Fiber-based Probes for Electrophysiology, Photometry, Optical and Electrical Stimulation, Drug Delivery, and Fast-Scan Cyclic Voltammetry In Vivo.

Recording and modulation of neuronal activity enables the study of brain function in health and disease. While translational neuroscience relies on electrical recording and modulation techniques, mechanistic studies in rodent models leverage genetic precision of optical methods, such as optogenetics and imaging of fluorescent indicators. In addition to electrical signal transduction, neurons produce and receive diverse chemical signals which motivate tools to probe and modulate neurochemistry.

Imaging bioluminescence by detecting localized haemodynamic contrast from photosensitized vasculature.

Bioluminescent probes are widely used to monitor biomedically relevant processes and cellular targets in living animals. However, the absorption and scattering of visible light by tissue drastically limit the depth and resolution of the detection of luminescence. Here we show that bioluminescent sources can be detected with magnetic resonance imaging by leveraging the light-mediated activation of vascular cells expressing a photosensitive bacterial enzyme that causes the conversion of bioluminescent emission into local changes in haemodynamic contrast.

A different interpretation of the DIANA fMRI signal.

Direct detection of neural activity by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been a longstanding goal in neuroscience. A recent study argued that it is possible to detect neuroelectrical potentials using a specialized fMRI scanning approach the authors termed "direct imaging of neuronal activity" (DIANA). We implemented DIANA in anesthetized rats and measured responses to somatosensory stimulation, reproducing core findings of the original study.

Prospective evaluation of radiographic manifestations of tuberculosis in relationship with CD4 count in patients with HIV/AIDS.

A major risk factor to develop active tuberculosis (TB) is the infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Chest radiography is the first-line imaging modality used to rule out TB. Coinfected individuals present often with atypical imaging patterns, due to the immunosuppression caused by the virus, making diagnosis difficult.

Brain gain-Is the cognitive performance of domestic hens affected by a functional polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene?

The serotonin transporter (5-HTT) plays an important role in regulating serotonergic transmission removal of serotonin (5-HT) from synaptic clefts. Alterations in 5-HTT expression and subsequent 5-HT transmission have been found to be associated with changes in behaviour, such as fearfulness or activity, in humans and other vertebrates. In humans, alterations in 5-HTT expression have been suggested to be able to lead to better learning performance, with more fearful persons being better at learning.

A highly sensitive impedimetric sensor based on a MIP biomimetic for the detection of enrofloxacin.

The benefits of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) technology in creating artificial receptors to replace natural counterparts have piqued the interest of numerous researchers in recent years. We propose a biomimetic enrofloxacin-MIP for enrofloxacin (ENRO) antigen detection using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and MIP methodologies in this study. A self-assembled monomer layer of aminothiophenol was used to immobilize a pre-formed complex of the anti-enrofloxacin monoclonal antibody and enrofloxacin antigen onto the surface of an AuNP coated screen-printed carbon ink electrode (SPCE).

Behavioural consequences of divergent selection on general locomotor activity in chickens.

General locomotor activity is a highly variable phenotypic trait of animals. In domestic chickens it is different within and between breeds. The general locomotor activity is a substantially heritable trait and has been shown to be correlated with several other behavioural traits, such as for example feather pecking and anxiety in chickens.

Diffusion tensor imaging of the abdominal organs: Influence of oriented intravoxel flow compartments.

Water flow in partially oriented intravoxel compartments mimics an anisotropic fast-diffusion regime, which contributes to the signal attenuation in diffusion-weighted images. In the abdominal organs, this flow may reflect physiological fluid movements (eg, tubular urine flow in kidneys, or bile flow through the liver) and have a clinical relevance. This study investigated the influence of anisotropic intravoxel water flow on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the abdominal organs.

Fear but not social behaviour is affected by a polymorphism in the 5'-flanking region of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene in adult hens.

The serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) is involved in the regulation of the neural serotonin. Polymorphisms in the 5-HTT gene have been described in many species to be involved in physiological processes and emotions. A functional polymorphism in the 5´-flanking region of the 5-HTT gene is known from chickens, with a deletion-allele (D), which is associated with an increased 5-HTT expression, in comparison to the wild-type-allele (W).

