Signal intensity changes of dentate nucleus on plain MR T1WI innasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after radiotherapy andmultiple injections of gadolinium-base contrast agent

Objective To observe changes of plain MR T1WI signal intensity of dentate nucleus in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after radiotherapy and multiple times of intravenous injection of gadolinium-based contrast agent(GBCA).Methods Fifty patients with pathologically confirmed nasopharyngeal carcinoma and received intensity-modulated radiotherapy were retrospectively enrolled as the nasopharyngeal carcinoma group,and 50 patients with other malignant tumors and without history of brain radiotherapy were retrospectively enrolled as the control group.All patients received yearly GBCA enhanced MR examinations for the nasopharynx or the head.T1WI signal intensities of the dentate nucleus and the pons on same plane were measured based on images in the year of confirmed diagnosis(recorded as the first year)and in the second to the fifth years.T1WI signal intensity ratio of year i(ranging from 1 to 5)was calculated with values of dentate nucleus divided by values of the pons(ΔSI i),while the percentage of relative changes of year j(ranging from 2 to 5)was calculated withΔSI j compared toΔSI 1(Rchange j).The values of these two parameters were compared,and the correlation ofΔSI and GBCA injection year-time was evaluated within each group.Results No significant difference of gender,age norΔSI 1 was found between groups(all P>0.05).The second to the fifth yearΔSI and Rchange in nasopharyngeal carcinoma group were all higher than those in control group(all P<0.05).Within both groups,ΔSI was positively correlated with GBCA injection year-time(both P<0.05).Conclusion Patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who underwent radiotherapy and multiple times of intravenous injection of GBCA tended to be found with gradually worsening GBCA deposition in dentate nucleus,for which radiotherapy might be a risk factor.

Recommendation Method for Contrastive Enhancement of Neighborhood Information

Knowledge graph can assist in improving recommendation performance and is widely applied in various person-alized recommendation domains.However,existing knowledge-aware recommendation methods face challenges such as weak user-item interaction supervisory signals and noise in the knowledge graph.To tackle these issues,this paper proposes a neighbor information contrast-enhanced recommendation method by adding subtle noise to construct contrast views and employing contrastive learning to strengthen supervisory signals and reduce knowledge noise.Specifically,first,this paper adopts heterogeneous propagation and knowledge-aware attention networks to obtain multi-order neighbor embedding of users and items,mining the high-order neighbor informa-tion of users and items.Next,in the neighbor information,this paper introduces weak noise following a uniform distribution to construct neighbor contrast views,effectively reducing the time overhead of view construction.This paper then performs contrastive learning between neighbor views to promote the uniformity of view information,adjusting the neighbor structure,and achieving the goal of reducing the knowledge noise in the knowledge graph.Finally,this paper introduces multi-task learning to mitigate the problem of weak supervisory signals.To validate the effectiveness of our method,experiments are conducted on theMovieLens-1M,MovieLens-20M,Book-Crossing,and Last-FM datasets.The results showthat compared to the best baselines,our method shows significant improvements in AUC and F1.

Optical design of a novel near-infrared phase contrast imaging(NI-PCI)diagnostic on the HL-2A tokamak

The optical design of near-infrared phase contrast imaging(NI-PCI)diagnosis on HL-2A is introduced in this paper.This scheme benefits from the great progress of near-infrared laser technology and is a broadening of traditional phase contrast technology.This diagnostic can work as a keen tool to measure plasma wavenumber spectra by inferring string-integrated plasma density fluctuations.Design of both the front optical path which is the path before the laser transmitting into the tokamak plasma and the rear optics which is the path after the laser passing through the plasma is detailed.The 1550 nm laser is chosen as the probe beam and highprecision optical components are designed to fit the laser beam,in which a phase plate with a 194-nm-deep silver groove is the key.Compared with the conventional 10.6μm laser-based PCI system on HL-2A,NI-PCI significantly overcomes the unwanted phase scintillation effect and promotes the measurement capability of high-wavenumber turbulence with an increased maximal measurable wavenumber from 15 cm^(-1)to 32.6 cm^(-1).

