Quantifying fat replacement of muscle by quantitative MRI in muscular dystrophy

Imaging- and therapeutic targets in neoplastic and musculoskeletal inflammatory diseas

Preserved thenar muscles in non-ambulant Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients

Background Clinical trials in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) focus primarily on ambulant patients. Results cannot be extrapolated to later disease stages due to a decline in targeted muscle tissue. In non-ambulant DMD patients, hand function is relatively preserved and crucial for daily-life activities. We used quantitative MRI (qMRI) to establish whether the thenar muscles could be valuable to monitor treatment effects in non-ambulant DMD patients.Methods Seventeen non-ambulant DMD patients (range 10.2-24.1 years) and 13 healthy controls (range 9.5-25.4 years) underwent qMRI of the right hand at 3 T at baseline. Thenar fat fraction (FF), total volume (TV), and contractile volume (CV) were determined using 4-point Dixon, and T2(water) was determined using multiecho spin-echo. Clinical assessments at baseline (n = 17) and 12 months (n = 13) included pinch strength (kg), performance of the upper limb (PUL) 2.0, DMD upper limb patient reported outcome measure (PROM), and playing a video game for 10 min using a game controller. Group differences and correlations were assessed with non-parametric tests.Results Total volume was lower in patients compared with healthy controls (6.9 cm(3), 5.3-9.0 cm(3) vs. 13.0 cm(3), 7.6-15.8 cm(3), P = 0.010). CV was also lower in patients (6.3 cm(3), 4.6-8.3 cm(3) vs. 11.9 cm(3), 6.9-14.6 cm(3), P = 0.010). FF was slightly elevated (9.7%, 7.3-11.4% vs. 7.7%, 6.6-8.4%, P = 0.043), while T2(water) was higher (31.5 ms, 30.0-32.6 ms vs. 28.1 ms, 27.8-29.4 ms, P < 0.001). Pinch strength and PUL decreased over 12 months (2.857 kg, 2.137-4.010 to 2.243 kg, 1.930-3.339 kg, and 29 points, 20-36 to 23 points, 17-30, both P < 0.001), while PROM did not (49 points, 36-57 to 44 points, 30-54, P = 0.041). All patients were able to play for 10 min at baseline or follow-up, but some did not comply with the study procedures regarding this endpoint. Pinch strength correlated with TV and CV in patients (rho = 0.72 and rho = 0.68) and controls (both rho = 0.89). PUL correlated with TV, CV, and T2(water) (rho = 0.57, rho = 0.51, and rho = -0.59).Conclusions Low thenar FF, increased T2(water), correlation of muscle size with strength and function, and the decrease in strength and function over 1 year indicate that the thenar muscles are a valuable and quantifiable target for therapy in later stages of DMD. Further studies are needed to relate these data to the loss of a clinically meaningful milestone.Neuro Imaging Researc

Riparian and adler forests as the foundation of rare and endangered macromycetes

W artykule scharakteryzowano 11 wybranych gatunków macromycetes rzadkich i zagrożonych w Polsce, zanotowanych podczas badań mikocenologicznych przeprowadzonych na terenie Pojezierza Krajeńskiego. Podano uwagi dotyczące ekologii, rozmieszczenia, stopnia rzadkości i zagrożenia w Polsce następujących gatunków: Acrospermum compressum Tode: Fr., Bisporella confluens (Sacc.) Korf & Bujakiewicz, Camarops polysperma (Mont.) J. H. Miller, Cordyceps bifusispora O. E. Erikss., Entoloma dysthaloides Noordel., Entoloma jahnii Wölfel & Winterh., Inocybe calospora Quél., Mycena pterigena (Fr.) Kummer, Rimbachia arachnoidea (Peck) Redhead, Russula alnetorum Romagn. i Tremella hypogymniae Diederich & M. S. Christ.In the article there are characterized chosen 11 species of macromycetes that are rare and endangered in Poland and were catalogued during the mikocenologic research held on Pojezierze Krajeńskie. The observations were made regarding ecology, situating and level of being rare and endangered in Poland of the following species: Acrospermum compressum Tode: Fr., Bisporella confluens (Sacc.) Korf & Bujakiewicz, Camarops polysperma (Mont.) J. H. Miller, Cordyceps bifusispora O. E. Erikss., Entoloma dysthaloides Noordel., Entoloma jahnii Wölfel & Winterh., Inocybe calospora Quél., Mycena pterigena (Fr.) Kummer, Rimbachia arachnoidea (Peck) Redhead, Russula alnetorum Romagn. i Tremella hypogymniae Diederich & M. S. Christ

