Right main pulmonary artery distensibility on dynamic ventilation CT and its association with respiratory function.

BACKGROUND: Heartbeat-based cross-sectional area (CSA) changes in the right main pulmonary artery (MPA), which reflects its distensibility associated with pulmonary hypertension, can be measured using dynamic ventilation computed tomography (DVCT) in patients with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during respiratory dynamics. We investigated the relationship between MPA distensibility (MPAD) and respiratory function and how heartbeat-based CSA is related to spirometry, mean lung density (MLD), and patient characteristics. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed DVCT performed preoperatively in 37 patients (20 female and 17 males) with lung cancer aged 70.6 ± 7.9 years (mean ± standard deviation), 18 with COPD and 19 without. MPA-CSA was separated into respiratory and heartbeat waves by discrete Fourier transformation. For the cardiac pulse-derived waves, CSA change (CSAC) and CSA change ratio (CSACR) were calculated separately during inhalation and exhalation. Spearman rank correlation was computed. RESULT: In the group without COPD as well as all cases, CSACR exhalation was inversely correlated with percent residual lung volume (%RV) and RV/total lung capacity (r = -0.68, p = 0.003 and r = -0.58, p = 0.014). In contrast, in the group with COPD, CSAC inhalation was correlated with MLDmax and MLD change rate (MLDmax/MLDmin) (r = 0.54, p = 0.020 and r = 0.64, p = 0.004) as well as CSAC exhalation and CSACR exhalation. CONCLUSION: In patients with insufficient exhalation, right MPAD during exhalation was decreased. Also, in COPD patients with insufficient exhalation, right MPAD was reduced during inhalation as well as exhalation, which implied that exhalation impairment is a contributing factor to pulmonary hypertension complicated with COPD. RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Assessment of MPAD in different respiratory phases on DVCT has the potential to be utilized as a non-invasive assessment for pulmonary hypertension due to lung disease and/or hypoxia and elucidation of its pathogenesis. KEY POINTS: • There are no previous studies analyzing all respiratory phases of right main pulmonary artery distensibility (MPAD). • Patients with exhalation impairment decreased their right MPAD. • Analysis of MPAD on dynamic ventilation computed tomography contributes to understanding the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension due to lung disease and/or hypoxia in patients with expiratory impairment.

Effects of the Training Data Condition on Arterial Spin Labeling Parameter Estimation Using a Simulation-Based Supervised Deep Neural Network.

OBJECTIVE: A simulation-based supervised deep neural network (DNN) can accurately estimate cerebral blood flow (CBF) and arterial transit time (ATT) from multidelay arterial spin labeling signals. However, the performance of deep learning depends on the characteristics of the training data set. We aimed to investigate the effects of the ground truth (GT) ranges of CBF and ATT on the performance of the DNN when training data were prepared using arterial spin labeling signal simulation. METHODS: Deep neural networks were individually trained using 36 patterns of the training data sets. Simulation test data (1,000,000 points), 17 healthy volunteers, and 1 patient with moyamoya disease were included. The simulation test data were used to evaluate accuracy, precision, and noise immunity of the DNN. The best-performing DNN was determined by the normalized mean absolute error (NMAE), normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE), and normalized coefficient of variation over repeated training (CV Net ). Cerebral blood flow and ATT values and their histograms were compared between the GT and predicted values. For the in vivo data, the dependency of the predicted values on the GT ranges was visually evaluated by comparing CBF and ATT maps between the best-performing DNN and the other DNNs. Moreover, using the synthesized noisy images, noise immunity was compared between the best-performing DNN based on the simulation study and a conventional method. RESULTS: The simulation study showed that a network trained by the GT of CBF and ATT in the ranges of 0 to 120 mL/100 g/min and 0 to 4500 milliseconds, respectively, had the highest performance (NMAE CBF , 0.150; NRMSE CBF , 0.231; CV NET CBF , 0.028; NMAE ATT , 0.158; NRMSE ATT , 0.257; and CV NET ATT , 0.028). Although the predicted CBF and ATT varied with the GT range of the training data sets, the appropriate settings preserved the accuracy, precision, and noise immunity of the DNN. In addition, the same results were observed in in vivo studies. CONCLUSIONS: The GT ranges to prepare the training data affected the performance of the simulation-based supervised DNNs. The predicted CBF and ATT values depended on the GT range; inappropriate settings degraded the accuracy, whereas appropriate settings of the GT range provided accurate and precise estimates.

