bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiple Fractionated and Single-Dose Irradiation of Bone Marrow
Authors: Tong X.-Q. , Sugimura H. , Kisanuki A. , Asato M. , Yuki Y. , Tamura S. , Watanabe K.
Published: October 2009

Purpose: To evaluate the MR appearance of bone marrow during and after multiple fractionated and single-dose irradiation using SE sequences, with histopathological correlation.

Material and Methods: the left hind limbs of Wistar rats were irradiated with doses of either 2 GyX10 fractions or 20 Gy as a single dose. MR images of the femora were taken on days 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180. T1-, proton-density- and T2-weighted images were obtained with SE sequences. the rats were sacrificed on days 3, 12, 40 and 180 for histological study.

Results: No significant change in the T1 relaxation time was observed in the fractionated group during the first 15 days after irradiation. T2 did not change during the initial 7 days. There were significant differences in T1 and T2 between nonirradiated and fractionated, and between fractionated and single-dose irradiated marrows ( p<0.01). Sinusoidal dilatation, decrease in cellularity, and hemorrhage were observed on day 3. Fat increased on/after day 12. the fractionated group showed mild changes compared to the single-dose irradiated group.

Conclusion: the T1 and T2 relaxation times of bone marrow receiving multiple fractionated irradiation did not change significantly on SE sequences during the early phase. However, dilatation of sinusoids, hemorrhage, decrease in cellularity, and increase in fat content were observed. Single-dose irradiation resulted in marked and early changes in T1 and T2 of the bone marrow.
Agreement between Radiographic and Photographic Trabecular Patterns
Authors: Korstjens C. M. , Spruijt R. J. , Mosekilde L. , Geraets W. G. M. , van der Stelt P. F.
Published: October 2009

Purpose: It has been hypothesized that photographs can facilitate the interpretation of the radiographic characteristics of trabecular bone. the reliability of these photographic and radiographic approaches has been determined, as have various agreements between the two approaches and their correlations with biomechanical characteristics.

Material and Methods: Fourteen vertebral bodies were obtained at autopsy from 6 women and 8 men aged 22–76 years. Photographs (n=28) and radiographs (n=28) were taken of midsagittal slices from the third lumbar vertebra. the radiographs and photographs were digitized and the geometric properties of the trabecular architecture were then determined with a digital image analysis technique. Information on the compressive strength and ash density of the vertebral body was also available.

Results: the geometric properties of both radiographs and photographs could be measured with a high degree of reliability (Cronbach's α >0.85). Agreement between the radiographic and photographic approaches was mediocre as only the radiographic measurements showed significant correlations ( p<0.05) with the biomechanical characteristics. We suggest that optical phenomena may result in the insignificant correlations between the photographs and the biomechanical characteristics.

Conclusion: for digital image processing, radiography offers a superior description of the architecture of trabecular bone to that offered by photography.
Bone Demarcation of the Temporomandibular Joint
Authors: Ahlqvist J. B. , Isberg A. M.
Published: October 2009

Purpose: To study the CT depiction of bone demarcations in the temporomandibular joint, using conventional window level and window width; and to evaluate observer performance in estimating bone thickness in these images.

Material and Methods: Seven joint specimens were imaged by CT and then cryosectioned. the measurements of bone wall thickness in the images were compared to the true bone thickness at each cutting level. In addition, 4 experienced radiologists estimated the thickness of the bone walls in the images.

Results: the relative difference between the CT reproduction and the true bone thickness was small for bone walls thicker than 2 mm. This difference increased with the decrease in bone thickness and the increase in the inclination of the bone wall from the perpendicular to the image plane. Bone walls thinner than 1 mm were reproduced as considerably thicker than their true thickness. This resulted in a clinical overestimation of bone thickness.

Conclusion: Both the CT representation and the interpretation of bone demarcation in the temporomandibular joint may constitute a problem. Partial volume averaging effects can result in an overestimation of bone dimensions amounting to 200% for thin bones. the central white zone in images of thin bone walls obtained with the parameters described here could serve as an indicator that could help to reduce the risk of overestimating bone thickness.
Comparison of the Contrast Enhancement Pattern in Two Different T1-Weighted 3-D Sequences in MR Imaging of the Breast
Authors: Wiberg M. Kristoffersen , Boné B. , Bronge L. , Aspelin P.
Published: October 2009

Purpose: Can a complementary 3-D T1-weighted sequence (MPRAGE) facilitate the evaluation of contrast enhancement in patients with widespread and early contrast enhancement in our standard 3-D T1-weighted FLASH sequence?

Material and Methods: Twenty patients with 21 breast lesions were examined with both FLASH and MPRAGE sequences. the MR examinations were reviewed independently by three radiologists.

Results: In both the FLASH and MPRAGE sequences, 11 lesions were true-positive. In the FLASH sequence alone, 3 lesions were true-negative and 13 false-positive in comparison to the MPRAGE sequence alone in which 10 lesions were true-negative and 6 false-positive. Seven lesions that were false-positive in the FLASH sequence were true-negative in the MPRAGE sequence: this shows that MPRAGE has the potential to downgrade the false-positive findings found in the FLASH sequence.

