Effects of added wheat fiber, with different levels and particle sizes, on the physicochemical properties and gel morphology of wheat starch and mung bean starch were investigated, using rapid visco analyzer (RVA), texture analyzer (TPA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Each starch was added with wheat fiber at 10, 20, 30 and 40% , and different sizes of 60, 100 and 180 mesh, respectively. The peak viscosity (PV) of starches with wheat fiber were higher than the control. Starches had the highest PV with 40%, 60 mesh wheat fiber. The starches with wheat fiber showed higher hardness when compared to the control. Wheat starch and mung bean starch, with 40%, 60 mesh wheat fiber, had the highest hardnesses of 147.78 and 1032.11g, respectively. SEM showed that the dense honeycomb structure of starch gel was diminished with increasing wheat fiber. Additionally, the number of internal pores was reduced, and a large lamellar structure was formed. Starch is one of the most available natural ingredients for the food industry, either as a main raw material or as a food additive. As a low cost agricultural commodity, derived primarily from cereal and tuber crops, starch is widely used in a variety of food and beverage products . Mung beDietary fiber (DF) is comprised of a wide array of carbohydrate-based non-digestible food components, with great physiological significance. DF has attracted increasing interest in recent years, as many studies have revealed that it may be involved in disease preventing and health promoting activities, including the attenuation of blood cholesterol and/or glucose, a laxative effect, and a reduction in the risk of colon cancer, heart disease and obesity ,7. WheatWhen natural fibers are added to starches, an improvement in the mechanical properties and performance of the composite is observed ,10. DiffWheat starch (amylose content 28%) and mung bean starch (amylose content 40%) were supplied by National Starch and Chemical Limited in Shanghai, China. Wheat fiber (dry basis) was purchased from Shanghai NuoShen Food Trading, Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China. The purity of wheat fiber was 99.99%.The wheat fibers were pulverized using a grinder and sieved using 60, 100 and 180 mesh  sieves, in order to obtain three grades of wheat fibers.Water holding capacity of wheat fiber was measured according to the approach of Fabrizio Esposito . Wheat fThe pasting properties of wheat starch and mung bean starch with wheat fiber added were evaluated using a Rapid Visco Analyzer , as described by Singh et al. . Starch A programmed heating and cooling cycle was used, where the samples were held at 50°C for 1 min, heated to 95°C in 3.7 min (heating and cooling rate 12°C/min), held at 95°C for 2.5 min, before cooling to 50°C in 3.8 min, and finally held at 50°C for 2 min. The parameters that were recorded included pasting temperature (PT); peak viscosity (PV); hot paste viscosity (HPV) (minimum viscosity at 95°C); cool paste viscosity (CPV) ; breakdown (BD) (= PV–HPV); and set back (SB) (= CPV–HPV). All measurements were replicated three times.The gelatinized mixture in the canister, after the RVA measurement, was kept overnight at 4°C to form a solid gel. The texture of the gel was then determined using a texture analyzer . The gel with a dimension of 37 mm in diameter and 20 mm in height was compressed at a speed of 1.0 mm/s, to a distance of 10.0 mm, with a stainless steel punch probe 5.0 mm in diameter. And all measurements were replicated three times .The pastes of wheat starch with different amounts and different particle sizes of wheat fiber, were quickly put into an ultra-low temperature freezer (-70°C). The microstructure of the samples after freeze drying for 48 h was observed using SEM. The surface topography of the samples was observed with SEM, using the method of Kim et al. . A dry, All the experiments were conducted at least twice, each of which was measured in triplicate. The means of two groups from triplicate measurements were then averaged and evaluated with a SD. Experimental data groups were analyzed using the analysis of variance (ANOVA), and expressed as mean values ± standard deviations. Differences were considered at a significance level of 95% (p<0.05), The Pearson’s correlation coefficients of the parameters were calculated using SPSS 17.0 .The paste viscogram data of the wheat starch and mung bean starch, with different amounts of wheat fiber, are shown in Compared with the control, the PT of the wheat starch and mung bean starch, with 40% wheat fiber, lessened from 89.5 and 73.6°C to 68.1 and 71.8°C, respectively. The PT represented the temperature when the starch slurry began to generate viscosity. One possible reason was more water absorbed by the fiber, which led to a relative increase in the concentration of the starches. Thus, the viscosity would generate at a lower temperature, and the PT was lessened with increasing wheat fiber. This was similar to the results of Tao Feng et al. . When whWith increasing wheat fiber, the PV of the two starches increased from 233.58 and 306.75 RVU, to 470.67 and 554.67 RVU, respectively. These values were approximately two times larger than those of the control. There were two possible reasons for this: on the one hand, the wheat fiber had a higher water-holding capacity, contributing to part of the viscosity in the heating process, and absorbing more water than the wheat starch and mung bean starch. After adding the wheat fiber, the starch’s capability of absorbing water was reduced, so the concentrations of the starches increased, resulting in an increase in the PV. On the other hand, the starch and wheat fiber particles promoted interactions between them. These integrated factors led to the increase in viscosity. These results were similar to the results of Mohammed S. Alamri et al., Phoency Lai et al. and Ravi Sharma et al. , 21, 22.The HPV, CPV, BD and SB of the wheat starch and mung bean starch added to the wheat fiber were also increased, compared with those of the control. The increase in HPV, CPV and BD were related to the increase in PV. The SB represented the retrogradation phenomenon of the starch paste. The increase in the SB may be due to the high water holding capability of the wheat fiber, which caused the concentration of the amylose to increase, thus contributing to the retrogradation of the starch paste.The paste viscogram data of the wheat starch and mung bean starch with different particle sizes of wheat fiber are shown in The PVs of the starches with large particle sizes of wheat fiber increased more significantly. The water holding capacity of 180, 100, 60 mesh wheat fiber were 7.0, 7.6, 8.1 g/g, respectively. So one possible reason was that the large particles had been broken down to a slight degree, compared with the small particles. The organization and structure of the fiber were well maintained, so the water holding capacity of the large particles were stronger. The larger wheat fiber (60 mesh) could absorb much more water during the heating process, therefore, the water absorbed by the starches was reduced and the PV increased. These studies were similar to the results of James N. BeMiller et al. and Chien-Chun Huang et al. , 24.Compared with the control, the HPV, CPV, BD and SB of the wheat starch and mung bean starch, with different particle sizes of wheat fiber, were increased. The increase in the SB may be due to the interaction that occurred between the different particle sizes of wheat fiber, and the leached amylose from the swollen starch granules. The 180 mesh wheat fiber had been ground down even further than the 60 mesh, and the large particle size wheat fiber had a stronger effect on the SB of the starch paste.The effects of the amount of wheat fiber on the gel texture properties of the wheat starch and mung bean starch are shown in Compared with the control, the hardness of the two starches with 40% wheat fiber increased about 2 times, from 61.82 and 530.52 g, to 147.78 and 1032.11 g, respectively. The hardness represented the integrity of the starch gel. The formation of hardness was due to the gelatinized starch experiencing a period of cooling with a rearrangement occurring among the starch molecules. The amylose retrogradation occurred forming the starch gel. Wheat fiber and starches may interact with each other, causing a large number of the elastic active chains to entangle into a gelling network . In factFiber is a high molecular weight linear homopolymer, composed of repeating β-D-glucopyranosyl units joined by 1, 4-glycosidic bonds . As an iThe effects of the particle size of the wheat fiber on the gel texture properties of the wheat starch and mung bean starch are shown in The hardness of the two starches with 60 mesh wheat fiber increased about two times, from 61.82 and 530.52 g, to 147.78 and 1032.11 g, when compared with the control. The large particle size wheat fiber made a more significant impact on the hardness of the fiber-starch mixtures than the small particles. During the pasting process, the extent of the granule swelling and disintegration, as well as the release of amylose, depended on the type of starch and its concentration, temperature, presence of other solutes, and the shear or agitation applied during heating. As the gelatinized dispersion of starch was cooled, a loose paste or gel would form, depending on the concentration . In the Native wheat starch granules had a spherical structure , while mAs can be seen from Fig When adding the 40% wheat fiber, the rod-shaped wheat fiber could be seen in the picture Figs  and 3d. Compared with the gelatinized wheat starch gel with 180 mesh wheat fiber, the gelatinized wheat starch gel with the 60 mesh wheat fiber could form a stronger and more solid structure, with less small fragments attached to the surface. This may be because the structure of the 180 mesh wheat fiber was broken down extensively and produced more irregular, smaller fragments. This result coincided with the results of the TPA . AlvarezIn the presence of wheat fiber with different added percentages and different particle sizes, the PVs of both starches were increased about two times, while the PTs were lessened, when compared to the control. Starches had the highest PVs with the 40%, 60 mesh wheat fiber. The TPA data of the blends showed higher hardness and lower cohesiveness when compared to the control. The starches with 40%, 60 mesh wheat fiber showed the highest hardnesses of 147.78 and 1032.11g, respectively. These values were about two times larger than those of the control. The SEM of the wheat starch-wheat fiber gel showed that with increasing wheat fiber, the dense honeycomb structure of the starch gel gradually diminished, and the internal pores lessened. A large lamellar structure was formed with some filamentous connections as well. Our research will be helpful for the development of functional wheat starch and mung bean starch products  with enriched wheat fiber.


This article [1] has been retracted by the publisher because it was republished in the journal [2] due to an error during the process of journal transfer between publishers. BioMed Central apologizes to the authors and to readers for this error and for any inconvenience caused.