Liver fibrosis estimated using extracellular volume fraction obtained from dual-energy CT as a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma after sustained virologic response: A preliminary case-control study.

PURPOSE: To assess hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk after sustained virologic response (SVR) through clinical data analyses, including evaluation of liver fibrosis using the extracellular volume fraction (ECV) obtained from dual-energy computed tomography (DECT). METHODS: Ninety-two patients (52 men and 40 women; mean age, 69.9 years) with hepatitis C virus infection after SVR underwent DECT of the liver (3-minute equilibrium-phase images) between January 2020 and March 2022. The ECV was calculated by measuring iodine density; fibrous markers, including ECV, fibrosis-4 index, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index, and platelet count, were statistically analyzed (p < 0.05). The risk factors associated with HCC were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The ECV (26.1 ± 4.6 %) in patients with HCC (n,21) was significantly larger than the ECV (20.7 ± 3.3 %) in patients without HCC (n = 71) (p < 0.001). The cutoff value for the ECV was 24.3 %. The area under the operating characteristic curve of the ECV was 0.857, which was higher than that of the serum fibrosis markers. Older age, SVR achieved with interferon, alpha-fetoprotein level (>5 ng/mL), advanced fibrosis before treatment (>F3), and ECV were associated with HCC according to the univariate analysis. Multivariate analyses showed that ECV was the only factor independently associated with HCC (odds ratio 0.619, 95 % confidence interval 0.482-0.795, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Liver fibrosis estimated using ECV can be a predictive marker in patients with HCC after SVR.

Extracellular volume fraction obtained by dual-energy CT depicting the etiological differences of liver fibrosis.

PURPOSE: To assess etiological differences in extracellular volume fraction (ECV) and evaluate its influence on staging performance. METHODS: A total of 166 patients with normal liver (n = 14) and chronic liver disease related to viral hepatitis (n = 71), alcohol (n = 44), and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) (n = 37) underwent dual-energy CT (DECT) of the liver (5-min equilibrium-phase images) between January 2020 and July 2022. The iodine densities of the parenchyma and aorta were measured and ECV was calculated. Comparisons of ECV between each etiology and METAVIR fibrosis stage were statistically analyzed (p < 0.05). RESULTS: ECV in each etiology and all patients significantly increased with higher fibrosis stage (p < 0.001) and showed a strong or moderate correlation with fibrosis stage (Spearman's ρ; all patients, 0.701; viral hepatitis, 0.638; alcoholic, 0.885; NASH, 0.791). In stages F2-F4, ECV in alcoholic liver disease was significantly larger than those for viral hepatitis and NASH (p < 0.05); however, no significant difference in stage F1 was found among the three etiologies. The cutoff values and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROCs) for discriminating fibrosis stage (≥ F1- ≥ F4) were higher for alcohol (cutoff values and AUC-ROC; 20.1% and 0.708 for ≥ F1, 23.8% and 0.990 for ≥ F2, 24.3% and 0.968 for ≥ F3, and 26.6% and 0.961 for ≥ F4, respectively) compared with those for the others. CONCLUSION: ECV in alcoholic liver disease is higher than that in other etiologies in the advanced stages of fibrosis, and etiological differences in ECV affect the staging performance of fibrosis.

Assessment of Arterial Transit Time and Cerebrovascular Reactivity in Moyamoya Disease by Simultaneous PET/MRI.

