3.0-T MRI evaluation of patients with chronic liver diseases: initial observations

PURPOSE: To describe the use of 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the evaluation of chronic liver diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two groups of patients who had chronic liver diseases and underwent 3.0-T MRI for evaluation of the liver were included in the study. The first group of patients included 66 consecutive patients (33 male, 33 female; mean age+/-standard deviation, 56+/-11). The second group of patients included 30 consecutive patients (18 males, 12 females; mean age+/-standard deviation, 53+/-10) in whom Variable-Rate Selective Excitation (VERSE) pulses and improved adjustments procedure were used during the acquisitions. Imaging findings of chronic liver diseases, predetermined artifacts and image quality of all individual sequences in the first group and predetermined artifacts and image quality of T2-weighted sequences in the second group were reviewed retrospectively and independently by two reviewers. chi-Square tests were used to compare the findings between two groups of patients and individual sequences. Kappa statistics were used to determine the extent of agreement between the reviewers. RESULTS: Fifteen dysplastic nodules in 6 of 66 (9%) patients and 12 hepatocellular carcinomas in 11 of 66 (17%) patients were detected. Excluding motion artifacts, three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted gradient-echo (GE) sequence was the least affected sequence by the artifacts. Image quality of T1-weighted 3D-GE sequences was excellent in 43 of 66 (65%) patients. In-phase and out-of-phase T1-weighted spoiled GE (SGE) images were fair in 62 of 66 (94%) and 61 of 66 (92%) patients, respectively. The image quality of short tau inversion recovery (STIR) and half-Fourier rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE) sequences were fair in 31 of 66 (47%) and 53 of 66 (80%) patients. STIR and half-Fourier RARE sequences in the second group demonstrated significantly better image quality (P=.03 and P<.0001). CONCLUSION: 3.0-T MRI allows the acquisition of very high quality postgadolinium 3D-GE sequence, which permitted the detection and characterization of lesions in the setting of chronic liver diseases. The use of VERSE pulses and improved adjustments procedure improved the image quality of T2-weighted sequences. In-phase/out-of-phase SGE sequences are at present of fair quality.     

Circular dichroism of some high-symmetry chiral molecules: B3LYP and SAOP calculations

Computational modeling of optical activity, circular dichroism (CD) and optical rotatory dispersion, is rapidly becoming a useful supplement to experimental studies of absolute configuration. Here, we investigate the predictions of two alternative formulations of the rotational strength based on time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT), for a series of high symmetry chiral systems. We employ the TD-DFT method as realized in Gaussian 03 suite with the hybrid functional B3LYP and as incorporated in the Amsterdam density functional (ADF) suite with PBE and SAOP functionals. The high-symmetry systems described here are somewhat larger than those used to evaluate the influence of basis sets and density functional choice, and for such large systems the very extensive basis sets recommended by most investigators may not be suitable for routine use. We observe that useful results for these systems can be obtained in modest bases, and in particular that diffuse functions may not be required for informative use of the ADF implementation. The statistical average of orbital potentials (SAOP) model developed by Baerends is essential to the success of the ADF implementation. In some cases chirality is defined by features of the molecular structure remote from the chromophore. This is a severe test of the TD-DFT theory, since high-lying excitations define the most prominent features of the CD spectra, and complicates the use of computations to guide the assignment of absolute configuration. Experimental investigation of the high symmetry systems described here is desirable.     

Fixed point theorems for weak contractions in the sense of Berinde on partial metric spaces

In this paper, we introduce the notion of $(\delta ,L)$ weak contraction and $(\phi ,L)$ weak contraction in the sense of Berinde in partial metric space. Then we give some fixed point results in partial metric space using these new concepts.     

Multireference ab initio quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics study on intermediates in the catalytic cycle of cytochrome P450(cam)

We have investigated the elusive reactive species of cytochrome P450(cam) (Compound I), the hydroxo complex formed during camphor hydroxylation, and the ferric hydroperoxo complex (Compound 0) by combined quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) calculations, employing both density functional theory (DFT) and correlated ab initio methods. The first two intermediates appear multiconfigurational in character, especially in the doublet state and less so in the quartet state. DFT(B3LYP)/MM calculations reproduce the relative energies from correlated ab initio QM/MM treatments quite well, except for the splitting of the lowest A(1u)-A(2u) radical states. The inclusion of dynamic correlation is crucial for the proper ab initio treatment of these intermediates.     

