T2 Ratio Research Articles

Research Highlights

Research Highlights

Meat production of young and adult Kejobong goats fed diets with different protein concentration

This study was aimed to examine the effect of dietary crude protein (CP) concentration on carcass and meat production in young and adult Kejobong goats. This study used 8 young (5 months) and 8 adult (9 months) Kejobong goats; which were allocated to a randomized nested design, with an age of goat as the nest, and treatment applied was dietary protein concentration (T1: 9.96%; T2: 14.66%). The parameters observed were dry matter intake (DMI), CP intake (CPI), body weight gain (BWG), and the production of carcass meat. The results showed that the DMI of adult goats (910 g/d) was higher (P<0.05) than that of young goats (680 g/d). The goats fed diet T2 had higher (P<0.05) DMI, CPI, and BWG (855 g, 140 g, and 94 g/d, respectively) than those of T1 (725 g/d, 80 g/d, and 59 g/d). Slaughter weight, carcass weight and carcass meat weight, and carcass meat percentage of adult goats (28.09 kg, 13.19 kg, 8.60 kg and 64.94%, respectively) were higher (P <0.05) than those of young goats (20.06 kg, 8.72 kg, 5.46 kg, and 62.06%, respectively). The weight and percentage of carcass meat of T2 (8.30 kg and 64.99%, respectively) were higher (P<0.05) than those of T1 (5.75 kg and 62.06%, respectively). The meat-bone ratio of adult goats was higher (P<0.05) than that of young goats (3.53 vs 2.85). The meat-bone ratio of T2 (3.58) was higher (P<0.05) than that of T1 (2.80). It was concluded that adult Kejobong goats produced more meat than the young ones, and the goat-fed diet with 14.66% CP produced more meat than that with 9.96% CP.

Synthesis, Characterization, Molecular Docking, In Vitro Biological Evaluation and In Vitro Cytotoxicity Study of Novel Thiazolidine-4-One Derivatives as Anti-Breast Cancer Agents

Thiazolidine-4-one is a promising class of heterocyclic compounds with interesting pharmacological and biological activities, such as anticancer and antibacterial. Therefore, many researchers have synthesized thiazolidine-4-ones and evaluated their biological potential for developing new drugs. In this study, two novel thiazolidine-4-one derivatives (T1 and T2) were synthesized and evaluated for their antibacterial activity toward Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis. Also, the cytotoxic activities of compounds T1 and T2 were estimated against MCF-7 (HER2+, ER+, and ER+) and MDAMB- 231 (triple-negative) human breast cancer cell lines. The chemical structures of the compounds T1 and T2 were proven using spectral techniques (FT-IR, 1HNMR, and 13CNMR) and CHN elemental analysis. The synthesis of thiazolidine-4-one compounds was performed in two steps. The first step consisted of the formation of Schiff bases S1 and S2. In the second step, the synthesized Schiff bases were reacted with thioglycolic acid to prepare thiazolidine-4-one compounds. Hemolysis assay, molecular docking, cytotoxicity activity (MTT assay), and antibacterial activity (disc diffusion assay) were studied. The hemolysis study demonstrated that the hemolytic ratio of compounds T1 and T2 at (1, 2, and 3) mg/ml was less than 4%. MTT assay showed that 100 μg/ml of compounds T1 and T2 diminish the MCF-7 cell growth up to 80.05 ± 1.72 and 69.85 ± 3.26 respectively after 72hr., while the same concentration of compounds T1 and T2 reduces the MDA-MB-231 cell growth up 70.28 ± 2.31 and 57.15 ± 1.49, respectively. The inhibition zones of T1 and T2 were 12 mm at 50 mg/ml and 10 mm at 5 mg/ml in E. coli bacteria. Furthermore, a docking study was carried out to investigate the affinity and binding mode of compounds T1 and T2 towards the ERα, VEGF, and HER2 protein receptors in breast cancer cells. Data obtained from the docking study were exactly identical to that obtained from in vitro cytotoxicity assay. The results proved that T1 is an optimal anticancer agent toward breast cancer cells and the hemolysis study indicates the use of safety inside the body for compound T1. Synthesized compound T1 was most effective against MCF-7 cells compared to MDA-MB-231 cells and more effective than the reference drug tamoxifen in breast cell lines. The high cytotoxicity of T1 on the growth of MCF-7 cells because T1 binds with a high degree of affinity to the estrogen and HER2 receptors, which in turn inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis.