We investigated the relationship between MRI-arterial spin labeling (ASL) parameters and PET-cerebral blood flow (CBF)/cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) simultaneously obtained by PET/MRI in Moyamoya disease. Twelve patients underwent 15O-water PET/MRI with the acetazolamide (ACZ) challenge test. PET-CBF and PET-CVR were measured using 15O-water PET. Pseudo-continuous ASL obtained the robust arterial transit time (ATT) and ASL-CBF estimation. ASL parameters were compared with PET-CBF and PET-CVR. Before ACZ loading, absolute and relative ASL-CBF were significantly correlated with absolute and relative PET-CBF (r = 0.44, p < 0.0001, and r = 0.55, p < 0.0001, respectively). After ACZ loading, absolute and relative ASL-CBF were significantly correlated with absolute and relative PET-CBF (r = 0.56, p < 0.001, and r = 0.75, p < 0.0001, respectively), and ΔASL-CBF was significantly correlated with ΔPET-CBF (r = 0.65, p < 0.0001). Baseline ASL-ATT had strong negative correlations with ΔPET-CBF and PET-CVR (r = -0.72, p < 0.0001, and r = -0.66, p < 0.0001, respectively). Baseline ASL-ATT of MCA territories with CVR <30% (1546 ± 79 ms) was significantly higher than that with CVR > 30% (898 ± 197 ms). ASL-ATT ratio of MCA territories with CVR < 30% (94.0 ± 10.5%) was significantly higher than that with CVR > 30% (81.4 ± 11.3%). ATT correction using multiple postlabeling delays increased the accuracy of ASL-CBF quantitation. Baseline ASL-ATT is a hemodynamic parameter and may represent an efficient alternative to PET-CVR.

The Utility of Arterial Transit Time Measurement for Evaluating the Hemodynamic Perfusion State of Patients with Chronic Cerebrovascular Stenosis or Occlusive Disease: Correlative Study between MR Imaging and 15O-labeled H2O Positron Emission Tomography.

PURPOSE: To verify whether arterial transit time (ATT) mapping can correct arterial spin labeling-cerebral blood flow (ASL-CBF) values and to verify whether ATT is a parameter that correlates with positron emission tomography (PET)-oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) and PET-mean transit time (MTT). METHODS: Eleven patients with unilateral major cerebral artery stenosis or occlusion underwent MRI and PET in the chronic or asymptomatic phase. ASL-MRI acquisitions were conducted with each of two post-label delay (PLD) settings (0.7s and 2.0s) using a pseudo-continuous ASL pulse sequence and 3D-spin echo spiral readout with vascular crusher gradient. ATT maps were obtained using a low-resolution pre-scan approach with five PLD settings. Using the ASL perfusion images and ATT mapping, ATT-corrected ASL-CBF images were obtained. Four kinds of ASL-CBF methods (PLD 0.7s with or without ATT correction and PLD 2.0s with or without ATT correction) were compared to PET-CBF, using vascular territory ROIs. ATT and OEF were compared for all ROIs, unaffected side ROIs, and affected side ROIs, respectively. ATT and MTT were compared by the ratio of the affected side to the unaffected side. Transit time-based ROIs were used for the comparison with ATT. RESULTS: Comparing ASL-CBF and PET-CBF, the correlation was higher with ATT correction than without correction, and for a PLD of 2.0s compared with 0.7s. The best correlation was for PLD of 2.0s with ATT correction (R2 = 0.547). ROIs on the affected side showed a low but significant correlation between ATT and PET-OEF (R2 = 0.141). There was a low correlation between the ATT ratio and the MTT ratio (R2 = 0.133). CONCLUSION: Low-resolution ATT correction may increase the accuracy of ASL-CBF measurements in patients with unilateral major cerebral artery stenosis or occlusion. In addition, ATT itself might have a potential role in detecting compromised hemodynamic state.

Estimation of Cerebral Blood Flow and Arterial Transit Time From Multi-Delay Arterial Spin Labeling MRI Using a Simulation-Based Supervised Deep Neural Network.

