Eumelanin Graphene-Like Integration: The Impact on Physical Properties and Electrical Conductivity

The recent development of eumelanin pigment-based blends integrating "classical" organic conducting materials is expanding the scope of eumelanin in bioelectronics. Beyond the achievement of high conductivity level, another major goal lays in the knowledge and feasible control of structure/properties relationship. We systematically investigated different hybrid materials prepared by in situ polymerization of the eumelanin precursor 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI) in presence of various amounts of graphene-like layers. Spectroscopic studies performed by solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (ss-NMR), x-ray photoemission, and absorption spectroscopies gave a strong indication of the direct impact that the integration of graphene-like layers into the nascent polymerized DHI-based eumelanin has on the structural organization of the pigment itself, while infrared, and photoemission spectroscopies indicated the occurrence of negligible changes as concerns the chemical units. A tighter packing of the constituent units could represent a strong factor responsible for the observed improved electrical conductivity of the hybrid materials, and could be possible exploited as a tool for electrical conductivity tuning

Prognostic value of heart valve calcifications for cardiovascular events in a lung cancer screening population

To assess the prognostic value of aortic valve and mitral valve/annulus calcifications for cardiovascular events in heavily smoking men without a history of cardiovascular disease. Heavily smoking men without a cardiovascular disease history who underwent non-contrast-enhanced low-radiation-dose chest CT for lung cancer screening were included. Non-imaging predictors (age, smoking status and pack-years) were collected and imaging-predictors (calcium volume of the coronary arteries, aorta, aortic valve and mitral valve/annulus) were obtained. The outcome was the occurrence of cardiovascular events. Multivariable Cox proportional-hazards regression was used to calculate hazard-ratios (HRs) with 95 % confidence interval (CI). Subsequently, concordance-statistics were calculated. In total 3111 individuals were included, of whom 186 (6.0 %) developed a cardiovascular event during a follow-up of 2.9 (Q1-Q3, 2.7-3.3) years. If aortic (n = 657) or mitral (n = 85) annulus/valve calcifications were present, cardiovascular event incidence increased to 9.0 % (n = 59) or 12.9 % (n = 11), respectively. HRs of aortic and mitral valve/annulus calcium volume for cardiovascular events were 1.46 (95 % CI, 1.09-1.84) and 2.74 (95 % CI, 0.92-4.56) per 500 mm(3). The c-statistic of a basic model including age, pack-years, current smoking status, coronary and aorta calcium volume was 0.68 (95 % CI, 0.63-0.72), which did not change after adding heart valve calcium volume. Aortic valve calcifications are predictors of future cardiovascular events. However, there was no added prognostic value beyond age, number of pack-years, current smoking status, coronary and aorta calcium volume for short term cardiovascular events

Толерантный подход к теме греко-турецких взаимоотношений в новейшей греческой прозе

Целью данной статьи стало рассмотрение нового видения дихотомии «грек-турок» в романах греческих писателей второй половины ХХ века

Computer-aided detection (CAD) for breast MRI: evaluation of efficacy at 3.0 T

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the accuracy of 3.0-T breast MRI interpretation using manual and fully automated kinetic analyses. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Manual MRI interpretation was done on an Advantage Workstation. Retrospectively, all examinations were processed with a computer-aided detection (CAD) system. CAD data sets were interpreted by two experienced breast radiologists and two residents. For each lesion automated analysis of enhancement kinetics was evaluated at 50% and 100% thresholds. Forty-nine malignant and 22 benign lesions were evaluated. RESULTS: Using threshold enhancement alone, the sensitivity and specificity of CAD were 97.9% and 86.4%, respectively, for the 50% threshold, and 97.9% and 90%, respectively, for the 100% threshold. Manual interpretation by two breast radiologists showed a sensitivity of 84.6% and a specificity of 68.8%. For the same two radiologists the mean sensitivity and specificity for CAD-based interpretation was 90.4% (not significant) and 81.3% (significant at p < 0.05), respectively. With one-way ANOVA no significant differences were found between the two breast radiologists and the two residents together, or between any two readers separately. CONCLUSION: CAD-based analysis improved the specificity compared with manual analysis of enhancement. Automated analysis at 50% and 100% thresholds showed a high sensitivity and specificity for readers with varying levels of experience

Multi-detector CT screening for lung cancer is still to be discouraged for the time being

Lung cancer is an important public health problem with almost no improvement in survival over the past decades. Although observational studies demonstrate that low-dose multi-detector spiral-CT screening is able to detect lung cancer in an early stage in 55-85% of all cancer cases detected, and that 5- and even 10-year survival rates close to 90% can be achieved, these studies do not answer the question whether CT screening is advisable. Excellent survival rates in a few individuals do not necessarily indicate that there is a lung cancer-specific reduction in mortality, since observational studies are subject to several biases: lead time bias, over-diagnosis bias, and length time bias. Therefore, there is a strong worldwide recommendation from various professional organisations not to adopt CT screening for lung cancer on a wide scale, but to await the results from large randomised studies such as the US 'National lung screening trial' and the Dutch-Belgian-Danish 'Netherlands-Louvain lung cancer screening study' (NELSON), which will provide more clarity as to the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness and possible negative effects of CT screening for lung cancer.</p

Multi-detector CT screening for lung cancer is still to be discouraged for the time being

