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The thermal expansion occurring when a laser beam is incident on the surface of a solid can be used to excite ultrasonic waves in the solid medium, without causing damage to the material. The resulting wavefield is characterized by a dominant shear wave and a weak compressional wave. This Letter demonstrates the possibility of generating a dominant compressional wavefield by coating the surface with a layer of clear ice. This is achieved by exploiting a minimum in the attenuation spectrum of light in ice, which occurs at around 500 nm and renders the coating transparent to green laser radiation. Ice coatings could, therefore, provide a path for the development of more sensitive laser-based nondestructive testing methods that have traditionally been affected by the poor excitability of compressional waves, especially along the direction orthogonal to the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a four-pixel array of superconducting transition-edge sensors with gold absorbers for the detection of a 29.2 keV γ -ray doublet decay from 229 Th. To identify the decay, an energy resolution better than 20 eV full width at half maximum (FWHM) is needed. We measured an energy resolution of 14 eV FWHM for 26 keV γ -ray decay from an 241 Am isotope in combined data of three pixels. We describe the design and the performance of the devices and discuss the baseline correction method to compensate the variation in the baseline, which was observed during the evaluation of the performance using the 241 Am isotope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local distribution of orientation relationship between austenite and martensite is quantitatively examined using lath martensite in an ultra-low-carbon steel. Orientation relationship is systematically deviated between near Greninger–Troiano and Nishiyama–Wasserman orientation relationships around variant boundaries of the smallest misorientation pair, which is observed as the most frequent variant pair in the steel. Misorientation between this variant pair is decreased at some boundaries of the pair. Formation mechanism of the pair is discussed using the observed boundary characters. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A novel degradation diagnosis method for photovoltaic modules was proposed. • The proposed method utilizes xenon flash lighting system and detector capacitor. • The proposed method includes sensing process of module temperature. • The proposed method can evaluate increase of module internal series resistance. • The proposed method can find out modules with broken bypass diode. Abstract This paper proposes a novel and unique degradation diagnosis method for photovoltaic modules employing a xenon flash lighting system and a capacitor for degradation detection connected to the module output. The xenon flash lighting system is not only compact and lightweight but also small in power consumption and can be lit by batteries. Therefore, the portability of the lighting system is satisfactory, and the proposed diagnosis method is expected to be relatively easily applicable to outdoor photovoltaic power plants. In addition, since the lighting system can provide artificial and precisely controlled intense flash light to the module and this proposed method includes a sensing process of the module temperature, this proposed method can, in principle, evaluate the internal series resistance and determine accurate degradation level independent of the weather and temperature conditions. The authors carried out the numerical simulations and successfully made clear that the theoretically unavoidable measurement error of the internal series resistance is only 2% less than its variation width, confirming the validity of the basic ideas of the proposed degradation diagnosis method. The authors then performed the demonstration test experiments using a prototype experimental apparatus and investigated its practicability for real PV modules, successfully confirming that the same accuracy as expected through the simulations can be achieved also through the experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have numerically calculated transport characteristics on a Miller-Abraham network in a non-linear regime by solving the Kirchhoff's current law at each site. Assuming the Mott model, we obtained the relation between current density and electric field, J ∝ exp ( γ E ) , which has often been observed in low-mobility materials and whose mechanism has been a source of controversy for over half a century. Our numerical calculation makes it possible to analyze the energy configuration of relevant hopping sites and visualize percolation networks. Following the percolation theory proposed by Shklovskii [Shklovskii, Sov. Phys. Semicond. 