Application of HIF-1α by gene therapy enhances angiogenesis and osteogenesis in alveolar bone defect regeneration.

BACKGROUND: A successful clinical outcome for implanted tissue-engineered bone is dependent on the establishment of a functional vascular network. Gene-enhanced tissue engineering represents a promising approach for vascularization and osteogenesis. In the present study, we tested the angiogenesis and osteogenesis efficacy of gelatin as the scaffold carrier in combination with a virus encoding the HIF-1α gene in a rat alveolar bone defect model. METHODS: Three groups of 10 rats each were either left untreated, treated with adenovirus encoding hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (AdHIF-1α)/gelatin sponge or treated with gelatin sponge with adenovirus encoding red fluorescence protein, respectively. At 4 weeks, all samples were determined by micro-computed tomography, histological analyses and immunohistochemical studies. RESULTS: Scaffolds loaded with AdHIF-1α were able to sustain the release of AdHIF-1α for up to 21 days and alveolar bone defects treated with scaffolds containing AdHIF-1α significantly induced new bone and new vessel formation in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of HIF-1α by gene therapy may be a useful method for enhancing alveolar bone defect osteogenesis and angiogenesis. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Autofocus method for scanning remote sensing cameras.

Autofocus methods are conventionally based on capturing the same scene from a series of positions of the focal plane. As a result, it has been difficult to apply this technique to scanning remote sensing cameras where the scenes change continuously. In order to realize autofocus in scanning remote sensing cameras, a novel autofocus method is investigated in this paper. Instead of introducing additional mechanisms or optics, the overlapped pixels of the adjacent CCD sensors on the focal plane are employed. Two images, corresponding to the same scene on the ground, can be captured at different times. Further, one step of focusing is done during the time interval, so that the two images can be obtained at different focal plane positions. Subsequently, the direction of the next step of focusing is calculated based on the two images. The analysis shows that the method investigated operates without restriction of the time consumption of the algorithm and realizes a total projection for general focus measures and algorithms from digital still cameras to scanning remote sensing cameras. The experiment results show that the proposed method is applicable to the entire focus measure family, and the error ratio is, on average, no more than 0.2% and drops to 0% by reliability improvement, which is lower than that of prevalent approaches (12%). The proposed method is demonstrated to be effective and has potential in other scanning imaging applications.

A new fractional Cattaneo model for enhancing the thermal performance of photovoltaic panels using heat spreader: energy, exergy, economic and enviroeconomic (4E) analysis.

A new fractional non-Fourier (Cattaneo) photovoltaic (PV) model is presented to enhance the thermal performance of a PV system combined with a heat spreader (HS). The fractional Cattaneo model is shown to be effective in examining transient processes across the entirety of a PV system, in contrast to the conventional Fourier model's inability to predict system performance. Consequently, a comparison is conducted between the classical Fourier model with the fractional Fourier and fractional Cattaneo models for the PV system. The impact of using an aluminum heat spreader, with rectangular and trapezoidal shapes, has been developed under hot and cold climate conditions. The findings show that adding a trapezoidal heat spreader reduced the cell temperature by 20 K in summer and 12 K in winter. The reduction in the PV temperature led to an enhancement in daily average power by approximately 28% and 37% in hot and cold weather, respectively. Moreover, economic, exergoeconomic, and enviroeconomic assessment is introduced. The outcomes revealed that the electrical production costs of the rectangular and trapezoidal HS systems are 0.272 and 0.214 $/kWh, respectively, while about 0.286 $/kWh for the conventional PV panel. Based on the environmental study, the estimated CO2 reduction for PV, PV with rectangular HS, and PV with trapezoidal spreader is 0.5504, 0.7704, and 0.8012 tons, respectively. Finally, real experimental data are used to validate the fractional Cattaneo model. The results demonstrate that there is a great fitting with the measured data, with errors in PV power and exergy efficiency of just 0.628% and 3.84%, respectively, whereas their corresponding values for the classical model are 5.72 and 13.13%.

Three-Dimensional Multi-Frequency Shear Wave Absolute Vibro-Elastography (3D S-WAVE) With a Matrix Array Transducer: Implementation and Preliminary In Vivo Study of the Liver.