Modulation of Fear and Arousal Behavior by Serotonin Transporter (5-HTT) Genotypes in Newly Hatched Chickens.

The serotonin transporter (5-HTT) plays a key role in regulating serotonergic transmission via removal of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) from synaptic clefts. Alterations in 5-HTT expression and 5-HT transmission have been shown to cause changes to adult behavior including fear. The objective of the present study was to investigate the 5-HTT role in fear in birds at the very early stages of post-hatching life.

Detection of tuberculosis patterns in digital photographs of chest X-ray images using Deep Learning: feasibility study.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of Deep Learning-based detection and classification of pathological patterns in a set of digital photographs of chest X-ray (CXR) images of tuberculosis (TB) patients.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective, observational study, patients with previously diagnosed TB were enrolled. Photographs of their CXRs were taken using a consumer-grade digital still camera.

Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Analysis of Abdominal Organs: Application of Simultaneous Multislice Acquisition.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the accuracy of quantitative intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) analysis of the upper abdomen applying simultaneous multislice (SMS) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to reduce acquisition time.

Materials And Methods: Diffusion-weighted imaging of parenchymal abdominal organs was performed in 8 healthy volunteers at 3 T using a standard DWI sequence (acceleration factor 1 [AF1]) and an SMS-accelerated echo planar imaging sequence with acceleration factors 2 and 3 (AF2/AF3). Intravoxel incoherent motion analysis was performed with a multistep algorithm for true diffusion coefficient (Dt), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D*), and fraction of perfusion (Fp) measured for the liver, kidney cortex and medulla, pancreas, spleen, and erector spinae muscle.

Intravoxel Incoherent Motion: Model-Free Determination of Tissue Type in Abdominal Organs Using Machine Learning.

Purpose: For diffusion data sets including low and high b-values, the intravoxel incoherent motion model is commonly applied to characterize tissue. The aim of the present study was to show that machine learning allows a model-free approach to determine tissue type without a priori assumptions on the underlying physiology.

Materials And Methods: In 8 healthy volunteers, diffusion data sets were acquired using an echo-planar imaging sequence with 16 b-values in the range between 0 and 1000 s/mm.

In-depth analysis of interreader agreement and accuracy in categorical assessment of brown adipose tissue in (18)FDG-PET/CT.

Purpose: To evaluate the interreader agreement of a three-tier craniocaudal grading system for brown fat activation and investigate the accuracy of the distinction between the three grades.

Materials And Methods: After IRB approval, 340 cases were retrospectively selected from patients undergoing (18)FDG-PET/CT between 2007 and 2015 at our institution, with 85 cases in each grade and 85 controls with no active brown fat. Three readers evaluated all cases independently.

Integrin-Targeted Hybrid Fluorescence Molecular Tomography/X-ray Computed Tomography for Imaging Tumor Progression and Early Response in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Integrins play an important role in tumor progression, invasion and metastasis. Therefore we aimed to evaluate a preclinical imaging approach applying ανβ3 integrin targeted hybrid Fluorescence Molecular Tomography/X-ray Computed Tomography (FMT-XCT) for monitoring tumor progression as well as early therapy response in a syngeneic murine Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) model. Lewis Lung Carcinomas were grown orthotopically in C57BL/6 J mice and imaged in-vivo using a ανβ3 targeted near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) probe.

Evidence for the Association of a Deleted Variant in the 5'-Flanking Region of the Chicken serotonin transporter (5-HTT) Gene with a Temporary Increase in Feed Intake and Growth Rate.

The serotonergic system has been shown to be implicated in the regulation of mood and feeding behavior. Previous studies have identified a polymorphism in the 5'-flanking region of the serotonin transporter ( 5 - HTT ) gene of Lohmann Brown (LB) laying hens. The deleted variant D was found to be associated with increased body weight.

Histone deacetylase HDAC1 downregulates transcription of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene in tumor cells.

