Exploring the role of CT scouts in expediting MRI in acute stroke.

Purpose: For acute stroke patients requiring MR examination and unable to provide a reliable history, screening for potentially MRI-incompatible objects (PMIOs) typically necessitates the use of plain-film radiographs (PFRs). However, using a whole body CT scout at the time of non-contrast head CT scans can preclude critical delays. Here, we aim to compare the effectiveness of PFRs and CT scouts in detecting PMIOs.

Black hole jets on the scale of the cosmic web.

When sustained for megayears (refs. ), high-power jets from supermassive black holes (SMBHs) become the largest galaxy-made structures in the Universe. By pumping electrons, atomic nuclei and magnetic fields into the intergalactic medium (IGM), these energetic flows affect the distribution of matter and magnetism in the cosmic web and could have a sweeping cosmological influence if they reached far at early epochs.

Nkx2.3 transcription factor is a key regulator of mucous cell identity in salivary glands.

Saliva is vital to oral health, fulfilling multiple functions in the oral cavity. Three pairs of major salivary glands and hundreds of minor salivary glands contribute to saliva production. The secretory acinar cells within these glands include two distinct populations.

Imaging of the Aging Spine.

Degeneration of the spine is a normal aspect of aging. The associated changes of spine degeneration seen on imaging are typically asymptomatic. However, distinguishing normal age-related change from symptomatic pathologic change can be challenging owing to the overlap in imaging features.

Data-Driven Phenotyping of Central Disorders of Hypersomnolence With Unsupervised Clustering.

Background And Objectives: Recent studies fueled doubts as to whether all currently defined central disorders of hypersomnolence are stable entities, especially narcolepsy type 2 and idiopathic hypersomnia. New reliable biomarkers are needed, and the question arises of whether current diagnostic criteria of hypersomnolence disorders should be reassessed. The main aim of this data-driven observational study was to see whether data-driven algorithms would segregate narcolepsy type 1 and identify more reliable subgrouping of individuals without cataplexy with new clinical biomarkers.

[Taste and smell changes resulting from cancer therapies].

Cancer therapies often cause changes in taste and smell. In this article, three patients treated with immunotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy who experience changes in taste or smell are presented. These patients report lower quality of life and altered eating habits due to these changes.

Sexual dimorphisms in the transcriptomes of murine salivary glands.

Transcriptional profiling identified 933 sexually dimorphic genes out of the 14 371 protein-coding genes expressed in the three major murine salivary glands: parotid, sublingual, and submandibular. Most (89%) sex-specific genes were enriched in a single gland, while only 0.5% of the sexually dimorphic genes were enriched in all glands.

Author Correction: White Matter and Gray Matter Segmentation in 4D Computed Tomography.

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper.

Observer variability of reference tissue selection for relativecerebral blood volume measurements in glioma patients.

Objectives: To assess observer variability of different reference tissues used for relative CBV (rCBV) measurements in DSC-MRI of glioma patients.

Methods: In this retrospective study, three observers measured rCBV in DSC-MR images of 44 glioma patients on two occasions. rCBV is calculated by the CBV in the tumour hotspot/the CBV of a reference tissue at the contralateral side for normalization.

Transcriptional profiling reveals gland-specific differential expression in the three major salivary glands of the adult mouse.

RNA-Seq was used to better understand the molecular nature of the biological differences among the three major exocrine salivary glands in mammals. Transcriptional profiling found that the adult murine parotid, submandibular, and sublingual salivary glands express greater than 14,300 protein-coding genes, and nearly 2,000 of these genes were differentially expressed. Principle component analysis of the differentially expressed genes revealed three distinct clusters according to gland type.

White Matter and Gray Matter Segmentation in 4D Computed Tomography.

Modern Computed Tomography (CT) scanners are capable of acquiring contrast dynamics of the whole brain, adding functional to anatomical information. Soft tissue segmentation is important for subsequent applications such as tissue dependent perfusion analysis and automated detection and quantification of cerebral pathology. In this work a method is presented to automatically segment white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) in contrast- enhanced 4D CT images of the brain.

Interleaving cerebral CT perfusion with neck CT angiography part I. Proof of concept and accuracy of cerebral perfusion values.

Objectives: We present a novel One-Step-Stroke protocol for wide-detector CT scanners that interleaves cerebral CTP with volumetric neck CTA (vCTA). We evaluate whether the resulting time gap in CTP affects the accuracy of CTP values.

Methods: Cerebral CTP maps were retrospectively obtained from 20 patients with suspicion of acute ischemic stroke and served as the reference standard.

Interleaving cerebral CT perfusion with neck CT angiography. Part II: clinical implementation and image quality.

Objectives: Feasibility evaluation of the One-Step Stroke Protocol, which is an interleaved cerebral computed tomography perfusion (CTP) and neck volumetric computed tomography angiography (vCTA) scanning technique using wide-detector computed tomography, and to assess the image quality of vCTA.