Palpation is a subjective and non-sharable diagnostic method. Recently, palpation has been supported and replaced by elastography, which provides a novel parameter of “stiffness” as a visual representation or quantified value. Today, elastography is performed using two major modalities: strain elastography and shear wave elastography. Strain elastography converts the extent of deformation during external compression into colors, displaying these colors as a strain map in a motion picture representing the relative elasticity inside the region of interest. Shear wave elastography can quantify the elasticity of a target by calculating the velocity of shear waves generated by a probe. In addition to superficial organs, elastography has also been applied to upper abdominal organs, including the liver, pancreas and spleen. The visualization of the stiffness of focal lesions in the liver or the pancreas has enabled a more sensitive and specific depiction of small, non-palpable nodules, which are difficult to depict using B-mode ultrasonography. The quantification of stiffness also enables non-invasive estimates of liver fibrosis, the risk of postoperative liver insufficiency and the risk of recurrence of viral hepatitis after transplantation. In this article, we review the major reports that have recently been published describing the effective application of elastography to solid upper abdominal organs in a clinical setting. Elastography is a method used to visualize and quantify the stiffness of an object. Palpation of tissues and organs, especially the abdominal organs, has long been performed using an examiner’s hands, but as the results of such examinations cannot be shared with another person, this method lacks objectivity. Elastography enables information regarding the stiffness to be shared as a visual representation or quantified value among physicians, providing a more objective parameter than manual palpation.Ultrasonography has long been used as a noninvasive and rapid diagnostic modality for solid organs in the upper abdomen, including the liver , 2 and pWe herein review the major articles regarding the application of elastography to solid upper abdominal organs and consider the future of this modality and its use in upper abdominal surgery.The term “elasticity” indicates the physical property of materials that deform reversibly under compression. In general, the harder or stiffer an object is, the less elasticity it has. This term should be used to express a quality of the subject and is not a quantified value. When one expresses the quantified value, the term “stiffness” is more appropriate.There are two types of elastography: strain elastography (SE) and shear wave elastography (SWE). SE measures the extent of deformation of the subject during external compression using ultrasonography  and convShear wave elastography is distinct from the strain method. This modality calculates the velocity of the propagation of shear waves inside the subject , 19. SheCompared with surface organs, such as the breast, superficial vessels or the thyroid, providing adequate compression and obtaining a clear image can be difficult when examining intraabdominal organs, especially using strain imaging. One possible solution for the adequate application of elastography to abdominal organs is the application during abdominal surgery or endoscopy , 22–26. Another possibility for the robust application of elastography to abdominal organs is the use of SWE. This modality can allow the measurement of stiffness at depths as far as radiofrequency signals are able to propagate into the subject, even if fluid exists between the probe and the target area. This ability is a distinct advantage of SWE, and together with its ability to provide quantifiable information, has led to a rapid increase in the number of reports published regarding the use of SWE to examine abdominal organs.The first clinical report of elastography for the liver was based on the application of transient elastography , which was the first generation of SWE, for the purpose of estimating the extent of liver fibrosis , 28, 29.Recently, a novel SWE method has been developed in which shear waves are generated as strong and low-frequency acoustic pulses, and the propagation velocity of these waves is evaluated using ultrasonography. With this second-generation method, the ROI can be arbitrarily set within the ultrasonography field, and the stiffness inside the ROI can be estimated as an absolute value expressed in terms of the propagation velocity (m/s)  , 37. AltIn the field of liver surgery, elastography was first reported as an intraoperative diagnostic modality used to evaluate focal liver lesions . Before During open surgery, one can apply mini probes from various directions after the mobilization of the liver, allowing for a depiction of deeply located lesions that cannot be depicted using external applications. Since surgeons can perform manual palpation as needed during open surgery, elastography is advantageous in a limited number of subjects, such as those with deeply located, tiny lesions or those in whom the lesions appear as iso-echoic areas using B-mode US. In the setting of laparoscopic liver resection, however, manual palpation of the liver is difficult, and elastography may play an important role as a form of “virtual palpation.”Since RTE does not quantify the absolute stiffness value, but instead visualizes the elastic contrast between the lesion and the background, its results might be less robust for individuals with heterogenic backgrounds, such as those with fibrotic or cirrhotic livers. The intraoperative use of ARFI or SSI is desired, and the development of intraoperative probes or laparoscopic probes should be promoted.Novel uses for elastography in the field of liver surgery were identified in a recent article assessing liver function using an elastic parameter –44. Kim In the field of liver transplantation, measuring the stiffness of the transplanted liver tissue can provide useful information. For example, elastography has been reported to be useful for predicting the recurrence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) after transplantation in patients with HCV-related liver disease –53. For Moreover, acute cellular rejection after transplantation can be predicted or diagnosed noninvasively using elastography. Acute cellular rejection can occur during acute periods after transplantation, when invasive examinations such as a needle biopsy should be avoided due to concerns about fatal bleeding in patients receiving post-transplant anticoagulant therapy . Inoue eThe pancreas could be a promising candidate target for elastography. The radiological findings of pancreatic tumors vary widely, and decision making for surgery is sometimes very difficult, especially when the lesion mimics a benign tumor or localized pancreatitis. A histological diagnosis can be made using EUS fine needle aspiration cytology , 57; howTo date, reports on the use of elastography to examine the pancreas have mainly utilized EUS-RTE, in which the probe is nearly directly applied to the pancreas. The main goal of these studies was the differentiation of invasive ductal cancer from benign lesions, such as chronic pancreatitis or mass-forming pancreatitis. Itokawa et al.  used EUSSWE has also been increasingly applied to examinations of the pancreas, mainly using an external method. Yashima et al. applied ARFI to 46 patients with chronic pancreatitis and 52 healthy volunteers and showed the patients with chronic pancreatitis had a significantly harder pancreas than those with a normal pancreas. The area under the ROC curve was 0.78, with an optimal cut-off value of 1.40 m/s .In the field of pancreatic surgery, the stiffness of the pancreas is known to be significantly related to the risk of postoperative pancreatic fistula formation , 64, 65.The spleen is a solid organ located in the upper left edge of the abdomen and is accessible for external elastography. Splenic tumors are rare, and their diagnosis is unlikely to be a common problem. On the other hand, the splenic stiffness has been reported to be useful for estimating the degree of liver cirrhosis and the risk of esophageal varices –68. ColeThese findings suggest that splenic stiffness, with or without liver stiffness, might be a useful parameter for estimating the perioperative liver function. Overman et al.  reportedP < 0.0001), and the area under the curve was 0.92. They concluded that elastography was a promising modality for differentiating between benign and malignant gallbladder wall thickening and should be used in combination with B-mode US [Since the biliary system is not characterized by a solid organ, the effective application of elastography in this field has been limited. Kapoor et al. conducted a prospective trial of elastographic evaluations of gallbladder wall thickening using ARFI. They reported a diagnostic performance that had a sensitivity and specificity of 100 and 91.3 %, respectively, and the cutoff value for diagnosing gallbladder carcinoma based on the mean shear wave velocity was 3.41 m/s (-mode US . In othe-mode US –80.We have reviewed articles regarding the application of elastography to solid upper abdominal organs. In the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology, elastography has become one option that can be used as a substitute for traditional invasive examinations, such as needle biopsy, gastrointestinal endoscopy and the measurement of the hepatic venous pressure gradient.On the other hand, the dissemination of elastography in the fields of hepatobiliary-pancreatic surgery and laparoscopic surgery remains limited. Ultrasonography and palpation are, however, essential tools in this field, and a trend toward less invasive surgery, including laparoscopic or robotic surgery, has the disadvantage of not enabling palpation. Although both laparoscopic and/or robotic surgery have been regarded as superior methods due to their low-invasiveness , the lacIn conclusion, elastography is a promising diagnostic modality that provides a novel parameter of objective stiffness and could have a major impact on the future of surgery. The prompt development of methods for the effective application of elastography to hepatobiliary-pancreatic surgery and laparoscopic surgery is urgently needed for further innovation in this field.


IUCrJ can provide a natural home for publications covering many present and future developments in the cryoEM field.In this overview, we briefly outline recent advances in electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM) and explain why the journal  IUCrJ, published by the International Union of Crystallography, could provide a natural home for publications covering many present and future developments in the cryoEM field.In this overview, we briefly outline recent advances in electron cryomicroscopy (cryoEM) and explain why the journal  The range of research interests within IUCr also expanded to encompass electron and neutron diffraction, and now, with the encouragement of its editorial board, cryoEM.The International Union of Crystallography (IUCr) was founded in 1947. It provided a worldwide forum to bring together the interests of a wide range of scientists using X-ray crystallography and diffraction to study structures in fields ranging from chemistry and mineralogy to biology, physics and materials science. It has been enormously successful and has managed to remain a grass-roots organization with strong community support, an open-access structure and triennial Congresses. The names of the first presidents are legendary – Bragg, Bijvoet, Wyckoff, Wyart, Ewald, Bernal, Lonsdale, Belov, Guinier, Hodgkin. Its first journal, IUCrJ is the most recent journal in the IUCr portfolio, having started only in January 2014 with its first edition, to mark the International Year of Crystallography (IYCr2014) and the 100th anniversary of the award of the first Nobel Prize related to crystallography to Max von Laue. The inaugural editorial . The application of cryoET to understand the macromolecular architectures of eukaryotic  correctors offer the opportunity to enhance the image contrast of the elastic image by ensuring that the elastically and inelastically scattered electrons are focused in the same way , to use graphical processor units (GPUs) are already underway or available  could be overcome. All recently published cryoEM structure determinations have reported that the quality of the first few frames of a movie series recorded with a direct electron detector is poorer than those frames in the window between 3–4 e Å4.If all the known technical problems that remain to be solved in the cryoEM area are overcome, then the approach should yield results that match up to theoretical expectations  technical advances that we believe will continue to make cryoEM methods even more powerful in the coming decade. The journal can act as a vehicle to publicize these advances and help the cryoEM field to move forward coherently. CryoEM itself may become the first choice method at the start of any structural biology project, since it requires a smaller quantity of material that is less pure, less stable and less homogeneous than needed for many other methods. It may even become the dominant method in structural biology in the future.We hope that


Previous studies assessing qualitative patterns of stiffness in breast lesions have not matched benign and malignant lesions for quantitative stiffness. The purpose of this study is to compare the qualitative patterns of stiffness of benign and malignant lesions matched for quantitative stiffness.A total of 158 consecutive histologically confirmed benign lesions with a mean stiffness >30 kPa were identified from a prospective database. Forty-nine cancers with the same distribution of stiffness as the benign lesions were identified for comparison. The following features were assessed by two observers; BIRADS score, whether there was stiffness in the lesion, outside the lesion, Tozaki classification, homogeneity of stiffness, the presence of a ring sign, stiffness adjacent to the skin or muscle, and the assessed likelihood of the stiffness being artefactual. Statistical analysis was carried out using the chi-square test.P < 0.0001), Tozaki classification 3 and 4 (43 (88%) vs. 85 (54%), P < 0.001), and presence of a ring sign (40 (82%) vs. 78 (49%), P < 0.001). The following features were more common in benign lesions; stiffness in the lesion (103 (65%) vs. 17 (35%), P = 0.0002), stiffness adjacent to skin (99 (63%) vs. 19 (39%), P = 0.003) and stiffness thought to be probably artefact (74 (47%) vs. 5 (10%), P < 0.0001).Benign and malignant lesions both had a mean stiffness of 73 kPa. The following features show a significant association with malignancy; BIRADS classification 4 or 5 (45 (91%) vs. 99 (63%), Qualitative features show significant differences in frequency when comparing benign and malignant masses. Qualitative features could be used to help classify breast lesions during SWE.


