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Cordycepin, also known as 3′-deoxyadenosine, is a major active ingredient of Cordycepsmilitaris with diverse pharmacological effects. Due to its limited supply, many attempts have been conducted to enhance the cordycepin content. As part of this study, eight medicinal plants were supplemented with cultivation substrates of Cordyceps to increase the cordycepin content. Cordyceps cultivated on brown rice supplemented with Mori Folium, Curcumae Rhizoma, Saururi Herba, and Angelicae Gigantis Radix exhibited increased cordycepin content compared to a brown rice control. Among them, the addition of 25% Mori Folium increased the cordycepin content up to 4 times. Adenosine deaminase (ADA) modulates the deamination of adenosine and deoxyadenosine, and the inhibitors have therapeutic potential with anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory properties. As ADA is also known to be involved in converting cordycepin to 3′-deoxyinosine, the inhibitory activity of medicinal plants on ADA was measured by spectrophotometric analysis using cordycepin as a substrate. As expected, Mori Folium, Curcumae Rhizoma, Saururi Herba, and Angelicae Gigas Radix strongly inhibited ADA activity. Molecular docking analysis also showed the correlation between ADA and the major components of these medicinal plants. Conclusively, our research suggests a new strategy of using medicinal plants to enhance cordycepin production in C. militaris.

A healthy 36-year-old man visited his family doctor with abdominal discomfort. Electrocardiogram revealed right-axis deviation and a continuous murmur was heard at the third intercostal space left sternal border. Transthoracic echocardiogram demonstrated a continuous color jet draining into the enlarged right atrium (RA). Subsequent cardiac computed tomographic images and coronary angiogram revealed a giant left main trunk and left circumflex coronary artery (LCx) with intraluminal thrombi and fistulous communication to the RA. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging measured a Qp/Qs of 1.24. A multimodal imaging approach helped diagnose this rare cameral fistula (LCx-to-RA) complicated by giant coronary aneurysm and intraluminal thrombi.

Objectives This study sought to evaluate the prevalence and patterns of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) after carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging (CMRI) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Background In acute CO poisoning, cardiac injury can predict mortality. However, it remains unclear why increased mortality and cardiovascular events occur despite normalization of CO-induced elevated troponin I (TnI) and cardiac dysfunction. Methods Patients with acute CO poisoning with elevated TnI were evaluated. CMRI was performed within 7 days of CO exposure and after 4 to 5 months. Patients were divided into LGE (n = 72; 69.2%) and no-LGE (n = 32; 30.8%) groups. Results In the LGE group, 39.4%, 4.8%, and 25.0% of patients exhibited midwall, subendocardial, and right ventricular insertion point injury, respectively. Diffuse injury was observed in 22.1% of patients, and 67.6% of the 37 patients who underwent follow-up CMRI showed no interval change. On TTE, baseline left ventricular ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain were significantly deteriorated in the LGE group; serial TTE within 7 days indicated that only left ventricular global longitudinal strain remained significantly deteriorated. Three cases of mortality occurred in the LGE group during the 1-year follow-up. Conclusions The LGE prevalence in patients with acute CO poisoning with elevated TnI levels, with no underlying cardiovascular diseases and eligible for CMRI, was 69.2%; this proportion primarily comprised patients with a midwall injury. Of the 37 patients who underwent follow-up CMRI, most chronic phase images showed no interval change. Myocardial fibrosis detected on CMR images was related to acute myocardial dysfunction and subacute deterioration of myocardial strain on TTE. (Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Image in Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning; NCT04419298 )

