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To develop a radiomics-based hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) grade classifier model based on data from gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI.This retrospective study included 137 patients who underwent hepatectomy for a single HCC and gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI within 60 days before surgery. HCC grade was categorized as low or high (modified Edmondson-Steiner grade I-II vs. III-IV). We used the hepatobiliary phase (HBP), portal venous phase, T2-weighted image(T2WI), and T1-weighted image(T1WI). From the volume of interest in HCC, 833 radiomic features were extracted. Radiomic and clinical features were selected using a random forest regressor, and the classification model was trained and validated using a random forest classifier and tenfold stratified cross-validation. Eight models were developed using the radiomic features alone or by combining the radiomic and clinical features. Models were validated with internal enrolled data (internal validation) and a dataset (28 patients) at a separate institution (external validation). The area under the curve (AUC) of the validation results was compared using the DeLong test.In internal and external validation, the HBP radiomics-only model showed the highest AUC (internal 0.80 ± 0.09, external 0.70 ± 0.09). In external validation, all models showed lower AUC than those for internal validation, while the T2WI and T1WI models failed to predict the HCC grade (AUC 0.30-0.58) in contrast to the internal validation results (AUC 0.67-0.78).The radiomics-based machine learning model from gadoxetic acid-enhanced liver MRI could distinguish between low- and high-grade HCCs. The radiomics-only HBP model showed the best AUC among the eight models, good performance in internal validation, and fair performance in external validation.

BACKGROUND: Liver biopsy is a gold standard for the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but has several disadvantages including invasiveness, high cost, and sampling error. Ultrasonography (US) is a noninvasive imaging modality widely used in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. This study aimed: (I) to assess the feasibility of US in the prediction of NASH and (II) to develop various US indices combining US parameters and laboratory data for the detection of NASH in NAFLD patients and to compare the diagnostic performance of them. METHODS: Sixty patients who underwent liver biopsy, gray-scale US [hepatorenal index (HRI) and shear-wave elastography (SWE)], and Fibroscan [controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and transient elastography (TE)] for the evaluation of NASH were included. Patients were classified according to the NAFLD Activity Score (NAS) into the NASH (NAS ≥5) and non-NASH (NAS

Various ectopic lesions occur in the abdomen and pelvis and affect multiple organs including liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, and organs of the genitourinary system. Ectopic organs may be present outside their normal positions, or ectopic tissues may develop while the original organ exists in its normal position. Both benign and malignant lesions can occur in ectopic organs and tissues. Owing to their unusual location, they can often be misdiagnosed as other lesions or even malignant lesions, such as metastasis or seeding. This multimodality pictorial review provides various cases of ectopic lesions in the abdomen and pelvis, which will help narrow the differential diagnosis and guide clinical decision-making.

To assess the diagnostic power of MR imaging features for post-traumatic osteomyelitis (PTOM) of the extremities with metal implants using a 3.0-T machine with conventional metal-artifact reducing (MAR) protocols.Between December 2012 and September 2016, 261 consecutive patients underwent MRI for clinical suspicion of PTOM in the appendicular skeleton at our hospital. A total of 72 enrolled patients with metal implants were divided into two groups, one with surgical, histologic, or microbiologic proven to be PTOM, and the other proven not to be PTOM. Their MR images were reviewed by two musculoskeletal radiologists who qualitatively analyzed various findings regarding PTOM, and concluded diagnosis of PTOM or without PTOM for each patient. All MR images were obtained using conventional MAR protocols.The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy of MR diagnosis by two observers were 55%/38%, 81%/93%, 67%/40%, 73%/78%, and 71%/71%, respectively. Among the findings, T1 low signal intensity, medullary location, confluent pattern, typical features (concurrence of T1 low signal intensity, medullary, and confluent patterns), heterogeneous or no enhancement, and cortical destruction were statistically significant by univariate analysis (p0.05). Among these features, only medullary involvement was significant by multivariate analysis (p = 0.007). Medullary involvement and no enhancement pattern were significant by step-wise discrimination analysis. Interobserver correlation was moderate with a weighted kappa value of 0.512 (confidence interval: 0.3-0.723).The overall accuracy for diagnosis of PTOM of the extremities using 3.0-T MRI with conventional metal-artifact reduction parameters was 71%. The strongest diagnostic MR imaging feature was medullary involvement of T1 low signal intensity. PTOM of the extremities can be accurately diagnosed with a 3.0-T MR machine using conventional MAR protocols.

