bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of intramyocardial bone marrow cell injection on diastolic function in patients with chronic myocardial ischemia
Authors: Beeres Saskia L.M.A. , Lamb Hildo J. , Roes Stijntje D. , Holman Eduard R. , Kaandorp Theodorus A.M. , Fibbe Willem E. , de Roos Albert , van der Wall Ernst E. , Schalij Martin J. , Bax Jeroen J. , Atsma Douwe E. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractPurposeTo evaluate the effect of intramyocardial bone marrow cell injection on diastolic function in patients with chronic myocardial ischemia.Materials and MethodsIn 24 patients (19 male; 65 ± 9 years) with refractory angina (Canadian Cardiovascular Society [CCS] class III–IV) 84.6 ± 28.7 × 106 bone marrow‐derived mononuclear cells were injected intramyocardially (using the NOGA system) in regions with ischemia on Tc‐99m tetrofosmin single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Diastolic function was evaluated at baseline and at three months using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI).ResultsMRI revealed an increased early (E) peak filling rate (374 ± 121 mL/second vs. 412 ± 102 mL/second; P = 0.04), whereas the atrial (A) peak filling rate remained unchanged (340 ± 81 mL/second vs. 334 ± 93 mL/second; P = not significant [NS]). The E/A peak flow ratio increased from 1.09 ± 0.33 to 1.23 ± 0.47 at three months (P = 0.02). TDI demonstrated a significant improvement in early diastolic velocity (E′) from 4.4 ± 1.7 cm/second to 4.8 ± 1.6 cm/second at three months (P = 0.03), whereas the late diastolic velocity (A′) remained unchanged (6.0 ± 1.6 cm/second vs. 6.0 ± 1.7 cm/second; P = NS). Consequently, the E′/A′ ratio increased from 0.74 ± 0.19 to 0.84 ± 0.28 at three months (P = 0.02).ConclusionIntramyocardial bone marrow cell injection in patients with chronic myocardial ischemia improved MRI and TDI‐derived parameters of diastolic function. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;27:992–997. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
3D myocardial tissue tracking with slice followed cine DENSE MRI
Authors: Spottiswoode Bruce S. , Zhong Xiaodong , Lorenz Christine H. , Mayosi Bongani M. , Meintjes Ernesta M. , Epstein Frederick H. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractPurposeTo track three‐dimensional (3D) myocardial tissue motion using slice followed cine displacement encoded imaging with stimulated echoes (DENSE).Materials and MethodsSlice following (SF) has previously been developed for 2D myocardial tagging to compensate for the effect of through‐plane motion on 2D tissue tracking. By incorporating SF into a cine DENSE sequence, and applying displacement encoding in three orthogonal directions, we demonstrate the ability to track discrete elements of a slice of myocardium in 3D as the heart moves through the cardiac cycle. The SF cine DENSE tracking algorithm was validated on a moving phantom, and the effects of through‐plane motion on 2D cardiac strain were investigated in six healthy subjects.ResultsA through‐plane tracking accuracy of 0.46 ± 0.32 mm was measured for a typical range of myocardial motion using a rotating phantom. In vivo 3D measurements of cardiac motion were consistent with prior myocardial tagging results. Through‐plane rotation in a mid‐ventricularshort‐axis view was shown to decrease the magnitude of the 2D end‐systolic circumferential strain by 3.91 ± 0.43% and increase the corresponding radial strain by 6.01 ± 1.07%.ConclusionSlice followed cine DENSE provides an accurate method for 3D tissue tracking. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;27:1019–1027. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Arterial spin labeling of cerebral perfusion territories using a separate labeling coil
Authors: Paiva Fernando F. , Tannús Alberto , Talagala S. Lalith , Silva Afonso C. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractPurposeTo obtain cerebral perfusion territories of the left, the right, and the posterior circulation in humans with high signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and robust delineation.Materials and MethodsContinuous arterial spin labeling (CASL) was implemented using a dedicated radio frequency (RF) coil, positioned over the neck, to label the major cerebral feeding arteries in humans. Selective labeling was achieved by flow‐driven adiabatic fast passage and by tilting the longitudinal labeling gradient about the Y‐axis by θ = ± 60°.ResultsMean cerebral blood flow (CBF) values in gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) were 74 ± 13 mL · 100 g−1 · minute−1 and 14 ± 13 mL · 100 g−1 · minute−1, respectively (N = 14). There were no signal differences between left and right hemispheres when θ = 0° (P > 0.19), indicating efficient labeling of both hemispheres. When θ = +60°, the signal in GM on the left hemisphere, 0.07 ± 0.06%, was 92% lower than on the right hemisphere, 0.85 ± 0.30% (P < 1 × 10−9), while for θ = −60°, the signal in the right hemisphere, 0.16 ± 0.13%, was 82% lower than on the contralateral side, 0.89 ± 0.22% (P < 1 × 10−10). Similar attenuations were obtained in WM.ConclusionClear delineation of the left and right cerebral perfusion territories was obtained, allowing discrimination of the anterior and posterior circulation in each hemisphere. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;27:970–977. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Positive contrast MR‐lymphography using inversion recovery with ON‐resonant water suppression (IRON)