Studies of oxidized carbonaceous adsorbents by IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetry

Carbonaceous adsorbents (active carbons and carbon blacks) were oxidized in aqueous solutions of hydrogen peroxide, perchloric acid and nitric acid at room temperature and additionally at boiling temperature in the case of nitric acid. Changes occurring on the carbon surface during oxidation were monitored by IR spectroscopy and high-resolution thermogravimetry. Various oxygen groups (carboxylic, phenolic, carbonyl, ether) of differentiated thermal stability were found to form on the carbon surface.This effect was most distinct on active carbons and carbon blacks oxidized with HNO3 at boiling temperature. Carbons oxidized under these conditions were more hydrophilic than those of corresponding unoxidized samples

Synthesis and characterization of ordered mesoporous materials MCM-41 with vinyl groups

Zsyntezowano serię uporządkowanych mezoporowatych materiałów krzemionkowych MCM-41 ze wzrastającą ilością grup winylowych. W procesie syntezy z obróbką hydrotermiczną stosowano trietoksywinylosilan (TEVSi) w ilości 0, 10, 20, 30 i 50% w stosunku do tetraetoksysilanu (TEOS) wykorzystanego jako źródło krzemionki oraz w obecności bromku cetylotrimetyloamoniowego (surfaktantu), którego cząsteczki stanowiły matrycę dla tworzącego się materiału krzemionkowego. Substancję powierzchniowo czynną (surfaktant) usuwano z wnętrza porów materiałów z grupami winylowymi za pomocą ekstrakcji alkoholowej z dodatkiem kwasu solnego, natomiast w przypadku materiału bez tych grup zastosowano wysokotemperaturową kalcynację. Przestrzenne, heksagonalne uporządkowanie mezoporów w próbkach charakteryzowano za pomocą dyfrakcji promieniowania rentgenowskiego (XRD). Natomiast strukturę porowatą tych materiałów charakteryzowano na podstawie niskotemperaturowej (77 K) adsorpcji azotu, którą wykorzystano do wyznaczania powierzchni właściwej, objętości mezoporów i funkcji rozkładu objętości porów. Stwierdzono, że próbka MCM-41 bez grup winylowych, jak i próbki MCM-41 z grupami winylowymi są dobrze uporządkowanymi mezoporowatymi materiałami ze znaczącym udziałem pierwotnych mezoporów. Ponadto stwierdzono, że wraz ze wzrastającym udziałem ilości użytego w syntezie TEVSi (10, 20, 30, 50%) pogarszają się nieco właściwości adsorpcyjne materiałów z grupami winylowymi. Stają się one nieco gorzej uporządkowane, a ich funkcje rozkładu objętości porów mają większą dyspersję oraz ich maksima przesuwają się w kierunku mniejszych wartości wymiaru porów. Uporządkowane materiały krzemionkowe z rodziny MCM-41 z grupami winylowymi są bardzo obiecującymi materiałami do wykorzystania w adsorpcji i katalizie.A series of ordered mesoporous materials MCM-41 was synthesized with increasing amount of vinyl groups. 10, 20, 30 and 50% of triethoxyvinylsilane (TEVSi) in relation to tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) was used in this synthesis in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide surfactant. The latter was removed from as-synthesized materials by acidic alcohol extraction. In the case of MCM-41 material without vinyl groups the aforementioned surfactant was removed by calcination. It is shown by powder X-ray diffraction that the resulting materials with vinyl groups possess ordered mesoporosity as in MCM-41. The porous structure of these materials was characterized by nitrogen adsorption at 77 K, which was used to evaluate their surface areas, mesopore volumes and pore size distributions. Adsorption analysis shows that the samples with and without vinyl groups are structurally ordered with a high fraction of primary mesopores. Their adsorption properties gradually decline with increasing amount of TEVSi (10, 20, 30 and 50%) used in the synthesis. This is reflected by deterioration of the structural ordering as well as by reduction of the pore width and increasing dispersion of the pore size distribution. Ordered MCM-41 silicas with vinyl groups are promising materials for adsorption and catalysis applications

