Effect of daily ingestion of Bifidobacterium and dietary fiber on vascular endothelial function: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group comparison study.

Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis GCL2505 (GCL2505) improves the intestinal microbiota and reduces human visceral fat. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study was conducted to examine the effects of inulin, a prebiotic dietary fiber, and GCL2505 on vascular endothelial function in healthy subjects (n = 60). The test drink contained 2.0 g/100 g inulin and 1.0 × 1010 colony-forming units/100 g GCL2505 and was consumed daily for 12 weeks. Flow-mediated dilation was set as the primary endpoint. Subgroup analysis of vascular endothelial function demonstrated a significant increase in the change of flow-mediated dilation (%) from weeks 0 to 12 in the GCL2505 and inulin group (n = 24) compared with the placebo group (n = 23), while an improving trend in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 were confirmed. Our results indicated that the test drink had a positive effect on vascular endothelial function and related blood parameters.

Osteochondral regeneration of the femoral medial condyle by using a scaffold-free 3D construct of synovial membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells in horses.

BACKGROUND: Medical interventions for subchondral bone cysts in horses have been extensively studied. This study investigated the regeneration of articular cartilage and subchondral bone with scaffold-free three-dimensional (3D) constructs of equine synovial membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells (SM-MSCs) isolated from three ponies and expanded until over 1.0 × 107 cells at passage 2 (P2). RESULTS: SM-MSCs were strongly positive for CD11a/CD18, CD44, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I; moderately positive for CD90, CD105, and MHC class II; and negative for CD34 and CD45 on flow cytometry and differentiated into osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic lineages in the tri-lineage differentiation assay. After culturing SM-MSCs until P3, we prepared a construct (diameter, 6.3 mm; height, 5.0 mm) comprising approximately 1920 spheroids containing 3.0 × 104 cells each. This construct was confirmed to be positive for type I collagen and negative for type II collagen, Alcian blue, and Safranin-O upon histological analysis and was subsequently implanted into an osteochondral defect (diameter, 6.8 mm; depth, 5.0 mm) at the right femoral medial condyle. The contralateral (left femoral) defect served as the control. At 3 and 6 months after surgery, the radiolucent volume (RV, mm3) of the defects was calculated based on multiplanar reconstruction of computed tomography (CT) images. Magnetic resonance (MR) images were evaluated using a modified two-dimensional MR observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) grading system, while macroscopic (gross) and microscopic histological characteristics were scored according to the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) scale. Compared to the control sites, the implanted defects showed lower RV percentages, better total MOCART scores, higher average gross scores, and higher average histological scores. CONCLUSIONS: Implantation of a scaffold-free 3D-construct of SM-MSCs into an osteochondral defect could regenerate the original structure of the cartilage and subchondral bone over 6 months post-surgery in horses, indicating the potential of this technique in treating equine subchondral bone cysts.

Weakly coupled 10-mode-division multiplexed transmission over 48-km few-mode fibers with real-time coherent MIMO receivers.

For weakly coupled mode-division multiplexed (MDM) transmission systems, we design and implement optical coherent receiver prototypes with real-time multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) digital signal processing to equalize two degenerate linearly polarized modes with dual polarization. Using field programmable gate array circuits, we implement real-value 8 × 2 MIMO adaptive equalization with externally separated phase compensators based on the least mean square algorithm, which enables not only training equalization but also fast carrier-phase tracking. With the optical coherent MIMO receiver prototype, we demonstrate real-time weakly coupled 10 × MDM wavelength-division multiplexed dual-polarization quadrature phase shift keying transmission over 48-km few-mode fibers. This report shows a record number of multiplexed spatial modes, namely, 10 modes with dual polarization, in real-time MDM transmission experiments.

Phantom Study of In-Stent Restenosis at High-Spatial-Resolution CT.

