Computer-Aided Diagnosis of Vertebral Compression Fractures Using Convolutional Neural Networks and Radiomics

Journal of Digital Imaging - Vertebral Compression Fracture (VCF) occurs when the vertebral body partially collapses under the action of compressive forces. Non-traumatic VCFs can be secondary to...     

Effects of non-thermal atmospheric plasma treatment on dentin wetting and surface free energy for application of universal adhesives

Objectives

The study aims to evaluate the effects of non-thermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP) treatments on dentin wetting and surface free energy (SFE) and compare the effects of NTAP treatment, etch-and-rinse, and self-etch protocols for application of universal adhesives.

Materials and methods

Mid-coronal dentin of intact third molars was used to measure contact angles of distilled water, ethylene-glycol, and diiodomethane and calculate SFE following different NTAP preset treatments (feeding gas consisting of pure He, He + 1% O₂, He + 1.5% O₂), power input (1 or 3 W), and tip-to-surface distance (2, 4, or 8 mm). Contact angles of reference liquids and SFE of dentin following He + 1.5% O₂ at 3-W and 4-mm treatment was compared to phosphoric acid etching. Contact angles of Single Bond Universal (SBU; 3M ESPE) and Clearfil Universal Bond (CUB; Kuraray Noritake) were measured following NTAP, etch-and-rinse, and self-etch protocols.

Results

NTAP significantly reduced contact angles of reference liquids and increased dentin SFE compared to untreated dentin (p < 0.05). O₂ intensified the effect of He NTAP (p < 0.05). NTAP and phosphoric acid increased dentin polarity and Lewis base surface characteristics. Phosphoric acid increased contact angles of adhesives compared to the self-etch protocol (p < 0.05). NTAP resulted in lower adhesive contact angles than phosphoric acid, the difference being statistically significant for CUB (p < 0.05). Compared to the self-etch protocol, NTAP slightly reduced CUB contact angle but not that of SBU (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

He NTAP with and without O₂ increased dentin wetting and SFE, surpassing the effect of phosphoric acid and lowering adhesive contact angles. NTAP produced no apparent micro-morphological changes on dentin surface comparable to acid etching.

Clinical significance

NTAP treatment of dentin prior to adhesive application increases dentin wetting and surface free energy facilitating better adhesive distribution on dentin surface compared to phosphoric acid etching and similar to the “self-etch” application protocol.

     

Decomposition of mitomycin and anthracycline cytostatics in cell culture media

The chemical stability of members of two groups of cytostatics, mitomycins and anthracyclines, has been studied in four different cell culture media enriched with serum. Stability was determined with the use of high performance liquid chromatography. In the group of mitomycins, the 7-aminomitosanes appeared to be relatively stable during a seven days incubation period at 37 degrees C when compared to the 7-methoxy congeners. The anthracycline derivatives, 4-demethoxy-daunorubicin, doxorubicin and its 4'-analogues showed half-lives of about 10-20 hours. Doxorubicinol and daunorubicin were found to be more stable. Anthracycline degradation products could be traced with the use of thin layer chromatography. All main degradation products originate from hydrolytic reactions. No enzymatic conversions could be observed. These observations may be of importance for the correct interpretation of the effects of mitomycins or anthracyclines on cells incubated in a cell culture medium.     

A genomic analysis of chicken cytokines and chemokines.

As most mechanisms of adaptive immunity evolved during the divergence of vertebrates, the immune systems of extant vertebrates represent different successful variations on the themes initiated in their earliest common ancestors. The genes involved in elaborating these mechanisms have been subject to exceptional selective pressures in an arms race with highly adaptable pathogens, resulting in highly divergent sequences of orthologous genes and the gain and loss of members of gene families as different species find different solutions to the challenge of infection. Consequently, it has been difficult to transfer to the chicken detailed knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of the mammalian immune system and, thus, to enhance the already significant contribution of chickens toward understanding the evolution of immunity. The availability of the chicken genome sequence provides the opportunity to resolve outstanding questions concerning which molecular components of the immune system are shared between mammals and birds and which represent their unique evolutionary solutions. We have integrated genome data with existing knowledge to make a new comparative census of members of cytokine and chemokine gene families, distinguishing the core set of molecules likely to be common to all higher vertebrates from those particular to these 300 million-year-old lineages. Some differences can be explained by the different architectures of the mammalian and avian immune systems. Chickens lack lymph nodes and also the genes for the lymphotoxins and lymphotoxin receptors. The lack of functional eosinophils correlates with the absence of the eotaxin genes and our previously reported observation that interleukin- 5 (IL-5) is a pseudogene. To summarize, in the chicken genome, we can identify the genes for 23 ILs, 8 type I interferons (IFNs), IFN-gamma, 1 colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), 2 of the 3 known transforming growth factors (TGFs), 24 chemokines (1 XCL, 14 CCL, 8 CXCL, and 1 CX3CL), and 10 tumor necrosis factor superfamily (TNFSF) members. Receptor genes present in the genome suggest the likely presence of 2 other ILs, 1 other CSF, and 2 other TNFSF members.     