BACKGROUND: An inherently poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) causes inaccuracy and less precision in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and arterial transit time (ATT) when using arterial spin labeling (ASL). Deep neural network (DNN)-based parameter estimation can solve these problems. PURPOSE: To reduce the effects of Rician noise on ASL parameter estimation and compute unbiased CBF and ATT using simulation-based supervised DNNs. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. POPULATION: One million simulation test data points, 17 healthy volunteers (five women and 12 men, 33.2 ± 14.6 years of age), and one patient with moyamoya disease. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3.0 T/Hadamard-encoded pseudo-continuous ASL with a three-dimensional fast spin-echo stack of spirals. ASSESSMENT: Performances of DNN and conventional methods were compared. For test data, the normalized mean absolute error (NMAE) and normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE) between the ground truth and predicted values were evaluated. For in vivo data, baseline CBF and ATT and their relative changes with respect to SNR using artificial noise-added images were assessed. STATISTICAL TESTS: One-way analysis of variance with post-hoc Tukey's multiple comparison test, paired t-test, and the Bland-Altman graphical analysis. Statistical significance was defined as P < 0.05. RESULTS: For both CBF and ATT, NMAE and NRMSE were lower with DNN than with the conventional method. The baseline values were significantly smaller with DNN than with the conventional method (CBF in gray matter, 66 ± 10 vs. 71 ± 12 mL/100 g/min; white matter, 45 ± 6 vs. 46 ± 7 mL/100 g/min; ATT in gray matter, 1424 ± 201 vs. 1471 ± 154 msec). CBF and ATT increased with decreasing SNR; however, their change rates were smaller with DNN than were those with the conventional method. Higher CBF in the prolonged ATT region and clearer contrast in ATT were identified by DNN in a clinical case. DATA CONCLUSION: DNN outperformed the conventional method in terms of accuracy, precision, and noise immunity. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1.

Diagnostic performance of abbreviated gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance protocols with contrast-enhanced computed tomography for detection of colorectal liver metastases.

BACKGROUND: Although contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using gadoxetic acid has been shown to have higher accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for the detection and characterization of hepatic metastases compared with other modalities, the long examination time would limit the broad indication. Several abbreviated enhanced MRI (Ab-MRI) protocols without dynamic phases have been proposed to achieve equivalent diagnostic performance for the detection of colorectal liver metastases. However, an optimal protocol has not been established, and no studies have assessed the diagnostic performance of Ab-MRI combined with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT), which is the preoperative imaging of colorectal cancer staging in clinical settings, to determine the best therapeutic strategy. AIM: To compare the diagnostic performance of two kinds of Ab-MRI protocol with the standard MRI protocol and a combination of the Ab-MRI protocol and CE-CT for the detection of colorectal liver metastases. METHODS: Study participants comprised 87 patients (51 males, 36 females; mean age, 67.2 ± 10.8 years) who had undergone gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI and CE-CT during the initial work-up for colorectal cancer from 2010 to 2021. Each exam was independently reviewed by two readers in three reading sessions: (1) Only single-shot fast spin echo (FSE) T2-weighted or fat-suppressed-FSE-T2-weighted, diffusion-weighted, and hepatobiliary-phase images (Ab-MRI protocol 1 or 2); (2) all acquired MRI sequences (standard protocol); and (3) a combination of an Ab-MRI protocol (1 or 2) and CE-CT. Diagnostic performance was then statistically analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 380 Lesions were analyzed, including 195 metastases (51.4%). Results from the two Ab-MRI protocols were similar. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values from Ab-MRI were non-inferior to those from standard MRI (P > 0.05), while those from the combination of Ab-MRI protocol and CE-CT tended to be higher than those from Ab-MRI alone, although the difference was not significant (P > 0.05), and were quite similar to those from standard MRI (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The diagnostic performances of two Ab-MRI protocols were non-inferior to that of the standard protocol. Combining Ab-MRI with CE-CT provided better diagnostic performance than Ab-MRI alone.

Atlas-based relaxometry and subsegment analysis of the substantia nigra pars compacta using quantitative MRI: a healthy volunteer study.

