Assessing liver fibrosis in chronic liver disease: Comparison of diffusion-weighted MR elastography and two-dimensional shear-wave elastography using histopathologic assessment as the reference standard.

Introduction And Objectives: Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by two-dimensional shear-wave elastography (2D SWE) is a well-established method for assessing hepatic fibrosis. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) can be converted into virtual shear modulus (µ) to estimate liver elasticity. The purpose of this study was to correlate and compare the diagnostic performance of DWI-based virtual elastography and 2D SWE for staging hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease, using histopathologic assessment as the reference standard.

Predicting post-hepatectomy liver failure with T1 mapping-based whole-liver histogram analysis on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI: comparison with the indocyanine green clearance test and albumin-bilirubin scoring system.

Objectives: To explore the value of T1 mapping-based whole-liver histogram analysis on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI for predicting post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF).

Methods: Consecutive patients from March 2016 to March 2018 who underwent gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed, and 37 patients were enrolled. Whole-liver T1 mapping-based histogram analysis was performed.

Fatty acid composition evaluation of abdominal adipose tissue using chemical shiftencoded MRI: Association with diabetes.

This study investigated the association between the fatty acid composition of abdominal adipose tissue in NAFLD patients using chemical shift-encoded MRI and the development of insulin resistance and T2DM. We enrolled 231 subjects with NAFLD who underwent both abdominal magnetic resonance spectroscopy and chemical shift-encoded MRI: comprising of 49 T2DM patients and 182 subjects without. MRI- and MRS-based liver fat fraction was measured from a circular region of interest on the right lobe of the liver.

Predicting disease-free survival in locally advanced rectal cancer using a prognostic model based on pretreatment b-value threshold map and postoperative pathologic features.

Purpose: Disease-free survival (DFS) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) is an important factor in affecting the quality of life and determining the subsequent treatment procedures for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). This study aimed to develop a novel prognostic model for predicting the DFS in patients with LARC following nCRT and to verify its effectiveness.

Materials And Methods: Patients with LARC who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nCRT at our institution between November 2017 and March 2022 were enrolled in this retrospective study.

Synergistically enhanced heterogeneous activation of dissolved oxygen for aqueous carbamazepine degradation over S(III) coupled with siderite.

The wide occurrence of emerging contaminants (ECs) was drawing more attention due to the potential hazard and threat on human and environment. Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a widely prescribed medication that has garnered considerable research interest with the exposures exceeding the environmental carrying capacity. We have established the innovative heterogeneous advanced oxidation process (AOPs) based on the activated dissolved oxygen (DO) coupled with S(III) and natural iron ore (siderite).

Optimization of motion-corrected liver diffusion-weighted imaging at 3 Tesla (3T): incorporating complex averaging and reparametrized sinc fatsat pulse with optimized water excitation pulse.

Background: In liver diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), single-shot echo-planar imaging (SS-EPI) sequences are susceptible to motion artifacts, resulting in image blurring and decreased lesion detection rates. This study aimed to develop and optimize a motion-corrected (MOCO) technique for liver DWI at 3 Tesla (3T). The technique incorporates motion correction, complex averaging, and a combination of a reparametrized sinc fatsat pulse with an optimized water excitation pulse.

Diffusion-based virtual MR elastography for predicting recurrence of solitary hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy.

Background: To explore the capability of diffusion-based virtual MR elastography (vMRE) in the preoperative prediction of recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to investigate the underlying relevant histopathological characteristics.

Methods: Between August 2015 and December 2016, patients underwent preoperative MRI examination with a dedicated DWI sequence (b-values: 200,1500 s/mm) were recruited. The ADC values and diffusion-based virtual shear modulus (μ) of HCCs were calculated and MR morphological features were also analyzed.

Organic acid treatments on citrus insoluble dietary fibers and the corresponding effects on starch in vitro digestion.

Three environmentally friendly organic acids, acetic acid, citric acid and oxalic acid, were used to treat citrus insoluble dietary fiber (CIDF) in present study, aiming to explore the changes in structural properties as well as their inhibitory effects on starch digestion. The results showed that organic acid treatment significantly reduced the particle size of all three CIDFs, with rougher and folded surfaces, improved crystallinity and thermal stability. During in vitro digestion, it was found that organic acid treatment could increase the particle size and viscosity of digestion, and also effectively enhance the inhibitory ability of α-glucosidase activity, resulting in a further blockage of starch digestion.