Authors: Korosoglou Grigorios , Tang Lijun , Kedziorek Dorota , Cosby Kenyatta , Gilson Wesley D. , Vonken Evert‐Jan , Schär Michael , Sosnovik David , Kraitchman Dara L. , Weiss Robert G. , Weissleder Ralf , Stuber Matthias 
Published: April 2008

AbstractPurposeTo investigate the utility of inversion recovery with ON‐resonant water suppression (IRON) to create positive signal in normal lymph nodes after injection of superparamagnetic nanoparticles.Materials and MethodsExperiments were conducted on six rabbits, which received a single bolus injection of 80 μmol Fe/kg monocrystalline iron oxide nanoparticle (MION‐47). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed at baseline, 1 day, and 3 days after MION‐47 injection using conventional T1‐ and T2*‐weighted sequences and IRON. Contrast‐to‐noise ratios (CNR) were measured in blood and in paraaortic lymph nodes.ResultsOn T2*‐weighted images, as expected, signal attenuation was observed in areas of paraaortic lymph nodes after MION‐47 injection. However, using IRON the paraaortic lymph nodes exhibited very high contrast enhancement, which remained 3 days after injection. CNR with IRON was 2.2 ± 0.8 at baseline, increased markedly 1 day after injection (23.5 ± 5.4, P < 0.01 vs. baseline), and remained high after 3 days (21.8 ± 5.7, *P < 0.01 vs. baseline). CNR was also high in blood 1 day after injection (42.7 ± 7.2 vs. 1.8 ± 0.7 at baseline, P < 0.01) but approached baseline after 3 days (1.9 ± 1.4, P = NS vs. baseline).ConclusionIRON in conjunction with superparamagnetic nanoparticles can be used to perform ‘positive contrast’ MR‐lymphography, particularly 3 days after injection of the contrast agent, when signal is no longer visible within blood vessels. The proposed method may have potential as an adjunct for nodal staging in cancer screening. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;27:1175–1180. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A tracking‐based diffusion tensor imaging segmentation method for the detection of diffusion‐related changes of the cervical spinal cord with aging
Authors: Van Hecke Wim , Leemans Alexander , Sijbers Jan , Vandervliet Evert , Van Goethem Johan , Parizel Paul M. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractPurposeTo compare region of interest (ROI)‐based and diffusion tensor tractography (DTT)‐based methods for evaluating diffusion properties of the spinal cord as a function of age.Materials and MethodsCommonly, an ROI segmentation is used to delineate the spinal cord. In this work, new segmentation methods are developed based on DTT. In a first, DTT‐based, segmentation approach, the diffusion properties are calculated on the tracts. In a second method, the diffusion properties are analyzed in the spinal cord voxels that contain a certain number of tracts. We studied the changes in diffusion properties of the human spinal cord in subjects of different ages. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measurements of the cervical spinal cord were acquired on 42 healthy volunteers (age range = 19–87 years). The fractional anisotropy (FA), the mean diffusivity (MD), and eigenvalues (λ1, λ2, and λ3) were compared for the ROI‐ and DTT‐based segmentation methods.ResultsOur automatic techniques are shown to be highly reproducible and sensitive for detecting DTI changes. FA decreased (r = –0.38; P < 0.05), whereas MD and eigenvalues increased (r = ± 0.45; P < 0.05) with age. These trends were not statistically significant for the ROI‐based segmentation (P > 0.05).ConclusionDTT is a robust and reproducible technique to segment the voxels of interest in the spinal cord. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;27:978–991. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging allows monitoring of anticancer treatment effects in patients with soft‐tissue sarcomas
Authors: Dudeck Oliver , Zeile Martin , Pink Daniel , Pech Maciej , Tunn Per‐Ulf , Reichardt Peter , Ludwig Wolf‐Dieter , Hamm Bernd 
Published: April 2008

