Development and Evaluation of a Short-time Imaging Method for the Clinical Study of the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Subtraction Method

The apparent diffusion coefficient subtraction method (ASM) was developed as a new restricted diffusionweighted imaging technique for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The usefulness of the ASM has been established by in vitro basic research using a bio-phantom, and clinical research on the application of the ASM for the human body is needed. Herein, we developed a short-time sequence for ASM imaging of the heads of healthy volunteers (n=2), and we investigated the similarity between the obtained ASM images and diffusion kurtosis (DK) images to determine the utility of the ASM for clinical uses. This study appears to be the first to report ASM images of the human head. We observed that the short-time sequence for the ASM imaging of the head can be scanned in approx. 3 min at 1.5T MRI. The noise reduction effect of median filter processing was confirmed on the ASM images scanned by this sequence. The obtained ASM images showed a weak correlation with the DK images, indicating that the ASM images are restricted diffusion-weighted images. The new shorttime imaging sequence could thus be used in clinical studies applying the ASM

Low Surface Potential with Glycoconjugates Determines Insect Cell Adhesion at Room Temperature

Cell-coupled field-effect transistor (FET) biosensors have attracted considerable attention because of their high sensitivity to biomolecules. The use of insect cells (Sf21) as a core sensor element is advantageous due to their stable adhesion to sensors at room temperature. Although visualization of the insect cell-substrate interface leads to logical amplification of signals, the spatiotemporal processes at the interfaces have not yet been elucidated. We quantitatively monitored the adhesion dynamics of Sf21 using interference reflection microscopy (IRM). Specific adhesion signatures with ring-like patches along the cellular periphery were detected. A combination of zeta potential measurements and lectin staining identified specific glycoconjugates with low electrostatic potentials. The ring-like structures were disrupted after cholesterol depletion, suggesting a raft domain along the cell periphery. Our results indicate dynamic and asymmetric cell adhesion is due to low electrostatic repulsion with fluidic sugar rafts. We envision the logical design of cell-sensor interfaces with an electrical model that accounts for actual adhesion interfaces.Matsuzaki T., Terutsuki D., Sato S., et al. Low Surface Potential with Glycoconjugates Determines Insect Cell Adhesion at Room Temperature. Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 2022 13(40), 9494-9500. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c01673. Copyright © 2022 American Chemical Society

Absolute X-ray energy measurement using a high-accuracy angle encoder

This paper presents an absolute X-ray photon energy measurement method that uses a Bond diffractometer. The proposed system enables the prompt and rapid in situ measurement of photon energies over a wide energy range. The diffractometer uses a reference silicon single-crystal plate and a highly accurate angle encoder called SelfA. The performance of the system is evaluated by repeatedly measuring the energy of the first excited state of the potassium-40 nuclide. The excitation energy is determined as 29829.39 (6) eV, and this is one order of magnitude more accurate than the previous measurement. The estimated uncertainty of the photon energy measurement was 0.7 p.p.m. as a standard deviation and the maximum observed deviation was 2 p.p.m

Evaluation of Fast Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging Using New Software Designed for Widespread Clinical Use

Clinical research using restricted diffusion-weighted imaging, especially diffusion kurtosis (DK) imaging, has been progressing, with reports on its effectiveness in the diagnostic imaging of cerebral infarctions, neurodegenerative diseases, and tumors, among others. However, the application of DK imaging in daily clinical practice has not spread because of the long imaging time required and the use of specific software for image creation. Herein, with the aim of promoting clinical research using DK imaging at any medical facility, we evaluated fast DK imaging using a new software program. We developed a new macro program that produces DK images using general-purpose, inexpensive software (Microsoft Excel and ImageJ), and we evaluated fast DK imaging using bio-phantoms and a healthy volunteer in clinical trials. The DK images created by the new software with diffusion-weighted images captured with short-time imaging sequences were similar to the original DK images captured with long-time imaging sequences. The DK images using three b-values, which can reduce the imaging time by 43%, were equivalent to the DK images using five b-values. The DK imaging technique developed herein might allow any medical facility to increase its daily clinical use of DK imaging and easily conduct clinical research

Exploring the Landscape of Home-Based Teleradiology in Japan: A Qualitative Analysis of Radiologists’ and Neurosurgeons’ Experiences to Elucidate Advantages, Challenges, and Future Directions

This study aimed to investigate the advantages, disadvantages, working methods, and support needs of physicians practicing teleradiology from home in Japan, as well as to explore challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 physicians (12 radiologists and 3 neurosurgeons) engaged in teleradiology services. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling to ensure diversity in age, gender, and experience. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s six-step approach. Five main themes were generated: (1) the ability to work from home according to one’s lifestyle, allowing for better work-life balance; (2) reduced quality and efficiency of reading work, due to limited patient information and lack of immediate consultation; (3) self-management and reliance on available resources, including literature searches and networking with colleagues; (4) need for comfortable infrastructure facilities, such as high-quality monitors and stable internet connections; and (5) provision of resources to resolve questions and concerns, including platforms for peer discussions. Interestingly, no specific themes related to the COVID-19 pandemic were identified, suggesting that the challenges of teleradiology were not uniquely affected by the pandemic. While home-based teleradiology offers lifestyle flexibility, it presents challenges in maintaining work quality and efficiency. Physicians employ self-management strategies and rely on available resources to mitigate these challenges. The findings highlight the need for improved infrastructure and support systems to enhance the practice of home-based teleradiology in Japan. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on remote healthcare delivery and may inform policy decisions and best practices in diagnostic radiology both in Japan and internationally

Enantioselective Synthesis of an All-Carbon Quaternary Stereocenter by Chiral Brønsted Acid-Catalyzed Friedel–Crafts-Type Reaction between Pyrroles and 3‑Indolylmethanols

We have developed a chiral phosphoric acid-catalyzed enantioselective Friedel–Crafts alkylation reaction between pyrroles and indolylmethanols. Wide substrate scope was observed, and a chiral all-carbon quaternary center was constructed at the 3 position of indoles in high yields with high to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee)