[Infrared spectroscopic study on leaf senescence of evergreen tree].

In order to investigate plant physiological process of leaf senescence and aging, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to study the young, mature, and old yellow leaves from seven species of evergreen trees. The spectra of the leaves from different growing period are different in the region of 1 800-700 cm(-1). The absorption ratios A1 070/A2 927, A1 070/A1 160 were used to evaluate the relative changes of polysaccharides, and A1 318/A2 922 was used to estimate the change of calcium oxalate during leaf senescence. Decomposition and curve-fitting analysis was performed in the region of 1 800 -1 500 cm(-1). The sub-band absorption ratio H1 650/H1 740 was used to evaluate the relative changes of protein in the leaves. The results show that the accumulation and mobilization of polysaccharides, protein, and calcium oxalate during leaf growing period were different in different plant species. This study demonstrates the potential of mid-infrared spectroscopy for investigation of plants senescence, as well as physiological and biochemical changes of plants.

[Research on rice blast, corn and broad bean rust leaves by FTIR spectroscopy].

Fourier transform infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to study healthy and diseased leaves of rice, corn, and broad bean. The results show that the infrared spectra of the leaves are mainly composed of the absorption bands of proteins and polysaccharide. The spectra are similar, but the differences were observed in the peak positions, shapes, and absorption ratios. The remarkable differences in correlation coefficients were also observed in the region of 1 800-1 000 cm(-1) of the second derivate spectra. The absorption ratio A1 056 /A1 652 of healthy rice leaves and rice blast leaves, A1 652/A2 920 of healthy broad bean leaves and leaves, A1 056/A2 920 of healthy corn and corn rust (non-lesion site), and A1 652/A2 920 of healthy corn and corn rust (lesion site) all show a decline from healthy to diseased leaves, showing that the contents of polysaccharide and the protein have some differences.

Primary angiosarcoma of the spleen as depicted on computed tomography.

Primary angiosarcoma of the spleen is rare, usually widespread or has a splenic rupture by the time of presentation, and almost always has poor prognosis; early radiological diagnosis is necessary for improving the survival rate. We report two special cases of this disease. Both patients did not have pathologic metastasis or splenic rupture, but their computed tomography (CT) manifestations were distinct from each other and had uncommon characteristics. We compared the CT features with pathological findings.

[FTIR spectroscopic study of broad bean diseased leaves].

In the present paper, broad bean rust, fusarium rhizome rot, broad bean zonate spot, yellow leaf curl virus and normal leaves were studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics. The results show that the spectra of samples were similar, only with minor differences in absorption intensity of several peaks. Second derivative analyses show that the significant difference of all samples was in the range of 1200-700 cm(-1). The data in the range of 1 200-700 cm(-1) were selected to evaluate correlation coefficients, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA). Results showed that the correlation coefficients are larger than 0.928 not only between the healthy leaves, but also between the same diseased leaves. The values between healthy and diseased leaves, and among diseased leaves, are all declined. HCA and PCA yielded about 73.3% and 82.2% accuracy, respectively. This study demonstrated that FTIR techniques might be used to detect crop diseases.

[Superior attachment of renal fascia: a study with multidetector computed tomography and three dimensional reconstruction].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the superior attachment of renal fascia (RF) and the perirenal space (PS) in order to identify the spreading pathway of inflammatory and malignant tumors. METHODS: Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), with double phase enhancement scanning and three dimensional reconstruction of images were performed on 121 healthy adults. The RF attachments upward were observed and their connections with the PS were evaluated. RESULTS: The left anterior renal fascia (ARF) fusing with peritoneum accounted for 27.3% (33/121) and the left ARF fusing with peritoneum of the spleen laterally and with the subdiaphragmatic fascia interiorly accounted for 19.8% (24/121) of the upper attachments of the RF above the upper renal pole (URP). Under the URP, the left ARF fusing with peritoneum accounted for 52.9% (64/121) of the upper attachments of the RF. The right ARF fusing with peritoneum did not display above the URP. The posterior renal fascia (PRF) of both side fused with subdiaphragmatic fascia under the URP. The ARF and PRF of the left and right kidney showed no upward integration. The right PS communicated with the subdiaphragmatic retroperitoneal space (SDRS) that is a bare area of the liver. The left PS communicating with the SDRS accounted for 80.2% (97/121) and the left PS communicating with the SDRS laterally but separating from the SDRS interiorly accounted for 19.8% (24/121) of the SDRS communication. CONCLUSION: MDCT and three-dimensional reconstruction can remarkably display RF and its superior attachment, as well as the connection between the PS and SDRS.