Breast Cancer Patient Prognosis Is Determined by the Interplay between TP53 Mutation and Alternative Transcript Expression: Insights from TP53 Long Amplicon Digital PCR Assays

Simple SummaryThe TP53 gene, the most commonly mutated gene in human cancers, is capable of producing multiple RNAs (transcripts). The aim of our study was to measure the abundance of each TP53 transcript, combined with TP53 gene mutation information, to determine the interplay between these in a cohort of breast tumors from New Zealand patients. To do this, we devised a new assay which then enabled the measurement of all known TP53 transcripts. We showed how TP53 gene mutations influenced the levels of specific TP53 transcripts in breast tumors. We evaluated whether a combination of TP53 tumor information, including TP53 mutation status and the levels of certain TP53 transcripts, with standard clinical and pathological information, was associated with breast cancer patient outcome. We recommend that a truly comprehensive analysis of TP53 needs to incorporate data about both TP53 DNA mutations and the expression of the alternative TP53 transcripts.The TP53 gene locus is capable of producing multiple RNA transcripts encoding the different p53 protein isoforms. We recently described multiplex long amplicon droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assays to quantify seven of eight TP53 reference transcripts in human tumors. Here, we describe a new long amplicon ddPCR assay to quantify expression of the eighth TP53 reference transcript encoding ∆40p53α. We then applied these assays, alongside DNA sequencing of the TP53 gene locus, to tumors from a cohort of New Zealand (NZ) breast cancer patients. We found a high prevalence of mutations at TP53 splice sites in the NZ breast cancer cohort. Mutations at TP53 intron 4 splice sites were associated with overexpression of ∆133TP53 transcripts. Cox proportional hazards survival analysis showed that interplay between TP53 mutation status and expression of TP53 transcript variants was significantly associated with patient outcome, over and above standard clinical and pathological information. In particular, patients with no TP53 mutation and a low ratio of TP53 transcripts t2 to t1, which derive from alternative intron 1 acceptor splice sites, had a remarkably good outcome. We suggest that this type of analysis, integrating mutation and transcript expression, provides a step-change in our understanding of TP53 in cancer.

Can Conventional and Diffusion-Weighted MR Enterography Biomarkers Differentiate Inflammatory from Fibrotic Strictures in Crohn's Disease?

Background and Objectives: To retrospectively assess the value of magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) parameters derived from conventional and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) sequences to differentiate fibrotic strictures from inflammatory ones in adult patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), using surgical specimens as the histopathological reference standard. Material and Methods: Twenty-three patients with CD who had undergone surgical resection of ileal strictures with full-thickness histopathologic analysis within 3 months from preoperative MRE were included. Two radiologists blinded to histopathology in consensus evaluated the following biomarkers on MRE images matched to resected pathological specimens: T1 ratio, T2 ratio, enhancement pattern, mural thickness, pre-stenotic luminal diameter, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). A blinded pathologist graded stricture histological specimens with acute inflammation score (AIS) and fibrosis score (FS). MRE measurements were correlated with the reference standard. Results: Inflammation and fibrosis coexisted in 78.3% of patients. T2 ratio was reduced in patients with severe fibrosis (p = 0.01). Pre-stenotic bowel dilatation positively correlated with FS (p = 0.002). The ADC value negatively correlated with FS (p < 0.001) and was different between FS grades (p < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for discriminating between none and mild/moderate–severe bowel wall fibrosis was 0.75 for pre-stenotic bowel dilatation (sensitivity 100%, specificity 44.4%) and 0.97 for ADC (sensitivity 80%, specificity 100%). Conclusions: Inflammation and fibrosis often coexist in CD bowel strictures needing surgery. The combination of parameters derived from conventional MR sequences (T2 ratio, pre-stenotic dilatation) and from DWI (ADC) may provide a contribution to detect and grade bowel fibrosis in adult CD patients.