Purpose To examine the diagnostic performance of high-spatial-resolution (HSR) CT with 0.25-mm section thickness for evaluating renal artery in-stent restenosis. Materials and Methods A 0.05-mm wire phantom and vessel phantoms with renal stents with in-stent stenotic sections of varying diameters were scanned with both an HSR CT scanner equipped with 160-section multi-detector rows (0.25-mm section thickness) and a conventional CT scanner. The wire phantom was used to analyze modulation transfer function (MTF). With the vessel phantoms, the error rates were calculated as the absolute difference between the measured diameters and true diameters divided by the true diameters at the narrowing sections. For qualitative evaluation, overall image quality and diagnostic accuracy for evaluating stenosis in three stages were assessed by two radiologists. Statistical analyses included the paired t test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and McNemar test. Results HSR CT achieved 24.3 line pairs per centimeter ± 0.5 (standard deviation) and 29.1 line pairs per centimeter ± 0.4 at 10% and 2% MTF, respectively; and conventional CT was 12.5 line pairs per centimeter ± 0.1 and 14.3 line pairs per centimeter ± 0.1 at 10% and 2% MTF, respectively. The mean error rate of the measured diameter at HSR CT (8.0% ± 5.8) was significantly lower than that at at conventional CT (16.9% ± 9.3; P < .001). Image quality at HSR CT was significantly better than that at conventional CT (P < .001), but HSR CT was not significantly superior to conventional CT in terms of diagnostic accuracy. Conclusion Compared with conventional CT, high-spatial-resolution CT achieved spatial resolutions of up to 29 line pairs per centimeter at 2% modulation transfer function and yielded improved measurement accuracy for the evaluation of in-stent restenosis in a phantom study of renal artery stents. Published under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Ultra-high-resolution CT angiography of the artery of Adamkiewicz: a feasibility study.

PURPOSE: Preoperative identification of the artery of Adamkiewicz can help prevent postoperative spinal cord injury following thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic repair. Several studies have demonstrated the feasibility of evaluating the artery of Adamkiewicz using multi-detector row computed tomography (CT), but precise visualization remains a challenge. The present study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness of ultra-high-resolution CT for visualizing the artery of Adamkiewicz with a slice thickness of 0.25 versus 0.5 mm in patients with aortic aneurysms. METHODS: Our institutional review board approved this study. Twenty-four patients with thoracic and thoracoabdominal aneurysms were scanned with beam collimation of 0.25 mm × 128. Images were reconstructed with slice thicknesses of 0.25 and 0.5 mm. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the aorta and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between the anterior spinal artery and spinal cord were measured. Two independent observers evaluated visualization of the artery of Adamkiewicz and its continuity between the anterior spinal artery and the aorta using a four-point scale. RESULTS: No significant differences in the SNR of the aorta or CNR of the anterior spinal artery were observed between 0.25- and 0.5-mm slices. The average visualization score was significantly higher for 0.25-mm slices (3.58 ± 0.78) than for 0.5-mm slices (3.13 ± 0.99) (p = 0.01). The percentage of patients with nondiagnostic image quality was significantly lower for 0.25-mm slices (8.3%) than for 0.5-mm slices (33.3%) (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: In patients with aortic aneurysms, ultra-high-resolution CT with 0.25-mm slices significantly improves visualization of the artery of Adamkiewicz compared to 0.5-mm slices.

Simultaneous ingestion of high-methoxy pectin from apple can enhance absorption of quercetin in human subjects.

Chronic ingestion of apple pectin has been shown to increase the absorption of quercetin in rats. The present study was designed to elucidate whether the simultaneous ingestion of quercetin with apple pectin could enhance the absorption of quercetin in humans, and the effects of dose dependency and degree of pectin methylation on quercetin absorption were also investigated. Healthy volunteers (n 19) received 200 ml of 0.5 mg/ml of quercetin drinks with or without 10 mg/ml of pectin each in a randomised cross-over design study with over 1-week intervals; urine samples from all the subjects were collected within 24 h after ingestion of the test drinks, and urinary deconjugated quercetin and its metabolites were determined using HPLC. The sum of urinary quercetin and its metabolites excreted was increased by 2.5-fold by the simultaneous ingestion of pectin. The metabolism of methylated quercetin (isorhamnetin and tamarixetin) was not affected by pectin ingestion. In six volunteers, who received quercetin drinks containing 0, 3 and 10 mg/ml of pectin, the sum of urinary quercetin and its metabolites excreted also increased in a pectin dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the simultaneous ingestion of quercetin with low-methoxy and high-methoxy pectin, respectively, increased the sum of urinary excretion of quercetin and its metabolites by 1.69-fold and significantly by 2.13-fold compared with the ingestion of quercetin without pectin. These results elucidated that apple pectin immediately enhanced quercetin absorption in human subjects, and that its enhancing effect was dependent on the dose and degree of pectin methylation. The results also suggested that the viscosity of pectin may play a role in the enhancement of quercetin absorption.