Physicochemical properties of unmodified and modified nanoporous siliceous materials

Przewiduje się, że uporządkowane materiały krzemionkowe będą odgrywały w najbliższym czasie znaczącą rolę w procesach adsorpcji, separacji i katalizy. Dlatego badania zarówno niemodyfikowanych jak i modyfikowanych uporządkowanych materiałów krzemionkowych prowadzone są w licznych laboratoriach. W pracy przedstawiono sposoby otrzymywania niemodyfikowanych i modyfikowanych nanoporowatych materiałów krzemionkowych MCM-41, z zastosowaniem rzadko stosowanej metody hydrotermicznej, a także materiałów MCM-48, syntezowanych w temperaturze pokojowej, oraz wyniki badań tych materiałów za pomocą dyfrakcji promieniowania rentgenowskiego (XRD), termograwimetrii (TG) oraz adsorpcji w warunkach statycznych takich adsorbatów, jak azot, argon i benzen. Szczególną uwagę poświęcono badaniom dynamicznym za pomocą inwersyjnej chromatografii gazowej z wykorzystaniem takich adsorbatów, jak n-pentan, n-heksan, n-heptan, n-oktan, metanol, etanol, benzen, cykloheksan, tetrahydrofuran, octan etylu, eter dietylowy i acetonitryl. Wykazano, że otrzymane materiały charakteryzowały się dobrze uporządkowaną strukturą mezoporowatą o dużej powierzchni właściwej i całkowitej objętości porów. Proces modyfikacji tych materiałów pozwolił na istotne zwiększenie zawartości grup merkaptopropylowych, aminopropylowych lub winylowych. Stwierdzono, że inwersyjna chromatografia gazowa, w której wykorzystuje się adsorbaty o różnej budowie cząsteczkowej, jest bardzo przydatna do charakterystyki niejednorodności powierzchniowej uporządkowanych materiałów krzemionkowych.It is expected that ordered siliceous materials will play a significant role in adsorption, separation and catalysis. Therefore, the study of both unmodified and modified ordered siliceous materials is carried out in many laboratories. The subject of the present paper covers the methods for the preparation of unmodified and modified nanoporous siliceous materials of MCM41 type (by applying a rarely used hydrothermal technique) and MCM48 type (synthesized at room temperature). The materials obtained were tested by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG) and static adsorption, using nitrogen, argon and benzene as adsorbates. Special attention was paid to dynamic testing, viz., inverse gas chromatography involving n-pentane, n-hexane, n-heptane, n-octane, methanol, ethanol, benzene, cyclohexane, tetrahydrofurane, ethyl acetate, diethyl ether and acetonitrile. The synthesized materials were characterized by a well ordered mesoporous structure with a relatively high specific surface area and total micropore volume. The modification process applied accounted for a significant rise in the concentration of mercaptopropyl, aminopropyl and vinyl groups. Inverse gas chromatography was found to be a very useful method for the characterization of surface heterogeneity of ordered siliceous materials

Oxidation-induced changes in the surface and structural properties of active carbons

The objective of the study was to investgate how liquid-phase oxidation with H2O2, HClO4 or HNO3 affects the surface and structural properties of active carbons. To evaluate structural prperties use was made of low-temperature-(-196oC)experimental adsorption isotherms of nitrogen measured on unimodified and oxidized carbons.Experimental adsorption isotherms of water vapor ( measured on unimodified and oxidized active carbons at 25o C )were used to determine surface properties.The oxidation process was fuond to influence the parameters the porous structure.This influence was particularly distinct when the samples were oxidized with HNO3at its boiling temperature.The oxidation process also changed the surface properties of the carbons,thus increasing the amount of adsorbed water vapor.In strongly oxidized active carbons samples a change in the adsorption mechanism was observed ( as compared to unmodified or weakly oxidized samples).This observation was confirmed quantitatively by the parameters of the adsorption equations which were used to describe the experimental isotherms.The oxygen groups that form in the course of the oxidation process were fund to alter the mechanism governing water phase formation on the carbon surface.This is reflected by the substantial changes in the adsorption potential distributions due to progressive oxidation of the carbon surface