Conclusion: Due to its higher sensitivity, FLASH is the sequence of first choice at routine examination. However, when atypical increased enhancement was found, the addition of the MPRAGE sequence improved the specificity of the MR investigation.
Embolotherapy for Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations in Patients with Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (Rendu-Osler-Weber Syndrome)
Authors: Andersen P. E. , Kjeldsen A. Drøhse , Oxhøj H. , Vase P. , White R. I.
Published: October 2009

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical results of embolization of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), the Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome.

Material and Methods: Twelve patients in the county of Fyn, Denmark, were treated with transcatheter embolization of 20 PAVMs using 12 detachable silicone balloons and 26 steel coils.

Results: All PAVMs were completely occluded and we observed a significant rise in PaO2 after treatment and a significant decrease in right-to-left shunt estimated by contrast echocardiography. All patients experienced an improved functional level. One patient experienced severe pleurisy and another a rise in temperature following treatment, but otherwise no symptomatic complications were observed.

Conclusion: Embolotherapy is a definitive treatment for PAVMs: it is very effective with a high success rate and few complications. Patients with HHT are at risk of PAVM and should be screened and treated for PAVMs when these reach a size that is associated with complications. In the detection of PAVMs, contrast echocardiography is a very sensitive method, and follow-up of these patients can be done with contrast echocardiography.
Diagnostic Quality in Hysterosalpingography
Authors: Lindequist S. , Rasmussen F. , Madsen H. H. Torp , Næser A. , Bjartveit K. , Kristoffersen D. T. , Klaveness A. J.
Published: October 2009

Purpose: To compare the diagnostic quality and adverse events of the water-soluble, non-ionic, iso-osmolar, dimeric contrast media iodixanol and iotrolan in hysterosalpingography (HSG).

Material and Methods: One hundred and twenty patients participated in a double-blind randomized parallel-group phase-III study. Questionnaires and patient interviews were used. Diagnostic quality was assessed using a visual analogue scale and the quality in specific regions was rated using a categorical scale.

Results: Overall diagnostic quality was equal for the two groups. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in diagnostic quality in the specific regions of interest. No differences between the contrast media were found with regard to adverse events.

Conclusion: Both contrast media provided images of high diagnostic quality in HSG.
CT Measurement of Lung Density
Authors: Kalef-Ezra J. , Karantanas A. , Tsekeris P.
Published: October 2009

Purpose: The aim of this study was to obtain more accurate data on the electron density of the lungs in healthy subjects and to determine the factors that influence this value.

Material and Methods: Single kVp quantitative CT was applied in 130 normal adults (61 men and 69 women) to study the electron density of the lung.

Results: The electron density of the lung in men was lower than that in women. In contrast, the area designated as lung in men was larger than that in women. The mean electron density decreased with increasing age in men, but not in women. The following parameters were not found to influence lung electron density: body mass, body height, smoking habits, and right or left lung. The electron density of the lung medial to the thoracic wall and close to the breast was lower than the density in the entire lung parenchyma.

Conclusion: Quantitative CT provided the means to study noninvasively the electron density of the lung and the factors that influence this value.
RARE-MR-Urography — A New Diagnostic Method in Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease
Authors: Kern S. , Zimmerhackl L.-B. , Hildebrandt F. , Uhl M.
Published: October 2009

Purpose: To describe the appearance of autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) by using a new diagnostic method: RARE-MR-urography.

Material and Methods: Eight children were evaluated using MR images from 0.23 T and 1.5 T MR units, using T1-weighted spin-echo and T2-weighted turbo spin-echo sequences and RARE-MR-urography. Signal intensities, morphological appearance of the affected kidneys and, specifically, the picture of the urinary tract in RARE-MR-urography, were evaluated.

Results: All children showed enlargement, reniform but humpy kidney shape, homogeneous-grainy renal parenchyma, normal renal pelvis and calyces. Although ARPKD is always associated with some degree of congenital hepatic fibrosis, there was no bile duct dilatation or liver fibrosis at the time of examination. Signal intensity was hyperintense in T2-weighted images in all cases. In 5 cases, T1-weighted images were hypointense. In RARE-MR-urography, hyperintense, linear, radial patterns in cortex and medulla were seen, which represent microcystic dilatation of collecting ducts and are therefore characteristic of ARPKD. Four patients presented with a few circumscribed small subcapsular cysts.

Conclusion: RARE-MR-urography is a noninvasive method which demonstrates the pathognomonic water-filled cystic structures throughout the kindeys in ARPKD.
Biventricular Diastolic Cardiac Function Assessed by MR flow Imaging using a Single Angulation
Authors: Kroft L. J. M. , de Roos A.
Published: October 2009

Purpose: To evaluate whether one single angulation is reliable for biventricular diastolic MR flow measurements across both the mitral and tricuspid valves.

Material and Methods: MR flow imaging was performed in 14 healthy volunteers and 14 patients with pulmonary fibrosis. Flow curve parameters were calculated from the mitral valve in mitral valve angulation, the tricuspid valve in tricuspid valve angulation, and also from the mitral valve in tricuspid valve angulation and the tricuspid valve in mitral valve angulation.

Results: for flow through the mitral valve, there were no significant differences between angulation set parallel to the mitral valve and angulation set parallel to the tricuspid valve for the diastolic inflow volume, the E-peak and the E:A ratio as measured in healthy volunteers and patients. the tricuspid valve flow was imaged well when the angulation was set parallel to the tricuspid valve, but not when angulation was set parallel to the mitral valve. the results indicate that the inflow volumes, the E-peak, and the E:A peak ratios across the mitral valve and tricuspid valve can be obtained using one single angulation which is set parallel to the tricuspid valve.