Feasibility of deep learning-reconstructed thin-slice single-breath-hold HASTE for detecting pancreatic lesions: A comparison with two conventional T2-weighted imaging sequences.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility of deep learning reconstruction-accelerated thin-slice single-breath-hold half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin echo imaging (HASTE) for detecting pancreatic lesions, in comparison with two conventional T2-weighted imaging sequences: compressed-sensing HASTE (HASTE) and BLADE.

Methods: From March 2022 to January 2023, a total of 63 patients with suspected pancreatic-related disease underwent the HASTE, HASTE, and BLADE sequences were enrolled in this retrospectively study. The acquisition time, the pancreatic lesion conspicuity (LC), respiratory motion artifact (RMA), main pancreatic duct conspicuity (MPDC), overall image quality (OIQ), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-noise-ratio (CNR) of the pancreatic lesions were compared among the three sequences by two readers.

Degradation of sulfamethazine in coastal aquaculture tailwater by NaSO@iron-electrode electrooxidation combined with ceramic membrane process.

Offshore aquaculture's explosive growth improves the public food chain while also unavoidably adding new pollutants to the environment. Consequently, the protection of coastal marine eco-systems depends on the efficient treatment of wastewater from marine aquaculture. For the sulfamethazine (SMZ) of representative sulfonamides and total organic pollutants removal utilizing in-situ high salinity, this work has established an inventive and systematic treatment process coupled with iron-electrode electrochemical and ultrafiltration.

Improved permeability in ceramsite@powdered activated carbon (PAC)-MnO coupled gravity-driven ceramic membrane (GDCM) for manganese and ammonia nitrogen removal with intermittent short-term vertical aeration.

In our work, a gravity-driven ceramic membrane bioreactor (GDCMBR) was developed to remove Mn and NH-N simultaneously through the birnessite water purification layer in-situ construction on the ceramic membrane due to chemical pre-oxidation (powdered activated carbon (PAC)-MnO). Considering the trade-off of biofouling and water production, the daily intermittent short-term vertical aeration mode was involving to balance this contradiction with the excellent water purification and improved membrane permeability. And the GDCMBR permeability of operation flux was improved for 5-7 LHM with intermittent short-term vertical aeration.

Quantitative analysis from ultrafast dynamic contrast-enhanced breast MRI using population-based versus individual arterial input functions, and comparison with semi-quantitative analysis.

Purpose: To evaluate the value of inline quantitative analysis of ultrafast dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) using a population-based arterial input function (P-AIF) compared with offline quantitative analysis with an individual AIF (I-AIF) and semi-quantitative analysis for diagnosing breast cancer.

Methods: This prospective study included 99 consecutive patients with 109 lesions (85 malignant and 24 benign). Model-based parameters (K, k, and v) and model-free parameters (washin and washout) were derived from CAIPIRINHA-Dixon-TWIST-VIBE (CDTV) DCE-MRI.

Deep learning reconstruction for turbo spin echo to prospectively accelerate ankle MRI: A multi-reader study.

Purpose: To evaluate a deep learning reconstruction for turbo spin echo (DLR-TSE) sequence of ankle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in terms of acquisition time, image quality, and lesion detectability by comparing with conventional TSE.

Methods: Between March 2023 and May 2023, patients with an indication for ankle MRI were prospectively enrolled. Each patient underwent a conventional TSE protocol and a prospectively undersampled DLR-TSE protocol.

Multi-b-value DWI to evaluate the synergistic antiproliferation and anti-heterogeneity effects of bufalin plus sorafenib in an orthotopic HCC model.

Background: Multi-b-value diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with different postprocessing models allows for evaluating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) proliferation, spatial heterogeneity, and feasibility of treatment strategies. We assessed synergistic effects of bufalin+sorafenib in orthotopic HCC-LM3 xenograft nude mice by using intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), a stretched exponential model (SEM), and a fractional-order calculus (FROC) model.

