Refining dietary metabolisable energy and crude protein levels in relation to duck performance and behaviour.

1. The study evaluated the effect of dietary metabolisable energy (ME) content and crude protein (CP) level on the growth performance and behaviour of ducks.2. A total of 720, Cherry Valley ducks were allocated to 36 pens in groups of 20 birds. For the initial period, from 1 to 21 d age, six diets, containing a standard (SME), low (LME) and high (HME) ME of 12.14, 11.93 and 12.35 MJ/kg, and standard (SCP) or high (HCP) CP contents of 210 or 220 g/kg diet, respectively, were mixed. For the period from 22 to 42 d age, the diets contained ME of 12.98 (SME), 12.77 (LME), 13.19 (HME) MJ/kg and the levels of CP were 170 (SCP) or 180 (HCP) g/kg, respectively.3. An ME by CP interaction was seen from 1 to 21 d age in ducks fed HME + HCP diet, which had greater weight gain than those fed LME + SCP (P < 0.05). Compared to LME + SCP, dietary HME decrease feeding but increased walking behaviour compared to LME + SCP and SME + SCP (P < 0.05). High CP in LME and SME diets increased drinking behaviour (P < 0.05), but there was no change in HME diet. Compared to LME, feeding HME reduced ground pecking (P < 0.05). Feeding HME reduced feeding behaviour (P < 0.05) from 22 to 42 d age. During the same period, standing behaviour was reduced in HCP + LME (P < 0.05). Drinking was reduced in LME + SCP compared to SME + HCP and HME + HCP (P < 0.05).4. A diet formulated with HME and HCP is effective for enhancing growth performance of ducks aged 1-21 d and saving time for feeding or ground pecking, which may induce spending more time on other activities.

Plant-based model for the visual evaluation of electroporated area after irreversible electroporation and its comparison to in-vivo animal data.

Electroporation (EP) is widely used in medicine, such as cancer treatment, in form of electrochemotherapy or irreversible electroporation (IRE). For EP device testing, living cells or tissue inside a living organism (including animals) are needed. Plant-based models seem to be a promising alternative to substitute animal models in research. The aim of this study is to find a suitable plant-based model for visual evaluation of IRE, and to compare the geometry of electroporated areas with in-vivo animal data.For this purpose, a variety of fruit and vegetables were selected and visually evaluated after 0/1/2/4/6/8/12/16/24 h post-EP. Apple and potato were found to be suitable models as they enabled a visual evaluation of the electroporated area. For these models, the size of the electroporated area was determined after 0/1/2/4/6/8/12/16/24 h. For apples, a well-defined electroporated area was visual within two hours, while in potatoes it reached a plateau after eight hours only. The electroporated area of apple, which showed the fastest visual results was then compared to a retrospectively evaluated swine liver IRE dataset which had been obtained for similar conditions. The electroporated area of the apple and swine liver both showed a spherical geometry of comparable size. For all experiments, the standard protocol for human liver IRE was followed. To conclude, potato and apple were found to be suitable plant-based models for the visual evaluation of electroporated area after irreversible EP, with apple being the best choice for fast visual results. Given the comparable range, the size of the electroporated area of the apple may be promising as a quantitative predictor in animal tissue. Even if plant-based models cannot completely replace animal experiments, they can be used in the early stages of EP device development and testing, decreasing animal experiments to the necessary minimum.