Conclusion: Biventricular diastolic flow measurements can be obtained using one single angulation set parallel to the tricuspid valve.
Motion Artifacts in Cardiac CT
Authors: Knollman F. D. , Halfmann R. , Regn J. , Loebe M. , Ewert R. , Hetzer R. , Felix R.
Published: October 2009

Purpose: Cardiovascular applications of CT are primarily limited by temporal resolution of the scanner. Recent development in scanner technology has greatly increased temporal resolution. We here describe a standardized method of assessing temporal properties of various CT techniques.

Material and Methods: the Novacor left ventricular assist device was mounted in a water-filled circulation phantom and scanned at different pump rates with a spiral CT unit and an electron beam unit. We also evaluated the use of ECG-triggered subsecond scanning on a spiral CT unit.

Results: Using the fastest conventional scanning protocol, severe motion artifacts occurred. These artifacts could not be reproduced from image to image, even if the pump rate was adjusted to scan rate (1/s). Electron beam tomography (EBT) reproducibly yielded few artifacts at 100 ms and practically no artifacts at 50 ms scanning time. Even without ECG-triggering, pump motion could be reproduced as a cine-cycle. With the ECG-triggered partial scanning CT technique, limited motion artifacts could be reproduced during diastole at a heart rate of 70–80 beats/min.

Conclusion: the Novacor ventricular assist device may serve as a benchmark test in the evaluation of new scanning techniques for cardiovascular CT. While EBT presently remains the only CT technique to freeze cardiac motion throughout its cycle, ECG-triggered subsecond scans may, under certain conditions, capture cardiac anatomy in diastole.
Reliability of Ultrasonography in the follow-up of Hip Dysplasia in Children above 2 Years of Age
Authors: Tegnander A. , Terjesen T.
Published: October 2009

Purpose: the aim of the present study was to assess whether ultrasonography (US) was reliable in the follow-up of children above 2 years of age who had previously been treated for congenital or developmental hip dislocation or dysplasia (HD).

Material and Methods: As part of the routine follow-up, we examined 53 children (106 hips), aged 2–12 years (mean 6 years). Using US, the coverage of the femoral head was assessed by the distance from the lateral tangent of the ossified femoral head to the lateral bony acetabular rim (lateral head distance, LHD). the corresponding distance was measured on radiographs (LHDR). the radiographic femoral head coverage was assessed by the migration percentage (MP) and the center-edge (CE) angle.

Results: We found a good accordance between sonographic LHD and the radiographic parameters MP and CE in all age groups, indicating that femoral head coverage was reliably assessed by US. There was also a high correlation between LHD and LHDR (r=0.85). All hips with subluxation were detected by US. In 11 hips that appeared normal on US, but with dysplasia or uncertain findings by radiography, the condition spontaneously normalized in 9 out of 9 examined hips with further follow-up.

Conclusion: Because a reliable assessment of the hip is obtained, we recommend that US should be used as the primary imaging technique in the routine follow-up of children above 2 years of age with previous HD. Radiography should be omitted when US shows normal findings and is only needed when the US LHD is above the upper normal limit or the hip looks abnormal or suspicious by subjective evaluation.
Effect of Age, Sex, and Timing on Correction of Spastic Equinovarus following Cerebrovascular Accident
Authors: Namdari Surena , Park Min Jung , Baldwin Keith , Hosalkar Harish S. , Keenan Mary Ann
Published: October 2009

Background:

Spastic equinovarus (SEV) is the most common leg deformity after cerebrovascular accident (CVA). This study reviewed functional outcomes after surgical correction of SEV in a cohort of hemiplegic, post-CVA patients.

Methods:

Sixty-four consecutive post-CVA SEV patients who underwent surgical correction from January 2003 to January 2006 were included. Data parameters included age, sex, duration since CVA, preoperative orthotic and ambulatory requirements, and Viosca ambulation scores. There were 45 females and 19 males. Average age was 54 (range, 24 to 74) years. Average duration from CVA to surgery was 66 (range, 17 to 523) months. Mean followup was 50.1 (range, 12 to 168) weeks. Final outcomes included status of correction, bracing needs, use of assistive devices, and Viosca score. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were performed to determine if age, sex, and time from CVA to surgery affected outcome.

Results:

All feet were corrected to plantigrade position. Of the 48 patients who used orthoses preoperatively, 27 (56%) continued use while 11 (44%) were brace-free postoperatively. Of the 23 patients that used an ambulatory assistive device preoperatively, 12 (52%) continued use and 11 (47.8%) were free of assistive devices postoperatively. Median Viosca score improved from two (Independent Household Ambulation) to three (Independent Neighborhood Ambulation) ( p < 0.001). There was no statistical association between age, sex, CVA chronicity and outcome parameters.

Conclusion:

These results indicate that surgical correction of SEV is effective in post-CVA patients. Patients demonstrated improvement in ambulation score regardless of age, sex, or duration from CVA to surgery. Level of Evidence: IV, Retrospective Case Study
Evidence-Based Classification of Complications in Total Ankle Arthroplasty
Authors: Glazebrook Mark A. , Arsenault Kory , Dunbar Michael
Published: October 2009

Background:

Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) has become a viable treatment for end-stage ankle arthrosis. Current literature on survival rates and complications of TAA consist of mostly retrospective Level IV papers that do not provide a system for classifying complications. The aim of the current review is to provide a summary of TAA implant survival and complication rates from current literature on outcomes of second or third generation ankle prostheses and subsequently propose a classification system.

