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This study introduces a novel volume coil design that features two slotted end-plates connected by six rungs, resembling the traditional birdcage coil. The end rings are equipped with six evenly distributed circular slots, inspired by Mansfield's cavity resonator theory, which suggests that circular slots can generate a baseline resonant frequency. One notable advantage of this proposed coil design is its reduced reliance on electronic components compared to other volume coils, making it more efficient. Additionally, the dimensions of the coil can be theoretically computed in advance, enhancing its practicality. To evaluate the performance and safety of the coil, electromagnetic field and specific absorption rate simulations were simulated using a cylindrical saline phantom and the finite element method. Furthermore, a transceiver coil prototype optimized for 7 Tesla and driven in quadrature was constructed, enabling whole-body imaging of rats. The resonant frequency of the coil prototype obtained through experimental measurements closely matched the theoretical frequency derived from Mansfield's theory. To validate the coil design, phantom images were acquired to demonstrate its viability and assess its performance. These images also served to validate the magnetic field simulations. The experimental results aligned well with the simulation findings, confirming the reliability of the proposed coil design. Importantly, the prototype coil showcased significant improvements over a similarly-sized birdcage coil, indicating its potential for enhanced performance. The noise figure was lower in the prototype versus the birdcage coil ( NF birdcage - NF slotcage = 0.7). Phantom image data were also used to compute the image SNR, giving SNR slotcage /SNR birdcage = 34.36/24.34. By proving the feasibility of the coil design through successful rat whole-body imaging, the study provides evidence supporting its potential as a viable option for high-field MRI applications on rodents., (Creative Commons Attribution license.)

Objective: A volume coil with squared slots-end ring was developed to attain improved sensitivity for imaging of rat's brain at 7 T., Material and Methods: The principles of the high cavity resonator for the low-pass case and the law of Biot-Savart were used to derive a theoretical expression of [Formula: see text]. The slotted-end ring resonator showed a theoretical 2.22-fold sensitivity improvement over the standard birdcage coil with similar dimensions. Numerical studies were carried out for the electromagnetic fields and specific absorption rates for our coil and a birdcage coil loaded with a saline-filled spherical phantom and a digital brain of a rat., Results: An improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be observed for the slotted volume coil over the birdcage regardless of the load used in the electromagnetic simulations. The specific absorption rate simulations show a decrement for the digital brain and quite similar values with the saline solution phantom. Phantom and rat's brain images were acquired at 7 T to prove the viability of the coil design. The experimental noise figure of our coil design was four times less than the standard birdcage with similar dimensions, which showed a 44.5% increase in experimental SNR., Discussion: There is remarkable agreement among the theoretical, numerical and experimental sensitivity values, which all demonstrate that the coil performance for MR imaging of small rodents can be improved using slotted end-rings., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Evidence-based decision-making tools were used to evaluate the performance of a 16-year-old 1.5T Magnetic Resonance Imager (MRI) that has been fully dedicated to clinical service in a public hospital in Mexico. The MRI age highlights the importance of regular performance evaluations to ensure that the equipment is still functioning optimally, even when the system went through an important software and hardware updated. The use of Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making is an effective method to evaluate the performance of complex systems like MR imagers. A technical global indicator was set, revealing that only 50% of available time has been used is interesting and could be further investigated to determine if there are any factors limiting the usage of the system. The good performance indicators in terms of productivity, availability, and technical aspects are encouraging and suggest that the updated software and hardware have had a positive impact on the overall performance of the system.Finally, the use of evidence-based decision-making tools to evaluate the performance of the MR imager was a successful approach and can serve as a model for other healthcare facilities to follow.Clinical Relevance- MRI is a non-invasive diagnostic test that uses a magnetic field and radiofrequency waves to obtain detailed images of internal structures of the body. Unlike X-rays and CT scans, which use ionizing radiation, MRI does not expose patients to harmful radiation, making it a safe option for diagnostic imaging. The use of MRI a valuable tool for characterizing lesions, detecting abnormalities, and monitoring disease progression and it is widely used in several medical fields, including neurology, oncology, and orthopedics, among others. Therefore, ensuring that the MRI system is working optimally is crucial for providing reliable and accurate results, which can lead to timely and appropriate treatment for patients.