Effects of acute femoral head ischemia on the growth plate and metaphysis in a piglet model of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of acute (≤7 days) femoral head ischemia on the proximal femoral growth plate and metaphysis in a piglet model of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD). We hypothesized that qualitative and quantitative histological assessment would identify effects of ischemia on endochondral ossification. DESIGN: Unilateral femoral head ischemia was surgically induced in piglets, and femurs were collected for histological assessment at 2 (n = 7) or 7 (n = 5) days post-ischemia. Samples were assessed qualitatively, and histomorphometry of the growth plate zones and primary spongiosa was performed. In a subset of samples at 7 days, hypertrophic chondrocytes were quantitatively assessed and immunohistochemistry for TGFß1 and Indian hedgehog was performed. RESULTS: By 2 days post-ischemia, there was significant thinning of the proliferative and hypertrophic zones, by 63 µm (95% CI -103, -22) and -19 µm (95% CI -33, -5), respectively. This thinning persisted at 7 days post-ischemia. Likewise, at 7 days post-ischemia, the primary spongiosa was thinned to absent by an average of 311 µm (95% CI -542, -82) in all ischemic samples. TGFß1 expression was increased in the hypertrophic zone at 7 days post-ischemia. CONCLUSIONS: Alterations to the growth plate zones and metaphysis occurred by 2 days post-ischemia and persisted at 7 days post-ischemia. Our findings suggest that endochondral ossification may be disrupted at an earlier time point than previously reported and that growth disruption may occur in the piglet model as occurs in some children with LCPD.

Trivialities in metabolomics: Artifacts in extraction and analysis.

The aim of this review is to show the risks of artifact formation in metabolomics analyses. Metabolomics has developed in a major tool in system biology approaches to unravel the metabolic networks that are the basis of life. Presently TLC, LC-MS, GC-MS, MS-MS and nuclear magnetic resonance are applied to analyze the metabolome of all kind of biomaterials. These analytical methods require robust preanalytical protocols to extract the small molecules from the biomatrix. The quality of the metabolomics analyses depends on protocols for collecting and processing of the biomaterial, including the methods for drying, grinding and extraction. Also the final preparation of the samples for instrumental analysis is crucial for highly reproducible analyses. The risks of artifact formation in these steps are reviewed from the point of view of the commonly used solvents. Examples of various artifacts formed through chemical reactions between solvents or contaminations with functional groups in the analytes are discussed. These reactions involve, for example, the formation of esters, trans-esterifications, hemiacetal and acetal formation, N-oxidations, and the formation of carbinolamines. It concerns chemical reactions with hydroxyl-, aldehyde-, keto-, carboxyl-, ester-, and amine functional groups. In the analytical steps, artifacts in LC may come from the stationary phase or reactions of the eluent with analytes. Differences between the solvent of the injected sample and the LC-mobile phase may cause distortions of the retention of analytes. In all analytical methods, poorly soluble compounds will be in all samples at saturation level, thus hiding a potential marker function. Finally a full identification of compounds remains a major hurdle in metabolomics, it requires a full set of spectral data, including methods for confirming the absolute stereochemistry. The putative identifications found in supplemental data of many studies, unfortunately, often become "truly" identified compounds in papers citing these results. Proper validation of the protocols for preanalytical and analytical procedures is essential for reproducible analyses in metabolomics.

Integrating wearables and modelling for monitoring rehabilitation following total knee joint replacement.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Wearable inertial devices integrated with modelling and cloud computing have been widely adopted in the sports sector, however, their use in the health and medical field has yet to be fully realised. To date, there have been no reported studies concerning the use of wearables as a surrogate tool to monitor knee joint loading during recovery following a total knee joint replacement. The objective of this study is to firstly evaluate if peak tibial acceleration from wearables during gait is a good surrogate metric for computer modelling predicted functional knee loading; and secondly evaluate if traditional clinical patient related outcomes measures are consistent with wearable predictions. METHODS: Following ethical approval, four healthy participants were used to establish the relationship between computer modelling predicted knee joint loading and wearable measured tibial acceleration. Following this, ten patients who had total knee joint replacements were then followed during their 6-week rehabilitation. Gait analysis, wearable acceleration, computer models of knee joint loading, and patient related outcomes measures including the Oxford knee score and range of motion were recorded. RESULTS: A linear correlation (R2 of 0.7-0.97) was observed between peak tibial acceleration (from wearables) and musculoskeletal model predicted knee joint loading during gait in healthy participants first. Whilst patient related outcome measures (Oxford knee score and patient range of motion) were observed to improve consistently during rehabilitation, this was not consistent with all patient's tibial acceleration. Only those patients that exhibited increasing peak tibial acceleration over 6-weeks rehabilitation were positively correlated with the Oxford knee score (R2 of 0.51 to 0.97). Wearable predicted tibial acceleration revealed three patients with a consistent knee loading, five patients with improving knee loading, and two patients with declining knee loading during recovery. Hence, 20% of patients did not present with satisfactory joint loading following total knee joint replacement and this was not detected with current patient related outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: The use of inertial measurement units or wearables in this study provided additional insight into patients who were not exhibiting functional improvements in joint loading, and offers clinicians an 'off-site' early warning metric to identify potential complications during recovery and provide the opportunity for early intervention. This study has important implications for improving patient outcomes, equity, and for those who live in rural regions.

