Diffusion Tensor Imaging of the Central Nervous System Following an Injury to the Spinal Cord and Cell Transplant

The purpose of this dissertation research was to characterize the use of magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in understanding the changes that occur throughout the spinal cord and brain following a spinal cord injury (SCI) and following stem cell transplant. The diffusion of water inside the nervous system is dramatically altered around the lesion site following a traumatic SCI. However, following damage to the spinal cord, little is known about the diffusion characteristics away from an injury and even less is understood about DTI\u27s sensitivity to structural changes that occur following regenerative transplant therapies. The non-invasive nature of DTI could potentially allow for diagnostic and prognostic indicators of an SCI remote from injury and could provide physicians a method for tracking and monitoring the effectiveness of injected stem cells. To evaluate the sensitivity of DTI to structural changes in the central nervous system (CNS) following a traumatic SCI, diffusion metrics in the brain and cervical spinal cord were compared for four different injury severities in a thoracic contusion model of a rat SCI. Structural changes in the cervical region of the spinal cord after transplantation of C17.2 neuronal stem cells were also examined with the use of DTI. The findings from this dissertation suggest that diffusion tensor imaging is sensitive to changes in tissue structure in regions remote from injury and for cellular environments that increased astrocytic sprouting as a result of stem cell transplant. Mean water diffusion in the distal locations of the spinal cord and in the brain decreased following SCI. Neuronal stem cells that are known to elicit astrocytic proliferation produced mean increases in water diffusion. These results further clarify the potential for DTI to provide physicians a method to non-invasively monitor how the CNS changes following SCI and detec

\u3cem\u3eEx Vivo\u3c/em\u3e Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Spinal Cord Injury in Rats of Varying Degrees of Severity

The aim of this study was to characterize magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in proximal regions of the spinal cord following a thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI). Sprague–Dawley rats (n = 40) were administered a control, mild, moderate, or severe contusion injury at the T8 vertebral level. Six direction diffusion weighted images (DWIs) were collected ex vivo along the length of the spinal cord, with an echo/repetition time of 31.6 ms/14 sec and b = 500 sec/mm2. Diffusion metrics were correlated to hindlimb motor function. Significant differences were found for whole cord region of interest (ROI) drawings for fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), longitudinal diffusion coefficient (LD), and radial diffusion coefficient (RD) at each of the cervical levels ( p \u3c 0.01). Motor function correlated with MD in the cervical segments of the spinal cord (r2 = 0.80). The diffusivity of water significantly decreased throughout ‘‘uninjured’’ portions of the spinal cord following a contusion injury ( p \u3c 0.05). Diffusivity metrics were found to be altered following SCI in both white and gray matter regions. Injury severity was associated with diffusion changes over the entire length of the cord. This study demonstrates that DTI is sensitive to SCI in regions remote from injury, suggesting that the diffusion metrics may be used as a biomarker for severity of injury

Severity of Spinal Cord Injury Influences Diffusion Tensor Imaging of the Brain

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether DTI changes in the brain induced by a thoracic spinal cord injury are sensitive to varying severity of spinal contusion in rats. Methods: A control, mild, moderate, or severe contusion injury was administered over the eighth thoracic vertebral level in 32 Sprague-Dawley rats. At 11 weeks postinjury, ex vivo DTI of the brain was performed on a 9.4T Bruker scanner using a pulsed gradient spin-echo sequence. Results: Mean water diffusion in the internal capsule regions of the brain and pyramid locations of the brainstem were correlated with motor function (r2 = 0.55). Additionally, there were significant differences between injury severity groups for mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy at regions associated with the corticospinal tract (P = 0.05). Conclusion: These results indicate that DTI is sensitive to changes in brain tissue as a consequence of thoracic SCI

Comparative in vitro evaluation of contact activity of fluralaner, spinosad, phoxim, propoxur, permethrin and deltamethrin against the northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum.