Objective: Pain constitutes an essential alarm for preserving the organism's integrity. Damage to the nervous system produces a pathological condition known as neuropathic pain., Purpose: Blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have been widely used to map neuroanatomy and the active regions of interest (ROI) of nociceptive processing. Our study explored the brain's BOLD response in rats after thermal noxious stimulation, immediately after sciatic nerve damage and during 75 minutes after surgical lesion of the sciatic nerve., Methods: Nine male Wistar rats were tested; the experiments were performed on a 7-Tesla /21-cm Varian Agilent system. This approach allowed, for the first time, to measure in vivo the BOLD changes in brain regions involved with the pain process: cingulated (ACC), somatosensory (S1), and insular cortices (IC), as well as thalamus (Th) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) related with acute thermal pain and during the early stages of sciatic denervation that produce neuropathic pain., Results: During thermonociception scan, all subjects showed BOLD activation in the ROIs determined as ACC, S1, Th, IC and VTA. After denervation, these regions continued to show activation with a slow decrement in intensity for the duration of the experiment. The results suggest that these brain structures are overactive during the genesis of neuropathic pain., Conclusion: The study shows for the first time continuous activation of the pain matrix following an acute thermal nociceptive stimulus followed by neuropathic damage. These results have given insight into the early stages of the development of neuropathic pain in vivo., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2022 Pellicer et al.)

Purpose: We report a method based on the traveling-wave MRI approach, in order to acquire images of human lower limbs with an external waveguide at 3 T., Methods: We use a parallel-plate waveguide and an RF surface coil for reception, while a whole-body birdcage is used for transmission. The waveguide and the surface coil are located right outside the magnet, in the magnetic resonance (MR) conditional devices zone. We ran numerical simulations to investigate the B 1 field generated by the surface coil located at one of the waveguides, as well as a saline-solution phantom positioned on the opposite side (150 cm away) inside the magnet., Results: We obtained phantom images by varying the distance between the coil and the phantom, in order to investigate the signal-to-noise ratio and to validate our numerical simulations. Lower limb images of a healthy volunteer were also acquired, demonstrating the viability of this approach. Standard pulse sequences were used and no physical modifications were made to the MR imager., Conclusions: These numerical and experimental results show that traveling-wave MRI can produce high-quality images with only a simple waveguide and an RF coil located outside the magnet. This can be particularly favorable when acquiring images of lower limbs requiring a larger field of view., (© 2021 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.)

Nursing homes are institutions with high prevalence of urinary tract infections caused by ESBL-producing E. coli with several virulence factors. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of the bla CTX-M gene and eight virulence genes in 35 ESBL-producing uropathogenic E. coli from six nursing homes in Peru during 2018. Of the E. coli samples, 57.1% (20/35) were carriers of the bla CTX-M gene. Furthermore, we obtained frequencies of 46% (15/35) and 37% (13/35) for hly-alpha and cnf-1, respectively; we also found high presence of the iucC (63%, 22/35), aer (94%, 33/35) and chuA genes (94%, 33/34) as well as a frequency of 46% (16/35) and 91% (32/34) for the pap GII and nanA genes, respectively. The bla CTX-M gene is predominant and a high frequency of exotoxins gives it a competitive advantage for spreading into the bloodstream.

