Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and MR diffusion imaging to distinguish between glandular and stromal prostatic tissues

Purpose

To compare peak enhancement (PE), determined from dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the magnetic resonance (MR) directionally-averaged apparent diffusion coefficient () in glandular versus stromal prostatic tissues and, with this comparison, to infer if the hypothesis that gadolinium-DTPA (Gd-DTPA) does not enter healthy glands or ducts is plausible.

Materials and Methods

MRI, MR spectroscopic imaging, DCE MRI and MR diffusion were evaluated in 17 untreated subjects with suspected or proven prostate cancer. PE and were compared in glandular-ductal tissues [normal peripheral zone and glandular benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)] and stromal-low ductal tissues (central gland/mixed BPH and stromal BPH).

Results

The glandular-ductal tissues had lower PE [125±6.4 (% baseline)] and higher [1.57±0.15 (s/10⁻³ mm²)] than the stromal-low ductal tissues [PE=132±5.5 (% baseline) (P<.0008), =1.18±0.20 (s/10⁻³ mm²) (P<1×10⁻⁸)]. A statistical model based upon stepwise regression was generated and completely separated the tissue types: ductal Measure = 448+669× (s/10⁻³ mm²)−10.7×PE (1/%), R²=1.0 and P<8×10⁻¹⁰.

Conclusions

The very different MR results in the glandular-ductal versus stromal-low ductal tissues suggest that these tissues have different underlying structure. These results support the hypothesis that Gd-DTPA does not enter healthy prostatic glands or ducts. This may explain the higher PE and lower that previously have been reported in prostate cancer versus healthy tissue.     

Theoretical and experimental investigation of thermal effects in a high power Yb-doped double-clad fiber laser

In this paper, based on the thermal conduction equations and the steady-state rate equations, a theoretical and numerical analysis of thermal effects is investigated for a single end pumped Yb-doped double-clad fiber laser (YDDC). The distributions of signal power and temperature for different pump powers and fiber parameters are compared. According to the results, the parameters of the optical-cavity have been optimized and an effective method has been adopted to reduce the thermal effects in an experimental investigation. As a result, an output power of 621 W has been obtained with a slope efficiency of 78%.     

Instability-free ion acceleration by two laser pulses

We demonstrate the instability-free ion acceleration regime by introducing laser control with two parallel circularly polarized laser pulses at an intensity of I = 6.8 × 10²¹?W/cm², normally incident on a hydrogen foil. The special structure of the equivalent wave front of those two pulses, which contains Gaussian peaks in both sides and a concavity in the centre (2D), can suppress the transverse instabilities and hole boring effects to constrain a high density ion clump in the centre of the foil, leading to an acceleration over a long distance and gain above 1GeV/u for the ion bunches.     

Circular polarized electronically-controlled antenna array based on CRLH-TL

In this paper, a circular polarized electronically-controlled scanning microstrip antenna array is designed, which is based on composite right left-handed transmission line (CRLH TL) and is realized by varactor diodes. Proposed electronically-controlled antenna arrays till now are always linear-polarized as the axial ratio (AR) may be spoiled by the DC feed line, especially in the CRLH TL based case. A more separated CRLH TL integrated with active lumped elements is utilized to solve the problem. The antenna array is composed of the CRLH microstrip transmission line structure and circular polarized microstrip antenna. The direction of the main lobe varies from ?1° to ?20 ° by continuously modifying the varactor diodes bias voltages from 0 to 20 V with 5 V as a step. The AR remains below 3 dB in the scanning range. The simulation and experimental results show a good consistence.     

A Novel Highly Sensitive and Selective Fluorescent Sensor for Imaging Copper (II) in Living Cells

In this work, we designed and synthesized a novel quinolin-based derivative which exhibited signaling behaviors for Cu²⁺. Upon the addition of Cu²⁺ to the solution of the molecule, it displayed an obvious fluorescence quenching in a linear fashion due to the formation of a 1:1 metal–ligand complex. This fluorescent sensor exhibited a rare sensitivity toward Cu(II) (the level of magnitude could be 6?×?10^?8), a rapid response (<10 s) and also high selectivity toward Cu²⁺ over other metal ions such as Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ba²⁺, Fe³⁺, Mn²⁺, Hg²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cr³⁺, Co²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Al³⁺. Simultaneously, the cell imaging experiments and filter paper test demonstrated its extensive applicability.     

Graphene-based passively Q-switched Nd:KLu(WO4)2 eye-safe laser operating at 1,425 nm

With graphene as saturable absorber, an Nd:KLu(WO₄)₂ eye-safe laser operating at 1,425 nm is demonstrated. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that an Nd:KLu(WO₄)₂ laser operates at the eye-safe 1.4-μm region. A maximum total average output power of 170 mW is obtained under the pump power of 9.6 W, corresponding to an optical–optical efficiency of 1.77 %. The minimum pulse width and the highest pulse repetition rate are 153 ns and 97 kHz, respectively. Also the characteristics of the graphene used as saturable absorber for a 1.4-μm laser were studied for the first time.     

基于国产CPU的并行冗余计算机系统研究

目前国家不断推进的国产自主可控信息系统建设,其核心国产计算机系统由于技术成熟度低、市场推广晚等原因,暴露出可靠性低、稳定性差的问题,直接导致系统功能无法成功应用。围绕国产化计算机系统的并行冗余架构开展研究,通过计算机系统架构的软硬件设计,以及高速缓存一致性架构、高速互联总线和三状态转换机制方法的应用,基于国产CPU 并行冗余计算机系统,可以有效消除备份计算机系统进行当班切换时,存在的切换时间延时和切换过程数据丢失的问题。通过试验验证,该系统可以完成计算机系统中CPU处理器和功能桥片故障模式的容错处理,并保障信息数据的完整性和实时性,有效提高设备中计算机系统的工作可靠性与稳定性。     

高温超导电缆直流测试电源平台的搭建

根据高温超导电缆测试用直流电源平台的要求,建立了硬件平台。该平台为模块化结构,具有输出精度高,便于扩展等特点;为方便操作,建立了基于LabVIEW的软件平台,对直流电源平台进行远程控制,并给出了远程控制的程序流程图,实现了电流的匀速上升和下降以及上升过程中的中断操作;利用该电源平台进行了超导电缆的临界电流测试实验,验证了直流电源平台符合高温超导电缆的测试要求。     

点光源的Fresnel圆孔衍射的实验研究

通过实验观察到衍射图样的中心可亮可暗,用Huggens—Fresnel原理加以分析、解释,通过分析总结出圆孔衍射图样的中心光强的变化规律,根据实验结果提出了对教材的修改建议．     

应用导数荧光光谱和概率神经网络鉴别合成色素

实验测量了食品色素胭脂红、苋菜红、诱惑红和工业色素苏丹红Ⅳ溶液分别在波长为300,400,440和380 nm的光激发下产生的荧光光谱.对这4种红色素的各8个溶液样本选取60个发射波长值所对应的荧光强度作为网络特征参数,训练、建立概率神经网络.据此,对32个色素溶液样本进行种类识别.为解决原始荧光光谱重叠造成识别准确率不高的问题,应用导数荧光光谱,将二阶导数光谱数据作为网络特征参数,建立网络,进行识别,识别准确率达100%.由此,提出了应用二阶导数荧光光谱结合概率神经网络对合成色素方便、快捷、准确地进行种