Cardiac MRI in Suspected Acute COVID-19 Myocarditis.

Keywords: COVID-19; coronavirus; myocarditis; cardiac MRI; T1 mapping; T2 mapping

The occult nodal metastasis rate of early tongue cancer (T1-T2): A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives:In this study, a meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the occult lymph node metastasis rate in patients with early-stage (T1–T2) oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Also, the correlation between occult lymph node metastasis rate and T2 ratio among T1–T2 or the reported year of each study was analyzed to adjust other confound variables.Study Design:Literature search.Methods:A systematic computerized search of the electronic databases was carried out for articles published between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 2018, which reported occult nodal metastasis rate in T1 and T2 (separately) tongue cancer patients. Statistical analysis was performed using Comprehensive Meta Analysis version 3.3.070. Publication bias was assessed by the Egger test and Begg funnel plot method. The correlation between occult nodal metastasis rate and T2 ratio or reported year, respectively, was assessed by meta-regression analysis.Results:From 19 studies, a total of 1567 cases were included in the meta-analysis. By random effects model, the mean occult cervical lymph node metastasis was 24.4% (95% confidence interval; 0.205–0.248). The meta-regression revealed that the T2 ratio and the reported year of the studies did not have a significant effect on the occult metastasis rate (correlation coefficient = 0.531 and 0.002, respectively, and P = .426 and 0.921, respectively).Conclusion:The meta-analysis revealed that the early-stage oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma had a rate of 24.4% for occult nodal metastasis. The occult nodal metastasis rate was not significantly affected by neither T2 ratio among T1–T2 nor reported year of the studies.

Cardiac involvement in consecutive elite athletes recovered from Covid‐19: A magnetic resonance study

Magnetic resonance (MR) studies suggested cardiac involvement post‐Covid‐19 in a significant subset of affected individuals, including athletes. This brings serious clinical concerns regarding the potential need for in‐depth cardiac screening in athletes after Covid‐19 before return to play. The aim of this study was to gain further insight into the relation between Covid‐19 and cardiac involvement in professional athletes. This was a retrospective cohort study, in which 26 consecutive elite athletes (national team, Olympians, top national league players; median age 24 years, interquartile range [IQR] 21–27, 81% female) were included. At 1.5 T including balanced steady‐state free precession cine imaging, T1 and T2‐mapping using Myomaps software (Siemens), dark‐blood T2‐weighted images with fat suppression, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) with phase‐sensitive inversion recovery sequence were used. The athletes had mainly asymptomatic or mild course of the disease (77%). They were scanned after a median of 32 days (IQR 22–62 days) from the diagnosis. MR data were reviewed by three independent observers, each with >10 years cardiac MR experience. Native T1, T2, extracellular volume, and T2 signal intensity ratio were calculated. Diagnosis of acute myocarditis was based on modified Lake Louise criteria. Statistical analyses used were Pearson correlation and Bland–Altman repeatability analysis. At the time of MR the athletes had no pathologic electrocardiogram abnormalities or elevated troponin levels. MR did not reveal any case of acute myocarditis. Cardiac abnormalities were found in five (19%) athletes, including four athletes presenting borderline signs of isolated myocardial edema and one athlete showing nonischemic LGE with pleural and pericardial effusion. Another athlete had signs of persistent lung congestion without cardiac involvement. We have shown that in a small group of elite athletes with mainly asymptomatic to mild Covid‐19, lack of electrocardiographic changes, and normal troponin concentration 1–2 months after the diagnosis, there were no signs of acute myocarditis, but 19% of athletes had some abnormalities as assessed by cardiac MR.Level of Evidence4Technical Efficacy Stage3