Correlation between tumor perfusion and lipiodol deposition in hepatocellular carcinoma after transarterial chemoembolization.

PURPOSE: To study the correlation of tumor perfusion with lipiodol deposition in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transarterial chemoembolization with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) perfusion imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MDCT perfusion imaging was performed in 24 patients with HCC 1 to 7 days before chemoembolization. The computed tomography (CT) perfusion parameters, such as hepatic arterial perfusion (HAP), hepatic portal perfusion (HPP), total liver perfusion (TLP), and hepatic arterial perfusion index (HAPI), were calculated with the slope method. The follow-up CT scans (noncontrast) were performed 4 weeks after chemoembolization to analyze lipiodol deposition. The lipiodol deposition in the tumor was classified into three grades and compared with CT perfusion parameters before chemoembolization. RESULTS: The HAP and TLP of tumors before chemoembolization were correlated with the grades of lipiodol deposition in tumors after chemoembolization (r = 0.768, P < .0001 and r = 0.616, P = .001, respectively). However, the HPP and HAPI of the tumors were not related to the grades of iodized oil deposition (r = 0.227, P = .286 and r = 0.111, P = .607, respectively). Higher HAP was correlated with better lipiodol deposition, and lower HAP was correlated with poorer lipiodol deposition. CONCLUSIONS: MDCT perfusion imaging has the potential to help select more appropriate patients with HCC for chemoembolization.

[Differentiation of Rhododendron based on the infrared spectra of petals].

Several techniques were used to identify and classify plants. Mid-infrared spectroscopy combined with appropriate software was used in an attempt to differentiate different subgenus from Rhododendron. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used for obtaining vibrational spectra of 46 petals from Rhododendron. Very minor differences were observed in the FTIR spectra among four subgenuses. For the purpose of rapid differentiation, libraries of spectra were created using samples from each subgenus variety. Spectra of unknown samples were recorded and compared with those of the libraries and the rate of affinity (the match value) was measured automatically using the appropriate software (OMNIC). The results showed that petal samples from different subgenus varieties can be differentiated from each other. The study demonstrates that combining FTIR spectroscopy with appropriate analysis method can classify Rhododendron plants at subgenus level. It offers a potential method for the taxonomic research on plants system.

Perfusion computed tomography evaluation of angiogenesis in liver cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of computed tomography (CT) perfusion imaging for assessment of angiogenesis in liver cancer. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with histologically proven liver cancer underwent CT perfusion examination. We compared the following perfusion parameters in the tumour area versus the non-tumour area: total blood flow (TBF), hepatic arterial perfusion (HAP), hepatic portal perfusion (HPP) and hepatic arterial perfusion index (HAPI). Slices of postoperative specimen were stained with haematoxylin-eosin and anti-CD34 immunohistochemistry. The slices were evaluated with emphasis on the CD34-positive neovasculature in the tumour parenchyma. Tumour microvascular density (MVD) was calculated according to the Weidner method. Pearson correlation was used to detect correlations between tumour MVD and tumour perfusion parameters. RESULT: TBF and HPP in the tumour area were lower than in the non-tumour area (P < 0.05). HAP and HAPI in the tumour area were higher than those of the non-tumour area (P < 0.05). TBF and HAP in the tumour area correlated with MVD in the tumour (P < 0.05), with correlation coefficients of 0.849 and 0.829, respectively. CONCLUSION: CT perfusion imaging can quantitatively assess the blood supply and its distribution in liver cancer. TBF or HAP may be a useful parameter in assessing angiogenesis of liver cancer.

