The effects of soy-protein consumption with and without soy fiber on plasma lipids in 26 mildly h... more The effects of soy-protein consumption with and without soy fiber on plasma lipids in 26 mildly hypercho-lesterolemic men were studied. Four, 4-wk dietary treatments included 50 g protein and 20 g dietary fiber from soy flour (SF). isolated soy protein/soy cotyledon fiber (ISP/SCF), ISP/cellulose (ISP/C). or nonfat dry milk/C (NFDM/C) in conjunction with a low-fat. low-cholesterol diet. Plasma total cholesterol (TC) concentrations were lowest for both ISP dietary treatments compared with baseline (P < 0.05) and NFDM/C (P < 0.01). SF also led to lower TC compared with NFDM/C (P < 0.05). LDL-cholesterol values were lowest for both ISP treatments compared with NFDM/C (P < 0.0 1). but lower compared with baseline only with ISP/SCF (P < 0.05). Apolipoprotein B was lowest when ISP/C was fed. compared with baseline. SF. and NFDM (P < 0.05). HDL-cholesterol and total triglycerides (TG) were not affected. Results indicate that 50 g ISP is effective in lowering TC. LDL-C. an...
The Landau's criterion for superfluids gives the critical velocity where superfluidity disappears... more The Landau's criterion for superfluids gives the critical velocity where superfluidity disappears at a large velocity. Actually, in the presence of impurities, the dissipation appears at smaller velocity, where solitons or quantized vortices are emitted dependently on the shape of an impurity potential barrier and the dimensionality of the system. This instability is categorized as the bifurcation. Therefore, in the present paper, we propose a universal stability criterion for superfluids that is applicable to Landau's instability and also to soliton or vortex emission instability. For that, we study the local density spectral function In(r, ω) and the autocorrelation function Cn(r, t) in uniform and inhomogeneous systems. According to results from the Bogoliubov theory and the Feynman's single-mode approximation beyond the mean-field theory, we find a universal feature in the local density spectral function and in the autocorrelation function. When superfluids flow below a threshold, we find in the d-dimensional system, In(r, ω) ∝ ω d holds in the low-energy regime and Cn(r, t) ∝ 1/t d+1 holds in the long-time regime. When superfluids flow with the critical current, on the other hand, we find In(r, ω) ∝ ω β in the low-energy regime and Cn(r, t) ∝ 1/t β+1 in the long-time regime with β < d.
Extensive pseudomonal pneumonia developed in a 43-year-old white man after therapy for pneumococc... more Extensive pseudomonal pneumonia developed in a 43-year-old white man after therapy for pneumococcal pneumonia with penicillin, kanamycin, and positive pressure breathing. The pneumonic process involved all five lobes and was accompanied by bilateral cavity formation and pleural effusions. Recovery occurred with conservative medical management over a prolonged period. The patient's clinical course was marked by the development of an eosinophilic leukemoid reaction, presumably secondary to polymyxin therapy. In the few successfully treated patients with pseudomonal pneumonia described, minimal chronic roentgenographic changes occurred in those who responded to therapy. Prognosis in patients with underlying chronic lung disease would appear to be unusually poor.
Telecommunication Networks - Trends and Developments, 2018
Application of chaotic signals in modern telecommunication facilities and radars is an actual tas... more Application of chaotic signals in modern telecommunication facilities and radars is an actual task that can significantly extend functionality of these systems and improve their performance. In this chapter, we propose a concept of chaos-based technique for secure communication and hidden data transmission over an open network channel which is based on a novel method for spectral keying of chaotic signal generated by nonlinear dynamical system with delayed feedback. In the technique developed, the modulating information sequence controls the parameter of nonlinear element, so that it switches the chaotic modes and changes the spectral structure of the signal, transmitted to the communication channel. A noncoherent reception is used for demodulation the information message from received waveform. We start from theoretical justification of the proposed scheme, and show then the numerical simulations and imitation modeling results, as well as demonstrate experimental validation of suggested technique. Also, the communication system reliability and its covert operation efficiency under impact of AWGN in the environment with high-level interferences have been shown by means of evaluation the system anti-jamming capabilities and unauthorized access immunity.
