US Attenuation Imaging for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Fatty Liver Disease.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether the attenuation coefficient (AC) from attenuation imaging (ATI) was correlated with visual US assessment in patients with hepatic steatosis. Moreover, it aimed to assess whether the patient's blood chemistry results and CT attenuation were correlated with AC.

Materials And Methods: Patients who underwent abdominal US with ATI between April 2018 and December 2018 were included in this study.

Usefulness of 2D shear wave elastography for the evaluation of hepatic fibrosis and treatment response in patients with autoimmune hepatitis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D SWE) in the assessment of liver stiffness (LS) and dispersion slope (DS) to evaluate hepatic fibrosis and the treatment response in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

Methods: Patients diagnosed with AIH who underwent 2D SWE between June 2014 and June 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective study. The patients were classified into four groups according to the histologic stage of fibrosis (F1-F4).

Regional Analysis of Liver Surface Nodularity in a Single Axial MR Image for Staging Liver Fibrosis.

Background: The assessment of liver surface nodularity (LSN) for staging hepatic fibrosis is restricted in clinical practice because it requires customized software and time-consuming procedures. A simplified method to estimate LSN score may be useful in the clinic.

Purpose: To evaluate the regional analysis of LSN and processing time in a single axial liver MR image for staging liver fibrosis.

Development and validation of a management system and dataset quality assessment tool for the Radiology Common Data Model (R_CDM): A case study in liver disease.

Background: The Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership-Common Data Model (OMOP-CDM), a distributed research network, has low clinical data coverage. Radiological data are valuable, but imaging metadata are often incomplete, and a standardized recording format in the OMOP-CDM is lacking. We developed a web-based management system and data quality assessment (RQA) tool for a radiology_CDM (R_CDM) and evaluated the feasibility of clinically applying this dataset.

Evaluation of the accuracy of mobile cone-beam computed tomography after spinal instrumentation surgery.

Purpose: Pedicle screw fixation provides 3-column stabilization, multidimensional control, and a higher rate of interbody fusion. Although computed tomography (CT) is recommended for the postoperative assessment of pedicle screw fixation, its use is limited due to the radiation exposure dose. The purpose of this preliminary retrospective study was to assess the clinical usefulness of low-dose mobile cone-beam CT (CBCT) for the postoperative evaluation of pedicle screw fixation.

Intraindividual comparison of MRI-derived liver surface nodularity score at 1.5 T and 3 T.

Purpose: To compare the MRI-derived liver surface nodularity (LSN) scores acquired on both 1.5 T and 3 T.

Materials And Methods: Forty chronic liver disease patients who underwent gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI at both 1.

Mobile computed tomography for the efficient allocation of medical resources in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia: A case report.

Rationale: The highly contagious Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection raise social and economic burden. Medical staff and resources are being diverted for the care of patients with COVID-19. There are problems for healthcare systems, including burnout syndrome for the medical staff and exhaustion of medical resources.

Assessment of Liver Fibrosis Stage Using Integrative Analysis of Hepatic Heterogeneity and Nodularity in Routine MRI with FIB-4 Index as Reference Standard.

Image-based quantitative methods for liver heterogeneity (L) and nodularity (L) provide helpful information for evaluating liver fibrosis; however, their combinations are not fully understood in liver diseases. We developed an integrated software for assessing L and L and compared L and L according to fibrosis stages in chronic liver disease (CLD). Overall, 111 CLD patients and 16 subjects with suspected liver disease who underwent liver biopsy were enrolled.

Reliability of Skeletal Muscle Area Measurement on CT with Different Parameters: A Phantom Study.

Objective: To evaluate the reliability of CT measurements of muscle quantity and quality using variable CT parameters.

Materials And Methods: A phantom, simulating the L2-4 vertebral levels, was used for this study. CT images were repeatedly acquired with modulation of tube voltage, tube current, slice thickness, and the image reconstruction algorithm.

Usefulness of US attenuation imaging for the detection and severity grading of hepatic steatosis in routine abdominal ultrasonography.

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic performance of ultrasound (US) attenuation imaging (ATI) for diagnosis and grading of hepatic steatosis with comparison to magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) using mDIXON-Quant sequence.

Methods: Total 100 patients who underwent abdominal US ATI and MRI-PDFF within one month were included. Subjects were divided into three groups according to MRI-PDFF; Group 1 (no fatty liver), Q < 5.

A Novel Low-Dose Dual-Energy Imaging Method for a Fast-Rotating Gantry-Type CT Scanner.

CT scan by use of a beam-filter placed between the x-ray source and the patient allows a single-scan low-dose dual-energy imaging with a minimal hardware modification to the existing CT systems. We have earlier demonstrated the feasibility of such imaging method with a multi-slit beam-filter reciprocating along the direction perpendicular to the CT rotation axis in a cone-beam CT system. However, such method would face mechanical challenges when the beam-filter is supposed to cooperate with a fast-rotating gantry in a diagnostic CT system.

Grape Seed Proanthocyanidin Extract Prevents Bone Loss via Regulation of Osteoclast Differentiation, Apoptosis, and Proliferation.

