Identification of the Distal Dural Ring Using Three-dimensional Motion-sensitized Driven-equilibrium Prepared T-weighted Fast Spin Echo Imaging: Application to Paraclinoid Aneurysms.

Purpose: This study investigated the ability of three-dimentional motion-sensitized driven-equilibrium prepared T-weighted fast spin echo (3D MSDE-FSE) imaging to identify distal dural rings (DDRs) and paraclinoid aneurysms (ParaC-ANs) and differentiate between intradural and extradural ParaC-ANs and compared it with that of established MR cisternography-based techniques.

Methods: 3D MSDE-FSE images were acquired along with fast imaging employing steady state acquisition (FIESTA), and time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA) on a 3T MRI system in 53 patients with unruptured and untreated ParaC-ANs. Two radiologists applied a 3-point scale to rate the clarity with which the DDR (53 left and 53 right) and ParaC-ANs (total of 55) were depicted in the 3D MSDE-FSE and FIESTA images.

Clinical outcomes and risk factors associated with drug-coated balloon treatment for femoropopliteal artery disease in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

The effect of drug-coated balloons (DCB) on hemodialysis (HD) in patients with femoropopliteal (FP) disease remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of DCB therapy in patients with FP artery disease on HD. A total of 185 patients with FP lesions (140 HD patients) who underwent DCB treatment were included in the study.

Combined Prognostic Value of Preprocedural Protein-Energy Wasting and Inflammation Status for Amputation and/or Mortality after Lower-Extremity Revascularization in Hemodialysis Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease.

Protein-energy wasting is associated with inflammation and advanced atherosclerosis in hemodialysis patients. We enrolled 800 patients who had undergone successful lower-extremity revascularization, and we investigated the association among the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) as a surrogate marker of protein-energy wasting, C-reactive protein (CRP), and their joint roles in predicting amputation and mortality. They were divided into lower, middle, and upper tertiles (T1, T2, and T3) according to GNRI and CRP levels, respectively.

Association of resting left ventricular global longitudinal strain with myocardial perfusion abnormalities evaluated by N-ammonia positron emission tomography in patients with stable angina pectoris and normal left ventricular ejection fraction.

Aims: Little is known about whether resting left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) impairment is associated with myocardial perfusion abnormalities evaluated using N-ammonia positron emission tomography ( N-NH -PET)-myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). This study aimed to investigate the correlation between resting GLS and myocardial perfusion parameters in patients with a normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). We evaluated whether resting GLS can predict myocardial perfusion abnormalities in these patients.

Drug-coated balloons versus drug-eluting stents for coronary de novo lesions in dialysis patients.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty with drug-eluting stent (DES) angioplasty in the treatment of de novo coronary artery lesions in dialysis patients.

Method: We retrospectively enrolled 400 consecutive dialysis patients with 464 coronary de novo lesions treated by DCB or DES from five participating institutions in Japan. The primary endpoint was target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 12 months.

Impact of Hemodialysis on Clinical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Lower Extremity Bypass Surgery for Peripheral Artery Disease-10-year Follow-Up Study.

We investigated the clinical impact of hemodialysis on long-term outcomes of bypass surgery in patients with peripheral artery disease. We evaluated 660 consecutive patients who underwent successful bypass surgery (392 hemodialysis and 268 non-hemodialysis). The endpoint was amputation-free survival (AFS).

Comparison between biodegradable- and durable-polymer everolimus-eluting stents in hemodialysis patients with coronary artery disease.

To investigate the clinical outcomes after biodegradable-polymer (BP) and durable-polymer (DP) everolimus-eluting stent (EES) implantation in hemodialysis (HD) patients with coronary artery disease. We enrolled 221 consecutive HD patients successfully treated with EES implantation for coronary lesions. Over the following 2 years, we assessed the incidence of target lesion revascularization (TLR) and major adverse cardiac event (MACE), defined as the composite endpoint of TLR, all-cause mortality, or myocardial infarction.

Outcomes after drug-coated balloon interventions for de novo coronary lesions in the patients on chronic hemodialysis.

The impact of drug-coated balloon (DCB) on hemodialysis (HD) patients with coronary lesions remains unclear. This study aimed to compare outcomes after DCB treatment between HD and non-HD patients with de novo coronary lesions. A total of 235 consecutive patients who electively underwent DCB treatment for de novo coronary lesions were included (HD group: n = 100; non-HD group: n = 135).

Machine Learning for Diagnosis of AD and Prediction of MCI Progression From Brain MRI Using Brain Anatomical Analysis Using Diffeomorphic Deformation.

With the growing momentum for the adoption of machine learning (ML) in medical field, it is likely that reliance on ML for imaging will become routine over the next few years. We have developed a software named BAAD, which uses ML algorithms for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and prediction of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) progression. We constructed an algorithm by combining a support vector machine (SVM) to classify and a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to reduce concerned variables.

Long-term clinical outcomes after self-expandable bare nitinol stent implantation for femoropopliteal occlusive disease in hemodialysis patients.

Objectives: To compare the long-term clinical outcomes after self-expandable bare nitinol stent (BNS) implantation between hemodialysis (HD) and non-HD patients with femoropopliteal (FP) disease.

Background: Although a BNS has been commonly used in patients with FP disease, the long-term efficacy of BNSs in HD patients remains unknown.

Methods: In total, 427 HD patients treated with a BNS for FP disease were enrolled, along with 157 non-HD patients as a control group.

Histologic Distribution and Characteristics on MR Imaging of Ultrasmall Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide in Ethyl-nitrosourea-induced Endogenous Rat Glioma.