In the Higashi-Yokobori and Dotonbori Rivers, water quality is controlled by the inflow of relati... more In the Higashi-Yokobori and Dotonbori Rivers, water quality is controlled by the inflow of relatively clean river water from above the upstream floodgate and outflowing polluted water to below the downstream floodgate. However, a hypoxic water mass occurs during high-temperature periods; therefore, there is room for further water quality improvement. In this study, field surveys, laboratory experiments, and simulations were conducted to determine the water quality characteristics of these two rivers. The impacts of these water quality improvements resulting from the exchange of the water mass with water from outside the floodgates were evaluated, and more effective methods were proposed. It was shown that the main factor leading to hypoxia was dissolved oxygen (DO) consumption in the water. In order to maintain a satisfactory DO environment in the summer, it would be necessary to continuously allow water to enter from above the upstream floodgate at a rate of more than 2.0 m 3 /s.
Risperidone, a relatively new antipsychotic medication, is widely used in elderly adults and is r... more Risperidone, a relatively new antipsychotic medication, is widely used in elderly adults and is reported to have fewer side effects than existing antipsychotic drugs. Recent studies, however, have reported prolongation of QT interval and corrected QT interval, both with the prescribed dose of risperidone and with overdose. Because QT dispersion measured on the surface electrocardiogram (ECG) recently has been shown to be a marker of future arrhythmic events and to predict mortality in elderly patients in a variety of clinical situations, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of risperidone on QT dispersion and corrected QT dispersion in a group of elderly patients. These patients also were evaluated for occurrence of sudden death and/or symptoms suggestive of ventricular arrhythmia. Although risperidone prolonged QT interval, it had no significant effect on QT dispersion. Further, during the follow-up period there were no incidences of sudden death or symptoms suggestiv...
Close to three-fourths of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffer from ... more Close to three-fourths of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffer from weight loss. Identifying a single cause for this is difficult, as several factors-including chronic mouth breathing, dyspnea, aerophagia, certain medications, and depression-often act in concert. Malnutrition can exacerbate symptoms of COPD by decreasing ventilatory muscle strength, exercise tolerance, and immunocompetence, and by increasing the risk of depression and anxiety. Goals of nutrition intervention are to prevent or reverse malnutrition without worsening the disease process and to improve respiratory function, thereby reducing morbidity and delaying mortality. Recommendations for intake of fats, carbohydrates, protein, and water must be individualized.
RöFo - Fortschritte auf dem Gebiet der Röntgenstrahlen und der bildgebenden Verfahren, 2006
Ziele: Bewertung der Bildqualitat und Genauigkeit der Magnetresonanztomographie mit einer Feldsta... more Ziele: Bewertung der Bildqualitat und Genauigkeit der Magnetresonanztomographie mit einer Feldstarke von 3 Tesla in der praoperativen Diagnostik des Rektumkarzinomes. Methode: Dreiundzwanzig Patienten mit der Verdachtsdiagnose eines Rektumkarzinomes wurden praoperativ mit einer 4-Kanal-Phased-Array Spule in einem 3-Tesla MR-Tomografen untersucht. Bildqualitat, Tumorstadium, Abstand des Malignomes von der Linea anorektalis sowie die Moglichkeit der kontinenzerhaltenden Operation wurden verblindet von zwei Untersuchern bewertet. Die erhobenen Befunde wurden anschliesend mit den klinischen, intraoperativen und histologischen Befunden korreliert. Ergebnis: Bei allen 23 Patienten konnten diagnostisch aussagefahige Bilder akquiriert werden, benigne Veranderungen in zwei Fallen sowie die malignen Tumore in 21 Fallen wurden korrekt identifiziert. Die Moglichkeit einer sphinktererhaltenden Operation wurde zu 100% richtig diagnostiziert (22/22). T Stadium und N-Stadium wurden in 95% respektive 91% richtig diagnostiziert. Die MRT Bildgebung bei 3 Tesla ermoglichte in allen Fallen die Darstellung des Tumors und seine Lagebeziehung zu chirurgisch relevanten anatomischen Strukturen wie der Linea anorektalis und der mesorektalen Fascie. Transversale T2-gewichtete FSE Sequenzen waren hierbei hinsichtlich der Beurteilung der Infiltration des Mesorektums und des Lymphknotenbefalles anderen Sequenzen uberlegen; sagittale Kontrastmittelverstarkte T1-gewichtete Bilder mit Fettsuppression ermoglichten die genaue Darstellung der longitudinalen Tumorausdehnung. Schlussfolgerung: Die MR-Bildgebung bei einer Feldstarke von 3-Tesla erlaubt die Darstellung verschiedener pathologischer Veranderungen des Rektums sowie die genaue Beurteilung des Tumorstadiums der diagnostizierten Rektumkarzinome. Als nicht invasive Untersuchung ist die MRT bei 3 Tesla ohne die Notwendigkeit der Verwendung einer endorektalen Spule eine zuverlassige und komfortable Methode in der praoperativen Diagnostik von Patienten mit Verdacht auf ein rektales Malignom. Korrespondierender Autor: Winter LW Charite, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Klinik fur Strahlenheilkunde, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin E-Mail: [email protected]