Effect of natural gas usage on indoor radon levels

Effect of natural gas usage on indoor radon concentrations were investigated in dwellings in four counties of ?zmir municipality using LR-115 Type II cellulose nitrate films. The dwellings were separated two groups: natural gas user and non-user. Indoor radon levels were found higher in natural gas using dwellings. Also, indoor radon levels were evaluated in terms of concentrations and annual effective dose. Indoor radon concentrations were found between 22.8 and 707.8 Bq m^?3 and highest concentrations were determined in kitchen in third floor of Bornova dwellings. Indoor radon concentrations in kitchens were found higher than the living rooms. On the other hand, opposite results obtained for annual effective dose, because of very short occupancy period of the kitchens.     

Study of Solvent Composition Effects on the Protonation Equilibria of Various Anilines by Multiple Linear Regression and Factor Analysis Applied to the Correlation Between Protonation Constants and Solvatochromic Parameters in Ethanol–Water Mixed Solvents

The stoichiometric protonation constants (log) of aniline derivatives were determined potentiometrically over a wide range of solvent composition (0–0.74 mole fraction of ethanol). To explain the variation of the log values obtained over the whole composition range studied, the quasi-lattice quasi-chemical theory of preferential solvation was applied. The results were discussed in terms of macroscopic properties of the mixed solvent and different microscopic parameters, such as the Kamlet–Taft solvatochromic parameters to identify the solvent characteristics affecting the log values. Kamlet and Taft's general equation was reduced to two terms by using both multiple-linear regression analysis and combined factor analysis and target factor analysis in these mixtures: the independent term and the hydrogen-bond donating ability (HBD), which is a solvatochromic parameter. Hammett's reaction constant for the protonation of anilines has been obtained for all the solvent mixtures and correlates well with (HBD) of the solvent.     

Combined experimental and theoretical studies on the vibrational spectra of 2-quinolinecarboxaldehyde

Combined experimental and theoretical studies have been performed on the structure and vibrational spectra (IR and Raman spectra including far region) of 2-quinolinecarboxaldehyde. Hartree-Fock (HF) and density functional B3LYP calculations have been employed with the 6-311++G(d,p) basis set for investigating the structural and spectroscopic properties of two possible aldehyde rotamers of 2-quinolinecarboxaldehyde. When the O atom of the aldehyde is farther away than the nitrogen atom of the quinoline, 2-quinolinecarboxaldehyde has the lowest possible energy, and thus is in its ground state. The computed vibrational frequencies of this lowest energy rotamer agree also slightly better than those of the higher energy rotamer with the experimental frequencies after the computed frequencies are scaled.     

A photoreactive small-molecule probe for 2-oxoglutarate oxygenases

2-oxoglutarate (2-OG)-dependent oxygenases have diverse roles in human biology. The inhibition of several 2-OG oxygenases is being targeted for therapeutic intervention, including for cancer, anemia, and ischemic diseases. We report a small-molecule probe for 2-OG oxygenases that employs a hydroxyquinoline template coupled to a photoactivable crosslinking group and an affinity-purification tag. Following studies with recombinant proteins, the probe was shown to crosslink to 2-OG oxygenases in human crude cell extracts, including to proteins at endogenous levels. This approach is useful for inhibitor profiling, as demonstrated by crosslinking to the histone demethylase FBXL11 (KDM2A) in HEK293T nuclear extracts. The results also suggest that small-molecule probes may be suitable for substrate identification studies.     

Structure and energetics of cyclopropane carboxaldehyde

We use the energies obtained by a focal point analysis including extrapolation from results with basis sets cc‐pVnZ and aug‐cc‐pVnZ with n up to 4 and correlation corrections through CCSD(T), to estimate thermodynamic functions for the syn and anti isomers of cyclopropane carboxaldehyde (CPCA). These agree with values obtained by well‐established thermochemical schemes CBS‐QB3 and G4. The structures obtained in these studies also conform to the best experimental determination of the rotational constants in the gas phase. The kinetics of gas phase interconversion of the syn‐ and anti‐isomers of CPCA have been studied by a chirped‐pulse dynamic rotational spectroscopy. Computational modeling of the internal rotational potential allows the estimate of the interconversion rates by statistical (RRKM) methods. RRKM rates using a range of barrier heights including a CBS‐Q estimate are more than 10× the rates deduced from the dynamical rotational spectra. This suggests that nonstatistical effects may be limiting the rate. Detailed study of the interconversion potential by a variant of the focal point analysis suggests that previous estimates of the barrier may be too low, and thus, the inferred rice‐ramsperger‐kassel‐marcus (RRKM) rate could be too high. These results cast some doubt on the presence of nonstatistical effects and suggest that molecular dynamics studies should be conducted to characterize the energy flow in detail. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.