Cortical myelin content mediates differences in affective temperaments

BackgroundAffective temperaments are regarded as subclinical forms and precursors of mental disorders. It may serve as candidates to facilitate the diagnosis and prediction of mental disorders. Cortical myelination likely characterizes the neurodevelopment and the evolution of cognitive functions and reflects brain functional demand. However, little is known about the relationship between affective temperaments and myelin plasticity. This study aims to analyze the association between the affective temperaments and cortical myelin content (CMC) in human brain. MethodsWe measured affective temperaments using the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A) on 106 healthy adults and used the ratio of T1- and T2-weighted images as the proxy for CMC. Using the unsupervised k-means clustering algorithm, we classified the cortical gray matter into heavily, intermediately, and lightly myelinated regions. The correlation between affective temperaments and CMC was calculated separately for different myelinated regions. ResultsHyperthymic temperament correlated negatively with CMC in the heavily myelinated (right postcentral gyrus and bilateral precentral gyrus) and lightly myelinated (bilateral frontal and lateral temporal) regions. Cyclothymic temperament showed a downward parabola-like correlation with CMC across the heavily, intermediately, and lightly myel0inated areas of the bilateral parietal-temporal regions. LimitationsThe analysis was constrained to cortical regions. The results were obtained from healthy subjects and we did not acquired data from patients of affective disorder, which may compromise the generalizability of the present findings. ConclusionThe findings suggest that hyperthymic and cyclothymic temperaments have a CMC basis in extensive brain regions.

Role of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in myocarditis patients with biopsy negative: a retrospective case series study

Objective: To analyze the cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging feature of clinically diagnosed myocarditis patients with negative endocardial biopsy (EMB) results, and to further demonstrate the diagnostic value of CMR in these patients. Methods: This was a retrospective case series study. Fourteen patients, who were clinically diagnosed as myocarditis according to 2013 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) clinical diagnostic criteria for myocarditis, but with negative EMB results, were enrolled. All patients underwent CMR examinations. The morphological, functional and histological changes of the heart were assessed based on black blood sequence, cine sequence, T2W-STIR sequence and contrast agent late gadolinium enhancement,(LGE). Results: There were 10 males and 4 females in this cohort, the age was (25.6±13.2) years. The interval between symptom onset and CMR was 21 (13, 60) days, and the interval between symptom onset and EMB was 19 (9, 40) days. There were 13 patients with abnormal CMR results including myocardial oedema, fibrosis, decreased ejection fraction, pericardial effusion or increased cardiac chamber dimension. Nine out of 14 patients had CMR morphological and/or functional abnormalities, including 1 case of left atrium enlargement, 1 case of left ventricle enlargement, 3 cases of right ventricle enlargement, 4 cases of increased left ventricular end diastolic volume index. Left ventricular ejection fraction was<50% in three cases, right ventricular ejection fraction was<40% in 5 cases, and pericardial effusion depth>3 mm was detected in 3 cases. Of the 14 patients, 11 had histological changes, of which 6 had T2 ratio≥2. Among the 10 patients (10/14) with positive LGE, the most common patterns were subepicardial LGE of the lateral wall and/or midwall LGE of the septum (n=9); 2 cases showed extensively subendocardial LGE of the left ventricular wall. No LGE involved in the right ventricular wall in the whole cohort. Conclusion: CMR plays a complementary role in the diagnosis of myocarditis in clinically diagnosed myocarditis patients with negative EMB findings.

Radiomics Feature Analysis Using Native T1 Mapping for Discriminating Between Cardiac Tumors and Thrombi

