bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Developmental Explanatory Model of Maladaptive Aggressive Dispositions in Urban African American Adolescents
Authors: DeCarlo Alonzo
Published: July 2012

The primary objective of this model is to deepen the understanding of clinical mental health professionals and intersecting intervention institutions working with urban African American youth on problems related to maladaptive aggressive behavior. Through a combination of neurobiomarkers and novel psychosocial mechanisms, a developmental explanatory model is proposed that explains a substantial portion of the theoretical variance in maladaptive aggressive behavior. Specific temporal and contextual cofactors are shown in a developmental perspective that may exacerbate maladaptive aggressive dispositions with urban African American adolescents who reside in at-risk environments.
Heparan sulfate, an endogenous TLR4 agonist, promotes acute GVHD after allogeneic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Brennan Todd V. , Lin Liwen , Huang Xiaopei , Cardona Diana M. , Li Zhiguo , Dredge Keith , Chao Nelson J. , Yang Yiping
Published: July 2012

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains the most common cause of nonrelapse-related morbidity and mortality after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Although T-cell depletion and intensive immunosuppression are effective in the control of GVHD, they are often associated with higher rates of infection and tumor recurrence. In this study, we showed that heparan sulfate (HS), an extracellular matrix component, can activate Toll-like receptor 4 on dendritic cells in vitro, leading to the enhancement of dendritic cell maturation and alloreactive T-cell responses. We further demonstrated in vivo that serum HS levels were acutely elevated at the onset of clinical GVHD in mice after allo-HSCT. Treatment with the serine protease inhibitor α1-antitrypsin decreased serum levels of HS, leading to a reduction in alloreactive T-cell responses and GVHD severity. Conversely, an HS mimetic that increased serum HS levels accelerated GVHD. In addition, in patients undergoing allo-HSCT for hematologic malignancies, serum HS levels were elevated and correlated with the severity of GVHD. These results identify a critical role for HS in promoting acute GVHD after allo-HSCT, and they suggest that modulation of HS release may have therapeutic potential for the control of clinical GVHD.
Thymic retention of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T regulatory cells is associated with their peripheral deficiency and thrombocytopenia in a murine model of immune thrombocytopenia
Authors: Aslam Rukhsana , Hu Yu , Gebremeskel Simon , Segel George B. , Speck Edwin R. , Guo Li , Kim Michael , Ni Heyu , Freedman John , Semple John W.
Published: July 2012

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a bleeding disorder in which antibodies and/or T cells lead to enhanced peripheral platelet destruction and reduced bone marrow platelet production. Several reports have observed that ITP is associated with a peripheral deficiency of tolerance-inducing CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ T regulatory cells (Tregs). Using a murine model of ITP, we analyzed Tregs in the spleen and thymus. CD61 knockout mice were immunized against wild-type (CD61+) platelets, and their splenocytes were transferred into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Compared with SCID mice receiving naive splenocytes, within 2 weeks after transfer, the ITP SCID mice became thrombocytopenic (< 200 × 109 platelets/L) and had increased serum anti-CD61 antibodies. The quantity of thymic Tregs by 2 weeks after transfer was significantly elevated, whereas Tregs in the spleens were significantly reduced. Treatment of the ITP mice with 2 g/kg intravenous immunoglobulin raised the platelet counts, reduced antibody production, and normalized the thymic and splenic Treg populations. Compared with thymocytes from ITP mice treated with intravenous immunoglobulin, thymocytes from untreated ITP mice delayed the onset of ITP when administered before engraftment with immune splenocytes. These results suggest that ITP in mice is associated with a peripheral Treg deficiency because of thymic retention and therapy normalizes the Tregs.
The role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis and diagnosis of B-cell lymphomas
Authors: Di Lisio Lorena , Martinez Nerea , Montes-Moreno Santiago , Piris-Villaespesa Miguel , Sanchez-Beato Margarita , Piris Miguel A.
Published: July 2012

There is a demand to understand B-cell lymphoma pathogenesis better, to identify new markers, and to define multiple lymphoproliferative disorders more accurately. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are regulators of protein translation, comprising a group of more than 1500 short noncoding single-strand RNA molecules of approximately 22 nucleotides in length. They are easily detectable in fresh or paraffin-embedded diagnostic tissue and serum. Expression of individual miRNAs and miRNA signatures allows specific cell-differentiation stages to be identified, and is a powerful diagnostic and prognostic method. Here we review what is known about the pathogenic relevance of miRNAs, and use of miRNAs for the diagnosis and prognosis of B-cell lymphomas. Most of the published data concern chronic lymphocytic lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and implicate miRNAs in the pathogenesis of these diseases. They identify miRNAs that could be used for diagnosis, prognosis, or prediction of response to specific therapies.
Selenium preserves mitochondrial function, stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis, and reduces infarct volume after focal cerebral ischemia
Authors: Mehta Suresh L , Kumari Santosh , Mendelev Natalia , Li P Andy
Published: July 2012

Background

Mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the major events responsible for activation of neuronal cell death pathways during cerebral ischemia. Trace element selenium has been shown to protect neurons in various diseases conditions. Present study is conducted to demonstrate that selenium preserves mitochondrial functional performance, activates mitochondrial biogenesis and prevents hypoxic/ischemic cell damage.

