Volumetric analysis of osteoclastic bioresorption of calcium phosphate ceramics with different solubilities.

Commonly, to determine osteoclastic resorption of biomaterials only the resorbed area is measured. The depth of the resorption pit, however, may also be important for the performance of a material. To generate such data we used two calcium phosphate ceramics (Ca(10) and Ca(2)).

Treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma is associated with drug-induced hyperparathyroidism: a single center experience in 59 patients.

Purpose: Multi-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (MTKIs) are the standard in the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). In spite their clinical activity, interaction with physiological functions has been shown. Here, we report on alterations of the bone mineral metabolism in patients with mRCC treated with MTKIs.

[Earlier postoperative mobilization with minimally invasive hip hemiarthroplasty].

Treatment of medial femoral fractures in elderly patients with cemented hip hemiarthroplasty (HEP) is a widely established procedure. The main problems with this procedure are complications associated with soft tissue damage and prolonged immobilization. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and radiological results after HEP implantation using either an anterior minimally invasive (MIS) approach or a regular transgluteal (TG) approach.

Measurement of regional specific lung volume change using respiratory-gated PET of inhaled 13N-nitrogen.

Unlabelled: Regional specific lung volume change (sVol), defined as the regional tidal volume divided by the regional end-expiratory gas volume, is a key variable in lung mechanics and in the pathogenesis of ventilator-induced lung injury. Despite the usefulness of PET to study regional lung function, there is no established method to assess sVol with PET. We present a method to measure sVol from respiratory-gated PET images of inhaled (13)N-nitrogen ((13)NN), validate the method against regional specific ventilation (sV), and study the effect of region-of-interest (ROI) volume and orientation on the sVol-sV relationship.

MRI findings of gluteus minimus muscle damage in primary total hip arthroplasty and the influence on clinical outcome.

Introduction: The influence of surgical trauma on gluteus minimus muscle in total hip arthroplasty (THA) and the impact on functional outcome has been hardly investigated up to now. Potential risks of minimus damage during the approach or femoral preparation is due to its attachment to the anterior facet of the greater trochanter. Possible trauma-associated functional deficits of minimus muscle may result in reduced abduction force or in an unstable hip joint.

CD22 x Siglec-G double-deficient mice have massively increased B1 cell numbers and develop systemic autoimmunity.

CD22 and Siglec-G are inhibitory coreceptors for BCR-mediated signaling. Although CD22-deficient mice show increased calcium signaling in their conventional B2 cells and a quite normal B cell maturation, Siglec-G-deficient mice have increased calcium mobilization just in B1 cells and show a large expansion of the B1 cell population. Neither CD22-deficient, nor Siglec-G-deficient mice on a pure C57BL/6 or BALB/c background, respectively, develop autoimmunity.

Inefficient clearance of dying cells in patients with SLE: anti-dsDNA autoantibodies, MFG-E8, HMGB-1 and other players.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex disease resulting from inflammatory responses of the immune system against several autoantigens. Inflammation is conditioned by the continuous presence of autoantibodies and leaked autoantigens, e.g.

Mild endotoxemia during mechanical ventilation produces spatially heterogeneous pulmonary neutrophilic inflammation in sheep.

Background: There is limited information on the regional inflammatory effects of mechanical ventilation and endotoxemia on the production of acute lung injury. Measurement of F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) uptake with positron emission tomography allows for the regional, in vivo and noninvasive, assessment of neutrophilic inflammation. The authors tested whether mild endotoxemia combined with large tidal volume mechanical ventilation bounded by pressures within clinically acceptable limits could yield measurable and anatomically localized neutrophilic inflammation.

Inter- and intraobserver variability in the postoperative evaluation of transpedicular stabilization: computed tomography versus magnetic resonance imaging.

Background Context: Computed tomography (CT) represents the state of the art for the postoperative verification of the implant position after transpedicular stabilizations. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has not challenged the CT, yet, because of susceptibility artifacts but would be favorable as a diagnostic tool for its excellent soft-tissue qualities.

Purpose: A study that analyzed if an artifact-reduced MRI could overcome this problem and provide sufficient data for the postoperative assessment was conducted.

No evidence for clonal selection due to lentiviral integration sites in human induced pluripotent stem cells.

Derivation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells requires the expression of defined transcription factors (among Oct3/4, Sox2, Klf4, c-Myc, Nanog, and Lin28) in the targeted cells. Lentiviral or standard retroviral gene transfer remains the most robust and commonly used approach. Low reprogramming frequency overall, and the higher efficiency of derivation utilizing integrating vectors compared to more recent nonviral approaches, suggests that gene activation or disruption via proviral integration sites (IS) may play a role in obtaining the pluripotent phenotype.

Spinal DC stimulation in humans modulates post-activation depression of the H-reflex depending on current polarity.

Objective: Transcranial direct current stimulation induces long-lasting changes in cortical excitability in humans depending on the current used. Further, transcutaneous spinal application of direct current (tsDCS) induces plastic changes in spinal conduction properties, tested by somatosensory evoked potentials. To verify this thesis on plastic changes in spinal circuitry, we investigated the effects of tsDCS on H-reflex size and post-activation depression.