Soy protein and soy fiber may affect hormones involved in cholesterol metabolism. Therefore, plas... more Soy protein and soy fiber may affect hormones involved in cholesterol metabolism. Therefore, plasma insulin, total thyroxine (T4), free thyroxine index (FTI), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured in 17 hypercholesterolernic men consuming baked products containing 50 g/d of protein and 20 g/d of fiber from either soy flour (SF), soy protein isolate (ISP)/soy fiber (ISP/SCF), ISP/cellulose (ISP/Cell), or nonfat dry milk/cellulose (NFDM/Cell). A latin square design was used and included all four dietary treatments, each lasting four weeks. Hormones were analyzed at the end of each experimental period and after an initial baseline period of 10 days. Although the mean values of T4 showed an increase in all treatments relative to baseline, significant differences (p<0.05) occurred only between the ISP groups and baseline. A similar pattern was observed with FTI (/9<0.01). Mean insulin concentrations significantly increased (p<0.05) when subjects were fed SF compared to the ISP/SCF treatment. No effects were seen with either T3 or TSH. Results are consistent with the findings of animal studies, as well as human studies investigating T3/T4 influences on lipid metabolism, and suggest that the mechanism for the hypocholesterolemic effect of soy protein is via a T4-mediation.
Recently published reviews have called into question the sensitvity of transthoracic stress echoc... more Recently published reviews have called into question the sensitvity of transthoracic stress echocardiography to predict cardiac events, especially when the test is negative, compared with myocardial perfusion imaging studies. To our knowledge there are a lack of data assessing the prognostic value of transesophageal echocardiography-dobutamine stress echocardiography (TEE-DSE) in predicting cardiac events. Because TEE-DSE has been reported to be highly accurate for detecting ischemia in patients with suspected coronary artery disease, we tested the hypothesis that a negative TEE-DSE can identify a low-risk group in a population with a high likelihood of coronary artery disease. Between October 1996 and December 1997, 46 high-risk patients with negative TEE-DSE were identified. Annualized pretest risk for all cardiac events using the Framingham model was 4% based on risk factors. Mean age was 64 years. Mean follow-up time was 16.2 months. There were no cardiac deaths. There were 6 soft and 1 hard cardiac event. The annualized combined ischemic cardiac event rate was 3.8%, and for hard cardiac events it was 1.1%. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, 97% of the population remained free of any ischemic event at the end of 1 year and 93% were free at 22 months. We conclude that optimal image quality and enhanced endocardial definition for assessing wall motion changes with TEE translates into better prognostication and approaches that of myocardial perfusion imaging for negative studies. Advances in ultrasound medicine such as contrast enhancement of myocardial definition, which improve diagnostic accuracy of DSE, should translate into better prognostication. ᮊ2000 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.
Purpose: To assess image quality and overall accuracy of 3-Tesla (3T)-sustained high-resolution m... more Purpose: To assess image quality and overall accuracy of 3-Tesla (3T)-sustained high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for diagnostic preoperative workup in suspected rectal carcinoma. Material and Methods: Twenty-three patients with suspected rectal cancer underwent unenhanced and contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed pelvic high-resolution MR imaging using a four-channel phased-array pelvic coil at 3T. Image quality, tumor stage, distance from the anorectal margin, and sphincter-saving resectability were prospectively assessed by two blinded readers. The results were correlated with clinical, surgical, and histopathologic findings. Results: In all 23 patients, MR images were of diagnostic quality, and malignancy was correctly identified in 21 patients. The accuracy for determining sphincter-saving resectability was 100% (19/19). T stage and N stage were correctly diagnosed in 95% and 91%, respectively. MRI allowed correct identification of tumor extension and its relation to s...
Purpose: To assess image quality and overall accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), includ... more Purpose: To assess image quality and overall accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including two magnetic cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) techniques, for the diagnostics and preoperative work-up of malignant hilar obstructions. Material and Methods: Thirty-one patients with malignant hilar obstructions (hilar cholangiocarcinoma, n = 30; hepatocellular carcinoma, n = 1) received MRCP by two techniques (single-shot thick-slab and multisection thin-slice MRCP) and unenhanced and contrast material-enhanced MRI. MR assessment included the evaluation of image quality and visualization of bile ducts (5-point scale), and the classification of tumor status. MR results were subsequently correlated with the results from surgery and pathology. Results: The maximum intensity projections of multisection thin-slice MRCP had significantly more artifacts compared to MRCP in the single-shot thick-slab technique, and overall image quality of single-shot thick-slab MRCP was rated significantly ...
