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Background: The uterus undergoes dynamic changes throughout the menstrual cycle. Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) is based on the non‐Gaussian distribution of water molecules and can perhaps represent the changes of uterine microstructure. Purpose: To investigate the temporal changes in DKI‐parameters of the normal uterine corpus and cervix during the menstrual cycle. Study Type: Prospective. Population: 21 healthy female volunteers (26.64 ± 4.72 years) with regular menstrual cycles (28 ± 7 days). Field Strength/Sequence: Readout segmentation of long variable echo‐trains (RESOLVE)‐based DKI and fast spin‐echo T2‐weighted sequences at 3.0T. Assessment: Each volunteer was scanned during the menstrual phase, ovulatory phase, and luteal phase. Regions of interest (ROI) were manually delineated in the endometrium, junctional zone, and myometrium of the uterine body, and in the mucosal layer, fibrous stroma layer, and loose stroma layer of the cervix. The mean Kapp (diffusion kurtosis coefficient), Dapp (diffusion coefficient), and ADC (apparent diffusion coefficient) values were measured in the ROI. Statistical Tests: ANOVA with Bonferroni or Tamhane correction. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for assessing agreement. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: During the menstrual cycle, the highest Kapp (0.848 ± 0.184) and lowest Dapp (1.263 ± 0.283 *10−3 mm2/sec) values were found in the endometrium during the menstrual phase. The Dapp values for the myometrium were significantly higher than those of the endometrium and the junctional zone in every phase. Meanwhile, the Dapp values for the three zonal structures of the cervix during ovulation were significantly higher than those during the luteal phase. However, there was no significant difference in the ADC values of the loose stroma between ovulation and the luteal phase (P = 0.568). The reproducibility of DKI parameters was good (ICC, 0.857–0.944). Data Conclusion: DKI can show dynamic changes of the normal uterus during the menstrual cycle. Level of Evidence: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reverse osmosis (RO) is a commonly used desalination technology, but due to high requirements concerning the quality of the feed water, there still exists permeate flux related to the operating conditions, and the solute removal rate is low. Electric fields have a facilitating effect on RO desalination performance. Previous studies have focused on investigating the combination of RO and electrodialysis (ED) processes separately, without directly exploiting their interactions. To address this issue, this study proposes a novel coupling device that combines both RO and ED technologies in a single unit and investigates their mutual enhancement effects on brackish water desalination. The results show that the coupled EDRO system can mutually enhance the performance of RO and ED processes. The permeate flux ratio of the RO membrane increased with increasing voltage, reaching a maximum value of 23.7% at a feed concentration of 10,000 mg/L. The solute rejection by the ion-exchange membrane also increased with increasing pressure, reaching a maximum value of 14.95% at the same feed concentration. In addition, the specific energy consumption of the coupled system was also reduced compared to a standalone operation, with maximum reductions of 9.5% and 19.2% for RO and 2.5% and 3.4% for ED at 5000 and 10,000 mg/L feed concentrations, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have examined patients with chronic lateral ankle instability (CLAI) undergoing open and arthroscopic anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) reconstruction, reporting equivalent clinical results between the 2 procedures. However, data on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes on cartilage health after the 2 procedures are limited. Purpose: To compare the cartilage MRI T2 values of the talar and subtalar joints between patients with CLAI undergoing open and arthroscopic ATFL reconstruction. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A prospective study was conducted on patients who underwent open or arthroscopic ATFL reconstruction between January 2018 and December 2019, with a mean follow-up duration of 3 years. MRI scans and American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) and Tegner score estimations were completed by patients ≤1 week before surgery, as a baseline measurement, and at a 3-year follow-up. A total of 21 healthy volunteers were included who underwent MRI at baseline. Cartilage health was evaluated using MRI T2 mapping. The talar and subtalar cartilage regions were segmented into 14 subregions. Results: At baseline, patients with CLAI had substantially higher T2 values in the medial anterior, medial center, medial posterior, and lateral center regions on the talus compared with the healthy controls (P =.009,.003,.001, and.025, respectively). Remarkable increases in T2 values in the lateral posterior region on the talus were observed from