A Robust Multiplex Mass Spectrometric Assay for Screening Small-Molecule Inhibitors of CD73 with Diverse Inhibition Modalities.

CD73/Ecto-5'-nucleotidase is a membrane-tethered ecto-enzyme that works in tandem with CD39 to convert extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) into adenosine. CD73 is highly expressed on various types of cancer cells and on infiltrating suppressive immune cells, leading to an elevated concentration of adenosine in the tumor microenvironment, which elicits a strong immunosuppressive effect. In preclinical studies, targeting CD73 with anti-CD73 antibody results in favorable antitumor effects.

Core curriculum illustration: trans-scaphoid volar perilunate fracture-subluxation.

This is the 11th installment of a series that will highlight one case per publication issue from the bank of cases available online as part of the American Society of Emergency Radiology (ASER) educational resources. Our goal is to generate more interest in the use of our online materials. To view more cases online, please visit the ASER Core Curriculum and Recommendations for Study online at http://www.

X-ray crystallographic structure-based design of selective thienopyrazole inhibitors for interleukin-2-inducible tyrosine kinase.

Beginning with a screening hit, unique thienopyrazole-indole inhibitors of Itk (interleukin-2-inducible tyrosine kinase) were designed, synthesized, and crystallized in the target kinase. Although initial compounds were highly active in Itk, they were not selective. Increasing the steric bulk around a tertiary alcohol at the 5-indole position dramatically improved selectivity toward Lyk and Syk, but not Txk.

Understanding DP receptor antagonism using a CoMSIA approach.

A Comparative Molecular Similarity Indices Analysis (CoMSIA) was performed for 2,6-substituted-4-monosubstituted aminopyrimidine antagonists of prostaglandin D(2) receptor (DP). Both two-component (Q(2) = 0.63, R(2) = 0.

An unusual case of Erdheim-Chester disease with features of Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) and Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) are both exceedingly rare histiocytic proliferations that can involve the skeletal system. We report on a case of ECD with some features suggestive of LCH. Radiographs demonstrated a large lytic lesion in the left femur, with multiple lesions of sclerosis involving both distal femurs and tibias.

Interleukin-7 improves reconstitution of antiviral CD4 T cells.

We evaluated whether long-term (2 months) administration of interleukin-7 (IL7) hastens immune recovery in baboons rendered severely lymphopenic by total body irradiation and antithymocyte globulin (ATG). Four baboons were treated with recombinant baboon IL7 and three baboons with placebo. Median CD4 T cell count at the end of IL7/placebo treatment was higher in the IL7-treated animals (2262 vs.

Interleukin-7 improves CD4 T-cell reconstitution after autologous CD34 cell transplantation in monkeys.

In mice, interleukin-7 (IL-7) hastens T-cell reconstitution and might cause autoimmune diseases, lymphoma, and osteoporosis. We assessed the effect of IL-7 on T-cell reconstitution and toxicity in baboons that underwent total body irradiation followed by autologous transplantation of marrow CD34 cells. Three baboons received placebo and 3 baboons received recombinant human IL-7 (rhIL-7, 75 microg/kg twice a day subcutaneously) between 6 and 10 weeks after transplantation.

Viewing DICOM-compliant CT images on a desktop personal computer: use of an inexpensive DICOM receive agent and freeware image display applications.

Objective: Our objective was to determine the ease of installation and use of relatively inexpensive and free software applications that allow Macintosh users to receive and view CT images from a Digital Imaging and COmmunication in Medicine-compliant imaging network.

Conclusion: Simple-to-use Macintosh-based options to transfer and view images are readily available and easily installed by users with minimal computer expertise.

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 in a guanidine-extracted demineralized bone matrix carrier rapidly closes a rabbit critical calvarial defect.

Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) is a polyfunctional regulatory cytokine that has been shown to have roles in extracellular matrix interactions, soft tissue healing, and osteogenesis. Twenty-five microL of recombinant human TGF-beta 1 was added to guanidine-extracted demineralized bone matrix carrier and the implants were used to fill a 14-mm osteoperiosteal critical calvarial defect in New Zealand white rabbit model. The defects were allowed to heal over 4 weeks and the degree of new bone formation was assess by radiodensitometry and undecalcified bone histomorphometry techniques.

Cortical bone perfusion in plated fractured sheep tibiae.

The limited contact dynamic compression plate and partial contact plate were designed to decrease contact with cortical bone in an attempt to decrease cortical ischemia, remodeling, and eventual porosis under the plate after use of standard dynamic compression plates. This study quantified cortical bone blood flow beneath the plate with these three different designs in a sheep tibia fracture model. In 18 skeletally immature sheep, the right tibia was fractured and then was internally fixed with an interfragmentary screw and a dynamic compression plate, limited contact dynamic compression plate, or partial contact plate.

Displaying radiologic images on personal computers: practical applications and uses.

