Biomedical subjects

M Kubicki

Publications and source records attributed to M Kubicki.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

A collagen prolyl 4-hydroxylase inhibitor reduces adhesions after tendon injury.

Collagen synthesis inhibition potentially can reduce adhesion formation after tendon injury but also may affect cutaneous wound healing. We hypothesized that a novel orally administered collagen synthesis inhibitor (CPHI-I) would substantially reduce flexor tendon adhesions after injury, without any clinically important effect on cutaneous wound healing. The experiments were performed in a rat model with an in-continuity crush injury model in the rat hindfoot flexor tendon to provoke adhesion formation. Assays of dermal collagen production and the rate of healing of an excised wound were performed to assess cutaneous wound healing. Animals in the treatment groups received CPHI-I for 1, 2, or 6 weeks and were assessed at either 2 or 6 weeks. The work of flexion in the injured digit was reduced in the CPHI-I-treated animals compared with control animals, (0.188 J versus 0.0307 J at 2 weeks, and 0.0231 J versus 0.0331 J at 6 weeks) The cutaneous wound healing rate was similar in all animals, but dermal collagen synthesis was reduced in the treated animals. The CPHI-I seems to reduce tendon adhesion, and although collagen synthesis was reduced in cutaneous wounds, CPHI-I did not retard wound healing.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2006

A method for clustering white matter fiber tracts.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Despite its potential for visualizing white matter fiber tracts in vivo, diffusion tensor tractography has found only limited applications in clinical research in which specific anatomic connections between distant regions need to be evaluated. We introduce a robust method for fiber clustering that guides the separation of anatomically distinct fiber tracts and enables further estimation of anatomic connectivity between distant brain regions. METHODS: Line scanning diffusion tensor images (LSDTI) were acquired on a 1.5T magnet. Regions of interest for several anatomically distinct fiber tracts were manually drawn; then, white matter tractography was performed by using the Runge-Kutta method to interpolate paths (fiber traces) following the major directions of diffusion, in which traces were seeded only within the defined regions of interest. Next, a fully automatic procedure was applied to fiber traces, grouping them according to a pairwise similarity function that takes into account the shapes of the fibers and their spatial locations. RESULTS: We demonstrated the ability of the clustering algorithm to separate several fiber tracts which are otherwise difficult to define (left and right fornix, uncinate fasciculus and inferior occipitofrontal fasciculus, and corpus callosum fibers). CONCLUSION: This method successfully delineates fiber tracts that can be further analyzed for clinical research purposes. Hypotheses regarding specific fiber connections and their abnormalities in various neuropsychiatric disorders can now be tested.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

DTI and MTR abnormalities in schizophrenia: analysis of white matter integrity.

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies in schizophrenia demonstrate lower anisotropic diffusion within white matter due either to loss of coherence of white matter fiber tracts, to changes in the number and/or density of interconnecting fiber tracts, or to changes in myelination, although methodology as well as localization of such changes differ between studies. The aim of this study is to localize and to specify further DTI abnormalities in schizophrenia by combining DTI with magnetization transfer imaging (MTI), a technique sensitive to myelin and axonal alterations in order to increase specificity of DTI findings. 21 chronic schizophrenics and 26 controls were scanned using Line-Scan-Diffusion-Imaging and T1-weighted techniques with and without a saturation pulse (MT). Diffusion information was used to normalize co-registered maps of fractional anisotropy (FA) and magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) to a study-specific template, using the multi-channel daemon algorithm, designed specifically to deal with multidirectional tensor information. Diffusion anisotropy was decreased in schizophrenia in the following brain regions: the fornix, the corpus callosum, bilaterally in the cingulum bundle, bilaterally in the superior occipito-frontal fasciculus, bilaterally in the internal capsule, in the right inferior occipito-frontal fasciculus and the left arcuate fasciculus. MTR maps demonstrated changes in the corpus callosum, fornix, right internal capsule, and the superior occipito-frontal fasciculus bilaterally; however, no changes were noted in the anterior cingulum bundle, the left internal capsule, the arcuate fasciculus, or inferior occipito-frontal fasciculus. In addition, the right posterior cingulum bundle showed MTR but not FA changes in schizophrenia. These findings suggest that, while some of the diffusion abnormalities in schizophrenia are likely due to abnormal coherence, or organization of the fiber tracts, some of these abnormalities may, in fact, be attributed to or coincide with myelin/axonal disruption.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Functionalization of octavinylsilsesquioxane by ruthenium-catalyzed silylative coupling versus cross-metathesis.