Lung cancer is an important public health problem with almost no improvement in survival over the past decades. Although observational studies demonstrate that low-dose multi-detector spiral-CT screening is able to detect lung cancer in an early stage in 55-85% of all cancer cases detected, and that 5- and even 10-year survival rates close to 90% can be achieved, these studies do not answer the question whether CT screening is advisable. Excellent survival rates in a few individuals do not necessarily indicate that there is a lung cancer-specific reduction in mortality, since observational studies are subject to several biases: lead time bias, over-diagnosis bias, and length time bias. Therefore, there is a strong worldwide recommendation from various professional organisations not to adopt CT screening for lung cancer on a wide scale, but to await the results from large randomised studies such as the US 'National lung screening trial' and the Dutch-Belgian-Danish 'Netherlands-Louvain lung cancer screening study' (NELSON), which will provide more clarity as to the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness and possible negative effects of CT screening for lung cancer.</p

Percent Fat Mass Increases with Recovery, But Does Not Vary According to Dietary Therapy in Young Malian Children Treated for Moderate Acute Malnutrition.

BackgroundModerate acute malnutrition (MAM) affects 34.1 million children globally. Treatment effectiveness is generally determined by the amount and rate of weight gain. Body composition (BC) assessment provides more detailed information on nutritional stores and the type of tissue accrual than traditional weight measurements alone.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to compare the change in percentage fat mass (%FM) and other BC parameters among young Malian children with MAM according to receipt of 1 of 4 dietary supplements, and recovery status at the end of the 12-wk intervention period.MethodsBC was assessed using the deuterium oxide dilution method in a subgroup of 286 children aged 6-35 mo who participated in a 12-wk community-based, cluster-randomized effectiveness trial of 4 dietary supplements for the treatment of MAM: 1) lipid-based, ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF); 2) special corn-soy blend "plus plus" (CSB++); 3) locally processed, fortified flour (MI); or 4) locally milled flours plus oil, sugar, and micronutrient powder (LMF). Multivariate linear regression modeling was used to evaluate change in BC parameters by treatment group and recovery status.ResultsMean&nbsp;±&nbsp;SD %FM at baseline was 28.6%&nbsp;±&nbsp;5.32%. Change in %FM did not vary between groups. Children who received RUSF vs. MI gained more (mean; 95% CI) weight (1.43; 1.13, 1.74 kg compared with 0.84; 0.66, 1.03 kg; P&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.02), FM (0.70; 0.45, 0.96 kg compared with 0.20; 0.05, 0.36 kg; P&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.01), and weight-for-length z score (1.23; 0.79, 1.54 compared with 0.49; 0.34, 0.71; P&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.03). Children who recovered from MAM exhibited greater increases in all BC parameters, including %FM, than children who did not recover.ConclusionsIn this study population, children had higher than expected %FM at baseline. There were no differences in %FM change between groups. International BC reference data are needed to assess the utility of BC assessment in community-based management of acute malnutrition programs. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01015950

The progression of spermatogenesis in the developing rat testis followed by ³¹P MR spectroscopy

To evaluate the use of human testicular 31P MR spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool to differentiate between several stages of male infertility, we have studied the testicular levels of several phosphorus containing compounds in the rat in relation to the condition of spermatogenesis and the cell types present in the seminiferous tubules of the testis. During testicular maturation several characteristic changes occur in the 31P MR spectrum of the testis of male Wistar rats. The phosphomonoester/adenosine triphosphate (PM/ATP) ratio shows a decline from 1.61 to 1.02 between the age of 3 and 12 weeks, whereas the phosphodiester (PD)/ATP ratio increases from 0 to 0.72. The testicular pH increases in the same time from 7.06 to 7.32. Testicular MR data obtained after 12 weeks of age onward do not show significant change anymore. The high PM/ATP ratio is associated by a relative high amount of proliferating spermatogonia and spermatocytes during meiosis in the testis, whereas the PD peak seems to be correlated with the release and maintenance of spermatozoa. The MR spectra show a specific fingerprint in all developmental stages of the rat testis as a result of the different cell types in the testis. © 1992 Academic Press, Inc.</p

Prediction of Cardiovascular Events by Using Non-Vascular Findings on Routine Chest CT

Background: Routine computed tomography (CT) examinations contain an abundance of findings unrelated to the diagnostic question. Those with prognostic significance may contribute to early detection and treatment of disease, irrelevant findings can be ignored. We aimed to assess the association between unrequested chest CT findings in lungs, mediastinum and pleura and future cardiovascular events. Methods: Multi-center case-cohort study in 5 tertiary and 3 secondary care hospitals involving 10410 subjects who underwent routine chest CT for non-cardiovascular reasons. 493 cardiovascular hospitalizations or deaths were recorded during an average follow-up time of 17.8 months. 1191 patients were randomly sampled to serve as a control subcohort. Hazard ratios and annualized event rates were calculated. Results: Abnormalities in the lung (26–44%), pleura (14–15%) and mediastinum (20%) were common. Hazard ratios after adjustment for age and sex were for airway wall thickening 2.26 (1.59–3.22), ground glass opacities 2.50 (1.72–3.62), consolidations 1.97 (1.12–3.47), pleural effusions 2.77 (1.81–4.25) and lymph-nodes 2.04 (1.40–2.96). Corresponding annual event rates were 5.5%, 6.0%, 3.8%, 10.2 % and 4.4%. Conclusions: We have identified several common chest CT findings that are predictive for future risk of cardiovascular events and found that other findings have little utility for this. The added value of the non-vascular predictors to establishe