bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reader variability in the use of diagnostic terms to describe white matter lesions seen on cranial scans of severely premature infants: The ELGAN study
Authors: Westra Sjirk , Adler Ira , Batton Daniel , Betz Bradford , Bezinque Steven , Durfee Sara , Ecklund Kirsten , Feinstein Kate , Fordham Lynn , Junewick Joseph , Lorenzo Robert , McCauley Roy , Miller Cindy , Seibert Joanna , Kuban Karl , Allred Elizabeth , Leviton Alan
Published: May 2010

Purpose

To evaluate reader variability of white matter lesions seen on cranial sonographic scans of extreme low gestational age neonates (ELGANs).

Methods

In 1,452 ELGANs, cranial sonographic scans were obtained in the first and second postnatal weeks, and between the third postnatal week and term. All sets of scans were read independently by two sonologists. We reviewed the use of four diagnostic labels: early periventricular leucomalacia, cystic periventricular leucomalacia, periventricular hemorrhagic infarction (PVHI), and other white matter diagnosis, by 16 sonologists at 14 institutions. We evaluated the association of these labels with location and laterality of hyperechoic and hypoechoic lesions, location of intraventricular hemorrhage, and characteristics of ventricular enlargement.

Results

Experienced sonologists differed substantially in their application of the diagnostic labels. Three readers applied early periventricular leucomalacia to more than one fourth of all the scans they read, whereas eight applied this label to ≤5% of scans. Five applied PVHI to ≥10% of scans, while three applied this label to ≤5% of scans. More than one third of scans labeled cystic periventricular leucomalacia had unilateral hypoechoic lesions. White matter abnormalities in PVHI were more extensive than in periventricular leucomalacia and were more anteriorly located. Hypoechoic lesions on late scans tended to be in the same locations, regardless of the diagnostic label applied.

Conclusions

Experienced sonologists differ considerably in their tendency to apply diagnostic labels for white matter lesions. This is due to lack of universally agreed‐upon definitions. We recommend reducing this variability to improve the validity of large multicenter studies. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 38:409–419, 2010
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance in mild to moderate clozapine‐induced myocarditis: Is there a role in the absence of electrocardiographic and echocardiographic abnormalities?
Authors: Ariyarajah Vignendra , Shaikh Nasir , Garber Philip J. , Kirkpatrick Ian , McGregor Robert , Jassal Davinder S.
Published: May 2010

Clozapine is an atypical, neuroleptic medication that can cause myocarditis. While the “gold standard” for diagnosis of myocarditis is perceived to be via myocardial biopsy, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has also proven its utility in this respect, primarily through its ability to detect myocardial scar by late‐gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Until recently, however, clozapine‐induced myocarditis specifically has not been known to be associated with LGE on CMR. In that particular case, LGE was demonstrated in a patient with clozapine‐induced myocarditis. However, quite important, that patient also had specific abnormalities on the electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiogram that corresponded to the area of LGE demonstrated by CMR. We highlight a case series of three patients with clozapine‐induced myocarditis and provide a literature review to discuss and critically appraise the true incremental diagnostic value of CMR in such patients with normal ECG and echocardiography. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:1473–1476. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Automatic segmentation of white matter hyperintensities in the elderly using FLAIR images at 3T
Authors: Gibson Erin , Gao Fuqiang , Black Sandra E. , Lobaugh Nancy J.
Published: May 2010

Purpose

To determine the precision and accuracy of an automated method for segmenting white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on fast fluid‐attenuated inversion‐recovery (FLAIR) images in elderly brains at 3T.

Materials and Methods

FLAIR images from 18 individuals (60–82 years, 9 females) with WMH burdens ranging from 1–80 cm3 were used. The protocol included the removal of clearly hyperintense voxels; two‐class fuzzy C‐means clustering (FCM); and thresholding to segment probable WMH. Two false‐positive minimization (FPM) methods using white matter templates were tested. Precision was assessed by adding synthetic hyperintense voxels to brain slices. Accuracy was validated by comparing automatic and manual segmentations. Whole‐brain, voxel‐wise metrics of similarity, under‐ and overestimation were used to evaluate both precision and accuracy.

Results

Precision was high, as the lowest accuracy in the synthetic datasets was 93%. Both FPM strategies successfully improved overall accuracy. Whole‐brain accuracy for the FCM segmentation alone ranged from 45%–81%, which improved to 75%–85% using the FPM strategies.

Conclusion

The method was accurate across the range of WMH burden typically seen in the elderly. Accuracy levels achieved or exceeded those of other approaches using multispectral and/or more sophisticated pattern recognition methods. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:1311–1322. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pulse sequence and timing of contrast‐enhanced MRI for assessing blood–brain barrier disruption after transcranial focused ultrasound in the presence of hemorrhage
Authors: Weng Jun‐Cheng , Wu Sheng‐Kai , Yang Feng‐Yi , Lin Win‐Li , Tseng Wen‐Yih Isaac
Published: May 2010

Purpose:

To optimize the timing of contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that best indicates blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption induced by focused ultrasound (FUS) along with an ultrasound contrast agent (UCA) and to verify that the contrast‐enhanced spin‐echo MRI sequence can indicate the degree and location of BBB disruption in the presence of hemorrhage better than a gradient‐echo sequence.

