Effects of slightly acidic electrolyzed water on the quality and antioxidant capacity of fresh red waxy corn during postharvest cold storage.

Fresh red waxy corn is consumed worldwide because of its unique flavor and rich nutrients, but it is susceptible to deterioration with a short shelf life. This study explored the effect of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) treatment on the quality and antioxidant capacity of fresh red waxy corn during postharvest cold storage up to 40 d. The SAEW treatment exhibited lower weight loss, softer firmness, and higher total soluble solids (TSS) and moisture content than the control group. Correspondingly, the SAEW maintained the microstructure of endosperm cell wall and starch granules of fresh red waxy corn kernels well, contributing to good sensory quality. Furthermore, SAEW effectively reduced the accumulation of H2O2 content, elevated the O2 -· scavenging ability, maintained higher CAT and APX activities, and decreased the decline of the flavonoids and anthocyanin during the storage. These results revealed that the SAEW treatment could be a promising preservation method to maintain higher-quality attributes and the antioxidant capacity of fresh red waxy corn during postharvest cold storage.

Risk factor analysis for major mediastinal vessel invasion in thymic epithelial tumors based on multi-slice CT Imaging.

Objective: To explore the characteristics and risk factors for major mediastinal vessel invasion in different risk grades of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) based on computed tomography (CT) imaging, and to develop prediction models of major mediastinal artery and vein invasion. Methods: One hundred and twenty-two TET patients confirmed by histopathological analysis who underwent thorax CT were enrolled in this study. Clinical and CT data were retrospectively reviewed for these patients. According to the abutment degree between the tumor and major mediastinal vessels, the arterial invasion was divided into grade I, II, and III (< 25%, 25 - 49%, and ≥ 50%, respectively); the venous invasion was divided into grade I and II (< 50% and ≥ 50%). The degree of vessel invasion was compared among different defined subtypes or stages of TETs using the chi-square tests. The risk factors associated with TET vascular invasion were identified using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Based on logistic regression analysis, male patients (ß = 1.549; odds ratio, 4.824) and the pericardium or pleural invasion (ß = 2.209; odds ratio, 9.110) were independent predictors of 25% artery invasion, and the midline location (ß = 2.504; odds ratio, 12.234) and mediastinal lymphadenopathy (ß = 2.490; odds ratio, 12.06) were independent predictors of 50% artery invasion. As for 50% venous invasion, the risk factors include midline location (ß = 2.303; odds ratio, 10.0), maximum tumor diameter larger than 5.9 cm (ß = 4.038; odds ratio, 56.736), and pericardial or pleural effusion (ß = 1.460; odds ratio, 4.306). The multivariate logistic model obtained relatively high predicting efficacy, and the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were 0.944, 84.6%, and 91.7% for predicting 50% artery invasion, and 0.913, 81.8%, and 86.0% for 50% venous invasion in TET patients, respectively. Conclusion: Several CT features can be used as independent predictors of ≥50% artery or venous invasion. A multivariate logistic regression model based on CT features is helpful in predicting the vascular invasion grades in patients with TET.

A Systematic Study of Anti-Osteosarcoma Mechanism of pH-Sensitive Charge-Conversion Cinnamaldehyde Polymeric Prodrug Micelles In Vitro.

Osteosarcoma is an aggressive malignant neoplasm, and it is of great significance to the fabrication and investigation of the anti-tumor mechanism of nanomedicine in the treatment of osteosarcoma. Herein, a cinnamaldehyde polymeric prodrug micelle with pH-sensitive charge-conversion ability (mPEG-b-P(C7-co-CA)) was fabricated, and the anti-osteosarcoma mechanism of mPEG-b-P(C7-co-CA) micelle was investigated. mPEG-b-P(C7-co-CA) micelles were prepared by self-assembly method, and their diameter was 227 nm. mPEG-b-P(C7-co-CA) micelles could regulate the cell cycle and inhibit the proliferation of 143B cells, which was demonstrated by flow cytometry analysis, CCK-8 assay and 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining. The wound-healing assay and transwell assay showed that mPEG-b-P(C7-co-CA) micelles effectively inhibited the migration and invasion of 143B cells. It was proven that mPEG-b-P(C7-co-CA) micelles downregulated the levels of proliferation and apoptosis-related proteins and affected osteosarcoma migration and invasion by inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In addition, mPEG-b-P(C7-co-CA) micelles can also inhibit the transcriptional activity of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Therefore, these findings provide new evidence for the pharmacological effects of mPEG-b-P(C7-co-CA) micelles.

