Preferential streaming of the ductus venosus and inferior caval vein towards the right heart is associated with left heart underdevelopment in human fetuses with left-sided diaphragmatic hernia.

Objective: Left heart underdevelopment is commonly observed in fetuses with left diaphragmatic hernia. This finding has been attributed to compression of the left atrium by herniated abdominal organs, redistribution of fetal cardiac output and/or low pulmonary venous return. As preferential right or left heart underdevelopment is usually not a feature of right diaphragmatic hernia, we searched for an alternative mechanism.

Intrathoracic herniation of the liver ('liver-up') is associated with predominant left heart hypoplasia in human fetuses with left diaphragmatic hernia.

Objectives: Left heart hypoplasia is commonly observed in fetuses with left diaphragmatic hernia. Because in this condition intrathoracic herniation of the liver serves as an important predictor for postnatal disease severity, we studied its potential association with left heart hypoplasia.

Methods: We prospectively assessed 32 fetuses with left diaphragmatic hernia between 19 + 6 and 38 + 6 weeks of gestation using echocardiography.

Minimally invasive fetoscopic interventions: an overview in 2010.

Background: The availability of high-end endoscopic equipment, microcatheters, miniballoons, tiny laser fibers, and other devices has been instrumental in the development of minimally invasive fetoscopic interventions. These interventions are performed for a spectrum of fetal disease states that progress in severity over the course of gestation and have a huge impact on termination of pregnancy rates, fetal demise, perinatal mortality and morbidity, and long-term prognosis. This report aims to introduce interested readers to these new procedures.

Maternal complications of fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (FLP) for treatment of twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).

Aims: Fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (FLP) has become standard therapy for severe twin-twin transfusion syndrome. Data on adverse maternal events are rare. We performed a literature review to obtain data on maternal complications of FLP.

Fetoscopic fetal transesophageal electrocardiography: a minimally invasive tool for cardiac monitoring, diagnostics, and intervention in human fetuses.

Therapy-refractory supraventricular tachycardias commonly result in hydrops and death in human fetuses. Fetal transesophageal electrocardiography may aid in understanding its underlying electrophysiological mechanism and allow stimulation. Percutaneous fetoscopic deployment of an electrode catheter into the fetal esophagus by way of a single trocar was performed in a human fetus and permitted the recording of a fetal transesophageal electrocardiogram at 35 + 6 weeks of gestation.

Chronic intermittent materno-fetal hyperoxygenation in late gestation may improve on hypoplastic cardiovascular structures associated with cardiac malformations in human fetuses.

Hypoplasia of cardiovascular structures is a common finding in fetuses with cardiac malformations. Materno-fetal hyperoxygenation (HO) during late gestation promotes venous return to the fetal heart. This analysis in human fetuses sought to define whether this "loading" effect might improve hypoplastic cardiovascular dimensions.

The GlxR regulon of the amino acid producer Corynebacterium glutamicum: Detection of the corynebacterial core regulon and integration into the transcriptional regulatory network model.

Corynebacterium glutamicum is an industrially important producer of amino acids and an emerging model system for the Corynebacterineae. The glxR gene of C. glutamicum ATCC 13032 encodes a DNA binding transcription factor of the Crp-Fnr protein family.

Partial amniotic carbon dioxide insufflation (PACI) during minimally invasive fetoscopic surgery: early clinical experience in humans.

Background: The technical performance of minimally invasive fetoscopic surgery may be severely hindered by poor visualization of intra-amniotic contents. Partial amniotic carbon dioxide insufflation (PACI) allows the visual limitations of operating within the fluid environment to be overcome.

Patients And Methods: When amniotic fluid exchange failed to improve fetoscopic visualization, PACI was attempted during 37 fetoscopic procedures between 17 + 5 and 33 + 2 weeks of gestation.

From Corynebacterium glutamicum to Mycobacterium tuberculosis--towards transfers of gene regulatory networks and integrated data analyses with MycoRegNet.

Year by year, approximately two million people die from tuberculosis, a disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. There is a tremendous need for new anti-tuberculosis therapies (antituberculotica) and drugs to cope with the spread of tuberculosis. Despite many efforts to obtain a better understanding of M.

White matter microstructure in relation to education in aging and Alzheimer's disease.