Materials and Methods:

Sonication was applied to 12 rat brains with four different doses of UCA to cause variable degrees of hemorrhage. Two imaging sequences were performed to acquire T1‐weighted (T1W) images at two time‐points after the administration of a T1‐shortening contrast agent. The contrast enhancement at the sonicated regions was quantified and correlated against Evans blue (EB) staining.

Results:

The spin‐echo T1W images at 10 minutes post–contrast enhancement showed the best correlation with EB staining in both quantity of EB extravasation (r = 0.812; P < 0.01) and spatial distribution (r = 0.528, P < 0.01). This capability was more robust than the gradient‐echo sequence.

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that contrast‐enhanced T1W spin‐echo sequence acquired in the early phase post–contrast enhancement should be considered to monitor the degree and location of BBB disruption under the possibility of hemorrhage induced by FUS. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:1323–1330. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dynamic contrast‐enhanced MR imaging for differentiation of rounded atelectasis from neoplasm
Authors: Horn Michael , Oechsner Markus , Gardarsdottir Marianna , Köstler Herbert , Müller Markus F.
Published: May 2010

Purpose

To characterize rounded atelectasis (RA) with dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI in the differential diagnosis of solitary peripheral pulmonary neoplasm.

Materials and Methods

Twenty‐four patients with diagnostically equivocal peripheral pulmonary nodules were examined with dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI. 13 patients had a total of 16 rounded atelectases and 11 had a neoplasm. The final diagnosis was made either by histology (n = 14) or follow‐up examinations of at least 24 months (n = 10). The peripheral nodules were evaluated concerning their morphology and contrast‐enhancement dynamics. Curves for signal intensity (SI) versus time were produced and the relative increase in SI, slope of SI during wash‐in, and slope of SI during wash‐out calculated. Additionally, SI time curves were evaluated using a two compartment model where the ratio for the SI of the fast and the slow component were calculated. Mean values from different tissues of interest were compared by an unpaired two‐sided t‐test.

Results

Analysis of the SI‐time curves of the RAs revealed a curve shape similar to the pulmonary artery, but a magnitude in SI between artery and normal lung tissue. Linear curve fit showed a significantly steeper slope during wash‐in and wash‐out, and higher relative signal increase in atelectases as compared to neoplasms. Results from the two compartment model showed increased flow and a high ratio of the slow to the fast components with a long mean transit time in neoplasms.

Conclusion

Three parameters, slope of SI during wash‐in and wash‐out, and the slow/fast ratio can be used as diagnostic tools for discrimination of RA and neoplasm. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:1364–1370. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pharmacokinetic mapping for lesion classification in dynamic breast MRI
Authors: Schabel Matthias C. , Morrell Glen R. , Oh Karen Y. , Walczak Cheryl A. , Barlow R. Brad , Neumayer Leigh A.
Published: May 2010

Purpose:

To prospectively investigate whether a rapid dynamic MRI protocol, in conjunction with pharmacokinetic modeling, could provide diagnostically useful information for discriminating biopsy‐proven benign lesions from malignancies.

Materials and Methods:

Patients referred to breast biopsy based on suspicious screening findings were eligible. After anatomic imaging, patients were scanned using a dynamic protocol with complete bilateral breast coverage. Maps of pharmacokinetic parameters representing transfer constant (Ktrans), efflux rate constant (kep), blood plasma volume fraction (vp), and extracellular extravascular volume fraction (ve) were averaged over lesions and used, with biopsy results, to generate receiver operating characteristic curves for linear classifiers using one, two, or three parameters.

Results:

Biopsy and imaging results were obtained from 93 lesions in 74 of 78 study patients. Classification based on Ktrans and kep gave the greatest accuracy, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.915, sensitivity of 91%, and specificity of 85%, compared with values of 88% and 68%, respectively, obtained in a recent study of clinical breast MRI in a similar patient population.

Conclusion:

Pharmacokinetic classification of breast lesions is practical on modern MRI hardware and provides significant accuracy for identification of malignancies. Sensitivity of a two‐parameter linear classifier is comparable to that reported in a recent multicenter study of clinical breast MRI, while specificity is significantly higher. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:1371–1378. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Stimulated echo induced misestimates on diffusion tensor indices and its remedy
Authors: Chuang Tzu‐Chao , Wu Ming‐Ting , Huang Teng‐Yi , Lin Yi‐Ru , Tsai Shang‐Yueh , Chang Hing‐Chiu , Chung Hsiao‐Wen
Published: May 2010

Purpose:

To report possible erroneous estimates of diffusion parameters in the twice‐refocused spin‐echo (TRSE) technique, proposed to eliminate eddy‐current‐induced geometric distortions in diffusion‐weighted echo‐planar imaging, when stimulated echo signals are inappropriately included.

Materials and Methods:

Eleven subjects were included for imaging experiments on two 1.5 Tesla systems using the TRSE sequence. Three versions, two with unbalanced crusher gradients inserted to dephase the stimulated echo from the b = 0 images and one with balanced crusher gradients, were implemented. The apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) were derived and compared.

Results:

The ADCs obtained with unbalanced crusher gradients were closer to values reported in the literature. Stimulated echo led to ADC over‐estimations by 34.2%, 50.4%, 54.0%, 51.5%, 24.0%, and 41.9% in the genu of corpus callosum, splenium of corpus callosum, bilateral corona radiata, internal capsule, mediofrontal gyrus, and the cuneus, respectively (P < 0.01), with concomitant reduction in FA in highly anisotropic regions. Over‐estimations of diffusion coefficients were found to be roughly equal along all directions.