Serotonin (5-HT) has been reported to be involved in cancer progression by stimulating angiogenesis and cell growth. In this study, we examined the expression of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and the role of histone deacetylases (HDACs) in regulating the 5-HTT gene in tumor cells. The 5-HTT gene expression was almost silenced in chicken lymphoma DT40, myelomonocytic tumor HD11 and hepatoma DU249 cells, compared to their physiological counterpart.

Inhibition of serotonin transporter expression by C/EBPβ in LPS-activated macrophage cells (HD11).

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) transporter (5-HTT) is involved in inflammation and the stress response. In this study, we examined the regulation of 5-HTT expression in macrophage HD11 cells in response to bacterial LPS. Long-term exposure of cells to LPS (6-18 h) produced a decrease in 5-HTT mRNA expression.

A functional variant in the 5'-flanking region of the chicken serotonin transporter gene is associated with increased body weight and locomotor activity.

In this study, we identified a polymorphism in the 5'-flanking region of the chicken serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene. Sequencing analysis revealed that in comparison with the wild-type variant (W), a deleted variant (D) is generated by deletion of four nucleotides (5'-AATT-3') and a single nucleotide change (A→T). Using a polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system, we found that the 360-bp DNA fragment containing the W variant with the wild-type sequence 5'-AATTAATT-3' shows intrinsic DNA curvature while the 356-bp fragment containing the D variant lacking the four base pairs AATT is not curved.

In vivo binding of Orc2 to a region of the chicken lysozyme GAS41 origin containing multiple Sp1-binding sites.

Most known DNA replication origins in vertebrate genomes have been found to occur close to transcriptional promoters. The origin of bidirectional DNA replication of the chicken lysozyme GAS41 locus was identified in a CpG island covering the GAS41 gene promoter. In this study, we generated an α-Orc2 antibody from rabbits immunized with the C-terminal half of Orc2 for studying in vivo Orc2 binding to the lysozyme-GAS41 origin.

Sp1 and Sp3 regulate transcription of the chicken GAS41 gene.

The 5'-flanking region of the chicken glioma-amplified sequence (GAS) 41 gene is close to the 3' end of the lysozyme gene and contains no typical TATA box, but several GC boxes. In this study, we have localized the GAS 41 promoter to this narrow region. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses revealed that Sp1 and Sp3 bind to this promoter.

The chromatin structure of the lysozyme GAS41 origin of DNA replication changes during the cell cycle.

We used a rapid and simple protocol using lysolecithin for mapping HS sites in vivo. The protocol is based on partial digestion with DNase I of exponentially growing cells following permeabilization by short treatment with lysolecithin. Using this protocol, we analyzed the chromatin structure of the region surrounding two overlapping elements, an origin of bidirectional DNA replication and the GAS41 promoter, in chicken myelomonocytic HD11 cells arrested in G0, G1 and S phases as well as at the G1/S border.

Regulation of C/EBPbeta mRNA expression and C/EBPbeta promoter activity by protein kinases A and C in a myelomonocytic cell line (HD11).

Objective: The transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer- binding protein (C/EBP) beta is involved in inflammatory responses in immune cells, including myelomonocytic cells. In this study, signal transduction pathways regulating C/EBPbeta expression were investigated.

Methods: The expression of C/EBPbeta mRNA in cells treated with various activators and inhibitors of PKA and PKC was analyzed by Northern blot hybridization.

Complications associated with distraction osteogenesis for the correction of brachymetatarsia: a review of five procedures.

Background: Congenital brachymetatarsia is often treated with callus distraction. This technique is associated with a variety of complications. We investigated complications encountered in treatment of brachymetatarsia in four female patients and reviewed adjunctive procedures performed to treat these complications.

Synovial chondromatosis of the subtalar joint and tenosynovial chondromatosis of the posterior ankle.

Synovial chondromatosis is a rare, generally benign condition characterized by the formation of multiple cartilaginous nodules in the synovium of joints and occasionally on the tendon sheath or bursae. If the nodules are intra-articular, the condition is referred to as synovial chondromatosis; if extra-articular, tenosynovial chondromatosis. This space-occupying lesion can lead to chronic pain and limit the function of involved joints.