First-in-class MKK4 inhibitors enhance liver regeneration and prevent liver failure.

Diminished hepatocyte regeneration is a key feature of acute and chronic liver diseases and after extended liver resections, resulting in the inability to maintain or restore a sufficient functional liver mass. Therapies to restore hepatocyte regeneration are lacking, making liver transplantation the only curative option for end-stage liver disease. Here, we report on the structure-based development and characterization (nuclear magnetic resonance [NMR] spectroscopy) of first-in-class small molecule inhibitors of the dual-specificity kinase MKK4 (MKK4i).

Diagnostic Performance in Low- and High-Contrast Tasks of an Image-Based Denoising Algorithm Applied to Radiation Dose-Reduced Multiphase Abdominal CT Examinations.

Anatomic redundancy between phases can be used to achieve denoising of multiphase CT examinations. A limitation of iterative reconstruction (IR) techniques is that they generally require use of CT projection data. A frequency-split multi-band-filtration algorithm applies denoising to the multiphase CT images themselves.

Technical note: Evaluation of artificial 120-kilovolt computed tomography images for radiation therapy applications.

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to evaluate the scaled computed tomography (CT) number accuracy of an artificial 120 kV reconstruction technique based on phantom experiments in the context of radiation therapy planning.

Methods: An abdomen-shaped electron density phantom was scanned on a clinical CT scanner capable of artificial 120 kV reconstruction using different tube potentials from 70 to 150 kV. A series of tissue-equivalent phantom inserts (lung, adipose, breast, solid water, liver, inner bone, 30%/50% CaCO , cortical bone) were placed inside the phantom.

Characterization of thrombus composition with multimodality CT-based imaging: an in-vitro study.

Background: CT is the most commonly used imaging modality for acute ischemic stroke evaluation. There is growing interest to use pre-operative imaging to characterize clot composition in stroke. We performed an in-vitro study examining the ability of various CT techniques in differentiation between different clot types.

Preconditioning with Foam-mediated External Suction on Flap Microvasculature and Perfusion in a Rodent Model.

Unlabelled: Foam-mediated external suction (FMES) has previously shown to improve tissue microcirculation. We hypothesized that preconditioning fasciocutaneous perforator flaps with FMES would augment perfusion and demonstrate greater capillary recruitment.

Methods: Gluteal perforator flaps were designed on sixteen 400 g rats.