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is commonly regarded as the imaging-based gold-standard for liver fibrosis staging, comparable to biopsy. While ultrasound-based elastography methods for liver fibrosis staging have been developed, they are confined to a 1D or a 2D region of interest and to a limited depth. 3D Shear Wave Absolute Vibro-Elastography (S-WAVE) is a steady-state, external excitation, volumetric elastography technique that is similar to MRE, but has the additional advantage of multi-frequency excitation. We present a novel ultrasound matrix array implementation of S-WAVE that takes advantage of 3D imaging. We use a matrix array transducer to sample axial multi-frequency steady-state tissue motion over a volume, using a Color Power Angiography sequence. Tissue motion with the frequency components {40,50,60} and {45,55,65} Hz are acquired over a (90° lateral) × (40° elevational) × (16 cm depth) sector with an acquisition time of 12 seconds. We compute the elasticity map in 3D using local spatial frequency estimation. We characterize this new approach in tissue phantoms against measurements obtained with transient elastography and MRE. Six healthy volunteers and eight patients with chronic liver disease were imaged. Their MRE and S-WAVE volumes were aligned using T1 to B-mode registration for direct comparison in common regions of interest. S-WAVE and MRE results are correlated with R2 = 0.92, while MRE and TE results are correlated with R2 = 0.71. Our findings show that S-WAVE with matrix array has the potential to deliver a similar assessment of liver fibrosis as MRE in a more accessible, inexpensive way, to a broader set of patients.

Optical emission enhancement of laser-produced copper plasma under a steady magnetic field.

From a copper target, laser-ablated plasma was investigated by spectral- and temporal-resolved emission spectroscopy. With the presence of a 0.8 T steady magnetic field, the emission of the expanding plasma showed significant enhancements of the spectral lines for all neutral, singly, and doubly ionized species. The relative enhancements for different species have been studied with temporal-resolved measurement by comparing the spectra obtained with and without the magnetic field. The enhanced emission from the plasma plume is attributed to an increase of the radiative recombination rate in the plasma due to magnetic confinement. The temporal evolution of the plasma parameters, including electron temperature and electron density, was deduced and discussed for the cases with and without a magnetic field.

[Preliminary study on the clinical application of temporary treatment denture in difficult edentulous cases before complete denture restoration].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical effects of treatment denture on difficult edentulous cases before complete denture restoration. METHODS: Thirty-six patients who experienced unsuccessful restoration of conventional complete dentures were included in this study. Treatment dentures were fabricated to solve issues such as abnormal occlusion, tissue surface problems, and neuromuscular dysfunction of the stomatognathic system caused by systemic diseases. The final complete dentures were fabricated by duplicating the treatment dentures. Jaw relation index, stability, and retention were evaluated at different stages. Oral health-related quality of life was measured using the Chinese version of Oral Health Impact Profile for edentulous subjects (OHIP-EDENT). RESULTS: Among the 36 patients, 33 successfully completed the final restoration with positive effects. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment denture is an effective pre-restorative option that can be used to correct abnormal occlusion, improve tissue surface problems, and aid in neuromuscular rehabilitation training. Treatment dentures contribute to the successful restoration of the final complete dentures and is worthy of clinical applications.

Development of a high-frequency (> 50 mhz) copolymer annular-array, ultrasound transducer.

The development of a high frequency (> 50 MHz) annular array ultrasonic transducer is presented. The array was constructed by bonding a 9 microm P(VDF-TrFE) film to a two-sided polyimide flexible circuit with annuli electrodes on the top layer. Each annulus was separated by a 30 microm kerf and had several electroplated microvias that connected to electrode traces on the bottom side of the flex circuit. In order to improve device sensitivity, each element was electrically matched to an impedance magnitude of 50 omega and 0 degrees phase at resonance using a serial inductor and high impedance coaxial cable. The array's performance was evaluated by measuring the electrical impedance, pulse echo response, and cross talk between elements. The average round trip insertion loss was -33.5 dB after compensating for diffractive and attenuative losses. The measured average center frequency and bandwidth for an element was 55 MHz and 47%, respectively. The measured cross talk between adjacent elements remained below -29 dB at the center frequency in water. A vertical wire phantom was imaged using a single focus transmit beamformer and dynamic focusing receive beamformer. This image showed a significant improvement in lateral resolution over a range of 9 mm after the dynamic focusing receive algorithm was applied. These results correlated well with predictions from a Field II simulation. After beamforming, the minimum lateral resolution achieved by the array (-6 dB) was 108 microm at the focus.