Hepatitis B virus transmission in Brazilian hemodialysis units: serological and molecular follow-up

A serological and molecular study of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was carried out in dialysis units in Central Brazil. Between 1995 and 1999, serum samples from all HBsAg-positive hemodialysis patients (n = 43) were tested for HBeAg/anti-HBe and subtyping by monoclonal ELISA. HBV DNA was detected by PCR and positive samples were genotyped by restriction fragment polymorphism pattern (RFLP) methodology. TheHBsAg prevalence declined in this population during the survey period (12-5.8%). HBeAg and anti-HBe were detected in 23 (53.5%) and 18 (41.9%) sera, respectively. Thirty-six samples could be HBsAg subtyped: 21 were subtype ayw(3), 14 belonged to adw(2) and one was identified as adw(4). HBV DNA was present in 30 serum samples. Of these, 20 (66.7%) were genotype D, 9 (30%) genotype A, and 1 (3.3%) genotype F. In addition, the RFLP pattern could be determined in samples from 18/20 genotype D patients: D3 (10 strains), D7 (7 strains) and D4 (1 strain); from 8/9 genotype A patients: A1 (6 strains) and A3 (2 strains); and from the patient infected with genotype F: F1. Patterns D3 and D7 were associated closely with HBV infection in the two largest hemodialysis units studied. These findings confirm the value of the RFLP method as an effective molecular epidemiological tool for elucidating HBV transmission in hemodialysis units.     

Histopathologic analysis of atypical lesions in image-guided core breast biopsies.

Appropriate follow-up of patients with needle core breast biopsies (NCBB) showing atypical hyperplasia remains unclear because previous studies show that subsequent open biopsies in variable proportions of these patients reveal ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or even invasive carcinoma, indicating significant sampling artifact. NCBB with diagnoses of atypia were morphologically classified into groups as follows: I, ALH (n = 24); II, ADH with minimal cytologic atypism (n = 90); III, atypia, other (9 columnar, 2 apocrine, 11 atypical papillary); IV, severe ADH/borderline DCIS (n = 31). Mammographic and histologic features, including the number of foci of atypia in the NCBB and the calcification span, were then correlated with presence of DCIS or invasive tumor in subsequent open excisions. Open excisional biopsies showed more severe lesions in 12% of Group I-III cases (8% in Group I, 9% in Group II, and 27% in Group III), of which 15 were DCIS and one was an invasive tubular carcinoma (0.3 cm). Of the DCIS, 60% (n = 9) were < or =5 mm, and 13 of 15 (87%) were low grade. The NCBB cavity was immediately adjacent to the more severe lesions in 88% (n = 14) of cases, in keeping with sampling error. The subset showing severe ADH with borderline nuclear features in contrast was associated with a high likelihood (63%) of DCIS in follow-up excisions. NCBB with atypical papillary features also showed a high frequency of DCIS (4/11, 36%) in subsequent open excisions. Other factors associated with more severe lesions on open biopsy included the number of atypical foci in the NCBB (>4, P <.05) and the mammographic calcification span (>2.0 cm, P <.0001). Atypical lesions diagnosed in NCBB samples are radiographically and morphologically heterogeneous, accounting for the variable frequency of DCIS or invasive neoplasm identified in subsequent open excisions, which are usually focal, low grade, and a consequence of sampling artifact (i.e., adjacent to the NCBB cavity). DCIS is more likely if microcalcifications are mammographically extensive or if atypia is multifocal or is associated with borderline cytologic features.