The effect of low-volatile organic compounds, water-based paint on aggravation of allergic disease in schoolchildren.

Whether indoor painting aggravates preexisting allergic diseases remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the impact of new classroom painting on aggravation of asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), and atopic dermatitis (AD) in children. Studied school was previously painted with conventional water-based paint 20 years ago and had natural ventilation system. We identified a total of 172 children aged 10-12 years with allergic diseases in 17 classrooms, which were allocated to newly painted rooms with low-volatile organic compounds (VOC), water-based paint, or existing rooms. After painting, there was no intervention or internal airflow to influence indoor air environment in both classrooms. We prospectively assessed the symptom severity and serious events of allergic diseases between both classrooms at baseline and after one and eight weeks after painting. At one and eight weeks, there were no significant changes in the Childhood Asthma Control Test scores, the fractional nitric oxide levels, lung function in asthmatic children in either classroom. There were also no significant changes in the severity score of AR or AD, or serious events in all allergic diseases. These findings suggest classroom painting with this new paint at the levels encountered in this study might not be a major aggravating factor for school-aged children with allergic diseases.

Synthesis of sea urchin-like carbon nanotubes on nano-diamond powder.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have unique atomic structure and properties, such as a high aspect ratio and high mechanical, electrical and thermal properties. On the other hand, the agglomeration and entanglement of CNTs restrict their applications. Sea urchin-like multiwalled carbon nanotubes, which have a small aspect ratio, can minimize the problem of dispersion. The high hardness, thermal conductivity and chemical inertness of the nano-diamond powder make it suitable for a wide range of applications in the mechanical and electronic fields. CNTs were synthesized on nano-diamond powder by thermal CVD to fabricate a filler with suitable mechanical properties and chemical stability. This paper reports the growth of CNTs with a sea urchin-like structure on the surface of the nano-diamond powder. Nano-diamond powders were dispersed in an attritional milling system using zirconia beads in ethanol. After the milling process, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APS) was added as a linker. Silanization was performed between the nano-diamond particles and the metal catalyst. Iron chloride was used as a catalyst for the fabrication of the CNTs. After drying, catalyst-attached nano-diamond powders could be achieved. The growth of the carbon nanotubes was carried out by CVD. The CNT morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The mean diameter and length of the CNTs were 201 nm and 3.25 microm, respectively.

Nontumorous hepatic arterial-portal venous shunts: MR imaging findings.

PURPOSE: To determine the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings of small nontumorous hepatic arterial-portal venous (arterioportal) shunts in the liver. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR images in 25 patients with 38 small nontumorous arterioportal shunts verified with surgery or follow-up imaging were included in this study. The causes of arterioportal shunts were iatrogenic causes in 11 patients and/or cirrhotic changes in the remaining patients. Nonenhanced T1- and T2-weighted images and multiphase contrast material-enhanced dynamic images were retrospectively reviewed and compared with conventional hepatic arteriograms to determine the MR characteristics related to the focal hemodynamic changes. RESULTS: On arterial-dominant-phase dynamic MR images, 29 (76%) of the 38 arteriographically suggested nontumorous arterioportal shunts displayed abnormal findings distinguished against the surrounding hepatic parenchyma, including wedge-shaped (n = 14), nodular (n = 9), or irregularly outlined (n = 6) areas of focal contrast enhancement. The signal intensity on nonenhanced T1- and T2-weighted images of the corresponding areas appeared unremarkable except for three wedge-shaped high-signal-intensity areas (three [8%] of 38) on T2-weighted images accompanied by prolonged contrast enhancement. Most (24 [83%] of 29) areas of abnormal signal intensity were located at the periphery of the liver parenchyma. CONCLUSION: A small nontumorous arterioportal shunt should be considered one of the causes of focal parenchymal hyperperfusion abnormalities on contrast-enhanced dynamic MR images of the liver in the absence of abnormal signal intensity on static MR images.

Test-bolus injection for optimization of arterial phase imaging during contrast-enhanced hepatic MR imaging.