This study investigated the impact of psychosocial variables on diabetes-related behavior using a... more This study investigated the impact of psychosocial variables on diabetes-related behavior using a questionnaire based on the Health Belief Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TOPB). Forty-eight elderly male diabetIC patients were surveyed to determme the influence of attItudes and beliefs on dietary adherence. Mean fasting blood sugar (FBS) (171 mg/ dl) demonstrated a lack of metabolic control and suggested a need for improved education. Subjects takmg insulm perceived significantly greater barriers to control than did those on oral agents or diet alone (p < .05). Subjects with FBS fluctuations of 50 mg/ dl or more perceived sigmficantly fewer (p < .05) barriers than those with more stable FBS. These results indicate that interventions for older men should identify barners to control and include practical ways to overcome them. Intention to eat foods such as pie, cake, or doughnuts was strongly related to subjective norm, attitude towards dietary adherence, and perceived control (R2 = 0.69, F = 31.60, P < .001). In addItion, regression analysis to predict adherence behavior from TOPB accounted for a significant proportion of the variance (R2 = 0.37, F = 4.44, P < .01). ThIS regreS~lOn model suggests that educators who effect a change in attitudes may also change behavlOral intentions and dietary adherence behavior.
Gravitational wave (GW) events have several possible progenitors, including black hole mergers, c... more Gravitational wave (GW) events have several possible progenitors, including black hole mergers, cosmic string cusps, supernovae, neutron star mergers, and black hole-neutron star mergers. A subset of GW events are expected to produce electromagnetic (EM) emission that, once detected, will provide complementary information about their astrophysical context. To that end, the LIGO-Virgo Collaboration has partnered with other teams to send GW candidate alerts so that searches for their EM counterparts can be pursued. One such partner is the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and Dark Energy Camera (DECam) Gravitational Waves Program (DES-GW). Situated on the 4m Blanco Telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, DECam is an ideal instrument for optical followup observations of GW triggers in the southern sky. The DES-GW program performs subtraction of new search images with respect to preexisting overlapping images to select candidate sources. Due to the short decay timescale of the expected EM counterparts and the need to quickly eliminate survey areas with no counterpart candidates, it is critical to complete the initial analysis of each night's images within 24 hours. The computational challenges in achieving this goal include maintaining robust I/O pipelines during the processing, being able to quickly acquire template images of new sky regions outside of the typical DES observing regions, and being able to rapidly provision additional batch computing resources with little advance notice. We will discuss the search area determination, imaging pipeline, general data transfer strategy, and methods to quickly increase the available amount of batch computing. We will present results from the first season of observations from September 2015 to January 2016 and conclude by presenting improvements planned for the second observing season.
RöFo - Fortschritte auf dem Gebiet der Röntgenstrahlen und der bildgebenden Verfahren, 2004
This comparative study of tumour patients and volunteers aimed at differentiating liver parenchym... more This comparative study of tumour patients and volunteers aimed at differentiating liver parenchyma from neoplastic lesions by using localised 1 H MRS at 3.0 T as an adjunct to MRI. In total 186 single-voxel proton spectra of the liver were acquired at 3.0 T using the body transmit receive coil. Consecutive stacks of breath-hold spectra were acquired in the PRESS technique at a short echo time of 35 ms and a repetition time of 2,000 ms. Processing of the spectra included spectral alignment with the software package SAGE and quantitative processing with LCModel. The resulting metabolite concentrations were presented in arbitrary units relative to the internal water. In general, the spectra showed four main groups of resonances originating from the methyl protons (0.8-1.1 ppm) and methylene protons of the lipids (1.1-1.5 ppm; 2.0-2.2 ppm) as well as the methyl protons of cholinecontaining compounds (CCC) at 3.2 ppm. Overall, the CCC and lipid values in malignant liver tumours showed no significant differences to liver parenchyma. On average, total lipid measurements in normal liver parenchyma increased with age, while those of the CCC did not show pertinent changes. Significant differences between the contents of CCC in malignant liver tumours and normal liver parenchyma were not observed, because in patients and volunteers normal liver tissue showed a large variability in the content of CCC.
