MRI Sequence Sensitivity for the Detection of Spinal Cavernous Malformations

CNS cavernous malformations (CCMs) are dilated capillary-level lesions, which have a tendency to repeated internal hemorrhage and growth and, less frequently, hemorrhage into the nearby brain. These are well known and researched in the brain. However, the same malformation can also occur in the spinal cord, also with risk of hemorrhage. Brain CCMs can be either sporadic (solitary) or genetic in origin, with autosomal dominant pattern for the latter. There is a large prevalence of genetic CCM in New Mexico due to a founder effect in the early Spanish settlers. Spinal cavernous malformations (SCMs) have been termed rare in previous literature, but previous studies have been very inconsistent in identifying familal (genetic) cases. For example, Toldo et al said, The coexistence of intracranial and spinal cavernous angiomas in familial CCM is extremely rare.\u27 (Toldo et al, Surg Neurol 2009;71:167). However, our experience in New Mexico is different. Within a large population of familial cerebral cavernous malformations, SCMs were identified in 8% of spine MRI, and the overall prevalence is likely much higher. Multiple SCM suggest familial rather than sporadic disease, with profound implications for families, genetic counseling, and potential brain involvement. The purpose of this study was to compare MRI sequence sensitivity indetecting SCMs in a group of patients with known familial CNS cavernous malformations.\u2

Moving from Computed Radiography to Digital Radiography, a Collaborative Approach to Improve Image Quality

The University of New Mexico School of Medicine (UNM SOM) and the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) have long worked together to deliver high quality patient care to the citizens of New Mexico and the surrounding region. One of the key ways that the Department of Radiology has worked to deliver the highest quality care to the patients of UNMH is by establishing a Quality Assurance Committee. The committee is composed of radiologists, technologists, medical physicists and support staff who all lend their expertise to review and help solve any quality assurance issues for the department. This poster is one example of how a team\u27 within the Quality Assurance Committee helped solve an important image quality issue within our department, and improved patient care. This project is an example of how to form a team (triad) comprised of radiologists, technologists, and physicists to utilize post-processing techniques in digital radiography (DR) in order to optimize image acquisition and improve image quality.\u2

Ozone and PM(2.5) Exposure and Acute Pulmonary Health Effects: A Study of Hikers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

To address the lack of research on the pulmonary health effects of ozone and fine particulate matter (≤ 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter; PM(2.5)) on individuals who recreate in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (USA) and to replicate a study performed at Mt. Washington, New Hampshire (USA), we conducted an observational study of adult (18–82 years of age) day hikers of the Charlies Bunion trail during 71 days of fall 2002 and summer 2003. Volunteer hikers performed pre- and posthike pulmonary function tests (spirometry), and we continuously monitored ambient O(3), PM(2.5), temperature, and relative humidity at the trailhead. Of the 817 hikers who participated, 354 (43%) met inclusion criteria (nonsmokers and no use of bronchodilators within 48 hr) and gave acceptable and reproducible spirometry. For these 354 hikers, we calculated the posthike percentage change in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV(1)), FVC/FEV(1), peak expiratory flow, and mean flow rate between 25 and 75% of the FVC and regressed each separately against pollutant (O(3) or PM(2.5)) concentration, adjusting for age, sex, hours hiked, smoking status (former vs. never), history of asthma or wheeze symptoms, hike load, reaching the summit, and mean daily temperature. O(3) and PM(2.5) concentrations measured during the study were below the current federal standards, and we found no significant associations of acute changes in pulmonary function with either pollutant. These findings are contrasted with those in the Mt. Washington study to examine the hypothesis that pulmonary health effects are associated with exposure to O(3) and PM(2.5) in healthy adults engaged in moderate exercise

Population-Based Study of Acute Respiratory Infections in Children, Greenland

Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are frequent in Inuit children, in terms of incidence and severity. A cohort of 294 children <2 years of age was formed in Sisimiut, a community on the west coast of Greenland, and followed from 1996 to 1998. Data on ARI were collected during weekly visits at home and child-care centers; visits to the community health center were also recorded. The cohort had respiratory symptoms on 41.6% and fever on 4.9% of surveyed days. The incidence of upper and lower respiratory tract infections was 1.6 episodes and 0.9 episodes per 100 days at risk, respectively. Up to 65% of the episodes of ARI caused activity restriction; 40% led to contact with the health center. Compared with studies from other parts of the world, the incidence of ARI appears to be high in Inuit children

Ionophore A23187 induced reductions in toad urinary bladder epithelial cell oxidative phosphorylation and viability