Effect of Intake of Bifidobacteria and Dietary Fiber on Resting Energy Expenditure: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group Comparison Study.

Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis GCL2505 in combination with inulin has been shown to have several health benefits, including an improvement in the intestinal microbiota and a reduction in human visceral fat. Previous studies have suggested that the visceral fat reduction of GCL2505 and inulin may be achieved by improving daily energy expenditure. This parallel, placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study was conducted to evaluate the effects of GCL2505 and inulin on resting energy expenditure (REE) in overweight or mildly obese Japanese adults (n = 44). Participants ingested 1 × 1010 colony forming units of GCL2505 and 5.0 g of inulin daily for 4 weeks. REE score at week 4 was set as the primary endpoint. At week 4, the REE score of the GCL2505 and inulin group was significantly higher than that of the placebo group, with a difference of 84.4 kcal/day. In addition, fecal bifidobacteria counts were significantly increased in the GCL2505 and inulin group. Our results indicated that the intake of GCL2505 and inulin improves energy balance, which is known to be a major factor of obesity, by modulating the microbiota in the gut. This is the first report to demonstrate the effects of probiotics and dietary fiber on REE in humans.

Effect of Continuous Ingestion of Bifidobacteria and Dietary Fiber on Improvement in Cognitive Function: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis GCL2505 has been shown to have some positive effects on health, including improved defecation frequency and reduced visceral fat. These effects are thought to be due to GCL2505's unique ability to reach the intestine in a viable form and proliferate after a single intake. This leads to an increased number of intestinal bifidobacteria. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study was conducted to confirm that intake of GCL2505 and inulin (a prebiotic) improve cognitive function (n = 80). Participants consumed test drinks containing 1 × 1010 colony-forming units of GCL2505 per 100 g and 2.0 g of inulin per 100 g for 12 weeks. The change in cognitive function assessment scores was set as the primary endpoint. There were significant improvements in scores in the neurocognitive index domain, which is an assessment of overall cognitive function, in addition to overall attention, cognitive flexibility, and executive function domains. The intervention significantly increased the number of fecal bifidobacteria and affected the levels of several inflammatory markers. These results suggest that intake of GCL2505 and inulin improves cognitive function by improving the intestinal environment and alleviating inflammation.

Effect of Continuous Ingestion of Bifidobacteria and Inulin on Reducing Body Fat: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Comparison Study.

Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis GCL2505 has been shown to have several positive health effects, including improved defecation frequency and reduced visceral fat. It is known that combined intake of GCL2505 and inulin increases the total number of bifidobacteria compared with ingestion of GCL2505 alone. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study was conducted to confirm that consumption of GCL2505 and inulin reduces abdominal fat (n = 120). Participants consumed a test beverage containing 1 × 1010 colony-forming units of GCL2505 per 100 g and 2.0 g of inulin per 100 g for 12 weeks. A change in the visceral fat area (VFA) was set as the primary endpoint. There were significant reductions in VFA and total fat area. The intervention significantly increased the total number of bifidobacteria and affected the levels of several lipid markers. Regression analysis of bifidobacteria and measured parameters showed that total bifidobacteria correlated with VFA and body mass index (BMI), while endogenous bifidobacteria and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis correlated only with BMI, suggesting that increases in both contributed to the decrease in VFA. These results suggest that combined intake of GCL2505 and inulin improves the intestinal environment and reduces abdominal fat in association with the SCFA-mediated pathway.

Streptococcus thermophilus ST28 ameliorates colitis in mice partially by suppression of inflammatory Th17 cells.

The effects of Streptococcus thermophilus ST28 on cytokine production by murine splenocytes stimulated with transforming growth factor-ß plus interleukin- (IL-) 6 were evaluated. The addition of ST28 significantly repressed IL-17 production compared to ATCC 19258 (type strain). ST28 also decreased the number of Th17 cells in the stimulated splenocytes. The anti-inflammatory effects of ST28 administration were evaluated in mice with colitis induced by dextran sodium sulphate (DSS). Oral treatment of mice with ST28 ameliorated the intestinal lesions by DSS. Upon DSS treatment, IL-17 production in lamina propria lymphocytes (LPLs) was induced, but ST28 significantly decreased its production. ST28 also decreased the percentage of Th17 cells in LPL from DSS-induced colitis. The present results imply that ST28 suppresses the Th17 response in inflamed intestines and would be useful in the treatment of Th17-mediated diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease.