Accurate differential diagnosis is essential because cardiac tumors and thrombi have different prognoses and therapeutic approaches. Native T1 map provides an objective T1 time quantifications of cardiac mass without the need for a contrast agent. We examined the diagnostic performance of radiomics features for differentiating cardiac tumors from thrombi using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging T1 mapping technique compared to that of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging. This retrospective study included 22 cardiac tumors and 21 thrombi of 41 patients who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging from December 2013 to May 2018. Fifty-six radiomics features were extracted from native T1 images. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method was used for feature selection and rad score extraction. The diagnostic performance of the rad score was compared to that of the native T1 value (mean T1) and LGE ratio. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the rad score was higher than that of the mean T1 and LGE ratio (0.98 vs. 0.86 vs. 0.82, p = 0.001). With the optimal cut-off value, the rad score showed sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 95.4%, 95.2%, and 95.2%, respectively. Combination of the rad score and mean T1 showed a significantly higher diagnostic performance than mean T1 (p = 0.019) or LGE ratio (p = 0.022). The rad score derived from native T1 maps can differentiate thrombi from tumors better than the mean T1 or LGE ratio. This is valuable for determining a treatment strategy for cardiac lesions in patients who cannot tolerate contrast agents.

MRI-based differentiation between lymphoma and sarcoidosis in mediastinal lymph nodes.

ABSTRACTObjective:Evaluation of enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes is crucial for patient management. Malignant lymphoma and sarcoidosis are often difficult to differentiate. Our objective was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of MRI for differentiating between sarcoidosis and malignant lymphoma. Methods:This was a retrospective study involving 47 patients who underwent chest MRI and were diagnosed with one of the diseases between 2017 and 2019. T1, T2, and diffusion-weighted signal intensity were measured. Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) and T2 ratios were calculated. The diagnostic performance of MRI was determined by ROC analysis. Results:Mean T2 ratio was significantly lower in the sarcoidosis group than in the lymphoma group (p = 0.009). The T2-ratio cutoff value that best differentiated between lymphoma-related and sarcoidosis-related enlarged lymph nodes was 7.1, with a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of 58.3%, 95.6%, 76.5%, 93.3%, and 68.7%, respectively. The mean ADC was significantly lower in the lymphoma group than in the sarcoidosis group (p = 0.002). The ADC cutoff value that best differentiated between lymphoma-related and sarcoidosis-related enlarged lymph nodes was 1.205, with a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of 87.5%, 82.6%, 85.1%, 84.0% and 86.3%, respectively. No significant differences were found between the two groups regarding T1 signal intensity, T2 signal intensity, and lymph node diameter. Conclusions:MRI parameters such as ADC, diffusion, and T2 ratio can be useful in the differentiation between sarcoidosis and lymphoma in the evaluation of enlarged lymph nodes.

Тепловое излучение абсолютно черного тела, движущегося в равновесном газе фотонов

The dynamics, kinetics of heat transfer and the intensity of thermal radiation of an absolutely black body with its own temperature T1 moving at an arbitrary speed in an equilibrium gas of photons with its own temperature T2 independent of time are considered. Formulas are obtained for the spectral-angular and total radiation intensity, as well as for other quantities in the rest frame of the body and in the frame of reference of the photon gas. It is shown that at the initial moment the radiation intensity of spherical and disk-shaped particles of the same radius depends differently on the speed of motion and the ratio of temperatures T1 and T2. Then a quasi-stationary thermal state of bodies is established with an effective temperature depending on the velocity and temperature T2, the intensity of thermal radiation does not depend on the shape, and the kinetic energy is transformed into radiation. The characteristic time for the establishment of a quasi-stationary state is many orders of magnitude shorter than the characteristic deceleration time.

Effect of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas lam.) Peel meal as replacement for maize on growth performance and cost of feeding weaner rabbits