OBJECTIVE: Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by neuronal cell loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). We aimed to perform atlas-based relaxometry using an anatomical SNpc atlas and obtain baseline values of SNpc regions in healthy volunteers. METHODS: Neuromelanin (NM)-sensitive imaging of the midbrain and whole-brain 3D T1 weighted images of 27 healthy volunteers (20 males; aged 36.3 ± 11.5 years) were obtained. An anatomical SNpc atlas was created using NM-sensitive images in standard space, and divided into medial (MG), dorsal (DG), and ventrolateral (VG) groups. Proton density (PD), T1, and T2 values in these regions were obtained using quantitative MRI. The relationships between PD, T1, and T2 values in each SNpc region and age were evaluated. RESULTS: The VG PD value was significantly higher than the MG and DG values. MG, DG, and VG T1 values were significantly different, whereas the T2 value of the MG was significantly lower than the DG and VG values. Moreover, a significant negative correlation between PD and T1 values of the MG and age was observed. CONCLUSION: The PD, T1, and T2 values of the SNpc regions measured in standard space using an anatomical atlas can be used as baseline values. PD and T1 values of the SNpc regions may be associated with NM concentrations. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: An anatomical SNpc atlas was created using NM-sensitive MRI and can be used for the quantitative evaluation of subsegments of the SNpc in standard space.

Estimation of discrimination threshold for emulsified chicken oil in chicken broth.

Although fat content affects the texture and flavor of meat and meat products, the fat discrimination thresholds are unknown. This study aimed to elucidate the discrimination threshold of fat in meat products using broth from chicken thigh meat as a meat taste model. In Experiment 1, triangle tests were conducted between 1%, 0.2%, 0.04%, and 0.008% (w/v) chicken oil-supplemented broth and broth without chicken oil. The results indicated the discrimination threshold to be between 0.04% and 0.008% (w/v). In Experiment 2, similar triangle tests were conducted using oil supplementation at 0.1%, 0.0333%, 0.0111%, and 0.0037% to refine the discrimination threshold. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the discrimination threshold of emulsified chicken oil in chicken broth was 0.0387% (w/v). We demonstrated that chicken oil made a sensory difference in chicken broth at a low concentration and indicates that the chicken oil strongly affects the sensory characteristics of chicken broth.

Separating spin compartments in arterial spin labeling using delays alternating with nutation for tailored excitation (DANTE) pulse: A validation study using T2 -relaxometry and application to arterial cerebral blood volume imaging.

PURPOSE: To clarify the type of spin compartment in arterial spin labeling (ASL) that is eliminated by delays alternating with nutation for tailored excitation (DANTE) pulse using T2 -relaxometry, and to demonstrate the feasibility of arterial cerebral blood volume (CBVa ) imaging using DANTE-ASL in combination with a simplified two-compartment model. METHOD: The DANTE and T2 -preparation modules were combined into a single ASL sequence. T2 values under the application of DANTE were determined to evaluate changes in T2 , along with the post-labeling delay (PLD) and the relationship between transit time without DANTE (TTnoVS ) and T2 . The reference tissue T2 (T2_ref ) was also obtained. Subsequently, the DANTE module was embedded into the Hadamard-encoded ASL. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and CBVa were computed using two Hadamard-encoding datasets (with and without DANTE) in a rest and breath-holding (BH) task. RESULTS: While T2 without DANTE (T2_noVS ) decreased as the PLD increased, T2 with DANTE (T2_DANTE ) was equivalent to T2_ref and did not change with the PLD. Although there was a significant positive correlation between TTnoVS and T2_noVS with short PLD, T2_DANTE was not correlated with TTnoVS nor PLD. Baseline CBVa values obtained at rest were 0.64 ± 0.12, 0.64 ± 0.11, and 0.58 ± 0.15 mL/100 g for anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral arteries, respectively. Significant CBF and CBVa elevations were observed in the BH task. CONCLUSION: Microvascular compartment signals were eliminated from the total ASL signals by DANTE. CBVa can be measured using Hadamard-encoded DANTE-ASL in combination with a simplified two-compartment model.

Assessing the ADC of Bone-marrow on Whole-body MR Images in Relation to the Fat-suppression Method and Fat Content.