High-frequency ultrasound annular-array imaging. Part I: array design and fabrication.

This is Part I of a series of two papers describing the development of a digital high-frequency, annular-array, ultrasonic imaging system. In this paper, the design and fabrication of a high-frequency annular array as well as its performance will be reported. A six-element, 50 MHz array, which incorporated an acoustic lens to provide an initial focal point, was designed and fabricated. A submicron size grain lead titanate piezoelectric ceramic was used to both reduce lateral coupling and keep the electrical impedance matched close to the 50 ohm receive electronics. The array elements were isolated using laser micromachining to fully separate the annuli, and electrical interconnection was achieved by directly soldering thin wires to the elements. The resulting array attained an average impulse response that exhibited a 43 MHz center frequency, 30% relative bandwidth, and an average insertion loss of 31 dB at 45 MHz. Maximum next-element crosstalk was -27 dB in water.

High-frequency ultrasound annular array imaging. Part II: digital beamformer design and imaging.

This is the second part of a two-paper series reporting a recent effort in the development of a high-frequency annular array ultrasound imaging system. In this paper an imaging system composed of a six-element, 43 MHz annular array transducer, a six-channel analog front-end, a field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based beamformer, and a digital signal processor (DSP) microprocessor-based scan converter will be described. A computer is used as the interface for image display. The beamformer that applies delays to the echoes for each channel is implemented with the strategy of combining the coarse and fine delays. The coarse delays that are integer multiples of the clock periods are achieved by using a first-in-first-out (FIFO) structure, and the fine delays are obtained with a fractional delay (FD) filter. Using this principle, dynamic receiving focusing is achieved. The image from a wire phantom obtained with the imaging system was compared to that from a prototype ultrasonic backscatter microscope with a 45 MHz single-element transducer. The improved lateral resolution and depth of field from the wire phantom image were observed. Images from an excised rabbit eye sample also were obtained, and fine anatomical structures were discerned.

Development of a real-time, high-frequency ultrasound digital beamformer for high-frequency linear array transducers.

A real-time digital beamformer for high-frequency (>20 MHz) linear ultrasonic arrays has been developed. The system can handle up to 64-element linear array transducers and excite 16 channels and receive simultaneously at 100 MHz sampling frequency with 8-bit precision. Radio frequency (RF) signals are digitized, delayed, and summed through a real-time digital beamformer, which is implemented using a field programmable gate array (FPGA). Using fractional delay filters, fine delays as small as 2 ns can be implemented. A frame rate of 30 frames per second is achieved. Wire phantom (20 microm tungsten) images were obtained and -6 dB axial and lateral widths were measured. The results showed that, using a 30 MHz, 48-element array with a pitch of 100 microm produced a -6 dB width of 68 microm in the axial and 370 microm in the lateral direction at 6.4 mm range. Images from an excised rabbit eye sample also were acquired, and fine anatomical structures, such as the cornea and lens, were resolved.

Coded excitation using biphase-coded pulse with mismatched filters for high-frequency ultrasound imaging.

A scheme of using phase-coded excitation and mismatched filter compression for high-frequency ultrasound imaging is presented in this paper. Biphase-coded pulses were constructed to excite the transducer. Received signals were compressed with mismatched filters optimized by minimizing peak-sidelobe-level (PSL). Both simulation and experiments were carried out to demonstrate the advantage of this technique. The simulation results demonstrated a possible sidelobe reduction (<-90 dB) with a slightly decrease of the signal-to-noise ratio of less than 1 dB compared with the compression using matched filters alone. The experimental results showed about 14 dB SNR improvement as well as -40 dB sidelobe level when the Barker-13 code excitation with 3-cycle sinusoidal wave carrier was used.

