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Background: It is still uncertain to determine the exact diagnostic accuracy of MRI for medial meniscus (MM) tear, lateral meniscus (LM) tear and MM posterior root tear (MMPRT) at different magnetic field intensities (MFIs), different sequences and different publication dates. This study aimed to identify the diagnostic performance of MRI for different meniscus lesions at different MFIs, different sequences and different publication dates, and also to compare it with physical examination. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Ovid database, Biosis Previews, Cochrane library, Web of Sciences and manual searching were performed from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2021. Prospective studies of meniscus injuries examined by physical examination, MRI and arthroscopy were included. Results: Thirteen studies with 1583 meniscal tears were included. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (LR+), negative likelihood ratio (LR-), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and area under curve (AUC) were 87% (95% confidence interval (CI), 86-89%), 82% (80-83%), 7.44 (5.11- 10.75), 0.18 (0.14-0.23), 45.95 (26,68-79.15) and 0.93, respectively. The pooled specificity between MM and LM (p = 0.015), the pooled sensitivity and LR- between MM and MMPR (p = 0.031), different MRI sequences (p = 0.035, p = 0.027), and the accuracy of less than 1.5T and 3.0T (p = 0.04), 1.5T and 3.0T (p = 0.035) were statistically different. There was no publication bias (p = 0.54). Conclusion: MRI performed well in the diagnosis of MM tear, LM tear and MMPRT, and the diagnostic performance of physical examination is similar to MRI. The diagnostic accuracy of 3.0T is the highest, and the -weighted imaging (SWI) sequence may be beneficial for diagnosing meniscus tear. However, there are not enough evidence to prove that recent studies are significantly better than previous ones.

High-frequency quartz crystal microbalance biosensing platforms were constructed using an aptamer and antibody as bioreceptors for fast and label-free SARS-CoV-2 RBD assay.

Traditional feature selection algorithms rarely consider the dynamic misalignment between different time series, and have poor fault tolerance and robustness. In this paper, a fault feature selection method for rolling bearings based on Dynamic Time Warped Related Searches (DTWRS) is proposed. Firstly, the bearing fault feature set is constructed, and the dynamic time warping algorithm is used to calculate the shortest cumulative distance between feature of different faults, and this distance is used as the correlation evaluation standard. Then, two new search rules, dynamic time warping difference and dynamic time warping entropy, are proposed based on the minimum redundancy between bearing fault features and the maximum correlation between fault features and feature categories, use these two search rules to judge the ability of the feature to express the fault, define the quality of the fault feature and sort from good to bad according to the level of ability. Finally, in this order, the number of features is gradually increased and input to the fault classifier, and the sensitive fault feature set is obtained based on the principle of the highest recognition rate and the least number of features. The experimental results show that the fault feature selection method of rolling bearing based on DTWRS can increase the accuracy of fault diagnosis while minimizing the number of features, and improve the efficiency and effect of fault diagnosis.

Mercury ion (Hg

Objective To investigate whether the application of a curved rasp on the femoral side is effective in reducing the incidence of stem malalignment in total hip replacement with direct anterior approach (DAA-THA), followed by the analysis of the independent risk factors affecting stem malalignment. Methods Retrospective analysis was carried out covering 160 patients undergoing DAA-THA from January 2019 to December 2021, with Tri-Lock (BPS, Depuy) stem applied in all 113 patients were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data of gender, age, body mass index, preoperative diagnoses, Dorr classification, FAR ratio, pelvic morphology ratio, WOMAC scores, were analyzed to explore the independent factors influencing the malalignment of the femoral prosthesis implantation. Then data of patients were divided into group A and group B according to whether the curved rasp was taken during the operation. The chi-square test was performed to compare the incidence of femoral stem malalignment between the two groups. Results There revealed two independent risk factors: BMI and FAR ratio that affected femoral stem malalignment. The increased BMI was associated with a higher probability of femoral stem malalignment (P1(OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.03–1.28, P Conclusions In DAA-THA, BMI and FAR ratio act as the independent risk factors for femoral stem malalignment. Intraoperative use of a curved rasp significantly reduces the incidence of malalignment of the femoral stem.