MR elastography (MRE) is a recent non-invasive technique that provides in vivo data on the viscoelasticity of the liver. Since the method is not well established, several different protocols were proposed that differ in results. The aim of the study was to analyze the variability of stiffness measurements in different regions of the liver.Twenty healthy adults aged 24–45 years were recruited. The examination was performed using a mechanical excitation of 64 Hz. MRE images were fused with axial T2WI breath-hold images . Stiffness was measured as a mean value of each cross section of the whole liver, on a single largest cross section, in the right lobe, and in ROIs (50 pix.) placed in the center of the left lobe, segments 5/6, 7, 8, and the parahilar region.P < 0.0001, ANOVA). Within-method variability of measurements ranged from 14 % for whole liver and segment 8–26 % for segment 7. Within-subject variability ranged from 13 to 31 %. Results of measurement within segment 8 were closest to the whole-liver method .Whole-liver stiffness ranged from 1.56 to 2.75 kPa. Mean segmental stiffness differed significantly between the tested regions (range from 1.55 ± 0.28 to 2.37 ± 0.32 kPa; Stiffness of the liver presented significant variability depending on the region of measurement. The most reproducible method is averaging of cross sections of the whole liver. There was significant variability between stiffness in subjects considered healthy, which requires further investigation. Liver biopsy is a reference standard for detection and staging of the liver fibrosis nowadays. However, this procedure is not always well tolerated by patients; it can result in complications and is a subject to sampling error and interpretation errors . Since lThe most widely used method for the liver stiffness assessment is ultrasound (US) elastography, mainly because of its low cost, short scanning time, and wide availability. However, this method is strongly operator dependent, and there is a wide range of different scanning techniques which are likely not equivalent , 6. As a2) in segment 8 avoiding the liver edge, fissures and vessels over 3 mm large, and focal lesions. [2 and was located “in the areas with no vessels and in a distance from liver edge” [Another imaging option for non-invasive evaluation of the liver fibrosis is MRE, which is thought to overcome some of US shortcomings and is capable to determine viscoelastic properties of the tissue . Viscoellesions. . The seglesions. . Finallyer edge” .Moreover, several authors reported that MRE presents significant a variability of results. Even when using a regular system of ROI placement, examinations of the same healthy subjects present variability of 12–27 % . Since rThe study was approved by a local bioethical committee. Sample size was calculated according to Kelley K. , assuminInclusion criteria were informed consent for the participation and a normal liver image on ultrasound. Sonographic examination was performed by a radiologist with 13 years of experience in abdominal imaging using Toshiba Xario unit with a convex probe (2–5 MHz).Exclusion criteria were as follows: serum level of alanine transaminase over 40 IU/L, liver pathologies in anamnesis, any known risk factors of liver disease, any previous hospital stay, any previous surgical procedures, a regular diet for at least 6 months, no alcohol abuse , overweight or obesity, and common contraindications to MRI .Twenty-four subjects were screened using ultrasound for the potential participation in the study. Four of them were excluded due to detection of hemangiomas (2 subjects) and steatosis (2). Thus, twenty healthy adults aged 24–45 years (mean age 39.1 years) were recruited for this prospective pilot study. Examinations were performed in a supine position after a 4-hour fasting. A 1.5 T scanner  with a 16-channel abdominal phased array coil and an MR elastography system  was used. Before MRE, standard axial T2WI imaging was performed to rule out any morphological pathologies of the liver. None of subjects were excluded at this stage.A passive driver of 19 cm in diameter was placed on the lower chest wall and the upper abdomen, on the right side, with the driver’s central point located at the level of the xiphisternum—over the right lobe of the liver. Acoustic vibrations of 60 Hz generated and transmitted by the system produced shear waves in the epigastrium and the liver. The output power was manually adjusted (30–50 % of the peak capacity of the driver) to ensure sufficient penetration of shear waves within the liver and was within the limits of safety, according to the European Union directive on occupational exposure to whole-body and extremity vibrations.The propagation of the shear waves within the liver was imaged with a two-dimensional GRE MR elastography sequence  on a breath hold at end-expiration. MRE images (stiffness maps) were fused with axial T2WI breath-hold images of the same slice thickness. No intravenous contrast was given. Images were evaluated by two radiologists with 3 years of experience in liver MR imaging, and all discrepancies were solved by a consensus.2) that were placed in the center of the left lobe (segments 2/3), segments 5/6, 7, 8, and the parahilar region  slice was placed at the bifurcation of the portal vein and served as a reference slice in each patient. Whole-liver stiffness was measured using consecutive ROIs, which covered slices of the whole liver, excluding the inferior vena cava and the gallbladder. Therefore, stiffness was an average of 8 cross sections of the liver Fig. . Cross-sr). The significance of differences in the stiffness between the tested regions was tested with ANOVA and with t test for a direct comparison between regions. Relative variability of stiffness measurement using a particular method (within-method variability) was calculated separately for each method as a CV that was a ratio between the mean value across examined subjects and the standard deviation of the mean. Within-subject relative variability of measurements using small segmental ROIs  was calculated as CV, i.e., it was a ratio between the mean value of stiffness across segments in a single subject and the standard deviation of the mean. Agreement between results of whole-liver measurement and those of particular analyzed regions was tested using intraclass correlation coefficient . A P-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Statistical analyses were performed using Statistica 10  and MedCalc Statistical Software version 13.3 The results were expressed as mean stiffness (kPa) ± standard deviation. Normality of data was tested with Shapiro–Wilk test. The relation between values was determined using Pearson correlation coefficient —Fig. All examinations were performed without complications, and none of them were excluded due to insufficient image quality. Liver stiffness values ranged from 1.10 to 3.08 kPa. Whole-liver stiffness ranged from 1.56 to 2.75 kPa. Mean segmental stiffness differed significantly between the tested regions . The stiffness of segment 5/6 significantly positively correlated to that of segments 7, 8, and the parahilar region . The stiffness of segment 7 significantly positively correlated to that of segments 5/6, 8, and the parahilar region . The stiffness of segment 8 significantly positively correlated to that of segments 5/6, 7, and the parahilar region . Multiple regression analysis revealed that the whole-liver stiffness independently moderately correlated to that of the left lobe and segment 8 .Considering small ROIs measurements, the stiffness of the left lobe did not correlate with that of the other tested regions. The stiffness of the hilum weakly correlated to that of segments 5/6, 7, and 8 —Fig. The mean whole-liver stiffness was significantly higher than that of the right lobe the left lobe, hilum, segments 5/6, and 7  that was seen in our study group varied significantly between tested segments. The observation, although not very unexpected, provides scientific evidence for the necessity of precise selection of ROIs for liver stiffness measurements.3 voxel resolution and a frequency ranging from 30 to 60 Hz. The mean stiffness in that study was 1.27 kPa with SD of 0.17 kPa, which gives a variability (not reported by authors) of 13.4 %. Although the variability is close to ours, the mean stiffness differs significantly which may be a result of multi-frequency mechanical excitation. In fact, 3D-elastography seems to be the most efficient way to determine the liver stiffness as it enables introduction of software-based automatic segmentation and a more profound investigation of the nature of liver fibrosis. On the other hand, when measured in the same locations, liver stiffness seems to present a high inter-examination reproducibility. In a study by Shi et al., the mean overall ICC for studies repeated in 7 ± 2 days was 0.96 and for studies repeated in 195 ± 15 days was 0.87 [Our results indicate that the lowest measurement variability was related to the method, in which stiffness was averaged between all cross sections of the liver. This approach may be considered for use to determine the whole-liver stiffness or as a surrogate of 3D stiffness. An approach to the real liver 3D elastography has recently been presented by Guo et al. . They mewas 0.87 .Apart from the selection of the region of measurement also scanning settings may influence results of stiffness assessment in MRE. However, this relation was investigated in few studies. Shinagawa et al. tried to optimize scanning settings of MRE at 3 T in a group of 10 healthy volunteers using magnetic encoding gradient frequencies from 60 to 120 Hz, external driver frequency of 50–70 Hz, slice thickness of 8 mm and 10 mm, and driver amplitudes of 50 and 70 % . The mea2, operator experience fewer than 500 examinations, age greater than 52 years, and type 2 diabetes. Unreliable results were obtained in a further 15.8 % of patients and were independently associated with the same factors plus female sex and hypertension [Ultrasonography has been the first method widely used for the liver stiffness imaging, and its clinical value has been investigated more extensively than that of MRE. Among US techniques, TE seems to present the strongest practical validation. A detailed evaluation of TE limitations was published by Castéra et al., who presented their 5-year experience [rtension .However, results of stiffness measurement using different US techniques seem to be difficult to compare. In a study by Ferraioli et al., liver point shear wave elastography (PSWE) and TE were compared in healthy volunteers . In the r2 = 0.93) with the mean difference value of 0.27 kPa and the standard error of 0.58 kPa [r = 0.37). Moreover, MRE and SWE differed significantly regarding within-group coefficients of variation  [An interesting problem is a direct comparison of MR and US elastography. In a phantom study, stiffness values measured using MRE and TE were highly correlated (0.58 kPa . Considectively) . Furtherctively) .Our study had some major limitations. Firstly, the number of included subjects was calculated to present variability of stiffness measurement using different methods. Therefore, although the statistical power was sufficient to present differences between segments, our results may not be considered as reference values for Central Europeans. Secondly, we included volunteers whose livers were considered healthy based on medical histories, physical examinations, normal serum ALT levels, and negative result of liver sonography. We believe that histologic proof of the liver condition in volunteers is not justified and that a single site biopsy does not provide sufficient exclusion of the liver pathology to balance the risk of this invasive procedure. However, in our opinion, inclusion of patients with negative clinically indicated liver biopsy would bias the results more, since such subjects usually have some kind of liver pathology that may influence stiffness. It is highly probable that in early subclinical stages of fibrosis differences between methods of stiffness measurement would be similar to our results. Thus, our inclusion criteria seem to sufficient. Finally, placement of ROIs within segments was subjective, and in some cases they might have been located close to the large vessels, which are known to reduce viscoelasticity of the parenchyma.In conclusion, stiffness of the liver presents a significant variability depending on the region of measurement. The most reproducible method is averaging of several cross sections of the liver. There is a significant variability between stiffness in subjects considered to be healthy, which requires further investigation.


