Objectives: To compare the diagnostic performance of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI using 3.0 T with that of multiphasic 64-multirow detector CT (MDCT) for the detection of small (#2 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic liver disease. Methods: A total of 54 patients (44 men, 10 women; age range, 33-81 years) with 59 HCCs (#2 cm in diameter) who underwent both multiphasic (arterial, portal venous, equilibrium) 64-MDCT and gadoxetic acid-enhanced 3.0 T MRI were enrolled in this study. Two observers independently and randomly reviewed the MR and CT images on a lesion-by-lesion basis. The diagnostic performance of these techniques for the detection of HCC was assessed by alternative free-response receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, in addition to evaluating the sensitivity and positive predictive value. Results: For each observer, the areas under the ROC curve were 0.874 and 0.863 for MRI, respectively, as opposed to 0.660 and 0.687 for CT, respectively. The differences between the two techniques were statistically significant for each observer (p,0.001). The sensitivities (89.8% and 86.4%) of MRI for both observers were significantly higher than those (57.6% and 61.0% for each observer, respectively) of MDCT. No significant difference was seen between the positive predictive values for the two techniques (p.0.05). Conclusion: Gadoxetic acid-enhanced 3.0 T MRI shows a better diagnostic performance than that of 64-MDCT for the detection of small (#2 cm) HCCs in patients with chronic liver disease. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with underlying chronic liver disease in more than 90% of cases, and constitutes the leading cause of death in patients with chronic liver disease [1,2]. Therefore, early detection and accurate assessment of small HCC are of great importance when planning the most appropriate therapeutic approach. The efficacy of various treatments and the survival of patients with small HCC are much more successful than those for patients with larger tumours. The typical imaging feature of HCC on one or two dynamic studies, including either CT scanning, contrast-enhanced ultrasound or MRI, has been used to establish the diagnosis of HCC according to the size of the lesion (1-2 cm or .2 cm in diameter) in patients with chronic liver disease [3,4]. With a state-of-the-art imaging technique, the detection of smaller lesions in the liver may be possible. However, there is still great difficulty in the characterisation of hypervascular nodules ,2 cm in diameter, which often have non-specific imaging characteristics [5].The use of multirow detector CT (MDCT), which has advantages that include greater speed, thinner slices and multiphasic scanning, has improved the chance of detecting HCC [6,7]. The diagnostic performance of liver MRI for detecting and characterising focal hepatic lesions has also been improved with the development of MRI technologies and MR contrast media [8,9]. Recently, a widely used liver-specific contrast agent, gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenet...

There are no effective treatments for corneal endothelial diseases, except for corneal transplantation, as human corneal endothelial cells (hCECs) do not regenerate. The regeneration of hCECs could be induced through regulation of the expression of specific genes. In this study, we investigated whether the overexpression of sex‐determining region Y‐box 2 (SOX2) can regenerate hCECs in vivo and in vitro. SOX2 was activated using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/deactivated CRISPR‐associated protein 9 (dCas9) activation system. Genes were transfected into the corneal endothelium of Sprague‐Dawley rats. Central corneal thickness and opacity were measured, and alizarin red S staining was performed. Corneal opacity and central corneal thickness were reduced in the SOX2 group compared with the control group. The density of CECs was higher in the SOX2 group compared with the control group. Additionally, hCECs were cultured and analyzed after overexpressing SOX2. Cell viability, proliferation rate, and the number of cells in S‐phase were increased after SOX2 overexpression (p < .05). Cyclin‐dependent kinase 1 and cyclin D1 were found to be overexpressed (p < .05). WNT signaling was repressed, and the AKT pathway was activated by SOX2 overexpression. Mitochondrial oxidative stress and energy production were increased by SOX2 overexpression (p < .05). In conclusion, SOX2 activation promotes wound healing and regeneration in CECs. SOX2 activation using the CRISPR/dCas9 system may thus be useful for the treatment of hCEC diseases. Stem Cells 2018;36:1851–12

This study provides insight into participants' experiences of L&SI. Further research in a broader population of older adults is mandated to determine the efficacy of community exercise programs in reducing L&SI.