Results

The study conducted on HT22 cells exposed to glutamate or hypoxia and mice subjected to 60-min focal cerebral ischemia revealed that selenium (100 nM) pretreatment (24 h) significantly attenuated cell death induced by either glutamate toxicity or hypoxia. The protective effects were associated with reduction of glutamate and hypoxia-induced ROS production and alleviation of hypoxia-induced suppression of mitochondrial respiratory complex activities. The animal studies demonstrated that selenite pretreatment (0.2 mg/kg i.p. once a day for 7 days) ameliorated cerebral infarct volume and reduced DNA oxidation. Furthermore, selenite increased protein levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator 1alpha (PGC-1α) and nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1), two key nuclear factors that regulate mitochondrial biogenesis. Finally, selenite normalized the ischemia-induced activation of Beclin 1 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II (LC3-II), markers for autophagy.

Conclusions

These results suggest that selenium protects neurons against hypoxic/ischemic damage by reducing oxidative stress, restoring mitochondrial functional activities and stimulating mitochondrial biogenesis.
Identification and characterization of resistance to cowpea aphid (Aphis craccivora Koch) in Medicago truncatula
Authors: Kamphuis Lars G , Gao Lingling , Singh Karam B
Published: July 2012

Background

Cowpea aphid (CPA; Aphis craccivora) is the most important insect pest of cowpea and also causes significant yield losses in other legume crops including alfalfa, beans, chickpea, lentils, lupins and peanuts. In many of these crops there is no natural genetic resistance to this sap-sucking insect or resistance genes have been overcome by newly emerged CPA biotypes.

Results

In this study, we screened a subset of the Medicago truncatula core collection of the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) and identified strong resistance to CPA in a M. truncatula accession SA30199, compared to all other M. truncatula accessions tested. The biology of resistance to CPA in SA30199 plants was characterised compared to the highly susceptible accession Borung and showed that resistance occurred at the level of the phloem, required an intact plant and involved a combination of antixenosis and antibiosis. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis using a F2 population (n = 150) from a cross between SA30199 and Borung revealed that resistance to CPA is controlled in part by a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 2, explaining 39% of the antibiosis resistance.

Conclusions

The identification of strong CPA resistance in M. truncatula allows for the identification of key regulators and genes important in this model legume to give effective CPA resistance that may have relevance for other legume crops. The identified locus will also facilitate marker assisted breeding of M. truncatula for increased resistance to CPA and potentially other closely related Medicago species such as alfalfa.
Genome-wide analysis of the MYB transcription factor superfamily in soybean
Authors: Du Hai , Yang Si-Si , Liang Zhe , Feng Bo-Run , Liu Lei , Huang Yu-Bi , Tang Yi-Xiong
Published: July 2012

Background

The MYB superfamily constitutes one of the most abundant groups of transcription factors described in plants. Nevertheless, their functions appear to be highly diverse and remain rather unclear. To date, no genome-wide characterization of this gene family has been conducted in a legume species. Here we report the first genome-wide analysis of the whole MYB superfamily in a legume species, soybean (Glycine max), including the gene structures, phylogeny, chromosome locations, conserved motifs, and expression patterns, as well as a comparative genomic analysis with Arabidopsis.

Results

A total of 244 R2R3-MYB genes were identified and further classified into 48 subfamilies based on a phylogenetic comparative analysis with their putative orthologs, showed both gene loss and duplication events. The phylogenetic analysis showed that most characterized MYB genes with similar functions are clustered in the same subfamily, together with the identification of orthologs by synteny analysis, functional conservation among subgroups of MYB genes was strongly indicated. The phylogenetic relationships of each subgroup of MYB genes were well supported by the highly conserved intron/exon structures and motifs outside the MYB domain. Synonymous nucleotide substitution (d
N/d
S) analysis showed that the soybean MYB DNA-binding domain is under strong negative selection. The chromosome distribution pattern strongly indicated that genome-wide segmental and tandem duplication contribute to the expansion of soybean MYB genes. In addition, we found that ~ 4% of soybean R2R3-MYB genes had undergone alternative splicing events, producing a variety of transcripts from a single gene, which illustrated the extremely high complexity of transcriptome regulation. Comparative expression profile analysis of R2R3-MYB genes in soybean and Arabidopsis revealed that MYB genes play conserved and various roles in plants, which is indicative of a divergence in function.

Conclusions

In this study we identified the largest MYB gene family in plants known to date. Our findings indicate that members of this large gene family may be involved in different plant biological processes, some of which may be potentially involved in legume-specific nodulation. Our comparative genomics analysis provides a solid foundation for future functional dissection of this family gene.
Development and description of measurement properties of an instrument to assess treatment burden among patients with multiple chronic conditions
Authors: Tran Viet-Thi , Montori Victor M , Eton David T , Baruch Dan , Falissard Bruno , Ravaud Philippe
Published: July 2012

Background

Patients experience an increasing treatment burden related to everything they do to take care of their health: visits to the doctor, medical tests, treatment management and lifestyle changes. This treatment burden could affect treatment adherence, quality of life and outcomes. We aimed to develop and validate an instrument for measuring treatment burden for patients with multiple chronic conditions.