Recent development in high quality drying of fruits and vegetables assisted by ultrasound: A review.

The preservation of agri-products with a high moisture content like fruits and vegetables is challenging. Traditional dehydration techniques (sun drying and hot air drying) were used to limit food degradations and extend shelf life. However, few issues have been raised regarding the long processing time during the dehydration process causing the pronounced oxidation of nutrients and significant energy losses. Recent studies emphasize different process intensification methods, such as ultrasound (US), to rapidly and economically obtain quality dehydrated food to tackle quality deteriorating issues. The current work provides a comprehensive state-of-art of the drying of fruits and vegetables using ultrasound as an improvement technique for quality retention. The review will first provide a global knowledge of ultrasound in the drying field with a special focus on the equipment as well as mechanisms involved when US is used as a pretreatment or simultaneously during various drying processes. Discussion on the efficiency of each ultrasonic device and its potential use in industry is also provided along the way. The second part will cover a critical report and analysis of recent studies highlighting the effects of the two ultrasound application modes in the drying field (pretreatment and combined with the drying process) on the quality of fruits and vegetables. Overall, applying ultrasound to assist the dehydration of fruits and vegetables is a promising way to reduce drying time and obtain nutritious dehydrated products. This non-thermal technology alleviates the oxidation of nutrients, thus offering a favorable perspective to increase the marketability of finished products as public awareness of food quality is surging.

Differentiating thymoma, thymic carcinoma and lymphoma based on collagen fibre patterns with T2- and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVES: The amount and distribution of intratumoural collagen fibre vary among different thymic tumours, which can be clearly detected with T2- and diffusion-weighted MR images. To explore the incidences of collagen fibre patterns (CFPs) among thymomas, thymic carcinomas and lymphomas on imaging, and to evaluate the efficacy and reproducibility of CFPs in differential diagnosis of thymic tumours. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred and ninety-eight patients with pathologically diagnosed thymoma, thymic carcinoma and lymphoma who underwent T2- and diffusion-weighted MR imaging were retrospectively enrolled. CFPs were classified into four categories: septum sign, patchy pattern, mixed pattern and no septum sign. The incidences of CFPs were compared among different thymic tumours, and the efficacy and reproducibility in differentiating the defined tumour types were analysed. RESULTS: There were significant differences in CFPs among thymomas, thymic squamous cell carcinomas (TSCCs), other thymic carcinomas and neuroendocrine tumours (OTC&NTs) and thymic lymphomas. Septum signs were found in 209 (86%) thymomas, which differed between thymomas and any other thymic neoplasms (all p < 0.005). The patchy, mixed patterns and no septum sign were mainly seen in TSCCs (80.3%), OTC&NTs (78.9%) and thymic lymphomas (56.9%), respectively. The consistency of different CFP evaluation between two readers was either good or excellent. CFPs achieved high efficacy in identifying the thymic tumours. CONCLUSION: The CFPs based on T2- and diffusion-weighted MR imaging were of great value in the differential diagnosis of thymic tumours. KEY POINTS: • Significant differences are found in intratumoural collagen fibre patterns among thymomas, thymic squamous cell carcinomas, other thymic carcinomas and neuroendocrine tumours and thymic lymphomas. • The septum sign, patchy pattern, mixed pattern and no septum sign are mainly seen in thymomas (86%), thymic squamous cell carcinomas (80.3%), other thymic carcinomas and neuroendocrine tumours (79%) and thymic lymphomas (57%), respectively. • The collagen fibre patterns have high efficacy and reproducibility in differentiating thymomas, thymic squamous cell carcinomas and thymic lymphomas.

Application of multi-frequency power ultrasound in selected food processing using large-scale reactors: A review.

