Investigation on the influence of AC electric filed and KCl on the structure and gel properties of Konjac glucomannan.

The influence of alternating current (AC) electric field and KCl on the structure and gel properties of Konjac Glucomannan (KGM) were studied in this work by high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), acid-base titration, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), simultaneous differential scanning calorimetry/thermo gravimetric analyzer (DSC/TGA) and a rheometer. HPGPC showed KGM was degraded by AC electric field and Acid-base titration showed that under the action of AC electric field and KCl KGM removed part of acetyl groups, which were consistent with the analysis of NMR. XRD and temperature sweep measurements respectively showed that the electrotreatment time and KCl concentration had important effects on the gel formation and its three-dimensional network.

Correlation between tumor glucose metabolism and multiparametric functional MRI (IVIM and R2*) metrics in cervical carcinoma: Evidence from integrated F-FDG PET/MR.

Background: Multiparameter, multimodality F-FDG PET/MRI holds great potential for the diagnosis of cervical cancer based on the correlation between tumor glucose metabolism and imaging parameters.

Purpose: To characterize the heterogeneity of tumor glucose metabolism by evaluating the correlation between F-FDG uptake parameters and multiparametric functional MRI metrics in cervical carcinoma.

Study Type: Retrospective.

Quantitative assessment of hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B and C: T1 mapping on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver magnetic resonance imaging.

Aim: To assess the accuracy of Look-Locker on gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for staging liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B/C (CHB/C).

Methods: We prospectively included 109 patients with CHB or CHC who underwent a 3.0-Tesla MRI examination, including T1-weighted and Look-Locker sequences for T1 mapping.

Bare-metal stents across the Vater's ampulla is a safe method for patients with lower bile duct obstruction.

This study explored the effect of the implant position of stents across the Vater's ampulla on treatment outcomes in patients with lower bile duct obstruction.In the retrospective study, 41 patients with malignant obstruction of the lower bile duct and obstructive jaundice received percutaneous transhepatic biliary placement of bare-metal stents. Basic demographic data on patients, such as sex, age, and primary diseases, and follow-up data, including postoperative complications and jaundice-free survival, were recorded.

CT and MRI features in adult patients with orbital subperiosteal abscess secondary to paranasal sinus mucocele.

Orbital subperiosteal abscess (OSPA) secondary to paranasal sinus mucocele (PSM) is rare, and it may be misdiagnosed as PSM with orbital invasion or even as a malignant neoplasm. The present study explored the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of OSPA. The cases of 13 patients with OSPA secondary to PSM were retrospectively reviewed.

Hybrid PET/MRI-based delineation of gross tumor volume in head and neck cancer and tumor parameter analysis.

Objectives: Accurate target delineation allows an increase in radiation dose to the target tumor while reducing damage to the surrounding normal tissue. However, there is currently no standard for evaluating volumes measured by different imaging modalities. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of contouring gross tumor volume (GTV) by PET/MRI in head and neck cancer, and to define an adaptive threshold level (aTL) for delineating the biological target volume (BTV).

Early diagnosis and severity assessment of acute pancreatitis (AP) using MR elastography (MRE) with spin-echo echo-planar imaging.

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) in comparison to contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) for early diagnosis and prediction of severity in acute pancreatitis (AP).

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional prospective study included 76 patients with suspected AP who underwent both CE-CT and 3.0T MRE within 24 hours of hospital admission.

Iatrogenic hemobilia: imaging features and management with transcatheter arterial embolization in 30 patients.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the imaging features of computed tomography (CT) and angiography and the efficacy of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) in patients with hemobilia of different iatrogenic causes.

Methods: Thirty patients with hemobilia were divided into two groups according to their iatrogenic causes, i.e.

Magnetic Resonance Elastography for the Evaluation of Liver Fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis B and C by Using Both Gradient-Recalled Echo and Spin-Echo Echo Planar Imaging: A Prospective Study.

Objectives: Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) with three-dimensional spin-echo echo planar imaging (3D-SE-EPI) is a newly emerging noninvasive method for assessing liver fibrosis. We hypothesized that 3D-SE-EPI might have better diagnostic accuracy than conventional two-dimensional gradient-recalled echo (2D-GRE).

Methods: We prospectively included 179 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) or C (CHC) who underwent both MRE and liver biopsy.

Hemobilia After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Imaging Features and Management of an Unusual Complication.

Purpose: To assess the imaging features and the management of hemobilia after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC).

Materials And Methods: A total of 12 patients who were treated for hemobilia after LC were included in the study. Selective arteriography was performed to find the bleeding artery.

Sequential Use of Transhepatic Arterial Chemoembolization and Bipolar Radiofrequency Ablation in the Clinical Therapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

This retrospective study investigated the clinical application of sequential therapy with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and CT-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) using a bipolar needle in treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors of different sizes. The study included patients (N = 46) with HCC from Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University who had received TACE and RFA from November 2012 to November 2013. Eligible patients had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score of 0-1, a Child-Pugh grade of A-B, and no contradictions for TACE and/or RFA.

Quantitative assessment of early liver fibrosis in rats using 13N-NH3·H2O PET/CT.

Objective: To investigate the value of N-NH3·H2O PET/computed tomography (CT) and the inhibitor, acetazolamide (ACZ), in the quantitative diagnosis of early liver fibrosis and the assessment of liver fibrosis stage.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four male Wistar rats (293.54±37.

Meta-analysis comparing higher and lower dose radiotherapy for palliation in locally advanced lung cancer.

