A compact and mobile hybrid C-arm scanner for simultaneous nuclear and fluoroscopic image guidance.

Purpose: This study evaluates the performance of a mobile and compact hybrid C-arm scanner (referred to as IXSI) that is capable of simultaneous acquisition of 2D fluoroscopic and nuclear projections and 3D image reconstruction in the intervention room.

Results: The impact of slightly misaligning the IXSI modalities (in an off-focus geometry) was investigated for the reduction of the fluoroscopic and nuclear interference. The 2D and 3D nuclear image quality of IXSI was compared with a clinical SPECT/CT scanner by determining the spatial resolution and sensitivity of point sources and by performing a quantitative analysis of the reconstructed NEMA image quality phantom.

The effect of maternal antibiotic use in sows on intestinal development in offspring.

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of a maternal antibiotic administration during the last week of gestation on the early life intestinal development in neonatal piglets. Colonization of the gut with bacteria starts during birth and plays a major role in the intestinal and immunological development of the intestine. We demonstrate that maternal interventions induced changes in the sows (n = 6 to 8 per treatment) fecal microbiota diversity around birth (P < 0.

Supplementation of sows with -Arginine during gestating and lactation affects muscle traits of offspring related with postnatal growth and meat quality: From conception to consumption.

This study investigated the effect of dietary inclusion of 25 g/day of -Arginine (n = 7) or iso‑nitrogenous amounts of alanine (n = 6) from d 30 of gestation to d 28 of lactation of sows on performance, muscle traits and meat quality in offspring. From each litter, heaviest and smallest littermate of both sexes were reared from d 28 and slaughtered at d 140 in accordance with a 2factorial design. A response to -Arginine were obtained on small females where -Arginine increased birth weight, however this effect disappeared at weaning.

Real-time non-rigid target tracking for ultrasound-guided clinical interventions.

Biological motion is a problem for non- or mini-invasive interventions when conducted in mobile/deformable organs due to the targeted pathology moving/deforming with the organ. This may lead to high miss rates and/or incomplete treatment of the pathology. Therefore, real-time tracking of the target anatomy during the intervention would be beneficial for such applications.

Outcome after prenatal and postnatal diagnosis of complex congenital heart defects and the influence of genetic anomalies.

Objective: Determine prenatal detection rate, mortality and association with genetic abnormalities in patients with severe CHD.

Method: Single center retrospective study in patients with severe CHD diagnosed prenatally or postnatally (2006 to 2014).

Results: A total of 567 patients were included, 176 (31%) after prenatal diagnosis, with large differences in prenatal detection rate among CHD types.