Methods

Items were derived from a literature review and qualitative semistructured interviews with patients. The instrument was then validated in a sample of patients with chronic conditions recruited in hospitals and general practitioner clinics in France. Factor analysis was used to examine the questionnaire structure. Construct validity was studied by the relationships between the instrument's global score, the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM) scores and the complexity of treatment as assessed by patients and physicians. Agreement between patients and physicians was appraised. Reliability was determined by a test-retest method.

Results

A sample of 502 patients completed the Treatment Burden Questionnaire (TBQ), which consisted of 7 items (2 of which had 4 subitems) defined after 22 interviews with patients. The questionnaire showed a unidimensional structure. The Cronbach's α was 0.89. The instrument's global score was negatively correlated with TSQM scores (rs = -0.41 to -0.53) and positively correlated with the complexity of treatment (rs = 0.16 to 0.40). Agreement between patients and physicians (n = 396) was weak (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.38 (95% confidence interval 0.29 to 0.47)). Reliability of the retest (n = 211 patients) was 0.76 (0.67 to 0.83).

Conclusions

This study provides the first valid and reliable instrument assessing the treatment burden for patients across any disease or treatment context. This instrument could help in the development of treatment strategies that are both efficient and acceptable for patients.
Occurrence of haemolytic Mannheimia spp. in apparently healthy sheep in Norway
Authors: Poulsen Louise L , Reinert Turið M , Sand Rikke L , Bisgaard Magne , Christensen Henrik , Olsen John E , Stuen Snorre , Bojesen Anders M
Published: July 2012

Background

The occurrence of Mannheimia species in healthy sheep has only been investigated to a very limited extend since the genus and its five named species were established. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the occurrence of haemolytic Mannheimia species in apparently healthy sheep originating from four sheep flocks in South-Western Norway.

Methods

Typical β-haemolytic Pasteurellaceae were isolated from nasal swabs and subsequently subjected to bacteriological examination. A total of 57 Mannheimia isolates were obtained in pure culture. All isolates were genotyped by amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) analysis and compared to six reference strains. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of two isolates were also determined.

Results

β-haemolytic Mannheimia species were isolated from 24% to 64% of the sheep in the four flocks. A total of 26 haemolytic M. ruminalis-like strains were isolated among which, a considerable genetic diversity was found. Eighteen M. glucosida isolates were obtained from three flocks, whereas M. haemolytica was only isolated from two flocks, 16 of them being from only one of the flocks.

Conclusion

We demonstrate that a relatively high number of apparently healthy sheep in Norway seem to carry the potentially pathogenic M. haemolytica and M. glucosida in the upper respiratory tract. An unexpectedly high number of haemolytic M. ruminalis-like organisms were also obtained in all four flocks. The usually non-haemolytic M. ruminalis are typically isolated from healthy ruminants. The significance of β-haemolytic M. ruminalis-like organisms is unknown and should be investigated in a future study.
Changes in pain and insulin-like growth factor 1 in fibromyalgia during exercise: the involvement of cerebrospinal inflammatory factors and neuropeptides
Authors: Bjersing Jan L , Dehlin Mats , Erlandsson Malin , Bokarewa Maria I , Mannerkorpi Kaisa
Published: July 2012

Introduction

Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterized by chronic pain. Impaired growth hormone responses and reduced serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) are common in FM. The aim was to examine changes in serum IGF-1, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), neuropeptides, and cytokines during aerobic exercise in FM patients.

Methods

In total, 49 patients (median age, 52 years) with FM were included in the study. They were randomized to either the moderate- to high-intensity Nordic Walking (NW) program (n = 26) or the supervised low-intensity walking (LIW) program (n = 23). Patients participated in blood tests before and after 15 weeks of aerobic exercise. Changes in serum levels of free IGF-1, pain rating on a 0- to 100-mm scale, pain threshold, and 6-minute walk test (6MWT) were examined. CSF, neuropeptides, matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3), and inflammatory cytokines were determined. Nonparametric tests were used for group comparisons and correlation analyses.

Results

Serum free IGF-1 levels did not change during 15 weeks of exercise between the two groups, although the 6MWT significantly improved in the NW group (p = 0.033) when compared with LIW. Pain did not significantly change in any of the groups, but tended to decrease (p = 0.052) over time in the total group. A tendency toward a correlation was noted between baseline IGF-1 and a decrease of pain in response to exercise (r = 0.278; p = 0.059). When adjusted for age, this tendency disappeared. The change in serum free IGF-1 correlated positively with an alteration in CSF substance P (SP) levels (r
s
= 0.495; p = 0.072), neuropeptide Y (NPY) (r
s
= 0.802; p = 0.001), and pain threshold (r
s
= 0.276; p = 0.058). Differing CSF SP levels correlated positively to a change in pain threshold (r
s
= 0.600; p = 0.023), whereas the shift in CSF MMP-3 inversely correlated with an altered pain threshold (r
s
= -0.569; p = 0.034).