PURPOSE: To compare apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) of bone marrow on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) between two fat-suppression techniques, and to evaluate the association between bone-marrow ADCs and the proton density fat fraction (PDFF). METHODS: Seventy-seven patients underwent whole-body DWI with short-inversion time inversion-recovery (STIR) (DWISTIR) and/or STIR + selective water-excitation (spectral-spatial RF [SSRF]) (DWISTIR+SSRF). ADCs of lumbar vertebrae (L3 and L4) were compared between DWISTIR and DWISTIR+SSRF, and correlated with the PDFF. RESULTS: Lumbar ADCs obtained by DWISTIR and DWISTIR+SSRF were significantly correlated (L3: r = 0.90, P < 0.0001, L4: r = 0.90, P < 0.0001). Lumbar ADCs (× 10-6 mm2/s) obtained by DWISTIR were significantly lower than those by DWISTIR+SSRF (L3: 479 ± 137 and 490 ± 148, P < 0.05, L4: 456 ± 114 and 471 ± 118, P < 0.005). Residual fat signals were more clearly observed on DWISTIR than on DWISTIR+SSRF. The ADCs of L3 obtained by DWISTIR and DWISTIR+SSRF exhibited significant positive correlations with the PDFF (r = 0.51, P < 0.0001, and r = 0.45, P < 0.0001, respectively), and the ADCs of L4 obtained by DWISTIR and DWISTIR+SSRF exhibited significantly positive correlations with the PDFF (r = 0.40, P < 0.0005, and r = 0.40, P < 0.0005, respectively). CONCLUSION: Irrespective of different fat-suppression methods, lumbar ADCs were positively correlated with the PDFF, being inconsistent with previous studies. Lumbar ADCs obtained by DWISTIR were significantly lower than those obtained by DWISTIR+SSRF, probably due to residual fat signals on DWISTIR. However, this difference (< 4%) did not explain the positive correlation between lumbar ADC and PDFF.

Changes in Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) during Cardiac Cycle of the Brain in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus Before and After Cerebrospinal Fluid Drainage.

BACKGROUND: The causative mechanisms of idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) symptoms are currently unknown. PURPOSE: To assess the dynamic changes in the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) during the cardiac cycle (ΔADC) of the brain before and after the lumbar tap and shunt surgery for the purpose of determining changes in hydrodynamic and biomechanical properties in the brain after cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage for iNPH. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. SUBJECTS: Overall, 22 patients suspected to have iNPH were examined before and after the lumbar tap and were divided into patients who showed symptomatic improvements (positive group, n = 17) and those without improvement (negative group, n = 5) after the lumbar tap. Seven patients in the positive group were examined after the shunt surgery. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 1.5T, electrocardiographically synchronized single-shot diffusion echo-planar imaging. ASSESSMENT: The frontal white matter ΔADC and mean ADC (ADCmean ) were compared between before and 24 hours after lumbar tap and from 1 week to 1 month after the shunt surgery. STATISTICAL TESTS: Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The ΔADC after the lumbar tap in the positive group was significantly lower than that before (P < 0.05), whereas no significant difference was found in the negative group (P = 0.23). After the lumbar tap, ΔADC decreased in 16 of 17 patients in the positive group, whereas ADCmean did not significantly change (P = 0.96). After the shunt surgery, ΔADC decreased in all seven patients (P < 0.05), whereas ADCmean did not significantly change (P = 0.87). DATA CONCLUSION: The frontal white matter ΔADC in iNPH decreased after the lumbar tap and shunt surgery. ΔADC analysis may provide detailed information regarding changes in the hydrodynamic and biomechanical properties through CSF drainage. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4. TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 4.

Elevated Expression of Vacuolar Nickel Transporter Gene IREG2 Is Associated With Reduced Root-to-Shoot Nickel Translocation in Noccaea japonica.

