Publications by authors named "Seifert A"

Spiny mice (Acomys spp.) are warm-blooded (homeothermic) vertebrates whose ability to restore missing tissue through regenerative healing has coincided with the evolution of unique cellular and physiological adaptations across different tissue types. This review seeks to explore how these bizarre rodents deploy unique or altered injury response mechanisms to either enhance tissue repair or fully regenerate excised tissue compared to closely related, scar-forming mammals.

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Aromatic diimides such as naphthalene diimide (NDI) and pyromellitic diimide (MDI) are important building blocks for organic electrode materials. They feature a two-electron redox mechanism that allows for energy storage. Due to the smaller size of MDI compared to NDI its theoretical capacity is higher.

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Identifying why complex tissue regeneration is present or absent in specific vertebrate lineages has remained elusive. One also wonders whether the isolated examples where regeneration is observed represent cases of convergent evolution or are instead the product of phylogenetic inertia from a common ancestral program. Testing alternative hypotheses to identify genetic regulation, cell states, and tissue physiology that explain how regenerative healing emerges in some species requires sampling multiple species among which there is variation in regenerative ability across a phylogenetic framework.

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Background: Visual impairment (VI) is common among older adults aged 70 years and older, and its prevalence increases with advancing age. The optometry profession may play an important role in a patient-centred health system that incorporates medical and psychosocial aspects by working closely with low vision counselling services (LVCS). This paper investigates the current level of cooperation between optometry and LVCS by analysing the referral practice of optometrists to LVCS for the older population with VI, based on the PROVIAGE study.

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Due to the high mortality rate, more effective non-invasive diagnostic methods are still needed for lung cancer, the most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In this study, the integration of Raman and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy with advanced data-fusion techniques is investigated to improve the detection of lung cancer from human blood plasma samples. A high statistical significance was found for important protein-related oscillations, which are crucial for differentiating between lung cancer patients and healthy controls.

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Despite the prevalence of large-group living across the animal kingdom, no studies have examined the neural mechanisms that make group living possible. Spiny mice, Acomys, have evolved to live in large groups and exhibit a preference to affiliate with large over small groups. Here, we determine the neural circuitry that facilitates the drive to affiliate with large groups.

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Current research using animal models to investigate retinal cell biology and model retinal degenerative diseases largely utilize small mammals that are nocturnal and lack the ability to restore lost vision. In contrast, the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones) is a diurnal rodent with good photopic vision, and the spiny mouse (Acomys) is a small desert-dwelling rodent with remarkable regenerative capabilities. The goal of this study was to identify antibodies that detect retinal cell classes in Meriones and Acomys, and to describe the retinal anatomy of these two species in comparison to outbred laboratory mice (Mus musculus).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on improving spectral quality in the cerebellum during 7 T MRI scans by using a wireless RF array that reduces signal dropouts from low transmit efficiency.
  • A series of in vivo experiments on a Siemens 7 T scanner showed that the RF array significantly enhanced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by an average factor of 2.2, particularly in the posterior fossa.
  • The findings suggest that this technology could lower RF transmission power and data acquisition time, providing a cost-effective solution for enhanced detection sensitivity in MRI and H-MRS applications.
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a risk factor for neurodegeneration and cognitive decline, yet the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms are incompletely understood. This gap in knowledge is in part related to the lack of analytic methods to account for cortical lesions in prior neuroimaging studies. The objective of this study was to develop a lesion detection tool and apply it to an investigation of longitudinal changes in brain structure among individuals with chronic TBI.

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Proinflammatory T-lymphocytes recruited into the brain and spinal cord mediate multiple sclerosis (MS) and currently there is no cure for MS. IFN-γ-producing Th1 cells induce ascending paralysis in the spinal cord while IL-17-producing Th17 cells mediate cerebellar ataxia. STAT1 and STAT3 are required for Th1 and Th17 development, respectively, and the simultaneous targeting of STAT1 and STAT3 pathways is therefore a potential therapeutic strategy for suppressing disease in the spinal cord and brain.

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Background: Large language models (LLMs) have demonstrated impressive performances in various medical domains, prompting an exploration of their potential utility within the high-demand setting of emergency department (ED) triage. This study evaluated the triage proficiency of different LLMs and ChatGPT, an LLM-based chatbot, compared to professionally trained ED staff and untrained personnel. We further explored whether LLM responses could guide untrained staff in effective triage.