The effects of soy-protein consumption with and without soy fiber on plasma lipids in 26 mildly h... more The effects of soy-protein consumption with and without soy fiber on plasma lipids in 26 mildly hypercho-lesterolemic men were studied. Four, 4-wk dietary treatments included 50 g protein and 20 g dietary fiber from soy flour (SF). isolated soy protein/soy cotyledon fiber (ISP/SCF), ISP/cellulose (ISP/C). or nonfat dry milk/C (NFDM/C) in conjunction with a low-fat. low-cholesterol diet. Plasma total cholesterol (TC) concentrations were lowest for both ISP dietary treatments compared with baseline (P < 0.05) and NFDM/C (P < 0.01). SF also led to lower TC compared with NFDM/C (P < 0.05). LDL-cholesterol values were lowest for both ISP treatments compared with NFDM/C (P < 0.0 1). but lower compared with baseline only with ISP/SCF (P < 0.05). Apolipoprotein B was lowest when ISP/C was fed. compared with baseline. SF. and NFDM (P < 0.05). HDL-cholesterol and total triglycerides (TG) were not affected. Results indicate that 50 g ISP is effective in lowering TC. LDL-C. an...
The Landau's criterion for superfluids gives the critical velocity where superfluidity disappears... more The Landau's criterion for superfluids gives the critical velocity where superfluidity disappears at a large velocity. Actually, in the presence of impurities, the dissipation appears at smaller velocity, where solitons or quantized vortices are emitted dependently on the shape of an impurity potential barrier and the dimensionality of the system. This instability is categorized as the bifurcation. Therefore, in the present paper, we propose a universal stability criterion for superfluids that is applicable to Landau's instability and also to soliton or vortex emission instability. For that, we study the local density spectral function In(r, ω) and the autocorrelation function Cn(r, t) in uniform and inhomogeneous systems. According to results from the Bogoliubov theory and the Feynman's single-mode approximation beyond the mean-field theory, we find a universal feature in the local density spectral function and in the autocorrelation function. When superfluids flow below a threshold, we find in the d-dimensional system, In(r, ω) ∝ ω d holds in the low-energy regime and Cn(r, t) ∝ 1/t d+1 holds in the long-time regime. When superfluids flow with the critical current, on the other hand, we find In(r, ω) ∝ ω β in the low-energy regime and Cn(r, t) ∝ 1/t β+1 in the long-time regime with β < d.
Extensive pseudomonal pneumonia developed in a 43-year-old white man after therapy for pneumococc... more Extensive pseudomonal pneumonia developed in a 43-year-old white man after therapy for pneumococcal pneumonia with penicillin, kanamycin, and positive pressure breathing. The pneumonic process involved all five lobes and was accompanied by bilateral cavity formation and pleural effusions. Recovery occurred with conservative medical management over a prolonged period. The patient's clinical course was marked by the development of an eosinophilic leukemoid reaction, presumably secondary to polymyxin therapy. In the few successfully treated patients with pseudomonal pneumonia described, minimal chronic roentgenographic changes occurred in those who responded to therapy. Prognosis in patients with underlying chronic lung disease would appear to be unusually poor.
Telecommunication Networks - Trends and Developments, 2018
Application of chaotic signals in modern telecommunication facilities and radars is an actual tas... more Application of chaotic signals in modern telecommunication facilities and radars is an actual task that can significantly extend functionality of these systems and improve their performance. In this chapter, we propose a concept of chaos-based technique for secure communication and hidden data transmission over an open network channel which is based on a novel method for spectral keying of chaotic signal generated by nonlinear dynamical system with delayed feedback. In the technique developed, the modulating information sequence controls the parameter of nonlinear element, so that it switches the chaotic modes and changes the spectral structure of the signal, transmitted to the communication channel. A noncoherent reception is used for demodulation the information message from received waveform. We start from theoretical justification of the proposed scheme, and show then the numerical simulations and imitation modeling results, as well as demonstrate experimental validation of suggested technique. Also, the communication system reliability and its covert operation efficiency under impact of AWGN in the environment with high-level interferences have been shown by means of evaluation the system anti-jamming capabilities and unauthorized access immunity.
