Age- and gender-specific estimates of cumulative CT dose over 5 years using real radiation dose tracking data in children.

BACKGROUND: It is necessary to develop a mechanism to estimate and analyze cumulative radiation risks from multiple CT exams in various clinical scenarios in children. OBJECTIVE: To identify major contributors to high cumulative CT dose estimates using actual dose-length product values collected for 5 years in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between August 2006 and July 2011 we reviewed 26,937 CT exams in 13,803 children. Among them, we included 931 children (median age 3.5 years, age range 0 days-15 years; M:F = 533:398) who had 5,339 CT exams. Each child underwent at least three CT scans and had accessible radiation dose reports. Dose-length product values were automatically extracted from DICOM files and we used recently updated conversion factors for age, gender, anatomical region and tube voltage to estimate CT radiation dose. We tracked the calculated CT dose estimates to obtain a 5-year cumulative value for each child. The study population was divided into three groups according to the cumulative CT dose estimates: high, ≥30 mSv; moderate, 10-30 mSv; and low, <10 mSv. We reviewed clinical data and CT protocols to identify major contributors to high and moderate cumulative CT dose estimates. RESULTS: Median cumulative CT dose estimate was 5.4 mSv (range 0.5-71.1 mSv), and median number of CT scans was 4 (range 3-36). High cumulative CT dose estimates were most common in children with malignant tumors (57.9%, 11/19). High frequency of CT scans was attributed to high cumulative CT dose estimates in children with ventriculoperitoneal shunt (35 in 1 child) and malignant tumors (range 18-49). Moreover, high-dose CT protocols, such as multiphase abdomen CT (median 4.7 mSv) contributed to high cumulative CT dose estimates even in children with a low number of CT scans. CONCLUSION: Disease group, number of CT scans, and high-dose CT protocols are major contributors to higher cumulative CT dose estimates in children.

The effectiveness and safety of Jihwang-eumja (Dihuang Yizi) compared to Western medications in patients with Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Jihwang-eumja is reported to be effective in decreasing ß-amyloid expression and activating monoamine oxidase and acetylcholinesterase in rat models. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Jihwang-eumja in Alzheimer's disease compared to Western medications. METHODS: We searched Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, CNKI, ScienceON, KISS, and Kmbase. Randomized controlled trials comparing the effectiveness of Jihwang-eumja and Western medications on the cognition and the activities of daily living in Alzheimer's disease were included. The results were synthesized using meta-analysis. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, and the evidence level of each outcome was suggested using the GRADE system. RESULTS: A total of 165 studies were screened, and six were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. A total of 245 and 240 participants were included in the intervention and comparison groups, respectively. The results showed that Mini-Mental State Examination was 3.19 (95%CI: 1.68-4.70) higher, and the standardized mean difference of activities of daily living was 1.13 (95%CI: 0.89-1.37) higher in the Jihwang-eumja group than in Western medications group. The included studies contained some concerns of the risk of bias, and the certainty of the evidence was considered moderate. CONCLUSION: Despite the small number of studies and high heterogeneity, we could verify the applicability of Jihwang-eumja for Alzheimer's disease.

Biotransformation of d-Xylose-Rich Rice Husk Hydrolysate by a Rice Paddy Soil Bacterium, Priestia sp. Strain JY310, to Low Molecular Weight Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate).

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is a versatile thermoplastic with superior biodegradability and biocompatibility that is intracellularly accumulated by numerous bacterial and archaeal species. Priestia sp. strain JY310 that was able to efficiently biotransform reducing sugars in d-xylose-rich rice husk hydrolysate (reducing sugarRHH) to PHB was isolated from the soil of a rice paddy. Reducing sugarRHH including 12.5% d-glucose, 75.3% d-xylose, and 12.2% d-arabinose was simply prepared using thermochemical hydrolysis of 3% H2SO4-treated rice husk for 15 min at 121 °C. When cultured with 20 g/L reducing sugarRHH under optimized culture conditions in a batch bioreactor, Priestia sp. strain JY310 could produce PHB homopolymer up to 50.4% of cell dry weight (6.2 g/L). The melting temperature, heat of fusion, and thermal decomposition temperature of PHB were determined to be 167.9 °C, 92.1 J/g, and 268.1 °C, respectively. The number average and weight average molecular weights of PHB with a broad polydispersity index value (4.73) were estimated to be approximately 16.2 and 76.8 kg/mol, respectively. The findings of the present study suggest that Priestia sp. strain JY310 can be exploited as a good candidate for the low-cost production of low molecular weight PHB with improved biodegradability and reduced brittleness from inexpensive agricultural waste hydrolysates.