Through the courtesy of Dr. Benoît, Director of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, advantage was taken of a visit by the writer to Paris in October, 1903, to compare U. S. Prototype Meter No. 27 with the standards of the International Bureau.U. S. Meter No. 27, like the. prototypes of all the principal nations, and also like the international meter, is composed of 90 per cent platinum and 10 per cent iridium, with minute traces of other metals which compose less than 0.1 per cent of the total. It was intercompared at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, in 1888, with the national prototypes above referred to and with the international meter; and shortly afterwards it was brought to this country by a special messenger, who certified that it had suffered no violent mechanical or temperature disturbance in transportation. Soon after its arrival in this country—or to be exact, on January 2, 1891—the standard was unpacked with considerable ceremony at the Executive Mansion in the presence of the President of the United States, who accepted it as the national prototype meter.aIt was then immediately repacked, sealed in its metal case, and taken to the Office of Standard Weights and Measures, in the custody of which it remained until the formation of the Bureau of Standards, on July 1, 1901, when it was transferred to the Bureau with the other apparatus belonging to the Office of Standard Weights and Measures. It remained packed and sealed in its case until a few weeks before it was taken to Europe, when it was compared wjth Meter No. 21, which is exactly similar to No. 27, except that the lines and surfaces are not as perfect as those of No. 27, on account of its having been frequently packed in shaved ice.This comparison was made solely to furnish a check on the length of No. 27 in case it should meet with accident in transporting it to and from Europe.The comparisons were made on an improvised comparator installed in the subbasement of the Butler Building, in Washington, now occupied by the Bureau of Standards.The comparator, which is a temporary structure, differs essentially from those used at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, and elsewhere, and in consequence the results at present obtained with it are not as concordant as the results obtained at the international bureau. For general purposes, however, it offers decided advantages, and if properly constructed, it is believed that it will give results just as concordant.The essential features of the comparator are two brick piers, A A, which support the ends of a heavy iron I beam, B, to which are clamped two heavy iron brackets, C C. These brackets support the microscopes D D. The microscope supports may be clamped anywhere on the I beam, and hence the comparator may be used for comparing bars having any length from 0.1 meter to 1 meter. Where the microscopes are fixed to the piers it is only possible to compare bars of a definite length. By properly protecting the I beam and microscopes against temperature changes, or by making them of the 36 per cent nickel-steel alloy, it is believed that the distance between the microscopes will be as constant, or more so, than the distance between microscopes mounted on independent piers. In addition to the I beam and its two supporting piers, two intermediate piers, E E, support steel rails upon which the carriage F moves transversely to the I beam. Mounted upon this carriage is a wooden box G covered with sheet copper, inside of which is a heavy sheet brass box in which the two bars to be compared were placed. The object of this arrangement was to secure uniform temperature within the inner box. Since the coefficients of expansion of the two bars were almost identical, an accurate knowledge of the true temperature was not important, though it was important that both have the same temperature. The box rested upon three adjusting screws used to focus the bars under the microscopes.To protect the I beam and the microscopes and clamps from the heat of the observers’ bodies they were covered with sheet asbestos.μ. Should, however, the temperature of one bar differ from that of the other by 0.1° it would, if not corrected for, introduce an error of 0.87μ; hence the necessity of a uniform temperature in the inside brass box.The temperatures of the two bars were determined by means of two Tonnelot thermometers previously studied at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures. One was placed upon each bar, the bulbs being placed in opposite directions, and the thermometer scales being read through small openings in the brass and wooden inclosing boxes. As before stated, the question of the actual temperature was not of importance, because the expansions of the two bars were so nearly equal that an error of a whole degree in reading the temperature introduced an error in the final result of less than 0.01The microscopes have a magnifying power of very nearly 50 diameters, the objective and eyepiece each contributing equally to the power. The objectives were of the compound type, the illumination being secured by mounting small prisms in the principal focus of the lower lens of the objective. Diffused light from incandescent lamps was thrown through a screen of thin ground glass upon the prisms, from which the light was reflected vertically downward on the meter bars.The micrometer screws were carefully studied for periodic errors about ten years ago, and a number of determinations of the screw values have been made since. They were again determined in August, 1903, and the values found were used to reduce the observations made at this period.The values for one turn of the micrometer screws at different dates are tabulated below:The foregoing values indicate a very satisfactory agreement in the screw values at widely different dates. Only one, namely, that of micrometer No. 5, made in 1896, shows an appreciable deviation from the others. The reason for this unusually large value is not known, nor is it important for the present purpose.Reading of thermometers in inner case.Reading on No. 21.Reading on No. 27.Reading on No. 21.Reading on No. 27.Reading on No. 21.Reading of thermometers in inner case.An observation consisted of the following operations, which consumed about fifteen minutes:Every time a bar was brought under the microscope the micrometers were read simultaneously four times, the observers exchanging places after the second reading to eliminate personal equation.To insure thermal equilibrium at the beginning of the observations at least three hours was allowed to elapse between the observations.A series consisted of eight observations, with the bars occupying as many different positions with respect to the observer and the microscopes. The positions were as follows:The other four positions were obtained by substituting one bar for the other in each of the above diagrams.By this procedure each bar was in front, and hence nearer to the observer during half of the observations; also each end of both bars was brought under each microscope twice. The result of a series of observations is, therefore, independent of any possible affect of peculiar conditions.The observations were all reduced to zero centigrade by means of the differential expansion deduced from the equations of the meter bars as furnished by the International Bureau.In the comparison now described three series of observations were made, making a total of twenty-four observations. The results will be found in the following table, in which the first column gives the number and the second the date of the observation. The third gives the reading of the left-hand microscope on No. 21; the fourth gives the reading of the same microscope, on No. 27; the fifth gives the difference, in revolutions, of the readings of the micrometer; the sixth, the difference in microns. The seventh column gives the reading of the right-hand microscope on No. 21; the eighth, the reading of the same microscope on No. 27; the ninth, the difference in the readings of the micrometers; the tenth, the difference in microns; the eleventh, the sum of the differences of the two microscopes, in microns; the twelfth gives the mean corrected reading of the two thermometers, and the thirteenth gives the residuals for the individual observations when referred to the mean temperature of observation, namely, 23.50° C. All of the observations at the Bureau of Standards were made with the bars in air.The relation of the two bars, as determined in 1888, wasμ. The evidence is, however, too meager to draw reliable conclusions from, and hence a discussion of this question is postponed until further observations have been made.If we assume that the length of No. 27 has remained constant, then No. 21 shows a decrease in length of 0.33After the above observations had been completed, No. 27 was carefully packed in its case and transported to the International Bureau of Weights and Measures. During the transportation the bar was handled with the greatest care and received no shocks, nor was it subjected to any sudden changes of temperature. Upon the arrival of No. 27 at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, it was immediately placed in the Brunner comparator with meter No. 26, and M. Maudet, one of the assistants at the International Bureau, was delegated to assist in the comparisons, which were begun the following day.The essential features of the Brunner comparator, which is fully described in Vol. 4, Travaux et Mémoires of the International Bureau, are two massive stone piers on which are mounted the two micrometer microscopes, and a double-walled box in which are placed the bars and which can be displaced laterally so as to bring the ends of the two standards successively under the microscopes. The trough is supported on a foundation which is only connected to the microscope piers through the earth. None of the piers are in contact with the floors of the laboratory. All the comparisons at the International Bureau were made with the bars submerged in water, which was thoroughly stirred before each observation. The temperature of the water and of the bars was determined by means of four symmetrically disposed Tonnelot thermometers, which had been used in the 1888 comparisons. These thermometers, numbered 4246, 4247, 4248, and 4249, respectively, are perhaps better known in terms of the hydrogen scale than any other mercury thermometers in existence, though in this case, as before stated, the actual temperature was of little importance.The, micrometers used are the regular micrometers belonging to the Brunner comparator, and they will be found described in the volume above referred to. Their values have been carefully determined from time to time, and the values adopted for this period by the International Bureau were used. Merely as a check a determination of the values was made by the writer after the observations had been completed, and the results obtained agreed almost perfectly with those used.3.The comparison of No. 27 was made with the two standards of the International Bureau, namely, No. 26 and T3, which is the secondary standard, was compared directly with the international meter in 1892, and a number of times with No. 26 between 1892 and 1894.Meter No. 26, which is the principal standard, was included in the 1888 comparisons, and it was again directly compared with the international meter in 1892. TIt might be well at this point to give the equations of all of the bars involved in the comparisons, both at the Bureau of Standards at Washington, and at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures.They are as follows:3 were taken to the nearest 0.01 of a micron. The above values of No. 26 and T3 are the values at present accepted by the International Bureau as the result of the comparisons made in 1892 and 1894. In the first two equations T means temperature in degrees of the hydrogen scale. In the last three equations t means temperature in degrees of the hard glass scale of the International Bureau.The corrections to Nos. 21 and 27 at 0° C. are given one place further than the value furnished in their certificates, the values in the certificates having been rounded off to the nearest tenth of a micron. It was deemed advisable, in view of the small difference that might