Methods:

A literature review was used to identify articles reporting complications and failures of TAA ankle prostheses. Inclusion criteria included studies with at least 25 cases and a minimum of 24 months followup.

Results:

Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. The percentage of failed TAA reported for the short- and intermediate-term followup in this review ranged from 1.3 to 32.3 % with an overall mean of 12.4 % failure at 64 months. Nine main complications of TAA were identified.

Conclusion:

Deep infection, aseptic loosening and implant failure should be considered “high-grade” complications since they will result in failure greater than 50% of the time. Technical error, subsidence and postoperative bone fracture should be considered “medium-grade”, while intra-op bone fractures and wound healing problems should be considered “low-grade”. We believe this review provides the groundwork for uniform complication reporting in TAA and allows the development of a classification system that will provide prognostic information that may serve to guide postoperative care of patients receiving TAA. Level of Evidence: III, Systematic Review of Level III and IV Studies
Effects of Custom and Semi-Custom Foot Orthotics on Second Metatarsal Bone Strain during Dynamic Gait Simulation
Authors: Meardon Stacey A. , Edwards W. Brent , Ward Erin , Derrick Timothy R.
Published: October 2009

Background:

Stress fractures of the lower extremity are common in military and running populations. Research on the effectiveness of orthotics in modifying bone strain is limited. Our hypothesis was that custom and semi-custom foot orthotics would equally decrease bone strain of the second metatarsal.

Materials and Methods:

Eight cadaver specimens were cast for two types of orthotics, a custom and semi-custom device, using neutral plaster casts. Cadaver specimens, mounted to a dynamic gait simulator, walked over a force platform while force and bone strain data were collected. Peak bone strains, strain rates and tendon forces during the stance phase for each condition were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance and effect sizes.

Results:

Condition effects were present for tension strain, shear strain, compression rate and shear rate. Specifically, custom orthotics significantly decreased the aforementioned bone strains and strain rates ( p ≤ 0.01 for all) and the semi-custom orthotic decreased tension strains and shear strain rates ( p = 0.05 and 0.03, respectively). The effect of custom and semi-custom devices only differed significantly for compression and shear strain ( p = 0.04 and 0.02, respectively) with custom orthotics having a greater effect.

Conclusion:

Both custom and semi-custom orthotics modified the second metatarsal bone strain and strain rate. The use of custom orthotics during simulated walking decreased second metatarsal bone strains and strain rates more effectively than semi-custom orthotics.

Clinical Relevance:

Orthotics may minimize the strain magnitudes and rates of the second metatarsal in walking and therefore are a feasible treatment option for the treatment and prevention of stress injury to the second metatarsal.
Technique Tip: Minimally Invasive Approach of Tendon Transfer for Correction of Hallux Varus
Authors: Lui T. H.
Published: October 2009

Level of Evidence: V, Expert Opinion
Castle Stopgap: Historical Reality, Literary Realism, and Oral Culture
Authors: O'Donnell Katherine
Published: October 2009

Maria Edgeworth's Castle Rackrent (1800) relates the genealogy of the various Irish squires, and after reading this short novel King George iii reportedly said, “I know something now of my Irish subjects.” This article focuses on the issue of knowing, specifically knowing the Irish subject. I argue that knowledge and the processes of identification in the novel are ultimately made unintelligible by the gap between the different standards and practices of oral and literary cultures. To call the narrator Thady Quirk, the family retainer at Castle Rackrent, an unreliable narrator fails at marking how fundamentally his narration undermines every convention of the realist novel. Castle Rackrent is best understood as owing a profound debt to the virtuoso oral performance of Anglo-Gaelic culture.
“The blessings of freedom”: Britain, America, and “the East” in the Fiction of Robert Bage
Authors: Watt James
Published: October 2009

Even as Britain's failure to retain its authority in the Western hemisphere provides the point of departure for Robert Bage's Mount Henneth (1782) and The Fair Syrian (1787), these novels take characters on Eastern adventures, making them encounter the effects of despotic power in the condition of Eastern women. By invoking such a generalized idea of Oriental despotism and by reframing “British” liberty in relatively uncontroversial terms, these novels address the ideological repercussions of Britain's conflict with its colonists. Hermsprong (1796) briefly revisits the seraglio, paralleling Turkey and Britain while also identifying its hero's freedom of expression as a “native” English as much as an American instinct.
Effects of Environmental Factors on Construction of Soil–Cement Pavement Layers
Authors: Guthrie W. Spencer , Michener John E. , Wilson Bryan T. , Eggett Dennis L.
Published: October 2009

