Indocyanine green-loaded nanoparticles for image-guided tumor surgery.

Detecting positive tumor margins and local malignant masses during surgery is critical for long-term patient survival. The use of image-guided surgery for tumor removal, particularly with near-infrared fluorescent imaging, is a potential method to facilitate removing all neoplastic tissue at the surgical site. In this study we demonstrate a series of hyaluronic acid (HLA)-derived nanoparticles that entrap the near-infrared dye indocyanine green, termed NanoICG, for improved delivery of the dye to tumors.

Thoracoabdominal organ volumes for small women.

Objective: Thoracoabdominal injuries commonly occur as a result of motor vehicle crashes. In order to design occupant protection systems that reduce risk of injury, researchers are using a variety of tools, including computational human body models. Though research has been conducted to provide morphological and volumetric data for the thoracoabdominal cavity of the average male, there is currently an interest in developing models for a wider range of occupants.

Functional Loss With Displacement of Medial Epicondyle Humerus Fractures: A Computer Simulation Study.

Background: Assessment and management of the medial humeral epicondyle fracture remains controversial, with conflicting reports of displacement direction and consequent functional deficits unclear. The purpose of this study was to define biomechanically likely directions of medial epicondyle fracture displacement and to determine possible changes in muscle function related to that displacement.

Methods: A 3-dimensional computer model of the upper extremity was used to simulate the consequences of medial epicondyle fracture displacements from 1 to 20 mm in the anterior, medial, and inferior directions relative to the humerus with the elbow at 90-degree flexion and neutral forearm rotation (a replication of accepted positions for clinical strength testing).

With you or against you: social orientation dependent learning signals guide actions made for others.

In social environments, it is crucial that decision-makers take account of the impact of their actions not only for oneself, but also on other social agents. Previous work has identified neural signals in the striatum encoding value-based prediction errors for outcomes to oneself; also, recent work suggests that neural activity in prefrontal cortex may similarly encode value-based prediction errors related to outcomes to others. However, prior work also indicates that social valuations are not isomorphic, with social value orientations of decision-makers ranging on a cooperative to competitive continuum; this variation has not been examined within social learning environments.

Compensatory effects of hOGG1 for hMTH1 in oxidative DNA damage caused by hydrogen peroxide.

Objective: To investigate the potential compensatory effects of hOGG1 and hMTH1 in the repair of oxidative DNA damage.

Methods: The hOGG1 and hMTH1 gene knockdown human embryonic pulmonary fibroblast cell lines were established by lentivirus-mediated RNA interference. The messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of hOGG1 and hM1TH1 were analyzed by the real-time polymerase chain reaction, and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) formation was analyzed in a high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection system.

Influence of heating and cyclic tension on the induction of heat shock proteins and bone-related proteins by MC3T3-E1 cells.

Stress conditioning (e.g., thermal, shear, and tensile stress) of bone cells has been shown to enhance healing.

Implementation and validation of thoracic side impact injury prediction metrics in a human body model.

This study's purpose was to implement injury metrics into the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) mirroring the spinal accelerometers, rib accelerometers and chest band instrumentation from two lateral post-mortem human subject sled test configurations. In both sled configurations, THUMS contacted a flat rigid surface (either a wall or beam) at 6.7 m/s.

Invited review--neuroimaging response assessment criteria for brain tumors in veterinary patients.

The evaluation of therapeutic response using cross-sectional imaging techniques, particularly gadolinium-enhanced MRI, is an integral part of the clinical management of brain tumors in veterinary patients. Spontaneous canine brain tumors are increasingly recognized and utilized as a translational model for the study of human brain tumors. However, no standardized neuroimaging response assessment criteria have been formulated for use in veterinary clinical trials.

Head impact exposure in youth football: high school ages 14 to 18 years and cumulative impact analysis.

Sports-related concussion is the most common athletic head injury with football having the highest rate among high school athletes. Traditionally, research on the biomechanics of football-related head impact has been focused at the collegiate level. Less research has been performed at the high school level, despite the incidence of concussion among high school football players.

Isolation of rare cancer cells from blood cells using dielectrophoresis.

