WorldWideScience

Sample records for chronic cellular imaging

  1. Cellular MR Imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michel Modo

    2005-07-01

    Full Text Available Cellular MR imaging is a young field that aims to visualize targeted cells in living organisms. In order to provide a different signal intensity of the targeted cell, they are either labeled with MR contrast agents in vivo or prelabeled in vitro. Either (ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide [(USPIO] particles or (polymeric paramagnetic chelates can be used for this purpose. For in vivo cellular labeling, Gd3+- and Mn2+- chelates have mainly been used for targeted hepatobiliary imaging, and (USPIO-based cellular imaging has been focused on imaging of macrophage activity. Several of these magneto-pharmaceuticals have been FDA-approved or are in late-phase clinical trials. As for prelabeling of cells in vitro, a challenge has been to induce a sufficient uptake of contrast agents into nonphagocytic cells, without affecting normal cellular function. It appears that this issue has now largely been resolved, leading to an active research on monitoring the cellular biodistribution in vivo following transplantation or transfusion of these cells, including cell migration and trafficking. New applications of cellular MR imaging will be directed, for instance, towards our understanding of hematopoietic (immune cell trafficking and of novel guided (stem cell-based therapies aimed to be translated to the clinic in the future.

  2. Chronic cranial window with access port for repeated cellular manipulations, drug application, and electrophysiology

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    Christopher Joel Roome

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Chronic cranial windows have been instrumental in advancing optical studies in vivo, permitting long-term, high-resolution imaging in various brain regions. However, once a window is attached it is difficult to regain access to the brain under the window for cellular manipulations. Here we describe a simple device that combines long term in vivo optical imaging with direct brain access via glass or quartz pipettes and metal, glass, or quartz electrodes for cellular manipulations like dye or drug injections and electrophysiological stimulations or recordings while keeping the craniotomy sterile. Our device comprises a regular cranial window glass coverslip with a drilled access hole later sealed with biocompatible silicone. This chronic cranial window with access port is cheap, easy to manufacture, can be mounted just as the regular chronic cranial window, and is self-sealing after retraction of the pipette or electrode. We demonstrate that multiple injections can be performed through the silicone port by repetitively bolus loading calcium sensitive dye into mouse barrel cortex and recording spontaneous cellular activity over a period of weeks. As an example to the extent of its utility for electrophysiological recording, we describe how simple removal of the silicone seal can permit patch pipette access for whole-cell patch clamp recordings in vivo. During these chronic experiments we do not observe any infections under the window or impairment of animal health.

  3. Imaging in cellular and tissue engineering

    CERN Document Server

    Yu, Hanry

    2013-01-01

    Details on specific imaging modalities for different cellular and tissue engineering applications are scattered throughout articles and chapters in the literature. Gathering this information into a single reference, Imaging in Cellular and Tissue Engineering presents both the fundamentals and state of the art in imaging methods, approaches, and applications in regenerative medicine. The book underscores the broadening scope of imaging applications in cellular and tissue engineering. It covers a wide range of optical and biological applications, including the repair or replacement of whole tiss

  4. Chronic pain, perceived stress, and cellular aging: an exploratory study

    OpenAIRE

    Sibille, Kimberly T; Langaee, Taimour; Burkley, Ben; Gong, Yan; Glover, Toni L; King, Chris; Riley, Joseph L; Leeuwenburgh, Christiaan; Staud, Roland; Bradley, Laurence A; Fillingim, Roger B

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Background Chronic pain conditions are characterized by significant individual variability complicating the identification of pathophysiological markers. Leukocyte telomere length (TL), a measure of cellular aging, is associated with age-related disease onset, psychosocial stress, and health-related functional decline. Psychosocial stress has been associated with the onset of chronic pain and chronic pain is experienced as a physical and psychosocial stressor. However, the utility of...

  5. Chronic pain, perceived stress, and cellular aging: an exploratory study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sibille Kimberly T

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic pain conditions are characterized by significant individual variability complicating the identification of pathophysiological markers. Leukocyte telomere length (TL, a measure of cellular aging, is associated with age-related disease onset, psychosocial stress, and health-related functional decline. Psychosocial stress has been associated with the onset of chronic pain and chronic pain is experienced as a physical and psychosocial stressor. However, the utility of TL as a biological marker reflecting the burden of chronic pain and psychosocial stress has not yet been explored. Findings The relationship between chronic pain, stress, and TL was analyzed in 36 ethnically diverse, older adults, half of whom reported no chronic pain and the other half had chronic knee osteoarthritis (OA pain. Subjects completed a physical exam, radiographs, health history, and psychosocial questionnaires. Blood samples were collected and TL was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR. Four groups were identified characterized by pain status and the Perceived Stress Scale scores: 1 no pain/low stress, 2 no pain/high stress, chronic pain/low stress, and 4 chronic pain/high stress. TL differed between the pain/stress groups (p = 0.01, controlling for relevant covariates. Specifically, the chronic pain/high stress group had significantly shorter TL compared to the no pain/low stress group. Age was negatively correlated with TL, particularly in the chronic pain/high stress group (p = 0.03. Conclusions Although preliminary in nature and based on a modest sample size, these findings indicate that cellular aging may be more pronounced in older adults experiencing high levels of perceived stress and chronic pain.

  6. Towards adoptive cellular therapy of chronic autoimmune arthritis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Flierman, Roelof

    2008-01-01

    Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a relatively common disease that is characterized by chronic inflammation of joints. The research as described in this thesis focused on the question of whether adoptive cellular therapy is effective in a mouse model of RA. The most generally known type of adoptive

  7. Cellular image classification

    CERN Document Server

    Xu, Xiang; Lin, Feng

    2017-01-01

    This book introduces new techniques for cellular image feature extraction, pattern recognition and classification. The authors use the antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) in patient serum as the subjects and the Indirect Immunofluorescence (IIF) technique as the imaging protocol to illustrate the applications of the described methods. Throughout the book, the authors provide evaluations for the proposed methods on two publicly available human epithelial (HEp-2) cell datasets: ICPR2012 dataset from the ICPR'12 HEp-2 cell classification contest and ICIP2013 training dataset from the ICIP'13 Competition on cells classification by fluorescent image analysis. First, the reading of imaging results is significantly influenced by one’s qualification and reading systems, causing high intra- and inter-laboratory variance. The authors present a low-order LP21 fiber mode for optical single cell manipulation and imaging staining patterns of HEp-2 cells. A focused four-lobed mode distribution is stable and effective in optical...

  8. Image Encryption and Chaotic Cellular Neural Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Jun; Zhang, Du

    Machine learning has been playing an increasingly important role in information security and assurance. One of the areas of new applications is to design cryptographic systems by using chaotic neural network due to the fact that chaotic systems have several appealing features for information security applications. In this chapter, we describe a novel image encryption algorithm that is based on a chaotic cellular neural network. We start by giving an introduction to the concept of image encryption and its main technologies, and an overview of the chaotic cellular neural network. We then discuss the proposed image encryption algorithm in details, which is followed by a number of security analyses (key space analysis, sensitivity analysis, information entropy analysis and statistical analysis). The comparison with the most recently reported chaos-based image encryption algorithms indicates that the algorithm proposed in this chapter has a better security performance. Finally, we conclude the chapter with possible future work and application prospects of the chaotic cellular neural network in other information assurance and security areas.

  9. Cellular automata in image processing and geometry

    CERN Document Server

    Adamatzky, Andrew; Sun, Xianfang

    2014-01-01

    The book presents findings, views and ideas on what exact problems of image processing, pattern recognition and generation can be efficiently solved by cellular automata architectures. This volume provides a convenient collection in this area, in which publications are otherwise widely scattered throughout the literature. The topics covered include image compression and resizing; skeletonization, erosion and dilation; convex hull computation, edge detection and segmentation; forgery detection and content based retrieval; and pattern generation. The book advances the theory of image processing, pattern recognition and generation as well as the design of efficient algorithms and hardware for parallel image processing and analysis. It is aimed at computer scientists, software programmers, electronic engineers, mathematicians and physicists, and at everyone who studies or develops cellular automaton algorithms and tools for image processing and analysis, or develops novel architectures and implementations of mass...

  10. Giardia-specific cellular immune responses in post-giardiasis chronic fatigue syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanevik, Kurt; Kristoffersen, Einar; Mørch, Kristine; Rye, Kristin Paulsen; Sørnes, Steinar; Svärd, Staffan; Bruserud, Øystein; Langeland, Nina

    2017-01-28

    The role of pathogen specific cellular immune responses against the eliciting pathogen in development of post-infectious chronic fatigue syndrome (PI-CFS) is not known and such studies are difficult to perform. The aim of this study was to evaluate specific anti-Giardia cellular immunity in cases that developed CFS after Giardia infection compared to cases that recovered well. Patients reporting chronic fatigue in a questionnaire study three years after a Giardia outbreak were clinically evaluated five years after the outbreak and grouped according to Fukuda criteria for CFS and idiopathic chronic fatigue. Giardia specific immune responses were evaluated in 39 of these patients by proliferation assay, T cell activation and cytokine release analysis. 20 Giardia exposed non-fatigued individuals and 10 healthy unexposed individuals were recruited as controls. Patients were clinically classified into CFS (n = 15), idiopathic chronic fatigue (n = 5), fatigue from other causes (n = 9) and recovered from fatigue (n = 10). There were statistically significant antigen specific differences between these Giardia exposed groups and unexposed controls. However, we did not find differences between the Giardia exposed fatigue classification groups with regard to CD4 T cell activation, proliferation or cytokine levels in 6 days cultured PBMCs. Interestingly, sCD40L was increased in patients with PI-CFS and other persons with fatigue after Giardia infection compared to the non-fatigued group, and correlated well with fatigue levels at the time of sampling. Our data show antigen specific cellular immune responses in the groups previously exposed to Giardia and increased sCD40L in fatigued patients.

  11. A new concept for medical imaging centered on cellular phone technology.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yair Granot

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available According to World Health Organization reports, some three quarters of the world population does not have access to medical imaging. In addition, in developing countries over 50% of medical equipment that is available is not being used because it is too sophisticated or in disrepair or because the health personnel are not trained to use it. The goal of this study is to introduce and demonstrate the feasibility of a new concept in medical imaging that is centered on cellular phone technology and which may provide a solution to medical imaging in underserved areas. The new system replaces the conventional stand-alone medical imaging device with a new medical imaging system made of two independent components connected through cellular phone technology. The independent units are: a a data acquisition device (DAD at a remote patient site that is simple, with limited controls and no image display capability and b an advanced image reconstruction and hardware control multiserver unit at a central site. The cellular phone technology transmits unprocessed raw data from the patient site DAD and receives and displays the processed image from the central site. (This is different from conventional telemedicine where the image reconstruction and control is at the patient site and telecommunication is used to transmit processed images from the patient site. The primary goal of this study is to demonstrate that the cellular phone technology can function in the proposed mode. The feasibility of the concept is demonstrated using a new frequency division multiplexing electrical impedance tomography system, which we have developed for dynamic medical imaging, as the medical imaging modality. The system is used to image through a cellular phone a simulation of breast cancer tumors in a medical imaging diagnostic mode and to image minimally invasive tissue ablation with irreversible electroporation in a medical imaging interventional mode.

  12. Estimating Bacterial and Cellular Load in FCFM Imaging

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    Sohan Seth

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available We address the task of estimating bacterial and cellular load in the human distal lung with fibered confocal fluorescence microscopy (FCFM. In pulmonary FCFM some cells can display autofluorescence, and they appear as disc like objects in the FCFM images, whereas bacteria, although not autofluorescent, appear as bright blinking dots when exposed to a targeted smartprobe. Estimating bacterial and cellular load becomes a challenging task due to the presence of background from autofluorescent human lung tissues, i.e., elastin, and imaging artifacts from motion etc. We create a database of annotated images for both these tasks where bacteria and cells were annotated, and use these databases for supervised learning. We extract image patches around each pixel as features, and train a classifier to predict if a bacterium or cell is present at that pixel. We apply our approach on two datasets for detecting bacteria and cells respectively. For the bacteria dataset, we show that the estimated bacterial load increases after introducing the targeted smartprobe in the presence of bacteria. For the cell dataset, we show that the estimated cellular load agrees with a clinician’s assessment.

  13. Effect of liniment levamisole on cellular immune functions of patients with chronic hepatitis B.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ke-Xia; Zhang, Li-Hua; Peng, Jiang-Long; Liang, Yong; Wang, Xue-Feng; Zhi, Hui; Wang, Xiang-Xia; Geng, Huan-Xiong

    2005-12-07

    To explore the effects of liniment levamisole on cellular immune functions of patients with chronic hepatitis B. The levels of T lymphocyte subsets and mIL-2R in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were measured by biotin-streptavidin (BSA) technique in patients with chronic hepatitis B before and after the treatment with liniment levamisole. After one course of treatment with liniment levamisole, the levels of CD3(+), CD4(+), and the ratio of CD4(+)/CD8(+) increased as compared to those before the treatment but the level of CD8(+) decreased. The total expression level of mIL-2R in PBMCs increased before and after the treatment with liniment levamisole. Liniment levamisole may reinforce cellular immune functions of patients with chronic hepatitis B.

  14. In vivo cellular imaging with microscopes enabled by MEMS scanners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ra, Hyejun

    High-resolution optical imaging plays an important role in medical diagnosis and biomedical research. Confocal microscopy is a widely used imaging method for obtaining cellular and sub-cellular images of biological tissue in reflectance and fluorescence modes. Its characteristic optical sectioning capability also enables three-dimensional (3-D) image reconstruction. However, its use has mostly been limited to excised tissues due to the requirement of high numerical aperture (NA) lenses for cellular resolution. Microscope miniaturization can enable in vivo imaging to make possible early cancer diagnosis and biological studies in the innate environment. In this dissertation, microscope miniaturization for in vivo cellular imaging is presented. The dual-axes confocal (DAC) architecture overcomes limitations of the conventional single-axis confocal (SAC) architecture to allow for miniaturization with high resolution. A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) scanner is the central imaging component that is key in miniaturization of the DAC architecture. The design, fabrication, and characterization of the two-dimensional (2-D) MEMS scanner are presented. The gimbaled MEMS scanner is fabricated on a double silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer and is actuated by self-aligned vertical electrostatic combdrives. The imaging performance of the MEMS scanner in a DAC configuration is shown in a breadboard microscope setup, where reflectance and fluorescence imaging is demonstrated. Then, the MEMS scanner is integrated into a miniature DAC microscope. The whole imaging system is integrated into a portable unit for research in small animal models of human biology and disease. In vivo 3-D imaging is demonstrated on mouse skin models showing gene transfer and siRNA silencing. The siRNA silencing process is sequentially imaged in one mouse over time.

  15. Imaging in the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vasile D. Balaban

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Chronic pancreatitis is characterised by progressive and irreversible damage of the pancreatic parenchyma and ductal system, which leads to chronic pain, loss of endocrine and exocrine functions. Clinically, pancreatic exocrine insufficiency becomes apparent only after 90% of the parenchima has been lost. Despite the simple definition, diagnosing chronic pancreatitis remains a challenge, especially for early stage disease. Because pancreatic function tests can be normal until late stages and have significant limitations, there is an incresing interest in the role of imaging techniques for the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis. In this article we review the utility and accuracy of different imaging methods in the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, focusing on the role of advanced imaging (magnetic resonance imaging, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic ultrasound.

  16. Image processing with a cellular nonlinear network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morfu, S.

    2005-01-01

    A cellular nonlinear network (CNN) based on uncoupled nonlinear oscillators is proposed for image processing purposes. It is shown theoretically and numerically that the contrast of an image loaded at the nodes of the CNN is strongly enhanced, even if this one is initially weak. An image inversion can be also obtained without reconfiguration of the network whereas a gray levels extraction can be performed with an additional threshold filtering. Lastly, an electronic implementation of this CNN is presented

  17. Pan-neuronal calcium imaging with cellular resolution in freely swimming zebrafish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Dal Hyung; Kim, Jungsoo; Marques, João C; Grama, Abhinav; Hildebrand, David G C; Gu, Wenchao; Li, Jennifer M; Robson, Drew N

    2017-11-01

    Calcium imaging with cellular resolution typically requires an animal to be tethered under a microscope, which substantially restricts the range of behaviors that can be studied. To expand the behavioral repertoire amenable to imaging, we have developed a tracking microscope that enables whole-brain calcium imaging with cellular resolution in freely swimming larval zebrafish. This microscope uses infrared imaging to track a target animal in a behavior arena. On the basis of the predicted trajectory of the animal, we applied optimal control theory to a motorized stage system to cancel brain motion in three dimensions. We combined this motion-cancellation system with differential illumination focal filtering, a variant of HiLo microscopy, which enabled us to image the brain of a freely swimming larval zebrafish for more than an hour. This work expands the repertoire of natural behaviors that can be studied with cellular-resolution calcium imaging to potentially include spatial navigation, social behavior, feeding and reward.

  18. Image Encryption Scheme Based on Balanced Two-Dimensional Cellular Automata

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoyan Zhang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Cellular automata (CA are simple models of computation which exhibit fascinatingly complex behavior. Due to the universality of CA model, it has been widely applied in traditional cryptography and image processing. The aim of this paper is to present a new image encryption scheme based on balanced two-dimensional cellular automata. In this scheme, a random image with the same size of the plain image to be encrypted is first generated by a pseudo-random number generator with a seed. Then, the random image is evoluted alternately with two balanced two-dimensional CA rules. At last, the cipher image is obtained by operating bitwise XOR on the final evolution image and the plain image. This proposed scheme possesses some advantages such as very large key space, high randomness, complex cryptographic structure, and pretty fast encryption/decryption speed. Simulation results obtained from some classical images at the USC-SIPI database demonstrate the strong performance of the proposed image encryption scheme.

  19. Cellular dosimetry in nuclear medicine imaging: training

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gardin, I.; Faraggi, M.; Stievenart, J.L.; Le Guludec, D.; Bok, B.

    1998-01-01

    The radionuclides used in nuclear medicine imaging emit not only diagnostically useful photons, but also energy electron emissions, responsible for dose heterogeneity at the cellular level. The mean dose delivered to the cell nucleus by electron emissions of 99m Tc, 123 I, 111 In, 67 Ga, and 201 Tl, has been calculated, for the cell nucleus, a cytoplasmic and a cell membrane distribution of radioactivity. This model takes into account both the self-dose which results from the radionuclide located in the target cell, and the cross-dose, which comes from the surrounding cells. The results obtained by cellular dosimetry (D cel ) have been compared with those obtained with conventional dosimetry (D conv ), by assuming the same amount of radioactivity per cell. Cellular dosimetry shows, for a cytoplasmic and a cell membrane distributions of radioactivity, that the main contribution to the dose to the cell nucleus, comes from the surrounding cells. On the other hand, for a cell nucleus distribution of radioactivity, the self-dose is not negligible and may be the main contribution. The comparison between cellular and conventional dosimetry shows that D cel /D conv ratio ranges from 0.61 and O.89, in case of a cytoplasmic and a cell membrane distributions of radioactivity, depending on the radionuclide and cell dimensions. Thus, conventional dosimetry slightly overestimates the mean dose to the cell nucleus. On the other hand, D cel /D conv ranges from 1.1 to 75, in case of a cell nucleus distribution of radioactivity. Conventional dosimetry may strongly underestimates the absorbed dose to the nucleus, when radioactivity is located in the nucleus. The study indicates that in nuclear medicine imaging, cellular dosimetry may lead to a better understanding of biological effects of radiopharmaceuticals. (authors)

  20. Advances in high-resolution imaging--techniques for three-dimensional imaging of cellular structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lidke, Diane S; Lidke, Keith A

    2012-06-01

    A fundamental goal in biology is to determine how cellular organization is coupled to function. To achieve this goal, a better understanding of organelle composition and structure is needed. Although visualization of cellular organelles using fluorescence or electron microscopy (EM) has become a common tool for the cell biologist, recent advances are providing a clearer picture of the cell than ever before. In particular, advanced light-microscopy techniques are achieving resolutions below the diffraction limit and EM tomography provides high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) images of cellular structures. The ability to perform both fluorescence and electron microscopy on the same sample (correlative light and electron microscopy, CLEM) makes it possible to identify where a fluorescently labeled protein is located with respect to organelle structures visualized by EM. Here, we review the current state of the art in 3D biological imaging techniques with a focus on recent advances in electron microscopy and fluorescence super-resolution techniques.

  1. Cellular image segmentation using n-agent cooperative game theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimock, Ian B.; Wan, Justin W. L.

    2016-03-01

    Image segmentation is an important problem in computer vision and has significant applications in the segmentation of cellular images. Many different imaging techniques exist and produce a variety of image properties which pose difficulties to image segmentation routines. Bright-field images are particularly challenging because of the non-uniform shape of the cells, the low contrast between cells and background, and imaging artifacts such as halos and broken edges. Classical segmentation techniques often produce poor results on these challenging images. Previous attempts at bright-field imaging are often limited in scope to the images that they segment. In this paper, we introduce a new algorithm for automatically segmenting cellular images. The algorithm incorporates two game theoretic models which allow each pixel to act as an independent agent with the goal of selecting their best labelling strategy. In the non-cooperative model, the pixels choose strategies greedily based only on local information. In the cooperative model, the pixels can form coalitions, which select labelling strategies that benefit the entire group. Combining these two models produces a method which allows the pixels to balance both local and global information when selecting their label. With the addition of k-means and active contour techniques for initialization and post-processing purposes, we achieve a robust segmentation routine. The algorithm is applied to several cell image datasets including bright-field images, fluorescent images and simulated images. Experiments show that the algorithm produces good segmentation results across the variety of datasets which differ in cell density, cell shape, contrast, and noise levels.

  2. Correlating two-photon excited fluorescence imaging of breast cancer cellular redox state with seahorse flux analysis of normalized cellular oxygen consumption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Jue; Wright, Heather J.; Chan, Nicole; Tran, Richard; Razorenova, Olga V.; Potma, Eric O.; Tromberg, Bruce J.

    2016-06-01

    Two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) imaging of the cellular cofactors nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and oxidized flavin adenine dinucleotide is widely used to measure cellular metabolism, both in normal and pathological cells and tissues. When dual-wavelength excitation is used, ratiometric TPEF imaging of the intrinsic cofactor fluorescence provides a metabolic index of cells-the "optical redox ratio" (ORR). With increased interest in understanding and controlling cellular metabolism in cancer, there is a need to evaluate the performance of ORR in malignant cells. We compare TPEF metabolic imaging with seahorse flux analysis of cellular oxygen consumption in two different breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). We monitor metabolic index in living cells under both normal culture conditions and, for MCF-7, in response to cell respiration inhibitors and uncouplers. We observe a significant correlation between the TPEF-derived ORR and the flux analyzer measurements (R=0.7901, p<0.001). Our results confirm that the ORR is a valid dynamic index of cell metabolism under a range of oxygen consumption conditions relevant for cancer imaging.

  3. Mechanism of Chronic Pain in Rodent Brain Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Pei-Ching

    Chronic pain is a significant health problem that greatly impacts the quality of life of individuals and imparts high costs to society. Despite intense research effort in understanding of the mechanism of pain, chronic pain remains a clinical problem that has few effective therapies. The advent of human brain imaging research in recent years has changed the way that chronic pain is viewed. To further extend the use of human brain imaging techniques for better therapies, the adoption of imaging technique onto the animal pain models is essential, in which underlying brain mechanisms can be systematically studied using various combination of imaging and invasive techniques. The general goal of this thesis is to addresses how brain develops and maintains chronic pain in an animal model using fMRI. We demonstrate that nucleus accumbens, the central component of mesolimbic circuitry, is essential in development of chronic pain. To advance our imaging technique, we develop an innovative methodology to carry out fMRI in awake, conscious rat. Using this cutting-edge technique, we show that allodynia is assoicated with shift brain response toward neural circuits associated nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex that regulate affective and cognitive component of pain. Taken together, this thesis provides a deeper understanding of how brain mediates pain. It builds on the existing body of knowledge through maximizing the depth of insight into brain imaging of chronic pain.

  4. A novel image encryption algorithm using chaos and reversible cellular automata

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xingyuan; Luan, Dapeng

    2013-11-01

    In this paper, a novel image encryption scheme is proposed based on reversible cellular automata (RCA) combining chaos. In this algorithm, an intertwining logistic map with complex behavior and periodic boundary reversible cellular automata are used. We split each pixel of image into units of 4 bits, then adopt pseudorandom key stream generated by the intertwining logistic map to permute these units in confusion stage. And in diffusion stage, two-dimensional reversible cellular automata which are discrete dynamical systems are applied to iterate many rounds to achieve diffusion on bit-level, in which we only consider the higher 4 bits in a pixel because the higher 4 bits carry almost the information of an image. Theoretical analysis and experimental results demonstrate the proposed algorithm achieves a high security level and processes good performance against common attacks like differential attack and statistical attack. This algorithm belongs to the class of symmetric systems.

  5. Cellular automata codebooks applied to compact image compression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radu DOGARU

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Emergent computation in semi-totalistic cellular automata (CA is used to generate a set of basis (or codebook. Such codebooks are convenient for simple and circuit efficient compression schemes based on binary vector quantization, applied to the bitplanes of any monochrome or color image. Encryption is also naturally included using these codebooks. Natural images would require less than 0.5 bits per pixel (bpp while the quality of the reconstructed images is comparable with traditional compression schemes. The proposed scheme is attractive for low power, sensor integrated applications.

  6. Atypical Lymphocytes and Cellular Cannibalism: A Phenomenon, First of its Kind to be Discovered in Chronic Periapical Lesions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalele, Ketki P; Patil, Kaustubh P; Nayyar, Abhishek Singh; Sasane, Rutuparna S

    2016-04-01

    Lymphocytes are often termed to be isomorphic, having a monotonous light microscopic appearance. Morphological aspects of lymphocytes in tissue sections thereby are not routinely taken notice of as their morphology seems to vary only in case of lymphoid malignancies, hematological malignancies apart from certain viral infections. Atypical lymphocytes are the lymphocytes with unusual shape, size or overall structure. These are more commonly known as reactive lymphocytes. The unusual histomorphological feature of these cells include larger size than normal lymphocytes; in some cells the size exceeds even 30 microns. The large size is the result of antigenic stimulation of the cell. Alongwith these, the other rare feature which is recently coming under light is "Cellular Cannibalism" which is defined as a large cell enclosing a slightly smaller one within its cytoplasm. Previously, this feature was noted only in cases of malignant tumors. The objectives of this study were to determine the proportion of atypical lymphocytes in chronic periapical granulomas and cysts; to determine the proportionate cellular cannibalism in these periapical lesions. This was a descriptive, observational study conducted in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology and Oral Pathology and Microbiology. Haematoxylin and eosin stained 30 slides of chronic periapical granulomas and 20 slides of cysts reported in the year 2014-15 and the clinical proformas of the patients were retrieved from the files of the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology and Oral Pathology and Microbiology. These slides were evaluated by 3 experts from the specialization of Oral Pathology and Microbiology to determine the presence of atypical lymphocytes and cellular cannibalism under high power magnification (400X). Out of the 30 slides of chronic periapical granulomas, about 12 slides (40%) revealed presence of atypical lymphocytes. In case of slides of chronic periapical cysts, however, only 4 out of the 20

  7. SPECT radiopharmaceuticals for imaging chronic inflammatory diseases in the last decade

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anzola, L. K.; Galli, F.; Dierckx, R. A.

    2015-01-01

    In the recent years, many radiopharmaceuticals have been described for the diagnosis of inflammatory chronic diseases. Several peptides, receptor ligands and monoclonal antibodies have been radiolabelled, allowing in-vivo visualization of inflammatory processes at a cellular and molecular level. The labelling of cytokines such as interleukin-1, interleukin-2, interleukin-12 and MCP-1 has facilitated the identification of inflamed synovia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, active Crohn’s disease, vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques and other targets. The possibility of using monoclonal antibodies against TNF-α, CD2, CD3, CD4 and anti-selectin has not only allowed the localization of inflamed sites but had also a significant impact in helping the selection of patients who can benefit from biological therapies. Regarding radiolabelled peptides, it is important to highlight the increasing use of somatostatin analogues targeting somatostatin receptors in inflammatory diseases, particularly for rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren syndrome and autoimmune thyroid diseases. In the present review we describe the state of the art of SPECT radiopharmaceuticals to image chronic inflammatory diseases.

  8. Smartphone confocal microscopy for imaging cellular structures in human skin in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freeman, Esther E; Semeere, Aggrey; Osman, Hany; Peterson, Gary; Rajadhyaksha, Milind; González, Salvador; Martin, Jeffery N; Anderson, R Rox; Tearney, Guillermo J; Kang, Dongkyun

    2018-04-01

    We report development of a low-cost smartphone confocal microscope and its first demonstration of in vivo human skin imaging. The smartphone confocal microscope uses a slit aperture and diffraction grating to conduct two-dimensional confocal imaging without using any beam scanning devices. Lateral and axial resolutions of the smartphone confocal microscope were measured as 2 and 5 µm, respectively. In vivo confocal images of human skin revealed characteristic cellular structures, including spinous and basal keratinocytes and papillary dermis. Results suggest that the smartphone confocal microscope has a potential to examine cellular details in vivo and may help disease diagnosis in resource-poor settings, where conducting standard histopathologic analysis is challenging.

  9. Asymmetric-detection time-stretch optical microscopy (ATOM) for ultrafast high-contrast cellular imaging in flow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Terence T. W.; Lau, Andy K. S.; Ho, Kenneth K. Y.; Tang, Matthew Y. H.; Robles, Joseph D. F.; Wei, Xiaoming; Chan, Antony C. S.; Tang, Anson H. L.; Lam, Edmund Y.; Wong, Kenneth K. Y.; Chan, Godfrey C. F.; Shum, Ho Cheung; Tsia, Kevin K.

    2014-01-01

    Accelerating imaging speed in optical microscopy is often realized at the expense of image contrast, image resolution, and detection sensitivity – a common predicament for advancing high-speed and high-throughput cellular imaging. We here demonstrate a new imaging approach, called asymmetric-detection time-stretch optical microscopy (ATOM), which can deliver ultrafast label-free high-contrast flow imaging with well delineated cellular morphological resolution and in-line optical image amplification to overcome the compromised imaging sensitivity at high speed. We show that ATOM can separately reveal the enhanced phase-gradient and absorption contrast in microfluidic live-cell imaging at a flow speed as high as ~10 m/s, corresponding to an imaging throughput of ~100,000 cells/sec. ATOM could thus be the enabling platform to meet the pressing need for intercalating optical microscopy in cellular assay, e.g. imaging flow cytometry – permitting high-throughput access to the morphological information of the individual cells simultaneously with a multitude of parameters obtained in the standard assay. PMID:24413677

  10. The significance of parenchymal changes of acute cellular rejection in predicting chronic liver graft rejection

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gouw, ASH; van den Heuvel, MC; van den Berg, AP; Slooff, NJH; de Jong, KP; Poppema, S

    2002-01-01

    Background. Chronic rejection (CR) in liver allografts shows a rapid onset and progressive course, leading to graft failure within the first year after transplantation. Most cases are preceded by episodes of acute cellular rejection (AR), but histological features predictive for the transition

  11. Cellular imaging electron tomography and related techniques

    CERN Document Server

    2018-01-01

    This book highlights important techniques for cellular imaging and covers the basics and applications of electron tomography and related techniques. In addition, it considers practical aspects and broadens the technological focus by incorporating techniques that are only now becoming accessible (e.g. block face imaging).  The first part of the book describes the electron microscopy 3D technique available to scientists around the world, allowing them to characterize organelles, cells and tissues. The major emphasis is on new technologies like scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) tomography, though the book also reviews some of the more proven technologies like electron tomography. In turn, the second part is dedicated to the reconstruction of data sets, signal improvement and interpretation.

  12. Time-resolved spectroscopic imaging reveals the fundamentals of cellular NADH fluorescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Dong; Zheng, Wei; Qu, Jianan Y

    2008-10-15

    A time-resolved spectroscopic imaging system is built to study the fluorescence characteristics of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), an important metabolic coenzyme and endogenous fluorophore in cells. The system provides a unique approach to measure fluorescence signals in different cellular organelles and cytoplasm. The ratios of free over protein-bound NADH signals in cytosol and nucleus are slightly higher than those in mitochondria. The mitochondrial fluorescence contributes about 70% of overall cellular fluorescence and is not a completely dominant signal. Furthermore, NADH signals in mitochondria, cytosol, and the nucleus respond to the changes of cellular activity differently, suggesting that cytosolic and nuclear fluorescence may complicate the well-known relationship between mitochondrial fluorescence and cellular metabolism.

  13. An authenticated image encryption scheme based on chaotic maps and memory cellular automata

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakhshandeh, Atieh; Eslami, Ziba

    2013-06-01

    This paper introduces a new image encryption scheme based on chaotic maps, cellular automata and permutation-diffusion architecture. In the permutation phase, a piecewise linear chaotic map is utilized to confuse the plain-image and in the diffusion phase, we employ the Logistic map as well as a reversible memory cellular automata to obtain an efficient and secure cryptosystem. The proposed method admits advantages such as highly secure diffusion mechanism, computational efficiency and ease of implementation. A novel property of the proposed scheme is its authentication ability which can detect whether the image is tampered during the transmission or not. This is particularly important in applications where image data or part of it contains highly sensitive information. Results of various analyses manifest high security of this new method and its capability for practical image encryption.

  14. Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension - assessment by magnetic resonance imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kreitner, Karl-Friedrich; Kunz, R.P.; Oberholzer, Katja; Neeb, Daniel; Gast, Klaus K.; Dueber, Christoph [Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Mainz (Germany); Ley, Sebastian [Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Mainz (Germany); German Cancer Research Center, Department of Radiology, Heidelberg (Germany); Heussel, Claus-Peter [Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Mainz (Germany); Chest Clinic at University of Heidelberg, Department of Radiology, Heidelberg (Germany); Eberle, Balthasar [Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Department of Anesthesiology, Mainz (Germany); Inselspital, Department of Anesthesiology, Bern (Switzerland); Mayer, Eckhard [Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Department of Heart, Thorax and Vascular Surgery, Mainz (Germany); Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich [German Cancer Research Center, Department of Radiology, Heidelberg (Germany)

    2007-01-15

    Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a severe disease that has been ignored for a long time. However, with the development of improved therapeutic modalities, cardiologists and thoracic surgeons have shown increasing interest in the diagnostic work-up of this entity. The diagnosis and management of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension require a multidisciplinary approach involving the specialties of pulmonary medicine, cardiology, radiology, anesthesiology and thoracic surgery. With this approach, pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) can be performed with an acceptable mortality rate. This review article describes the developments in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques for the diagnosis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Techniques include contrast-enhanced MR angiography (ce-MRA), MR perfusion imaging, phase-contrast imaging of the great vessels, cine imaging of the heart and combined perfusion-ventilation MR imaging with hyperpolarized noble gases. It is anticipated that MR imaging will play a central role in the initial diagnosis and follow-up of patients with CTEPH. (orig.)

  15. Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension - assessment by magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kreitner, Karl-Friedrich; Kunz, R.P.; Oberholzer, Katja; Neeb, Daniel; Gast, Klaus K.; Dueber, Christoph; Ley, Sebastian; Heussel, Claus-Peter; Eberle, Balthasar; Mayer, Eckhard; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich

    2007-01-01

    Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a severe disease that has been ignored for a long time. However, with the development of improved therapeutic modalities, cardiologists and thoracic surgeons have shown increasing interest in the diagnostic work-up of this entity. The diagnosis and management of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension require a multidisciplinary approach involving the specialties of pulmonary medicine, cardiology, radiology, anesthesiology and thoracic surgery. With this approach, pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) can be performed with an acceptable mortality rate. This review article describes the developments in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques for the diagnosis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Techniques include contrast-enhanced MR angiography (ce-MRA), MR perfusion imaging, phase-contrast imaging of the great vessels, cine imaging of the heart and combined perfusion-ventilation MR imaging with hyperpolarized noble gases. It is anticipated that MR imaging will play a central role in the initial diagnosis and follow-up of patients with CTEPH. (orig.)

  16. An Integrative Neuroscience Framework for the Treatment of Chronic Pain: From Cellular Alterations to Behavior

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jess D. Greenwald

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Chronic pain can result from many pain syndromes including complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS, phantom limb pain and chronic low back pain, among others. On a molecular level, chronic pain syndromes arise from hypersensitization within the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, a process known as central sensitization. Central sensitization involves an upregulation of ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs similar to that of long-term potentiation (LTP. Regions of the brain in which LTP occurs, such as the amygdala and hippocampus, are implicated in fear- and memory-related brain circuity. Chronic pain dramatically influences patient quality of life. Individuals with chronic pain may develop pain-related anxiety and pain-related fear. The syndrome also alters functional connectivity in the default-mode network (DMN and salience network. On a cellular/molecular level, central sensitization may be reversed through degradative glutamate receptor pathways. This, however, rarely happens. Instead, cortical brain regions may serve in a top-down regulatory capacity for the maintenance or alleviation of pain. Specifically, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC, which plays a critical role in fear-related brain circuits, the DMN, and salience network may be the driving forces in this process. On a cellular level, the mPFC may form new neural circuits through LTP that may cause extinction of pre-existing pain pathways found within fear-related brain circuits, the DMN, and salience network. In order to promote new LTP connections between the mPFC and other key brain structures, such as the amygdala and insula, we propose a holistic rehabilitation program including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT and revolving around: (1 cognitive reappraisals; (2 mindfulness meditation; and (3 functional rehabilitation. Unlike current medical interventions focusing upon pain-relieving medications, we do not believe that chronic pain treatment should focus on

  17. Effect of crumb cellular structure characterized by image analysis on cake softness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dewaest, Marine; Villemejane, Cindy; Berland, Sophie; Neron, Stéphane; Clement, Jérôme; Verel, Aliette; Michon, Camille

    2017-10-04

    Sponge cake is a cereal product characterized by an aerated crumb and appreciated for its softness. When formulating such product, it is interesting to be able to characterize the crumb structure using image analysis and to bring knowledge about the effects of the crumb cellular structure on its mechanical properties which contribute to softness. An image analysis method based on mathematical morphology was adapted from the one developed for bread crumb. In order to evaluate its ability to discriminate cellular structures, series of cakes were prepared using two rather similar emulsifiers but also using flours with different aging times before use. The mechanical properties of the crumbs of these different cakes were also characterized. It allowed a cell structure classification taking into account cell size and homogeneity, but also cell wall thickness and the number of holes in the walls. Interestingly, the cellular structure differences had a larger impact on the aerated crumb Young modulus than the wall firmness. Increasing the aging time of flour before use leads to the production of firmer crumbs due to coarser and inhomogeneous cellular structures. Changing the composition of the emulsifier may change the cellular structure and, depending on the type of the structural changes, have an impact on the firmness of the crumb. Cellular structure rather than cell wall firmness was found to impact cake crumb firmness. The new fast and automated tool for cake crumb structure analysis allows detecting quickly any change in cell size or homogeneity but also cell wall thickness and number of holes in the walls (openness degree). To obtain a softer crumb, it seems that options are to decrease the cell size and the cell wall thickness and/or to increase the openness degree. It is then possible to easily evaluate the effects of ingredients (flour composition, emulsifier …) or change in the process on the crumb structure and thus its softness. Moreover, this image

  18. Idiopathic Chronic Parotitis: Imaging Findings and Sialendoscopic Response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heineman, Thomas E; Kacker, Ashutosh; Kutler, David I

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to correlate imaging and sialendoscopic findings to therapeutic response in patients with idiopathic chronic parotitis. We retrospectively reviewed 122 consecutive sialendoscopies performed in an academic medical center by two surgeons between 2008 and 2013. Forty-one (34%) and 54 (44%) patients were excluded on the basis of having parotid or submandibular sialolith, respectively. Nineteen cases were included in the study with idiopathic chronic parotitis. There was a median follow-up of 5 months. Computed tomography (CT) imaging had a sensitivity and specificity of 80.0 and 71.4%, respectively, for predicting abnormal findings on sialendoscopy, while magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) had 100% accuracy in a small set of cases. In glands with noticeable pathology present on preoperative imaging or sialendoscopy, 11 out of 12 glands (92%) treated experienced symptomatic improvement, while 3 out of 7 glands (43%) without pathology on imaging or endoscopy experienced symptomatic improvement (p = 0.038). Sialendoscopy for the treatment of idiopathic chronic parotid disease can improve pain and swelling with a higher frequency of success in patients with abnormalities noted on endoscopy. CT and MRI have a moderate degree of accuracy in predicting which patients will benefit from therapeutic sialendoscopy. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  19. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia B-Cell Normal Cellular Counterpart: Clues From a Functional Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Darwiche, Walaa; Gubler, Brigitte; Marolleau, Jean-Pierre; Ghamlouch, Hussein

    2018-01-01

    Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the clonal expansion of small mature-looking CD19+ CD23+ CD5+ B-cells that accumulate in the blood, bone marrow, and lymphoid organs. To date, no consensus has been reached concerning the normal cellular counterpart of CLL B-cells and several B-cell types have been proposed. CLL B-cells have remarkable phenotypic and gene expression profile homogeneity. In recent years, the molecular and cellular biology of CLL has been enriched by seminal insights that are leading to a better understanding of the natural history of the disease. Immunophenotypic and molecular approaches (including immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable gene mutational status, transcriptional and epigenetic profiling) comparing the normal B-cell subset and CLL B-cells provide some new insights into the normal cellular counterpart. Functional characteristics (including activation requirements and propensity for plasma cell differentiation) of CLL B-cells have now been investigated for 50 years. B-cell subsets differ substantially in terms of their functional features. Analysis of shared functional characteristics may reveal similarities between normal B-cell subsets and CLL B-cells, allowing speculative assignment of a normal cellular counterpart for CLL B-cells. In this review, we summarize current data regarding peripheral B-cell differentiation and human B-cell subsets and suggest possibilities for a normal cellular counterpart based on the functional characteristics of CLL B-cells. However, a definitive normal cellular counterpart cannot be attributed on the basis of the available data. We discuss the functional characteristics required for a cell to be logically considered to be the normal counterpart of CLL B-cells.

