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Crystallographic properties of Zr and ZIRLO™ in the temperature range of 30–1430 °C were investigated using in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD). Hexagonal Zr diffraction peaks observed at 30 °C started to vanish above 1110 °C for Zr and 1230 °C for ZIRLO™ owing to oxidation, resulting in a composition with monoclinic ZrO2, tetragonal ZrO2, and rhombohedral Zr3O. Furthermore, based on Pawley refinement of in situ HT-XRD spectra, we demonstrated that the lattice thermal expansion in ZIRLO™ occurred in a stable manner compared to that in Zr, which contribute to the enhancement of its mechanical properties via thermal treatment.

Synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, and osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome is an inflammatory clinical condition with aseptic bone lesions and characteristic skin manifestations. A 63-year-old woman presented with vague musculoskeletal symptoms including chronic buttock pain. The clinical work-up revealed multiple spine and osteoarticular involvement. Multilevel bone marrow edema and cortical erosions involving the spine, asymmetric sacroiliitis, and osteosclerosis of the sternoclavicular joint were consistent with a diagnosis of SAPHO syndrome. Considering SAPHO syndrome in the differential diagnosis, subsequent skin inspection revealed plantar pustulosis. Despite the unique feature of accompanying skin and skeletal lesions, skin lesions could be overlooked if not suspected.

In scaphoid nonunion, pseudarthrosis and sclerotic change occur at the nonunion site. These changes make a distal fragment look like a trapezium on plain radiographs and we called this phenomenon the double trapezia sign. The purpose of this study was to estimate the diagnostic reliability of the double trapezia sign and its clinical and prognostic implications for the scaphoid nonunion. A retrospective review of 124 patients who underwent surgical treatment because of scaphoid nonunion between January 2007 and December 2017 was performed. Two hand surgeons and 1 musculoskeletal radiologist reviewed preoperative plain radiographs independently. Each observer evaluated the plain radiographs in 2 separate sessions at least 3 weeks apart to assess intraobserver and interobserver reliabilities of the double trapezia sign. To assess clinical and prognostic implications of the double trapezia sign, the patients were divided into the positive and nonpositive groups, and several variables such as age, sex, duration of nonunion, size of the distal fragment, avascular necrosis (AVN) of the proximal fragment, type of bone graft, healing time, and failure rate were compared between the 2 groups. The kappa values of intraobserver and interobserver reliabilities were >0.8, corresponding to almost perfect agreement. There were 58 patients in the positive group and 66 patients in the nonpositive group. The mean duration of nonunion was 38.5 months in the positive group and 12.2 months in the nonpositive group (P

Objective To identify factors influencing endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) counts in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods The number of circulating CD34+/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2–positive EPCs was measured in 126 RA patients and 46 non-RA control patients. Endothelial function was assessed by brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Serum CXCL12 concentrations were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. EPCs and FMD were measured at baseline and after 24 weeks of anti–tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) therapy in 29 patients with active RA. Results The numbers of circulating EPCs were significantly lower in the RA patients than in the non-RA controls. In multivariate analysis, older age, reduced levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and higher bone erosion scores were independent risk factors for reduced EPC counts in RA patients. Serum CXCL12 levels correlated negatively with EPC counts, but positively with bone erosion scores. FMD was impaired in RA patients, and a decreased FMD in RA was closely associated with a higher bone erosion score and a reduced EPC count. In addition, EPC counts were restored by anti-TNFα therapy, and this increase was paralleled by improvement in FMD. Interestingly, restoration of EPC counts was attenuated in patients with higher bone erosion scores than in those with lower scores, despite similar levels of improvement in disease activity. Conclusion The numbers of circulating EPCs in RA patients are reduced and are inversely correlated with serum levels of CXCL12. Reduced EPC counts are closely associated not only with bone erosion, but also with endothelial dysfunction.

