Conventional MR imaging techniques cannot produce optimal images of bone structures because bone has little water and a very short T2 life span. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical ...feasibility of skull MR imaging using the zero TE sequence in patients with head trauma by assessing its diagnostic image quality and quantitative measurement compared with CT images.
Thirteen enrolled patients with head trauma were assessed using brain CT and skull MR imaging. Image quality was graded on a 5-point Likert scale to compare the 2 modalities. To evaluate quantitative analyses between the 2 imaging modalities, we measured skull thickness and normalized bone tissue signal. Interobserver reliability was assessed using weighted κ statistics and the intraclass correlation coefficient.
Both imaging techniques clearly depicted skull fractures in all 13 patients. The mean scores for skull MR imaging and CT were 4.65 ± 0.56 and 4.73 ± 0.45 (
= .157), respectively, with substantial interobserver agreement (
< .05). The 2 imaging modalities showed no difference in skull thickness (
= .092) and had good correlation (
= 0.997). The mean value of normalized bone tissue signal among the 3 layers of the skull was relatively consistent (
= .401) with high interobserver agreement (
< .001).
Zero TE skull MR imaging has diagnostic image quality comparable with that of CT images. It also provides consistent results on the quantitative measurement of cortical bone with CT images.
Aim To determine the underlying molecular genetic aetiology of a family with the hypocalcified form of amelogenesis imperfecta and to investigate the hardness of the enamel and dentine of a known ...FAM83H mutation.
Methodology Mutational screening of the FAM83H on the basis of candidate gene approach was performed. All exons and exon–intron boundaries was amplified and sequenced. A microhardness test was performed to measure the Vickers microhardness value.
Results A novel nonsense mutation (c.1354C>T, p.Q452X) was identified in the last exon of FAM83H, which resulted in soft, uncalcified enamel. The affected enamel was extremely soft (about 17% of the normal control), but the underlying dentine was as hard as the normal control.
Conclusions Mutational analysis revealed a novel mutation in FAM83H gene. Hardness of dentine was not affected by the mutation, whilst the enamel was extremely soft.
Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) is upgraded for its KSTAR 3rd campaign for new target mission to produce the D-shaped plasma with a target plasma current of 500
kA and/or ...pulse length of 5
s. New Plasma Facing Components (PFCs) are installed which leads to the increase of the surface area of the vessel by a factor of about 5. The vacuum conditioning such as the vessel baking has been performed in order to remove various kinds of impurities including H
2O, carbon and oxygen for the plasma. The total outgassing rate in the KSTAR 1st campaign was measured as 1.5
×
10
−4
mbar
ℓ
s
−1 which is increased by a factor of 3 (6.49
×
10
−4
mbar
ℓ
s
−1) in the KSTAR 3rd campaign. Nevertheless, the outgassing rates per unit area have been decreased from 9.31
×
10
−5
mbar
ℓ
m
−2
s
−1 to 1.22
×
10
−5
mbar
ℓ
m
−2
s
−1 due to the upgrade of baking system and series of baking operation.
The influence of cement flow and aggregate type on the mechanical and acoustic characteristics of porous concrete is systematically investigated in the present study. Three levels of cement flow ...(80%, 110%, and 140%) and five types of aggregates (normal aggregates of 8–13
mm and 13–19
mm and lightweight aggregates of 4–8
mm, 8–12
mm, and 12–19
mm) are used, and effects of the application of AE admixtures in paste were also studied. Single-layered and double-layered porous concrete specimens are fabricated to examine the effect of different layer configuration on the acoustic characteristics. For the purpose of comparison, the void ratio, compressive strength, and sound absorption coefficient of the specimens are used as evaluation parameters. Based on the findings of the study, a sound absorbing porous concrete with a maximum absorption coefficient of approximately 1.00 is developed, and the minimum absorption coefficient of the ‘double-layered porous concrete’ structure is shown to be more than 0.60 with a frequency of 400
Hz or above, considering the tolerant error.
Background
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a major cause of morbidity in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (alloHCT) recipients. Little is known about the epidemiology of antiviral ...resistance in the pediatric population. We performed the prospective study to assess the impact of drug‐resistant CMV infections in pediatric alloHCT recipients.