Conclusions

The baseline level of serum free IGF-1 did not change during high or low intensity of aerobic exercise. Changes in IGF-1 correlated positively with a variation in CSF SP, NPY, and pain threshold. These data indicate a beneficial role of IGF-1 during exercise in FM.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov
NCT00643006.
Progressing from 1D to 2D and 3D near-surface airborne electromagnetic mapping with a multisensor, airborne sea-ice explorer
Authors: Pfaffhuber Andreas A. , Hendricks Stefan , Kvistedal Yme A.
Published: July 2012

The polar ocean’s sea ice cover is an unconventional and challenging geophysical target. Helicopter electromagnetic (HEM) sea-ice thickness mapping is currently limited to 1D interpretation due to traditional procedures and systems. These systems are mainly sensitive to layered structures, ideally set for the widespread flat (level) ice type. Because deformed sea ice (e.g., pressure ridges) is 3D and usually also heterogeneous, ice thickness errors up to 50% can be observed for pressure ridges using 1D approximations for the interpretation of HEM data. We researched a new generation multisensor, airborne sea ice explorer (MAiSIE) to overcome these limitations. Three-dimensional finite-element modeling enabled us to determine that more than one frequency is needed, ideally in the range 1–8 kHz, to improve thickness estimates of grounded sea-ice pressure ridges that are typical of 3D sea ice structures. With the MAiSIE system, we found a new electromagnetic concept based on one multifrequency transmitter loop and a 3C receiver coil triplet with active digital bucking. The relatively small weight of the EM components freed enough payload to include additional scientific sensors, including a cross-track lidar scanner and high-accuracy inertial-navigation system combined with dual-antenna differential GPS. Integrating the 3D ice-surface topography obtained from the lidar with the EM data at frequencies from 500 Hz to 8 kHz in [Formula: see text]-, [Formula: see text]-, and [Formula: see text]-directions, significantly increased the accuracy of sea-ice pressure-ridge geometry derived from HEM data. Initial test flight results over open water showed the proof-of-concept with acceptable sensor drift and receiver sensitivity. Noise levels were relatively high (20–250 parts-per-million) due to unwanted interference, leaving room for optimization. The 20 ppm noise level at 4.1 kHz is sufficient to map level ice thickness with 10 cm precision for sensor altitudes below 13 m.
Estimating source locations of unexploded ordnance using the multiple signal classification algorithm
Authors: Song Lin-Ping , Oldenburg Douglas W. , Pasion Leonard R.
Published: July 2012

To extract intrinsic polarization parameters of a buried object from electromagnetic induction (EMI) responses, one has to first find its location. We developed an efficient method to find the approximate locations of multiple ordnance items using time domain electromagnetic data. The procedure was based upon the principle of multiple signal classification which exploits the orthogonality of signal and noise subspaces of multistatic EMI data. For an arbitrary multistatic array, we formulated transmitter-based and receiver-based imaging or steering vectorial operators that related with the left and right singular vectors of a multistatic response matrix. The operators were computed at potential source locations and are mapped onto the noise subspaces derived from data. A spatial metric function was therefore introduced to measure the magnitude of the projection. A 3D source imaging of the metric function could be obtained by evaluating all potential locations over a region of interest. In ideal cases, the perfect orthogonality between the computed signal subspace and measured noisy subspace can be achieved at or near a target location, and rendered an imaging peak at that location. Conversely, the peak image locations obtained from this technique were used as the indicators for where targets were most likely present. The number of targets could be estimated from the rank of the data matrix, provided there were a sufficient number of transmitters and receivers. In some instances the locations of multiple targets were imaged directly, but the procedure was enhanced by stripping the effect of a larger or shallower target from the image. The technique was evaluated using the test-stand and field data, and compared with the standard nonlinear inversion. The results showed that it has potential capability to accurately localize sources in EMI sensing.
Uterine Deletion of Trp53 Compromises Antioxidant Responses in the Mouse Decidua
Authors: Burnum Kristin E. , Hirota Yasushi , Baker Erin S. , Yoshie Mikihiro , Ibrahim Yehia M. , Monroe Matthew E. , Anderson Gordon A. , Smith Richard D. , Daikoku Takiko , Dey Sudhansu K.
Published: July 2012

Preterm birth is a global health issue impacting millions of mothers and babies. However, the etiology of preterm birth is not clearly understood. Our recent finding that premature decidual senescence with terminal differentiation is a cause of preterm birth in mice with uterine Trp53 deletion, encoding p53 protein, led us to explore other potential factors that are related to preterm birth. Using proteomics approaches, here, we show that 183 candidate proteins show significant changes in deciduae with Trp53 deletion as compared with normal deciduae. Functional categorization of these proteins unveiled new pathways that are influenced by p53. In particular, down-regulation of a cluster of antioxidant enzymes in p53-deficient deciduae suggests that increased oxidative stress could be one cause of preterm birth in mice harboring uterine deletion of Trp53.
Minireview: The Neural Regulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid Axis
Authors: Costa-e-Sousa Ricardo H. , Hollenberg Anthony N.
Published: July 2012