Quantitative T2 and T1ρ mapping are sensitive to ischemic injury to the epiphyseal cartilage in an in vivo piglet model of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the quantitative MRI techniques T2 and T1ρ mapping are sensitive to ischemic injury to epiphyseal cartilage in vivo in a piglet model of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease using a clinical 3T MRI scanner. We hypothesized that T2 and T1ρ relaxation times would be increased in the epiphyseal cartilage of operated vs contralateral-control femoral heads 1 week following onset of ischemia. DESIGN: Unilateral femoral head ischemia was surgically induced in eight piglets. Piglets were imaged 1 week post-operatively in vivo at 3T MRI using a magnetization-prepared 3D fast spin echo sequence for T2 and T1ρ mapping and a 3D gradient echo sequence for cartilage segmentation. Ischemia was confirmed in all piglets using gadolinium contrast-enhanced MRI. Median T2 and T1ρ relaxation times were measured in the epiphyseal cartilage of the ischemic and control femoral heads and compared using paired t-tests. Histological assessment was performed on a subset of five piglets. RESULTS: T2 and T1ρ relaxation times were significantly increased in the epiphyseal cartilage of the operated vs control femoral heads (ΔT2 = 11.9 ± 3.7 ms, 95% CI = [8.8, 15.0] ms, P < 0.0001; ΔT1ρ = 12.8 ± 4.1 ms, 95% CI = [9.4, 16.2] ms, P < 0.0001). Histological assessment identified chondronecrosis in the hypertrophic and deep proliferative zones within ischemic epiphyseal cartilage. CONCLUSIONS: T2 and T1ρ mapping are sensitive to ischemic injury to the epiphyseal cartilage in vivo at clinical 3T MRI. These techniques may be clinically useful to assess injury and repair to the epiphyseal cartilage to better stage the extent of ischemic damage in Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease.

Adjuvant durvalumab for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, phase II study.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the efficacy of adjuvant durvalumab after neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, phase II study included patients with ESCC who underwent curative surgery after neoadjuvant CCRT. Patients were randomized to receive either durvalumab (20 mg/kg/i.v. every 4 weeks for 12 months) or placebo in a 1:1 ratio and were stratified by age and pathologic tumor stage. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). RESULTS: Between March 2016 and June 2018, 86 patients were randomized to the durvalumab (n = 45) or placebo (n = 41) arm. The median follow-up duration was 38.7 months. There was no difference in DFS [hazard ratio (HR) 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.62-2.27, P = 0.61] or overall survival (HR 1.08, 95% CI 0.52-2.24, P = 0.85) between the two arms. Subgroup analysis was performed for patients for whom the post-CCRT programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression profile could be assessed (n = 54). In the PD-L1-positive group, based on tumor proportion score ≥1%, durvalumab was associated with longer overall survival compared with the placebo (36-month survival rate: 94% versus 64%; HR 0.42, 95% CI 0.10-1.76), while in the PD-L1-negative group, it was associated with shorter overall survival (42% versus 55%; HR 1.53, 95% CI 0.48-4.83), showing the tendency of interaction between post-CCRT PD-L1 status and adjuvant durvalumab therapy for overall survival (interaction P = 0.18). CONCLUSIONS: We failed to demonstrate that adjuvant durvalumab improved survival after neoadjuvant CCRT in patients with ESCC. However, post-CCRT PD-L1 expression could predict the survival of patients who receive adjuvant durvalumab after neoadjuvant CCRT, which needs to be validated.