IntroductionTraditional DBS is usually conducted under local anesthesia (LA) which is intolerable to some patients, DBS under general anesthesia (GA) was opted to extended surgical indication. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) for Parkinson’s disease (PD) under asleep and awake anesthesia state in 1-year postoperative follow-up.MethodsTwenty-one PD patients were assigned to asleep group and 25 patients to awake group. Patients received bilateral STN-DBS under different anesthesia state. The PD participants were interviewed and assessed preoperatively and at 1-year postoperative follow-up.ResultsAt 1-year follow-up, compared surgical coordinate in two groups, the left-side Y of asleep group showed more posterior than awake group (Y was-2.39 ± 0.23 in asleep group, −1.46 ± 0.22 in awake group, p = 0.007). Compared with preoperative OFF MED state, MDS-UPDRS III scores in OFF MED/OFF STIM state remained unchanged, while in OFF MED/ON STIM state were significantly improved in awake and asleep groups, yet without significant difference. Compared with preoperative ON MED state, MDS-UPDRS III scores in ON MED/OFF STIM, and ON MED/ON STIM state remained unchanged in both groups. In non-motor outcomes, PSQI, HAMD, and HAMA score significantly improved in asleep group compared to awake group at 1-year follow-up (PSQI, HAMD, and HAMA score in 1-year follow-up were 9.81 ± 4.43; 10.00 ± 5.80; 5.71 ± 4.75 in awake group, 6.64 ± 4.14; 5.32 ± 3.78; 3.76 ± 3.87 in asleep group, p = 0.009; 0.008; 0.015, respectively), while there was no significant difference in PDQ-39, NMSS, ESS, PDSS score, and cognitive function. Anesthesia methods was significantly associated with improvement of HAMA and HAMD score (p = 0.029; 0.002, respectively). No difference in LEDD, stimulation parameters and adverse events was observed between two groups.DiscussionAsleep STN-DBS may be considered a good alternative method for PD patients. It is largely consistent with awake STN-DBS in motor symptoms and safety. Yet, it showed higher improvement in terms of mood and sleep compared to awake group at 1-year follow-up.

Supplementary Data

Supplementary Figures S1-S5, Supplementary Materials and Methods

Calicheamicin antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are effective therapeutics for leukemias with two recently approved in the United States: Mylotarg (gemtuzumab ozogamicin) targeting CD33 for acute myeloid leukemia and Besponsa (inotuzumab ozogamicin) targeting CD22 for acute lymphocytic leukemia. Both of these calicheamicin ADCs are heterogeneous, aggregation-prone, and have a shortened half-life due to the instability of the acid-sensitive hydrazone linker in circulation. We hypothesized that we could improve upon the heterogeneity, aggregation, and circulation stability of calicheamicin ADCs by directly attaching the thiol of a reduced calicheamicin to an engineered cysteine on the antibody via a disulfide bond to generate a linkerless and traceless conjugate. We report herein that the resulting homogeneous conjugates possess minimal aggregation and display high in vivo stability with 50% of the drug remaining conjugated to the antibody after 21 days. Furthermore, these calicheamicin ADCs are highly efficacious in mouse models of both solid tumor (HER2+ breast cancer) and hematologic malignancies (CD22+ non-Hodgkin lymphoma). Safety studies in rats with this novel calicheamicin ADC revealed an increased tolerability compared with that reported for Mylotarg. Overall, we demonstrate that applying novel linker chemistry with site-specific conjugation affords an improved, next-generation calicheamicin ADC.

The influence of SrCl2 on the corrosion behavior of magnesium (Mg) in 3.5 wt.% NaCl was evaluated by immersion testing, electrochemical measurement and the examination of the corrosion morphology. A small addition of SrCl2 decreased the corrosion rate of Mg. In contrast, an excess of SrCl2 increased the corrosion rate of Mg, even higher than that in 3.5 wt.% NaCl. There is a competition effect of the SrCl2 on the corrosion behavior of Mg in 3.5 wt.% NaCl. The Sr2+ can improve the protection of corrosion product film through the formation of SrCO3. While the Cl− can damage the protection of the corrosion product film. The Mg specimen achieved the best corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt.% NaCl + 0.005 mol L−1 SrCl2.

Amorphous RuBx and crystalline Ru nanoparticles integrated into B/N-doped porous carbon polyhedra via a facile one-step thermal-reduction exhibited remarkable HER electrocatalytic performances in both alkaline and acidic media.