Intestinal Immune Cell Populations, Barrier Function, and Microbiomes in Broilers Fed a Diet Supplemented with Chlorella vulgaris.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary Chlorella vulgaris (CV) on the distribution of immune cells, intestinal morphology, intestinal barrier function, antioxidant markers, and the cecal microbiome in 10-day-old broiler chickens. A total of 120 day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks were assigned to two dietary treatments using a randomized complete block design, with body weight as the blocking factor. Birds fed a diet containing CV showed an increase in CD4+ T cells (p < 0.05) compared to those fed the control diet. The relative mRNA expression of intestinal epithelial barrier function-related markers (occludin and avian ß-defensin 5) was elevated (p < 0.05) in the CV-supplemented group compared to the control group. The alpha diversity indices (Chao1 and observed features) of the cecal microbiome in 10-day-old birds increased (p < 0.05), indicating higher richness within the cecal bacterial community. In the microbiome analysis, enriched genera abundance of Clostridium ASF356 and Coriobacteriaceae CHKCI002 was observed in birds fed the diet containing CV compared to those fed the control diet. Taken together, dietary CV supplementation might alter intestinal barrier function, immunity, and microbiomes in 10-day-old broiler chickens.

Efficacy of Jihwangeumja (Dihuang Yinzi) on cognitive function and activities of daily living in patients with Alzheimer disease: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review protocol describes the methods proposed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Jihwangeumja in patients with Alzheimer disease. METHODS: The following databases, PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, National Digital Science Library, Korean Information Service System, and Korean Medical Database will be searched for relevant publications without language or publication status restrictions. Search terms will be based on "Alzheimer" for participants and "Jihwangeumja" or "Dihuang Yinzi" for interventions. Two researchers will independently extract the study data from the included studies and only randomized controlled trials will be included. The risk of bias will also be assessed independently by 2 researchers using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. We will use RevMan software random-effects and fixed-effect models for the assessment of heterogeneity and data synthesis. Any changes in the plan for documenting significant protocol amendments will require the researchers to have a revision agreement and register the international prospective register of systematic review modification. RESULTS: The treatment effect and safety will be measured by meta-analysis and the quality of the included studies will be reviewed. CONCLUSION: This systematic review will provide evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of Jihwangeumja. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required because individual patient data will not be included in this paper. The study findings will be disseminated through conference presentations. OSF REGISTRATION: DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/HXA58.

Ultrasonic Cutting of Frozen Semen Straws to Optimize the Use of Spermatozoa for In Vitro Fertilization.

The objective of the present study was to establish conditions for using technology that can potentially enhance the efficiency of bovine embryos derived from in vitro fertilization (IVF) with frozen semen. Frozen semen from selected bulls can be stored indefinitely in liquid nitrogen as genetic resources; however, these resources are considered consumable because they cannot be regenerated. Therefore, to optimize the utilization of frozen semen, as many oocytes as possible should be fertilized with one straw. However, a sufficient number of prepared oocytes might not be available for one experiment, which can limit the use of the total spermatozoa population. Thus, an economical method for producing embryos needs to be established by optimizing technology for transplantable embryos. In this study, the utilization of frozen semen was increased by dividing the straw with an ultrasonic cutter. The post-thaw survival rate of uncut straws from Korean Proven Bulls did not differ from that of half cuttings. When ultrasonic cutting was applied to frozen semen, spermatozoa could be prepared for IVF trials at least four times, and blastocysts were produced. Therefore, cutting frozen semen with an ultrasonic cutter represents a potentially useful tool to expand genetic resources from excellent breeding stocks. This approach could also be valuable in the field of IVF of endangered species or rare breeds for their preservation, as well as in ovum pick-up (OPU) techniques.

