Perfusion CT is a valuable diagnostic method for prostate cancer: a prospective study of 94 patients

Purpose: The aim of this study is to assess the usefulness of perfusion computer tomography (pCT) in prostate cancer (PCa) diagnostics. Copyright:Materials and Methods: 94 patients with biopsy-proven PCa were enrolled in the study. Dynamic pCT of the prostate gland was performed for 50 seconds after an intravenous injection of contrast medium. Blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), mean transit time (MTT) and permeability surface area product (PS) were computed in the suspected PCa area and in normal prostatic tissue.Results: PCa was visible in pCT in 90 of the 94 examined patients as a focal peripheral CT enhancement. When PCa was located in the peripheral zone (PZ), it was visible on perfusion maps, mostly showing an early peak followed by wash-out. The average values of all perfusion parameters were higher for tumour than for normal prostate tissue (p 7). In high-grade PCa, the mean BF value was significantly higher (p = 0.001) than the mean value of BF low- and medium-grade PCa (p = 0.011). Similar results were obtained regarding the mean values of BV; the more aggressive the cancer grade, the higher the mean BV value (p = 0.04).Conclusion: CT quantitative perfusion imaging allows PCa to be distinguished from normal prostate tissue. The highest values for BF and BV were observed in the most aggressive PCa grade

Evacetrapib and Cardiovascular Outcomes in High-Risk Vascular Disease

BACKGROUND: The cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor evacetrapib substantially raises the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, reduces the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level, and enhances cellular cholesterol efflux capacity. We sought to determine the effect of evacetrapib on major adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with high-risk vascular disease. METHODS: In a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial, we enrolled 12,092 patients who had at least one of the following conditions: an acute coronary syndrome within the previous 30 to 365 days, cerebrovascular atherosclerotic disease, peripheral vascular arterial disease, or diabetes mellitus with coronary artery disease. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either evacetrapib at a dose of 130 mg or matching placebo, administered daily, in addition to standard medical therapy. The primary efficacy end point was the first occurrence of any component of the composite of death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization, or hospitalization for unstable angina. RESULTS: At 3 months, a 31.1% decrease in the mean LDL cholesterol level was observed with evacetrapib versus a 6.0% increase with placebo, and a 133.2% increase in the mean HDL cholesterol level was seen with evacetrapib versus a 1.6% increase with placebo. After 1363 of the planned 1670 primary end-point events had occurred, the data and safety monitoring board recommended that the trial be terminated early because of a lack of efficacy. After a median of 26 months of evacetrapib or placebo, a primary end-point event occurred in 12.9% of the patients in the evacetrapib group and in 12.8% of those in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 0.91 to 1.11; P=0.91). CONCLUSIONS: Although the cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor evacetrapib had favorable effects on established lipid biomarkers, treatment with evacetrapib did not result in a lower rate of cardiovascular events than placebo among patients with high-risk vascular disease. (Funded by Eli Lilly; ACCELERATE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01687998 .)

Utilisation of CFBC Fly Ash in Hardening Slurries for Flood-Protecting Dikes

Strength and permeability properties along with microstructural evolution of hardened slurries composed of fly ash from fluidal bed combustion of brown coal and an addition of OPC/BFSC is assessed in this paper. An increase in the amount of fly ash in slurries influences the development of mechanical strength and a decrease of hydraulic conductivity. SEM, XRD, and porosity analyses confirmed formation of watertight microstructures. The structure of slurries is composed of ettringite, C-S-H phase, AFt, and AFm phases. Ettringite crystallises as relatively short needles forming compact clusters or intermixed with the C-S-H phase. The occurring C-S-H phases are mainly of type I - fibrous and type II - honeycomb

Wykorzystanie popiołu lotnego ze spalania w złożu z cyrkulacyjną warstwą fluidalną w zawiesinach twardniejących stosowanych w naprawach wałów przeciwpowodziowych

Strength and permeability properties along with microstructural evolution of hardened slurries composed of fly ash from fluidal bed combustion of brown coal and an addition of OPC/BFSC is assessed in this paper. An increase in the amount of fly ash in slurries influences the development of mechanical strength and a decrease of hydraulic conductivity. SEM, XRD, and porosity analyses confirmed formation of watertight microstructures. The structure of slurries is composed of ettringite, C-S-H phase, AFt, and AFm phases. Ettringite crystallises as relatively short needles forming compact clusters or intermixed with the C-S-H phase. The occurring C-S-H phases are mainly of type I – fibrous and type II – honeycomb.W artykule przedstawiono wyniki badań właściwości mechanicznych, filtracyjnych oraz składu fazowego i mikrostruktury zawiesin twardniejących wykonanych z udziałem popiołu lotnego z fluidalnego spalania węgla brunatnego po 28 i 90 dniach dojrzewania. Ten rodzaj popiołu lotnego wykazuje się wysoką wodożądnością, co ogranicza możliwość jego wykorzystania w technologii betonu. Natomiast jego dodatek nie wpływa na właściwości zawiesiny twardniejącej ze względu na dużą zawartość wody. Zawiesiny wykonano wg trzech receptur w dwóch wariantach (po trzy próbki na każdą recepturę, termin i rodzaj badania), w których popiół lotny był głównym składnikiem spoiwa, a do niego dodano odpowiednio cement portlandzki CEM I 42,5 (próbki 1-3) i cement hutniczy CEM III 32,5 (próbki 4-6). Proporcje popiołu do cementu były następujące: 1,81 (próbki 1 i 4), 2,18 (próbki 2 i 5), 2,45 (próbki 3 i 6)

Analysis of background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) on contrast enhanced spectral mammography compared with magnetic resonance imaging

Objectives: With the growing number of new breast cancer cases in women, new methods of imaging arise. Contrast enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are comparable methods regarding sensitivity. The aim of this study is to check if analysis of background parenchymal enhancement on CESM can improve its usefulness.Material and methods: A total of 64 patients with breast lesions found previously on ultrasound or mammography underwent MRI and CESM within less than one month. On MRI the contrast enhancement kinetics and visual BPE were evaluated. On CESM the enhancement of lesions was noted as well as a quantitative level of BPH. The gathered data was analysed in terms of patterns and relations.Results: A total of 66 lesions were identified both on MRI and CESM, including 11 (17%) benign and 55 (83%) malignant lesions. Among malignant lesions 13 (20%) were assessed as intraductal and 42 (64%) as infiltrating carcinomas. The study showed correlation between the level of enhancement on CESM and the type of kinetic curve on MRI and lesion enhance-ment on CESM as well as confirmed the fact that the BPE is a destimulant in both methods of imaging.Conclusions: Evaluation of BPE level on CESM can help reading radiologists to define a lesion as malignant with higher probability than based only on the qualitative lesion enhancement level