Multifunctional magnetic mesoporous bioactive glass scaffolds with a hierarchical pore structure

Hyperthermia and local drug delivery have been proposed the potential therapeutic approaches for bone defects resulting from malignant bone tumors. Development of bioactive materials with magnetic and drug-delivery properties may potentially meet this target. The aim of this study is to develop a multifunctional mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) scaffold system for both hyperthermia and local-drug delivery application potentially. For this aim, Iron (Fe) containing MBG (Fe-MBG) scaffolds with hierarchically large pores (300-500 µm) and fingerprint-like mesopores (4.5 nm) have been successfully prepared. The effect of Fe on the mesopore structure, physiochemical, magnetism, drug delivery and biological properties of MBG scaffolds has been systematically investigated. The results showed that the morphology of the mesopore varied from straight channels to curved fingerprint-like channels after incorporated parts of Fe into MBG scaffolds. The magnetism magnitude of MBG scaffolds can be tailored by controlling Fe contents. Furthermore, the incorporating of Fe into mesoporous MBG glass scaffolds enhanced the mitochondrial activity and bone-relative gene (ALP and OCN) expression of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on the scaffolds. The obtained Fe-MBG scaffolds also possessed high specific surface areas and sustained drug delivery. Therefore, Fe-MBG scaffolds are magnetic, degradable and bioactive. The multifunction of Fe-MBG scaffolds indicates that there is a great potential for Fe-MBG scaffolds to be used for the therapy and regeneration of large-bone defects caused by malignant bone tumors through the combination of hyperthermia, local drug delivery and their osteoconductivity.

Scaling of thermo-magnetic convection

The scaling to characterize unsteady boundary layer development for thermo-magnetic convection of paramagnetic fluids with the Prandtl number greater than one is developed. Under the consideration is a square cavity with initially quiescent isothermal fluid placed in microgravity condition (g = 0) and subject to a uniform, vertical gradient magnetic field. A distinct magnetic thermal-boundary layer is produced by sudden imposing of a higher temperature on the vertical sidewall and as an effect of magnetic body force generated on paramagnetic fluid. The transient flow behavior of the resulting boundary layer is shown to be described by three stages: the start-up stage, the transitional stage and the steady state. The scaling is verified by numerical simulations with the magnetic momentum parameter m variation and the parameter γRa variation.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and neurocognitive dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnea before and after CPAP treatment

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To determine whether cerebral metabolite changes may underlie abnormalities of neurocognitive function and respiratory control in OSA. DESIGN: Observational, before and after CPAP treatment. SETTING: Two tertiary hospital research institutes. PARTICIPANTS: 30 untreated severe OSA patients, and 25 age-matched healthy controls, all males free of comorbidities, and all having had detailed structural brain analysis using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Single voxel bilateral hippocampal and brainstem, and multivoxel frontal metabolite concentrations were measured using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in a high resolution (3T) scanner. Subjects also completed a battery of neurocognitive tests. Patients had repeat testing after 6 months of CPAP. There were significant differences at baseline in frontal N-acetylaspartate/choline (NAA/Cho) ratios (patients [mean (SD)] 4.56 [0.41], controls 4.92 [0.44], P = 0.001), and in hippocampal choline/creatine (Cho/Cr) ratios (0.38 [0.04] vs 0.41 [0.04], P = 0.006), (both ANCOVA, with age and premorbid IQ as covariates). No longitudinal changes were seen with treatment (n = 27, paired t tests), however the hippocampal differences were no longer significant at 6 months, and frontal NAA/Cr ratios were now also significantly different (patients 1.55 [0.13] vs control 1.65 [0.18] P = 0.01). No significant correlations were found between spectroscopy results and neurocognitive test results, but significant negative correlations were seen between arousal index and frontal NAA/Cho (r = -0.39, corrected P = 0.033) and between % total sleep time at SpO(2) < 90% and hippocampal Cho/Cr (r = -0.40, corrected P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: OSA patients have brain metabolite changes detected by MRS, suggestive of decreased frontal lobe neuronal viability and integrity, and decreased hippocampal membrane turnover. These regions have previously been shown to have no gross structural lesions using VBM. Little change was seen with treatment with CPAP for 6 months. No correlation of metabolite concentrations was seen with results on neurocognitive tests, but there were significant negative correlations with OSA severity as measured by severity of nocturnal hypoxemia. CITATION: O'Donoghue FJ; Wellard RM; Rochford PD; Dawson A; Barnes M; Ruehland WR; Jackson ML; Howard ME; Pierce RJ; Jackson GD. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and neurocognitive dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnea before and after CPAP treatment.

