Smaller Total Volume Research Articles

Correlation of Medical Comorbidities and Upper Airway Measurements among Dental Patients at Risk of Developing Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a partial or total upper airway collapse resulting in sleep-breathing disturbances. There are many medical comorbidities associated with OSA; hence, this study is important as the prevalence of patients with medical comorbidities associated with OSA is increasing. The study aimed to correlate medical comorbidities and OSA symptoms of the patients along with their upper airway dimensions using Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) scans to identify patients at risk of developing OSA. This cross-sectional study included patients who had CBCT imaging taken between 2014 and 2020. A questionnaire was used to gather information on patients’ medical history and OSA symptoms. The upper airway dimensions of the CBCT scans were evaluated before logistic regression and Fisher’s exact test were carried out to determine the relationships between the variables. p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Logistic regression revealed an association of longer length (p = 0.016), smaller total volume (p = 0.017) and width (p = 0.010) of upper airways with hypertension. Furthermore, loud snoring was seen in patients with hypertension, heart disease and obesity whereas difficulty concentrating during the day was present in subjects with deviated nasal septum, tonsillitis and depression. For upper airway dimensions, a smaller average volume was associated with loud snoring (p = 0.037), difficulty concentrating during the day (p = 0.002) and mood changes (p = 0.036). A larger anterior-posterior dimension was also associated with excessive daytime sleepiness (p = 0.042), difficulty concentrating during the day (p < 0.001) and mood changes (p = 0.009). Longer airway length was additionally found to be associated with loud snoring (p = 0.021). CBCT taken for dental investigations could be correlated with patients’ medical history and OSA symptoms to screen patients at risk of OSA.

Computed Tomography Imaging Characteristics: Potential Indicators of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutation in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between computed tomography imaging characteristics in lung adenocarcinoma and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. A total of 124 patients with lung adenocarcinoma and known EGFR mutation status were collected in this retrospective study. Computed tomography quantitative parameters of each tumor, including total volume, total surface, surface-to-volume ratio (SVR), average diameter, maximum diameter, and average density, were determined using computer-aided detection software. The correlation between the EGFR mutation status and imaging characteristics was assessed. The predictive value of these imaging characteristics for EGFR mutation was calculated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Fifty-eight of 124 patients showed EGFR mutations. Patients who are female (P < 0.001) and nonsmokers (P < 0.001) and those with serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level of ≥5 (P = 0.035) were likely to have EGFR mutation. Computed tomography features including air bronchogram (P = 0.035), absence of cavitation (P = 0.010), and absence of pulmonary emphysema (P = 0.002) and quantitative parameters, such as smaller total surface (P = 0.002), smaller total volume (P = 0.001), higher SVR (P = 0.003), and smaller average diameter (P = 0.001), were associated with EGFR mutation. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the most significant independent prognostic factors of EGFR mutation for the model were nonsmoking (P = 0.035), CEA level of ≥5 (P = 0.004), presence of air bronchogram (P = 0.040), absence of cavitation (P = 0.021), and high SVR (P = 0.014). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, and specificity of the model for predicting EGFR mutation were 0.827, 75.8%, and 82.8%, respectively. EGFR-mutated adenocarcinoma showed significantly increased CEA level, presence of air bronchogram, absence of cavitation, and higher quantitative parameter SVR than those with wild-type EGFR.

High-Dose Neuromodulators: A Roundtable on Making Sense of the Data in Real-World Clinical Practice.

BackgroundFor aesthetic treatment with botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNTA), interest in maximizing treatment duration and efficacy has prompted study of doses higher than those used in registration studies. As data emerge, it is important that physicians understand how to apply study findings to their own practice so that patient demand is satisfied.ObjectivesTo bring together leading experts in neuromodulators for a roundtable discussion on the implications of high-dose BoNTA studies for patient care.MethodsThe authors reviewed and discussed recent data from high-dose BoNTA studies for abobotulinum toxin A, incobotulinum toxin A, and Oonobotulinumtoxin A. ResultsDiscussion focused on the challenges of data interpretation and extrapolation of study findings for real-world patient care. The authors participated in a candid discussion of whether the observed improvements in treatment duration and patient satisfaction warrant treatment with high-dose regimens delivered as high-concentration injections. Safety was also discussed, as well as economic considerations for both practices and patients. Of note, for BoNTA products, the registration dose, when administered in a smaller total volume, appears to give rise to more durable results than those observed in pivotal trials, implicating product concentration as an important consideration. Importantly, at higher doses, extended duration of effect does not appear to be at the expense of natural-looking results.ConclusionsWhile the authors provide considerations for the development of individual clinical practice, there is no one-size-fits-all recommendation. It may be that “high-dose” BoNTA is in reality the optimal dose; however, important economic considerations may prevent rapid uptake for all patients.

