Full Body Research Articles

Poster (Clinical/Best Practice Implementation) ID 1984775

Background/Objectives Monitoring skin integrity is a critical issue for patients with spinal cord injury. Damage to the skin can go unnoticed due to sensory loss or diminution and can result in pressure injuries or wounds that can be difficult to heal. A team of inpatient clinicians and people with lived experience worked together to create a ‘SkIn-fo-Graphic’ that would be used to teach all new inpatients how to do a full body skin check. Methods A full picture of the body, contributed by Spinal Cord Injury Ontario (SCIO), was marked with the names of specific bony prominences and areas which should be viewed daily to ensure a skin check is complete. Staff at our Centre modified the graphic and created step-by-step instructions. Patients provided feedback on terminology and placement of words/ arrows for clarity. Further refinement was completed by SCIO and clinical staff to create the final tool and instructions. Results A graphic was developed iteratively by a community organization, physicians, allied health professionals and patients to provide a tool with instructions that can be used by both clinical staff (to teach daily skin check) and patients (as a reference for doing their own checks). A QR Code link was also created to directly link patients to more in-depth skin education on the community partner website. Conclusion Engaging all stakeholders in the development of a key tool for instruction of skin check in patients with spinal cord injury is important to ensure complete clarity and utility.

Learning data science methods through a mobile device and full body motion data

This study presents a mobile app that facilitates undergraduate students to learn data science through their own full body motions. Leveraging the built-in camera of a mobile device, the proposed app captures the user and feeds their images into an open-source computer-vision algorithm that localizes the key joint points of human body. As students can participate in the entire data collection process, the obtained motion data is context-rich and personally relevant to them. The app utilizes the collected motion data to explain various concepts and methods in data science under the context of human movements. The app also visualizes the geometric interpretation of data through various visual aids, such as interactive graphs and figures. In this study, we use principal component analysis, a commonly used dimensionality reduction method, as an example to demonstrate the proposed learning framework. Strategies to encompass other learning modules are also discussed for further improvement.

Raw data consistent deep learning-based field of view extension for dual-source dual-energy CT.

Due to technical constraints, dual-source dual-energy CT scans may lack spectral information in the periphery of thepatient. Here, we propose a deep learning-based iterative reconstruction to recover the missing spectral information outside the field of measurement (FOM) of the second source-detectorpair. In today's Siemens dual-source CT systems, one source-detector pair (referred to as A) typically has a FOM of about 50cm, while the FOM of the other pair (referred to as B) is limited by technical constraints to a diameter of about 35cm. As a result, dual-energy applications are currently only available within the small FOM, limiting their use for larger patients. To derive a reconstruction at B's energy for the entire patient cross-section, we propose a deep learning-based iterative reconstruction. Starting with A's reconstruction as initial estimate, it employs a neural network in each iteration to refine the current estimate according to a raw data fidelity measure. Here, the corresponding mapping is trained using simulated chest, abdomen, and pelvis scans based on a data set containing 70 full body CT scans. Finally, the proposed approach is tested on simulated and measured dual-source dual-energy scans and compared against existing referenceapproaches. For all test cases, the proposed approach was able to provide artifact-free CT reconstructions of B for the entire patient cross-section. Considering simulated data, the remaining error of the reconstructions is between 10 and 17HU on average, which is about half as low as the reference approaches. A similar performance with an average error of 8HU could be achieved for real phantommeasurements. The proposed approach is able to recover missing dual-energy information for patients exceeding the small 35cm FOM of dual-source CT systems. Therefore, it potentially allows to extend dual-energy applications to the entire-patient crosssection.

High-Fidelity Perforator Visualization for Cadaver Dissection in Surgical Training.