Differentiation of equine induced pluripotent stem cells into mesenchymal lineage for therapeutic use.

In previous work, we established an equine induced pluripotent stem cell line (E-iPSCs) from equine adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) using a lentiviral vector encoding four transcription factors: Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc. In the current study, we attempted to differentiate these established E-iPSCs into mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) by serial passaging using MSC-defined media for stem cell expansion. Differentiation of the MSCs was confirmed by analyzing expression levels of the MSC surface markers CD44 and CD29, and the pluripotency markers Nanog and Oct4. Results indicated that the E-iPSC-derived MSCs (E-iPSC-MSCs) retained the characteristics of MSCs, including the ability to differentiate into chondrogenic, osteogenic, or myogenic lineages. E-iPSC-MSCs were rendered suitable for therapeutic use by inhibiting immune rejection through exposure to transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGF-ß2) in culture, which down-regulated the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC class I) proteins that cause immune rejection if they are incompatible with the MHC antigen of the recipient. We reported 16 cases of E-iPSC-MSC transplantations into injured horses with generally positive effects, such as reduced lameness and fraction lines. Our findings indicate that E-iPSC-MSCs can demonstrate MSC characteristics and be safely and practically used in the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries in horses.

Sertoli Cell Tumor (SCT) in a Captive Black Bear (Ursus americanus).

A black bear of 29-year-old (Ursus americanus) died unexpectedly in captivity without any gross lesions or clinical signs. We identified a firm, lobulated, yellowish tan, and well-circumscribed mass embedded inside the testicular tissue at the time of necropsy. The tumor sections exhibited soft necrotic and hemorrhagic areas beneath its capsule. Histologically, the tumor comprised Sertoli cells arranged in tubules and solid sheets supported by prominent fibrous connective tissues. The Sertoli cells were positive for vimentin and ER-ß expression, whereas it showed negative staining for inhibin-α, cytokeratin 19, and S-100. To the best of our knowledge, this is the rare case report of testicular Sertoli cell tumor in black bear.

Effect of bone mineral with or without collagen membrane in ridge dehiscence defects following premolar extraction.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the regenerative response to deproteinized porous bovine bone mineral (BM) when used alone or in combination with a bioresorbable porcine-derived bilayer collagen membrane (CM) for alveolar ridge augmentation in dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mandibular premolars were extracted unilaterally and three ridge defects were induced in six mongrel dogs. Each defect site was randomly assigned to one of the following treatment groups: BM alone (group A), BM in combination with CM (group B), or neither membrane nor bone graft, which served as a control (group C). No adverse events occurred during the experimental period. Dental computed tomography (CT) scans were taken after postoperative periods of 8 and 16 weeks. RESULTS: The percentage of CT-derived bone density in groups A and B was significantly different from that of group C (p < 0.01) at 8 and 16 weeks. The percentage of CT-derived bone density of the dogs in Group B was significantly higher than that of those in group A at 8 and 16 weeks (p < 0.01). Gross evaluation of the 3-dimensional CT reconstruction image of the canine mandibles after 16 weeks of implantation showed that group B had the greatest amount of bone augmentation and excellent thickness of the buccal aspect of the alveolar ridge. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that BM leads to more successful bone regeneration for guided bone regeneration procedures, especially in conjunction with the use of a CM as a barrier in order to promote the regeneration of canine alveolar ridge defects.

