted MRI were not associated with hemiparesis. In multivariate analysis, the presence of loculation and hematoma laterality (unilateral vs bilateral) influenced hemiparesis. For unilateral hematomas, maximal hematoma thickness of 19.8 mm and midline shift of 6.4 mm were associated with a 50% probability of hemiparesis. For bilateral hematomas, 29.0 mm of maximal hematoma thickness and 6.8 mm of shift were associated with a 50% probability of hemiparesis.CONCLUSIONSPresence of loculations, unilateral hematomas, older patient age, hematoma maximal thickness, and midline shift were associated with a higher rate of hemiparesis in CSDH patients. Moreover, 19.8 mm of hematoma thickness and 6.4 mm of midline shift were associated with a 50% probability of hemiparesis in patients with unilateral hematomas.

Ultrasonographic measurement of adrenal gland-to-aorta ratio as a method of estimating adrenal size in dogs

BackgroundAdrenal size has been used as the principal criterion for differentiating a normal gland from adrenal hyperplasia. The objectives of this study were to establish an ultrasonographic measurement of adrenal gland-to-aorta (adrenal/Ao) ratio to estimate the adrenal size and to assess the effects of bodyweight, age and sex on the adrenal/Ao ratio in non-adrenal gland disease dogs.MethodsTwo hundred and thirty-four dogs (120 entire females and 114 entire males) considered non-adrenal gland disease were included in this study. Dogs were allocated into three bodyweight categories (<10 kg, 10–20 kg and >20 kg), and four age groups (<1 year, 1–5 years, 5–10 years and >10 years old). Measurements of the maximal thickness of caudal pole of both adrenal glands and the aortic luminal diameter in sagittal plane were performed on the ultrasonographic images. Three different ratios were calculated for each dog.ResultsSex and age did not influence on the adrenal/Ao ratio. There were differences (P<0.05) between the three dog sizes for adrenal/Ao ratio, being the highest value for small size and the lowest value for large size.ConclusionsIn this study, only bodyweight influences the ultrasound measurement of the adrenal/Ao ratio in non-adrenal gland disease dogs.

Morphologic Clues Identify Muscularis Propria at Colonic Biopsy and Warn of Potential Perforation

Objectives Perforation is currently believed to be a rare but potentially serious complication of colonic biopsies performed with cold forceps. Most reported cases have occurred in the setting of colitis. The presence of muscularis propria in specimens from colonic biopsies might portend increased risk of perforation. However, identifying muscularis propria at time of biopsy is difficult for many reasons, including histologic overlap with muscularis mucosa. Incidental muscularis propria obtained in this manner has yet to be studied. We hypothesized that differences in nuclear density could distinguish muscularis propria from muscularis mucosa. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 3 specimens from colonic biopsies performed with cold forceps for which muscularis propria was presumed to be visualized based on the presence of smooth muscle with lower nuclear density compared to areas known to be muscularis mucosa. All patients were adults clinically suspected to have colitis. These specimens were then compared to a full-thickness section from normal colonic tissue obtained via colectomy that served as control to confirm whether nuclear density or other features could distinguish muscularis propria from muscularis mucosa. Results Muscularis propria in the control tissue had lower nuclear density, more cytoplasmic pallor, greater maximal thickness, and smoother texture than the corresponding muscularis mucosa in the control tissue. The constellation of these features was consistently seen in all three specimens obtained via biopsy and therefore confirmed the presence of muscularis propria in all three specimens, although all patients lacked perforation clinically. Surprisingly, all three specimens had histologically normal mucosa. Conclusion We showed that several morphologic features, including low nuclear density, identify muscularis propria at time of colonic biopsy and alert endoscopists to the possibility of perforation, and we showed that muscularis propria can accompany normal mucosa obtained via biopsy with cold forceps. Additional studies are necessary to further validate these findings.

Neuroimaging contrast across the cortical hierarchy is the feature maximally linked to behavior and demographics

We employed a data-driven canonical correlation analysis to investigate the population covariance of whole-brain cortical thickness, resting-state functional connectivity, and hundreds of behavioral/demographic measures in a large cohort of individuals. We found that the maximal thickness-behavior correlation and the maximal connectivity-behavior correlation are largely converged along the same direction across subjects, which is characterized by very specific modulations of all three modalities. Along this direction, individuals tend to have more positive and less negative behavioral/demographic traits, and more importantly, their functional connectivity and cortical thickness show a similar divergent modulation across the cortical hierarchy: thinner cortex and stronger functional connectivity at the higher-order cognitive regions whereas thicker cortex and weaker connectivity at the lower-order sensory/motor areas. These findings provide a unique link between structural and functional brain organizations and human behavior. Specifically, they suggest that the cross-hierarchy contrast of structural and functional brain measures may be a specific feature linked to the overall goodness of behavior and demographics.

Limitations during Vapor Phase Growth of Bulk (100) 3C-SiC Using 3C-SiC-on-SiC Seeding Stacks

The growth of 3C-SiC shows technological challenges, such as high supersaturation, a silicon-rich gas phase and a high vertical temperature gradient. We have developed a transfer method creating high-quality 3C-SiC-on-SiC (100) seeding stacks, suitable for use in sublimation “sandwich” epitaxy (SE). This work presents simulation data on the change of supersaturation and the temperature gradient between source and seed for the bulk growth. A series of growth runs on increased source to seed distances was characterized by XRD and Raman spectroscopy. Results show a decrease in quality in terms of single-crystallinity with a decrease in supersaturation. Morphology analysis of as-grown material indicates an increasing protrusion dimension with increasing thickness. This effect limits the achievable maximal thickness. Additional polytype inclusions were observed, which began to occur with low supersaturation (S ≤ 0.06) and prolonged growth (increase of carbon gas-species).

Characteristics of gas-saturated deposits of the Kandalaksha bay, the White Sea, according to the seismic-acoustic and litho-geochemical studies

The article discusses the results of complex geological, geophysical and geochemical studies of gas-saturated sediments within the Kandalaksha gulf, the White Sea. As a part of the marine study detailed seismoacoustic studies were conducted, resulting in the geometry of the seabed, the distribution of geological peculiarities of the sedimentary sequence, including the zones of focused unloading of hydrocarbon fluids. It is shown that assemblages of the «gas caps» are confined to the zones of maximal thickness of post-glacial sediments. The composition of the organic matter in the sediments and the gas phase has been studied in detail.