Attribution of Biases of Interhemispheric Temperature Contrast in CMIP6 Models

One of the basic characteristics of Earth's modern climate is that the Northern Hemisphere(NH) is climatologically warmer than the Southern Hemisphere(SH). Here, model performances of this basic state are examined using simulation results from 26 CMIP6 models. Results show that the CMIP6 models underestimate the contrast in interhemispheric surface temperatures on average(0.8 K for CMIP6 mean versus 1.4 K for reanalysis data mean), and that there is a large intermodel spread, ranging from -0.7 K to 2.3 K. A box model energy budget analysis shows that the contrast in interhemispheric shortwave absorption at the top of the atmosphere, the contrast in interhemispheric greenhouse trapping, and the crossequatorial northward ocean heat transport, are all underestimated in the multimodel mean. By examining the intermodel spread, we find intermodel biases can be tracked back to biases in midlatitude shortwave cloud forcing in AGCMs. Models with a weaker interhemispheric temperature contrast underestimate the shortwave cloud reflection in the SH but overestimate the shortwave cloud reflection in the NH, which are respectively due to underestimation of the cloud fraction over the SH extratropical ocean and overestimation of the cloud liquid water content over the NH extratropical continents.Models that underestimate the interhemispheric temperature contrast exhibit larger double ITCZ biases, characterized by excessive precipitation in the SH tropics. Although this intermodel spread does not account for the multimodel ensemble mean biases, it highlights that improving cloud simulation in AGCMs is essential for simulating the climate realistically in coupled models.

Contrastive Consistency and Attentive Complementarity for Deep Multi-View Subspace Clustering

Deep multi-view subspace clustering (DMVSC) based on self-expression has attracted increasing attention dueto its outstanding performance and nonlinear application. However, most existing methods neglect that viewprivatemeaningless information or noise may interfere with the learning of self-expression, which may lead to thedegeneration of clustering performance. In this paper, we propose a novel framework of Contrastive Consistencyand Attentive Complementarity (CCAC) for DMVsSC. CCAC aligns all the self-expressions of multiple viewsand fuses them based on their discrimination, so that it can effectively explore consistent and complementaryinformation for achieving precise clustering. Specifically, the view-specific self-expression is learned by a selfexpressionlayer embedded into the auto-encoder network for each view. To guarantee consistency across views andreduce the effect of view-private information or noise, we align all the view-specific self-expressions by contrastivelearning. The aligned self-expressions are assigned adaptive weights by channel attention mechanism according totheir discrimination. Then they are fused by convolution kernel to obtain consensus self-expression withmaximumcomplementarity ofmultiple views. Extensive experimental results on four benchmark datasets and one large-scaledataset of the CCAC method outperformother state-of-the-artmethods, demonstrating its clustering effectiveness.

Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging Contrast Agents for Clinical Research: Limitations and Alternatives

Introduction: Near-infrared fluorescence imaging is a technique that will establish itself in the short term at the international level because it is recognized for its potential to improve the performance of surgical interventions, its moderate investment and operating costs and its portability. Although the technology is now mature, there is currently the problem of the availability of contrast agents to be injected IV. The aim of this methodology article is to propose an alternative solution to the need for contrast agents for clinical research, particularly in oncology. Methodology: They consist of coupling a fluorescent marker in the form of an NHS derivative, such as IR DYE manufactured in compliance with GMP, with therapeutic monoclonal antibodies having marketing authorization for molecular imaging. For a given antibody, the marking procedure must be the subject of a validation file on the final preparation filtered on a sterilizing membrane at 0.22 μm. Once the procedure has been validated, it would be unnecessary to repeat the tests before each clinical research examination. A check of the marking by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and place it in a sample bank at +4˚C for 1 month of each injected formulation would be sufficient for additional tests if necessary. Conclusion: Molecular near-infrared fluorescence imaging is experiencing development, the process of which could be accelerated by greater availability of clinical contrast agents. Alternative solutions are therefore necessary to promote clinical research in this area. These methods must be shared to make it easier for researchers.

Gastrointestinal contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for diagnosis and treatment of peptic ulcer in children