BackgroundNorthern fowl mites (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites of both feral birds and poultry, particularly chicken layers and breeders. They complete their entire life-cycle on infested birds while feeding on blood. Infestations of O. sylviarum are difficult to control and resistance to some chemical classes of acaricides is a growing concern. The contact susceptibility of O. sylviarum to a new active ingredient, fluralaner, was evaluated, as well as other compounds representative of the main chemical classes commonly used to control poultry mite infestations in Europe and the USA.MethodsSix acaricides (fluralaner, spinosad, phoxim, propoxur, permethrin, deltamethrin) were dissolved and serially diluted in butanol:olive oil (1:1) to obtain test solutions used for impregnation of filter paper packets. A carrier-only control was included. Thirty adult northern fowl mites, freshly collected from untreated host chickens, were inserted into each packet for continuous compound exposure. Mite mortality was assessed after incubation of the test packets for 48 h at 75% relative humidity and a temperature of 22 °C.ResultsAdult mite LC50 /LC99 values were 2.95/8.09 ppm for fluralaner, 1587/3123 ppm for spinosad, 420/750 ppm for phoxim and 86/181 ppm for propoxur. Permethrin and deltamethrin LC values could not be calculated due to lack of mortality observed even at 1000 ppm.ConclusionsNorthern fowl mites were highly sensitive to fluralaner after contact exposure. They were moderately sensitive to phoxim and propoxur, and less sensitive to spinosad. Furthermore, the tested mite population appeared to be resistant to the pyrethroids, permethrin and deltamethrin, despite not being exposed to acaricides for at least 10 years

Strategi biro wisata PT. Musfiratur Semarang dalam meningkatkan kualitas pelayanan ibadah haji dan umroh tahun 2015

Meningkatkan kualitas pelayanan haji dan umroh, memiliki keterkaitan erat dengan kepuasan pelanggan. Kualitas dapat memberikan dorongan kepada pelanggan untuk menjalin ikatan yang kuat dengan perusahaan dalam jangka panjang. Oleh karena itu, diperlukan strategi peningkatan kualitas pelayanan agar visi dan misi perusahaan berjalan dengan baik. Perumusan masalah yang dibahas dalam penelitian ini adalah bagaimana strategi yang dilakukan PT. Musfiratur Semarang dalam meningkatkan kualitas pelayanannya, dan apa saja faktor pendukung dan penghambat dalam melaksanakan kegiatan pelayanan dalam menerapkan strategi peningkatan kualitas pelayanan haji dan umroh dari perumusan masalah diatas. Penulis menggunakan metode penelitian deskriptif kualitatif guna mengumpulkan data dan informasi untuk satukan dan dijadikan sebuah karya ilmiah. Data dan informasi yang diperoleh bersifat primer dan sekunder. Data primer diperoleh melalui wawancara langsung kepada direktur atau pimpinan perusahan dan beberapa staf di dalamnya, dan melalui observasi di lapangan. Sedangkan data informasi sekunder diperoleh melalui dokumentasi dan kepustakaan. Penelitian ini diharapkan dapat digunakan oleh perusahaan yang khususnya bergerak dibidang jasa dan pelayanan pada sektor pariwisata, sebagai bahan evaluasi kinerja serta peningkatan sumber daya manusia terhadap kualitas pelayanan yang diberikan dalam usaha memenuhi kepuasan pelanggan. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dan pengolahan data dari manfaat penelitian tekhnik wawancara dan observasi menunjukan bahwa strategi peningkatan kualitas pelayanan yang telah dilakukan oleh PT. Musfiratur Semarang, yaitu dengan membuka informasi di berbagai wilayah dan propinsi di Indonesia, membangun mitra usaha sejenis serta menambah jumlah jamaah di setiap tahunnya merupakan strategi ytang diterapkan oleh perusahaan tersebut. Namun demikian juga masih ditemukan hambatan dalam proses pelayanan, namun sangat mudah diatasi jika pihak direksi mampu menerapkan strategi peningkatan kualitas pelayanan kepada para jamaahnya dengan cara merencanakan strategi terkait dengan memberi pelatihan kepada para staf yang bekerja pada bidangnya masing-masing dan melakukan evaluasi dalam rangka untuk mengetahui disisi mana yang harus ditingkatkan kualitas pelayanannya agar pelanggan tetap setia menggunakan kembali perusahaan tersebut di lain waktu. Dari hasil analisis SWOT didalam penelitian ini, bahwa PT. Musfiratur Semarang adalah travel yang yang kuat dan berpeluang, artinya rekomendasi strategi yang diberikan oleh penulis disambut positif, sangat dimungkinkan strategi yang dilakukan oleh PT. Musfiratur Semarang untuk terus melakukan ekspansi, sehingga dapat memperbesar pertumbuhan dan meraih kemajuan secara maksimal

Diffusion Tensor Imaging Correlates with Short-Term Myelopathy Outcome in Patients with Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