Neurodevelopmental and transcriptomic effects of CRISPR/Cas9-induced somatic orco mutation in honey bees

In insects, odorant receptors facilitate olfactory communication and require the functionality of the highly conserved co-receptor gene orco. Genome editing studies in a few species of ants and moths have revealed that orco can also have a neurodevelopmental function, in addition to its canonical role in adult olfaction, discovered first in Drosophila melanogaster. To extend this analysis, we determined whether orco mutations also affect the development of the adult brain of the honey bee Apis mellifera, an important model system for social behavior and chemical communication. We used CRISPR/Cas9 to knock out orco and examined anatomical and molecular consequences. To increase efficiency, we coupled embryo microinjection with a laboratory egg collection and in vitro rearing system. This new workflow advances genomic engineering technologies in honey bees by overcoming restrictions associated with field studies. We used Sanger sequencing to quickly select individuals with complete orco knockout for neuroanatomical analyses and later validated and described the mutations with amplicon sequencing. Mutant bees had significantly fewer glomeruli, smaller total volume of all the glomeruli, and higher mean individual glomerulus volume in the antennal lobe compared to wild-type controls. RNA-Sequencing revealed that orco knockout also caused differential expression of hundreds of genes in the antenna, including genes related to neural development and genes encoding odorant receptors. The expression of other types of chemoreceptor genes was generally unaffected, reflecting specificity of CRISPR activity in this study. These results suggest that neurodevelopmental effects of orco are related to specific insect life histories.

Fractal-Like Flow-Fields with Minimum Entropy Production for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

The fractal-type flow-fields for fuel cell (FC) applications are promising, due to their ability to deliver uniformly, with a Peclet number Pe~1, the reactant gases to the catalytic layer. We review fractal designs that have been developed and studied in experimental prototypes and with CFD computations on 1D and 3D flow models for planar, circular, cylindrical and conical FCs. It is shown, that the FC efficiency could be increased by design optimization of the fractal system. The total entropy production (TEP) due to viscous flow was the objective function, and a constant total volume (TV) of the channels was used as constraint in the design optimization. Analytical solutions were used for the TEP, for rectangular channels and a simplified 1D circular tube. Case studies were done varying the equivalent hydraulic diameter (Dh), cross-sectional area (DΣ) and hydraulic resistance (DZ). The analytical expressions allowed us to obtain exact solutions to the optimization problem (TEP→min, TV=const). It was shown that the optimal design corresponds to a non-uniform width and length scaling of consecutive channels that classifies the flow field as a quasi-fractal. The depths of the channels were set equal for manufacturing reasons. Recursive formulae for optimal non-uniform width scaling were obtained for 1D circular Dh -, DΣ -, and DZ -based tubes (Cases 1-3). Appropriate scaling of the fractal system providing uniform entropy production along all the channels have also been computed for Dh -, DΣ -, and DZ -based 1D models (Cases 4-6). As a reference case, Murray’s law was used for circular (Case 7) and rectangular (Case 8) channels. It was shown, that Dh-based models always resulted in smaller cross-sectional areas and, thus, overestimated the hydraulic resistance and TEP. The DΣ -based models gave smaller resistances compared to the original rectangular channels and, therefore, underestimated the TEP. The DZ -based models fitted best to the 3D CFD data. All optimal geometries exhibited larger TEP, but smaller TV than those from Murray’s scaling (reference Cases 7,8). Higher TV with Murray’s scaling leads to lower contact area between the flow-field plate with other FC layers and, therefore, to larger electric resistivity or ohmic losses. We conclude that the most appropriate design can be found from multi-criteria optimization, resulting in a Pareto-frontier on the dependencies of TEP vs TV computed for all studied geometries. The proposed approach helps us to determine a restricted number of geometries for more detailed 3D computations and further experimental validations on prototypes.