3D reconstruction of long bones utilising magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

The design of pre-contoured fracture fixation implants (plates and nails) that correctly fit the anatomy of a patient utilises 3D models of long bones with accurate geometric representation. 3D data is usually available from computed tomography (CT) scans of human cadavers that generally represent the above 60 year old age group. Thus, despite the fact that half of the seriously injured population comes from the 30 year age group and below, virtually no data exists from these younger age groups to inform the design of implants that optimally fit patients from these groups. Hence, relevant bone data from these age groups is required. The current gold standard for acquiring such data–CT–involves ionising radiation and cannot be used to scan healthy human volunteers. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been shown to be a potential alternative in the previous studies conducted using small bones (tarsal bones) and parts of the long bones. However, in order to use MRI effectively for 3D reconstruction of human long bones, further validations using long bones and appropriate reference standards are required. Accurate reconstruction of 3D models from CT or MRI data sets requires an accurate image segmentation method. Currently available sophisticated segmentation methods involve complex programming and mathematics that researchers are not trained to perform. Therefore, an accurate but relatively simple segmentation method is required for segmentation of CT and MRI data. Furthermore, some of the limitations of 1.5T MRI such as very long scanning times and poor contrast in articular regions can potentially be reduced by using higher field 3T MRI imaging. However, a quantification of the signal to noise ratio (SNR) gain at the bone - soft tissue interface should be performed; this is not reported in the literature. As MRI scanning of long bones has very long scanning times, the acquired images are more prone to motion artefacts due to random movements of the subject‟s limbs. One of the artefacts observed is the step artefact that is believed to occur from the random movements of the volunteer during a scan. This needs to be corrected before the models can be used for implant design. As the first aim, this study investigated two segmentation methods: intensity thresholding and Canny edge detection as accurate but simple segmentation methods for segmentation of MRI and CT data. The second aim was to investigate the usability of MRI as a radiation free imaging alternative to CT for reconstruction of 3D models of long bones. The third aim was to use 3T MRI to improve the poor contrast in articular regions and long scanning times of current MRI. The fourth and final aim was to minimise the step artefact using 3D modelling techniques. The segmentation methods were investigated using CT scans of five ovine femora. The single level thresholding was performed using a visually selected threshold level to segment the complete femur. For multilevel thresholding, multiple threshold levels calculated from the threshold selection method were used for the proximal, diaphyseal and distal regions of the femur. Canny edge detection was used by delineating the outer and inner contour of 2D images and then combining them to generate the 3D model. Models generated from these methods were compared to the reference standard generated using the mechanical contact scans of the denuded bone. The second aim was achieved using CT and MRI scans of five ovine femora and segmenting them using the multilevel threshold method. A surface geometric comparison was conducted between CT based, MRI based and reference models. To quantitatively compare the 1.5T images to the 3T MRI images, the right lower limbs of five healthy volunteers were scanned using scanners from the same manufacturer. The images obtained using the identical protocols were compared by means of SNR and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) of muscle, bone marrow and bone. In order to correct the step artefact in the final 3D models, the step was simulated in five ovine femora scanned with a 3T MRI scanner. The step was corrected using the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm based aligning method. The present study demonstrated that the multi-threshold approach in combination with the threshold selection method can generate 3D models from long bones with an average deviation of 0.18 mm. The same was 0.24 mm of the single threshold method. There was a significant statistical difference between the accuracy of models generated by the two methods. In comparison, the Canny edge detection method generated average deviation of 0.20 mm. MRI based models exhibited 0.23 mm average deviation in comparison to the 0.18 mm average deviation of CT based models. The differences were not statistically significant. 3T MRI improved the contrast in the bone–muscle interfaces of most anatomical regions of femora and tibiae, potentially improving the inaccuracies conferred by poor contrast of the articular regions. Using the robust ICP algorithm to align the 3D surfaces, the step artefact that occurred by the volunteer moving the leg was corrected, generating errors of 0.32 ± 0.02 mm when compared with the reference standard. The study concludes that magnetic resonance imaging, together with simple multilevel thresholding segmentation, is able to produce 3D models of long bones with accurate geometric representations. The method is, therefore, a potential alternative to the current gold standard CT imaging.

