Characterization of pure high-grade DCIS on magnetic resonance imaging using the evolving breast MR lexicon terminology: can it be differentiated from pure invasive disease?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is now a recognized method of imaging the breast. Unfortunately, there is lack of standardization in the MRI terminology used to characterize the appearance of breast lesions. Moreover, cases of mixed histologies are often imaged. We retrospectively identified cases of pure high-grade ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) using the recently introduced breast MRI lexicon and characterized the lesions in order to try and identify features that might distinguish high-grade DCIS from invasive disease. Five-year review of our institution's database revealed 637 patients underwent gadolinium-enhanced breast MRI examination. Twenty patients had histologically proven pure high-grade DCIS. After excluding patients with previous chemotherapy or inadequate MRI examination, 13 patients were analyzed and compared to the 13 most recent cases of pure invasive breast carcinoma. The morphological and dynamic features were then compared. High-grade DCIS cases were significantly more likely to show focal branching pattern (P=.03) and to have an irregular contour (P=.03), compared with invasive disease. Although of marginal statistical significance, DCIS lesions are more likely to have a lower morphological score than invasive carcinoma (P=.06), whilst the latter is more likely to show ring enhancement (P=.07). Use of breast MRI for staging at our institution shows that pure DCIS and pure invasive cancers are both rare entities. Despite the relatively limited numbers, we identified features that would help to differentiate high-grade DCIS from invasive carcinoma on MRI.     

Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) enhancement in the cirrhotic liver: a comparison of two doses of ferumoxides in patients with advanced disease

The aim of this study was to establish whether enhancement of the liver by the MRI contrast agent ferumoxides could be effectively achieved at a reduced dose of 7.5 micromol/kg in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis. Forty-two liver transplant candidates with end-stage cirrhosis underwent SPIO-enhanced MRI at 1.5T, using either 15 micromol/kg or 7.5 micromol/kg ferumoxides. The lower dose of ferumoxides was also used in 21 non-cirrhotic patients with colorectal liver metastases who acted as a control group. The percentage signal intensity loss (PSIL) after SPIO was measured in all patients, and in those patients with tumors the post-SPIO contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was measured. The median PSIL after SPIO in the high dose cirrhotic (HDLC), low dose non-cirrhotic (LDNC) and low dose cirrhotic (LDLC) patients was 86.3%, 74.6%, and 64.2% respectively. These differences were significant using the Mann-Whitney U test. Tumors were found in 8 patients in the high dose cirrhotic group, 9 in the low dose cirrhotic group, and all 21 of the control group. No significant differences were found between the CNR values after SPIO in the 3 groups (median values HDLC 15.1, LDNC 23.7, LDLC 19.5). In patients with late-stage cirrhosis the PSIL after SPIO was significantly less at 7.5 micromol/kg than at 15 micromol/kg, but both doses produced a substantial loss of signal. Lesion to liver CNR was not adversely affected by using the lower dose, so when imaging at 1.5T the authors would recommend using 7.5 micromol/kg in patients with liver cirrhosis.     

Silyl‐Phosphino‐Carbene Complexes of Uranium(IV)

Unprecedented silyl‐phosphino‐carbene complexes of uranium(IV) are presented, where before all covalent actinide–carbon double bonds were stabilised by phosphorus(V) substituents or restricted to matrix isolation experiments. Conversion of [U(BIPM^TMS)(Cl)(μ‐Cl)₂Li(THF)₂] ( 1 , BIPM^TMS=C(PPh₂NSiMe₃)₂) into [U(BIPM^TMS)(Cl){CH(Ph)(SiMe₃)}] ( 2 ), and addition of [Li{CH(SiMe₃)(PPh₂)}(THF)]/Me₂NCH₂CH₂NMe₂ (TMEDA) gave [U{C(SiMe₃)(PPh₂)}(BIPM^TMS)(μ‐Cl)Li(TMEDA)(μ‐TMEDA)_0.5]₂ ( 3 ) by α‐hydrogen abstraction. Addition of 2,2,2‐cryptand or two equivalents of 4‐N,N‐dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) to 3 gave [U{C(SiMe₃)(PPh₂)}(BIPM^TMS)(Cl)][Li(2,2,2‐cryptand)] ( 4 ) or [U{C(SiMe₃)(PPh₂)}(BIPM^TMS)(DMAP)₂] ( 5 ). The characterisation data for 3 – 5 suggest that whilst there is evidence for 3‐centre P?C?U π‐bonding character, the U=C double bond component is dominant in each case. These U=C bonds are the closest to a true uranium alkylidene yet outside of matrix isolation experiments.     