In the first half of the third century B.C., Herophilus and Erasistratus performed the first systematic dissection of the human body. For subsequent centuries, these cadaveric dissections were key to the advancement of anatomical knowledge and surgical techniques. To this day, despite various instructional methods, cadaver dissection remained the best way for surgical training. To improve the quality of education and research through cadaveric dissection, our institution has developed a unique method of perforator-preserving cadaver injection, allowing us to achieve high-fidelity perforator visualization for dissection studies, at low cost and high efficacy. Ten full body cadavers were sectioned through the base of neck, bilateral shoulder, and hip joints. The key was to dissect multiple perfusing arteries and draining veins for each section, to increase "capture" of vascular territories. The vessels were carefully flushed, insufflated, and then filled with latex dye. Our injection dye comprised of liquid latex, formalin, and acrylic paint in the ratio of 1:2:1. Different endpoints were used to assess adequacy of injection, such as reconstitution of eyeball volume, skin turgor, visible dye in subcutaneous veins, and seepage of dye through stab incisions in digital pulps. Dissections demonstrated the effectiveness of the dye, outlining even the small osseous perforators of the medial femoral condyle flap and subconjunctival plexuses. Our technique emphasized atraumatic preparation, recreation of luminal space through insufflation, and finally careful injection of latex dye with adequate curing. This has allowed high-fidelity perforator visualization for dissection studies.

High rate of incidental detection of skin cancer following teledermatology consultation: Full body skin examination may detect more skin cancers than a referral-based approach

High rate of incidental detection of skin cancer following teledermatology consultation: Full body skin examination may detect more skin cancers than a referral-based approach

Evaluating the Science to Inform the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report

Evaluating the Science to Inform the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report

Serum methylmalonic acid concentrations at breast cancer diagnosis significantly correlate with clinical frailty.

Methylmalonic acid (MMA), a by-product of propionate metabolism, is known to increase with age. This study investigates the potential of serum MMA concentrations as a biomarker for age-related clinical frailty in older patients with breast cancer. One hundred nineteen patients ≥ 70years old with early-stage breast cancer were included (median age 76years). G8 screening, full geriatric assessment, clinical parameters (i.e., estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and body mass index (BMI)), and serum sample collection were collected at breast cancer diagnosis before any therapy was administered. MMA concentrations were measured via liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. MMA concentrations significantly increased with age and eGFR (all P < 0.001) in this older population. The group with an abnormal G8 (≤ 14, 51% of patients) had significantly higher MMA levels than the group with normal G8 (> 14, 49%): 260nmol/L vs. 188nmol/L, respectively (P = 0.0004), even after correcting for age and eGFR (P = 0.001). Furthermore, in the detailed assessment, MMA concentrations correlated most with mobility (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) tools, all P ≤ 0.02), comorbidity (Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) tool, P = 0.005), and polypharmacy (P < 0.001), whereas no significant associations were noted for instrumental ADL (IADL), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS15), Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), and pain (all P > 0.1). In addition, our results showed that higher MMA levels correlate with poor overall survival in breast cancer patients (P = 0.003). Elevated serum MMA concentrations at initial diagnosis are significantly associated, not only with age but also independently with clinical frailty, suggesting a possible influence of MMA on clinical frailty in older patients with early-stage breast cancer.

OA02 Validation of newly proposed ACR/EULAR classification criteria for pediatric chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis

Abstract Background Chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) is an aseptic autoinflammatory bone disease of unknown aetiology. This diagnosis can be delayed due to the non-specific nature of symptoms, referral patterns to non-rheumatology specialists and normal imaging studies. New ACR/EULAR classification criteria have been proposed for CNO and were presented at the American College of Rheumatology scientific meeting in 2022. This study seeks to validate these new classification criteria. Methods This is a retrospective case-series of paediatric patients diagnosed with CNO (n = 34). They were diagnosed and managed between 2012 and 2022 at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia and Bon Secours Mercy Health in Richmond, Virginia. The entry criteria of chronic bone pain, age &amp;lt; 18 years, abnormal radiograph and/or MRI were used prior to applying the newly proposed ACR/EULAR classification criteria. Ten domains were evaluated to indicate whether a patient has CNO; those who scored 55 points or higher qualified (see table). The clinical manifestations, laboratory results, and imaging studies that lead to a diagnosis of CNO were reviewed in detail. We applied and validated the newly proposed classification criteria for CNO to this Virginia cohort of previously diagnosed paediatric CNO patients. We also reviewed the characteristics of those that did not fulfill these classification criteria. Result Upon application of the newly proposed ACR/EULAR classification criteria for CNO, 31 out of 34 patients (91%) were found to meet these classification criteria. Of the three patients diagnosed with CNO that did not fulfill the criteria, none had ‘least specific sites’ such as hands or neurocranium, all had elevated ESR and two out of three had an initial response to antibiotics. Their scores were 49, 51 and 53 with classification criteria being met with 55 or higher. The average age at diagnosis was 10 (range 2–17) years-old with the average time between onset of symptoms to confirmed radiographic evidence being 25 (range 1–120) months. The most common presenting symptoms were bone pain (100%) and arthritis (52%) with fever (23%) and rash (3%) being less common. Elevated ESR (39%) and CRP (39%) were found at initial visit with rheumatology. Evidence of commonly seen radiographic abnormalities leading to CNO diagnosis was found with regional MRI (65%), bone scan (42%) with some requiring full body MRI (26%) to confirm other lesions. Some patients did have multiple imaging studies including X-ray, CT, bone scan, MRI and bone biopsy in their workup. Conclusion This retrospective chart review validates the newly proposed ACR/EULAR classification criteria for CNO. We conclude that these criteria are easy to apply even in the absence of a bone biopsy or advanced imaging studies. This will aid in the development of a homogeneous cohort for future studies in CNO. Implication The newly proposed ACR/EULAR classification criteria can be easily applied to a cohort of CNO patients. These criteria have taken into account the lack of advanced imaging availability in certain institutions and lack of availability of a bone biopsy. Our work is ethically approved.

Chinese red wine and cheese pairings: A preliminary study of consumer perception using check‐all‐that‐apply and hedonic tests

AbstractFood and wine pairing has been studied in marketing, sensory science, and hospitality fields to evaluate the gastronomic experience of consumers. In this study, three Chinese red wines (Cabernet Gernischt: CG, Marselan: MS, and Vitis amurensis Rupr: VR) were paired with two French cheeses (Brie and Camembert) and two Chinese cheeses [sweet cheese (SWC) and salty cheese (SAC)]. The physicochemical properties of wines and cheeses were determined. Also, sensory profiles of wine and cheese samples were collected using 100 participants by a check‐all‐that‐apply (CATA) test, and the ideal pairing of wines and cheeses was evaluated using hedonic, flavor intensity, and body‐to‐body relationship tests. The results showed that VR wine presented a sweet flavor and full body. MS and CG wines have a strong, bitter taste and a hot and rough mouthfeel than VR wine. The flavors of Camembert and Brie cheeses were richer and more complex than those of SWC and SAC. The textures of Camembert and Brie were elastic, smooth, creamy, fatty, and soft. VR wine enhanced consumer preference for all four types of cheeses (each combination liking score is more than six). Wine characteristics were suppressed and not enhanced by pairing with cheese. The ideal pair evaluation in terms of flavor intensity and body‐to‐body relationship confirmed that wines dominated these two aspects for cheese‐wine pairs.Practical ApplicationsCATA questions conducted with consumers are popular to profile and characterize food and beverage products. This investigation helps validate CATA method applications in food and wine pairing areas. In addition, the hedonic, flavor intensity, and body‐to‐body tests of Chinese wine and Chinese cheese pairing are helpful in promoting the development of the Chinese wine and cheese industry. The findings provide future research directions in pairing principles of food and beverages.

Combined prenatal US and post-mortem fetal MRI: can they replace conventional autopsy for fetal body abnormalities?