We report a method for remote excitation of the RF signal for preclinical-equivalent ultra high field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). A parallel-plate waveguide together with a bio-inspired surface coil were used to perform remote excitation experiments to acquire images with a small-bore MR imager at 15.2 T. The imager bore size limits the RF coil transmitter dimensions, so the Gielis super-formula was used to design an RF coil with small dimensions. Electromagnetic simulations of the principal mode were run to study the waveguide filled with air and loaded with a saline solution-filled tube. Radiation patterns were also computed in a semi-anechoic chamber for the same scenarios as above. A saline solution-filled spherical phantom and a formaldehyde-fixed mouse phantom were used to acquire images. Radiation patterns showed an omnidirectional distribution with no side lobes, and a very smooth behaviour with almost no loss of information in the saline solution-filled tube and without. The theoretical wave impedance was calculated and compared with simulated results showing an excellent correspondence. Spherical phantom image data and simulation results of B 1 were contrasted and showed an important correlation. Ex vivo mouse images were of high quality and exhibited clear delineation of anatomical structures. These imaging results are in very good agreement with the simulations. Numerical, theoretical and experimental results validate this approach, using a bio-inspired surface coil with a simple waveguide for preclinical small-bore MRI at ultra high field., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Descriptive study in which 24 urine samples from older adults with urinary tract infection (UTI), from nursing homes, were evaluated; in order to identify differences in the immune and biochemical response from older adults with UTI by Escherichia coli (E. coli) to major virulence factors in the pathogenesis of UTI. Iron concentration, TNF-α, IL-1β and antioxidant capacity in urine were determined. A relation was found between, an increase in iron and red blood cell concentration in urine, and the presence of the pap GII gene found in E. coli. It is concluded that older adults, with UTIs by E. coli with the gene pap GII, have increased tissue damage.

Objective: A scaled-down slotted surface radio frequency (RF) coil was built, and the specific absorbance rate (SAR) in 100 mg of tissue (SAR100 mg) produced in a rat brain phantom was computed at 7 T., Materials and Methods: A slotted coil 2-cm in diameter with six circular slots was developed. Its theoretical and experimental performance was computed and compared using the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) expression and phantom images obtained with a spin echo sequence. Electromagnetic simulations were performed using the finite integral method with saline sphere and rat brain phantoms. SAR100 mg was computed for the circular coil, by varying its radius, and was also computed for the slotted coil., Results: The slotted coil quality factor gave a twofold increment over the circular coil, and noise was reduced by 17%. The experimental SNR of the slotted coil produced a 30% improvement for points near the coil plane. The theoretical and experimental results showed substantial agreement. Axial map histograms and profiles showed greater SAR100 mg values for the circular coil than for the slotted coil., Conclusions: The slotted surface coil offers improved performance and low SAR100 mg for rat brain imaging at 7 T. This approach may be used with new RF coils to investigate SAR in humans.

Background: Costimulatory cascades such as the CD40L-CD40 dyad enhance immune cell activation and inflammation during atherosclerosis. Here, we tested the hypothesis that CD40 directly modulates traits of the metabolic syndrome in diet-induced obesity in mice., Methods and Results: To induce the metabolic syndrome, wild-type or CD40(-/-) mice consumed a high-fat diet for 20 weeks. Unexpectedly, CD40(-/-) mice exhibited increased weight gain, impaired insulin secretion, augmented accumulation of inflammatory cells in adipose tissue, and enhanced proinflammatory gene expression. This proinflammatory and adverse metabolic phenotype could be transplanted into wild-type mice by reconstitution with CD40-deficient lymphocytes, indicating a major role for CD40 in T or B cells in this context. Conversely, therapeutic activation of CD40 signaling by the stimulating antibody FGK45 abolished further weight gain during the study, lowered glucose levels, improved insulin sensitivity, and suppressed adipose tissue inflammation. Mechanistically, CD40 activation decreased the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in T cells but not in B cells or macrophages. Finally, repopulation of lymphocyte-free Rag1(-/-) mice with CD40(-/-) T cells provoked dysmetabolism and inflammation, corroborating a protective role of CD40 on T cells in the metabolic syndrome. Finally, levels of soluble CD40 showed a positive association with obesity in humans, suggesting clinical relevance of our findings., Conclusions: We present the surprising finding that CD40 deficiency on T cells aggravates whereas activation of CD40 signaling improves adipose tissue inflammation and its metabolic complications. Therefore, positive modulation of the CD40 pathway might describe a novel therapeutic concept against cardiometabolic disease., (© 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.)