A number of metal hyperaccumulator plants, including nickel (Ni) hyperaccumulators, have been identified in the genus Noccaea. The ability to accumulate Ni in shoots varies widely among species and ecotypes in this genus; however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying this intra- and inter-specific variation. Here, in hydroponic culture, we compared Ni accumulation patterns between Noccaea japonica, which originated in Ni-enriched serpentine soils in Mt. Yubari (Hokkaido, Japan), and Noccaea caerulescens ecotype Ganges, which originated in zinc/lead-mine soils in Southern France. Both Noccaea species showed extremely high Ni tolerance compared with that of the non-accumulator Arabidopsis thaliana. But, following treatment with 200 µM Ni, N. caerulescens showed leaf chlorosis, whereas N. japonica did not show any stress symptoms. Shoot Ni concentration was higher in N. caerulescens than in N. japonica; this difference was due to higher efficiency of root-to-shoot Ni translocation in N. caerulescens than N. japonica. It is known that the vacuole Ni transporter IREG2 suppresses Ni translocation from roots to shoots by sequestering Ni in the root vacuoles. The expression level of the IREG2 gene in the roots of N. japonica was 10-fold that in the roots of N. caerulescens. Moreover, the copy number of IREG2 per genome was higher in N. japonica than in N. caerulescens, suggesting that IREG2 expression is elevated by gene multiplication in N. japonica. The heterologous expression of IREG2 of N. japonica and N. caerulescens in yeast and A. thaliana confirmed that both IREG2 genes encode functional vacuole Ni transporters. Taking these results together, we hypothesize that the elevation of IREG2 expression by gene multiplication causes the lower root-to-shoot Ni translocation in N. japonica.

Robust arterial transit time and cerebral blood flow estimation using combined acquisition of Hadamard-encoded multi-delay and long-labeled long-delay pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling: a simulation and in vivo study.

Arterial transit time (ATT) prolongation causes an error of cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurement during arterial spin labeling (ASL). To improve the accuracy of ATT and CBF in patients with prolonged ATT, we propose a robust ATT and CBF estimation method for clinical practice. The proposed method consists of a three-delay Hadamard-encoded pseudo-continuous ASL (H-pCASL) with an additional-encoding and single-delay with long-labeled long-delay (1dLLLD) acquisition. The additional-encoding allows for the reconstruction of a single-delay image with long-labeled short-delay (1dLLSD) in addition to the normal Hadamard sub-bolus images. Five different images (normal Hadamard 3 delay, 1dLLSD, 1dLLLD) were reconstructed to calculate ATT and CBF. A Monte Carlo simulation and an in vivo study were performed to access the accuracy of the proposed method in comparison to normal 7-delay (7d) H-pCASL with equally divided sub-bolus labeling duration (LD). The simulation showed that the accuracy of CBF is strongly affected by ATT. It was also demonstrated that underestimation of ATT and CBF by 7d H-pCASL was higher with longer ATT than with the proposed method. Consistent with the simulation, the 7d H-pCASL significantly underestimated the ATT compared to that of the proposed method. This underestimation was evident in the distal anterior cerebral artery (ACA; P = 0.0394) and the distal posterior cerebral artery (PCA; 2 P = 0.0255). Similar to the ATT, the CBF was underestimated with 7d H-pCASL in the distal ACA (P = 0.0099), distal middle cerebral artery (P = 0.0109), and distal PCA (P = 0.0319) compared to the proposed method. Improving the SNR of each delay image (even though the number of delays is small) is crucial for ATT estimation. This is opposed to acquiring many delays with short LD. The proposed method confers accurate ATT and CBF estimation within a practical acquisition time in a clinical setting.

Evaluation of intraocular gas using magnetic resonance imaging after pars plana vitrectomy with gas tamponade for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess how a patient's posture affects intraocular gas changes and whether the postoperative prone position is required after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with gas tamponade for rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRDs). Eight patients with RRDs who underwent PPV combined with cataract surgery with gas tamponade were prospectively included. They underwent MRI examination both in the prone and supine positions. We separated the retina into four parts: superior-posterior, superior-anterior, inferior-posterior, and inferior-anterior. We then calculated the gas contact rate as (the length of the retina contacting the gas in each retinal part) divided by (the length of each retinal part) × 100% in both the prone and supine positions. The mean gas contact rate of the superior-anterior part of the retina was significantly higher (P = 0.006) in the supine position than in the prone position. The mean gas contact rate of the inferior-anterior part of the retina was also significantly higher (P = 0.0004) in the supine position than in the prone position. We believe that if all retinal breaks were located anterior to the equator, the supine position may provide better tamponade gas coverage for the breaks than the prone position. Although potential postoperative complications caused by the supine position require careful attention, our result may shorten the duration of postoperative prone position and may decrease the patients' discomfort after PPV with gas tamponade for RRDs.