In vitro estimation of foetal liver volume using ultrasound, x-ray computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging

Sixteen formalin-fixed foetal livers were scanned in vitro using a new system for estimating volume from a sequence of multiplanar 2D ultrasound images. Three different scan techniques were used (radial, parallel and slanted) and four volume estimation algorithms (ellipsoid, planimetry, tetrahedral and ray tracing). Actual liver volumes were measured by water displacement. Twelve of the sixteen livers also received x-ray computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) scans and the volumes were calculated using voxel counting and planimetry. The percentage accuracy (mean ± SD) was 5.3 ± 4.7%, −3.1 ± 9.6% and −0.03 ± 9.7% for ultrasound (radial scans, ray volumes), MR and CT (voxel counting) respectively. The new system may be useful for accurately estimating foetal liver volume in utero.

Double diffusive magneto-convection fluid flow in a strong cross magnetic field with uniform surface heat and mass flux

In this study, magnetohydrodynamic natural convection boundary layer flow of an electrically conducting and viscous incompressible fluid along a heated vertical flat plate with uniform heat and mass flux in the presence of strong cross magnetic field has been investigated. For smooth integrations the boundary layer equations are transformed in to a convenient dimensionless form by using stream function formulation as well as the free variable formulation. The nonsimilar parabolic partial differential equations are integrated numerically for Pr ≪1 that is appropriate for liquid metals against the local Hartmann parameter ξ . Further, asymptotic solutions are obtained near the leading edge using regular perturbation method for smaller values of ξ . Solutions for values of ξ ≫ 1 are also obtained by employing the matched asymptotic technique. The results obtained for small, large and all ξ regimes are examined in terms of shear stress, τw, rate of heat transfer, qw, and rate of mass transfer, mw, for important physical parameter. Attention has been given to the influence of Schmidt number, Sc, buoyancy ratio parameter, N and local Hartmann parameter, ξ on velocity, temperature and concentration distributions and noted that velocity and temperature of the fluid achieve their asymptotic profiles for Sc ≥ 10:0.

Microstructural magnetic resonance imaging of articular cartilage

The focus of this Editorial is recent developments in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modalities for evaluation of the microstructure and macromolecular organisation of articular cartilage. We place a specific emphasis on three types of measurements: (1) MRI transverse spin-relaxation mapping (T2 mapping); (2) diffusion-tensor imaging; and (3) compression micro-MRI (uMRI) measurements of articular cartilage in vitro. Such studies have a significant role to play in improving the understanding of the fundamental biomechanics of articular cartilage and in the development of in vitro models of early osteoarthritis. We discuss how the supramolecular organisation of the cartilage extracellular matrix and its behaviour under mechanical compression can be inferred from diffusion-tensor and T2 maps with in-plane resolution ~100 um. The emphasis is on in vitro studies performed under controlled physiological conditions but in vivo applications of T2 mapping and DTI are also briefly discussed.

Natural convection flow in a strong cross magnetic field with radiation

The problem of MHD natural convection boundary layer flow of an electrically conducting and optically dense gray viscous fluid along a heated vertical plate is analyzed in the presence of strong cross magnetic field with radiative heat transfer. In the analysis radiative heat flux is considered by adopting optically thick radiation limit. Attempt is made to obtain the solutions valid for liquid metals by taking Pr≪1. Boundary layer equations are transformed in to a convenient dimensionless form by using stream function formulation (SFF) and primitive variable formulation (PVF). Non-similar equations obtained from SFF are then simulated by implicit finite difference (Keller-box) method whereas parabolic partial differential equations obtained from PVF are integrated numerically by hiring direct finite difference method over the entire range of local Hartmann parameter, $xi$ . Further, asymptotic solutions are also obtained for large and small values of local Hartmann parameter $xi$ . A favorable agreement is found between the results for small, large and all values of $xi$ . Numerical results are also demonstrated graphically by showing the effect of various physical parameters on shear stress, rate of heat transfer, velocity and temperature.

Thermo-magnetic convection of paramagnetic fluids with non-instantaneous heating

The unsteady boundary-layer development for thermomagnetic convection of paramagnetic fluids inside a square cavity has been considered in this study. The cavity is placed in a microgravity condition (no gravitation acceleration) and under a uniform magnetic field which acts vertically. A ramp temperature boundary condition is applied on left vertical side wall of the cavity where the temperature initially increases with time up to some specific time and maintain constant thereafter. A distinct magnetic convection boundary layer is developed adjacent to the left vertical wall due to the effect of the magnetic body force generated on the paramagnetic fluid. An improved scaling analysis has been performed using triple-layer integral method and verified by numerical simulations. The Prandtl number has been chosen greater than unity varied over 5-100. Moreover, the effect of various values of the magnetic parameter and magnetic Rayleigh number on the fluid flow and heat transfer has been shown.