Clear detection of ADIPOQ locus as the major gene for plasma adiponectin: results of genome-wide association analyses including 4659 European individuals.

Objective: Plasma adiponectin is strongly associated with various components of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular outcomes. Concentrations are highly heritable and differ between men and women. We therefore aimed to investigate the genetics of plasma adiponectin in men and women.

Spatial heterogeneity of lung perfusion assessed with (13)N PET as a vascular biomarker in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Unlabelled: Although it is known that structural and functional changes in the pulmonary vasculature and parenchyma occur in the progress of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), information is limited on early regional perfusion (Q(r)) alterations.

Methods: We studied 6 patients with mild or moderate COPD and 9 healthy subjects (6 young and 3 age-matched). The PET (13)NN-labeled saline injection method was used to compute images of Q(r) and regional ventilation (V(r)).

Vibronic transitions and quantum dynamics in molecular oligomers: a theoretical analysis with an application to aggregates of perylene bisimides.

Vibronic absorption spectra of molecular aggregates consisting of up to N = 9 monomer units are calculated employing methods of time-dependent quantum mechanics. Taking one vibrational degree of freedom for each monomer into account and treating one-exciton excited electronic states leads to a problem with N vibrations and N electronically coupled states. The demanding quantum propagation is carried out within the multiconfiguration time-depended Hartree method (MCTDH).

Postformation Modification of SAMs: using click chemistry to functionalize organic surfaces.

We have investigated a recently established strategy of modifying organic surfaces exposed by thiolate SAMs (self-assembled monolayers) deposited on Au substrates by employing so-called click chemistry. This term is used to denote a modified Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. We demonstrate the potential of this method by coupling ferrocene and azido acetic acid to alkyne/azide-terminated SAMs.

Validity of frozen sections for analysis of periprosthetic loosening membranes.

Unlabelled: Clinical findings and blood parameters often are inconclusive in patients with periprosthetic joint infections. Among the accepted criteria for diagnosis, histologic analysis of debrided tissue can detect infection in most cases but does not allow intraoperative decision making. We evaluated the validity of intraoperative frozen sections for detection of prosthetic infections.

The prone position results in smaller ventilation defects during bronchoconstriction in asthma.

The effect of body posture on regional ventilation during bronchoconstriction is unknown. In five subjects with asthma, we measured spirometry, low-frequency (0.15-Hz) lung elastance, and resistance and regional ventilation by intravenous (13)NN-saline positron emission tomography before and after nebulized methacholine.

Glycoprotein N subtypes of human cytomegalovirus induce a strain-specific antibody response during natural infection.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes several highly polymorphic envelope glycoproteins; however, the biological relevance of this polymorphism is unclear. Glycoprotein N (gN) is one member of this polymorphic protein family. Four major gN genotypes (gN1-4) have been identified.

Interscalene versus subacromial continuous infusion of ropivacaine after arthroscopic acromioplasty: a randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: Interscalene and subacromial infusion of local anesthetics have both been shown to be effective in alleviating pain after shoulder arthroscopy. We performed a prospective randomized clinical trial in which both methods were compared in patients after acromioplasty.

Methods: Forty patients received a subacromial (n = 20) or an interscalene (n = 20) continuous infusion of 2% ropivacaine (2 mL/h) after arthroscopic acromioplasty.

Prediction of thermal hydrolysis pretreatment on anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge.

Thermal hydrolysis is known for an efficient sludge disintegration capability to enhance biogas potential--but to which extent? Obviously, residual VSS concentration in digested sludge gives not sufficient information to predict additional biogas potential. In this paper, different types of waste activated sludge (WAS) were pre-hydrolysed by a full-scale Thermo-Pressure-Hydrolysis Process (Thermo-Druck-Hydrolyse, TDH) and break-down mechanisms on specific organic compounds were investigated. The IWA Anaerobic Digestion Model No.

Peptide-based SAMs that resist the adsorption of proteins.

In this paper we present a modular approach for the fabrication of surfaces to characterize protein-protein interactions. The approach is based on azido peptides with an optimized sequence which are then thiol-functionalized using an alkynyl thiol and "click" chemistry. From these peptide thiols we fabricated SAMs on gold to evaluate the protein resistance, using surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, toward streptavidin, bovin serum albumin (BSA), and fibronectin.

Passive immunization reduces murine cytomegalovirus-induced brain pathology in newborn mice.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most frequent cause of congenital viral infections in humans and frequently leads to long-term central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities that include learning disabilities, microcephaly, and hearing loss. The pathogenesis of the CNS infection has not been fully elucidated and may arise as a result of direct damage of CMV-infected neurons or indirectly secondary to inflammatory response to infection. We used a recently established model of mouse CMV (MCMV) infection in newborn mice to analyze the contribution of humoral immunity to virus clearance from the brain.