  20. Advances and Perspectives in Chemical Imaging in Cellular Environments Using Electrochemical Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert A. Lazenby

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available This review discusses a broad range of recent advances (2013–2017 in chemical imaging using electrochemical methods, with a particular focus on techniques that have been applied to study cellular processes, or techniques that show promise for use in this field in the future. Non-scanning techniques such as microelectrode arrays (MEAs offer high time-resolution (<10 ms imaging; however, at reduced spatial resolution. In contrast, scanning electrochemical probe microscopies (SEPMs offer higher spatial resolution (as low as a few nm per pixel imaging, with images collected typically over many minutes. Recent significant research efforts to improve the spatial resolution of SEPMs using nanoscale probes and to improve the temporal resolution using fast scanning have resulted in movie (multiple frame imaging with frame rates as low as a few seconds per image. Many SEPM techniques lack chemical specificity or have poor selectivity (defined by the choice of applied potential for redox-active species. This can be improved using multifunctional probes, ion-selective electrodes and tip-integrated biosensors, although additional effort may be required to preserve sensor performance after miniaturization of these probes. We discuss advances to the field of electrochemical imaging, and technological developments which are anticipated to extend the range of processes that can be studied. This includes imaging cellular processes with increased sensor selectivity and at much improved spatiotemporal resolution than has been previously customary.

  1. Cell motility dynamics: a novel segmentation algorithm to quantify multi-cellular bright field microscopy images.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Assaf Zaritsky

    Full Text Available Confocal microscopy analysis of fluorescence and morphology is becoming the standard tool in cell biology and molecular imaging. Accurate quantification algorithms are required to enhance the understanding of different biological phenomena. We present a novel approach based on image-segmentation of multi-cellular regions in bright field images demonstrating enhanced quantitative analyses and better understanding of cell motility. We present MultiCellSeg, a segmentation algorithm to separate between multi-cellular and background regions for bright field images, which is based on classification of local patches within an image: a cascade of Support Vector Machines (SVMs is applied using basic image features. Post processing includes additional classification and graph-cut segmentation to reclassify erroneous regions and refine the segmentation. This approach leads to a parameter-free and robust algorithm. Comparison to an alternative algorithm on wound healing assay images demonstrates its superiority. The proposed approach was used to evaluate common cell migration models such as wound healing and scatter assay. It was applied to quantify the acceleration effect of Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF on healing rate in a time lapse confocal microscopy wound healing assay and demonstrated that the healing rate is linear in both treated and untreated cells, and that HGF/SF accelerates the healing rate by approximately two-fold. A novel fully automated, accurate, zero-parameters method to classify and score scatter-assay images was developed and demonstrated that multi-cellular texture is an excellent descriptor to measure HGF/SF-induced cell scattering. We show that exploitation of textural information from differential interference contrast (DIC images on the multi-cellular level can prove beneficial for the analyses of wound healing and scatter assays. The proposed approach is generic and can be used alone or alongside traditional

  2. Cell motility dynamics: a novel segmentation algorithm to quantify multi-cellular bright field microscopy images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaritsky, Assaf; Natan, Sari; Horev, Judith; Hecht, Inbal; Wolf, Lior; Ben-Jacob, Eshel; Tsarfaty, Ilan

    2011-01-01

    Confocal microscopy analysis of fluorescence and morphology is becoming the standard tool in cell biology and molecular imaging. Accurate quantification algorithms are required to enhance the understanding of different biological phenomena. We present a novel approach based on image-segmentation of multi-cellular regions in bright field images demonstrating enhanced quantitative analyses and better understanding of cell motility. We present MultiCellSeg, a segmentation algorithm to separate between multi-cellular and background regions for bright field images, which is based on classification of local patches within an image: a cascade of Support Vector Machines (SVMs) is applied using basic image features. Post processing includes additional classification and graph-cut segmentation to reclassify erroneous regions and refine the segmentation. This approach leads to a parameter-free and robust algorithm. Comparison to an alternative algorithm on wound healing assay images demonstrates its superiority. The proposed approach was used to evaluate common cell migration models such as wound healing and scatter assay. It was applied to quantify the acceleration effect of Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) on healing rate in a time lapse confocal microscopy wound healing assay and demonstrated that the healing rate is linear in both treated and untreated cells, and that HGF/SF accelerates the healing rate by approximately two-fold. A novel fully automated, accurate, zero-parameters method to classify and score scatter-assay images was developed and demonstrated that multi-cellular texture is an excellent descriptor to measure HGF/SF-induced cell scattering. We show that exploitation of textural information from differential interference contrast (DIC) images on the multi-cellular level can prove beneficial for the analyses of wound healing and scatter assays. The proposed approach is generic and can be used alone or alongside traditional fluorescence single

  3. In vivo cellular imaging using fluorescent proteins - Methods and Protocols

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Monti

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The discovery and genetic engineering of fluorescent proteins has revolutionized cell biology. What was previously invisible to the cell often can be made visible with the use of fluorescent proteins. With this words, Robert M. Hoffman introduces In vivo Cellular Imaging Using Fluorescent proteins, the eighteen chapters book dedicated to the description of how fluorescence proteins have changed the way to analyze cellular processes in vivo. Modern researches aim to study new and less invasive methods able to follow the behavior of different cell types in different biological contexts: for example, how cancer cells migrate or how they respond to different therapies. Also, in vivo systems can help researchers to better understand animal embryonic development so as how fluorescence proteins may be used to monitor different processes in living organisms at the molecular and cellular level.

  4. Cellular Neural Network for Real Time Image Processing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vagliasindi, G.; Arena, P.; Fortuna, L.; Mazzitelli, G.; Murari, A.

    2008-01-01

    Since their introduction in 1988, Cellular Nonlinear Networks (CNNs) have found a key role as image processing instruments. Thanks to their structure they are able of processing individual pixels in a parallel way providing fast image processing capabilities that has been applied to a wide range of field among which nuclear fusion. In the last years, indeed, visible and infrared video cameras have become more and more important in tokamak fusion experiments for the twofold aim of understanding the physics and monitoring the safety of the operation. Examining the output of these cameras in real-time can provide significant information for plasma control and safety of the machines. The potentiality of CNNs can be exploited to this aim. To demonstrate the feasibility of the approach, CNN image processing has been applied to several tasks both at the Frascati Tokamak Upgrade (FTU) and the Joint European Torus (JET)

  5. MR imaging of shaken baby syndrome manifested as chronic subdural hematoma

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Yul; Lee, Kwan Seop; Hwang, Dae Hyun; Lee, In Jae; Kim, Hyun Beom; Lee, Jae Young [Hallym University College of Medicine, Anyang (Korea, Republic of)

    2001-09-01

    Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is a form of child abuse that can cause significant head injuries, of which subdural hematoma (SDH) is the most common manifestation. We report the MRI findings of chronic SDH in three cases of SBS, involving two-, three- and eight-month-old babies. The SDH signal was mostly low on T1-weighted images and high on T2-weighted images, suggesting chronic SDH. In chronic SDH, a focal high signal on T1-weighted images was also noted, suggesting rebleeding. Contrast-enhanced MRI revealed diffuse dural enhancement.

  6. MR imaging of shaken baby syndrome manifested as chronic subdural hematoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Yul; Lee, Kwan Seop; Hwang, Dae Hyun; Lee, In Jae; Kim, Hyun Beom; Lee, Jae Young

    2001-01-01

    Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is a form of child abuse that can cause significant head injuries, of which subdural hematoma (SDH) is the most common manifestation. We report the MRI findings of chronic SDH in three cases of SBS, involving two-, three- and eight-month-old babies. The SDH signal was mostly low on T1-weighted images and high on T2-weighted images, suggesting chronic SDH. In chronic SDH, a focal high signal on T1-weighted images was also noted, suggesting rebleeding. Contrast-enhanced MRI revealed diffuse dural enhancement

  7. Automated and Adaptable Quantification of Cellular Alignment from Microscopic Images for Tissue Engineering Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Feng; Beyazoglu, Turker; Hefner, Evan; Gurkan, Umut Atakan

    2011-01-01

    Cellular alignment plays a critical role in functional, physical, and biological characteristics of many tissue types, such as muscle, tendon, nerve, and cornea. Current efforts toward regeneration of these tissues include replicating the cellular microenvironment by developing biomaterials that facilitate cellular alignment. To assess the functional effectiveness of the engineered microenvironments, one essential criterion is quantification of cellular alignment. Therefore, there is a need for rapid, accurate, and adaptable methodologies to quantify cellular alignment for tissue engineering applications. To address this need, we developed an automated method, binarization-based extraction of alignment score (BEAS), to determine cell orientation distribution in a wide variety of microscopic images. This method combines a sequenced application of median and band-pass filters, locally adaptive thresholding approaches and image processing techniques. Cellular alignment score is obtained by applying a robust scoring algorithm to the orientation distribution. We validated the BEAS method by comparing the results with the existing approaches reported in literature (i.e., manual, radial fast Fourier transform-radial sum, and gradient based approaches). Validation results indicated that the BEAS method resulted in statistically comparable alignment scores with the manual method (coefficient of determination R2=0.92). Therefore, the BEAS method introduced in this study could enable accurate, convenient, and adaptable evaluation of engineered tissue constructs and biomaterials in terms of cellular alignment and organization. PMID:21370940

  8. Imaging the lipidome: omega-alkynyl fatty acids for detection and cellular visualization of lipid-modified proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hannoush, Rami N; Arenas-Ramirez, Natalia

    2009-07-17

    Fatty acylation or lipid modification of proteins controls their cellular activation and diverse roles in physiology. It mediates protein-protein and protein-membrane interactions and plays an important role in regulating cellular signaling pathways. Currently, there is need for visualizing lipid modifications of proteins in cells. Herein we report novel chemical probes based on omega-alkynyl fatty acids for biochemical detection and cellular imaging of lipid-modified proteins. Our study shows that omega-alkynyl fatty acids of varying chain length are metabolically incorporated onto cellular proteins. Using fluorescence imaging, we describe the subcellular distribution of lipid-modified proteins across a panel of different mammalian cell lines and during cell division. Our results demonstrate that this methodology is a useful diagnostic tool for analyzing the lipid content of cellular proteins and for studying the dynamic behavior of lipid-modified proteins in various disease or physiological states.

  9. Label-free cellular structure imaging with 82 nm lateral resolution using an electron-beam excitation-assisted optical microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fukuta, Masahiro; Masuda, Yuriko; Inami, Wataru; Kawata, Yoshimasa

    2016-07-25

    We present label-free and high spatial-resolution imaging for specific cellular structures using an electron-beam excitation-assisted optical microscope (EXA microscope). Images of the actin filament and mitochondria of stained HeLa cells, obtained by fluorescence and EXA microscopy, were compared to identify cellular structures. Based on these results, we demonstrated the feasibility of identifying label-free cellular structures at a spatial resolution of 82 nm. Using numerical analysis, we calculated the imaging depth region and determined the spot size of a cathodoluminescent (CL) light source to be 83 nm at the membrane surface.

  10. Imaging studies in chronic low back pain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alcalay, M.; Bourgeois, P.; Lazennec, J.Y.; Roger, B.; Dehais, J.; Dousse, V.; Laredo, J.D.; Morvan, G.; Ristori, J.M.

    1994-01-01

    Imaging brings to difficult problems in chronic low back pain incomplete data showing that it will need a lot of time to find therapeutic solutions. Some comparisons are made between tomodensitometry, nuclear magnetic imaging, the disco-scanner, these technologies allow to find small lesions but the problem is complete when it is not possible to find anything with persistent pains. 125 refs

  11. Pitfalls in soft tissue sarcoma imaging: chronic expanding hematomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jahed, Kiarash; Khazai, Behnaz; Umpierrez, Monica; Subhawong, Ty K; Singer, Adam D

    2018-01-01

    Solid or nodular enhancement is typical of soft tissue sarcomas although high grade soft tissue sarcomas and those with internal hemorrhage often appear heterogeneous with areas of nonenhancement and solid or nodular enhancement. These MRI findings often prompt an orthopedic oncology referral, a biopsy or surgery. However, not all masses with these imaging findings are malignant. We report the multimodality imaging findings of two surgically proven chronic expanding hematomas (CEH) with imaging features that mimicked sarcomas. A third case of nonenhancing CEH of the lower extremity is also presented as a comparison. It is important that in the correct clinical scenario with typical imaging findings, the differential diagnosis of a chronic expanding hematoma be included in the workup of these patients. An image-guided biopsy of nodular tissue within such masses that proves to be negative for malignancy should not necessarily be considered discordant. A correct diagnosis may prevent a morbid unnecessary surgery and may indicate the need for a conservative noninvasive follow-up with imaging.

  12. Advanced Cellular and Biomolecular Imaging at Lehigh University, (PA) Final Scientific/Technical Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cassimeris, Lynne, U.

    2010-09-10

    Lehigh University is establishing an interdisciplinary program in high resolution cellular and subcellular biological imaging for a range of applications including improved cancer detection. The completed DOE project added to Lehigh?s bio-imaging infrastructure through acquisition of a new confocal microscope system as well as upgrades to two pieces of existing equipment. Bio-imaging related research at Lehigh was also supported through two seed grants for initiation of new projects.

  13. Magnetic resonance imaging findings of cellular angiofibroma of the tunica vaginalis of the testis: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ntorkou, Alexandra A; Tsili, Athina C; Giannakis, Dimitrios; Batistatou, Anna; Stavrou, Sotirios; Sofikitis, Nikolaos; Argyropoulou, Maria I

    2016-03-31

    Cellular angiofibroma represents a rare mesenchymal tumor typically involving the inguinoscrotal area in middle-aged men. Although the origin of this benign tumor is unknown, it is histologically classified as an angiomyxoid tumor. Cellular angiofibroma is characterized by a diversity of pathological and imaging features. An accurate preoperative diagnosis is challenging. Magnetic resonance imaging examination of the scrotum has been reported as a valuable adjunct modality in the investigation of scrotal pathology. The technique by providing both structural and functional information is useful in the differentiation between extratesticular and intratesticular diseases and in the preoperative characterization of the histologic nature of various scrotal lesions. There are few reports in the English literature addressing the magnetic resonance imaging findings of cellular angiofibroma of the scrotum and no reports on functional magnetic resonance imaging data. Here we present the first case of a cellular angiofibroma arising from the tunica vaginalis of the testis and we discuss the value of a multiparametric magnetic resonance protocol, including diffusion-weighted imaging, magnetization transfer imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in the preoperative diagnosis of this rare neoplasm. A 47-year Greek man presented with a painless left scrotal swelling, which had gradually enlarged during the last 6 months. Magnetic resonance imaging of his scrotum displayed a left paratesticular mass, in close proximity to the tunica vaginalis, with heterogeneous high signal intensity on T2-weighted images and no areas of restricted diffusion. The tumor was hypointense on magnetization transfer images, suggestive for the presence of macromolecules. On dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging the mass showed intense heterogeneous enhancement with a type II curve. Magnetic resonance imaging findings were strongly suggestive of a benign

  14. Histomorphometric analysis of nuclear and cellular volumetric alterations in oral lichen planus, lichenoid lesions and normal oral mucosa using image analysis software.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venkatesiah, Sowmya S; Kale, Alka D; Hallikeremath, Seema R; Kotrashetti, Vijayalakshmi S

    2013-01-01

    Lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory mucocutaneous disease that clinically and histologically resembles lichenoid lesions, although the latter has a different etiology. Though criteria have been suggested for differentiating oral lichen planus from lichenoid lesions, confusion still prevails. To study the cellular and nuclear volumetric features in the epithelium of normal mucosa, lichen planus, and lichenoid lesions to determine variations if any. A retrospective study was done on 25 histologically diagnosed cases each of oral lichen planus, oral lichenoid lesions, and normal oral mucosa. Cellular and nuclear morphometric measurements were assessed on hematoxylin and eosin sections using image analysis software. Analysis of variance test (ANOVA) and Tukey's post-hoc test. The basal cells of oral lichen planus showed a significant increase in the mean nuclear and cellular areas, and in nuclear volume; there was a significant decrease in the nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio as compared to normal mucosa. The suprabasal cells showed a significant increase in nuclear and cellular areas, nuclear diameter, and nuclear and cellular volumes as compared to normal mucosa. The basal cells of oral lichenoid lesions showed significant difference in the mean cellular area and the mean nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio as compared to normal mucosa, whereas the suprabasal cells differed significantly from normal mucosa in the mean nuclear area and the nuclear and cellular volumes. Morphometry can differentiate lesions of oral lichen planus and oral lichenoid lesions from normal oral mucosa. Thus, morphometry may serve to discriminate between normal and premalignant lichen planus and lichenoid lesions. These lesions might have a high risk for malignant transformation and may behave in a similar manner with respect to malignant transformation.

  15. Specific behavioral and cellular adaptations induced by chronic morphine are reduced by dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joshua Hakimian

    Full Text Available Opiates, one of the oldest known drugs, are the benchmark for treating pain. Regular opioid exposure also induces euphoria making these compounds addictive and often misused, as shown by the current epidemic of opioid abuse and overdose mortalities. In addition to the effect of opioids on their cognate receptors and signaling cascades, these compounds also induce multiple adaptations at cellular and behavioral levels. As omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs play a ubiquitous role in behavioral and cellular processes, we proposed that supplemental n-3 PUFAs, enriched in docosahexanoic acid (DHA, could offset these adaptations following chronic opioid exposure. We used an 8 week regimen of n-3 PUFA supplementation followed by 8 days of morphine in the presence of this diet. We first assessed the effect of morphine in different behavioral measures and found that morphine increased anxiety and reduced wheel-running behavior. These effects were reduced by dietary n-3 PUFAs without affecting morphine-induced analgesia or hyperlocomotion, known effects of this opiate acting at mu opioid receptors. At the cellular level we found that morphine reduced striatal DHA content and that this was reversed by supplemental n-3 PUFAs. Chronic morphine also increased glutamatergic plasticity and the proportion of Grin2B-NMDARs in striatal projection neurons. This effect was similarly reversed by supplemental n-3 PUFAs. Gene analysis showed that supplemental PUFAs offset the effect of morphine on genes found in neurons of the dopamine receptor 2 (D2-enriched indirect pathway but not of genes found in dopamine receptor 1(D1-enriched direct-pathway neurons. Analysis of the D2 striatal connectome by a retrogradely transported pseudorabies virus showed that n-3 PUFA supplementation reversed the effect of chronic morphine on the innervation of D2 neurons by the dorsomedial prefontal and piriform cortices. Together these changes outline specific behavioral and

  16. Brain imaging tests for chronic pain: medical, legal and ethical issues and recommendations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Karen D; Flor, Herta; Greely, Henry T; Iannetti, Gian Domenico; Mackey, Sean; Ploner, Markus; Pustilnik, Amanda; Tracey, Irene; Treede, Rolf-Detlef; Wager, Tor D

    2017-10-01

    Chronic pain is the greatest source of disability globally and claims related to chronic pain feature in many insurance and medico-legal cases. Brain imaging (for example, functional MRI, PET, EEG and magnetoencephalography) is widely considered to have potential for diagnosis, prognostication, and prediction of treatment outcome in patients with chronic pain. In this Consensus Statement, a presidential task force of the International Association for the Study of Pain examines the capabilities of brain imaging in the diagnosis of chronic pain, and the ethical and legal implications of its use in this way. The task force emphasizes that the use of brain imaging in this context is in a discovery phase, but has the potential to increase our understanding of the neural underpinnings of chronic pain, inform the development of therapeutic agents, and predict treatment outcomes for use in personalized pain management. The task force proposes standards of evidence that must be satisfied before any brain imaging measure can be considered suitable for clinical or legal purposes. The admissibility of such evidence in legal cases also strongly depends on laws that vary between jurisdictions. For these reasons, the task force concludes that the use of brain imaging findings to support or dispute a claim of chronic pain - effectively as a pain lie detector - is not warranted, but that imaging should be used to further our understanding of the mechanisms underlying pain.

  17. Physician self-referral for imaging and the cost of chronic care for Medicare beneficiaries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, Danny R; Sunshine, Jonathan H; Bhargavan, Mythreyi; Forman, Howard

    2011-09-01

    As the cost of both chronic care and diagnostic imaging continue to rise, it is important to consider methods of cost containment in these areas. Therefore, it seems important to study the relationship between self-referral for imaging and the cost of care of chronic illnesses. Previous studies, mostly of acute illnesses, have found self-referral increases utilization and, thus, probably imaging costs. To evaluate the relationship between physician self-referral for imaging and the cost of episodes of chronic care. Using Medicare's 5% Research Identifiable Files for 2004 to 2007, episodes of care were constructed for 32 broad chronic conditions using the Symmetry Episode Treatment Grouper. Using multivariate regression, we evaluated the association between whether the treating physician self-referred for imaging and total episode cost, episode imaging cost, and episode nonimaging cost. Analyses were controlled for patient characteristics (eg, age and general health status), the condition's severity, and treating physician specialty. Self-referral in imaging was significantly (P nonimaging costs were much more often significantly higher (in 24 combinations) with self-referral than being lower (in 4 combinations). We find broad evidence that physician self-referral for imaging is associated with significantly and substantially higher chronic care costs. Unless self-referral has empirically demonstrable benefits, curbing self-referral may be an appropriate route to containing chronic care costs.

  18. [Pain and emotional dysregulation: Cellular memory due to pain].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narita, Minoru; Watanabe, Moe; Hamada, Yusuke; Tamura, Hideki; Ikegami, Daigo; Kuzumaki, Naoko; Igarashi, Katsuhide

    2015-08-01

    Genetic factors are involved in determinants for the risk of psychiatric disorders, and neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. Chronic pain stimuli and intense pain have effects at a cellular and/or gene expression level, and will eventually induce "cellular memory due to pain", which means that tissue damage, even if only transient, can elicit epigenetically abnormal transcription/translation and post-translational modification in related cells depending on the degree or kind of injury or associated conditions. Such cell memory/transformation due to pain can cause an abnormality in a fundamental intracellular response, such as a change in the three-dimensional structure of DNA, transcription, or translation. On the other hand, pain is a multidimensional experience with sensory-discriminative and motivational-affective components. Recent human brain imaging studies have examined differences in activity in the nucleus accumbens between controls and patients with chronic pain, and have revealed that the nucleus accumbens plays a role in predicting the value of a noxious stimulus and its offset, and in the consequent changes in the motivational state. In this review, we provide a very brief overview of a comprehensive understanding of chronic pain associated with emotional dysregulation due to transcriptional regulation, epigenetic modification and miRNA regulation.

  19. Role of MR imaging in chronic wrist pain

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zanetti, Marco; Saupe, Nadja [University Hospital Balgrist, Department of Radiology, Zurich (Switzerland); Nagy, Ladislav [University Hospital Balgrist, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zurich (Switzerland)

    2007-04-15

    Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for chronic wrist pain is challenging. Correct assessment of the triangular fibrocartilage, hyaline cartilage, ligaments, and tendons has become mandatory for comprehensive decision making in wrist surgery. The MR technique, potential and limits of MR imaging in patients with chronic wrist pain will be discussed. MR arthrography with injection of gadolinium-containing contrast material into the distal radioulnar joint is suggested for evaluation of the triangular fibrocartilage. The clinically meaningful ulnar-sided peripheral tears are otherwise hard to diagnose. The diagnostic performance of MR imaging for interosseous ligament tears varies considerably. The sensitivity for scapholunate ligament tears is consistently better than for lunotriquetral ligament tears. Gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging is considered to be the best technique for detecting established avascularity of bone, but the assessment of the MR results remains challenging. Most cases of ulnar impaction syndrome have characteristic focal signal intensity changes in the ulnar aspect of the lunate. Avascular necrosis of the lunate (Kienboeck's disease) is characterized by signal changes starting in the proximal radial aspect of the lunate. MR imaging is extremely sensitive for occult fractures. Questions arise if occult posttraumatic bone lesions seen on MR images only necessarily require the same treatment as fractures evident on plain films or computed tomography (CT) images. MR imaging and ultrasound are equally effective for detecting occult carpal ganglia. Carpe bossu (carpal boss) is a bony protuberance of a carpometacarpal joint II and III which may be associated with pain. (orig.)

  20. Role of MR imaging in chronic wrist pain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zanetti, Marco; Saupe, Nadja; Nagy, Ladislav

    2007-01-01

    Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for chronic wrist pain is challenging. Correct assessment of the triangular fibrocartilage, hyaline cartilage, ligaments, and tendons has become mandatory for comprehensive decision making in wrist surgery. The MR technique, potential and limits of MR imaging in patients with chronic wrist pain will be discussed. MR arthrography with injection of gadolinium-containing contrast material into the distal radioulnar joint is suggested for evaluation of the triangular fibrocartilage. The clinically meaningful ulnar-sided peripheral tears are otherwise hard to diagnose. The diagnostic performance of MR imaging for interosseous ligament tears varies considerably. The sensitivity for scapholunate ligament tears is consistently better than for lunotriquetral ligament tears. Gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging is considered to be the best technique for detecting established avascularity of bone, but the assessment of the MR results remains challenging. Most cases of ulnar impaction syndrome have characteristic focal signal intensity changes in the ulnar aspect of the lunate. Avascular necrosis of the lunate (Kienboeck's disease) is characterized by signal changes starting in the proximal radial aspect of the lunate. MR imaging is extremely sensitive for occult fractures. Questions arise if occult posttraumatic bone lesions seen on MR images only necessarily require the same treatment as fractures evident on plain films or computed tomography (CT) images. MR imaging and ultrasound are equally effective for detecting occult carpal ganglia. Carpe bossu (carpal boss) is a bony protuberance of a carpometacarpal joint II and III which may be associated with pain. (orig.)

  1. Optical scatter imaging of cellular and mitochondrial swelling in brain tissue models of stroke

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Lee James

    2001-08-01

    The severity of brain edema resulting from a stroke can determine a patient's survival and the extent of their recovery. Cellular swelling is the microscopic source of a significant part of brain edema. Mitochondrial swelling also appears to be a determining event in the death or survival of the cells that are injured during a stroke. Therapies for reducing brain edema are not effective in many cases and current treatments of stroke do not address mitochondrial swelling at all. This dissertation is motivated by the lack of a complete understanding of cellular swelling resulting from stroke and the lack of a good method to begin to study mitochondrial swelling resulting from stroke in living brain tissue. In this dissertation, a novel method of detecting mitochondrial and cellular swelling in living hippocampal slices is developed and validated. The system is used to obtain spatial and temporal information about cellular and mitochondrial swelling resulting from various models of stroke. The effect of changes in water content on light scatter and absorption are examined in two models of brain edema. The results of this study demonstrate that optical techniques can be used to detect changes in water content. Mie scatter theory, the theoretical basis of the dual- angle scatter ratio imaging system, is presented. Computer simulations based on Mie scatter theory are used to determine the optimal angles for imaging. A detailed account of the early systems is presented to explain the motivations for the system design, especially polarization, wavelength and light path. Mitochondrial sized latex particles are used to determine the system response to changes in scattering particle size and concentration. The dual-angle scatter ratio imaging system is used to distinguish between osmotic and excitotoxic models of stroke injury. Such distinction cannot be achieved using the current techniques to study cellular swelling in hippocampal slices. The change in the scatter ratio is

  2. A multi-scale convolutional neural network for phenotyping high-content cellular images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godinez, William J; Hossain, Imtiaz; Lazic, Stanley E; Davies, John W; Zhang, Xian

    2017-07-01

    Identifying phenotypes based on high-content cellular images is challenging. Conventional image analysis pipelines for phenotype identification comprise multiple independent steps, with each step requiring method customization and adjustment of multiple parameters. Here, we present an approach based on a multi-scale convolutional neural network (M-CNN) that classifies, in a single cohesive step, cellular images into phenotypes by using directly and solely the images' pixel intensity values. The only parameters in the approach are the weights of the neural network, which are automatically optimized based on training images. The approach requires no a priori knowledge or manual customization, and is applicable to single- or multi-channel images displaying single or multiple cells. We evaluated the classification performance of the approach on eight diverse benchmark datasets. The approach yielded overall a higher classification accuracy compared with state-of-the-art results, including those of other deep CNN architectures. In addition to using the network to simply obtain a yes-or-no prediction for a given phenotype, we use the probability outputs calculated by the network to quantitatively describe the phenotypes. This study shows that these probability values correlate with chemical treatment concentrations. This finding validates further our approach and enables chemical treatment potency estimation via CNNs. The network specifications and solver definitions are provided in Supplementary Software 1. william_jose.godinez_navarro@novartis.com or xian-1.zhang@novartis.com. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

  3. MR imaging features of chronically torn anterior cruciate ligament

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niitsu, Mamoru; Kuramochi, Masashi; Ikeda, Kotaroh; Fukubayashi, Tohru; Anno, Izumi; Itai, Yuji

    1995-01-01

    Magnetic resonance (MR) images of 40 knee joints with arthroscopically proved chronic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears were retrospectively evaluated. MRI demonstrated various features of chronic ACL tears: 19 knees revealed with no identifiable ligamentous structure, and 21 had residual ligamentous structures. These pseudoligaments, 14 discontinuous bands and seven continuous bands with elongation, were residual torn ligamentous fibers and/or synovial tissues. All the discontinuous bands were disrupted from the femoral attachment and were likely to traverse the lower intercondylar space. Six disrupted ligaments were attached to the lateral aspect of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Coronal T2 * -weighted gradient echo images showed better delineation of the disrupted femoral attachment and adhesion to the PCL. A chronic ACL tear with minimal elongation or with PCL attachment at a higher position may occasionally be difficult to distinguish from an intact ligament. (author)

  4. Avulsion fractures and chronic avulsion injuries of the knee: role of MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mellado, J.M.; Ramos, A.; Salvado, E.; Camins, A.; Sauri, A.; Calmet, J.

    2002-01-01

    Avulsion fractures and chronic avulsion injuries of the knee are common lesions in sports-related trauma, especially among adolescents. Magnetic resonance imaging may prove useful in detecting and characterizing such lesions, and has several advantages with regard to other imaging modalities. We review, illustrate, and discuss the MR imaging features of some of the more frequent avulsion fractures and chronic avulsion injuries of the knee, including avulsion fractures of the cruciate ligaments, avulsion fractures of lateral and medial stabilizers, avulsion fractures and chronic avulsion injuries of the extensor mechanism, and avulsive cortical irregularities of the distal femur. The role of MR imaging in evaluating such lesions is emphasized. (orig.)

  5. Imaging of the pancreas. Acute and chronic pancreatitis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Balthazar, Emil J.; Megibow, Alec J. [NYU-Langone Medical Center, New York, NY (United States). Dept. of Radiology; Pozzi Mucelli, Roberto (eds.) [Policlinico ' ' GB Rossi' ' Verona Univ. (Italy). Dept. of Radiology

    2009-07-01

    With the aid of numerous high-quality illustrations, this volume explains the strengths and limitations of the different techniques employed in the imaging of pancreatitis. Ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and interventional imaging are each considered separately in the settings of acute and chronic pancreatitis. A further section is devoted to imaging of the complications of these conditions. Throughout, care has been taken to ensure that the reader will achieve a sound understanding of how the imaging findings derive from the pathophysiology of the disease processes. The significance of the imaging findings for clinical and therapeutic decision making is clearly explained, and protocols are provided that will assist in obtaining the best possible images. (orig.)

  6. Imaging of the pancreas. Acute and chronic pancreatitis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balthazar, Emil J.; Megibow, Alec J.; Pozzi Mucelli, Roberto

    2009-01-01

    With the aid of numerous high-quality illustrations, this volume explains the strengths and limitations of the different techniques employed in the imaging of pancreatitis. Ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and interventional imaging are each considered separately in the settings of acute and chronic pancreatitis. A further section is devoted to imaging of the complications of these conditions. Throughout, care has been taken to ensure that the reader will achieve a sound understanding of how the imaging findings derive from the pathophysiology of the disease processes. The significance of the imaging findings for clinical and therapeutic decision making is clearly explained, and protocols are provided that will assist in obtaining the best possible images. (orig.)

  7. Quantitative image analysis of cellular heterogeneity in breast tumors complements genomic profiling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Yinyin; Failmezger, Henrik; Rueda, Oscar M; Ali, H Raza; Gräf, Stefan; Chin, Suet-Feung; Schwarz, Roland F; Curtis, Christina; Dunning, Mark J; Bardwell, Helen; Johnson, Nicola; Doyle, Sarah; Turashvili, Gulisa; Provenzano, Elena; Aparicio, Sam; Caldas, Carlos; Markowetz, Florian

    2012-10-24

    Solid tumors are heterogeneous tissues composed of a mixture of cancer and normal cells, which complicates the interpretation of their molecular profiles. Furthermore, tissue architecture is generally not reflected in molecular assays, rendering this rich information underused. To address these challenges, we developed a computational approach based on standard hematoxylin and eosin-stained tissue sections and demonstrated its power in a discovery and validation cohort of 323 and 241 breast tumors, respectively. To deconvolute cellular heterogeneity and detect subtle genomic aberrations, we introduced an algorithm based on tumor cellularity to increase the comparability of copy number profiles between samples. We next devised a predictor for survival in estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer that integrated both image-based and gene expression analyses and significantly outperformed classifiers that use single data types, such as microarray expression signatures. Image processing also allowed us to describe and validate an independent prognostic factor based on quantitative analysis of spatial patterns between stromal cells, which are not detectable by molecular assays. Our quantitative, image-based method could benefit any large-scale cancer study by refining and complementing molecular assays of tumor samples.

  8. Image diagnosis of parathyroid glands in chronic renal failure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takagi, H.; Tominaga, Y.; Uchida, K.; Yamada, N.; Morimoto, T.; Yasue, M.

    1983-01-01

    Twenty-two out of 31 patients with chronic renal failure and secondary hyperparathyroidism who underwent parathyroidectomy before operation underwent non-invasive image diagnosis of parathyroid glands by computed tomography (CT), scintigraphy with 201 TlCl and /sup 99m/TcO 4+ , and/or ultrasonography. CT visualized 39 of 45 parathyroid glands (86.7%), weighing more than 500 mg. Scintigraphy with a subtraction method using a computer performed the diagnosis in 19 of 27 glands (70.4%). Ultrasonography detected 21 of 27 glands (77.8%). Image diagnosis was also useful in the postoperative follow-up study. The non-invasive image diagnosis of parathyroid glands in patients with chronic renal failure is thus valuable for 1) definite diagnosis of secondary hyperparathyroidism, 2) localization, and 3) diagnosis for effectiveness of conservative treatment

  9. Triple Bioluminescence Imaging for In Vivo Monitoring of Cellular Processes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Casey A Maguire

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Bioluminescence imaging (BLI has shown to be crucial for monitoring in vivo biological processes. So far, only dual bioluminescence imaging using firefly (Fluc and Renilla or Gaussia (Gluc luciferase has been achieved due to the lack of availability of other efficiently expressed luciferases using different substrates. Here, we characterized a codon-optimized luciferase from Vargula hilgendorfii (Vluc as a reporter for mammalian gene expression. We showed that Vluc can be multiplexed with Gluc and Fluc for sequential imaging of three distinct cellular phenomena in the same biological system using vargulin, coelenterazine, and D-luciferin substrates, respectively. We applied this triple imaging system to monitor the effect of soluble tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (sTRAIL delivered using an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV on brain tumors in mice. Vluc imaging showed efficient sTRAIL gene delivery to the brain, while Fluc imaging revealed a robust antiglioma therapy. Further, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB activation in response to sTRAIL binding to glioma cells death receptors was monitored by Gluc imaging. This work is the first demonstration of trimodal in vivo bioluminescence imaging and will have a broad applicability in many different fields including immunology, oncology, virology, and neuroscience.

  10. Value of diffusion-Weighted imaging in evaluating the cellularity density of prostate cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Jingang; Wang Xizhen; Wang Bin; Niu Qingliang; Liu Qiang

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To study the cellularity density of prostate cancer (PCa) with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). Methods: 38 patients with histologically proven prostate cancer (PCa) underwent DWI with a 1.5 T MR scanner using a pelvic phased array multi-coil. The ADC values of PCa, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and peripheral zone (PZ) were calculated. The cellularity density of PCa was recorded according to hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. The relationship between ADC value and cellularity density of PCa was analyzed with Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The ADC values of PCa, BPH, and PZ were (49.32±12.68)×10 -5 mm 2 /s, (86.73±26.75)×10 -5 mm 2 /s and (126.25±27.21)×10 -5 mm 2 /s, respectively. The ADC value of PCa was significantly lower than that of BPH and PZ (P<005). The cellularity density of PCa was 12.9%. The ADC value reversely related to the cellularity density of prostate cancer (r=-0.646, P<005). Conclusion: The ADC value can reflect the cellularity density of PCa. (authors)

  11. Chronic innate immune activation of TBK1 suppresses mTORC1 activity and dysregulates cellular metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasan, Maroof; Gonugunta, Vijay K; Dobbs, Nicole; Ali, Aktar; Palchik, Guillermo; Calvaruso, Maria A; DeBerardinis, Ralph J; Yan, Nan

    2017-01-24

    Three-prime repair exonuclease 1 knockout (Trex1 -/- ) mice suffer from systemic inflammation caused largely by chronic activation of the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes-TANK-binding kinase-interferon regulatory factor 3 (cGAS-STING-TBK1-IRF3) signaling pathway. We showed previously that Trex1-deficient cells have reduced mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity, although the underlying mechanism is unclear. Here, we performed detailed metabolic analysis in Trex1 -/- mice and cells that revealed both cellular and systemic metabolic defects, including reduced mitochondrial respiration and increased glycolysis, energy expenditure, and fat metabolism. We also genetically separated the inflammatory and metabolic phenotypes by showing that Sting deficiency rescued both inflammatory and metabolic phenotypes, whereas Irf3 deficiency only rescued inflammation on the Trex1 -/- background, and many metabolic defects persist in Trex1 -/- Irf3 -/- cells and mice. We also showed that Leptin deficiency (ob/ob) increased lipogenesis and prolonged survival of Trex1 -/- mice without dampening inflammation. Mechanistically, we identified TBK1 as a key regulator of mTORC1 activity in Trex1 -/- cells. Together, our data demonstrate that chronic innate immune activation of TBK1 suppresses mTORC1 activity, leading to dysregulated cellular metabolism.

  12. MR imaging of chronic alcoholism

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hayakawa, K.; Kumagai, H.; Suzuki, Y.; Furusawa, N.; Haga, T.; Hoshi, T.; Fujiwara, Y.; Yamaguchi, K. (Kyoto City Hospital (Japan). Dept. of Radiology Consultant Radiologists of Wakamiya Hospital (Japan) Wakamiya Hospital (Japan). Depts. of Psychiatry and Radiology Yamagata Univ. School of Medicine (Japan). Dept. of Radiology)

    1992-05-01

    We evaluated the brain lesions of patients with chronic alcoholism in comparison with age-and sex-matched controls by MR imaging. T1-weighted sagittal and axial images and T2-weighted axial images were obtained with a 0.5 T superconducting MR unit. Various brain measurements were then performed, and the presence of regions of abnormal signal intensity was also compared between the two groups. The brain measurements revealed significant cerebral atrophy as well as significant cerebellar atrophy in the alcoholic group. These changes were more prominent in patients in their fifties and sixties than in those aged in the thirties and forties. Focal hypointense lesions were observed in 20.6% of the alcoholics and in 5% of the controls, while focal hyperintense lesions were observed in 61.8% of the alcoholics and in 20% of the controls. The severity of the MR findings correlated well with the age of the patients. These observations suggest that alcohol is an important promotor of brain aging. (orig.).

  13. Mapping whole-brain activity with cellular resolution by light-sheet microscopy and high-throughput image analysis (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silvestri, Ludovico; Rudinskiy, Nikita; Paciscopi, Marco; Müllenbroich, Marie Caroline; Costantini, Irene; Sacconi, Leonardo; Frasconi, Paolo; Hyman, Bradley T.; Pavone, Francesco S.

    2016-03-01

    Mapping neuronal activity patterns across the whole brain with cellular resolution is a challenging task for state-of-the-art imaging methods. Indeed, despite a number of technological efforts, quantitative cellular-resolution activation maps of the whole brain have not yet been obtained. Many techniques are limited by coarse resolution or by a narrow field of view. High-throughput imaging methods, such as light sheet microscopy, can be used to image large specimens with high resolution and in reasonable times. However, the bottleneck is then moved from image acquisition to image analysis, since many TeraBytes of data have to be processed to extract meaningful information. Here, we present a full experimental pipeline to quantify neuronal activity in the entire mouse brain with cellular resolution, based on a combination of genetics, optics and computer science. We used a transgenic mouse strain (Arc-dVenus mouse) in which neurons which have been active in the last hours before brain fixation are fluorescently labelled. Samples were cleared with CLARITY and imaged with a custom-made confocal light sheet microscope. To perform an automatic localization of fluorescent cells on the large images produced, we used a novel computational approach called semantic deconvolution. The combined approach presented here allows quantifying the amount of Arc-expressing neurons throughout the whole mouse brain. When applied to cohorts of mice subject to different stimuli and/or environmental conditions, this method helps finding correlations in activity between different neuronal populations, opening the possibility to infer a sort of brain-wide 'functional connectivity' with cellular resolution.

  14. Persistent effects of chronic clozapine on the cellular and behavioral responses to LSD in mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreno, José L.; Holloway, Terrell; Umali, Adrienne; Rayannavar, Vinayak; Sealfon, Stuart C.

    2013-01-01

    Rationale In schizophrenia patients, optimal treatment with antipsychotics requires weeks to months of sustained drug therapy. However, single administration of antipsychotic drugs can reverse schizophrenia-like behavioral alterations in rodent models of psychosis. This raises questions about the physiological relevance of such antipsychotic-like activity. Objective This study evaluates the effects of chronic treatment with clozapine on the cellular and behavioral responses induced by the hallucinogenic serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonist lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) as a mouse model of psychosis. Method Mice were treated chronically (21 days) with 25 mg/kg/day clozapine. Experiments were conducted 1, 7, 14, and 21 days after the last clozapine administration. [3H]Ketanserin binding and 5-HT2A mRNA expression were determined in mouse somatosensory cortex. Head-twitch behavior, expression of c-fos, which is induced by all 5-HT2A agonists, and expression of egr-1 and egr-2, which are LSD-like specific, were assayed. Results Head-twitch response was decreased and [3H]ketanserin binding was downregulated in 1, 7, and 14 days after chronic clozapine. 5-HT2A mRNA was reduced 1 day after chronic clozapine. Induction of c-fos, but not egr-1 and egr-2, was rescued 7 days after chronic clozapine. These effects were not observed after short treatment (2 days) with clozapine or chronic haloperidol (1 mg/kg/day). Conclusion Our findings provide a murine model of chronic atypical antipsychotic drug action and suggest downregulation of the 5-HT2A receptor as a potential mechanism involved in these persistent therapeutic-like effects. PMID:22842765

  15. Quantitative phase-digital holographic microscopy: a new imaging modality to identify original cellular biomarkers of diseases

    KAUST Repository

    Marquet, P.