Ultrasound as an eco-friendly green technology has been widely studied in food processing. Nevertheless, there is a lack of publications regarding the application of ultrasound in food processing using large-scale reactors. In this paper, the mechanisms and the devices of multi-frequency power ultrasound (MFPU) are described. Moreover, the MFPU applied in enzymolysis of protein, and washing of fruits and vegetables are reviewed. The application of MFPU can improve the enzymolysis of protein through modification on enzyme, modification on substrate materials, and facilitation of the enzymatic hydrolysis process. The ultrasound treatment can enhance the removal of microorganisms, and pesticides on the surface of fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, the reactors of ultrasound-assisted enzymolysis of protein, and washing of fruits and vegetables on the industrial scale are also detailed. This review paper also considers future trends, limitations, drawbacks, and developments of ultrasound application in enzymolysis and washing.

Effect of multi-mode dual-frequency ultrasound pretreatment on the vacuum freeze-drying process and quality attributes of the strawberry slices.

The effects of osmotic pretreatment assisted by ultrasound in different frequency modes before vacuum freeze-drying (VFD) on moisture migration and quality characteristics of strawberry slices were investigated. The frequency modes are single-frequency modes under 20, 40 kHz (SM-20, SM-40), and dual-frequency under 20/40 kHz including sequential mode (SeDM) and simultaneous mode (SiDM). The quality characteristics of dried strawberry products including rehydration, hardness, color, flavor, total anthocyanins, total phenols, vitamin C content, and active antioxidant components (DPPH and -OH) were determined. Results showed that drying time of the strawberry slices irradiated by ultrasound was reduced by 15.25%-50.00%, compared to the control samples. Besides, dual-frequency ultrasound shortened the drying time more than single-frequency ultrasound. The drying time of SeDM was the shortest. In addition to vitamin C content, the quality characteristics including rehydration, hardness, color, flavor, total anthocyanins, total phenols, and antioxidant activity of dried strawberry products pretreated by SeDM were significantly (p < 0.05) better than those of control and other pretreated samples. It can be concluded that the SeDM was an effective pretreatment method to produce high-quality vacuum freeze-dried strawberry products.

Modulation of the structural and functional properties of perilla protein isolate from oilseed residues by dynamic high-pressure microfluidization.

Dynamic high-pressure microfluidization (DHPM) is an alternative method to physically modify proteins to improve their functional properties. In this study, perilla protein isolate (PPI) was treated by DHPM at different pressures. Results showed that DHPM treatment reduced the particle size and absolute potential of PPI by 75.90% and 22.28%. The increased surface hydrophobicity and free sulfhydryl content were observed in DHPM-treated PPI, which may be caused by the comformation changes of PPI. Furthermore, DHPM treatment would not cause the degradation of the main subunits and the variation of crystalline regions in PPI, but enhancing the thermal stability of PPI at 90 MPa and 120 MPa. Functional properties analysis indicated that DHPM treatment at 120 MPa was more effective in improving the solubility, foaming and emulsifying capacities of PPI. The results suggested that DHPM can be used to enhance the functional properties of PPI and expand its application in food systems.

Clinical characteristics and neuroimaging findings of seven patients with Dyke Davidoff Masson syndrome.

