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Purpose To assess the diagnostic feasibility of iodine concentration (IC) and extracellular volume (ECV) fraction measurement using the equilibrium phase dual-energy CT (DECT) for the evaluation of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). Materials and methods This study included 33 TETs (11 low-risk thymomas, 11 high-risk thymomas, and 11 thymic carcinomas) that were assessed by pretreatment DECT. IC was measured during the equilibrium phases and ECV fraction was calculated using IC of the thymic lesion and the aorta. IC and ECV fraction were compared among TET subtypes using the Kruskal–Wallis H test and Mann–Whitney U test. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the ability of IC and ECV fraction to diagnose thymic carcinoma. Results IC during the equilibrium phase and ECV fraction differed among the three TET groups (both p p p Conclusion IC and ECV fraction measurement using DECT are helpful in diagnosing TETs. High IC during the equilibrium phase and high ECV fraction are suggestive of thymic carcinoma.

To understand trophic responses of polar cod Boreogadus saida (a key species in Arctic food webs) to changes in zooplankton and benthic invertebrate communities (prey), we compared its stomach contents and body condition between three regions with different environments: the northern Bering Sea (NB), southern Chukchi Sea (SC), and central Chukchi Sea (CC). Polar cod were sampled using a bottom trawl, and their potential prey species in the environment were sampled using a plankton net and a surface sediment sampler. Polar cod fed mainly on appendicularians in the NB and SC where copepods were the most abundant in the environment, while they fed on copepods, euphausiids, and gammarids in the CC where barnacle larvae were the most abundant species in plankton samples on average. The stomach fullness index of polar cod was higher in the NB and SC than CC, while their body condition index did not differ between these regions. The lower lipid content of appendicularians compared to other prey species is the most plausible explanation for this inconsistency.