Wideband linear power amplifier for high-frequency ultrasonic coded excitation imaging.

Linear power amplifiers are critical components in ultrasonic imaging systems that implement chirp-coded excitation. Bench-top commercial power amplifiers are usually used in academic laboratories for high-frequency ultrasound imaging, and the imaging performance depends greatly on these general-purpose instruments. To achieve a wide dynamic range, a power amplifier consisting of two stages is developed for chirp-coded ultrasound imaging applications through the implementation of custom-designed broadband 1:1 transformers and the optimization of feedback circuits. The amplifier has broad bandwidth (5 to 135 MHz), maintaining a linearity up to the 1-dB gain compression point (P1dB) of 41.5 dBm, allowing 16 dBm input power level at 60 MHz. The mean and the maximum values of output third-order intercept points (OIP3) are 51.8 and 53.5 dBm, respectively, between 20 and 110 MHz. With 12 dBm input power, the gain of the amplifier varies between 24 and 29 dB, offering a uniformity which would allow excitation of a 70-MHz single-element transducer with windowed chirp-coded bursts sweeping from 40 to 100 MHz. The performance in high-frequency ultrasound imaging is evaluated with a wire phantom. Echo signal-to-noise ratio (eSNR) of the designed amplifier is 7 dB better than a commercial amplifier, and spatial resolution is maintained.

Stand-alone front-end system for high- frequency, high-frame-rate coded excitation ultrasonic imaging.

A stand-alone front-end system for high-frequency coded excitation imaging was implemented to achieve a wider dynamic range. The system included an arbitrary waveform amplifier, an arbitrary waveform generator, an analog receiver, a motor position interpreter, a motor controller and power supplies. The digitized arbitrary waveforms at a sampling rate of 150 MHz could be programmed and converted to an analog signal. The pulse was subsequently amplified to excite an ultrasound transducer, and the maximum output voltage level achieved was 120 V(pp). The bandwidth of the arbitrary waveform amplifier was from 1 to 70 MHz. The noise figure of the preamplifier was less than 7.7 dB and the bandwidth was 95 MHz. Phantoms and biological tissues were imaged at a frame rate as high as 68 frames per second (fps) to evaluate the performance of the system. During the measurement, 40-MHz lithium niobate (LiNbO(3)) single-element lightweight (<;0.28 g) transducers were utilized. The wire target measure- ment showed that the -6-dB axial resolution of a chirp-coded excitation was 50 µm and lateral resolution was 120 µm. The echo signal-to-noise ratios were found to be 54 and 65 dB for the short burst and coded excitation, respectively. The contrast resolution in a sphere phantom study was estimated to be 24 dB for the chirp-coded excitation and 15 dB for the short burst modes. In an in vivo study, zebrafish and mouse hearts were imaged. Boundaries of the zebrafish heart in the image could be differentiated because of the low-noise operation of the implemented system. In mouse heart images, valves and chambers could be readily visualized with the coded excitation.

Development of a 64 channel ultrasonic high frequency linear array imaging system.

In order to improve the lateral resolution and extend the field of view of a previously reported 48 element 30 MHz ultrasound linear array and 16-channel digital imaging system, the development of a 256 element 30 MHz linear array and an ultrasound imaging system with increased channel count has been undertaken. This paper reports the design and testing of a 64 channel digital imaging system which consists of an analog front-end pulser/receiver, 64 channels of Time-Gain Compensation (TGC), 64 channels of high-speed digitizer as well as a beamformer. A Personal Computer (PC) is used as the user interface to display real-time images. This system is designed as a platform for the purpose of testing the performance of high frequency linear arrays that have been developed in house. Therefore conventional approaches were taken it its implementation. Flexibility and ease of use are of primary concern whereas consideration of cost-effectiveness and novelty in design are only secondary. Even so, there are many issues at higher frequencies but do not exist at lower frequencies need to be solved. The system provides 64 channels of excitation pulsers while receiving simultaneously at a 20-120 MHz sampling rate to 12-bits. The digitized data from all channels are first fed through Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and then stored in memories. These raw data are accessed by the beamforming processor to re-build the image or to be downloaded to the PC for further processing. The beamformer that applies delays to the echoes of each channel is implemented with the strategy that combines coarse (8.3 ns) and fine delays (2 ns). The coarse delays are integer multiples of the sampling clock rate and are achieved by controlling the write enable pin of the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) memory to obtain valid beamforming data. The fine delays are accomplished with interpolation filters. This system is capable of achieving a maximum frame rate of 50 frames per second. Wire phantom images acquired with this system show a spatial resolution of 146 µm (lateral) and 54 µm (axial). Images with excised rabbit and pig eyeball as well as mouse embryo were also acquired to demonstrate its imaging capability.