Functionalization of octavinylsilsesquioxane (Vi(8)T(8), 1) by two reactions catalyzed by ruthenium complexes is reported: a silylative coupling reaction catalyzed by [RuHCl(CO)(PCy(3))(2)] (I) and cross-metathesis catalyzed by first- (II) and second-generation (III) Grubbs' catalysts. The two reactions of 1 with styrene take place highly regio- and stereoselectively (the X-ray structure of the product 2 has also been obtained); the cross-metathesis of 1-hexene and allyltrimethylsilane occurs quite effectively, whereas the silylative coupling with these compounds gives a mixture of isomers. Functionalization of 1 with heteroatom-substituted vinyl derivatives (Si, O, N) by silylative coupling reaction has been found to be highly efficient, but cross-metathesis appears to be the more effective method for the synthesis of S-substituted vinyl-silsesquioxane.

Catalysis↗

PubMed2003

An fMRI study of semantic processing in men with schizophrenia.

As a means toward understanding the neural bases of schizophrenic thought disturbance, we examined brain activation patterns in response to semantically and superficially encoded words in patients with schizophrenia. Nine male schizophrenic and 9 male control subjects were tested in a visual levels of processing (LOP) task first outside the magnet and then during the fMRI scanning procedures (using a different set of words). During the experiments visual words were presented under two conditions. Under the deep, semantic encoding condition, subjects made semantic judgments as to whether the words were abstract or concrete. Under the shallow, nonsemantic encoding condition, subjects made perceptual judgments of the font size (uppercase/lowercase) of the presented words. After performance of the behavioral task, a recognition test was used to assess the depth of processing effect, defined as better performance for semantically encoded words than for perceptually encoded words. For the scanned version only, the words for both conditions were repeated in order to assess repetition-priming effects. Reaction times were assessed in both testing scenarios. Both groups showed the expected depth of processing effect for recognition, and control subjects showed the expected increased activation of the left inferior prefrontal cortex (LIPC) under semantic encoding relative to perceptual encoding conditions as well as repetition priming for semantic conditions only. In contrast, schizophrenics showed similar patterns of fMRI activation regardless of condition. Most striking in relation to controls, patients showed decreased LIFC activation concurrent with increased left superior temporal gyrus activation for semantic encoding versus shallow encoding. Furthermore, schizophrenia subjects did not show the repetition priming effect, either behaviorally or as a decrease in LIPC activity. In patients with schizophrenia, LIFC underactivation and left superior temporal gyrus overactivation for semantically encoded words may reflect a disease-related disruption of a distributed frontal temporal network that is engaged in the representation and processing of meaning of words, text, and discourse and which may underlie schizophrenic thought disturbance.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Voxel-based morphometric analysis of gray matter in first episode schizophrenia.

Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) may afford a more rapid and extensive survey of gray matter abnormalities in schizophrenia than manually drawn region of interest (ROI) analysis, the current gold standard in structural MRI. Unfortunately, VBM has not been validated by comparison with ROI analyses, nor used in first-episode patients with schizophrenia or affective psychosis, who lack structural changes associated with chronicity. An SPM99-based implementation of VBM was used to compare a group of 16 patients with first-episode schizophrenia and a group of 18 normal controls and, as a further comparison, 16 first-episode patients with affective psychosis. All groups were matched for age and handedness. High spatial resolution structural images were normalized to the SPM99 template and then segmented, smoothed, and subjected to an ANCOVA. Schizophrenia vs control group comparisons: Voxel-by-voxel comparison of gray matter densities showed that only the left STG region was significantly different when corrected for multiple comparisons (P <.05), consistent with our previously reported manual ROI results. Analysis of the extent of voxel clusters, replicated with permutation analyses, revealed group differences in bilateral anterior cingulate gyri and insula (not previously examined by us with manually drawn ROI) and unilateral parietal lobe, but not in medial temporal lobe (where our ROI analysis had shown differences). However, use of a smaller smoothing kernel and a small volume correction revealed left-sided hippocampal group differences. Affective psychosis comparisons: When the same statistical thresholding criteria were used, no significant differences between affective psychosis patients and controls were noted. Since a major interest was whether patients with affective psychosis shared some anatomical abnormalities with schizophrenia, we applied a small volume correction and searched within the regions that were significantly less dense in schizophrenia compared to control subjects. With this statistical correction, the insula showed, bilaterally, the same pattern of differences in affective disorder subjects as that in schizophrenic subjects, whereas both left STG and left hippocampus showed statistical differences between affectives and schizophrenics, indicating the abnormalities specific to first-episode schizophrenia. These findings suggest both the promise and utility of VBM in evaluating gray matter abnormalities. They further suggest the importance of comparing VBM findings with more traditional ROI analyses until the reasons for the differences between methods are determined.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Form II of monoclinic methyl beta-carboline-3-carboxylate.

