MR Spectroscopy evaluation of white matter signal abnormalities of different non-neoplastic brain lesions

Objectives: Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of MR Spectroscopy in characterization of white matter signal abnormalities diagnosed by MRI detect changes in different metabolites and peaks of inflammation. Patients and methods: 93 patients (49 females and 44 males) age ranging from 2 to 63 years with average (37 ± 2.34 years) presented with white matter hyperintense lesions on T2 and T2 FLAIR and/or contrast enhanced T1WI diagnosed on MRI are included our study. Results: In Infectious group: Average Cho/NAA ratio: 0.79 ± 0.19, Cho/Cr ratio: 0.95 ± 0.17, NAA/Cr 1.89 ± 0.69, in inflammatory group Cho/NAA ratio: 0.65 ± 0.15, Cho/Cr ratio: 0.98 ± 0.29, Average NAA/Cr ratio 1.69 ± 0.19. In ischemic group: Average Cho/NAA ratio: 0.83 ± 0.09, Cho/Cr ratio: 0.81 ± 0.23, Average NAA/Cr 1.54 ± 0.39, in metabolic group: Average Cho/NAA ratio: 0.57 ± 0.13, Cho/Cr ratio: 0.76 ± 0.26; NAA/Cr ratio was 1.73 ± 0.44, in mitochondrial group, Average Cho/NAA ratio: 0.62 ± 0.19, Cho/Cr ratio: 0.54 ± 0.14, NAA/Cr ratio was 1.49 ± 0.59, in inherited dysmyelinating; Cho/NAA ratio: 0.51 ± 0.17, Cho/Cr ratio: 0.63 ± 0.13; Average NAA/Cr ratio was 1.87 ± 0.65. Glutamate and myoinositol peak raised in inflammatory, infectious, metabolic, inherited, and ischemic group mainly in the acute and subacute stage. Amino acids and succinate peak specifically are raised in brain abscesses. Conclusion: MRS is a noninvasive additional MRI technique to define the nature of non-neoplastic brain lesions. Together with image analysis, it may be the key to etiologic diagnosis or, at least, definition of the group where the lesion is classified, by detecting changes in different metabolites and peaks of inflammation

Malignant focal brain lesions. Value of MRS tumour biomarkers in preoperative prediction of grades of malignancy

Purpose: Our aim is to describe the spectrum of proton-MR spectroscopy in malignant focal brain lesions and to detect grade of malignancy using MRS tumor biomarkers. Materials and methods: 87 patients (63 males and 24 females) with focal brain lesion(s) are included in this study. All had a brain tumor recently diagnosed by MRI and had received no previous treatment. They were referred to MRS examination before surgical biopsy and/or resection or radiotherapy. Results: In malignant brain tumors, average Cho/NAA ratio was 3.3 ± 0.22, Cho/Cr ratio was 2.95 ± 0.21, MI/NAA ratio was 1.5 ± 0.12, MI/Cr was 0.53 ± 0.11 with lower MI levels and higher choline levels in more malignant tumours, lipid/lactate peak was detected in brain metastasis and high grade malignant brain tumors. Conclusion: Higher Cho/NAA, Cho/Cr and MI/NAA ratios with lower MI/Cr, and high lipid/lactate peak, were most likely to be in high grade malignant brain tumors

The Nucleation of Co Bubbles in Molten Ironcarbon Drops Reacting with Oxidizing Gases

A theoretical representation has been developed for the supersaturation of molten iron drops with respect to carbon monoxide caused by the counter diffusion of carbon and oxygen. These theoretical predictions were compared with experimental measurements obtained using droplets, 4 to 6 mm in diameter at temperatures ranging from 1600 °C to 2000 °C under levitated conditions and with free fall. The agreement between the theoretically predicted and the experimentally measured limits for the onset of the carbon boil was very good, assuming that the effective diffusivity in levitated drops was about three times the molecular diffusivity. This observation is consistent with calculations of flow and mixing in electromagnetically levitated metal droplets

Urinary Transforming Growth Factor β-1 as a Marker of Renal Dysfunction in Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder that results in deformity of red blood cells. Renal dysfunction affects 5–18% of patients with SCD. To date, few studies have described urinary levels of transforming growth factor β-1 (TGF-β1), which is a marker of fibrosis, as a biomarker in identifying patients at risk of developing renal disease in SCD. The aim of this study is to determine prevalence of sickle cell nephropathy in Egyptian SCD patients. We aimed also to evaluate the association of urinary TGF-β1 with other conventional biomarkers of renal damage in SCD patients to identify a novel renal biomarker for early diagnosis of sickle nephropathy. Methods: We examined 40 SCD patients, 21 with sickle cell anemia, 16 sickle thalassemia, and three with sickle trait. We compared them to 20 control children with matched age and sex. The study was held in the time period between May 2013 and December 2013 in the Hematology Clinic, New Cairo University Children Hospital, Cairo, Egypt. Results: Urinary excretion of TGF-β1 was 7.07 ± 1.91 ng/mL in SCD patients versus 2.23 ± 0.76 ng/mL in control children (p < 0.001). SCD patients had elevated estimated glomerular filtration rate (177.44 ± 35.6 mL/min/1.73 m2), denoting a state of glomerular hyperfiltration. 47.5% of SCD patients had microalbuminuria. Urinary TGF-β1 correlated positively with microalbuminuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (p = 0.001 and p = 0.018, respectively). Conclusion: We concluded that urinary TGF-β1 may serve as a marker of early renal injury in SCD