The experiment was carried out to determine the effect of replacement of maize with sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas lam.) on growth performance and cost of feeding weaner rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). A total number of thirty-six (36) weaned rabbit of mixed sexes were used for the experiment. The rabbits were allotted randomly into four dietary treatments and replicated thrice with three rabbits per replicate and were designated: control (T): normal 1 compounded diet without sweet potato peel meal, T had the compounded feed which 5% 2 sweet potato peel meal, T had compounded diet with 10% sweet potato peel meal and 3 treatment four (T) had the compounded diet with 15% sweet potato peel meal. The 4 experiment lasted eight weeks and data were obtained on growth performance and cost benefit. The parameters considered on growth performance include initial weight, final weight, total body weight gain, daily weight gain, weekly weight gain, daily feed intake, total feed intake and feed conversion ratio while that of cost benefit include cost of purchasing different experimental feed stuff. The results obtained on growth performance showed that there were no significant differences (p&gt;0.05) in the parameters monitored. Cost of feeding was also not significantly different (p&gt;0.05). However, higher profit index (174. 64) was recorded in T1 and lower benefit cost ratio (166.68) was recorded in T4 for total cost of feed intake per rabbit. In conclusion, sweet potato peel meal can be uses as a good replacement for maize in rabbit production without any adverse effect on the performance of rabbit.

Dislocation-Induced Precipitation and Its Strengthening of Al–Cu–Li–Mg Alloys with High Mg

Generally, the good combination of pre-deformation and aging can improve the mechanical strength of the Al–Cu–Li–Mg alloys. However, the effects of pre-deformation on competitive precipitation relationship and precipitation strengthening have not been clarified in detail in Al–Cu–Li–Mg alloys with high Mg. In the present study, the effects of pre-deformation level on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an Al–2.95Cu–1.55Li–0.57Mg–0.18Zr alloy have been investigated. It is found that the introduction of dislocation by 5% pre-deformation can facilitate the precipitation of new successive composite precipitates and T1 precipitates along the sub-grain boundaries or dislocations and inhibit the precipitation of dispersive GPB zones which is the main precipitates of the alloys without pre-deformation. The introduction of 5% pre-deformation can enhance the mechanical properties considerably. When the pre-deformation level increases from 5 to 15%, the number density of the successive composite precipitates and T1 precipitates increases, and the aspect ratio of T1 precipitates decreases. The decrease in T1 precipitate aspect ratio and the increment of the successive composite precipitates result in the reduction in precipitation strengthening. Therefore, the increase in pre-deformation level from 5 to 15% does not further improve the mechanical properties of the alloys, although the dislocation strengthening increases continuously.

Economic and Technical Analysis of Utilization Pistia Stratiotes as Magelang Duck Alternative Feed: An Agribusiness Paradigm

This study was conducted to determine the economic analysis, performance analysis and chemical quality of the meat of the utilization of pistia stratiotes (PS) in Magelang duck feed. Most duck feed is still very dependent on imports from other countries so there is a need to find alternative feedstuff that are not competing with humans. The experimental research was conducted at the Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Agriculture Undip using 4 treatments, namely T0 duck feed without the addition of PS in feed, T1 added 6% PS in feed, T2 added 12% PS in feed and T3 added 18% PS in duck feed. Parameters observed were final body weight, feed consumption, Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), mortality, cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, antioxidants, feed costs, income over feed costs, return on investment (ROI) and RC ratio. Feed consumption on T3 was the highest. Final body weight on T3 was not significantly different (P&gt; 0.05) compared to T1 and T2 but higher than T0 (P&lt;0.05). The FCR between T3, T2 and T1 was not significantly different (P&gt;0.05), but was lower than T0, duck mortality in this study 0. Blood chemistry analysis (cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL) showed that T2 and T3 were significantly better than T0 and T1. The results of the economic analysis showed that ducks given PS at T2 and T3 had significant lower feed costs compared to T0 and T1, while ROI from T1, T2 and T3 were significantly higher than T0. The highest IOFC was achieved when duck were fed (T2), while the lowest IOFC was at T0. R/C ratio of T1, T2 and T3 was not significantly different, but higher when compared to T0. Based on the results of technical and economic analysis, the use of PS in 12% duck feed gave the best result of technical and economic performance

Sustainability of soil health and system productivity through arecanut based cropping system in the NE Region of India