Neurodevelopment in adolescents and adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD): A magnetic resonance region of interest analysis

The neurodevelopmental trajectory in individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) has not been well characterized. We examined age-related differences in the volume of the corpus callosum, basal ganglia, and cerebellum across adolescence and young adulthood, due to the sensitivity of these regions to prenatal alcohol exposure. T1-weighted anatomical magnetic resonance images (MRI) were acquired from a cross-sectional sample of subjects 13–30 years old who had received an alcohol-related diagnosis (FASD, n = 107) and typically developing controls (CON, n = 56). FreeSurfer v5.3 was used to obtain volumetric data for the corpus callosum, caudate, putamen, pallidum, and cerebellum. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the effects of group (FASD, CON), sex, and age on region volume. Data were analyzed with and without correction for intracranial volume (ICV). All subregions were significantly smaller in the FASD group compared to controls, and these findings persisted even after ICV correction. Furthermore, the FASD and control groups differed in their relationship between age and total volume of the corpus callosum, caudate, and cerebellum. Specifically, older FASD individuals had smaller total volume in these regions; this relationship was not seen in the control group. Control males demonstrated larger volumes than control females in all regions prior to ICV correction; however, sex differences were attenuated in the FASD group in both the pallidum and cerebellum. Sex differences remained after ICV correction in the pallidum and cerebellum. These cross-sectional findings suggest that at least some brain regions may become smaller at an earlier than expected age in individuals with FASD, and that sex is an important factor to consider when examining neural structures in FASD. Further evaluation is necessary using longitudinal methods and including older ages.

An insight into the filling of the nanoheterogeneous structures of1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide by primary alcohols

Mixtures of ionic liquids (ILs) with molecular cosolvents are attracting increased attention for the development of their technological applications. As a result, understanding the interaction between the heterogeneous structure of ILs and molecular cosolvents at a microscopic level with the aim of fine-tuning the properties of ILs is of utmost importance. In this study, the local structure of the IL 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ([bmim][TFSA]) in a series of mixtures of primary alcohol (from methanol to 1-dodecanol) is investigated as a function of alcohol concentration by Raman spectroscopy, providing a unique picture of the evolution of the local structure of alcohol clusters formed in [bmim][TFSA]. The Raman spectra reveal the presence of various types of OH species in the [bmim][TFSA]–alcohol mixtures, with the major fractions corresponding to monomers at lower alcohol concentrations. Presented in this study is a plausible mechanism for the filling of the nanoheterogeneous structures of the [bmim][TFSA] matrix by alcohol molecules, revealing the occurrence of conformational changes in the bmim+ cation and TFSA− anion, which involves an increase of the population of the gauche and transoid conformers with alcohol concentration. Interestingly, the results show that the local structures of bmim+ and TFSA− cooperatively change along with the conformational change in the alcohol molecules toward a smaller total volume.

P03.08 Large cerebral arteriovenous malformations management with Volume-staged gamma knife radiosurgery

Abstract BACKGROUND Large cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM) pose a management dilemma because of the limited success of any single treatment modality by itself. Surgery alone is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Similarly, embolization alone has limited efficacy. Volume-staged gamma knife radiosurgery (VSGR) has been developed for the treatment of large AVMs, to increase the efficacy and improve safety of treatment of these lesions. The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy and safety of VSGR technique for the treatment of large cerebral AVMs. METHODS The study included patients treated by VSGR between May 2009 and July 2015. All cases had large AVMs (&gt;10 cc). These were 29 patients. RESULTS Twenty-four patients completed radiographic follow up with 15 obliteration cases (62.5%). There was a total of 56 sessions performed. The mean AVM volume was 16 cc (10.1–29.3 cc). The mean prescription dose was 18 Gy (14–22 Gy). The mean follow up duration was 43 months (21–73 months). One patient died during follow up from unrelated cause. Two cases suffered haemorrhage during follow up. Symptomatic edema developed in 5 (17%) patients. The factors affecting obliteration were smaller total volume, higher dose/stage, non-deep location, compact AVM, AVM score less than 3, &gt;18 Gy dose and &lt;15 cc total volume. The factors affecting symptomatic edema were smaller total volume and shorter time between first and last sessions (p 0.012). T2 image changes were affected by SM grade 3 or more (p 0.013) and AVM score 3 or more (p 0.014). CONCLUSION VSGR provides an effective and safe treatment option for large cerebral AVMs. Smaller AVM volume is associated with higher obliteration rate.

Volume-Staged Gamma Knife Radiosurgery for Large Brain Arteriovenous Malformation