Early diagnosis of chyle fistula with SD LipidoCare after neck dissection.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyse the results of chyle fistula testing using the SD LipidoCare system in patients who had undergone neck dissections performed in our hospital in 2019. METHOD: Sixty patients who underwent neck dissections from March 2019 to November 2019 were identified based on their medical records. RESULTS: Post-operative chyle fistulas were observed in 3 of 60 patients (5 per cent). All patients who developed chyle fistulas had undergone left-sided neck dissections. Within 3 minutes, the SD LipidoCare test had produced triglyceride results of 49, 56 and 207 mg/dl in the three patients. The remaining 57 patients measured 'low' for triglycerides on the SD LipidoCare test system. CONCLUSION: The SD LipidoCare test quickly and accurately diagnosed chyle fistulas in patients who had undergone neck dissections. All patients improved with conservative treatment following the early diagnosis of chyle fistulas.

Dynamic and subtype-specific interactions between tumour burden and prognosis in breast cancer.

We investigated the relationship between the prognostic importance of anatomic tumour burden and subtypes of breast cancer using data from the Korean Breast Cancer Registry Database. In HR+/HER2+ and HR-/HER2-tumours, an increase in T stage profoundly increased the hazard of death, while the presence of lymph node metastasis was more important in HR+/HER2+ and HR-/HER2+ tumours among 131,178 patients with stage I-III breast cancer. The patterns of increasing mortality risk and tumour growth (per centimetre) and metastatic nodes (per node) were examined in 67,038 patients with a tumour diameter ≤ 7 cm and < 8 metastatic nodes. HR+/HER2- and HR-/HER2- tumours showed a persistent increase in mortality risk with an increase in tumour diameter, while the effect was modest in HER2+ tumours. Conversely, an increased number of metastatic nodes was accompanied by a persistently increased risk in HR-/HER2+ tumours, while the effect was minimal for HR-/HER2- tumours with > 3 or 4 nodes. The interactions between the prognostic significance of anatomic tumour burden and subtypes were significant. The prognostic relevance of the anatomic tumour burden was non-linear and highly dependent on the subtypes of breast cancer.

Association of low skeletal muscle mass with the presence of advanced colorectal neoplasm: integrative analysis using three skeletal muscle mass indices.

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate an association between colorectal neoplasm (CRN) and skeletal muscle mass using three widely accepted skeletal muscle mass indices (SMIs) in a large population at average risk. METHOD: We performed a cross-sectional study using a screening colonoscopy database of 33 958 asymptomatic subjects aged 40-75 years. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) was measured using a bioelectrical impedance analyser. ASM adjusted for height squared (ASM/ht2 ), weight (ASM/wt) and body mass index (ASM/BMI) were used as indices for muscle mass. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between SMIs and CRN. RESULTS: In a multivariable-adjusted model, the risk of an advanced CRN increased linearly with decreasing quartiles for all three SMIs. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for advanced CRN in quartiles 1, 2 and 3 of ASM/wt compared with that in quartile 4 were 1.279, 1.196 and 1.179, respectively (Ptrend  = 0.017); for ASM/BMI, ORs were 1.307, 1.144 and 1.091, respectively (Ptrend  = 0.002); and for ASM/ht2 , ORs were 1.342, 1.169 and 1.062, respectively (Ptrend  = 0.002). The risk of distally located advanced CRN was higher in quartile 1 than in quartile 4 for all three SMIs (ASM/wt, OR = 1.356; ASM/BMI, OR = 1.383; ASM/ht2 , OR = 1.430). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that low skeletal muscle mass was consistently associated with the presence of advanced CRN in a population at average risk regardless of the operational definition of the SMI, and it was particularly associated with distal advanced CRN.

Prevalence of fentanyl exposure and knowledge regarding the risk of its use among emergency department patients with active opioid use history at an urban medical center in Baltimore, Maryland.