    2016-05-03

    Quantitative phase microscopy (QPM) has recently emerged as a powerful label-free technique in the field of living cell imaging allowing to non-invasively measure with a nanometric axial sensitivity cell structure and dynamics. Since the phase retardation of a light wave when transmitted through the observed cells, namely the quantitative phase signal (QPS), is sensitive to both cellular thickness and intracellular refractive index related to the cellular content, its accurate analysis allows to derive various cell parameters and monitor specific cell processes, which are very likely to identify new cell biomarkers. Specifically, quantitative phase-digital holographic microscopy (QP-DHM), thanks to its numerical flexibility facilitating parallelization and automation processes, represents an appealing imaging modality to both identify original cellular biomarkers of diseases as well to explore the underlying pathophysiological processes.

  16. Imaging chronic renal disease and renal transplant in children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carmichael, Jim; Easty, Marina

    2010-01-01

    At Great Ormond Street Hospital we have the highest number of paediatric renal transplant patients in Europe, taking cases from across the United Kingdom and abroad. Our caseload includes many children with rare complicating medical problems and chronic renal failure related morbidity. This review aims to provide an overview of our experience of imaging children with chronic renal failure and transplants. (orig.)

  17. MEMS-based thermally-actuated image stabilizer for cellular phone camera

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, Chun-Ying; Chiou, Jin-Chern

    2012-01-01

    This work develops an image stabilizer (IS) that is fabricated using micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology and is designed to counteract the vibrations when human using cellular phone cameras. The proposed IS has dimensions of 8.8 × 8.8 × 0.3 mm 3 and is strong enough to suspend an image sensor. The processes that is utilized to fabricate the IS includes inductive coupled plasma (ICP) processes, reactive ion etching (RIE) processes and the flip-chip bonding method. The IS is designed to enable the electrical signals from the suspended image sensor to be successfully emitted out using signal output beams, and the maximum actuating distance of the stage exceeds 24.835 µm when the driving current is 155 mA. Depending on integration of MEMS device and designed controller, the proposed IS can decrease the hand tremor by 72.5%. (paper)

  18. Intracellular delivery of nanomaterials for sub-cellular imaging and tracking of biomolecules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medepalli, Krishna Kiran

    Nanomaterials have many intriguing applications in biology and medicine. Unique properties such as enhanced electrical properties, increased chemical reactivity and resistance to degradation, novel optical properties and comparable size to that of biological systems have led to their use in various biomedical applications. The most important applications of nanomaterials for medicine are in drug delivery and imaging. This research focuses on utilizing the biocompatibility of single walled Carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and optical properties colloidal quantum dots (QDs) for cellular drug delivery and imaging of biomolecules. The first part of this research deals with single walled carbon nanotubes which are excellent candidates for targeted drug delivery applications due their unique structural and functional properties. However, prior to their use in therapeutics, their biocompatibility needs to be thoroughly investigated. The objectives of this research were to establish the biocompatibility of SWCNTs and demonstrate their use as drug delivery carriers into cells. Blood, a living tissue, is chosen as the biological system as it contains various cells which can potentially interact with SWCNTs during the delivery mechanism. The interactions of these cells in the blood (specifically white blood cells or leukocytes) with the SWCNTs provide vital information regarding the immune response of the host to the nanotubes. This research investigates the immune response of white blood cells due to SWCNTs via (a) direct interaction---presence of nanotubes in the blood and, (b) indirect interaction---presentation of nanotubes by antigen-presenting-cells to white blood cells. These two interactions recreate the innate and adaptive immune responses occurring in the body to any foreign substance. SWCNTs are functionalized with single stranded DNA (ss-DNA), which serves as a dispersant of nanotubes as well as a backbone for further attachment of other biomolecules of interest

  19. Correlation Filters for Detection of Cellular Nuclei in Histopathology Images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Asif; Asif, Amina; Rajpoot, Nasir; Arif, Muhammad; Minhas, Fayyaz Ul Amir Afsar

    2017-11-21

    Nuclei detection in histology images is an essential part of computer aided diagnosis of cancers and tumors. It is a challenging task due to diverse and complicated structures of cells. In this work, we present an automated technique for detection of cellular nuclei in hematoxylin and eosin stained histopathology images. Our proposed approach is based on kernelized correlation filters. Correlation filters have been widely used in object detection and tracking applications but their strength has not been explored in the medical imaging domain up till now. Our experimental results show that the proposed scheme gives state of the art accuracy and can learn complex nuclear morphologies. Like deep learning approaches, the proposed filters do not require engineering of image features as they can operate directly on histopathology images without significant preprocessing. However, unlike deep learning methods, the large-margin correlation filters developed in this work are interpretable, computationally efficient and do not require specialized or expensive computing hardware. A cloud based webserver of the proposed method and its python implementation can be accessed at the following URL: http://faculty.pieas.edu.pk/fayyaz/software.html#corehist .

  20. Cellular imaging and folate receptor targeting delivery of gum kondagogu capped gold nanoparticles in cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Sathish Sundar Dhilip; Mahesh, Ayyavu; Antoniraj, M Gover; Rathore, Hanumant Singh; Houreld, N N; Kandasamy, Ruckmani

    2018-04-01

    In this study, the green synthesis of gum kondagogu capped gold nanoparticles (GK-GNPs) was prepared using a naturally available polysaccharide. The anionic gum capped GK-GNPs enabled the successful coupling of folic acid (FA) and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) to produce a fluorescently labelled GNP (F2-GNP). F2-GNPs were further characterized using different physicochemical methods Cellular viability, cellular imaging, and targeted delivery of F2-GNPs were further evaluated in both folate receptor positive (MCF-7) and folate receptor negative (A549) cancer cells. Physicochemical characterization revealed a nanoparticle with a small size (37 nm), smooth surface (surface charge of -23.7 mV), crystallinity of gold nanoparticles and existence of gum kondagogu in the F2-GNPs. Cellular uptake of F2-GNPs indicated a greater affinity towards folate receptor positive cells. This study shows that the F2-GNPs is as an effective nanocarrier for targeted drug delivery and cellular imaging via folate receptors. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  1. A Cellular Perspective on Brain Energy Metabolism and Functional Imaging

    KAUST Repository

    Magistretti, Pierre J.

    2015-05-01

    The energy demands of the brain are high: they account for at least 20% of the body\\'s energy consumption. Evolutionary studies indicate that the emergence of higher cognitive functions in humans is associated with an increased glucose utilization and expression of energy metabolism genes. Functional brain imaging techniques such as fMRI and PET, which are widely used in human neuroscience studies, detect signals that monitor energy delivery and use in register with neuronal activity. Recent technological advances in metabolic studies with cellular resolution have afforded decisive insights into the understanding of the cellular and molecular bases of the coupling between neuronal activity and energy metabolism and pointat a key role of neuron-astrocyte metabolic interactions. This article reviews some of the most salient features emerging from recent studies and aims at providing an integration of brain energy metabolism across resolution scales. © 2015 Elsevier Inc.

  2. Sulforaphane restores cellular glutathione levels and reduces chronic periodontitis neutrophil hyperactivity in vitro.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irundika H K Dias

    Full Text Available The production of high levels of reactive oxygen species by neutrophils is associated with the local and systemic destructive phenotype found in the chronic inflammatory disease periodontitis. In the present study, we investigated the ability of sulforaphane (SFN to restore cellular glutathione levels and reduce the hyperactivity of circulating neutrophils associated with chronic periodontitis. Using differentiated HL60 cells as a neutrophil model, here we show that generation of extracellular O2 (. - by the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADPH oxidase complex is increased by intracellular glutathione depletion. This may be attributed to the upregulation of thiol regulated acid sphingomyelinase driven lipid raft formation. Intracellular glutathione was also lower in primary neutrophils from periodontitis patients and, consistent with our previous findings, patients neutrophils were hyper-reactive to stimuli. The activity of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2, a master regulator of the antioxidant response, is impaired in circulating neutrophils from chronic periodontitis patients. Although patients' neutrophils exhibit a low reduced glutathione (GSH/oxidised glutathione (GSSG ratio and a higher total Nrf2 level, the DNA-binding activity of nuclear Nrf2 remained unchanged relative to healthy controls and had reduced expression of glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic (GCLC, and modifier (GCLM subunit mRNAs, compared to periodontally healthy subjects neutrophils. Pre-treatment with SFN increased expression of GCLC and GCM, improved intracellular GSH/GSSG ratios and reduced agonist-activated extracellular O2 (. - production in both dHL60 and primary neutrophils from patients with periodontitis and controls. These findings suggest that a deficiency in Nrf2-dependent pathways may underpin susceptibility to hyper-reactivity in circulating primary neutrophils during chronic periodontitis.

  3. Sulforaphane restores cellular glutathione levels and reduces chronic periodontitis neutrophil hyperactivity in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dias, Irundika H K; Chapple, Ian L C; Milward, Mike; Grant, Melissa M; Hill, Eric; Brown, James; Griffiths, Helen R

    2013-01-01

    The production of high levels of reactive oxygen species by neutrophils is associated with the local and systemic destructive phenotype found in the chronic inflammatory disease periodontitis. In the present study, we investigated the ability of sulforaphane (SFN) to restore cellular glutathione levels and reduce the hyperactivity of circulating neutrophils associated with chronic periodontitis. Using differentiated HL60 cells as a neutrophil model, here we show that generation of extracellular O2 (. -) by the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADPH) oxidase complex is increased by intracellular glutathione depletion. This may be attributed to the upregulation of thiol regulated acid sphingomyelinase driven lipid raft formation. Intracellular glutathione was also lower in primary neutrophils from periodontitis patients and, consistent with our previous findings, patients neutrophils were hyper-reactive to stimuli. The activity of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a master regulator of the antioxidant response, is impaired in circulating neutrophils from chronic periodontitis patients. Although patients' neutrophils exhibit a low reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidised glutathione (GSSG) ratio and a higher total Nrf2 level, the DNA-binding activity of nuclear Nrf2 remained unchanged relative to healthy controls and had reduced expression of glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic (GCLC), and modifier (GCLM) subunit mRNAs, compared to periodontally healthy subjects neutrophils. Pre-treatment with SFN increased expression of GCLC and GCM, improved intracellular GSH/GSSG ratios and reduced agonist-activated extracellular O2 (. -) production in both dHL60 and primary neutrophils from patients with periodontitis and controls. These findings suggest that a deficiency in Nrf2-dependent pathways may underpin susceptibility to hyper-reactivity in circulating primary neutrophils during chronic periodontitis.

  4. Evolutionary Cellular Automata for Image Segmentation and Noise Filtering Using Genetic Algorithms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sihem SLATNIA

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available We use an evolutionary process to seek a specialized set of rules among a wide range of rules to be used by Cellular Automata (CA for a range of tasks,extracting edges in a given gray or colour image, noise filtering applied to black-white image. This is the best set of local rules determine the future state of CA in an asynchronous way. The Genetic Algorithm (GA is applied to search the best CA rules that can realize the best edge detection and noise filtering.

  5. Evolutionary Cellular Automata for Image Segmentation and Noise Filtering Using Genetic Algorithms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Okba Kazar

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available We use an evolutionary process to seek a specialized set of rules among a wide range of rules to be used by Cellular Automata (CA for a range of tasks, extracting edges in a given gray or colour image, noise filtering applied to black-white image. This is the best set of local rules determine the future state of CA in an asynchronous way. The Genetic Algorithm (GA is applied to search the best CA rules that can realize the best edge detection and noise filtering.

  6. Neurobiology of Chronic Stress-Related Psychiatric Disorders: Evidence from Molecular Imaging Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Margaret T.; Holmes, Sophie E.; Pietrzak, Robert H.; Esterlis, Irina

    2018-01-01

    Chronic stress accounts for billions of dollars of economic loss annually in the United States alone, and is recognized as a major source of disability and mortality worldwide. Robust evidence suggests that chronic stress plays a significant role in the onset of severe and impairing psychiatric conditions, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Application of molecular imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography in recent years has begun to provide insight into the molecular mechanisms by which chronic stress confers risk for these disorders. The present paper provides a comprehensive review and synthesis of all positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography imaging publications focused on the examination of molecular targets in individuals with major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, or bipolar disorder to date. Critical discussion of discrepant findings and broad strengths and weaknesses of the current body of literature is provided. Recommended future directions for the field of molecular imaging to further elucidate the neurobiological substrates of chronic stress-related disorders are also discussed. This article is part of the inaugural issue for the journal focused on various aspects of chronic stress. PMID:29862379

  7. Prolonged T1 relaxation of the hemopoietic bone marrow in patients with chronic leukemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jensen, K.E.; Soerensen, P.G.; Thomsen, C.; Christoffersen, P.; Henriksen, O.; Karle, H.; Hvidovre Hospital; Hvidovre Hospital; Gentofte Hospital

    1990-01-01

    Eleven patients with chronic leukemia (7 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and 4 with chronic myeloid leukemia) were evaluated with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and T1 relaxation time measurements by use of a 1.5 tesla whole body MR scanner. Bone marrow biopsies were obtained from the posterior iliac crest (within 72 hours of the MR examination) in order to provide data on bone marrow cellularity and differential counts. The patients with chronic leukemia all showed a significant prolongation of the T1 relaxation times compared with the normal range for hemopoietic bone marrow. (orig.)

  8. Imaging in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaker, Saher B; Dirksen, Asger; Bach, Karen S; Mortensen, Jann

    2007-06-01

    Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is divided into pulmonary emphysema and chronic bronchitis (CB). Emphysema is defined patho-anatomically as "permanent enlargement of airspaces distal to the terminal bronchiole, accompanied by the destruction of their walls, and without obvious fibrosis" (1). These lesions are readily identified and quantitated using computed tomography (CT), whereas the accompanying hyperinflation is best detected on plain chest X-ray, especially in advanced disease. The diagnosis of CB is clinical and relies on the presence of productive cough for 3 months in 2 or more successive years. The pathological changes of mucosal inflammation and bronchial wall thickening have been more difficult to identify with available imaging techniques. However, recent studies using Multi-detector row CT (MDCT) reported more reproducible assessment of air wall thickening.

  9. Effects of acamprosate on attentional set-shifting and cellular function in the prefrontal cortex of chronic alcohol-exposed mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Wei

    Background: The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) inhibits impulsive and compulsive behaviors that characterize drug abuse and dependence. Acamprosate is the leading medication approved for the maintenance of abstinence, shown to reduce craving and relapse in animal models and human alcoholics. Whether acamprosate can modulate executive functions that are impaired by chronic ethanol exposure is unknown. Here we explored the effects of acamprosate on an attentional set-shifting task, and tested whether these behavioral effects are correlated with modulation of glutamatergic synaptic transmission and intrinsic excitability of mPFC neurons. Methods: We induced alcohol dependence in mice via chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure in vapor chambers and measured changes in alcohol consumption in a limited access 2-bottle choice paradigm. Impairments of executive function were assessed in an attentional set-shifting task. Acamprosate was applied subchronically for 2 days during withdrawal before the final behavioral test. Alcohol-induced changes in cellular function of layer 5/6 pyramidal neurons, and the potential modulation of these changes by acamprosate, were measured using patch clamp recordings in brain slices. Results: Chronic ethanol exposure impaired cognitive flexibility in the attentional set-shifting task. Acamprosate improved overall performance and reduced perseveration. Recordings of mPFC neurons showed that chronic ethanol exposure increased use-dependent presynaptic transmitter release and enhanced postsynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) function. Moreover, CIE-treatment lowered input resistance, and decreased the threshold and the afterhyperpolarization (AHP) of action potentials, suggesting chronic ethanol exposure also impacted membrane excitability of mPFC neurons. However, acamprosate treatment did not reverse these ethanol-induced changes cellular function. Conclusion: Acamprosate improved attentional control of ethanol exposed animals

  10. Estimation of salient regions related to chronic gastritis using gastric X-ray images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Togo, Ren; Ishihara, Kenta; Ogawa, Takahiro; Haseyama, Miki

    2016-10-01

    Since technical knowledge and a high degree of experience are necessary for diagnosis of chronic gastritis, computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems that analyze gastric X-ray images are desirable in the field of medicine. Therefore, a new method that estimates salient regions related to chronic gastritis/non-gastritis for supporting diagnosis is presented in this paper. In order to estimate salient regions related to chronic gastritis/non-gastritis, the proposed method monitors the distance between a target image feature and Support Vector Machine (SVM)-based hyperplane for its classification. Furthermore, our method realizes removal of the influence of regions outside the stomach by using positional relationships between the stomach and other organs. Consequently, since the proposed method successfully estimates salient regions of gastric X-ray images for which chronic gastritis and non-gastritis are unknown, visual support for inexperienced clinicians becomes feasible. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Chronic Carbon Monoxide Intoxication

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Durak, A. C.; Coskun, A.; Yikilmaz, A.; Erdogan, F.; Mavili, E.; Guven, M. [Hospital of Erciyes Univ., Kayseri (Turkey). Dept. of Radiology

    2005-05-01

    Purpose: To define the cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of the chronic stage of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in patients with and without neuropsychiatric sequelae. Material and Methods: Eight patients who had neither symptoms nor neurological sequelae and eight patients with neuropsychiatric sequelae were included in the study. Patients aged between 9 to 57 (mean 32.2 years). All patients had been comatose at initial admittance and awoke after normobaric 100% oxygen therapy within 1-7 days. In this study, the patients were being examined with routine cranial MRI between 1 and 10 years (mean 3.4 years) after exposure to CO. Results: The most common finding was bilateral symmetric hyperintensity of the white matter, which was more significant in the centrum semiovale, with relative sparing of the temporal lobes and anterior parts of the frontal lobes on T2-weighted and FLAIR images in all patients. Cerebral cortical atrophy was seen in 10 patients; mild atrophy of cerebellar hemispheres in 8; and vermian atrophy in 11. Corpus callosum was atrophic in one patient. Bilateral globus pallidus lesions were seen in three patients. The lesions were hypointense on T1-weighted images and hyperintense on T2-weighted and FLAIR images. Conclusion: Patients with severe CO intoxication may develop persistent cerebral changes independently of their neuropsychiatric findings in the chronic stage. They may present with characteristic MRI findings as described here, even if asymptomatic. The history of CO exposure is therefore helpful for recognizing and interpreting the MRI findings of chronic stage CO intoxication.

  12. Sub-cellular localisation of a 15N-labelled peptide vector using NanoSIMS imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Römer, Winfried; Wu, Ting-Di; Duchambon, Patricia; Amessou, Mohamed; Carrez, Danièle; Johannes, Ludger; Guerquin-Kern, Jean-Luc

    2006-07-01

    Dynamic SIMS imaging is proposed to map sub-cellular distributions of isotopically labelled, exogenous compounds. NanoSIMS imaging allows the characterisation of the intracellular transport pathways of exogenous molecules, including peptide vectors employed in innovative therapies, using stable isotopes as molecular markers to detect the compound of interest. Shiga toxin B-subunit (STxB) was chosen as a representative peptide vector. The recombinant protein ( 15N-STxB) was synthesised in Escherichia coli using 15NH 4Cl as sole nitrogen source resulting in 15N enrichment in the molecule. Using the NanoSIMS 50 ion microprobe (Cameca), different ion species ( 12C 14N -, 12C 15N -, 31P -) originating from the same sputtered micro volume were simultaneously detected. High mass resolving power enabled the discrimination of 12C 15N - from its polyatomic isobars of mass 27. We imaged the membrane binding and internalisation of 15N-STxB in HeLa cells at spatial resolutions of less than 100 nm. Thus, the use of rare stable isotopes like 15N with dynamic SIMS imaging permits sub-cellular detection of isotopically labelled, exogenous molecules and imaging of their transport pathways at high mass and spatial resolution. Application of stable isotopes as markers can replace the large and chemically complex tags used for fluorescence microscopy, without altering the chemical and physical properties of the molecule.

  13. Quantitative phase-digital holographic microscopy: a new imaging modality to identify original cellular biomarkers of diseases

    KAUST Repository

    Marquet, P.; Rothenfusser, K.; Rappaz, B.; Depeursinge, Christian; Jourdain, P.; Magistretti, Pierre J.

    2016-01-01

    parallelization and automation processes, represents an appealing imaging modality to both identify original cellular biomarkers of diseases as well to explore the underlying pathophysiological processes.

  14. Acute and chronic tears of anterior cruciate ligament : role of gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Eun Jung; Jee, Won Hee; Im, Soo A; Chun, Ho Jong; Jung, Hyun Seouk; Kim, Soo Young; Kwon, Tae An; Song, Sun Wha; Choi, Kyu Ho

    1998-01-01

    To evaluate the efficacy of fat-suppressed gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging in differentiating acute from chronic ligament tears of anterior cruciate ligament. Materials and Methods : MR images of 22 patients with arthroscopically proven complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament were retrospectively reviewed. The interval between injury and MR examination was one day to seven years. When ligament tear was detected on MR image with three months of injury, the case was considered acute;if detected after three months had elapsed, it was judged to be chronic. The extent of contrast enhancement was graded as 1, 2 or 3; grade 1, enhancement was confined to the expected ligament region; grade 2, enhancement extended to the joint capsule; grade 3, enhancement extended beyond the joint capsule. The grades of contrast enhancement correlated with the acute and chronic stages of ligament tears. Associated bone bruise and/or adjacent soft tissue edema were also evaluated. Results : Among 15 patients with acute ligament tear, nine (60%) showed grade 3 enhancement; among seven in whom tearing was chronic, four (57%) showed grade 1 enhancement. Bone bruising was present in 100% of acute tears (15/15) and 29 % of chronic tears (2/7). Soft tissue edema was associated in 87% of acute tears (13/15) and 29% of chronic tears(2/7). Conclusion : Fat-suppressed gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging could help differentiate acute from chronic tears of anterior cruciate ligament, as well as bone bruising and tissue edema

  15. Imaging experimental infective endocarditis with indium-111-labeled blood cellular components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riba, A.L.; Thakur, M.L.; Gottschalk, A.; Andriole, V.T.; Zaret, B.L.

    1979-01-01

    The capability of radionuclide imaging to detect experimental aortic valve infective endocarditis was assessed with indium-111 ( 111 In)-labeled blood cells. Sequential cardiac imaging and tissue distribution studies were obtained in 17 rabbits with infective endocarditis after administration of 111 In-platelets and in five after 111 In-polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Forty-eight to 72 hours after platelet administration, in vivo imaging demonstrated abnormal 111 In uptake in all animals in the region of the aortic valve in an anatomically distinct pattern. Images of the excised heart showed discrete cardiac uptake conforming to the in vivo image and gross pathological examination. 111 In-platelet uptake in vegetations from the 17 animals averaged 240 +- 41 times greater than that in normal myocardium and 99 +- 15 times greater uptake in blood. In contrast, 111 In-leukocyte cardiac imaging showed no abnormal aortic valve uptake 24 hours after tracer administration and the lesion myocardium activity ratio was only 5 +- 2 (3 +- 1 for lesion/blood activity). Four normal rabbits demonstrated neither positive 111 In-platelet scintigraphs nor abnormal cardiac tissue uptake. Likewise, noncellular 111 In was not concentrated to any significant extent in three animals with infective endocarditis. This study demonstrates that 111 In-platelet, but not leukocyte cardiac imaging, is a sensitive technique for detecting experimental infective endocarditis. The imaging data conform to the cellular pathology of the infective endocarditis vegetation

  16. Localized surface plasmon enhanced cellular imaging using random metallic structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Son, Taehwang; Lee, Wonju; Kim, Donghyun

    2017-02-01

    We have studied fluorescence cellular imaging with randomly distributed localized near-field induced by silver nano-islands. For the fabrication of nano-islands, a 10-nm silver thin film evaporated on a BK7 glass substrate with an adhesion layer of 2-nm thick chromium. Micrometer sized silver square pattern was defined using e-beam lithography and then the film was annealed at 200°C. Raw images were restored using electric field distribution produced on the surface of random nano-islands. Nano-islands were modeled from SEM images. 488-nm p-polarized light source was set to be incident at 60°. Simulation results show that localized electric fields were created among nano-islands and that their average size was found to be 135 nm. The feasibility was tested using conventional total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy while the angle of incidence was adjusted to maximize field enhancement. Mouse microphage cells were cultured on nano-islands, and actin filaments were selectively stained with FITC-conjugated phalloidin. Acquired images were deconvolved based on linear imaging theory, in which molecular distribution was sampled by randomly distributed localized near-field and blurred by point spread function of far-field optics. The optimum fluorophore distribution was probabilistically estimated by repetitively matching a raw image. The deconvolved images are estimated to have a resolution in the range of 100-150 nm largely determined by the size of localized near-fields. We also discuss and compare the results with images acquired with periodic nano-aperture arrays in various optical configurations to excite localized plasmonic fields and to produce super-resolved molecular images.

  17. Imaging Cellular Proliferation in Prostate Cancer with Positron Emission Tomography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hossein Jadvar

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Prostate cancer remains a major public health problem worldwide. Imaging plays an important role in the assessment of disease at all its clinical phases, including staging, restaging after definitive therapy, evaluation of therapy response, and prognostication. Positron emission tomography with a number of biologically targeted radiotracers has been demonstrated to have potential diagnostic and prognostic utility in the various clinical phases of this prevalent disease. Given the remarkable biological heterogeneity of prostate cancer, one major unmet clinical need that remains is the non-invasive imaging-based characterization of prostate tumors. Accurate tumor characterization allows for image-targeted biopsy and focal therapy as well as facilitates objective assessment of therapy effect. PET in conjunction with radiotracers that track the thymidine salvage pathway of DNA synthesis may be helpful to fulfill this necessity. We review briefly the preclinical and pilot clinical experience with the two major cellular proliferation radiotracers, [18F]-3’-deoxy-3’-fluorothymidine and [18F]-2’-fluoro-5-methyl-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyluracil in prostate cancer.

  18. Cellular neural networks, the Navier-Stokes equation, and microarray image reconstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zineddin, Bachar; Wang, Zidong; Liu, Xiaohui

    2011-11-01

    Although the last decade has witnessed a great deal of improvements achieved for the microarray technology, many major developments in all the main stages of this technology, including image processing, are still needed. Some hardware implementations of microarray image processing have been proposed in the literature and proved to be promising alternatives to the currently available software systems. However, the main drawback of those proposed approaches is the unsuitable addressing of the quantification of the gene spot in a realistic way without any assumption about the image surface. Our aim in this paper is to present a new image-reconstruction algorithm using the cellular neural network that solves the Navier-Stokes equation. This algorithm offers a robust method for estimating the background signal within the gene-spot region. The MATCNN toolbox for Matlab is used to test the proposed method. Quantitative comparisons are carried out, i.e., in terms of objective criteria, between our approach and some other available methods. It is shown that the proposed algorithm gives highly accurate and realistic measurements in a fully automated manner within a remarkably efficient time.

  19. Imaging cellular and subcellular structure of human brain tissue using micro computed tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khimchenko, Anna; Bikis, Christos; Schweighauser, Gabriel; Hench, Jürgen; Joita-Pacureanu, Alexandra-Teodora; Thalmann, Peter; Deyhle, Hans; Osmani, Bekim; Chicherova, Natalia; Hieber, Simone E.; Cloetens, Peter; Müller-Gerbl, Magdalena; Schulz, Georg; Müller, Bert

    2017-09-01

    Brain tissues have been an attractive subject for investigations in neuropathology, neuroscience, and neurobiol- ogy. Nevertheless, existing imaging methodologies have intrinsic limitations in three-dimensional (3D) label-free visualisation of extended tissue samples down to (sub)cellular level. For a long time, these morphological features were visualised by electron or light microscopies. In addition to being time-consuming, microscopic investigation includes specimen fixation, embedding, sectioning, staining, and imaging with the associated artefacts. More- over, optical microscopy remains hampered by a fundamental limit in the spatial resolution that is imposed by the diffraction of visible light wavefront. In contrast, various tomography approaches do not require a complex specimen preparation and can now reach a true (sub)cellular resolution. Even laboratory-based micro computed tomography in the absorption-contrast mode of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) human cerebellum yields an image contrast comparable to conventional histological sections. Data of a superior image quality was obtained by means of synchrotron radiation-based single-distance X-ray phase-contrast tomography enabling the visualisation of non-stained Purkinje cells down to the subcellular level and automated cell counting. The question arises, whether the data quality of the hard X-ray tomography can be superior to optical microscopy. Herein, we discuss the label-free investigation of the human brain ultramorphology be means of synchrotron radiation-based hard X-ray magnified phase-contrast in-line tomography at the nano-imaging beamline ID16A (ESRF, Grenoble, France). As an example, we present images of FFPE human cerebellum block. Hard X-ray tomography can provide detailed information on human tissues in health and disease with a spatial resolution below the optical limit, improving understanding of the neuro-degenerative diseases.

  20. Multiparametric MR imaging in diagnosis of chronic prostatitis and its differentiation from prostate cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vivek Kumar Sah

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Chronic prostatitis is a heterogeneous condition with high prevalence rate. Chronic prostatitis has overlap in clinical presentation with other prostate disorders and is one of the causes of high serum prostate specific antigen (PSA level. Chronic prostatitis, unlike acute prostatitis, is difficult to diagnose reliably and accurately on the clinical grounds alone. Not only this, it is also challenging to differentiate chronic prostatitis from prostate cancer with imaging modalities like TRUS and conventional MR Imaging, as the findings can mimic those of prostate cancer. Even biopsy doesn't play promising role in the diagnosis of chronic prostatitis as it has limited sensitivity and specificity. As a result of this, chronic prostatitis may be misdiagnosed as a malignant condition and end up in aggressive surgical management resulting in increased morbidity. This warrants the need of reliable diagnostic tool which has ability not only to diagnose it reliably but also to differentiate it from the prostate cancer. Recently, it is suggested that multiparametric MR Imaging of the prostate could improve the diagnostic accuracy of the prostate cancer. This review is based on the critically published literature and aims to provide an overview of multiparamateric MRI techniques in the diagnosis of chronic prostatitis and its differentiation from prostate cancer.

  1. Combined phase and X-Ray fluorescence imaging at the sub-cellular level

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kosior, Ewelina

    2013-01-01

    This work presents some recent developments in the field of hard X-ray imaging applied to biomedical research. As the discipline is evolving quickly, new questions appear and the list of needs becomes bigger. Some of them are dealt with in this manuscript. It has been shown that the ID22NI beamline of the ESRF can serve as a proper experimental setup to investigate diverse aspects of cellular research. Together with its high spatial resolution, high flux and high energy range the experimental setup provides bigger field of view, is less sensitive to radiation damages (while taking phase contrast images) and suits well chemical analysis with emphasis on endogenous metals (Zn, Fe, Mn) but also with a possibility for exogenous one's like these found in nanoparticles (Au, Pt, Ag) study. Two synchrotron-based imaging techniques, fluorescence and phase contrast imaging were used in this research project. They were correlated with each other on a number of biological cases, from bacteria E.coli to various cells (HEK 293, PC12, MRC5VA, red blood cells). The explorations made in the chapter 5 allowed preparation of more established and detailed analysis, described in the next chapter where both techniques, X-ray fluorescence and phase contrast imaging, were exploited in order to access absolute metal projected mass fraction in a whole cell. The final image presents for the first time true quantitative information at the sub-cellular level, not biased by the cell thickness. Thus for the first time a fluorescence map serves as a complete quantitative image of a cell without any risk of misinterpretation. Once both maps are divided by each other pixel by pixel (fluorescence map divided by the phase map) they present a complete and final result of the metal (Zn in this work) projected mass fraction in ppm of dry weight. For the purpose of this calculation the analysis was extended to calibration (non-biological) samples. Polystyrene spheres of a known diameter and known

  2. Cellular mesoblastic nephroma (infantile renal fibrosarcoma): institutional review of the clinical, diagnostic imaging, and pathologic features of a distinctive neoplasm of infancy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bayindir, Petek; Guillerman, Robert Paul; Hicks, M.J.; Chintagumpala, M.M.

    2009-01-01

    Cellular mesoblastic nephroma has been associated with a more aggressive course than classic mesoblastic nephroma, including local recurrences and metastases. To define the clinicopathologic and imaging features distinguishing cellular from classic mesoblastic nephroma. Retrospective review of clinical charts and imaging studies of ten children with mesoblastic nephroma from 1996 to 2007 at a large children's hospital. In six children the mesoblastic nephroma was pure cellular, in two mixed, and in two classic. The mean ages at diagnosis were 107 days for those with the cellular form, and 32 days for those with the classic form. Hypoechoic or low-attenuation regions representing necrosis or hemorrhage were found in all children with the cellular form and in none of those with the classic form. Hypertension was present in 70% and hypercalcemia in 20% of the children and resolved following nephrectomy. Two cellular tumors encased major abdominal vessels. Local recurrence and metastases occurred within 6 months of tumor resection in two children with the cellular form. Intraspinal extension and intratumoral pseudoaneurysm were seen in one child with the cellular form. The cellular tumors shared histopathologic features with infantile fibrosarcoma (IFS), and RT-PCR testing in two children with the cellular form revealed the t(12;15) ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusion common to IFS. Distinct from the classic form, cellular mesoblastic nephroma is more heterogeneous in appearance on imaging, tends to be larger and present later in infancy, and can exhibit aggressive behavior including vascular encasement and metastasis. Intraspinal extension and intratumoral pseudoaneurysm are previously unreported findings encountered in our cellular mesoblastic nephroma series. The shared histopathology and translocation gene fusion support the concept of cellular mesoblastic nephroma as the renal form of IFS. (orig.)

  3. Modeling the properties of closed-cell cellular materials from tomography images using finite shell elements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Caty, O.; Maire, E.; Youssef, S.; Bouchet, R.

    2008-01-01

    Closed-cell cellular materials exhibit several interesting properties. These properties are, however, very difficult to simulate and understand from the knowledge of the cellular microstructure. This problem is mostly due to the highly complex organization of the cells and to their very fine walls. X-ray tomography can produce three-dimensional (3-D) images of the structure, enabling one to visualize locally the damage of the cell walls that would result in the structure collapsing. These data could be used for meshing with continuum elements of the structure for finite element (FE) calculations. But when the density is very low, the walls are fine and the meshes based on continuum elements are not suitable to represent accurately the structure while preserving the representativeness of the model in terms of cell size. This paper presents a shell FE model obtained from tomographic 3-D images that allows bigger volumes of low-density closed-cell cellular materials to be calculated. The model is enriched by direct thickness measurement on the tomographic images. The values measured are ascribed to the shell elements. To validate and use the model, a structure composed of stainless steel hollow spheres is firstly compressed and scanned to observe local deformations. The tomographic data are also meshed with shells for a FE calculation. The convergence of the model is checked and its performance is compared with a continuum model. The global behavior is compared with the measures of the compression test. At the local scale, the model allows the local stress and strain field to be calculated. The calculated deformed shape is compared with the deformed tomographic images

  4. Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Does Not Contribute to the Diagnosis of Chronic Neuroborreliosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aalto, A.; Sjoewall, J.; Davidsson, L.; Forsberg, P.; Smedby, Oe. [Div. of Radiology, Dept. of Medicine and Care, and Div. of Infectious Diseases, Dept. of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Linkoeping Univ., Linkoeping (Sweden)

    2007-09-15

    Background: Borrelia infections, especially chronic neuroborreliosis (NB), may cause considerable diagnostic problems. This diagnosis is based on symptoms and findings in the cerebrospinal fluid but is not always conclusive. Purpose: To evaluate brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in chronic NB, to compare the findings with healthy controls, and to correlate MRI findings with disease duration. Material and Methods: Sixteen well-characterized patients with chronic NB and 16 matched controls were examined in a 1.5T scanner with a standard head coil. T1- (with and without gadolinium), T2-, and diffusion-weighted imaging plus fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging were used. Results: White matter lesions and lesions in the basal ganglia were seen in 12 patients and 10 controls (no significant difference). Subependymal lesions were detected in patients down to the age of 25 and in the controls down to the age of 43. The number of lesions was correlated to age both in patients ( = 0.83, P<0.01) and in controls ( = 0.61, P<0.05), but not to the duration of disease. Most lesions were detected with FLAIR, but many also with T2-weighted imaging. Conclusion: A number of MRI findings were detected in patients with chronic NB, although the findings were unspecific when compared with matched controls and did not correlate with disease duration. However, subependymal lesions may constitute a potential finding in chronic NB.

  5. Magnetic resonance imaging in chronic liver disease evaluated in relation to hepatic fibrosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohno, Akihiko; Ohta, Yasuhiko; Ohtomo, Kuni

    1990-01-01

    In 21 patients with chronic liver disease, the ratio of liver to muscle signal intensity on T 1 -weighted images was negatively correlated with the progression of hepatic fibrosis defined according to findings by laparoscopy and liver biopsy, and differentiated six patients with early chronic hepatitis from eight with liver cirrhosis. On T 2 -weighted images, the number of low intensity nodules comparable in size to regenerating nodules surrounded by connective tissues showed a positive correlation with stage. When hepatic fibrosis with no necrosis or fat infiltration was induced in rats, T 2 values were positively correlated with hepatic hydroxyproline content, though there was no such correlation for T 1 values. These results suggest that MR imaging may be useful for determining the progression of hepatic fibrosis in chronic liver disease. T 2 values may directly reflect hepatic fibrosis. (author)

  6. Long-term imaging in awake mice using removable cranial windows

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glickfeld, Lindsey L.; Kerlin, Aaron M.; Reid, R. Clay; Bonin, Vincent; Schafer, Dorothy P.; Andermann, Mark L.

    2015-01-01

    Cranial window implants in head-fixed rodents are becoming a preparation of choice for stable optical access to large areas of cortex over extended periods of time. Here, we provide a highly detailed and reliable surgical protocol for a cranial window implantation procedure for chronic widefield and cellular imaging in awake, head-fixed mice, which enables subsequent window removal and replacement in the weeks and months following the initial craniotomy. This protocol has facilitated awake, chronic imaging in adolescent as well as adult mice over several months from a large number of cortical brain regions; targeted virus and tracer injections from data obtained using prior awake functional mapping; and functionally-targeted two-photon imaging across all cortical layers in awake mice using a microprism attachment to the cranial window. Collectively, these procedures extend the reach of chronic imaging of cortical function and dysfunction in behaving animals. PMID:25275789

  7. MR imaging, proton MR spectroscopy, ultrasonographic, histologic findings in patients with chronic lymphedema.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fumiere, E; Leduc, O; Fourcade, S; Becker, C; Garbar, C; Demeure, R; Wilputte, F; Leduc, A; Delcour, C

    2007-12-01

    Lymphedema is a progressive disease with multiple alterations occurring in the dermis. We undertook this study using high-frequency ultrasonography (US), magnetic resonance imaging, proton MR spectroscopy and histology to examine structural changes occurring in the subcutaneous tissue and precisely describe the nature of intralobular changes in chronic lymphedema. Four cutaneous and subcutaneous tissue biopsies from patients with chronic lymphedema during lymphonodal transplantation were studied. We performed US with a 13.5 MHz transducer, TSE T1 and TSE T2 magnetic resonance images with and without fat-suppression, MR Chemical Shift Imaging Spectroscopy and histological evaluation on these biopsies. We found that normal subcutaneous septa are seen as hyperechogenic lines in US and hyposignal lines in MRI and that hyperechogenic subcutis in US can be due to interlobular and intralobular water accumulation and/or to interlobular and intralobular fibrosis. Our study also confirms the usefulness of MR spectroscopy to assess water or fat content of soft tissue. Thus, multiple imaging modalities may be necessary to precisely delineate the nature of tissue alterations in chronic lymphedema.

  8. Cellular Imaging at 1.5 T: Detecting Cells in Neuroinflammation using Active Labeling with Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayman J. Oweida

    2004-04-01

    Full Text Available The ability to visualize cell infiltration in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE, a well-known animal model for multiple sclerosis in humans, was investigated using a clinical 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scanner, a custom-built, high-strength gradient coil insert, a 3-D fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (FIESTA imaging sequence and a superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO contrast agent. An “active labeling” approach was used with SPIO administered intravenously during inflammation in EAE. Our results show that small, discrete regions of signal void corresponding to iron accumulation in EAE brain can be detected using FIESTA at 1.5 T. This work provides early evidence that cellular abnormalities that are the basis of diseases can be probed using cellular MRI and supports our earlier work which indicates that tracking of iron-labeled cells will be possible using clinical MR scanners.

  9. Body image of children and adolescents with chronic illness: a meta-analytic comparison with healthy peers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinquart, M

    2013-03-01

    This meta-analysis integrates results from 330 studies on differences between body image of children and adolescents with and without chronic physical illness. Young people with a chronic illness had a less positive body image than their healthy peers although the average size of differences was small (g=-.30 standard deviation units). A comparison of diseases showed that young people with obesity (g=-.79), cystic fibrosis (g=-.50), scoliosis (g=-.41), asthma (g=-.37), growth hormone deficits (g=-.35), spina bifida (g=-.23), cancer (g=-.20), and diabetes (g=-.17) evaluated their body less positively than their healthy peers. Furthermore, levels of body dissatisfaction varied by age at onset of the disease, method for assessing body image, ethnicity, year of publication, and comparison group. Recommendations are stated for reducing effects of chronic illness on the body image of people with chronic illness. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Structural classification of proteins using texture descriptors extracted from the cellular automata image.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kavianpour, Hamidreza; Vasighi, Mahdi

    2017-02-01

    Nowadays, having knowledge about cellular attributes of proteins has an important role in pharmacy, medical science and molecular biology. These attributes are closely correlated with the function and three-dimensional structure of proteins. Knowledge of protein structural class is used by various methods for better understanding the protein functionality and folding patterns. Computational methods and intelligence systems can have an important role in performing structural classification of proteins. Most of protein sequences are saved in databanks as characters and strings and a numerical representation is essential for applying machine learning methods. In this work, a binary representation of protein sequences is introduced based on reduced amino acids alphabets according to surrounding hydrophobicity index. Many important features which are hidden in these long binary sequences can be clearly displayed through their cellular automata images. The extracted features from these images are used to build a classification model by support vector machine. Comparing to previous studies on the several benchmark datasets, the promising classification rates obtained by tenfold cross-validation imply that the current approach can help in revealing some inherent features deeply hidden in protein sequences and improve the quality of predicting protein structural class.