BACKGROUND The detection rate of peptic ulcer in children is improving,with development of diagnostic procedures.Gastroscopy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of peptic ulcer,but it is an invasive procedure.Gastrointestinal contrast-enhanced ultrasonography(CEUS)has the advantages of being painless,noninvasive,nonradioactive,easy to use,and safe.AIM To investigate the clinical value of CEUS for diagnosis and treatment of peptic ulcer in children.METHODS We investigated 43 children with digestive tract symptoms in our hospital from January 2021 to June 2022.All children were examined by routine ultrasound,gastrointestinal CEUS,and gastroscopy.The pathological results of gastroscopy were taken as the gold standard.Routine ultrasonography was performed before gastrointestinal CEUS.Conventional ultrasound showed the thickness of the gastroduodenal wall,gastric peristalsis,and the adjacent organs and tissues around the abdominal cavity.Gastrointestinal CEUS recorded the thickness of the gastroduodenal wall;the size,location and shape of the ulcer;gastric peristalsis;and adjacent organs and tissues around the abdominal cavity.The results of routine ultrasound and gastrointestinal ultrasound were compared with those of gastroscopy to evaluate the diagnostic results and coincidence rate of routine ultrasound and gastrointestinal CEUS.All children received informed consent from their guardians for CEUS.This study was reviewed and approved by the hospital medical ethics committee.RESULTS Among the 43 children,17(15 male,2 female)were diagnosed with peptic ulcer by gastroscopy.There were 26 children with nonpeptic ulcer.There were eight cases of peptic ulcer and 35 of nonpeptic ulcer diagnosed by conventional ultrasound.The diagnostic coincidence rate of peptic ulcer in children diagnosed by conventional ultrasound was 79.1%(34/43),which was significantly different from that of gastroscopy(P=0.033).It indicates that the coincidence rate of gastrointestinal contrast-enhanced ultrasound and gastroscope is low.Fifteen cases of peptic ulcer and 28 of nonpeptic ulcer were diagnosed by CEUS.The diagnostic coincidence rate of peptic ulcer in children was 95.3%(41/43).There was no significant difference between CEUS and gastroscopy(P=0.655).It indicates that the coincidence rate of gastrointestinal contrast-enhanced ultrasound and gastroscope is high.CONCLUSION Gastrointestinal CEUS has a high coincidence rate in the diagnosis of peptic ulcer in children,and can be used as a preliminary examination method.

Laser speckle contrast imaging to predict the effect of temporary spinal cord stimulation in postherpetic neuralgia patients: A prospective observational study

Temporary spinal cord stimulation(tSCS)can effectively reduce the pain and severity of postherpetic neuralgia(PHN).However,there are no effective and objective methods for predicting the effects of tSCS on PHN.Laser speckle contrast imaging(LSCI)is frequently used in neurology to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.To assess the accuracy of LSCI in predicting the impact of tSCS on PHN,14 adult patients receiving tSCS treatments for spinal nerve-innervated(C6-T2)PHN participated in this observational study.Visual analog scale(VAS)assessments and LSCI bloodflow images of the-ngers were recorded after the tSCS procedure.The results showed that the VAS scores of all patients decreased signi-cantly.Moreover,the bloodflow index(BFI)values were signi-cantly higher than they were before the procedure.Increased bloodflow and pain alleviation were positively correlated.The-ndings indicated that spinal nerve PHN(C6-T2)was signi-cantly reduced by tSCS.Pain alleviation by tSCS was positively correlated with increased bloodflow in the hand.The effect of tSCS on PHN may thus be predicted using an independent and consistent indicator such as LSCI.

Improved Weighted Local Contrast Method for Infrared Small Target Detection

In order to address the problem of high false alarm rate and low probabilities of infrared small target detection in complex low-altitude background,an infrared small target detection method based on improved weighted local contrast is proposed in this paper.First,the ratio information between the target and local background is utilized as an enhancement factor.The local contrast is calculated by incorporating the heterogeneity between the target and local background.Then,a local product weighted method is designed based on the spatial dissimilarity between target and background to further enhance target while suppressing background.Finally,the location of target is obtained by adaptive threshold segmentation.As experimental results demonstrate,the method shows superior performance in several evaluation metrics compared with six existing algorithms on different datasets containing targets such as unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV).