Purpose: Borderline ovarian tumors (BOT) became no longer reportable in 2001, and few registries still collect information on these still poorly understood tumors. This study's objective was to describe epidemiologic features, trends, and survival of BOTs compared with those of low-grade (LG) and high-grade (HG) epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in the large and diverse population of California., Methods: Data from the California Cancer Registry were used to examine demographic and tumor characteristics among women diagnosed with BOT (n = 9,786), LG-EOC (n = 3,656), and HG-EOC (n = 40,611) from 1988 to 2010. Annual percent changes in BOT and LG-EOC incidence rates were estimated using Joinpoint regression; 5-year relative survival was calculated for both BOTs and LG-EOCs by age, race/ethnicity, and histology., Results: Age-adjusted incidence rates of BOT in 2009 were 3.1, 2.3, 2.2, and 1.4 per 100,000 among whites, Latinas, African Americans, and Asian/Pacific Islanders, respectively. Incidence rates for LG-EOC decreased by 2.2 % per year; rates for BOT increased by 7.3 % per year until 1993, remained unchanged until 2006, and seemed to decline thereafter. Compared with LG-EOCs, BOTs were diagnosed in higher frequency among Latinas, at younger age, and were more likely to affect only one ovary. Overall, 5-year relative survival for BOT was 98.9 %; among women diagnosed with stage IV BOT, survival was 77.1 %., Conclusions: In this study, differences between BOTs and LG-EOCs were marked but varied substantially by histologic subtype and were far less dramatic than differences between BOTs and HG-EOCs. Findings underscore the importance of understanding these enigmatic tumors.

Background: Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the standard method for the evaluation of the severity of aortic stenosis (AS). Valve effective orifice area (EOA) measured by the continuity equation is one of the most frequently used stenotic indices. However, TTE measurement of aortic valve EOA is not feasible or not reliable in a significant proportion of patients. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has emerged as a non-invasive alternative to evaluate EOA using velocity measurements. The objectives of this study were: 1) to validate a new CMR method using jet shear layer detection (JSLD) based on acoustical source term (AST) concept to estimate the valve EOA; 2) to introduce a simplified JSLD method not requiring vorticity field derivation., Methods and Results: We performed an in vitro study where EOA was measured by CMR in 4 fixed stenoses (EOA = 0.48, 1.00, 1.38 and 2.11 cm²) under the same steady flow conditions (4-20 L/min). The in vivo study included eight (8) healthy subjects and 37 patients with mild to severe AS (0.72 cm² ≤ EOA ≤ 1.71 cm²). All subjects underwent TTE and CMR examinations. EOA was determinated by TTE with the use of continuity equation method (TTE(CONT)). For CMR estimation of EOA, we used 3 methods: 1) Continuity equation (CMR(CONT)); 2) Shear layer detection (CMR(JSLD)), which was computed from the velocity field of a single CMR velocity profile at the peak systolic phase; 3) Single plane velocity truncation (CMR(SPVT)), which is a simplified version of CMR(JSLD) method. There was a good agreement between the EOAs obtained in vitro by the different CMR methods and the EOA predicted from the potential flow theory. In the in vivo study, there was good correlation and concordance between the EOA measured by the TTE(CONT) method versus those measured by each of the CMR methods: CMR(CONT) (r = 0.88), CMR(JSLD) (r = 0.93) and CMR(SPVT) (r = 0.93). The intra- and inter- observer variability of EOA measurements was 5 ± 5% and 9 ± 5% for TTE(CONT), 2 ± 1% and 7 ± 5% for CMR(CONT), 7 ± 5% and 8 ± 7% for CMR(JSLD), 1 ± 2% and 3 ± 2% for CMR(SPVT). When repeating image acquisition, reproducibility of measurements was 10 ± 8% and 12 ± 5% for TTE(CONT), 9 ± 9% and 8 ± 8% for CMR(CONT), 6 ± 5% and 7 ± 4% for CMR(JSLD) and 3 ± 2% and 2 ± 2% for CMR(SPVT)., Conclusion: There was an excellent agreement between the EOA estimated by the CMR(JSLD) or CMR(SPVT) methods and: 1) the theoretical EOA in vitro, and 2) the TTE(CONT) EOA in vivo. The CMR(SPVT) method was superior to the TTE and other CMR methods in terms of measurement variability. The novel CMR-based methods proposed in this study may be helpful to corroborate stenosis severity in patients for whom Doppler-echocardiography exam is inconclusive.