Scintigraphic evaluation of TPLO and CTWO in canine osteoarthritis.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the bone uptake of the bone-seeking radionuclide (99m)technetium-methylene diphosphonate ((99m)Tc-MDP) in order to examine and compare the clinical efficacies of tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) and cranial tibial wedge osteotomy (CTWO) for the correction of experimentally induced cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) transected stifle. Fifteen healthy adult beagle dogs, weighing between 10 and 15 kg, were used for this study. Dogs were assigned to TPLO (n=5), CTWO (n=5) or a control sham group (n =5) and screened with both physical and complete orthopedic examinations. Left CrCLs were transected and two of the three groups were stabilized using TPLO and CTWO. Scintigraphic evaluation of the stifle was performed before TPLO or CTWO surgical repair of the left limb and again at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after surgery. Bone uptake values at 8 and 12 weeks for the TPLO and CTWO groups were not significantly different from their preoperative values, but these differed significantly from the control group at 4, 8 and 12 weeks (p<0.01). No significant differences were found between TPLO and CTWO values. In summary, the relative efficacy of CTWO approximately equals that of TPLO. Moreover, the results of this study confirmed that TPLO and CTWO inhibited the progression of osteoarthritis in CrCL-deficient dogs.

Epidermal growth factor enhances meiotic resumption of canine oocytes in the presence of BSA.

Despite many attempts to improve the in vitro maturation (IVM) of canine oocytes using various culture conditions, the efficiency of canine IVM remains very low compared with that of other domestic animals. In the present study we examined the effect of ovarian estrus stage on oocyte quality, and the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in the presence and absence of macromolecules on the IVM of canine oocytes. More oocytes >or=100 microm in diameter were obtained from follicular ovaries than from ovaries at other estrus stages. After 72 h of culture, significantly more oocytes recovered from follicular ovaries than from anestrous and luteal ovaries were in germinal vesicle break down (GVBD). Bovine serum albumin (BSA) or fetal bovine serum (FBS) supplementation improved meiotic resumption as compared to polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) supplementation; however, there was no difference between the BSA and FBS supplements. The oocytes matured in North Carolina State University (NCSU) 37 medium containing 0.4% BSA and 100 ng/ml EGF showed the highest rates of development to the metaphase II (MII) stage when compared with the control treatment (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the estrous cycle of bitches influences the meiotic resumption of oocytes cultured in vitro, and EGF increases the meiotic resumption of canine oocytes in the presence of BSA in vitro.

Inhibitory effect of whole bee venom in adjuvant-induced arthritis.

The aim of this study was to assess the inhibitory effect of whole bee venom (BV) on adjuvant-induced arthritis in the rat. Rats were divided into pre-apitherapy, post-apitherapy and control experimental groups. The pre-apitherapy group was subcutaneously stung with a honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) and the control group was subcutaneously injected with 0.1 ml of physiological saline solution one day prior to complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) injection. The post-apitherapy group was subcutaneously stung with a honeybee on day 14 after CFA injection. When arthritis had developed in the rat, the post-apitherapy group was subcutaneously administered whole BV every other day for a further 14 days. Clinical signs, hematological values and radioglogical features were observed during the entire experimental period. In the pre-apitherapy group, the development of inflammatory edema and polyarthritis was inhibited. Significant differences in lameness score, hind paw edema volume and radiological features were observed between control and pre-apitherapy rats. White blood cell counts indicated that the degree of leucocytosis was significantly different between the pre-apitherapy and control groups (p < 0.01). Inflammatory edema, polyarthritis and bone change into the right hind paw were effectively inhibited in pre-apitherapy rats during the two-week period post-CFA injection. In conclusion, whole BV was found to inhibit arthritic inflammation and bone changes in the rat. This may be an alternative treatment for arthritis in humans.

Comparison of the effect of 99mTc-DPD and 99mTc-MDP on experimentally-induced osteoarthritis in the stifle joint of the dog.