be looked for, to take the actual values found in 1888 to the nearest 0.01 of a micron. For the same reason the values of No. 26 and TFollowing the method in use at the International Bureau, an observation made there consisted of five pointings on one bar and four on the other, the pointings being alternately on the two, but always beginning and ending on the same bar. A series of observations was similar to the series described in connection with the Washington observations, namely, it consisted of eight observations with the bars occupying as many different positions with respect to the observers and microscope.3 were made by each observer between the 1st and the 12th of October, 1903. The results of these observations are summarized on pages 12 and 13. Below is a record of the first observation made on October 1. It is given here simply to show how the observations were made and recorded.The observers in these observations worked independently—that is to say, for any given position of the bars an observation was made at different times by each of the observers, the observations succeeding one another by intervals of half an hour or more. This short interval was made possible by reason of the bars being immersed in water. Two series of observations between Nos. 26 and 27 and one series between No. 27 and Tμ. Further, the means of the four results depending upon No. 26 agree perfectly with the two results deduced from the observation between No. 27 and T3. The question, therefore, of the relative weight of the values of No. 27 deduced from No. 26 and T3 is not important. The six results were, consequently, given equal weight. The probable error of a single observation is substantially the same for both observers; namely, 0.15μ. The probable error of the mean of the three series of each observer, 0.03μ.The values deduced from the six series are remarkably concordant, the total range being only 0.24For comparison the results of the two observers are repeated:The computed probable error of the last result is ±0.02. The value originally found for No. 27 in 1888 was:μ in the length of. No. 27 with respect to the international meter, as represented by meters No. 26 and T3. If the recent observations were the only evidence, there would be little doubt that a slight change had occurred in the length of No. 27, as only one observation of the 48 made gave a result as large as that previously assigned to No. 27, and moreover the probable error of the new result does not admit of a possible error greater than 0.10μ. On the other hand, irregular changes equally as large have been observed in other bars compared at different times at the International Bureau. The discrepancies referred to were likewise much greater than would be expected from the agreement of the observation upon which they depended.aThe recent comparisons made at the International Bureau, therefore, show an apparent shortening of 0.45The same phenomenon has been observed in the comparison of the British imperial yard with its four copies.The question naturally arises at this point as to whether the observed differences represent real changes in the lengths of the standards, or whether they are due to certain peculiar conditions of the observers and comparing apparatus. Leaving out of consideration the yards referred to, because they belong in an entirely different class, it may be said that if the lines on the standard meters were absolutely perfect and of the same width, and if, furthermore, the surfaces on which they are ruled were uniform, and in every case perpendicular to the axes of the bars, the method of observing would eliminate any possibility for a constant error in the final result.The lines, however, are not perfect, but the edges appear slightly ragged, under the magnifying power used, and hence the estimation of the centers of the lines is dependent to some extent upon the variable judgment of the observer. Moreover, the surfaces are not in every case exactly perpendicular to the axes of the bar, and, in consequence, the illumination of the lines is not always perpendicular to the surfaces even if the microscopes of the comparator are in perfect adjustment. Undoubtedly, part of the slight differences noted are due to the defects pointed out, but to the writer it does not appear improbable that slight temporary differences are also due to the previous history of the meters, especially to their previous thermal history.It was the original intention of the International Committee on Weights and Measures to recompare the various national prototypes with one another and with the international meter every ten years, but this plan has not been carried out, though preparations are now being made at the International Bureau to do this work. When this has been done, it will be interesting to see whether similar changes will be observed in other prototypes, in which case it will be time to speculate as to the causes.A second comparison between No. 21 and No. 27 was made in April, 1904, the result showing conclusively that the length of No. 27 had not been altered appreciably by its transportation to and from Paris. The results of these observations will be found in the following table, which is arranged in the same manner as the observations made prior to taking No. 27 to Paris. The same apparatus was used under identical conditions as in the first series of comparisons, the only difference being that the observations in this comparison were made by the writer alone.18364–No. 1–05—2The two comparisons made between No. 21 and No. 27 agree so well that the conclusion is justified that No. 21 is shorter with respect to No. 27 than has been previously assumed, though the magnitude of the change is not so certain. It is nevertheless interesting to see what the change in No. 21 is on the assumption that the new value of No. 27 represents its present relation to the international meter. For this purpose the values deduced from the recent comparisons of the International Bureau and at the Bureau of Standards are summarized below:While the results of the new comparisons differ but slightly from the old, and are moreover not conclusive, they nevertheless introduce an uncertainty as to the lengths of Nos. 27 and 21 and make it desirable to recompare No. 27 directly with the international and other national prototypes. Until this has been done by the International Bureau the old value of No. 27 will be used.It is probable that part of the differences observed are due to slight errors in the coefficients of expansion of No. 27 and No. 21, and in order to test this, and also to fix definitely for this period the relative values of these bars, further comparisons will be undertaken at once.In conclusion, the writer wishes to express his obligations to Dr. Benoît, director, and Dr. Guillaume, assistant director, respectively, of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, for placing at his disposal all the required apparatus of the Bureau and for many valuable suggestions; to M. Maudet, who shared equally in the work at the International Bureau, and who made most of the reductions; and also to Mr. L. G. Hoxton, of the Bureau of Standards, who assisted in the first series of observations made at Washington prior to the comparison at Paris.


The mechanism by which plants make starch—a vital foodstuff for billions of humans—is poorly understood, with a clear role for just one enzyme, granular binding starch synthase. A new study identifies a protein needed to recruit this enzyme to the starch granule. Read the Research Article. During the daytime, plants capture the energetic proceeds of photosynthesis by building up a cache of starch granules. At night, plants can draw on their starch stores to fuel their metabolic needs. The most abundant component of starch, amylopectin, is a polymer composed of many short, highly branched chains of glucose molecules. The less abundant component of starch, amylose, has a simpler structure comprised of a single, unbranched chain of glucose molecules.PLOS Biology, David Seung, Samuel Zeeman, and colleagues describe a protein with a newly identified role in the synthesis of amylose.The structural characteristics of amylopectin and amylose lend them to very different uses. For instance, amylopectin is easily digested by humans and is therefore a major source of dietary glucose. It also has several industrial uses because its highly branched nature makes it an excellent thickener and texturant. By contrast, amylose can’t be digested well by people because its long glucose chains tend to repack together after cooking. Curiously, despite the obvious importance of starches, the mechanisms of starch synthesis are still not fully understood. In this issue of Scientists have identified four chain-elongating and two branching enzymes that work together to synthesize amylopectin chains. But so far, only one enzyme—granule bound starch synthase, or GBSS—has been found to synthesize amylose. Loss or inhibition of GBSS completely prevents synthesis of amylose. But Seung and colleagues wondered whether there might be other, as-yet-unidentified, proteins or genes important for starch production.Arabidopsis thaliana, designated At5g39790, which encodes a protein that can bind to starches (A promising candidate for such a gene was one first identified in the rockcress starches . The proTo determine whether At5g39790 might be involved in starch synthesis, Seung et al. studied plants carrying mutations that prevent the PTST protein from being made. Analysis of the starch content in mutant plants showed that although the total amount of starch is unchanged, the plants entirely lack amylose. This indicates that PTST is required for amylose production.The only other gene currently known to be required for amylose synthesis is GBSS. GBSS is normally one of the most abundant proteins found in plant starch granules, but surprisingly, Seung and colleagues found that plants lacking PTST fail to localize GBSS to their starch granules. In fact, the PTST mutant plants have almost no GBSS protein at all.The absence of GBSS explains why PTST-deficient plants do not make amylose, but why should loss of PTST affect GBSS protein levels? GBSS is thought to be highly unstable in the absence of starch, so the researchers sought to test whether PTST affects localization of GBSS to starch granules, where GBSS would be more stable. Observations of fluorescently tagged PTST and GBSS in live plants showed that GBSS requires PTST to be recruited to starch granules. Interestingly, Seung and colleagues observed that PTST also localizes to starch granules, albeit only transiently. PTST localization at starch granules is defective in the absence of GBSS, suggesting the two proteins rely on each other to reach granules.Seeking an explanation for how these two proteins affect each other’s subcellular localization, the authors hypothsized that PTST may directly interact with GBSS. Consistent with this idea, analysis of sequence information for GBSS and PTST revealed that both proteins contain motifs called coiled-coils, which are known to mediate protein–protein interactions. Indeed, in vitro pull-down assays confirmed that PTST and GBSS bind to each other via their coiled-coil motifs, and immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that the two proteins could be pulled out together from intact plant cells. On the basis of these findings, Seung et al. concluded that the starch-binding ability of PTST allows this protein to localize to starch granules, and that thanks to its coiled-coil domain, PTST can bring GBSS along for the ride. Upon reaching the granule, PTST disassociates from both GBSS and starch, then relocalizes to the chloroplast stroma, while GBSS remains behind to synthesize amylose.Taken together, these data reveal PTST to be important for amylose synthesis, expanding our knowledge of starch synthesis pathways in plants. This work may also prove important in other respects because until now, the only way to manipulate amylose levels in plants was to target GBSS directly. The identification of another component of the pathway promises another route to manipulating the relative amylose and amylopectin content of plants, with attendant implications for use of starches in both industrial and food science applications.