Photoacoustic imaging with a commercial ultrasound system and a custom probe.

Building photoacoustic imaging (PAI) systems by using stand-alone ultrasound (US) units makes it convenient to take advantage of the state-of-the-art ultrasonic technologies. However, the sometimes limited receiving sensitivity and the comparatively narrow bandwidth of commercial US probes may not be sufficient to acquire high quality photoacoustic images. In this work, a high-speed PAI system has been developed using a commercial US unit and a custom built 128-element piezoelectric-polymer array (PPA) probe using a P(VDF-TrFE) film and flexible circuit to define the elements. Since the US unit supports simultaneous signal acquisition from 64 parallel receive channels, PAI data for synthetic image formation from a 64- or 128-element array aperture can be acquired after a single or dual laser firing, respectively. Therefore, two-dimensional (2-D) B-scan imaging can be achieved with a maximum frame rate up to 10 Hz, limited only by the laser repetition rate. The uniquely properties of P(VDF-TrFE) facilitated a wide -6 dB receiving bandwidth of over 120% for the array. A specially designed 128-channel preamplifier board made the connection between the array and the system cable, which not only enabled element electrical impedance matching but also further elevated the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to further enhance the detection of weak photoacoustic signals. Through the experiments on phantoms and rabbit ears, the good performance of this PAI system was demonstrated.

[The influence of two kinds of crown margin designs on MMP-8 and TIMP-1 levels in gingival crevicular fluid ].

AIM: To explore the influence of two kinds of crown margin designs on MMP-8 and TIMP-1 levels in gingival crevicular fluid(GCF). METHODS: 16 cases of patients who needed full crowns were divided randomly into two groups: subgingival group and gingival crest group. The GCF were taken before tooth preparation, one month, three months and six months after crown placement. The levels of MMP-8 and TIMP-1 in GCF were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: The levels of MMP-8 and TIMP-1 in GCF before tooth preparation made as baseline. The level of MMP-8 at one month after crown placement in subgingival group was higher than the baseline ( P <0. 05) and contiue increasing at three months after crown placement. The level of MMP-8 at six months after crown placement in subgingival group decreased, but it was higher than the baseline(P<0.05). In gingival crest group, atfer inserting crowns, the levels of MMP-8 and TIMP-1 was no signifieantly change. In two gourps, atfer inserting crowns, the levels of MMP-8 and TIMP-1 signifieantly increased. The level of MMP-8 in subgingival group was higher than that in gingival crest group at all times and the level of TIMP-1 in subgingival group was lower than that in gingival crest group. CONCLUSION: Gingival crest crown margin design is more fvourable to the effect of MMP-8 and TIMP-1 in maintaining the health and the regular remodeling of the periodontium.

Development of integrated preamplifier for high-frequency ultrasonic transducers and low-power handheld receiver.

This paper describes the design of a front-end circuit consisting of an integrated preamplifier with a Sallen-Key Butterworth filter for very-high-frequency ultrasonic transducers and a low-power handheld receiver. This preamplifier was fabricated using a 0.18-µm 7WL SiGe bi-polar complementary metal oxide semiconductor (BiCMOS) process. The Sallen-Key filter is used to increase the voltage gain of the front-end circuit for high-frequency transducers which are generally low in sensitivity. The measured peak voltage gain of the frontend circuits for the BiCMOS preamplifier with the Sallen-Key filter was 41.28 dB at 100 MHz with a-6-dB bandwidth of 91%, and the dc power consumption of the BiCMOS preamplifier was 49.53 mW. The peak voltage gain of the front-end circuits for the CMOS preamplifier with the Sallen-Key filter was 39.52 dB at 100 MHz with a-6-dB bandwidth of 108%, and the dc power consumption of the CMOS preamplifier was 43.57 mW. Pulse-echo responses and wire phantom images with a single-element ultrasonic transducer have been acquired to demonstrate the performance of the front-end circuit.

