A case of occult insulinoma localized by pancreatic dynamic enhanced spiral CT

Insulinomas are the most common category of pancreatic endocrine tumors,with an annual incidence of 1-4 cases per million people.Most are intrapancreatic,benign and solitary.Therefore,they have an excellent prognosis after surgical resection.However,the localization diagnosis of insulinomas still poses a challenge to surgeons and radiologists.In this case,the tumor was occult and could not be found by either abdominal enhanced spiral computed tomography(CT)or ultrasonography.Therefore,we tried a new method of CT scanning and localized the tumor.

High dimension feature extraction based visualized SOM fault diagnosis method and its application in p-xylene oxidation process

Purified terephthalic acid(PTA) is an important chemical raw material. P-xylene(PX) is transformed to terephthalic acid(TA) through oxidation process and TA is refined to produce PTA. The PX oxidation reaction is a complex process involving three-phase reaction of gas, liquid and solid. To monitor the process and to improve the product quality, as well as to visualize the fault type clearly, a fault diagnosis method based on selforganizing map(SOM) and high dimensional feature extraction method, local tangent space alignment(LTSA),is proposed. In this method, LTSA can reduce the dimension and keep the topology information simultaneously,and SOM distinguishes various states on the output map. Monitoring results of PX oxidation reaction process indicate that the LTSA–SOM can well detect and visualize the fault type.

PRELIMINARY APPLICATION OF COLOR DOPPLER FLOW IMAGING IN THE LOCALIZATION OF PARATHYROID ADENOMAS

From December 1991 to April 1993, we performed color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) in 11 patients with parathyroid adenoma, and all cases were confirmed by operation and pathology. In all the parathyroid adenomas,vessels were clearly revealed at the periphery of the upper pole and/or anterior periphery, where arterial signals were elicited. These arteries had branches into the adenomas and originated from inferior thyroid arteries on the same side in most cases. The internal flow signals were increased markedly as compared to normal thyroid, and high-velocity arterial signals were detected. Because of the thyroid' s rich blood supply and landmark peripheral vessels, CDFI can distinguish parathyroid foci from thyroid nodules, lymph nodes, and normal tissues and provide a sound basis for the diagnosis of small parathyroid foci.

Short-Term Impact of Elemental Sulfur on Cranberry Nutrition and Crop Performance

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) is an ammophilous plant grown on acid soils (pH 4.0 - 5.5). Elemental sulfur is commonly applied at a recommended rate of 1120 kg S ha−1 per pH unit to acidify cranberry soils, potentially impacting the plant mineral nutrition. The general recommendation may not fit all conditions encountered in the field. Our objective was to develop an equation to predict the sulfur requirement to reach pHwater of 4.2 to tackle nitrification in acidic cranberry soils varying in initial pH values, and to measure the effect of elemental sulfur on the mineral nutrition and the performance of cranberry crops. A 3-yr experiment was designed to test the effect of elemental sulfur on soil and tissue tests and on berry yield and quality. Four S treatments (0, 250, 500 and 1000 kg S ha−1) were established on three duplicated sites during two consecutive years. We ran soil, foliar tissue, berry tissue tests, and measured berry yield, size, anthocyanin content (TAcy), Brix, and firmness. Nutrients were expressed as centered log ratios to reflect nutrient interactions. Results were analyzed using a mixed model. Soil Ca decreased while soil Mn and S increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05). Sulfur showed no significant effects on nutrient balances in uprights. The S impacted negatively berry B balance, and positively berry Mn and S balances. A linear regression model relating pH change to S dosage and elapsed time (R2 = 0.53) showed that to reach pHwater of 4.2 two years after S application, 250 - 1000 kg S ha−1 could be applied depending on initial soil pH value. The stratification of surface-applied elemental S in the soil profile should be further examined in relation to plant rooting and nutrient leaching.

Analysis of the successful clinical treatment of 140 patients with parathyroid adenoma:A retrospective study

BACKGROUND Parathyroid adenoma(PA) sometimes recurs after surgery,how to improve the surgical success rate of PA is the key to the treatment of this disease.AIM To investigate the clinical features,diagnosis,and surgical treatment of patients with PA.METHODS Patients who were pathologically confirmed with PA and had undergone surgery for the first time between January 2010 and December 2017 at the Beijing Shijitan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University were included in the study.The clinical features,localization diagnosis,and surgical treatment of these patients were analyzed.RESULTS Of the 140 patients,32 were male and 108 were female;132 cases had one adenoma,and 8 had two adenomas.In addition,114 cases had clinical symptoms,among which 51,28,23,8,and 4 had urinary system,skeletal system,digestive system,neuromuscular system,and neuropsychiatric symptoms,respectively,while 26 cases had no obvious symptoms.The median level of preoperative parathyroid hormone(PTH) was 201.0 pg/m L.The positive detection rate of technetium-99m sestamibi(Tc-99m MIBI) single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography(SPECT/CT),ultrasound examination,and the combined use of Tc-99m MIBI SPECT/CT and ultrasound examination was 92.9%,85.5%,and 96.4%,respectively.Open surgery was performed in all patients,and PTH was monitored during surgery.The success rate of surgery was 98.6%.After surgery,21 cases developed hypocalcemia,1 case developed temporary hoarseness,and 19 cases had transient hypoparathyroidism but there was no permanent hypoparathyroidism,postoperative hemorrhage,or hematoma in the surgical area.CONCLUSION For patients with clinically unexplained skeletal system,urinary system,and neuropsychiatric symptoms,the possibility of PA should be considered.Imaging examinations such as ultrasound and Tc-99m MIBI SPECT/CT could be integrated before surgery to obtain accurate localization diagnosis.Precise preoperative localization,intraoperative PTH monitoring,and delicate surgery to protect the integrity of the PA capsule ensure a minimally invasive and successful surgery.