Introduction/Background A decrement of AMP-activated protein kinase-eNOS bioavailability is critical for the pathogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. We evaluated the neuro-protective effect of cinacalcet on DPN by activating the AMPK-eNOS pathway using db/db mice. Material and method The db/db mice and db/m controls at 8 weeks of age were divided to receive either a regular diet or a diet containing cinacalcet. Mice were evaluated sciatic motor nerve conduction and tactile response. We performed Mason's trichrome staining and immunohistochemistry for type IV collagen and 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine, an oxidative DNA damage marker. For immunofluorescence double staining, apoptosis was detected by ApopTag Fluorescein In Situ Apoptosis Detection Kit. The sciatic nerve specimens were double stained and we measured unmyelinated fiber areas and axonal areas using NIH Image J under a transmission electron microscope. Western blot assay was performed total protein of sciatic nerve with specific antibodies for CaSR, CaMKK, total LKB1, phospho-Ser428 LKB1, total AMPK, phospho-Thr172 AMPK, total eNOS, phospho-Ser1177 eNOS, PGC-1. Results The db/db mice showed sensorimotor impairment, nerve fibrosis and inflammation, apoptosis, disorganized myelin with axonal shrinkage and degeneration, and fewer unmyelinated fibers in the sciatic nerve compared to db/m mice. Cinacalcet administration, without causing any changes in blood glucose and Ca++ concentrations, significantly increased the paw withdrawal mechanical threshold and decreased the motor conduction latency, and ameliorated the deterioration of sciatic nerve pathology, accompanied by increases in the expressions of calcium-sensing receptor-CaMKK and phosphorylation of AMPK-eNOS in diabetic mice. Conclusion Cinacalcet may play an important role in the prevention and amelioration of DPN by amplifying AMPK signaling.

We characterized the lattice parameter and phase transformation behaviors of six uranium-based metallic fuels in the temperature range 303–1173 K using in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD). In all of the fuels, α-U crystal structure almost vanished at 1023 K while UO2 crystal structure started forming at 843 K. Pawley refinement of HT-XRD data revealed anisotropic lattice thermal expansion with increases along the a- and c-axes upon annealing in all the metallic fuels. Furthermore, we confirmed that rare-earth elements (Nd, Ce, Pr, and La) contained in the U–10Zr metallic fuel hardly influenced the thermal behavior of the lattice parameters.

The niche graph of a digraph $D$ is the (simple undirected) graph which has the same vertex set as $D$ and has an edge between two distinct vertices $x$ and $y$ if and only if $N^+_D(x) \cap N^+_D(y) \neq \emptyset$ or $N^-_D(x) \cap N^-_D(y) \neq \emptyset$, where $N^+_D(x)$ (resp. $N^-_D(x)$) is the set of out-neighbors (resp. in-neighbors) of $x$ in $D$. A digraph $D=(V,A)$ is called a semiorder (or a unit interval order) if there exist a real-valued function $f:V \to \mathbb{R}$ on the set $V$ and a positive real number $\delta \in \mathbb{R}$ such that $(x,y) \in A$ if and only if $f(x) > f(y) + \delta$. A digraph $D=(V,A)$ is called an interval order if there exists an assignment $J$ of a closed real interval $J(x) \subset \mathbb{R}$ to each vertex $x \in V$ such that $(x,y) \in A$ if and only if $\min J(x) > \max J(y)$. S. -R. Kim and F. S. Roberts characterized the competition graphs of semiorders and interval orders in 2002, and Y. Sano characterized the competition-common enemy graphs of semiorders and interval orders in 2010. In this note, we give characterizations of the niche graphs of semiorders and interval orders., Comment: 7 pages

The purpose of this article is to correlate MRI arthrographic findings with range of shoulder motions in patients with frozen shoulder.Shoulder MRI studies of 40 patients (22 women and 18 men; mean age, 52.8 years) with frozen shoulder were retrospectively compared with MRI studies of 40 age- and sex-matched control subjects without frozen shoulder. The thickness of the coracohumeral ligament and the capsule in axillary recess were measured retrospectively. The range of shoulder motions, including external rotation (ER), internal rotation (IR), lateral abduction, and forward flexion (FF), were prospectively evaluated by one experienced orthopedic surgeon.The mean (±SD) thickness of the coracohumeral ligament (4.13±1.04 vs 2.51±0.59 mm; p=0.000) and the capsule in axillary recess (3.97±1.45 vs 2.33±0.87 mm; p=0.000) were significantly greater in the patient group than in the control group. Multiple linear regression showed that only coracohumeral ligament thickness was significantly associated with ER (R2=0.418; p=0.000) and IR (R2=0.346; p=0.001), but not with lateral abduction and FF. Capsular thickness in axillary recess was not significantly correlated with any shoulder motion.Coracohumeral ligament thickness on MR arthrography correlates with the range limitation of ER and IR in patients with frozen shoulder.