[Differentiation of Amanita hemibapha (Berk. & Broome) Sacc. subsp. hemibapha and Amanita hemibapha var. ochracea Zhu L. Yang by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy].

In order to demonstrate the ability of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for the differentiation of macro-fungi at variety level, FTIR spectroscopy was used to obtain vibrational spectra of Amanita hemibapha (Berk. & Broome) Sacc. subsp. hemibapha and Amanita hemibapha var. ochracea Zhu L. Yang. The results show that their spectra are very similar to each other, with a small difference in the relative intensity of absorbance. For the purpose of enhancing the spectral resolution and amplifying the differences, the first-derivative spectra and second-derivative spectra were selected for evaluating the correlation coefficients respectively. The results show that the second-derivative spectra of two fruit bodies of Amanita hemibapha (Berk. & Broome) Sacc. subsp. hemibapha and one fruit body of Amanita hemibapha var. ochracea Zhu L. Yang have obvious differences, the correlation coefficients are only 0.245 and 0.356 respectively, the second-derivative spectra of two fruit bodies of Amanita hemibapha (Berk. &Broome) Sacc. subsp. hemibapha are very similar, and the correlation coefficient is 0.865. The authors' results show that Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in combination with correlation analysis method can be used to identify Amanita hemibapha (Berk. & Broome) Sacc. subsp. hemibapha and Amanita hemibapha var. ochracea Zhu L. Yang rapidly and accurately.

[Time-density curve of 16-slice spiral CT quantitatively distinguishes true from false lumen of aortic dissection].

OBJECTIVE: To use the time-density curves (TDCs) to quantitatively distinguish the true from false lumen of aortic dissection (AD). METHODS: 28 cases with AD underwent the dynamic scanning of 16-slice spiral computer tomography (SCT). We used the CT Dynamic Evaluation software to determine the circulation times of the true and false lumens of the AD and got the TDCs, and then analyzed the circulation times and CT values of the true and false lumens by using matched t-test for dependent samples. RESULTS: The TDCs of the true and false lumens of the AD were achieved in all 28 patients. The peak CT values [(71.87 +/- 35.14) HU] of the true lumen were higher than those [(45.58 +/- 24.00) HU] of false lumen (P < 0.05); while the time to peak [(23.43 +/- 5.73) s] of the true lumen were earlier than that [(29.46 +/- 6.27) s] of false lumen (P < 0.05). The patterns of TDCs of the true lumen appeared to be rapid rise followed by rapid decline in 22 cases (78.6%) and rapid rise with gradual decline in 6 (21.4%), while the patterns of TDCs of the false lumen showed gradual rise followed by gradual decline in 18 cases (64.3%) and rapid rise with gradual decline in 10 (35.7%). CONCLUSION: The TDCs of the true and false lumens showed: the peak CT values of the true lumen were higher than those of false lumen; while the time to peak of the true lumen were earlier than that of false lumen. So, the time-density curve, is used as an original and quantitative method to distinguish the true from false lumen in AD.

[Identification of Pu' er tea by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy].

In the present paper, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to determine unzymic and zymic Pu'er tea of different grade produced in Simao, Yunan Province. Because of the different processing technology, different proportion of chemical constituents exists in the unzymic and zymic Pu'er tea. And although there is a great mass of similarity in infrared spectrum, the results still show differences in the characteristic peaks of infrared spectrum between unzymic and zymic Pu'er tea. And there is also obvious difference between unzymic Pu'er tea of different grade or zymic Pu'er tea of different grade. According to the studies of the spectral peaks and absorbance ratios, unzymic and zymic Pu'er tea can easily be identified. And different grade of unzymic and zymic Pu'er tea may be classified by the differences in the absorbance ratios of several peaks. FTIR is proved to be a rapid, simple, reliable and non-destructive qualification method, it is suitable for grade identification of Pu'er tea.