This study aimed to evaluate chest computed tomography (CT) angiography image quality using the contrast enhancement (CE)-boost technique compared with conventional images.Forty patients who underwent contrast-enhanced chest CT were included. Combined CT angiography images of the iodinated image obtained from the subtraction of nonenhanced CT images and CT angiography images were used to generate CE-boost images. Computed tomography attenuation, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for the right and left pulmonary arteries as the central and subsegmental arteries as peripheral vessels were assessed. Subjective image quality was rated on a 5-point scale by 2 radiologists. Image quality was assessed using a paired t test.Computed tomography attenuation in the main pulmonary artery was significantly higher for the CE-boost images (311.05 ± 91.94) than for the conventional images (221.25 ± 61.21, P0.001). Similarly, the CE-boost images resulted in significantly higher CT attenuation in the subsegmental arteries (right, 305.34 ± 90.13; left, 313.05 ± 97.21) than in the conventional images (right, 218.45 ± 63.16; left, 223.89 ± 74.27). The CE-boost technique demonstrated marked improvement in the visualization of the peripheral pulmonary artery without the administration of a higher iodine delivery rate. The mean SNR and CNR were also significantly higher in the central and peripheral vessels in the CE-boost images than in the conventional images (P0.001). In the subjective analysis, the image contrast and vascular contrast edge were significantly higher for the CE-boost images than for conventional images (P0.001).The CE-boost technique increases not only the visualization of peripheral arteries by improving vascular attenuation but also the SNR and CNR.

Background Our study evaluated the association between body mass index (BMI) and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) in breast cancer patients and healthy females. Additionally, we determined the prognostic value of these factors in breast cancer. Methods We retrospectively identified 1225 primary invasive breast cancer patients and 35,991 healthy females. Factors including BMI and complete blood count associated with disease-free survival (DFS) were assessed using a multi-variable Cox proportional hazard model. Results BMI and ALC were positively correlated in breast cancer patients and healthy females (both P P = 0.001) than underweight or normal-weight individuals, but patients with high ALC had better DFS than those with low ALC (HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.29–0.65; P P Conclusions BMI and ALC were positive correlated, but their effect on breast cancer prognosis was opposite. Patients with high BMI/low ALC had worse DFS than others. Underlying mechanisms for effect of BMI/ALC on breast cancer prognosis should be studied in the future.

Introduction: The purpose of our study is to identify the association between body mass index (BMI) and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), and to determine the effect of these two factors on the prognosis of breast cancer patients.Methods: We retrospectively identified 16,375 healthy female and 1,226 primary invasive breast cancer patients from Gangnam Severance Hospital. BMI and complete blood count (CBC) information at the time of diagnosed was collected. A multivariate Cox proportional hazard model was used to variable associated with disease-free survival (DFS).Results: BMI and ALC has positive correlation in breast cancer patients as well as health female (both P < .001). However, the effect of BMI and ALC on prognosis was the opposite. Overweight and obese had worse DFS (HR, 2.00; 95% CIs, 1.36-2.96; P < .001) than underweight or normal weight, but patients with high ALC had better DFS than those with low ALC (HR, 0.42; 95% CIs, 0.28-0.63; P < .001). When the risk stratification group was divided according to BMI /ALC, the high-risk group who had high BMI and low ALC had worse DFS than low-risk group (HR, 2.61; 95% CIs, 1.51-4.51; P = .001). In subgroup analysis, Her2-overexpressing and early stage tumor was more affected by BMI/ALC.Conclusions: The impact of BMI and ALC on prognosis in breast cancer was the opposite although BMI and ALC had positive correlation. Patients with high BMI and low ALC had worse DFS than others. Weight management is essential to breast cancer patients, and additional study about correlation between BMI and ALC affecting prognosis is needed in the future. Citation Format: Sung Min Ko. The significance of body mass index and absolute lymphocyte count as a prognostic factor for disease-free survival in Korean breast cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS6-44.