The divalent cation ionophore A23187 increased oxygen consumption by isolated epithelial cells from toad urinary bladder, an increase similar to that seen with 2,4-dinitrophenol, a classic uncoupler of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. This respiratory stimulation was not seen in calcium-free incubation media. That this A23187 induced rise in cell oxygen consumption was due to a primary uncoupling action on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation rather than secondary to stimulation of cellular transport processes and mediated via increased cellular ADP levels was suggested by the ability of A23187 to release the inhibition of cellular respiration by oligomycin, an inhibitor of the mitochondrial proton ATPase which blocks the stimulation of mitochondrial respiration by ADP. Since active transepithelial ion transport and cellular energy production are closely linked processes, the uncoupling action of A23187 in the presence of extracellular calcium is sufficient to account for an acute decline in active ion transport across epithelia without invoking other calcium-mediated processes. Furthermore, isolated epithelial cells exposed to A23187 for 90 min had greater than 50% loss of viability, as measured by failure of Trypan blue exclusion. The subacute A23187 induced declines in transepithelial transport, therefore, may be secondary to its non-specific effects on cell viability.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/47447/1/424_2004_Article_BF00658484.pd

The structure of Pavlovian fear conditioning in the amygdala

Do different brains forming a specific memory allocate the same groups of neurons to encode it? One way to test this question is to map neurons encoding the same memory and quantitatively compare their locations across individual brains. In a previous study, we used this strategy to uncover a common topography of neurons in the dorsolateral amygdala (LAd) that expressed a learning-induced and plasticity-related kinase (p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase; pMAPK), following auditory Pavlovian fear conditioning. In this series of experiments, we extend our initial findings to ask to what extent this functional topography depends upon intrinsic neuronal structure. We first showed that the majority (87 %) of pMAPK expression in the lateral amygdala was restricted to principal-type neurons. Next, we verified a neuroanatomical reference point for amygdala alignment using in vivo magnetic resonance imaging and in vitro morphometrics. We then determined that the topography of neurons encoding auditory fear conditioning was not exclusively governed by principal neuron cytoarchitecture. These data suggest that functional patterning of neurons undergoing plasticity in the amygdala following Pavlovian fear conditioning is specific to memory formation itself. Further, the spatial allocation of activated neurons in the LAd was specific to cued (auditory), but not contextual, fear conditioning. Spatial analyses conducted at another coronal plane revealed another spatial map unique to fear conditioning, providing additional evidence that the functional topography of fear memory storing cells in the LAd is non-random and stable. Overall, these data provide evidence for a spatial organizing principle governing the functional allocation of fear memory in the amygdala

Single voxel Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic (1H-MRS) analysis of deep brain structures after traumatic prefrontal brain injury (TBI) in rat

Chronic difficulties arising from mild brain injury (TBI) are difficult to predict because the processes underlying changes after TBI are poorly understood. In mild brain injury the extent of neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms correspond poorly to overt tissue loss (Barth 1983; Liu 2010). Cellular, immune and hormonal cascades occurring after injury and continuing during the healing process may impact uninjured brain regions sensitive to the effects of physiological and emotional stress, which receive projections from the injury site. Changes in these most basic properties due to injury or disease have profound implications for virtually every aspect of brain function through disruption of neurotransmitter, neuroendocrine and metabolic systems. In order to screen for changes in transmitter and metabolic activity, in this study we developed Single voxel proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H-MRS) for use in both injured and control animals. We first evaluated if 1H-MRS could be used to evaluate in vivo, alterations in brain metabolism and catabolism of the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and ventral hippocampus in both control and injured animals after controlled cortical impact injury to the rat prefrontal cortex. We found that metabolite measurements for Myo-Inositol, Choline, creatine, Glutamate+Glutamine, and N-acetyl-acetate are attainable in deep brain structures in vivo in injured and controls rats. We next seek to evaluate longitudinally, in vivo, alterations in brain metabolism and catabolism of the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and ventral hippocampus during the first month after controlled cortical impact injury to the rat prefrontal cortex. These ongoing studies will provide data on the changes in transmitters and metabolites over time in injured and non-injured subjects. These studies address some of the fundamental questions about how mild brain injury has such diverse effects on overall brain health and function

Evaluating the digital divide : the Silver Surfer's perspective

Original article can be found at: http://www.metapress.com/ Copyright Inderscience Enterprises LtdThe aim of this paper is to explore and ascertain using an information systems perspective evaluation framework, the factors encouraging the adoption and usage of online products and services, namely, in this case, broadband, within one particular population group – the silver surfer. As advances in government policies for the older population and the health care system are occurring, the population is ageing. To identify and explain the impacts of broadband on older adults, this research study was commissioned. Data was collected through e-mail, interviews and an online survey within OECD and non-OECD countries. The findings of this study illustrate that technical factors were not of primary importance. Non-technical factors were considered to be fundamental and clearly need to be taken into consideration when encouraging silver surfers to be come online interactive. What was also discovered is that interest, whether in technological or non-technological factors as well as communication are very pertinent in adopting and using technology. This research should offer a substantial contribution to various stakeholders including government agencies, management consulting firms, Internet Service Providers and IT organizations that may want to identify what drives the online interactions of silver surfers. This will also assist government agencies to understand the problem of low adoption and formulate a strategy to promote awareness and diffusion. The contribution to theory that this research offers is the development of an evaluative framework that has a household perspective and emphasises the silver surfers. Further, the framework should be applicable to both OECD and non-OECD countries provided the administered survey instrument is in the indigenous language and there is immense awareness to the questionnaire.Peer reviewe