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To assess the ability of dual-energy CT (DECT) to separate intravenous contrast of bowel wall from intraluminal contrast, we scanned 16 rabbits on a clinical DECT scanner: n = 3 using only iodinated intravenous contrast, and n = 13 double-contrast enhanced scans using iodinated intravenous contrast and experimental enteric non-iodinated contrast agents in the bowel lumen (five bismuth, four tungsten, and four tantalum based). Representative image pairs from conventional CT images and DECT iodine density maps of small bowel (116 pairs from 232 images) were viewed by four abdominal imaging attending radiologists to independently score each comparison pair on a visual analog scale (-100 to +100%) for (1) preference in small bowel wall visualization and (2) preference in completeness of intraluminal enteric contrast subtraction. Median small bowel wall visualization was scored 39 and 42 percentage points (95% CI 30-44% and 36-45%, both p

Rationale and objectivesTo assess the applicability of a novel macromolecular polyethylene glycol (PEG)-core gadolinium contrast agent for monitoring early antiangiogenic effects of bevacizumab using dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Materials and methodsAthymic rats (n = 26) implanted with subcutaneous human melanoma xenografts underwent DCE-MRI at 2.0 T using two different macromolecular contrast agents. The PEG core cascade polymer PEG12,000-Gen4-(Gd-DOTA)16, designed for clinical development, was compared to the prototype, animal-only, macromolecular contrast medium (MMCM) albumin-(Gd-DTPA)35. The treatment (n = 13) and control (n = 13) group was imaged at baseline and 24 hours after a single dose of bevacizumab (1 mg) or saline to quantitatively assess the endothelial-surface permeability constant (K(PS), μL⋅min⋅100 cm(3)) and the fractional plasma volume (fPV,%), using a two-compartment kinetic model.ResultsMean K(PS) values, assessed with PEG12,000-Gen4-(Gd-DOTA)16, declined significantly (P < .05) from 29.5 ± 10 μL⋅min⋅100 cm(3) to 10.4 ± 7.8 μL⋅min⋅100 cm(3) by 24 hours after a single dose of bevacizumab. In parallel, K(PS) values quantified using the prototype MMCM albumin-(Gd-DTPA)35 showed an analogous, significant decline (P < .05) in the therapy group. No significant effects were detected on tumor vascularity or on microcirculatory parameters in the control group between the baseline and the follow-up scan at 24 hours.ConclusionDCE-MRI enhanced with the novel MMCM PEG12,000-Gen4-(Gd-DOTA)16 was able to monitor the effects of bevacizumab on melanoma xenografts within 24 hours of a single application, validated by the prototype, animal-only albumin-(Gd-DTPA)35. PEG12,000-Gen4-(Gd-DOTA)16 may be a promising candidate for further clinical development as a macromolecular blood pool contrast MRI agent.

PurposeTo compare the diagnostic performance of dual-energy (DE) computed tomography (CT) with two simultaneously administered contrast agents (hereafter, dual contrast) with that of conventional CT in the evaluation of the presence and source of extravasation in penetrating abdominopelvic trauma.Materials and methodsInstitutional animal care and use committee approval was obtained, and the study was performed in accordance with National Institutes of Health guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals. Five rabbits with bowel trauma, vascular penetrating trauma, or both were imaged with simultaneous iodinated intravenous and bismuth subsalicylate enteric contrast material at DE CT. Four attending radiologists and six radiology residents without prior DE CT experience each evaluated 10 extraluminal collections to identify the vascular and/or enteric origin of extravasation and assess their level of diagnostic confidence, first with virtual monochromatic images simulating conventional CT and then with DE CT material decomposition attenuation maps.ResultsOverall accuracy of identification of source of extravasation increased from 78% with conventional CT to 92% with DE CT (157 of 200 diagnoses vs 184 of 200 diagnoses, respectively; P < .001). Nine radiologists were more accurate with DE CT; one had no change. Mean confidence increased from 67% to 81% with DE CT (P < .001).ConclusionIn a rabbit abdominopelvic trauma model, dual-contrast DE CT significantly increased accuracy and confidence in the diagnosis of vascular versus enteric extravasated contrast material.