Objective To compare the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced radial T1-weighted gradient-echo 3-tesla (3T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) for the detection of visceral pleural surface invasion (VPSI). Visceral pleural invasion by non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can be classified into two types: PL1 (without VPSI), invasion of the elastic layer of the visceral pleura without reaching the visceral pleural surface, and PL2 (with VPSI), full invasion of the visceral pleura. Materials and methods Thirty-three patients with pathologically confirmed VPSI by NSCLC were retrospectively reviewed. Multidetector CT and contrast-enhanced 3T MRI with a free-breathing radial three-dimensional fat-suppressed volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) pulse sequence were compared in terms of the length of contact, angle of mass margin, and arch distance-to-maximum tumor diameter ratio. Supplemental evaluation of the tumor-pleura interface (smooth versus irregular) could only be performed with MRI (not discernible on CT). Results At the tumor-pleura interface, radial VIBE MRI revealed a smooth margin in 20 of 21 patients without VPSI and an irregular margin in 10 of 12 patients with VPSI, yielding an accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and F-score for VPSI detection of 91%, 83%, 95%, 91%, 91%, and 87%, respectively. The McNemar test and receiver operating characteristics curve analysis revealed no significant differences between the diagnostic accuracies of CT and MRI for evaluating the contact length, angle of mass margin, or arch distance-to-maximum tumor diameter ratio as predictors of VPSI. Conclusion The diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced radial T1-weighted gradient-echo 3T MRI and CT were equal in terms of the contact length, angle of mass margin, and arch distance-to-maximum tumor diameter ratio. The advantage of MRI is its clear depiction of the tumor-pleura interface margin, facilitating VPSI detection.

Background Gadolinium-based contrast agents were not approved in the United States for detecting coronary artery disease (CAD) prior to the current studies. Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of gadobutrol for detection of CAD by assessing myocardial perfusion and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging. Methods Two international, single-vendor, phase 3 clinical trials of near identical design, “GadaCAD1” and “GadaCAD2,” were performed. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) included gadobutrol-enhanced first-pass vasodilator stress and rest perfusion followed by LGE imaging. CAD was defined by quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) but computed tomography coronary angiography could exclude significant CAD. Results Because the design and results for GadaCAD1 (n = 376) and GadaCAD2 (n = 388) were very similar, results were summarized as a fixed-effect meta-analysis (n = 764). The prevalence of CAD was 27.8% defined by a ≥70% QCA stenosis. For detection of a ≥70% QCA stenosis, the sensitivity of CMR was 78.9%, specificity was 86.8%, and area under the curve was 0.871. The sensitivity and specificity for multivessel CAD was 87.4% and 73.0%. For detection of a 50% QCA stenosis, sensitivity was 64.6% and specificity was 86.6%. The optimal threshold for detecting CAD was a ≥67% QCA stenosis in GadaCAD1 and ≥63% QCA stenosis in GadaCAD2. Conclusions Vasodilator stress and rest myocardial perfusion CMR and LGE imaging had high diagnostic accuracy for CAD in 2 phase 3 clinical trials. These findings supported the U .S. Food and Drug Administration approval of gadobutrol-enhanced CMR (0.1 mmol/kg) to assess myocardial perfusion and LGE in adult patients with known or suspected CAD.

We propose a piezoelectric energy harvesting technology installed in a roadway speed bump. We have installed a module that can charge mobile phones utilizing a speed bump piezoelectric harvester (SBPH), which is easy to apply to roads. A highly integrated module with 40 piezo-generators was fixed and installed at the center of the speed bump. When a medium-sized vehicle passed the module at a speed of 30 km/h, an output voltage of 144 Vmax, output current of 45.2 mAmax, and output power of 4086.08 mWmax (6.81 W/m2) were measured at a load resistance of 2 kΩ. When the vehicle passed over the SBPH nine times, it charged a capacitor (10,000 μF) to provide 6 V for about 200 s, and the charged electrical energy was enough to operate a cellphone. The self-controlled battery charging system via electricity generated by the piezoelectric module could be applied to a speed bump installed on an actual road.