Background Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a rare neurological disorder with complex physiopathological mechanisms that have not been fully understood. Early identification is of great prognostic significance, of which the symptoms and radiological abnormalities can be completely reversed. If the diagnosis and treatment are delayed, ischemia and massive infarction may be developed in some patients. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) has been reported mainly in association with postpartum eclampsia, which have been rarely reported, while the association with hypothyroidism has not been reported at home or abroad. Case presentation Here we report on a pregnant 29-year-old with multipara and a chief complication of hypothyroidism. She presented in the emergency department with frequent attacks of severe headache symptoms resulting from reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS), accompanied with prenatal eclampsia. PRES was determined by radiological examination. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of PRES complicated by hypothyroidism and prepartum eclampsia.Clinicians should be alert for the co-occurence of eclampsia, PRES, and RCVS when patients have convulsions after a typical throbbing headache. Moreover, regular monitoring of thyroid function during pregnancy should also occupy certain special attention.

Objective To investigate whether the application of a curved rasp on the femoral side is effective in reducing the incidence of stem valgus-varus in total hip replacement with direct anterior approach (DA-THA), followed by the analysis of the independent risk factors affecting stem alignment. Methods Retrospective analysis was carried out covering 160 patients undergoing DA-THA from January 2019 to December 2021, with Tri-lock (BPS) stem applied in all 120 patients were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data of gender, age, body mass index, FAR ratio, pelvic morphology ratio, femoral stem placement angle, use of curved rasp, intraoperative complications, WOMAC scores, were analyzed to explore the independent factors influencing the valgus-varus of the femoral prosthesis implantation. Then data of patients were divided into group A and group B according to whether the curved rasp was taken during the operation. The chi-square test was performed to compare the incidence of femoral malalignment between the two groups. Results There revealed two independent risk factors: BMI and FAR score that affected femoral stem alignment. The increased BMI was associated with a higher probability of stem malalignment (p

During coal seam mining, a large amount of low-concentration mine gas will be produced, and it is the main utilization way to pass it into a thermal storage oxidation device to obtain heat energy. The thermal storage oxidation process is carried out in an ultra-high temperature environment. The excessive gas concentration not only reduces the production efficiency but also presents an explosion hazard. To solve the abovementioned problems, the lower explosion limit of a low-concentration gas at ultra-high temperatures (900–1200 °C) was studied through a self-developed high-temperature explosion experimental device. Fluent software was used to simulate the reaction of a low-concentration gas in a high-temperature environment, and the experimental results were verified according to the maximum explosion pressure. Through analysis and discussion, the following are found: (1) the relationship between the instantaneous explosion pressure of the low-concentration gas and the gas concentration as well as the relationship between the maximum explosion pressure near the lower explosion limit and the gas concentration are in accordance with the Boltzmann function. (2) When the temperature rises from 900 to 1200 °C, the lower limit of gas explosion obtained from experiments is reduced from 2.33 to 1.36%. (3) The lower limit of gas explosion decreases with increasing temperature at ultra-high temperatures and the downward trend slows down, this is similar to the change rule of the lower limit of gas explosion at temperatures below 200 °C. These findings have certain practical significance for improving the utilization efficiency of the low-concentration gas in heat storage oxidation.

The key to the evaluation of bearing performance degradation is to extract sensitive characteristic indicators that can reflect the degradation process. In order to solve the problem of insufficient sensitivity of the bearing multi-source signals feature, a fusion entropy ratio feature based on dynamic time warping is proposed. First, the segmented approximate entropy, sample entropy and fuzzy entropy of the bearing performance degradation process are extracted, and then the mean clustering is used to obtain the standard entropy vector of the health state. In order to eliminate the influence of working environment and entropy value on state evaluation, a concept of entropy ratio is defined by the ratio of the entropy vector of each state to the standard entropy vector of the health state. Finally, using dynamic time warping has the advantage of accurately describing the similarity between vectors from a global perspective, and the multi-source heterogeneous fusion entropy ratio distance feature is constructed to describe the degraded state of bearing performance. Experiments show that this feature is more sensitive to the bearing performance degradation than other features, such as fusion entropy ratio feature based on Euclidean distance, single entropy ratio feature based on dynamic time bending.