Conclusion:

Formation of stimulated echo in the TRSE technique can lead to erroneous estimations of the diffusion parameters, even if no prominent morphological artifacts are seen. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:1522–1529. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Vibration imaging for localization of functional compartments of the extrinsic flexor muscles of the hand
Authors: Mariappan Yogesh K. , Manduca Armando , Glaser Kevin J. , Chen Jun , Amrami Kimberly K. , Ehman Richard L.
Published: May 2010

Purpose:

To develop and test an MRI‐based imaging technique for the localization of the functional compartments of the functionally finger‐specific, yet anatomically indistinct, flexor muscles of the hand.

Materials and Methods:

A total of six normal healthy volunteers were involved in five studies in which individual fingers were vibrated with mechanical actuators and the resultant motion within the corresponding functional compartments of the flexor muscles, mechanically transferred through the structurally connected tendons, was imaged with a phase‐contrast MR imaging technique that is highly sensitive to cyclic motion. The motion amplitude and relative phase relationship between the functional compartments of various muscles and fingers were obtained and analyzed from these images as a means to differentiate the various subcompartments.

Results:

The results show that this technique provides a detailed mapping of the regions of the complex flexor muscle compartments that correspond to each digit for both the flexor digitorum profundus and the flexor digitorum superficialis. The results also demonstrate the presence of mechanical interdependence between the flexor muscles.

Conclusion:

It is concluded from the results that localization of the finger‐specific subcompartments of the forearm flexor muscles can be performed with this technique. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:1395–1401. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mapping of iron deposition in conjunction with assessment of nerve fiber tract integrity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Langkammer Christian , Enzinger Christian , Quasthoff Stefan , Grafenauer Paula , Soellinger Michaela , Fazekas Franz , Ropele Stefan
Published: May 2010

Purpose:

To test if and where increased iron accumulation occurs in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by quantitative mapping of iron deposition and to relate these findings to white matter tract degeneration assessed by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Materials and Methods:

Fifteen patients with ALS and 15 age‐ and gender‐matched controls underwent MRI of the brain to obtain R2* relaxation rate and DTI measurements, focusing on the corticospinal tract (CST) and on deep gray matter structures, using tract‐based spatial statistics (TBSS).

Results:

Compared with controls, ALS patients showed reduced fractional anisotropy values along the mesencephalic CST, suggesting disintegration of fiber tracts. A trend for R2* values to be elevated was found in the CST of ALS patients. Regarding other brain areas examined, increased R2* values in ALS patients were observed solely in the caudate nucleus.

Conclusion:

This study extends previous findings on fiber disorganization by additional quantitative evidence for increased iron deposition in closely localized regions along the CST in ALS patients. Longitudinal studies are needed to further explore the pathophysiologic and diagnostic implications of these findings. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:1339–1345. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Intercenter differences in diffusion tensor MRI acquisition
Authors: Pagani Elisabetta , Hirsch Jochen G. , Pouwels Petra J.W. , Horsfield Mark A. , Perego Elisabetta , Gass Achim , Roosendaal Stefan D. , Barkhof Frederik , Agosta Federica , Rovaris Marco , Caputo Domenico , Giorgio Antonio , Palace Jacqueline , Marino Silvia , De Stefano Nicola , Ropele Stefan , Fazekas Franz , Filippi Massimo
Published: May 2010

Purpose:

To assess the effect on diffusion tensor (DT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of acquiring data with different scanners.

Materials and Methods:

Forty‐four healthy controls and 36 multiple sclerosis patients with low disability were studied using eight MR scanners with acquisition protocols that were as close to a standard protocol as possible. Between 7 and 13 subjects were studied in each center. Region‐of‐interest (ROI) and histogram‐based analyses of fractional anisotropy (FA), axial (Dax), radial (Drad), and mean diffusivity (MD) were performed. The influence of variables such as the acquisition center and the control/patient group was determined with an analysis of variance (ANOVA) test.

Results:

The patient/control group explained ≈25% of data variability of FA and Drad from midsagittal corpus callosum (CC) ROIs. Global FA, MD, and Drad in the white matter differentiated patients from controls, but with lower discriminatory power than for the CC. In the gray matter, MD discriminated patients from controls (30% of variability explained by group vs. 17% by center).

Conclusion:

Significant variability of DT‐MRI data can be attributed to the acquisition center, even when a standardized protocol is used. The use of appropriate segmentation methods and statistical models allows DT‐derived metrics to differentiate patients from healthy controls. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2010;31:1458–1468. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Disease severity and viral load are correlated in infants with primary respiratory syncytial virus infection in the community
Authors: Houben M.L. , Coenjaerts F.E.J. , Rossen J.W.A. , Belderbos M.E. , Hofland R.W. , Kimpen J.L.L. , Bont L.
Published: May 2010