The North-Eastern part of India contains seven states out of which, Assam is the major producer of arecanut. An attempt was made to study the impact of arecanut based multiple cropping system with proper utilization of recyclable resources on the long-term sustainability of acid soil at Kahikuchi. A long term arecanut based High-Density Multispecies Cropping System garden comprised of two models viz., Model-1 (M1): arecanut (Areca catechu), black pepper (Piper nigrum), banana (Musa spp.), citrus (Citrus limon) and clove (Syzygium aromaticum) and Model-2 (M2): arecanut, black pepper, banana, citrus and nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) as component crops was used. Both the models were sub-divided into three treatments viz., Full dose of recommended fertiliser (T1), 2/3rd of the recommended dose (T2) and 1/3rd of the recommended dose (T3) combined with treatment-wise recycling available biomass in the form of vermicompost and each treatment was replicated thrice. The results indicated that the quantity of recyclable biomass generated ranged between 8.27 to 12.23 t ha-1 year-1 and 8.11 to 12.38 t ha-1 year-1 in model-1 and model-2, respectively and revealed that the T2 treatment in both models improved the soil properties with respect to soil pH, organic carbon, available N, P and K status. Economics of the cropping system revealed that the maximum return was obtained from both Models under T2. The average benefit:cost ratio of T1, T2 &amp; T3 was 3.38, 4.42 &amp; 3.47 under model-1 and 3.34, 4.08 and 3.40 under model-2, respectively. Sustenance of soil pH above 5.0 over the years in the arecanut rhizosphere in both the models were found under T2, but T1 and T3 treatments showed a slow declining of pH towards increasing soil acidity.

MRI and pathology correlations in the medulla in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP): a postmortem study.

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) likely arises as a result of autonomic dysfunction around the time of a seizure. In vivo MRI studies report volume reduction in the medulla and other brainstem autonomic regions. Our aim, in a pathology series, is to correlate regional quantitative features on 9.4T MRI with pathology measures in medullary regions. Forty-seven medullae from 18 SUDEP, 18 nonepilepsy controls and 11 epilepsy controls were studied. In 16 cases, representing all three groups, ex vivo 9.4T MRI of the brainstem was carried out. Five regions of interest (ROI) were delineated, including the reticular formation zone (RtZ), and actual and relative volumes (RV), as well as T1, T2, T2* and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) measurements were evaluated on MRI. On serial sections, actual and RV estimates using Cavalieri stereological method and immunolabelling indices for myelin basic protein, synaptophysin and Microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP2) were carried out in similar ROI. Lower relative RtZ volumes in the rostral medulla but higher actual volumes in the caudal medulla were observed in SUDEP (P<0.05). No differences between groups for T1, T2, T2* and MTR values in any region was seen but a positive correlation between T1 values and MAP2 labelling index in RtZ (P<0.05). Significantly lower MAP2 LI were noted in the rostral medulla RtZ in epilepsy cases (P<0.05). Rostro-caudal alterations of medullary volume in SUDEP localize with regions containing respiratory regulatory nuclei. They may represent seizure-related alterations, relevant to the pathophysiology of SUDEP.

MRI in the evaluation of the azoospermic male.

PURPOSE We aimed to show the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of infertile men and its ability to distinguish obstructive from nonobstructive azoospermia. METHODS Between April 2015 and February 2018, 45 azoospermic men underwent scrotal MRI. We evaluated the images with an emphasis on signal characteristics of the testis and morphologic changes typical for obstruction. Testicular volume (TV), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value, T1 and T2 signal ratios (testis/muscle) were measured for every testis. On the basis of histologic results, patients were divided into two groups: obstructive azoospermia (OA) and nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA). RESULTS Testes of patients in the OA group had significantly lower ADC values (mean 0.876±101 ×10-3 mm2/s) than in the NOA group (mean, 1.114±147 ×10-3 mm2/s). TV was significantly higher in patients with OA (median, 17.61 mL; range, 11.1-38.4 mL) than in those with NOA (median, 10.5 mL; range, 5.2-22.2 mL). ROC analysis showed that both TV and ADC values were highly predictive for distinguishing between OA and NOA patients, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.82 and 0.92 respectively. A cutoff value of ≥12.4 mL could distinguish obstructive from nonobstructive azoospermia with a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 63%, whereas for ADC measurements a cutoff value of ≥0.952 ×10-3 mm2/s exhibited a sensitivity of 81% and specificity of 90% There was no statistically significant difference in T1 and T2 signal ratios between both groups. Abnormalities typical for obstruction of the male reproductive tract (e.g., dilatation of ejaculatory ducts, prostatic or seminal vesicle cysts) were found in 78% of patients (14/18) in the obstructive group. CONCLUSION Scrotal MRI is a very effective tool for the evaluation of azoospermic men and may provide important information facilitating interventional treatment of infertility.