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of 99mTechnetium-dicarboxypropane diphosphonate (99mTc-DPD) and 99mTechnetium-methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP) on bone scan image quality and time in dogs with osteoarthritis. The left cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) in ten healthy adult Beagle dogs was transected under general anesthesia. The dogs were assigned to 99mTc-DPD-injected or 99mTc-MDP-injected groups. Stifle joint scintigraphy was performed after intravenous injection of 10 mCi 99mTc-DPD or 99mTe-MDP. Scintigraphy was conducted before CrCL transection and 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks after the procedure. There were no significant differences in density, sensitivity and pathological foci between the 99mTc-DPD and 99mTc-MDP groups of experimentally-transected CrCL dogs. A comparison of the images obtained with Pinhole type and low energy general purpose type collimators of the stifle joint of normal dogs and after CrCL transaction revealed no significant differences in bone radioactivity. Scintigraphs were obtained 3 h after 99mTc-MDP and 2 h after 99mTc-DPD injection. In conclusion, application of 99mTc-DPD and 99mTc-MDP in experimentally-induced osteoarthritis of the stifle joint in dogs results in similar effects on radioactive uptake ratio and image quality. 99mTc-DPD is more efficient than 99mTc-MDP in reducing the overall time of scintigraphy.

A case of maloccluded incisor teeth in a beaver: castor canadensis.

A three-year-old female beaver (Castor canadensis) was referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Chungbuk National University. It had been raised in the Cheong-ju zoo and had a history of malocclusion caused by improper feeding. General anesthesia was induced, and preoperative intraoral dental radiographs of the rostal maxillary and mandibular dentition were taken and lateral and ventrodorsal extraoral radiographs of the cheek teeth were also taken. The radiographs were negative for apical pathology and revealed a normal appearance of the cheek teeth. The lesion was likely to be related to the excessive length of the maxillary and mandibular incisors. Odontoplasty was performed to reduce overgrowth of the crowns of the incisors. Sequential transverse sections were removed until the crown was reduced by approximately its original length. The pulp chamber was not approached during the operation, as confirmed by postoperative intraoral radiographic evaluation of the incisors. Recovery from anesthesia was uneventful and the beaver returned to normal masticatory activities immediately after the operation.

Mouse granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor enhances viability of porcine embryos in defined culture conditions.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of mouse granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (mGM-CSF) on development of porcine parthenotes and nuclear transferred embryos, and on their expression of implantation-related genes. In the presence of bovine serum albumin, mGM-CSF did not increase the percentage of oocytes that developed to the blastocyst stage and at day 7 did not increase cell numbers of embryos. Addition of 2 ng/ml GM-CSF to protein-free culture medium significantly increased the compaction and blastocoel formation of 1- to 2-cell parthenotes developing in vitro. However, total cell numbers were not increased when they were cultured in the presence of GM-CSF. Semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction revealed that mGM-CSF enhances mRNA expression of the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor, but does not influence interleukin-6 or sodium/glucose co-transporter protein gene expression in blastocyst stage parthenotes. These results suggest that mGM-CSF may enhance viability of porcine embryos developing in vitro in a defined culture medium.

The effects of alpha-viniferin on adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats.

This study was performed to assess the efficacy of alpha-viniferin (Carex humilis Leyss) on adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. Adjuvant arthritis was induced by a single subcutaneous injection of 0.1 ml complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) containing 7.5 mg Mycobacterium butyricum suspended in 1 ml sterile paraffin oil into the right hind paw. Forty female Sprague-Dawley rats were injected. Righting reflex was uniformly lost and considered to be the initial point of arthritis development on day 7 after CFA injection. Rats were divided into four groups, and upon development of arthritis, tested groups were orally administered 3 or 10 mg/kg alpha-viniferin or 10 mg/kg ketoprofen every day for 14 days. The control group was orally administered 2 ml of physiological saline solution. Bone mineral density (BMD), radiological changes and edematous volumes were measured for 35 days. Alpha-viniferin suppressed the development of inflammatory edema, and inhibited the bone destruction, noted with a decrease in BMD (p < 0.05). Hind paw edema volume, BMD and radiological changes did not differ significantly in the ketoprofen and alpha-viniferin groups during the entire study period. In conclusion, alpha-viniferin suppressed arthritic inflammation and bony change in rats.