Fabrication of Micro-Punch Array by Plasma Printing for Micro-Embossing into Copper Substrates.

Copper substrates were wrought to have micro-grooves for packaging by micro-stamping with use of a AISI316 stainless steel micro-punch array. The micro-texture of this arrayed punch was first tailored and compiled into CAD data. A screen film was prepared to have the tailored micro-pattern in correspondence to the CAD data. A negative pattern to this screen was printed directly onto the AISI316 die substrate. This substrate was plasma nitrided at 673 K for 14.4 ks. The unprinted die surfaces were selectively nitrogen super-saturated to have sufficiently high corrosion toughness and hardness; other surfaces were masked by the prints. The two-dimensional micro-pattern on the screen was transformed into a three-dimensional nitrogen supersaturated micro-texture embedded in the AISI316 die. The printed surfaces were selectively sand-blasted to fabricate the micro-textured punch array for micro-embossing. A uniaxial compression testing machine was utilized to describe the micro-embossing behavior in copper substrates and to investigate how the micro-texture on the die was transcribed to the copper. The micro-punch array in this study consisted of three closed loop heads with a width of 75 µm and a height of 120 µm after plasma nitriding and sand-blasting. Since the nitrogen supersaturated heads had sufficient hardness against the blasting media, the printed parts of AISI316 die were removed. The micro-embossing process was described by comparison of the geometric configurations between the multi-punch array and the embossed copper plate.

Initial clinical experience of a prototype ultra-high-resolution CT for assessment of small intracranial arteries.

PURPOSE: Diagnostic and neurosurgical procedures require the precise localization of small intracranial arteries, but this may be difficult using conventional computed tomography angiography (CTA). This study was conducted to evaluate the quality of CTA images acquired using a prototype ultra-high-resolution computed tomography (U-HRCT) system compared with those acquired using a conventional computed tomography (C-CT) system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July through September 2015, 10 adult patients (6 women and 4 men) previously scanned by C-CT were examined using U-HRCT to locate and assess cerebral aneurysms. The bilateral ophthalmic artery (Opth A), anterior choroidal artery (Acho A), and thalamoperforating arteries (TPAs) were visually evaluated in randomly presented CTA images. Images were graded on a 5-point scale, and differences in scores between U-HRCT and C-CT were evaluated by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Visual evaluation scores for images of the Opth A, Acho A, and TPAs were significantly higher for U-HRCT than for C-CT. U-HRCT images achieved good visualization (score > 3) for C-CT images with poor visualization (score < 3) in 66.7-100% of all the small arteries. CONCLUSION: U-HRCT is superior to C-CT for detecting and evaluating clinically significant small intracranial arteries.

Quantification of lung volume at different tidal volumes and positive end-expiratory pressures in a porcine model by using retrospective respiratory gated 4D-computed tomography.

PURPOSE: This feasibility study in healthy animals should prove the concept that it is possible to quantitatively assess the effects of different ventilatory settings on the lung parenchyma during ongoing ventilation in respiratory gated 4-dimensional (D)-computed tomography (CT). For this purpose, the influence of different tidal volumes and positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on quantitative assessment of lung volumes (LVs) and lung compartments was analyzed. METHODS: Five anesthetized and ventilated (20 breaths/min, inspiratory/expiratory ratio of 1:2) healthy pigs underwent 16-row multidetector CT with retrospective respiratory gating using a noncontact charge-coupled device camera as a gating device. The device was connected to the scanner instead of the electrocardiogram gating unit. Parameters for retrospective scans were collimation 1 mm, 120 kV, 300 mA, gantry rotation time 0.5 seconds, helical pitch 2.4. Two tidal volumes (300 mL and 450 mL) and 3 PEEP levels (0, 5, and 10 cm H(2)O) were applied resulting in 6 scans per animal. Images were reconstructed throughout the respiratory cycle in increments of 10%. Semiautomatic segmentation provided LV, mean lung density (MLD), and different lung compartments (atelectasis, hypoventilated, normal ventilated, hyperventilated). RESULTS: At tidal volume 300 mL the inspiratory LV were 1.05, 1.26, and 1.5 L and expiratory LV 0.75, 0.99, and 1.24 L (PEEP 0, 5, 10 cm H(2)O, respectively). Differences of MLD between inspiration and expiration were 86, 65, and 46 HU. At tidal volume 450 mL, the inspiratory LV were 1.21, 1.43, and 1.72 L, and expiratory LV were 0.78, 1.01, and 1.34 L (for PEEP 0, 5, 10 cm H(2)O). Differences of MLD between inspiration and expiration were 109, 86, and 59 HU. A clear oscillatory wave of the normal and hypoventilated volumes was found at PEEP 0, with increase in PEEP the hypoventilated areas became increasingly normal ventilated, the amplitude of the curves decreased, and hyperventilated areas increased. CONCLUSION: Using a new 4D-CT technique we were able to demonstrate the effect of different ventilation settings on the whole lung during the whole respiratory cycle. The disadvantages of static lung imaging or dynamic 2D-CT can be overcome. The possibility of quantitative evaluation of the whole lung and direct visualization and measurement of recruitment during different ventilation settings might be a great benefit for patients suffering from inhomogeneous lung injury and failure.