Dynamic contrast enhanced ultrasound in differential diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Non-invasive differential diagnosis between hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and other liver cancer(i.e.cholangiocarcinoma or metastasis)is highly challenging and definitive diagnosis still relies on histological exam.The patterns of enhancement and wash-out of liver nodules can be used to stratify the risk of malignancy only in cirrhotic patients and HCC frequently shows atypical features.Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound(DCEUS)with standardized software could help to overcome these obstacles,providing functional and quantitative parameters and potentially improving accuracy in the evaluation of tumor perfusion.AIM To explore clinical evidence regarding the application of DCEUS in the differential diagnosis of liver nodules.METHODS A comprehensive literature search of clinical studies was performed to identify the parameters of DCEUS that could relate to histological diagnosis.In accordance with the study protocol,a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the evidence was planned.RESULTS Rise time was significantly higher in HCC patients with a standardized mean difference(SMD)of 0.83(95%CI:0.48-1.18).Similarly,other statistically significant parameters were mean transit time local with a SMD of 0.73(95%CI:0.20-1.27),peak enhancement with a SMD of 0.37(95%CI:0.03-0.70),area wash-in area under the curve with a SMD of 0.47(95%CI:0.13-0.81),wash-out area under the curve with a SMD of 0.55(95%CI:0.21-0.89)and wash-in and wash-out area under the curve with SMD of 0.51(95%CI:0.17-0.85).SMD resulted not significant in fall time and wash-in rate,but the latter presented a trend towards greater values in HCC compared to intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.CONCLUSION DCEUS could improve non-invasive diagnosis of HCC,leading to less liver biopsy and early treatment.This quantitative analysis needs to be applied on larger cohorts to confirm these preliminary results.

The Inheritance and Application of Chinese Reverse Contrast Typeface Style

This paper discusses the inheritance and application of Chinese character reverse contrast typeface style.It begins by analyzing the visual features of Western reverse contrast typeface styles,with a focus on Caslon Italian and French Clarendon,providing a Western perspective reference for subsequent Chinese character reverse contrast typeface style designs.The paper then traces the origins of the Chinese reverse contrast style,from the calligraphy style"Lacquer Script"to the earliest printing type"フワンテール形",exploring the historical background and cultural significance of the Chinese reverse contrast style.In the methodology section of Chinese character reverse contrast typeface style design,the discussion is conducted from two dimensions:inheritance and application.In terms of inheritance,through an in-depth analysis of"Lacquer Script"and"フワンテール形"typeface style,the paper summarizes three basic theories for modern Chinese character reverse contrast typeface style design.In the application section,it examines in detail the two most influential recent typeface styles,"Ribaasu"and"Basic Artistic",outlining three directions of application:extreme horizontal stroke variations,exaggerated contrast,and diverse decorative strokes,showcasing new directions and possibilities for Chinese character reverse contrast typeface style design.This paper not only reviews the developmental history of the Chinese character reverse contrast typeface style but also analyzes the design methodology of Chinese character reverse contrast typeface style through specific case studies.

Is it a normal phenomenon for pediatric patients to have brain leptomeningeal contrast enhancement on 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging?

Determining whether sevoflurane sedation in children leads to“pseudo”prominent leptomeningeal contrast enhancement(pLMCE)on 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging will help reduce overdiagnosis by radiologists and clarify the pathophysiological changes of pLMCE.

Interpretation of Contrasts Employed in The Virtues of Growing Older

People make comparison and contrasts everyday,though they may not be aware of it. Comparison and contrast are ma jor methods to develop a piece of exposition. This paper mainly interprets the effective use of contrasts in The Virtues of Growing Older and explores the language art of an exposition.

Contrasts in Eugene O'Neill's Beyond the Horizon

In Beyond the Horizon,a three-act play,Eugene O'Neill successfully employs the techinique of contrast,namely,contrasts between different characters,between indoor and outdoor settings,and between seasons,which help to acquire rich symbolic meaning and intensify the tragic sense of the play.

The Contrasts of English Sentences and Chinese Sentences and Translation Skills

Since the opening-up policy was carried out in 1979, every facility of social modernized construction has developed at high speed; meanwhile, the need of English is increased year by year. The occasion and scope of using it are expanded with the communications among countries. Therefore, English has become the generally international language in our country; in particular, translation plays an important and irreplaceable part in English to convey information. This paper aims to introduce the contrasts of English sentences and Chinese sentences and discuss some skills of translating each other. Though it is not complete and authoritative, yet it may help some people to understand the differences between two languages and to grasp some practical skills.

Role of optical spectroscopy using endogenous contrasts in clinical cancer diagnosis

Optical spectroscopy has been intensively studied for cancer management in the past two decades.This review paper first introduces the background of optical spectroscopy for cancer management,which includes the advantages of optical techniques compared to other established techniques,the principle of optical spectroscopy and the typical setup of instrumentation.Then the recent progress in optical spectroscopy for cancer diagnosis in the following organs is reviewed:the brain,breast,cervix,lung,stomach,colon,prostate and the skin.Reviewed papers were selected from the PubMed database with keywords combining the terms of individual optical spectroscopy techniques and cancers.The primary focus is on the in vivo applications of optical spectroscopy in clinical studies.Ex vivo studies are also included for some organs to highlight special applications or when there are few in vivo results in the literature.Practical considerations of applying optical spectroscopy in clinical settings such as the speed,cost,complexity of operation,accuracy and clinical value are discussed.A few commercially available clinical instruments that are based on optical spectroscopy techniques are presented.Finally several technical challenges and standard issues are discussed and firm conclusions are made.