The specific objectives of this research were to quantify the effects of certain environmental factors on the relative strength loss of soil–cement subjected to compaction delay and to develop a numerical tool that can be easily used by engineers and contractors for determining a maximum compaction delay time for a given project. These objectives were addressed through extensive laboratory work and statistical analyses. The laboratory work involved testing an aggregate base material and a subgrade soil, each treated with two levels of cement. Environmental factors included in the experimentation were wind speed, air temperature, and relative humidity; three levels of each factor were evaluated in combination with three compaction delay times. The primary response variables in this research were relative compaction and relative strength. The findings indicate that relative strength is sensitive to variability among the selected independent variables within the ranges investigated in this research, while relative compaction is not. Inferring relative strength from relative density is therefore not a reliable approach on soil–cement projects. Consistent with theory, higher wind speed, higher air temperature, lower relative humidity, and higher compaction delay time generally result in lower relative strength. With the nomographs developed in this research, the maximum delay time permitted for compaction of either a base or subgrade material similar to those tested in this research can be calculated. Knowing in advance how much time is available for working the soil–cement will help contractors schedule their activities more appropriately and ultimately produce higher-quality roads.
Misleading functional magnetic resonance imaging mapping of the cortical hand representation in a 4-year-old boy with an arteriovenous malformation of the central region
Authors: Juenger Hendrik , Ressel Volker , Braun Christoph , Ernemann Ulrike , Schuhmann Martin , Krägeloh-Mann Ingeborg , Staudt Martin
Published: October 2009

Functional MR imaging is dependent on the hemodynamic response function of the brain. Cerebrovascular anomalies may lead to hemodynamic artifacts, contorting the true localization of neural activation. This is illustrated in the case of a 4-year-old boy with an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) of the left central region undergoing extensive functional mapping prior to surgical removal. Intraoperative electrophysiological recording confirmed presurgical results of magnetoencephalography (MEG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) examinations, detecting the sensorimotor hand representation within the brain tissue into which the AVM extended, whereas the activation demonstrated by functional MR (fMR) imaging was proven to be falsely localized by that modality, which showed it to be posterior to the affected central region. Thus, this case demonstrates that functional mapping can be performed even in very young patients and that combining fMR imaging with TMS and MEG is especially important in patients with vascular lesions, in whom fMR imaging can be misleading due to changes in blood flow.
Monocyte Derived Interleukin (IL)-23 Is an Important Determinant of Synovial IL-17A Expression in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: STAMP LISA K. , EASSON ANDREA , PETTERSSON LINDA , HIGHTON JOHN , HESSIAN PAUL A.
Published: October 2009

Objective.

To demonstrate gene expression of interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-23, and IL-12 and to determine the proximity of IL-17A and IL-23 producing cells in rheumatoid synovial tissue.

Methods.

Total RNA was isolated from 25 synovial membranes obtained from 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to measure IL-17A, IL-12p35, IL-23p19, p40, and GAPDH expression. Immunohistochemistry was utilized to determine cell type and proximity of IL-17A, IL-12, and IL-23 in rheumatoid synovium.

Results.

IL-17A was present in 13/25 synovia. IL-12p35 was present in all samples while IL-23p19 was present in 23/25. p40 was present in 23/25 samples. Of the 2 p40– samples both were IL-23p19 and IL-12p35 positive. Mean expression of IL-23p19 was significantly higher in the IL-17A+ versus IL-17A− synovia (0.10 ± 0.02 ng vs 0.05 ± 0.01 ng; p < 0.05). There was no difference in IL-12p35 expression between IL-17A+ and IL-17A− synovia (0.5 ± 0.21 ng vs 0.38 ± 0.24 ng; p = 0.2). All IL-17A+ cells were in the vicinity of IL-23+ cells. IL-12+ cells were both close to and removed from IL-17A+ cells. Only a proportion of CD3+T cells appeared to produce IL-17A.

Conclusion.

IL-17A gene expression occurs in only a subset of rheumatoid synovial membranes. IL-23 gene expression is higher in IL-17A+ versus IL-17A− membranes. In keeping with this, IL-17A+ and IL-23+ cells colocalize in synovial membranes. IL-17 is not an absolute requirement in RA but may be important in amplifying the inflammatory response. Anti-IL23 therapies may have a role in those patients with IL-17A expression.
Reactivation of Hepatitis B Viral Infection in Inactive HBsAg Carriers Following Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Therapy
Authors: CHUNG SOO-JIN , KIM JA KYUNG , PARK MIN-CHAN , PARK YONG-BEOM , LEE SOO-KON
Published: October 2009

Objective.

To investigate whether anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) therapy can influence the reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in inactive HBsAg carriers.

Methods.

The medical records of 103 patients [59 with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 41 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 2 with juvenile RA, and 1 with psoriatic arthritis] who had been treated with anti-TNF-α therapy were reviewed retrospectively. Data on seropositivity of HBV, HBV load, and serum aminotransferases prior to and after initiation of anti-TNF-α therapy were obtained.

Results.

Eight patients were inactive HBsAg carriers, and all of them had normal liver function and undetectable HBV load prior to anti-TNF-α therapy. Reactivation of hepatitis B occurred in 1 patient during the course of anti-TNF-α therapy. After the third infusion of infliximab 5 mg/kg at Week 6, a blood test showed that the patient had normal liver function. When the patient returned for the fourth infusion of infliximab at Week 14, a blood test showed markedly elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (457 and 1054 IU/l, respectively) and increased viral DNA by HBV polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The fourth infliximab infusion was canceled, and entecavir 0.5 mg/day was prescribed. Then AST/ALT levels began to decrease and returned to normal range after 3 months. Followup HBV PCR showed negative results.

Conclusion.

