A structural magnetic resonance imaging study in therapy-naïve transsexual individuals.

BACKGROUND: Transsexuality is explained and defined as a gender-identity disorder, characterised by very strong conviction of belonging to the opposite sex and has been associated with a distinct neuroanatomical pattern. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a structural analysis in search of possible differences in grey matter structures based on magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brains of 26 individuals between 19 and 38 years of age. The participants were divided into two groups of 15 controls and 11 transgender individuals. The segmentation of subcortical grey matter was performed using FIRST model a model-based segmentation/registration tool, from FSL software package. RESULTS: The results showed that the volume of the brain region called nucleus accumbens on the left side was significantly smaller in the group of transgender individuals compared to the control. It was the most important parameter which was shown to make distinction between two examined groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results also showed decreased volumes of the left thalamus, right hippocampus and right caudate nucleus.

Diamondoid architectures from halogen-bonded halides.

The reactions between a tetrahedrally-shaped tecton, tetrakis(4-(iodoethynyl)phenyl)methane, and tetraphenylphosphonium halides readily afford interpenetrated and densely packed diamondoid architectures sustained by C-IX- (X- = chloride, bromide, iodide) interactions. In all these halogen-bonded networks, the halide anions act as four-connecting nodes, while the tetraphenylphosphonium cations provide essential templating information and structural support.

Competition and selectivity in supramolecular synthesis: structural landscape around 1-(pyridylmethyl)-2,2'-biimidazoles.

Three isomeric forms of 1-(pyridylmethyl)-2,2'-biimidazole, A1-A3, have been synthesized and subjected to systematic co-crystallizations with selected hydrogen- and halogen-bond donors in order to explore the impact of electrostatics and geometry on the resulting supramolecular architectures. The solid-state supramolecular behavior of A1-A3 is largely consistent in halogen-bonded co-crystals. Only two types of primary interactions, the N-HN/NH-N homomeric hydrogen-bond interactions responsible for the pairing of biimidazole moieties and the IN(pyridine) halogen bonds responsible for the co-crystal formation and structure extension, are present in these systems. The co-crystallizations with hydrogen-bond donors (carboxylic acids), however, lead to multiple possible structural outcomes because of the presence of the biimidazole-acid N-HO[double bond, length as m-dash]C/NH-O heterosynthon that can compete with biimidazole-biimidazole N-HN/NH-N homosynthon. In addition, the somewhat unpredictable nature of proton transfer makes the hydrogen-bonded co-crystals structurally less consistent than their halogen-bonded counterparts.

Analysis of (7)Be behaviour in the air by using a multilayer perceptron neural network.

A multilayer perceptron artificial neural network (ANN) model for the prediction of the (7)Be behaviour in the air as the function of meteorological parameters was developed. The model was optimized and tested using (7)Be activity concentrations obtained by standard gamma-ray spectrometric analysis of air samples collected in Belgrade (Serbia) during 2009-2011 and meteorological data for the same period. Good correlation (r = 0.91) between experimental values of (7)Be activity concentrations and those predicted by ANN was obtained. The good performance of the model in prediction of (7)Be activity concentrations could provide basis for construction of models which would forecast behaviour of other airborne radionuclides.

[Comparative evaluation of conventinal and dynamic magnetic resonance imaging, of the pituitary microadenomas].

OBJECTIVE: This study tried to determine if there is a difference between standard and dynamic MR examination in detection of pituitary microadenoma. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We have included twenty seven patients with suspicious pituitary tumor. All patients have been hospitalized for endocrinology examination between June 2007 and May 2008 in Institute for Endocrinology, diabetes and metabolic diseases of Clinical Center of Serbia. MR examinations have been preformed in MR Center of Clinical Center of Serbia. RESULTS: Twenty seven patients were included in our study. Only in four of them pituitary microadenoma was detected using dynamic MR examination. One was somatotrophin secreting adenoma, and three were corticotrophin realizing adenomas. There were no statistically significant differences between conventional and dynamic MR examination. CONCLUSION: Dynamic MR Examination as method can hardly match standard MR examination which remains standard in detection of pituitary microadenomas.

Idiopathic osteonecrosis of the humeral head.

According to the frequency of occurrence, osteonecrosis of the humeral head ranks immediately after osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Experimental and clinical studies have indicated one or more mechanisms acting alone or in combination and causing necrosis of the bone. Rare cases in which the cause of osteonecrosis remains unknown, are referred to as the idiopathic form of humeral head osteonecrosis. The authors discuss the most recent advances in the etiopathogenesis of osteonecrosis, classification of humeral head osteonecrosis, and the methods of treatment. Three patients are described: two suffering from the idiopathic form and one with osteonecrosis of the humeral head related to an unidentified process affecting the condyles of the knee and both calcanei, and characterized by condensation of the bone.

The natural history of mild idiopathic scoliosis.

The aim of the research was to monitor the natural history of mild idiopathic scoliosis in school children, primarily those with a scoliotic curve lesser than 20 degrees according to Cobb who had been treated by regular observation and sports activities. A total of 97 children, 73 girls and 24 boys, aged between 9 and 14 years were enrolled. All the children were monitored for three years and in this period they were subjected to regular examinations and to at least three X-ray examinations. There were 51 thoracal, 39 thoracolumbar and 7 lumbar cases of scoliosis. After the three year observation period thoracic scoliosis improved in 56.9% of patients, 17.7% showed no change while 25.5% of the cases deteriorated. Nonprogressive thoracolumbar scoliosis was found in 76.9% of the cases, 12.9% showed no change from baseline while in 10.3% curve progression was noticed. Nonprogressive lumbar scoliosis was observed in 4 cases, in 2 cases the condition was unaltered while in 1 case curve progression was noticed. In the whole group there were 18.6% cases of progressive scoliosis. The results of this research have confirmed that regular observation and sports activities are the best methods of treating idiopathic scoliosis with a curve lesser than 20 degrees according to Cobb.