Thyroid hormone (TH) signaling plays an important role in development and adult life. Many organisms may have evolved under selective pressure of exogenous TH, suggesting that thyroid hormone signaling is phylogenetically older than the systems that regulate their synthesis. Therefore, the negative feedback system by TH itself was probably the first mechanism of regulation of circulating TH levels. In humans and other vertebrates, it is well known that TH negatively regulates its own production through central actions that modulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis. Indeed, primary hypothyroidism leads to the up-regulation of the genes encoding many key players in the HPT axis, such as TRH, type 2 deiodinase (dio2), pyroglutamyl peptidase II (PPII), TRH receptor 1 (TRHR1), and the TSH α- and β-subunits. However, in many physiological circumstances, the activity of the HPT axis is not always a function of circulating TH concentrations. Indeed, circadian changes in the HPT axis activity are not a consequence of oscillation in circulating TH levels. Similarly, during reduced food availability, several components of the HPT axis are down-regulated even in the presence of lower circulating TH levels, suggesting the presence of a regulatory pathway hierarchically higher than the feedback system. This minireview discusses the neural regulation of the HPT axis, focusing on both TH-dependent and -independent pathways and their potential integration.
Developing a new measure of small bowel peristalsis with dynamic MR: a proof of concept study
Authors: Farghal Aser , Kasmai Bahman , Malcolm Paul N , Graves Martin J , Toms Andoni P
Published: July 2012

Background

Small bowel peristalsis is a complex of many individual motion elements. Although each element of peristalsis can be measured there is no current global measure of peristalsis.

Purpose

To examine the feasibility of automated computerized assessment of global small bowel motility using simple computational methods.

Material and Methods

Coronal dynamic MR images were obtained from five healthy volunteers who had fasted for 9 h and drunk 1.5 L of water. Images were taken using single breath-hold and ECG triggering. Acquisitions were repeated at 10 and 20 min after an intramuscular injection of hyoscine butylbromide. Parametric maps were generated representing the mean change in signal amplitude (MSA) per voxel for each dynamic acquisition. Two observers independently assessed thresholding for optimal segmentation of small bowel from other sources of signal. Total voxel activity (TVA) for each study was calculated as a sum of MSA per slice and whole examination and TVA profiles were generated.

Results

Independent observations suggest that the automated segmentation method described usefully segments small bowel activity from other signal. Small bowel movement represented as TVA varied three-fold in the five volunteers and was inhibited by anti-muscarinic injection.

Conclusion

It is possible to develop a new measure, based on automated segmentation of mean signal amplitude changes, of small bowel peristalsis using dynamic MR.
FDG-PET/CT for the early prediction of histopathological complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients: initial results
Authors: Buchbender Christian , Kuemmel Sherko , Hoffmann Oliver , Stahl Alexander R , Kimmig Rainer , Otterbach Friedrich , Ladd Susanne , Koeninger Angela , Forsting Michael , Bockisch Andreas , Antoch Gerald , Heusner Till A
Published: July 2012

Background

Up to about one-quarter of patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy do not adequately respond to the given treatment. By a differentiation between responders and non-responders ineffective toxic therapies can be prevented.

Purpose

To retrospectively test if FDG-PET/CT is able to early differentiate between breast cancer lesions with pathological complete response (pCR) and lesions without pathological complete response (npCR) after two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).

Material and Methods

In this retrospective study 26 breast cancer patients (mean age, 46.9 years ± 9.9 years) underwent a pre-therapeutic FDG-PET/CT scan and a subsequent FDG-PET/CT after the second cycle of NACT. Histopathology of resected specimen served as the reference standard. Maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) of cancer lesions before and after the second cycle of NACT were measured. Two evaluation algorithms were used: (a) pCR: Sinn Score 3 and 4, npCR: Sinn Score 0–2; (b) pCR: Sinn Score 4, npCR: Sinn Score 0–3. The absolute and relative decline of the SUVmax (ΔSUVmax, ΔSUVmax(%))was calculated. Differences of the SUVmax as well as of the SUVmax decline between pCR lesions and npCR lesions were tested for statistical significance P < 0.05. To identify the optimal cut-off value of ΔSUVmax(%) to differentiate between pCR lesions and npCR lesions a receiver-operating curve (ROC) analysis was performed.

Results

Using evaluation algorithm A the ΔSUVmax was 13.5 (pCR group) and 3.9 (npCR group) ( P = 0.006); the ΔSUVmax(%) was 79% and 47%, respectively ( P = 0.001). On ROC analysis an optimal cut-off ΔSUVmax(%) of 66% was found. Using evaluation algorithm B the ΔSUVmax was 17.5 (pCR group) and 4.9 (npCR group) ( P = 0.013); the ΔSUVmax(%) was 89% and 51%, respectively ( P = 0.003). On ROC analysis an optimal cut-off ΔSUVmax(%) of 88% was found.

Conclusion

FDG-PET/CT may be able to early differentiate between pCR and npCR of primary breast cancer lesions after two cycles of NACT.
Imaging features of idiopathic intracranial hypertension, including a new finding: widening of the foramen ovale
Authors: Butros Selim R , Goncalves Luis F , Thompson Dustin , Agarwal Ajay , Lee Ho K
Published: July 2012

Background

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a clinical disorder of unknown etiology manifesting with increased intracranial pressure in the absence of hydrocephalus, an underlying mass lesion, and demonstrating normal cerebrospinal fluid composition. IIH may exhibit several non-specific imaging findings including: an empty sella, posterior globe flattening, tortuosity of the optic nerve, and optic nerve sheath distention.

Purpose

To introduce widening of the foramen ovale as a new imaging marker for IIH.