Rationale: CD40L figures prominently in chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis. However, since CD40L potently regulates immune function and hemostasis by interaction with CD40 receptor and the platelet integrin GPIIb/IIIa, its global inhibition compromises host defense and generated thromboembolic complications in clinical trials. We recently reported that CD40L mediates atherogenesis independently of CD40 and proposed Mac-1 as an alternate receptor., Objective: Here, we molecularly characterized the CD40L-Mac-1 interaction and tested whether its selective inhibition by a small peptide modulates inflammation and atherogenesis in vivo., Methods and Results: CD40L concentration-dependently bound to Mac-1 I-domain in solid phase binding assays, and a high-affinity interaction was revealed by surface-plasmon-resonance analysis. We identified the motif EQLKKSKTL, an exposed loop between the α1 helix and the β-sheet B, on Mac-1 as binding site for CD40L. A linear peptide mimicking this sequence, M7, specifically inhibited the interaction of CD40L and Mac-1. A cyclisized version optimized for in vivo use, cM7, decreased peritoneal inflammation and inflammatory cell recruitment in vivo. Finally, LDLr(-/-) mice treated with intraperitoneal injections of cM7 developed smaller, less inflamed atherosclerotic lesions featuring characteristics of stability. However, cM7 did not interfere with CD40L-CD40 binding in vitro and CD40L-GPIIb/IIIa-mediated thrombus formation in vivo., Conclusions: We present the novel finding that CD40L binds to the EQLKKSKTL motif on Mac-1 mediating leukocyte recruitment and atherogenesis. Specific inhibition of CD40L-Mac-1 binding may represent an attractive anti-inflammatory treatment strategy for atherosclerosis and other inflammatory conditions, potentially avoiding the unwanted immunologic and thrombotic effects of global inhibition of CD40L.

Objectives: To determine the incidence, time course, and risk factors associated with the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and the effect of VTE on survival in women with uterine cancer., Methods: Using the California Cancer Registry, the date, stage, and histology of all incident uterine cancer cases during 1993-1999 were identified. These cases were linked with the state's hospital discharge database, allowing identification of incident VTE events, after excluding cases with a previous history of VTE. Proportional hazards modeling was used to analyze the association of baseline risk factors with the development of VTE (<1 year), using major surgery as a time-dependent covariate. In a similar model for death (<2 years), VTE was included as a time-dependent covariate., Results: Among 18,440 cases with uterine cancer, the 2-year cumulative incidence of VTE was 2.7%. The cumulative incidence varied from 1.5% among women with local stage disease to 10.5% among women with advanced disease. Among cases diagnosed with local disease, risk factors for the development of VTE within 1 year in localized disease included major surgery (hazard ratio [HR]=2.1, P<0.01), presence of long-term comorbidities (HR=2.9 for ≥3 comorbidities, P<0.0001), black race (HR=2.0, P<0.006), and sarcoma histology (HR=1.7, P<0.04). Among cases with regional disease, presence of comorbidities, black race, and sarcomas or nonendometrioid carcinomas were all associated with significantly higher risk of VTE. In advanced disease, the presence of any comorbidities and black race were the strongest predictors (HR=2.4 and 1.9, respectively). Women (aged<45 years) with advanced disease had a notably high 2-year incidence of 18%. Age did not predict VTE in localized and regional diseases. For all stages of cancer, development of VTE within 2 years was a significant predictor of decreased survival, and the magnitude of the risk was greatest among the cases diagnosed with localized disease (HR=6.1; confidence interval, 4.6-8.1)., Conclusions: The incidence of VTE in women with uterine cancer was high, particularly in younger women with metastatic disease. The strong association between development of VTE and death suggests a close coupling between the biological aggressiveness of the cancer and the activation of thrombosis.