10 , 855 (1976)], we show that the main mechanism of the field dependence is the replacement of dominating resistances accompanied by the geometrical evolution of the percolation networks. Our calculation is so general that it can be applied to hopping transport in a variety of systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the hypothesis that SIRT1 upregulation prior to cryopreservation helps in recuperation from cryoinjury and improves the embryo quality. Bovine blastocysts were produced in vitro , and at Day 6 or 7 after fertilization, the blastocysts were cultured with 0 or 1 μM resveratrol for 6 or 24 h. This short duration of resveratrol treatment did not affect the embryo development or the grade of the blastocysts. However, both the durations of resveratrol treatment (6 h or 24 h) significantly increased the expression levels of SIRT1. When embryos pre-treated with resveratrol (0 or 1 μM) were cryopreserved and subsequently thawed, the hatching rates following 48 h of incubation were significantly higher for the resveratrol-treated embryos than for vehicle-treated embryos. Moreover, the resveratrol pretreatment significantly increased the copy number of mitochondrial DNA in the embryos, irrespective of the treatment durations. The in vitro -produced embryos at 6 days of insemination and the in vivo -developed embryos, which were collected from the donor cows at 6.5 days of insemination, were treated with resveratrol for 6 or 24 h prior to cryopreservation, respectively. The resveratrol pretreatment (for 6 or 24 h) resulted in high conception rate after thawing and transfer to the recipients, in both the in vivo and in vitro -produced embryos. In conclusion, our results suggest that pretreatment of bovine embryos with resveratrol improves the quality of embryos after cryopreservation and thawing probably through mitochondrial synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hydrogen (H 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO) gas are both reported to reduce reactive oxygen species and alleviate tissue ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a mixture of H 2 gas and CO gas (dual gas) in comparison with hydrogen gas (H 2 : 2%) alone on I-R renal injury (composition of dual gas; N 2 : 77.8%; O 2 : 20.9%; H 2 : 1.30%; CO: 250 parts per million). Methods Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (body weight 250–280 g) were divided into 5 groups: (1) sham operation control, (2) dual gas inhalation (dual treatment) without I-R treatment, (3) I-R renal injury, (4) H 2 gas alone inhalation (H 2 treatment) with I-R renal injury, and (5) dual treatment with I-R renal injury. I-R renal injury was induced by clamping the left renal artery and vein for 45 minutes followed by reperfusion, and then contralateral nephrectomy was performed 2 weeks later. Renal function was markedly decreased at 24 hours after reperfusion, and thereafter the effects of dual gas were assessed by histologic examination and determination of the superoxide radical, together with functional and molecular analyses. Results Pathologic examination of the kidney of I-R rats revealed severe renal damage. Importantly, cytoprotective effects of the dual treatment in comparison with H 2 treatment and I-R renal injury were observed in terms of superoxide radical scavenging activity and histochemical features. Rats given dual treatment and I-R renal injury showed significant decreases in blood urea nitrogen. Increased expression of several inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, nuclear factor-κB, hypoxia inducible factor-1α, and heme oxygenase-1) was attenuated by the dual treatment. Conclusions Dual gas inhalation decreases oxidative stress and markedly improves I-R-induced renal injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We calculate the electron excitation in cubic silicon carbide caused by the intense femtosecond laser double pulses using the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). After the first pulse ends, excited electrons should be relaxed by collisional processes. Because TDDFT does not include scattering processes, thermalization is mimicked by following three assumptions. First, we assume no collisions and relaxation processes. Second, we assume the partially thermalized electronic state defined by two quasi-temperatures in the conduction and valence bands individually. Third, we assume the thermalized electron distribution, which is expressed by single electron temperature. Our results indicate that the plasma frequency (ωpl) formed by the first pulse is the key parameter in energy absorption in the second pulse. When the plasma frequency of the plasma formed by the first laser approaches the frequency of the laser, resonant excitation by the second pulse occurs. The lower electron temperature shows higher ωpl and higher efficient energy absorption because the effective mass of the electron becomes smaller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the predictivity and applicability of previously proposed models for the reproductive toxicity of chemicals to Daphnia magna [SAR QSAR Environ. Res. 27:10, 833–850] by using external data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency database ECOTOX. These models were based on quantitative structure–activity–activity relationships (QSAARs) and a quantitative activity–activity relationship (QAAR): the models can be categorized as acute-to-chronic models with (QSAAR) and without (QAAR) structural and physicochemical (e.g. distribution coefficients, logD) descriptors. We found that the QSAAR models were suitable for chemicals with an ‘–NH2attached to aromatic carbon’ sub-structure, whereas the QAAR model was better for multicomponent compounds, coordination complexes, tin compounds and straight-chain primary amines. For chemicals with a known specific mode of action (e.g. pesticides and antibacterial agents and their derivatives), toxicity estimation within the acute-to-chronic framework requires special attention. We evaluated the applicability of the models on the basis of the descriptors in the models. We recommend that chemicals be pre-screened before their toxicities are estimated with these models: pre-screening enabled the estimation of the toxicities of some chemicals within the applicability domains of the models. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We constructed models for acute to chronic estimation of theDaphnia magnareproductive toxicities of chemical substances from theirDaphnia magnaacute immobilization toxicities. The models combined the acute toxicities with structural and physicochemical descriptors. We used multiregression analysis and selected the descriptors for the models by means of a genetic algorithm. Of the best 100 models (as indicated by the lack of fit score), 90% included the following descriptors: acute toxicity (i.e. an activity parameter), distribution coefficient (logD) and structural indicator variables that indicate the presence of –NH2attached to aromatic carbon and the presence of a chlorine atom. We compared the predictive abilities of five of these quantitative structure–activity–activity relationship (QSAAR) acute to chronic estimation models with the predictive ability of a simple linear regression model. The comparison revealed that inclusion of structural and physicochemical descriptors such as those in QSAAR models can improve models for extrapolation from acute to chronic toxicity. Our results also provide a QSAAR framework that is expected to be useful for the further development of chronic toxicity estimation models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the fabrication and evaluation of the Cu/Bi bilayer absorber with electrodeposition. We designed the Cu/Bi absorber to satisfy the requirements for scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). The residual resistivity ratios of films of Cu and Bi with electrodeposition was $${5.91\pm 0.49}$$ and $${2.06\pm 0.33}$$ , respectively; these values are sufficient for the requirements of STEM. We found that the Cu/Bi bilayer absorber TES microcalorimeter experienced a pulse-shape variation and we considered that these variations were caused by the quality of the contact surface between the absorber and TES. In addition, we examined the structure of the absorber using focus ion beam analysis and STEM. The results suggest that an oxidation between the Cu and seed layer, in which the layer is an electrode for electrodeposition, yielded variations. Moreover, thermal simulation suggests that the thermal conduction between the absorber and TES caused variations. The results of this study will improve the process of Bi electrodeposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives We developed a hollow-fibre column system specifically adapted to prepare washed platelet concentrates ( WPCs). This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of the hollow-fibre column system for preparing WPCs. Materials and Methods First, the percentages of platelet ( PLT) recovery and remaining plasma proteins were calculated by determining the PLT count, volume and plasma protein levels in both the prewash and postwash. Secondly, washed PLTs and unwashed control PLTs were stored for 5 days, and the changes during this 5-day storage of in vitro PLT characteristics were determined. Results The hollow-fibre column system effectively removed >98% of plasma in platelet concentrates ( PCs), and the PLT recovery was 97% on an average. The CD62P-expression level on washed PLTs immediately after washing was approximately twofold higher than that on prewashed PLTs as well as on PLTs washed via manual methods or cell washing devices. Until day 5 during storage, PLT aggregability, hypotonic shock response and swirling scores of washed PLTs were not significantly different from those of the control PCs. Conclusion Our novel hollow-fibre column system proved valuable in preparing washed PLTs with <2% of residual plasma proteins and high recovery of PLTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:A proportion of obese subjects appear metabolically healthy (MHO) but little is known about the natural history of MHO and factors predicting its future conversion to metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO).Objectives:The aim was to determine prospectively the frequency of conversion of MHO to MUO and the clinical variables that independently predicted this conversion, with a particular focus on the role of body composition.Methods:We identified 85 Japanese Americans with MHO (56 men, 29 women), aged 34-73 years (mean age 49.8 years) who were followed at 2.5, 5 and 10 years after enrollment with measurements of metabolic characteristics, lifestyle and abdominal and thigh fat areas measured by computed tomography. Obesity was defined using the Asian body mass index criterion of ⩾25 kg m−2. Metabolically healthy