Amyloid plaque is a product of aggregation of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) and is an important factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Aβ is a major component of amyloid plaque and vascular deposits in the AD brain. The enzyme β- secretase is required for the production of Aβ; thus, prevention of the formation of Aβ through the inhibition of β-secretase is a major focus in the study of the treatment of AD. In this study, we investigated β-secretase inhibitory activity of an Arctoscopus japonicus peptide. An Alcalase hydrolysate had the highest β-secretase inhibitory activity. A β-secretase inhibitory activity peptide was separated using ion exchange column chromatography (carboxy-methyl: CM, quaternary methyl ammonium: QMA) and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) on a C18 column. The IC50 value of the purified peptide was 248.2±1.73 μg/mL. The β-secretase inhibitory peptide was identified as a six amino acid residue of Gly-Pro-Val-Gly-Ala- Pro (MW: 497.27 Da). In cell viability experiments, the final purified fraction, the carboxy-methyl ion exchange column fraction (CM-F1) showed no significant cytotoxic effect in SH-SY5Y cells at concentrations below 100 μg/mL in 24 h. The results of this study suggest that peptides separated from Arctoscopus japonicus may be beneficial as β-secretase inhibitor compounds in functional foods.

본 연구에서는 대학생들의 진로발달수준 따른 진로탐색행동, 진로결정자기효능감의 차이와 진로서비스 요구에 대해 알아보고자 하였다. 연구 1은 대학생 540명을 대상으로 진로 서비스 요구도에 관련된 설문을 실시하고, 군집분석과 일원변량분석을 실시하였다. 연구 2는 진로발달 수준별 군집특성에 따라 진로서비스 요구도의 차이를 확인하기 위하여 11명을 대상으로 1:1 심층면접을 실시한 후 질적 분석을 실시하였다. 연구 결과, 대학생들의 진로결정과 편안성에 따라 진로발달수준이 다른 4개의 군집(미결정형, 낙관형, 불안형, 확신형)으로 나누어졌다. 다음으로 대학생들의 진로발달수준에 따라 진로결정수준, 진로탐색행동, 진로결정자기효능감의 차이가 유의하였으며, 요구되는 진로서비스도 각기 달랐다. 이러한 결과는 진로발달수준별로 상이한 진로서비스 개입이 요구되며, 대학에서 이러한 수준별 맞춤형 진로프로그램 개발이 필요함을 시사한다.

Purpose To identify the most reliable imaging features for differentiating hepatocellular carcinoma with paradoxical uptake on the hepatobiliary phase (HCCpara) from focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH)-like nodules using Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective study. Twenty patients with HCCpara and 21 patients with FNH-like nodules were included. The following MRI features were evaluated using 3.0 Tesla unit by two radiologists: signal intensity (SI) on T1-, T2-, and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), arterial enhancement pattern, washout appearance on the portal venous phase (PVP) and/or transitional phase (TP), uptake pattern on the hepatobiliary phase (HBP), “T2 scar,” “EOB scar,” and chemical shift on in- and out-of-phase images. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess MRI features for prediction of HCCpara. Results Compared with FNH-like nodules, HCCpara had significantly more frequent heterogeneous T1 SI (P

To identify the most reliable imaging features for differentiating hepatocellular carcinoma with paradoxical uptake on the hepatobiliary phase (HCCThis was a retrospective study. Twenty patients with HCCCompared with FNH-like nodules, HCCWashout appearance on the PVP and/or TP is the most reliable imaging feature for differentiating HCC3 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;45:1599-1608.