Background: We investigated the diagnostic utility of post-vascular phase contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (US) and superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as compared to the hist...Background: We investigated the diagnostic utility of post-vascular phase contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (US) and superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as compared to the histological diagnosis of differential grades of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Methods: Forty-nine patients with histologically characterized liver nodules (well-differentiated HCC, n = 20; moderately differentiated HCC, n = 19; poorly differentiated HCC, n = 1; dysplastic nodule, n = 9) received contrast-enhanced US and SPIO-MRI. Subsequently, we quantitatively evaluated the relationships between the images of the nodules and their histological diagnosis and differential grades. Results: The ratio of the echogenicity of the tumorous area to that of the nontumorous area with post-vascular phase contrast-enhanced US (post-vascular phase ratio) decreased as nodules became less differentiated (P < 0.05; Kruskal-Wallis test). The ratio of the intensity of the nontumorous area to that of the tumorous area on SPIO-enhanced MR images (SPIO intensity index) also decreased as nodules became less differentiated (P < 0.01). The post-vascular phase ratio correlated with the SPIO intensity index for HCCs and dysplastic nodules (r = 0.76). The conformity of the result from the post-vascular phase contrast-enhanced US and SPIO-MRI was 96%. Conclusions: Contrast-enhanced US is a valuable method for predicting the histological grade of HCCs in cirrhotic patients, and may be a good alternative to SPIO-enhanced MRI.展开更多
Enhancing mass transport to electrodes is desired in almost all types of electrochemical sensing, electrocatalysis, and energy storage or conversion. Here, a method of doing so by means of the magnetic gradient force ...Enhancing mass transport to electrodes is desired in almost all types of electrochemical sensing, electrocatalysis, and energy storage or conversion. Here, a method of doing so by means of the magnetic gradient force generated at magnetic-nanoparticle-modified electrodes is presented. It is shown using Fe3O4-nanoparticle-modified electrodes that the ultrahigh magnetic gradients （〉10^8 T·m^- 1） established at the magnetized Fe3O4 nanoparticles speed up the transport of reactants and products at the electrode surface. Using the Fe（Ⅲ）/ Fe（Ⅱ）-hexacyanoferrate redox couple, it is demonstrated that this mass transport enhancement can conveniently and repeatedly be switched on and off by applying and removing an external magnetic properties of magnetite nanoparticles field, owing to the superparamagnetic Thus, it is shown for the first time that magnetic nanoparticles can be used to control mass transport in electrochemical systems. Importantly, this approach does not require any means of mechanical agitation and is therefore particularly interesting for application in micro- and nanofluidic systems and devices.展开更多
文摘Background: We investigated the diagnostic utility of post-vascular phase contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (US) and superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as compared to the histological diagnosis of differential grades of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). Methods: Forty-nine patients with histologically characterized liver nodules (well-differentiated HCC, n = 20; moderately differentiated HCC, n = 19; poorly differentiated HCC, n = 1; dysplastic nodule, n = 9) received contrast-enhanced US and SPIO-MRI. Subsequently, we quantitatively evaluated the relationships between the images of the nodules and their histological diagnosis and differential grades. Results: The ratio of the echogenicity of the tumorous area to that of the nontumorous area with post-vascular phase contrast-enhanced US (post-vascular phase ratio) decreased as nodules became less differentiated (P < 0.05; Kruskal-Wallis test). The ratio of the intensity of the nontumorous area to that of the tumorous area on SPIO-enhanced MR images (SPIO intensity index) also decreased as nodules became less differentiated (P < 0.01). The post-vascular phase ratio correlated with the SPIO intensity index for HCCs and dysplastic nodules (r = 0.76). The conformity of the result from the post-vascular phase contrast-enhanced US and SPIO-MRI was 96%. Conclusions: Contrast-enhanced US is a valuable method for predicting the histological grade of HCCs in cirrhotic patients, and may be a good alternative to SPIO-enhanced MRI.
文摘Enhancing mass transport to electrodes is desired in almost all types of electrochemical sensing, electrocatalysis, and energy storage or conversion. Here, a method of doing so by means of the magnetic gradient force generated at magnetic-nanoparticle-modified electrodes is presented. It is shown using Fe3O4-nanoparticle-modified electrodes that the ultrahigh magnetic gradients （〉10^8 T·m^- 1） established at the magnetized Fe3O4 nanoparticles speed up the transport of reactants and products at the electrode surface. Using the Fe（Ⅲ）/ Fe（Ⅱ）-hexacyanoferrate redox couple, it is demonstrated that this mass transport enhancement can conveniently and repeatedly be switched on and off by applying and removing an external magnetic properties of magnetite nanoparticles field, owing to the superparamagnetic Thus, it is shown for the first time that magnetic nanoparticles can be used to control mass transport in electrochemical systems. Importantly, this approach does not require any means of mechanical agitation and is therefore particularly interesting for application in micro- and nanofluidic systems and devices.