Three-Dimensional UTE MR Imaging: Twelve-Month Analysis of ACL Autograft Remodeling

Objectives:Post-reconstruction imaging of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is needed to non-invasively assess in vivo graft maturity before release to play. The purpose of this study was to evaluate autograft remodeling up to 12 months after ACL reconstruction using 3D ultra-short time to echo (UTE) T2* MRI. We hypothesized that the T2* values of ACL autografts would progressively change over time, initially resembling the values for the native contralateral graft source and gradually approaching that of the intact contralateral ACL.Methods:After IRB approval, 12 patients (ages 14-45 years) who underwent primary ACL reconstruction (ACLR) with semitendinosus (SemiT) or bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB) autograft were enrolled. Patients with a history of prior injury or surgery to either knee were excluded. Subjects returned for UTE MRIs at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after ACLR. Imaging at 1-month included the contralateral knee. All scans were performed on a Philips Ingenia 3T system. MRI pulse sequences included high-resolution 3D T2 (slice thickness: 0.6mm, TR: 18.7ms; TE: 11.5ms) and a four-echo T2 UTE (slice thickness: 1mm, TR: 20ms; TE: 0.3, 3.3, 6.3, and 9.3ms). Using high-resolution 3D T2 sequences at 1 month, all slices containing the intra-articular ACL were segmented semi-automatically to generate volumetric regions of interest (ROIs) (Materialise, Inc.; Leuven, Belgium). ROIs were divided into proximal/distal and core/peripheral sub-ROIs using standardized methods. Each ROI was co-registered voxel-by-voxel to T2* maps also obtained at 1 month. These T2* maps were then co-registered with those of subsequent time points. The segmentation process was repeated for the 1-, 3-, and 6-month time points by a second reviewer for inter-observer reliability (κ). Statistical differences among the ROIs and sub-ROIs of ACL autografts were assessed with repeated-measures ANOVA and two-tailed non-parametric t-tests. P<0.05 represented statistical significance.Results:Twelve subjects were enrolled in this prospective study, and after 2 subjects withdrew, 10 subjects were included in the analysis (n=7 SemiT; n=3 BTB). Nine of 10 subjects attended all postoperative imaging sessions at the time of this writing. Inter-observer reliability for T2* values was found to be excellent (κ=0.832; 95% CI [0.70-0.91]; p<0.001). Average T2* relaxation times increased from 3.2ms (standard deviation [SD], 1.0) at 1 month, to 4.8ms (SD, 1.8) at 6 months, and 4.1ms (SD, 1.6) at 12 months (Figures 1 and 2), with statistically significant differences between the intact ACL and 1-month time point (p=0.01), and between the 1- and 6-month time points (p=0.004). The ratio of T2*[inj]/T2*[intact] increased from 59.2% at 1 month to 79.8% at 12 months for SemiT autografts, and from 86.9% at 1 month to 97.2% at 12 months for BTB autografts (p=0.001). Significant differences were found between the following pairs of sub-ROIs when combining all time points: proximal/distal, proximal-peripheral/proximal-core, distal-peripheral/distal-core (p<0.02 each).Conclusions:ACL autografts exhibited progressively increasing T2* values and T2*[inj]/T2*[intact] ratios up to 12 months after ACLR, and these changes appear to be region-dependent. UTE T2* MR imaging can provide unique insights into the condition of remodeling ACL grafts, and may improve our ability to non-invasively assess graft maturity before allowing patients to resume high-intensity activities.