A slotted surface coil inspired by the hole-and-slot cavity magnetron was developed for magnetic resonance imaging of obese rats at 4 T. Full-wave analysis of the magnetic field was carried out at 170 MHz for both the slotted and circular-shaped coils. The noise figure values of two coils were investigated via the numerical calculation of the quality factors. Fat simulated phantoms to mimic overweight rats were included in the analysis with weights ranging from 300 to 900 g. The noise figures were 1.2 dB for the slotted coil and 2.4 dB for the circular coil when loaded with 600 g of simulated phantom. A slotted surface coil with eight circular slots and a circular coil with similar dimensions were built and operated in the transceiver mode, and their performances were experimentally compared. The imaging tests in phantoms demonstrated that the slotted surface coil has a deeper RF-sensitivity and better field uniformity than the single-loop RF-coil. High quality images of two overweight Zucker rats were acquired simultaneously with the slotted surface coil using standard spin-echo pulse sequences. Experimental results showed that the slotted surface coil outperformed the circular coil for imaging considerably overweight rats. Thus, the slotted surface coil can be a good tool for MRI experiments in rats on a human whole-body 4 T scanner.

More than two thirds of valve replacement operations performed each year used mechanical heart valve. These valves are subject to complications such: pannus and/or thrombus formation. One other potential complication is a malfunction in one of the valve leaflets. It is then important to develop parameters that will allow a non-invasive diagnosis of such valve malfunction. In the present study, we evaluated under steady low flow (1-8 L/min) and pulsatile flow (3, 5 and 7 L/min) a bileafleat mechanical heart valve with normal function, 50% and 100% of one valve leaflet malfunction. Image analysis was performed using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate transvalvular pressure gradients (TPG), effective orifice area and a new index given by central/lateral velocity ratio downstream of the valve. Our results showed that the flow upstream and downstream of the defective valve is highly influenced by malfunction severity. TPG did not allow differentiating valve malfunction at low flow under steady and pulsatile conditions. However the new index given by central/lateral ratio allowed differentiating the presence of valve malfunction using a single transverse velocity measurement.

A 60-year-old white man seen in consultation for "chronic zoster" presented with a 30-year history of persistent, painful cutaneous lesions on his right flank. His pain was episodic and exacerbated by physical touch and emotional stress. He denied lesion sensitivity to cold or heat. Application ofcapsaicin cream had been without benefit. There was no family history of similar lesions. Physical examination revealed multiple, pink to violaceous, firm, tender nodules (3-7 mm) arising on the right flank in a segmental distribution (Figure 1). No other lesions were noted. A biopsy specimen showed findings of dermal proliferation of spindle-shaped cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm and blunt-ended nuclei without cytologic atypia (Figure 2A and Figure 2B). All of these findings were compatible with a diagnosis of segmental cutaneous piloleiomyomata. He declined surgical or medical intervention.

The effect of the shielding in a PET-MRI system was numerically estimated by calculating the RF magnetic field, B1, produced by a coil array of 4 independent elements at the resonant frequency of 171 MHz (4T for protons). The array coil is located inside a μPET camera to simultaneously acquire PET and MR images of a rat brain. Profiles showed a good uniformity despite the shielding that is interacting between the coil array and the μPET camera. These limitations are currently being dealt with the fabrication of a birdcage coil design.

