Evaluation and control of mechanical degradation of austenitic stainless 310S steel substrate during coated superconductor processing

The superconductor industry considers cold-rolled austenitic stainless 310S steel a less expensive substitute for Hastelloy X as a substrate for coated superconductor. However, the mechanical properties of cold-rolled 310S substrate degrade significantly in the superconductor deposition process. To overcome this, we applied hot rolling at 900 A degrees C (or 1000 A degrees C) to the 310S substrate. To check the property changes, a simulated annealing condition equivalent to that used in manufacturing was determined and applied. The effects of the hot rolling on the substrate were evaluated by analyzing its physical properties and texture.Web of Science24345444

Precise stacking of decellularized extracellular matrix based 3D cell-laden constructs by a 3D cell printing system equipped with heating modules

Three-dimensional (3D) cell printing systems allow the controlled and precise deposition of multiple cells in 3D constructs. Hydrogel materials have been used extensively as printable bioinks owing to their ability to safely encapsulate living cells. However, hydrogel-based bioinks have drawbacks for cell printing, e.g. inappropriate crosslinking and liquid-like rheological properties, which hinder precise 3D shaping. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the influence of various factors (e.g. bioink concentration, viscosity, and extent of crosslinking) on cell printing and established a new 3D cell printing system equipped with heating modules for the precise stacking of decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM)-based 3D cell-laden constructs. Because the pH-adjusted bioink isolated from native tissue is safely gelled at 37 degrees C, our heating system facilitated the precise stacking of dECM bioinks by enabling simultaneous gelation during printing. We observed greater printability compared with that of a non-heating system. These results were confirmed by mechanical testing and 3D construct stacking analyses. We also confirmed that our heating system did not elicit negative effects, such as cell death, in the printed cells. Conclusively, these results hold promise for the application of 3D bioprinting to tissue engineering and drug development.119Ysciescopu

Reduced cortical folding of the anterior cingulate cortex in obsessive-compulsive disorder