Electrospinning technique was utilized to engineer a small-diameter (id = 4 mm) tubular graft. The tubular graft was made from biocompatible and biodegradable polymers polycaprolactone (PCL) and poliglecaprone with 3:1 (PCL:PGC) ratio. Enzymatic degradation effect on the mechanical properties and fiber morphology in the presence of lipase enzyme were observed. Significant changes in tensile strength (1.86–1.49 MPa) and strain (245–205 %) were noticed after 1 month in vitro degradation. The fiber breakage was clearly evident through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after 4 weeks in vitro degradation. Then, the graft was coated with a collagenous protein matrix to impart bioactivity. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and aortic artery smooth muscle cells (AoSMCs) attachment on the coated graft were observed in static condition. Further, HUVECs were seeded on the lumen surface of the grafts and exposed to laminar shear stress for 12 h to understand the cell attachment. The coated graft was aged in PBS solution (pH 7.3) at 37 °C for 1 month to understand the coating stability. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) suggested the erosion of the protein matrix from the coated graft under in vitro condition. Approximately, 800,000 coronary artery bypass graft surgeries (CABG) are performed worldwide each year , self-assembled cell sheets, synthetic scaffolds, and decellularized matrix   polymers was fabricated by an electrospinning technique . Poliglecaprone (PGC) was acquired in the form of absorbable surgical sutures under the trade name of Monocryl® (Ethicon). The solvent 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFP) was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich  to dissolve PCL and PGC (weight ratio PCL:PGC = 3:1) and make a homogeneous solution. Lipase (Pseudomonas fluorescens) was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich. The protein matrix (HB) was provided by Vivo Biosciences Inc. . HUVECs and AoSMCs (Lonza Group Ltd) were kindly provided by Dr. Jun’s Laboratory at passage 3. The HUVECs were cultured into the endothelial cell growth media (EGM-2 Lonza Group Ltd) at 37 °C under 5 % CO2. The AoSMCs were cultured into the smooth muscle cells growth media (SMGM-2 Lonza Group Ltd) at 37 °C under 5 % CO2.Polycaprolactone (PCL) with inherent viscosity between 1.0 and 1.3 dL/g in CHClTubular electrospun graft was engineered by the following method described in our recent publication  were prepared by cutting the scaffolds into rectangular stripes (3 mm × 10 mm) in accordance with ASTM standard D882. A dynamic mechanical analyzer with tensile fixture  was used. The samples were mounted first on the fixture. The samples were tested uniaxially using 18 N load cell at a ramp 0.1 N mm−1. All values such as elastic modulus, percent elongation to failure, and ultimate tensile strength were obtained from stress–strain curves generated by the TA instrument software. Further, FE-SEM  was utilized to understand the morphology of the vascular graft before and after enzymatic degradation, and grafts were cut and sputter-coated with Au–Pd to understand the surface morphology. To obtain mass loss (%) data, samples [1 cm × 1 cm (n = 6)] were aged under enzymatic solution at 37 °C for 4 weeks  for coated graft. Samples were tested by utilizing a DSC instrument (TA Instruments Q100) from −75 to 250 °C at a rate of 10 °C/min.The tubular graft was coated with a collagenous protein matrix by dip coating. The tubular graft was soaked in the PBS solution (pH 7.3) overnight at 4 °C to wet the surface for better collagenous protein matrix absorption. Then, the tubular graft was dip coated by soaking in the collagenous protein matrix with higher density (3 mg/mL) on the outside (pH 7.3) for 2 h at 4 °C. Then, the inner layer was coated with lower density (1 mg/mL) of collagenous matrix (pH 7.3) for 2 h at 4 °C. Finally, the coated graft was placed in the incubator at 37 °C in a humid environment for the gelation and stabilization of the collagenous protein matrix for 2 h. FT-IR and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) techniques were utilized to confirm the presence of the protein matrix on the graft before and after aging in physiological media. The Bruker alpha FTIR spectrometer was used with ATR mode to acquire absorbance spectrum  and rhodamine phalloidin (Sigma-Aldrich) staining to stain nucleus and actin filaments respectively. Nikon A1 confocal camera was used to acquire all the images at 40× magnification.HUVECs and AoSMCs (Lonza Group Ltd) were kindly provided by the Dr. Jun’s Laboratory at UAB at passage 3. The tubular scaffolds were sterilized and preconditioned before cell seeding by ethanol and UV sterilization. The scaffolds were placed in 48-well plates and incubated with 100 % fetal bovine serum (FBS)  at 37 °C for 4 h  by utilizing an electrospinning technique was made of nano–microscale fibers (diameter ranges from 0.5 to 1.0 μm). Its chemical composition had a major amount of the PCL component; hence, it was important for us to understand the effect of the enzyme on the mechanical properties. Therefore, we exposed the electrospun graft to the lipase-containing PBS solution for 1 month to observe changes in mechanical properties. The hydrolytic degradation of PCL and PGC occurs due to the breakage of the ester bonds as shown in the Fig. p < 0.05) decrease from 1.86 ± 0.14 to 1.49 ± 0.08 MPa after 4 weeks. The ultimate tensile strength even after 4 weeks was comparable to the human coronary artery values as reported by Holzapfel et al. (p < 0.05) difference in strain (%) before and after exposure to the lipase solution as shown in Fig. p < 0.05) from 2 (3 ± 1 %) to 4 weeks (7.3 ± 2.6 %). This mass loss (%) also helps to correlate the decrease in tensile strength and stain (%) values. Figure The rate of the enzymatic degradation can be varied depending on the polymer type, crystallinity, and molecular weight  from 2  ± 1 % to) from 2  ± 1 % toECM proteins coating on fibers of porous structure can facilitate cell attachment, migration, and infiltration. To incorporate the protein matrix, a simple dip-coating method was utilized -coated scaffold are shown in Fig. −1 for amide A indicates the presence of protein from the protein matrix, since the non-coated graft does not have any amide group in the chemical structure. Further, amide I at 1651 cm−1 corresponds to the stretching vibration of the C=O bond. In addition, amide II at 1535 cm−1 is associated with the vibration of C–N and N–H bonds. Amide I and II were both present in the ATR spectrum of the protein matrix-coated graft. Jia et al.  3310 cma et al.  mentioneg et al.  also notQ is desired flow rate, Τ is the target shear stress, µ is the viscosity of the flow medium, w is width of the flow chamber, and h is the height of the flow chamber  and strain (245–205 %) were noticed due to enzymatic degradation. The fiber breakage was clearly evident through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after 4 weeks in vitro degradation. Further, the graft was coated with collagenous proteins and characterized by FTIR and DSC. A preliminary dynamic condition study to understand the HUVECs attachment was conducted. In static condition, HUVECs and AoSMCs attachment were observed. Under the dynamic flow condition, HUVECs attachment was found to be significantly lesser compared to the control (static condition). The weaker non-covalent bond between the protein matrix and the graft could be the reason. Further, the protein matrix eroded completely after 4 weeks in PBS solution, which was confirmed by DSC and FTIR. This issue will be addressed in a future study by introducing cross-linking agents to stabilize the protein matrix on the electrospun fibers.