Self‐Assembly of Complex DNA Tessellations by Using Low‐Symmetry Multi‐arm DNA Tiles

Modular DNA tile‐based self‐assembly is a versatile way to engineer basic tessellation patterns on the nanometer scale, but it remains challenging to achieve high levels of structural complexity. We introduce a set of general design principles to create intricate DNA tessellations by employing multi‐arm DNA motifs with low symmetry. We achieved two novel Archimedean tiling patterns, (4.8.8) and (3.6.3.6), and one pattern with higher‐order structures beyond the complexity observed in Archimedean tiling. Our success in assembling complicated DNA tessellations demonstrates the broad design space of DNA structural motifs, enriching the toolbox of DNA tile‐based self‐assembly and expanding the complexity boundaries of DNA tile‐based tessellation.     

Measurement of trihalomethanes and methyl tertiary-butyl ether in tap water using solid-phase microextraction GC-MS

The prevalence of water disinfection byproducts in drinking water supplies has raised concerns about possible health effects from chronic exposure to these compounds. To support studies exploring the relation between exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs) and health effects, we have developed an automated analytical method using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with capillary gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. This method quantitates trace levels of THMs (chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform) and methyl tertiary-butyl ether in tap water. Detection limits of less than 100 ng/L for all analytes and linear ranges of three orders of magnitude are adequate for measuring the THMs in tap water samples tested from across the United States. THMs are stable for extended periods in tap water samples after quenching of residual chlorine and buffering to pH 6.5, thus enabling larger epidemiologic field studies with simplified sample collection protocols.     

Coupling asymmetric flow-field flow fractionation and fluorescence parallel factor analysis reveals stratification of dissolved organic matter in a drinking water reservoir

Using asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) and fluorescence parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), we showed physicochemical properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the Beaver Lake Reservoir (Lowell, AR) were stratified by depth. Sampling was performed at a drinking water intake structure from May to July 2010 at three depths (3-, 10-, and 18-m) below the water surface. AF4-fractograms showed that the CDOM had diffusion coefficient peak maximums between 3.5 and 2.8 × 10⁻⁶ cm² s⁻¹, which corresponded to a molecular weight range of 680–1950 Da and a size of 1.6–2.5 nm. Fluorescence excitation–emission matrices of whole water samples and AF4-generated fractions were decomposed with a PARAFAC model into five principal components. For the whole water samples, the average total maximum fluorescence was highest for the 10-m depth samples and lowest (about 40% less) for 18-m depth samples. While humic-like fluorophores comprised the majority of the total fluorescence at each depth, a protein-like fluorophore was in the least abundance at the 10-m depth, indicating stratification of both total fluorescence and the type of fluorophores. The results present a powerful approach to investigate CDOM properties and can be extended to investigate CDOM reactivity, with particular applications in areas such as disinfection byproduct formation and control and evaluating changes in drinking water source quality driven by climate change.     

Natural halotrichites—an EDX and Raman spectroscopic study

Raman spectroscopy has been used to characterise four natural halotrichites: halotrichite FeSO₄.Al₂(SO₄)₃. 22H₂O, apjohnite MnSO₄.Al₂(SO₄)₃.22H₂O, pickingerite MgSO₄.Al₂(SO₄)₃.22H₂O and wupatkiite CoSO₄.Al₂(SO₄)₃.22H₂O. A comparison of the Raman spectra is made with the spectra of the equivalent synthetic pseudo‐alums. Energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX) was used to determine the exact composition of the minerals. The Raman spectrum of apjohnite and halotrichite display intense symmetric bands at ∼985 cm⁻¹ assigned to the ν₁(SO₄)²⁻ symmetric stretching mode. For pickingerite and wupatkiite, an intense band at ∼995 cm⁻¹ is observed. A second band is observed for these minerals at 976 cm⁻¹ attributed to a water librational mode The series of bands for apjohnite at 1104, 1078 and 1054 cm⁻¹, for halotrichite at 1106, 1072 and 1049 cm⁻¹, for pickingerite at 1106, 1070 and 1049 cm⁻¹ and for wupatkiite at 1106, 1075 and 1049 cm⁻¹ are attributed to the ν₃(SO₄)²⁻ antisymmetric stretching modes of ν₃(B_g) SO₄. Raman bands at around 474, 460 and 423 cm⁻¹ are attributed to the ν₂(A_g) SO₄ mode. The band at 618 cm⁻¹ is assigned to the ν₄(B_g) SO₄ mode. The splitting of the ν₂, ν₃ and ν₄ modes is attributed to the reduction of symmetry of the SO₄ and it is proposed that the sulphate coordinates to water in the hydrated aluminium in bidentate chelation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.