AbstractPurposeTo determine if diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) can be used as a surrogate marker of tumor response to anticancer therapy in patients with soft‐tissue sarcomas.Materials and MethodsMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including echo‐planar DWI sequences was performed prospectively in 23 consecutive patients with soft‐tissue sarcomas before and after initiation of regional or systemic chemotherapy. The mean interval between initial and follow‐up MRI was 56.9 ± 23.2 days. Tumor volumes were determined by manual segmentation of tumor borders on contrast‐enhanced T1‐weighted images. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was calculated from corresponding sections of ADC maps on initial and follow‐up DWI. Subsequently, changes in tumor volumes and ADC were correlated using the Pearson correlation coefficient.ResultsA high degree of correlation was found when changes in tumor volumes and ADC values were compared (r = −0.925, P < 0.0001), regardless of the effectiveness of anticancer therapy expressed as changes of tumor volume.ConclusionDWI can be used as a supplement to morphologic imaging for the evaluation of tumor response to anticancer therapy in patients with soft‐tissue sarcomas. As cellular changes are expected to precede morphologic changes in treated tumors, DWI performed at an early stage of fractionated therapy may provide unique prognostic information of its effectiveness. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;27:1109–1113. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Delayed enhancement in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: Comparison with myocardial tagging MRI
Authors: Kim Young Jin , Choi Byoung Wook , Hur Jin , Lee Hye‐Jeong , Seo Jae Seung , Kim Tae Hoon , Choe Kyu Ok , Ha Jong‐Won 
Published: April 2008

AbstractPurposeTo evaluate the relationship between delayed enhancement (DE) and regional left ventricular function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using gadolinium enhancement MRI and myocardial tagging MRI.Materials and MethodsCine imaging, delayed enhancement imaging, and tagging MRI were performed in 25 patients with HCM. The location, pattern, and extent of DE were evaluated. Circumferential shortening (Ecc) was obtained by analyzing MR tagging images with HARP software.ResultsDE occurred in 21 (84%) patients with a high frequency of localization in the septum and the right ventricular attachment sites. Circumferential shortening was significantly decreased in the enhanced segments compared with nonenhanced segments (P < 0.0001). The myocardial wall was thicker in the enhanced segments than in the nonenhanced segments (P < 0.0001). However, circumferential shortening was significantly decreased in the enhanced segments of the same thickness (P < 0.0001). Circumferential shortening was more substantially impaired in the segments with focal nodular enhancement than those in the segments with ill‐defined patchy enhancement (P = 0.0002).ConclusionIn HCM, DE is commonly found and circumferential shortening is significantly impaired in the regions with DE, regardless of the degree of myocardial hypertrophy. Focal nodular enhancement is particularly related with regional dysfunction in patients with HCM. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;27:1054–1060. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation and adaptation of a regional climate model for the Horn of Africa: rainfall climatology and interannual variability
Authors: Segele Zewdu T. , Leslie Lance M. , Lamb Peter J. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThis study evaluates the ability of the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) version 3 Regional Climate Model (RegCM3) to reproduce the observed rainfall amounts and distribution over the topographically varied region of the Horn of Africa. Simulations are performed for the widespread very dry 1984 and locally very wet 1996 years using all of the alternative convective schemes available in the ICTP RegCM3. Extensive comparisons of simulations for 1984 and 1996 reveal that the Emanuel scheme best captures the rainfall patterns and interannual variations for the two extreme years over the Horn of Africa. This scheme therefore is selected for specific adaptation for the region, despite its excessive rainfall estimation there and its demonstrated deficiencies over other regions of Africa not of interest in this study.To reduce rainfall overestimation by the Emanuel scheme, several sensitivity experiments are performed by varying the key parameters that control the rate of convective mass flux, the fraction of condensed water converted to precipitation, and the heating and moistening characteristics of the environment. Results show that the amount of condensed water that ultimately falls out as rain crucially affects simulated rainfall amounts. With an appropriate adjustment to this key parameter, the excessive rainfall amount produced by the Emanuel scheme is reduced substantially. Furthermore, evaluation of RegCM3 simulations for 1982–1999 shows that the modified Emanuel convective scheme not only reproduces the 18‐year average rainfall realistically but also captures the interannual variability adequately over the Horn of Africa. The correlation between the modified Emanuel‐simulated and Ethiopian station rainfall is quite strong (+0.66). This customized ICTP RegCM3 model now can be used with confidence for the Horn of Africa to study regional rainfall processes and variability and to dynamically downscale seasonal rainfall forecasts. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