Dietary procyanidin has been shown to be an important bioactive component that regulates various pharmacological activities to maintain metabolic homeostasis. In particular, grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) is a commercially available medicine for the treatment of venous and lymphatic dysfunction. This study aimed to investigate whether GSPE protects against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced bone loss in vivo and the related mechanism of action in vitro.

Staging of Liver Fibrosis by Means of Semiautomatic Measurement of Liver Surface Nodularity in MRI.

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the accuracy of a semiautomatic method of measuring liver surface nodularity (LSN) on contrast-enhanced MR images and to compare the LSN score with pathologic fibrosis stage. This retrospective study included patients who had undergone gadoxetate disodium-enhanced liver MRI 6 months before or after histopathologic investigation including percutaneous parenchymal biopsy and surgical biopsy for staging of chronic liver disease between January 2010 and December 2018. Semiautomated LSN quantification software was developed to measure LSN at MRI.

Usefulness of Mobile Computed Tomography in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pneumonia: A Case Series.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has reached global pandemic status as announced by the World Health Organization, which currently recommends reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) as the standard diagnostic tool. However, although the RT-PCR test results may be found negative, there are cases that are found positive for COVID-19 pneumonia on computed tomography (CT) scan. CT is also useful in assessing the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia.

Development of quantification software for evaluating body composition contents and its clinical application in sarcopenic obesity.

In sarcopenic obesity, the importance of evaluating muscle and fat mass is unquestionable. There exist diverse quantification methods for assessing muscle and fat mass by imaging techniques; thus these methods must be standardized for clinical practice. This study developed a quantification software for the body composition imaging using abdominal magnetic resonance (MR) images and compared the difference between sarcopenic obesity and healthy controls for clinical application.

Securinine suppresses osteoclastogenesis and ameliorates inflammatory bone loss.

Securinine (Sec) is a naturally derived compound separated from the roots of Securinega suffruticosa, which has long been used as a herbal medicine. Sec is widely known as a GABA receptor antagonist, it is also known as an innate immune cell agonist and has been reported to increase macrophage activity and promote monocyte maturation. On the basis of these studies, we investigated the effect of Sec on osteoclast differentiation and bone resorbing function.

Betulinic Acid Inhibits RANKL-Induced Osteoclastogenesis via Attenuating Akt, NF-κB, and PLCγ2-Ca Signaling and Prevents Inflammatory Bone Loss.

The increase of bone-resorbing osteoclast activity in bone remodeling is the major characteristic of various bone diseases. Thus, inhibiting osteoclastogenesis and bone-resorbing function may be an effective therapeutic target for bone diseases. Betulinic acid (BA), a natural plant-derived pentacyclic triterpenoid compound, is known to possess numerous pharmacological and biochemical properties including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antiadipogenic activity.

Accuracy of proton magnetic resonance for diagnosing non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: a meta-analysis.

Liver biopsy is the reference standard test to differentiate between non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and simple steatosis (SS) in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but noninvasive diagnostics are warranted. The diagnostic accuracy in NASH using MR imaging modality have not yet been clearly identified. This study was assessed the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method for diagnosing NASH.

Umbelliferone Prevents Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Bone Loss and Suppresses RANKL-Induced Osteoclastogenesis by Attenuating Akt-c-Fos-NFATc1 Signaling.

Excessive bone resorption plays a central role in the development of inflammatory bone diseases, including osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Thus, identification of agents that can effectively suppress excessive osteoclast formation and function is crucial for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory bone loss. Umbelliferone (Umb), a derivative of coumarin, is a natural bioactive compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Development of mobile intraoperative computed tomography imaging system and assessment of its performance in a brain and body phantom study.

Background: Intraoperative computed tomography (iCT) system has been developed focusing on combining the advanced imaging techniques for the best imaging modality. However, the use of iCT system in the operating rooms is limited due to the lack of flexible mobility.

Objective: This study aims to develop a mobile iCT imaging system and assess its imaging performance in a phantom study.

Role of ANTXR1 in the regulation of RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation and function.

Anthrax toxin receptor 1 (ANTXR1) is a transmembrane protein with an extracellular domain which is deeply associated with the process of bone formation and plays an important role in angiogenesis. However, there have been no reports investigating the effects of ANTXR1 on bone metabolism mediated by the two types of bone cells, osteoclasts, and osteoblasts. The aim of this study is to reveal the role of ANTXR1 in the differentiation and function of osteoclasts and osteoblasts.

Recent Issues on Body Composition Imaging for Sarcopenia Evaluation.

Recently, sarcopenia has garnered renewed interest. Sarcopenia is a disease characterized by decreased skeletal muscle mass and strength/function, which can impair the quality of life and increase physical disability, adverse metabolic effects, and mortality. Imaging tools for evaluating and diagnosing sarcopenia have developed rapidly.

Noninvasive Differential Diagnosis of Liver Iron Contents in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis and Simple Steatosis Using Multiecho Dixon Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Rationale And Objectives: The roles of iron stores in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease have not yet been clearly identified, and it is lack of uniform criteria and a standardized study design for assessing the liver iron content (LIC) in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). This study was to compare LICs in biopsy-proven simple steatosis (SS) and NASH based on T-relaxometry.

Material And Methods: A total of 32 subjects divided to three groups, consisting of 10 healthy controls, 12 SS and 10 NASH.