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of respiratory tract infections in infants, with remarkable variability in disease severity. Factors determining severity of disease in previously healthy infants are still unclear. It was hypothesized that disease severity is correlated with viral load in primary RSV infection. Infants of a healthy birth cohort were included at signs of their first respiratory tract infection. Nasopharyngeal aspirate was obtained within 48–96 hr and disease severity was assessed with a previously published severity scoring model. PCR was applied to test the aspirates in a semi‐quantitative way for the presence of 10 respiratory pathogens. In case of multiple infection, the pathogen with the highest load was defined as the primary pathogen. The correlation between disease severity and viral load was analyzed. A total of 82 infants were included over a period of 2 years. Median age at first respiratory tract infection was 3 months. Pathogens were detected in 77 (94%) infants; more than one pathogen was detected in 35 (43%) infants. RSV was present in aspirates of 30 infants; in 16 aspirates RSV was the primary pathogen. A negative correlation between RSV CT‐value and disease severity was found in all RSV cases (ρ = −0.52, P = 0.003) and in cases with RSV as the primary pathogen (ρ = −0.54, P = 0.03). In conclusion, this is the first report on viral loads in previously healthy infants with RSV infection in the community. Disease severity correlated positively with viral load during primary RSV infection. J. Med. Virol. 82: 1266–1271, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hepatitis B virus BCP, precore/core, X gene mutations/genotypes and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in India
Authors: Asim Mohammad , Malik Abdul , Sarma Manash P. , Polipalli Sunil K. , Begum Nargis , Ahmad Istaq , Khan Luqman A. , Husain S.A. , Akhtar Naseem , Husain Sajid , Thayumanavan L. , Singla Rajiv , Kar P.
Published: May 2010

The study aims to characterize mutations of the HBV genome involving BCP, Precore/core and X regions and also defines HBV genotypes in patients of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The study involved 150 HBV‐related HCC cases and 136 HBV‐related chronic liver disease patients without HCC as controls. HBV DNA was subjected to mutational analysis using SSCP technique, genotyping by RFLP, and direct nucleotide sequencing. HBV DNA was found in 58.7% (88/150) of the HCC cases and 74.3% (101/136) of controls. HBV mutants were observed in 44.3% of HCC cases and 43.2% of controls. HBV/D was prevalent amongst the patients and controls, followed by HBV/A. The prevalence of the TT1504 mutation in the X gene, the V1753 and T1762/A1764 mutations in the BCP region, and G1914 mutation in the core gene were significantly higher in the HCC group than in the non‐HCC group. Multivariate analyses showed that the TT1504, V1753, A1762T/G1764A, and the G1914 mutations and the patient's age, sex, and HBeAg status increased the risk of HCC development significantly. Also, patients with HCC had lower levels of serum albumin, viral load, and platelet counts but higher values of alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, bilirubin, and Alpha feto‐protein than those of controls (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). HBV/D was the predominant genotype associated with HCC cases seen in India. The presence of different types of HBV mutations, age, sex, HBeAg status, and viral load was found to increase significantly the risk of HCC development in India. J. Med. Virol. 82: 1115–1125, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Polymorphism of the capsid L1 gene of human papillomavirus types 31, 33, and 35
Authors: Cornut Gilbert , Gagnon Simon , Hankins Catherine , Money Deborah , Pourreaux Karina , Franco Eduardo L. , Coutlée François ,   for The Canadian Women's HIV Study Group
Published: May 2010

The L1 gene encodes for the major capsid protein of human papillomaviruses (HPV). There is limited information on the polymorphism of L1 for types related to HPV‐16. This report explores the polymorphism of L1 in phylogenetically related types 31, 33, and 35 compared to HPV‐16. Genital specimens collected from 732 HIV‐seropositive and 323 HIV‐seronegative women were screened for HPV DNA with consensus L1 PCR. Cervical samples positive for HPV‐16 (n = 74), HPV‐31 (n = 78), HPV‐33 (n = 37), and HPV‐35 (n = 58) were further characterized by PCR‐sequencing of the complete L1 gene. The number of nucleotide substitutions within L1 ranged from 19 for HPV‐33 to 52 for HPV‐31. The ratio of the number of variants/number of isolates tested was higher for HPV‐31 (56.4%, P = 0.05) and HPV‐35 (60.3%, P = 0.04) compared to HPV‐16 (40.5%), while this ratio was lower for HPV‐33 (24.3%), although not significantly (P = 0.14). The maximal distance between HPV variants was greater in the five putative surface‐exposed loops of L1 than in sequences outside the loops (P < 0.01). Synonymous variations were encountered in 1.7% (95% CI 1.1–2.3) of nucleotides inside the L1 loops and 2.4% (95% CI1.2–3.7) of nucleotides outside the L1 loops. Non‐synonymous variations were encountered in 1.8% (95% CI 1.1–2.5) of nucleotides within the L1 loops and 0.2% (95% CI 0–0.4) of nucleotides outside the loops. dN/dS ratios were below 1.0 in extra‐loop and intra‐loop regions, but they were lower in extra‐loop regions. These results suggest that sequences within and outside the hypervariable loops of L1 were under selective constraint. J. Med. Virol. 82: 1168–1178, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Immunovirological correlates in human rabies treated with therapeutic coma
Authors: Hunter M. , Johnson N. , Hedderwick S. , McCaughey C. , Lowry K. , McConville J. , Herron B. , McQuaid S. , Marston D. , Goddard T. , Harkess G. , Goharriz H. , Voller K. , Solomon T. , Willoughby R.E. , Fooks A.R.
Published: May 2010

