Comparability of compressed sensing-based gradient echo perfusion sequence SPARSE and conventional gradient echo sequence in assessment of myocardial ischemia.

Purpose: Stress perfusion imaging plays a major role in non-invasive detection of coronary artery disease. We compared a compressed sensing-based and a conventional gradient echo perfusion sequence with regard to image quality and diagnostic performance.

Method: Patients sent for coronary angiography due to pathologic stress perfusion CMR were recruited.

Quality and temporal properties of premonitory urges in patients with skin picking disorder.

Skin picking is a newly recognized obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder in DSM-5. Similar to some repetitive behaviors in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), premonitory urges are assumed to play a critical role in maintaining skin picking behavior, by creating a vicious cycle. The present study is the first to investigate the quality of premonitory urges, as well as the temporal relationship between urges and skin picking behavior in individuals with skin picking disorder.

Inhibition of Tip60 Reduces Lytic and Latent Gene Expression of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpes Virus (KSHV) and Proliferation of KSHV-Infected Tumor Cells.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is an oncogenic virus responsible for the development of Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), and Multicentric Castleman's disease in immunocompromised individuals. Despite the burden of these diseases there are few treatment options for afflicted individuals, due in part to our limited understanding of virus-host interactions. Tip60, a histone aceytltransferase (HAT) has been previously shown to interact with both the KSHV latency associated nuclear antigen protein (LANA), which is the main factor in maintaining the viral latent state, and ORF36, a viral kinase expressed in the lytic phase.

Cardiac Fibrosis in Aortic Stenosis and Hypertensive Heart Disease Assessed by Magnetic Resonance T1 Mapping.

Background: Continuous pressure overload may lead to subclinical myocardial tissue changes in patients with hypertensive heart disease (HHD) and aortic stenosis (AS). The study aim was to detect interstitial fibrosis using quantitative cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Methods: Fifteen patients with HHD (arterial hypertension + septal wall thickness ≥13 mm), 33 with AS (eight mild, 15 moderate, 10 severe), and 60 healthy controls were enrolled.

Detection and Monitoring of Acute Myocarditis Applying Quantitative Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance.

Background: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance based on the Lake Louise Criteria is used to make the diagnosis of acute myocarditis. Novel quantitative parametric mapping techniques promise to overcome some of its limitations. We aimed to evaluate quantitative cardiovascular magnetic resonance to detect and monitor acute myocarditis.

Selective transduction of astrocytic and neuronal CNS subpopulations by lentiviral vectors pseudotyped with Chikungunya virus envelope.

Lentiviral vectors are gene delivery vehicles that integrate into the host genome of dividing and non-dividing mammalian cells facilitating long-term transgene expression. Lentiviral vector versatility is greatly increased by incorporating heterologous viral envelope proteins onto the vector particles instead of the native envelope, conferring on these pseudotyped vectors a modified tropism and host range specificity. We investigated the pseudotyping efficiency of HIV-1 based lentiviral vectors with alphaviral envelope proteins from the Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV-G) and Sindbis Virus (SINV-G).

Effects of heart valve prostheses on phase contrast flow measurements in Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance - a phantom study.

Background: Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance is often used to evaluate patients after heart valve replacement. This study systematically analyses the influence of heart valve prostheses on phase contrast measurements in a phantom trial.

Methods: Two biological and one mechanical aortic valve prostheses were integrated in a flow phantom.

CAR IGF-1 vector targeting of motor neurons ameliorates disease progression in ALS mice.

Objective: We have previously described the generation of coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor ( CAR)-targeted vector, and shown that intramuscular delivery in mouse leg muscles resulted in specific retrograde transduction of lumbar-motor neurons (MNs). Here, we utilized the CAR-targeted vector to investigate the in vivo neuroprotective effects of lentivirally expressed for inducing neuronal survival and ameliorating the neuropathology and behavioral phenotypes of the SOD1 mouse model of ALS.

Methods: We produced cell factories of expressing lentiviral vectors (LVs) bearing CAR or Vesicular Stomatitis Virus glycoprotein (VSV-G) on their surface so as to compare neuroprotection from MN transduced versus muscle transduced cells.

Local Multi-Channel RF Surface Coil versus Body RF Coil Transmission for Cardiac Magnetic Resonance at 3 Tesla: Which Configuration Is Winning the Game?

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of cardiac MR at 3 Tesla using local four-channel RF coil transmission and benchmark it against large volume body RF coil excitation.

Methods: Electromagnetic field simulations are conducted to detail RF power deposition, transmission field uniformity and efficiency for local and body RF coil transmission. For both excitation regimes transmission field maps are acquired in a human torso phantom.

Brain iron accumulation in Wilson disease: a post mortem 7 Tesla MRI - histopathological study.

Aims: In Wilson disease (WD), T2/T2*-weighted (T2*w) MRI frequently shows hypointensity in the basal ganglia that is suggestive of paramagnetic deposits. It is currently unknown whether this hypointensity is related to copper or iron deposition. We examined the neuropathological correlates of this MRI pattern, particularly in relation to iron and copper concentrations.

Cardiac Involvement in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2 Patients With Preserved Ejection Fraction: Detection by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance.

Background: Myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) is a genetic disorder characterized by skeletal muscle symptoms, metabolic changes, and cardiac involvement. Histopathologic alterations of the skeletal muscle include fibrosis and fatty infiltration. The aim of this study was to investigate whether subclinical cardiac involvement in DM2 is already detectable in preserved left ventricular function by cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Current T₁ and T₂ mapping techniques applied with simple thresholds cannot discriminate acute from chronic myocadial infarction on an individual patient basis: a pilot study.

Background: Studying T1- and T2-mapping for discrimination of acute from chronic myocardial infarction (AMI, CMI).

