Effects of sire line, birth weight and sex on growth performance and carcass traits of crossbred pigs under standardized environmental conditions.

A variety of available terminal sire lines makes the choice of terminal sire line complex for the pig producer. Higher birth weights are important for subsequent growth performance and selection for this trait is also necessary in sire lines. The aim was to investigate the effect of sire line, birth weight and gender on growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality.

Current T₁ and T₂ mapping techniques applied with simple thresholds cannot discriminate acute from chronic myocadial infarction on an individual patient basis: a pilot study.

Background: Studying T1- and T2-mapping for discrimination of acute from chronic myocardial infarction (AMI, CMI).

Methods: Eight patients with AMI underwent CMR at 3 T acutely and after >3 months. Imaging techniques included: T2-weighted imaging, late enhancement (LGE), T2-mapping, native and post-contrast T1-mapping.

Prospective, randomized comparison of gadopentetate and gadobutrol to assess chronic myocardial infarction applying cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Background: We hypothesized that the contrast medium gadobutrol is not inferior compared to Gd-DTPA in identifying and quantifying ischemic late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), even by using a lower dose.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 30 patients with chronic myocardial infarction as visualized by LGE during clinical routine scan at 1.5 T with 0.

Analysis of Documentation Speed Using Web-Based Medical Speech Recognition Technology: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Clinical documentation has undergone a change due to the usage of electronic health records. The core element is to capture clinical findings and document therapy electronically. Health care personnel spend a significant portion of their time on the computer.

[Endorsement of risk management and patient safety by certification of conformity in health care quality assessment].

Certification of conformity in health care should provide assurance of compliance with quality standards. This also includes risk management and patient safety. Based on a comprehensive definition of quality, beneficial effects on the management of risks and the enhancement of patient safety can be expected from certification of conformity.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging of congenital bicuspid aortic valves and associated aortic pathologies in adults.

Aims: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) represents the most frequent congenital cardiac abnormality resulting in premature valvular degeneration and aortic dilatation. In a large series of consecutive patients, we evaluated the distribution of BAV types and the associated valvular and aortic abnormalities.

Methods And Results: We investigated 266 patients (58 ± 14 years) with BAV using a 1.

Assessment of nonischemic fibrosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: comparison of gadopentetate dimeglumine and gadobenate dimeglumine for enhanced cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging.

Purpose: To compare whether the higher relaxivity contrast agent gadobenate is superior for the identification of nonischemic late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) compared to standard relaxivity agents such as gadopentetate.

Materials And Methods: Fifteen patients with HCM and positive LGE based on routine cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with 0.2 mmol/kg gadopentetate were enrolled.

Myocardial T1 and T2 mapping at 3 T: reference values, influencing factors and implications.

Background: Myocardial T1 and T2 mapping using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) are promising to improve tissue characterization and early disease detection. This study aimed at analyzing the feasibility of T1 and T2 mapping at 3 T and providing reference values.

Methods: Sixty healthy volunteers (30 males/females, each 20 from 20-39 years, 40-59 years, 60-80 years) underwent left-ventricular T1 and T2 mapping in 3 short-axis slices at 3 T.

Variability and homogeneity of cardiovascular magnetic resonance myocardial T2-mapping in volunteers compared to patients with edema.

Background: The aim of the study was to test the reproducibility and variability of myocardial T2 mapping in relation to sequence type and spatial orientation in a large group of healthy volunteers. For control T2 mapping was also applied in patients with true edema. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) T2-mapping has potential for the detection and quantification of myocardial edema.

Single-centre survey of the application of cardiovascular magnetic resonance in clinical routine.

Aims: Awareness of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is growing due to increasing evidence for providing relevant functional and morphologic information. This single-centre survey aimed at providing descriptive data about the clinical application and potential impact of CMR.

Methods And Results: All 2598 clinically indicated CMR exams were prospectively registered during 1 year in one single centre.

Heart failure in patients with normal coronary anatomy: diagnostic algorithm and disease pattern of various etiologies as defined by cardiac MRI.

In a subgroup of patients with acute heart failure coronary artery disease can be excluded. To explain symptoms and optimize therapy cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging can contribute to elucidate the underlying pathology in non-ischemic heart disease. A diagnostic algorithm for the work-up of these patients using CMR is suggested.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging of myocardial inflammation.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging can precisely quantify cardiac size and function, but moreover depict tissue changes that are associated with various forms of myocardial inflammation. Thereby, CMR can often detect myocardial inflammation before contractility is obviously impaired. Various CMR techniques to assess aspects of inflammation including T2-weighted imaging, and early- and late-contrast enhanced T1-weighted imaging, are reviewed regarding technical challenges and clinical usefulness.

Prognostic impact of T2-weighted CMR imaging for cardiac amyloidosis.

Objectives: Using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) we tested the diagnostic value of various markers for amyloid infiltration.