Methods: Twenty patients with suspicion of acute ischaemic stroke were prospectively scanned and evaluated with a head and neck CTA and with the One-Step Stroke Protocol. Arterial enhancement and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in the carotid arteries was assessed.

Positional information in axolotl and mouse limb extracellular matrix is mediated via heparan sulfate and fibroblast growth factor during limb regeneration in the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum).

Urodele amphibians are unique among adult vertebrates in their ability to regenerate complex body structures after traumatic injury. In salamander regeneration, the cells maintain a memory of their original position and use this positional information to recreate the missing pattern. We used an in vivo gain-of-function assay to determine whether components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) have positional information required to induce formation of new limb pattern during regeneration.

Quantitative Dose Dependency Analysis of Whole-Brain CT Perfusion Imaging.

Purpose: To quantitatively assess whether decreasing total radiation dose of the image acquisition protocol has an effect on cerebral CT perfusion values in patients with acute stroke.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study was approved by the institutional ethics committee, and informed consent was waived. Twenty consecutive patients with ischemic stroke who underwent CT perfusion imaging with a 320-detector row CT scanner were included.

4D-CTA in neurovascular disease: a review.

CT angiography is a widely used technique for the noninvasive evaluation of neurovascular pathology. Because CTA is a snapshot of arterial contrast enhancement, information on flow dynamics is limited. Dynamic CTA techniques, also referred to as 4D-CTA, have become available for clinical practice in recent years.

Ubiquitinated proteins in exosomes secreted by myeloid-derived suppressor cells.

We provide evidence at the molecular level that ubiquitinated proteins are present in exosomes shed by myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). Ubiquitin was selected as a post-translational modification of interest because it is known to play a determinant role in the endosomal trafficking that culminates in exosome release. Enrichment was achieved by two immunoprecipitations, first at the protein level and subsequently at the peptide level.

A 4D digital phantom for patient-specific simulation of brain CT perfusion protocols.

Purpose: Optimizing CT brain perfusion protocols is a challenge because of the complex interaction between image acquisition, calculation of perfusion data, and patient hemodynamics. Several digital phantoms have been developed to avoid unnecessary patient exposure or suboptimum choice of parameters. The authors expand this idea by using realistic noise patterns and measured tissue attenuation curves representing patient-specific hemodynamics.

Hepatocellular carcinoma: perfusion quantification with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.

Objective: The objective of our study was to report our initial experience with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) for perfusion quantification of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and surrounding liver.

Subjects And Methods: DCE-MRI of the liver was prospectively performed on 31 patients with HCC (male-female ratio, 26:5; mean age, 61 years; age range, 41-83 years). A dynamic coronal 3D FLASH sequence was performed at 1.

Diffusion-weighted imaging of the abdomen at 3.0 Tesla: image quality and apparent diffusion coefficient reproducibility compared with 1.5 Tesla.

Purpose: To compare single-shot echo-planar imaging (SS EPI) diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) of abdominal organs between 1.5 Tesla (T) and 3.0T in healthy volunteers in terms of image quality, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values, and ADC reproducibility.

T1-weighted MRI for the detection of coronary artery plaque haemorrhage.

Objective: Hyperintense areas in atherosclerotic plaques on pre-contrast T1-weighted MRI have been shown to correlate with intraplaque haemorrhage. We evaluated the presence of T1 hyperintensity in coronary artery plaques in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients and correlated results with multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) findings.

Methods: Fifteen patients with CAD were included.

Diagnosis of cirrhosis with intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion MRI and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI alone and in combination: preliminary experience.

Purpose: To report our preliminary experience with the use of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI alone and in combination for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis.

Materials And Methods: Thirty subjects (16 with noncirrhotic liver, 14 with cirrhosis) were prospectively assessed with IVIM DW-MRI (n = 27) and DCE-MRI (n = 20). IVIM parameters included perfusion fraction (PF), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D*), true diffusion coefficient (D), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC).

Diagnostic impact of 18F-FDG PET-CT evaluating solid pancreatic lesions versus endosonography, endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography with intraductal ultrasonography and abdominal ultrasound.

Purpose: This prospective single-centre phase II trial assessed the diagnostic impact of (18)F-FDG PET-CT in the evaluation of solid pancreatic lesions (phi >or= 10 mm) compared to endosonography (EUS), endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) with intraductal ultrasound (IDUS), abdominal ultrasound (US) and histopathological reference.

Methods: Forty-six patients (32 men/14 women, phi 61.7 years) with suspected pancreatic neoplasms underwent PET-CT with contrast-enhanced biphasic multi-detector CT of the upper abdomen followed by a diagnostic work-up with EUS, ERCP with IDUS and US within 3 weeks.