Background: Overdose deaths from fentanyl and its analogs have increased significantly since 2013. There are limited data regarding the prevalence of fentanyl exposure among emergency department (ED) patients with active opioid use.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study at an urban hospital from May 20 to July 30, 2018. A convenience sample of adult ED patients with active opioid use, defined as opioid use within seven days prior to ED visit, were enrolled. Rapid Response® Single Drug Test Strip (BTNX Inc., Markham, Canada) was used to detect fentanyl in urine samples. Information on demographic, substance use history, and knowledge of fentanyl was obtained using a brief survey tool. Our primary outcome was the prevalence of fentanyl exposure; secondary outcomes included patients' knowledge regarding potency, risk of overdose death from fentanyl and intentional purchase of fentanyl.Results: During our study period, 451 patients reported active substance use. Of these, 208 reported active opioid use and 165 consented for the study. The median age was 49 years [interquartile range: 38, 57] and 77.0% (n = 127) were male; 42 participants (25.5%) presented to ED after an acute overdose event. Heroin was the preferred opioid of use in 90.8% of the participants, primarily via intranasal route (64.6%). Polysubstance use was reported in 98.8%, most commonly with cocaine (57.6%; n = 95). Fentanyl was detected in 104 out of 129 urine samples tested (80.6%). 84.2% (n = 139) identified fentanyl as highly potent and 85.5% (n = 141) recognized highest risk of death in fentanyl overdose. A larger proportion of non-overdose participants intentionally purchased fentanyl (34.1%; n = 42) compared to the overdose group (16.7%, n = 7; p = .04).Conclusions: The majority of ED patient with active opiate use were exposed to fentanyl while one in three participants intentionally purchased fentanyl despite their awareness of its potency and the high-risk of death from overdose.

Lack of association between early menopause and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in postmenopausal women.

Background: The possibility of an association between early menopause and the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is as yet unclear.Methods: The subjects consisted of 4354 postmenopausal women who participated in the 2010-2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Early, normal, and late menopause were defined as age at menopause <45 years, 45-54 years, and ≥55 years, respectively. NAFLD was defined by a hepatic steatosis index of >36.Results: When compared with normal menopausal women, early or late menopausal women had no significant differences in the odds ratios (ORs) of NAFLD: OR = 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.83-1.32 and OR = 1.02, 95% CI, 0.75-1.39, respectively. These results remained similar after adjustment for known risk factors for NAFLD, reproductive factors, and comorbidities. The OR for NAFLD per 1-year increase in age at menopause was 1.01 (95% CI, 0.99-1.03; p = 0.329). The prevalence of advanced fibrosis was 2.1% (95% CI, 0.7-6.4%), 2.2% (95% CI, 1.3-3.8%), and 3.9% (95% CI, 1.2-12.2%) in early, normal, and late menopausal women, respectively.Conclusions: This study provides no evidence for an association of early menopause with NAFLD risk. However, NAFLD-related advanced fibrosis is highly prevalent in postmenopausal women.

Mitochondrial DNA content and oxidation in bipolar disorder and its role across brain regions.

The underlying pathology of bipolar disorder remains unknown, though evidence is accumulating to support a role of mitochondrial dysfunction. In this study, we aim to investigate electron transport chain complex I subunit NDUFS7 protein expression; mtDNA content; common deletion; and oxidation in the Broadmann area 24 (BA24), cerebellum, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex from patients with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and non-psychiatric controls. Here, we demonstrate no changes in NDUFS7 in BA24, cerebellum or hippocampus, increases in mtDNA content in hippocampus of patients with bipolar disorder, and decreases in mtDNA oxidation in patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, respectively. Paired analysis between BA24 and cerebellum reveal increases within NDUFS7 levels and mtDNA content in cerebellum of patients with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. We found a positive correlation between NDUFS7 and mtDNA content (ND4 and ND5) when combining brain regions. Our study supports the involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Spectroscopic speciation of aqueous Am(iii)-oxalate complexes.