baseline to follow-up in the open group (P =.007). Furthermore, T2 values were considerably higher in the medial center, medial posterior, lateral posterior, and lateral posterior calcaneal facets of the posterior subtalar joint at follow-up in the arthroscopic group compared with the baseline values (P =.025,.002,.006, and.044, respectively). No obvious differences in ΔT2 values were noted between the 2 groups at follow-up. The AOFAS and Tegner scores remarkably improved from baseline to follow-up for the 2 groups (open: 3.25 ± 0.58 vs 5.13 ± 0.81, P <.001; arthroscopic: 3.11 ± 0.90 vs 5.11 ± 1.08, P <.001), with no considerable difference between them. Conclusion: The elevated T2 values of cartilage could not be fully recovered after open or arthroscopic ATFL reconstruction. Both arthroscopic and open ATFL reconstruction displayed similar effects on cartilage health concerning ΔT2, but the arthroscopic group demonstrated more degenerative cartilage subregions than the open group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) employing proton nuclear resonance has emerged as a pivotal modality in clinical diagnostics and fundamental research. Nonetheless, the scope of MRI/MRS extends beyond protons, encompassing nonproton nuclei that offer enhanced metabolic insights. A notable example is phosphorus‐31 (31P) MRS, which provides valuable information on energy metabolites within the skeletal muscle and cardiac tissues of individuals affected by diabetes. This study introduces a novel double‐tuned coil tailored for 1H and 31P frequencies, specifically designed for investigating cardiac metabolism in rabbits. The proposed coil design incorporates a butterfly‐like coil for 31P transmission, a four‐channel array for 31P reception, and an eight‐channel array for 1H reception, all strategically arranged on a body‐conformal elliptic cylinder. To assess the performance of the double‐tuned coil, a comprehensive evaluation encompassing simulations and experimental investigations was conducted. The simulation results demonstrated that the proposed 31P transmit design achieved acceptable homogeneity and exhibited comparable transmit efficiency on par with a band‐pass birdcage coil. In vivo experiments further substantiated the coil's efficacy, revealing that the rabbit with experimentally induced diabetes exhibited a lower phosphocreatine/adenosine triphosphate ratio compared with its normal counterpart. These findings emphasize the potential of the proposed coil design as a promising tool for investigating the therapeutic effects of novel diabetes drugs within the context of animal experimentation. Its capability to provide detailed metabolic information establishes it as an indispensable asset within this realm of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, purely organic compounds showing ambient phosphorescence with high efficiency (ΦP) and ultra‐long lifetime (τP) are quite rare and often need to be achieved in hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol)‐based hosts. This severely limits their applications. Here, we provide a solution to this issue by constructing an ortho‐linked donor‐acceptor (D−A) dyad whose D moiety has not only a long‐lived T1 state to achieve a long τP, but also a Tn state that is close to the S1 state of the dyad to trigger effective spin‐orbit charge transfer intersystem crossing (SOCT‐ISC). The rationality of this strategy was validated by a new phosphor OF‐BCz that is able to show a τP of 1.92 s and a ΦP of 30 % even in a less rigid matrix of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Excitingly, OF‐BCz exhibited its potential as both a photocuring initiator and an in situ quality indicator, allowing for the visual detection of defects in photolithographic patterning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pair of isomers, IDT‐BOF containing S⋅⋅⋅O/F⋅⋅⋅H noncovalently configurational locks and IDT‐BFO containing F⋅⋅⋅H/O⋅⋅⋅H noncovalently configurational locks, with an acceptor‐π‐donor‐π‐acceptor (A‐π‐D‐π‐A) structure have been designed and synthesized by choosing 4,9‐dihydro‐s‐indaceno[1,2‐b : 5,6‐b′]dithiophene (IDT) as the D unit, an F/n‐hexyloxy substituted phenyl ring as π bridge, and 3‐(dicyanomethylidene)indan‐1‐one as the A unit. Owing to the S⋅⋅⋅O/F⋅⋅⋅H or F⋅⋅⋅H/O⋅⋅⋅H noncovalently configurational locks, both IDT‐BOF and IDT‐BFO have a completely planar structure. IDT‐BOF exhibits a similar LUMO to IDT‐BFO, but higher HOMO energy levels, leading to a smaller optical bandgap and red‐shifted absorption. However, IDT‐BOF‐based bulk‐heterojunction organic solar cells (BHJ‐OSCs) coupled with PBDB‐T, and PCE‐10 as donor materials both exhibited a lower PCE than that of IDT‐BFO (PBDB‐T: 5.2 vs. 6.1 %; PCE‐10: 1.7 vs. 3.2 %). Comprehensively comparing and investigating IDT‐BOF : PBDB‐T and IDT‐BFO : PBDB‐T OSCs suggested that the large phase separation and serious charge recombination of IDT‐BOF‐based OSCs contributed to its lower power conversion efficiency. Importantly, ternary solar cells based on PBDB‐T : Y5 as control devices with an additional 10 % IDT‐BFO exhibited a 5 % enhancement in the PCE compared to the control device (14.3 vs. 13.46 %). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although long‐lived triplet charge‐transfer (3CT) state with high energy level has gained significant attention, the development of organic small molecules capable of achieving such states remains a major challenge. Herein, by using the through‐space electronic coupling effect, we have developed a compound, namely NIC‐DMAC, which has a long‐lived 3CT state at the single‐molecule level with a lifetime of 210 ms and a high energy level of up to 2.50 eV. Through a combination of experimental and computational approaches, we have elucidated the photophysical processes of NIC‐DMAC, which involve sequential transitions from the first singlet excited state (S1) that shows a 1CT character to the first triplet excited state (T1) that exhibits a local excited state feature (3LE), and then to the second triplet excited state (T2) that shows a 3CT character (i.e. S1 (1CT)→T1 (3LE)→T2 (3CT)). The long lifetime and high energy level of its 3CT state have enabled NIC‐DMAC as an initiator for photocuring in double patterning applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Computed diffusion‐weighted images (cDWI) of random b value could be derived from acquired DWI (aDWI) with at least two different b values. However, its comparison between aDWI and cDWI images in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients after neoadjuvant therapy (NT) is needed. Purpose: To compare the cDWI and aDWI in image quality, restaging, and treatment response of LARC after NT. Study Type: Retrospective. Population: Eighty‐seven consecutive patients. Field Strength/Sequence: 3.0 T/DWI. Assessment: All patients underwent two DWI sequences, including conventional acquisition with b = 0 and 1000 s/mm2 (aDWIb1000) and another with b = 0 and 700 s/mm2 on a 3.0‐T MR scanner. The images of the latter were used to compute the diffusion images with b = 1000 s/mm2 (cDWIb1000). Four radiologists with 3, 4, 14, and 25 years of experience evaluated the images to compare the image quality, TN restaging performance, and treatment response between aDWIb1000 and cDWIb1000. Statistical Tests: Interclass correlation coefficients, weighted κ coefficient, paired Wilcoxon, and McNemar or Fisher test were used. A significance level of 0.05 was used. Results: The cDWIb1000 images were superior to the aDWIb1000 ones in both subjective and objective image quality. In T restaging, the overall diagnostic accuracy of cDWIb1000 images was higher than that of aDWIb1000 images (57.47% vs. 49.43%, P = 0.289 for the inexperienced radiologist; 77.01% vs. 63.22%, significant for the experienced radiologist), with better sensitivity in determining ypT0‐Tis tumors. Additionally, it increased the sensitivity in detecting ypT2 tumors for the inexperienced radiologist and ypT3 tumors for the experienced radiologist. N restaging and treatment response were found to be similar between two sequences for both radiologists. Data Conclusion: Compared to aDWIb1000 images, the computed ones might serve as a wise approach, providing comparable or better image quality, restaging performance, and treatment response assessment for LARC after NT. Level of Evidence: 3 Technical Efficacy Stage: 2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Zygosaccharomyces rouxii and Candida versatilis are important flavour‐producing yeasts in soy sauce fermentation. In the present study, the interaction between Z. rouxii and C. versatilis co‐cultures in YPD and raw soy sauce medium was investigated and applied to soy sauce fermentation. The concentration of Z. rouxii in the co‐culture was 0.47 times that in the mono‐culture. This observation suggested that C. versatilis inhibited the growth of Z. rouxii, likely attributed to various factors, including the production of acids and heat‐ and protease‐sensitive substances by C. versatilis. Furthermore, we examined the physicochemical properties and characteristic volatile flavour components of soy sauce by adding varying ratios of Z. rouxii and C. versatilis at different stages of fermentation. The results showed that mixed fermentation of Z. rouxii and C. versatilis enhanced the total nitrogen, amino acid nitrogen, 4‐hydroxy‐2(5)‐ethyl‐5(2)‐methyl‐3(2H)‐furanone, and volatile compounds in soy sauce compared to single‐strain fermentation. Additionally, optimal soy sauce results were obtained when yeasts were added on day 45, with an inoculation ratio of 1:1. In conclusion, during the moromi fermentation stage, the appropriate selection of the inoculation ratio and time for Z. rouxii and C. versatilis addition can effectively enhance the physicochemical properties and flavour attributes of soy sauce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Ambient Phosphorescence; Defect Indicator; High Efficiency; Long Lifetime; PhotolithographyPhosphorescent Materials. In ther Communication (e202312534), Yan Huang, Zhiyun Lu et al. report the construction of a new ortho‐linked donor–acceptor dyad showing a long lifetime and a high efficiency up to 30 % in PMMA matrix...By Ruyi Liu; Chuanhao Liu; Caixia Fu; Zhenzhen Zhu; Kuan Chen; Chuan Li; Lingjie Wang; Yan Huang and Zhiyun LuReported by Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author; Author [Extracted from the article]