Objective To determine if spinal cord diffusion tensor imaging indexes correlate with short-term clinical outcome in patients undergoing elective cervical spine surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Methods A prospective consecutive cohort study was performed in patients undergoing elective cervical spine surgery for CSM. After obtaining informed consent, patients with CSM underwent preoperative T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging of the cervical spine. Fractional anisotropy (FA) values at the level of maximum cord compression and at the noncompressed C1-2 level were calculated on axial images. We recorded the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale, Neck Disability Index, and Short Form-36 physical functioning subscale scores for all patients preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively. Statistical analysis was performed to identify correlations between FA and clinical outcome scores. Results The study included 27 patients (mean age 54.5 years ± 1.9, 12 men). The mean postoperative changes in mJOA scale, Neck Disability Index, and Short Form-36 physical functioning subscale scores were 0.9 ± 0.3, −6.0 ± 1.9, and 3.4 ± 1.9. The mean FA at the level of maximum compression was significantly lower than the mean FA at the C1-2 level (0.5 vs. 0.55, P = 0.01). FA was significantly correlated with change in mJOA scale score (Pearson r = −0.42, P = 0.02). FA was significantly correlated with the preoperative mJOA scale score (Pearson r = 0.65, P \u3c 0.001). Conclusions Preoperative FA at the level of maximum cord compression significantly correlates with the 3-month change in mJOA scale score among patients with CSM. FA was also significantly associated with preoperative mJOA scale score and is a potential biomarker for spinal cord dysfunction in CSM

The effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the osteogenic activity in osseointegration: a systematic review

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used in implant dentistry for management of post-operative pain. The objective of this systematic review was to analyse the effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the osteogenic activity of osteoblasts with an emphasis on its effect on osseointegration. A systematic literature search for in vitro, animal models, and clinical trials was conducted using Ovid, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Articles published since the introduction of selective COX-2 inhibitors, between January 1999 and July 2018, were selected. The integrated search followed the PRISMA statement with the following key terms: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug/s, titanium, osseointegration, and osteoblast. The review is registered at PROSPERO database: CRD42016051448. The titles and abstracts of each research article in the initial search (n = 875) were independently screened by two reviewers. A third independent reviewer reviewed the articles that were included by one but excluded by the other reviewer. This resulted in the cataloguing of 79 full-text manuscripts where the articles were assessed for the following criteria: the study investigates the effects of NSAIDs on osteoblasts, explores the COX pathway and its effect on osteogenic activity, and compares the effects of NSAIDs on osteoblasts with a control group. A total of 13 articles have been included for qualitative synthesis. There is a lack of consensus in the literature to explicitly conclude that there is a relationship between the use of post-operative NSAIDs and failed osseointegration; however, osseointegration does not appear to be negatively affected by NSAIDs in the human clinical studies

Diffusion Tensor Imaging of the Spinal Cord: Insights From Animal and Human Studies

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) provides a measure of the directional diffusion of water molecules in tissues. The measurement of DTI indexes within the spinal cord provides a quantitative assessment of neural damage in various spinal cord pathologies. DTI studies in animal models of spinal cord injury indicate that DTI is a reliable imaging technique with important histological and functional correlates. These studies demonstrate that DTI is a noninvasive marker of microstructural change within the spinal cord. In human studies, spinal cord DTI shows definite changes in subjects with acute and chronic spinal cord injury, as well as cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Interestingly, changes in DTI indexes are visualized in regions of the cord, which appear normal on conventional magnetic resonance imaging and are remote from the site of cord compression. Spinal cord DTI provides data that can help us understand underlying microstructural changes within the cord and assist in prognostication and planning of therapies. In this article, we review the use of DTI to investigate spinal cord pathology in animals and humans and describe advances in this technique that establish DTI as a promising biomarker for spinal cord disorders

Dry matter losses and quality changes during short rotation coppice willow storage in chip or rod form

This study compares dry matter losses and quality changes during the storage of SRC willow as chips and as rods. A wood chip stack consisting of approximately 74 tonnes of fresh biomass, or 31 tonnes dry matter (DM) was built after harvesting in the spring. Three weeks later, four smaller stacks of rods with an average weight of 0.8 tonnes, or 0.4 tonnes DM were built. During the course of the experiment temperature recorders placed in the stacks found that the wood chip pile reached 60 °C within 10 days of construction, but the piles of rods remained mostly at ambient temperatures. Dry matter losses were calculated by using pre-weighed independent samples within the stacks and by weighing the whole stack before and after storage. After 6 months the wood chip stack showed a DM loss of between 19.8 and 22.6%, and mean losses of 23.1% were measured from the 17 independent samples. In comparison, the rod stacks showed an average stack DM loss of between 0 and 9%, and between 1.4% and 10.6% loss from the independent samples. Analysis of the stored material suggests that storing willow in small piles of rods produces a higher quality fuel in terms of lower moisture and ash content; however, it has a higher fine content compared to storage in chip form. Therefore, according to the two storage methods tested here, there may be a compromise between maximising the net dry matter yield from SRC willow and the final fine content of the fuel