Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography using T2 preparation pulse: quantitative and qualitative analyses.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) may exhibit ghosting and blurring artifacts due to irregular breathing cycles, which can be overcome by shortening the shot duration. T2 preparation pulse enables heavy T2 contrast even with a shorter TE by use of the shortened shot duration; therefore, a technique using T2 preparation pulse combined with 3D turbo spin-echo MRCP (TPT-MRCP) was constructed. PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of TPT-MRCP in both navigation and breath-hold sequences compared to the conventional method. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We obtained navigation MRCP, which were TPT and conventional 3D turbo spin-echo in 37 patients, and breath-hold MRCP in 31 patients, which were TPT and gradient and spin echo. The quantitative evaluation included signal-to-noise ratio, contrast ratio, contrast-to-noise ratio and sharpness of the common bile duct in all sequences. Two radiologists visually evaluated image quality using a five-point grading method, assessing overall image quality and each of the six areas: common bile duct, right hepatic duct, left hepatic duct, main pancreatic duct, cystic duct and motion artifact. RESULTS: TPT-MRCP was significantly superior to conventional MRCP in all quantitative evaluations, except for signal-to-noise ratio in the navigation sequence. In the visual evaluation, TPT-MRCP provided higher image quality than the conventional technique in nearly all areas. The kappa (k) coefficient of the overall image quality was good for all sequences (κ = 0.61-0.8). CONCLUSION: TPT-MRCP provides higher image quality than conventional techniques in both navigation and breath-hold sequences. The present study demonstrates the greater clinical usefulness of TPT-MRCP.

Water quality comparison of secondary effluent and reclaimed water to ambient river water of southern Okinawa Island via biological evaluation.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the biological effect of the secondary effluent (SE) of a wastewater treatment plant and reclaimed water treated via ultrafiltration (UF) followed by either reverse osmosis (RO) membrane filtration or nanofiltration (NF) to be used for environmental use by comparing the results of algal growth inhibition tests of concentrated samples of the SE and permeates of RO and NF with those of six rivers in southern Okinawa Island. Although the SE water had no adverse effects on the growth of the algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, it could lead to water quality degradation of rivers in terms of its toxic unit value, whereas the use of RO and NF permeates would not lead to such degradation. The recharge of rivers, into which domestic wastewater and livestock effluents might be discharged in southern Okinawa Island, with reclaimed water subjected to advanced treatment could dilute the concentrations of chemicals that cause biological effects and improve the water quality of the rivers, based on the results of the bioassay using P. subcapitata. Comparing the results of bioassays of reclaimed water with those of the ambient water at a site might be effective in assessing the water quality of reclaimed water for environmental use at the site.

Spontaneous network activity visualized by ultrasensitive Ca(2+) indicators, yellow Cameleon-Nano.

We report ultrasensitive Ca(2+) indicators, yellow cameleon-Nano (YC-Nano), developed by engineering the Ca(2+)-sensing domain of a genetically encoded Ca(2+) indicator, YC2.60 or YC3.60. Their high Ca(2+) affinities (K(d) = 15-140 nM) and large signal change (1,450%) enabled detection of subtle Ca(2+) transients associated with intercellular signaling dynamics and neuronal activity, even in 100,000-cell networks. These indicators will be useful for studying information processing in living multicellular networks.

[A case of mesalazine-induced pleuritis with hemophagocytic findings].

A 25-year-old woman who had been receiving mesalazine for 2 weeks for ulcerative colitis presented with a nonproductive cough, high fever, and exertional dyspnea. Her chest radiograph showed bilateral pleural effusion. At first, infectious pleuritis was suspected and antibiotics were administered, but the pleural effusion increased and high fever continued. Because clinical and radiographic abnormalities markedly improved with discontinuation of mesalazine and treatment with corticosteroid, mesalazine was thought to be the cause of pleural effusion in this case. This case was thought to be of interest when we consider the onset mechanism of pleurisy by mesalazine. Mesalazine-induced pleuritis must be considered in patients who develop unexplained respiratory symptoms while taking this agent.

[A case of gastric cancer initially presented by bilateral chylothorax].

The patient, a 66-year-old woman, visited our hospital with chief complaints of nocturnal coughing and dyspnea. Chest radiography revealed bilateral pleural effusion, and she was admitted to our hospital to undergo more thorough examination. The bilateral pleural effusion was identified as chyle. In cytodiagnosis, a number of poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma cells in clumps were detected, and mucus was found in the cell bodies. The case was diagnosed as signet-ring cell carcinoma. Endoscopy of the upper digestive tract was performed for close examination of the primary lesion. As a result, a IIc lesion accompanied with concentrated folds and hypertrophy was found on the anterior wall of the body of the stomach. Biopsy of this site led to a diagnosis of signet-ring cell carcinoma, and these results were consistent with the cytodiagnostic findings of pleural effusion. Because gastric carcinoma associated with bilateral chylothorax is very rare in Japan, we report the results of our study with some discussions based on a review of the literature.