We found 1 HBV reactivation case among 8 inactive HBsAg carriers following anti-TNF-α therapy. This finding supports the prophylactic use of antiviral agents in HBV carriers, even if they have normal liver function or an undetectable viral load.
Proinflammatory Cytokines Synergistically Enhance the Production of Chemokine Ligand 20 (CCL20) from Rheumatoid Fibroblast-like Synovial Cells in vitro and Serum CCL20 Is Reduced in vivo by Biologic Disease-modifying Antirheumatic Drugs
Authors: KAWASHIRI SHIN-YA , KAWAKAMI ATSUSHI , IWAMOTO NAOKI , FUJIKAWA KEITA , ARAMAKI TOSHIYUKI , TAMAI MAMI , ARIMA KAZUHIKO , KAMACHI MAKOTO , YAMASAKI SATOSHI , NAKAMURA HIDEKI , TSURUMOTO TOSHIYUKI , KONO MASAFUMI , SHINDO HIROYUKI , IDA HIROAKI , ORIGUCHI TOMOKI , EGUCHI KATSUMI
Published: October 2009

Objective.

Chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) is a selective ligand for chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6). We investigated, both in vitro and in vivo, whether CCL20 is critically involved in the disease process of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods.

In vitro study investigated the effect of proinflammatory cytokines and biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) on the production of CCL20 by rheumatoid fibroblast-like synovial cells (FLS). The in vivo role of CCL20 was studied by screening for serum CCL20 concentration in patients with RA during the therapeutic course of biologic DMARD, i.e., infliximab, etanercept, and tocilizumab.

Results.

Spontaneous CCL20 production from rheumatoid FLS was minimal; however, its production was significantly stimulated by interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), or IL-17. IL-1ß was the most potent for stimulating the production of CCL20. CCL20 production was synergistically augmented by a combination of IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-17. In contrast, interferon-γ suppressed IL-1ß-induced CCL20 production. IL-6, in combination with soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R), did not modulate CCL20 production, whereas IL-1ß-induced, TNF-α-induced, and IL-17-induced production were increased by IL-6. These production levels were clearly suppressed by biologic DMARD in vitro. Serum CCL20 was significantly higher in RA than in control subjects, and was clearly decreased by the treatment with infliximab, etanercept, and tocilizumab.

Conclusion.

Proinflammatory cytokines modulate the production of CCL20 from FLS. Our data suggest that therapeutic efficacy of biologic DMARD may result from the inhibition of CCL20 production in rheumatoid synovium.
Systemic Sclerosis: Environmental Factors
Authors: MORA GABRIELA FERNANDA
Published: October 2009

Epidemiological evidence for the association between environmental and occupational risk factors and systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been extensively analyzed. Such exposures are frequently of long duration, and the inadequate classification of the type of exposure and other confounding variables may bias their estimated association with SSc. Environmental factors could be classified as occupational (silica, organic solvents), infectious (bacterial, viral), and non-occupational/non-infectious (drugs, pesticides, silicones). Understanding the link between environmental risk factors and the development of SSc is limited, due to the phenotypic and pathogenic heterogeneity of patients and disease, respectively, and also due to poor ability to assess environmental exposures quantitatively and the role of the gene-environment interactions in this disease. Global collaboration could increase the chance for a better use of the data obtained from a limited number of cases and also limited resources. Normalization and validation of biomarkers and questionnaires could also be very useful to reliably quantify environmental exposures.
Phospholipase D Promotes Lipid Microdomain-Associated Signaling Events in Mast Cells
Authors: Lisboa Felipe A. , Peng Ze , Combs Christian A. , Beaven Michael A.
Published: October 2009

Initial IgE-dependent signaling events are associated with detergent-resistant membrane microdomains. Following Ag stimulation, the IgE-receptor (FcεRI) accumulates within these domains. This facilitates the phosphorylation of FcεRI subunits by the Src kinase, Lyn, and the interaction with adaptor proteins, such as the linker for activation of T cells. Among the phospholipases (PL) subsequently activated, PLD is of interest because of its presence in lipid microdomains and the possibility that its product, phosphatidic acid, may regulate signal transduction and membrane trafficking. We find that in Ag-stimulated RBL-2H3 mast cells, the association of FcεRI with detergent-resistant membrane fractions is inhibited by 1-butanol, which subverts production of phosphatidic acid to the biologically inert phosphatidylbutanol. Furthermore, the knockdown of PLD2, and to a lesser extent PLD1 with small inhibitory RNAs, also suppressed the accumulation of FcεRI and Lyn in these fractions as well as the phosphorylation of Src kinases, FcεRI, linker for activation of T cells, and degranulation. These effects were accompanied by changes in distribution of the lipid microdomain component, ganglioside 1, in the plasma membrane as determined by binding of fluorescent-tagged cholera toxin B subunit and confocal microscopy in live cells. Collectively, these findings suggest that PLD activity plays an important role in promoting IgE-dependent signaling events within lipid microdomains in mast cells.
Mineral‐based Composite Phase Change Materials Assembled into 3D Ordered Aerogels for Efficient Wearable Filtration and Thermal Management
Authors: Li Yihang , Zhao Xiaoguang , Tang Yili , Zuo Xiaochao , Yang Huaming
Published: April 2024