Epidural injection of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors has been suggested as a useful therapeutic modality in pain management in animal studies and clinical settings. Direct epidural administration of parecoxib, a highly selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, may have advantages over its parenteral administration regarding required dose, side effects, and efficacy. However, no animal studies have been performed to investigate the possible neurotoxicity of epidurally injected parecoxib. Therefore, the present study was performed to assess the neurotoxicity of epidurally injected parecoxib in rats. Rats ( n = 45) were randomly divided into three groups: normal saline group (group N, n = 15), ethanol group (group E, n = 15), and parecoxib group (group P, n = 15). 0.3 mL of epidural parecoxib (6 mg) and the same volume of epidural ethanol or normal saline were injected into the epidural space. Neurologic assessment was performed 3, 7 and 21 days after the injection by pinch toe testing. Histologic changes were evaluated for vacuolation of the dorsal funiculus, chromatolytic changes of the motor neurons, neuritis, and meningeal inflammation. All rats in groups N and P showed normal response to pinch-toe testing and had a normal gait at each observation point. Histological examination showed no evidence suggestive of neuronal body or axonal lesions, gliosis, or myelin sheet damage in group N or P at any time. However, all rats in group E showed sensory-motor dysfunction, behavioral change, or histopathological abnormalities. No neurotoxicity on the spinal cord or abnormalities in sensorimotor function or behavior was noted in rats that received epidural parecoxib.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the imaging findings of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) compared to those of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). The study included ILCs (n = 27) and IDCs (n = 85). Imaging findings were retrospectively evaluated, according to the BI-RADS lexicon. We compared the imaging findings, multiplicity, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detection accuracy of ILC with those of IDC. At mammography, normal findings and mass lesions were more frequent with ILCs (14.8% and 59.2%, respectively) than with IDCs (1.2% and 44.7%, respectively) (P = 0.009). With ultrasonography (US), posterior acoustic shadowing was more frequently seen in ILCs (59.2%) than in IDCs (15.8%) (P < 0.001). With MRI, both ILCs and IDCs most commonly appeared as a heterogeneously enhancing, irregular mass with a spiculated border. Multifocality was more frequently associated with ILCs (40.7%) than with IDCs (14.1% 1% 0.002). However, multicentricity and bilaterality were not different between the two groups. The sensitivity and specificity of MRI for the detection of multiplicity were 91.6% and 73.3%, respectively, for ILCs and 83.3% and 80.3%, respectively, for IDCs. Normal findings, mass lesions on mammography, and posterior acoustic shadowing on US were more frequently associated with ILCs than with IDCs. Multifocality was more prevalent with ILCs than with IDCs.

The effects of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) and garlic on the formation of 15 heterocyclic amines (HCAs) were evaluated in fried beef patties. The HCAs were extracted from the fried meat samples and purified using a solid-phase extraction method and then analyzed on a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Among the 15 HCAs, 3-amino-1, 4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido-[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1), 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido [4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2), 2-amino-6-methyldipyrido [1,2-a:3′,2′-d]imidazole (Glu-P-1), 2-aminodipyrido [1,2-a:3′,2′-d]imidazole (Glu-P-2), 9H-pyrido [3,4-b]indole (norharman), 1-methyl-9H-pyrido [3,4-b]indole (harman), 2-amino-9H-pyrido [2,3-b]indole (AαC), 2-amino-3,8 dimethylimidazo [4,5-f]-quinoxaline (MeIQx), and 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo [4,5-b]-pyridine (PhIP) were detected in all of the cooked beef patties. Analysis of variance revealed that the addition of 1 or 3 g of FOS significantly reduced the formation of total amino-carboline type HCAs in the cooked beef patties, and adding the 1 or 3 g of FOS to ground beef patties reduced levels of PhIP and MeIQx (amino-imidazo-azaarenes; AIAs) in the patties. When it is compared with the HCA formation in control, additions of minced garlic (5.0, 10.0, and 15.0 g) to the ground beef patties (100 g) reduced HCA formation in the range of 14 to 100%.

