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Tissue Interface (tissue + interface)
Selected AbstractsAutomatic slice positioning (ASP) for passive real-time tracking of interventional devices using projection-reconstruction imaging with echo-dephasing (PRIDE)MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE, Issue 4 2009S. Patil Abstract A novel and fast approach for passive real-time tracking of interventional devices using paramagnetic markers, termed "projection-reconstruction imaging with echo-dephasing" (PRIDE) is presented. PRIDE is based on the acquisition of echo-dephased projections along all three physical axes. Dephasing is preferably set to 4, within each projection ensuring that background tissues do not contribute to signal formation and thus appear heavily suppressed. However, within the close vicinity of the paramagnetic marker, local gradient fields compensate for the intrinsic dephasing to form an echo. Successful localization of the paramagnetic marker with PRIDE is demonstrated in vitro and in vivo in the presence of different types of off-resonance (air/tissue interfaces, main magnetic field inhomogeneities, etc). In order to utilize the PRIDE sequence for vascular interventional applications, it was interleaved with balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) to provide positional updates to the imaged slice using a dedicated real-time feedback link. Active slice positioning (ASP) with PRIDE is demonstrated in vitro, requiring approximately 20 ms for the positional update to the imaging sequence, comparable to existing active tracking methods. Magn Reson Med, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Multifunctional Nanobiomaterials for Neural InterfacesADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 4 2009Mohammad Reza Abidian Abstract Neural electrodes are designed to interface with the nervous system and provide control signals for neural prostheses. However, robust and reliable chronic recording and stimulation remains a challenge for neural electrodes. Here, a novel method for the fabrication of soft, low impedance, high charge density, and controlled releasing nanobiomaterials that can be used for the surface modification of neural microelectrodes to stabilize the electrode/tissue interface is reported. The fabrication process includes electrospinning of anti-inflammatory drug-incorporated biodegradable nanofibers, encapsulation of these nanofibers by an alginate hydrogel layer, followed by electrochemical polymerization of conducting polymers around the electrospun drug-loaded nanofibers to form nanotubes and within the alginate hydrogel scaffold to form cloud-like nanostructures. The three-dimensional conducting polymer nanostructures significantly decrease the electrode impedance and increase the charge capacity density. Dexamethasone release profiles show that the alginate hydrogel coating slows down the release of the drug, significantly reducing the burst effect. These multifunctional materials are expected to be of interest for a variety of electrode/tissue interfaces in biomedical devices. [source] Cefazolin embedded biodegradable polypeptide nanofilms promising for infection prevention: A preliminary study on cell responsesJOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 8 2010Hongshuai Li Abstract Implant-associated infection is a serious complication in orthopedic surgery, and endowing implant surfaces with antibacterial properties could be one of the most promising approaches for preventing such infection. In this study, we developed cefazolin loaded biodegradable polypeptide multilayer nanofilms on orthopedic implants. We found that the amount of cefazolin released could be tuned. A high local concentration of cefazolin was achieved within the first a few hours and therefore may inhibit bacterial colonization in the critical postimplantation period. The developed cefazolin loaded nanofilms showed their in vitro efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus; the more antibiotics loaded, the longer the nanocoated implant had antibacterial properties. More interestingly, antibiotic-loaded polypeptide multilayer nanofilms also improved osteoblast bioactivity including cell viability and proliferation. These findings suggested that biodegradable polypeptide multilayer nanofilms as antibiotic carriers at the implant/tissue interface are compatible with human cells such as osteoblasts and bactericidal to bacteria such as S. aureus. These characteristics could be promising for preventing implant-associated infection and potentially improving bone healing. © 2010 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 28:992,999, 2010 [source] The Effect of Ablation Electrode Length and Catheter Tip to Endocardial Orientation on Radiofrequency Lesion Size in the Canine