Methods: Twenty-four orthotopic HCC-LM3 xenograft mice were divided into bufalin+sorafenib, bufalin, sorafenib treatment groups, and a control group.

Multi-task reconstruction network for synthetic diffusion kurtosis imaging: Predicting neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy response in locally advanced rectal cancer.

Purpose: To assess the feasibility and clinical value of synthetic diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) generated from diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) through multi-task reconstruction network (MTR-Net) for tumor response prediction in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).

Methods: In this retrospective study, 120 eligible patients with LARC were enrolled and randomly divided into training and testing datasets with a 7:3 ratio. The MTR-Net was developed for reconstructing D and K images from apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) images.

Diffusion-Weighted MRI-Based Virtual Elastography and Shear-Wave Elastography for the Assessment of Breast Lesions.

Background: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-based virtual MR elastography (DWI-vMRE) in the assessment of breast lesions is still in the research stage.

Purpose: To investigate the usefulness of elasticity values on DWI-vMRE in the evaluation of breast lesions, and the correlation with the values calculated from shear-wave elastography (SWE).

Study Type: Prospective.

Evaluation of Open Versus Arthroscopic Anterior Talofibular Ligament Reconstruction for Chronic Lateral Ankle Instability With Talar and Subtalar Cartilage MRI T2 Mapping: A 3-Year Prospective Study.

Background: Previous studies have examined patients with chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI) undergoing open and arthroscopic anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) reconstruction, reporting equivalent clinical results between the 2 procedures. However, data on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes on cartilage health after the 2 procedures are limited.

Purpose: To compare the cartilage MRI T2 values of the talar and subtalar joints between patients with CLAI undergoing open and arthroscopic ATFL reconstruction.

Prospective Comparison of Standard and Deep Learning-reconstructed Turbo Spin-Echo MRI of the Shoulder.

Background Deep learning (DL)-based MRI reconstructions can reduce imaging times for turbo spin-echo (TSE) examinations. However, studies that prospectively use DL-based reconstructions of rapidly acquired, undersampled MRI in the shoulder are lacking. Purpose To compare the acquisition time, image quality, and diagnostic confidence of DL-reconstructed TSE (TSE) with standard TSE in patients indicated for shoulder MRI.

Magnetic susceptibility and R2*-based texture analysis for evaluating liver fibrosis in chronic liver disease.

Purpose: To explore potential feasibility of texture features in magnetic susceptibility and R2* maps for evaluating liver fibrosis.

Methods: Thirty-one patients (median age 46 years; 22 male) with chronic liver disease were prospectively recruited and underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), blood tests, and liver biopsy. Susceptibility and R2* maps were obtained using a 3-dimensional volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination sequence with a 3T MRI scanner.

Value of T1 Mapping in the Non-invasive Assessment of Renal Pathologic Injury for Chronic Kidney Disease Patients.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate renal function and pathologic injury in chronic kidney disease (CKD) using T1 mapping.

Methods: We recruited fifteen healthy volunteers (HV) and seventy-five CKD patients to undergo T1 mapping examination, and renal parenchymal T1 values were measured. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relevance between the pathologic injury score, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and renal parenchymal T1 values.

MR Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging (DKI) of the Normal Human Uterus in Vivo During the Menstrual Cycle.

Background: The uterus undergoes dynamic changes throughout the menstrual cycle. Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) is based on the non-Gaussian distribution of water molecules and can perhaps represent the changes of uterine microstructure.

Purpose: To investigate the temporal changes in DKI-parameters of the normal uterine corpus and cervix during the menstrual cycle.

Acquiring Charge-Transfer-Featured Single-Molecule Ultralong Organic Room Temperature Phosphorescence via Through-Space Electronic Coupling.

Although long-lived triplet charge-transfer ( CT) state with high energy level has gained significant attention, the development of organic small molecules capable of achieving such states remains a major challenge. Herein, by using the through-space electronic coupling effect, we have developed a compound, namely NIC-DMAC, which has a long-lived CT state at the single-molecule level with a lifetime of 210 ms and a high energy level of up to 2.50 eV.