Fraction F (Fraction F / Ateroid / Ateroid 200)

Diffuse osteosclerosis in acute megakaryoblastic leukemia on [18 F]FDG-PET/CT.

Horňák Gregor G, Ičová Veronika V, Burianková Eva E, Látal Vojtěch V et al.

Comparison of visual estimation of ventricular systolic function with quantitative echocardiographic markers in newborn infants.

Pereira Sujith S SS, Yeldo Beena B, Fleming Rachael R, Satas Saulius S

Neonatologist-performed echocardiography (NPE) is increasingly practiced. NPE operators typically use visual estimation of systolic function and, if indicated, confirm function using quantitative echocardiographic markers. This exploratory study aims to compare the concordance between qualitative and quantitative echocardiographic markers among NPE and non-NPE operators. We studied a cohort of newborn infants, undergoing routine NPE by the authors at Homerton University Hospital and Aberdeen Maternity Hospital from April 2024 to October 2024. Blinded NPE and non-NPE operators independently assessed left and right ventricular systolic function visually. We compared visual estimation with standard quantitative echocardiographic markers such as shortening fraction, Simpson's ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain for left ventricle and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and fractional area change for right ventricle. We examined the concordance between visual estimation and quantitative echocardiographic markers for biventricular systolic function. Sixty infants with a mean (SD) gestation and birth weight of 34 (6.2) weeks and 2311 (1319) grams respectively were examined. Sensitivity testing for all echocardiographic parameters ranged from 25% to 80% whereas specificity ranged from 38% to 78%. Sensitivity increased with worsening grades of LV dysfunction defined using shortening fraction. While concordance between NPE and non-NPE operator was generally limited across most echocardiographic parameters, test-retest reliability was acceptable for several quantitative measures, including Simpson's ejection fraction, global longitudinal strain and right ventricular fractional area change. Visual estimation may be a useful bedside tool for detecting severe ventricular dysfunction in newborn infants; however; quantitative echocardiographic measures are likely to improve the assessment of mild to moderate dysfunction. Further studies should confirm these findings in a larger cohort with a higher representation of infants with ventricular dysfunction.

Effective exponents for the diffusive coarsening of wet foams and analogous materials.

Durian Douglas J DJ

It is a long-standing puzzle why experimentally measured exponents for power law growth of the average bubble radius cross over from 1/2 in the dry limit to 1/3 near the jamming transition, rather than in the very wet limit of dilute bubbles. Here, this is explained by calculation of the diffuse gas exchange rate between nearly kissing spherical bubbles. The result is only logarithmically faster than a 1/3 power law, a difference too small to be seen in existing data. The same approach is generalized to jammed foams, where bubbles are modeled as truncated spheres with circular soap films of average radii fR where R is the average bubble radius. The result is a growth law that is not a power law that can, nevertheless, be characterized with an effective exponent that varies from 1/2 toward 1/3 as f decreases to 0 at the jamming transition. This exponent prediction is compared with existing data sets in terms of a system-specific connection of f to liquid content.

Optimization of Hydrophobic Group Structures Covalently Incorporated into Gelatin Hydrogels for Efficient Adsorption and Release of Hydrophobic Drugs.

Nishimura Ko K, Matsumoto Takanori T, Kanamaru Kazunori K, Kobaru Saki S et al.

Hydrophobically modified gelatin (HMG) hydrogels are promising proof-of-concept drug delivery carriers. However, the structural effects of incorporated hydrophobic groups remain systematically unexamined. Here, twelve linear fatty and aromatic hydrophobic groups with varying carbon numbers were incorporated into gelatin to identify optimal structures for hydrophobic drug loading. Adsorption behaviors of three drug models were quantitatively evaluated per mole of incorporated carbon atoms. Linear fatty aldehydes with 11 and 12 carbon atoms (F-CHO-C11 and C12) achieved maximum adsorption efficiency, with equilibrium adsorption capacities of 0.35×10-3 and 0.34×10-3 mol-rhodamine B/mol-carbon atoms, respectively. Thermodynamic calculations (COSMO-SAC) and quantum chemical simulations (Gaussian MP2) supported the idea that longer alkyl chains enhance affinity, yielding higher interaction energy (-11.8kcal/mol for C12 vs. -5.73kcal/mol for C4). Furthermore, F-CHO-C12 HMG hydrogel achieved a substantial dexamethasone loading capacity of approximately 2.8×10-6 mol/g-dry polymer (unmodified gelatin showed negligible loading <0.08×10-6 mol/g-dry polymer) and sustained release at 37 °C (∼95% cumulative release without initial burst). These findings establish quantitative design guidelines for hydrophobically modified polymer hydrogels.