-
Nature Jun 2023Since the discovery of X-rays by Roentgen in 1895, its use has been ubiquitous, from medical and environmental applications to materials sciences. X-ray characterization...
Since the discovery of X-rays by Roentgen in 1895, its use has been ubiquitous, from medical and environmental applications to materials sciences. X-ray characterization requires a large number of atoms and reducing the material quantity is a long-standing goal. Here we show that X-rays can be used to characterize the elemental and chemical state of just one atom. Using a specialized tip as a detector, X-ray-excited currents generated from an iron and a terbium atom coordinated to organic ligands are detected. The fingerprints of a single atom, the L and M absorption edge signals for iron and terbium, respectively, are clearly observed in the X-ray absorption spectra. The chemical states of these atoms are characterized by means of near-edge X-ray absorption signals, in which X-ray-excited resonance tunnelling (X-ERT) is dominant for the iron atom. The X-ray signal can be sensed only when the tip is located directly above the atom in extreme proximity, which confirms atomically localized detection in the tunnelling regime. Our work connects synchrotron X-rays with a quantum tunnelling process and opens future X-rays experiments for simultaneous characterizations of elemental and chemical properties of materials at the ultimate single-atom limit.
PubMed: 37259001
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06011-w -
The Bone & Joint Journal Jun 2020Short, bone-conserving femoral components are increasingly used in total hip arthroplasty (THA). They are expected to allow tissue-conserving implantation and to render... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
AIMS
Short, bone-conserving femoral components are increasingly used in total hip arthroplasty (THA). They are expected to allow tissue-conserving implantation and to render future revision surgery more straightforward but the long-term data on such components is limited. One such component is the global tissue-sparing (GTS) stem. Following the model for stepwise introduction of new orthopaedic implants, we evaluated early implant fixation and clinical outcome of this novel short-stem THA and compared it to that of a component with established good long-term clinical outcome.
METHODS
In total, 50 consecutive patients ≤ 70 years old with end-stage symptomatic osteo-arthritis were randomized to receive THA with the GTS stem or the conventional Taperloc stem using the anterior supine intermuscular approach by two experienced hip surgeons in two hospitals in the Netherlands. Primary outcome was implant migration. Patients were followed using routine clinical examination, patient reported outcome using Harris Hip Score (HHS), Hip Disability And Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS), EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire (EQ5D), and Roentgen Stereophotogrammetric Analysis (RSA) at three, six, 12, and 24 months. This study evaluated the two-year follow-up results.
RESULTS
In addition to the initial migration pattern of distal migration (subsidence, Y-translation) and retroversion (Y-rotation) also exhibited by the Taperloc stem, the GTS stem showed an initial migration pattern of varization (X-translation combined with Z-rotation) and posterior translation (Z-translation). However, all components stabilized aside from one Taperloc stem which became loose secondary to malposition and was later revised. Clinical outcomes and complications were not statistically significantly different with the numbers available.
CONCLUSION
A substantially different and more extensive initial migration pattern was seen for the GTS stem compared to the Taperloc stem. Although implant stabilization was achieved, excellent long-term survival similar to that of the Taperloc stem should not be inferred. Especially in the absence of clinically proven relevant improvement, widespread usage should be postponed until long-term safety has been established. Cite this article: 2020;102-B(6):699-708.
Topics: Aged; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Hip Prosthesis; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Osteoarthritis, Hip; Prosthesis Design
PubMed: 32475246
DOI: 10.1302/0301-620X.102B6.BJJ-2019-1026.R2 -
Journal of Banking & Finance Feb 2022A growing literature is devoted to understand how companies react to major external shocks. Contributing to this research, we study how the presence of families in...
A growing literature is devoted to understand how companies react to major external shocks. Contributing to this research, we study how the presence of families in corporate ownership and leadership affected the reaction of firms to the Covid-19 pandemic. Using data from Italy, we find that family firms exhibited higher market performance and operating profitability than other firms during the pandemic period. This result is stronger for companies without relevant minority investors and with multiple family shareholders. Delving into the mechanisms, we show that the outperformance of family firms is driven by a more efficient use of labor and a lower drop in revenues. Collectively, our results expand existing research by showing how family ties shape the response to adverse events.