Multivariate time series prediction is a very important task, which plays a huge role in climate, economy, and other fields. We usually use an Attention-based Encoder-Decoder network to deal with multivariate time series prediction because the attention mechanism makes it easier for the model to focus on the really important attributes. However, the Encoder-Decoder network has the problem that the longer the length of the sequence is, the worse the prediction accuracy is, which means that the Encoder-Decoder network cannot process long series and therefore cannot obtain detailed historical information. In this paper, we propose a dual-window deep neural network (DWNet) to predict time series. The dual-window mechanism allows the model to mine multigranularity dependencies of time series, such as local information obtained from a short sequence and global information obtained from a long sequence. Our model outperforms nine baseline methods in four different datasets.

Highly sensitive and selective microRNA (miRNA) assay is of great significance for disease diagnosis and therapy. Herein, a magnetic-assisted electrochemistry (EC)-photoelectrochemistry (PEC) dual-mode biosensing platform was developed for miRNA-210 detection based on dual-signaling EC and photocurrent-polarity-switching PEC strategies. Porous magnetic Fe3O4 octahedra with a large surface area were synthesized by calcining Fe-based metal-organic frameworks. Subsequently, the magnetic photoelectric materials (Fe3O4@CdS) were developed by the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method in Cd2+ and S2- solutions. Then, the self-assembled DNA nanoprisms contained three thiols/hanging arms that could capture miRNA-210 efficiently and were anchored to the Fe3O4@CdS octahedra via the Cd-S bond. When miRNA-210 was present, the double-stranded DNA concatemers [the self-assembled duplex helixes based on a pair of methylene blue (MB)-labeled single-stranded DNAs (AP1 and AP2) through the hybridization chain reaction and then intercalated with adriamycin (Dox) into their grooves] were connected with the Fe3O4@CdS-DNA nanoprisms. MB and Dox not only acted as the electrochemical probes but also synergistically switched the photocurrent polarity of the Fe3O4@CdS octahedra. Thus, miRNA-210 was assayed sensitively and selectively via the proposed EC-PEC dual-mode biosensing platform. Additionally, the abovementioned recognition steps occurred in a homogeneous system, and the effects of the impurities and interferences on the miRNA-210 assay could be easily avoided by magnetic separation due to the good magnetic properties of Fe3O4 octahedra. The proposed EC-PEC dual-mode biosensing platform showed a wide range of potential applications in bioanalysis and early diagnosis of disease.

This paper presents a nonlinear iterative magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC) model for a novel counter-rotation dual-rotor axial flux permanent magnet synchronous machine (CRDR-AFPMSM). The proposed machine mainly consists of two rotors with opposite rotation directions, two sets of concentrated windings and a stator core sandwiched in between the two rotors. The model takes into account of the nonlinear characteristics of the saturable permeance in the stator core, and the permeance matrix is updated by an iterative procedure to accurately illustrate its nonlinear feature. The air gap flux density, back electromotive force (EMF) and torque are predicted by the model. Based on the nonlinear model, the thickness of the stator yoke is determined. All of the results obtained by the proposed model match with finite element analysis (FEA) results closely, thus the validity of the proposed MEC model is verified.

Background Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pose a major challenge to health economic cost and residents’ health status. Community health workers (CHWs) are the gatekeeper of primary health care. Objective This study aimed to conduct a situational analysis of the current human resource and requirement of NCDs-related training in Chengdu with regard to address to understand the suggestions for improvement of challenges and barriers. Methods A descriptive online cross-sectional survey was conducted among CHWs (doctor and nurse) from 23 districts and counties in Chengdu. Sociodemographic and NCDs-related variables were collected. Univariate analysis and multiple response analysis were used to describe the characteristics of these variables. Results 711 doctors and 637 nurses completely responded. There were significant differences among gender, age, educational levels, professional title, working year, type of institution, urban circle and registration in general practice between doctors and nurses (P P P