Material and Methods

IIH is a syndrome which may exhibit several previously described non-specific imaging findings including: an empty sella, posterior globe flattening, tortuosity of the optic nerve, and optic nerve sheath distention. We hypothesize that chronically elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure can lead to osseous erosions and we propose widening of the foramen ovale as a new imaging marker for IIH.

Results

Average foramen ovale sizes were increased in patients with IIH compared to controls (30.03 ± 7.00 mm2 vs. 24.21 ± 5.97 mm2, P < 0.001). For a cut-off value of 30 mm2, the sensitivity of FO area to detect IIH was 50%, with 81% specificity. Classic findings were significantly more common in patients with IIH compared to controls including: empty sella (65.9% vs. 0%), posterior globe flattening (65.9% vs. 4.5%), vertical tortuosity of the optic nerve (54.5% vs. 9.1%), and optic nerve sheath distention (52.3% vs. 11.4%, all P values < 0.001).

Conclusion

Our study confirms the association of several classic imaging findings with IIH and supports widening of the foramen ovale as an additional imaging marker which may be incorporated into the evaluation of patients suspected to have this condition.
Observation of bi-exponential T1ρ relaxation of in-vivo rat muscles at 3T
Authors: Yuan Jing , Zhao Feng , Chan Queenie , Wang Yi-Xiang J
Published: July 2012

Background

Spin-lattice relaxation in the rotating frame, or T1ρ relaxation, is normally described by a mono-exponential decay model. However, compartmentation of tissues and microscopic molecular exchange may lead to bi-exponential or multi-exponential T1ρ relaxation behavior in certain tissues under the application of spin lock pulse field strength.

Purpose

To investigate the presence of bi-exponential T1ρ relaxations in in-vivo rat head tissues of brain and muscle.

Material and Methods

Five Sprague-Dawley rats underwent T1ρ imaging at 3T. A B1-insensitive rotary echo spin lock pulse was used for T1ρ preparation with a spin lock frequency of 500Hz. Twenty-five T1ρ-weighted images with spin lock times ranging from 1 to 60 ms were acquired using a 3D spoiled gradient echo sequence. Image intensities over different spin lock times were fitted using mono-exponential as well as bi-exponential models both on region-of-interest basis and pixel-by-pixel basis. F-test with a significance level P value of 0.01 was used to evaluate whether bi-exponential model gave a better fitting than mono-exponential model.

Results

In rat brains, only mono-exponential but no apparent bi-exponential T1ρ relaxation (∼70–71 ms) was found. In contrast, bi-exponential T1ρ relaxation was observed in muscles of all five rats ( P < 10−4). A longer and a shorter T1ρ relaxation component were extracted to be ∼37– ∼ 41 ms (a fraction of ∼80– ∼88%) and ∼9– ∼11 ms (∼12–20%), compared to the normal single T1ρ relaxation of ∼30– ∼ 33 ms.

Conclusion

Bi-exponential relaxation components were detected in rat muscles. The long and the short T1ρ relaxation component are thought to correspond to the restricted intracellular water population and the hydrogen exchange between amine and hydroxyl groups, respectively.
Hepatic contrast medium enhancement at computed tomography and its correlation with various body size measures
Authors: Svensson Anders , Nouhad Jallo , Cederlund Kerstin , Aspelin Peter , Nyman Ulf , Björk Jonas , Torkel Brismar B
Published: July 2012

Background

When the same dose of iodine is given to all patients when performing abdominal computed tomography (CT) there may be a wide inter-individual variation in contrast medium (CM) enhancement of the liver.

Purpose

To evaluate if any of the measures body height (BH), body mass index (BMI), lean body mass (LBM), ideal body weight (IBW), and body surface area (BSA) correlated better than body weight (BW) with hepatic enhancement, and to compare the enhancement when using iodixanol and iomeprol.

Material and Methods

One hundred patients referred for standard three-phase CT examination of abdomen were enrolled. Body weight and height were measured at the time of the CT examination. Forty grams of iodine (iodixanol 320 mg I/mL or iomeprol 400 mg I/mL) was injected at a rate of 1.6 g-I/s, followed by a 50 mL saline flush. The late arterial phase was determined by using a semi-automatic smart prep technique with a scan delay of 20 s. The hepatic parenchymal phase started automatically 25 s after the late arterial phase. CM concentration was estimated by placement of regions of interest in aorta (native and late arterial phase) and in liver (native and parenchymal phase).

Results

BW ( r = −0.51 and −0.64), LBM ( r = −0.54 and −0.59), and BSA ( r = −0.54 and −0.65) showed the best correlation coefficients with aortic and hepatic parenchymal enhancement, respectively, without any significant differences between the measures. Comparing iodixanol and iomeprol there was no significant difference in aortic enhancement. The liver enhancement was significantly higher ( P < 0.05) using iodixanol than iomeprol.

Conclusion

To achieve a consistent hepatic enhancement, CM dose may simply be adjusted to body weight instead of using more complicated calculated parameters based on both weight and height.
Dalfampridine: A Medication to Improve Walking in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Pikoulas Theodore E , Fuller Matthew A
Published: July 2012

OBJECTIVE:

To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of dalfampridine.