PubMed: 34924685
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2021.106385 -
Physica Medica : PM : An International... Nov 2020Why took it nearly four decades, from the first evidence of artificial creation of bremsstrahlung, noted indirectly in literature in 1857 by Julius Pluecker, Professor... (Review)
Review
Why took it nearly four decades, from the first evidence of artificial creation of bremsstrahlung, noted indirectly in literature in 1857 by Julius Pluecker, Professor of mathematics and physics in Bonn, Germany, to Professor Conrad Wilhelm Roentgen's breaking discovery and announcement of X-rays in 1895? Following introductory remarks on the difficulties adjusting the parameters required to generate X-rays and the way medical X-rays occupied clinical routine after Roentgen's revolutionary discovery, and answering the question at the beginning, this paper will discuss in depth the paths taken for improvement up to the present, and some of the culs-de-sac.
Topics: Germany; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; Physics; Radiography; Technology; X-Rays
PubMed: 32826172
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2020.07.021 -
Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism:... Apr 2024Mitochondria play multiple critical roles in cellular activity. In particular, mitochondrial translation is pivotal in the regulation of mitochondrial and cellular...
Mitochondria play multiple critical roles in cellular activity. In particular, mitochondrial translation is pivotal in the regulation of mitochondrial and cellular homeostasis. In this forum article, we discuss human mitochondrial tRNA metabolism and highlight its tight connection with various mitochondrial diseases caused by mutations in aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, tRNAs, and tRNA-modifying enzymes.
Topics: Humans; Mitochondria; Amino Acyl-tRNA Synthetases; RNA, Transfer
PubMed: 38307811
DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2024.01.002 -
Southern Medical Journal Jan 2023Wilhelm Roentgen's discovery of the x-ray in late 1895 was relatively quickly shared with the New Orleans community through reports published in 1896 in local newspapers...
Wilhelm Roentgen's discovery of the x-ray in late 1895 was relatively quickly shared with the New Orleans community through reports published in 1896 in local newspapers and medical journals. Radiology became popularized through public demonstrations organized by local proponents and was open to both the lay and medical communities. The first clinical x-ray equipment in New Orleans was installed at Charity Hospital in 1896 within the Department of Surgery, and the first examination was performed on December 23, 1896. Initially, those particularly interested in the x-ray phenomenon were photographers and physicists interested in electricity. X-rays were a curiosity, and entrepreneurs set up studios for x-ray photographs and advertised in local newspapers. Early clinical uses were the localization of foreign bodies, particularly bullets, and the evaluation of bones for fractures and other abnormalities. The fluoroscope was quickly adopted by roentgenologists as a faster and easier method for obtaining medical diagnosis but with the disadvantage of the absence of a permanent record. By the early 1910s, the use of x-rays in clinical medicine had been firmly adopted.
Topics: Humans; History, 20th Century; New Orleans; Radiology; X-Rays; Hospitals; Foreign Bodies
PubMed: 36578110
DOI: 10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001495 -
Der Radiologe Jul 2019With the introduction of the Radiation Protection Act (StrlSchG) and the Radiation Protection Regulations (StrlSchV), which "replaced" the Roentgen Regulations (RöV) on... (Review)
Review
With the introduction of the Radiation Protection Act (StrlSchG) and the Radiation Protection Regulations (StrlSchV), which "replaced" the Roentgen Regulations (RöV) on 31 December 2018, there has been little change regarding teleradiology-specific requirements. Nevertheless, the data protection requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) also apply to teleradiology. Primarily, any processing of healthcare data is prohibited if there is no legal basis for permission. Thereafter, the established principles laid down in Art. 5 GDPR must be demonstrably fulfilled, patients must be informed and the security of the data must be guaranteed, etc.It is fundamentally necessary to clarify on what legal basis the cooperation between the treating hospital and the teleradiologist takes place: is it an independent treatment by the teleradiologist alone or is it more a joint processing in the sense of Art. 26 GDPR? If teleradiology is using new technologies, e.g. the distribution via a cloud solution, a data protection impact assessment may have to be carried out.Even though many requirements of the GDPR are already addressed by the teleradiological requirements alone and they are already implemented in an approved teleradiology, there are still some points that should be looked at more closely.