  11. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmid-Tannwald, C.; Reiser, M.F.; Zech, C.J.

    2011-01-01

    Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) provides qualitative and quantitative information of tissue cellularity and the integrity of cellular membranes. Since DW-MRI can be performed without ionizing radiation exposure and contrast media application, DW-MRI is a particularly attractive tool for patients with allergies for gadolinium-based contrast agents or renal failure. Recent technical developments have made DW-MRI a robust and feasible technique for abdominal imaging. DW-MRI provides information on the detection and characterization of focal liver lesions and can also visualize treatment effects and early changes in chronic liver disease. In addition DW-MRI is a promising tool for the detection of inflammatory changes in patients with Crohn's disease. (orig.) [de

  12. Movies of cellular and sub-cellular motion by digital holographic microscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu Lingfeng

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Many biological specimens, such as living cells and their intracellular components, often exhibit very little amplitude contrast, making it difficult for conventional bright field microscopes to distinguish them from their surroundings. To overcome this problem phase contrast techniques such as Zernike, Normarsky and dark-field microscopies have been developed to improve specimen visibility without chemically or physically altering them by the process of staining. These techniques have proven to be invaluable tools for studying living cells and furthering scientific understanding of fundamental cellular processes such as mitosis. However a drawback of these techniques is that direct quantitative phase imaging is not possible. Quantitative phase imaging is important because it enables determination of either the refractive index or optical thickness variations from the measured optical path length with sub-wavelength accuracy. Digital holography is an emergent phase contrast technique that offers an excellent approach in obtaining both qualitative and quantitative phase information from the hologram. A CCD camera is used to record a hologram onto a computer and numerical methods are subsequently applied to reconstruct the hologram to enable direct access to both phase and amplitude information. Another attractive feature of digital holography is the ability to focus on multiple focal planes from a single hologram, emulating the focusing control of a conventional microscope. Methods A modified Mach-Zender off-axis setup in transmission is used to record and reconstruct a number of holographic amplitude and phase images of cellular and sub-cellular features. Results Both cellular and sub-cellular features are imaged with sub-micron, diffraction-limited resolution. Movies of holographic amplitude and phase images of living microbes and cells are created from a series of holograms and reconstructed with numerically adjustable

  13. Surgical approaches to chronic pancreatitis: indications and imaging findings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hafezi-Nejad, Nima; Singh, Vikesh K; Johnson, Stephen I; Makary, Martin A; Hirose, Kenzo; Fishman, Elliot K; Zaheer, Atif

    2016-10-01

    Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is an irreversible, inflammatory process characterized by progressive fibrosis of the pancreas that can result in abdominal pain, exocrine insufficiency, and diabetes. Inadequate pain relief using medical and/or endoscopic therapies is an indication for surgery. The surgical management of CP is centered around three main operations including pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (DPPHR) and drainage procedures, and total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT). PD is the method of choice when there is a high suspicion for malignancy. Combined drainage and resection procedures are associated with pain relief, higher quality of life, and superior short-term and long-term survival in comparison with the PD. TPIAT is a reemerging treatment that may be promising in subjects with intractable pain and impaired quality of life. Imaging examinations have an extensive role in pre-operative and post-operative evaluation of CP patients. Pre-operative advanced imaging examinations including CT and MRI can detect hallmarks of CP such as calcifications, pancreatic duct dilatation, chronic pseudocysts, focal pancreatic enlargement, and biliary ductal dilatation. Post-operative findings may include periportal hepatic edema, pneumobilia, perivascular cuffing and mild pancreatic duct dilation. Imaging can also be useful in the detection of post-operative complications including obstructions, anastomotic leaks, and vascular lesions. Imaging helps identify unique post-operative findings associated with TPIAT and may aid in predicting viability and function of the transplanted islet cells. In this review, we explore surgical indications as well as pre-operative and post-operative imaging findings associated with surgical options that are typically performed for CP patients.

  14. MR imaging in solvent-induced chronic toxic encephalopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thuomas, K.AA.; Moeller, C.; Oedkvist, L.M.; Flodin, U.; Dige, N.

    1996-01-01

    To use MR to examine patients with CNS symptoms indicating chronic intoxication. Thirty-two subjects exposed to industrial solvents for 5 to 28 years and 40 age-matched, healthy controls were examined. All patients showed decreased signal in the basal ganglia on T2-weighted images. In 11 of the patients the white matter showed diffuse hyperintensity with loss of the grey-white matter discrimination and with distinct periventricular hyperintensities in 5 of the patients. The controls had no pathological changes in the brain. Although the relatively small number of patients may obscure the significance, findings observed on T2-weighted images were patchy periventricular hyperintensities and hypointensities in the basal ganglia. Fast spin-echo is a good technique with fast acquisition of images with true spin-echo contrast features. (orig.)

  15. A related study of the CT imaging of the chronic low back pain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhan Zhigang

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To study the clinical application of the CT imaging in patients with chronic low back pain. Methods: CT images were retrospectively analyzed in 164 cases of chronic low back pain. All the cases were diagnosed with CT imaging, or confirmed by operation, or proved in follow-up. Results: Intervertebral disc bulging in different level as a result from the degeneration of the disc was found in 148 cases (90.24%) out of 164. Disc protrusion was presented in 129 cases(78.66%). Bony narrowing of the spinal canal was revealed in 33 cases(20.12%). Degenerative lumbar spinal instability yielded in 14 cases (8.5%). Ossification or calcification of posterior longitudinal ligament was seen in 26 cases (15.85%). Thickening of ligamenta flava was shown in the 22 eases (13.41%). Conclusion: Chronic low back pain is mainly caused by the disorders of the intervertebral disc, which has typical CT findings: narrowed spinal canal or lateral recess. Ossification or calcification of posterior longitudinal ligament also plays a role in low back pain. An accurate interpretation of the CT images is essential for the clinical management. (authors)

  16. Achillodynia. Radiological imaging of acute and chronic overuse injuries of the Achilles tendon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Syha, R.; Springer, F.; Grosse, U.; Tuebingen Univ.; Ketelsen, D.; Kramer, U.; Horger, M.; Ipach, I.; Schick, F.

    2013-01-01

    In the past decades the incidence of acute and chronic disorders of the Achilles tendon associated with sport-induced overuse has steadily increased. Besides acute complete or partial ruptures, achillodynia (Achilles tendon pain syndrome), which is often associated with tendon degeneration, represents the most challenging entity regarding clinical diagnostics and therapy. Therefore, the use of imaging techniques to differentiate tendon disorders and even characterize structure alterations is of growing interest. This review article discusses the potential of different imaging techniques with respect to the diagnosis of acute and chronic tendon disorders. In this context, the most commonly used imaging techniques are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), B-mode ultrasound, and color-coded Doppler ultrasound (US). These modalities allow the detection of acute tendon ruptures and advanced chronic tendon disorders. However, the main disadvantages are still the low capabilities in the detection of early-stage degeneration and difficulties in the assessment of treatment responses during follow-up examinations. Furthermore, differentiation between chronic partial ruptures and degeneration remains challenging. The automatic contour detection and texture analysis may allow a more objective and quantitative interpretation, which might be helpful in the monitoring of tendon diseases during follow-up examinations. Other techniques to quantify tendon-specific MR properties, e.g. based on ultrashort echo time (UTE) sequences, also seem to have great potential with respect to the precise detection of degenerative tendon disorders and their differentiation at a very early stage. (orig.)

  17. A cryptosystem based on elementary cellular automata

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdo, A. A.; Lian, Shiguo; Ismail, I. A.; Amin, M.; Diab, H.

    2013-01-01

    Based on elementary cellular automata, a new image encryption algorithm is proposed in this paper. In this algorithm, a special kind of periodic boundary cellular automata with unity attractors is used. From the viewpoint of security, the number of cellular automata attractor states are changed with respect to the encrypted image, and different key streams are used to encrypt different plain images. The cellular neural network with chaotic properties is used as the generator of a pseudo-random key stream. Theoretical analysis and experimental results have both confirmed that the proposed algorithm possesses high security level and good performances against differential and statistical attacks. The comparison with other existing schemes is given, which shows the superiority of the proposal scheme.

  18. Imaging regional variation of cellular proliferation in gliomas using 3'-deoxy-3'-[18F]fluorothymidine positron-emission tomography: an image-guided biopsy study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Price, S.J.; Fryer, T.D.; Cleij, M.C.; Dean, A.F.; Joseph, J.; Salvador, R.; Wang, D.D.; Hutchinson, P.J.; Clark, J.C.; Burnet, N.G.; Pickard, J.D.; Aigbirhio, F.I.

    2009-01-01

    Aim: To compare regional variations in uptake of 3'-deoxy-3'- [ 18 F]-fluorothymidine (FLT) images using positron-emission tomography (PET) with measures of cellular proliferation from biopsy specimens obtained by image-guided brain biopsies. Materials and methods: Fourteen patients with a supratentorial glioma that required an image-guided brain biopsy were imaged preoperatively with dynamic PET after the administration of FLT. Maps of FLT irreversible uptake rate (K i ) and standardized uptake value (SUV) were calculated. These maps were co-registered to a gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted spoiled gradient echo (SPGR) sequence that was used for biopsy guidance, and the mean and maximum K i and SUV determined for each biopsy site. These values were correlated with the MIB-1 labelling index (a tissue marker of proliferation) from these biopsy sites. Results: A total of 57 biopsy sites were studied. Although all measures correlated with MIB-1 labelling index, K i max provided the best correlation (Pearson coefficient, r = 0.68; p i mean (±SD) was significantly higher than in normal tissue (3.3 ± 1.7 x 10 -3 ml plasma /min/ml tissue versus 1.2 ± 0.7 x 10 -3 ml plasma /min/ml tissue ; p = 0.001). High-grade gliomas showed heterogeneous uptake with a mean K i of 7.7 ± 4 x 10 -3 ml plasma /min/ml tissue . A threshold K i mean of 1.8 x 10 -3 differentiates between normal tissue and tumour (sensitivity 84%, specificity 88%); however, the latter threshold underestimated the extent of tumour in half the cases. SUV closely agreed with K i measurements. Conclusion: FLT PET is a useful marker of cellular proliferation that correlates with regional variation in cellular proliferation; however, it is unable to identify the margin of gliomas

  19. Imaging of chronic osteomyelitis; Chronische Infektionen des Skelettsystems. Bildgebende Diagnostik

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Glaser, C.; Matzko, M.; Reiser, M. [Klinikum Grosshadern, Muenchen (Germany). Inst. fuer Radiologische Diagnostik

    2000-06-01

    The diagnosis of chronic osteomyelitis is made on the basis of clinical, radiologic and histologic findings. The role of imaging in patients with known chronic osteomyelitis is to detect and to delineate areas of active infection. To correctly interpret the imaging findings, it is essential to take both the individual clinical findings and previous imaging studies into account. Reliable signs of active infection are bone marrow abscess, sequestra and sinus tract formation. Only the combined evaluation of bony changes together with alterations of the adjacent soft tissues provides good diagnostic accuracy. Projection radiography gives an overview of the condition of the bone, which provides the basis for follow-up and the selection of further imaging modalities. Computed tomography can be used to evaluate even discrete or complex bony alterations and to guide percutaneous biopsy or drainage. Magnetic resonance imaging achieves the best diagnostic sensitivity and specificity and provides superior contrast as well as anatomical resolution in both bone marrow and soft tissues. In this paper the features and clinical relevance of imaging in primary chronic osteomyelitis, posttraumatic osteomyelitis, tuberculous spondylitis and osteomyelitis of the diabetic foot are reviewed, with particular respect to MRI. (orig.) [German] Die Diagnose der chronischen Osteomyelitis wird durch Klinik, Bildgebung und Histologie gestellt. Bei bekannter chronischer Osteomyelitis soll die Bildgebung einen floriden Prozess und die betroffenen Kompartimente herausarbeiten. Die Klinik des Patienten, seine individuelle Krankheitskonstellation und die Verlaufsbeobachtung sind essentiell fuer die Befundinterpretation. Erst die kombinierte Beurteilung der Veraenderungen am Knochen selbst sowie die der umgebenden Weichteile fuehrt zu einer validen Aussage. Sichere Zeichen einer floriden Osteomyelitis sind lediglich (Knochenmarks)abzess, Sequester und Fistelgang. Die Projektionsradiographie gibt

  20. Multimodal imaging of the human knee down to the cellular level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulz, G.; Götz, C.; Müller-Gerbl, M.; Zanette, I.; Zdora, M.-C.; Khimchenko, A.; Deyhle, H.; Thalmann, P.; Müller, B.

    2017-06-01

    Computed tomography reaches the best spatial resolution for the three-dimensional visualization of human tissues among the available nondestructive clinical imaging techniques. Nowadays, sub-millimeter voxel sizes are regularly obtained. Regarding investigations on true micrometer level, lab-based micro-CT (μCT) has become gold standard. The aim of the present study is firstly the hierarchical investigation of a human knee post mortem using hard X-ray μCT and secondly a multimodal imaging using absorption and phase contrast modes in order to investigate hard (bone) and soft (cartilage) tissues on the cellular level. After the visualization of the entire knee using a clinical CT, a hierarchical imaging study was performed using the lab-system nanotom® m. First, the entire knee was measured with a pixel length of 65 μm. The highest resolution with a pixel length of 3 μm could be achieved after extracting cylindrically shaped plugs from the femoral bones. For the visualization of the cartilage, grating-based phase contrast μCT (I13-2, Diamond Light Source) was performed. With an effective voxel size of 2.3 μm it was possible to visualize individual chondrocytes within the cartilage.

  1. High-resolution cellular MRI: gadolinium and iron oxide nanoparticles for in-depth dual-cell imaging of engineered tissue constructs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Corato, Riccardo; Gazeau, Florence; Le Visage, Catherine; Fayol, Delphine; Levitz, Pierre; Lux, François; Letourneur, Didier; Luciani, Nathalie; Tillement, Olivier; Wilhelm, Claire

    2013-09-24

    Recent advances in cell therapy and tissue engineering opened new windows for regenerative medicine, but still necessitate innovative noninvasive imaging technologies. We demonstrate that high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows combining cellular-scale resolution with the ability to detect two cell types simultaneously at any tissue depth. Two contrast agents, based on iron oxide and gadolinium oxide rigid nanoplatforms, were used to "tattoo" endothelial cells and stem cells, respectively, with no impact on cell functions, including their capacity for differentiation. The labeled cells' contrast properties were optimized for simultaneous MRI detection: endothelial cells and stem cells seeded together in a polysaccharide-based scaffold material for tissue engineering appeared respectively in black and white and could be tracked, at the cellular level, both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, endothelial cells labeled with iron oxide nanoparticles could be remotely manipulated by applying a magnetic field, allowing the creation of vessel substitutes with in-depth detection of individual cellular components.

  2. Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis: chronic imaging findings and review of the medical literature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weigle, Jeffrey P.; Broome, Dale R.

    2008-01-01

    Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is a systemic fibrosing disorder which has been strongly associated with exposure to gadolinium-based contrast media (GBCM) in the setting of renal insufficiency. Although this disorder primarily affects the skin, it can result in severe joint contractures, disabilities and even death. However, to date, there have been no published studies reporting chronic imaging findings of NSF. In this report we present three biopsy-proven cases of NSF with the associated chronic MRI, radiographic and bone scintigraphy findings. Two of the patients had been exposed to gadodiamide, and one had been exposed to gadopentetate dimeglumine prior to the onset of NSF. Two are newly reported cases. One patient's subacute imaging findings have previously been reported, but significant chronic images will now be presented. This patient became severely disabled from contractures and developed long bone smooth periosteal reaction, extensive intra-articular and periarticular calcifications, musculotendinous heterotopic ossification and ankylosis of several joints. One of the patients underwent renal transplantation 6 months after GBCM exposure, with near complete resolution of the skin fibrosis. The third patient had persistent MRI findings of skin thickening, with low T1 and high T2 signal intensity 5 years after exposure to gadodiamide. A review of the medical literature is provided, emphasizing the association of NSF with various GBCM. These cases broaden our understanding of the long-term imaging findings and complications of NSF and the stratified risk of NSF with various GBCM. (orig.)

  3. Chronic granulomatous disease: Value of the newer imaging modalities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stricof, D.D.; Glazer, M.; Amendola, A.

    1984-01-01

    The contribution of computed tomography (CT), ultrasound (US), and nuclear medicine studies in the evaluation and management of seven patients with chronic granulatous disease was retrospectively reviewed. These modalities proved valuable in detecting sites of infection, particularly in the abdomen. Three patients had liver abscesses, two had suppurative retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy, one had empyema, and one hand a scrotal abscess. Furthermore, CT or US-guided percutaneous aspiration and/or drainage of infected material was successfully performed on three separate occasions in a single patient, obviating the need for surgery. The newer imaging modalities are useful in the prompt diagnosis and in some instances non-operative therapy of complications of chronic granulomatous disease. (orig.)

  4. Role of radio-aerosol and perfusion lung imaging in early detection of chronic obstructive lung disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Garg, A; Pande, J N; Guleria, J S; Gopinath, P G

    1983-04-01

    The efficacy of radio-aerosol and perfusion lung imaging in the early detection of chronic obstructive lung disease was evaluated in 38 subjects. The subjects included 5 non-smokers, 21 smokers with minimal or no respiratory symptoms and 12 patients with chronic obstructive lung disease. Each subject consented to a respiratory questionaire, detailed physical examination, chest X-ray examinations, detailed pulmonary function tests and sup(99m)Tc-radioaerosol-inhalation lung imaging. Perfusion lung imaging with sup(99m)Tc-labelled macroaggregated albumin was performed in 22 subjects. A significant correlation (P<0.001) was observed between the degree of abnormalities on radio-aerosol imaging and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) including forced expiratory volume in 1 s, maximum midexpiratory flow rate and mean transit time analysis. Abnormal radio-aerosol patterns and deranged PFTs were observed in 21 subjects each. Of 21 subjects with abnormal radioaerosol pattern 8 had normal PFTs. Of 21 subjects with abnormal PFTs 8 had normal aerosol images. Aerosol lung images and PFTs were abnormal more frequently than perfusion lung images. The results suggest that radio-aerosol lung imaging is as sensitive an indicator as PFTs for early detection of chronic obstructive lung disease and can be usefully combined with PFTs for early detection of alteration in pulmonary physiology in smokers.

  5. MR imaging identification of white-matter lesions in uncomplicated chronic alcoholism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gallucci, M.; Amicarelli, I.; DiCesare, E.; Rossi, A.; Stratta, P.; Casacchia, M.; Passariello, R.

    1987-01-01

    Chronic alcoholics may have central nervous system (CNS) lesions, such as microvasculitis, or glial, neural, and myelinic degeneration, as has been documented in postmortem studies on patients with Wernicke disease, corpus callosum degeneration, or central pontine myelinolisis. The presence of early white matter diseases can aslo be projected in patients not suffering the neurologic complications of alcoholism. Thirty-five alcoholics (DSM-III criteria) and 35 healthy controls underwent MR imaging at 0.5 T (repetition time/echo time = 1,800/30-120 msec). Subjects older than 60 years or who had CNS injuries or clinically evident hepatopathies were excluded. Besides the aspecific corticosubcortical and cerebellar atrophy, MR imaging disclosed multiple round hyperintense areas in the white matter of 14 patients but in none of the healthy controls. These results suggest early involvement of the brain in chronic alcoholism

  6. Super-resolution imaging and tracking of protein-protein interactions in sub-diffraction cellular space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhen; Xing, Dong; Su, Qian Peter; Zhu, Yun; Zhang, Jiamei; Kong, Xinyu; Xue, Boxin; Wang, Sheng; Sun, Hao; Tao, Yile; Sun, Yujie

    2014-07-01

    Imaging the location and dynamics of individual interacting protein pairs is essential but often difficult because of the fluorescent background from other paired and non-paired molecules, particularly in the sub-diffraction cellular space. Here we develop a new method combining bimolecular fluorescence complementation and photoactivated localization microscopy for super-resolution imaging and single-molecule tracking of specific protein-protein interactions. The method is used to study the interaction of two abundant proteins, MreB and EF-Tu, in Escherichia coli cells. The super-resolution imaging shows interesting distribution and domain sizes of interacting MreB-EF-Tu pairs as a subpopulation of total EF-Tu. The single-molecule tracking of MreB, EF-Tu and MreB-EF-Tu pairs reveals intriguing localization-dependent heterogonous dynamics and provides valuable insights to understanding the roles of MreB-EF-Tu interactions.

  7. Super-resolution imaging and tracking of protein–protein interactions in sub-diffraction cellular space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhen; Xing, Dong; Su, Qian Peter; Zhu, Yun; Zhang, Jiamei; Kong, Xinyu; Xue, Boxin; Wang, Sheng; Sun, Hao; Tao, Yile; Sun, Yujie

    2014-01-01

    Imaging the location and dynamics of individual interacting protein pairs is essential but often difficult because of the fluorescent background from other paired and non-paired molecules, particularly in the sub-diffraction cellular space. Here we develop a new method combining bimolecular fluorescence complementation and photoactivated localization microscopy for super-resolution imaging and single-molecule tracking of specific protein–protein interactions. The method is used to study the interaction of two abundant proteins, MreB and EF-Tu, in Escherichia coli cells. The super-resolution imaging shows interesting distribution and domain sizes of interacting MreB–EF-Tu pairs as a subpopulation of total EF-Tu. The single-molecule tracking of MreB, EF-Tu and MreB–EF-Tu pairs reveals intriguing localization-dependent heterogonous dynamics and provides valuable insights to understanding the roles of MreB–EF-Tu interactions. PMID:25030837

  8. Confocal imaging of whole vertebrate embryos reveals novel insights into molecular and cellular mechanisms of organ development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadel, Diana M.; Keller, Bradley B.; Sandell, Lisa L.

    2014-03-01

    Confocal microscopy has been an invaluable tool for studying cellular or sub-cellular biological processes. The study of vertebrate embryology is based largely on examination of whole embryos and organs. The application of confocal microscopy to immunostained whole mount embryos, combined with three dimensional (3D) image reconstruction technologies, opens new avenues for synthesizing molecular, cellular and anatomical analysis of vertebrate development. Optical cropping of the region of interest enables visualization of structures that are morphologically complex or obscured, and solid surface rendering of fluorescent signal facilitates understanding of 3D structures. We have applied these technologies to whole mount immunostained mouse embryos to visualize developmental morphogenesis of the mammalian inner ear and heart. Using molecular markers of neuron development and transgenic reporters of neural crest cell lineage we have examined development of inner ear neurons that originate from the otic vesicle, along with the supporting glial cells that derive from the neural crest. The image analysis reveals a previously unrecognized coordinated spatial organization between migratory neural crest cells and neurons of the cochleovestibular nerve. The images also enable visualization of early cochlear spiral nerve morphogenesis relative to the developing cochlea, demonstrating a heretofore unknown association of neural crest cells with extending peripheral neurite projections. We performed similar analysis of embryonic hearts in mouse and chick, documenting the distribution of adhesion molecules during septation of the outflow tract and remodeling of aortic arches. Surface rendering of lumen space defines the morphology in a manner similar to resin injection casting and micro-CT.

  9. A Simple BODIPY-Based Viscosity Probe for Imaging of Cellular Viscosity in Live Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dongdong Su

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Intracellular viscosity is a fundamental physical parameter that indicates the functioning of cells. In this work, we developed a simple boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY-based probe, BTV, for cellular mitochondria viscosity imaging by coupling a simple BODIPY rotor with a mitochondria-targeting unit. The BTV exhibited a significant fluorescence intensity enhancement of more than 100-fold as the solvent viscosity increased. Also, the probe showed a direct linear relationship between the fluorescence lifetime and the media viscosity, which makes it possible to trace the change of the medium viscosity. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that BTV could achieve practical applicability in the monitoring of mitochondrial viscosity changes in live cells through fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM.

  10. Intact skull chronic windows for mesoscopic wide-field imaging in awake mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silasi, Gergely; Xiao, Dongsheng; Vanni, Matthieu P.; Chen, Andrew C. N.; Murphy, Timothy H.

    2016-01-01

    Background Craniotomy-based window implants are commonly used for microscopic imaging, in head-fixed rodents, however their field of view is typically small and incompatible with mesoscopic functional mapping of cortex. New Method We describe a reproducible and simple procedure for chronic through-bone wide-field imaging in awake head-fixed mice providing stable optical access for chronic imaging over large areas of the cortex for months. Results The preparation is produced by applying clear-drying dental cement to the intact mouse skull, followed by a glass coverslip to create a partially transparent imaging surface. Surgery time takes about 30 minutes. A single set-screw provides a stable means of attachment for mesoscale assessment without obscuring the cortical field of view. Comparison with Existing Methods We demonstrate the utility of this method by showing seed-pixel functional connectivity maps generated from spontaneous cortical activity of GCAMP6 signals in both awake and anesthetized mice. Conclusions We propose that the intact skull preparation described here may be used for most longitudinal studies that do not require micron scale resolution and where cortical neural or vascular signals are recorded with intrinsic sensors. PMID:27102043

  11. Patients with HBV-related acute-on-chronic liver failure have increased concentrations of extracellular histones aggravating cellular damage and systemic inflammation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, X; Gou, C; Yao, L; Lei, Z; Gu, T; Ren, F; Wen, T

    2017-01-01

    Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is the most common type of liver failure and associated with grave consequences. Systemic inflammation has been linked to its pathogenesis and outcome, but the identifiable triggers are absent. Recently, extracellular histones, especially H4, have been recognized as important mediators of cell damage in various inflammatory conditions. This study aimed to investigate whether extracellular histones have clinical implications in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related ACLF. One hundred and twelve patients with HBV-related ACLF, 90 patients with chronic hepatitis B, 88 patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis and 40 healthy volunteers were entered into this study. Plasma histone H4 levels, cytokine profile and clinical data were obtained. Besides, patient's sera were incubated overnight with human L02 hepatocytes or monocytic U937 cells in the presence or absence of antihistone H4 antibody, and cellular damage and cytokine production were evaluated. We found that plasma histone H4 levels were greatly increased in patients with ACLF as compared with chronic hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis and healthy control subjects and were significantly associated with disease severity, systemic inflammation and outcome. Notably, ACLF patients' sera incubation decreased cultured L02 cell integrity and induced profound cytokine production in the supernatant of U937 cells. Antihistone H4 antibody treatment abrogated these adverse effects, thus confirming a cause-effect relationship between extracellular histones and organ injury/dysfunction. The data support the hypothesis that the increased extracellular histone levels in ACLF patients may aggravate disease severity by inducing cellular injury and systemic inflammation. Histone-targeted therapies may have potentially interventional value in clinical practice. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Accurate Classification of Chronic Migraine via Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwedt, Todd J.; Chong, Catherine D.; Wu, Teresa; Gaw, Nathan; Fu, Yinlin; Li, Jing

    2015-01-01

    Background The International Classification of Headache Disorders provides criteria for the diagnosis and subclassification of migraine. Since there is no objective gold standard by which to test these diagnostic criteria, the criteria are based on the consensus opinion of content experts. Accurate migraine classifiers consisting of brain structural measures could serve as an objective gold standard by which to test and revise diagnostic criteria. The objectives of this study were to utilize magnetic resonance imaging measures of brain structure for constructing classifiers: 1) that accurately identify individuals as having chronic vs. episodic migraine vs. being a healthy control; and 2) that test the currently used threshold of 15 headache days/month for differentiating chronic migraine from episodic migraine. Methods Study participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging for determination of regional cortical thickness, cortical surface area, and volume. Principal components analysis combined structural measurements into principal components accounting for 85% of variability in brain structure. Models consisting of these principal components were developed to achieve the classification objectives. Ten-fold cross validation assessed classification accuracy within each of the ten runs, with data from 90% of participants randomly selected for classifier development and data from the remaining 10% of participants used to test classification performance. Headache frequency thresholds ranging from 5–15 headache days/month were evaluated to determine the threshold allowing for the most accurate subclassification of individuals into lower and higher frequency subgroups. Results Participants were 66 migraineurs and 54 healthy controls, 75.8% female, with an average age of 36 +/− 11 years. Average classifier accuracies were: a) 68% for migraine (episodic + chronic) vs. healthy controls; b) 67.2% for episodic migraine vs. healthy controls; c) 86.3% for chronic

  13. Radiolabelled Interleukin-12, a new radiopharmaceutical for imaging chronic TH1-mediated inflammation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Annovazzi, A.; Cornelissen, B.; Slegers, G.; D'Alessandria, C.; Bonanno, E.; Signore, A.

    2003-01-01

    Full text: Cytokines have been extensively used to image inflammatory processes (IL1, IL2, IL6, IL8 and others). In particular, for chronic inflammation, labelled IL2 has been successfully used although it binds to both T helper-1 (Th1) and T helper-2 (Th2) cells. In order to increase the specificity for the detection of Th1-mediated inflammation (i.e. organ specific autoimmune diseases), we considered the possibility to label the interleukin-12 (IL12), an heterodimeric cytokine which play a key role in the development of Th1 cells. Objectives: Aim of the present study was to label the Interleukin-12 with 123I and to test its potential as radiopharmaceutical to image chronic inflammatory disorders. Methods: IL12 was labelled with 123I using the IODOGEN method and purified by gel-filtration chromatography on PD10 columns. 123I-IL12 biodistribution was studied in normal NMRI mice at 1,2 and 4h after injection. A mouse model of autoimmune chronic colitis induced by intrarectal instillation of Trinitrobenzen sulfonic acid (TNBS) has been used for imaging purposes and, as controls, mice receiving 50% ethanol in phosphate buffer saline. Results: 123I-IL12 labelling efficiency ranged between 52-65%. Results of biodistribution studies showed a rapid plasma clearance and a main renal excretion route. No significant 123I-IL12 accumulation in major organs and tissues was observed. 123I-IL12 accumulated in areas of chronic inflamed colon as assessed by histological examination. No significant 123I-IL12 uptake is detectable in mice with acute colitis, confirming the specificity of 123IIL12 binding on its receptors expressed on T-lymphocytes. Conclusions: We conclude that this cytokine could be used for the in vivo imaging of Th1 mediated inflammatory processes. (author)

  14. Cellular immune therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kater, Arnon P.; van Oers, Marinus H. J.; Kipps, Thomas J.

    2007-01-01

    Although chemotherapy can induce complete responses in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), it is not considered curative. Treated patients generally develop recurrent disease requiring additional therapy, which can cause worsening immune dysfunction, myelosuppression, and selection for

  15. Cellular Phone-Based Image Acquisition and Quantitative Ratiometric Method for Detecting Cocaine and Benzoylecgonine for Biological and Forensic Applications

    OpenAIRE

    Cadle, Brian A.; Rasmus, Kristin C.; Varela, Juan A.; Leverich, Leah S.; O’Neill, Casey E.; Bachtell, Ryan K.; Cooper, Donald C.

    2010-01-01

    Here we describe the first report of using low-cost cellular or web-based digital cameras to image and quantify standardized rapid immunoassay strips as a new point-of-care diagnostic and forensics tool with health applications. Quantitative ratiometric pixel density analysis (QRPDA) is an automated method requiring end-users to utilize inexpensive (~ $1 USD/each) immunotest strips, a commonly available web or mobile phone camera or scanner, and internet or cellular service. A model is descri...

  16. High resolution light-sheet based high-throughput imaging cytometry system enables visualization of intra-cellular organelles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Regmi, Raju; Mohan, Kavya; Mondal, Partha Pratim

    2014-09-01

    Visualization of intracellular organelles is achieved using a newly developed high throughput imaging cytometry system. This system interrogates the microfluidic channel using a sheet of light rather than the existing point-based scanning techniques. The advantages of the developed system are many, including, single-shot scanning of specimens flowing through the microfluidic channel at flow rate ranging from micro- to nano- lit./min. Moreover, this opens-up in-vivo imaging of sub-cellular structures and simultaneous cell counting in an imaging cytometry system. We recorded a maximum count of 2400 cells/min at a flow-rate of 700 nl/min, and simultaneous visualization of fluorescently-labeled mitochondrial network in HeLa cells during flow. The developed imaging cytometry system may find immediate application in biotechnology, fluorescence microscopy and nano-medicine.

  17. Dual Functional Nanocarrier for Cellular Imaging and Drug Delivery in Cancer Cells Based on π-Conjugated Core and Biodegradable Polymer Arms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulkarni, Bhagyashree; Surnar, Bapurao; Jayakannan, Manickam

    2016-03-14

    Multipurpose polymer nanoscaffolds for cellular imaging and delivery of anticancer drug are urgently required for the cancer therapy. The present investigation reports a new polymer drug delivery concept based on biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) and highly luminescent π-conjugated fluorophore as dual functional nanocarrier for cellular imaging and delivery vehicles for anticancer drug to cancer cells. To accomplish this goal, a new substituted caprolactone monomer was designed, and it was subjected to ring opening polymerization using a blue luminescent bishydroxyloligo-phenylenevinylene (OPV) fluorophore as an initiator. A series of A-B-A triblock copolymer building blocks with a fixed OPV π-core and variable chain biodegradable PCL arm length were tailor-made. These triblocks self-assembled in organic solvents to produce well-defined helical nanofibers, whereas in water they produced spherical nanoparticles (size ∼150 nm) with blue luminescence. The hydrophobic pocket of the polymer nanoparticle was found to be an efficient host for loading water insoluble anticancer drug such as doxorubicin (DOX). The photophysical studies revealed that there was no cross-talking between the OPV and DOX chromophores, and their optical purity was retained in the nanoparticle assembly for cellular imaging. In vitro studies revealed that the biodegradable PCL arm was susceptible to enzymatic cleavage at the intracellular lysosomal esterase under physiological conditions to release the loaded drugs. The nascent nanoparticles were found to be nontoxic to cancer cells, whereas the DOX-loaded nanoparticles accomplished more than 80% killing in HeLa cells. Confocal microscopic analysis confirmed the cell penetrating ability of the blue luminescent polymer nanoparticles and their accumulation preferably in the cytoplasm. The DOX loaded red luminescent polymer nanoparticles were also taken up by the cells, and the drug was found to be accumulated at the perinuclear environment

  18. FDG-PET imaging for chronic expanding hematoma in pelvis with massive bone destruction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hamada, Kenichiro [Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Tracer Kinetics, Suita, Osaka (Japan); Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Suita, Osaka (Japan); Myoui, Akira; Ueda, Takafumi; Tamai, Noriyuki; Yoshikawa, Hideki [Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Suita, Osaka (Japan); Higuchi, Ichiro; Hatazawa, Jun [Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Tracer Kinetics, Suita, Osaka (Japan); Inoue, Atsuo [Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Suita, Osaka (Japan)

    2005-12-01

    Chronic expanding hematoma is a rare presentation of a hematoma characterized by a persistent increase in size for more than a month after the initial hemorrhage. We present a 65-year-old man with a chronic expanding hematoma in his ilium who was receiving anticoagulant treatment. The patient had a delayed manifestation of a femoral neuropathy with massive bone destruction. 2-Deoxy-[{sup 18}F]fluoro-d-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging revealed an increased uptake in the rim of the mass in images acquired 1 h after FDG injection. FDG-PET scans were performed using a dedicated PET scanner (HeadtomeV/SET2400 W, Shimadzu, Kyoto, Japan), and the PET data for the most metabolically active region of interest (ROI) were analyzed. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was set to a cut-off point of 3.0 to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions. The SUVmax of the patient's lesion was 3.10, suggesting a malignant lesion. The characteristics of FDG-PET images of chronic expanding hematomas, including the uptake of FDG in the peripheral rim of the mass as a result of inflammation, should be recognized as a potential interpretive pitfall in mimicking a sarcoma. (orig.)

  19. Subacute and Chronic Left Ventricular Myocardial Scar: Accuracy of Texture Analysis on Nonenhanced Cine MR Images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baessler, Bettina; Mannil, Manoj; Oebel, Sabrina; Maintz, David; Alkadhi, Hatem; Manka, Robert

    2018-01-01

    Purpose To test whether texture analysis (TA) allows for the diagnosis of subacute and chronic myocardial infarction (MI) on noncontrast material-enhanced cine cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) images. Materials and Methods In this retrospective, institutional review board-approved study, 120 patients who underwent cardiac MR imaging and showed large transmural (volume of enhancement on late gadolinium enhancement [LGE] images >20%, n = 72) or small (enhanced volume ≤20%, n = 48) subacute or chronic ischemic scars were included. Sixty patients with normal cardiac MR imaging findings served as control subjects. Regions of interest for TA encompassing the left ventricle were drawn by two blinded, independent readers on cine images in end systole by using a freely available software package. Stepwise dimension reduction and texture feature selection based on reproducibility, machine learning, and correlation analyses were performed for selecting features, enabling the diagnosis of MI on nonenhanced cine MR images by using LGE imaging as the standard of reference. Results Five independent texture features allowed for differentiation between ischemic scar and normal myocardium on cine MR images in both subgroups: Teta1, Perc.01, Variance, WavEnHH.s-3, and S(5,5)SumEntrp (in patients with large MI: all P values cine MR images, with an area under the curve of 0.93 and 0.92, respectively. Conclusion This proof-of-concept study indicates that TA of nonenhanced cine MR images allows for the diagnosis of subacute and chronic MI with high accuracy. © RSNA, 2017 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

  20. New second-order difference algorithm for image segmentation based on cellular neural networks (CNNs)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Shukai; Mo, Yu L.

    2001-09-01

    Image segmentation is one of the most important operations in many image analysis problems, which is the process that subdivides an image into its constituents and extracts those parts of interest. In this paper, we present a new second order difference gray-scale image segmentation algorithm based on cellular neural networks. A 3x3 CNN cloning template is applied, which can make smooth processing and has a good ability to deal with the conflict between the capability of noise resistance and the edge detection of complex shapes. We use second order difference operator to calculate the coefficients of the control template, which are not constant but rather depend on the input gray-scale values. It is similar to Contour Extraction CNN in construction, but there are some different in algorithm. The result of experiment shows that the second order difference CNN has a good capability in edge detection. It is better than Contour Extraction CNN in detail detection and more effective than the Laplacian of Gauss (LOG) algorithm.

  1. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Patients With Chronic Lateral Epicondylitis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Liang; Zhang, Yu-Dong; Yu, Rong-Bin; Shi, Hai-Bin

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The aim of the study is to determine the inter-reliability and intra-observer reliability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for lateral epicondylitis and investigate whether there is a potential relationship between MRI abnormalities of the common extensor tendon (CET) and its clinical symptom. The study group comprised 96 consecutive patients (46 men and 50 women) with a clinical diagnosis of chronic lateral epicondylitis, which were examined on 3.0 T MR. An MRI scoring system was used to grade the degree of tendinopahty. Three independent musculoskeletal radiologists, who were blinded to the patients’ clinical information, scored images separately. Clinical symptoms were assessed using the Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE). Of all the patients, total 96 elbows had MRI-assessed tendinopathy, including 38 (39.6%) with grade 1, 31 (32.3%) with grade 2, and 27 (28.1%) with grade 3. Inter-observer reliability and intra-observer agreement for MRI interpretation of the grades of tendinopathy was good, and a positive correlation between the grades of tendinopathy and PRTEE was determined. MRI is a reliable tool in determining radiological severity of chronical lateral epicondylitis. The severity of MR signal changes positively correlate with the patient's clinical symptom. PMID:26844506

  2. Chronic diseases of lung parenchyma in children: the role of imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haran Jogeesvaran, K.; Owens, Catherine M.

    2010-01-01

    Chronic diseases of the lung parenchyma (CDoLP) in children encompass a vast number of distinct clinico-pathological conditions. The prevalence of CDoLP has continued to increase in the last 10-15 years and the paediatric radiologist will therefore have to become more familiar with the imaging appearances of CDoLP. This review highlights some of the key imaging appearances of CDoLP, focussing mainly on airways disease. We also explore issues around technique optimisation and dose minimisation that remain of paramount importance in children. (orig.)

  3. Loss of cellular viability in areas of ground-glass opacity on computed tomography images immediately after pulmonary radiofrequency ablation in rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuroki, Masaomi; Nakada, Hiroshi; Yamashita, Atsushi; Sawaguchi, Akira; Uchino, Noriko; Sato, Shinya; Asada, Yujiro; Tamura, Shozo; Asanuma, Taketoshi

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine cellular viability of lung parenchyma and neoplastic cells in areas of ground-glass opacity (GGO) on computed tomography (CT) images immediately after pulmonary radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in rabbits. A LeVeen RFA electrode was placed percutaneously into rabbit lungs with or without metastatic VX2 tumors. Five minutes later, seven isolated lungs were imaged by use of a multi-detector row CT scanner, and the images were compared with histological features. The cellular viability of the lung tissues was assessed by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogen (NADH) staining in eight normal lungs and in three lungs with multiple metastatic tumors. All lung lesions appeared as bilayered structures with a central, dense, attenuated area and an outer area of GGO on CT images, and as three-layered structures on macroscopic and microscopic images 5 min after RFA. The GGO areas approximately corresponded to the outer two layers in macroscopic images that were exudative and congestive on microscopic images. Staining for NADH was significantly reduced in the GGO and densely attenuated areas with or without tumor tissue staining compared with the non-ablated area. Our results suggest that an area of GGO that appears on CT immediately after RFA can be effectively treated by RFA. (author)

  4. From whole-body sections down to cellular level, multiscale imaging of phospholipids by MALDI mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaurand, Pierre; Cornett, Dale S; Angel, Peggi M; Caprioli, Richard M

    2011-02-01

    Significant progress in instrumentation and sample preparation approaches have recently expanded the potential of MALDI imaging mass spectrometry to the analysis of phospholipids and other endogenous metabolites naturally occurring in tissue specimens. Here we explore some of the requirements necessary for the successful analysis and imaging of phospholipids from thin tissue sections of various dimensions by MALDI time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We address methodology issues relative to the imaging of whole-body sections such as those cut from model laboratory animals, sections of intermediate dimensions typically prepared from individual organs, as well as the requirements for imaging areas of interests from these sections at a cellular scale spatial resolution. We also review existing limitations of MALDI imaging MS technology relative to compound identification. Finally, we conclude with a perspective on important issues relative to data exploitation and management that need to be solved to maximize biological understanding of the tissue specimen investigated.