DATA SOURCES:

A search of PubMed (1966-March 2012) was conducted using the words dalfampridine and Ampyra. Bibliographies of retrieved articles were reviewed to identify additional references.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:

All identified studies published in English involving the efficacy and safety of dalfampridine were reviewed.

DATA SYNTHESIS:

Dalfampridine (Ampyra) is a broad-spectrum potassium channel blocker that is indicated as a treatment to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Dalfampridine is the only medication approved for this indication. Efficacy has been demonstrated in 2 Phase 3 trials involving patients with MS. Dalfampridine 10 mg twice daily improved walking, as shown by a higher proportion of timed walk responders in the dalfampridine-treated group (42.9% and 35%) versus the placebo-treated group (9.3% and 8%) during the 2 studies (p < 0.001). The maximum recommended dose of dalfampridine is 10 mg twice daily; higher doses are associated with an increased risk of seizures. At doses greater than 10 mg twice daily, the frequency of other adverse reactions and discontinuations was greater and showed no additional benefit. The average wholesale price of a 10-mg dalfampridine tablet is $21.12, which would make a 1-month supply of therapy cost $1267.20.

CONCLUSIONS:

In clinical trials, dalfampridine improved walking speed in approximately one third of patients with MS. The risk of seizures appears to be dose-related and the incidence is low at doses of 10 mg twice daily. Because of the cost, dalfampridine should be reserved for patients who meet criteria for the drug and continued only if they have an adequate response.
Systemic Exposure to Aminoglycosides following Knee and Hip Arthroplasty with Aminoglycoside-Loaded Bone Cement Implants
Authors: Kalil Graziela Z , Ernst Erika J , Johnson Sarah J , Johannsson Birgir , Polgreen Philip M , Bertolatus J Andrew , Clark Charles R
Published: July 2012

BACKGROUND:

Aminoglycoside-loaded bone cement (ALBC) implants are frequently used in orthopedic surgery. Parenteral aminoglycosides are known to cause nephrotoxicity. Reports of acute renal failure in patients receiving ALBC implants have been reported in the literature and at our hospital.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate, as part of a performance improvement project, whether patients undergoing arthroplasty procedures have detectable aminoglycoside serum concentrations following ALBC implantation and to evaluate corresponding changes in serum creatinine.

METHODS:

Patients undergoing hip or knee revision or resection4-up clinic visit when possible.

RESULTS:

Seventeen patients were evaluated: 13 women and 4 men with a mean age of 69 years (range 50-84). Eight patients had a preoperative diagnosis of infection and received high-dose ALBC implants as treatment and 9 patients received lower-dose ALBC implants for infection prophylaxis. Eight patients had detectable aminoglycoside serum concentrations (mean 0.42 μg/mL; range 0.3 to 2.0); 1 patient had an aminoglycoside serum concentration of 0.9 μg/mL on postoperative day 38. Patients who did not have a detectable aminoglycoside serum concentration on the first postoperative day did not have a detectable concentration in the following serum samples. Six patients had elevation of serum creatinine by greater than 0.3 mg/dL from baseline.

CONCLUSIONS:

The number of patients in this study is small; however, this report raises a potential concern for the safety of high-dose ALBC implants. We recommend measuring aminoglycoside serum concentrations in the early postoperative period to identify patients in need of further monitoring. Further studies are needed to determine risk factors for systemic toxicity.
Pharmacokinetic and Clinical Implications of Dabigatran Use in Severe Renal Impairment for Stroke Prevention in Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Mack Diana R , Kim Jenny J
Published: July 2012

OBJECTIVE:

To review the literature regarding the pharmacokinetic (PK) and clinical implications of the use of dabigatran in severe renal impairment for stroke prevention in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF).

DATA SOURCES:

Searches of MEDLINE (2000-April 2012) and the Cochrane Database (2000-April 2012) were conducted. Key search terms included dabigatran, renal impairment, renal failure, and renal dysfunction. Additional limits included articles written in English and those involving human subjects. Bibliographic reviews were conducted to identify other pertinent data.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:

Primary data were considered eligible for inclusion if they were from studies that evaluated the PKs of dabigatran in renal impairment or the effect of renal impairment on the risk for major bleeding with dabigatran.

DATA SYNTHESIS:

Dabigatran is an oral direct thrombin inhibitor indicated for the prevention of stroke and systemic thromboembolism in patients with nonvalvular AF, at a dose of 150 mg twice daily. Renal elimination is responsible for approximately 80% of dabigatran's clearance; thus, dose adjustment is required for patients with severe renal impairment. The approved dosing regimen for patients with creatinine clearance 15-30 mL/min (75 mg twice daily) was derived from PK modeling studies, limiting its applicability to the clinical setting.