Contrast enhancement during the dynamic MR imaging is important for the detection and characterization of focal liver lesions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not a timing examination with a injection of a 1.0-mL bolus of gadopentetate dimeglumine into the antecubital vein followed by rapid dynamic scanning and measurement of signal intensity of the aorta could help to obtain proper arterial-dominant phase images for the characterization of focal hepatic lesions during subsequent multiphase dynamic MR imaging. The imaging delay to acquisition of the first gadolinium-enhanced image for multiphase dynamic MR imaging was set to equal the time to peak aortic enhancement during the test examination. The first contrast-enhanced images of 80 patients with 160 focal liver lesions (hepatocellular carcinoma, n = 79; cavernous hemangioma, n = 51; metastatic tumor, n = 30) were then retrospectively reviewed. Peak aortic enhancement occurred between 10 and 28 seconds (mean, 16.5 seconds +/- 3.1) after starting the infusion of contrast material in 80 patients during the test-examination. Depending on the findings of intrahepatic vascular enhancement on the full-scale dynamic images, hepatic arterial phase (n = 11, 14%) or sinusoid phase (n = 65, 81%) imaging was obtained during the first gadolinium-enhanced acquisition in 76 (95%) of 80 patients. Three different lesions were well characterized and easily distinguished from each other (p < .0001) on the first-phase images depending on their enhancement pattern. In the majority of patients, timing examination with test-bolus injection was helpful in obtaining qualified images for the characterization of various focal lesions.

Hepatic cavernous hemangioma: temporal peritumoral enhancement during multiphase dynamic MR imaging.

PURPOSE: To determine whether temporal parenchymal enhancement around hepatic cavernous hemangiomas can be correlated with the rapidity of intratumoral contrast material enhancement and/or tumor volume at dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dynamic MR images obtained in 94 patients with 167 hemangiomas were retrospectively reviewed for peritumoral enhancement. Tumor volume was estimated by using the longest dimension on nonenhanced images. Speed of intratumoral contrast material enhancement was determined with early nonequilibrium phase images and was categorized as rapid (>75% of tumor volume), intermediate (25%-75% of tumor volume), or slow (<25% of tumor volume). RESULTS: Thirty-two of the 167 hemangiomas (19%) had temporal peritumoral enhancement, which was more common in hemangiomas with rapid enhancement (20 of 49 [41%]) than in those with intermediate (12 of 62 [19%]) and slow (0 of 56 [0%]) enhancement (P: <.001). The mean diameter of the hemangiomas with peritumoral enhancement was not significantly different from that of hemangiomas without peritumoral enhancement (P: >.05). Hemangiomas with rapid enhancement (mean diameter, 16 mm +/- 8), however, were significantly smaller than those with intermediate enhancement (mean diameter, 33 mm +/- 34) (P: <.001). CONCLUSION: Temporal peritumoral enhancement on dynamic MR images of hepatic hemangiomas correlates well with the speed of intratumoral contrast material enhancement and was most commonly encountered in rapidly enhancing small lesions. There was no statistically significant relationship, however, between peritumoral enhancement and tumor volume.

Retroperitoneal paragonimiasis: a case of ectopic paragonimiasis presenting as periureteral masses.

We describe a case of retroperitoneal paragonimiasis presenting as periureteral masses. CT showed a conglomerate of enhancing nodules with subtle low attenuation in the center at the left iliac fossa and clustered, ring-like, enhancing lesions at the left renal hilum. When a retroperitoneal conglomerate of ring-like, enhancing lesions in association with pleuropulmonary disease suggestive of paragonimiasis can be found in endemic regions or in migrants from those regions, one may expect ectopic-retroperitoneal paragonimiasis.

Early homogeneously enhancing hemangioma versus hepatocellular carcinoma: differentiation using quantitative analysis of multiphasic dynamic magnetic resonance imaging.