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  • Clinical research typically requires careful study designs that account for variables like sex and age, but often overlooks body size factors like height and weight in neuroimaging studies.
  • This study analyzed data from 267 healthy adults to explore how body height and weight relate to various brain and spinal cord MRI metrics, finding significant correlations, especially with brain gray matter volume and cervical spinal cord area.
  • The results suggest that body size is an important biological variable that should be included in clinical neuroimaging study designs to enhance accuracy in understanding brain and spinal cord structures.
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  • Alzheimer's disease is a progressive condition that requires early detection for effective treatment but currently relies on expensive and invasive diagnostic methods.
  • This study introduces label-free Raman spectroscopy combined with machine learning as a new approach for diagnosing preclinical Alzheimer's by analyzing cerebrospinal fluid samples for specific molecules like nucleic acids and proteins.
  • The resulting model shows strong reliability across different patient cohorts and time periods, demonstrating Raman spectroscopy's potential for non-invasive Alzheimer's diagnosis and promising future clinical application.
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Objectives: To evaluate an optimized deep leaning-based image post-processing technique in lumbar spine MRI at 0.55 T in terms of image quality and image acquisition time.

Materials And Methods: Lumbar spine imaging was conducted on 18 patients using a 0.

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The UV/Vis absorption energies ν of Reichardt's dye B30 with respect to E(30) and 4-nitroaniline (NA) are investigated as a function of the solvent composition N in co-solvent/water mixtures. N. is the average molar concentration of the solvent mixture at a given solvent fraction z.

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Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, emphasizing the urgent need for reliable and efficient diagnostic methods. Conventional approaches often involve invasive procedures and can be time-consuming and costly, thereby delaying the effective treatment. The current study explores the potential of Raman spectroscopy, as a promising noninvasive technique, by analyzing human blood plasma samples from lung cancer patients and healthy controls.

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Global water scarcity is a threat that can be alleviated through membrane filtration technologies. However, the widespread adoption of membranes faces significant challenges, primarily due to membrane biofouling. This is the reason why membrane modifications have been under increasing investigation to address the fouling issues.

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Liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy is a burgeoning experimental technique for monitoring nanoscale dynamics in a liquid environment, increasingly employing microfluidic reactors to control the composition of the sample solution. Current challenges comprise fast mass transport dynamics inside the central nanochannel of the liquid cell, typically flow cells, and reliable fixation of the specimen in the limited imaging area. In this work, we present a liquid cell concept - the diffusion cell - that satisfies these seemingly contradictory requirements by providing additional on-chip bypasses to allow high convective transport around the nanochannel in which diffusive transport predominates.

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Although functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is widely applied in the brain, fMRI of the spinal cord is more technically demanding. Proximity to the vertebral column and lungs results in strong spatial inhomogeneity and temporal fluctuations in B . Increasing field strength enables higher spatial resolution and improved sensitivity to blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal, but amplifies the effects of B inhomogeneity.

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Multivariate analysis applied in biosensing greatly improves analytical performance by extracting relevant information or bypassing confounding factors such as nonlinear responses or experimental errors and noise. Plasmonic sensors based on various light coupling mechanisms have shown impressive performance in biosensing by detecting dielectric changes with high sensitivity. In this study, gold nanodiscs are used as metasurface in a Kretschmann setup, and a variety of features from the reflectance curve are used by machine learning to improve sensing performance.

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Online health information seeking (OHIS) is understood by health care, health promotion, and disease prevention experts as a resource for healthy aging. It is particularly relevant for older adults since this population can benefit significantly from the accessibility and convenience of online health platforms and health information. Nevertheless, empirical findings regarding the acceptance, potentials, and barriers of OHIS among older adults are limited.

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Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries hold a promising position as candidates for next-generation high-energy storage systems. Here, we combine inverse vulcanization of sulfur with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to increase the conductivity of cathode materials for Li-S batteries. The mixing process of inversely vulcanized sulfur copolymer networks with MWCNTs is aided by shear in a two-roll mill to take advantage of the soft nature of the copolymer.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to compare the image quality and severity of metal artifacts when using 0.55 T and 1.5 T MRI in patients who had spinal implants after posterior fusion surgery.
  • - Fifty patients (average age 69) were evaluated, and trained radiologists rated images on different aspects such as image quality and artifact severity using specific scales.
  • - Results showed that while 1.5 T MRI had better signal/contrast and resolution, 0.55 T MRI was better for assessing the spinal canal and neural foramina, especially for patients with multiple-level implants, as it produced less severe metal artifacts.
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The details of how macrophages control different healing trajectories (regeneration vs. scar formation) remain poorly defined. Spiny mice (Acomys spp.

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Article Synopsis
  • Microplastics pose a significant environmental threat as they can harm wildlife and human health when ingested, leading to potential impacts on the food chain.
  • Researchers employed advanced imaging techniques like 3D Raman confocal microscopy to analyze the internalization of microplastics in the digestive tissues of mussels, specifically targeting their digestive cells.
  • The study emphasizes the importance of understanding microplastics' effects on marine life and human health, as it reveals how these tiny particles accumulate in organisms and provides insights into mitigating risks associated with them.
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