Accurate and simple method for quantification of hepatic fat content using magnetic resonance imaging: a prospective study in biopsy-proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

To assess the degree of hepatic fat content, simple and noninvasive methods with high objectivity and reproducibility are required. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one such candidate, although its accuracy remains unclear. We aimed to validate an MRI method for quantifying hepatic fat content by calibrating MRI reading with a phantom and comparing MRI measurements in human subjects with estimates of liver fat content in liver biopsy specimens. The MRI method was performed by a combination of MRI calibration using a phantom and double-echo chemical shift gradient-echo sequence (double-echo fast low-angle shot sequence) that has been widely used on a 1.5-T scanner. Liver fat content in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, n = 26) was derived from a calibration curve generated by scanning the phantom. Liver fat was also estimated by optical image analysis. The correlation between the MRI measurements and liver histology findings was examined prospectively. Magnetic resonance imaging measurements showed a strong correlation with liver fat content estimated from the results of light microscopic examination (correlation coefficient 0.91, P < 0.001) regardless of the degree of hepatic steatosis. Moreover, the severity of lobular inflammation or fibrosis did not influence the MRI measurements. This MRI method is simple and noninvasive, has excellent ability to quantify hepatic fat content even in NAFLD patients with mild steatosis or advanced fibrosis, and can be performed easily without special devices.ArticleJOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY. 45(12):1263-1271 (2010)journal articl

Effect of earthquake ground motions on soil liquefaction

AbstractDuring the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake, which was the largest earthquake in Japanese history, the soil liquefaction phenomenon was observed over a wide area along the Pacific Coast in Tohoku and in Kanto, including the Tokyo Bay area. Extensive damage was caused by the effect of soil liquefaction to residential lands and houses, as well as to infrastructures, such as roads, rivers, ports, and water supply/sewage systems. Since the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake occurred in a mega-size fault zone, with an area of 500km×200km, the duration of the strong shaking was extremely long compared to that in the data recorded for past earthquakes. Clarifying the effect of the characteristics of the ground motion on the soil liquefaction mechanism is one of the essential studies to be conducted, and effective countermeasures for the damaged structures need to be found.This paper presents the strong motion observation data obtained on the liquefied and the non-liquefied grounds and raises preliminary discussions on the mechanism of soil liquefaction based on this data. The effect of the duration and the number of cyclic loadings on the progress of the soil liquefaction phenomenon is also compared with that found in past strong motion data