G*). The crystallization induced increase of short-range helices structures were investigated using FTIR. The pressure releasing rate does not affect the starch retrogradation behaviour. The rate and extent of retrogradation depends on the amylose content of amylose starch. The least retrogradation was observed in HHP treated waxy maize starch. The rate of retrogradation is higher for HHP treated high amylose maize starch than that of normal maize starch. A linear relationship between the extent of retrogradation (phase distribution) measured by FTIR and G* is proposed.High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) has been employed to gelatinize or physically modify starch dispersions. In this study, waxy maize starch, normal maize starch, and two high amylose content starch were processed by a HHP of the order of 600 MPa, at 25°C for 15min. The effect of HHP processing on the crystallization of maize starches with various amylose content during storage at 4°C was investigated. Crystallization kinetics of HHP treated starch gels were investigated using rheology and FTIR. The effect of crystallization on the mechanical properties of starch gel network were evaluated in terms of dynamic complex modulus ( Starch granules are semi-crystalline and are composed mainly of a mixture of two α-D-glucose polymers; amylose and amylopectin. The crystalline regions in the granules are mainly due to the presence of clusters of amylopectin, which is a highly branched polymer of several million Daltons. Amylose is predominantly made up of linear starch chains and is largely amorphous and randomly distributed between the amylopectin clusters . When thIn recent years high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) has been used extensively to physically modify and gelatinize starches from different botanical sources –9. The sPrevious studies on the retrogradation of HHP treated starches have used waxy and normal starch with low amylose content , 28. TheWaxy (MAZACA), Normal maize starch (Melojel), and high-amylose starch (Gelose50 and Gelose80) maize starch powders were donated by National Starch Food Innovation . Their chemical composition are reported in Starch was suspended in 18.2 MΩ cm Milli-Q water at a concentration of 10 w/w%. Sodium Azide  was added at a concentration of 0.02 w/w% to the starch suspension to eliminate mold growth during storage. Beckman Polyallomer centrifuge tubes  were filled with ≈10 mL starch suspension and heat sealed prior to high pressure treatment.Pressure treatments were conducted using a laboratory-scale high-pressure unit , at pressures of 600 MPa, for 15 min at 25°C. The pressurization rate was set at 900 MPa/min and the depressurization rates investigated were 50 MPa/min, 100 MPa/min, and 900 MPa/min. Once the high-pressure treatment was completed, the sample tubes were opened and the samples transferred into plastic 15 mL centrifuge tubes. If a sediment was present, it was mixed thoroughly by a vortex mixer  to ensure sample homogeneity. The samples were then kept in closed tubes at 4°C and analysed as a function of storage time.The rheological properties of the pressure treated and control corn starch (non-high pressure treated) were studied as a function of time at storage temperature of 4°C using a stress-controlled rheometer . Dynamic rheological measurements study viscoelastic behaviour of HHP treated corn starch pastes and controlled starch suspensions. A 25 mm diameter plate and plate geometry, with a gap of 1.0 mm, was employed to perform dynamic rheological tests.tep 1 the sample was transferred to the rheometer plate preheated to 50°C and held for 5 min without shear to achieve temperature equilibrium. In step 2 the sample was heated from 50 to 95°C, at a heating rate of 3°C/min at a strain of 1% and 1 Hz frequency. In step 3 the sample was held at 95°C for 5 min with strain of 1% and 1 Hz frequency. In step 4 the sample was cooled from 95 to 25°C, at a rate of 3°C/min at a strain of 1% and 1 Hz frequency. After the temperature reached 25°C and was held there for 5 min, a dynamic frequency sweep  measurement was performed, followed by step 5 where a dynamic strain-sweep (large deformations) was performed to ensure that the frequency sweep was within the linear viscoelastic region. The frequency sweep measurement (step 4) was carried out at a constant strain of 1% for frequencies ranging from 0.01 Hz to 1 Hz, and the strain-sweep measurements (step 5) was performed at a constant frequency of 1 Hz from 0.1% to 10,000%. In these dynamic measurements the elastic modulus G’, the viscous modulus G” and the complex modulus G* given by |G*| = (G’2+G”2)1/2, were obtained.The different stages of heating, cooling and rheological measurements were as follow: In s-1 using the empty cell as background. Duplicate measurements were conducted for each sample. Data analysis was carried out using the OMNIC 6.0 software . Spectra were linear baseline-corrected between 1200 and 800 cm-1 and deconvoluted to resolve overlapped bands [-1 and an enhancement factor of 2.4 with triangular apodization was employed according to [-1/1022 cm-1 were obtained from the deconvoluted spectra.FTIR spectra were obtained on a PerkinElmer Spectrum 100 Spectrometer (U.K.) fitted with DTGS (deuterated triglycine sulfate) detector and a Universal Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) single reflectance cell with a diamond crystal. Following HHP and after various storage time at 4°C, starch samples were freeze-dried and ground to a powder for FTIR analysis. Starch samples were placed on the surface of the crystal. For each spectrum 64 scans were co-added at a resolution of 4 cmed bands . A half-rding to . IntensiG* was calculated at 1 Hz for all HHP treated maize starch and are shown in G* value after pasting, while waxy (MAZACA) and high amylose (Gelose 50 and Gelose 80) showed much lower G* value. It is well known that such high amylose starch have an elevated temperature of crystalline dissociation, preventing the onset swelling below 90°C [G* value of waxy maize starch could be due to the lack of dissolving amylose molecules, which may be attributed to the formation of a network of swollen starch granules [G* value is lower than that of non-HHP-treated starch. This could be due to the excessive pressurization weakening starch gel structures [G* values first increase and then level out into a plateau. For retrogradation of amylose in high amylose content maize starch, it has been suggested that rapid formation of a cross-linked network arises from the adoption of ordered double-helical chain segments, acting as “junction zones,” which are interconnected by more mobile amorphous single-chain segments [G*. HHP release rate was found to have an effect on milk protein denaturation and subsequent aggregation . In the case of starch, denaturation is not expected, and the rate of retrogradation is much slower as can be seen in Figs A strain sweep at frequency of 1 Hz was conducted to determine the linear viscoelastic region for all HHP processed starch samples as a function of storage time. A frequency sweep  was perflow 90°C . The lowgranules . For allructures , 36. Forsegments . On the segments . For all-1 and 1022 cm-1 have been assigned to the ordered and amorphous phases of starch, respectively [-1 will therefore be related to the ratio of ordered starch to amorphous starch [-1 is lower than that of their non-HHP treated counterparts. This is due to a decrease of the crystalline phase size concomitant with an increase of the amorphous phase size caused by HHP induced starch gelatinization [FTIR spectra were measured to determine the extent of short-range molecular order  in these high pressure-treated starch samples during storage Figs  and 4. Wectively , 39, 40.s starch . For allnization .The FTIR spectra are strongly correlated with the rheology in terms of the retrogradation kinetics and the degree of retrogradation . Both meG* and the 1045/1022 cm-1 ratio reached a plateau after 15–20 days. However, for normal maize starch (Melojel), the G* and the 1045/1022 cm-1 ratio reached a plateau around 30 days. It is well known that starch retrogradation is composed of two kinetically distinct processes. The rapid retrogradation process involves amylose via the formation of double helical chain segments followed by helix-helix aggregation. This is accompanied by a slow recrystallization of the short amylopectin chains [G* and the 1045/1022 cm-1 ratio in high amylose maize starch Gelose 50 and Gelose 80 is probably due to the short-range ordering of amylose [G* and value of 1045/1022 cm-1 ratio of waxy maize starch (MAZACA) does not increase remarkably with storage time, signalling the lowest degree of retrogradation. It is suggested that when low concentration waxy maize starch  is gelatinized, the amylopectin clusters are relatively far apart, making it difficult for them to re-associate [G* vs the normalized 1045/1022 cm-1 ratio to their plateau values (relative change) for all maize starch with all pressure releasing rate, a universal linear relationship between these two parameters is found :For the high amylose maize starches, Gelose 50 and Gelose 80, the n chains , 44. The amylose . In cont amylose , 45. The amylose . It is s amylose . It is associate  and whenssociate . By plotis found . The resϕ  for small values of ϕ, and for small variations in ϕ as indicated by the FTIR measurements.Both Eqs  and 2)  2) will G* as a function of storage time. The rheological and FTIR analysis of HHP treated starches demonstrate that retrogradation does not depend on the pressure releasing rate. Furthermore, the speed of retrogradation of high amylose starch is higher than that of normal maize starch. This is probably due to the fact that the amylose crystallization accounts for the starch short-term retrogradation, while amylopectin crystallization mainly contribute to the starch long-term retrogradation. Note that this study was carried out at a starch concentration of around 10%: w/w and we expect that the starch retrogradation during storage will depend on this concentration and water content. Overall, the results of FTIR and rheological studies provide complementary information on the retrogradation behaviour of HHP treated maize starch with various amylose content under conditions relevant to food storage conditions. The finding of this study can be used to improve the physical stability and textural characteristics of HHP processed starch-rich food products. We wonder if this behavior such as the distribution of phases is related to the complex elastic modulus of other materials such as other polymer blends; biological and non-biological such as peptides aggregations. Finally while a HHP of 600 MPa is applied in this study, and a maximum release time of 12 min (slowest release rate was 50 MPa/min), it will be worth investigating if ultra-HHP (>GPa) and slower HHP release rates will confirm if the rate of starch degradation remain independent of the HHP release rate.Rheological methods and FTIR measurements can be employed to characterize the retrogradation behaviour of maize starch with various amylose content during storage at 4°C after high pressure treatment. FTIR results demonstrate that the amount of short-range crystallization in starch increases, while the dynamic rheological experiments reveal an increase of


Prior to this, he was Head of the Nuclear Medicine section International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in Vienna for seven years. He was also Head of Nuclear Medicine at the All India Institute of Nuclear medicine, New Delhi, India.Dr. Ajit Kumar Padhy MD, FAMS was a Senior Consultant, Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET at Singapore General Hospital, Singapore when he passed away on 22His untimely demise left a wife and two loving sons, accomplished in their own rights.In the realm of Nuclear Medicine, the specialty he loved so much, he left a worldwide league of physicians and colleagues orphaned. His passion of the specialty will remain unsurpassed.His selfless devotion to uplift the practice of Nuclear Medicine in developing countries, encourage young doctors to do research and his peers to excel in this field was limitless.Born in Orissa, where he enjoyed his childhood, he will remain a treasure that belongs to the entire world. He loved life, and was even described by his classmates to be “enterprising and flamboyant”. He loved music, movies and dancing. He also loves to cook and his cooking was delicious. To us his colleagues, he was stylish and paid attention to small details when it comes to arranging meetings/conferences (being in the IAEA for 7 years and doing this around the world). He is so confident, kind and generous. He was honest and critical especially if it will be for your betterment and without intention to hurt.In 2009, he co-founded the World Association of Radiopharmaceutical and Molecular Therapy where he was President till 2012 when he became the Executive Director. WARMTH now has more than 400 members around the globe and his loss is so strongly felt. He is also Editor in Chief of the “World Journal of Nuclear Medicine” at the time of his death. This was another “baby” of his, spending sleepless nights beating the deadline. He was also an active member of editorial board of the “Asia Oceania Journal of Nuclear Medicine & biology”. He had hundreds of published papers and chapter of books. His advocacy for therapy for thyroid cancer, thyrotoxicosis and liver cancer are seen in most of his works.To all of us whose lives he has touched, we deeply mourn his passing away.His challenge to make a better world through therapy especially in oncology must be a reminder to those he left behind.We must continue the passion and keep the fire burning for his works, a legacy he left. He will always be an inspiration for us. May he attain peace, and happiness in the life beyond.


PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (PLOS NTDs) editorial team would like to express our tremendous gratitude to all individuals who participated in the peer review process for PLOS NTDs this past year. As a community run journal, we depend on the participation of active and expert members of the field to communicate the best work. 2015 was great year for PLOS NTDs; this year, over 2,400 reviewers from around the world helped evaluate over 1,200 articles.The Public Library of Science (PLOS) and the PLOS NTDs community. Your efforts are an important part of making the journal a highly read, highly cited and highly regarded open access resource created by and for the benefit of the scientific community.The names of our 2015 reviewers are listed in S1 Reviewer List(PDF)Click here for additional data file.


A summary is provided on the existing knowledge about the specific healing phases of the intra-articular hamstring tendon graft used for ACL reconstruction. Differences between human and animal in vivo studies are explained, and implications for the postoperative time period are laid out.A systematic review of the existing literature was performed on the topic of tendon remodelling of hamstring grafts in ACL reconstruction using Medline database. Publications between 1982 and 2012 were included. Special focus was directed on in vivo human and animal studies analysing intra-articular free tendon graft remodelling.Animal and human in vitro and vivo researches have demonstrated three characteristic stages of graft healing after ACL reconstruction: an early graft healing phase with central graft necrosis and hypocellularity and no detectable revascularization of the graft tissue, followed by a phase of proliferation, the time of most intensive remodelling and revascularization and finally, a ligamentization phase with characteristic restructuring of the graft towards the properties of the intact ACL. However, a full restoration of either the biological or biomechanical properties of the intact ACL is not achieved.Significant knowledge on human cruciate ligament remodelling has been added in the understanding of the processes during the course of graft healing. Most importantly, the remodelling process in humans is prolonged compared to animal studies. While today´s rehabilitation protocols are often extrapolated from findings of animal in vivo healing studies, current findings of human in vivo healing studies might require new post-operative regimens following hamstring ACL reconstruction. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction techniques have been improved over the last 10 years, but graft failure is not uncommon: 0.7–10 % , 35. SucAnimal and human in vitro and vivo research have demonstrated three characteristic stages of graft healing after ACL reconstruction: an early graft healing phase with central graft necrosis and hypocellularity and no detectable revascularization of the graft tissue, followed by a phase of proliferation, the time of most intensive remodelling and revascularization and finally, a ligamentization phase with characteristic restructuring of the graft towards the properties of the intact ACL [tact ACL , 65, 66.tact ACL , 4, 46.This phase is defined as the period from the time of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction until the fourth post-operative week. It is marked by increasing necrosis, mainly in the centre of the graft and hypocellularity , 46, 51.The proliferation phase is defined as the period between 4 and 12 weeks after ACL reconstruction.This phase is characterized by maximum cellular activity and changes of the extra-cellular matrix, which are paralleled by the lowest mechanical properties of the reconstructed ACL graft. Graft necrosis leads to a release of growth factors, which stimulate cell migration and proliferation as well as extracellular matrix synthesis and revascularization , 51, 64.Animal studies have shown that the mechanical properties of the graft are at its weakest at 6–8 weeks. Three factors contribute to the decline in the grafts’ mechanical properties: (a) increased revascularization and extra-cellular infiltration, (b) loss of regular collagen orientation and crimp pattern and (c) decrease in collagen fibril density, followed by increased collagen synthesis with a shift from large-diameter collagen fibrils to small-diameter fibrils , 60, 61.The reduced mechanical properties of healing grafts in animal models seem to contradict the successful clinical outcomes after ACL reconstruction with immediate aggressive rehabilitation in humans. Significant differences were found in biopsy studies between the remodelling activity of human ACL grafts during the first 3 months and the healing graft in animal models. The complete loss and replacement of all intrinsic graft have not been observed in human biopsy studies , 43. TheThe ligamentization phase involves the continuous remodelling of the healing graft towards the morphology and mechanical strength of the intact ACL from 12 weeks onwards. A clear endpoint is not known for certain changes still occurring even years after reconstruction. In animal models, cellularity slowly returns to values of the intact ACL between 3 and 6 months post-operatively , 55, 61.When interpreting animal data with regard to changes occurring in human autografts, important clinical factors such as graft isometricity, anatomical positioning, patient compliance, healing response, vascularity, biomechanical strength and post-operative rehabilitation must be considered. These factors are difficult to control in animal models. Nevertheless, the results of animal studies are important, because human research has been limited to post-mortem and second-look arthroscopic evaluation . ResearcMRI studies have examined the revascularization of human hamstring autografts after ACL reconstruction , 18, 57.Human biopsy studies have examined the remodelling process of the hamstring tendon autograft at various time intervals after clinically successful ACL reconstruction , 47, 66.Focus of human hamstring biopsy studies has been the proliferation and ligamentization phases of graft healing, as most biopsies were taken at second-look arthroscopies from 4 months onwards after ACL reconstruction. Janssen et al.  examinedHuman biopsy studies that analysed changes of the extracellular matrix observed changes that are in line with the findings of animal models. Marumo et al.  found thIn summary, human hamstring ACL autografts undergo a process of adaptation rather than full restoration of the intact ACL’s biological properties, which takes at least 1 year after reconstruction.Knowledge about the duration of the remodelling process of ACL grafts may influence and improve rehabilitation protocols , 33, 46.No final conclusions can be drawn on the mechanical strength of healing ACL grafts in humans with no available techniques for in vivo measurement of their mechanical properties. Even though it is not fully understood what the exact mechanisms are that guide the remodelling process, it seems to be important that physiological knee joint mechanics are restored to provide the same mechanical stimulus to the healing ACL graft as to the intact ACL. This guides adequate remodelling that will maintain initial graft integrity and  cell viability, while initiating cellular and extra-cellular proliferation and differentiation to adapt the graft to its new biological and mechanical environment.Hamstring tendon grafts remain viable after ACL reconstruction. The graft undergoes 3 characteristic stages of graft healing after ACL reconstruction: an early graft healing phase with limited graft necrosis and hypocellularity and no detectable revascularization of the graft tissue, followed by a phase of proliferation, the time of most intensive remodelling and revascularization and finally, a ligamentization phase with characteristic restructuring of the graft towards the properties of the intact ACL. An adaptation of the healing graft towards the intact ACL occurs without a full restoration of either the biological or mechanical properties of the intact ACL. Future research will have to be directed to (a) optimizing cruciate ligament reconstructions to fully restore the anatomy and function while providing the mechanical strength of the intact cruciate ligaments, (b) developing biological treatment options that impact on graft healing especially during the early and proliferation phase to optimize extra-cellular matrix remodelling and avoid excessive remodelling activity that might impair mechanical integrity of the healing graft and (c) to better differentiate the “good” from the “bad” remodelling changes, so that the time to return to full activity without any restrictions can be reduced.


In this first newsletter of 2016 we first wanted to wish all our readers,authors, reviewers, and editorial board members a happy, healthy, inspiring, butalso peaceful new year. Recently, the fourth issue of Advances in CognitivePsychology of 2015 was completed, which is of course freely available on ourwebsite. The current newsletter will also be included in the first issue of2016. At the end of the last year, we decided to update our editorial board as some of ourmembers indicated that due to other duties they no longer could find sufficient timeto properly carry out their editorial duties. Our editorial board now consists ofElger Abrahamse, Arndt Broeder, Claus-Christian Carbon, Simone Dalla Bella, MałgosiaFajkowska, Markus Kiefer, Iring Koch, Grzegorz Króliczak, Michał Kuniecki, MarkusLappe, Bernd Leplow, Severine Samson, Ingrid Scharlau, Elisabet Service and RolfVerleger. We want to thank the resigning editorial members for the work that theycarried out in support of the journal: Gisa Aschersleben, Christian Büchel, AnnaGrabowska, Peter Keller, Bruno Repp, Michael Spivey, Kate Stevens, Martin Voracek,Dirk Vorberg, and Vincent Walsh. What’s new in ACP? Given our inclusion in theISI-list of journals and the publication of ACP’s first Impact Factor (1.646), thePolish Ministry of Science and Education recently decided to move our journal fromthe B-list to the A-list of scientific journals, and they also indicated thatpublication in our journal will now be evaluated with a score of 20 points insteadof 10 points. This implies that it becomes very attractive for Polish scientists topublish in our journal. We of course look forward to receiving their submissions.In2015, the Neuronus conference took place in Kraków, and in this year a special issuewill be published with several contributions from this conference. We would againlike to draw your attention to the Neuronus conference (http://neuronusforum.pl/).This year, the conference will be held in Kraków from the 22nd to the 24th of April2016. On our website, we also listed all of the reviewers that were consulted in2015: You played a key role in keeping our high standards, and special thanks go toyou! Out of all of ACP’s submissions in 2015, 19% were rejected without externalreview, 44% were rejected after external review, 20% were accepted, and theremaining manuscripts are currently being revised or are under review. In the lastyear, there were no major changes in the journal’s budget. We are very grateful tothe University of Finance and Management in Warsaw that continued to financiallysupport ACP in the last year.We also submitted a proposal to get further support bythe Polish Ministry of Science and Education. Nevertheless, there remains thepossibility that we will have to ask authors for (voluntary) contributions to coverACP’s publication costs in the future. In conclusion of this letter, we kindlywanted to remind you that we continue to welcome your submissions to the journal.Also, should you have any questions or comments regarding this letter, or ACP pleasefeel always free to contact us. Sincerely yours,Rob van der LubbeUlrich Ansorge