Transportation of actinides through the geosphere is facilitated by complexation with organic ligands dissolved in groundwater. Carboxylic groups can interact directly with actinide ions and are found among the most abundant organic ligands in alkaline aquatic systems like underground water. In this study, the complexation of organic carboxylic groups with Am(iii) was investigated by monitoring the interactions of Am(iii) with oxalate (Ox), the simplest dicarboxylate ligand, in solution. UV-Vis spectrophotometry coupled with a liquid waveguide capillary cell (100 cm optical path-length) and time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy were employed for quantitative detection of the respective Am(iii)-Ox species. Increasing the Ox concentration caused significant spectral changes, i.e., red-shifts in both the absorption and luminescence maxima with increased molar absorption coefficients, enhanced luminescence intensities, and prolonged luminescence lifetimes. Individual spectra of AmOx+(aq), Am(Ox)2-(aq), and Am(Ox)33-(aq) were resolved by deconvolution of the absorption spectra, with apparent formation constants of log ß1,1 = 5.34 ± 0.05, log ß1,2 = 9.14 ± 0.18, and log ß1,3 = 11.49 ± 0.30, respectively, in I = 0.1 M NaClO4 and 0-30 mM Na2Ox. The absorption and luminescence spectral changes suggest bidentate complexation of Ox with Am(iii) via inner-sphere interactions. The geometry of the Am(iii)-Ox complexes was optimized by density functional theory, where the bonding characteristics were in good agreement with the experimental results. Thorough spectroscopic characterization enabled speciation of the Am(iii)-Ox complexes and determination of their formation constants. This spectroscopic approach is generally applicable in the investigation of molecular interactions between Am(iii) and various ligands in aqueous solution.

Modeling of the hemodynamics in the feet of patients with peripheral artery disease.

To simulate the hemodynamic effects in the feet in response to a thigh cuff occlusion, we have developed a multi-compartmental model in which the circulatory system for the leg is represented by its electrical equivalents. Dynamic vascular optical tomographic imaging data previously obtained from 20 patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and 20 healthy subjects is used to test the model. Analyzing the clinical data with the support of the model yields diagnostic specificity and sensitivity in the 90-95% range, significantly higher than previously reported.

IL6 receptor blockade preserves articular cartilage and increases bone volume following ischemic osteonecrosis in immature mice.

OBJECTIVE: Juvenile ischemic osteonecrosis (JIO) of the femoral head is one of the most serious hip disorders causing a permanent deformity of the femoral head in childhood. We recently reported that interleukin 6 (IL6) is predominantly increased in the hip synovial fluid of patients with JIO and that articular chondrocytes are primary source of IL6. This study investigated whether an inhibition of IL6 receptor improves cartilage preservation and bone healing in JIO. METHOD: A small animal model (i.e., 6-week-old mouse) of JIO was treated with either saline or tocilizumab, an IL6 receptor blocker, for 6 weeks. RESULTS: TUNEL-positive chondrocytes in the articular cartilage were reduced by the tocilizumab treatment, concomitant with the increase in cartilage matrix. The levels of a cartilage anabolic marker Sox9 was significantly increased in the articular cartilage of mice treated with tocilizumab. Micro-CT assessment showed tocilizumab treatment significantly increased trabecular epiphyseal bone volume (P = 0.001, n = 10), thickness (P = 0.007) and number (P = 0.014) and decreased bone separation (P = 0.002) and its deformity (P = 0.003). A bone formation marker, BMP2, and an angiogenic marker, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), were both significantly increased by tocilizumab treatment under hypoxia using human chondrocytes while the bone resorption marker, RANKL/OPG ratio, was reduced. CONCLUSION: Tocilizumab treatment following ischemic osteonecrosis has cartilage anabolic effect and increases bone volume in JIO mouse model. The findings lead to a possible application of tocilizumab for preclinical study using a large animal model of JIO and a clinical trial to validate this treatment.

Non-contact dynamic diffuse optical tomography imaging system for evaluating lower extremity vasculature.

A novel multi-view non-contact dynamic diffuse optical tomographic imaging system for the clinical evaluation of vasculature in the lower extremities is presented. The system design and implementation are described in detail, including methods for simultaneously obtaining and reconstructing diffusely reflected and transmitted light using a system of mirrors and a single CCD camera. The system and its performance using numeric simulations and optical phantoms. Measurements of a healthy foot in vivo demonstrates the potential of the system in assessing perfusion within the foot.

Determination of the proliferative fractions in differentiating hematopoietic cell lineages of normal bone marrow.