A 37‐year‐old woman was admitted to hospital and over the next 5 days developed a progressive encephalitis. Nuchal skin biopsy, analyzed using a Rabies TaqMan© PCR, demonstrated rabies virus RNA. She had a history in keeping with exposure to rabies whilst in South Africa, but had not received pre‐ or post‐exposure prophylaxis. She was treated with a therapeutic coma according to the “Milwaukee protocol,” which failed to prevent the death of the patient. Rabies virus was isolated from CSF and saliva, and rabies antibody was demonstrated in serum (from day 11 onwards) and cerebrospinal fluid (day 13 onwards). She died on day‐35 of hospitalization. Autopsy specimens demonstrated the presence of rabies antigen, viral RNA, and viable rabies virus in the central nervous system. J. Med. Virol. 82:1255–1265, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Performance of the Abbott RealTime high‐risk HPV test in women with abnormal cervical cytology smears
Authors: Cuzick Jack , Ambroisine Laurence , Cadman Louise , Austin Janet , Ho Linda , Terry George , Liddle Stuart , Dina Roberto , McCarthy Julie , Buckley Hilary , Bergeron Christine , Soutter W.P. , Lyons Deirdre , Szarewski Anne
Published: May 2010

HPV DNA testing is known to be much more sensitive than cytology, but less specific. A range of HPV and related tests in 858 women referred for colposcopy because of an abnormal smear were evaluated to compare the performances of these tests. This article compared the Abbott test to other tests which had been previously evaluated. This test was a real true test for 14 high‐risk HPV types. The Abbott test was found to be highly sensitive for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or worse (CIN3+) (98.9%) with a specificity of 31.5%. These numbers were comparable with the Qiagen HC2 test, the Roche Linear Array and Amplicor tests, and the Gen‐Probe APTIMA test. Differences between these tests appeared to be related mostly to the choice of cutoff level. An added feature of the Abbott test was the provision of type specific results for HPV 16 and 18. J. Med. Virol. 82: 1186–1191, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Genital human papillomavirus infection and genotype prevalence among albanian women: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Filipi Kozeta , Tedeschini Alma , Paolini Francesca , Celicu Silva , Morici Salvatrice , Kota Majlinda , Bucaj Elona , De Marco Federico
Published: May 2010

“High risk” HPV types have different geographical distribution and evidence suggests their respective prevalence may vary in different areas and regions. An accurate description of high‐risk HPV circulation is a key feature for the rational design of prevention and screening campaigns. A cross‐sectional, virological study was conducted on adult Albanian women living either in the Tirana area or in the Duress prefecture. Clinical and gynecological evaluations were performed according to current standard criteria. HPV detection and typing were carried out by a combined MY09/MY11 and GP5+/GP6+ PCR followed by direct sequencing of generated amplicons. Virological data were obtained from 402 out of 452 patients enrolled between January 2004 and December 2007. Sixty‐one patients (15.1% of the cohort) were found to be infected with a genital HPV. As expected, viral prevalence was higher among women younger than 30 years of age (25.2%) in comparison to those aged 30 or older (13.6%). HPV 16 was found to be the most frequent type (41% of cases), followed by HPV 53 (7.2%), HPV 31 (5.8%), and HPV 18 (4.3%). HPV 81 and HPV 84 were the most prevalent low‐risk types detected with prevalences of 11.6% and 5.8%, respectively. No differences were noted in any type‐specific prevalence between young and mature women. The circulation of HPV types is far more complex than assumed generally. Detailed knowledge of HPV type circulating patterns in specific local geographical areas is essential for appropriate implementation of screening, prevention, and surveillance campaigns. J. Med. Virol. 82: 1192–1196, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Natalizumab has no direct biological effect on JC virus infectivity in permissive human neural cell lines
Authors: Suzuki Tadaki , Yamanouchi Satoko , Sunden Yuji , Orba Yasuko , Kimura Takashi , Sawa Hirofumi
Published: May 2010

The human polyomavirus JC virus (JCV) infects 70–80% of humans and establishes latent infection in the kidney. In immunosuppressed patients, JCV reactivates and causes a fatal and progressive neurological disease known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Over the past three decades, PML has become an important neurological complication in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. Recently, it was reported that patients treated with therapeutics that target the integrin receptor very late antigen (VLA)‐4 are at increased risk of developing PML. However, the relationship between Natalizumab and this unexpected onset of PML has yet to be elucidated. Here, we investi‐gated the effect of Natalizumab on the growth of JCV in the permissive human neural cell line IMR‐32 following viral inoculation. Natalizumab had no effect either on the expression levels of viral proteins as determined by immunoblot analysis using specific antibodies or on the hemagglutination activity of cellular lysates from infected cells. These results suggest that there is no direct effect of Natalizumab on JCV infectivity in IMR‐32 cells in vitro. J. Med. Virol. 82: 1229–1235, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Increased PD‐L1 expression and PD‐L1/CD86 ratio on dendritic cells were associated with impaired dendritic cells function in HCV infection
Authors: Shen Tao , Chen Xiangmei , Chen Yu , Xu Qiang , Lu Fengmin , Liu Shuang
Published: May 2010