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare higher dose (≥30 Gy) and lower dose (<30 Gy) radiotherapy (RT) on palliation of symptoms and survival in patients with locally advanced lung cancer. A search of PubMed and Google Scholar was conducted on 10 June 2013 using combinations of the search terms: radiotherapy, non-small-cell lung carcinoma, palliative, supportive, symptom relief. Inclusion criteria were: (i) palliative thoracic RT; (ii) randomized controlled trial; (iii) English language; and (iv) compared outcomes between higher dose (≥30 Gy) and lower dose (<30 Gy) RT.

Detection of residual tumor following radiofrequency ablation of liver metastases using 18F-FDG PET/PET-CT: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA), an effective, locally directed therapy for unresectable liver metastases, can improve the survival of patients. As a functional imaging approach, (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ((18)F-FDG PET) or PET-computed tomography (PET-CT) may play a crucial role in the follow-up after RFA. Our objective was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of (18)F-FDG PET or PET-CT for the detection of residual tumor following RFA of liver metastases.

Expression of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor 1 and its phosphorylated state in basal ganglia of a neonatal piglet hypoxic-ischemic brain injury model: a controlled study of (1)H MRS.

Excitatory amino acids (EAAs) and excitotoxicity medicated by receptors of these amino acids play an important role in hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI), but most studies were ex vivo experiments, the mechanism in vivo is not well understood. We sought to study the expression of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor 1 (NR1) and phosphorylated N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor 1 (P-NR1) in basal ganglia in a piglet model of HIBI and to investigate the correlation between Glx(Glu/Gln) value measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and NR1/P-NR1 expression. Multi-voxel (1)H MRS was applied to detect change in Glx in basal ganglia of the newborn piglets in vivo.

Comparison between acetazolamide challenge and 10% carbon dioxide challenge perfusion CT in rat C6 glioma.

Rationale And Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of perfusion computed tomography (PCT) with acetazolamide (ACZ) challenge and compare it to 10% carbon dioxide (CO(2)) challenge in rat C6 glioma.

Materials And Methods: PCT was performed on 32 rats, including 20 with orthotopically implanted C6 gliomas and 12 serving as controls. Ten rats with gliomas and six normal rats underwent PCT with ACZ challenge.

Effects of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury on striatal dopamine transporter in newborn piglets: evaluation of 11C-CFT PET/CT for DAT quantification.

Introduction: Alterations of dopamine in striatal presynaptic terminals play an important role in the hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury. Quantification of DAT levels in the presynaptic site using (11)C-N-2-carbomethoxy-3-(4-fluorophenyl)-tropane ((11)C-CFT) with positron emission tomography (PET) was applied in studies for Parkinson's disease. The current study investigated the changes in striatal DAT following HI brain injury in newborn piglets using (11)C-CFT PET.

Simultaneously changes in striatum dopaminergic and glutamatergic parameters following hypoxic-ischemic neuronal injury in newborn piglets.

Basal ganglia injury (BGI) is a type of perinatal hypoxic-ischemic (H-I) brain injury. Both malfunctions of glutamatergic and dopaminergic pathways in striatum were suggested to contribute to BGI. In current study, we investigated the imaging profile of glutamate (Glx) levels by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS), and the expression of dopamine D2 receptors (D2R) and dopamine transporter (DAT) by immunohistochemical staining in a newborn piglet model of H-I brain injury.

64-slice CT perfusion imaging of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and mass-forming chronic pancreatitis.

Rationale And Objectives: To investigate 64 computed tomography (CT) perfusion imaging features of patients with pancreatic cancer and mass-forming chronic pancreatitis.

Materials And Methods: Between January 2003 and April 2010, 234 patients with pancreatic mass underwent 64-CT perfusion imaging. Among them, the histopathological results of 64 patients were proven to be pancreatic adenocarcinoma and 15 patients were proven to be mass-forming chronic pancreatitis.

Normal cranial bone marrow MR imaging pattern with age-related ADC value distribution.

Objective: To determine MRI appearances of normal age-related cranial bone marrow and the relationship between MRI patterns and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values.

Methods: Five hundred subjects were divided into seven groups based on ages. Cranial bone marrow MRI patterns were performed based on different thickness of the diploe and signal intensity distribution characteristics.

Early PET/CT after radiofrequency ablation in colorectal cancer liver metastases: is it useful?

Background: Morphologic imaging after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of liver metastases is hampered by an inflammatory response in the ablation margin, making the identification of local tumor progression (LTP) difficult. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of early (18)F-FDG PET/CT scanning to monitor the effectiveness of RFA in colorectal liver metastases.

Methods: Twelve patients with 20 metastases were treated with RFA for colorectal liver metastases.

[The proliferous rule of bile duct endothelium after the placement of metallic biliary stent:a study in canine].

Objective: To discuss the proliferous rule of bile duct endothelium after the placement of metallic biliary stent.

Methods: The metallic biliary stent was placed at the inferior segment of common bile duct of canine after a percutaneous transhepatic puncture at cholecyst. All the stented dogs were assigned randomly to 4 group including A, B, C and D, each group had been under research for 1 month, 3 months, 12 months and 24 months.

Effect of 103Pd radioactive stent on caspase-9, cholangiocarcinoma cell growth and its radiosensitivity.

Background: To investigate the effect of (103)Pd radioactive stent on Caspase-9, cholangiocarcinoma cell growth and its radiosensitivity.

Methods: Cholangiocarcinoma was treated with (103)Pd radioactive stent at different period. Radiosensitivity of the cells was detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) method.