The acceptance of conventional autopsy (CA), the gold standard method for investigating fetal death, often remains problematic. Post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging (PMMRI) is increasingly advocated, particularly for neurologic malformations. However, PMMRI performances to diagnose non-neurologic malformations remain unclear. We aim to clarify whether a full body CA remains needed after prenatal ultrasound (US) and PMMRI in assessing non-neurologic fetal malformations. In this retrospective IRB-approved study, during a 6-year period, all fetuses who underwent PMMRI, prenatal US, and full body CA were included. Body abnormalities were identified in US, PMMRI, and CA reports. US and PMMRI images were all reviewed. All abnormalities were graded as major (2 points) or minor (1 point). Each technique (US, PMMRI, CA) was given a score by adding all grading points. In each fetus, results were compared for both separate and combined US and PMMRI to CA. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for detecting major abnormalities. Fifty fetuses were included. The score of CA, US, and PMMRI was respectively 53, 37, and 46. Compared with US-PMMRI, CA added information in 2 cases (4%) with major abnormalities and 7 cases (14%) with minor abnormalities. PMMRI and US were concordant in 36/50 (72%) fetuses. Separate US/PMMRI sensitivities and specificities for detecting major body malformations respectively were 80%/80% and 100%/94%. Combined US-PMMRI had a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 94%. Two cardiac malformations (2/6) were only described by CA. After prenatal US and PMMRI, few additional fetal body malformations are discovered with CA. Nevertheless, fetal heart autopsy remains mandatory. A cardiac conventional autopsy complemented by prenatal ultrasound and post-mortem MRI allows to detect all major fetal body abnormalities. With this efficient and much less invasive approach, a higher acceptance rate of fetal autopsy can be expected. • Excepting cardiac malformations, most major fetal body malformations can reliably be identified by prenatal US combined with post-mortem MRI. • In the post-mortem diagnosis of fetal body malformations, a conventional autopsy limited to the fetal heart might replace a full body autopsy after a well-conducted prenatal US and post-mortem MRI.

Wearable Dual-Layer Planar Magnetoinductive Waveguide for Wireless Body Area Networks

We have previously reported wearable magnetoinductive waveguides (MIW) for wireless body area networks (WBANs) that significantly outperform the state-of-the-art in terms of path loss, data rate, interference, security, and more. MIWs placed in a planar way upon the human body are most promising but suffer from a large deterioration in performance under mechanical failures and clothing transitions (e.g., from 10.34 dB to 27.31 dB minimum loss and from 20% to 2.32% fractional bandwidth). In this work, we overcome both limitations via a novel dual-layer planar MIW design that utilizes two layers of resonant loops stacked upon each other. Concurrently, this design maintains all benefits of MIW-based WBANs and improves the link budget by >5 dB vs. our previous single-layer MIWs and by >60-70dB vs. state-of-the-art WBANs. We herewith report a theoretical model of dual-layer MIWs that relies on the dispersion relation and validate it both numerically and experimentally. We also discuss the improvements vs. our previously reported MIW designs and address design considerations, including electromagnetic safety. This work cements MIWs as a future technology to be used in low-loss WBANs for full body applications.

The Effects of Onychectomy (Declawing) on Antebrachial Myology across the Full Body Size Range of Exotic Species of Felidae.

While people are familiar with the practice of declawing domestic cats, "onychectomy", as it is also known, is also performed on non-domesticated species, including pantherines, to prolong their use for entertainment purposes. Although the surgery (the partial or complete removal of the distal phalanx) has clear osteological implications, its myological effects have never been studied. As the mass of an animal increases cubically as a product of its volume, while the areas of its paws only increase as a square, larger felids have higher foot pressures and, therefore, the surgery may have particularly substantial functional effects on larger cats. In this study, we evaluate the forearms of clawed and declawed non-domestic felid specimens that spanned the body size range of the whole family to evaluate the effects of onychectomy on muscle fiber architecture. We found that the deep digital flexors (the muscles most directly affected by onychectomy) of declawed felids are significantly lighter (~73%) and less powerful (46-66%) than those of non-declawed felids, while other muscles do not make up for these reductions. Thus, onychectomy has a substantial effect on the myological capabilities of cats, and because these deficiencies are not compensated for in biomechanically disadvantaged larger felids, it probably has even more functionally devastating consequences for these species.