This study investigated the association between the fatty acid composition of abdominal adipose tissue in NAFLD patients using chemical shift-encoded MRI and the development of insulin resistance and T2DM. We enrolled 231 subjects with NAFLD who underwent both abdominal magnetic resonance spectroscopy and chemical shift-encoded MRI: comprising of 49 T2DM patients and 182 subjects without. MRI- and MRS-based liver fat fraction was measured from a circular region of interest on the right lobe of the liver. The abdominal fatty acid compositions were measured at the umbilical level with chemical shift-encoded MRI. Bland-Altman analysis, Student's t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman correlation analysis were performed. The logistic regression was applied to identify the independent factors for T2DM. Then, the predictive performance was assessed by Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. An excellent agreement was found between liver fat fraction measured by MRS and MRI. (slope = 0.8; bias =-0.92%). In, patients with T2DM revealed lower fractions of mono-unsaturated fatty acid (F mufa ) (33.68 ± 10.62 vs 38.62 ± 12.21, P =.0089) and higher fractions of saturated fatty acid (F sfa ) (34.11 ± 9.746 vs 31.25 ± 8.66, P =.0351) of visceral fat tissue compared with patients without. BMI, HDL-c, F mufa and F sfa of visceral fat were independent factors for T2DM. Furthermore, F sfa -S% was positively correlated with liver enzyme levels (P =.003 and 0.04). However, F mufa -V% was negatively correlated with fasting blood glucose, HbA1c and HOMA-IR (P =.004, P =.001 and P =.03 respectively). Hence, the evaluation of fatty acid compositions of abdominal fat tissue using chemical shift-encoded MRI may have a predictive value for T2DM in patients with NAFLD., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-based virtual MR elastography (DWI-vMRE) in the assessment of breast lesions is still in the research stage., Purpose: To investigate the usefulness of elasticity values on DWI-vMRE in the evaluation of breast lesions, and the correlation with the values calculated from shear-wave elastography (SWE)., Study Type: Prospective., Population/subjects: 153 patients (mean age ± standard deviation: 55 ± 12 years) with 153 pathological confirmed breast lesions (24 benign and 129 malignant lesions)., Field Strength/sequence: 1.5-T MRI, multi-b readout segmented echo planar imaging (b-values of 0, 200, 800, and 1000 sec/mm 2 )., Assessment: For DWI-vMRE assessment, lesions were manually segmented using apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC 0-1000 ) map, then the region of interests were copied to the map of shifted-ADC (sADC 200-800 , sADC 200-1500 ). For SWE assessment, the shear modulus of the lesions was measured by US elastic modulus (μ USE ). Intraclass/interclass kappa coefficients were calculated to measure the consistency., Statistical Tests: Pearson's correlation was used to assess the relationship between sADC and μ USE . A receiver operating characteristic analysis with the area under the curve (AUC) was performed to compare the diagnostic accuracy between benign and malignant breast lesions of sADC and μ USE . A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: There were significant differences between benign and malignant breast lesions of μ USE (24.17 ± 10.64 vs. 37.20 ± 12.61), sADC 200-800 (1.38 ± 0.31 vs. 0.97 ± 0.18 × 10 -3  mm 2 /sec), and sADC 200-1500 (1.14 ± 0.30 vs. 0.78 ± 0.13 × 10 -3  mm 2 /sec). In all breast lesions, a moderate but significant correlation was observed between μ USE and sADC 200-800 /sADC 200-1500 (r = -0.49/-0.44). AUC values to differentiate benign from malignant lesions were as follows: μ USE , 0.78; sADC 200-800 , 0.89; sADC 200-1500 , 0.89., Data Conclusions: Both SWE and DWI-vMRE could be used for the differentiation of benign versus malignant breast lesions. Furthermore, DWI-vMRE with the use of sADC show relatively higher AUC values than SWE., Level of Evidence: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2., (© 2024 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