Bifidobacterium infantis suppresses proinflammatory interleukin-17 production in murine splenocytes and dextran sodium sulfate-induced intestinal inflammation.

Interleukin (IL)-17 acts as a potent inflammatory cytokine, and IL-17-producing cells (Th17 cells) have received much attention. However, the involvement of commensal and/or probiotic bacteria in IL-17 production has not been evaluated. In this study, we examined the suppressive effects of five bacteria species on IL-17 production in vitro and ex vivo. Among the five species studied, Bifidobacterium infantis inhibited IL-17 production but enhanced IL-27 production most potently in TGF-beta plus IL-6-stimulated murine splenocytes. B. infantis also inhibited IL-17 and eotaxin production from a dextran sodium sulfate-treated colon organ culture. The induction of IL-10 by B. infantis was observed both in the splenocytes and in the colon culture and was assumed, to a certain extent, to be important for suppressing IL-17 production. These findings suggest a novel immunomodulatory function of commensal bifidobacteria and further imply that these bacteria may be useful in the treatment of Th17-mediated diseases.

Molecular cloning of porcine RP105/MD-1 involved in recognition of extracellular phosphopolysaccharides from Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris.

In this study, we cloned the cDNAs encoding porcine RP105 (poRP105) and porcine MD-1 (poMD-1) from Peyer's patches of adult swine. The complete open reading frames of poRP105 and poMD-1 contain 1986 and 480bp and encode 661 and 159 amino acid residues, respectively. These two proteins were more similar to the human (77.6% and 76.5% amino acid identity) than the mouse counterparts (70.0% and 71.1% amino acid identity). The results of several experiments in cells cotransfected with poRP105 and poMD-1 indicated both lipopolysaccharide and extracellular phosphopolysaccharide from Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris (Lc.cremoris) strongly activate nuclear factor-kappaB and induce the expression of various cytokines via RP105. These effects were mediated by phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Bruton's tyrosine kinase. Thus, we identified extracellular polysaccharide from Lc.cremoris as an active substance that can induce immune activation via RP105 and MD-1.

Free-breathing three-dimensional computed tomography of the lung using prospective respiratory gating: charge-coupled device camera and laser sensor device in an animal experiment.

PURPOSE: The aim was to investigate the feasibility and image quality of prospective respiratory gating for 3-D computed tomography (CT) of the lung. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eight anesthetized pigs underwent prospectively gated multidetector computed tomography using 2 devices: a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera and a laser sensor. The output signal of both gating devices was connected to the scanner instead of ECG unit. Inspiratory and expiratory images were obtained during "free-breathing" and analyzed in MPR mode for sharpness of bronchi, diaphragm and lung using a 4-point-score (1, excellent to 4, severe artifacts). RESULTS: The CCD camera worked in all animals. Using the laser sensor, only 50% of expiratory scans could be acquired. All acquired images showed excellent sharpness (CCD camera vs. laser sensor) for trachea (1.1 +/- 0.3 vs. 1.3 +/- 0.5), bronchi (1.4 +/- 0.7 vs. 1.8 +/- 0.6), lung fissures (1.0 vs. 1.1 +/- 0.3), and lung parenchyma (1.0 +/- 0.2 vs. 1.4 +/- 0.6), and minor to major artifacts for diaphragm (1.5 +/- 0.8 vs. 2.0 +/- 1.0, P < 0.05) and pericardial lung structures (1.9 +/- 0.7 vs. 2.3 +/- 0.5). CONCLUSION: High image quality for inspiratory and expiratory scans was achieved by free-breathing 3-D CT of the lung using noncontact prospective respiratory gating.