The reduced risk of dementia in high-educated individuals has been suggested to reflect brain reserve capacity. In the present study, we determined the association between integrity of white matter microstructure and education separately in twenty-one patients with clinically probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 18 healthy elderly subjects. We used fractional anisotropy derived from high-resolution diffusion-tensor weighted imaging at 3 Tesla as an in vivo marker of white matter microstructure.

MotifAdjuster: a tool for computational reassessment of transcription factor binding site annotations.

Valuable binding-site annotation data are stored in databases. However, several types of errors can, and do, occur in the process of manually incorporating annotation data from the scientific literature into these databases. Here, we introduce MotifAdjuster http://dig.

Is there a therapeutic role for fetoscopic surgery in the prenatal treatment of gastroschisis? A feasibility study in sheep.

Background/purpose: Gastroschisis is a malformation of the anterior abdominal wall that consists of a right paraumbilical defect with bowel loops bathed in the amniotic fluid. The prognosis relies mainly on morbidity attributable to intrauterine bowel loss or postpartum bowel dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a potential role for fetoscopic surgery in severely affected fetuses with this condition.

Maternal haemodynamics and lung water content during percutaneous fetoscopic interventions under general anaesthesia.

Background: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the maternal cardiopulmonary function and lung water content during percutaneous fetoscopic interventions under general maternal-fetal anaesthesia and continuous tocolytic medication.

Methods: We prospectively studied 13 women between 19 and 30 weeks of gestation undergoing percutaneous fetoscopic procedures that were performed under general maternal-fetal anaesthesia and tocolysis using indomethacin. Invasive haemodynamic monitoring using pulmonary artery catheters and the transpulmonary indicator dilution technique was applied to determine intrathoracic blood volume (ITBV), cardiac output, and extravascular lung water (EVLW).

Percutaneous fetoscopic laser decompression of congenital high airway obstruction syndrome (CHAOS) from laryngeal atresia via a single trocar--current technical constraints and potential solutions for future interventions.

Objective: To alleviate congenital high airway obstruction syndrome (CHAOS) from laryngeal atresia by percutaneous minimally-invasive fetoscopic tracheal decompression using laser.

Methods: The procedure was performed via one trocar under general maternofetal anesthesia in a human fetus with CHAOS from laryngeal atresia at 21+6 weeks of gestation.

Results: Normalization of the lung-heart size relationship was observed within days after the procedure.

Life-saving effects of fetal tracheal occlusion on pulmonary hypoplasia from preterm premature rupture of membranes.

Background: Preterm premature rupture of membranes before 22 weeks of gestation may result in severe fetal pulmonary hypoplasia. Fetoscopic tracheal balloon occlusion might result in catch-up pulmonary growth.

Case: After preterm premature rupture of membranes at 16 weeks of gestation, magnetic resonance imaging at 26 0/7 weeks showed a fetal lung volume of 13 mL and pulmonary blood flow hardly could be detected.

Percutaneous fetoscopic patch closure of human spina bifida aperta: advances in fetal surgical techniques may obviate the need for early postnatal neurosurgical intervention.

Background: A percutaneous minimally invasive fetoscopic approach was attempted for closure of a spina bifida aperta in two fetuses with L5 lesions. The goal was to obviate the need for postnatal neurosurgery to manage this condition.

Methods And Results: The percutaneous fetoscopic procedures were performed by a two-layer approach at respectively 22+/-2 and 22+/-4 weeks of gestation.

Plant-produced hepatitis B core protein chimera carrying anthrax protective antigen domain-4.

The hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) can generate a strong immune response and is recognized as an effective carrier for foreign epitopes. The domain-4 epitope of the anthrax protective antigen (PA-D4) plays an essential role in generating protective immunity against virulent Bacillus anthracis. Here we report the successful production of a recombinant protein comprised of the antigenic PA-D4 integrated into the c/e1 loop of HBcAg in transgenic low-alkaloid Nicotiana tabacum.

Transformation by oncogenic mutants and ligand-dependent activation of FLT3 wild-type requires the tyrosine residues 589 and 591.

Purpose: Mutations in the receptor tyrosine kinase FLT3 are found in up to 30% of acute myelogenous leukemia patients and are associated with an inferior prognosis. In this study, we characterized critical tyrosine residues responsible for the transforming potential of active FLT3-receptor mutants and ligand-dependent activation of FLT3-WT.

Experimental Design: We performed a detailed structure-function analysis of putative autophosphorylation tyrosine residues in the FLT3-D835Y tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) mutant.