was defined as the presence of ⩽2 of 5 metabolic syndrome components proposed by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III, while metabolically unhealthy was defined as ⩾3 components.Results:Over 10 years of follow-up, 55 MHO individuals (64.7%) converted to MUO. Statistically significant univariate predictors of conversion included dyslipidemia, greater insulin resistance and greater visceral abdominal (VAT) and subcutaneous abdominal fat area (SAT). In multivariate analysis, VAT (odds ratio per 1-s.d. increment (95% confidence interval) 2.04 (1.11-3.72), P=0.021), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (0.24 (0.11-0.53), P<0.001), fasting plasma insulin (2.45 (1.07-5.62), P=0.034) and female sex (5.37 (1.14-25.27), P=0.033) were significantly associated with future conversion to MUO. However, SAT was not an independent predictor for future conversion to MUO.Conclusions:In this population, MHO was a transient state, with nearly two-thirds developing MUO over 10 years, with higher conversion to MUO independently associated with VAT, female sex, higher fasting insulin level and lower baseline HDL cholesterol level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose The stroke severity on admission and clinical outcomes were compared between ischaemic stroke patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation ( NVAF) of the persistent (Pe AF) and paroxysmal ( PAF) types. Methods The study comprised 9293 patients with cardioembolic stroke and NVAF who were registered in the Japanese stroke databank: 6522 had Pe AF (70.2%) and 2771 had PAF (29.8%). Stroke severity on admission and the clinical outcomes on discharge were retrospectively compared between these patient groups. Results The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score on admission (median, interquartile range) was 10 (3-20) for Pe AF patients and 7 (2-17) for PAF patients, indicating that stroke severity on admission was significantly worse in Pe AF patients than PAF patients ( P < 0.001). Good outcomes (modified Rankin scale score ≤2) were achieved by 45% Pe AF patients and 53% PAF patients. Thus, Pe AF patients had significantly poorer clinical outcomes than PAF patients ( P < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was significantly higher amongst Pe AF patients (11%) than PAF patients (8%) ( P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis of factors contributing to clinical outcomes showed that Pe AF was a contributing factor for in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 1.261; 95% confidence interval 1.011-1.652; P = 0.045). Conclusions Amongst cardioembolic stroke patients with NVAF, those with Pe AF have significantly higher stroke severity on admission than those with PAF, and Pe AF is a factor contributing to in-hospital mortality. Thus, our study suggests that the type of atrial fibrillation affects stroke severity and clinical outcomes following cerebral infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 57 Fe nucleus in the solar core could emit a 14.4-keV monochromatic axion through the M1 transition if a hypothetical elementary particle, axion, exists to solve the strong CP problem. Transition edge sensor (TES) X-ray microcalorimeters can detect such axions very efficiently if they are again converted into photons by a 57 Fe absorber. We have designed and produced a dedicated TES array with 57 Fe absorbers for the solar axion search. The iron absorber is set next to the TES, keeping a certain distance to reduce the iron-magnetization effect on the spectroscopic performance. A gold thermal transfer strap connects them. A sample pixel irradiated from a 55 Fe source detected 698 pulses. In contrast to thermal simulations, we consider that the pulses include either events produced in an iron absorber or gold strap at a fraction dependent on the absorption rate of each material. Furthermore, photons deposited on the iron absorber are detected through the strap as intended. The identification of all events still needs to be completed. However, we successfully operated the TES with the unique design under iron magnetization for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the natural course of cavernous nerve recovery following robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RARP), early intervention of low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (LIESWT) would be more effective for enhancing overall recovery of potency. We analyzed longitudinally alterations in sexual function in patients after RARP, with focus on the effect of early and delayed intervention with LIESWT. This study was open-label prospective study. Four patients after RARP were enrolled into this study's protocol over a period between January and June 2017. This early intervention was performed three times a week for two weeks in admission and one time per week in our out patient clinic for six weeks. For the purpose of setting a control group, the same surgeon performed RARP on 4 patients over a period between June 2012 and December 2014. These patients received LIESWT and this delayed protocol was same as that by Vardi et al. The same surgeon performed RARP on 100 patients over a period between April 2012 and February 