Due to the depletion of fossil fuels and severe environmental pollution problems, the urgent demand for clean and sustainable energy sources is constantly emphasized. In recent decades, platinum (Pt)-based fuel cells have achieved tremendous advances as a green energy source, but there is still a need to further improve energy production efficiency in order to realize practical applications. Conventional Pt electrocatalysts are usually insufficient in catalytic activity and the selectivity of electrochemical reactions due to sluggish kinetics and surface poisoning. In contrast, metal alloy nanocatalysts exhibit exceptional electrocatalytic performance on fuel cells, more than pure Pt catalysts, owing to the synergistic effect by systematic modification of the surface geometry and electronic structure of the catalytically active metal component. This review provides overviews and advances in the applications of metal alloy nanohybrid particles enabling the improvement of electrocatalytic efficiency and discusses the challenges and outlooks in the fields of green energy production based on metal alloy nanocatalysts.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of implementing the consensus statement from the Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging-Practical Tutorial 2020 (ASCI-PT 2020) on the reliability of cardiac MR with late gadolinium enhancement (CMR-LGE) myocardial viability scoring between observers in the context of ischemic cardiomyopathy.A total of 17 cardiovascular imaging experts from five different countries evaluated CMR obtained in 26 patients (male:female, 23:3; median age [interquartile range], 55.5 years [50-61.8]) with ischemic cardiomyopathy. For LGE scoring, based on the 17 segments, the extent of LGE in each segment was graded using a five-point scoring system ranging from 0 to 4 before and after exposure according to the consensus statement. All scoring was performed via web-based review. Scores for slices, vascular territories, and total scores were obtained as the sum of the relevant segmental scores. Interobserver reliability for segment scores was assessed using Fleiss' kappa, while the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used for slice score, vascular territory score, and total score. Inter-observer agreement was assessed using the limits of agreement from the mean (LoA).Interobserver reliability (Fleiss' kappa) in each segment ranged 0.242-0.662 before the consensus and increased to 0.301-0.774 after the consensus. The interobserver reliability (ICC) for each slice, each vascular territory, and total score increased after the consensus (slice, 0.728-0.805 and 0.849-0.884; vascular territory, 0.756-0.902 and 0.852-0.941; total score, 0.847 and 0.913, before and after implementing the consensus statement, respectively. Interobserver agreement in scoring also improved with the implementation of the consensus for all slices, vascular territories, and total score. The LoA for the total score narrowed from ± 10.36 points to ± 7.12 points.The interobserver reliability and agreement for CMR-LGE scoring for ischemic cardiomyopathy improved when following guidance from the ASCI-PT 2020 consensus statement.

This study sought to evaluate the prevalence and patterns of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) after carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging (CMRI) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE).In acute CO poisoning, cardiac injury can predict mortality. However, it remains unclear why increased mortality and cardiovascular events occur despite normalization of CO-induced elevated troponin I (TnI) and cardiac dysfunction.Patients with acute CO poisoning with elevated TnI were evaluated. CMRI was performed within 7 days of CO exposure and after 4 to 5 months. Patients were divided into LGE (n = 72; 69.2%) and no-LGE (n = 32; 30.8%) groups.In the LGE group, 39.4%, 4.8%, and 25.0% of patients exhibited midwall, subendocardial, and right ventricular insertion point injury, respectively. Diffuse injury was observed in 22.1% of patients, and 67.6% of the 37 patients who underwent follow-up CMRI showed no interval change. On TTE, baseline left ventricular ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain were significantly deteriorated in the LGE group; serial TTE within 7 days indicated that only left ventricular global longitudinal strain remained significantly deteriorated. Three cases of mortality occurred in the LGE group during the 1-year follow-up.The LGE prevalence in patients with acute CO poisoning with elevated TnI levels, with no underlying cardiovascular diseases and eligible for CMRI, was 69.2%; this proportion primarily comprised patients with a midwall injury. Of the 37 patients who underwent follow-up CMRI, most chronic phase images showed no interval change. Myocardial fibrosis detected on CMR images was related to acute myocardial dysfunction and subacute deterioration of myocardial strain on TTE. (Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Image in Acute Carbon Monoxide Poisoning; NCT04419298).