This study was conducted to evaluate the cytoprotective activity of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertner) leaf extract (LLE) on mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells. The 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH) free radical scavenging activities of LLE increased in a concentration dependent manner. The cells, damaged by oxidative stress, decreased their viability following increasing concentration of H2O2, but the co-treatment of n-butanol fraction of LLE and H2O2 resulted in an increase in cell growth, by about 25%, compared to the cells treated with H2O2. The n-butanol fraction of LLE inhibited the cytotoxicity induced by H2O2 in a concentration dependent manner. The oxidative damage to the cells, measured by apoptotic and necrotic cell accumulation, was similar with the addition of the n-butanol fraction of LLE to H2O2. Taken together, these results suggest that LLE inhibited the cytotoxicity which is induced by H2O2, and has a protective effect on MEF cell against oxidative stress.

Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (MRH) is a rare non-Langerhans histiocytosis of unknown etiology with a predilection for joint and skin. The characteristic clinical features are papulonodular skin eruptions and inflammatory polyarthritis, sometimes progressive to arthritis mutilans, a severe destructive arthropathy. Although these manifestations can present at the same time, it is more common that one feature precedes the others. Notably, these features are similar to those found in some rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis or dermatomyositis, and this can lead to a misdiagnosis, especially during periods where only one feature is present. Herein, we report a female patient with polyarthralgia and subsequent skin eruptions, who was eventually diagnosed with MRH. Her symptoms seemed to resemble those of some rheumatic diseases, but several features such as affected joints and the characteristic shape of the skin lesions did not correspond to that. The histological result of infiltration of histiocytes and multinucleated giant cells in the skin ultimately facilitated the correct diagnosis. In this paper, we review MRH briefly and highlight several differential points which enable us to increase the likelihood of correctly diagnosing MRH.

To identify factors influencing endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) counts in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).The number of circulating CD34+/ vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2-positive EPCs was measured in 126 RA patients and 46 non-RA control patients. Endothelial function was assessed by brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Serum CXCL12 concentrations were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. EPCs and FMD were measured at baseline and after 24 weeks of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy in 29 patients with active RA.The numbers of circulating EPCs were significantly lower in the RA patients than in the non-RA controls. In multivariate analysis, older age, reduced levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and higher bone erosion scores were independent risk factors for reduced EPC counts in RA patients. Serum CXCL12 levels correlated negatively with EPC counts, but positively with bone erosion scores. FMD was impaired in RA patients, and a decreased FMD in RA was closely associated with a higher bone erosion score and a reduced EPC count. In addition, EPC counts were restored by anti-TNF therapy, and this increase was paralleled by improvement in FMD. Interestingly, restoration of EPC counts was attenuated in patients with higher bone erosion scores than in those with lower scores, despite similar levels of improvement in disease activity.The numbers of circulating EPCs in RA patients are reduced and are inversely correlated with serum levels of CXCL12. Reduced EPC counts are closely associated not only with bone erosion, but also with endothelial dysfunction.

To document the imaging characteristics of subcutaneous and musculoskeletal sparganosis.Ten patients with musculoskeletal sparganosis were examined, with a variety of imaging modalities including MRI (n=6), ultrasonography (n=8), plain radiography (n=7) and CT (n=1). Pathologic correlation was carried out in all cases.Nine lesions involved soft tissues, of which seven were in the thigh, two in the trunk and one involved a vertebral body. The majority of the lesions in soft tissue were confined to the subcutaneous layer but two extended deep into underlying muscles. Sonography revealed low-echoic serpiginous tubular tracts (8/8), and an intraluminal echogenic structure (4/8). MRI revealed multiple serpiginous tubular tracts and peripheral rim enhancement. Two patients showed perilesional soft tissue edema. Pathologically, the lesion consisted of a larva surrounded by three layers of inflammation: an inner epithelioid granulomatous cell layer, middle chronic inflammatory cell layers, and an outer fibrous layer.The study suggests that if serpiginous tubular tracts are seen at imaging studies, musculoskeletal sparganosis should be included in the differential diagnosis.