Finding the Way Back Home: Report of 2 Cases of Oral Metastasis

Around 1-1.5 % of all malignant tumors in oral cavity are caused by metastatic dissemination to this region. Lung, kidney, breast, bone and colorectal regions are primary sites which act as source of metastases to oral cavity. Similarly, metastasis from primary oral malignancy to distant sites is not uncommon with metastasis mainly occurring to lung, followed by bone and liver. Here we report 2 cases showing different primary origins but presentation in oral cavity being the first symptom. One case is of an 82 year old male with a complaint of swelling in right mandible and a diagnosis of prostatic adenocarcinoma metastasizing to oral cavity was established. The other case presented here is of a 42 year old male with pain and swelling in right mandible. The diagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma was made and a full body scan helped in early identification of metastatic deposits in lung. Despite the infrequent occurrence of metastases in oral region, dental surgeon should be aware of the possibilities for correct diagnostic conduction and subsequently, the initiation of treatment in early stages of disease.

Associations between 3D surface scanner derived anthropometric measurements and body composition in a cross-sectional study.

3D laser-based photonic scanners are increasingly used in health studies to estimate body composition. However, too little is known about whether various 3D body scan measures estimate body composition better than single standard anthropometric measures, and which body scans best estimate it. Furthermore, little is known about differences by sex and age. 105 men and 96 women aged between 18 and 90 years were analysed. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis was used to estimate whole relative fat mass (RFM), visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI). An Anthroscan VITUSbodyscan was used to obtain 3D body scans (e.g. volumes, circumferences, lengths). To reduce the number of possible predictors that could predict RFM, VAT and SMI backward elimination was performed. With these selected predictors linear regression on the respective body compositions was performed and the explained variations were compared with models using standard anthropometric measurements (Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height-ratio (WHtR)). Among the models based on standard anthropometric measures, WC performed better than BMI and WHtR in estimating body composition in men and women. The explained variations in models including body scan variables are consistently higher than those from standard anthropometrics models, with an increase in explained variations between 5% (RFM for men) and 10% (SMI for men). Furthermore, the explained variation of body composition was additionally increased when age and lifestyle variables were added. For each of the body composition variables, the number of predictors differed between men and women, but included mostly volumes and circumferences in the central waist/chest/hip area and the thighs. 3D scan models performed better than standard anthropometric measures models to predict body composition. Therefore, it is an advantage for larger health studies to look at body composition more holistically using 3D full body surface scans.

Walk-through flat panel total-body PET: a patient-centered design for high throughput imaging at lower cost using DOI-capable high-resolution monolithic detectors