Magneto piezoelectric harvesters (MPHs) operating under an AC magnetic field have attracted much attention due to their vital importance in portable industrial applications. Here, we present the first report of a spring-supported magneto piezoelectric harvester (SMPH) operating under an AC magnetic field to generate enhanced electric performance. As the length of the spring supporting the MPH becomes longer, the elasticity coefficient (N/mm) becomes lower and the resonance frequency decreases. In order to implement SMPH at a resonance frequency of 60 Hz, a spring with spring constant of 24.52 N/mm is used to support the MPH and produce maximum output power. To increase the output power of the SMPH, a magnetic tip was used to scavenge the AC magnetic field. The electrical performance of the SMPH with the magnetic tip mass showed an output voltage of 12.5 Vmax, output current of 654 μAmax, and output power of 5.56 mWmax at a load resistance of 30 kΩ and AC magnetic field of 80 μT. The SMPH exhibits an advantage over the conventional rigidly supported MPH with regards to output power. The demonstrated device is capable of meeting the requirements of charging and operating a wireless temperature sensor system, and thus it is most suitable for use in actual industrial sites where such magnetic fields exist.

Objective To compare the diagnostic performance of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) myocardial perfusion at 1.5- and 3-tesla (T) for detecting significant coronary artery disease (CAD), with invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the reference method. Materials and Methods We prospectively enrolled 281 patients (age 62.4 ± 8.3 years, 193 men) with suspected or known CAD who had undergone 1.5T or 3T CMR and ICA. Two independent radiologists interpreted perfusion defects. With ICA as the reference standard, the diagnostic performance of 1.5T and 3T CMR for identifying significant CAD (≥ 50% diameter reduction of the left main and ≥ 70% diameter reduction of other epicardial arteries) was determined. Results No differences were observed in baseline characteristics or prevalence of CAD and old myocardial infarction (MI) using 1.5T (n = 135) or 3T (n = 146) systems. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for detecting significant CAD were similar between the 1.5T (84%, 64%, 74%, 76%, and 0.75 per patient and 68%, 83%, 66%, 84%, and 0.76 per vessel) and 3T (80%, 71%, 71%, 80%, and 0.76 per patient and 75%, 86%, 64%, 91%, and 0.81 per vessel) systems. In patients with multi-vessel CAD without old MI, the sensitivity, specificity, and AUC with 3T were greater than those with 1.5T on a per-vessel basis (71% vs. 36%, 92% vs. 69%, and 0.82 vs. 0.53, respectively). Conclusion 3T CMR has similar diagnostic performance to 1.5T CMR in detecting significant CAD, except for higher diagnostic performance in patients with multi-vessel CAD without old MI.

Background Non-invasive anatomical and physiological evaluations of coronary artery disease (CAD) may be obtained with static single-scan stress perfusion cardiac computed tomography (SSPCT). Purpose To determine the diagnostic performance of static SSPCT for identifying hemodynamically significant CAD. Material and Methods This prospective study included 29 patients with suspected or known CAD who underwent static SSPCT, cardiovascular magnetic resonance myocardial perfusion imaging (CMR-MPI), and invasive coronary angiography (ICA). CT was performed as follows: (i) coronary calcium scan; (ii) static SSPCT for both coronary artery (coronary CT angiography [CCTA]) and myocardial perfusion (perfusion CT [PCT]) during adenosine infusion; (iii) late-phase scan. The diagnostic performance of CCTA alone, PCT alone, and SSPCT for the detection of a hemodynamically significant CAD (a perfusion defect in a vascular territory subtended by a coronary vessel with ≥ 50% stenosis) was compared with that of combined ICA/CMR-MPI representing the standard of reference. Results Twenty-three (79%) patients and 47 (54%) vascular territories manifested ischemia-causing coronary stenoses by combined ICA/CMR-MPI. The per-vessel sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the SSPCT were 92%, 88%, 90%, 90%, and 0.90, respectively, compared to those of the combined ICA/CMR-MPI. These values for the CCTA alone were 96%, 63%, 75%, 93%, and 0.79, respectively; and the values for the PCT alone were 94%, 83%, 86%, 92%, and 0.88, respectively. The AUC of SSPCT was significantly ( P = 0.013) higher than that of the CCTA alone. Conclusion Static SSPCT may facilitate detection of hemodynamically significant CAD.

