Pediatric abdominal masses: diagnostic accuracy of diffusion weighted MRI

Purpose

To retrospectively identify apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of pediatric abdominal mass lesions, to determine whether measured ADC of the lesions and signal intensity on diffusion-weighted (DW) images allow discrimination between benign and malignant mass lesions.

Materials and Methods

Approval for this retrospective study was obtained from the institutional review board. Children with abdominal mass lesions, who were examined by DW magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were included in this study. DW MR images were obtained in the axial plane by using a non breath-hold single-shot spin-echo sequence on a 1.5-T MR scanner. ADCs were calculated for each lesion. ADC values were compared with Mann–Whitney U test. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine cut-off values for ADC. The results of visual assessment on b800 images and ADC map images were compared with chi-square test.

Results

Thirty-one abdominal mass lesions (16 benign, 15 malignant) in 26 patients (15 girls, 11 boys, ranging from 2 days to 17 years with 6.9 years mean) underwent MRI. Benign lesions had significantly higher ADC values than malignant ones (P<.001). The mean ADCs of malignant lesions were 0.84±1.7×10⁻³ mm²/s, while the mean ADCs of the benign ones were 2.28±1.00×10⁻³ mm²/s. With respect to cutoff values of ADC: 1.11×10⁻³ mm²/s, sensitivity and negative predictive values were 100%, specificity was 78.6% and positive predictive value was 83.3%. For b800 and ADC map images, there were statistically significant differences on visual assessment. All malignant lesions had variable degrees of high signal intensity whereas eight of the 16 benign ones had low signal intensities on b800 images (P<.001). On ADC map images, all malignant lesions were hypointense and most of the benign ones (n=11, 68.7%) were hyperintense (P<.001).

Conclusion

DW imaging can be used for reliable discrimination of benign and malignant pediatric abdominal mass lesions based on considerable differences in the ADC values and signal intensity changes.     

Improving weighted information criterion by using optimization

Although artificial neural networks (ANN) have been widely used in forecasting time series, the determination of the best model is still a problem that has been studied a lot. Various approaches available in the literature have been proposed in order to select the best model for forecasting in ANN in recent years. One of these approaches is to use a model selection strategy based on the weighted information criterion (WIC). WIC is calculated by summing weighted different selection criteria which measure the forecasting accuracy of an ANN model in different ways. In the calculation of WIC, the weights of different selection criteria are determined heuristically. In this study, these weights are calculated by using optimization in order to obtain a more consistent criterion. Four real time series are analyzed in order to show the efficiency of the improved WIC. When the weights are determined based on the optimization, it is obviously seen that the improved WIC produces better results.     

Comparison of the band alignment of strained and strain-compensated GaInNAs QWs on GaAs and InP substrates

We present a comparison of the band alignment of the Ga_1−xIn_xN_yAs_1−y active layers on GaAs and InP substrates in the case of conventionally strained and strain-compensated quantum wells. Our calculated results present that the band alignment of the tensile-strained Ga_1−xIn_xN_yAs_1−y quantum wells on InP substrates is better than than that of the compressively strained Ga_1−xIn_xN_yAs_1−y quantum wells on GaAs substrates and both substrates provide deeper conduction wells. Therefore, tensile-strained Ga_1−xIn_xN_yAs_1−y quantum wells with In concentrations of x0.53 on InP substrates can be used safely from the band alignment point of view when TM polarisation is required. Our calculated results also confirm that strain compensation can be used to balance the strain in the well material and it improves especially the band alignment of dilute nitride Ga_1−xIn_xN_yAs_1−y active layers on GaAs substrates. Our calculations enlighten the intrinsic superiority of N-based lasers and offer the conventionally strained and strain-compensated Ga_1−xIn_xN_yAs_1−y laser system on GaAs and InP substrates as ideal candidates for high temperature operation.     

Cross Sections for Neutron–Deuteron Elastic Scattering in the Energy Range 135–250 MeV

We report new measurements of the neutron–deuteron elastic scattering cross section at energies from 135 to 250 MeV and center-of-mass angles from 80^? to 130^?. Cross sections for neutron-proton elastic scattering were also measured with the same experimental setup for normalization purposes. Our nd cross section results are compared with predictions based on Faddeev calculations including three-nucleon forces, and with cross sections measured with charged particle and neutron beams at comparable energies.     

Decomposing torsion modules

E. Matlis proved that if R is an integral domain with quotient field Q and K is the R-module Q/R, then all torsion R-modules decompose into a direct sum of local submodules if and only if K decomposes into a direct sum of local submodules. Thus K is a test module to determine whether torsion modules decompose. We generalize this result to commutative rings. If R is a commutative ring and a torsion theory of R is given by a Gabriel topology , then form the ring of quotients R_ and let K be the cokernel of the canonical ring homomorphism from R to R_. In some special cases, every -torsion R-module decomposes into a direct sum of local submodules if and only if K decomposes. However, there is an example where this is not the case. The principal result is: given R,  and K, there is a related filter _K of ideals of R, which is a subset of , such that all _K-pretorsion R-modules decompose into a direct sum of local submodules if and only if K decomposes. The relationship between  and _K is investigated.     