The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of quantitative analysis of multiphasic dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in differentiating early homogeneously enhancing hemangiomas from hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Four-phased dynamic MR imaging at 10 sec (first phase of dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging, P1), 35 sec (second phase, P2), 60 sec (third phase, P3) and 300 sec (delay phase, P4) immediately after intravenous administration of 0.1 mmol/kg Gadolinium-DTPA was obtained with 1.5-T unit with breath-hold multisection FLASH (fast low angle-shot) sequence (TR/TE, 113-130 msec/4.1 msec; flip angle, 80 degrees). Thirty-three HCCs and 18 hemangiomas, homogeneously enhanced on P1, were included in the study. The images were evaluated quantitatively (SNR, signal-to-noise ratio; and CNR, contrast- to- noise ratio of lesions). Quantitatively, mean CNR was higher for hemangiomas than for HCCs on all phases, and the difference in CNRs between hemangioma and HCCs was statistically significant on P3 and P4 (p < 0.0001). When the cutoff for CNR was set at a value of 7.00 on P3 and 1.00 on P4, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 94.4%, 93.9%, and 94.1% on P3, and 94.4%, 81.8%, and 86.3% on P4, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in SNRs between HCC and hemangioma. The differential diagnosis between early, homogeneously enhancing hemangiomas and HCCs was more confidently made with CNRs of lesions on P3 and P4 in dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging.

Cytologic evaluation of primary malignant vascular tumors of the liver. One case each of angiosarcoma and epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and compare the cytologic features of angiosarcoma (AS) and epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EH) of the liver. STUDY DESIGN: Fine needle aspirates and succeeding tissue biopsies from one case each of hepatic AS and EH were obtained. Both aspirates were compared for differences in cytologic features. RESULTS: In the case of EH, the tumor cells were dispersed almost singly but occasionally assumed an acinuslike shape. They were polymorphic and had a folded nuclear outline with lacy and hematoxyphilic cytoplasm. Occasional intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions and frequent binucleated or multinucleated giant cells were also characteristic. The tumor cells of AS showed tightly cohesive clusters forming syncytium in the bloody background with heavy aggregates of polymorphonuclear cells. The tumor cells were larger and more atypical but less polymorphic than those of EH. Each tumor cell of AS had a very distinct, huge, eosinophilic nucleolus and abundant cytoplasm of honeycombing micro/macrovesicular features. Frequently, huge intracytoplasmic vacuoles similar to those in signet-ring cells were present. CONCLUSION: Preoperative diagnosis of malignant hepatic vascular tumor is possible by aspiration cytology provided that one is aware of these entities and some distinctive cytologic findings.

Application of magnetization transfer imaging for intracranial lesions of tuberous sclerosis.

PURPOSE: Our goal was to assess the effectiveness of magnetization transfer imaging (MTI) and the usefulness of the magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) in tuberous sclerosis (TS). METHOD: T2- and T1-weighted SE images with saturation pulse on/off before and after gadolinium enhancement in 10 patients with TS were obtained. The numbers of subependymal nodule (SEN), cortical tuber, and white matter (WM) abnormality detected on T1-, proton density, T2-, and MT T1-weighted SE images were compared. The contrast-to-noise ratio (C/N) on T1-, MT T1-, Gd T1-, and Gd MT T1-weighted SE images and MTR (1-Msat/MO) on each set of saturation/nonsaturation images for each lesions were calculated. Mean MTRs (mMTRs) of WM and gray matter (GM) from seven normal volunteers were also obtained. RESULTS: MT T1-weighted SE images always depicted all lesions seen on conventional MRI and allowed depiction of more SENs (n = 80), cortical tubers (n = 197), and WM abnormalities (n = 82) than did T1-weighted (n = 58/85/33), proton density (n = 41/108/36), or T2-weighted (n = 48/121/46) SE images. The best C/N was obtained from Gd MT T1-weighted SE images in SENs and from MT T1-weighted SE images in other lesions. mMTRs of normal WM and GM were 36.43 and 29.42%, respectively. Cortical tubers and WM abnormalities had measured MTRs that were statistically equal to MTRs of GM in normal subjects (p < 0.005). MTRs of SENs showed lower mean (25.55%) and greater diversity (SD +/- 5.30), compared with MTRs of other lesions and normal GM and WM. One SEN with MTR of 20.72% was pathologically confirmed to be subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SGCA). Nine SENs had measured MTR below 20.72% and six nodules among these were located in the region of the foramen of Monro, which is the characteristic location of SGCA. CONCLUSION: MTI may be effective in detecting all cranial lesions of TS. MTR may increase the specificity of MRI because it can differentiate the histopathologic subtypes and track and evolution of SEN into SGCA.