Uniformly controlling a large number of metal nanostructures with a plasmonically enhanced signal to generate quantitative optical signals and the widespread use of these structures for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based biosensing and bioimaging applications are of paramount importance but are extremely challenging. Here, we report a highly controllable, facile selective-interdiffusive dealloying chemistry for synthesizing the dealloyed intra-nanogap particles (DIPs) with a ∼2 nm intragap in a high yield (∼95%) without the need for an interlayer. The SERS signals from DIPs are highly quantitative and polarization-independent with polarized laser sources. Remarkably, all the analyzed particles displayed the SERS enhancement factors (EFs) of ≥1.1 × 108 with a very narrow distribution of EFs. Finally, we show that DIPs can be used as ultrasensitive SERS-based DNA detection probes for detecting 10 aM to 1 pM target concentrations and highly robust, quantitative real-time cell imaging probes for long-term imaging with low laser power and short exposure time., We developed a synthetic strategy for forming dealloyed intra-nanogap particles in a high yield, and these nanoparticles with strong, stable, and quantifiable Raman signals were used for ultrasensitive DNA detection and target-specific cell imaging.

Hericium erinaceus is an edible and medicinal mushroom, which has been traditionally used for the treatment of diabetes and memory disorders. Hericene A (HA) is known as one of the active constituents of H. erinaceus including α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Therefore, research for the development of H. erinaceus with high content of HA was carried out in this study. The effects of culture conditions including agricultural by-products, incubation days and light conditions were investigated. The highest HA production was achieved by agricultural by-products combination of sawdust 42% + cottonseed meal 12% + rice bran 7% + cottonseed hulls 19% + beet 13% with the value of 3.46 mg HA/g dry mushroom. The incubation days for fruiting bodies affected the HA content whereas little effect of mycelia growth periods. In addition, H. erinaceus grown in darkness contained a high amount of HA than those under light conditions. Taken together, the development of H. erinaceus with increased HA content can be achieved by optimization of cultivation conditions.

Large surface area, small size, strong optical properties, controllable structural features, variety of bioconjugation chemistries, and biocompatibility make many different types of nanoparticles (NPs), such as gold NPs, useful for many biological applications, such as biosensing, cellular imaging, disease diagnostics, drug delivery, and therapeutics. Recently, interactions between proteins and NPs have been extensively studied to understand, control, and utilize the interactions involved in biomedical applications of NPs and several biological processes, such as protein aggregation, for many diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. These studies also offer fundamental knowledge on changes in protein structure, protein aggregation mechanisms, and ways to unravel the roles and fates of NPs within the human body. This review focuses on recent studies on the roles and uses of NPs in protein structural changes and aggregation processes.

In the general population and in hemodialysis patients epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has been associated with increased mortality and cardiovascular events. Weight loss and lipid lowering therapies reduced EAT in the general population. It is unknown whether sevelamer, a phosphate (Pi) binder that lowers cholesterol and reduces inflammation in dialysis patients also affects EAT progression. Post-hoc analysis of a randomized trial of sevelamer (SVL) versus calcium-based Pi binders (CPiB) in incident hemodialysis patients. EAT was measured on cardiac computed tomography scans performed at enrollment, 6, 12 and 18 months from baseline. Of 109 patients, 54 received SVL and 55 CPiB; the median LDL change was −16.4 % (IQR: −67.5, 142.3 %) and 12.1 % (IQR: −51.9, 193.8 %) with SVL and CPiB respectively (p

Porous nanostructures exhibit excellent catalytic properties due to high surface-to-volume ratio, good surface reactivity and various structural features, but controlling the distribution, size, shape and density of pores and structural features of these particles is highly challenging. Herein, we report a tunable dealloying-based facile synthetic strategy to form highly porous Au core/porous shell nanoparticles (CPS NPs) in high yield by selectively dissolving Ag atoms from Au/Au-Ag core/alloy shell NPs. The CPS NPs exhibit a very short induction time, high conversion rate constant, low activation energy and high turnover frequency due to their catalytically active porous shells containing networked thin ligaments, surface defects, ultra-high porosity and photothermal properties. The CPS NPs are more catalytic Au NPs than other reported Au nanostructures, and the strategy and results open avenues in porous nanostructures and nanocatalysts.

