A study was performed to determine the accuracies and reproducibilities of the CT numbers of simulated lung nodules imaged with multi-detector CT scanners. The nodules were simulated by spherical balls of three diameters (4.8, 9.5, and 16 mm) and two compositions (50 and 100 mg/cc CaCO 3 in water-equivalent plastic). All were scanned in a liquid-water-filled container at the center of a water-equivalent-plastic phantom and in air cavities within the same phantom using GE multidetector CT scanners. The nodules were also scanned within simulated lung regions in an anthropomorphic thorax section phantom that was bolused on both sides with water-equivalent slabs. Results were compared for three scanning protocols-the protocol for the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), the protocol for the Lung Tissue Research Consortium (LTRC) study, and a high resolution (small pitch, thin slice and small scan interval) higher dose "gold standard" protocol. Scans were repeated three times with each protocol to assess reproducibility. The CT numbers of the nodules in water were found to be nearly independent of nodule size. However, the presence and the size of an air cavity surrounding a nodule had a significant effect (e.g., the CT number of a 50 mg/cc nodule was 64 HU in water, 37 HU in a 1.8 cm diameter air cavity, and 19 HU in a 4.4 cm diameter air cavity). This variability of CT number with size of air cavity may affect the results of the LTRC study in which patients are scanned at both full inspiration and full expiration. The CT numbers of the 9.5 and 16 mm diameter nodules within the anthropomorphic phantom were highly reproducible (average standard deviations of 2 HU or less) for all protocols. On the other hand, both accuracy and reproducibility were significantly degraded for the 4.8 mm diameter nodules, especially for the NLST (2.5 mm thickness, 2 mm slice interval) technique. Use of thinner slice (1.25 mm) and slice interval (1.25 mm) scans that can be reconstructed retrospectively from the multi-detector helical CT projection data of the standard NLST protocol yield CT numbers for the 4.8 mm diameter nodules that are more accurate and reproducible than those of the standard NLST technique. In general, the CT numbers of the nodules were found to be lower at positions near the centers of the lungs and near the spine, which is probably due to increased beam hardening in those regions. Also, larger nodules were found to have higher CT numbers than smaller nodules, consistent with results obtained on early single slice GE CT scanners. Until manufacturers develop quantitative CT scanners with improved x-ray beam hardening and scatter corrections, it is recommended that reference phantoms be employed to more accurately assess the calcium contents of patient lung nodules in screening and tissue characterization studies and in eventual computer-aided detection and diagnosis applications.

Fusarium asiaticum of the F. graminearum species complex causes head blight in small-grain cereals. The nivalenol (NIV) chemotypes of F. asiaticum is more common than the deoxynivalenol (DON) chemotypes of F. asiaticum or F. graminearum in Korea. To understand the prevalence of F. asiaticum-NIV in Korean cereals, we characterized the biological traits of 80 cereal isolates of F. asiaticum producing NIV or 3-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (3-ADON), and 54 F. graminearum with 3-ADON or 15-acetyl-deoxynivalenol (15-ADON). There was no significant difference in mycelial growth between the chemotypes, but F. asiaticum isolates grew approximately 30% faster than F. graminearum isolates on potato dextrose agar. Sexual and asexual reproduction capacities differed markedly between the two species. Both chemotypes of F. graminearum (3-ADON and 15-ADON) produced significantly higher numbers of perithecia and conidia than F. asiaticum-NIV. The highest level of mycotoxins (sum of trichothecenes and zearalenone) was produced by F. graminearum-3-ADON on rice medium, followed by F. graminearum-15-ADON, F. asiaticum-3-ADON, and F. asiaticum-NIV. Zearalenone levels were correlated with DON levels in some chemotypes, but not with NIV levels. Disease assessment on barley, maize, rice, and wheat revealed that both F. asiaticum and F. graminearum isolates were virulent toward all crops tested. However, there is a tendency that virulence levels of F. asiaticum-NIV isolates on rice were higher than those of F. graminearum isolates. Taken together, the phenotypic traits found among the Korean F. asiaticum-NIV isolates suggest an association with their host adaptation to certain environments in Korea.

Phytophthora infestans was isolated from potato leaves collected from main potato producing areas in Korea during 2009-2011. In 2009, 99 isolates tested were all A1 mating type. Two of 64 isolates in 2010 and two of 78 isolates in 2011 were A2 mating type and they were found only in Miryang area. Among 99 isolates examined in 2009, 13.1% was resistant to metalaxyl, 3.1% was intermediate resistant and 83.8% was sensitive. In 2010, 19.4% of 62 isolates was resistant, 4.8% was intermediate and 75.8% was sensitive. Metalaxyl resistant, intermediate and sensitive isolates collected in 2011 were 23.1%, 9.0% and 67.9%, respectively. Metalaxyl resistant isolates increased mainly in winter cropping areas and seed potato producing areas where fungicides were sprayed more often. Frequencies of isolates showing minimum inhibition concentration of dimethomorph at 1.0-5.0 mg/ml were 17.2% in 2009, 19.0% in 2010 and 15.4% in 2011. However, there was no evidence for occurrence of resistant isolate to dimethomorph because no isolate was able to grow at 5.0 mg/ml.

In order to find if a ferulic acid (FA) can be used as a selection index in cereal breeding for resistance to head blight and mycotoxin production, we analyzed FA in the grains of 80 cultivars of barley, rice, and wheat. FA content ranged 1.66-2.77 mg/g in barley (n=20), 0.56-1.53 mg/g in wheat (n=40), and 0.91-2.13 mg/g in rice (n=20). Among these, 7 cultivars each of barley and wheat with different FA content were tested for head blight and mycotoxin production by 2 Fusarium graminearum and 2 F. asiaticum strains. Mean pathogenicity of the wheat cultivars was significantly less than that of barley with higher FA and among wheat cultivars, there was no correlation between FA content and pathogenicity. Mycotoxin production was also lower in the wheat than in the barley as pathogenicity. However, pathogenicity and toxins produced by F. asiaticum were negatively correlated with FA content in barley. These results indicate that FA is not a resistance factor to head blight by F. asiaticum and F. graminearum or its mycotoxin production in barley and wheat.

Potato late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans was the most constrain disease at potato cultivation areas. The mating type distribution and fungicides response of P. infestans were investigated to elucidate the changes of pathogen from Gangwon province.