Intravascular signal suppression and microvascular signal mapping using delays alternating with nutation for tailored excitation (DANTE) pulse for arterial spin labeling perfusion imaging.

OBJECTIVE: To optimize the delays alternating with nutation for tailored excitation (DANTE) pulse as a vascular crushing gradient to eliminate macro-and micro-vascular signals and to generate a macrovascular space-related map by applying DANTE with multiple conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Numerical simulation was performed to estimate the optimal flip angle (FA) of the DANTE. A phantom study was conducted to evaluate the impact of the FA and gradient area (GA) of the DANTE with three flow velocities and various parameters of the DANTE. Finally, an in vivo study was performed to assess the optimal DANTE parameters and to map the estimated macrovascular signal of the arterial spin labeling (ASL) signal. RESULTS: Numerical simulation revealed that the decrease of magnetization plateaued at 12.5° of FA. The phantom study showed that the setting of larger FA or GA decreased the ASL signals. The decrease of the ASL signal depended on the flow velocity, and the dependence increased with decreasing GA. The in vivo study revealed that larger FA and GA decreased the perfusion signal. DISCUSSION: An optimized DANTE makes it possible to efficiently suppress the macro-and-micro vascular signals depending on the flow velocity. Moreover, macrovascular signal mapping may be useful to assess altered hemodynamic states.

A stigmatic gene confers interspecies incompatibility in the Brassicaceae.

Pre-zygotic interspecies incompatibility in angiosperms is a male-female relationship that inhibits the formation of hybrids between two species. Here, we report on the identification of STIGMATIC PRIVACY 1 (SPRI1), an interspecies barrier gene in Arabidopsis thaliana. We show that the rejection activity of this stigma-specific plasma membrane protein is effective against distantly related Brassicaceae pollen tubes and is independent of self-incompatibility. Point-mutation experiments and functional tests of synthesized hypothetical ancestral forms of SPRI1 suggest evolutionary decay of SPRI1-controlled interspecies incompatibility in self-compatible A. thaliana. Hetero-pollination experiments indicate that SPRI1 ensures intraspecific fertilization in the pistil when pollen from other species are present. Our study supports the idea that SPRI1 functions as a barrier mechanism that permits entrance of pollen with an intrinsic signal from self species.

The use of combined T2-weighted and FLAIR synthetic magnetic resonance images to improve white matter region contrast: a feasibility study.

Synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows the production of images with any contrast from a single scan after quantification. The combined T2-weighted image (T2WI) and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) image is expected to have an improved contrast between the normal-appearing white matter (WM) and WM lesion (WML). The purpose of this study was to determine whether optimal T2 contrast-weighted images (SyFLAIR3) comprising the combined T2WI and FLAIR image generated using synthetic MRI could improve contrast in the WM region. Numerical simulations were performed to estimate the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between the WM and WML and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ratio at any echo time (TE) using SyFLAIR3. The CNR and CSF ratio for SyFLAIR3 was compared with those for FLAIR and double inversion recovery (DIR) images in ten volunteers. In numerical simulations, the CNR for SyFLAIR3 was increased in the T2WI and FLAIR images with long TEs, and the CSF ratio was decreased on those with short TEs. An in vivo study indicated that the CNR for SyFLAIR3 using T2WI and FLAIR images with an optimized combination of TEs was significantly higher than those for FLAIR and DIR images; whereas, the CSF ratio for the optimized SyFLAIR3 was not significantly different from that for the FLAIR images. The use of SyFLAIR3 improves the contrast within the region of the WM without the need for additional scanning in synthetic MRI.