Background Aortic valve calcification quantification using cardiac computed tomography (CCT) is a reliable marker for aortic stenosis (AS) in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease. Purpose To determine the association of Agatston aortic valve calcium score (AVCS) with morphological and hemodynamic characteristics of BAV and define cut-off AVCS for optimizing the grade of AS in patients with bicuspid AS. Material and Methods This study included 161 BAV patients with AS regardless of aortic regurgitation who underwent transthoracic echocardiography and CCT. BAVs were classified according to orientation of cusps and presence of raphe. Associations of AVCS with characteristics of BAV morphology and functional variables were determined by linear regression analysis. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to determine the cut-off AVCS greater than which the diagnosis of severe AS was optimized. Results AVCS was significantly different according to sex ( P Conclusions In patients with bicuspid AS, AVCS was significantly higher in men and those with severe AS. However, AVCS was not significantly associated with morphological characteristics of BAV or the type of valvular dysfunction.

Background Regurgitant orifice area (ROA) measurements by cardiac CT have not been compared with a quantitative classification of aortic regurgitation (AR) severity based on regurgitant fraction by phase-contrast cardiovascular magnetic resonance (PC-CMR). Objectives To compare ROA using dual-source CT (DSCT) with the grade of AR using PC-CMR for obtaining the cutoff values of the ROA allowing for grading of AR severity. Methods We retrospectively enrolled 208 patients (81 women, mean age 53.3 ± 14.4 years) with AR who underwent DSCT and CMR. DSCT data sets were reconstructed in 10% steps from 0% to 90% of the R-R interval to measure ROA. Grades of AR were determined by regurgitant fraction using PC-CMR. Receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated to differentiate between grades of AR and ROA. Results Sixty-three patients with mild AR, 80 with moderate AR, and 65 with severe AR by PC-CMR were enrolled. Quantification of the ROA by DSCT (mean, 27 ± 21 mm 2 ) was significantly correlated with the grade of AR by PC-CMR ( r = 0.83). In the receiver operating characteristic analysis, discrimination (mild vs moderate and moderate vs severe) among grades of AR with DSCT was accurate when cutoff ROAs of 15 mm 2 and 23 mm 2 in comparison with PC-CMR were used. Conclusions The cutoff values of the ROA by DSCT allow for grading of AR severity determined by PC-CMR but are lower than those previously published, using transthoracic echocardiography as the reference standard. A multicenter study is necessary with a wide range of population for obtaining cutoff ROAs.

To characterize aortic valve dysfunction and ascending aorta dimensions according to bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) morphology using computed tomography (CT) and surgical findings. We retrospectively enrolled 209 patients with BAVs who underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and CT. BAVs were classified as anterior-posterior (BAV-AP) or lateral (BAV-LA) orientation of the cusps and divided according to the presence (raphe+) or absence (raphe–) of a raphe. Ascending aortic dimensions were measured by CT at four levels. BAV-AP was present in 129 patients (61.7 %) and raphe+ in 120 (57.4 %). Sixty-nine patients (33.0 %) had aortic regurgitation (AR), 70 (33.5 %) had aortic stenosis (AS), and 58 (27.8 %) had combined AS and AR. AR was more common in patients with BAV-AP and raphe+; AS was more common with BAV-LA and raphe–.Annulus/body surface area and tubular portion/body surface area diameters in patients with BAV-AP (17.1 ± 2.3 mm/m2 and 24.2 ± 5.3 mm/m2, respectively) and raphe+ (17.3 ± 2.2 mm/m2 and 24.2 ± 5.5 mm/m2, respectively) were significantly different from those with BAV-LA (15.8 ± 1.9 mm/m2 and 26.4 ± 5.5 mm/m2, respectively) and raphe– (15.7 ± 1.9 mm/m2 and 26.2 ± 5.4 mm/m2, respectively). The morphological characteristics of BAV might be associated with the type of valvular dysfunction, and degree and location of an ascending aorta dilatation. • The BAV-AP type had more frequent aortic regurgitation, raphe, and a larger aortic annulus. • BAV without raphe had more frequent aortic stenosis and mid-ascending aorta dilatation. • CT allows assessment of the morphological characteristics of BAV and associated aortopathy.