PurposeLong axial field-of-view (LAFOV) systems have a much higher sensitivity than standard axial field-of-view (SAFOV) PET systems for imaging the torso or full body, which allows faster and/or lower dose imaging. Despite its very high sensitivity, current total-body PET (TB-PET) throughput is limited by patient handling (positioning on the bed) and often a shortage of available personnel. This factor, combined with high system costs, makes it hard to justify the implementation of these systems for many academic and nearly all routine nuclear medicine departments. We, therefore, propose a novel, cost-effective, dual flat panel TB-PET system for patients in upright standing positions to avoid the time-consuming positioning on a PET-CT table; the walk-through (WT) TB-PET. We describe a patient-centered, flat panel PET design that offers very efficient patient throughput and uses monolithic detectors (with BGO or LYSO) with depth-of-interaction (DOI) capabilities and high intrinsic spatial resolution. We compare system sensitivity, component costs, and patient throughput of the proposed WT-TB-PET to a SAFOV (= 26 cm) and a LAFOV (= 106 cm) LSO PET systems.MethodsPatient width, height (= top head to start of thighs) and depth (= distance from the bed to front of patient) were derived from 40 randomly selected PET-CT scans to define the design dimensions of the WT-TB-PET. We compare this new PET system to the commercially available Siemens Biograph Vision 600 (SAFOV) and Siemens Quadra (LAFOV) PET-CT in terms of component costs, system sensitivity, and patient throughput. System cost comparison was based on estimating the cost of the two main components in the PET system (Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) and scintillators). Sensitivity values were determined using Gate Monte Carlo simulations. Patient throughput times (including CT and scout scan, patient positioning on bed and transfer) were recorded for 1 day on a Siemens Vision 600 PET. These timing values were then used to estimate the expected patient throughput (assuming an equal patient radiotracer injected activity to patients and considering differences in system sensitivity and time-of-flight information) for WT-TB-PET, SAFOV and LAFOV PET.ResultsThe WT-TB-PET is composed of two flat panels; each is 70 cm wide and 106 cm high, with a 50-cm gap between both panels. These design dimensions were justified by the patient sizes measured from the 40 random PET-CT scans. Each panel consists of 14 × 20 monolithic BGO detector blocks that are 50 × 50 × 16 mm in size and are coupled to a readout with 6 × 6 mm SiPMs arrays. For the WT-TB-PET, the detector surface is reduced by a factor of 1.9 and the scintillator volume by a factor of 2.2 compared to LAFOV PET systems, while demonstrating comparable sensitivity and much better uniform spatial resolution (< 2 mm in all directions over the FOV). The estimated component cost for the WT-TB-PET is 3.3 × lower than that of a 106 cm LAFOV system and only 20% higher than the PET component costs of a SAFOV. The estimated maximum number of patients scanned on a standard 8-h working day increases from 28 (for SAFOV) to 53–60 (for LAFOV in limited/full acceptance) to 87 (for the WT-TB-PET). By scanning faster (more patients), the amount of ordered activity per patient can be reduced drastically: the WT-TB-PET requires 66% less ordered activity per patient than a SAFOV.ConclusionsWe propose a monolithic BGO or LYSO-based WT-TB-PET system with DOI measurements that departs from the classical patient positioning on a table and allows patients to stand upright between two flat panels. The WT-TB-PET system provides a solution to achieve a much lower cost TB-PET approaching the cost of a SAFOV system. High patient throughput is increased by fast patient positioning between two vertical flat panel detectors of high sensitivity. High spatial resolution (< 2 mm) uniform over the FOV is obtained by using DOI-capable monolithic scintillators.

Bone mineral density and its relationship with ground reaction force characteristics during gait in young adults with Prader-Willi Syndrome

IntroductionThe incidence of osteopenia and osteoporosis is of concern in adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). Walking generates reaction forces that could stimulate bone mineralization and is popular in people with PWS. This study compared bone parameters and ground reaction forces (GRF) during gait between young adults with PWS and without PWS and explored associations between bone and GRFs during gait. Methods10 adults with PWS, 10 controls with obesity (OB) and 10 with normal weight (NW) matched on sex participated. Segmental and full body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans provided femoral neck, spine, total body minus the head bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC). Vertical GRF, vertical impulse, posterior force and negative impulse were measured during 5 walking trials at a self-selected speed along a 10 m runway. ResultsMultivariate analyses of variance showed that adults with PWS (n = 7–8) had hip and body BMD and BMC comparable (p > .050) to NW and lower (p < .050) than OB. Adults with PWS showed slower speed than NW (p < .050) but similar to OB (p > .050). Adults with PWS presented lower absolute vertical GRF, vertical impulse and negative impulse than OB (p < .050). Pearson r correlations (p < .050) in those with PWS (n = 7–8) indicated that femoral neck BMC was associated with vertical GRF (r = 0.716), vertical impulse (r = 0.780), posterior force (r = −0.805), and negative impulse (r = −0.748). Spine BMC was associated with speed (r = 0.829) and body BMD was associated with speed (r = 0.893), and posterior force (r = −0.780). ConclusionsIncreased BMC in the femoral neck and body were associated with larger breaking forces during walking, a phenomenon normally observed at greater gait speeds. Faster walking speed was associated with greater BMC in the spine and body. Our preliminary results suggest that young adults with PWS could potentially benefit from faster walking for bone health; however, larger prospective studies are needed to confirm this.

