US-Czech conference strengthens bilateral and multidisciplinary collaborations in nanotechnology and chemistry.

There are several methods to encourage bilateral and multidisciplinary collaborations-the most oft-used and effective include technical conferences, workshops, and seminars with the optimal combination of people, agenda, and length. However, this balance is difficult to attain, especially for meetings across academic disciplines and geographic borders. For nearly two decades, the US National Academies have developed a series of bilateral meetings to bring together scientists in different countries, which appear to have addressed such challenges via concise meetings with select emerging leaders from disparate fields and sectors. The authors utilized a similar approach to promote US and Czech collaborations in nanotechnology, given their mutual investments in the area and interests in building relationships. The bilateral meeting was held in Prague and designed to focus on nanotechnology and chemistry. The goals were four-fold: (1) evaluate US and Czech capabilities and challenges in nanotechnology and chemistry, (2) identify likely research projects and funding sources for collaborations, (3) celebrate 100 years of US and Czech diplomatic relations, and (4) increase government and public support for bilateral scientific research. The two-day meeting was named the US-Czech Conference on Advanced Nanotechnology and Chemistry. A summary of the research presentations, funding opportunities, panel discussions, and potential joint projects are given herein. It is our hope that this perspective will facilitate similar bilateral meetings in other fields to promote more multidisciplinary research.

Discrimination between acute and chronic decline of Central European forests using map algebra of the growth condition and forest biomass fuzzy sets: A case study.

Forest decline is either caused by damage or else by vulnerability due to unfavourable growth conditions or due to unnatural silvicultural systems. Here, we assess forest decline in the Czech Republic (Central Europe) using fuzzy functions, fuzzy sets and fuzzy rating of ecosystem properties over a 1×1km grid. The model was divided into fuzzy functions of the abiotic predictors of growth conditions (Fpred including temperature, precipitation, acid deposition, soil data and relative site insolation) and forest biomass receptors (Frec including remote sensing data, density and volume of aboveground biomass, and surface humus chemical data). Fuzzy functions were designed at the limits of unfavourable, undetermined or favourable effects on the forest ecosystem health status. Fuzzy sets were distinguished through similarity in a particular membership of the properties at the limits of the forest status margins. Fuzzy rating was obtained from the least difference of Fpred-Frec. Unfavourable Fpred within unfavourable Frec indicated chronic damage, favourable Fpred within unfavourable Frec indicated acute damage, and unfavourable Fpred within favourable Frec indicated vulnerability. The model in the 1×1km grid was validated through spatial intersection with a point field of uniform forest stands. Favourable status was characterised by soil base saturation (BS)>50%, BCC/Al>1, Corg>1%, MgO>6g/kg, and nitrogen deposition<1200mol(H+)/ha·year. Vulnerable forests had BShumus 46-60%, BCC/Al 9-20 and NDVI≈0.42. Chronic forest damage occurs in areas with low temperatures, high nitrogen deposition, and low soil BS and Corg levels. In the Czech Republic, 10% of forests were considered non-damaged and 77% vulnerable, with damage considered acute in 7% of forests and chronic in 5%. The fuzzy model used suggests that improvement in forest health will depend on decreasing environmental load and restoration concordance between growth conditions and tree species composition.

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) using new negative per-oral contrast agent based on superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for extrahepatic biliary duct visualization in liver cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is often used for imaging of the biliary tree and is required by surgeons before liver transplantation. Advanced liver cirrhosis and ascites in patients however present diagnostic problems for MRCP. The aim of this study was to find out if the use of our negative per-oral contrast agent containing superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO) in MRCP is helpful for imaging of hepatobiliary tree in patients with liver cirrhosis. METHODS: Forty patients with liver cirrhosis were examined on a 1.5 T MR unit using standard MRCP protocol. Twenty patients (group A) underwent MRCP after administration of per-oral SPIO contrast agent 30 min before examination. In group B, twenty patients were examined without per-oral bowel preparation. Ascites was present in eleven patients from group A and in thirteen patients in group B. Four radiologists analyzed MR images for visibility and delineation of the biliary tree. χ2 tests were used for comparison of the visibility of intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary ducts in patients with and without ascites. RESULTS: Better extrahepatic biliary duct visualization and visibility of extraluminal pathologies in patients with ascites was proved after administration of SPIO contrast agent. No statistically significant difference between group A and B was found for visualization of extrahepatic biliary ducts in patients without ascites. Delineation of intrahepatic biliary ducts was independent on bowel preparation. CONCLUSIONS: Application of our negative per-oral SPIO contrast agent before MRCP improves the visualization of extrahepatic biliary ducts in patients with ascites which is helpful during the liver surgery, mainly in liver transplantation.

Using geovisual analytics in Google Earth to understand disease distribution: a case study of campylobacteriosis in the Czech Republic (2008-2012).