Spectroscopic analysis of a dye–mineral composite–a Raman and FT‐IR study
Authors: Manciu F. S. , Ramirez A. , Durrer W. , Govani J. , Chianelli R. R. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractIn this investigation, we address the question of how organic thioindigo binds to inorganic palygorskite to form a pigment similar to Maya Blue. We also address how such binding, if it occurs, might be affected by varying the proportion of dye relative to that of the mineral, and by varying the length of heating time used in preparation of the pigment. In addition to samples of palygorskite and thioindigo both alone, four synthetic pigment samples were prepared; two samples of 8 wt.% dye, one heated at 170 °C for 3 h and one at 170 °C for 9 h, and two samples of 16 wt.% dye, one heated at 170 °C for 3 h and one at 170 °C for 9 h. All samples were examined using Fourier transform‐infrared (FT‐IR) and FT‐Raman spectroscopy. For the pigment samples, FT‐IR peaks at 1627 cm−1 are attributed to a downshifted CO stretching mode of thioindigo due to dye–clay interaction. This interpretation is corroborated by FT‐Raman CO peaks with 14 cm−1 shifts to lower wavenumber for the pigment relative to thioindigo alone. Additional Raman scattering between 550 cm−1 and 650 cm−1 also suggests dye–clay interaction through metal–oxygen bonding. We are thus led to the possibility of mostly hydrogen bonding between silanol and carbonyl at lower dye concentration, with a predominance of metal–oxygen bonding at higher dye concentration. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Heparin‐binding proteins of human seminal plasma: purification and characterization
Authors: Kumar Vijay , Hassan Md. Imtaiyaz , Kashav Tara , Singh Tej P. , Yadav Savita 
Published: April 2008

AbstractHuman seminal plasma (HuSP) contains several proteins that bind heparin and related glycosaminoglycans. Heparin binding proteins (HBPs) from seminal plasma have been shown to participate in modulation of capacitation or acrosome reaction and thus have been correlated with fertility in some species. However, these have not been studied in detail in human. The objective of this study was to purify major HBPs from HuSP in order to characterize these proteins. HBPs were isolated by affinity—chromatography on Heparin—Sepharose column, purified by reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (RP‐HPLC) and Size‐exclusion chromatography and checked for purity on sodium‐dodecyl PAGE (SDS–PAGE). Identification of HBPs was done by matrix‐assisted laser desorption‐ionization‐time‐of‐flight‐mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF‐MS). Here we report the purification and identification of seven HBPs in seminal fluid. The major HBPs are lactoferrin and its fragments, semenogelin I fragments, semenogelin II, prostate specific antigen, homolog of bovine seminal plasma‐proteins (BSP), zinc finger protein (Znf 169) and fibronectin fragments. In this study we are reporting for the first time the purification and identification of BSP‐homolog and Znf 169 from HuSP and classified them as HBPs. Here we report the purification of seven clinically important proteins from human seminal fluid through heparin affinity chromatography and RP‐HPLC, in limited steps with higher yield. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 75: 1767–1774, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
In vitro and in vivo derived porcine embryos possess similar, but not identical, patterns of Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2 mRNA expression during cleavage development