[Relationship between renal apparent diffusion coefficient and renal interstitial fibrosis: preliminary study].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between renal ADCs (apparent diffusion coefficient values) and renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) grades. METHODS: Twenty four patients with chronic renal diseases and 48 healthy volunteers (control group) were examined with SS-EPI DWI at 3. OT MR. In chronic renal disease group, RIF of 14 patients who received renal biopsy was determined as grade I and II based on the tubuleinterstitial damage degree, while RIF of 10 patients with uremia, who did not receive biopsy but had nephrogenic renal atrophy, was categorized as grade III. RESULTS: With comparison of the study group and control group, ADCs of renal cortex were significantly different. In either grade II or III RIF, and ADCs of renal medulla showed difference in grade III RIF (P<0.05). Also, ADCs of both cortex and medulla displayed a decreasing trend as RIF grade increased (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: ADCs of renal cortex and medulla may reflect the grades of RIF. ADC of renal cortex might be more sensitive than that of renal medulla.

[Non-small cell lung cancer evaluated by first pass dynamic contrast-enhanced 16-slice spiral CT: correlation of tumor vascularity with pathological characteristics].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of first pass dynamic 16-slice spiral computed tomography in the evaluation of tumor angiogenesis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to assess its importance in predicting pathologic characteristics. METHODS: The first pass dynamic 16-slice spiral computed tomography was performed in 33 patients with NSCLC. Their peak heights (PH) were measured with dynamic evaluation software. Their angiogenesis were labelled by anti-CD34 monoclonal antibody. The first pass peak heights (PH) in 33 patients with NSCLC were compared with their microvessel densities (MVD) and their relationships were assessed by linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the 33 patients with NSCLCs, the mean first pass PH and MVD of N1-2 were significantly higher than those at stage No (P < 0.01). The first pass PH of 33 NSCLC was correlated positively with MVDs. To differentiate stage N0 from stage N1-2 with 12 HU cutoff value of the first pass PH, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 88.0%, 75.0%, 84.8%, 91.7% and 66.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The first pass dynamic contrast enhanced CT may be a predictor of tumor angiogenesis in patients with NSCLC and its pathologic characteristics, and may be helpful to improve the accuracy of lymph node staging with conventional CT.

Liver volume variation in patients with virus-induced cirrhosis: findings on MDCT.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to establish a standard liver volume formula and explore the correlation between hepatic lobe variations in patients with virus-induced cirrhosis and the severity of disease by measuring the volume of the whole liver, the left lateral segment, and the caudate lobe using 16-MDCT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The volume and per-body surface area (BSA) volume of the whole liver, the left lateral segment, and the caudate lobe were calculated in 113 patients with normal livers and 101 patients with virus-induced cirrhosis who underwent volume CT. The proportion of the left lateral segment volume and the proportion of the caudate lobe volume to the total liver volume, the volume index, and the volume change ratio were also calculated, and these data were grouped by Child-Pugh classification and compared. The standard liver volume formula was constructed from body weight and body height or from BSA. RESULTS: There was a positive correlation between liver volume (LV) and body height, body weight (BW) [LV (cm3) = 12.90 x BW (kg) + 437.91], and BSA [LV (cm3) = 882.08 x BSA (m2) - 308.12]. The total mean +/- standard error (SE) liver volume of the control group was 1,222.76 +/- 216.96 cm3. The mean volumes of the whole liver and of the left lateral segment were 798.01 +/- 203.64 and 213.04 +/- 74.84 cm3, respectively, for Child-Pugh class C patients, which was significantly smaller than those values for Child-Pugh class A and B patients (p < 0.05). The mean volume of the caudate lobe was 36.83 +/- 22.11 cm3 for Child-Pugh class A patients, which is significantly larger than those values for Child-Pugh class B and C patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: CT-measured liver volume and standard liver volume formulas were helpful in evaluating liver volume variations. Enlargement of the left lateral segment was absolute in Child-Pugh class A and B patients, but was relative in Child-Pugh class C patients; enlargement of the caudate lobe was absolute in Child-Pugh class A patients, but was relative in Child-Pugh class B and C patients.

