Novel quantitative digital image analysis methodology for assessment of inflammatory changes in MRI data in a post-hoc analysis of data acquired from a phase IIb study of baricitinib in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate a novel quantitative methodology to assess inflammatory changes in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the impact of image quality on imaging outcomes compared to the RA Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (RAMRIS). METHODS: Three-dimensional, T1-weighted, fat-suppressed MRI sequences of the hand/wrist before and after intravenous Gadolinium contrast from patients with RA in a placebo-controlled clinical trial (NCT01185353) were re-evaluated post hoc. The methodology was integrated into proprietary software (DYNAMIKA®) and assessed inflammation through pixelated measurements of the contrast-enhancing (inflammatory) volume. A semi-automatic approach outlined contrast-enhancing synovial tissue in the wrist and second to fifth metacarpophalangeal joints with a rough region of interest (ROI); quantitative imaging biomarkers were generated by means of quantitative total volume of inflammation and quantitative degree of inflammation relative to the signal in a 1 cm in diameter ROI in the center of the thenar or lumbrical muscle for internal reference. The time from Gadolinium injection to finalization of the post-contrast images was calculated from the images' Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine header. An experienced reader graded image quality as poor, acceptable, or good. RESULTS: Results from this quantitative methodology, especially when excluding images with poor quality scores (14-32%), provided a more pronounced and monotonically increasing dose-response than the original RAMRIS results on synovitis and osteitis. CONCLUSIONS: This computer-aided quantitative scoring method provided continuous measures of inflammatory changes relative to muscle and may be more sensitive and interpretable concerning dose/response separation between RA treatment groups.

Towards High Capacity Li-ion Batteries Based on Silicon-Graphene Composite Anodes and Sub-micron V-doped LiFePO4 Cathodes.

Lithium iron phosphate, LiFePO4 (LFP) has demonstrated promising performance as a cathode material in lithium ion batteries (LIBs), by overcoming the rate performance issues from limited electronic conductivity. Nano-sized vanadium-doped LFP (V-LFP) was synthesized using a continuous hydrothermal process using supercritical water as a reagent. The atomic % of dopant determined the particle shape. 5 at. % gave mixed plate and rod-like morphology, showing optimal electrochemical performance and good rate properties vs. Li. Specific capacities of >160 mAh g-1 were achieved. In order to increase the capacity of a full cell, V-LFP was cycled against an inexpensive micron-sized metallurgical grade Si-containing anode. This electrode was capable of reversible capacities of approximately 2000 mAh g-1 for over 150 cycles vs. Li, with improved performance resulting from the incorporation of few layer graphene (FLG) to enhance conductivity, tensile behaviour and thus, the composite stability. The cathode material synthesis and electrode formulation are scalable, inexpensive and are suitable for the fabrication of larger format cells suited to grid and transport applications.