BACKGROUND: DDMS is a rare disease diagnosed by clinical and radiological characteristics. But the complexity of radiological and clinical manifestations of DDMS has become a challenge diagnostically. To date, the reported cases with DDMS had highly varied clinical manifestations including seizures, contralateral hemiplegia/hemiparesis, facial asymmetry, mental retardation, etc. In addition to typical clinical findings, some new characteristics have been recently added to the spectrum of DDMS. However, few cases have been reported to be associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms according to the literature. This study aimed to investigate the neuropsychiatric manifestations associated with Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome (DDMS) and related imaging findings. METHODS: This study included 7 patients diagnosed with DDMS between 2014 and 2020. The clinical characteristics, neuropsychiatric manifestations, and radiological results were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: Seven patients (five males and two females) with a mean age of 28.0 ± 9.73 (range 15.0-41.0) years were included. Five patients were admitted to the psychiatric unit due to psychological and behavioral disorders. Two patients were referred to the neurology unit mainly due to epilepsy. Six patients had epileptic seizures, 4 had hemiplegia, 3 had mental retardation, 2 patients had external ear deformities, and 2 had facial asymmetry. Neuropsychiatric symptoms were presented in 6 (85.7 %) cases. Cases 2-6 developed affective disorders. Deficits in verbal communication, impairment of social interaction, lack of insight, adulia and hypobulia appeared in cases 1-4. Schizophrenia with apathy, and epileptic schizoid psychosis were observed in cases 4 and 5 respectively. Case 6 had behavioral disorders, hyperactivity, tic disorder, mental retardation, anxiety, catatonic symptoms and suicidal tendency. Case 7 had seizures and mental retardation, and no psychiatric symptoms were presented. Radiological examinations showed unilateral cerebral atrophy, enlarged lateral ventricles, and various compensatory hypertrophy of the skull in all cases. The midline structure has shifted to the affected side in 5(71.4 %) cases. Atrophy of the basal ganglia or brain stem was observed in 4(57.1 %) cases. CONCLUSIONS: The hallmark imaging manifestations of DDMS facilitated the diagnosis in most cases. This study illustrated that a variety of psychoneurotic disorders and ear abnormalities were correlated with DDMS.

MR imaging of thymomas: a combined radiomics nomogram to predict histologic subtypes.

OBJECTIVES: Accurately predicting the WHO classification of thymomas is urgently needed to optimize individualized therapeutic strategies. We aimed to develop and validate a combined radiomics nomogram for personalized prediction of histologic subtypes in patients with thymomas. METHODS: A total of 182 thymoma patients were divided into training (n = 128) and test (n = 54) cohorts. Radiomics features were extracted from T2-weighted, T2-weighted fat suppression, and diffusion-weighted images to establish a radiomics signature in the training cohort. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop a combined radiomics nomogram that incorporated clinical, conventional MR imaging variables, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value, and radiomics signature. The efficacy of clinical, conventional MR imaging, or ADC model was also evaluated respectively. The performances of different models were compared by receiver operating characteristic analysis and Delong test. The discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness of the combined radiomics nomogram were assessed. RESULTS: The radiomics signature, consisting of 14 features, achieved favorable predictive efficacy in differentiating low-risk from high-risk thymomas, outperforming clinical, conventional MR imaging, and ADC models. The combined radiomics nomogram incorporating tumor shape, ADC value, and radiomics signature yielded the best performance (training cohort: area under the curve [AUC] = 0.946, test cohort: AUC = 0.878). The calibration curve and decision curve analysis indicated the clinical utility of the combined radiomics nomogram. CONCLUSIONS: The radiomics signature is a useful tool that can be used to predict histologic subtypes of thymomas. The combined radiomics nomogram improved the individualized subtype prediction in patients with thymomas. KEY POINTS: • Fourteen robust features were selected to develop a radiomics signature for preoperative prediction of thymoma subtype. • MRI-based radiomics signature can differentiate low-risk thymomas from high-risk thymomas with favorable predictive efficacy compared with clinical, conventional MR imaging, and ADC models. • Combined radiomics nomogram based on tumor shape, ADC value, and radiomics signature could improve the individualized subtype prediction in patients with thymomas.

Ethyl cellulose particles loaded with α-tocopherol for inhibiting thermal oxidation of soybean oil.

Most endogenous antioxidants degrade and lose efficiency during frying. The study aimed to inhibit thermal oxidation of soybean oil by fabricating α-tocopherol loaded particles with ethyl cellulose (EC) of different viscosity grades (M9, M70 and M200) via anti-solvent method. As the viscosity of ethyl cellulose increased, particle size decreased from micrometer to nanometer. Confocal laser scanning microscope confirmed successful encapsulation and uniform distribution of α-tocopherol in the loaded particles. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated that loaded particles protected α-tocopherol from oxidation and degradation. Meanwhile, Fourier transformed infrared demonstrated that α-tocopherol interacted with EC through hydrogen bond and hydrophobic effects. With excellent dispersibility in soybean oil, loaded particles effectively inhibited thermal oxidation of soybean oil and loaded M200 nanoparticles was the most effective, which performed far better than tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ). Therefore, the nanoparticles offered a promising way to enhance oxidative stability of oils during thermal processing.