PurposeTo evaluate the feasibility of using contrast material-enhanced computed tomographic (CT) measurements of hepatic fractional extracellular space (fECS) and macromolecular contrast material (MMCM) uptake to measure severity of liver fibrosis.Materials and methodsAll procedures were approved by and executed in accordance with University of California, San Francisco, institutional animal care and use committee regulations. Twenty-one rats that received intragastric CCl(4) for 0-12 weeks were imaged with respiratory-gated micro-CT by using both a conventional contrast material and a novel iodinated MMCM. Histopathologic hepatic fibrosis was graded qualitatively by using the Ishak fibrosis score and quantitatively by using morphometry of the fibrosis area. Hepatic fECS and MMCM uptake were calculated for each examination and correlated with histopathologic findings by using uni- and multivariate linear regressions.ResultsIshak fibrosis scores ranged from a baseline of 0 in untreated animals to a maximum of 5. Histopathologic liver fibrosis area increased from 0.46% to 3.5% over the same interval. Strong correlations were seen between conventional contrast-enhanced CT measurements of fECS and both the Ishak fibrosis scores (R(2) = 0.751, P < .001) and the fibrosis area (R(2) = 0.801, P < .001). Strong negative correlations were observed between uptake of MMCM in the liver and Ishak fibrosis scores (R(2) = 0.827, P < .001), as well as between uptake of MMCM in the liver and fibrosis area (R(2) = 0.643, P = .001). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed a trend toward independence for fECS and MMCM uptake in the prediction of Ishak fibrosis scores, with an R(2) value of 0.86 (P = .081 and P = .033, respectively).ConclusionContrast-enhanced CT measurements of fECS and MMCM uptake are individually capable of being used to estimate the degree of early hepatic fibrosis in a rat model.Supplemental materialhttp://radiology.rsna.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.12112452/-/DC1.

PurposeTo evaluate the feasibility of using a commercially available clinical dual-energy computed tomographic (CT) scanner to differentiate the in vivo enhancement due to two simultaneously administered contrast media with complementary x-ray attenuation ratios.Materials and methodsApproval from the institutional animal care and use committee was obtained, and National Institutes of Health guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals were observed. Dual-energy CT was performed in a set of iodine and tungsten solution phantoms and in a rabbit in which iodinated intravenous and bismuth subsalicylate oral contrast media were administered. In addition, a second rabbit was studied after intravenous administration of iodinated and tungsten cluster contrast media. Images were processed to produce virtual monochromatic images that simulated the appearance of conventional single-energy scans, as well as material decomposition images that separate the attenuation due to each contrast medium.ResultsClear separation of each of the contrast media pairs was seen in the phantom and in both in vivo animal models. Separation of bowel lumen from vascular contrast medium allowed visualization of bowel wall enhancement that was obscured by intraluminal bowel contrast medium on conventional CT scans. Separation of two vascular contrast media in different vascular phases enabled acquisition of a perfectly coregistered CT angiogram and venous phase-enhanced CT scan simultaneously in a single examination.ConclusionCommercially available clinical dual-energy CT scanners can help differentiate the enhancement of selected pairs of complementary contrast media in vivo.

For effective overall water splitting (OWS) in alkaline media, a novel Ru-doped bimetal oxide (Ru-NiCo2O4) catalyst deposited onto a conductive nickel foam (NF) is fabricated by a multi-step hydrothermal reaction, ion exchange, and subsequent annealing process. The distinctive 3D nanoneedle-like arrays not only provide an even distribution of Ru decorated NiCo2O4, but also expose additional active sites, facilitating electron transport and improving reaction kinetics. Besides, density functional theory (DFT) studies elucidate the electronic structure regulation in Ru-NiCo2O4 and the modification of the d-band center optimizes H* adsorption energy, which considerably increased the hydrogen production efficiency. Considering the aforementioned advantages, the as-prepared Ru-NiCo2O4 electrocatalyst exhibits greatly improved catalytic activity, requiring only 25 mV and 249 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively, as well as robust stability. Amazingly, the Ru-NiCo2O4 electrode in a two-electrode alkaline electrolyzer only needs 1.55 V to produce 10 mA cm−2, making it more efficient than the commercial RuO2‖‖Pt/C electrode (1.62 V). More importantly, 0.33 M urea only needs a low voltage of 1.427 V to drive the urine-mediated electrolysis, which is about 123 mV less than the urea-free electrolysis cell. This work presents an effective electronic structure engineering approach based on heteroatom doping that may be extended to design and fabricate novel high-performance OWS catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]