Contractility measurements for cardiotoxicity screening with ventricular myocardial slices of pigs.

Aims: Cardiotoxicity is one major reason why drugs do not enter or are withdrawn from the market. Thus, approaches are required to predict cardiotoxicity with high specificity and sensitivity. Ideally, such methods should be performed within intact cardiac tissue with high relevance for humans and detect acute and chronic side effects on electrophysiological behaviour, contractility, and tissue structure in an unbiased manner.

3D virtual histopathology of cardiac tissue from Covid-19 patients based on phase-contrast X-ray tomography.

For the first time, we have used phase-contrast X-ray tomography to characterize the three-dimensional (3d) structure of cardiac tissue from patients who succumbed to Covid-19. By extending conventional histopathological examination by a third dimension, the delicate pathological changes of the vascular system of severe Covid-19 progressions can be analyzed, fully quantified and compared to other types of viral myocarditis and controls. To this end, cardiac samples with a cross-section of 3.

3D virtual histology of human pancreatic tissue by multiscale phase-contrast X-ray tomography.

A multiscale three-dimensional (3D) virtual histology approach is presented, based on two configurations of propagation phase-contrast X-ray tomography, which have been implemented in close proximity at the GINIX endstation at the beamline P10/PETRA III (DESY, Hamburg, Germany). This enables the 3D reconstruction of characteristic morphological features of human pancreatic normal and tumor tissue, as obtained from cancer surgery, first in the form of a large-scale overview by parallel-beam illumination, followed by a zoom into a region-of-interest based on zoom tomography using a Kirkpatrick-Baez mirror with additional waveguide optics. To this end 1 mm punch biopsies of the tissue were taken.

X-Ray Structural Analysis of Single Adult Cardiomyocytes: Tomographic Imaging and Microdiffraction.

We present a multiscale imaging approach to characterize the structure of isolated adult murine cardiomyocytes based on a combination of full-field three-dimensional coherent x-ray imaging and scanning x-ray diffraction. Using these modalities, we probe the structure from the molecular to the cellular scale. Holographic projection images on freeze-dried cells have been recorded using highly coherent and divergent x-ray waveguide radiation.

3D virtual pathohistology of lung tissue from Covid-19 patients based on phase contrast X-ray tomography.

We present a three-dimensional (3D) approach for virtual histology and histopathology based on multi-scale phase contrast x-ray tomography, and use this to investigate the parenchymal architecture of unstained lung tissue from patients who succumbed to Covid-19. Based on this first proof-of-concept study, we propose multi-scale phase contrast x-ray tomography as a tool to unravel the pathophysiology of Covid-19, extending conventional histology by a third dimension and allowing for full quantification of tissue remodeling. By combining parallel and cone beam geometry, autopsy samples with a maximum cross section of 8 mm are scanned and reconstructed at a resolution and image quality, which allows for the segmentation of individual cells.

Multi-scale X-ray phase-contrast tomography of murine heart tissue.

The spatial organization of cardiac muscle tissue exhibits a complex structure on multiple length scales, from the sarcomeric unit to the whole organ. Here we demonstrate a multi-scale three-dimensional imaging (3d) approach with three levels of magnification, based on synchrotron X-ray phase contrast tomography. Whole mouse hearts are scanned in an undulator beam, which is first focused and then broadened by divergence.

Fiber orientation in a whole mouse heart reconstructed by laboratory phase-contrast micro-CT.

We present a phase-contrast x-ray tomography study of wild type C57BL/6 mouse hearts as a nondestructive approach to the microanatomy on the scale of the entire excised organ. Based on the partial coherence at a home-built phase-contrast setup installed at a liquid metal jet source, we exploit phase retrieval and hence achieve superior image quality for heart tissue, almost comparable to previous synchrotron data on the whole organ scale. In our work, different embedding methods and heavy metal-based stains have been explored.

Therapy of aseptic nonunions with parathyroid hormone.

The absence of osseous consolidation of a fracture for 9 or more months with no potential to heal is defined as nonunion. Both for the patient and from a socioeconomic point of view, nonunions represent a major problem. Hypertrophic, vital nonunions are distinguished from atrophic avital ones.

X-ray-based lung function measurement reveals persistent loss of lung tissue elasticity in mice recovered from allergic airway inflammation.

Chronic asthma patients experience difficulties even years after the inciting allergen. Although studies in small animal asthma models have enormously advanced progress in uncovering the mechanisms of inception and development of the disease, little is known about the processes involved in the persistence of asthma symptoms in the absence of allergen exposure. Long-term asthma mouse models have so far been scarce or not been able to reproduce the findings in patients.

Lithium chromium pyrophosphate as an insertion material for Li-ion batteries.

Lithium chromium pyrophosphate (LiCrP2O7) and carbon-coated LiCrP2O7 (LiCrP2O7/C) were synthesized by solid-state and sol-gel routes, respectively. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and conductivity measurements. LiCrP2O7 powder has a conductivity of ~ 10(-8) S cm(-1), ~ 10(4) times smaller than LiCrP2O7/C (~ 10(-4) S cm(-1)).

[Autochthonous hepatitis E-virus infection as cause of acute hepatitis in Germany - a case report].

There is an increasing body of evidence that hepatitis E virus (HEV) triggers acute hepatitis not only in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, and America with low sanitary standards but also in highly industrialized countries. We here report on two patients from Thuringia (Germany) with a HEV infection without a recent stay abroad. All other common causes of hepatitis were excluded.

Preparation of genomic DNA from plant tissue.

This unit describes two methods for preparing genomic DNA from plant tissue. In the first method, plant cells are lysed with ionic detergent, treated with protease, and subsequently purified by cesium chloride (CsCl) density gradient centrifugation. The second method is based upon a series of treatments with the nonionic detergent cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to lyse cells and purify nucleic acid.

Accreditation of post-basic nephrology courses within the EDTNA/ERCA.

This paper will outline the development of the EDTNA/ERCA accreditation programme for post-basic courses in nephrology. It will discuss results of the pilot project and relate the experiences of one school that has successfully gone through the accreditation process. The article will conclude with a discussion on more recent developments and evaluate the project in light of the original concepts.

[Von Recklinghausen type I neurofibromatosis and neuroendocrine tumor (somatostatinoma) in a 50-year-old woman].

History And Clinical Findings: A 50-year-old woman has had diffuse abdominal symptoms for approximately 2 weeks. For 30 years a von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis has been known.

Investigations: Clinically and chemically there was a cholestasis (alkaline phosphatase 244 U/l, gamma GT 83 U/l) with uneventful values for transaminases and bilirubin.

[Prognostic criteria for initial success in PTA and catheter thrombolysis].

The preliminary results of 1063 percutaneous dilatations (PTA) of iliac or femoropopliteal arteries were evaluated in order to establish pre-existing clinical or morphological criteria with possible influence on the early success rate. Early failure was defined as the impossibility to eliminate the arterial occlusion or re-occlusion within 48 hours. Regarding the clinical criteria the combination of long duration and advanced stage of the disease unfavourably influenced the primary success rate (failure rate of 40%).

The value of specific antibody detection and culture in the diagnosis of reactive arthritis.

Joint inflammation, predominantly of the lower limbs, occurring some weeks after urogenital or gastrointestinal infection is classified as reactive arthritis (ReA) but there is no general agreement on diagnostic criteria, especially if the preceding infections are asymptomatic. The same is true for Lyme disease (LD) which is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (BB). Determination of antibody titre or culture of urethral swabs and stools are often used as diagnostic tools.