[Effects of organic fertilizer on soil environment and yield of tomato under year-round cultivation]. / æœ‰æœºè‚¥å¯¹è®¾æ–½ç•ªèŒ„å‘¨å¹´æ ½åŸ¹åœŸå£¤çŽ¯å¢ƒå’Œäº§é‡çš„å½±å“.

The early-spring and autumn-winter tomato in greenhouse is the main planting patterns of protected vegetable in North China. Taking the customary fertilization amount of farmers under this planting pattern as control (CK, 100% chemical fertilizer), six organic fertilizer replacing chemical fertilizer treatments were set, namely, 15% (T1), 30% (T2), 45% (T3), 60% (T4), 75% (T5), 100% organic fertilizer (T6), to examine the replacing effects on soil environment and tomato yield. The results showed that soil bacteria increased with increasing organic fertilizer amount, the actinomycetes wers up to 12.12×106 cfu·g-1 under T1 treatment which was the highest one. Combined application of organic fertilizer could increase soil urease activity, decrease catalase activity, increase soil organic matter, and enhance the concentrations of available phosphorus and available potassium, indicating that organic fertilizer had significant effects on soil physical and chemical properties, soil enzyme activity and nutrient accumulation. The invertase activity and available phosphorus content under T1 treatment were the highest, being 1.36 mg·g-1 and 305.4 mg·kg-1, respectively, while the available potassium content of T2 treatment was the highest (582.6 g·kg-1). In addition, T2 had the largest percentage of >0.25 mm water-stable agglomerate (94.2%). Compared with CK, the application of organic fertilizer could improve tomato quality and increase yield. The lycopene content of T1 was the highest (5.69), the sugar-acid ratio of T1 and T2 was 8.19 and 8.70, respectively, with better tastes. The yield of T1 was the highest, followed by T2 treatment, which was 16.6% and 5.8% higher than that of CK, respectively. It suggested that reducing the application rate of chemical fertilizers by 15%-30% with organic fertilizer was a preferred fertilization measure in this planting pattern.

Predicting pathological subtypes and stages of thymic epithelial tumors using DWI: value of combining ADC and texture parameters.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the value of combining apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) and texture parameters from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in predicting the pathological subtypes and stages of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). METHODS: Fifty-seven patients with TETs confirmed by pathological analysis were retrospectively enrolled. ADC values and optimal texture feature parameters were compared for differences among low-risk thymoma (LRT), high-risk thymoma (HRT), and thymic carcinoma (TC) by one-way ANOVA, and between early and advanced stages of TETs were tested using the independent samples t test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the differentiating efficacy. RESULTS: The ADC values in LRT and HRT were significantly higher than the values in TC (p = 0.004 and 0.001, respectively), also in early stage, values were significantly higher than ones in advanced stage of TETs (p < 0.001). Among all texture parameters analyzed in order to differentiate LRT from HRT and TC, the V312 achieved higher diagnostic efficacy with an AUC of 0.875, and combination of ADC and V312 achieved the highest diagnostic efficacy with an AUC of 0.933, for differentiating the LRT from HRT and TC. Furthermore, combination of ADC and V1030 achieved a relatively high differentiating ability with an AUC of 0.772, for differentiating early from advanced stages of TETs. CONCLUSIONS: Combination of ADC and DWI texture parameters improved the differentiating ability of TET grades, which could potentially be useful in clinical practice regarding the TET evaluation before treatment. KEY POINTS: • DWI texture analysis is useful in differentiating TET subtypes and stages. • Combination of ADC and DWI texture parameters may improve the differentiating ability of TET grades. • DWI texture analysis could potentially be useful in clinical practice regarding the TET evaluation before treatment.

Iodine Quantification Using Dual-Energy Computed Tomography for Differentiating Thymic Tumors.