This is the fifth and final article in our series for radiologists and imaging scientists on displaying, manipulating, and analyzing radiologic images on personal computers (PCs). There are many methods of transferring radiologic images into a PC, including transfer over a network, transfer from an imaging modality storage archive, using a frame grabber in the image display console, and digitizing a radiograph or 35-mm slide. Depending on the transfer method, the image file may be an extended gray-scale contrast, 16-bit raster file or an 8-bit PC graphics file.

Displaying radiologic images on personal computers: image processing and analysis.

This is the fourth article of our series for radiologists and imaging scientists on displaying, manipulating, and analyzing radiologic images on personal computers. Classic image processing is divided into point, area, frame, and geometric processes. Point processes change image pixel values based on the value of the pixel of interest.

Functionality of gray-scale display workstation hardware and software in clinical radiology.

This article examines the functional factors crucial for the successful conversion from film-based radiography to radiologic gray-scale display systems, including hardware architecture and software requirements, radiologic workstation operations, and a multilayered intelligent user interface. Radiologic workstation operations are logically decomposed into case preparation, case selection, case presentation, case interpretation, and documentation and presentation of the diagnosis. A multilayered software architecture for an adaptive, intelligent user interface is proposed: a hardware interface layer, an object-oriented layer, and a knowledge-based layer.

Dual lookup table algorithm: an enhanced method of displaying 16-bit gray-scale images on 8-bit RGB graphic systems.

Most digital radiologic images have an extended contrast range of 9 to 13 bits, and are stored in memory and disk as 16-bit integers. Consequently, it is difficult to view such images on computers with 8-bit red-green-blue (RGB) graphic systems. Two approaches have traditionally been used: (1) perform a one-time conversion of the 16-bit image data to 8-bit gray-scale data, and then adjust the brightness and contrast of the image by manipulating the color palette (palette animation); and (2) use a software lookup table to interactively convert the 16-bit image data to 8-bit gray-scale values with different window width and window level parameters.

Displaying radiologic images on personal computers: image storage and compression--Part 2.

This is part 2 of our article on image storage and compression, the third article of our series for radiologists and imaging scientists on displaying, manipulating, and analyzing radiologic images on personal computers. Image compression is classified as lossless (nondestructive) or lossy (destructive). Common lossless compression algorithms include variable-length bit codes (Huffman codes and variants), dictionary-based compression (Lempel-Ziv variants), and arithmetic coding.

Dr. Browse, a digital image file format Browser.

The emerging widespread adoption of the Digital Imaging Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard will increase the demand for radiologic image transfer between radiologic image acquisition, archive, display and printing devices. Unfortunately, there are and will continue to be many devices that do not and will not support this standard, especially older radiologic equipment and devices from nonradiologic vendors. Determining the image file format characteristics of images from such equipment is often difficult, and done on an ad hoc basis.

Displaying radiologic images on personal computers: image storage and compression: Part 1.

This is the third article of our series for radiologists and imaging scientists on displaying, manipulating, and analyzing radiologic images on personal computers. Part 1 of this article discusses image storage and reviews the basic concepts of information theory and image compression; part 2 will discuss specific methods of image compression. There are a wide variety of removable storage devices available to users who need to archive radiologic images on their personal computers.

Quality assurance: a system that integrates a digital dictation system with a computer data base.

One of the most challenging responsibilities for radiologists is assessment of the quality of care that they provide. Some parameters of quality, such as false-negative rate, are almost impossible to calculate with absolute precision. The issue is also complicated when one tries to determine exactly what constitutes a "discordant" interpretation.

Quality assessment in radiology: value of a portable bar-code scanner integrated with a computer workstation.

Radiographs are typically processed by several employees of a radiology department before being interpreted by a radiologist. A technologist acquires and labels the radiograph(s), and file room employees match the radiograph(s) with prior examinations and prepare them for interpretation by the radiologist. Every radiologist has encountered radiologic examinations in which the image quality, presentation, or associated clinical or technical information is suboptimal.

Displaying radiologic images on personal computers.

This is the second article of our series for radiologists and imaging scientists on displaying, manipulating, and analyzing radiologic images on personal computers (PCs). The first article discussed the digital image data file, standard PC graphic file formats, and various methods for importing radiologic images into the PC. This article discusses the hardware, software, and user interface issues related to displaying gray scale images on PCs.

Radiological images on personal computers: introduction and fundamental principles of digital images.

This series of articles will explore the issue related to displaying, manipulating, and analyzing radiological images on personal computers (PC). This first article discusses the digital image data file, standard PC graphic file formats, and various methods for importing radiological images into the PC.

Optimized algorithms for displaying 16-bit gray scale images on 8-bit computer graphic systems.

Most personal computers contain 8-bit graphic display hardware, whereas most medical gray scale images are stored at 16-bit per pixel integers. To display medical gray scale images on such computers, the 16-bit image data must be remapped into 8-bit gray scale images. This report presents the algorithms and computer code that allow very rapid 16-bit to 8-bit image data transformation.

Advanced applications of personal computers in the radiologist's office.

The author's department has found various advanced applications for the computer to be useful in daily practice. They use a data-base program to track interesting cases for later retrieval. The program automatically generates an American College of Radiology code based on the body part and diagnosis.