In environmental governance, local governments are the main actors, and their behavioral preferences between economic growth competition (EGC) and environmental regulation (ER) affect the inputs and outputs of environmental governance. Most studies discuss the relationship between government behaviors and the environment from the fiscal decentralization perspective, with few studies from the fiscal pressure (FP) perspective. Importantly, the bidirectional interaction mechanism is easily ignored. This study measured local government FP, EGC, ER, and environmental governance efficiency (EGE) in China’s Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region from 2000 to 2020. Moran’s I index was used to identify the change characteristics of local government behavioral preferences. The interaction mechanism was analyzed by a panel vector autoregression (PVAR) model. The results show that (1) from 2000 to 2020, FP was generally strengthened. EGE generally showed fluctuating and rising change characteristics, with more obvious fluctuating and rising characteristics before 2012 and after 2012, respectively. Local governments shifted from a strong alternative preference to a weak synergistic preference. (2) FP had a self-reinforcing effect. EGC and ER had a self-weakening effect. EGE had not only a self-weakening effect but also a weak self-dependence. (3) There is a double negative interaction mechanism between FP and local government behavioral preferences. FP made local governments prefer to reduce EGC and relax ER, but in fact, EGC and ER were conducive to alleviating FP. (4) There is a negative transitive influence mechanism between FP, local government behavioral preferences and EGE. The negative effect of FP on EGE can be transmitted by reducing EGC and ER. This paper provides a scientific basis for improving EGE in the YRD region and understanding the behavioral logic of local governments’ environmental governance and a reference for other rapidly industrializing and urbanizing regions.

Dysregulation of protein phosphatases is associated with the progression of various human diseases and cancers. Herein, a photoelectrochemical (PEC)-quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) dual-mode sensing platform was developed for protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) activity assay based on bifunctional magnetic Fe

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the significance of three-dimensional double-echo steady-state (3D-DESS) sequence and multidetector computed tomography (CT) plain scan in the diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) remaining controversial in conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and to compare the efficiency between 3D-DESS and CT in diagnosing controversial patients by conventional MRI.Methods: A total of 61 patients with controversial LDH diagnosed by conventional MRI were collected. Before operation, the disease of these patients was further confirmed by 3D-DESS sequences and continuous CT plain scan from L3 to S1. Finally, for patients whose postoperative curative effect was marked and symptoms were obviously alleviated, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy.Results: Among, 59 patients with remarkably relieved symptoms after operation were included, and 2 patients with varying degrees of non-remission of pain and partial dysfunction after operation were excluded. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 3D-DESS were 94.6, 100 and 94.9%, respectively, and those of CT were 75.0, 33.3 and 72.9%, respectively.Conclusion: 3D-DESS is a very useful diagnostic method for patients with some special types of LDH that remain controversial in conventional imaging diagnostic methods. Through 3D-DESS, the morphology of lumbosacral nerve roots can be directly observed, which is conducive to the improvement of the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy, thus further reducing the misdiagnosis rate. Moreover, 3D-DESS plays a guiding role in the formulation of operative methods.

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Managing ecosystem services (ESs) to meet human needs is critical to achieving sustainable development in rapidly urbanizing regions. Identifying ES budget bundles and analyzing their drivers at a multiscale level can facilitate management decision-making; however, further research is required in areas undergoing rapid urbanization. This study quantified the supply, demand, and budgets of six typical ESs at the county, township, and village scales in the Su-Xi-Chang region in 2020. Additionally, the influence of natural environmental and socioeconomic factors on ES budget bundles was investigated based on K-means cluster analysis and the Geodetector model. The results showed that ESs on all three scales showed a mismatch between supply and demand. The similarity in the spatial pattern of supply, demand, and budgets of ESs at the township and village scales was higher than that at the township and county scales. The location and area of surplus, balance, and deficit varied with scale. We found that population density and the proportion of impervious surfaces are the main factors influencing the formation of the ES budget bundles at different scales. In addition, the diversity and degree of interpretation of drivers varied with scale. We believe that focusing on the overall situation on a large scale and implementing precise management on a small scale can make management decisions more effective. This study can provide a scientific basis for the sustainable utilization of ESs in the Su-Xi-Chang region, and the research results and methods can provide a reference for similar studies in other rapidly urbanizing areas in the world.

PurposeThis paper examines how lateral accountability mechanisms may be used to address the unity–diversity tension in a large not-for-profit (NFP) inter-organizational partnership governed under a lead organization model.Design/methodology/approachA case study was conducted in the New South Wales Settlement Partnership comprising 23 NFP organizations providing settlement services for migrants and humanitarian entrants. Multiple data sources included semi-structured interviews, proprietary and publicly available documents and observation.FindingsThe paper demonstrates (1) the usefulness of a strength-based approach that the lead organization adopts in enacting lateral accountability mechanisms, which enables a balance between unity and diversity in the partnership; and (2) the capability of the lead organization governance model to address the unity–diversity tension.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper (1) identifies the importance of a strength-based approach in implementing lateral accountability mechanisms to address the unity–diversity tension; and (2) challenges prior research that advocates the network administrative organization governance model in addressing the tension.Practical implicationsFor practice, the paper identifies a suite of lateral accountability practices designed to address the unity–diversity tension. For policy, it provides confidence for government in promulgating the lead organization governance model in “purchasing” public services.Originality/valueThe paper demonstrates how lateral accountability mechanisms may be used to provide a balance between the objectives of preserving and leveraging the benefits of partner diversity and achieving unity. The strength-based approach (used in enacting the accountability mechanisms), while having a history in psychology and social work research, has not been recognized in prior partnership accountability and governance studies.