2015. These patients were assigned to the non-LIESWT group for setting another control group. Sexual function (SF) was assessed with the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC). A validated form of self-reported questionnaire was administered to the inpatients before RARP, and mailed to all patients receiving RARP at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after RARP. There was no significant inter-group difference in the baseline patient characteristics and surgical outcomes. The mean duration from RARP to the start of penile rehabilitation was 6 months for patients of the delayed LIESWT group. The SF score was significantly higher at preoperative, postoperative 6 and 9 months (p=0.0024, 0.0001, and 0.0004) in the early-LIESWT group. The SF score of early-LIESWT was significantly higher than that of delayed-LIESWT at postoperative 6 and 9 months (19.7 vs. 7.4; p = 0.0153, 26.2 vs. 6.1; p = 0.0154). On the other hand, there was no significant difference in the SF score between delayed and non-LIESWT groups at all time points. Our findings show that penile rehabilitation with LIESWT immediately before urethral catheter removal improved sexual function scores. Our preliminary results suggest that LIESWT could be used as a treatment option in penile rehabilitation. Work supported by industry: no. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field-induced superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) in two-dimensional (2D) systems is a famous example of a quantum phase transition. However, an emergence of an anomalous metallic state induced by field has been a long-standing problem in 2D superconductors. While theories predicted that the emergence is attributed to strong phase fluctuations of the superconducting order parameter due to quantum fluctuations, usual resistance measurements have not probed them directly. Here, using Nernst effect measurements, we uncover superconducting fluctuations in the vicinity of the field-induced metallic state in an amorphous MoxGe1-x thin film. The field range where the vortex Nernst signals are detectable remains nonzero toward zero temperature, and it locates inside the metallic state defined by the magnetoresistance, indicating that the metallic state results from quantum vortex liquid (QVL) with phase fluctuations due to quantum fluctuations. Slow decay of transport entropy of vortices in the QVL with decreasing temperature suggests that the metallic state originates from broadening of a quantum critical point in SIT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is not well controlled in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) treated with oxaliplatin (L-OHP)-based chemotherapy. Whether adding a neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist to a first-generation 5HT3 antagonist (1st-5HT3RA) and dexamethasone (DEX) is beneficial in patients on L-OHP-based chemotherapy is controversial. It is unclear whether palonosetron (PALO) or aprepitant (APR) is more effective in controlling delayed CINV. We, therefore, investigated whether PALO+DEX (PALO group) or 1st-5HT3RA+DEX+APR (APR group) was more effective in controlling delayed CINV, as well as risk factors for delayed CINV, in patients with CRC treated with L-OHP-based chemotherapy. Methods We pooled data from two prospective observational studies in Japan and one phase III clinical trial and compared the incidence of CINV between the PALO and APR groups using propensity score-matched analysis. Risk factors for CINV were identified using logistic regression models. Results Among the 404 eligible patients, those in the PALO group showed a higher incidence of delayed CINV than those in the APR group (nausea: 43.4% vs. 32.4%, P = 0.061; vomiting: 12.5% vs. 4.4%, P = 0.017). The logistic regression analysis identified alcohol consumption, motion sickness, and PALO+DEX regimen as independent risk factors for delayed nausea, and female sex and PALO+DEX regimen as those for delayed vomiting. Conclusions Treatment with the three antiemetics, including APR, was more effective in controlling delayed CINV than prophylactic treatment with the two antiemetics, including PALO. Thus, patients with CRC receiving L-OHP-based chemotherapy should be treated with three antiemetics, including APR. Legal entity responsible for the study The authors. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Nrf2 is a transcription factor associated with cancer growth and chemotherapy resistance. Nrf2 expression levels may be associated with prognosis of lung cancer, but previous results have been inconsistent. Methods The expression of Nrf2 in 1037 surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma (LAD) specimens was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Nrf2 positivity was defined based on the intensity of stained nucleus of tumor cells on the tissue microarray: negative, weakly positive and strongly positive. The correlations between the Nrf2 expression and the prognosis, clinicopathological features and driver oncogene alterations were analyzed. Results The Nrf2 expression was negative in 236 (23%) of 1037 tumors, weakly positive in 444 (43%) and strongly positive in 357 (34%). The proportion of Nrf2-positive tumors