Background: Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) abnormalities have been implicated consistently in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), yet it remains unclear whether these abnormalities originated during early neurodevelopment. In this study, we examined the ACC sulcal/gyral patterns to investigate whether neurodevelopmental anomalies of the ACC were present in patients with OCD. We hypothesized that patients with OCD would show reduced cortical folding of the ACC compared with controls. Methods: We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 169 healthy volunteers and 110 patients with OCD to examine the paracingulate sulcus and cingulate sulcus. We assessed cortical folding patterns according to established classification criteria and constructed 3 categories of paracingulate sulcus morphology according to its presence and anteroposterior extent: "prominent," "present" and "absent." We classified the cingulate sulcus as "interrupted" or "continuous" according to the interruptions in its course. In addition, we evaluated ACC sulcal asymmetry based on interhemispheric comparisons of paracingulate sulcus morphology. Results: Analyses revealed that patients with OCD were significantly less likely than controls to show a well-developed left paracingulate sulcus: 50.0% of patients and 65.1% of controls showed a "prominent" or "present" paracingulate sulcus in the left hemisphere. However, there were no differences in regard to cingulate sulcus continuity, and patients also showed the same leftward ACC sulcal asymmetry as controls. Limitations: Our study was limited by the fact that we obtained the MRI scans from 2 different scanners, and we did not calculate cerebral fissurization as our study was restricted to 1 specific brain region. Moreover, patients and controls differed significantly in terms of sex ratio and IQ, although we controlled these variables as covariates. Conclusion: Our findings imply a subtle deviation in the early neurodevelopment of the ACC in patients with OCD, but the extent to which these anomalies contributed to the pathogenesis of OCD remains unclear. Further studies that link the ACC morphologic anomalies to the pathophysiology of OCD are recommended.This work was supported by Cognitive Neuroscience Program of the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology (M10644020003-08N4402-00310).Jung MH, 2009, PROG NEURO-PSYCHOPH, V33, P605, DOI 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2009.02.017Whittle S, 2009, PSYCHIAT RES-NEUROIM, V172, P68, DOI 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2008.06.005Gu BM, 2008, BRAIN, V131, P155, DOI 10.1093/brain/awm277Fornito A, 2007, ACTA PSYCHIAT SCAND, V116, P467, DOI 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2007.01069.xShin YW, 2007, HUM BRAIN MAPP, V28, P1128, DOI 10.1002/hbm.20338Huster RJ, 2007, NEUROIMAGE, V34, P888, DOI 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.10.023De Geus F, 2007, PSYCHIAT CLIN NEUROS, V61, P45, DOI 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2007.01609.xFornito A, 2006, SCHIZOPHR RES, V88, P192, DOI 10.1016/j.schres.2006.06.034Jang JH, 2006, AM J PSYCHIAT, V163, P1202Kim YY, 2006, BRAIN TOPOGR, V18, P201, DOI 10.1007/s10548-006-0269-2Klimkeit EI, 2006, CORTEX, V42, P113Valente AA, 2005, BIOL PSYCHIAT, V58, P479, DOI 10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.04.021Rosenberg DR, 2004, J AM ACAD CHILD PSY, V43, P1146, DOI 10.1097/01.chi.0000132812.44664.2dFornito A, 2004, CEREB CORTEX, V14, P424, DOI 10.1093/cercor/bhh004Shin YW, 2004, PSYCHIAT CLIN NEUROS, V58, P16Yucel M, 2003, BRIT J PSYCHIAT, V182, P518Yucel M, 2002, BIOL PSYCHIAT, V52, P15Lyoo IK, 2001, J CLIN PSYCHIAT, V62, P637Allman JM, 2001, ANN NY ACAD SCI, V935, P107Yucel M, 2001, CEREB CORTEX, V11, P17Bradshaw JL, 2000, BRAIN LANG, V73, P297Bush G, 2000, TRENDS COGN SCI, V4, P215Penalva J, 2000, BIOSENS BIOELECTRON, V15, P99Lohmann G, 1999, CEREB CORTEX, V9, P754Magnotta VA, 1999, CEREB CORTEX, V9, P151Tibbo P, 1999, J PSYCHIATR NEUROSCI, V24, P15Rosenberg DR, 1998, BIOL PSYCHIAT, V43, P623Purcell R, 1998, BIOL PSYCHIAT, V43, P348SAXENA S, 1998, BRIT J PSYCHIAT S, V35, P26FIRST MB, 1998, STRUCTURED CLIN INTESIEGEL S, 1998, NONPARAMETRIC STAT BRauch SL, 1997, J NEUROPSYCH CLIN N, V9, P568Bartley AJ, 1997, BRAIN, V120, P257VanEssen DC, 1997, NATURE, V385, P313Paus T, 1996, CEREB CORTEX, V6, P207FIRST MB, 1996, STRUCTURED CLIN INTEVOGT BA, 1995, J COMP NEUROL, V359, P490DEVINSKY O, 1995, BRAIN, V118, P279ARMSTRONG E, 1995, CEREB CORTEX, V5, P56PAULS DL, 1995, AM J PSYCHIAT, V152, P76KIM JS, 1995, KOREAN J CLIN PSYCHO, V14, P111*AM PSYCH ASS, 1994, DIAGN STAT MAN MENTBAXTER LR, 1992, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V49, P681HUANG CC, 1991, BRAIN DEV-JPN, V13, P27WELKER W, 1990, CEREBRAL CORTEX B, V8, P3DIXON WJ, 1990, BMDP STAT SOFTWARE MHOLLANDER E, 1990, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V47, P27CROW TJ, 1989, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V46, P1145GOODMAN WK, 1989, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V46, P1006GOODMAN WK, 1989, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V46, P1012SWEDO SE, 1989, ARCH GEN PSYCHIAT, V46, P518RAKIC P, 1988, SCIENCE, V241, P170BEAR D, 1986, ARCH NEUROL-CHICAGO, V43, P598GESCHWIND N, 1985, ARCH NEUROL-CHICAGO, V42, P521FLORHENRY P, 1983, CEREBRAL BASIS PSYCH, P301CHI JG, 1977, ANN NEUROL, V1, P86ANNETT M, 1970, BRIT J PSYCHOL, V61, P303CRICHTONBROWNE J, 1879, BRAIN, V2, P42

Takayasu's Arteritis Treated by Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty with Stenting in the Descending Aorta

A 17-yr-old young woman was referred to our hospital with a 2-yr history of claudication of the lower extremities and severe arterial hypertension. Physical examination revealed significantly different blood pressures between both arms (160/92 and 180/95 mmHg) and legs (92/61 and 82/57 mmHg). The hematological and biochemical values were within their normal ranges, except for the increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (83 mm/hr) and C-reactive protein (6.19 mg/L). On 3-dimensional computed tomographic angiography, the ascending aorta, the aortic arch and its branches, and the thoracic and, descending aorta, but not the renal artery, were shown to be stenotic. The diagnosis of type IIb Takayasu's arteritis was made according to the new angiographic classification of Takayasu's arteritis, Takyasu conference 1994. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with stenting was performed on the thoracic and abdominal aorta. After the interventional procedures, the upper extremity blood pressure improved from 162/101 mmHg to 132/85 mmHg, respectively. She has been free of claudication and there have been no cardiac events during 2-yr of clinical follow-up