BACKGROUND Tumor of the digestive system is a common malignancy with high morbidity and mortality. Although programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors have become an effective treatment strategies for many kinds of tumors, there is still some uncertainty in digestive tumors, including: (I) therapeutic effects of PD-1 inhibitors are relatively limited; (II) responses of digestive system tumors to immunotherapies are highly heterogeneous. In the present study, we investigated the outcomes of PD-1 inhibitors for digestive system tumors in Chinese patients to analyze factors that may affect the effects of immunotherapies in digestive system tumors. METHODS Data were obtained from the Hospital Information System (HIS) of the Department of Digestive Oncology (Henan Cancer Hospital) between January 2019 and December 2019. Inclusion criteria included patients receiving the same PD-1 inhibitor continuously for advanced or recurrent/metastatic digestive system tumors. Indicators including age, sex, clinical diagnosis, height, weight, gene status, PD-1 inhibitors, treatment regimen, medication cycle, efficacy evaluation results, and adverse reactions were analyzed retrospectively. The clinical outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS) and safety. RESULTS A total of 2,767 patients were discharged from HIS, of which 64 (37 male/27 female) were included in this study. Thirty-eight (59.4%) of the patients were aged

Aim The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical factors associated with achieving good response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) and to develop and validate a nomogram. Methods A total of 1724 consecutive LARC patients treated at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital from January 2010 to December 2021 were retrospectively evaluated as the training cohort; 267 consecutive LARC patients treated at Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University during the same period were evaluated as the external 2 cohorts. Based on the pathological results after radical surgery, treatment response was defined as follows: good response, stage ypT0∼2N0M0 and poor response, ypT3∼4N0M0 and/or N positive. Independent influencing factors were analyzed by logistic regression, a nomogram was developed and validated, and the model was evaluated using internal and external data cohorts for validation. Results In the training cohort, 46.6% of patients achieved good response after nCRT combined with radical surgery. The rate of the retained anus was higher in the good response group (93.5% vs. 90.7%, P Conclusion We identified factors associated with achieving good response in LARC after treatment with nCRT and developed a nomogram to contribute to clinical decision-making.

The aim of this study was to compare 2 imaging tracers, 18 F-DOPA and 18 F-DTBZ, for PET/CT imaging in idiopathic Parkinson disease (PD).We recruited 32 PD patients and 12 healthy controls in this study. All subjects underwent both 18 F-DOPA and 18 F-DTBZ PET/CT, and the results were interpreted by visual analysis and semiquantitative analysis (specific uptake ratios [SURs]). A 1-way analysis of variance was used to compare the clinical data and the SURs among the patients at different stages. Regression analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between the SURs and the clinical data.Among the PD patients, there were 7 patients in Hoehn and Yahr stage I, 14 patients in stage II, and 11 patients in stage III. Linear correlation was found in striatal SURs between the 2 tracers ( P0.05). In patients of early stages, the striatal SUR decrease percent of 2 tracers had no statistical difference (paired t test, P0.05). By initial visual analysis, all the patients were interpreted as positive with 18 F-DBTZ (6 unilaterally, 26 bilaterally), and 31 cases were regarded as positive with 18 F-DOPA (8 unilaterally, 23 bilaterally). After setting the upper limit of SUR images with the putamen SURs of healthy controls (SUR T ), all patients were interpreted as positive with both tracers ( 18 F-DTBZ: 5 unilaterally, 27 bilaterally; 18 F-DOPA: 4 unilaterally, 28 bilaterally).18 F-DTBZ and 18 F-DOPA could reflect the same level of dopaminergic neuron degeneration for PD in early stages, and they have the consistent visual analysis results.