Progress and promises of human cardiac magnetic resonance at ultrahigh fields: a physics perspective.

A growing number of reports eloquently speak about explorations into cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) at ultrahigh magnetic fields (B0≥7.0 T). Realizing the progress, promises and challenges of ultrahigh field (UHF) CMR this perspective outlines current trends in enabling MR technology tailored for cardiac MR in the short wavelength regime.

In vivo imaging of cell proliferation enables the detection of the extent of experimental rheumatoid arthritis by 3'-deoxy-3'-18f-fluorothymidine and small-animal PET.

Unlabelled: The aim of this work was to study the feasibility of measuring cell proliferation noninvasively in vivo during different stages of experimental arthritis using the PET proliferation tracer 3'-deoxy-3'-(18)F-fluorothymidine ((18)F-FLT).

Methods: We injected mice with serum containing glucose-6-phosphate-isomerase-specific antibodies to induce experimental arthritis, and we injected control mice with control serum. Animals injected with (18)F-FLT 1, 3, 6, and 8 d after the onset of disease were analyzed in vivo by PET, PET/CT, or PET/MR imaging followed by autoradiography analysis.

A pilot study of the characterization of hepatic tissue strain in children with cystic-fibrosis-associated liver disease (CFLD) by acoustic radiation force impulse imaging.

Background: Progressive fibrotic alterations of liver tissue represent a major complication in children with cystic fibrosis. Correct assessment of cystic-fibrosis-associated liver disease (CFLD) in clinical routine is a challenging issue. Sonographic elastography based on acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) is a new noninvasive approach for quantitatively assessing in vivo elasticity of biological tissues in many organs.

Epigenetics-related genes in prostate cancer: expression profile in prostate cancer tissues, androgen-sensitive and -insensitive cell lines.

Epigenetic changes have been suggested to drive prostate cancer (PCa) development and progression. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to identify novel epigenetics-related genes in PCa tissues, and to examine their expression in metastatic PCa cell lines. We analyzed the expression of epigenetics-related genes via a clustering analysis based on gene function in moderately and poorly differentiated PCa glands compared to normal glands of the peripheral zone (prostate proper) from PCa patients using Whole Human Genome Oligo Microarrays.

Exact alpha-error determination for two-stage sampling strategies to substantiate freedom from disease.

Sampling strategies to substantiate freedom from disease are important when it comes to the trade of animals and animal products. When considering imperfect tests and finite populations, sample size calculation can, however, be a challenging task. The generalized hypergeometric formula developed by Cameron and Baldock (1998a) offers a framework that can elegantly be extended to multi-stage sampling strategies, which are widely used to account for disease clustering at herd-level.

Transanal hybrid colon resection: from laparoscopy to NOTES.

Background: Reducing access size and trauma are important issues in natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES). The combination of experience with laparoscopic colorectal surgery and transanal endoscopic microsurgery has helped in the use of the transanal approach as a realistic option of NOTES techniques to introduce transanal hybrid laparoscopic-assisted colon resection into clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical introduction of transanal hybrid colon resection in terms of feasibility and patient safety.

ERG is specifically associated with ETS-2 and ETV-4, but not with ETS-1, in prostate cancer.

The erythroblast transformation-specific (ETS) family of transcription factors plays important roles in both physiological and pathological conditions. Even though many studies have focused on single ETS factors within a single tissue and within the context of specific promoters, the functional impact of multiple ETS members present within a specific cell type has not yet been investigated, especially in prostate cancer (PCa). As the most prominent gene rearrangement in PCa leads to the overexpression of the ETS-related gene (ERG), the aim of this study was to investigate whether ERG is part of a complex integrated transcriptional network that involves other ETS factors.

First-trimester cystic hygroma: relationship of nuchal translucency thickness and outcomes.

Objective: To estimate the relationship between nuchal translucency thickness and abnormal karyotype, major congenital anomaly, perinatal loss, and composite abnormal outcome in fetuses with first-trimester nuchal cystic hygroma.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of first-trimester fetuses with ultrasound-diagnosed nuchal cystic hygroma collected over a 10-year period.

Results: There were 944 first-trimester fetuses with nuchal cystic hygroma.

Feasibility of sequential PET/MRI using a state-of-the-art small animal PET and a 1 T benchtop MRI.

Purpose: Combined PET/MRI studies receive increasing attention, as their combination allows deeper insight into disease progression. We evaluated a novel 1 T benchtop MRI scanner (1T-MRI) for its use in sequential PET/MRI studies.

Procedures: Phantom studies were performed, addressing the attenuation caused by the MRI coils.

[Indications and outcome of ventilated patients treated in a neurological intensive care unit].

Objective: This study characterized artificially ventilated patients in a neurological intensive care unit (NICU) between 2006-2008 in a purely neurological clinic and a so-called stand-alone situation. In addition the long-term prognoses as well as the quality of life of surviving patients were investigated.

Methods: All ventilated patients from October 2006 to December 2008 were enrolled in this descriptive, retrospective study.

Neurosteroid analog photolabeling of a site in the third transmembrane domain of the β3 subunit of the GABA(A) receptor.

