Scoliosis induced by costotransversectomy in minipigs model.

Aim To validate surgical costotransversectomy as a technique for creating a scoliosis model in minipigs and to assess whether differences in approach (posterior medial approach, posterior paramedial approach and anterior approach by video-assisted thoracoscopy) lead to differences in the production of spinal deformity. Creation of disease models in experimental animals, specifically in minipigs, is controversial, as no appropriate technique has been reported. Methods Surgical costotransversectomy was performed in 11 minipigs using 3 different approaches: posterior medial approach (4 animals, group I), posterior paramedial approach (3 animals, group II) and anterior approach by videothoracoscopy (4 animals, group III).

Genetic variations of HSPA1A, the heat shock protein levels, and risk of atherosclerosis.

HSPA1A is a serum and intracellular heat shock protein with antiapoptotic and antithrombotic properties. The present study examines the hypothesis that a decrease in the synthesis of this protein in relation to certain polymorphisms of the regulatory region of the HSPA1A gene can define a vascular disease risk phenotype. A randomly selected population was studied and stratified into groups according to the degree of vascular risk.

Mathematically gifted adolescents use more extensive and more bilateral areas of the fronto-parietal network than controls during executive functioning and fluid reasoning tasks.

The main goal of this study was to investigate the neural substrates of fluid reasoning and visuospatial working memory in adolescents with precocious mathematical ability. The study population comprised two groups of adolescents: 13 math-gifted adolescents and 14 controls with average mathematical skills. Patterns of activation specific to reasoning tasks in math-gifted subjects were examined using functional magnetic resonance images acquired while the subjects were performing Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM) and the Tower of London (TOL) tasks.

Extracellular heat shock protein 70 (HSPA1A) and classical vascular risk factors in a general population.

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disease. Candidate molecules/autoantigens include heat shock proteins (HSPs); Hsp70 (HSPA1A) is one of the best studied HSPs. Various studies have shown a correlation between extracellular Hsp70 (eHsp70) and anti-Hsp70/anti-Hsp60 antibody concentration and development of atherosclerosis.

Reduction of heat shock protein antibody levels by statin therapy.

Atherosclerosis is a disease whose pathogenesis involves inflammatory and immunological mechanisms, including an autoimmune reaction against heat shock proteins (Hsps). The purpose of this study was to analyze whether the antiatherogenic effect of statin therapy was not limited to its lipid lowering effect, but also included anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, paying special attention to the measurement of circulating concentrations of anti-Hsp70 and anti-Hsp60 antibodies previously related to vascular disease. Two-hundred and seventy-five subjects aged 40-60 years, randomly selected in an epidemiological study on the incidence of vascular risk factors, were studied.

1H MR spectroscopy in the assessment of gliomatosis cerebri.

Objective: Gliomatosis cerebri is a rare brain tumor with a short survival time; for this reason, it is difficult to establish the degree of aggressivity in vivo. The MR spectroscopic findings on this tumor often do not agree with choline level. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether MR spectroscopy can be used to measure tumor choline levels and whether the findings give useful information about tumor growth rate and patient survival time.

Heat shock proteins, end effectors of myocardium ischemic preconditioning?

The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) whether ischemia-reperfusion increased the content of heat shock protein 72 (Hsp72) transcripts and (2) whether myocardial content of Hsp72 is increased by ischemic preconditioning so that they can be considered as end effectors of preconditioning. Twelve male minipigs (8 protocol, 4 sham) were used, with the following ischemic preconditioning protocol: 3 ischemia and reperfusion 5-minute alternative cycles and last reperfusion cycle of 3 hours. Initial and final transmural biopsies (both in healthy and ischemic areas) were taken in all animals.

ROC evaluation of statistical wavelet-based analysis of brain activation in [15O]-H2O PET scans.

This paper presents and evaluates a wavelet-based statistical analysis of PET images for the detection of brain activation areas. Brain regions showing significant activations were obtained by performing Student's t tests in the wavelet domain, reconstructing the final image from only those wavelet coefficients that passed the statistical test at a given significance level, and discarding artifacts introduced during the reconstruction process. Using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, we have compared this statistical analysis in the wavelet domain to the conventional image-domain Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) method.

Method for bias field correction of brain T1-weighted magnetic resonance images minimizing segmentation error.

This work presents a new algorithm (nonuniform intensity correction; NIC) for correction of intensity inhomogeneities in T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images. The bias field and a bias-free image are obtained through an iterative process that uses brain tissue segmentation. The algorithm was validated by means of realistic phantom images and a set of 24 real images.

Resolution recovery in Turbo Spin Echo using segmented Half Fourier acquisition.

Turbo Spin Echo (TSE) is a sequence of choice for obtaining T(2)-weighted images. TSE reduces acquisition time by acquiring several echoes within each TR, at the cost of introducing an exponential weighting in the k-space that leads to a certain image blurring. This is particularly important for short-T(2) structures, which can even disappear if their size in the phase encoding direction is comparable to the degree of blurring.

Biological dosimetry of magnetic resonance imaging.

Purpose: To check the bioeffects of the components of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI is based on an assumed harmless interaction between certain nuclei in the body when placed in a strong magnetic field and radio wave fields. There are three key factors actuating on the examining body: a powerful static magnetic field (SMF), magnetic gradient fields (MGFs), and pulsed radiofrequency (RF) radiation.