Impaired hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐specific T cell immunity was associated with the persistence of HCV infection. Dysfunction of dentritic cells (DCs) was believed to be involved in T cell exhaustion, but the mechanisms were rarely understood. In this study, surface costimulatory marker (CD83, CD86, and CD40), coinhibitory marker (PD‐L1) expression and allostimulatory capacity of plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) and myeloid DCs (mDCs) were evaluated in HCV‐infected patients. Results showed that the expression of both costimulatory and coinhibitory markers was increased in HCV‐infected patients compared with healthy controls. PD‐L1/CD86 ratio was increased and positively correlated with PD‐L1 expression on DCs in HCV‐infected patients. Allostimulatory capacity of DCs was impaired and inversely correlated with PD‐L1 expression and PD‐L1/CD86 ratio. These findings suggested that the effect of inhibitory marker PD‐L1 overwhelmed the effect of costimulatory markers and down regulated DC‐T activation in HCV‐infected patients. The results will be helpful to understand the mechanism of dysfunction of DCs in HCV infection and shed light on the DC‐based immunotherapeutic strategy. J. Med. Virol. 82: 1152–1159, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Optimal surgical treatment of breast cancer: Implications for local control and survival
Authors: Khan Seema A. , Eladoumikdachi Firas
Published: May 2010

Improvements in the local control of primary breast cancer have been shown to improve long‐term survival. The role of surgical therapy in maximizing local control includes: appropriate patient selection for breast conservation; tumor resection with pathologically free margins; careful staging with sentinel node biopsy; appropriate use of axillary dissection; and meticulous surgical technique to achieve these goals. Each component of surgical therapy has the potential for maximizing local control, and therefore for extending survival. J. Surg. Oncol. 2010; 101:677‐686. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Laparoscopic adrenalectomy: Balancing the operative indications with the technical advances
Authors: Mazzaglia Peter J. , Vezeridis Michael P.
Published: May 2010

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy contributed significantly to reduction of morbidity and improvement of postoperative patient recovery time. The adoption of this technique had substantial impact on the management of adrenal incidentalomas. Although laparoscopic adrenalectomy should be in general avoided for known primary adrenal cancers, it is appropriate for metastasectomy of isolated adrenal metastatic disease. J. Surg. Oncol. 2010; 101:739‐744. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Beginner's Guide to Industrial Laser Beam Profiling
Authors: McCauley John
Published: May 2010

Whether you're new to lasers or you've been working with them for some time, you may be wondering what all the fuss is over laser beam profiling. Why worry about the quality of the laser beam that you've just put into production? Or, if you think your process is humming along nicely, why fix what isn't broken? You might think that laser beam quality has more than likely been addressed at the research and development stage of the laser you have, or even at the manufacturing or integration stages of the system that you've received. This article shows the importance of laser beam profiling and how the user can benefit from it.
Absent, unrecognized, and minimal myotonic discharges in myotonic dystrophy type 2
Authors: Young Nathan P. , Daube Jasper R. , Sorenson Eric J. , Milone Margherita
Published: May 2010

The purpose of this study was to describe the frequency of absent, unrecognized, or minimal myotonic discharges (MDs) in myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2). We performed a retrospective review of needle electromyography (EMG) data prior to genetic diagnosis in 49 DM2 patients at the Mayo Clinic. MDs were not reported on first or repeat EMG studies (n = 8) and not found in archived recordings of 4 patients (8%); archived EMG recordings (n = 4) confirmed the absence of MDs (n = 2), including 1 patient with normal insertional activity in all muscles, and misinterpretation of MDs as slow fibrillation potentials (n = 1) and complex repetitive discharge (CRD) activity (n = 1). Eight (16%) patients had minimal classic MDs with diffusely increased insertional activity, including waning‐only MDs in all patients in this group with archived EMG recordings (n = 5). Diffuse MDs were found in 33 (67%) patients. Absent or minimal MDs do not exclude DM2. Over‐reliance on diffuse MDs in patients who present with myopathy may lead to delay in genetic diagnosis of DM2. Muscle Nerve, 2010
Novel low‐bandgap oligothiophene‐based donor‐acceptor alternating conjugated copolymers: Synthesis, properties, and photovoltaic applications
Authors: Li Yaowen , Li Zaifang , Wang Chunyu , Li Hui , Lu Hongguang , Xu Bin , Tian Wenjing
Published: May 2010

A series of novel soluble donor‐acceptor low‐bandgap‐conjugated polymers consisting of different oligothiophene (OTh) coupled to electron‐accepting moiety 2‐pyran‐4‐ylidenemalononitrile (PM)‐based unit were synthesized by Stille or Suzuki coupling polymerization. The combination of electron‐accepting PM building block with varied OThn (the number of thiophene unit increases from 3 to 5) results in enhanced π–π stacking in solid state and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) transition, which lead to an extension of the absorption spectra of the copolymers. Cyclic voltammetry measurements and molecular orbital distribution calculations indicate that the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO) energy levels could be fine‐tuned by changing the number of thiophene units of the copolymers, and the resulting copolymers possessed relatively low HOMO energy levels promising good air stability and high‐open circuit voltage (Voc) for photovoltaic application. Bulk heterojunction photovoltaic devices were fabricated by using the copolymers as donors and (6,6)‐phenyl C61‐butyric acid methyl ester as acceptor. It was found that the highest Voc reached 0.94 V, and the short circuit currents (Jsc) were improved from 1.78 to 2.54 mA/cm2, though the power conversion efficiencies of the devices were measured between 0.61 and 0.99% under simulated AM 1.5 solar irradiation of 100 mW/cm2, which indicated that this series copolymers can be promising candidates for the photovoltaic applications. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 2765–2776, 2010
The application of copper(II) deactivator on the single‐electron transfer living radical polymerization of tert‐butyl acrylate
Authors: Ren Wuyang , Jiang Long , Wang Weiwei , Dan Yi
Published: May 2010

