Tumor necrosis factor reduces the amplitude of rat cortical spreading depression in vivo.

Objective: Brain damage and ischemia often trigger cortical spreading depression (CSD), which aggravates brain damage. The proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is significantly upregulated during brain damage, but it is unknown whether TNF influences spreading depression in cerebral cortex in vivo. This question is important because TNF not only furthers inflammatory reactions but might also be neuroprotective.

MR-compatible pedal ergometer for reproducible exercising of the human calf muscle.

A pneumatic MR-compatible pedal ergometer was designed to perform dynamic contraction exercises of the human calf muscle in a whole-body 3T MR scanner. The set-up includes sensors for monitoring mechanical parameters, such as pedal angle, cadence as well as applied force and power. Actual parameter values during the exercise were presented to the volunteer as a visual feedback to enable real-time self-adjustment of pedal deflection and cadence to the target reference value.

Conditional probability distribution (CPD) method in temperature based death time estimation: Error propagation analysis.

Bayesian estimation applied to temperature based death time estimation was recently introduced as conditional probability distribution or CPD-method by Biermann and Potente. The CPD-method is useful, if there is external information that sets the boundaries of the true death time interval (victim last seen alive and found dead). CPD allows computation of probabilities for small time intervals of interest (e.

Effects of the physicochemical properties of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, commonly used as sun protection agents, on microvascular endothelial cells.

Until now, the potential effects of titanium dioxide (TiO) nanoparticles on endothelial cells are not well understood, despite their already wide usage. Therefore, the present work characterizes six TiO nanoparticle samples in the size range of 19 × 17 to 87 × 13 nm, which are commonly present in sun protection agents with respect to their physicochemical properties (size, shape, ζ-potential, agglomeration, sedimentation, surface coating, and surface area), their interactions with serum proteins and biological impact on human microvascular endothelial cells (relative cellular dehydrogenase activity, adenosine triphosphate content, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 release). We observed no association of nanoparticle morphology with the agglomeration and sedimentation behavior and no variations of the ζ-potential (-14 to -19 mV) in dependence on the surface coating.

High resolution T2(*)-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 3 Tesla using PROPELLER-EPI.

We report the application of PROPELLER-EPI for high resolution T2(*)-weighted imaging with sub-millimeter in-plane resolution on a clinical 3 Tesla scanner. Periodically rotated blades of a long-axis PROPELLER-EPI sequence were acquired with fast gradient echo readout and acquisition matrix of 320 × 50 per blade. Images were reconstructed by using 2D-gridding, phase and geometric distortion correction and compensation of resonance frequency drifts that occurred during extended measurements.

Atlas-guided cluster analysis of large tractography datasets.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and fiber tractography are important tools to map the cerebral white matter microstructure in vivo and to model the underlying axonal pathways in the brain with three-dimensional fiber tracts. As the fast and consistent extraction of anatomically correct fiber bundles for multiple datasets is still challenging, we present a novel atlas-guided clustering framework for exploratory data analysis of large tractography datasets. The framework uses an hierarchical cluster analysis approach that exploits the inherent redundancy in large datasets to time-efficiently group fiber tracts.

Denervation and atrophy of paraspinal muscles after open lumbar interbody fusion is associated with clinical outcome--electromyographic and CT-volumetric investigation of 30 patients.

Background: Different studies have shown that atrophy of paraspinal muscles arises after open dorsal lumbar fusion, and the reasons for this atrophy are still not yet fully clarified. This prospective study investigates the extent of atrophy of the lumbar paraspinal muscles after open lumbar interbody fusion, its possible causes, and their association with clinical outcome measures.

Methods: Thirty consecutive patients were prospectively included (13 male, 17 female, median age 60.

The E-wave deceleration rate E/DT outperforms the tissue Doppler-derived index E/e' in characterizing lung remodeling in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Background: Diastolic dysfunction in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) may result in pulmonary congestion and lung remodeling. We evaluated the usefulness of major diastolic echocardiographic parameters and of the deceleration rate of early transmitral diastolic velocity (E/DT) in predicting lung remodeling in a rat model of HFpEF.

Methods And Results: Rats underwent aortic banding (AoB) to induce pressure overload (PO).

Influence of d-glutamine and d-glutamic acid sequences in optical peptide probes targeted against the cholecystokinin-2/gastrin-receptor on binding affinity, specificity and pharmacokinetic properties.

Background: Image-based diagnosis of tumours can be advanced and improved by targeted strategies addressing malignant molecular structures. A promising molecular target is the cholecystokinin-2-receptor (CCK2R) which can be targeted by high-affinity peptides called minigastrins. Here we present how the imaging properties of minigastrins tagged with near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) dyes can be modulated by the introduction of different spacer sequences.

Thrombin generation as marker to estimate thrombosis risk in patients with abnormal test results in lupus anticoagulant routine diagnostics.

Background: Lupus anticoagulant (LA) is known to inhibit thrombin generation although patients have an increased risk to develop thrombosis. We tried to determine whether thrombin generation is altered in plasma samples of patients with abnormal test results in LA routine diagnostics and whether its measurement may improve the risk assessment of thrombosis.

Methods: Samples from 63 patients (39 with abnormal test results; 24 controls) were included in the study.

High-Resolution MR Imaging of the Human Brainstem In vivo at 7 Tesla.

The human brainstem, which comprises a multitude of axonal nerve fibers and nuclei, plays an important functional role in the human brain. Depicting its anatomy non-invasively with high spatial resolution may thus in turn help to better relate normal and pathological anatomical variations to medical conditions as well as neurological and peripheral functions. We explored the potential of high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 7 T for depicting the intricate anatomy of the human brainstem in vivo by acquiring and generating images with multiple contrasts: T 2-weighted images, quantitative maps of longitudinal relaxation rate (R 1 maps) and effective transverse relaxation rate ([Formula: see text] maps), magnetic susceptibility maps, and direction-encoded track-density images.