CONCLUSIONS:

At this time, there is limited evidence to support safety or efficacy outcomes with the use of dabigatran for stroke prevention in patients with severe renal impairment and nonvalvular AF. Postmarketing data and large clinical trials are needed to determine the role of dabigatran in this population.
The Exemplary Lessons of Livy's Romulus
Authors: Stem Rex
Published: July 2012

Pursuing Livy's explicit statement on the exemplary value of history in pref. 10, this essay examines how Livy projects exemplary lessons through his characterization of Romulus. I argue that Livy has shaped his narrative to present Romulus as an exemplary figure worthy of imitation because he always successfully acted for the good of Rome. Acts that might seem morally questionable (such as the abduction of his neighbors' daughters) are to be understood as valuable for their strengthening of the city; patriotism makes moral demands of its own. Thus Romulus's exemplary value is not morally simple, but includes the consideration of his motives and the results he achieved. I conclude by suggesting that such a characterization would have been highly resonant at the time of its composition, for it proposes a standard by which the victor at Actium could be measured.
3. Finishing the TLL in the Digital Age: Opportunities, Challenges, Risks
Authors: Hillen Michael , Coleman K. M. (Kathleen M.)
Published: July 2012

DTP Notes 1. When there is a greek extract followed by the english translation remove the space below the greek extract.
Introduction: Women, Health, and Healing in Early Modern Europe
Authors: Fissell Mary E.
Published: July 2012

Women played substantial roles in health and healing in medieval and early-modern Europe. They have been undercounted in studies that rely upon occupational labels, but when we look at caregiving and bodywork, we can see women providing a broad range of services. Although women often healed in domestic settings, neither female patients nor practitioners should be considered in isolation from larger market forces that shaped men's healing work.
Women or Healers?: Household Practices and the Categories of Health Care in Late Medieval Iberia
Authors: Cabré Montserrat
Published: July 2012

Assessments of medieval health care used to focus on practitioners holding some sort of occupational label, resulting in a meager representation of women. This article intends to illustrate how women's significant contribution to healthcare can be mapped out by looking at the domestic space that is largely left outside the histories of medieval medicine. First, it explores the language that names women's activities to maintain health and alleviate illness, showing how words identifying women's capacities to heal come from everyday actions and belong to the semantic domain of women and mothers. The caring meanings ascribed to the words women, mothers, midwives, and nurses in the Iberian mother tongues conflate and describe a continuum of practice whose origin is the household, from where it expands to the community. Second, it discusses the importance of women's ordinary domestic care within the theoretical frame of the six non-naturals, particularly feeding and nourishing, as well as presenting the household as an open and flexible space providing health care beyond the family. Third, by considering recipes as privileged evidence, it attempts to piece together a preliminary textual history of women's household knowledges that for centuries had been circumscribed to the domain of the oral. It identifies the written contexts where women's recipes appear through a long timespan, attesting changes in women's literate practices that give rise to new genres that illuminate a sphere previously opaque to the historical record.
Fostering an Appreciation for all Kinds of Families: Picturebooks with Gay and Lesbian Themes
Authors: Chick Kay
Published: July 2012

In this article, Kay Chick discusses the benefits of gay-sensitive literature and the controversies and challenges associated with its use. She describes several examples of high-quality picturebooks with gay and lesbian characters, and points up gaps in existing literature selections
Puzzling Empire: Early Puzzles and Dissected Maps as Imperial Heuristics
Authors: Norcia Megan A.
Published: July 2012

An archival study of nineteenth-century children’s dissected maps and puzzles, this article places puzzles alongside children’s geography textbooks and adventure fiction within an imperial context. The article evaluates the puzzle pieces, boxes, and possible methods of assembly, speculating on the effects of such play on child players’ imperial consciousness.
Weaving the Body of God: Proclus of Constantinople, the Theotokos, and the Loom of the Flesh
Authors: Constas Nicholas P.
Published: July 2012

Proclus of Constantinople was a popular preacher who was deeply involved in the controversy surrounding the Mother of God that preceded the Council of Ephesus in 431. One of Proclus' most distinctive images of the Virgin is that of the textile-loom. This peculiar metaphor is closely related to the biblical exegesis of cloth and clothing, contemporary changes in the manufacture and symbolism of clothing and other textiles, and, perhaps, to the influence of the empress Pulcheria. Pulcheria, the virgin empress who spent much of her time spinning and weaving, modeled herself on the image of Mary, and sided with Proclus in his defense of the Mother of God. Women's workrooms, especially those where yarns were spun and woven, were the favored sites for the fabrication of stories and aphorisms, and this paper suggests that Pulcheria and her circle of high-born weavers may have been the authors of Proclus' images of the Virgin as a textile-loom. Finally, the symbolism of clothing and dress was particularly well suited to express the mystery of God's Incarnation in the flesh, both in terms of divine self-disclosure, and as a redemptive exchange of otherness.
Sorcery, Wheels, and Mirror Punishment in the Apocalypse of Peter
Authors: Callon Callie
Published: July 2012

The Apocalypse of Peter depicts a scene where the punitive fate of sinners in the afterlife is described with great specificity. The Apoc. Petr. asserts that each sinner will be divinely punished "according to his works," and much recent scholarship on the work has attempted to demonstrate that the majority of these punishments correspond logically with the sins that prompted them. However, the curious depiction of the sin of sorcery being paired with the punishment of sorcerers being bound to a revolving wheel has posed a problem for scholars, for this seems to defy the pattern of intelligible correspondence between a sin and its subsequent punishment. In this article I will propose a solution to this seeming incongruity. Using the model of mirror punishment as how the author envisioned "according to his work" as functioning, along with an examination of implements considered to have been used in magic in antiquity, I suggest that a logical correspondence between this sin and its punishment becomes intelligible.