A comparative analysis of dimensionality reduction surrogate modeling techniques for full human body finite element impact simulations

Fast-running surrogate computational models (simpler computational models) have been successfully used to replace time-intensive finite element models. However, it is unclear how well they perform in accurately and efficiently replicating complex, full human body finite element models. Here we survey several surrogate modeling techniques and assess their accuracy in predicting full strain fields of tissues of interest during a highly dynamic behind armor blunt trauma impact to the liver. We found that coupling dimensionality reduction on the high-dimensional output space (principal component analysis or autoencoders) with machine learning techniques (Gaussian Process Regression or multi-output neural networks) provides a framework capable of accurately and efficiently replacing complex full human body models. It was found that these surrogate models can successfully predict the strain fields (<10% average strain error) of select tissues during a nonlinear impact event but careful consideration should be given to element parsing and modeling technique.

The impact of donor biological variation on the quality and function of cold-stored platelets.

Room temperature-stored platelets (RTPs) maximize platelet viability but limit shelf life. The aims of this study were to investigate the impact of donor variability on cold-stored platelets (CSPs) and RTP, to determine whether RTP quality markers are appropriate for CSP. Double platelet donations (n = 10) were collected from consented regular male donors stored in 100% plasma. A full blood count, donor age, weight, height and body mass index (BMI) were collected at the time of donation. Platelet donations were split equally into two bags, and assigned to non-agitated CSP or agitated RTP. The quality and function of platelets were assessed throughout the standard 7 days of storage and at expiry (day 8). Non-parametric statistical analyses were used to analyse results given the small sample size. As expected, there were significant differences between CSP and RTP throughout storage including a reduction in CSP concentration as well as a loss of swirling. Furthermore, a significant increase in CSP exhibiting activation and apoptotic markers was observed. Platelet concentrations were further impacted by donor BMI, and donors with the highest BMI (>29) had the lowest platelet concentration and activation response at the end of CSP storage. Platelet quality and functionality play a vital role in transfusion outcomes; however, blood components are inherently variable. This study demonstrated, for the first time, the specific impact of donor BMI on CSP quality and function and highlights the requirement for novel quality markers for assessing CSPs.

The first full body diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography dataset and teaching materials for a member of the Testudines.

Diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced Computed Tomography (diceCT) is now a widely used technique for imaging metazoan soft anatomy. Turtles present a particular challenge for anatomists; gross dissection is inherently destructive and irreversible, whereas their near complete shell of bony plates, covered with keratinous scutes, presents a barrier for iodine diffusion and significantly increases contrast-enhanced CT preparation time. Consequently, a complete dataset visualizing the internal soft anatomy of turtles at high resolution and in three dimensions has not yet been successfully achieved. Here we outline a novel method that augments traditional diceCT preparation with an iodine injection technique to acquire the first full body contrast-enhanced dataset for the Testudines. We show this approach to be an effective method of staining the soft tissues inside the shell. The resulting datasets were processed to produce anatomical 3D models that can be used in teaching and research. As diceCT becomes a widely employed method for nondestructively documenting the internal soft anatomy of alcohol preserved museum specimens, we hope that methods applicable to the more challenging of these, such as turtles, will contribute toward the growing stock of digital anatomy in online repositories.

Development of Woolly Hair and Hairlessness in a CRISPR-Engineered Mutant Mouse Model with KRT71 Mutations.

Hypotrichosis simplex (HS) and woolly hair (WH) are rare and monogenic disorders of hair loss. HS, characterized by a diffuse loss of hair, usually begins in early childhood and progresses into adulthood. WH displays strong coiled hair involving a localized area of the scalp or covering the entire side. Mutations in the keratin K71(KRT71) gene have been reported to underlie HS and WH. Here, we report the generation of a mouse model of HS and WH by the co-injection of Cas9 mRNA and sgRNA, targeting exon6 into mouse zygotes. The Krt71-knockout (KO) mice displayed the typical phenotypes, including Krt71 protein expression deletion and curly hair in their full body. Moreover, we found that mice in 3-5 weeks showed a new phenomenon of the complete shedding of hair, which was similar to nude mice. However, we discovered that the mice exhibited no immune deficiency, which was a typical feature of nude mice. To our knowledge, this novel mouse model generated by the CRISPR/Cas9 system mimicked woolly hair and could be valuable for hair disorder studies.