Drug-induced liver injury caused by iodine-131

Iodine-131 is a radioisotope that is routinely used for the treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer after total or near-total thyroidectomy. However, there is some evidence that iodine-131 can induce liver injury . Here we report a rare case of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) caused by iodine-131 in a patient with regional lymph node metastasis after total thyroidectomy. A 47-year-old woman was admitted with elevated liver enzymes and symptoms of general weakness and nausea. Ten weeks earlier she had undergone a total thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma and had subsequently been prescribed levothyroxine to reduce the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone. Eight weeks after surgery she underwent iodine-131 ablative therapy at a dose of 100 millicuries, and subsequently presented with acute hepatitis after 10 days. To rule out all possible causative factors, abdominal ultrasonography, endoscopic ultrasonography (on the biliary tree and gall bladder), and a liver biopsy were performed. DILI caused by iodine-131 was suspected. Oral prednisolone was started at 30 mg/day, to which the patient responded well

Clinical outcomes of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for portal hypertension: Korean multicenter real-practice data

Background/AimsThis retrospective study assessed the clinical outcome of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure for managing portal hypertension in Koreans with liver cirrhosis.MethodsBetween January 2003 and July 2013, 230 patients received a TIPS in 13 university-based hospitals.ResultsOf the 229 (99.6%) patients who successfully underwent TIPS placement, 142 received a TIPS for variceal bleeding, 84 for refractory ascites, and 3 for other indications. The follow-up period was 24.9±30.2 months (mean±SD), 74.7% of the stents were covered, and the primary patency rate at the 1-year follow-up was 78.7%. Hemorrhage occurred in 30 (21.1%) patients during follow-up; of these, 28 (93.3%) cases of rebleeding were associated with stent dysfunction. Fifty-four (23.6%) patients developed new hepatic encephalopathy, and most of these patients were successfully managed conservatively. The cumulative survival rates at 1, 6, 12, and 24 months were 87.5%, 75.0%, 66.8%, and 57.5%, respectively. A high Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score was significantly associated with the risk of death within the first month after receiving a TIPS (P=0.018). Old age (P<0.001), indication for a TIPS (ascites vs. bleeding, P=0.005), low serum albumin (P<0.001), and high MELD score (P=0.006) were associated with overall mortality.ConclusionsA high MELD score was found to be significantly associated with early and overall mortality rate in TIPS patients. Determining the appropriate indication is warranted to improve survival in these patients

Long-term efficacy, safety and immunogenicity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis continuing on an etanercept biosimilar (LBEC0101) or switching from reference etanercept to LBEC0101: an open-label extension of a phase III multicentre, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group study

Background To evaluate the long-term efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of continuing LBEC0101; the etanercept (ETN) biosimilar; or switching from the ETN reference product (RP) to LBEC0101 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods This multicentre, single-arm, open-label extension study enrolled patients who had completed a 52-week randomised, double-blind, parallel phase III trial of LBEC0101 vs ETN-RP. Patients treated with ETN-RP during the randomised controlled trial switched to LBEC0101; those treated with LBEC0101 continued to receive LBEC0101 in this study. LBEC0101 (50 mg) was administered subcutaneously once per week for 48 weeks with a stable dose of methotrexate. Efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of LBEC0101 were assessed up to week 100. Results A total of 148 patients entered this extension study (70 in the maintenance group and 78 in the switch group). The 28-joint disease activity scores (DAS28)-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were maintained in both groups from week 52 to week 100 (from 3.068 to 3.103 in the maintenance group vs. from 3.161 to 3.079 in the switch group). ACR response rates at week 100 for the maintenance vs. switch groups were 79.7% vs. 83.3% for ACR20, 65.2% vs. 66.7% for ACR50 and 44.9% vs. 42.3% for ACR70. The incidence of adverse events and the proportion of patients with newly developed antidrug antibodies were similar in the maintenance and switch groups (70.0% and 70.5%, 1.4% and 1.3%, respectively). Conclusions Administration of LBEC0101 showed sustained efficacy and acceptable safety in patients with RA after continued therapy or after switching from ETN-RP to LBEC0101. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02715908. Registered 22 March 2016.This extension study was funded by LG Chem, Ltd. (formerly, LG Life Sciences, Ltd), Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Korea Health Industry Development Institute