BACKGROUND: Visual analytics aims to connect the processing power of information technologies and the user's ability of logical thinking and reasoning through the complex visual interaction. Moreover, the most of the data contain the spatial component. Therefore, the need for geovisual tools and methods arises. Either one can develop own system but the dissemination of findings and its usability might be problematic or the widespread and well-known platform can be utilized. The aim of this paper is to prove the applicability of Google Earth™ software as a tool for geovisual analytics that helps to understand the spatio-temporal patterns of the disease distribution. METHODS: We combined the complex joint spatio-temporal analysis with comprehensive visualisation. We analysed the spatio-temporal distribution of the campylobacteriosis in the Czech Republic between 2008 and 2012. We applied three main approaches in the study: (1) the geovisual analytics of the surveillance data that were visualised in the form of bubble chart; (2) the geovisual analytics of the disease's weekly incidence surfaces computed by spatio-temporal kriging and (3) the spatio-temporal scan statistics that was employed in order to identify high or low rates clusters of affected municipalities. The final data are stored in Keyhole Markup Language files and visualised in Google Earth™ in order to apply geovisual analytics. RESULTS: Using geovisual analytics we were able to display and retrieve information from complex dataset efficiently. Instead of searching for patterns in a series of static maps or using numerical statistics, we created the set of interactive visualisations in order to explore and communicate results of analyses to the wider audience. The results of the geovisual analytics identified periodical patterns in the behaviour of the disease as well as fourteen spatio-temporal clusters of increased relative risk. CONCLUSIONS: We prove that Google Earth™ software is a usable tool for the geovisual analysis of the disease distribution. Google Earth™ has many indisputable advantages (widespread, freely available, intuitive interface, space-time visualisation capabilities and animations, communication of results), nevertheless it is still needed to combine it with pre-processing tools that prepare the data into a form suitable for the geovisual analytics itself.

Reduced relative dose intensity of primary chemotherapy does not influence prognosis of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma.

AIMS: A retrospective analysis of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) was performed to assess their outcome regarding relative dose intensity (RDI) of chemotherapy administered in primary treatment. METHODS: A total of 194 patients were divided into three groups with different RDI of primary chemotherapy (100%, 90-99% and <90%). Reduced RDI in two groups (90-99% and <90%) was caused by the delay of the interval between the administration of some chemotherapeutic courses. The probability of complete remission (CR), disease relapse, event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) as the basic parameters of patient outcome were statistically compared. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed here were no significant differences in probability of CR (HR 0.9, 95% CI [0.75-1.08], P=0.5), risk of relapse (HR 1.34, 95% CI [0.92-1.94], P=0.11) or death (HR 1.52, 95% CI [0.94-2.5], P=0.13). There were also no significant differences in probability of EFS (mean 13 vs. 10 vs. 12 years, P=0.17; HR 1.54, 95% CI [0.91-2.6], P=0.22) or OS (mean 15 vs. 13 vs. 14 years, P=0.13; HR 1.52, 95% CI [0.93-2.5], P=0.13). CONCLUSION: We found no significant impact of primary chemotherapy delay resulting in reduced RDI on outcome in HL patients.

MR enterography with a new negative oral contrast solution containing maghemite nanoparticles.

AIM: The aim of this study was to test an oral contrast solution with maghemite for the magnetic resonance imaging of small bowel diseases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study sample included 3 cohorts: 17 healthy volunteers (group A), 22 patients with small bowel disease (group C). Both groups underwent MR enterography and 24 patients with small bowel disease (group B) underwent magnetic resonance cholecystopancreaticography. Various concentrations in 1000 ml vs 500 ml of experimental solution were tested. All cohorts completed questionnaires evaluating the solution characteristics and side-efects during and after drinking. RESULTS: A maghemite concentration of 800 mg /4 g bentonite in 1000 ml solution was sufficient for proper intraluminal lay-out. An experimental solution of 500 ml was sufficient for magnetic resonance cholecystopancreaticography and 1000 ml for MR enterography. There were no statistically significant differences between groups for taste, taste characteristic or appearance of the experimental solution. Side-effects experienced during drinking were: nausea (29.4%) and eructation (29.4%) in group A, in group B (42%) and diarrhoea (27.3%) in group C. Side-effects 2 h after drinking occured in group A (nausea 17.6%) and in group C (diarrhoea 47%). The best tolerance of experimental solution was found in group B with a higher median patient age than groups A and C. The experimental solution was evaluated more favorably in the older subjects (age over 50 years). CONCLUSION: The experimental oral solution with maghemite was well tolerated in all 3 groups. Our study supports its use in magnetic resonance practice.

Comparison of new flu-bu12-tg conditioning with the standard bu-cy myeloablative regimen in patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia.

AIMS: This study compares the outcomes of patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) after conditioning combining busulfan (16 mg/kg orally) and cyclophosphamide (120 mg/kg intravenously) (BU-CY) with those allografted after administration of fludarabine (150 mg/m(2) intravenously), busulfan (12 mg/kg orally) and thymoglobulin (6 mg/kg intravenously) (FLU-BU12-TG). MATERIAL AND METHODS: SCT after BU-CY and FLU-BU12-TG was performed in 21 and 10 AML patients. There were no significant differences between groups in number of patients treated in complete disease remission, gender, age, donors, CD34+, mononuclear cell (MNC) count in the graft and follow-up period. However, significantly more SCTs from unrelated (90% vs. 19%; p=0.00018) and HLA-mismatched donors (50% vs. 0%; p=0.0004) were performed in the FLU-BU12-TG group. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the risk of post-transplant AML relapse and non-relapse mortality (NRM). The probability of post-transplant 2-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the FLU-BU12-TG and BU-CY groups in risk of AML relapse (HR=1.036; 95% CI [0.102 - 10.47]; p=0.9), post-transplant NRM (HR=0.25; 95% CI [0.031 - 1.96]; p=0.18), 2-year EFS (89% vs. 43%; p=0.19) or OS (79% vs. 57%; p=0.23). CONCLUSION: These pilot results demonstrate the efficacy of the new FLU-BU12-TG conditioning regimen in patients allografted for high-risk AML. This conditioning might become an alternative approach in patients at high risk of severe post-transplant complications after the standard BU-CY myeloablative regimen.