The emerging concept of aerogel composite phase change materials (PCMs) represents a promising approach for thermal energy storage and utilization. However, the thermal storage aerogels currently reported usually lack essential aerogel properties, thereby constraining their potential for functional design and advanced applications. Herein, multifunctional thermal storage aerogels with aerogel characteristics and thermoregulation performance are prepared by chemically crosslinking and unidirectional freezing to make functionalized mineral‐based composite PCMs as cavity walls. Thanks to the cross–linked continuous skeleton and retained hierarchical porous, this novel thermal storage aerogel possesses an 89.7% porosity and demonstrates excellent resilience under 80% compression. As the PCMs in the cavity walls can convert phonon transport modes through phase transitions, the thermal storage aerogel has enhanced thermal insulation properties, reaching a thermal conductivity of 29.6 mW m−1 K−1. Drawing upon the multifunctional properties of thermal storage aerogels, it is demonstrated that thermal storage masks with thermal comfort and health protection, as well as passive thermal management wrist guards capable of harnessing solar radiation for temperature regulation. This work encompasses the exploration of novel approaches in developing advanced thermal management materials to cater to the diverse thermal regulation requirements of PCMs across various domains.
Strong Interaction between Titanium Carbonitride Embedded in Mesoporous Carbon Nanofibers and Pt Enables Durable Oxygen Reduction
Authors: Zhou Siwen , Bi Wentuan , Zhang Jujia , He Lijuan , Yu Yanghong , Wang Minghao , Yu XinXin , Xie Yi , Wu Changzheng
Published: April 2024

Platinum (Pt) supported on high surface area carbon has been the most widely used electrocatalyst in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). However, conventional carbon supports are susceptible to corrosion at high potentials, leading to severe degradation of electrochemical performance. In this work, titanium carbonitride embedded in mesoporous carbon nanofibers (m‐TiCN NFs) are reported as a promising alternative to address this issue. Benefiting from the interpenetrating conductive pathways inside the one‐dimensional (1D) nanostructures and the embedded TiCN nanoparticles (NPs), m‐TiCN NFs exhibit excellent stability at high potentials and interact strongly with Pt NPs. Subsequently, m‐TiCN NFs‐supported Pt NPs deliver remarkably enhanced oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity and durability, with negligible activity decay and less than 5% loss of electrochemical surface area（ECSA） after 50 000 cycles. Moreover, the fuel cell assembled by this catalyst delivers a maximum power density of 1.22 W cm−2 and merely 3% loss after 30 000 cycles of accelerated durability tests under U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) protocols. The improved ORR activity and durability are attributed to the superior corrosion resistance of the m‐TiCN NF support and the strong interaction between Pt and m‐TiCN NFs.
Smart Nanoassembly Enabling Activatable NIR Fluorescence and ROS Generation with Enhanced Tumor Penetration for Imaging‐Guided Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Chen Siqin , Li Bowen , Yue Yifan , Li Zhiyao , Qiao Li , Qi Guobin , Ping Yuan , Liu Bin
Published: April 2024

Fluorescence imaging‐guided photodynamic therapy (FIG‐PDT) holds promise for cancer treatment, yet challenges persist in poor imaging quality, phototoxicity, and insufficient anti‐tumor effect. Herein, a novel nanoplatform, LipoHPM, designed to address these challenges, is reported. This approach employs an acid‐sensitive amine linker to connect a biotin‐modified hydrophilic polymer (BiotinPEG) with a new hydrophobic photosensitizer (MBA), forming OFF‐state BiotinPEG‐MBA (PM) micelles via an aggregation‐caused quenching (ACQ) effect. These micelles are then co‐loaded with the tumor penetration enhancer hydralazine (HDZ) into pH‐sensitive liposomes (LipoHPM). Leveraging the ACQ effect, LipoHPM is silent in both fluorescence and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation during blood circulation but restores both properties upon disassembly. Following intravenous injection in tumor‐bearing mice, LipoHPM actively targets tumor cells overexpressing biotin‐receptors, contributing to enhanced tumor accumulation. Upon cellular internalization, LipoHPM disassembles within lysosomes, releasing HDZ to enhance tumor penetration and inhibit tumor metastasis. Concurrently, the micelles activate fluorescence for tumor imaging and boost the production of both type‐I and type‐II ROS for tumor eradication. Therefore, the smart LipoHPM synergistically integrates near‐infrared emission, activatable tumor imaging, robust ROS generation, efficient anti‐tumor and anti‐metastasis activity, successfully overcoming limitations of conventional photosensitizers and establishing itself as a promising nanoplatform for potent FIG‐PDT applications.
Semiconductor Membrane Exfoliation: Technology and Application
Authors: Chang Hongliang , Jia Yanqing , Park Tae‐Yong , Zhang Xu , Gan Qiaoqiang , Ma Zhenqiang , Ng Tien Khee , Ooi Boon S.
Published: April 2024

