Optimal Monochromatic Imaging of Spectral Computed Tomography Potentially Improves the Quality of Hepatic Vascular Imaging

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficiency of spectral computed tomography (CT) optimal monochromatic images in improving imaging quality of liver vessels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The imaging data of 35 patients with abdominal CT angiography were retrospectively analyzed. Hepatic arteries, portal veins, and hepatic veins were reconstructed with mixed energy (quality check, QC), 70 keV and optimal monochromatic mode. Comparative parameters were analyzed including CT value, image noise (IN), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and subjective qualitative analysis. RESULTS: The optimal monochromatic value for assessment of the common hepatic artery, portal vein, and hepatic vein ranged between 49 keV and 53 keV, with a mean of 51 keV. There were statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) among the optimal monochromatic, 70 keV and QC images with regards to the hepatic vascular CT value, IN, CNR, SNR, and subjective qualitative score. CNR of the common hepatic artery in the optimal monochromatic, 70 keV and QC groups was 24.6 ± 10.9, 18.1 ± 8.3, and 11.6 ± 4.6, respectively (p < 0.001) with subjective scores of 4.7 ± 0.2, 4.0 ± 0.3, and 3.6 ± 0.4, respectively (p < 0.001). CNR of the hepatic portal vein was 6.9 ± 2.7, 4.3 ± 1.9, and 3.0 ± 2.1, respectively (p < 0.001) with subjective scores of 4.5 ± 0.3, 3.9 ± 0.4, and 3.3 ± 0.3, respectively (p < 0.001). CNR of the hepatic vein was 5.7 ± 2.3, 4.2 ± 1.9, and 2.7 ± 1.4, respectively with subjective scores of 4.3 ± 0.3, 3.8 ± 0.4, and 3.2 ± 0.3, respectively (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Optimal monochromatic images can lead to improvement in the imaging parameters and optimization of the image quality of the common hepatic artery, hepatic portal vein and hepatic vein compared with conventional mixed kV and with 70 keV datasets.

In silico cloning and comparative analysis of NAD1 gene in three common human parasites / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To in silico clone the NAD1 gene of three common parasites and analyze their bioinformatics,so as to lay the foundation for further research on the NAD gene. Methods By using the in silico cloning method,the full length cDNA (s)of NAD 1 genes of Clonorchis sinensis,Ascaris lumbricoides and Schistosoma japonicum were got,then their physical and chemical properties,compositions of amino acids,subcellular localizations,binary and ternary structures were contrastively an-alyzed.Results The three kinds of NAD1 proteins were similar in the relative molecular weight,subcellular localization,and physical and chemical properties.The NAD1 proteins were highly similar in binary and ternary structures of A.lumbricoides and S.japonicum.The phylogenetic analysis showed that C.sinensis,A.lumbricoides and S.japonicum belonged to the different evolu-tionary branches with a certain of genetic distance. Conclusion The three NAD1 genes got from C.sinensis,A.lumbricoides and S.japonicum by in silico cloning belong to the same gene of different species,which can be widely used in the researches of heritable variation of parasites.

Dual-sided reading versus single-sided reading:comparison of image quality and radiation dose between the two computed radiography systems / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To assess and compare the difference in image quality and exposure dose between single-sided reading image plate(IP)and dual-sided reading IP.Methods A contrast-detail phantom CDRAD 2.0 was exposed by single-sided and dual-sided reading IP with different mAs sets.The entrance surface doses were recorded for all images.Images were then presented to two radiologists on a high resolution monitor of diagnosis workstation.The image quality figure(IQF)was measured for each image. Statistical analysis was performed using Spearman's correlation test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare the difference in image quality and exposure dose between single-sided IP and dual-sided reading IP. Results With different tube current dosage of 5.6,12.0,20.0,25.0,and 40.0 mAs,IQF values of single-sided reading IP were 47.95,37.68,34.31,28.61,and 24.65,respectively,while those of dual- sided reading IP were 38.83,29.81,29.65,25.16,and 21.43,respectively.The IQF difference between them showed statistical significance(P