[The relationship between 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy and the histopathology of livers of chronic viral hepatitis patients].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlations between 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) findings and histopathological grading and staging of the livers of chronic viral hepatitis patients. METHODS: Thirty-one patients with chronic viral hepatitis and 18 healthy volunteers were enrolled for this study. All of them underwent routine MRI plain scan and 31P-MRS of their livers. Peak areas of PME, PDE, PCr, Pi, gamma-ATP, beta-ATP and alpha-ATP were calculated. The concentrations of the phosphorus compounds of their livers, including PME, PDE, PCr, Pi, gamma-ATP, beta-ATP and alpha-ATP were measured. Percutaneous liver biopsies were performed on all 31 patients 0 to 7 days after their 31P-MRS examinations. Biopsy specimens were scored for fibrosis and necroinflammation according to the Knodell histological activity index. According to their necroinflammation scores, the 31 patients were divided into groups: slight hepatitis (7 patients), mild hepatitis (11), moderate hepatitis (8) and severe hepatitis (5). According to their fibrosis scores, the patients were divided into groups: no fibrosis (7 patients), portal fibrosis (11), bridging fibrosis (5) and cirrhosis (8). RESULTS: The PME%, PDE% and PME/PDE of the hepatitis patients and of the control volunteers had significant statistical differences. The differences of PME%, PDE% and PME/PDE among different grades and stages also had statistical significance. When PME/PDE=0.78, 0.95 and 1.11 were set as the cut-off points for different grades of necroinflammation, and PME/PDE=0.79, 0.95 and 1.10 were set as the cut-off points for different stages of fibrosis, a sensitivity of 80.0%-87.5% and a specificity of 42.9%-72.7% were achieved. CONCLUSION: PME/PDE is a sensitive marker for diagnosing the severity of chronic viral hepatitis. A rise of PME/PDE in hepatitis patients represents an increase of synthesis and a decrease in the breakdown of hepatocytes.

Amplitude of low frequency fluctuation within visual areas revealed by resting-state functional MRI.

Most studies of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have applied the temporal correlation in the time courses to investigate the functional connectivity between brain regions. Alternatively, the power of low frequency fluctuation (LFF) may also be used as a biomarker to assess spontaneous activity. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate whether the amplitude of the LFF (ALFF) relates to cerebral physiological states. Ten healthy subjects underwent four resting-state fMRI scanning sessions, two for eyes-open (EO) and two for eyes-closed (EC) conditions, with two sets of parameters (TR=400 ms and 2 s, respectively). After data preprocessing, ALFF was obtained by calculating the square root of the power spectrum in the frequency range of 0.01-0.08 Hz. Our results showed that the ALFF in EO was significantly higher than that in EC (P<0.05, corrected) in the bilateral visual cortices. Furthermore, the ALFF in EO was significantly reduced in the right paracentral lobule (PCL) than in EC (P<0.05, corrected). Region of interest (ROI) analysis showed that the ALFF differences between EO and EC were consistent for each subject. In contrast, no significant ALFF differences were found between EO and EC (P<0.381) in the posterior cingulate cortex. All these results agree well with previous studies comparing EO and EC states. Our finding of the distinct ALFF difference between EO and EC in the visual cortex implies that the ALFF may be a novel biomarker for physiological states of the brain.