Methods: We performed MRI at 1.5 T in 36 consecutive patients with cardiac amyloidosis and 48 healthy volunteers.

A pilot study of chronic, low-dose epoetin-{beta} following percutaneous coronary intervention suggests safety, feasibility, and efficacy in patients with symptomatic ischaemic heart failure.

Aims: Low-dose epoetin-β improved neo-angiogenesis and cardiac regeneration in experimental models of ischaemic cardiomyopathy without raising haemoglobin. No clinical study has tested this approach to date.

Methods And Results: We performed a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, single-centre study of 35 IU/kg body weight epoetin-β given subcutaneously once weekly for 6 months started within 3 weeks after successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Influence of the HLA-DRB1 genotype on antibody development to interferon beta in multiple sclerosis.

Objective: To determine relevant HLA-DRB1 alleles associated with the susceptibility of anti-interferon beta antibody development in a large patient cohort.

Design: In a case-control study, HLA-DRB1 genotyping was performed in a discovery cohort (n = 268) and a validation cohort (n = 825).

Setting: Patients were recruited in Germany by primary care physicians and neurologists and were mainly of Northern European heritage.

An open-source software tool for the generation of relaxation time maps in magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: In magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, T1, T2 and T2* relaxation times represent characteristic tissue properties that can be quantified with the help of specific imaging strategies. While there are basic software tools for specific pulse sequences, until now there is no universal software program available to automate pixel-wise mapping of relaxation times from various types of images or MR systems. Such a software program would allow researchers to test and compare new imaging strategies and thus would significantly facilitate research in the area of quantitative tissue characterization.

Aortic dilatation in patients with prosthetic aortic valve: comparison of MRI and echocardiography.

Background And Aim Of The Study: Patients with prosthetic aortic valve have an increased risk for aortic dissection, which rises further with growing aortic diameters. Thus, accurate aortic monitoring is required. As transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), the current clinical standard, is frequently restricted to the proximal ascending aorta, the use of two-dimensional cardiovascular magnetic resonance (2D-CMR) in transverse orientation was investigated as a screening tool to assess ascending aortic dimensions.

Assessment of mitral bioprostheses using cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Background: The orifice area of mitral bioprostheses provides important information regarding their hemodynamic performance. It is usually calculated by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), however, accurate and reproducible determination may be challenging. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has been proven as an accurate alternative for assessing aortic bioprostheses.

Genetic variations of interleukin-23R (1143A>G) and BPI (A645G), but not of NOD2, are associated with acute graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic transplantation.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes of the immune system predict for aGVHD and mortality after allo-SCT. We investigated the effect of SNPs in the NOD2, BPI, and IL-23R genes on posttransplantation outcome in a cohort of 304 patients. NOD2 patient and donor genotype and BPI recipient genotype were not associated with the occurrence of aGVHD.

Immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stromal cells and their therapeutic consequences for immune-mediated disorders.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) represent a population of nonhematopoietic cells, which play a crucial role in supporting hematopoiesis and can differentiate into various cell types such as osteocytes, chondrocytes, adipocytes, and myocytes. Due to their differentiation capability, MSCs emerge as promising candidates for therapeutic applications in tissue engineering. In addition, they display immunomodulatory properties that have prompted consideration of their potential use for treatment modalities aimed at the inhibition of immune responses.

Feasibility of cardiovascular magnetic resonance to assess the orifice area of aortic bioprostheses.

Background: Prosthetic orifice area, usually calculated by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) or transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), provides important information regarding the hemodynamic performance of aortic bioprostheses. However, both TTE and TEE have limitations; therefore accurate and reproducible determination of the orifice area often remains a challenge. The present study aimed to investigate the feasibility of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) to assess the orifice areas of aortic bioprostheses.

Estimation of high-resolution HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1 allele and haplotype frequencies based on 8862 German stem cell donors and implications for strategic donor registry planning.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haplotype frequency distributions in specific populations can be applied to optimize both individual stem cell donor searches and donor registry planning. We present allele and haplotype frequencies derived from a data set of 8862 German stem cell donors who were typed at high resolution for the HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, and HLA-DRB1 genes upon registration. Calculated haplotype frequencies were used to estimate the probability p to find matching donors subject to donor registry size n.

Cardiac magnetic resonance in acute myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging can visualize ventricular size and function and moreover tissue composition. This allows for detection of myocardial edema and increased contrast uptake typical for inflammation. In a subset of myocarditis-patients typical irreversible fibrotic lesions can be detected.

Cardiac magnetic resonance monitors reversible and irreversible myocardial injury in myocarditis.

Objectives: We sought to assess the value of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) to monitor the spectrum of myocarditis-related injuries over the course of the disease.

Background: Myocarditis is associated with a wide range of myocardial tissue injuries, both reversible and irreversible. Differentiating these types of injuries is a clinical demand.