The aim of the study was to explore the efficacy of iodine quantification with dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in differentiating thymoma, thymic carcinoma, and thymic lymphoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-seven patients with pathologically confirmed low-risk thymoma (n = 16), high-risk thymoma (n = 15), thymic carcinoma (n = 14), and thymic lymphoma (n = 12) underwent chest contrast-enhanced DECT scan were enrolled in this study. Tumor DECT parameters including iodine-related Hounsfield unit (IHU), iodine concentration (IC), mixed HU (MHU), and iodine ratio in dual phase, slope of energy spectral HU curve (λ), and virtual noncontrast (VNC) were compared for differences among 4 groups by one-way analysis of variance. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the efficacy for differentiating the low-risk thymoma from other thymic tumor by defined parameters. RESULTS: According to quantitative analysis, dual-phase IHU, IC, and MHU values in patients with low-risk thymoma were significantly increased compared with patients with high-risk thymoma, thymic carcinoma, and thymic lymphoma (P < 0.05/4).The venous phase IHU value yielded the highest performance with area under the curve of 0.893, 75.0% sensitivity, and 89.7% specificity for differentiating the low-risk thymomas from high-risk thymomas or thymic carcinoma at the cutoff value of 34.3 HU. When differentiating low-risk thymomas from thymic lymphoma, the venous phase IC value obtained the highest diagnostic efficacy with the area under the curve of 0.969, and sensitivity, specificity, and cutoff value were 87.5%, 100.0%, and 1.25 mg/mL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Iodine quantification with DECT may be useful for differentiating the low-risk thymomas from other thymic tumors.

Multiple Cross Displacement Amplification Coupled With Nanoparticles-Based Lateral Flow Biosensor for Detection of Staphylococcus aureus and Identification of Methicillin-Resistant S. aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), is one of the most important human pathogens, which is responsible for bacteremia, soft-tissue infections, and food poisoning. Hence, multiple cross displacement amplification (MCDA) is employed to detect all S. aureus strains, and differentiates MRSA from methicillin-sensitive S. aureus. Multiplex MCDA (m-MCDA), which targets the nuc gene (S. aureus-specific gene) and mecA gene (encoding penicillin-binding protein-2'), could detect S. aureus strains and identify MRSA within 85 min. Detection of the m-MCDA products is achieved using disposable lateral flow biosensors. A total of 58 strains, including various species of Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains, are used for evaluating and optimizing m-MCDA assays. The optimal amplification condition is found to be 63°C for 40 min, with detection limits at 100 fg DNA/reaction for nuc and mecA genes in the pure cultures, and 10 CFU/tube for nuc and mecA genes in the blood samples. The analytical specificity of m-MCDA assay is of 100%, and no cross-reactions to non-S. aureus strains are produced according to the specificity testing. Particularly, two additional components, including AUDG enzyme and dUTP, are added into the m-MCDA amplification mixtures, which are used for eliminating the unwanted results arising from carryover contamination. Thus, the m-MCDA technique appears to be a simple, rapid, sensitive, and reliable assay to detect all S. aureus strains, and identify MRSA infection for appropriate antibiotic therapy.

Rapid, sensitive and reliable detection of Klebsiella pneumoniae by label-free multiple cross displacement amplification coupled with nanoparticles-based biosensor.

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), as an important hospital-acquired bacterium, is responsible for severe morbidity and mortality among the elderly, newborn and immune-compromised people. We established a rcsA gene-based label-free multiple cross displacement amplification (MCDA) assay for rapid, simple and sensitive detection of K. pneumoniae by using lateral flow biosensor (LFB). MCDA reaction was conducted at a fixed temperature (65 °C) for only 30 min, and amplification results were directly indicated using LFB. The results showed that reaction products were detectable from as little as 100 fg and 4.8 CFU of pure K. pneumoniae templates, and from approximately 480 CFU in 1 mL of spiked clinical samples. All K. pneumoniae strains examined were positive for label-free MCDA-LFB analysis, and all non-K. pneumoniae strains used in the report were negative for label-free MCDA-LFB assay, indicating the high selectivity of the label free MCDA-LFB assay. Furthermore, to remove false-positive results, the label-free MCDA-LFB assay was supplemented with antarctic thermal sensitive uracil-DNA-glycosylase (AUDG) to eliminate the carryover contamination. Thus, label-free MCDA-LFB assay complemented with AUDG enzyme was a rapid, simple, sensitive and reliable technique for detection of target pathogen, which has the ability to effectively avoid carryover contamination, and can be a valuable tool for "on-site" detection, clinical diagnosis, and primary quarantine purposes.