In this study, we investigate the application of contactless dielectrophoresis (cDEP) for isolating cancer cells from blood cells. Devices with throughput of 0.2 mL/hr (equivalent to sorting 3×10(6) cells per minute) were used to trap breast cancer cells while allowing blood cells through.

Biomechanical contributions of posterior deltoid and teres minor in the context of axillary nerve injury: a computational study.

Purpose: To determine whether transfer to only the anterior branch of the axillary nerve will restore useful function after axillary nerve injury with persistent posterior deltoid and teres minor paralysis.

Methods: We used a computational musculoskeletal model of the upper limb to determine the relative contributions of posterior deltoid and teres minor to maximum joint moment generated during a simulated static strength assessment and to joint moments during 3 submaximal shoulder movements. Movement simulations were performed with and without simulated posterior deltoid and teres minor paralysis to identify muscles that may compensate for their paralysis.

A paradigm for human body finite element model integration from a set of regional models.

Computational modeling offers versatility, scalability, and cost advantages to researchers in the trauma and injury biomechanics communities. The Global Human Body Models Consortium (GHBMC) is a group of government, industry, and academic researchers developing human body models (HBMs) that aim to become the standard tool to meet this growing research need. The objective of this study is to present the methods used to develop the average seated male occupant model (M50, weight = 78 kg, height = 175 cm) from five separately validated body region models (BRMs).

Eye injury risk associated with remote control toy helicopter blades.

Eye injuries can be caused by a variety of consumer products and toys. Recently, indoor remote controlled (RC) toy helicopters have become very popular. The purpose of this study is to quantify eye injury risk associated with five commercially available RC toy helicopter blades.

Cross-talk between endothelial and breast cancer cells regulates reciprocal expression of angiogenic factors in vitro.

Reciprocal growth factor exchange between endothelial and malignant cells within the tumor microenvironment may directly stimulate neovascularization; however, the role of host vasculature in regulating tumor cell activity is not well understood. While previous studies have examined the angiogenic response of endothelial cells to tumor-secreted factors, few have explored tumor response to endothelial cells. Using an in vitro co-culture system, we investigated the influence of endothelial cells on the angiogenic phenotype of breast cancer cells.

Characterizing upper limb muscle volume and strength in older adults: a comparison with young adults.

Aging is associated with the loss of muscle volume (MV) and force leading to difficulties with activities of daily living. However, the relationship between upper limb MV and joint strength has not been characterized for older adults. Quantifying this relationship may help our understanding of the functional declines of the upper limb that older adults experience.

Keratin hydrogels support the sustained release of bioactive ciprofloxacin.

Keratins are naturally derived proteins that can be fabricated into several biomaterial forms including hydrogels. These materials are a potential polymeric system for several tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications due to their ability to support cell attachment, proliferation, and migration. However, little is known regarding their ability to support sustained release of therapeutic agents.

Nitric oxide red blood cell membrane permeability at high and low oxygen tension.

Red blood cell (RBC) encapsulated hemoglobin in the blood scavenges nitric oxide (NO) much more slowly than cell-free hemoglobin would. Part of this reduced NO scavenging has been attributed to an intrinsic membrane barrier to diffusion of NO through the RBC membrane. Published values for the permeability of RBCs to NO vary over several orders of magnitude.

Numerical simulation of a cellular-level experiment to induce traumatic injury to neurons.

Previous research has developed a pneumatically driven device for delivering a controlled mechanical insult to cultured neurons. The neuronal cell culture was injured by applying a transient air pulse to a culture well fitted with a highly elastic Silastic culture well bottom. In response to the pressure pulse, he Silastic culture well bottom deformed, stretched the attached cell culture, and resulted in observable cell injuries and death.

The kinetics of FGF-2 binding to heparan sulfate proteoglycans and MAP kinase signaling.

Binding of growth factors to specific cell surface receptors is the first step in initiating cell signaling cascades that ultimately result in diverse activities such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Dimerization and phosphorylation of tyrosine kinase transmembrane receptors is the typical paradigm for this activation but, for many growth factors, cell surface interactions are not limited to a single receptor type. In particular, heparin-binding growth factors, such as fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), bind to heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) on the cell surface and within the extracellular matrix (ECM), and these molecules have been viewed as accessory co-receptors serving to facilitate tyrosine kinase receptor binding.