The crystal structure of the second monoclinic P2(1)/c form of the beta-carboline-3-carboxylate, C13H10N2O2, has been determined. Very small changes in the packing scheme lead to a different unit cell; the role of weak C-H...O hydrogen bonds seems to be crucial.

Carbolines↗

PubMed2001

Two 1-substituted 4-nitroimidazoles.

Crystalline 4-nitro-1-phenylimidazole, C9H7N3O2, (I), and 4'-nitro-1-phenyl-4,1'-biiimidazole, C12H9N5O2, (II), contain C-H...O and C-H...N hydrogen bonds, connecting the molecules into infinite chains. The aromatic fragments in both compounds are nearly planar. The dihedral angles between the benzene and imidazole rings are 26.78 (5) degrees in (I) and 29.36 (8) degrees in (II).

Crystallography, X-Ray↗

PubMed2001

A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of auditory mismatch in schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: Previous research has noted functional and structural temporal lobe abnormalities in schizophrenia that relate to symptoms such as auditory hallucinations and thought disorder. The goal of the study was to determine whether the functional abnormalities are present in schizophrenia at early stages of auditory processing. METHOD: Functional magnetic resonance imaging activity was examined during the presentation of the mismatch stimuli, which are deviant tones embedded in a series of standard tones. The mismatch stimuli are used to elicit the mismatch negativity, an early auditory event-related potential. Ten patients with schizophrenia and 10 comparison subjects were presented the mismatch stimuli condition and a control condition in which only one tone was presented repeatedly. RESULTS: The superior temporal gyrus showed the most prevalent and consistent activation. The superior temporal gyrus showed less activation in the schizophrenic subjects than in the comparison subjects only during the mismatch stimuli condition. CONCLUSIONS: This result is consistent with those of mismatch negativity event-related potential studies and suggests that early auditory processing is abnormal in chronic schizophrenia.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed1999

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of primary pediatric brain tumors: neuropathological correlation.

Forty-five children with primary brain tumors were evaluated by in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) with the aim of detecting correlations between the obtained spectra and tumor malignancy and histology. All investigations were performed using a 1.5 T MR scanner (Picker) with point-resolved spectroscopic (PRESS) sequence (TR 1600 ms, TE 270 ms, NEX 256). Spectra were analyzed for N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline containing-compounds (Cho), creatine and phosphocreatine (Cr) and lactate (Lac). The Cho/NAA ratio was the most useful parameter for differentiating between normal brain, benign and malignant tumors as well as discriminating the three main groups of pediatric brain tumors namely pilocytic astrocytoma, ependymoma and medulloblastoma. Proton MRS appears to be an important noninvasive technique in the differential diagnosis of pediatric brain tumors.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Hydrogen-bond patterns in 1,4-dihydro-2,3-quinoxalinediones: ligands for the glycine modulatory site on the NMDA receptor.

The crystal structures of five 1, 4-dihydro-2, 3-quinoxalinediones, antagonists of the NMDA modulatory glycine binding site on the excitary amino acid (EAA) receptor complex, have been determined: (I) 6, 7-dinitro-1, 4-dihydro-2, 3-quinoxalinedione (DNQX); (II) 5, 7-dinitro-1,4-dihydro-2, 3-quinoxalinedione (MNQX); (III) 6-nitro-1,4-dihydro-2, 3-quinoxalinedione hydrate; (IV) 6, 7-dichloro-1, 4-dihydro-2, 3-quinoxalinedione; (V) 5, 7-dichloro-I, 4-dihydro-2, 3-quinoxalinedione dimethylformamide. The crystal structure of the most active compound (II) contains a unique intramolecular N--H...O(NO2) hydrogen bond, which may be important for activity, as semiempirical calculations show that this bond is stable over a wide range of dihedral angles between the planes of the molecule and of the nitro group. In the other compounds the intermolecular hydrogen bonds connect molecules into three-dimensional networks. In compounds (I), (III) and (IV) head-to-tail pi-stacking is found between molecules connected by a center of symmetry. The geometries of the hydrogen-bonded -NH-C = O fragments show evidence of pi-cooperativity or resonance-assisted hydrogen bonding. Graph-set analysis of the hydrogen-bond patterns of quinoxalinedione derivatives shows a tendency to form two types of hydrogen-bonding motifs: a centrosymmetric dimeric ring and an infinite chain. Even though this pattern may be modified by the presence of additional hydrogen-bond acceptors and/or donors, as well as by solvent molecules, general similarities have been found. Comparison of all quinoxalinedione structures suggests that the hydrogen-bonding pattern necessary for the biological activity at the glycine binding site contains one donor and two acceptors.

Anticonvulsants↗