Usefulness of Volume Perfusion Computed Tomography in Differentiating Histologic Subtypes of Thymic Epithelial Tumors.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of volume perfusion computed tomography (VPCT) parameters in differentiating the World Health Organization subtypes of thymic epithelial tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was approved by the local ethics committee, and informed written consent was obtained. Fifty-one thymic epithelial tumor patients confirmed by histopathological analysis underwent conventional CT and a 48-second VPCT scan of the tumor bulk before any treatment. The VPCT parameters (blood volume [BV], blood flow [BF], mean transit time [MTT], and permeability [PMB]) based on volume of interest (VOI) or region of interest (ROI) were compared for differences among low-risk thymomas (LRTs; types A, AB, and B1), high-risk thymomas (HRTs; types B2 and B3) and thymic carcinomas (TCs) by one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: The BVVOI, PMBVOI, BVROI, and PMBROI values in LRT were significantly higher than the values from HRT and thymic carcinoma (BVVOI: 13.75, 6.17, and 5.48 mL/100 mL; PMBVOI: 22.47, 9.56, and 13.37 mL/100 mL/min; BVROI: 14.75, 6.87, and 6.06 mL/100 mL; PMBROI: 24.05, 9.79, and 15.63 mL/100 mL/min, respectively; all P < 0.05/3). However, the BFVOI, MTTVOI, BFROI, and MTTROI values did not differ between LRT and HRT or thymic carcinoma groups (P > 0.05/3). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that VPCT could be useful in differentiating LRTs from HRTs and TCs preoperatively.

Intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted MR imaging parameters predict pathological classification in thymic epithelial tumors.

We evaluated the performance of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) parameters for preoperatively predicting the subtype and Masaoka stage of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). Seventy-seven patients with pathologically confirmed TETs underwent a diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) sequence with 9 b values. Differences in the slow diffusion coefficient (D), fast perfusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) IVIM parameters, as well as the multi b-value fitted apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCmb), were compared among patients with low-risk (LRT) and high-risk thymomas (HRT) and thymic carcinomas (TC), and between early stage (stages I and II) and advanced stage (stages III and IV) TET patients. ADCmb, D, and D* values were higher in the LRT group than in the HRT or TC group, but did not differ between the HRT and TC groups. The mean ADCmb, D, and D* values were higher in the early stage TETs group than the advanced stage TETs group. The f values did not differ among the groups. These results suggest that IVIM DWI could be used to preoperatively predict subtype and Masaoka stage in TET patients.

[Multi-slice CT angiography in the diagnosis of lesions of mesenteric artery and mesenteric vein].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of multi-slice CT angiography (MSCTA) in the diagnosis of super mesenteric artery (SMA) and super mesenteric vein (SMV), and discuss the 3D reconstruction method for detecting mesenteric vessel lesions. METHODS: Thirty-three patients suffering from mesenteric vessel diseases were analyzed. There were 14 SMA lesions, including 9 thromboses, 3 dissecting aneurysms, 1 pseudoaneurysm, and 1 malrotation. There were 19 SMV thromboses. The 3D reconstruction included volume rendering (VR), maximum intensity projection (MIP), and multi-planner reformation (MPR). RESULTS: The lesions appeared clear by MSCTA in the 33 patients. The SMA thrombosis was shown clear in the MIP in all 9 patients, and only 4 of them were detected in the VR. There was significant difference between MIP andVR in detecting SMA thrombosis (P=0.0294). Three dissecting aneurysms were best shown in the MPR; 1 pseudoaneurysm and 1 malrotation were clearly manifested in the VR. The thrombosis of SMV was clearly shown by both MIP and MPR in all 19 patients. Collateral vessels were clearly shown in the MIP in 12 patients; the collateral vessels were detected by VR only in 5, and the other 7 failed to show the collateral vessels. There was significant difference between the MIP and the VR in showing lateral collateral vessels (P=0.0046). CONCLUSION: Both lesions of SMA and SMV can be detected by MSCTA. MIP is an ideal reconstruction method for SMA thrombosis and collateral vessels around the SMV.