In the Higashi-Yokobori and Dotonbori Rivers, water quality is controlled by the inflow of relati... more In the Higashi-Yokobori and Dotonbori Rivers, water quality is controlled by the inflow of relatively clean river water from above the upstream floodgate and outflowing polluted water to below the downstream floodgate. However, a hypoxic water mass occurs during high-temperature periods; therefore, there is room for further water quality improvement. In this study, field surveys, laboratory experiments, and simulations were conducted to determine the water quality characteristics of these two rivers. The impacts of these water quality improvements resulting from the exchange of the water mass with water from outside the floodgates were evaluated, and more effective methods were proposed. It was shown that the main factor leading to hypoxia was dissolved oxygen (DO) consumption in the water. In order to maintain a satisfactory DO environment in the summer, it would be necessary to continuously allow water to enter from above the upstream floodgate at a rate of more than 2.0 m 3 /s.
Risperidone, a relatively new antipsychotic medication, is widely used in elderly adults and is r... more Risperidone, a relatively new antipsychotic medication, is widely used in elderly adults and is reported to have fewer side effects than existing antipsychotic drugs. Recent studies, however, have reported prolongation of QT interval and corrected QT interval, both with the prescribed dose of risperidone and with overdose. Because QT dispersion measured on the surface electrocardiogram (ECG) recently has been shown to be a marker of future arrhythmic events and to predict mortality in elderly patients in a variety of clinical situations, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of risperidone on QT dispersion and corrected QT dispersion in a group of elderly patients. These patients also were evaluated for occurrence of sudden death and/or symptoms suggestive of ventricular arrhythmia. Although risperidone prolonged QT interval, it had no significant effect on QT dispersion. Further, during the follow-up period there were no incidences of sudden death or symptoms suggestiv...
Close to three-fourths of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffer from ... more Close to three-fourths of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suffer from weight loss. Identifying a single cause for this is difficult, as several factors-including chronic mouth breathing, dyspnea, aerophagia, certain medications, and depression-often act in concert. Malnutrition can exacerbate symptoms of COPD by decreasing ventilatory muscle strength, exercise tolerance, and immunocompetence, and by increasing the risk of depression and anxiety. Goals of nutrition intervention are to prevent or reverse malnutrition without worsening the disease process and to improve respiratory function, thereby reducing morbidity and delaying mortality. Recommendations for intake of fats, carbohydrates, protein, and water must be individualized.
RöFo - Fortschritte auf dem Gebiet der Röntgenstrahlen und der bildgebenden Verfahren, 2006
Ziele: Bewertung der Bildqualitat und Genauigkeit der Magnetresonanztomographie mit einer Feldsta... more Ziele: Bewertung der Bildqualitat und Genauigkeit der Magnetresonanztomographie mit einer Feldstarke von 3 Tesla in der praoperativen Diagnostik des Rektumkarzinomes. Methode: Dreiundzwanzig Patienten mit der Verdachtsdiagnose eines Rektumkarzinomes wurden praoperativ mit einer 4-Kanal-Phased-Array Spule in einem 3-Tesla MR-Tomografen untersucht. Bildqualitat, Tumorstadium, Abstand des Malignomes von der Linea anorektalis sowie die Moglichkeit der kontinenzerhaltenden Operation wurden verblindet von zwei Untersuchern bewertet. Die erhobenen Befunde wurden anschliesend mit den klinischen, intraoperativen und histologischen Befunden korreliert. Ergebnis: Bei allen 23 Patienten konnten diagnostisch aussagefahige Bilder akquiriert werden, benigne Veranderungen in zwei Fallen sowie die malignen Tumore in 21 Fallen wurden korrekt identifiziert. Die Moglichkeit einer sphinktererhaltenden Operation wurde zu 100% richtig diagnostiziert (22/22). T Stadium und N-Stadium wurden in 95% respektive 91% richtig diagnostiziert. Die MRT Bildgebung bei 3 Tesla ermoglichte in allen Fallen die Darstellung des Tumors und seine Lagebeziehung zu chirurgisch relevanten anatomischen Strukturen wie der Linea anorektalis und der mesorektalen Fascie. Transversale T2-gewichtete FSE Sequenzen waren hierbei hinsichtlich der Beurteilung der Infiltration des Mesorektums und des Lymphknotenbefalles anderen Sequenzen uberlegen; sagittale Kontrastmittelverstarkte T1-gewichtete Bilder mit Fettsuppression ermoglichten die genaue Darstellung der longitudinalen Tumorausdehnung. Schlussfolgerung: Die MR-Bildgebung bei einer Feldstarke von 3-Tesla erlaubt die Darstellung verschiedener pathologischer Veranderungen des Rektums sowie die genaue Beurteilung des Tumorstadiums der diagnostizierten Rektumkarzinome. Als nicht invasive Untersuchung ist die MRT bei 3 Tesla ohne die Notwendigkeit der Verwendung einer endorektalen Spule eine zuverlassige und komfortable Methode in der praoperativen Diagnostik von Patienten mit Verdacht auf ein rektales Malignom. Korrespondierender Autor: Winter LW Charite, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Klinik fur Strahlenheilkunde, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin E-Mail: [email protected]