was significantly higher in patients with pathological stage I (81%), tumors with EGFR mutations (87%) or KRAS mutations (87%), tumors without ALK fusions (78%) or ROS1 fusions (78%). The Nrf2 expression was not associated with the age, gender and smoking status. In multivariate analysis (Logistic regression model), pathological stage I, positive EGFR or KRAS mutation status were significant predictors of Nrf2 positivity. The increased expression of Nrf2 was associated with longer overall survival regardless of driver oncogene status. In multivariate analysis (Cox proportional hazards model), advanced age, male gender, advanced pathological stage and negative EGFR mutation status were significant unfavorable prognostic factors. Conclusions LADs that positively express Nrf2 have unique clinicopathological features. The increased expression of Nrf2 is a favorable prognostic marker in surgically resected LAD. Legal entity responsible for the study The authors. Funding AMED. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the establishment of cell panel for detecting antibodies against human platelet antigen (HPA) 2b located on Glycoprotein Ib (CD42). Topics include immune thrombocytopenia caused due to alloantibodies against HPA such as fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia; detecting platelet antibodies using human leukocyte antigen; and association of functional antibodies with thrombosis or haemostatic defect.

Aim To evaluate the image quality of bone–vessel fused volume-rendering (VR) images reconstructed by three-dimensional "black bone" magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based on the fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition cycled phases (FIESTA-C) sequence and time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA). Materials and methods Seventeen patients were analysed in this retrospective study. All patients underwent both MRI techniques including FIESTA-C and TOF-MRA and computed tomography angiography (CTA). MRI- and CT-based bone–vessel VR images were reconstructed. Visual depictions of frontal and parietal branches from the superficial temporal artery (STA) were independently scored by three experienced radiological technologists using a four-grade system. Results In the visual evaluation, the scores of the both right and left frontal branches in MRI-based VR image were significantly larger those at CT (p <0.01, respectively). The scores of both the right and left parietal branches tended to be larger in MRI-based than that in CT-based VR imaging, but were not significantly so (p =0.06, 0.13 respectively). In the interobserver agreement analysis, κ values were all good (range: 0.6–0.76) for STA branch evaluation in MRI-based VR images. Conclusion MRI bone–vessel fused VR imaging can non-invasively depict STA frontal branches with better visibility compared to the CT-based VR imaging. This technique may be useful for the preoperative evaluation of donor branches for STA–middle cerebral artery bypass surgery. Highlights • Completely non-invasive bone-vessel fused image can be obtained using black-bone MRI. • Clearer visualization of STA was achieved by black-bone MRI based image than CTA. • Bone-vessel fused image by Black-bone MRI can replace CTA in preoperative planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the image quality of bone-vessel fused volume-rendering (VR) images reconstructed by three-dimensional "black bone" magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based on the fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition cycled phases (FIESTA-C) sequence and time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA).Materials and Methods: Seventeen patients were analysed in this retrospective study. All patients underwent both MRI techniques including FIESTA-C and TOF-MRA and computed tomography angiography (CTA). MRI- and CT-based bone-vessel VR images were reconstructed. Visual depictions of frontal and parietal branches from the superficial temporal artery (STA) were independently scored by three experienced radiological technologists using a four-grade system.Results: In the visual evaluation, the scores of the both right and left frontal branches in MRI-based VR image were significantly larger those at CT (p<0.01, respectively). The scores of both the right and left parietal branches tended to be larger in MRI-based than that in CT-based VR imaging, but were not significantly so (p=0.06, 0.13 respectively). In the interobserver agreement analysis, κ values were all good (range: 0.6-0.76) for STA branch evaluation in MRI-based VR images.Conclusion: MRI bone-vessel fused VR imaging can non-invasively depict STA frontal branches with better visibility compared to the CT-based VR imaging. This technique may be useful for the preoperative evaluation of donor branches for STA-middle cerebral artery bypass surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As shown here, decoy cells in urine are not specific for BK polyoma virus and can be found in other urinary viral infections. Immunostaining, electron microscopy and molecular studies are advised when decoy cells are seen, to clarify the infective agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]