Large brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) pose a management dilemma because of the limited success of any single treatment modality by itself. Surgery alone is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Similarly, embolization alone has limited efficacy. Volume-staged Gamma Knife radiosurgery (VSGR) has been developed for the treatment of large AVMs to increase the efficacy and improve safety of treatment of these lesions. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of VSGR technique for the treatment of large brain AVMs. The study included patients treated by VSGR between May 2009 and July 2015. All patients had large AVMs (>10 mL). There were 29 patients. Twenty-four patients completed radiographic follow-up, with 15 obliteration cases (62.5%). A total of 56 sessions were performed. The mean AVM volume was 16 mL (range, 10.1-29.3 mL). The mean prescription dose was 18 Gy (range, 14-22 Gy). The mean follow-up duration was 43 months (range, 21-73 months). One patient died during follow-up of an unrelated cause. Two patients had hemorrhage during follow-up. Symptomatic edema developed in 5 patients (17%). The factors affecting obliteration were smaller total volume, higher dose/stage, nondeep location, compact AVM, AVM score <3, >18 Gy dose, and <15 mL total volume. The factors affecting symptomatic edema were smaller total volume and shorter time between first and last sessions (P= 0.012). T2 image changes were affected by Spetzler-Martin grade ≥3 (P= 0.013) and AVM score ≥3 (P= 0.014). VSGR provides an effective and safe treatment option for large brain AVMs. Smaller AVM volume is associated with higher obliteration rate.

Intracochlear Pressure Changes After Cochlea Implant Electrode Pullback-Reduction of Intracochlear Trauma.

ObjectiveDifferent aspects should be considered to achieve an atraumatic insertion of cochlear implant electrode arrays as an important surgical goal. Intracochlear pressure changes are known to influence the preservation of residual hearing. By using the intraoperative “pullback technique,” an electrode position closer to the modiolus can be achieved than without the pullback. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate to what extent the pullback technique can influence intracochlear pressure changes.MethodsInsertions of cochlear implant electrodes were performed in an artificial cochlear model with two different perimodiolar arrays. Intracochlear pressure changes were recorded with a micro‐optical pressure sensor positioned in the apical part of the cochlear. After complete insertion of the electrode array, a so‐called pullback of the electrode was performed.ResultsStatistically significant pressure differences were measured if the electrode array was wet (ie, moisturized) during the pullback. Relative pressure changes in electrodes with smaller total volume are lower than pressure changes in larger electrodes.ConclusionThe preservation of residual hearing and, thus, the resulting postoperative audiological outcome has a major impact on the quality of life of the patients and has become of utmost importance. Intracochlear pressure changes during the pullback manoeuver are small in absolute terms, but can even be still reduced statistically significantly by a moistening the electrode before insertion. Using the pullback technique in cases with residual hearing does not affect the probability of preservation of residual hearing but could lead to a better audiological outcome.Level of EvidenceNA

Strong Near-Field Coupling of Plasmonic Resonators Embedded in Si Nanowires

The strength of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) near-field interactions scales in a well-known, nearly universal manner. Here, we show that embedding resonators in an anisotropic dielectric with a large permittivity can substantially increase coupling strength. We experimentally demonstrate this effect with Si nanowires containing two phosphorus-doped segments. The near-field decay length scaling factor is extracted from in situ infrared spectral response measurements using the “plasmon ruler” equation and found to be ca. 4−5 times larger than for the same resonators in isotropic vacuum or Si. Discrete dipole approximation calculations support the observed coupling behavior for nanowires and show how it is affected by the resonator geometry, carrier density, and embedding material (Si, Ge, GaAs, etc.). Our findings demonstrate that equivalent near-field interactions are achievable with a smaller total volume and/or at increased resonator spacing, offering new opportunities to engineer plasmon-based chemical sensors, catalysts, and waveguides.

NMR Applications for Polymer Composite Materials Moisture Uptake Investigation

The 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, NMR imaging, and pulsed field gradient NMR (PFG NMR) were applied for comparative study of moisture–polymer composite materials (PCM) interaction. The water uptake in PCM reinforced by aramid and carbon fibers was measured by NMR spectroscopy techniques. The aramid fiber-reinforced PCM absorbs water more intensively compared with PCM reinforced by carbon fiber, but both of them are retaining water inside of pores without formation of chemical bonds. Using NMR imaging the spatial distribution of water absorbed was visualized; preferable water pathways and influence of surface treatment on water-resistant properties were revealed. It was found that the surface rough treatment sufficiently improves the water absorption, but penetration of water molecules is still occurring only through the surfaces and it happens within a thin layer. PFG NMR technique revealed influence of pore structure on moisture–PCM interaction; it was found that additionally to strong hydrophobic properties of carbon fiber, the smaller total volume of pores sufficiently decrease the water uptake. Results achieved in this work demonstrate efficiency of NMR methods applied all together for investigation of PCM, and information obtained is practically important when designing advanced PCM with required properties.