Methods
Pediatric alloHCT recipients who developed CMV infection were consecutively enrolled from May 2009 to April 2012. CMV polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing analysis for UL97 and UL54 genes were performed at enrollment and during follow‐up.
Results
In total, 208 sequence data from viruses in 49 recipients were eligible for the final analysis. Resistant CMV infection caused by UL97 and UL54 mutations occurred in 4.1% (2/49) and 2.0% (1/49), respectively. Known UL97 mutations, M460V and C592G, were observed in each of 2 patients. One patient with the M460V UL97 mutation had an additional T700A UL54 mutation. Drug‐resistant CMV attributable mortality was 2.0% (1/49). One or more known sequence variants (drug‐sensitive) were observed in all 49 patients. Thirty‐one (63.3%) and 28 patients (60.9%) already had known UL97 and UL54 sequence variants before antiviral therapy, respectively.
Conclusion
This study provides comprehensive information on the epidemiology of both UL97 and UL54 variants and mutations in alloHCT recipients.
The disposal of food waste is a large environmental problem. In the United Kingdom (UK), approximately 15 million tonnes of food are wasted each year, mostly disposed of in landfill, via composting, ...or anaerobic digestion (AD). European Union (EU) guidelines state that food waste should preferentially be used as animal feed though for most food waste this practice is currently illegal, because of disease control concerns. Interest in the potential diversion of food waste for animal feed is however growing, with a number of East Asian states offering working examples of safe food waste recycling – based on tight regulation and rendering food waste safe through heat treatment. This study investigates the potential benefits of diverting food waste for pig feed in the UK. A hybrid, consequential life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to compare the environmental and health impacts of four technologies for food waste processing: two technologies of South Korean style-animal feed production (as a wet pig feed and a dry pig feed) were compared with two widespread UK disposal technologies: AD and composting. Results of 14 mid-point impact categories show that the processing of food waste as a wet pig feed and a dry pig feed have the best and second-best scores, respectively, for 13/14 and 12/14 environmental and health impacts. The low impact of food waste feed stems in large part from its substitution of conventional feed, the production of which has substantial environmental and health impacts. While the re-legalisation of the use of food waste as pig feed could offer environmental and public health benefits, this will require support from policy makers, the public, and the pig industry, as well as investment in separated food waste collection which currently occurs in only a minority of regions.
•There is growing interest in the re-legalisation of food waste as animal feed in the EU.•We compare environmental impacts of 4 food waste disposal options, including as pig feed.•We use a hybrid LCA approach to overcome the limitations of conventional LCA.•Recycling food waste as pig feed has lower environmental impact than AD or composting.
Summary
Background and objective: Treatment with angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors can induce chronic cough in many patients. Genetic variations in the neurokinin 2 receptor gene (NK2R) ...are significantly associated with cough sensitivity to capsaicin.
Methods: This study assessed the relationship between genetic polymorphisms in the NK2R gene and chronic cough in 91 patients taking ACE inhibitors. Patients included in the study did not have chest abnormalities, postnasal drip, gastroesophageal reflux or a recent history of upper respiratory infection.
Results: We detected two single nucleotide polymorphisms in the NK2R gene (i.e., Gly231Glu and Arg375His). The allelic frequencies at amino acid 231 were 36·3% for Gly/Gly, 49·5% for Gly/Glu and 14·3% for Glu/Glu. The allelic frequencies at amino acid 375 were 74·7% for Arg/Arg, 24·2% for Arg/His and 1·1% for His/His. The prevalence of chronic cough in patients with the amino acid 231 genotype was 33·3% in Gly/Gly homozygotes, 24·4% in Gly/Glu heterozygotes and 0% in Glu/Glu homozygotes. There was a statistically significant association between chronic cough and the Glu/Glu allele (P = 0·028) when the data were analyzed with a recessive model. In addition, there was a significant inverse linear association between the number of Glu231 alleles and ACE inhibitor‐related cough (P = 0·026). The prevalence of chronic cough in patients with the amino acid 375 genotype was 22·1% in Arg/Arg homozygotes, 31·8% in Arg/His heterozygotes and 0% in His/His homozygotes, although none of these association were statistically significant.
Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the Gly231Glu polymorphism is associated with a lower prevalence of ACE inhibitor‐related cough.
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