Objective: To compare the demographics, cancer characteristics, and hospital outcomes of endometrial cancer patients undergoing a laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) versus a total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH)., Methods: Two California population databases (Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development and the California Cancer Registry) were linked using patient identifiers. Patients who underwent endometrial cancer surgery from 1997 to 2001 were identified. The combined database was queried for type of surgery, patient demographics, hospital outcomes, comorbidities, and cancer characteristics. Statistical analyses included the t test, chi2 test, and logistic regression., Results: In this study, 978 endometrial cancer patients (7.7%) had an LAVH and 11,765 (92.3%) had a TAH. The mean ages for the 2 groups were 63.3 and 64.8 years, respectively. Lymphadenectomy was performed more frequently in LAVH patients compared with TAH patients (45.6 vs 41.1%; P = 0.006). Patients undergoing LAVH were more likely to be younger and healthier and have stage I or grade 1 disease (P < 0.0001). Total abdominal hysterectomy patients were more likely to have significant medical comorbidities. Mean length of stay for LAVH was 2.40 versus 4.36 days for TAH (P < 0.001), but mean hospital charges were comparable. Perioperative complications such as vascular and bowel injuries, pulmonary embolism, wound problems, and transfusions were significantly more common in TAH patients., Conclusion: Surgeons seem to carefully select endometrial cancer patients for laparoscopic surgery. Although surgical staging was performed in less than 50% of endometrial cancer patients, the rate was not worse in laparoscopic procedures. Short-term hospital complications were less common in the laparoscopy group.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine trends of ovarian cancer in California. Known risk factors for ovarian cancer are unequally distributed across different cultures. California, the most ethnically diverse State in the U.S., is uniquely positioned to detect trends in different race/ethnic groups., Methods: This study was based on ovarian cancer cases and deaths occurring between 1990 and 2003 and reported to the California Cancer Registry (CCR). Age-adjusted rates were calculated by race/ethnicity, age at diagnosis, tumor behavior, and morphology. Trends were evaluated using the annual percent change, estimated through joinpoint regression., Results: The study population included 30,669 invasive ovarian cancers, 5925 tumors of borderline malignancy, and 19,719 ovarian cancer deaths. Age-adjusted incidence rates of invasive ovarian cancer per 100,000 women decreased from 15.6 in 1990 to 12.9 in 2003, a statistically significant decline of 1.3% per year. Rates of epithelial malignancies declined in all age groups examined, with the largest decreases noticed among women 65-74 years old. Substantial differences in trends were detected by race/ethnicity. Epithelial malignancies declined significantly among non-Hispanic black and white women by 2.5% and 1.2% per year, respectively. Changes among Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic women were smaller and non-significant. Ovarian cancer mortality rates did not change significantly during the study period., Conclusions: The incidence of epithelial ovarian cancer in California declined significantly among all age groups examined and among non-Hispanic white and black women. Among Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander women, declines were small and non-significant.

Objective: To determine the incidence, time-course, and risk factors associated with the development of thromboembolism (VTE) in a population-based study of women with ovarian cancer., Methods: Using the California Cancer Registry, cases diagnosed with ovarian cancer for a 6-year period were identified. These cases were linked with the California Patient Discharge Data Set to determine the incidence of VTE. Proportional hazards modeling was performed to analyze the strength of specified risk factors to predict development of VTE or death within 2 years., Results: Among 13,031 cases with ovarian cancer, 5.2% were diagnosed with a VTE event within 24 months after diagnosis. The cumulative incidence varied from 1.4% among women with local stage disease to 6.7% among women with advanced disease. The person-time incidence rate of VTE decreased over time, with the highest rate noted during the first 3 months. In a multivariate model, significant risk factors for VTE included advancing age, increasing number of chronic comorbid conditions, more advanced cancer stage, invasive histology, and absence of any major surgery. For all stages of cancer, development of VTE within 2 years was a significant risk factor for decreased survival, and the magnitude of the risk was greatest among the cases diagnosed with localized disease (HR 4.7, 95% CI: 2.3-9.5)., Conclusions: VTE occurred in a significant proportion of ovarian cancer patients and adversely impacted survival, particularly among cases with local or regional stage cancer.

A variant coil of the high frequency cavity resonator coil was experimentally developed according to the theoretical frame proposed by Mansfield in 1990. This coil design is similar to the popular birdcage coil but it has the advantage that it can be easily built following the physical principles of the cavity resonators [1]. The equivalent circuit approach was used to compute the resonant frequency of this coil design, and compared the results with those frequency values obtained with theory. A transceiver coil composed of 4 cavities with a rod length of 4.5 cm, and a resonant frequency of 170.29 MHz was built. Phantom images were then acquired to test its viability using standard imaging sequences. The theory facilitates its development for high frequency MRI applications of animal models.

Background: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) are rare tumors which occur primarily in major nerve trunks and most commonly in patients with neurofibromatosis. Only seven prior cases of these tumors arising in the uterine cervix have been reported, all of which were treated by hysterectomy., Case: We report a 22-year-old woman with MPNST of the uterine cervix which recurred after loop electrocautery excision and had positive margins on cone biopsy. She was treated definitively with radical trachelectomy and is well with no sign of recurrence 20 months later., Conclusions: MPNST of the uterine cervix is a rare, but potentially aggressive neoplasm. This is the first case of such a tumor treated successfully with preservation of the patients fertility.