Role of l-glutamine and glycine supplementation on irradiated colonic wall

Radiotherapy is frequently used for cancer treatment, but it may be associated with several complications. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the role of L-glutamine and/or glycine supplementation on the colonic wall in rats submitted to abdominal radiation. Sixty adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups: I-healthy, II (control)-irradiated rats without amino acid supplementation, III-irradiated rats with glycine supplementation, IV-irradiated rats with L-glutamine supplementation, V-irradiated rats with glycine supplementation 7 days before irradiation and with L-glutamine supplementation 7 days after irradiation, and VI-irradiated rats with L-glutamine supplementation 7 days before irradiation and with glycine supplementation 7 days after irradiation. Abdominal irradiation was employed with a dose of 1,000 cGy on the eighth day of the experiment. All animals underwent laparotomy on the 15th day for resection of a colonic segment for stereologic analysis. Parametric and nonparametric tests were used for statistical analysis, with the level of significance set at p<or=0.05. Control animals (group II) presented a significantly smaller total volume of colonic wall when compared to animals of groups I, III, IV, V, and VI. There was a significant increase in mucosal layer volume in the animals of group IV compared to animals of groups I, II, and III. Our findings suggest that L-glutamine and/or glycine supplementation is beneficial for the repair of the colonic wall of rats, but L-glutamine, with its trophic effects on the colonic mucosa, seems to exhibit better results.

Determination of surface area and volume of nanoparticle aggregates deposited in the human respiratory tract using DMA data

A method is proposed for using size distribution data obtained with a differential mobility analyzer (DMA) to calculate the total surface area and volume of electrically conducting nanoparticle chain aggregates deposited in the human respiratory tract. The method consists of two steps: (1) the electrical mobility diameter of conducting aggregates determined with a DMA is used to calculate the diffusion-equivalent diameter and (2) the theory of idealized aggregates developed by Lall and Friedlander [(2006). On-line measurement of ultrafine aggregate surface area and volume distributions by electrical mobility analysis: I. Theoretical analysis. Journal of Aerosol Science 37, 260] is applied in calculations for the aggregate surface area and volume. The results of calculations using the volume distribution of a sample of diesel exhaust particles indicate that deposited aggregates have a larger total surface area than do electrical-mobility-equivalent spheres, even though the deposited aggregates have a much smaller total volume. The proposed method for calculating diffusion-equivalent diameter from electrical mobility diameter is also employed to show that the deposition data reported in literature for diesel exhaust particles and petrol particles agree well when the deposition fractions are plotted as functions of diffusion-equivalent diameter.

Efeitos do alcoolismo crônico e da desintoxicação alcóolica sobre a glândula submandibular de ratos: estudo morfométrico

This work is a morphometric study of several parenquimatous structures of rats' submandibular gland which were submitted to experimental cronic alcoholism and others which were recovered after detoxication during 30 days. It was used 3 groups (5 rats in each group): Control, Alcoholic and Detoxicated. The fact of alcohol acts in body tissues, take us to believe that changes in the submandibular glands morphology of rats which were submitted to cronic alcoholism can happen. In fact, after alcoholisation and detoxication there is an occurence of significant statistically differences when we confront the 3 groups one another (two by two) in reference to the body weight of the animals (g) and the submandibular gland weight (mg). Usually, occurred a decrease in the alcoholic group and in the detoxicated group as well, towards the control group and a significant increase of the body and gland weight from the detoxicated group in relation to the alcoholic group. Regarding the total volume of the several gland structures evaluated, it was verified significant statistically differences in the acinar and granulous duct compartments, in which the alcoholic and the detoxicated groups presented a smaller total volume than the control group. About the other stereologic parameters evaluated, there was not significant statistically differences among the groups neither among the several gland structures evaluated.

Adaptation to sucrose loading in the rat.

Four groups of unanesthetized rats were infused with standardized volumes of 1.46 M (50% w/v) sucrose solutions through chronically indwelling arterial catheters. The excretion of water and solutes was measured during the following 6 hours. Five days later, after the animals had returned to their pre-loading weights, each group was infused again with the same load given initially. After the second loading, a pattern of excretion of water and solutes was observed which was different from that elicited by the first loading. The adaptations manifested after a second loading were characterized principally by (a) a smaller total volume excretion of urine (milliliters per 100 g body weight), (b) the excretion of a smaller fraction of the infused load, (c) an earlier inhibition of the initial diuresis, and (d) the production of a more concentrated urine. It is suggested that the initial loading conditions generate a physiological adaptation which promotes the water conservation mechanisms of the animal. This may involve a greater sensitivity of the adapted animal to antidiuretic hormone. It was further observed that the characteristics of the adaptations generated by intra-arterial infusion are qualitatively different from those produced by intraperitoneal infusion. This suggests that the ability of hypertonic solutions to evoke adaptive responses is dependent on the route through which such solutions are given.