  5. Assessment of cardiac sympathetic nerve activity in children with chronic heart failure using quantitative iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karasawa, Kensuke; Ayusawa, Mamoru; Noto, Nobutaka; Sumitomo, Naokata; Okada, Tomoo; Harada, Kensuke [Nihon Univ., Tokyo (Japan). School of Medicine

    2000-12-01

    Cardiac sympathetic nerve activity in children with chronic heart failure was examined by quantitative iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial imaging in 33 patients aged 7.5{+-}6.1 years (range 0-18 years), including 8 with cardiomyopathy, 15 with congenital heart disease, 3 with anthracycrine cardiotoxicity, 3 with myocarditis, 3 with primary pulmonary hypertension and 1 with Pompe's disease. Anterior planar images were obtained 15 min and 3 hr after the injection of iodine-123 MIBG. The cardiac iodine-123 MIBG uptake was assessed as the heart to upper mediastinum uptake activity ratio of the delayed image (H/M) and the cardiac percentage washout rate (%WR). The severity of chronic heart failure was class I (no medication) in 8 patients, class II (no symptom with medication) in 9, class III (symptom even with medication) in 10 and class IV (late cardiac death) in 6. H/M was 2.33{+-}0.22 in chronic heart failure class I, 2.50{+-}0.34 in class II, 1.95{+-}0.61 in class III, and 1.39{+-}0.29 in class IV (p<0.05). %WR was 24.8{+-}12.8% in chronic heart failure class I, 23.3{+-}10.2% in class II, 49.2{+-}24.5% in class III, and 66.3{+-}26.5% in class IV (p<0.05). The low H/M and high %WR were proportionate to the severity of chronic heart failure. Cardiac iodine-123 MIBG showed cardiac adrenergic neuronal dysfunction in children with severe chronic heart failure. Quantitative iodine-123 MIBG myocardial imaging is clinically useful as a predictor of therapeutic outcome and mortality in children with chronic heart failure. (author)

  6. Imaging of cellular spread on a three-dimensional scaffold by means of a novel cell-labeling technique for high-resolution computed tomography

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thimm, B.W.; Hofmann, S.; Schneider, P.; Carretta, R.; Müller, R.

    2012-01-01

    Computed tomography (CT) represents a truly three-dimensional (3D) imaging technique that can provide high-resolution images on the cellular level. Thus, one approach to detect single cells is X-ray absorption-based CT, where cells are labeled with a dense, opaque material providing the required

  7. Compact plane illumination plugin device to enable light sheet fluorescence imaging of multi-cellular organisms on an inverted wide-field microscope.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guan, Zeyi; Lee, Juhyun; Jiang, Hao; Dong, Siyan; Jen, Nelson; Hsiai, Tzung; Ho, Chih-Ming; Fei, Peng

    2016-01-01

    We developed a compact plane illumination plugin (PIP) device which enabled plane illumination and light sheet fluorescence imaging on a conventional inverted microscope. The PIP device allowed the integration of microscope with tunable laser sheet profile, fast image acquisition, and 3-D scanning. The device is both compact, measuring approximately 15 by 5 by 5 cm, and cost-effective, since we employed consumer electronics and an inexpensive device molding method. We demonstrated that PIP provided significant contrast and resolution enhancement to conventional microscopy through imaging different multi-cellular fluorescent structures, including 3-D branched cells in vitro and live zebrafish embryos. Imaging with the integration of PIP greatly reduced out-of-focus contamination and generated sharper contrast in acquired 2-D plane images when compared with the stand-alone inverted microscope. As a result, the dynamic fluid domain of the beating zebrafish heart was clearly segmented and the functional monitoring of the heart was achieved. Furthermore, the enhanced axial resolution established by thin plane illumination of PIP enabled the 3-D reconstruction of the branched cellular structures, which leads to the improvement on the functionality of the wide field microscopy.

  8. Semiconductor quantum dots as fluorescent probes for in vitro and in vivo bio-molecular and cellular imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarwat B. Rizvi

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Over the years, biological imaging has seen many advances, allowing scientists to unfold many of the mysteries surrounding biological processes. The ideal imaging resolution would be in nanometres, as most biological processes occur at this scale. Nanotechnology has made this possible with functionalised nanoparticles that can bind to specific targets and trace processes at the cellular and molecular level. Quantum dots (QDs or semiconductor nanocrystals are luminescent particles that have the potential to be the next generation fluorophores. This paper is an overview of the basics of QDs and their role as fluorescent probes for various biological imaging applications. Their potential clinical applications and the limitations that need to be overcome have also been discussed.

  9. A novel optical microscope for imaging large embryos and tissue volumes with sub-cellular resolution throughout.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McConnell, Gail; Trägårdh, Johanna; Amor, Rumelo; Dempster, John; Reid, Es; Amos, William Bradshaw

    2016-09-23

    Current optical microscope objectives of low magnification have low numerical aperture and therefore have too little depth resolution and discrimination to perform well in confocal and nonlinear microscopy. This is a serious limitation in important areas, including the phenotypic screening of human genes in transgenic mice by study of embryos undergoing advanced organogenesis. We have built an optical lens system for 3D imaging of objects up to 6 mm wide and 3 mm thick with depth resolution of only a few microns instead of the tens of microns currently attained, allowing sub-cellular detail to be resolved throughout the volume. We present this lens, called the Mesolens, with performance data and images from biological specimens including confocal images of whole fixed and intact fluorescently-stained 12.5-day old mouse embryos.

  10. High-resolution fiber-optic microendoscopy for in situ cellular imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pierce, Mark; Yu, Dihua; Richards-Kortum, Rebecca

    2011-01-11

    Many biological and clinical studies require the longitudinal study and analysis of morphology and function with cellular level resolution. Traditionally, multiple experiments are run in parallel, with individual samples removed from the study at sequential time points for evaluation by light microscopy. Several intravital techniques have been developed, with confocal, multiphoton, and second harmonic microscopy all demonstrating their ability to be used for imaging in situ. With these systems, however, the required infrastructure is complex and expensive, involving scanning laser systems and complex light sources. Here we present a protocol for the design and assembly of a high-resolution microendoscope which can be built in a day using off-the-shelf components for under US$5,000. The platform offers flexibility in terms of image resolution, field-of-view, and operating wavelength, and we describe how these parameters can be easily modified to meet the specific needs of the end user. We and others have explored the use of the high-resolution microendoscope (HRME) in in vitro cell culture, in excised and living animal tissues, and in human tissues in vivo. Users have reported the use of several different fluorescent contrast agents, including proflavine, benzoporphyrin-derivative monoacid ring A (BPD-MA), and fluoroscein, all of which have received full, or investigational approval from the FDA for use in human subjects. High-resolution microendoscopy, in the form described here, may appeal to a wide range of researchers working in the basic and clinical sciences. The technique offers an effective and economical approach which complements traditional benchtop microscopy, by enabling the user to perform high-resolution, longitudinal imaging in situ.

  11. Chronic cocaine disrupts neurovascular networks and cerebral function: optical imaging studies in rodents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qiujia; You, Jiang; Volkow, Nora D.; Choi, Jeonghun; Yin, Wei; Wang, Wei; Pan, Yingtian; Du, Congwu

    2016-02-01

    Cocaine abuse can lead to cerebral strokes and hemorrhages secondary to cocaine's cerebrovascular effects, which are poorly understood. We assessed cocaine's effects on cerebrovascular anatomy and function in the somatosensory cortex of the rat's brain. Optical coherence tomography was used for in vivo imaging of three-dimensional cerebral blood flow (CBF) networks and to quantify CBF velocities (CBFv), and multiwavelength laser-speckle-imaging was used to simultaneously measure changes in CBFv, oxygenated (Δ[HbO2]) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (Δ[HbR]) concentrations prior to and after an acute cocaine challenge in chronically cocaine exposed rats. Immunofluorescence techniques on brain slices were used to quantify microvasculature density and levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). After chronic cocaine (2 and 4 weeks), CBFv in small vessels decreased, whereas vasculature density and VEGF levels increased. Acute cocaine further reduced CBFv and decreased Δ[HbO2] and this decline was larger and longer lasting in 4 weeks than 2 weeks cocaine-exposed rats, which indicates that risk for ischemia is heightened during intoxication and that it increases with chronic exposures. These results provide evidence of cocaine-induced angiogenesis in cortex. The CBF reduction after chronic cocaine exposure, despite the increases in vessel density, indicate that angiogenesis was insufficient to compensate for cocaine-induced disruption of cerebrovascular function.

  12. Cellular Angiofibroma of the Nasopharynx.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erdur, Zülküf Burak; Yener, Haydar Murat; Yilmaz, Mehmet; Karaaltin, Ayşegül Batioğlu; Inan, Hakki Caner; Alaskarov, Elvin; Gozen, Emine Deniz

    2017-11-01

    Angiofibroma is a common tumor of the nasopharynx region but cellular type is extremely rare in head and neck. A 13-year-old boy presented with frequent epistaxis and nasal obstruction persisting for 6 months. According to the clinical symptoms and imaging studies juvenile angiofibroma was suspected. Following angiographic embolization total excision of the lesion by midfacial degloving approach was performed. Histological examination revealed that the tumor consisted of staghorn blood vessels and irregular fibrous stroma. Stellate fibroblasts with small pyknotic to large vesicular nuclei were seen in a highly cellular stroma. These findings identified cellular angiofibroma mimicking juvenile angiofibroma. This article is about a very rare patient of cellular angiofibroma of nasopharynx.

  13. Clinical utility of MR imaging in chronic progressive radiation myelopathy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Melki, P.S.; Halimi, P.; Wibault, P.; Doyon, D.

    1990-01-01

    This paper defines the diagnostic and prognostic value of MR imaging in chronic progressive radiation myelopathy 9CPRM). In this series, MR imaging showed excellent sensitivity (199%) for the demonstration of radiation-induced lesions of the spinal cord. Fifty percent of the cases showed spinal cord hypertrophy (pseudotumoral, 33%; cystic, 17%) occurring within 8 months of the clinical onset of myelopathy. The remaining 50% showed spinal cord atrophy, which occurred more than 8 months following the onset of myelopathy. These medullary lesions were located at least partially in the radiation field but extended beyond its boundaries in 73% of the cases. MR imaging helped to establish disease prognosis: spinal cord hypertrophy was usually associated with neurologic deterioration and fatal outcome within a mean of 11.5 months; in spinal atrophy, neurologic deficit was often static and survival rates were better

  14. Assessment of cardiac sympathetic nerve activity in children with chronic heart failure using quantitative iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karasawa, Kensuke; Ayusawa, Mamoru; Noto, Nobutaka; Sumitomo, Naokata; Okada, Tomoo; Harada, Kensuke

    2000-01-01

    Cardiac sympathetic nerve activity in children with chronic heart failure was examined by quantitative iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial imaging in 33 patients aged 7.5±6.1 years (range 0-18 years), including 8 with cardiomyopathy, 15 with congenital heart disease, 3 with anthracycrine cardiotoxicity, 3 with myocarditis, 3 with primary pulmonary hypertension and 1 with Pompe's disease. Anterior planar images were obtained 15 min and 3 hr after the injection of iodine-123 MIBG. The cardiac iodine-123 MIBG uptake was assessed as the heart to upper mediastinum uptake activity ratio of the delayed image (H/M) and the cardiac percentage washout rate (%WR). The severity of chronic heart failure was class I (no medication) in 8 patients, class II (no symptom with medication) in 9, class III (symptom even with medication) in 10 and class IV (late cardiac death) in 6. H/M was 2.33±0.22 in chronic heart failure class I, 2.50±0.34 in class II, 1.95±0.61 in class III, and 1.39±0.29 in class IV (p<0.05). %WR was 24.8±12.8% in chronic heart failure class I, 23.3±10.2% in class II, 49.2±24.5% in class III, and 66.3±26.5% in class IV (p<0.05). The low H/M and high %WR were proportionate to the severity of chronic heart failure. Cardiac iodine-123 MIBG showed cardiac adrenergic neuronal dysfunction in children with severe chronic heart failure. Quantitative iodine-123 MIBG myocardial imaging is clinically useful as a predictor of therapeutic outcome and mortality in children with chronic heart failure. (author)

  15. High-resolution sub-cellular imaging by correlative NanoSIMS and electron microscopy of amiodarone internalisation by lung macrophages as evidence for drug-induced phospholipidosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Haibo; Passarelli, Melissa K; Munro, Peter M G; Kilburn, Matt R; West, Andrew; Dollery, Colin T; Gilmore, Ian S; Rakowska, Paulina D

    2017-01-26

    Correlative NanoSIMS and EM imaging of amiodarone-treated macrophages shows the internalisation of the drug at a sub-cellular level and reveals its accumulation within the lysosomes, providing direct evidence for amiodarone-induced phospholipidosis. Chemical fixation using tannic acid effectively seals cellular membranes aiding intracellular retention of diffusible drugs.

  16. Terminal addition in a cellular world.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torday, J S; Miller, William B

    2018-07-01

    Recent advances in our understanding of evolutionary development permit a reframed appraisal of Terminal Addition as a continuous historical process of cellular-environmental complementarity. Within this frame of reference, evolutionary terminal additions can be identified as environmental induction of episodic adjustments to cell-cell signaling patterns that yield the cellular-molecular pathways that lead to differing developmental forms. Phenotypes derive, thereby, through cellular mutualistic/competitive niche constructions in reciprocating responsiveness to environmental stresses and epigenetic impacts. In such terms, Terminal Addition flows according to a logic of cellular needs confronting environmental challenges over space-time. A reconciliation of evolutionary development and Terminal Addition can be achieved through a combined focus on cell-cell signaling, molecular phylogenies and a broader understanding of epigenetic phenomena among eukaryotic organisms. When understood in this manner, Terminal Addition has an important role in evolutionary development, and chronic disease might be considered as a form of 'reverse evolution' of the self-same processes. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  17. Imaging cerebral activity in recovery from chronic traumatic brain injury: a preliminary report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, David H; Bluestone, Judith P; Savina, Maryann; Zoller, William H; Meshberg, Emily B; Minoshima, Satoshi

    2006-07-01

    People in chronic phase of traumatic brain injury (TBI) are often told that there will be no further recovery in brain function, that they are in a "static phase." Holistic Approach to NeuroDevelopment and Learning Efficiency (HANDLE), an alternative therapy, aims to improve function by teaching a series of physical and mental activities that clients perform and encouraging changes in lifestyle. Five subjects (3 males) with chronic TBI (at least 3 years since ictus) completed the HANDLE Institute's program and were prospectively evaluated. Each had six regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans over 7 months (scans n= 30). Paired scans were performed with injection of Tc-99m ECD to image rCBF at rest and during the HANDLE "Crossed Arm Bounce" (CAB) exercise before the program, at 3-4 months into the program, and at 6-7 months, after the program had ended. SPECT images were analyzed statistically using Neurostat in which image sets were coregistered and warped into Talaraich atlas for pairwise subtraction between conditions. Group analysis of SPECT showed that CAB activated (increased rCBF) vermis and cerebellar hemispheres in first two paired scans and anterior cingulate and vermis on the final pair. Increased rCBF at rest occurred in cerebellar hemispheres, vermis, and right dorsomedial frontal cortex. These preliminary observations suggest that there may be a role of the hindbrain (vermis and cerebellum) with HANDLE treatment of chronic TBI.

  18. Quantum dot tailored to single wall carbon nanotubes: a multifunctional hybrid nanoconstruct for cellular imaging and targeted photothermal therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nair, Lakshmi V; Nagaoka, Yutaka; Maekawa, Toru; Sakthikumar, D; Jayasree, Ramapurath S

    2014-07-23

    Hybrid nanomaterial based on quantum dots and SWCNTs is used for cellular imaging and photothermal therapy. Furthermore, the ligand conjugated hybrid system (FaQd@CNT) enables selective targeting in cancer cells. The imaging capability of quantum dots and the therapeutic potential of SWCNT are available in a single system with cancer targeting property. Heat generated by the system is found to be high enough to destroy cancer cells. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. A Tool for Classifying Individuals with Chronic Back Pain: Using Multivariate Pattern Analysis with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Callan, Daniel; Mills, Lloyd; Nott, Connie; England, Robert; England, Shaun

    2014-01-01

    Chronic pain is one of the most prevalent health problems in the world today, yet neurological markers, critical to diagnosis of chronic pain, are still largely unknown. The ability to objectively identify individuals with chronic pain using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data is important for the advancement of diagnosis, treatment, and theoretical knowledge of brain processes associated with chronic pain. The purpose of our research is to investigate specific neurological markers that could be used to diagnose individuals experiencing chronic pain by using multivariate pattern analysis with fMRI data. We hypothesize that individuals with chronic pain have different patterns of brain activity in response to induced pain. This pattern can be used to classify the presence or absence of chronic pain. The fMRI experiment consisted of alternating 14 seconds of painful electric stimulation (applied to the lower back) with 14 seconds of rest. We analyzed contrast fMRI images in stimulation versus rest in pain-related brain regions to distinguish between the groups of participants: 1) chronic pain and 2) normal controls. We employed supervised machine learning techniques, specifically sparse logistic regression, to train a classifier based on these contrast images using a leave-one-out cross-validation procedure. We correctly classified 92.3% of the chronic pain group (N = 13) and 92.3% of the normal control group (N = 13) by recognizing multivariate patterns of activity in the somatosensory and inferior parietal cortex. This technique demonstrates that differences in the pattern of brain activity to induced pain can be used as a neurological marker to distinguish between individuals with and without chronic pain. Medical, legal and business professionals have recognized the importance of this research topic and of developing objective measures of chronic pain. This method of data analysis was very successful in correctly classifying each of the two

  20. A tool for classifying individuals with chronic back pain: using multivariate pattern analysis with functional magnetic resonance imaging data.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Callan

    Full Text Available Chronic pain is one of the most prevalent health problems in the world today, yet neurological markers, critical to diagnosis of chronic pain, are still largely unknown. The ability to objectively identify individuals with chronic pain using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI data is important for the advancement of diagnosis, treatment, and theoretical knowledge of brain processes associated with chronic pain. The purpose of our research is to investigate specific neurological markers that could be used to diagnose individuals experiencing chronic pain by using multivariate pattern analysis with fMRI data. We hypothesize that individuals with chronic pain have different patterns of brain activity in response to induced pain. This pattern can be used to classify the presence or absence of chronic pain. The fMRI experiment consisted of alternating 14 seconds of painful electric stimulation (applied to the lower back with 14 seconds of rest. We analyzed contrast fMRI images in stimulation versus rest in pain-related brain regions to distinguish between the groups of participants: 1 chronic pain and 2 normal controls. We employed supervised machine learning techniques, specifically sparse logistic regression, to train a classifier based on these contrast images using a leave-one-out cross-validation procedure. We correctly classified 92.3% of the chronic pain group (N = 13 and 92.3% of the normal control group (N = 13 by recognizing multivariate patterns of activity in the somatosensory and inferior parietal cortex. This technique demonstrates that differences in the pattern of brain activity to induced pain can be used as a neurological marker to distinguish between individuals with and without chronic pain. Medical, legal and business professionals have recognized the importance of this research topic and of developing objective measures of chronic pain. This method of data analysis was very successful in correctly classifying

  1. Altered brain microstructure assessed by diffusion tensor imaging in patients with chronic pancreatitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frøkjær, Jens Brøndum; Olesen, Søren Schou; Gram, Mikkel

    2011-01-01

    Objective In patients with painful chronic pancreatitis (CP) there is increasing evidence of abnormal pain processing in the central nervous system. Using magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion tensor imaging, brain microstructure in areas involved in processing of visceral pain was characterised...

  2. Allogeneic cellular immunotherapy for chronic B-cell leukemia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hoogendoorn, Mels

    2007-01-01

    Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) following reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) as treatment modality has curative potential in patients suffering from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), illustrating susceptibility of these leukemic cells for the

  3. Imaging of Caenorhabditis elegans samples and sub-cellular localization of new generation photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy, using non-linear microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Filippidis, G [Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas, PO Box 1527, 71110 Heraklion (Greece); Kouloumentas, C [Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas, PO Box 1527, 71110 Heraklion (Greece); Kapsokalyvas, D [Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas, PO Box 1527, 71110 Heraklion (Greece); Voglis, G [Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation of Research and Technology, Heraklion 71110, Crete (Greece); Tavernarakis, N [Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation of Research and Technology, Heraklion 71110, Crete (Greece); Papazoglou, T G [Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas, PO Box 1527, 71110 Heraklion (Greece)

    2005-08-07

    Two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) and second-harmonic generation (SHG) are relatively new promising tools for the imaging and mapping of biological structures and processes at the microscopic level. The combination of the two image-contrast modes in a single instrument can provide unique and complementary information concerning the structure and the function of tissues and individual cells. The extended application of this novel, innovative technique by the biological community is limited due to the high price of commercial multiphoton microscopes. In this study, a compact, inexpensive and reliable setup utilizing femtosecond pulses for excitation was developed for the TPEF and SHG imaging of biological samples. Specific cell types of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans were imaged. Detection of the endogenous structural proteins of the worm, which are responsible for observation of SHG signals, was achieved. Additionally, the binding of different photosensitizers in the HL-60 cell line was investigated, using non-linear microscopy. The sub-cellular localization of photosensitizers of a new generation, very promising for photodynamic therapy (PDT) (Hypericum perforatum L. extracts) was achieved. The sub-cellular localization of these novel photosensitizers was linked with their photodynamic action during PDT, and the possible mechanisms for cell killing have been elucidated.

  4. Effect of chirality on cellular uptake, imaging and photodynamic therapy of photosensitizers derived from chlorophyll-a.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srivatsan, Avinash; Pera, Paula; Joshi, Penny; Wang, Yanfang; Missert, Joseph R; Tracy, Erin C; Tabaczynski, Walter A; Yao, Rutao; Sajjad, Munawwar; Baumann, Heinz; Pandey, Ravindra K

    2015-07-01

    We have previously shown that the (124)I-analog of methyl 3-(1'-m-iodobenzyloxy) ethyl-3-devinyl-pyropheophorbide-a derived as racemic mixture from chlorophyll-a can be used for PET (positron emission tomography)-imaging in animal tumor models. On the other hand, as a non-radioactive analog, it showed excellent fluorescence and photodynamic therapy (PDT) efficacy. Thus, a single agent in a mixture of radioactive ((124)I-) and non-radioactive ((127)I) material can be used for both dual-imaging and PDT of cancer. Before advancing to Phase I human clinical trials, we evaluated the activity of the individual isomers as well as the impact of a chiral center at position-3(1) in directing in vitro/in vivo cellular uptake, intracellular localization, epithelial tumor cell-specific retention, fluorescence/PET imaging, and photosensitizing ability. The results indicate that both isomers (racemates), either as methyl ester or carboxylic acid, were equally effective. However, the methyl ester analogs, due to subcellular deposition into vesicular structures, were preferentially retained. All derivatives containing carboxylic acid at the position-17(2) were noted to be substrate for the ABCG2 (a member of the ATP binding cassette transporters) protein explaining their low retention in lung tumor cells expressing this transporter. The compounds in which the chirality at position-3 has been substituted by a non-chiral functionality showed reduced cellular uptake, retention and lower PDT efficacy in mice bearing murine Colon26 tumors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Diffusion-weighted imaging for the cellularity assessment and matrix characterization of soft tissue tumour.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robba, Tiziana; Chianca, Vito; Albano, Domenico; Clementi, Valeria; Piana, Raimondo; Linari, Alessandra; Comandone, Alessandro; Regis, Guido; Stratta, Maurizio; Faletti, Carlo; Borrè, Alda

    2017-11-01

    To evaluate whether apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is able to investigate the histological features of soft tissue tumours. We reviewed MRIs of soft tissue tumours performed from 2012 to 2015 to calculate the average ADCs. We included 46 patients (27 male; mean age: 57 years, range 12-85 years) with histologically proven soft tissue tumours (10 benign, 2 intermediate 34 malignant) grouped into eight tumour type classes. An experienced pathologist assigned a semi-quantitative cellularity score (very high, high, medium and low) and tumour grading. The t test, ANOVA and linear regression were used to correlate ADC with clinicopathological data. Approximate receiver operating characteristic curves were created to predict possible uses of ADC to differentiate benign from malignant tumours. There was a significant difference (p < 0.01) in ADCs between these three groups excluding myxoid sarcomas. A significant difference was also evident between the tumour type classes (p < 0.001), grade II and III myxoid lesions (p < 0.05), tumour grading classes (p < 0.001) and cellularity scores classes (p < 0.001), with the lowest ADCs in the very high cellularity. While the linear regression analysis showed a significant relationship between ADC and tumour cellularity (r = 0.590, p ≤ 0.05) and grading (r = 0.437, p ≤ 0.05), no significant relationship was found with age, gender, tumour size and histological subtype. An optimal cut-off ADC value of 1.45 × 10 -3 mm 2 /s with 76.8% accuracy was found to differentiate benign from malignant tumours. DWI may offer adjunctive information about soft tissue tumours, but its clinical role is still to be defined.

  6. Acute vs. chronic conditions (image)

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... describe anything from a broken bone to an asthma attack. A chronic condition, by contrast is a long- ... a broken bone, an acute condition. An acute asthma attack occurs in the midst of the chronic disease ...

  7. Bronchoalveolar lavage and technetium-99m glucoheptonate imaging in chronic eosinophilic pneumonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lieske, T.R.; Sunderrajan, E.V.; Passamonte, P.M.

    1984-01-01

    A patient with chronic eosinophilic pneumonia was evaluated using bronchoalveolar lavage, technetium-99m glucoheptonate, and transbronchial lung biopsy. Bronchoalveolar lavage revealed 43 percent eosinophils and correlated well with results of transbronchial lung biopsy. Technetium-99m glucoheptonate lung imaging demonstrated intense parenchymal uptake. After eight weeks of corticosteroid therapy, the bronchoalveolar lavage eosinophil population and the technetium-99m glucoheptonate uptake had returned to normal. We suggest that bronchoalveolar lavage, with transbronchial lung biopsy, is a less invasive way than open lung biopsy to diagnose chronic eosinophilic pneumonia. The mechanism of uptake of technetium-99m glucoheptonate in this disorder remains to be defined

  8. Cellularized Bilayer Pullulan-Gelatin Hydrogel for Skin Regeneration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicholas, Mathew N; Jeschke, Marc G; Amini-Nik, Saeid

    2016-05-01

    Skin substitutes significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality of patients with burn injuries and chronic wounds. However, current skin substitutes have disadvantages related to high costs and inadequate skin regeneration due to highly inflammatory wounds. Thus, new skin substitutes are needed. By combining two polymers, pullulan, an inexpensive polysaccharide with antioxidant properties, and gelatin, a derivative of collagen with high water absorbency, we created a novel inexpensive hydrogel-named PG-1 for "pullulan-gelatin first generation hydrogel"-suitable for skin substitutes. After incorporating human fibroblasts and keratinocytes onto PG-1 using centrifugation over 5 days, we created a cellularized bilayer skin substitute. Cellularized PG-1 was compared to acellular PG-1 and no hydrogel (control) in vivo in a mouse excisional skin biopsy model using newly developed dome inserts to house the skin substitutes and prevent mouse skin contraction during wound healing. PG-1 had an average pore size of 61.69 μm with an ideal elastic modulus, swelling behavior, and biodegradability for use as a hydrogel for skin substitutes. Excellent skin cell viability, proliferation, differentiation, and morphology were visualized through live/dead assays, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine proliferation assays, and confocal microscopy. Trichrome and immunohistochemical staining of excisional wounds treated with the cellularized skin substitute revealed thicker newly formed skin with a higher proportion of actively proliferating cells and incorporation of human cells compared to acellular PG-1 or control. Excisional wounds treated with acellular or cellularized hydrogels showed significantly less macrophage infiltration and increased angiogenesis 14 days post skin biopsy compared to control. These results show that PG-1 has ideal mechanical characteristics and allows ideal cellular characteristics. In vivo evidence suggests that cellularized PG-1 promotes skin regeneration and may

  9. Magnetic resonance imaging in acute and chronic rotator cuff tears

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buirski, G.

    1990-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging has been assessed in patients with acute rotator cuff tears and normal radiographs (9 cases) and those with chronic tears and changes of cuff arthropathy (9 cases). All images were obtained using a low field strength system (FONAR 0.3 T). Particular attention was placed on the appearances of the tendon and the cuff muscles themselves. Six complete acute tears were clearly identified, but MRI failed to demonstrate two partial tears. Muscle bulk was preserved in all patients in this group. In contrast, all patients with cuff arthropathy had complete tears of the supraspinatus tendon with marked tendon retraction and associated muscle atrophy: These changes precluded primary surgical repair. MRI should be used to assess muscle atrophy preoperatively in those patients with acute tears. When plain radiographs demonstrate cuff arthropathy, the MRI appearances are predictable and primary repair is unlikely to be successful. Further imaging is therefore not indicated. (orig.)

  10. An effective approach of lesion segmentation within the breast ultrasound image based on the cellular automata principle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yan; Cheng, H D; Huang, Jianhua; Zhang, Yingtao; Tang, Xianglong

    2012-10-01

    In this paper, a novel lesion segmentation within breast ultrasound (BUS) image based on the cellular automata principle is proposed. Its energy transition function is formulated based on global image information difference and local image information difference using different energy transfer strategies. First, an energy decrease strategy is used for modeling the spatial relation information of pixels. For modeling global image information difference, a seed information comparison function is developed using an energy preserve strategy. Then, a texture information comparison function is proposed for considering local image difference in different regions, which is helpful for handling blurry boundaries. Moreover, two neighborhood systems (von Neumann and Moore neighborhood systems) are integrated as the evolution environment, and a similarity-based criterion is used for suppressing noise and reducing computation complexity. The proposed method was applied to 205 clinical BUS images for studying its characteristic and functionality, and several overlapping area error metrics and statistical evaluation methods are utilized for evaluating its performance. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can handle BUS images with blurry boundaries and low contrast well and can segment breast lesions accurately and effectively.

  11. Label-free detection of cellular drug responses by high-throughput bright-field imaging and machine learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Hirofumi; Lei, Cheng; Wu, Yi; Mao, Ailin; Jiang, Yiyue; Guo, Baoshan; Ozeki, Yasuyuki; Goda, Keisuke

    2017-09-29

    In the last decade, high-content screening based on multivariate single-cell imaging has been proven effective in drug discovery to evaluate drug-induced phenotypic variations. Unfortunately, this method inherently requires fluorescent labeling which has several drawbacks. Here we present a label-free method for evaluating cellular drug responses only by high-throughput bright-field imaging with the aid of machine learning algorithms. Specifically, we performed high-throughput bright-field imaging of numerous drug-treated and -untreated cells (N = ~240,000) by optofluidic time-stretch microscopy with high throughput up to 10,000 cells/s and applied machine learning to the cell images to identify their morphological variations which are too subtle for human eyes to detect. Consequently, we achieved a high accuracy of 92% in distinguishing drug-treated and -untreated cells without the need for labeling. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that dose-dependent, drug-induced morphological change from different experiments can be inferred from the classification accuracy of a single classification model. Our work lays the groundwork for label-free drug screening in pharmaceutical science and industry.

  12. Cellular Factors Shape 3D Genome Landscape

    Science.gov (United States)

    Researchers, using novel large-scale imaging technology, have mapped the spatial location of individual genes in the nucleus of human cells and identified 50 cellular factors required for the proper 3D positioning of genes. These spatial locations play important roles in gene expression, DNA repair, genome stability, and other cellular activities.

  13. High-resolution imaging of cellular processes across textured surfaces using an indexed-matched elastomer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravasio, Andrea; Vaishnavi, Sree; Ladoux, Benoit; Viasnoff, Virgile

    2015-03-01

    Understanding and controlling how cells interact with the microenvironment has emerged as a prominent field in bioengineering, stem cell research and in the development of the next generation of in vitro assays as well as organs on a chip. Changing the local rheology or the nanotextured surface of substrates has proved an efficient approach to improve cell lineage differentiation, to control cell migration properties and to understand environmental sensing processes. However, introducing substrate surface textures often alters the ability to image cells with high precision, compromising our understanding of molecular mechanisms at stake in environmental sensing. In this paper, we demonstrate how nano/microstructured surfaces can be molded from an elastomeric material with a refractive index matched to the cell culture medium. Once made biocompatible, contrast imaging (differential interference contrast, phase contrast) and high-resolution fluorescence imaging of subcellular structures can be implemented through the textured surface using an inverted microscope. Simultaneous traction force measurements by micropost deflection were also performed, demonstrating the potential of our approach to study cell-environment interactions, sensing processes and cellular force generation with unprecedented resolution. Copyright © 2014 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. 1024-Pixel CMOS Multimodality Joint Cellular Sensor/Stimulator Array for Real-Time Holistic Cellular Characterization and Cell-Based Drug Screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jong Seok; Aziz, Moez Karim; Li, Sensen; Chi, Taiyun; Grijalva, Sandra Ivonne; Sung, Jung Hoon; Cho, Hee Cheol; Wang, Hua

    2018-02-01

    This paper presents a fully integrated CMOS multimodality joint sensor/stimulator array with 1024 pixels for real-time holistic cellular characterization and drug screening. The proposed system consists of four pixel groups and four parallel signal-conditioning blocks. Every pixel group contains 16 × 16 pixels, and each pixel includes one gold-plated electrode, four photodiodes, and in-pixel circuits, within a pixel footprint. Each pixel supports real-time extracellular potential recording, optical detection, charge-balanced biphasic current stimulation, and cellular impedance measurement for the same cellular sample. The proposed system is fabricated in a standard 130-nm CMOS process. Rat cardiomyocytes are successfully cultured on-chip. Measured high-resolution optical opacity images, extracellular potential recordings, biphasic current stimulations, and cellular impedance images demonstrate the unique advantages of the system for holistic cell characterization and drug screening. Furthermore, this paper demonstrates the use of optical detection on the on-chip cultured cardiomyocytes to real-time track their cyclic beating pattern and beating rate.

  15. The oxygen effect and cellular adaptation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meshcherikova, V.V.; Vajnson, A.A.; Yarmonenko, S.P.

    1979-01-01

    The radiomodifying effect of oxygen was shown to depend on the level of cellular oxygenation prior to irradiation. Acute hypoxia created at the time of irradiation protects previously normally oxygenated cells with DMF approximately 1.4 times larger than that of cells cultured for 24 hours under conditions of mild hypoxia. It is suggested that a decrease in the radioprotective effect of acute hypoxia on chronically hypoxic cells is correlated with an appreciable decrease in the rate of oxygen consumption by these cells, due to which the oxygen concentration near the intracellular targets in chronically hypoxic cells may be higher than in normal cells under conditions of poor oxygenation

  16. Functionalized graphene oxide/Fe3O4 hybrids for cellular magnetic resonance imaging and fluorescence labeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Chaohui; Wu, Hui; Wang, Mingliang; Huang, Chusen; Yang, Dapeng; Jia, Nengqin

    2017-09-01

    In this work, we developed a T 2 -weighted contrast agent based on graphene oxide (GO)/Fe 3 O 4 hybrids for efficient cellular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The GO/Fe 3 O 4 hybrids were obtained by combining with co-precipitation method and pyrolysis method. The structural, surface and magnetic characteristics of the hybrids were systematically characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), AFM, Raman, FT-IR and XRD. The GO/Fe 3 O 4 hybrids were functionalized by modifying with anionic and cationic polyelectrolyte through layer-by-layer assembling. The fluorescence probe fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was further loaded on the surface of functionalized GO/Fe 3 O 4 hybrids to trace the location of GO/Fe 3 O 4 hybrids in cells. Functionalized GO/Fe 3 O 4 hybrids possess good hydrophilicity, less cytotoxicity, high MRI enhancement with the relaxivity (r 2 ) of 493mM -1 s -1 as well as cellular MRI contrast effect. These obtained results indicated that the functionalized GO/Fe 3 O 4 hybrids could have great potential to be utilized as cellular MRI contrast agents for tumor early diagnosis and monitoring. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. MO-DE-206-02: Cellular Metabolism of FDG

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cherry, S. [University of California-Davis (United States)

    2016-06-15

    In this symposium jointly sponsored by the World Molecular Imaging Society (WMIS) and the AAPM, luminary speakers on imaging metabolism will discuss three impactful topics. The first presentation on Cellular Metabolism of FDG will be given by Guillem Pratx (Stanford). This presentation will detail new work on looking at how the most common molecular imaging agent, fluoro-deoxy-glucose is metabolized at a cellular level. This will be followed by a talk on an improved approach to whole-body PET imaging by Simon Cherry (UC Davis). Simon’s work on a new whole-body PET imaging system promises to have dramatic improvement in our ability to detect and characterize cancer using PET. Finally, Jim Bankson (MD Anderson) will discuss extremely sophisticated approaches to quantifying hyperpolarized-13-C pyruvate metabolism using MR imaging. This technology promises to compliment the exquisite sensitivity of PET with an ability to measure not just uptake, but tumor metabolism. Learning Objectives: Understand the metabolism of FDG at a cellular level. Appreciate the engineering related to a novel new high-sensitivity whole-body PET imaging system. Understand the process of hyperpolarization, how pyruvate relates to metabolism and how advanced modeling can be used to better quantify this data. G. Pratx, Funding: 5R01CA186275, 1R21CA193001, and Damon Runyon Cancer Foundation. S. Cherry, National Institutes of Health; University of California, Davis; Siemens Medical SolutionsJ. Bankson, GE Healthcare; NCI P30-CA016672; CPRIT PR140021-P5.

  18. MO-DE-206-01: Cellular Metabolism of FDG

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pratx, G. [Stanford University (United States)

    2016-06-15

    In this symposium jointly sponsored by the World Molecular Imaging Society (WMIS) and the AAPM, luminary speakers on imaging metabolism will discuss three impactful topics. The first presentation on Cellular Metabolism of FDG will be given by Guillem Pratx (Stanford). This presentation will detail new work on looking at how the most common molecular imaging agent, fluoro-deoxy-glucose is metabolized at a cellular level. This will be followed by a talk on an improved approach to whole-body PET imaging by Simon Cherry (UC Davis). Simon’s work on a new whole-body PET imaging system promises to have dramatic improvement in our ability to detect and characterize cancer using PET. Finally, Jim Bankson (MD Anderson) will discuss extremely sophisticated approaches to quantifying hyperpolarized-13-C pyruvate metabolism using MR imaging. This technology promises to compliment the exquisite sensitivity of PET with an ability to measure not just uptake, but tumor metabolism. Learning Objectives: Understand the metabolism of FDG at a cellular level. Appreciate the engineering related to a novel new high-sensitivity whole-body PET imaging system. Understand the process of hyperpolarization, how pyruvate relates to metabolism and how advanced modeling can be used to better quantify this data. G. Pratx, Funding: 5R01CA186275, 1R21CA193001, and Damon Runyon Cancer Foundation. S. Cherry, National Institutes of Health; University of California, Davis; Siemens Medical SolutionsJ. Bankson, GE Healthcare; NCI P30-CA016672; CPRIT PR140021-P5.

  19. Depressive Disorder, Anxiety Disorder and Chronic Pain: Multiple Manifestations of a Common Clinical and Pathophysiological Core.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arango-Dávila, Cesar A; Rincón-Hoyos, Hernán G

    A high proportion of depressive disorders are accompanied by anxious manifestations, just as depression and anxiety often present with many painful manifestations, or conversely, painful manifestations cause or worsen depressive and anxious expressions. There is increasingly more evidence of the pathophysiological, and neurophysiological and technical imaging similarity of pain and depression. Narrative review of the pathophysiological and clinical aspects of depression and chronic pain comorbidity. Research articles are included that emphasise the most relevant elements related to understanding the pathophysiology of both manifestations. The pathological origin, physiology and clinical approach to these disorders have been more clearly established with the latest advances in biochemical and cellular techniques, as well as the advent of imaging technologies. This information is systematised with comprehensive images and clinical pictures. The recognition that the polymorphism of inflammation-related genes generates susceptibility to depressive manifestations and may modify the response to antidepressant treatments establishes that the inflammatory response is not only an aetiopathogenic component of pain, but also of stress and depression. Likewise, the similarity in approach with images corroborates not only the structural, but the functional and pathophysiological analogy between depression and chronic pain. Knowledge of depression-anxiety-chronic pain comorbidity is essential in the search for effective therapeutic interventions. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  20. An Optically-Assisted 3-D Cellular Array Machine

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Lin, Freddie

    1997-01-01

    .... In this Phase II project, we developed a discrete-component based Cellular Neural Network (CNN) circuitry, which can perform CNN based analog image processing, such as edge detection and image enhancement, in real time...

  1. Differences in 99mTc-HMPAO brain SPET perfusion imaging between Tourette's syndrome and chronic tic disorder in children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiu, N.-T.; Lee, B.-F.; Chang, Y.-C.; Huang, C.-C.; Wang, S.-T.

    2001-01-01

    Early differential diagnosis between Tourette's syndrome and chronic tic disorder is difficult but important because both the outcome and the treatment of these two childhood-onset diseases are distinct. We assessed the sensitivity and specificity of brain single-photon emission tomography (SPET) perfusion imaging in distinguishing the two diseases, and characterized their different cerebral perfusion patterns. Twenty-seven children with Tourette's syndrome and 11 with chronic tic disorder (mean age 9.5 and 8.6 years, respectively) underwent brain SPET with technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (HMPAO). Visual interpretation and semi-quantitative analysis of SPET images were performed. On visual interpretation, 22 of 27 (82%) of the Tourette's syndrome group had lesions characterized by decreased perfusion. The left hemisphere was more frequently involved. None of the children with chronic tic disorder had a visible abnormality. Semi-quantitative analysis showed that, compared with children with chronic tic disorder, children with Tourette's syndrome had significantly lower perfusion in the left lateral temporal area and asymmetric perfusion in the dorsolateral frontal, lateral and medial temporal areas. In conclusion, using the visual approach, brain SPET perfusion imaging is sensitive and specific in differentiating Tourette's syndrome and chronic tic disorder. The perfusion difference between the two groups, demonstrated by semi-quantitative analysis, may be related more to the co-morbidity in Tourette's syndrome than to tics per se. (orig.)