Methods: Eight patients with AMI underwent CMR at 3 T acutely and after >3 months. Imaging techniques included: T2-weighted imaging, late enhancement (LGE), T2-mapping, native and post-contrast T1-mapping.

High Spatial Resolution Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance at 7.0 Tesla in Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy - First Experiences: Lesson Learned from 7.0 Tesla.

Background: Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) provides valuable information in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) based on myocardial tissue differentiation and the detection of small morphological details. CMR at 7.0T improves spatial resolution versus today's clinical protocols.

Myocardial dysfunction in patients with aortic stenosis and hypertensive heart disease assessed by MR tissue phase mapping.

Purpose: To identify abnormalities of myocardial velocities in patients with left ventricular pressure overload using magnetic resonance tissue phase mapping (TPM).

Material And Methods: Thirty-three patients (nine with hypertensive heart disease [HYP], 24 with aortic stenosis [AS]) and 41 healthy controls were enrolled. To assess left ventricular motion, a basal, midventricular, and apical slice were acquired using three-directional velocity-encoded phase-contrast MR with a 3T system.

FACT Proteins, SUPT16H and SSRP1, Are Transcriptional Suppressors of HIV-1 and HTLV-1 That Facilitate Viral Latency.

Our functional genomic RNAi screens have identified the protein components of the FACT (facilitates chromatin transcription) complex, SUPT16H and SSRP1, as top host factors that negatively regulate HIV-1 replication. FACT interacts specifically with histones H2A/H2B to affect assembly and disassembly of nucleosomes, as well as transcription elongation. We further investigated the suppressive role of FACT proteins in HIV-1 transcription.

Real-time phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging for assessment of haemodynamics: from phantom to patients.

Objectives: Assessment of haemodynamics is crucial in many cardiac diseases. Phase contrast MRI (PC-MRI) can accurately access it. Arrhythmia is a major limitation in conventional segmented PC-MRI (SEG).

16-channel bow tie antenna transceiver array for cardiac MR at 7.0 tesla.

Purpose: To design, evaluate, and apply a bow tie antenna transceiver radiofrequency (RF) coil array tailored for cardiac MRI at 7.0 Tesla (T).

Methods: The radiofrequency (RF) coil array comprises 16 building blocks each containing a bow tie shaped λ/2-dipole antenna.

IFI44 suppresses HIV-1 LTR promoter activity and facilitates its latency.

IFI44 is an interferon-alfa inducible protein, and is associated with infection of several viruses. However, IFI44 elicits minimal antiviral effects on these viruses, and its exact role is still unknown. Here we show that IFI44 inhibits HIV-1 replication in vitro.

Anchoring dipalmitoyl phosphoethanolamine to nanoparticles boosts cellular uptake and fluorine-19 magnetic resonance signal.

Magnetic resonance (MR) methods to detect and quantify fluorine ((19)F) nuclei provide the opportunity to study the fate of cellular transplants in vivo. Cells are typically labeled with (19)F nanoparticles, introduced into living organisms and tracked by (19)F MR methods. Background-free imaging and quantification of cell numbers are amongst the strengths of (19)F MR-based cell tracking but challenges pertaining to signal sensitivity and cell detection exist.

Accelerated fast spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging of the heart using a self-calibrated split-echo approach.

Purpose: Design, validation and application of an accelerated fast spin-echo (FSE) variant that uses a split-echo approach for self-calibrated parallel imaging.

Methods: For self-calibrated, split-echo FSE (SCSE-FSE), extra displacement gradients were incorporated into FSE to decompose odd and even echo groups which were independently phase encoded to derive coil sensitivity maps, and to generate undersampled data (reduction factor up to R = 3). Reference and undersampled data were acquired simultaneously.

Rapid parametric mapping of the longitudinal relaxation time T1 using two-dimensional variable flip angle magnetic resonance imaging at 1.5 Tesla, 3 Tesla, and 7 Tesla.

Introduction: Visual but subjective reading of longitudinal relaxation time (T1) weighted magnetic resonance images is commonly used for the detection of brain pathologies. For this non-quantitative measure, diagnostic quality depends on hardware configuration, imaging parameters, radio frequency transmission field (B1+) uniformity, as well as observer experience. Parametric quantification of the tissue T1 relaxation parameter offsets the propensity for these effects, but is typically time consuming.

Modular 32-channel transceiver coil array for cardiac MRI at 7.0T.

Purpose: To design and evaluate a modular transceiver coil array with 32 independent channels for cardiac MRI at 7.0T.

Methods: The modular coil array comprises eight independent building blocks, each containing four transceiver loop elements.

Myocardial T1 and T2 mapping at 3 T: reference values, influencing factors and implications.

Background: Myocardial T1 and T2 mapping using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) are promising to improve tissue characterization and early disease detection. This study aimed at analyzing the feasibility of T1 and T2 mapping at 3 T and providing reference values.

Methods: Sixty healthy volunteers (30 males/females, each 20 from 20-39 years, 40-59 years, 60-80 years) underwent left-ventricular T1 and T2 mapping in 3 short-axis slices at 3 T.

Variability and homogeneity of cardiovascular magnetic resonance myocardial T2-mapping in volunteers compared to patients with edema.

Background: The aim of the study was to test the reproducibility and variability of myocardial T2 mapping in relation to sequence type and spatial orientation in a large group of healthy volunteers. For control T2 mapping was also applied in patients with true edema. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) T2-mapping has potential for the detection and quantification of myocardial edema.

Assessment of the right ventricle with cardiovascular magnetic resonance at 7 Tesla.

Background: Functional and morphologic assessment of the right ventricle (RV) is of clinical importance. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) at 1.5T has become gold standard for RV chamber quantification and assessment of even small wall motion abnormalities, but tissue analysis is still hampered by limited spatial resolution.