Analysis of the surface potential developed by non-reactive ionic solids

Journal ArticleThe sign of the surface potential for complex non-reactive ionic solids cannot be predicted solely from consideration of the hydration energy of gaseous ions which constitute the ionic lattice. Accurate analysis of these systems must involve the hydration energy of surface ions, which requires knowledge of the crystal structure, the identification of cleavage planes, and the calculation of binding energies of surface ions. Surface binding energies for ionic solids can be determined if the Surface Madelung Constant is known

In Vivo Mapping of Vascular Inflammation Using Multimodal Imaging

Plaque vulnerability to rupture has emerged as a critical correlate to risk of adverse coronary events but there is as yet no clinical method to assess plaque stability in vivo. In the search to identify biomarkers of vulnerable plaques an association has been found between macrophages and plaque stability--the density and pattern of macrophage localization in lesions is indicative of probability to rupture. In very unstable plaques, macrophages are found in high densities and concentrated in the plaque shoulders. Therefore, the ability to map macrophages in plaques could allow noninvasive assessment of plaque stability. We use a multimodality imaging approach to noninvasively map the distribution of macrophages in vivo. The use of multiple modalities allows us to combine the complementary strengths of each modality to better visualize features of interest. Our combined use of Positron Emission Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (PET/MRI) allows high sensitivity PET screening to identify putative lesions in a whole body view, and high resolution MRI for detailed mapping of biomarker expression in the lesions.Macromolecular and nanoparticle contrast agents targeted to macrophages were developed and tested in three different mouse and rat models of atherosclerosis in which inflamed vascular plaques form spontaneously and/or are induced by injury. For multimodal detection, the probes were designed to contain gadolinium (T1 MRI) or iron oxide (T2 MRI), and Cu-64 (PET). PET imaging was utilized to identify regions of macrophage accumulation; these regions were further probed by MRI to visualize macrophage distribution at high resolution. In both PET and MR images the probes enhanced contrast at sites of vascular inflammation, but not in normal vessel walls. MRI was able to identify discrete sites of inflammation that were blurred together at the low resolution of PET. Macrophage content in the lesions was confirmed by histology.The multimodal imaging approach allowed high-sensitivity and high-resolution mapping of biomarker distribution and may lead to a clinical method to predict plaque probability to rupture

International cross-cultural field validation of an European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaire module for patients with primary liver cancer, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality-of-life questionnaire HCC18

This international field validation study examined the psychometric properties and clinical validity of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) questionnaire module for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the EORTC quality-of-life questionnaire (QLQ)-HCC18. The EORTC QLQ-HCC18 was administered with the core questionnaire, the EORTC QLQ-C30, to 272 patients from seven centers in 6 countries. Patient acceptability of the module was examined with a debriefing questionnaire, and psychometric and clinical properties were assessed. Multitrait scaling analyses confirmed the hypothesized scale structure without any scaling error, and the fatigue scale demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency. The test-retest reliability scores were high for all scales, except abdominal swelling and sexual interest. The correlations between all scales of the QLQ-HCC18 and the QLQ-C30 were low or moderate, and many scales could distinguish patients with different clinical conditions. The module demonstrated responsiveness to clinical change in pain before and after surgery and some borderline change in patients undergoing systemic treatment. Conclusion: The EORTC QLQ-HCC18 can be used as a supplementary module for the EORTC QLQ-C30 in clinical trials for patients with HCC. © 2011 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.link_to_subscribed_fulltex