A Brief Review of Lexico-semantic Contrasts between English and Chinese

Contrastive linguistics belongs to a branch of linguistics.It studies two or more languages synchronically.However,lexicology is the study of lexical items of a language.An English sentence or a Chinese sentence formed based on words and clauses.Because of differences in Cultures,the lexical meanings between English and Chinese differ in many aspects,such as motivation of words and sense relationships.This paper is a brief review that just likes a book report,mainly based on the book Contrastive Linguistics,of lexico-semantic contrasts between English and Chinese,illustrated with several examples in both English and Chinese.

Improvement of distension and mural visualization of bowel loops using neutral oral contrasts in abdominal computed tomography

AIM: To assess and compare the image quality of 4% sorbitol and diluted iodine 2%(positive oral contrast agent) in abdomino-pelvic multi-detector computed tomography.METHODS: Two-hundred patients, referred to the Radiology Department of a central educational hospital for multi-detector row abdominal-pelvic computed tomography, were randomly divided into two groups: the first group received 1500 m L of 4% sorbitol solution as a neutral contrast agent, while in the second group 1500 m L of meglumin solution as a positive contrast agent was administered in a one-way randomized prospective study. The results were independently reviewed by two radiologists. Luminal distension and mural thickness and mucosal enhancement were compared between the two groups. Statistical analysis of the results was performed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 16 and the Mann-Whitney test at a confidence level of 95%. RESULTS: Use of neutral oral contrast agent significantly improved visualization of the small bowel wall thickness and mural appearance in comparison with administration of positive contrast agent(P < 0.01). In patients who received sorbitol, the small bowel showed better distention compared with those who received iodine solution as a positive contrast agent(P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of the study demonstrated that oral administration of sorbitol solution allows better luminal distention and visualization of mural features than iodine solution as a positive contrast agent.

Perception of English Tense and Lax Vowel Contrasts in Chinese Learners of English

This paper aims at examining the perception of English tense and lax vowel contrasts by testing an identification task of CVC syllables with different manipulated durations in Chinese learners of English.This can provide some empirical evidence for English as a second language teachers in teaching second language pronunciation.

Unilateral contrast-induced encephalopathy with contrast medium exudation:A case report

BACKGROUND Contrast-induced encephalopathy(CIE)is a rare transient,reversible abnormality in the structure or function of the nervous system caused by the intravascular use of contrast agents.CIE can present with a range of neurological manifestations,including focal neurological deficits(hemiplegia,hemianopia,cortical blindness,aphasia,and parkinsonism)and systemic symptoms(confusion,seizures,and coma).However,if not accurately diagnosed and treated in a timely manner,CIE can cause irreversible damage to patients,especially critically ill patients.CASE SUMMARY A male in his 50 s,2 h after digital subtraction angiography,had a progressive disorder of consciousness,mixed aphasia,bilateral pupillary sluggish light reflex,and right limb weakness.Seven hours after the procedure,he developed unconsciousness,high fever(39.5°C),seizures,hemiplegia,neck stiffness(+),and right Babinski signs(+).computed tomography(CT)findings 2 h postprocedure were very confusing and led us to misdiagnose the patient with subarachnoid hemorrhage.Brain CT was performed again 7 h after the procedure.Compared with the CT 2 h after the procedure,the CT 7 h after the procedure showed that the manifestations of subarachnoid hemorrhage in the left cerebral hemisphere had disappeared and were replaced by brain tissue swelling,and the cerebral sulci had disappeared.Combined with the clinical manifestations of the patient and after the exclusion of subarachnoid hemorrhage and cerebrovascular embolism,we diagnosed the patient with CIE,and intravenous fluids were given for adequate hydration,as well as mannitol,albumin dehydration,furosemide and the glucocorticoid methylprednisolone.After 17 d of active treatment,the patient was discharged with no sequelae.CONCLUSION CIE should be taken seriously,but it is easily misdiagnosed,and once CIE is diagnosed,rapid,accurate diagnosis and treatment are critical steps.Whether a follow-up examination using a contrast agent can be performed should be closely evaluated,and the patient should be fully informed of the associated risks.