Soy protein and soy fiber may affect hormones involved in cholesterol metabolism. Therefore, plas... more Soy protein and soy fiber may affect hormones involved in cholesterol metabolism. Therefore, plasma insulin, total thyroxine (T4), free thyroxine index (FTI), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured in 17 hypercholesterolernic men consuming baked products containing 50 g/d of protein and 20 g/d of fiber from either soy flour (SF), soy protein isolate (ISP)/soy fiber (ISP/SCF), ISP/cellulose (ISP/Cell), or nonfat dry milk/cellulose (NFDM/Cell). A latin square design was used and included all four dietary treatments, each lasting four weeks. Hormones were analyzed at the end of each experimental period and after an initial baseline period of 10 days. Although the mean values of T4 showed an increase in all treatments relative to baseline, significant differences (p<0.05) occurred only between the ISP groups and baseline. A similar pattern was observed with FTI (/9<0.01). Mean insulin concentrations significantly increased (p<0.05) when subjects were fed SF compared to the ISP/SCF treatment. No effects were seen with either T3 or TSH. Results are consistent with the findings of animal studies, as well as human studies investigating T3/T4 influences on lipid metabolism, and suggest that the mechanism for the hypocholesterolemic effect of soy protein is via a T4-mediation.
Recently published reviews have called into question the sensitvity of transthoracic stress echoc... more Recently published reviews have called into question the sensitvity of transthoracic stress echocardiography to predict cardiac events, especially when the test is negative, compared with myocardial perfusion imaging studies. To our knowledge there are a lack of data assessing the prognostic value of transesophageal echocardiography-dobutamine stress echocardiography (TEE-DSE) in predicting cardiac events. Because TEE-DSE has been reported to be highly accurate for detecting ischemia in patients with suspected coronary artery disease, we tested the hypothesis that a negative TEE-DSE can identify a low-risk group in a population with a high likelihood of coronary artery disease. Between October 1996 and December 1997, 46 high-risk patients with negative TEE-DSE were identified. Annualized pretest risk for all cardiac events using the Framingham model was 4% based on risk factors. Mean age was 64 years. Mean follow-up time was 16.2 months. There were no cardiac deaths. There were 6 soft and 1 hard cardiac event. The annualized combined ischemic cardiac event rate was 3.8%, and for hard cardiac events it was 1.1%. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, 97% of the population remained free of any ischemic event at the end of 1 year and 93% were free at 22 months. We conclude that optimal image quality and enhanced endocardial definition for assessing wall motion changes with TEE translates into better prognostication and approaches that of myocardial perfusion imaging for negative studies. Advances in ultrasound medicine such as contrast enhancement of myocardial definition, which improve diagnostic accuracy of DSE, should translate into better prognostication. ᮊ2000 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.
Purpose: To assess image quality and overall accuracy of 3-Tesla (3T)-sustained high-resolution m... more Purpose: To assess image quality and overall accuracy of 3-Tesla (3T)-sustained high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for diagnostic preoperative workup in suspected rectal carcinoma. Material and Methods: Twenty-three patients with suspected rectal cancer underwent unenhanced and contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed pelvic high-resolution MR imaging using a four-channel phased-array pelvic coil at 3T. Image quality, tumor stage, distance from the anorectal margin, and sphincter-saving resectability were prospectively assessed by two blinded readers. The results were correlated with clinical, surgical, and histopathologic findings. Results: In all 23 patients, MR images were of diagnostic quality, and malignancy was correctly identified in 21 patients. The accuracy for determining sphincter-saving resectability was 100% (19/19). T stage and N stage were correctly diagnosed in 95% and 91%, respectively. MRI allowed correct identification of tumor extension and its relation to s...
Purpose: To assess image quality and overall accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), includ... more Purpose: To assess image quality and overall accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including two magnetic cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) techniques, for the diagnostics and preoperative work-up of malignant hilar obstructions. Material and Methods: Thirty-one patients with malignant hilar obstructions (hilar cholangiocarcinoma, n = 30; hepatocellular carcinoma, n = 1) received MRCP by two techniques (single-shot thick-slab and multisection thin-slice MRCP) and unenhanced and contrast material-enhanced MRI. MR assessment included the evaluation of image quality and visualization of bile ducts (5-point scale), and the classification of tumor status. MR results were subsequently correlated with the results from surgery and pathology. Results: The maximum intensity projections of multisection thin-slice MRCP had significantly more artifacts compared to MRCP in the single-shot thick-slab technique, and overall image quality of single-shot thick-slab MRCP was rated significantly ...