Flexible semiconductor film‐based optoelectronic devices have garnered significant attention in emerging fields such as the Internet of Things (IoT), wearable devices, and smart healthcare due to their wide range of applications. It is challenging to directly grow the foundational materials of optoelectronic devices, specifically semiconductor thin film structures, on flexible substrates. Instead, they are typically fabricated on conventional rigid thick semiconductor substrates. Consequently, the exfoliation and transfer of epitaxial semiconductor thin film structures onto substrates constitute pivotal steps in the production of flexible optoelectronic devices. The integration of hard inorganic semiconductor materials with flexible substrates offers a solution to the limitations of rigidity and brittleness associated with conventional optoelectronic devices and can be used to address challenges from design to manufacturing. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the working principles and recent advances of various techniques aimed at achieving the membrane exfoliation and transfer of semiconductor structures on conventional rigid substrates. It also reviews the possible applications of the transferred membrane in a variety of optoelectronic devices. Finally, it offers insights into the potential of high‐end semiconductor manufacturing and flexible semiconductor devices to play a critical role in advancing next‐generation optoelectronics technologies.
Australian women's motherhood aspirations: I've always wanted to be a mum. But at the same time, I wanted the career and everything too
Authors: Bugden Megan , McKenzie Hayley , Hanna Lisa , Graham Melissa
Published: April 2024

To better understand the discrepancy between women's motherhood aspirations and outcomes, this study explored the impact of socio‐cultural structures of gender. Taking a qualitative phenomenological approach, interviews were conducted with 24 Victorian women aged between 25 and 45 years. Three themes resulted from data analysis, reflecting the meaning women gave to their lived experiences: Motherhood is central to womanhood; motherhood ambivalence; and the tension of navigating motherhood and career aspirations. Most women aspired to be valued as women who could balance motherhood with a rewarding career. However, hegemonic gender, particularly in the workplace, continues to ensure that these roles remain incompatible, forcing women to anticipate career pauses, changes and/or absences. Overall, these themes demonstrated how socio‐cultural structures of hegemonic gender continue to shape women's lived experiences of gender inequality and constrain their ability to achieve their aspirations for their future lives.
Hijacking a rapid and scalable metagenomic method reveals subgenome dynamics and evolution in polyploid plants
Authors: Reynolds Gillian , Mumey Brendan , Strnadova‐Neeley Veronika , Lachowiec Jennifer
Published: April 2024

Premise

The genomes of polyploid plants archive the evolutionary events leading to their present forms. However, plant polyploid genomes present numerous hurdles to the genome comparison algorithms for classification of polyploid types and exploring genome dynamics.

Methods

Here, the problem of intra‐ and inter‐genome comparison for examining polyploid genomes is reframed as a metagenomic problem, enabling the use of the rapid and scalable MinHashing approach. To determine how types of polyploidy are described by this metagenomic approach, plant genomes were examined from across the polyploid spectrum for both k‐mer composition and frequency with a range of k‐mer sizes. In this approach, no subgenome‐specific k‐mers are identified; rather, whole‐chromosome k‐mer subspaces were utilized.

Results

Given chromosome‐scale genome assemblies with sufficient subgenome‐specific repetitive element content, literature‐verified subgenomic and genomic evolutionary relationships were revealed, including distinguishing auto‐ from allopolyploidy and putative progenitor genome assignment. The sequences responsible were the rapidly evolving landscape of transposable elements. An investigation into the MinHashing parameters revealed that the downsampled k‐mer space (genomic signatures) produced excellent approximations of sequence similarity. Furthermore, the clustering approach used for comparison of the genomic signatures is scrutinized to ensure applicability of the metagenomics‐based method.

Discussion

The easily implementable and highly computationally efficient MinHashing‐based sequence comparison strategy enables comparative subgenomics and genomics for large and complex polyploid plant genomes. Such comparisons provide evidence for polyploidy‐type subgenomic assignments. In cases where subgenome‐specific repeat signal may not be adequate given a chromosomes' global k‐mer profile, alternative methods that are more specific but more computationally complex outperform this approach.
Discovery of N,N'‐diarylurea molecules with activity against multidrug‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Yeo Hui‐Hui , Jao Yu‐Hsuan , Yang Fan‐Wei , Kuo Min‐Hsuan , Lee Meng‐Hsuan , Shiau Chung‐Wei , Chiu Hao‐Chieh , Su Jung‐Chen
Published: April 2024

The emergence and global spread of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pose a serious threat to public health, underscoring the urgent need for novel antibacterial interventions. Here, we screened 18 newly synthesized N,N’‐diarylurea derivatives to identify compounds with activity against MRSA. Our investigations led to the discovery of a small molecule, SCB‐24, which exhibited promising antimicrobial activity against MRSA USA300. Notably, SCB‐24 demonstrated high activity even in the presence of 10% fetal bovine serum and showed excellent selectivity for bacterial over mammalian cells. SCB‐24 also showed potent activity against various MRSA strains, including those resistant to second‐ and third‐line antibiotics. Importantly, the efficacy of SCB‐24 was inferior to that of vancomycin in MRSA‐infected Galleria mellonella larvae. Overall, our findings suggest that SCB‐24 has great potential as a new therapeutic for multidrug‐resistant S. aureus infections.
First person profile: Barbara Burtness, MD
Authors: Nierengarten Mary Beth
Published: April 2024

This news section offers Cancer readers timely information on events, public policy analysis, topical issues, and personalities. In this issue, Dr Barbara Burtness discusses how she has applied advances in molecular biology to better treat patients with head and neck cancers. In addition, a study examines how patients discharged from the hospital after surgical resection of non–small cell lung cancer had significant decreases in postoperative mortality if they lived in states that opted into Medicaid expansion after implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Finally, cancer centers matter for the appropriate use of immunotherapy at the end of life.