Topics: Computer Security; Delivery of Health Care; Humans; Radiation Protection; Teleradiology
PubMed: 31073630
DOI: 10.1007/s00117-019-0536-3 -
Radiology Jun 2024
Topics: Humans; Osteoporosis; Radiography, Thoracic; Artificial Intelligence; Mass Screening; Female
PubMed: 38916509
DOI: 10.1148/radiol.241339 -
Current Oncology (Toronto, Ont.) Feb 2024Molecular biology studies of uveal melanoma have resulted in the development of novel immunotherapy approaches including tebentafusp-a T cell-redirecting bispecific... (Review)
Review
Molecular biology studies of uveal melanoma have resulted in the development of novel immunotherapy approaches including tebentafusp-a T cell-redirecting bispecific fusion protein. More biomarkers are currently being studied. As a result, combined immunotherapy is being developed as well as immunotherapy with bifunctional checkpoint inhibitory T cell engagers and natural killer cells. Current trials cover tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), vaccination with IKKb-matured dendritic cells, or autologous dendritic cells loaded with autologous tumor RNA. Another potential approach to treat UM could be based on T cell receptor engineering rather than antibody modification. Immune-mobilizing monoclonal T cell receptors (TCR) against cancer, called ImmTAC TM molecules, represent such an approach. Moreover, nanomedicine, especially miRNA approaches, are promising for future trials. Finally, theranostic radiopharmaceuticals enabling diagnosis and therapy with the same molecule bring hope to this research.
Topics: Humans; Nanomedicine; Melanoma; Immunotherapy; Molecular Biology; Uveal Neoplasms
PubMed: 38392052
DOI: 10.3390/curroncol31020058 -
European Radiology Jun 2022To measure the myocardial extracellular volume (ECV) in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) using dual-energy computed tomography with...
OBJECTIVES
To measure the myocardial extracellular volume (ECV) in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) using dual-energy computed tomography with late iodine enhancement (LIE-DECT) and to evaluate the relationship between ECV and risk of HFpEF and cardiac structure and function.
METHODS
A total of 112 consecutive patients with HFpEF and 80 consecutive subjects without heart disease (control group) who underwent LIE-DECT were included. All patients were divided into ischaemic and non-ischaemic groups according to the LIE patterns detected using iodine maps. The ischaemic scar burden was calculated in the ischaemic HFpEF group. Iodine maps and haematocrit were used to measure ECV in the non-ischaemic HFpEF group and remote ECV of the non-scarred myocardium in the ischaemic HFpEF group, respectively. Cardiac structural and functional variables were collected.
RESULTS
ECV in patients with non-ischaemic HFpEF (n = 77) and remote ECV in patients with ischaemic HFpEF (n = 35) were significantly higher than those in control subjects (p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, and drinking, a higher ECV/remote ECV was still associated with non-ischaemic HFpEF and ischaemic HFpEF (p < 0.001). A positive correlation was established between ECV and cardiac structural and functional variables (p < 0.05) in all participants. Subgroup analysis showed that ECV/remote ECV and ischaemic scar burden positively correlated with heart failure classification in the HFpEF subgroup (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
ECV/remote ECV elevation was significantly associated with non-ischaemic and ischaemic HFpEF. Remote ECV and LIE may have synergistic effects in the risk assessment of ischaemic HFpEF.
KEY POINTS
• ECV/remote ECV elevation is associated not only with non-ischaemic HFpEF but also with ischaemic HFpEF. • ECV/remote ECV and ischaemic scar burden are correlated with cardiac structure and function.
Topics: Cicatrix; Heart Failure; Humans; Iodine; Myocardium; Predictive Value of Tests; Stroke Volume; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Ventricular Function, Left
PubMed: 35079886
DOI: 10.1007/s00330-021-08514-4