Because of the proven prognostic value of Ki-67 as a proliferation marker in several types of solid cancers, our goal is to develop and validate a multiparameter flow cytometric assay for the determination of the Ki-67 expression in hemato-oncological diseases. The aim of the present study was to establish the reference values for the fraction of Ki-67 positive cells in and during maturation of individual hematopoietic cell lineages present in normal bone marrow. Aspirates derived from femoral heads of 50 patients undergoing a hip replacement were used for the flow cytometric quantification of Ki-67 expression in the different hematopoietic cell populations of healthy bone marrow. Furthermore, the proliferative index was investigated in detail for the maturation steps during erythro-, myelo-, and monopoiesis using recently described immunophenotypic profiles in combination with a software-based maturation tool. Reference values for the proliferative index were established for different relevant hematopoietic cell populations in healthy bone marrow. During maturation, the size of the Ki-67 positive fraction was the highest in the most immature compartment of the myeloid, monocytic, and erythroid cell lineages, followed by a steady decline upon cell maturation. While proerythroblasts showed a proliferative activity of almost 100%, the myelo- and monoblast showed a lower proliferative index of on average of 50%, indicating that a relatively large proportion of these cells exist in a quiescent state. In conclusion, we can state that when using a novel combination of immunophenotypic markers, the proliferation marker (Ki-67) and a software-based maturation tool, it was possible to determine the proliferative fractions in the diverse hematopoietic cell lineages in bone marrow, in particular during maturation. Using this approach, the proliferative indices for the normal myelo-, mono-, and erythropoiesis were determined, which can be used as a reference in future studies of hematologic malignancies originating from bone marrow. © 2018 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Sensory quality characteristics with different beef quality grades and surface texture features assessed by dented area and firmness, and the relation to muscle fiber and bundle characteristics.

The main objective of this study was to compare the eating quality among the groups categorized by the Korean beef quality grade and texture feature of exposed muscle surface assessed by extent of dented areas and firmness. Additionally, this study also investigated the effects of fiber and bundle characteristics on texture feature to establish the cause of differences in muscle surface texture. Significant differences were observed in the sensory quality characteristics among the quality grades mainly determined by marbling score (P < 0.05). However, the coarse texture group with a dented surface required a higher initial force to penetrate meat (P < 0.001), was more difficult to break meat into fragments (P < 0.001), and had a higher amount of perceptible residue in the mouth (P < 0.01) compared to the fine texture group. These differences in the surface texture features between the fine and coarse groups could be explained by bundle area and fiber number per each bundle.

Distribution of Anti-ABO Immunoglobulin G Subclass and C1q Antibody in ABO-incompatible Kidney Transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the correlation between serum anti-ABO immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgG subclasses, anti-ABO IgG subclasses were measured by flow cytometry (FCM) in ABO-incompatible (ABOi) kidney transplant recipients. We also evaluated baseline anti-ABO C1q antibody. METHOD: Baseline anti-ABO IgG titers were measured by both FCM and column agglutination technique methods in 18 ABOi kidney transplant recipients. The mean florescence intensity (MFI) ratios of baseline anti-ABO IgG subclasses and anti-ABO C1q antibody were obtained by FCM and followed-up after rituximab treatment, each plasmapheresis (PP) session, and kidney transplantation. Correlation between the values of IgG subclass and total IgG titer was analyzed. RESULTS: The baseline MFI ratios of total IgG, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4 were 202.46, 62.41, 30.01, 1.04, and 1.13, respectively. The MFI ratios of IgG1, IgG2, and total IgG measured at baseline and pre-PP were positively correlated with the baseline ABO titer was measured using the column agglutination technique. The numbers of PP sessions to reach the target titer were correlated with the baseline IgG and IgG1 levels. IgG1 and IgG2 as well as total IgG were removed effectively after serial PP. Anti-ABO C1q antibody was neither detected nor correlated with total IgG and any IgG subclasses. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that IgG1 and IgG2 are the dominant IgG subclass in ABOi kidney transplant recipients. Baseline levels of IgG1 and IgG2 were correlated with baseline total IgG titer. However, anti-ABO C1q antibody was not detected in the present study.