This chapter describes the some common disorders of the bone marrow and immune systems with an emphasis on the elderly. Advancing age comes bundled with increased cancer incidence and mortality. The hematopoietic disorders of the elderly which can be diagnosed by radiologic studies include anemia, amyloidosis, myelofibrosis, and malignancies such as multiple myeloma, plasmacytoma, leukemia, and lymphoma. In this chapter, we discuss various imaging characteristics of hematological disorders and malignancies in the geriatric population. Imaging modalities include radiography, computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), PET-CT, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Granulocytic sarcoma is a tumor formed by myeloid precursors at an extramedullary site. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the MRI findings and clinical manifestations in 32 cases of granulocytic sarcoma of the spine.Thirty-two patients (21 males, 11 females; mean age, 32 years) with myeloid leukemia and spinal granulocytic sarcoma were included in this study. All of the patients underwent radiotherapy with chemotherapy, and four patients underwent surgical decompression or excisional biopsy. All 32 patients underwent MRI of the spine; 21 patients underwent follow-up MRI.Nine patients had spinal granulocytic sarcoma in the initial manifestation of leukemia. The other 23 diagnoses were made during a remission or relapse period. The lumbosacral and thoracic portions of the spine were commonly involved. Twenty-seven patients had multiple or contiguous multilevel involvement. According to location, spinal granulocytic sarcoma was classified as epidural in the central spinal canal, epidural along the nerve course, thickening of the nerve root itself, or prevertebral. Lesions were seen as isointense on T1-weighted images and had intermediate signal intensity with homogeneous enhancement on T2-weighted images. Nine patients had complete reduction of the tumor volume, and 12 patients had partial reduction. The median survival period was 9 months, and the 1-year survival rate was 41%.Knowledge of the imaging findings of spinal granulocytic sarcoma, which consists of multiple extramedullary masses with diffuse leukemic bone marrow infiltration, can lead to early diagnosis and appropriate treatment to reduce neurologic symptoms.

The optical conductivity of the Kondo insulator compound CeOs4Sb12 reveals the formation of a 70 meV charge gap below 160 K. It also exhibits a weak shoulderlike structure at 30 meV, below 60 K. We have investigated CeOs4Sb12 by inelastic neutron scattering techniques using incident neutron energies (E-i) of 23 and 200 meV, at 5 and 176 K. Our measurements with E-i = 200 meV show magnetic scattering centered near 50-60 meV and low-Q (similar to 3.8 angstrom(-1)) at 5 K, in addition to the continuum of magnetic scattering observed at 176 K. This clearly indicates the opening of a spin gap (or pseudogap ) of the order of 50 meV at 5 K in the strongly renormalized band near the Fermi energy. Furthermore, measurements with E-i = 23 meV did not reveal any evidence of magnetic excitations below 20 meV, consistent with the scenario of a spin gap in CeOs4Sb12. However, the estimated magnetic scattering deduced from the E-i = 200 meV data reveals the presence of broad magnetic scattering between 25 and 80 meV centered near 27 meV, indicating a second energy scale with a gap energy of 27 meV. We interpret the 50 meV energy scale in terms of a direct gap, while the 27 meV energy scale corresponds to an indirect gap across the two hybridized bands. This gap energy of 27 meV is in good agreement with the so-called universal energy scale versus single ion Kondo temperature plot. We present the general features of spin gap systems such as CeOs4Sb12 and CeRu4Sb12, and discuss the role of crystal field excitations regarding the spin gap formation based on a theoretical model.

We have investigated the magnetic properties of trioctylphosphine (TOP)-stabilized monodisperse palladium nanoparticles of 2, 3, 5 and 10 nm in size, in order to study the possible effects of surface Pd atoms. These nanoparticles display clear signatures of ferromagnetism such as hysteresis and saturation magnetization over the entire temperature range studied here from 2 to 380 K. The magnetization of the nanoparticles increases with decreasing particle size, indicating a possibly important role played by Pd atoms on the surface of the nanoparticles. More importantly, we also found that the magnetization of our TOP-stabilized Pd nanoparticles is one order of magnitude smaller than those of other Pd nanoparticles reported so far, which is most likely to be due to the weak nature of interface interaction between TOP ligands and Pd nanoparticles compared to other ligands. This observation is consistent with the view that the magnetism of Pd nanoparticles is strongly influenced by the interaction of surface atoms with the ligands. We discuss our experimental findings in terms of a charge transfer mechanism due to a covalent bond of Pd atoms with the protective TOP ligand, which would increase the 4d density of states of Pd atoms due to localization by the bonded P atoms.