ARFI imaging was more reliable than SSI in measurement of liver stiffness. The hepatic shear-wave speed measured with SSI was higher than that measured with ARFI imaging, which means that the shear-wave speeds measured with ARFI imaging and SSI cannot be used interchangeably.

ObjectiveTo cross-validate liver stiffness (LS) measured on shear wave elastography (SWE) and on magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) in the same individuals.Materials and MethodsWe included 94 liver transplantation (LT) recipients and 114 liver donors who underwent either MRE or SWE before surgery or biopsy. We determined the technical success rates and the incidence of unreliable LS measurements (LSM) of SWE and MRE. Among the 69 patients who underwent both MRE and SWE, the median and coefficient of variation (CV) of the LSM from each examination were compared and correlated. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve in both examinations were calculated in order to exclude the presence of hepatic fibrosis (HF).ResultsThe technical success rates of MRE and SWE were 96.4% and 92.2%, respectively (p = 0.17), and all of the technical failures occurred in LT recipients. SWE showed 13.1% unreliable LSM, whereas MRE showed no such case (p < 0.05). There was moderate correlation in the LSM in both examinations (r = 0.67). SWE showed a significantly larger median LSM and CV than MRE. Both examinations showed similar diagnostic performance for excluding HF (Az; 0.989, 1.000, respectively).ConclusionMRE and SWE show moderate correlation in their LSMs, although SWE shows higher incidence of unreliable LSMs in cirrhotic liver.

Studies on children of immigrants have generally ignored distinct developmental trajectories during adolescence and their role in the transition to adulthood. This study identifies distinct trajectories in cognitive, socio-behavioral, and psychological domains and estimates their consequences for young-adult. Drawing data from a nationally representative sample of 10,795 adolescents aged 13-17 who were followed up to ages 25-32, we use growth mixture modeling to test advantages for children of immigrants. The analysis shows a 1.5 generation advantage in academic achievement and school engagement, as well as a weaker second-generation advantage in academic achievement, but no disadvantage in depression for children of immigrants. In addition, we found that these results hold for children of Hispanic origin. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Accurate diagnosis and assessment of disease extent are crucial for proper management of patients with HCC. Imaging plays a crucial role in early detection, accurate staging, and the planning of management strategies. A variety of imaging modalities are currently used in evaluating patients with suspected HCC; these include ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, and angiography. Among these modalities, dynamic MRI and CT are regarded as the best imaging techniques available for the noninvasive diagnosis of HCC. Recent improvements in CT and MRI technology have made noninvasive and reliable diagnostic assessment of hepatocellular nodules possible in the cirrhotic liver, and biopsy is frequently not required prior to treatment. Until now, the major challenge for radiologists in imaging cirrhosis has been the characterization of small cirrhotic nodules smaller than 2 cm in diameter. Further technological advancement will undoubtedly have a major impact on liver tumor imaging. The increased speed of data acquisition in CT and MRI has allowed improvements in both spatial and temporal resolution, which have made possible a more precise evaluation of the hemodynamics of liver nodules. Furthermore, the development of new, tissue-specific contrast agents such as gadoxetic acid has improved HCC detection on MRI. In this review, we discuss the role of CT and MRI in the diagnosis and staging of HCC, recent technological advances, and the strengths and limitations of these imaging modalities.

Since the 1970s, the public has been advised to limit egg consumption even though there is little evidence of any harmful effect of eggs on blood cholesterol. The purpose of this cross-sectional and prospective study was to evaluate the potential association between egg consumption and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and MetS components in adults ≥ 40 years in KoGES_Yangpyeong. Yangpyeong is a rural area in South Korea. A total of 2,887 subjects (men 1,115, women 1,772) were recruited from 2005 to 2009, based on a physical examination and questionnaires administered using standardized protocol. After excluding subjects who had MetS at baseline, 1,663 subjects (675 men, 958 women) were followed for 3.20 years (range: 0.34–8.70). During the follow-up period, MetS occurred in 289 subjects. More than 3 eggs per week was significantly associated with decreased risk of MetS in both men (RR = 0.46, 95% CI, 0.26–0.82, P for trend = 0.1093) and women (RR = 0.54, 95% CI, 0.31–0.93, P for trend 0.0325) compared to non-users. There was a cross-sectional inverse relationship between egg consumption and abdominal obesity in men and women. Also, prospectively, higher egg consumption in men was associated with a decreased risk of high fasting blood glucose (RR = 0.39, 95% CI, 0.22–0.67, P for trend = 0.0042) and high triglycerides (RR = 0.42, 95% CI, 0.22–0.80, P for trend = 0.1080). In conclusion, our findings suggest that higher egg consumption may reduce the risk of MetS both in men and women, and the risk of high fasting blood glucose and high triglycerides in men. Current guidelines regarding egg consumption may need to be re-visited for healthy middle-aged and elderly people.