The wide occurrence of emerging contaminants (ECs) was drawing more attention due to the potential hazard and threat on human and environment. Carbamazepine (CBZ) is a widely prescribed medication that has garnered considerable research interest with the exposures exceeding the environmental carrying capacity. We have established the innovative heterogeneous advanced oxidation process (AOPs) based on the activated dissolved oxygen (DO) coupled with S(III) and natural iron ore (siderite). In S(III)/O 2 /siderite system, we investigated the degradation efficiency, reactive species generation mechanism, and degradation pathway of CBZ. CBZ degradation and mineralization rate were 90% above and ∼15% with the reaction time of 40 minutes. The degradation of CBZ conformed to a pseudo-first-order kinetic model, with an activation energy determination of 76.36 kJ/mol. The optimal initial solution pH was the weak acid condition (pH = 4-6) for CBZ degradation. Moreover, the inhibition effects of coexisting substance including Cl - , HCO 3 - , and natural organic matter (NOM) on CBZ removal were observed, while the coexisted SO 4 2- exhibited no significant influence. In addition, the reactive species generated in S(III)/O 2 /siderite system were predominantly identified as sulfate radical (SO 4 ∙- ) and hydroxyl radical (∙OH). The crucial intermediate complexes, Fe (III) S (IV) O 3 (+) and Fe (II) HS (IV) O 3 (+) , was proposed to form in the initial stages of the reaction, which upon decomposition, yielded SO 4 ∙- along with other reactive species. The degradation pathway of CBZ primarily involved deamination, oxidative ring-opening, hydroxylation, decarboxylation, and ketone degradation processes. This work provides the effective approach for the CBZ degradation with the mild reaction conditions and the sustainable technology for ECs treatment and control., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest ☒ The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. ☐ The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:, (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: In liver diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), single-shot echo-planar imaging (SS-EPI) sequences are susceptible to motion artifacts, resulting in image blurring and decreased lesion detection rates. This study aimed to develop and optimize a motion-corrected (MOCO) technique for liver DWI at 3 Tesla (3T). The technique incorporates motion correction, complex averaging, and a combination of a reparametrized sinc fatsat pulse with an optimized water excitation pulse., Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study performed at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital included 42 healthy volunteers who underwent four SS-EPI DWI sequences on a 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system between January 2023 and March 2023. The sequences included a navigator-triggered (NT) MOCO-DWI, two free-breathing (FB) MOCO-DWI, and an FB conventional DWI (FB cDWI) sequence. Motion correction and complex averaging were performed for both MOCO-DWI sequences, and fat suppression was achieved using either a sinc fatsat pulse with optimized water excitation or a conventional spectral attenuated inversion recovery (SPAIR) pulse. Liver signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was measured at b=1,000 s/mm 2 . Qualitative parameters were independently evaluated by three radiologists using 5-point Likert scales. Quantitative parameters were assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and variance homogeneity was assessed using Levene's test. Regarding the qualitative analysis, the Friedman test was used to compare subjective scores among the four techniques., Results: The SNRs of the liver were significantly higher with FB MOCO-DWI compared to the other EPI DWI sequences at b=1,000 s/mm 2 (P<0.05). In the superior-inferior direction, the SNRs of the inferior level of the liver were higher than those of the superior level in NT MOCO-DWI. The qualitative results showed significantly higher ratings for NT MOCO-DWI and FB MOCO-DWI compared to the other EPI DWI sequences at b=1,000 s/mm 2 (P<0.05). Regarding the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) quantification, the ADC values of the left lobe were higher than those of the right lobe in all four techniques., Conclusions: The proposed EPI DWI technique, incorporating motion correction, complex averaging, and a modified fat suppression scheme using spectral fat saturation and binomial water excitation, was found to be clinically feasible for liver MRI. The FB MOCO-DWI sequence, with its superior SNR and excellent image quality, is recommended for liver DW imaging at 3T in clinical routine., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://qims.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/qims-24-340/coif). C.F. is an employee of Siemens Shenzhen Magnetic Resonance Ltd. G.L. is an employee of Siemens Healthineers Ltd. T.B. is an employee of Siemens Healthineers AG. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Background: To explore the capability of diffusion-based virtual MR elastography (vMRE) in the preoperative prediction of recurrence in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to investigate the underlying relevant histopathological characteristics., Methods: Between August 2015 and December 2016, patients underwent preoperative MRI examination with a dedicated DWI sequence (b-values: 200,1500 s/mm 2 ) were recruited. The ADC values and diffusion-based virtual shear modulus (μ diff ) of HCCs were calculated and MR morphological features were also analyzed. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify the risk factors associated with tumor recurrence. A preoperative radiologic model and postoperative model including pathological features were built to predict tumor recurrence after hepatectomy., Results: A total of 87 patients with solitary surgically confirmed HCCs were included in this study. Thirty-five patients (40.2%) were found to have tumor recurrence after hepatectomy. The preoperative model included higher μ diff and corona enhancement, while the postoperative model included higher μ diff , microvascular invasion, and histologic tumor grade. These factors were identified as significant prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival (RFS) (all p < 0.05). The HCC patients with μ diff values > 2.325 kPa showed poorer 5-year RFS after hepatectomy than patients with μ diff values ≤ 2.325 kPa (p < 0.001). Moreover, the higher μ diff values was correlated with the expression of CK19 (3.95 ± 2.37 vs. 3.15 ± 1.77, p = 0.017) and high Ki-67 labeling index (4.22 ± 1.63 vs. 2.72 ± 2.12, p = 0.001)., Conclusions: The μ diff values related to the expression of CK19 and Ki-67 labeling index potentially predict RFS after hepatectomy in HCC patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The number of focal liver lesions (FLLs) detected by imaging has increased worldwide, highlighting the need to develop a robust, objective system for automatically detecting FLLs., Purpose: To assess the performance of the deep learning-based artificial intelligence (AI) software in identifying and measuring lesions on contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images in patients with FLLs., Study Type: Retrospective., Subjects: 395 patients with 1149 FLLs., Field Strength/sequence: The 1.5 T and 3 T scanners, including T1-, T2-, diffusion-weighted imaging, in/out-phase imaging, and dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging., Assessment: The diagnostic performance of AI, radiologist, and their combination was compared. Using 20 mm as the cut-off value, the lesions were divided into two groups, and then divided into four subgroups: <10, 10-20, 20-40, and ≥40 mm, to evaluate the sensitivity of radiologists and AI in the detection of lesions of different sizes. We compared the pathologic sizes of 122 surgically resected lesions with measurements obtained using AI and those made by radiologists., Statistical Tests: McNemar test, Bland-Altman analyses, Friedman test, Pearson's chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test, Dice coefficient, and intraclass correlation coefficients. A P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: The average Dice coefficient of AI in segmentation of liver lesions was 0.62. The combination of AI and radiologist outperformed the radiologist alone, with a significantly higher detection rate (0.894 vs. 0.825) and sensitivity (0.883 vs. 0.806). The AI showed significantly sensitivity than radiologists in detecting all lesions <20 mm (0.848 vs. 0.788). Both AI and radiologists achieved excellent detection performance for lesions ≥20 mm (0.867 vs. 0.881, P = 0.671). A remarkable agreement existed in the average tumor sizes among the three measurements (P = 0.174)., Data Conclusion: AI software based on deep learning exhibited practical value in automatically identifying and measuring liver lesions., Technical Efficacy: Stage 2., (© 2024 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.)

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) employing proton nuclear resonance has emerged as a pivotal modality in clinical diagnostics and fundamental research. Nonetheless, the scope of MRI/MRS extends beyond protons, encompassing nonproton nuclei that offer enhanced metabolic insights. A notable example is phosphorus-31 ( 31 P) MRS, which provides valuable information on energy metabolites within the skeletal muscle and cardiac tissues of individuals affected by diabetes. This study introduces a novel double-tuned coil tailored for 1 H and 31 P frequencies, specifically designed for investigating cardiac metabolism in rabbits. The proposed coil design incorporates a butterfly-like coil for 31 P transmission, a four-channel array for 31 P reception, and an eight-channel array for 1 H reception, all strategically arranged on a body-conformal elliptic cylinder. To assess the performance of the double-tuned coil, a comprehensive evaluation encompassing simulations and experimental investigations was conducted. The simulation results demonstrated that the proposed 31 P transmit design achieved acceptable homogeneity and exhibited comparable transmit efficiency on par with a band-pass birdcage coil. In vivo experiments further substantiated the coil's efficacy, revealing that the rabbit with experimentally induced diabetes exhibited a lower phosphocreatine/adenosine triphosphate ratio compared with its normal counterpart. These findings emphasize the potential of the proposed coil design as a promising tool for investigating the therapeutic effects of novel diabetes drugs within the context of animal experimentation. Its capability to provide detailed metabolic information establishes it as an indispensable asset within this realm of research., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)