A new coil design inspired on the slot-and-hole magnetron tube is proposed for SENSE imaging. To investigate its g-factor behaviour: an SNR formula was derived using the quasi-static approach, and combined with the ultimate g-factor formula to compute the ultimate-factor-g-vs-depth plots. A g-factor expression was derived for the circular coil using the same approach for comparison purposes. SNR-vs-depth profiles of an 4-slot coil showed an important improvement over the circular coil. The 4-slot coil g-factor can be up to 58.32% lower than that of a single circular-shaped coil. This improvement makes the slotted surface coil a good choice for SENSE imaging.

The electromagnetic properties of a new volume resonator coil for MR neuroimaging are studied. This coil design is based on a resonator coil called PERES coil. A commercial software tool based on the finite-element method is used to compute the electric and magnetic fields for the quasi- static regime for a specific layout of two coils with 4 rectangular-shaped coils each. Computational experiments were done to calculate the optimal number of nodes and elements in the mesh. This commercial software tool allows us to clearly visualize the electromagnetic properties of the coil as a function of a particular configuration.

To analyze the role of amino acids in the steroid receptor DNA binding domain (DBD) recognition helix in binding of the receptor to the estrogen response element (ERE), we adapted the powerful P22 challenge phage selection system for use with a vertebrate protein. We used the progesterone receptor DNA binding domain and selected for mutants that gained the ability to bind to the ERE. We used a mutagenesis protocol based on degenerate oligonucleotides to create a large and diverse pool of mutants in which 10 nonconsensus amino acids in the DNA recognition helix of the progesterone receptor DNA binding domain were randomly mutated. After a single cycle of modified P22 challenge phage selection, 37 mutant proteins were identified, all of which lost the ability to bind to the progesterone response element. In gel mobility shift assays, approximately 70% of the genetically selected mutants bound to the consensus ERE with a >4-fold higher affinity than the naturally occurring estrogen receptor DBD. In the P-box region of the DNA recognition helix, the selected mutants contained the amino acids found in the wild-type estrogen receptor DBD, as well as other amino acid combinations seen in naturally occurring steroid/nuclear receptors that bind the aGGTCA half-site. We also obtained high affinity DBDs with Trp(585) as the first amino acid of the P-box, although this is not found in the known steroid/nuclear receptors. In the linker region between the two zinc fingers, G597R was by far the most common mutation. In transient transfections in mammalian cells using promoter interference assays, the mutants displayed enhanced affinity for the ERE. When linked to an activation domain, the transfected mutants activated transcription from ERE-containing reporter genes. We conclude that the P-box amino acids can display considerable variation and that the little studied linker amino acids play an important role in determining affinity for the ERE. This work also demonstrates that the P22 challenge phage genetic selection system, modified for use with a mammalian protein, provides a novel, single cycle selection for steroid/nuclear receptor DBDs with altered specificity and greatly enhanced affinity for their response elements.

Carotid percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, with or without stent implantation, is becoming another therapeutic option for carotid revascularization. To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the technique, from October of 1995 to March of 1997, we performed 24 percutaneous transluminal angioplasty procedures in 22 patients with severe extracranial carotid artery stenosis. Three common carotid and 21 internal carotid arteries were treated, and 19 procedures included stent implantation using nonarticulated PALMAZ stents (P154 and P204). Twelve patients were asymptomatic and 10 patients were symptomatic; 2 of the symptomatic patients had complete obstruction of the internal carotid artery that was successfully recanalized. Technical and angiographic success was achieved in 23 of 24 procedures, with the carotid artery obstruction diminishing from 85.6% +/- 8.5% to 5.7% +/- 3.2% (P < 0.001). Average stenosis length was 12.5 +/- 3.1 mm, and mean time of carotid occlusion during balloon inflation was 11.5 +/- 2.5 seconds. Three patients experienced transitory seizures during the procedure prior to dilation, 1 patient had a minor stroke with complete recovery within 72 hours, and 1 patient had a major stroke and died 45 days after the procedure. Clinical follow-up was achieved in all patients (mean, 10.5 +/- 7.2 months) and angiographic follow-up in 16 patients (mean, 6.3 +/- 1.2 months). The results obtained in this initial experience provide adequate support to continue further evaluation of this new therapeutic strategy.