Fast low-angle shot diffusion tensor imaging with stimulated echo encoding in the muscle of rabbit shank.

In the past, spin-echo (SE) echo planar imaging(EPI)-based diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been widely used to study the fiber structure of skeletal muscles in vivo. However, this sequence has several shortcomings when measuring restricted diffusion in small animals, such as its sensitivity to susceptibility-related distortions and a relatively short applicable diffusion time. To address these limitations, in the current work, a stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) MRI technique, in combination with fast low-angle shot (FLASH) readout (turbo-STEAM MRI), was implemented and adjusted for DTI in skeletal muscles.

Simvastatin treatment showed no prophylactic effect in influenza virus-infected mice.

Simvastatin, a cholesterol-lowering drug, is reported to have immunomodulatory properties that attenuated acute lung injury independent of their major lipid lowering effects. Based on these reports, simvastatin is expected to be used for influenza prophylaxis and treatment. The present study evaluated the efficacy of simvastatin against influenza A/PR/8/34 virus infection in a murine model.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 reduces contractile function and fails to boost glucose utilization in normal hearts in the presence of fatty acids.

Unlabelled: GLP-1 and exendin-4, which are used as insulin sensitizers or weight reducing drugs, were shown to improve glucose uptake in the heart. However, the direct effects of GLP-1 or exendin-4 on normal hearts in the presence of fatty acids, the main cardiac substrates, have never been investigated. We therefore assessed the effects of GLP-1 or exendin-4 on myocardial glucose uptake (GU), glucose oxidation (GO) and cardiac performance (CP) under conditions of fatty acid utilization.

The forensic relevance of hypothermia in living persons--literature and retrospective study.

In practical case work, forensic experts can be confronted with the problem of estimating cold exposure times in the living given the core body temperature after exposure. However, the current literature lacks systematic studies of body cooling in the living and cooling rates under different circumstances. The objective of our study is to provide working forensic specialists with a collection of cases to use for comparison in order to estimate the accident time or assault time using the cooling rates from similar cases.

Enhancement of PCR amplification of moderate GC-containing and highly GC-rich DNA sequences.

PCR is a commonly used and highly efficient technique in biomolecular laboratories for specific amplification of DNA. However, successful DNA amplification can be very time consuming and troublesome because many factors influence PCR efficiency. Especially GC-rich DNA complicates amplification because of generation of secondary structures that hinder denaturation and primer annealing.

Quantitative susceptibility mapping differentiates between blood depositions and calcifications in patients with glioblastoma.

Objectives: The application of susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) in brain tumor imaging is mainly used to assess tumor-related "susceptibility based signals" (SBS). The origin of SBS in glioblastoma is still unknown, potentially representing calcifications or blood depositions. Reliable differentiation between both entities may be important to evaluate treatment response and to identify glioblastoma with oligodendroglial components that are supposed to present calcifications.

Expandable titanium cages for anterior column cervical reconstruction and their effect on sagittal profile: a review of 48 cases.

Background: Expandable cervical cages have been utilised successfully to reconstruct the cervical spine for various conditions. However, to date there are only limited data on their influence on cervical sagittal profile. In this retrospective study, we present our experience with performing anterior cervical corpectomy in one or two levels using expandable titanium cages in order to achieve stable reconstruction and restoration of cervical lordosis.

Phosphorylation of threonine 333 regulates trafficking of the human sst5 somatostatin receptor.

The frequent overexpression of the somatostatin receptors sst2 and sst5 in neuroendocrine tumors provides the molecular basis for therapeutic application of novel multireceptor somatostatin analogs. Although the phosphorylation of the carboxyl-terminal region of the sst2 receptor has been studied in detail, little is known about the agonist-induced regulation of the human sst5 receptor. Here, we have generated phosphosite-specific antibodies for the carboxyl-terminal threonines 333 (T333) and 347 (T347), which enabled us to selectively detect either the T333-phosphorylated or the T347-phosphorylated form of sst5.

Setting the boundaries of prior influence on kinship relation testing: the case of many hypotheses.

Kinship relation and, in particular, paternity probability estimation using a Bayesian approach require the input of a priori probabilities of different hypotheses. In practical case work, a priori probabilities or priors, for short, must often be estimated using only common sense and symmetry arguments because in most cases, there is no evidence-based information on which the priors may be determined. In contrast to the accuracy of the likelihood probabilities or the likelihood ratios, the precision of the priors is usually very poor.

Ciliated sensory hair cell formation and function require the F-BAR protein syndapin I and the WH2 domain-based actin nucleator Cobl.

During development, general body plan information must be translated into distinct morphologies of individual cells. Shaping cells is thought to involve cortical cytoskeletal components and Bin-Amphiphysin-Rvs167 (BAR) superfamily proteins. We therefore conducted comprehensive side-by-side loss-of-function studies of zebrafish orthologs of the F-BAR protein syndapin I and the actin nucleator Cobl.

Interleukin-17 sensitizes joint nociceptors to mechanical stimuli and contributes to arthritic pain through neuronal interleukin-17 receptors in rodents.

Objective: Interleukin-17 (IL-17) is considered a proinflammatory cytokine, but whether neuronal IL-17 receptors contribute to the generation of arthritic pain is unknown. This study was undertaken to explore whether IL-17A acts on neurons, whether it sensitizes joint nociceptors, and whether neutralization of IL-17 is antinociceptive.

Methods: We recorded action potentials from rat joint nociceptors after intraarticular injection of IL-17A.