Precision of liver and pancreas apparent diffusion coefficients using motion-compensated gradient waveforms in DWI.

Background: Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) with optimized motion-compensated gradient waveforms reduces signal dropouts in the liver and pancreas caused by cardiovascular-associated motion, however its precision is unknown. We hypothesized that DWI with motion-compensated DW gradient waveforms would improve apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)-repeatability and inter-reader reproducibility compared to conventional DWI in these organs.

Methods: In this IRB-approved, prospective, single center study, subjects recruited between October 2019 and March 2020 were scanned twice on a 3 T scanner, with repositioning between test and retest.

Tartary buckwheat flavonoids alleviates high-fat diet induced kidney fibrosis in mice by inhibiting MAPK and TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway.

Tartary buckwheat flavonoids (TBF) are active components extracted from Tartary buckwheat, which have abundant biological effects. According to this study, we investigated the effect of TBF on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced kidney fibrosis and its related mechanisms. In vivo, we established an HFD-induced kidney fibrosis model in mice and administered TBF.

Automated MR Image Prescription of the Liver Using Deep Learning: Development, Evaluation, and Prospective Implementation.

Background: There is an unmet need for fully automated image prescription of the liver to enable efficient, reproducible MRI.

Purpose: To develop and evaluate artificial intelligence (AI)-based liver image prescription.

Study Type: Prospective.

Motion-robust, blood-suppressed, reduced-distortion diffusion MRI of the liver.

Purpose: To evaluate feasibility and reproducibility of liver diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI using cardiac-motion-robust, blood-suppressed, reduced-distortion techniques.

Methods: DW-MRI data were acquired at 3T in an anatomically accurate liver phantom including controlled pulsatile motion, in eight healthy volunteers and four patients with known or suspected liver metastases. Standard monopolar and motion-robust (M1-nulled, and M1-optimized) DW gradient waveforms were each acquired with single-shot echo-planar imaging (ssEPI) and multishot EPI (msEPI).

Astaxanthin Alleviates Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by Regulating the Intestinal Flora and Targeting the AMPK/Nrf2 Signal Axis.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is among the most prevalent chronic liver diseases around the globe. The accumulation of lipids in the liver and oxidative stress are important pathological mechanisms of NAFLD. Astaxanthin (AT) is a carotenoid extracted from shrimps and crabs with beneficial biological activities, including anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities.

b value and first-order motion moment optimized data acquisition for repeatable quantitative intravoxel incoherent motion DWI.

Purpose: To design a b value and first-order motion moment (M ) optimized data acquisition for repeatable intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) quantification in the liver.

Methods: Cramer-Rao lower bound optimization was performed to determine optimal monopolar and optimal 2D samplings of the b-M space based on noise performance. Monte Carlo simulations were used to evaluate the bias and variability in estimates obtained using the proposed optimal samplings and conventional monopolar sampling.

Characterization and correction of cardiovascular motion artifacts in diffusion-weighted imaging of the pancreas.

Purpose: To assess the effects of cardiovascular-induced motion on conventional DWI of the pancreas and to evaluate motion-robust DWI methods in a motion phantom and healthy volunteers.

Methods: 3T DWI was acquired using standard monopolar and motion-compensated gradient waveforms, including in an anatomically accurate pancreas phantom with controllable compressive motion and healthy volunteers (n = 8, 10). In volunteers, highly controlled single-slice DWI using breath-holding and cardiac gating and whole-pancreas respiratory-triggered DWI were acquired.

Digital phantoms for characterizing inconsistencies among radiomics extraction toolboxes.

Purpose: to develop digital phantoms for characterizing inconsistencies among radiomics extraction methods based on three radiomics toolboxes: CERR (Computational Environment for Radiological Research), IBEX (imaging biomarker explorer), and an in-house radiomics platform.

Materials And Methods: we developed a series of digital bar phantoms for characterizing intensity and texture features and a series of heteromorphic sphere phantoms for characterizing shape features. The bar phantoms consisted of n equal-width bars (n = 2, 4, 8, or 64).

Association of pre-treatment radiomic features with lung cancer recurrence following stereotactic body radiation therapy.

The purpose of this work was to investigate the potential relationship between radiomic features extracted from pre-treatment x-ray CT images and clinical outcomes following stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Seventy patients who received SBRT for stage-1 NSCLC were retrospectively identified. The tumor was contoured on pre-treatment free-breathing CT images, from which 43 quantitative radiomic features were extracted to collectively capture tumor morphology, intensity, fine-texture, and coarse-texture.