Comparison of pharmacokinetics of tramadol between young and middle-aged dogs.

This study aimed to compare the pharmacokinetics of tramadol between young and middle-aged dogs. Tramadol (4 mg/kg) was administered intravenously (IV) to young and middle-aged dogs (2 and 8-10 years, respectively). Plasma concentrations of tramadol were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and its pharmacokinetics best fit a two-compartment model. The volume of distribution (Vd), elimination half-life (t1/2,ß) and total body clearance (CLtot) of the young group were 4.77 ± 1.07 l/kg, 1.91 ± 0.26 hr and 29.9 ± 7.3 ml/min/kg, respectively, while those of the middle-aged group were 4.73 ± 1.43 l/kg, 2.39 ± 0.97 hr and 23.7 ± 5.4 ml/min/kg, respectively. Intergroup differences in the t1/2,ß and CLtot were significant (P<0.05). In conclusion, tramadol excretion was significantly prolonged in middle-aged dogs.

Prototype heel effect compensation filter for cone-beam CT.

The prototype cone-beam CT (CBCT) has a larger beam width than the conventional multi-detector row CT (MDCT). This causes a non-uniform angular distribution of the x-ray beam intensity known as the heel effect. Scan conditions for CBCT tube current are adjusted on the anode side to obtain an acceptable clinical image quality. However, as the dose is greater on the cathode side than on the anode side, the signal-to-noise ratio on the cathode side is excessively high, resulting in an unnecessary dose amount. To compensate for the heel effect, we developed a heel effect compensation (HEC) filter. The HEC filter rendered the dose distribution uniform and reduced the dose by an average of 25% for free air and by 20% for CTDI phantoms compared to doses with the conventional filter. In addition, its effect in rendering the effective energy uniform resulted in an improvement in image quality. This new HEC filter may be useful in cone-beam CT studies.

Diagnostic imaging of intra-abdominal cyst in heifer using the computed tomography.

A 10-month-old Japanese black heifer was diagnosed as having an intra-abdominal cyst using computed tomography (CT). Through a posterior ventral midline incision, the cyst was removed, and the heifer completely recovered after the surgery. CT scans enabled detection of the intra-abdominal cyst and measurements of the diameter of the cyst before the surgery.

Ultra-High-Resolution Computed Tomography of the Lung: Image Quality of a Prototype Scanner.

PURPOSE: The image noise and image quality of a prototype ultra-high-resolution computed tomography (U-HRCT) scanner was evaluated and compared with those of conventional high-resolution CT (C-HRCT) scanners. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was approved by the institutional review board. A U-HRCT scanner prototype with 0.25 mm x 4 rows and operating at 120 mAs was used. The C-HRCT images were obtained using a 0.5 mm x 16 or 0.5 mm x 64 detector-row CT scanner operating at 150 mAs. Images from both scanners were reconstructed at 0.1-mm intervals; the slice thickness was 0.25 mm for the U-HRCT scanner and 0.5 mm for the C-HRCT scanners. For both scanners, the display field of view was 80 mm. The image noise of each scanner was evaluated using a phantom. U-HRCT and C-HRCT images of 53 images selected from 37 lung nodules were then observed and graded using a 5-point score by 10 board-certified thoracic radiologists. The images were presented to the observers randomly and in a blinded manner. RESULTS: The image noise for U-HRCT (100.87 ± 0.51 Hounsfield units [HU]) was greater than that for C-HRCT (40.41 ± 0.52 HU; P < .0001). The image quality of U-HRCT was graded as superior to that of C-HRCT (P < .0001) for all of the following parameters that were examined: margins of subsolid and solid nodules, edges of solid components and pulmonary vessels in subsolid nodules, air bronchograms, pleural indentations, margins of pulmonary vessels, edges of bronchi, and interlobar fissures. CONCLUSION: Despite a larger image noise, the prototype U-HRCT scanner had a significantly better image quality than the C-HRCT scanners.