The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of stress perfusion dual-energy CT (DECT) and its incremental value when used with coronary CT angiography (CTA) for identifying hemodynamically significant coronary artery disease.One hundred patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease without chronic myocardial infarction detected with coronary CTA underwent stress perfusion DECT, stress cardiovascular perfusion MRI, and invasive coronary angiography (ICA). Stress perfusion DECT and cardiovascular stress perfusion MR images were used for detecting perfusion defects. Coronary CTA and ICA were evaluated in the detection of ≥50% coronary stenosis. The diagnostic performance of coronary CTA for detecting hemo-dynamically significant stenosis was assessed before and after stress perfusion DECT on a per-vessel basis with ICA and cardiovascular stress perfusion MRI as the reference standard.The performance of stress perfusion DECT compared with cardiovascular stress perfusion MRI on a per-vessel basis in the detection of perfusion defects was sensitivity, 89%; specificity, 74%; positive predictive value, 73%; negative predictive value, 90%. Per segment, these values were sensitivity, 76%; specificity, 80%; positive predictive value, 63%; and negative predictive value, 88%. Compared with ICA and cardiovascular stress perfusion MRI per vessel territory the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of coronary CTA were 95%, 61%, 61%, and 95%. The values for stress perfusion DECT were 92%, 72%, 68%, and 94%. The values for coronary CTA and stress perfusion DECT were 88%, 79%, 73%, and 91%. The ROC AUC increased from 0.78 to 0.84 (p=0.02) with the use of coronary CTA and stress perfusion DECT compared with coronary CTA alone.Stress perfusion DECT plays a complementary role in enhancing the accuracy of coronary CTA for identifying hemodynamically significant coronary stenosis.

Objective This study investigated the morphological and functional characteristics of the aortic valve and the left ventricular (LV) systolic functional parameters and myocardial mass related to the severity of myocardial fibrosis (MF) in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis (AS). Materials and Methods We retrospectively enrolled 81 patients (48 men; mean age: 59±12 years) with severe AS who underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), cardiac computed tomography (CCT), and cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) within 1 month and subsequent aortic valve surgery. Degree of MF was determined on delayed contrast-enhanced CMR with visual sub-segmental analysis-based quantification and was classified into three groups (no, mild, and severe) for identifying the differences in LV function and characteristics of the aortic valve. One-way ANOVA, Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test were used to compare variables of the three groups. Univariate multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between the severity of MF and variables on imaging modalities. Results Of 81 patients, 34 (42%) had MF (mild, n = 18; severe, n = 16). Aortic valve calcium volume score on CCT, aortic valve area, LV mass index, LV end-diastolic volume index on CMR, presence of mild aortic regurgitation (AR), transaortic mean pressure gradient, and peak velocity on TTE were significantly different among the three groups and were associated with severity of MF on a univariate multinomial logistic regression analysis. Aortic valve calcium grade was different (p = 0.008) among the three groups but not associated with severity of MF (p = 0.375). Conclusions A multi-imaging approach shows that severe AS with MF is significantly associated with more severe calcific AS, higher LV end-diastolic volume, higher LV mass, and higher prevalence of mild AR.