Accumulated evidence suggests that neurosteroids modulate GABA(A) receptors through binding interactions with transmembrane domains. To identify these neurosteroid binding sites directly, a neurosteroid-analog photolabeling reagent, (3α,5β)-6-azi-pregnanolone (6-AziP), was used to photolabel membranes from Sf9 cells expressing high-density, recombinant, His(8)-β3 homomeric GABA(A) receptors. 6-AziP inhibited (35)S-labeled t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate binding to the His(8)-β3 homomeric GABA(A) receptors in a concentration-dependent manner (IC(50) = 9 ± 1 μM), with a pattern consistent with a single class of neurosteroid binding sites.

Transient transfection coupled to baculovirus infection for rapid protein expression screening in insect cells.

Baculovirus infected insect cells are widely used for heterologous protein expression. Despite the power of this system, the use of baculovirus techniques for protein expression screening is hampered by the time and resources needed to generate each recombinant baculovirus. Here, we show that a transfection/infection based expression system is suitable for screening of expression constructs in insect cells and represents a valid alternative to other traditional screening methodologies using recombinant baculovirus.

Histaminergic pharmacology of homo-oligomeric β3 γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors characterized by surface plasmon resonance biosensor technology.

A surface plasmon resonance biosensor assay was established for studying the interactions of 51 histaminergic and 15 GABAergic ligands with homo-oligomeric β3 GABA(A) receptors. Detergent solubilized receptors were successfully immobilized via affinity-capture on biosensor surfaces. The interaction kinetics of both histaminergic and GABAergic ligands were very rapid but affinities could be determined by steady-state analysis.

Oxygen breathing affects 3'-deoxy-3'-18F-fluorothymidine uptake in mouse models of arthritis and cancer.

Unlabelled: Noninvasive in vivo imaging of biologic processes using PET is an important tool in preclinical studies. We observed significant differences in 3'-deoxy-3'-(18)F-fluorothymidine ((18)F-FLT) uptake in arthritic ankles and carcinomas between dynamic and static PET measurements when mice breathed oxygen. Thus, we suspected that air or oxygen breathing and the anesthesia protocol might influence (18)F-FLT tracer uptake.

Detailing the use of magnetohydrodynamic effects for synchronization of MRI with the cardiac cycle: a feasibility study.

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects for synchronization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the cardiac cycle.

Materials And Methods: The MHD effect was scrutinized using a pulsatile flow phantom at B(0) = 7.0 T.

Transgastric small bowel resection with the new multitasking platform EndoSAMURAI™ for natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery.

Background: Recently, natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery has been introduced using flexible endoscopic technology. Traditional endoscopes lack several capabilities that are needed to perform complex surgical procedures safely. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the new multitasking platform for transgastric small bowel resection including dissection of the mesentery and suturing an anastomosis.

Deep amino acid sequencing of native brain GABAA receptors using high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Mass spectrometric sequencing of low abundance, integral membrane proteins, particularly the transmembrane domains, presents challenges that span the multiple phases of sample preparation including solubilization, purification, enzymatic digestion, peptide extraction, and chromatographic separation. We describe a method through which we have obtained high peptide coverage for 12 γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABAA receptor) subunits from 2 picomoles of affinity-purified GABAA receptors from rat brain neocortex. Focusing on the α₁ subunit, we identified peptides covering 96% of the protein sequence from fragmentation spectra (MS2) using a database searching algorithm and deduced 80% of the amino acid residues in the protein from de novo sequencing of Orbitrap spectra.

Novel identification of the ETS-1 splice variants p42 and p27 in prostate cancer cell lines.

ETS-1 is involved in cellular functions such as proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis and angiogenesis. The ETS-1 gene encodes three distinct proteins, ETS-1 p51 encoded by a full-length mRNA, ETS-1 p42 and ETS-1 p27 encoded by an alternatively spliced mRNA lacking exon VII and exons III-VI, respectively. ETS-1 p51, commonly considered to be the active form, has been studied in prostate cancer (PCa).

ROS-induced ATF3 causes susceptibility to secondary infections during sepsis-associated immunosuppression.

Sepsis, sepsis-induced hyperinflammation and subsequent sepsis-associated immunosuppression (SAIS) are important causes of death. Here we show in humans that the loss of the major reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, glutathione (GSH), during SAIS directly correlates with an increase in the expression of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3). In endotoxin-stimulated monocytes, ROS stress strongly superinduced NF-E2-related factor 2 (NRF2)-dependent ATF3.

Peroral endoscopic myotomy for the treatment of achalasia: a prospective single center study.

Objectives: Endoscopic balloon dilatation and laparoscopic myotomy are established treatments for achalasia. Recently, a new endoscopic technique for complete myotomy was described. Herein, we report the results of the first prospective trial of peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) in Europe.

A spatial assessment of Culicoides spp. distribution and bluetongue disease risk areas in Austria.

Bluetongue disease (BT) was introduced into Central Europe in the summer of 2006 and has since affected most European countries. In this study we analysed the distribution of the biting midge vector Culicoides spp. in Austria and modelled Bluetongue disease risk zones.