A high-frequency linear ultrasonic array utilizing an interdigitally bonded 2-2 piezo-composite.

This paper describes the development of a high-frequency 256-element linear ultrasonic array utilizing an interdigitally bonded (IB) piezo-composite. Several IB composites were fabricated with different commercial and experimental piezoelectric ceramics and evaluated to determine a suitable formulation for use in high-frequency linear arrays. It was found that the fabricated fine-scale 2-2 IB composites outperformed 1-3 IB composites with identical pillar- and kerf-widths. This result was not expected and lead to the conclusion that dicing damage was likely the cause of the discrepancy. Ultimately, a 2-2 composite fabricated using a fine-grain piezoelectric ceramic was chosen for the array. The composite was manufactured using one IB operation in the azimuth direction to produce approximately 19-µm-wide pillars separated by 6-µm-wide kerfs. The array had a 50 µm (one wavelength in water) azimuth pitch, two matching layers, and 2 mm elevation length focused to 7.3 mm using a polymethylpentene (TPX) lens. The measured pulse-echo center frequency for a representative array element was 28 MHz and -6-dB bandwidth was 61%. The measured single-element transmit -6-dB directivity was estimated to be 50°. The measured insertion loss was 19 dB after compensating for the effects of attenuation and diffraction in the water bath. A fine-wire phantom was used to assess the lateral and axial resolution of the array when paired with a prototype system utilizing a 64-channel analog beamformer. The -6-dB lateral and axial resolutions were estimated to be 125 and 68 µm, respectively. An anechoic cyst phantom was also imaged to determine the minimum detectable spherical inclusion, and thus the 3-D resolution of the array and beamformer. The minimum anechoic cyst detected was approximately 300 µm in diameter.

A dual-modality probe utilizing intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography for intravascular imaging applications.

We have developed a dual-modality biomedical imaging probe utilizing intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). It consists of an OCT probe, a miniature ultrasonic transducer and a fixed mirror. The mirror was mounted at the head of the hybrid probe 45° relative to the light and the ultrasound beams to change their propagation directions. The probe was designed to be able to cover a larger area in blood vessel by IVUS and then visualize a specific point at a much finer image resolution using OCT. To demonstrate both its feasibility and potential clinical applications, we used this ultrasound-guide OCT probe to image a rabbit aorta in vitro. The results offer convincing evidence that the complementary natures of these two modalities may yield beneficial results that could not have otherwise been obtained.

Real-time assessment of flow reversal in an eccentric arterial stenotic model.

Plaque rupture is the leading cause of acute coronary syndromes and stroke. Plaque formation, otherwise known as stenosis, preferentially occurs in the regions of arterial bifurcation or curvatures. To date, real-time assessment of stenosis-induced flow reversal remains a clinical challenge. By interfacing microelectromechanical system (MEMS) thermal sensors with the high frequency pulsed wave (PW) Doppler ultrasound, we proposed to assess flow reversal in the presence of an eccentric stenosis. We developed a 3-D stenotic model (inner diameter of 6mm, an eccentric stenosis with a height of 2.75 mm, and width of 21 mm) simulating a superficial arterial vessel. We demonstrated that heat transfer from the sensing element (2 x 80 µm²) to the flow field peaked as a function of flow rates at the throat of the stenosis along the center/midline of arterial model, and dropped downstream from the stenosis, where flow reversal was detected by the high frequency ultrasound device at 45 MHz. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes are in agreement with the ultrasound-acquired flow profiles upstream, downstream, and at the throat of the stenosis. Hence, we characterized regions of eccentric stenosis in terms of changes in heat transfer along the midline of vessel and identified points of flow reversal with high spatial and temporal resolution.