  2. Imaging probe for tumor malignancy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanaka, Shotaro; Kizaka-Kondoh, Shinae; Hiraoka, Hasahiro

    2009-02-01

    Solid tumors possess unique microenvironments that are exposed to chronic hypoxic conditions ("tumor hypoxia"). Although more than half a century has passed since it was suggested that tumor hypoxia correlated with poor treatment outcomes and contributed to cancer recurrence, a fundamental solution to this problem has yet to be found. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1) is the main transcription factor that regulates the cellular response to hypoxia. It induces various genes whose functions are strongly associated with malignant alteration of the entire tumor. The cellular changes induced by HIF-1 are extremely important targets of cancer therapy, particularly in therapy against refractory cancers. Imaging of the HIF-1-active microenvironment is therefore important for cancer therapy. To image HIF-1activity in vivo, we developed a PTD-ODD fusion protein, POHA, which was uniquely labeled with near-infrared fluorescent dye at the C-terminal. POHA has two functional domains: protein transduction domain (PTD) and VHL-mediated protein destruction motif in oxygen-dependent degradation (ODD) domain of the alpha subunit of HIF-1 (HIF-1α). It can therefore be delivered to the entire body and remain stabilized in the HIF-1-active cells. When it was intravenously injected into tumor-bearing mice, a tumor-specific fluorescence signal was detected in the tumor 6 h after the injection. These results suggest that POHA can be used an imaging probe for tumor malignancy.

  3. The association between chronic bullying victimization with weight status and body self-image: a cross-national study in 39 countries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lian, Qiguo; Su, Qiru; Li, Ruili; Elgar, Frank J; Liu, Zhihao; Zheng, Dongpeng

    2018-01-01

    Childhood obesity and school bullying are pervasive public health issues and known to co-occur in adolescents. However, the association between underweight or thinness and chronic bullying victimization is unclear. The current study examined whether chronic bullying victimization is associated with weight status and body self-image. A school-based, cross-sectional study in 39 North American and European countries and regions was conducted. A total of 213,595 adolescents aged 11, 13, and 15 years were surveyed in 2009/10. Chronic bullying victimization was identified using the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. Weight status was determined using self-reported height and weight and the body mass index (BMI), and body self-image was based on perceived weight. We tested associations between underweight and bullying victimization using three-level logistic regression models. Of the 213,595 adolescents investigated, 11.28% adolescents reported chronic bullying victimization, 14.80% were classified as overweight/obese according to age- and sex-specific BMI criteria, 12.97% were underweight, and 28.36% considered themselves a little bit fat or too fat, 14.57% were too thin. Bullying victimization was less common in older adolescent boys and girls. Weight status was associated with chronic bullying victimization (adjusted OR underweight = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.05-1.16, p = 0.002; adjusted OR overweight = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.32-1.49, p self-image also related to chronic bullying victimization (adjusted OR too thin = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.36-1.49, p self-rated overweight are associated with chronic bullying victimization. Both overweight and underweight children are at risk of being chronically bullied.

  4. Membrane Lipid Replacement for chronic illnesses, aging and cancer using oral glycerolphospholipid formulations with fructooligosaccharides to restore phospholipid function in cellular membranes, organelles, cells and tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicolson, Garth L; Ash, Michael E

    2017-09-01

    Membrane Lipid Replacement is the use of functional, oral supplements containing mixtures of cell membrane glycerolphospholipids, plus fructooligosaccharides (for protection against oxidative, bile acid and enzymatic damage) and antioxidants, in order to safely replace damaged, oxidized, membrane phospholipids and restore membrane, organelle, cellular and organ function. Defects in cellular and intracellular membranes are characteristic of all chronic medical conditions, including cancer, and normal processes, such as aging. Once the replacement glycerolphospholipids have been ingested, dispersed, complexed and transported, while being protected by fructooligosaccharides and several natural mechanisms, they can be inserted into cell membranes, lipoproteins, lipid globules, lipid droplets, liposomes and other carriers. They are conveyed by the lymphatics and blood circulation to cellular sites where they are endocytosed or incorporated into or transported by cell membranes. Inside cells the glycerolphospholipids can be transferred to various intracellular membranes by lipid globules, liposomes, membrane-membrane contact or by lipid carrier transfer. Eventually they arrive at their membrane destinations due to 'bulk flow' principles, and there they can stimulate the natural removal and replacement of damaged membrane lipids while undergoing further enzymatic alterations. Clinical trials have shown the benefits of Membrane Lipid Replacement in restoring mitochondrial function and reducing fatigue in aged subjects and chronically ill patients. Recently Membrane Lipid Replacement has been used to reduce pain and other symptoms as well as removing hydrophobic chemical contaminants, suggesting that there are additional new uses for this safe, natural medicine supplement. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane Lipid Therapy: Drugs Targeting Biomembranes edited by Pablo V. Escribá. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights

  5. Role of T2 weighted magnetic resonance image in chronic phase of head injured patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uzura, Masahiko; Taguchi, Yoshio; Watanabe, Hiroyuki; Chiba, Syunmei; Matsuzawa, Motoshi

    2002-01-01

    In neuroimaging studies of head injury, addition of echo planar imaging (EPI) T2-weighted images (WI) to routine MR images has been useful in demonstrating small hemorrhagic lesions as magnetic susceptibility artifacts (MSAs). MSAs are often found in the acute or subacute phases of head injured patients with diffuse axonal injury. We studied MSAs in follow-up MR images of patients with diffuse brain injury and discuss the role of EPI T2-WI in patients with chronic phase of head injured patients. This series consisted of 20 patients with diffuse brain injury diagnosed clinically. Their head CT findings were classified into Diffuse Injury I or II according to the CT classification of Marshall et al. All patients underwent long-term follow-up MR examinations. MR findings in chronic phase were divided into three categories in terms of MSAs: group A, MSAs remaining even after disappearance of small traumatic lesions in both T2-WI and fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images (11 cases); group B, MSA (s) that disappeared in association with disappearance of small traumatic lesions (4 cases); and group C, MSAs that remained but could not be differentiated from non-traumatic lesions such as hemorrhagic lacunae or cavernoma (5 cases). Adding EPI T2-WI to routine MR images can provide useful information in visualizing old traumatic lesions of the brain in patients with diffuse brain injury even if no neuroimaging studies in acute or subacute phase. (author)

  6. Inflammatory chronic disease of the colon: How to image

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ambrosini, Roberta; Barchiesi, Annalisa; Di Mizio, Veronica; Di Terlizzi, Marco; Leo, Luca; Filippone, Antonella; Canalis, Luigi; Fossaceca, Rita; Carriero, Alessandro

    2007-01-01

    Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease and UC, is a chronic disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. The inflammatory process in UC is confined to the mucosa and submucosa and it involves only the colon. In contrast, in Crohn's disease the inflammation process extends through the bowel wall layers and it can involve any part of gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, inflammatory bowel disease of the colon may be associated with complications, such as toxic megacolon, fulminant colitis, acute bleeding, fistulas and abscesses. Radiographic imaging studies are useful for the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease, and may be used to assess the extent and severity of disease, rule out complications, and monitor the response to therapy. The double-contrast barium study is a valuable technique for diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease colonic alterations, even in patients with early mucosal abnormalities. The earliest finding of UC is characterized by a fine granular appeareance of the colonic mucosa, usually involving the rectosigmoid junction. In chronic UC double-contrast enema may reveal marked colonic shortening with tubular narrowing of the bowel and loss of haustration. The earliest radiographics findings of Crohn's disease are represented by aphthous ulcers. As disease progresses, aphthous ulcers may enlarge and coalesce to form stellate or linear areas of ulceration. In advanced Crohn's disease, transmural ulceration may lead to the development of fissures, sinus tracts, fistulas, and abscesses. Cross sectional studies such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and sometimes ultrasound, are useful alternative tools not only in the assessment of bowel wall abnormalities, but also for the assessment of extraluminal alterations in patients with advanced disease

  7. Melanoma screening with cellular phones.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cesare Massone

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Mobile teledermatology has recently been shown to be suitable for teledermatology despite limitations in image definition in preliminary studies. The unique aspect of mobile teledermatology is that this system represents a filtering or triage system, allowing a sensitive approach for the management of patients with emergent skin diseases. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study we investigated the feasibility of teleconsultation using a new generation of cellular phones in pigmented skin lesions. 18 patients were selected consecutively in the Pigmented Skin Lesions Clinic of the Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Graz, Graz (Austria. Clinical and dermoscopic images were acquired using a Sony Ericsson with a built-in two-megapixel camera. Two teleconsultants reviewed the images on a specific web application (http://www.dermahandy.net/default.asp where images had been uploaded in JPEG format. Compared to the face-to-face diagnoses, the two teleconsultants obtained a score of correct telediagnoses of 89% and of 91.5% reporting the clinical and dermoscopic images, respectively. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The present work is the first study performing mobile teledermoscopy using cellular phones. Mobile teledermatology has the potential to become an easy applicable tool for everyone and a new approach for enhanced self-monitoring for skin cancer screening in the spirit of the eHealth program of the European Commission Information for Society and Media.

  8. Agent-Based Modeling of Mitochondria Links Sub-Cellular Dynamics to Cellular Homeostasis and Heterogeneity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanni Dalmasso

    Full Text Available Mitochondria are semi-autonomous organelles that supply energy for cellular biochemistry through oxidative phosphorylation. Within a cell, hundreds of mobile mitochondria undergo fusion and fission events to form a dynamic network. These morphological and mobility dynamics are essential for maintaining mitochondrial functional homeostasis, and alterations both impact and reflect cellular stress states. Mitochondrial homeostasis is further dependent on production (biogenesis and the removal of damaged mitochondria by selective autophagy (mitophagy. While mitochondrial function, dynamics, biogenesis and mitophagy are highly-integrated processes, it is not fully understood how systemic control in the cell is established to maintain homeostasis, or respond to bioenergetic demands. Here we used agent-based modeling (ABM to integrate molecular and imaging knowledge sets, and simulate population dynamics of mitochondria and their response to environmental energy demand. Using high-dimensional parameter searches we integrated experimentally-measured rates of mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy, and using sensitivity analysis we identified parameter influences on population homeostasis. By studying the dynamics of cellular subpopulations with distinct mitochondrial masses, our approach uncovered system properties of mitochondrial populations: (1 mitochondrial fusion and fission activities rapidly establish mitochondrial sub-population homeostasis, and total cellular levels of mitochondria alter fusion and fission activities and subpopulation distributions; (2 restricting the directionality of mitochondrial mobility does not alter morphology subpopulation distributions, but increases network transmission dynamics; and (3 maintaining mitochondrial mass homeostasis and responding to bioenergetic stress requires the integration of mitochondrial dynamics with the cellular bioenergetic state. Finally, (4 our model suggests sources of, and stress conditions

  9. High-intensity facial nerve lesions on T2-weighted images in chronic persistent facial nerve palsy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kinoshita, T. [Dept. of Radiology, Sendai City Hospital, Sendai (Japan); Dept. of Radiology, Tottori Univ. (Japan); Ishii, K. [Dept. of Radiology, Sendai City Hospital, Sendai (Japan); Okitsu, T. [Dept. of Otolaryngology, Sendai City Hospital (Japan); Ogawa, T. [Dept. of Radiology, Tottori Univ. (Japan); Okudera, T. [Dept. of Radiology, Research Inst. of Brain and Blood Vessels-Akita, Akita (Japan)

    2001-05-01

    Our aim was to estimate the value of MRI in detecting irreversibly paralysed facial nerves. We examined 95 consecutive patients with a facial nerve palsy (14 with a persistent palsy, and 81 with good recovery), using a 1.0 T unit, with T2-weighted and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images. The geniculate ganglion and tympanic segment had gave high signal on T2-weighted images in the chronic stage of persistent palsy, but not in acute palsy. The enhancement pattern of the facial nerve in the chronic persistent facial nerve palsy is similar to that in the acute palsy with good recovery. These findings suggest that T2-weighted MRI can be used to show severely damaged facial nerves. (orig.)

  10. Confocal fluorescence microscopy for rapid evaluation of invasive tumor cellularity of inflammatory breast carcinoma core needle biopsies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dobbs, Jessica; Krishnamurthy, Savitri; Kyrish, Matthew; Benveniste, Ana Paula; Yang, Wei; Richards-Kortum, Rebecca

    2015-01-01

    Tissue sampling is a problematic issue for inflammatory breast carcinoma, and immediate evaluation following core needle biopsy is needed to evaluate specimen adequacy. We sought to determine if confocal fluorescence microscopy provides sufficient resolution to evaluate specimen adequacy by comparing invasive tumor cellularity estimated from standard histologic images to invasive tumor cellularity estimated from confocal images of breast core needle biopsy specimens. Grayscale confocal fluorescence images of breast core needle biopsy specimens were acquired following proflavine application. A breast-dedicated pathologist evaluated invasive tumor cellularity in histologic images with hematoxylin and eosin staining and in grayscale and false-colored confocal images of cores. Agreement between cellularity estimates was quantified using a kappa coefficient. 23 cores from 23 patients with suspected inflammatory breast carcinoma were imaged. Confocal images were acquired in an average of less than 2 min per core. Invasive tumor cellularity estimated from histologic and grayscale confocal images showed moderate agreement by kappa coefficient: κ = 0.48 ± 0.09 (p confocal images require less than 2 min for acquisition and allow for evaluation of invasive tumor cellularity in breast core needle biopsy specimens with moderate agreement to histologic images. We show that confocal fluorescence microscopy can be performed immediately following specimen acquisition and could indicate the need for additional biopsies at the initial visit.

  11. [50 years of progress in pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of chronic pancreatitis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lerch, M M; Mayerle, J

    2013-04-01

    The German Journal of Gastroenterology celebrates its fifties anniversary in 2013. Over half a century original studies, reviews and guidelines covering the topics of acute and chronic pancreatitis as well as pancreatic cancer have assumed a prominent role on its pages. Already in the first edition of the Journal Haemmerli and Hefti have summarized the Zurich experience with chronic pancreatitis and provided a detailed state-of-the-art review for the year 1963. 50 years later the current guidelines of the German Society of Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS) have been published in the same Journal and allow to summarize the scientific progress over this period. Back then chronic pancreatitis was regarded as a rare disorder (tenfold less common than e. g. acute pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer). This misconception had little to do with actual prevalence but with highly insensitive diagnostic tests, particularly in the area of diagnostic imaging. While pathogenetic factors for chronic pancreatitis, including a possible genetic disposition, were largely known in 1963, our understanding of their cellular mechanisms has very much improved. The greatest progress in diagnostic options was achieved by the introduction of novel imaging techniques such as ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound, ERCP, CT and MRCP. In terms of therapy the notion that a blockage of pancreatitic secretion is an effective pharmacological option has been abandoned and endoscopic intervention and surgical treatment have been newly developed as alternatives. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  12. Exercise Prevents Diet-Induced Cellular Senescence in Adipose Tissue

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schafer, M.J.; White, T.A.; Evans, G.; Tonne, J.M.; Verzosa, G.C.; Stout, M.B.; Mazula, D.L.; Palmer, A.K.; Baker, D.J.; Jensen, M.D.; Torbenson, M.S.; Miller, J.D.; Ikeda, Y.; Tchkonia, T.; Deursen, J.M.A. van; Kirkland, J.L.; LeBrasseur, N.K.

    2016-01-01

    Considerable evidence implicates cellular senescence in the biology of aging and chronic disease. Diet and exercise are determinants of healthy aging; however, the extent to which they affect the behavior and accretion of senescent cells within distinct tissues is not clear. Here we tested the

  13. Fluorescence based molecular in vivo imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ebert, Bernd

    2008-01-01

    Molecular imaging represents a modern research area that allows the in vivo study of molecular biological process kinetics using appropriate probes and visualization methods. This methodology may be defined- apart from the contrast media injection - as non-abrasive. In order to reach an in vivo molecular process imaging as accurate as possible the effects of the used probes on the biological should not be too large. The contrast media as important part of the molecular imaging can significantly contribute to the understanding of molecular processes and to the development of tailored diagnostics and therapy. Since more than 15 years PTB is developing optic imaging systems that may be used for fluorescence based visualization of tissue phantoms, small animal models and the localization of tumors and their predecessors, and for the early recognition of inflammatory processes in clinical trials. Cellular changes occur during many diseases, thus the molecular imaging might be of importance for the early diagnosis of chronic inflammatory diseases. Fluorescent dyes can be used as unspecific or also as specific contrast media, which allow enhanced detection sensitivity

  14. Algorithm for repairing the damaged images of grain structures obtained from the cellular automata and measurement of grain size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramírez-López, A.; Romero-Romo, M. A.; Muñoz-Negron, D.; López-Ramírez, S.; Escarela-Pérez, R.; Duran-Valencia, C.

    2012-10-01

    Computational models are developed to create grain structures using mathematical algorithms based on the chaos theory such as cellular automaton, geometrical models, fractals, and stochastic methods. Because of the chaotic nature of grain structures, some of the most popular routines are based on the Monte Carlo method, statistical distributions, and random walk methods, which can be easily programmed and included in nested loops. Nevertheless, grain structures are not well defined as the results of computational errors and numerical inconsistencies on mathematical methods. Due to the finite definition of numbers or the numerical restrictions during the simulation of solidification, damaged images appear on the screen. These images must be repaired to obtain a good measurement of grain geometrical properties. Some mathematical algorithms were developed to repair, measure, and characterize grain structures obtained from cellular automata in the present work. An appropriate measurement of grain size and the corrected identification of interfaces and length are very important topics in materials science because they are the representation and validation of mathematical models with real samples. As a result, the developed algorithms are tested and proved to be appropriate and efficient to eliminate the errors and characterize the grain structures.

  15. Changes of brain microstructure in patients with painful chronic pancreatitis assessed by diffusion tensor imaging

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frøkjær, Jens Brøndum; Olesen, Søren Schou; Gram, Mikkel

    Objective In patients with painful chronic pancreatitis (CP) there is increasing evidence of abnormal pain processing in the central nervous system. Using magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion tensor imaging, brain microstructure in areas involved in processing of visceral pain was characterised...

  16. Imaging and imagining chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Uruguayans draw their lungs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wainwright, Megan

    2017-09-11

    This anthropological study investigated what people imagined chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to look like in their lungs, what may be influencing these images and how this imagery shapes embodiment. Employing graphic elicitation, in one of multiple ethnographic interviews, participants were asked to draw their lungs: "If we could look inside your chest now, what would we see?" Lung drawings and accompanying narratives and fieldnotes from 14 participants were analyzed for themes and patterns. The theme of "imaging/imagining" emerged and three distinct patterns within this theme were identified: the microscope perspective, the X-ray perspective and the reduced pulmonary capacity perspective. These patterns demonstrate how embodiment can be shaped by an integration and reinterpretation of the medical images that form part of everyday clinic visits and pulmonary rehabilitation. Medical technology and images impact patients' embodiment. Understanding this is important for rehabilitation practitioners who work in a challenging space created by potentially conflicting medical narratives: on the one hand, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is incurable permanent damage, and on the other, improvement is possible through rehabilitation. Drawing could be integrated into pulmonary rehabilitation and may help identify perceptions of the body that could hinder the rehabilitation process. Implications for rehabilitation Drawings, when combined with interviews, can lead to a deeper and more complex understanding of patients' perspectives and embodiment. Rehabilitation practitioners should be concerned with how patients embody the medical technology and imagery they are exposed to as part of the educational component of pulmonary rehabilitation and healthcare generally. Asking patients to visualize their illness through drawing may help pulmonary rehabilitation practitioners identify perceptions of the body which could hinder the patient's ability to reap the full benefit

  17. Polyomavirus specific cellular immunity: from BK-virus-specific cellular immunity to BK-virus-associated nephropathy ?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    manon edekeyser

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In renal transplantation, BK-virus-associated nephropathy has emerged as a major complication, with a prevalence of 5–10% and graft loss in >50% of cases. BK-virus is a member of the Polyomavirus family and rarely induces apparent clinical disease in the general population. However, replication of polyomaviruses, associated with significant organ disease, is observed in patients with acquired immunosuppression, which suggests a critical role for virus-specific cellular immunity to control virus replication and prevent chronic disease. Monitoring of specific immunity combined with viral load could be used to individually assess the risk of viral reactivation and virus control. We review the current knowledge on BK-virus specific cellular immunity and, more specifically, in immunocompromised patients. In the future, immune-based therapies could allow us to treat and prevent BK-virus-associated nephropathy.

  18. Label-Free Analysis of Cellular Lipid Droplet Formation by Non-Linear Microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schie, Iwan W.

    Cellular lipid droplets (LD) are cellular organelles that can be found in every cell type. Recent research indicates that cellular LD are involved in a large number of cellular metabolic functions, such as lipid metabolism, protection from lipotoxicity, protein storage and degradation, and many more. LD formation is frequently associated with adverse health effects, i.e. alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes type-2, as well as many cardiovascular disorders. Despite their wide presence, LDs are the least studied and most poorly understood cellular organelles. Typically, LDs are investigated using fluorescence-based techniques that require staining with exogenous fluorophores. Other techniques, e.g. biochemical assays, require the destruction of cells that prohibit the analysis of living cells. Therefore, in my thesis research I developed a novel compound fast-scanning nonlinear optical microscope equipped with the ability to also acquire Raman spectra at specific image locations. This system allows us to image label-free cellular LD formation in living cells and analyze the composition of single cellular LDs. Images can be acquired at near video-rate (˜16 frames/s). Furthermore, the system has the ability to acquire very large images of tissue of up to 7.5x15 cm2 total area by stitching together scans with dimensions of 1x1 mm2 in less than 1 minute. The system also enables the user to acquire Raman spectra from points of interest in the multiphoton images and provides chemically-specific data from sample volumes as small as 1 femtoliter. In my thesis I used this setup to determine the effects of VLDL lipolysis products on primary rat hepatocytes. By analyzing the Raman spectra and comparing the peak ratios for saturated and unsaturated fatty acid it was determined that the small cellular LD are highly saturated, while large cellular LDs contain mostly unsaturated lipids. Furthermore, I established a method to determine the specific contribution

  19. MR imaging of brain tissue changes in acute and chronic solvent intoxication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rinck, P.A.; Nilsen, G.; Kvaerness, J.

    1988-01-01

    Acute and chronic intoxication with solvents is found both as an occupational hazard and as self-inflicted in addicts to solvent. Objective demonstration of such brain tissue changes is difficult with conventional imaging methods, and in most cases findings are negative. In a preliminary study, the brains of eight patients (aged 28-62 years) exposed to aggressive solvents for 1-27 years were examined with magnetic resonance imaging. All of the patients showed brain atrophy of varying extent, and seven of eight patients (all except the youngest and least exposed) had brain lesions that somewhat resembled dymyelinating changes (focal and confluent periventricular and deep white matter lesions, brain stem and cerebellar lesions); one patient showed cloudy, poorly defined lesions

  20. In vivo imaging of cellular proliferation in renal cell carcinoma using 18F-fluorothymidine PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, Peter K.; Lee, Sze Ting; Murone, Carmel; Eng, John; Lawrentschuk, Nathan; Berlangieri, Salvatore University; Pathmaraj, Kunthi; O’Keefe, Graeme J.; Sachinidis, John; Byrne, Amanda J.; Bolton, Damien M.; Davis, Ian D.; Scott, Andrew M.

    2014-01-01

    The ability to measure cellular proliferation non-invasively in renal cell carcinoma may allow prediction of tumour aggressiveness and response to therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the uptake of 18F-fluorothymidine (FLT) PET in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and to compare this to 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), and to an immunohistochemical measure of cellular proliferation (Ki-67). Twenty seven patients (16 male, 11 females; age 42-77) with newly diagnosed renal cell carcinoma suitable for resection were prospectively enrolled. All patients had preoperative FLT and FDG PET scans. Visual identification of tumour using FLT PET compared to normal kidney was facilitated by the use of a pre-operative contrast enhanced CT scan. After surgery tumour was taken for histologic analysis and immunohistochemical staining by Ki-67. The SUVmax (maximum standardized uptake value) mean±SD for FLT in tumour was 2.59±1.27, compared to normal kidney (2.47±0.34). The mean SUVmax for FDG in tumour was similar to FLT (2.60±1.08). There was a significant correlation between FLT uptake and the immunohistochemical marker Ki-67 (r=0.72, P<0.0001) in RCC. Ki-67 proliferative index was mean ± SD of 13.3%±9.2 (range 2.2% - 36.3%). There is detectable uptake of FLT in primary renal cell carcinoma, which correlates with cellular proliferation as assessed by Ki-67 labelling index. This finding has relevance to the use of FLT PET in molecular imaging studies of renal cell carcinoma biology

  1. Idiopathic infantile arterial calcification in a 12-year-old girl presenting as chronic mesenteric ischemia: imaging findings and angioplasty results

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Edwin; Owen, Richard [University of Alberta, Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, Edmonton (Canada); Bruce, Garth [University of Saskatchewan, Department of Pediatrics, Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon (Canada); Wiebe, Sheldon [University of Saskatchewan, Department of Medical Imaging, Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon (Canada)

    2011-11-15

    We report an unusual case of chronic mesenteric ischemia presenting in a 12-year-old girl with idiopathic infantile arterial calcinosis (IIAC). This is the first reported case in the literature of chronic mesenteric ischemia in the setting of IIAC. The girl presented with a classical history of postprandial abdominal pain. Imaging demonstrated significant stenoses of the celiac axis, superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and inferior mesenteric artery (IMA). Angioplasty of the celiac axis and SMA was attempted, with successful dilation of the SMA only. At 3-, 6- and 12-month follow-ups, the child's symptoms had almost resolved. This case report has three important ramifications: chronic mesenteric ischemia is a possible clinical presentation in children with IACC, pre-angioplasty imaging is important in guiding treatment approach, and angioplasty was effective in this case of chronic mesenteric ischemia and offers hope for other similarly affected children. (orig.)

  2. Idiopathic infantile arterial calcification in a 12-year-old girl presenting as chronic mesenteric ischemia: imaging findings and angioplasty results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Edwin; Owen, Richard; Bruce, Garth; Wiebe, Sheldon

    2011-01-01

    We report an unusual case of chronic mesenteric ischemia presenting in a 12-year-old girl with idiopathic infantile arterial calcinosis (IIAC). This is the first reported case in the literature of chronic mesenteric ischemia in the setting of IIAC. The girl presented with a classical history of postprandial abdominal pain. Imaging demonstrated significant stenoses of the celiac axis, superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and inferior mesenteric artery (IMA). Angioplasty of the celiac axis and SMA was attempted, with successful dilation of the SMA only. At 3-, 6- and 12-month follow-ups, the child's symptoms had almost resolved. This case report has three important ramifications: chronic mesenteric ischemia is a possible clinical presentation in children with IACC, pre-angioplasty imaging is important in guiding treatment approach, and angioplasty was effective in this case of chronic mesenteric ischemia and offers hope for other similarly affected children. (orig.)

  3. HUMORAL AND CELLULAR IMMUNITY PARAMETERS IN CHILDREN BEFORE AND AFTER ADENOTONSILLECTOMY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. H. Baradaranfar

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Adenoids and tonsils are active lymphoid organs and play an important role ‎against invading antigens of upper aerodigestive tract in children. ‎The present study analyzes the changes in cellular and humoral immunity of children six ‎months after adenotonsillectomy. The study population consisted of 30 children whit chronic adenotonsillar hypertrophy and 30 age-matched healthy children. ‎In all children serum level of IgM and IgG, percentage of T lymphocytes (CD3, T ‎helper cells (CD4, T cytotoxic ‎cells (CD8 and B lymphocytes (CD20 were measured before surgery. These parameters were ‎remeasured in patients 6 months after adenotonsillectomy. ‎Before the operation, a reduction in percentage of T lymphocytes (CD3,TCD4,TC8 ‎and B CD20 was seen compared to control group. This reduction was only significant in T ‎lymphocytes (CD3.The serum IgM and IgG levels were not different in two groups. Six months after ‎operation, the percentage of lymphocytes T CD3, T CD8 and BCD20 was increased and ‎reached the control group. The IgM level was also significantly decreased in patients after ‎operation. ‎Our results indicate that cellular and humoral immunity decreases in children ‎with chronic adenotonsiller hypertrophy preoperatively and increases to healthy children ‎level, six months postoperatively. It means that chronic adenotosillar hypertrophy affect ‎some parameters of cellular and humoral immunity and adenotonsillectomy by removing ‎chronic stimulations and reverses these changes without any negative effect on immune ‎function of patients.

  4. The High Costs of Low-Grade Inflammation: Persistent Fatigue as a Consequence of Reduced Cellular-Energy Availability and Non-adaptive Energy Expenditure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacourt, Tamara E; Vichaya, Elisabeth G; Chiu, Gabriel S; Dantzer, Robert; Heijnen, Cobi J

    2018-01-01

    Chronic or persistent fatigue is a common, debilitating symptom of several diseases. Persistent fatigue has been associated with low-grade inflammation in several models of fatigue, including cancer-related fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome. However, it is unclear how low-grade inflammation leads to the experience of fatigue. We here propose a model of an imbalance in energy availability and energy expenditure as a consequence of low-grade inflammation. In this narrative review, we discuss how chronic low-grade inflammation can lead to reduced cellular-energy availability. Low-grade inflammation induces a metabolic switch from energy-efficient oxidative phosphorylation to fast-acting, but less efficient, aerobic glycolytic energy production; increases reactive oxygen species; and reduces insulin sensitivity. These effects result in reduced glucose availability and, thereby, reduced cellular energy. In addition, emerging evidence suggests that chronic low-grade inflammation is associated with increased willingness to exert effort under specific circumstances. Circadian-rhythm changes and sleep disturbances might mediate the effects of inflammation on cellular-energy availability and non-adaptive energy expenditure. In the second part of the review, we present evidence for these metabolic pathways in models of persistent fatigue, focusing on chronic fatigue syndrome and cancer-related fatigue. Most evidence for reduced cellular-energy availability in relation to fatigue comes from studies on chronic fatigue syndrome. While the mechanistic evidence from the cancer-related fatigue literature is still limited, the sparse results point to reduced cellular-energy availability as well. There is also mounting evidence that behavioral-energy expenditure exceeds the reduced cellular-energy availability in patients with persistent fatigue. This suggests that an inability to adjust energy expenditure to available resources might be one mechanism underlying persistent fatigue.

  5. Decreased Fc receptor expression on innate immune cells is associated with impaired antibody-mediated cellular phagocytic activity in chronically HIV-1 infected individuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dugast, Anne-Sophie; Tonelli, Andrew; Berger, Christoph T; Ackerman, Margaret E; Sciaranghella, Gaia; Liu, Qingquan; Sips, Magdalena; Toth, Ildiko; Piechocka-Trocha, Alicja; Ghebremichael, Musie; Alter, Galit

    2011-07-05

    In addition to neutralization, antibodies mediate other antiviral activities including antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), as well as complement deposition. While it is established that progressive HIV infection is associated with reduced ADCC and ADCP, the underlying mechanism for this loss of function is unknown. Here we report considerable changes in FcR expression over the course of HIV infection on both mDCs and monocytes, including elevated FcγRI expression in acute HIV infection and reduced expression of FcγRII and FcγRIIIa in chronic HIV infection. Furthermore, selective blockade of FcγRII alone was associated with a loss in ADCP activity, suggesting that FcγRII plays a central role in modulating ADCP. Overall, HIV infection is associated with a number of changes in FcR expression on phagocytic cells that are associated with changes in their ability to respond to antibody-opsonized targets, potentially contributing to a failure in viral clearance in progressive HIV-1 infection. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Decreased Fc-Receptor expression on innate immune cells is associated with impaired antibody mediated cellular phagocytic activity in chronically HIV-1 infected individuals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dugast, Anne-Sophie; Tonelli, Andrew; Berger, Christoph T.; Ackerman, Margaret E.; Sciaranghella, Gaia; Liu, Qingquan; Sips, Magdalena; Toth, Ildiko; Piechocka-Trocha, Alicja; Ghebremichael, Musie; Alter, Galit

    2011-01-01

    In addition to neutralization, antibodies mediate other antiviral activities including antibody-dependent cellular-phagocytosis (ADCP), antibody dependent cellular-cytotoxicity (ADCC), as well as complement deposition. While it is established that progressive HIV infection is associated with reduced ADCC and ADCP, the underlying mechanism for this loss of function is unknown. Here we report considerable changes in FcR expression over the course of HIV infection on both mDCs and monocytes, including elevated FcγRI expression in acute HIV infection and reduced expression of FcγRII and FcγRIIIa in chronic HIV infection. Furthermore, selective blockade of FcγRII alone was associated with a loss in ADCP activity, suggesting that FcγRII plays a central role in modulating ADCP. Overall, HIV infection is associated with a number of changes in FcR expression on phagocytic cells that are associated with changes in their ability to respond to antibody-opsonized targets, potentially contributing to a failure in viral clearance in progressive HIV-1 infection. PMID:21565376

  7. Imaging techniques in the management of chronic kidney disease: current developments and future perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herget-Rosenthal, Stefan

    2011-05-01

    The measurement of both renal function and structure is critical in clinical nephrology to detect, stage, and monitor chronic kidney disease (CKD). Current imaging modalities especially ultrasound (US), computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provide adequate information on structural changes but little on functional impairment in CKD. Although not yet considered first-line procedures for evaluating patients with renal disease, new US and MR imaging techniques may permit the assessment of renal function in the near future. Combined with established imaging techniques, contrast-enhanced US, dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, blood oxygen level dependency MRI, or diffusion-weighted imaging may provide rapid, accurate, simultaneous, and noninvasive imaging of the structure of kidneys, macrovascular and microvascular renal perfusion, oxygenation, and glomerular filtration rate. Recent developments in molecular imaging indicate that pathophysiological pathways of renal diseases such as apoptosis, coagulation, fibrosis, and ischemia will be visualized at the tissue level. These major advances in imaging and developments in hardware and software could enable comprehensive imaging of renal structure and function in four dimensions (three dimensions plus time), and imaging is expected to play an increasing role in the management of CKD. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Improved detection of chronic myocardial infarction with Fourier amplitude and phase imaging in two projections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akins, E.W.; Scott, E.A.; Williams, C.M.

    1987-01-01

    Twenty-seven patients with 33 chronic myocaridal infarctions underwent MR imaging and radionuclide ventriculography at rest. The radionuclide ventriculographs, in left anterior oblique (LAO) and left posterior oblique (LPO) projections, were analyzed by two independent observers by visual inspection and combined Fourier-transformed amplitude and phase imaging. Only 15 (45%) of the 33 infarctions were detected by visual inspection, but 21 (64%) were detected on the LAO Fourier-transformed images along. Thirty (91%) were detected by using both LAO and LPO Fourier-transformed images. On MR imaging, 28 (85%) of the myocardial infarctions appeared as areas of focal wall thinning. Combined Fourier-transformed amplitude and phase imaging in both LAO and LPO views discloses more myocardial infarctions than visual inspection or LAO Fourier-transformed images alone because inferior infarctions, which are frequently missed in the LAO view, are easily seen in the LPO view

  9. Radiologic imaging of the renal parenchyma structure and function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grenier, Nicolas; Merville, Pierre; Combe, Christian

    2016-06-01

    Radiologic imaging has the potential to identify several functional and/or structural biomarkers of acute and chronic kidney diseases that are useful diagnostics to guide patient management. A renal ultrasound examination can provide information regarding the gross anatomy and macrostructure of the renal parenchyma, and ultrasound imaging modalities based on Doppler or elastography techniques can provide haemodynamic and structural information, respectively. CT is also able to combine morphological and functional information, but the use of CT is limited due to the required exposure to X-ray irradiation and a risk of contrast-induced nephropathy following intravenous injection of a radio-contrast agent. MRI can be used to identify a wide range of anatomical and physiological parameters at the tissue and even cellular level, such as tissue perfusion, oxygenation, water diffusion, cellular phagocytic activity, tissue stiffness, and level of renal filtration. The ability of MRI to provide valuable information for most of these parameters within a renal context is still in development and requires more clinical experience, harmonization of technical procedures, and an evaluation of reliability and validity on a large scale.

  10. The functional micro-organization of grid cells revealed by cellular-resolution imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heys, James G; Rangarajan, Krsna V; Dombeck, Daniel A

    2014-12-03

    Establishing how grid cells are anatomically arranged, on a microscopic scale, in relation to their firing patterns in the environment would facilitate a greater microcircuit-level understanding of the brain's representation of space. However, all previous grid cell recordings used electrode techniques that provide limited descriptions of fine-scale organization. We therefore developed a technique for cellular-resolution functional imaging of medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) neurons in mice navigating a virtual linear track, enabling a new experimental approach to study MEC. Using these methods, we show that grid cells are physically clustered in MEC compared to nongrid cells. Additionally, we demonstrate that grid cells are functionally micro-organized: the similarity between the environment firing locations of grid cell pairs varies as a function of the distance between them according to a "Mexican hat"-shaped profile. This suggests that, on average, nearby grid cells have more similar spatial firing phases than those further apart. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Magnetic resonance imaging of the normal and chronically injured adult rat spinal cord in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guizar-Sahagun, G.; Rivera, F.; Babinski, E.; Berlanga, E.; Madrazo, M.; Franco-Bourland, R.; Grijalva, I.; Gonzalez, J.; Contreras, B.; Madrazo, I.

    1994-01-01

    We assessed the capacity of MRI to show and characterise the spinal cord (SC) in vivo in normal and chronically injured adult rats. In the chronically injured animals the SC was studied by MRI and histological examination. MRI was performed at 1.5 T, using gradient-echo and spin-echo (SE) sequences, the latter with and without gadolinium-DTPA (Gd-DTPA). Several positions were tried for good alignment and to diminish interference by respiratory movements. Images of the SC were obtained in sagittal, coronal, and axial planes. Normal SC was observed as a continuous intensity in both sequences, although contrast resolution was better using SE; it was not possible to differentiate the grey and white matter. Low signal was seen in the damaged area in chronically injured rats, which corresponded to cysts, trabeculae, mononuclear infiltrate, and fibroglial wall on histological examination. Gd-DTPA failed to enhance the SC in normal or chronically injured rats. It did, however, cause enhancement of the lesion after acute SC injury. (orig.)

  12. Magnetic resonance imaging of the normal and chronically injured adult rat spinal cord in vivo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guizar-Sahagun, G [Centro de Investigacion del Proyecto Camina, Mexico City (Mexico) Dept. of Clinical Research in Neurology and Neurosurgery, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI, Inst. Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City (Mexico); Rivera, F [Centro de Investigacion del Proyecto Camina, Mexico City (Mexico); Babinski, E [Centro de Investigacion del Proyecto Camina, Mexico City (Mexico); Berlanga, E [Dept. of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Hospital Angeles del Pedregal, Mexico City (Mexico); Madrazo, M [Dept. of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Hospital Angeles del Pedregal, Mexico City (Mexico); Franco-Bourland, R [Centro de Investigacion del Proyecto Camina, Mexico City (Mexico) Dept. of Biochemistry, Inst. Nacional de la Nutricion, Mexico City (Mexico); Grijalva, I [Centro de Investigacion del Proyecto Camina, Mexico City (Mexico) Dept. of Clinical Research in Neurology and Neurosurgery, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Medico Nacional Siglo

    1994-08-01

    We assessed the capacity of MRI to show and characterise the spinal cord (SC) in vivo in normal and chronically injured adult rats. In the chronically injured animals the SC was studied by MRI and histological examination. MRI was performed at 1.5 T, using gradient-echo and spin-echo (SE) sequences, the latter with and without gadolinium-DTPA (Gd-DTPA). Several positions were tried for good alignment and to diminish interference by respiratory movements. Images of the SC were obtained in sagittal, coronal, and axial planes. Normal SC was observed as a continuous intensity in both sequences, although contrast resolution was better using SE; it was not possible to differentiate the grey and white matter. Low signal was seen in the damaged area in chronically injured rats, which corresponded to cysts, trabeculae, mononuclear infiltrate, and fibroglial wall on histological examination. Gd-DTPA failed to enhance the SC in normal or chronically injured rats. It did, however, cause enhancement of the lesion after acute SC injury. (orig.)

  13. Magnetic resonance imaging of carbon monoxide poisoning in chronic stage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kojima, Shigeyuki; Kawamura, Mitsuru; Shibata, Noriyuki; Takahashi, Nobuyoshi; Hirayama, Keizo

    1986-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was evaluated in three patients with carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in chronic stage by comparison with serial X-ray computed tomography (CT). In Case 1 and 3, no pallidal lesions believed to be the most common lesion of the gray matter in CO poisoning were found in the serial X-ray CT scans. In the other case (Case 2), the typical initial bilateral symmetrical low density areas in the globus pallidus were found to have decreased markedly in size and finally disappeared in the latter X-ray CT scan. But MRI using inversion recovery (IR) or spin echo (SE) pulse sequence clearly showed bilateral symmetrical decreased or increased signal intensity areas in the globus pallidus in all three cases. In Case 3, chronic CO poisoning was confirmed by the bilateral symmetrical pallidal lesions on MRI, although differential diagnosis was difficult. Furthermore, in Case 2, with pure alexia, MRI using IR or SE pulse sequence demonstrated a patchy decreased or increased signal intensity area in the subcortical white matter at the left angular gyrus, although X-ray CT scan showed no abnormal findings. MRI is useful in the diagnosis of CO poisoning, especially chronic CO poisoning, because necrosis, cavitation, demyelination, gliosis and so on due to hypoxia of CO poisoning were sensitively detected from changes in the proton density and the T1 or T2 relaxation time value on MRI. (J.P.N.)

  14. Quantitative analysis of nanoscale intranuclear structural alterations in hippocampal cells in chronic alcoholism via transmission electron microscopy imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahay, Peeyush; Shukla, Pradeep K; Ghimire, Hemendra M; Almabadi, Huda M; Tripathi, Vibha; Mohanty, Samarendra K; Rao, Radhakrishna; Pradhan, Prabhakar

    2017-03-01

    Chronic alcoholism is known to alter the morphology of the hippocampus, an important region of cognitive function in the brain. Therefore, to understand the effect of chronic alcoholism on hippocampal neural cells, we employed a mouse model of chronic alcoholism and quantified intranuclear nanoscale structural alterations in these cells. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of hippocampal neurons were obtained, and the degree of structural alteration in terms of mass density fluctuation was determined using the light-localization properties of optical media generated from TEM imaging. The results, which were obtained at length scales ranging from ~30 to 200 nm, show that 10-12 week-old mice fed a Lieber-DeCarli liquid (alcoholic) diet had a higher degree of structural alteration than control mice fed a normal diet without alcohol. The degree of structural alteration became significantly distinguishable at a sample length of ~100 nm, which is the typical length scale of the building blocks of cells, such as DNA, RNA, proteins and lipids. Interestingly, different degrees of structural alteration at such length scales suggest possible structural rearrangement of chromatin inside the nuclei in chronic alcoholism.