This study investigated the impact of psychosocial variables on diabetes-related behavior using a... more This study investigated the impact of psychosocial variables on diabetes-related behavior using a questionnaire based on the Health Belief Model and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TOPB). Forty-eight elderly male diabetIC patients were surveyed to determme the influence of attItudes and beliefs on dietary adherence. Mean fasting blood sugar (FBS) (171 mg/ dl) demonstrated a lack of metabolic control and suggested a need for improved education. Subjects takmg insulm perceived significantly greater barriers to control than did those on oral agents or diet alone (p < .05). Subjects with FBS fluctuations of 50 mg/ dl or more perceived sigmficantly fewer (p < .05) barriers than those with more stable FBS. These results indicate that interventions for older men should identify barners to control and include practical ways to overcome them. Intention to eat foods such as pie, cake, or doughnuts was strongly related to subjective norm, attitude towards dietary adherence, and perceived control (R2 = 0.69, F = 31.60, P < .001). In addItion, regression analysis to predict adherence behavior from TOPB accounted for a significant proportion of the variance (R2 = 0.37, F = 4.44, P < .01). ThIS regreS~lOn model suggests that educators who effect a change in attitudes may also change behavlOral intentions and dietary adherence behavior.
Gravitational wave (GW) events have several possible progenitors, including black hole mergers, c... more Gravitational wave (GW) events have several possible progenitors, including black hole mergers, cosmic string cusps, supernovae, neutron star mergers, and black hole-neutron star mergers. A subset of GW events are expected to produce electromagnetic (EM) emission that, once detected, will provide complementary information about their astrophysical context. To that end, the LIGO-Virgo Collaboration has partnered with other teams to send GW candidate alerts so that searches for their EM counterparts can be pursued. One such partner is the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and Dark Energy Camera (DECam) Gravitational Waves Program (DES-GW). Situated on the 4m Blanco Telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, DECam is an ideal instrument for optical followup observations of GW triggers in the southern sky. The DES-GW program performs subtraction of new search images with respect to preexisting overlapping images to select candidate sources. Due to the short decay timescale of the expected EM counterparts and the need to quickly eliminate survey areas with no counterpart candidates, it is critical to complete the initial analysis of each night's images within 24 hours. The computational challenges in achieving this goal include maintaining robust I/O pipelines during the processing, being able to quickly acquire template images of new sky regions outside of the typical DES observing regions, and being able to rapidly provision additional batch computing resources with little advance notice. We will discuss the search area determination, imaging pipeline, general data transfer strategy, and methods to quickly increase the available amount of batch computing. We will present results from the first season of observations from September 2015 to January 2016 and conclude by presenting improvements planned for the second observing season.
RöFo - Fortschritte auf dem Gebiet der Röntgenstrahlen und der bildgebenden Verfahren, 2004
This comparative study of tumour patients and volunteers aimed at differentiating liver parenchym... more This comparative study of tumour patients and volunteers aimed at differentiating liver parenchyma from neoplastic lesions by using localised 1 H MRS at 3.0 T as an adjunct to MRI. In total 186 single-voxel proton spectra of the liver were acquired at 3.0 T using the body transmit receive coil. Consecutive stacks of breath-hold spectra were acquired in the PRESS technique at a short echo time of 35 ms and a repetition time of 2,000 ms. Processing of the spectra included spectral alignment with the software package SAGE and quantitative processing with LCModel. The resulting metabolite concentrations were presented in arbitrary units relative to the internal water. In general, the spectra showed four main groups of resonances originating from the methyl protons (0.8-1.1 ppm) and methylene protons of the lipids (1.1-1.5 ppm; 2.0-2.2 ppm) as well as the methyl protons of cholinecontaining compounds (CCC) at 3.2 ppm. Overall, the CCC and lipid values in malignant liver tumours showed no significant differences to liver parenchyma. On average, total lipid measurements in normal liver parenchyma increased with age, while those of the CCC did not show pertinent changes. Significant differences between the contents of CCC in malignant liver tumours and normal liver parenchyma were not observed, because in patients and volunteers normal liver tissue showed a large variability in the content of CCC.
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Papers by Lewis Winter