Authors: Magnani Luca , Cabot Ryan A. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractIn vitro culture conditions stress the cleavage stage mammalian embryo and can contribute to reduced developmental potential of cultured embryos. One process that may be altered during embryo culture is the establishment and maintenance of pluripotency. Pluripotency is largely controlled by three genes: Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2. The objective of this study was to determine the expression pattern of Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2 in cleavage stage porcine embryos obtained in vivo or by in vitro fertilization and parthenogenetic activation. We used quantitative, real time PCR to assess the relative amount of each transcript in cleavage stage embryos. We found that Oct4 was transiently activated at the 2‐cell stage (P‐value <0.05) while Nanog and Sox2 were activated at the 4‐cell stage (P‐value <0.05) in in vitro embryos. Embryos derived in vivo showed a similar but not identical pattern of expression of Nanog mRNA been in highest abundance both at the 4 cell and the blastocyst stage. The activation observed at the 4‐cell stage for Nanog and Sox2 was shown to be RNA polymerase II dependent (P‐value <0.05). This study showed that Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2 possess similar, but not identical, patterns of expression between in vitro and in vivo derived porcine embryos. The difference between the amount of transcripts may reflect the reduced developmental potential observed in in vitro cultured embryos. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 75: 1726–1735, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Methylation changes in porcine primordial germ cells
Authors: Petkov Stoyan G. , Reh Wade A. , Anderson Gary B. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractEpigenetic re‐programming is an important event in the development of primordial germ cells (PGC) into functional gametes, characterized by genome‐wide erasure of DNA methylation and re‐establishment of epigenetic marks, a process essential for restoration of the potential for totipotency. In this study changes in the methylation status of centromeric repeats and two IGF2‐H19 differentially methylated domain (DMD) sequences were examined in porcine PGC between Days 24 and 31 of pregnancy. The methylation levels of centromeric repeats and IGF2‐H19 DMD sequences decreased rapidly from Days 24 to 28 in both male and female PGC. At Days 30 and 31 of pregnancy centromeric repeats and IGF2‐H19 DMD sequences acquired new methylation in male PGC, while in female PGC these sequences were completely demethylated by Day 30 and remained hypomethylated at Day 31. To characterize methylation changes that PGC undergo in culture, the methylation status of embryonic germ cells (EGCs) derived from PGC at Day 26 of pregnancy was examined. Centromeric repeats and IGF2‐H19 DMD sequences were similarly methylated in both male and female EGC and hypermethylated in female EGC compared with female PGC at the same embryonic age. Our results show that, similar to murine PGC, porcine PGC undergo genome‐wide DNA demethylation shortly after arrival in the genital ridges. When placed in culture porcine PGC terminate their demethylation program and may acquire new DNA methylation marks. To our knowledge, this is the first report regarding epigenetic re‐programming of genital ridge PGC in the pig. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 76: 22–30, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A level set method for shape and topology optimization of large‐displacement compliant mechanisms
Authors: Luo Zhen , Tong Liyong 
Published: April 2008

AbstractA parameterization level set method is presented for structural shape and topology optimization of compliant mechanisms involving large displacements. A level set model is established mathematically as the Hamilton–Jacobi equation to capture the motion of the free boundary of a continuum structure. The structural design boundary is thus described implicitly as the zero level set of a level set scalar function of higher dimension. The radial basis function with compact support is then applied to interpolate the level set function, leading to a relaxation and separation of the temporal and spatial discretizations related to the original partial differential equation. In doing so, the more difficult shape and topology optimization problem is now fully parameterized into a relatively easier size optimization of generalized expansion coefficients. As a result, the optimization is changed into a numerical process of implementing a series of motions of the implicit level set function via an existing efficient convex programming method. With the concept of the shape derivative, the geometrical non‐linearity is included in the rigorous design sensitivity analysis to appropriately capture the large displacements of compliant mechanisms. Several numerical benchmark examples illustrate the effectiveness of the present level set method, in particular, its capability of generating new holes inside the material domain. The proposed method not only retains the favorable features of the implicit free boundary representation but also overcomes several unfavorable numerical considerations relevant to the explicit scheme, the reinitialization procedure, and the velocity extension algorithm in the conventional level set method. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.