  15. Femtosecond laser nanosurgery of sub-cellular structures in HeLa cells by employing Third Harmonic Generation imaging modality as diagnostic tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tserevelakis, George J; Psycharakis, Stylianos; Resan, Bojan; Brunner, Felix; Gavgiotaki, Evagelia; Weingarten, Kurt; Filippidis, George

    2012-02-01

    Femtosecond laser assisted nanosurgery of microscopic biological specimens is a relatively new technique which allows the selective disruption of sub-cellular structures without causing any undesirable damage to the surrounding regions. The targeted structures have to be stained in order to be clearly visualized for the nanosurgery procedure. However, the validation of the final nanosurgery result is difficult, since the targeted structure could be simply photobleached rather than selectively destroyed. This fact comprises a main drawback of this technique. In our study we employed a multimodal system which integrates non-linear imaging modalities with nanosurgery capabilities, for the selective disruption of sub-cellular structures in HeLa cancer cells. Third Harmonic Generation (THG) imaging modality was used as a tool for the identification of structures that were subjected to nanosurgery experiments. No staining of the biological samples was required, since THG is an intrinsic property of matter. Furthermore, cells' viability after nanosurgery processing was verified via Two Photon Excitation Fluorescence (TPEF) measurements. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Bilateral fronto-parietal integrity in young chronic cigarette smokers: a diffusion tensor imaging study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanhui Liao

    Full Text Available Cigarette smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in China and other countries. Previous studies have demonstrated gray matter loss in chronic smokers. However, only a few studies assessed the changes of white matter integrity in this group. Based on those previous reports of alterations in white matter integrity in smokers, the aim of this study was to examine the alteration of white matter integrity in a large, well-matched sample of chronic smokers and non-smokers.Using in vivo diffusion tensor imaging (DTI to measure the differences of whole-brain white matter integrity between 44 chronic smoking subjects (mean age, 28.0±5.6 years and 44 healthy age- and sex-matched comparison non-smoking volunteers (mean age, 26.3±5.8 years. DTI was performed on a 3-Tesla Siemens scanner (Allegra; Siemens Medical System. The data revealed that smokers had higher fractional anisotropy (FA than healthy non-smokers in almost symmetrically bilateral fronto-parietal tracts consisting of a major white matter pathway, the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF.We found the almost symmetrically bilateral fronto-parietal whiter matter changes in a relatively large sample of chronic smokers. These findings support the hypothesis that chronic cigarette smoking involves alterations of bilateral fronto-parietal connectivity.

  17. Growth and setting of gas bubbles in a viscoelastic matrix imaged by X-ray microtomography: the evolution of cellular structures in fermenting wheat flour dough.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turbin-Orger, A; Babin, P; Boller, E; Chaunier, L; Chiron, H; Della Valle, G; Dendievel, R; Réguerre, A L; Salvo, L

    2015-05-07

    X-ray tomography is a relevant technique for the dynamic follow-up of gas bubbles in an opaque viscoelastic matrix, especially using image analysis. It has been applied here to pieces of fermenting wheat flour dough of various compositions, at two different voxel sizes (15 and 5 μm). The resulting evolution of the main cellular features shows that the creation of cellular structures follows two regimes that are defined by a characteristic time of connectivity, tc [30 and 80 min]: first (t ≤ tc), bubbles grow freely and then (t ≥ tc) they become connected since the percolation of the gas phase is limited by liquid films. During the first regime, bubbles can be tracked and the local strain rate can be measured. Its values (10(-4)-5 × 10(-4) s(-1)) are in agreement with those computed from dough viscosity and internal gas pressure, both of which depend on the composition. For higher porosity, P = 0.64 in our case, and thus occurring in the second regime, different cellular structures are obtained and XRT images show deformed gas cells that display complex shapes. The comparison of these images with confocal laser scanning microscopy images suggests the presence of liquid films that separate these cells. The dough can therefore be seen as a three-phase medium: viscoelastic matrix/gas cell/liquid phase. The contributions of the different levels of matter organization can be integrated by defining a capillary number (C = 0.1-1) that makes it possible to predict the macroscopic dough behavior.

  18. Targeting cellular adhesion molecules, chemokines and chemokine receptors in rheumatoid arthritis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haringman, Jasper J.; Oostendorp, Roos L.; Tak, Paul P.

    2005-01-01

    The development of specific targeted therapies, such as anti-TNF-alpha treatment, for chronic inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, has significantly improved treatment, although not all patients respond. Targeting cellular adhesion molecules and chemokines/chemokine receptors as

  19. Time lapse microscopy observation of cellular structural changes and image analysis of drug treated cancer cells to characterize the cellular heterogeneity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaiyapuri, Periasamy S; Ali, Alshatwi A; Mohammad, Akbarsha A; Kandhavelu, Jeyalakshmi; Kandhavelu, Meenakshisundaram

    2015-01-01

    The effect of Calotropis gigantea latex (CGLX) on human mammary carcinoma cells is not well established. We present the results of this drug activity at total population and single cell level. CGLX inhibited the growth of MCF7 cancer cells at lower IC50 concentration (17 µL/mL). Microscopy of IC50 drug treated cells at 24 hr confirming the appearance of morphological characteristics of apoptotic and necrotic cells, associated with 70% of DNA damage. FACS analysis confirmed that, 10 and 20% of the disruption of cellular mitochondrial nature by at 24 and 48 h, respectively. Microscopic image analysis of total population level proved that MMP changes were statistically significant with P values. The cell to cell variation was confirmed by functional heterogeneity analysis which proves that CGLX was able to induce the apoptosis without the contribution of mitochondria. We conclude that CGLX inhibits cell proliferation, survival, and heterogeneity of pathways in human mammary carcinoma cells. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Subperiosteal hematoma of the iliac bone: imaging features of acute and chronic stages with emphasis on pathophysiology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guillin, Raphael [Rennes University Hospital, Department of Musculoskeletal Imaging, Rennes Cedex 2 (France); Moser, Thomas [Montreal University Hospital, Department of Musculoskeletal Imaging, Montreal (Canada); Koob, Meriam [Strasbourg University Hospital, Department of Pediatric Imaging, Strasbourg (France); Khoury, Viviane [Mc Gill University Health center, Department of Radiology, Montreal (Canada); Chapuis, Madeleine [Rennes University Hospital, Department of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Rennes (France); Ropars, Mickael [Rennes University Hospital, Department of orthopedic surgery, Rennes (France); Cardinal, Etienne [Radiologie Laennec, Montreal (Canada)

    2012-06-15

    The goal of this work is to describe the radiological appearance and clinical presentation of subperiosteal iliac hematoma and present a review of the literature. We retrospectively reviewed the radiological and clinical files of 19 patients (age range: 12-75; mean: 47) who presented with acute or chronic subperiosteal iliac hematomas. Imaging findings and relevant clinical information were recorded. A thorough literature search was performed to find additional cases of this rare condition. Three young patients presented with acute subperiosteal iliac hematoma following a fall. Clinical presentation was characterized by pain and gait disturbance presumed to result from crural nerve compression. Unilateral or bilateral lenticular hematomas deep in the iliacus muscle were demonstrated by CT for all patients while MRI was also available for two of them. In 16 asymptomatic patients, chronic ossified subperiosteal iliac hematomas were incidentally detected by CT. Progressive ossification of acute hematoma was demonstrated at follow-up in two patients. Subperiosteal iliac hematoma is rare but has typical imaging findings that may present acutely in adolescents or chronically in asymptomatic adults. (orig.)

  1. Two-Photon Autofluorescence Imaging Reveals Cellular Structures Throughout the Retina of the Living Primate Eye.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Robin; Williams, David R; Palczewska, Grazyna; Palczewski, Krzysztof; Hunter, Jennifer J

    2016-02-01

    Although extrinsic fluorophores can be introduced to label specific cell types in the retina, endogenous fluorophores, such as NAD(P)H, FAD, collagen, and others, are present in all retinal layers. These molecules are a potential source of optical contrast and can enable noninvasive visualization of all cellular layers. We used a two-photon fluorescence adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscope (TPF-AOSLO) to explore the native autofluorescence of various cell classes spanning several layers in the unlabeled retina of a living primate eye. Three macaques were imaged on separate occasions using a custom TPF-AOSLO. Two-photon fluorescence was evoked by pulsed light at 730 and 920 nm excitation wavelengths, while fluorescence emission was collected in the visible range from several retinal layers and different locations. Backscattered light was recorded simultaneously in confocal modality and images were postprocessed to remove eye motion. All retinal layers yielded two-photon signals and the heterogeneous distribution of fluorophores provided optical contrast. Several structural features were observed, such as autofluorescence from vessel walls, Müller cell processes in the nerve fibers, mosaics of cells in the ganglion cell and other nuclear layers of the inner retina, as well as photoreceptor and RPE layers in the outer retina. This in vivo survey of two-photon autofluorescence throughout the primate retina demonstrates a wider variety of structural detail in the living eye than is available through conventional imaging methods, and broadens the use of two-photon imaging of normal and diseased eyes.

  2. Synthesis of magnetic resonance–, X-ray– and ultrasound-visible alginate microcapsules for immunoisolation and noninvasive imaging of cellular therapeutics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnett, Brad P; Arepally, Aravind; Stuber, Matthias; Arifin, Dian R; Kraitchman, Dara L; Bulte, Jeff W M

    2011-01-01

    Cell therapy has the potential to treat or cure a wide variety of diseases. Non-invasive cell tracking techniques are, however, necessary to translate this approach to the clinical setting. This protocol details methods to create microcapsules that are visible by X-ray, ultrasound (US ) or magnetic resonance (MR) for the encapsulation and immunoisolation of cellular therapeutics. Three steps are generally used to encapsulate cellular therapeutics in an alginate matrix: (i) droplets of cell-containing liquid alginate are extruded, using an electrostatic generator, through a needle tip into a solution containing a dissolved divalent cation salt to form a solid gel; (ii) the resulting gelled spheres are coated with polycations as a cross-linker; and (iii) these complexes are then incubated in a second solution of alginate to form a semipermeable membrane composed of an inner and an outer layer of alginate. The microcapsules can be rendered visible during the first step by adding contrast agents to the primary alginate layer. Such contrast agents include superparamagnetic iron oxide for detection by 1H MR imaging (MRI); the radiopaque agents barium or bismuth sulfate for detection by X-ray modalities; or perfluorocarbon emulsions for multimodal detection by 19F MRI, X-ray and US imaging. The entire synthesis can be completed within 2 h. PMID:21799484

  3. Improved localization of cellular membrane receptors using combined fluorescence microscopy and simultaneous topography and recognition imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duman, M; Pfleger, M; Chtcheglova, L A; Neundlinger, I; Bozna, B L; Ebner, A; Schuetz, G J; Hinterdorfer, P; Zhu, R; Mayer, B; Rankl, C; Moertelmaier, M; Kada, G; Kienberger, F; Salio, M; Shepherd, D; Polzella, P; Cerundolo, V; Dieudonne, M

    2010-01-01

    The combination of fluorescence microscopy and atomic force microscopy has a great potential in single-molecule-detection applications, overcoming many of the limitations coming from each individual technique. Here we present a new platform of combined fluorescence and simultaneous topography and recognition imaging (TREC) for improved localization of cellular receptors. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) labeled human sodium-glucose cotransporter (hSGLT1) expressed Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells and endothelial cells (MyEnd) from mouse myocardium stained with phalloidin-rhodamine were used as cell systems to study AFM topography and fluorescence microscopy on the same surface area. Topographical AFM images revealed membrane features such as lamellipodia, cytoskeleton fibers, F-actin filaments and small globular structures with heights ranging from 20 to 30 nm. Combined fluorescence and TREC imaging was applied to detect density, distribution and localization of YFP-labeled CD1d molecules on α-galactosylceramide (αGalCer)-loaded THP1 cells. While the expression level, distribution and localization of CD1d molecules on THP1 cells were detected with fluorescence microscopy, the nanoscale distribution of binding sites was investigated with molecular recognition imaging by using a chemically modified AFM tip. Using TREC on the inverted light microscope, the recognition sites of cell receptors were detected in recognition images with domain sizes ranging from ∼ 25 to ∼ 160 nm, with the smaller domains corresponding to a single CD1d molecule.

  4. Improved localization of cellular membrane receptors using combined fluorescence microscopy and simultaneous topography and recognition imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duman, M; Pfleger, M; Chtcheglova, L A; Neundlinger, I; Bozna, B L; Ebner, A; Schuetz, G J; Hinterdorfer, P [Institute for Biophysics, University of Linz, Altenbergerstrasse 69, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Zhu, R; Mayer, B [Christian Doppler Laboratory for Nanoscopic Methods in Biophysics, Institute for Biophysics, University of Linz, Altenbergerstrasse 69, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Rankl, C; Moertelmaier, M; Kada, G; Kienberger, F [Agilent Technologies Austria GmbH, Aubrunnerweg 11, A-4040 Linz (Austria); Salio, M; Shepherd, D; Polzella, P; Cerundolo, V [Cancer Research UK Tumor Immunology Group, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DS (United Kingdom); Dieudonne, M, E-mail: ferry_kienberger@agilent.com [Agilent Technologies Belgium, Wingepark 51, Rotselaar, AN B-3110 (Belgium)

    2010-03-19

    The combination of fluorescence microscopy and atomic force microscopy has a great potential in single-molecule-detection applications, overcoming many of the limitations coming from each individual technique. Here we present a new platform of combined fluorescence and simultaneous topography and recognition imaging (TREC) for improved localization of cellular receptors. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) labeled human sodium-glucose cotransporter (hSGLT1) expressed Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells and endothelial cells (MyEnd) from mouse myocardium stained with phalloidin-rhodamine were used as cell systems to study AFM topography and fluorescence microscopy on the same surface area. Topographical AFM images revealed membrane features such as lamellipodia, cytoskeleton fibers, F-actin filaments and small globular structures with heights ranging from 20 to 30 nm. Combined fluorescence and TREC imaging was applied to detect density, distribution and localization of YFP-labeled CD1d molecules on {alpha}-galactosylceramide ({alpha}GalCer)-loaded THP1 cells. While the expression level, distribution and localization of CD1d molecules on THP1 cells were detected with fluorescence microscopy, the nanoscale distribution of binding sites was investigated with molecular recognition imaging by using a chemically modified AFM tip. Using TREC on the inverted light microscope, the recognition sites of cell receptors were detected in recognition images with domain sizes ranging from {approx} 25 to {approx} 160 nm, with the smaller domains corresponding to a single CD1d molecule.

  5. The association between chronic bullying victimization with weight status and body self-image: a cross-national study in 39 countries

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qiguo Lian

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background Childhood obesity and school bullying are pervasive public health issues and known to co-occur in adolescents. However, the association between underweight or thinness and chronic bullying victimization is unclear. The current study examined whether chronic bullying victimization is associated with weight status and body self-image. Methods A school-based, cross-sectional study in 39 North American and European countries and regions was conducted. A total of 213,595 adolescents aged 11, 13, and 15 years were surveyed in 2009/10. Chronic bullying victimization was identified using the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. Weight status was determined using self-reported height and weight and the body mass index (BMI, and body self-image was based on perceived weight. We tested associations between underweight and bullying victimization using three-level logistic regression models. Results Of the 213,595 adolescents investigated, 11.28% adolescents reported chronic bullying victimization, 14.80% were classified as overweight/obese according to age- and sex-specific BMI criteria, 12.97% were underweight, and 28.36% considered themselves a little bit fat or too fat, 14.57% were too thin. Bullying victimization was less common in older adolescent boys and girls. Weight status was associated with chronic bullying victimization (adjusted ORunderweight = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.05–1.16, p = 0.002; adjusted ORoverweight = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.32–1.49, p < 0.0001; adjusted ORobese = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.71–2.14, p < 0.0001. Body self-image also related to chronic bullying victimization (adjusted ORtoo thin = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.36–1.49, p < 0.0001; adjusted ORa little bit fat = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.48–1.61, p < 0.0001; adjusted ORtoo fat = 3.30, 95% CI = 2.96–3.68, p < 0.0001. Conclusion Both perceived weight and self-rated overweight are associated with chronic bullying victimization. Both overweight and underweight children are at risk of being

  6. Chronic hepatosplenic schistosomiasis mansoni: magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bezerra, A.S.; D'Ippolito, G.; Caldana, R.P.; Cecin, A.O.; Ahmed, M.; Szejnfeld, J.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the hepatosplenic manifestations and the portal venous system in patients with chronic infection by Schistosoma mansoni. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was performed in 28 patients with chronic hepatosplenic schistosomiasis submitted to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the abdomen. Images were interpreted independently by two radiologists to determine the reproducibility of image interpretation and who evaluated the presence of morphological alterations in the liver and spleen, such as hepatosplenomegaly, hepatic fissure widening, periportal fibrosis, and the presence of siderotic nodules. Interobserver and intra-observer agreement were measured with the kappa and intraclass correlation tests. Evaluation of venous collateral pathways and portal and splenic veins was done in consensus by both examiners. Results: Observers identified enlargement of the left lobe (78.5-92.8%) and caudate-to-right-lobe ratio (78.5-92.8%), irregularity of hepatic contours (89.2-96.4%), fissure widening (89.2-100%), and splenic siderotic nodules (84.2%). Splenomegaly, heterogeneity of hepatic parenchyma, peripheral hepatic vessels, and periportal fibrosis were observed in 100% of patients. MRI findings presented almost perfect interobserver (kappa 0.65-1) and intra-observer (kappa = 0.73-1 for observer 1, and kappa = 0.65-1 for observer 2) agreement for the variables analyzed. MRA showed the presence of collateral pathways in the majority of patients (71.4%) along with widening of portal and splenic veins. Conclusion: Using MRI, hepatosplenic alterations in schistosomiasis are characterized by heterogeneity of hepatic parenchyma, presence of peripheral perihepatic vessels, periportal fibrosis, splenomegaly, siderotic nodules, and the presence of venous collateral pathways

  7. Book review of “Imaging in Cellular and Tissue Engineering” edited by Y Hanry Yu and Nur Aida Abdul Rahim

    OpenAIRE

    Brey, Eric Michael

    2014-01-01

    This article is a review of the book “Imaging in Cellular and Tissue Engineering” (ISBN-13: 978-1439848036, $149.95, 298 Pages, 114 Illustrations) edited by Y Hanry Yu and Nur Aida Abdul Rahim published by the CRC Press (Taylor&Francis) in 2013. The contents of the book and its relevance to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are discussed in this invited review.

  8. One-pot fabrication of high-quality InP/ZnS (core/shell) quantum dots and their application to cellular imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Sahid; Won, Nayoun; Nam, Jutaek; Bang, Jiwon; Chung, Hyokyun; Kim, Sungjee

    2009-07-13

    True colors: High-quality InP and InP/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) are obtained by means of a simple one-pot method in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG). Rapid and size-controlled reactions lead to highly crystalline and nearly monodisperse QDs at relatively low temperatures. The particles emit from cyan blue to far-red, and are successfully used in cellular imaging (see figure).

  9. Experimental approaches to identify cellular G-quadruplex structures and functions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Antonio, Marco; Rodriguez, Raphaël; Balasubramanian, Shankar

    2012-05-01

    Guanine-rich nucleic acids can fold into non-canonical DNA secondary structures called G-quadruplexes. The formation of these structures can interfere with the biology that is crucial to sustain cellular homeostases and metabolism via mechanisms that include transcription, translation, splicing, telomere maintenance and DNA recombination. Thus, due to their implication in several biological processes and possible role promoting genomic instability, G-quadruplex forming sequences have emerged as potential therapeutic targets. There has been a growing interest in the development of synthetic molecules and biomolecules for sensing G-quadruplex structures in cellular DNA. In this review, we summarise and discuss recent methods developed for cellular imaging of G-quadruplexes, and the application of experimental genomic approaches to detect G-quadruplexes throughout genomic DNA. In particular, we will discuss the use of engineered small molecules and natural proteins to enable pull-down, ChIP-Seq, ChIP-chip and fluorescence imaging of G-quadruplex structures in cellular DNA. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Comparison of late effects of single x-ray exposure, chronic tritiated water ingestion, and chronic cesium-137 gamma exposure in mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carsten, A.L.; Cronkite, E.P.

    1979-01-01

    There is concern over the possible late effects resulting from chronic exposure to tritiated water, a primary by-product of power reactors. We are comparing the genetic and somatic effects of tritiated water ingestion to acute x-ray or chronic cesium-137 gamma-ray exposures. Eight week old mice were maintaned on tritiated water in concentrations of 0.3, 1.0, and 3.0 μCi/ml. Identical animals received cesium-137 gamma exposures equivalent to that from the tritiated water. At 4 week intervals, animals were sacrificed and the hematopoietic stem cell content and cellularity of the bone marrow determined. For comparison of acute and chronic effects, one group of mice received a single whole-body x-ray exposure of 525 rads. The x-irradiated animals showed an immediate sharp decrease in marrow cellularity followed by gradual return to normal levels, with a lifelong reduction in number of marrow stem cells. Animals exposed to the two higher concentrations of tritiated water showed only slight reductions in marrow cellularity, with a lifelong reduction in hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. Comparison of the external gamma exposures to chronic tritiated water ingestion indicates similar patterns. Maintenance of normal cellularity with a reduced number of stem cells in x-rayed animals was shown by tritiated thymidine cytocide to be due to the reduction in number of stem cells in the resting G/sub O/ stage. At this time it is not possible to determine whether there is a significant difference in relative biological effectiveness of tritiated water compared to cesium-137 gamma rays; however, indications are that they are similar

  11. Precision automation of cell type classification and sub-cellular fluorescence quantification from laser scanning confocal images

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hardy Craig Hall

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available While novel whole-plant phenotyping technologies have been successfully implemented into functional genomics and breeding programs, the potential of automated phenotyping with cellular resolution is largely unexploited. Laser scanning confocal microscopy has the potential to close this gap by providing spatially highly resolved images containing anatomic as well as chemical information on a subcellular basis. However, in the absence of automated methods, the assessment of the spatial patterns and abundance of fluorescent markers with subcellular resolution is still largely qualitative and time-consuming. Recent advances in image acquisition and analysis, coupled with improvements in microprocessor performance, have brought such automated methods within reach, so that information from thousands of cells per image for hundreds of images may be derived in an experimentally convenient time-frame. Here, we present a MATLAB-based analytical pipeline to 1 segment radial plant organs into individual cells, 2 classify cells into cell type categories based upon random forest classification, 3 divide each cell into sub-regions, and 4 quantify fluorescence intensity to a subcellular degree of precision for a separate fluorescence channel. In this research advance, we demonstrate the precision of this analytical process for the relatively complex tissues of Arabidopsis hypocotyls at various stages of development. High speed and robustness make our approach suitable for phenotyping of large collections of stem-like material and other tissue types.

  12. Cellular Profile and Expression of Immunologic Markers in Chronic Apical Periodontitis from HIV-infected Patients Undergoing Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gama, Túlio Gustavo Veiga; Pires, Fabio Ramoa; Armada, Luciana; Gonçalves, Lucio Souza

    2016-06-01

    This study tested the hypothesis that the inflammatory cell profile (CD3-, CD4-, CD8-, CD20-, and CD68-positive cells) and the expression of immunologic markers (tumor necrosis factor α, interferon-γ, interleukin-6, and interleukin-18) in chronic apical periodontitis are the same between non-HIV-infected patients and HIV-infected patients undergoing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Thirty-four surgically excised chronic apical periodontitis lesions were sampled from 34 patients (17 HIV-infected and 17 non-HIV-infected). The lesions were extracted from teeth with no previous endodontic treatment. All HIV-infected patients were undergoing HAART. The specimens were submitted to histopathologic and immunohistochemical analyses by using an optical microscope. Immunoexpression was graded into 2 levels, focal to weak and moderate to strong. The χ(2), Fisher exact, and Mann-Whitney tests were used to analyze all significant differences between groups. Periapical cysts represented 70.6% and 52.9% of the lesions in the HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected groups, respectively; however, no statistically significant difference was observed (P = .481). There were no statistically significant differences between groups for the inflammatory cell profile and for any of the immunologic markers (P > .05). There are no statistically significant differences of the cellular profile and expression of immunologic markers in chronic apical periodontitis between non-HIV-infected patients and HIV-infected patients undergoing HAART. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. In-vivo imaging of cellular proliferation in renal cell carcinoma using 18F-fluorothymidine (FLT) PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, P.; Lee, S. T.; Eng, J.; Berlangieri, S. U.; Pathmaraj, K.; O'Keefe, G. J.; Lawrentschuk, N.

    2009-01-01

    Full text:Background: The ability to measure cellular proliferation non-invasively in renal cell carcinoma may allow prediction of tumour aggressiveness and response to therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the uptake of 18F-fluorothymidine (FLT) in renal cell carcinoma, and to compare this to 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), and to an immunohistochemical measure of cellular proliferation (Ki-67). Methods: Twenty seven patients (16 men, 11 women; age 42-77) with newly diagnosed renal cell carcinoma suitable for resection were prospectively enrolled. All patients had preoperative FLT and FDG PET scans. After surgery tumour was taken for histologic analysis and immunohistochemical staining by Ki-67. Results: The mean SUVmax (maximum standardized uptake value) ± SD for FLT in tumour was 2.53 ± 1.26, compared to normal kidney (2.47 ± 0.34). The mean SUVmax for FDG in tumour was similar to FLT (2.60 ± 1.08). Visual identification of tumour using FLT PET compared to normal kidney was facilitated by the use of a pre-operative contrast enhanced CT scan. There was a significant correlation between FLT uptake and the immunohistochemical marker Ki-67 (r=0.624, p=0.0008) in RCC. Ki-67 labelling index was mean ± SD of 13.3% ± 9.2 (range 2.2% to 36.3%). Conclusion: There is detectable uptake of FLT in primary renal cell carcinoma, which correlates with cellular proliferation as assessed by Ki-67 labelling index. This finding has relevance to the use of FLT PET in molecular imaging studies of renal cell carcinoma biology.

  14. Cellular transfer of magnetic nanoparticles via cell microvesicles: impact on cell tracking by magnetic resonance imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Amanda K Andriola; Wilhelm, Claire; Kolosnjaj-Tabi, Jelena; Luciani, Nathalie; Gazeau, Florence

    2012-05-01

    Cell labeling with magnetic nanoparticles can be used to monitor the fate of transplanted cells in vivo by magnetic resonance imaging. However, nanoparticles initially internalized in administered cells might end up in other cells of the host organism. We investigated a mechanism of intercellular cross-transfer of magnetic nanoparticles to different types of recipient cells via cell microvesicles released under cellular stress. Three cell types (mesenchymal stem cells, endothelial cells and macrophages) were labeled with 8-nm iron oxide nanoparticles. Then cells underwent starvation stress, during which they produced microvesicles that were subsequently transferred to unlabeled recipient cells. The analysis of the magnetophoretic mobility of donor cells indicated that magnetic load was partially lost under cell stress. Microvesicles shed by stressed cells participated in the release of magnetic label. Moreover, such microvesicles were uptaken by naïve cells, resulting in cellular redistribution of nanoparticles. Iron load of recipient cells allowed their detection by MRI. Cell microvesicles released under stress may be disseminated throughout the organism, where they can be uptaken by host cells. The transferred cargo may be sufficient to allow MRI detection of these secondarily labeled cells, leading to misinterpretations of the effectiveness of transplanted cells.

  15. Multi-functionality Redefined with Colloidal Carotene Carbon Nanoparticles for Synchronized Chemical Imaging, Enriched Cellular Uptake and Therapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misra, Santosh K.; Mukherjee, Prabuddha; Chang, Huei-Huei; Tiwari, Saumya; Gryka, Mark; Bhargava, Rohit; Pan, Dipanjan

    2016-07-01

    Typically, multiplexing high nanoparticle uptake, imaging, and therapy requires careful integration of three different functions of a multiscale molecular-particle assembly. Here, we present a simpler approach to multiplexing by utilizing one component of the system for multiple functions. Specifically, we successfully synthesized and characterized colloidal carotene carbon nanoparticle (C3-NP), in which a single functional molecule served a threefold purpose. First, the presence of carotene moieties promoted the passage of the particle through the cell membrane and into the cells. Second, the ligand acted as a potent detrimental moiety for cancer cells and, finally, the ligands produced optical contrast for robust microscopic detection in complex cellular environments. In comparative tests, C3-NP were found to provide effective intracellular delivery that enables both robust detection at cellular and tissue level and presents significant therapeutic potential without altering the mechanism of intracellular action of β-carotene. Surface coating of C3 with phospholipid was used to generate C3-Lipocoat nanoparticles with further improved function and biocompatibility, paving the path to eventual in vivo studies.

  16. Pathogenesis of pulmonary emphysema – cellular and molecular events

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Di Petta

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Pulmonary emphysema is a chronic obstructive disease, resulting fromimportant alterations in the whole distal structure of terminal bronchioles, either by enlargement of air spaces or by destruction of the alveolar wall, leading to loss of respiratory surface, decreased elastic recoil and lung hyperinflation. For many years, the hypothesis of protease-antiprotease unbalance prevailed as the central theme in the pathogenesis of pulmonary emphysema. According to this hypothesis, the release of active proteolytic enzymes, produced mainly by neutrophils and macrophages, degrades the extracellular matrix, affecting the integrity of its components, especially collagen and elastic fibers. However, new concepts involving cellular and molecular events were proposed, including oxidative stress, cell apoptosis, cellular senescence and failed lung tissue repair. The aim of this review paper was to evaluate the cellular and molecular mechanisms seen in the pathogenesis of pulmonary emphysema.

  17. Automated multiscale morphometry of muscle disease from second harmonic generation microscopy using tensor-based image processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garbe, Christoph S; Buttgereit, Andreas; Schürmann, Sebastian; Friedrich, Oliver

    2012-01-01

    Practically, all chronic diseases are characterized by tissue remodeling that alters organ and cellular function through changes to normal organ architecture. Some morphometric alterations become irreversible and account for disease progression even on cellular levels. Early diagnostics to categorize tissue alterations, as well as monitoring progression or remission of disturbed cytoarchitecture upon treatment in the same individual, are a new emerging field. They strongly challenge spatial resolution and require advanced imaging techniques and strategies for detecting morphological changes. We use a combined second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy and automated image processing approach to quantify morphology in an animal model of inherited Duchenne muscular dystrophy (mdx mouse) with age. Multiphoton XYZ image stacks from tissue slices reveal vast morphological deviation in muscles from old mdx mice at different scales of cytoskeleton architecture: cell calibers are irregular, myofibrils within cells are twisted, and sarcomere lattice disruptions (detected as "verniers") are larger in number compared to samples from healthy mice. In young mdx mice, such alterations are only minor. The boundary-tensor approach, adapted and optimized for SHG data, is a suitable approach to allow quick quantitative morphometry in whole tissue slices. The overall detection performance of the automated algorithm compares very well with manual "by eye" detection, the latter being time consuming and prone to subjective errors. Our algorithm outperfoms manual detection by time with similar reliability. This approach will be an important prerequisite for the implementation of a clinical image databases to diagnose and monitor specific morphological alterations in chronic (muscle) diseases. © 2011 IEEE

  18. Magnetic Resonance Elastography and Other Magnetic Resonance Imaging Techniques in Chronic Liver Disease: Current Status and Future Directions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Cher Heng; Venkatesh, Sudhakar Kundapur

    2016-01-01

    Recent advances in the noninvasive imaging of chronic liver disease have led to improvements in diagnosis, particularly with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A comprehensive evaluation of the liver may be performed with the quantification of the degree of hepatic steatosis, liver iron concentration, and liver fibrosis. In addition, MRI of the liver may be used to identify complications of cirrhosis, including portal hypertension, ascites, and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review article, we discuss the state of the art techniques in liver MRI, namely, magnetic resonance elastography, hepatobiliary phase MRI, and liver fat and iron quantification MRI. The use of these advanced techniques in the management of chronic liver diseases, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, will be elaborated. PMID:27563019

  19. Diagnosis of secondary hyperparathyroidism with 99mTc-MIBI/131I parathyroid imaging in chronic renal failure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang Anwu; Luo Yaowu; Wu Yongkang; Pan Jianzhong; Ji Liangyuan

    1995-01-01

    20 chronic renal failure (CRF) patients and 15 normals were investigated with radionuclide parathyroid imaging and parathyroid hormone (PTH) RIA measurement for the detection of hyperparathyroidism. The serum PTH concentrations were 800.47 +- 665.25 pmol/L and 82.81 +- 13.79 pmol/L in two groups respectively. The radionuclide parathyroid images revealed that 1∼4 enlarged parathyroid glands were visualized in the CRF patients, none in the normals

  20. Characterizing heterogeneous cellular responses to perturbations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slack, Michael D; Martinez, Elisabeth D; Wu, Lani F; Altschuler, Steven J

    2008-12-09

    Cellular populations have been widely observed to respond heterogeneously to perturbation. However, interpreting the observed heterogeneity is an extremely challenging problem because of the complexity of possible cellular phenotypes, the large dimension of potential perturbations, and the lack of methods for separating meaningful biological information from noise. Here, we develop an image-based approach to characterize cellular phenotypes based on patterns of signaling marker colocalization. Heterogeneous cellular populations are characterized as mixtures of phenotypically distinct subpopulations, and responses to perturbations are summarized succinctly as probabilistic redistributions of these mixtures. We apply our method to characterize the heterogeneous responses of cancer cells to a panel of drugs. We find that cells treated with drugs of (dis-)similar mechanism exhibit (dis-)similar patterns of heterogeneity. Despite the observed phenotypic diversity of cells observed within our data, low-complexity models of heterogeneity were sufficient to distinguish most classes of drug mechanism. Our approach offers a computational framework for assessing the complexity of cellular heterogeneity, investigating the degree to which perturbations induce redistributions of a limited, but nontrivial, repertoire of underlying states and revealing functional significance contained within distinct patterns of heterogeneous responses.

  1. The evaluation of gastroesophageal reflux in children with chronic respiratory diseases by radionuclide gastroesophageal imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Ruifang; Zeng Jihua; Shi Yumin

    1999-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in children with chronic respiratory diseases (CRD) by radionuclide gastroesophageal imaging and to investigate the therapeutic effect of Cisapride. Methods: 45 patients were studied with 99 Tc m -DTPA gastroesophageal imaging, and compared the results with those obtained from 8 normal children. The repeated imagings were performed on some of the cases at the end of a three months' Cisapride therapy. Results: 25 (55%) among 45 patients were diagnosed as GER by imaging, while none of 8 normal children. 10 cases with GER received Cisapride therapy for 3 months. At the end of the treatment, the second imaging revealed that GER completely disappeared in 7 of them, and clinical follow-up showed marked improvement of CRD symptoms. Conclusions: The incidence of GER among with CRD children is rather great. Cisapride therapy not only remarkably relieve reflux, but also improve the symptoms of CRD

  2. Infection and cellular defense dynamics in a novel 17β-estradiol murine model of chronic human group B streptococcus genital tract colonization reveal a role for hemolysin in persistence and neutrophil accumulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carey, Alison J; Tan, Chee Keong; Mirza, Shaper; Irving-Rodgers, Helen; Webb, Richard I; Lam, Alfred; Ulett, Glen C

    2014-02-15

    Genital tract carriage of group B streptococcus (GBS) is prevalent among adult women; however, the dynamics of chronic GBS genital tract carriage, including how GBS persists in this immunologically active host niche long term, are not well defined. To our knowledge, in this study, we report the first animal model of chronic GBS genital tract colonization using female mice synchronized into estrus by delivery of 17β-estradiol prior to intravaginal challenge with wild-type GBS 874391. Cervicovaginal swabs, which were used to measure bacterial persistence, showed that GBS colonized the vaginal mucosa of mice at high numbers (10(6)-10(7) CFU/swab) for at least 90 d. Cellular and histological analyses showed that chronic GBS colonization of the murine genital tract caused significant lymphocyte and PMN cell infiltrates, which were localized to the vaginal mucosal surface. Long-term colonization was independent of regular hormone cycling. Immunological analyses of 23 soluble proteins related to chemotaxis and inflammation showed that the host response to GBS in the genital tract comprised markers of innate immune activation including cytokines such as GM-CSF and TNF-α. A nonhemolytic isogenic mutant of GBS 874391, Δcyle9, was impaired for colonization and was associated with amplified local PMN responses. Induction of DNA neutrophil extracellular traps, which was observed in GBS-infected human PMNs in vitro in a hemolysin-dependent manner, appeared to be part of this response. Overall, this study defines key infection dynamics in a novel murine model of chronic GBS genital tract colonization and establishes previously unknown cellular and soluble defense responses to GBS in the female genital tract.

  3. Using cell-substrate impedance and live cell imaging to measure real-time changes in cellular adhesion and de-adhesion induced by matrix modification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rees, Martin D; Thomas, Shane R

    2015-02-19

    Cell-matrix adhesion plays a key role in controlling cell morphology and signaling. Stimuli that disrupt cell-matrix adhesion (e.g., myeloperoxidase and other matrix-modifying oxidants/enzymes released during inflammation) are implicated in triggering pathological changes in cellular function, phenotype and viability in a number of diseases. Here, we describe how cell-substrate impedance and live cell imaging approaches can be readily employed to accurately quantify real-time changes in cell adhesion and de-adhesion induced by matrix modification (using endothelial cells and myeloperoxidase as a pathophysiological matrix-modifying stimulus) with high temporal resolution and in a non-invasive manner. The xCELLigence cell-substrate impedance system continuously quantifies the area of cell-matrix adhesion by measuring the electrical impedance at the cell-substrate interface in cells grown on gold microelectrode arrays. Image analysis of time-lapse differential interference contrast movies quantifies changes in the projected area of individual cells over time, representing changes in the area of cell-matrix contact. Both techniques accurately quantify rapid changes to cellular adhesion and de-adhesion processes. Cell-substrate impedance on microelectrode biosensor arrays provides a platform for robust, high-throughput measurements. Live cell imaging analyses provide additional detail regarding the nature and dynamics of the morphological changes quantified by cell-substrate impedance measurements. These complementary approaches provide valuable new insights into how myeloperoxidase-catalyzed oxidative modification of subcellular extracellular matrix components triggers rapid changes in cell adhesion, morphology and signaling in endothelial cells. These approaches are also applicable for studying cellular adhesion dynamics in response to other matrix-modifying stimuli and in related adherent cells (e.g., epithelial cells).

  4. Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schilling, F.

    1998-01-01

    Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is an unusual clinical entity. More than 200 cases are described in the literature and it is presented here with special reference to its radiological aspects. It is an acquired disease of the skeleton which occurs predominantly during childhood and adolescence. About ten per cent of cases begin in early or, rarely, in later adult life. This variant is described here for the first time and is discussed as 'adult CRMO'. The underlying pathology is a bland, predominantly lympho-plasma cellular osteomyelitis which is self-limiting and leads to bone sclerosis (Garre). It probably involves an abnormal immune process which follows an infection but remains clinically latent and remains aseptic and sterile. In a quarter of cases there is an association with pustulosis palmo-plantaris and its relationship with psoriatic arthropathy is discussed. The clinical, histopathological and imaging features (radiological and particularly MRT) and the bone changes are described. (orig./AJ) [de

  5. Adolescent overweight, obesity and chronic disease-related health practices: mediation by body image.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farhat, Tilda; Iannotti, Ronald J; Caccavale, Laura J

    2014-01-01

    To examine whether body image mediates the association between overweight/obesity and chronic disease-related health practices (CDRHP), including lack of physical activity (PA), infrequent breakfast consumption (IBC), screen-based media use (SBM), and smoking. The 2006 Health Behaviors in School-Age Children survey was administered to a nationally representative sample of US students (n = 8,028) in grades 6-10 (mean age = 14.3 years). Outcome variables included self-reported measures of PA, SBM, IBC, and smoking. Body image was assessed with 5 items from the Body Investment Scale (α = 0.87) asking for agreement/disagreement with statements about one's body. Stratifying on gender, an initial regression model estimated the association between overweight/obesity and CDRHP. Mediation models that included body image were then compared to the initial model to determine the role of body image in the relationship between overweight/obesity and CDRHP. Among boys, body image mediated the relationships of overweight/obesity with SBM, and of obesity with IBC. Among girls, it mediated the relationships of obesity with PA, IBC, and smoking, and of overweight with SBM. As the prevalence of overweight/obesity among adolescent boys and girls remains high, efforts to improve their body image could result in less frequent engagement in CDRHP. © 2013 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

  6. Adolescent Overweight, Obesity and Chronic Disease-Related Health Practices: Mediation by Body Image

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tilda Farhat

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aims: To examine whether body image mediates the association between overweight/obesity and chronic disease-related health practices (CDRHP, including lack of physical activity (PA, infrequent breakfast consumption (IBC, screen-based media use (SBM, and smoking. Methods: The 2006 Health Behaviors in School-Age Children survey was administered to a nationally representative sample of US students (n = 8,028 in grades 6-10 (mean age = 14.3 years. Outcome variables included self-reported measures of PA, SBM, IBC, and smoking. Body image was assessed with 5 items from the Body Investment Scale (α = 0.87 asking for agreement/disagreement with statements about one's body. Stratifying on gender, an initial regression model estimated the association between overweight/obesity and CDRHP. Mediation models that included body image were then compared to the initial model to determine the role of body image in the relationship between overweight/obesity and CDRHP. Results: Among boys, body image mediated the relationships of overweight/obesity with SBM, and of obesity with IBC. Among girls, it mediated the relationships of obesity with PA, IBC, and smoking, and of overweight with SBM. Conclusion: As the prevalence of overweight/obesity among adolescent boys and girls remains high, efforts to improve their body image could result in less frequent engagement in CDRHP.