[CT features and anatomic-pathologic basis of the 16-slice spiral CT for aortic dissection].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the CT features and anatomic-pathologic basis of the 16-slice Spiral CT (SCT) for aortic dissection (AD). METHODS: Forty-two cases with typical aortic dissection (AD) and 12 cases with intramural hematoma (IMH) underwent 16-slice SCT, performed with unenhanced, contrast-enhanced scanning and three-dimensional reconstruction. More attention was put on the true and false lumen, intimal flap, the entry tear and the involvement of branches of AD. RESULTS: (1) True and false lumen and intimal flap of AD could be shown in all of 42 cases (100%), the entry tears were revealed in 41 cases (97.6%), and the true and false lumen and intimal flap extended spirally in 41 cases (97.6%). (2) For intramural hematoma (IMH), unenhanced CT depicted crescent-shaped areas with high attenuation extending along the walls of the aorta in 10 cases (83.3%), and low attenuation in 2 cases (16.7%), while contrast-enhanced CT showed no enhancement of attenuation in the crescent-shaped areas in all 12 cases. Nine cases (75%) of IMH were associated with penetrating aortic ulcer. CONCLUSIONS: The axial and three-dimensional images of 16-slice SCT can fast and exactly reveal the pathological and anatomical features of AD, and provide detailed imaging information for clinical therapy. It's very important for the selection of treatment methods.

[A study of correlation between the blood supply types of PHcc on spiral CT and the level of VEGF expression in PHcc].

OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation between the blood supply types of primary hepatocellar carcinoma (PHcc) on Spiral CT and the level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in PHcc for improvement in treatment strategies and prognostication. METHODS: Forty-five cases of PHcc identified by operation and pathology were investigated. Immunohistochemistry staining in SP was performed. The relationships between blood supply types of PHcc on Spiral CT during dual-phase scanning and the expression levels of VEGF in well-differentiated, moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated PHcc were analyzed. RESULTS: There were four blood supply types of PHcc on Spiral CT. Both the strong positive staining and the positive staining were most frequently seen in the hepatic artery blood supply type, and then were frequently in the double blood supply type, i. e. the hepatic arterial supply combining with the portal blood supply type. The positive staining results were rarely seen in the portal blood supply type and poor blood supply type (P<0.001). And with the escalation of the Edmonson- Steiner histological grades, the VEGF expression levels were shown to increase correspondingly (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: We can ascertain the blood supply type of PHcc and infer the VEGF expression levels that reflect the PHcc angiogenesis condition and the histological grades by means of Spiral CT during dual- phase scanning. Hence this method is useful for the selection of PHcc treatment plans, including anti-angiogenesis and evaluating the prognosis.

Magnetic resonance imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma induced by diethylnitrosamine in Sprague-Dawley rats.

BACKGROUND: Diethylnitrosamine (DENA) is able to induce various benign and malignant liver lesions in rats with a high success rate and a low mortality rate. It provides a more appropriate model that better simulates the various lesions occurring in humans than the usual model of tumor implantations. The aim of the present study was to evaluate MRI liver examination in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats as a routine method to detect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) nodules induced by DENA and to follow up their growth. METHODS: Hepatic carcinogenesis was induced in 80 male SD rats using oral DENA solution. All animals were imaged for liver tumor detection with a 1.5 Tesla magnet (Siemens Sonata, Erlangen, Germany) using correspondence scan parameters and a radio-frequency knee coil. Macroscopic examinations were performed along the axial MRI sections to evaluate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, and histopathological assessment was also performed. RESULTS: No false negative results were obtained on MR images. Hepatic tumors in 72 rats were confirmed macroscopically and 68 rats were detected by MRI till the 20th week. The smallest and the largest nodules detected by MRI were 2 mm and 37 mm in diameter respectively. The agreement rate of MRI with macroscopic observation was 39.1% and 97.4% respectively for 2 mm to 5 mm and more than 5 mm nodules. CONCLUSIONS: The hepatic tumor induced by DENA provides a more representative range of tumors for imaging diagnosis and interventional treatment. MRI is the best approach for scrutinizing pathological changes of rat livers in the period of observation.