Magnetite nanoparticles−based hydroxyl radical scavenging activity assay of antioxidants using N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine probe

Excessive amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), unless counterbalanced by antioxidants, can cause cellular damage under oxidative stress conditions; therefore, antioxidative defenses against ROS must be measured. With the development of nanotechnology, nanoparticles have found numerous applications in science, health, and industries. Magnetite nanoparticles (Fe ₃ O ₄ :MNPs) have attracted attention because of their peroxidase-like activity. In this study, hydroxyl radicals (•OH) generated by MNPs-catalyzed degradation of H ₂ O ₂ converted the N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DMPD) probe into its colored DMPD•+ radical cation, which gave an absorbance maximum at λ = 553 nm. In the presence of antioxidants, •OH was partly scavenged by antioxidants and produced less DMPD• ⁺ , causing a decrease in the 553 nm-absorbance. Antioxidant concentrations were calculated with the aid of absorbance differences between the reference and sample solutions. The linear working ranges and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity coefficients of different classes of antioxidants were determined by applying the developed method. In addition, binary and ternary mixtures of antioxidants were tested to observe the additivity of absorbances of mixture constituents. The method was applied to real samples such as orange juice and green tea. Student t-test, F tests, and the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used for statistical comparisons.     

Interactions of Imidazolium Based Ionic Liquids with Water Studied by Density and Speed of Sound Measurements: Effect of the Chain Length of an Alkyl Substituent on the Imidazolium Ion

Densities and speeds of sound of three ionic liquids (ILs), 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazoliumtetrafluoroborate (C₂mimBF₄), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazoliumtetrafluoroborate (C₄mimBF₄) and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazoliumtetrafluoroborate (C₆mimBF₄) were measured in aqueous solutions at (288.15, 293.15, 298.15, 303.15 and 308.15) K. These data were used to calculate the volumetric properties apparent molar volume and apparent molar isentropic compression as a function of molality. Infinite dilution values for these properties were evaluated by an extrapolation procedure based on Redlich–Meyer type equations. Apparent molar isobaric expansions at infinite dilution were also obtained from the slopes of the apparent molar volume at infinite dilution versus temperature. All these properties are interpreted in terms of IL–water interactions. The hydrolysis of the \( {\text{BF}}_{4}^{ - } \) anion of the ILs and its effects on the results is discussed.     

Substrates with discretely immobilized silver nanoparticles for ultrasensitive detection of anions in water using surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Positively charged silver nanoparticles, Ag [+], obtained by UV-assisted reduction of silver nitrate using branched poly(ethyleneimine) (BPEI) and 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) solutions as reducing agents, were immobilized on glass surfaces to produce substrates active in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Negatively charged silver nanoparticles, Ag [-], synthesized via a modified citrate reduction method, were also investigated for comparison. At a sparse surface coverage of 30 nanoparticles/microm(2), substrates with immobilized Ag [+] showed increasing SERS sensitivity to a variety of anions in water in the order SO(4)(2-) < CN(-) < SCN(-) approximately ClO(4)(-), with corresponding binding constants of 10(5), 3.3 x 10(5), and 10(7) (for both SCN- and ClO(4)(-)) M(-1), respectively. This order followed the Hofmeister series of anion binding in water. Significantly, substrates with Ag [+] allowed limit of detection values of 8.0 x 10(-8) M (8 ppb) and 2.7 x 10(-7) M (7 ppb) for environmentally relevant perchlorate (ClO(4)(-)) and cyanide (CN(-)) anions, respectively. In contrast, substrates with immobilized Ag [-], even upon subsequent modification by a monolayer of BPEI for positive surface charge of the nanoparticles, showed a drastically lower sensitivity to these anions. The high sensitivity of substrates with Ag [+] for anion detection can be attributed to the presence of two types of functional groups, amino and amide, on the nanoparticle surface resulting from UV-assisted fragmentation of BPEI chains. Both amino and amide provide strong binding of anions with Ag [+] nanoparticles due to the synergistic effect through a combination of electrostatic, hydrogen bonding, and dispersive interactions.     

Structure elucidation of cresylviolet perchlorate in polyvinylbutyral by the joint application of IR, FTIR, Raman, UV and visible spectroscopy

Infrared, Fourier transform infrared, Raman, UV absorption and emission spectra of cresylviolet perchlorate (CV) in polyvinylbutyral (PVB) were recorded in the region 1250-4000 cm(-1) at room temperature and assignments have been made for the observed absorption emission and Raman scattered lines.