We demonstrate the living radical polymerization of tert‐butyl acrylate (tBA) applying the SET mechanism, employing methyl 2‐bromopropionate (MBP) as initiator in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) at ambient temperature. It is observed that introducing copper bromide into the catalyst system is necessary for controlling on the SET‐LRP polymerization of tBA. In this work, we make major investigation for the effect of the different stoichiometry quantity of copper bromide on the polymerization. Experiments show that the polymerization achieves better control with increasing the stoichiometry quantity of copper(II) deactivator. The structural analysis of the resulting polymers by 1H NMR demonstrates the successful synthesis of poly(tBA)s by SET‐LRP in DMSO. Moreover, this work is helpful to the SET‐LRP of other monomers and is expected to expand the application of SET‐LRP. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 2793–2797, 2010
A novel aromatic–aliphatic copolyester consisting of poly(1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one) and poly(ethylene‐co‐1,6‐hexene terephthalate): Preparation, thermal, and mechanical properties
Authors: Gong Jie , Lou Xiao‐Jie , Li Wen‐Da , Jing Xin‐Ke , Chen Hong‐Bing , Zeng Jian‐Bing , Wang Xiu‐Li , Wang Yu‐Zhong
Published: May 2010

A novel multiblock aromatic–aliphatic copolyester poly(ethylene‐co‐1,6‐hexene terephthalate)‐copoly(1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one) (PEHT‐PPDO) was successfully synthesized via the chain‐extension reaction of dihydroxyl teminated poly(ethylene‐co‐hexane terephthalate) (PEHT‐OH) with dihydroxyl teminated poly(1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one) (PPDO‐OH) prepolymers, using toluene‐2,4‐diisocyanate as a chain extender. To produce PEHT‐OH prepolymer with an appropriate melting point which can match the reaction temperature of PEHT‐OH prepolymer with PPDO‐OH prepolymer, 1,6‐hexanediol was used to disturb the regularity of poly(ethylene terephthalate) segments. The chemical structures and molecular weights of PEHT‐PPDO copolymers were characterized by 1H NMR, FTIR, and GPC. The DSC data showed that PPDO‐OH segments were miscible well with PEHT‐OH segments in amorphous state and that the crystallization of copolyester was predominantly contributed by PPDO segments. The TGA results indicated that the thermal stability of PEHT‐PPDO was improved comparing with PPDO homopolymer. The novel aromatic–aliphatic copolyesters have good mechanical properties and could find applications in the field of biodegradable polymer materials. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 2828–2837, 2010
Cationic methacrylate copolymers containing primary and tertiary amino side groups: Controlled synthesis via RAFT polymerization, DNA condensation, and in vitro gene transfection
Authors: Zhu Caihong , Jung Sooyeon , Si Guoying , Cheng Ru , Meng Fenghua , Zhu Xiulin , Park Tae Gwan , Zhong Zhiyuan
Published: May 2010

A versatile family of cationic methacrylate copolymers containing varying amounts of primary and tertiary amino side groups were synthesized and investigated for in vitro gene transfection. Two different types of methacrylate copolymers, poly(2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)/aminoethyl methacrylate [P(DMAEMA/AEMA)] and poly(2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)/aminohexyl methacrylate [P(DMAEMA/AHMA)], were obtained by reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) copolymerization of dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) with N‐(tert‐butoxycarbonyl)aminoethyl methacrylate (Boc‐AEMA) or N‐(tert‐butoxycarbonyl)aminohexyl methacrylate (Boc‐AHMA) followed by acid deprotection. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) measurements revealed that Boc‐protected methacrylate copolymers had Mn in the range of 16.1–23.0 kDa and low polydispersities of 1.12–1.26. The copolymer compositions were well controlled by monomer feed ratios. Dynamic light scattering and agarose gel electrophoresis measurements demonstrated that these PDMAEMA copolymers had better DNA condensation than PDMAEMA homopolymer. The polyplexes of these copolymers revealed low cytotoxicity at an N/P ratio of 3/1. The in vitro transfection in COS‐7 cells in serum free medium demonstrated significantly enhanced (up to 24‐fold) transfection efficiencies of PDMAEMA copolymer polyplexes as compared with PDMAEMA control. In the presence of 10% serum, P(DMAEMA/AEMA) and P(DMAEMA/AHMA) displayed a high transfection activity comparable with or better than 25 kDa PEI. These results suggest that cationic methacrylate copolymers are highly promising for development of safe and efficient nonviral gene transfer agents. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 2869–2877, 2010
Optimum antenna configuration in MIMO systems: a differential evolution based approach
Authors: Develi Ibrahim , Yazlik E. Nazife
Published: May 2010

In this paper, we address the problem of determining the optimum antenna configuration for a multi‐input multi‐output (MIMO) system at any given signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR). We used two‐level differential evolution (DE) algorithm that finds both an appropriate expression among a set of candidate expressions within the list of the optimization software used, and the parameter values (coefficients) belonging to the selected expression. The results of the proposed expression are compared with the results of high SNR approximation, asymptotic approach and optimum antenna number ratios. It is shown that the numerical outcomes produced by the new expression exhibit very good agreement with the optimum antenna number ratios, and this agreement is almost independent of the specific value of SNR. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Altering the balance between healthy and mutated mitochondrial DNA
Authors: Smith Paul M. , Lightowlers Robert N.
Published: May 2010

Pathogenic mutations of the mitochondrial genome are frequently found to co‐exist with wild‐type mtDNA molecules, a state known as heteroplasmy. In most disease cases, the mutation is recessive with manifestation of a clinical phenotype occurring when the proportion of mutated mtDNA exceeds a high threshold. The concept of increasing the ratio of healthy to mutated mtDNA as a means to correcting the biochemical defect has received much attention. A number of strategies are highlighted in this article, including manipulation of the mitochondrial genome by antigenomic drugs or restriction endonucleases, zinc finger peptide‐targeted nucleases and exercise‐induced gene shifting. The feasibility of these approaches has been demonstrated in a number of models, however more work is necessary before use in human patients.
White paper on imaging biomarkers
Authors:   European Society of Radiology (ESR)
Published: May 2010

Because of the importance of biomarkers within medicine as a whole and the increasing realisation that imaging can safely provide biomarkers, the ESR executive commissioned this report by experts in the field. It is hoped that further awareness amongst our community will contibute to further exploitation of the enormous wealth of biomaker information available in our day to day imaging. The all important issues surrounding validation and standardisation are discussed, together with proposals for a European Network on Imaging Biomarkers to oversee such aspects.
A comparison of British school meals and packed lunches from 1990 to 2007: meta-analysis by lunch type
Authors: Evans Charlotte E. L. , Cleghorn Christine L. , Greenwood Darren C. , Cade Janet E.
Published: May 2010

Primary school children in the UK have the choice of a school meal provided by the school or a packed lunch provided from home. Currently, more than half of primary school children have a packed lunch. New food-based standards for school meals were introduced in English primary schools in 2006, followed by nutrient-based standards in 2008. No formal comparisons of primary school lunches by lunch type have been undertaken to date. The present review identified seven studies from 1990 to 2007 measuring lunchtime nutrient intake in children aged 5–11 years having a school meal and children having a packed lunch. Pooled estimates for each nutrient were as follows: energy intake was 543 (95 % CI 233, 854) kJ higher in packed lunches; total sugar intake was 14·0 (95 % CI 10·3, 17·7) g higher in packed lunches; non-milk extrinsic sugar intake was 11·7 (95 % CI 7·3, 16·2) g higher in packed lunches; saturated fat intake was 4·7 (95 % CI 2·4, 7·1) g higher in packed lunches and Na intake was 357 (95 % CI 174, 539) mg higher in packed lunches. Differences between school meals and packed lunches were larger for all nutrients after the introduction of food-based standards compared with the period of no standards. However, differences between before and after standards did not reach statistical significance. The nutritional quality of packed lunches is poor compared with school meals. The introduction of food-based standards for school meals in 2006 has moderately improved the nutrient content of school meals, slightly widening the nutritional gap between school meals and packed lunches.
Dynamics and stability of an annular electrolyte film
Authors: CONROY D. T. , CRASTER R. V. , MATAR O. K. , PAPAGEORGIOU D. T.
Published: May 2010

We investigate the evolution of an electrolyte film surrounding a second electrolyte core fluid inside a uniform cylindrical tube and in a core-annular arrangement, when electrostatic and electrokinetic effects are present. The limiting case when the core fluid electrolyte is a perfect conductor is examined. We analyse asymptotically the thin annulus limit to derive a nonlinear evolution equation for the interfacial position, which accounts for electrostatic and electrokinetic effects and is valid for small Debye lengths that scale with the film thickness, that is, charge separation takes place over a distance that scales with the annular layer thickness. The equation is derived and studied in the Debye-Hückel limit (valid for small potentials) as well as the fully nonlinear Poisson–Boltzmann equation. These equations are characterized by an electric capillary number, a dimensionless scaled inverse Debye length and a ratio of interface to wall electrostatic potentials. We explore the effect of electrokinetics on the interfacial dynamics using a linear stability analysis and perform extensive numerical simulations of the initial value problem under periodic boundary conditions. An allied nonlinear analysis is carried out to investigate fully singular finite-time rupture events that can take place. Depending upon the parameter regime, the electrokinetics either stabilize or destabilize the film and, in the latter case, cause the film to rupture in finite time. In this case, the final film shape can have a ring- or line-like rupture; the rupture dynamics are found to be self-similar. In contrast, in the absence of electrostatic effects, the film does not rupture in finite time but instead evolves to very long-lived quasi-static structures that are interrupted by an abrupt re-distribution of these very slowly evolving drops and lobes. The present study shows that electrokinetic effects can be tuned to rupture the film in finite time and the time to rupture can be controlled by varying the system parameters. Some intriguing and novel behaviour is also discovered in the limit of large scaled inverse Debye lengths, namely stable and smooth non-uniform steady state film shapes emerge as a result of a balance between destabilizing capillary forces and stabilizing electrokinetic forces.
Wall effects on a rotating sphere
Authors: LIU QIANLONG , PROSPERETTI ANDREA
Published: May 2010

The flow induced by a spherical particle spinning in the presence of no-slip planar boundaries is studied by numerical means. In addition to the reference case of an infinite fluid, the situations considered include a sphere rotating near one or two infinite plane walls parallel or perpendicular to the axis of rotation and a sphere centred within a cube. The hydrodynamic force and couple acting on the sphere exhibit a complex behaviour under the sometimes competing, sometimes cooperating action of viscous, inertial and centrifugal effects.