Right AtriumPACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2002RODRIGO C. CHAN CHAN, R.C., et al.: The Effect of Ablation Electrode Length and Catheter Tip to Endocardial Orientation on Radiofrequency Lesion Size in the Canine Right Atrium. Although the determinants of radiofrequency lesion size have been characterized in vitro and in ventricular tissue in situ, the effects of catheter tip length and endocardial surface orientation on lesion generation in atrial tissue have not been studied. Therefore, the dimensions of radiofrequency lesions produced with 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-mm distal electrode lengths were characterized in 26 closed-chested dogs. The impact of parallel versus perpendicular catheter tip/endocardial surface orientation, established by biplane fluoroscopy and/or intracardiac echocardiography, on lesion dimensions was also assessed. Radiofrequency voltage was titrated to maintain a steady catheter tip temperature of 75°C for 60 seconds. With a perpendicular catheter tip/tissue orientation, the lesion area increased from 29 ± 7 mm2 with a 4-mm tip to 42 ± 12 mm2 with the 10-mm tip, but decreased to 29 ± 8 mm2 with ablation via a 12-mm tip. With a parallel distal tip/endocardial surface orientation, lesion areas were significantly greater: 54 ± 22 mm2 with a 4-mm tip, 96 ± 28 mm2 with a 10- mm tip and 68 ± 24 mm2 with a 12-mm tip (all P < 0.001 vs perpendicular orientation). Lesion lengths and apparent volumes were larger with parallel, compared to perpendicular tip/tissue orientations, although lesion depth was independent of catheter tip length with both catheter tip/tissue orientations. Electrode edge effects were not observed with any tip length. Direct visualization using intracardiac ultrasound guidance was subjectively helpful in insuring an appropriate catheter tip/tissue interface needed to maximize lesion size. Although atrial lesion size is critically dependent on catheter tip length, it is more influenced by the catheter orientation to the endocardial surface. This information may also be helpful in designing electrode arrays for the creation of continuous linear lesions for the elimination of complex atrial tachyarrhythmias. [source] Carrier proteins determine local pharmacokinetics and arterial distribution of paclitaxelJOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, Issue 9 2001Mark A. Lovich Abstract The growing use of local drug delivery to vascular tissues has increased interest in hydrophobic compounds. The binding of these drugs to serum proteins raises their levels in solution, but hinders their distribution through tissues. Inside the arterial interstitium, viscous and steric forces and binding interactions impede drug motion. As such, this might be the ideal scenario for increasing the amount of drug delivered to, and residence time within, arterial tissues. We quantified carrier-mediated transport for paclitaxel, a model hydrophobic agent with potential use in proliferative vascular diseases, by determining, in the presence or absence of carrier proteins, the maximum concentration of drug in aqueous solution, the diffusivity in free solution, and the diffusivity in arterial tissues. Whereas solubility of paclitaxel was raised 8.1-, 21-, and 57-fold by physiologic levels of ,1 -acid glycoproteins, bovine serum albumin, and calf serum over that in protein-free solution, diffusivity of paclitaxel in free solution was reduced by 41, 49, and 74%, respectively. When paclitaxel mixed in these solutions was applied to arteries both in vitro and in vivo, drug was more abundant at the tissue interface, but protein carriers tended to retain drug in the lumen. Once within the tissue, these proteins did not affect the rate at which drug traverses the tissue because this hydrophobic drug interacted with the abundant fixed proteins and binding sites. The protein binding properties of hydrophobic compounds allow for beneficial effects on transvascular transport, deposition, and distribution, and may enable prolonged effect and rationally guide local and systemic strategies for their administration. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmaceutical Association J Pharm Sci 90:1324,1335, 2001 [source] 3T MR of the prostate: Reducing susceptibility gradients by inflating the endorectal coil with a barium sulfate suspensionMAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE, Issue 5 2007Yael Rosen Abstract Most prostate MRI/MRS examinations are performed with an endorectal coil inflated with air, leading to an air,tissue interface that induces magnetic susceptibility gradients within the gland. Inflation of the coil with a barium sulfate suspension is described and compared to inflation with air or liquid perfluorocarbon (PFC). The B0 field in the prostate gland was mapped for five healthy volunteers when the endorectal coil was inflated with each of the three agents. A marked decrease in the posterior-anterior (P-A) field gradient and a significant improvement in field homogeneity were evident in the presence of a barium suspension and PFC relative to air. MRS data acquired from the prostate gland in the presence of air, PFC, and a barium suspension in the endorectal coil showed similar trends, demonstrating improvement in line-widths and spectral resolution when the barium suspension or the PFC were inflating the endorectal coil. On this basis we conclude that a barium suspension provides an available, cheap, and safe alternative to PFC, and we suggest that inflating the endorectal coil with a barium suspension should be considered for prostate MR studies, especially at high field strengths (such as 3T). Magn Reson Med 57:898,904, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Microdamage and altered vascularity at the enthesis,bone interface provides an anatomic explanation for bone involvement in the HLA,B27,associated spondylarthritides and allied disordersARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 1 2007M. Benjamin Objective To describe the basis for entheseal-associated bone disease in the spondylarthritides, by analyzing microanatomic and histopathologic relationships between soft tissue, bone cortex, and adjacent trabeculae. Methods Serial sections from 52 entheses were examined; these entheses encompassed small and large insertions in the upper limb (n = 21), lower limb (n = 27), and spine (n = 4) from 60 cadavers. Enthesis microdamage (fissuring) as well as vascular and reparative changes were evaluated. Contact radiographs were used to ascertain the relationship between entheses and the trabecular network. Results At virtually all fibrocartilaginous entheses, the deep cortical boundary was extremely thin (typically 50,600 ,m) or indistinguishable, and 96% of entheses had small holes in the cortical shell (typically 100,400 ,m wide). Such regions were frequent sites of bone formation and renewal (96%) and microdamage (31%); these changes were more common in the lower limb. The presence of blood vessels near holes in the cortical shell was common; in 85% of attachments, blood vessels were present on the soft tissue side of the enthesis. Highly orientated trabeculae were more obvious in the lower limb than the upper limb (59% versus 29%). Conclusion The trabecular network supporting the cortical shell is an integral part of the enthesis, transferring load to an extensive skeletal region. In many cases, tendons/ligaments are anchored directly to such networks. This functional integration is associated with microdamage and repair at the hard tissue,soft tissue interface. These findings have implications for understanding bone involvement in SpA and for the SpA concept in general, especially the hypothesis that enthesis,bone architecture may be important in disease initiation. [source] Complex biopolymeric systems at stalk/epicuticular wax plant interfaces: A near infrared spectroscopy study of the sugarcane exampleBIOPOLYMERS, Issue 8 2009Deborah E. Purcell Abstract Naturally occurring macromolecules present at the epicuticular wax/stalk tissue interface of sugarcane were investigated using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Investigations of water, cellulose, and wax-cellulose interrelationships were possible using NIRS methods, where in the past many different techniques have been required. The sugarcane complex interface was used as an example of typical phenomena found at plant leaf/stalk interfaces. This detailed study showed that sugarcane cultivars exhibit spectral differences in the CHn, water OH, and cellulose OH regions, reflecting the presence of epicuticular wax, epidermis, and ground tissue. Spectrally complex water bands (5276 cm,1 and 7500,6000 cm,1) were investigated via freeze-drying experiments which revealed sequentially a complex band substructure (7500,6000 cm,1), a developing weak H-bonding system (,7301 cm,1), and strong H-bonding (,7062 cm,1) assigned to water,cellulose interactions. Principal component analysis techniques clarified complex band trends that developed during the desorption experiment. Bands from wax-free stalk were minimized in the 4327,4080 cm,1 region (CHn vibrational modes associated with long chain fatty compounds), while bands from the stalk tissue (particularly lignin and moisture) became more pronounced. This work is a comprehensive guide to similar studies by scientists involved in a variety of plant and fiber research fields. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 91: 642,651, 2009. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The "Published Online" date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com [source] | |||||||||||||