Purpose: (1) To evaluate the enhancement patterns of an ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide contrast agent (USPIO-CA) compared with those of a gadolinium-based contrast agent (Gd-BCA). (2) To compare the histologic distribution of USPIO-related iron particles (USPIO-IPs) with the USPIO-enhancement area in the early vascular and in the cellular imaging phase (E- and L-phase, respectively) after intravenous CA administration.

Methods: We performed USPIO-enhanced MRI of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)-induced endogenous rat glioma, including spin-echo (SE) T-weighted images (TWIs) and gradient-recalled-echo (GRE) T-weighted images (TWIs), before and at 3-6 h after USPIO-CA administration for E-phase images.

Association of protein-energy wasting and inflammation status with mortality after coronary revascularisation in patients on haemodialysis.

Objective: Protein-energy wasting is associated with chronic inflammation and advanced atherosclerosis in haemodialysis (HD) patients. We investigated association of geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), C reactive protein (CRP) with prediction of mortality after coronary revascularisation in chronic HD patients.

Methods: We enrolled 721 HD patients electively undergoing coronary revascularisation.

Safety and Long-Term Efficacy of Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty following Rotational Atherectomy for Severely Calcified Coronary Lesions Compared with New Generation Drug-Eluting Stents.

Objectives: This study sought to assess the safety and long-term efficacy of drug-coated balloons (DCB) following aggressive intracoronary image-guided rotational atherectomy (iRA) for severe coronary artery calcification (CAC), and to compare this strategy with new generation drug-eluting stents (nDES) following iRA.

Background: Ischemic events following the treatment of CAC is still relatively high. Thus, more innovative strategies are required.

Lipoarabinomannan in sputum to detect bacterial load and treatment response in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis: Analytic validation and evaluation in two cohorts.

Background: Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) is a major antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). In this report, we evaluated the ability of a novel immunoassay to measure concentrations of LAM in sputum as a biomarker of bacterial load prior to and during treatment in pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients.

Methods And Findings: Phage display technology was used to isolate monoclonal antibodies binding to epitopes unique in LAM from MTB and slow-growing nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM).

Long-term clinical outcomes after coronary artery bypass graft versus everolimus-eluting stent implantation in chronic hemodialysis patients.

Background: It remains controversial whether coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) should be optimized to treat coronary artery disease in patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD). Recently, further refinement of drug-eluting stents, such as the everolimus-eluting stent (EES), has led to marked development in this field. We compared long-term clinical outcomes after CABG versus PCI with EES implantation in patients on chronic HD.

Clinical Outcomes after Isolated Infrapopliteal Revascularization in Hemodialysis Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia: Endovascular Therapy versus Bypass Surgery.

Aim: To investigate the long-term clinical outcome of endovascular therapy (EVT) or bypass surgery in patients on hemodialysis (HD) with critical limb ischemia due to isolated infrapopliteal disease.

Methods: We enrolled 254 consecutive HD patients successfully undergoing infrapopliteal revascularization by EVT (126 patients) and bypass surgery (128 patients). They were followed up for five years.

Outcomes after drug-coated balloon treatment for patients with calcified coronary lesions.

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy of drug-coated balloon (DCB) for calcified coronary lesions.

Background: Calcified coronary lesions is associated with poor clinical outcomes after revascularization. Recently, DCB is emerging as an alternative strategy for de novo coronary lesions.

Investigation of association between TLR9 gene polymorphisms and VKH in Japanese patients.

Purpose: Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease is an autoimmune disorder affecting melanocytes in the skin, eyes, inner ear, and meninges. The Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigen have been hypothesized as possible triggering factors for the disease. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in the induction of defense mechanisms of the innate and adaptive immune responses to microbial pathogens.

Staphylococcus aureus surface protein SasG contributes to intercellular autoaggregation of Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus surface protein G (SasG) is one of cell surface proteins with cell-wall sorting motif. The sasG mutant showed significantly reduced cell aggregation and biofilm formation. SasG is comprised of variable A domain and multiple tandem repeats of B domain, native-PAGE and in vitro formaldehyde cross-linking experiments revealed that the recombinant protein of the A domain showed homo-oligomerization as an octamer, but B domain did not.

Maturational changes in diffusion anisotropy in the rat corpus callosum: comparison with quantitative histological evaluation.

Purpose: To determine the main histological components that affect fractional anisotropy (FA) in postnatal development of the rat corpus callosum and compare FA values with histological changes evaluated quantitatively.

Materials And Methods: Diffusion tensor image (DTI) data of the rat (postnatal 1-10 weeks) corpus callosum were obtained with a 7.0 T MR scanner.

Sesquiterpene farnesol as a competitive inhibitor of lipase activity of Staphylococcus aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus lipase (SAL) is known to possess broad substrate specificity for triacylglycerides. We found that a sub-minimum inhibitory concentration of farnesol (1000 mg L(-1)) inhibits this lipase activity on a Mueller-Hinton agar containing 1% Tween substrates. A quantitative lipase assay using p-nitrophenyl palmitate (pNPP) revealed that the inhibitory action of farnesol appears to be the result of the inhibition of lipase activity rather than of its secretion into the culture medium.

Evaluation of treatment-induced cerebral white matter injury by using diffusion-tensor MR imaging: initial experience.

Background And Purpose: Treatment with chemotherapy and radiation therapy for brain tumors can cause white matter (WM) injury. Conventional MR imaging, however, cannot always depict treatment-induced transient WM abnormalities. We investigated the ability of diffusion-tensor (DT) MR imaging and proton MR spectroscopy to detect the treatment-induced transient changes within normal-appearing WM.