  7. Cellular Senescence: A Translational Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James L. Kirkland

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Cellular senescence entails essentially irreversible replicative arrest, apoptosis resistance, and frequently acquisition of a pro-inflammatory, tissue-destructive senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP. Senescent cells accumulate in various tissues with aging and at sites of pathogenesis in many chronic diseases and conditions. The SASP can contribute to senescence-related inflammation, metabolic dysregulation, stem cell dysfunction, aging phenotypes, chronic diseases, geriatric syndromes, and loss of resilience. Delaying senescent cell accumulation or reducing senescent cell burden is associated with delay, prevention, or alleviation of multiple senescence-associated conditions. We used a hypothesis-driven approach to discover pro-survival Senescent Cell Anti-apoptotic Pathways (SCAPs and, based on these SCAPs, the first senolytic agents, drugs that cause senescent cells to become susceptible to their own pro-apoptotic microenvironment. Several senolytic agents, which appear to alleviate multiple senescence-related phenotypes in pre-clinical models, are beginning the process of being translated into clinical interventions that could be transformative.

  8. Imaging in chronic achilles tendinopathy: a comparison of ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging and surgical findings in 27 histologically verified cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aastroem, M.; Gentz, C.F.; Nilsson, P.; Rausing, A.; Sjoeberg, S.; Westlin, N.

    1996-01-01

    Objective. To compare information gained by ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in chronic achilles tendinopathy with regard to the nature and severity of the lesion. Design. Imaging of both achilles tendons with ultrasonography and MRI was performed prior to unilateral surgery. Operative findings and histological biopsies together served as a reference. Patients. Twenty-seven patients (22 men, 5 women; mean age 44 years; 21 athletes) suffering from chronic achilles tendinopathy participated in the study. Eighteen patients had unilateral and 9 had bilateral symptoms. Results and conclusions. Surgical findings included 4 partial ruptures, 21 degenerative lesions and 2 macroscopically normal cases. Microscopy revealed tendinosis (degeneration) in all tendon biopsies, including cases with a partial rupture, but only slight changes in the paratendinous tissues (paratenon). Ultrasonography was positive in 21 of 26 and MRI in 26 of 27 cases. Severe intratendinous abnormalities and a sagittal tendon diameter >10 mm suggested a partial rupture. In tendons with a false negative result histopathological changes were mild and a tendency towards a better clinical outcome was noted in the sonographic cases. Assessment of the paratenon was unreliable with both methods. Ultrasonography and MRI give similar information and may have their greatest potential as prognostic instruments. (orig.). With 2 figs., 1 tab

  9. Live-cell imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, Richard

    2014-01-01

    It would be hard to argue that live-cell imaging has not changed our view of biology. The past 10 years have seen an explosion of interest in imaging cellular processes, down to the molecular level. There are now many advanced techniques being applied to live cell imaging. However, cellular health is often under appreciated. For many researchers, if the cell at the end of the experiment has not gone into apoptosis or is blebbed beyond recognition, than all is well. This is simply incorrect. There are many factors that need to be considered when performing live-cell imaging in order to maintain cellular health such as: imaging modality, media, temperature, humidity, PH, osmolality, and photon dose. The wavelength of illuminating light, and the total photon dose that the cells are exposed to, comprise two of the most important and controllable parameters of live-cell imaging. The lowest photon dose that achieves a measureable metric for the experimental question should be used, not the dose that produces cover photo quality images. This is paramount to ensure that the cellular processes being investigated are in their in vitro state and not shifted to an alternate pathway due to environmental stress. The timing of the mitosis is an ideal canary in the gold mine, in that any stress induced from the imaging will result in the increased length of mitosis, thus providing a control model for the current imagining conditions.

  10. Diagnostic significance of mamillary body atrophy on MR images in chronic Wernicke disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Charness, M.E.; De La Paz, R.L.; Diamond, I.; Norman, D.

    1986-01-01

    In chronic Wernicke disease (CWD) characteristic mammillary body degeneration is seen at autopsy, but the entity is infrequently diagnosed clinically before death. Only 5%-20% of patients exhibit the classic triad of encephalopathy, ataxia, and ophthalmoplegia. Patients with CWD and control subjects were studied with proton MR imaging (GE Signa, 1.5T) using 3-mm-thick T1-weighted spin-echo (25/600) images in coronal and sagittal planes through the mammillary bodies. Elliptical volumes were calculated. In nine patients, aged 47-79 years, with classic CWD, a significant reduction in mammillary body volumes was seen, compared to findings in 15 age-matched healthy subjects and five patients with Alzheimer disease. Mean volumes (mm/sup 3/ [SD]) were 21.3 (5.8) for patients with CWD, 34.3 (3.0) for patients with Alzheimer disease, and 55.2 (4.0) for healthy subjects. MR imaging and autopsy measurements of normal subjects were similar (autopsy volume: 58.2 [5.3])

  11. Imaging cardiomyocytes in intact tissue with a remote focusing microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corbett, A. D.; Burton, R. A. B.; Bub, G.; Wilson, T.

    2015-03-01

    In cardiac imaging, the spacing between sub-cellular sarcomere structures is of great importance to physiologists in understanding muscle design and performance. Making accurate measurements of the sarcomere length (SL) presents a significant imaging challenge owing to the size of the SL (~2μm) and its naturally low variability (pathological models of chronic hypertension. As well as improving measurement precision, the distribution of α across the field of view provides additional structural information which can be related to disease morphology. To validate this new imaging protocol, the value ofα calculated from the oblique planes provided the input to a rigid model cell which was used to predict the appearance of the cell in the conventional focal plane. The comparison of the model to the image data provided a confidence metric for our measurements. Finally, by considering the optical transfer function, the range of cell orientations for which the method is valid could be calculated.

  12. Diffusion tensor imaging of spinal cord parenchyma lesion in rat with chronic spinal cord injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Can; Rao, Jia-Sheng; Pei, Xiao-Jiao; Lei, Jian-Feng; Wang, Zhan-Jing; Zhao, Wen; Wei, Rui-Han; Yang, Zhao-Yang; Li, Xiao-Guang

    2018-04-01

    Adequate evaluation of spinal cord parenchyma and accurate identification of injury range are considered two premises for the research and treatment of chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) provides information about water diffusion in spinal cord, and thus makes it possible to realize these premises. In this study, we conducted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for Wistar rats 84days after spinal cord contusion. DTI metrics including fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) from different positions of the injured cord were collected, analyzed, and compared with the histological results and locomotor outcomes. Moreover, we performed fiber tractography, and examined the difference in cavity percentage obtained respectively via conventional MRI, DTI and histology. Results showed that the chronic SCI rats had the largest changes of all DTI metrics at the epicenter; the farther away from the epicenter, the smaller the variation. FA, AD and RD were all influenced by SCI in a greater space range than MD. The good consistency of FA values and histological results in specific regions evidenced FA's capability of reflecting Wallerian degeneration after SCI. DTI metrics at the epicenter in ventral funiculus also showed a close correlation with the BBB scores. Additionally, supported by the histological results, DTI enables a more accurate measurement of cavity percentage compared to the conventional MRI. DTI parameters might comprehensively reflect the post-SCI pathological status of spinal cord parenchyma at the epicenter and distal parts during the chronic stage, while showing good consistency with locomotor performance. DTI combined with tractography could intuitively display the distribution of spared fibers after SCI and accurately provide information such as cavity area. This may shed light on the research and treatment of chronic SCI. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights

  13. 123I-BMIPP delayed scintigraphic imaging in patients with chronic heart failure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kida, Keisuke; Akashi, Yoshihiro J.; Yoneyama, Kihei; Shimokawa, Mitsuhiro; Musha, Haruki

    2008-01-01

    The objective of the present study was to clarify the ability of 123 I-beta-methyl-iodophenylpentadecanoic acid ( 123 I-BMIPP) to evaluate the heart-to-mediastinum (H/M) ratio and myocardial global washout rate (WR) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). The severity of CHF was evaluated on the basis of the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification. Twenty patients with CHF (13 with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and 7 with ischemic cardiomyopathy) and 11 age-matched controls underwent myocardial radionuclide imaging. Scintigraphic images were obtained from each participant at the early (30 min following radio-isotope injection) and late (4 h) phases using 123 I-BMIPP. The H/M ratio and WR were calculated from planar images. Concentrations of plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were measured prior to the scintigraphic study. The 123 I-BMIPP uptake of early H/M and global WR did not significantly differ among groups, but uptake of delayed H/M was significantly lower in patients with NYHA class III than in controls (control 2.47±0.39; class III 1.78±0.28 P 123 I-BMIPP uptake of delayed H/M enhances the image of CHF severity. The myocardial WR of 123 I-BMIPP also effectively depicted the severity of CHF. (author)

  14. Rapid Assay of Cellular Immunity in Q Fever.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1995-10-01

    measuring CMI Measurement of CMI has been accomplished by many different methods both in vitro and in vivo (Clough & Roth , 1995). Some methods are...also become chronic with endocarditis as the main symptom and can result in death. Vaccines are being developed and have shown encouraging success in...rickettsial diseases with strong cellular immune responses following infection. The efficacy of a vaccine against Rocky Mountain spotted fever, R

  15. Current concepts in chronic inflammatory diseases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Garn, Holger; Bahn, Sabine; Baune, Bernhard T

    2016-01-01

    Recent research indicates that chronic inflammatory diseases, including allergies and autoimmune and neuropsychiatric diseases, share common pathways of cellular and molecular dysregulation. It was the aim of the International von-Behring-Röntgen Symposium (October 16-18, 2014, in Marburg, Germany...

  16. Differences in {sup 99m}Tc-HMPAO brain SPET perfusion imaging between Tourette's syndrome and chronic tic disorder in children

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chiu, N.-T.; Lee, B.-F. [Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan (Taiwan); Chang, Y.-C. [Dept. of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Kang Children' s Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Taiwan); Huang, C.-C. [Dept. of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan (Taiwan); Wang, S.-T. [Dept. of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan (Taiwan)

    2001-02-01

    Early differential diagnosis between Tourette's syndrome and chronic tic disorder is difficult but important because both the outcome and the treatment of these two childhood-onset diseases are distinct. We assessed the sensitivity and specificity of brain single-photon emission tomography (SPET) perfusion imaging in distinguishing the two diseases, and characterized their different cerebral perfusion patterns. Twenty-seven children with Tourette's syndrome and 11 with chronic tic disorder (mean age 9.5 and 8.6 years, respectively) underwent brain SPET with technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (HMPAO). Visual interpretation and semi-quantitative analysis of SPET images were performed. On visual interpretation, 22 of 27 (82%) of the Tourette's syndrome group had lesions characterized by decreased perfusion. The left hemisphere was more frequently involved. None of the children with chronic tic disorder had a visible abnormality. Semi-quantitative analysis showed that, compared with children with chronic tic disorder, children with Tourette's syndrome had significantly lower perfusion in the left lateral temporal area and asymmetric perfusion in the dorsolateral frontal, lateral and medial temporal areas. In conclusion, using the visual approach, brain SPET perfusion imaging is sensitive and specific in differentiating Tourette's syndrome and chronic tic disorder. The perfusion difference between the two groups, demonstrated by semi-quantitative analysis, may be related more to the co-morbidity in Tourette's syndrome than to tics per se. (orig.)

  17. Comparison of FDG-PET/CT images between chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis and controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toriihara, Akira; Kitazume, Yoshio; Nishida, Hidenori; Kubota, Kazunori; Nakadate, Masashi; Tateishi, Ukihide

    2015-01-01

    The whole-body 2-deoxy-2-[(18)F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) distribution in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients on hemodialysis would be different from that in subjects with normal renal function, because they lack urinary FDG excretion and remain in a constant volume overload. We evaluated the difference in the physiological uptake pattern of FDG between chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis and control subjects. The subjects for this retrospective study consisted of 24 chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis (HD group) and 24 age- and sex-matched control subjects (NC group). Standardized uptake values normalized by the body weight (SUVbw), ideal body weight (SUVibw), lean body mass (SUVlbm), and body surface area (SUVbsa) in the cerebellum, lungs, liver, gluteal muscles and subcutaneous fat, spleen, thoracolumbar spine, thoracic and abdominal aorta, and right atrium were calculated in positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) images. SUVbw in the gluteal muscles, subcutaneous fat, spleen and right atrium was significantly higher in the HD group as compared to that in the NC group (p chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis show significantly higher physiological FDG uptake in the soft tissues, spleen and blood pool.

  18. Comparison of FDG-PET/CT images between chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis and controls

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toriihara, Akira; Kitazume, Yoshio; Nishida, Hidenori; Kubota, Kazunori; Nakadate, Masashi; Tateishi, Ukihide

    2015-01-01

    The whole-body 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) distribution in chronic renal failure (CRF) patients on hemodialysis would be different from that in subjects with normal renal function, because they lack urinary FDG excretion and remain in a constant volume overload. We evaluated the difference in the physiological uptake pattern of FDG between chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis and control subjects. The subjects for this retrospective study consisted of 24 chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis (HD group) and 24 age- and sex-matched control subjects (NC group). Standardized uptake values normalized by the body weight (SUVbw), ideal body weight (SUVibw), lean body mass (SUVlbm), and body surface area (SUVbsa) in the cerebellum, lungs, liver, gluteal muscles and subcutaneous fat, spleen, thoracolumbar spine, thoracic and abdominal aorta, and right atrium were calculated in positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) images. SUVbw in the gluteal muscles, subcutaneous fat, spleen and right atrium was significantly higher in the HD group as compared to that in the NC group (p chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis show significantly higher physiological FDG uptake in the soft tissues, spleen and blood pool. PMID:25973341

  19. Imaging symptomatics in recurrent facial nerve neuritis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slavchev, D.

    2001-01-01

    Gaining better insight into the etiology and pathogenesis of recurrent facial nerve neuritis requires the use of an appropriate imaging modality of examination. This is retrospective analysis of 106 patients with recurrent n. facialis neuritis, studied by conventional x-ray methods, including: segment roentgenography according to Schuller, Stenverse, Biezalski (in children), and hypocyloidal directly enlarged polytomography, with emphasis laid on their role in the diagnostic algorithm of study. Assessment is done of the Fallopian canal width and course, with a special reference to adjacent bony structures, having essential practical bearing on planning interventions for decompression of the nerve and chronic otomastoiditis treatment. In 30 % of the patients are observed inflammatory changes in the parafacial bony structures as an expression of inflammatory otogenic etiology of recurrent n. facialis neuritis, and in 7 % - eburneization of bony structures. The symptom of improved Fallopian canal visibility is documented in cases presenting chronic inflammatory processes involving parafacial cellular structures. (author)

  20. Magnetic resonance imaging may simulate progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia after fludarabine therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kalita J

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available A 60-year-old male with chronic lymphatic leukemia (CLL after 6 months of fludarabine therapy was admitted with status epilepticus and developed left hemiplegia. His magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple T2 hyperintense lesions in the right frontal and left parieto-occipital lesion, simulating progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy (PML. Cerebrospinal fluid Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR for JC virus was negative. We suggest the possible role of fludarabine in producing PML-like lesions in patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL.

  1. Diffusion imaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation assessment of transcallosal pathways in chronic stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mang, Cameron S; Borich, Michael R; Brodie, Sonia M; Brown, Katlyn E; Snow, Nicholas J; Wadden, Katie P; Boyd, Lara A

    2015-10-01

    To examine the relationship of transcallosal pathway microstructure and transcallosal inhibition (TCI) with motor function and impairment in chronic stroke. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) data were collected from 24 participants with chronic stroke and 11 healthy older individuals. Post-stroke motor function (Wolf Motor Function Test) and level of motor impairment (Fugl-Meyer score) were evaluated. Fractional anisotropy (FA) of transcallosal tracts between prefrontal cortices and the mean amplitude decrease in muscle activity during the ipsilateral silent period evoked by TMS over the non-lesioned hemisphere (termed NL-iSPmean) were significantly associated with level of motor impairment and motor function after stroke (p<0.05). A regression model including age, post-stroke duration, lesion volume, lesioned corticospinal tract FA, transcallosal prefrontal tract FA and NL-iSPmean accounted for 84% of variance in motor impairment (p<0.01). Both transcallosal prefrontal tract FA (ΔR(2)=0.12, p=0.04) and NL-iSPmean (ΔR(2)=0.09, p=0.04) accounted for unique variance in motor impairment level. Prefrontal transcallosal tract microstructure and TCI are each uniquely associated with motor impairment in chronic stroke. Utilizing a multi-modal approach to assess transcallosal pathways may improve our capacity to identify important neural substrates of motor impairment in the chronic phase of stroke. Copyright © 2015 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. A new method of machine vision reprocessing based on cellular neural networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jianhua, W.; Liping, Z.; Fenfang, Z.; Guojian, H.

    1996-01-01

    This paper proposed a method of image preprocessing in machine vision based on Cellular Neural Network (CNN). CNN is introduced to design image smoothing, image recovering, image boundary detecting and other image preprocessing problems. The proposed methods are so simple that the speed of algorithms are increased greatly to suit the needs of real-time image processing. The experimental results show a satisfactory reply

  3. DNA index determination with Automated Cellular Imaging System (ACIS in Barrett's esophagus: Comparison with CAS 200

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klein Michael

    2005-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background For solid tumors, image cytometry has been shown to be more sensitive for diagnosing DNA content abnormalities (aneuploidy than flow cytometry. Image cytometry has often been performed using the semi-automated CAS 200 system. Recently, an Automated Cellular Imaging System (ACIS was introduced to determine DNA content (DNA index, but it has not been validated. Methods Using the CAS 200 system and ACIS, we compared the DNA index (DI obtained from the same archived formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded tissue samples from Barrett's esophagus related lesions, including samples with specialized intestinal metaplasia without dysplasia, low-grade dysplasia, high-grade dysplasia and adenocarcinoma. Results Although there was a very good correlation between the DI values determined by ACIS and CAS 200, the former was 25% more sensitive in detecting aneuploidy. ACIS yielded a mean DI value 18% higher than that obtained by CAS 200 (p t test. In addition, the average time required to perform a DNA ploidy analysis was shorter with the ACIS (30–40 min than with the CAS 200 (40–70 min. Results obtained by ACIS gave excellent inter-and intra-observer variability (coefficient of correlation >0.9 for both, p Conclusion Compared with the CAS 200, the ACIS is a more sensitive and less time consuming technique for determining DNA ploidy. Results obtained by ACIS are also highly reproducible.

  4. Harnessing Novel Imaging Approaches to Guide HIV Prevention and Cure Discoveries-A National Institutes of Health and Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise 2017 Meeting Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanders-Beer, Brigitte E; Voronin, Yegor; McDonald, David; Singh, Anjali

    2018-01-01

    Advances in imaging technologies have greatly increased our understanding of cellular and molecular interactions in humans and their corresponding animal models of infectious diseases. In the HIV/SIV field, imaging has provided key insights into mucosal viral transmission, local and systemic virus spread, host-virus dynamics, and chronic inflammation/immune activation and the resultant immunopathology. Recent developments in imaging applications are yielding physical, spatial, and temporal measurements to enhance insight into biological functions and disease processes, while retaining important cellular, microenvironmental, organ, and intact organism contextual details. Taking advantage of the latest advancements in imaging technologies may help answer important questions in the HIV field. The Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored a meeting on May 8 and 9, 2017 to provide a platform to review state-of-the-art imaging technologies and to foster multidisciplinary collaborations in HIV/AIDS research. The meeting covered applications of imaging in studies of early events and pathogenesis, reservoirs, and cure, as well as in vaccine development. In addition, presentations and discussions of imaging applications from non-HIV biomedical research areas were included. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions at the meeting.

  5. Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Stimulates Extra-Cellular Matrix Production in Cellular Spheroids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Megan Casco

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Nanotechnologies have been integrated into drug delivery, and non-invasive imaging applications, into nanostructured scaffolds for the manipulation of cells. The objective of this work was to determine how the physico-chemical properties of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs and their spatial distribution into cellular spheroids stimulated cells to produce an extracellular matrix (ECM. The MNP concentration (0.03 mg/mL, 0.1 mg/mL and 0.3 mg/mL, type (magnetoferritin, shape (nanorod—85 nm × 425 nm and incorporation method were studied to determine each of their effects on the specific stimulation of four ECM proteins (collagen I, collagen IV, elastin and fibronectin in primary rat aortic smooth muscle cell. Results demonstrated that as MNP concentration increased there was up to a 6.32-fold increase in collagen production over no MNP samples. Semi-quantitative Immunohistochemistry (IHC results demonstrated that MNP type had the greatest influence on elastin production with a 56.28% positive area stain compared to controls and MNP shape favored elastin stimulation with a 50.19% positive area stain. Finally, there are no adverse effects of MNPs on cellular contractile ability. This study provides insight on the stimulation of ECM production in cells and tissues, which is important because it plays a critical role in regulating cellular functions.

  6. Stimulated echo diffusion tensor imaging and SPAIR T2 -weighted imaging in chronic exertional compartment syndrome of the lower leg muscles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigmund, Eric E; Sui, Dabang; Ukpebor, Obehi; Baete, Steven; Fieremans, Els; Babb, James S; Mechlin, Michael; Liu, Kecheng; Kwon, Jane; McGorty, KellyAnne; Hodnett, Philip A; Bencardino, Jenny

    2013-11-01

    To evaluate the performance of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in the evaluation of chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) as compared to T2 -weighted (T2w) imaging. Using an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant protocol, spectral adiabatic inversion recovery (SPAIR) T2w imaging and stimulated echo DTI were applied to eight healthy volunteers and 14 suspected CECS patients before and after exertion. Longitudinal and transverse diffusion eigenvalues, mean diffusivity (MD), and fractional anisotropy (FA) were measured in seven calf muscle compartments, which in patients were classified by their response on T2w: normal (20% change). Mixed model analysis of variance compared subject groups and compartments in terms of response factors (post/pre-exercise ratios) of DTI parameters. All diffusivities significantly increased (P DTI shows promise as an ancillary imaging method in the diagnosis and understanding of the pathophysiology in CECS. Future studies may explore its utility in predicting response to treatment. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Achillodynia. Radiological imaging of acute and chronic overuse injuries of the Achilles tendon; Achillodynie. Radiologische Bildgebung bei akuten und chronischen Ueberlastungsschaeden der Achillessehne

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Syha, R.; Springer, F.; Grosse, U. [Tuebingen Univ. (Germany). Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology; Tuebingen Univ. (Germany). Section on Experimental Radiology; Ketelsen, D.; Kramer, U.; Horger, M. [Tuebingen Univ. (Germany). Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology; Ipach, I. [University Hospital Tuebingen (Germany). Orthopaedic Surgery; Schick, F. [Tuebingen Univ. (Germany). Section on Experimental Radiology

    2013-11-15

    In the past decades the incidence of acute and chronic disorders of the Achilles tendon associated with sport-induced overuse has steadily increased. Besides acute complete or partial ruptures, achillodynia (Achilles tendon pain syndrome), which is often associated with tendon degeneration, represents the most challenging entity regarding clinical diagnostics and therapy. Therefore, the use of imaging techniques to differentiate tendon disorders and even characterize structure alterations is of growing interest. This review article discusses the potential of different imaging techniques with respect to the diagnosis of acute and chronic tendon disorders. In this context, the most commonly used imaging techniques are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), B-mode ultrasound, and color-coded Doppler ultrasound (US). These modalities allow the detection of acute tendon ruptures and advanced chronic tendon disorders. However, the main disadvantages are still the low capabilities in the detection of early-stage degeneration and difficulties in the assessment of treatment responses during follow-up examinations. Furthermore, differentiation between chronic partial ruptures and degeneration remains challenging. The automatic contour detection and texture analysis may allow a more objective and quantitative interpretation, which might be helpful in the monitoring of tendon diseases during follow-up examinations. Other techniques to quantify tendon-specific MR properties, e.g. based on ultrashort echo time (UTE) sequences, also seem to have great potential with respect to the precise detection of degenerative tendon disorders and their differentiation at a very early stage. (orig.)

  8. Hematopoiesis under conditions of chronic toxicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seed, T.M.; Kaspar, L.V.

    1985-01-01

    The objective of this project is to elucidate the cellular processes by which chronic exposure to low daily doses of ionizing radiation induce and promote the development of either aplastic anemia or myeloid leukemia, i.e., two prominent pathological consequences of radiation exposure. 5 refs

  9. God image and happiness in chronic pain patients: the mediating role of disease interpretation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dezutter, Jessie; Luyckx, Koen; Schaap-Jonker, Hanneke; Büssing, Arndt; Corveleyn, Jozef; Hutsebaut, Dirk

    2010-05-01

    The present study explored the role of the emotional experience of God (i.e., positive and negative God images) in the happiness of chronic pain (CP) patients. Framed in the transactional model of stress, we tested a model in which God images would influence happiness partially through its influence on disease interpretation as a mediating mechanism. We expected God images to have both a direct and an indirect (through the interpretation of disease) effect on happiness. A cross-sectional questionnaire design was adopted in order to measure demographics, pain condition, God images, disease interpretation, and happiness. One hundred thirty-six CP patients, all members of a national patients' association, completed the questionnaires. Correlational analyses showed meaningful associations among God images, disease interpretation, and happiness. Path analyses from a structural equation modeling approach indicated that positive God images seemed to influence happiness, both directly and indirectly through the pathway of positive interpretation of the disease. Ancillary analyses showed that the negative influence of angry God images on happiness disappeared after controlling for pain severity. The results indicated that one's emotional experience of God has an influence on happiness in CP patients, both directly and indirectly through the pathway of positive disease interpretation. These findings can be framed within the transactional theory of stress and can stimulate further pain research investigating the possible effects of religion in the adaptation to CP.

  10. Design and implementation of a novel mechanical testing system for cellular solids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nazarian, Ara; Stauber, Martin; Müller, Ralph

    2005-05-01

    Cellular solids constitute an important class of engineering materials encompassing both man-made and natural constructs. Materials such as wood, cork, coral, and cancellous bone are examples of cellular solids. The structural analysis of cellular solid failure has been limited to 2D sections to illustrate global fracture patterns. Due to the inherent destructiveness of 2D methods, dynamic assessment of fracture progression has not been possible. Image-guided failure assessment (IGFA), a noninvasive technique to analyze 3D progressive bone failure, has been developed utilizing stepwise microcompression in combination with time-lapsed microcomputed tomographic imaging (microCT). This method allows for the assessment of fracture progression in the plastic region, where much of the structural deformation/energy absorption is encountered in a cellular solid. Therefore, the goal of this project was to design and fabricate a novel micromechanical testing system to validate the effectiveness of the stepwise IGFA technique compared to classical continuous mechanical testing, using a variety of engineered and natural cellular solids. In our analysis, we found stepwise compression to be a valid approach for IGFA with high precision and accuracy comparable to classical continuous testing. Therefore, this approach complements the conventional mechanical testing methods by providing visual insight into the failure propagation mechanisms of cellular solids. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Live Imaging of Cellular Internalization of Single Colloidal Particle by Combined Label-Free and Fluorescence Total Internal Reflection Microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrne, Gerard D; Vllasaliu, Driton; Falcone, Franco H; Somekh, Michael G; Stolnik, Snjezana

    2015-11-02

    In this work we utilize the combination of label-free total internal reflection microscopy and total internal reflectance fluorescence (TIRM/TIRF) microscopy to achieve a simultaneous, live imaging of single, label-free colloidal particle endocytosis by individual cells. The TIRM arm of the microscope enables label free imaging of the colloid and cell membrane features, while the TIRF arm images the dynamics of fluorescent-labeled clathrin (protein involved in endocytosis via clathrin pathway), expressed in transfected 3T3 fibroblasts cells. Using a model polymeric colloid and cells with a fluorescently tagged clathrin endocytosis pathway, we demonstrate that wide field TIRM/TIRF coimaging enables live visualization of the process of colloidal particle interaction with the labeled cell structure, which is valuable for discerning the membrane events and route of colloid internalization by the cell. We further show that 500 nm in diameter model polystyrene colloid associates with clathrin, prior to and during its cellular internalization. This association is not apparent with larger, 1 μm in diameter colloids, indicating an upper particle size limit for clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

  12. Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection: The Relation between Hepatitis B Antigen Expression, Telomere Length, Senescence, Inflammation and Fibrosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Phaedra M Tachtatzis

    Full Text Available Chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV infection can lead to the development of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. We hypothesized that HBV might accelerate hepatocyte ageing and investigated the effect of HBV on hepatocyte cell cycle state and biological age. We also investigated the relation between inflammation, fibrosis and cell cycle phase.Liver samples from patients with chronic HBV (n = 91, normal liver (n = 55 and regenerating liver (n = 15 were studied. Immunohistochemistry for cell cycle phase markers and HBV antigens was used to determine host cell cycle phase. Hepatocyte-specific telomere length was evaluated by quantitative fluorescent in-situ hybridization (Q-FISH in conjunction with hepatocyte nuclear area and HBV antigen expression. The effects of induced cell cycle arrest and induced cellular senescence on HBV production were assessed in vitro.13.7% hepatocytes in chronic HBV had entered cell cycle, but expression of markers for S, G2 and M phase was low compared with regenerating liver. Hepatocyte p21 expression was increased (10.9% in chronic HBV and correlated with liver fibrosis. Mean telomere length was reduced in chronic HBV compared to normal. However, within HBV-affected livers, hepatocytes expressing HBV antigens had longer telomeres. Telomere length declined and hepatocyte nuclear size increased as HBV core antigen (HBcAg expression shifted from the nucleus to cytoplasm. Nuclear co-expression of HBcAg and p21 was not observed. Cell cycle arrest induced in vitro was associated with increased HBV production, in contrast to in vitro induction of cellular senescence, which had no effect.Chronic HBV infection was associated with hepatocyte G1 cell cycle arrest and accelerated hepatocyte ageing, implying that HBV induced cellular senescence. However, HBV replication was confined to biologically younger hepatocytes. Changes in the cellular location of HBcAg may be related to the onset of cellular senescence.

  13. Raman Spectroscopy and Microscopy of Individual Cells andCellular Components

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chan, J; Fore, S; Wachsmann-Hogiu, S; Huser, T

    2008-05-15

    Raman spectroscopy provides the unique opportunity to non-destructively analyze chemical concentrations on the submicron length scale in individual cells without the need for optical labels. This enables the rapid assessment of cellular biochemistry inside living cells, and it allows for their continuous analysis to determine cellular response to external events. Here, we review recent developments in the analysis of single cells, subcellular compartments, and chemical imaging based on Raman spectroscopic techniques. Spontaneous Raman spectroscopy provides for the full spectral assessment of cellular biochemistry, while coherent Raman techniques, such as coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering is primarily used as an imaging tool comparable to confocal fluorescence microscopy. These techniques are complemented by surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, which provides higher sensitivity and local specificity, and also extends the techniques to chemical indicators, i.e. pH sensing. We review the strengths and weaknesses of each technique, demonstrate some of their applications and discuss their potential for future research in cell biology and biomedicine.

  14. Automated imaging of cellular spheroids with selective plane illumination microscopy on a chip (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paiè, Petra; Bassi, Andrea; Bragheri, Francesca; Osellame, Roberto

    2017-02-01

    Selective plane illumination microscopy (SPIM) is an optical sectioning technique that allows imaging of biological samples at high spatio-temporal resolution. Standard SPIM devices require dedicated set-ups, complex sample preparation and accurate system alignment, thus limiting the automation of the technique, its accessibility and throughput. We present a millimeter-scaled optofluidic device that incorporates selective plane illumination and fully automatic sample delivery and scanning. To this end an integrated cylindrical lens and a three-dimensional fluidic network were fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining into a single glass chip. This device can upgrade any standard fluorescence microscope to a SPIM system. We used SPIM on a CHIP to automatically scan biological samples under a conventional microscope, without the need of any motorized stage: tissue spheroids expressing fluorescent proteins were flowed in the microchannel at constant speed and their sections were acquired while passing through the light sheet. We demonstrate high-throughput imaging of the entire sample volume (with a rate of 30 samples/min), segmentation and quantification in thick (100-300 μm diameter) cellular spheroids. This optofluidic device gives access to SPIM analyses to non-expert end-users, opening the way to automatic and fast screening of a high number of samples at subcellular resolution.

  15. MR imaging in chronic epicondylitis humeri radialis at 1.0 T: is Gd-DTPA administration useful?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herber, S.; Kalden, P.; Kreitner, K.-F.; Thelen, M.

    2001-01-01

    Purpose: Evaluation of the diagnostic value and confidence of contrast-enhanced MR imaging in patients with lateral epicondylitis in comparison to clinical diagnosis. Material and Methods: 42 consecutive patients with clinically proven chronic lateral epicondylitis and 10 elbow joints of healthy controls have been examined on a 1.0 T MR-unit. Criteria for inclusion in the prospective study were: persistant pain and a failed conservative therapy. The MR protocol included STIR sequence, a native, T 2 -weighted, fat-supressed TSE sequence, and a flash-2-D sequence. Also, fat-supressed, T 1 -weighted SE sequences before and after administration of Gd-DTPA contrast media have been recorded. Results: In 39/42 patients the STIR sequence showed an increased SI of the common extensor tendom. Increased MR signal of the lateral collateral ligament combined with a thickening and a partial rupture or a full thickness tear have been observed in 15/42 cases. A bone marrow edema at the lateral epicondylus was noticed in 6 of the studied patients and a joint effusion in 18/42 patients. After administration of contrast media we noticed an average increase of SI by about 150%. However, enhanced MR imaging did not provide additional information. Conclusion: In MR imaging of chronic epicondylitis administration of gadolinium-DTPA does not provide additional information. (orig.) [de

  16. Imaging cells and sub-cellular structures with ultrahigh resolution full-field X-ray microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chien, C C; Tseng, P Y; Chen, H H; Hua, T E; Chen, S T; Chen, Y Y; Leng, W H; Wang, C H; Hwu, Y; Yin, G C; Liang, K S; Chen, F R; Chu, Y S; Yeh, H I; Yang, Y C; Yang, C S; Zhang, G L; Je, J H; Margaritondo, G

    2013-01-01

    Our experimental results demonstrate that full-field hard-X-ray microscopy is finally able to investigate the internal structure of cells in tissues. This result was made possible by three main factors: the use of a coherent (synchrotron) source of X-rays, the exploitation of contrast mechanisms based on the real part of the refractive index and the magnification provided by high-resolution Fresnel zone-plate objectives. We specifically obtained high-quality microradiographs of human and mouse cells with 29 nm Rayleigh spatial resolution and verified that tomographic reconstruction could be implemented with a final resolution level suitable for subcellular features. We also demonstrated that a phase retrieval method based on a wave propagation algorithm could yield good subcellular images starting from a series of defocused microradiographs. The concluding discussion compares cellular and subcellular hard-X-ray microradiology with other techniques and evaluates its potential impact on biomedical research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Cellular automaton-based position sensitive detector equalization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferrando, Nestor [Grupo de Diseno de Sistemas Digitales, Instituto de Aplicaciones de las Tecnologias de la Informacion y de las Comunicaciones Avanzadas, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia (Spain)], E-mail: nesferjo@upvnet.upv.es; Herrero, V.; Cerda, J.; Lerche, C.W.; Colom, R.J.; Gadea, R.; Martinez, J.D.; Monzo, J.M.; Mateo, F.; Sebastia, A.; Benlloch, J.M. [Grupo de Diseno de Sistemas Digitales, Instituto de Aplicaciones de las Tecnologias de la Informacion y de las Comunicaciones Avanzadas, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia (Spain)

    2009-06-01

    Indirect position detectors based on scintillator crystals lack of spacial uniformity in their response. This happens due to crystal inhomogeneities and gain differences among the photomultiplier anodes. In order to solve this, PESIC, an integrated front-end for multianode photomultiplier based nuclear imaging devices was created. One of its main features is the digitally programmable gain adjustment for every photomultiplier output. On another front, cellular automata have been proved to be a useful method for dynamic system modeling. In this paper, a cellular automaton which emulates the behavior of the scintillator crystal, the photomultiplier and the front-end is introduced. Thanks to this model, an automatic energy-based calibration of the detector can be done by configuring the cellular automaton with experimental data and making it evolve up to an stable state. This can be useful as a precalibration method of the detector.

  18. Cellular automaton-based position sensitive detector equalization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferrando, Nestor; Herrero, V.; Cerda, J.; Lerche, C.W.; Colom, R.J.; Gadea, R.; Martinez, J.D.; Monzo, J.M.; Mateo, F.; Sebastia, A.; Benlloch, J.M.

    2009-01-01

    Indirect position detectors based on scintillator crystals lack of spacial uniformity in their response. This happens due to crystal inhomogeneities and gain differences among the photomultiplier anodes. In order to solve this, PESIC, an integrated front-end for multianode photomultiplier based nuclear imaging devices was created. One of its main features is the digitally programmable gain adjustment for every photomultiplier output. On another front, cellular automata have been proved to be a useful method for dynamic system modeling. In this paper, a cellular automaton which emulates the behavior of the scintillator crystal, the photomultiplier and the front-end is introduced. Thanks to this model, an automatic energy-based calibration of the detector can be done by configuring the cellular automaton with experimental data and making it evolve up to an stable state. This can be useful as a precalibration method of the detector.

  19. Case report on the clinical results of a combined cellular therapy for chronic spinal cord injured patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moviglia, G A; Varela, G; Brizuela, J A; Moviglia Brandolino, M T; Farina, P; Etchegaray, G; Piccone, S; Hirsch, J; Martinez, G; Marino, S; Deffain, S; Coria, N; Gonzáles, A; Sztanko, M; Salas-Zamora, P; Previgliano, I; Aingel, V; Farias, J; Gaeta, C A; Saslavsky, J; Blasseti, N

    2009-06-01

    With the intention to ameliorate the clinical condition of patients with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI), a program that combines three cell therapies and an appropriate neurorehabilitation program were used to recreate and enhance the natural conditions of SCI repair. Vascularization recovery is approached by selective artery infusion of BMMNCs (bone marrow mononuclear cells) to the disrupted area. Eighteen days later, with the aim to restore the specific inflammatory activity, an i.v. infusion of spinal cord specific ETCs (effector T cells) is carried out. With the intention of supplying cellular components for the process of repair, an infusion of autologous neural stem cells (NSCs) through selective feeding artery infusion is carried out, followed by an appropriate neurorehabilitation program. A total of eight ASIA (American Spinal Injury Association) A patients (five with jeopardized brachial plexus and three without) received the treatment. No severe adverse events was observed in any of the receptor patients: five patients evolved from ASIA A to ASIA D and regained the ability to stand up and, with varying effectiveness, to walk; two patients remained in the same condition, but exhibited motor and sensitive improvements; and one patient could not be evaluated. These reports suggest that the biological characteristics of acute SCI may be recreated in a comprehensive, safe and effective manner.

  20. Cellular uptake and intracellular fate of engineered nanoparticles: a review on the application of imaging techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tantra, Ratna; Knight, Alex

    2011-09-01

    The use of imaging tools to probe nanoparticle-cell interactions will be crucial to elucidating the mechanisms of nanoparticle-induced toxicity. Of particular interest are mechanisms associated with cell penetration, translocation and subsequent accumulation inside the cell, or in cellular compartments. The objective of the present paper is to review imaging techniques that have been previously used in order to assess such interactions, and new techniques with the potential to be useful in this area. In order to identify the most suitable techniques, they were evaluated and matched against a list of evaluation criteria. We conclude that limitations exist with all of the techniques and the ultimate choice will thus depend on the needs of end users, and their particular application. The state-of-the-art techniques appear to have the least limitations, despite the fact that they are not so well established and still far from being routine. For example, super-resolution microscopy techniques appear to have many advantages for understanding the details of the interactions between nanoparticles and cells. Future research should concentrate on further developing or improving such novel techniques, to include the development of standardized methods and appropriate reference materials.

  1. CT evaluation of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Willemink, M.J. [Department of Radiology, St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein (Netherlands); Es, H.W. van, E-mail: h.es@antoniusziekenhuis.nl [Department of Radiology, St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein (Netherlands); Koobs, L. [Department of Radiology, St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein (Netherlands); Morshuis, W.J. [Department of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein (Netherlands); Snijder, R.J. [Department of Pulmonary Disease, St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein (Netherlands); Heesewijk, J.P.M. van [Department of Radiology, St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein (Netherlands)

    2012-03-15

    The educational objectives of this article are to provide an overview of the computed tomography (CT) findings in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. This article reviews the key imaging findings at CT in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. After reading this article, the reader should have an improved awareness of the condition, its imaging features, and the CT imaging features associated with surgically accessible disease.

  2. CT evaluation of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Willemink, M.J.; Es, H.W. van; Koobs, L.; Morshuis, W.J.; Snijder, R.J.; Heesewijk, J.P.M. van

    2012-01-01

    The educational objectives of this article are to provide an overview of the computed tomography (CT) findings in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. This article reviews the key imaging findings at CT in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. After reading this article, the reader should have an improved awareness of the condition, its imaging features, and the CT imaging features associated with surgically accessible disease.

  3. Ultrasonography versus magnetic resonance imaging in detecting and grading common extensor tendon tear in chronic lateral epicondylitis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Artur Bachta

    Full Text Available To investigate the diagnostic performance and reliability of ultrasonography (US in detecting and grading common extensor tendon (CET tear in patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis (LE, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI as the reference standard.The study comprised fifty-eight chronic LE patients. Each patient underwent US and MRI. CET status was classified as: high-grade tear (≥50% thickness, low-grade tear (<50% thickness, suspected tear (possible but not evident tear, no tear. Additionally, the following dichotomous scale was used: confirmed or unconfirmed CET tear. Relative US parameters (versus MRI for detecting CET tear included: sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV, negative predictive value (NPV and accuracy. The agreement between US and MRI findings was measured using the weighted Cohen kappa coefficient (κ.US showed moderate agreement with MRI in detecting and grading CET tear (κ = 0.49. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in CET tear detecting by US were 64.52%, 85.19%, and 72.73%, respectively. PPV and NPV of US were 83.33% and 67.65%, respectively. No patient with unconfirmed CET tear on US had high-grade CET tear on MRI.Ultrasonography is a valuable imaging modality that can be used as a screening tool to exclude high-grade CET tear in chronic LE patients. Once a tear is evident on US, MRI should be considered to assess precisely the extent of tendon injury.

  4. Cellular Imaging | Center for Cancer Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Innovative imaging methods developed and refined within CCR revealed atomic-level structures of biological molecules and unveiled dynamic views of a cell’s interior that are driving the design of new treatments and diagnostics for cancer.

  5. Image quality improvements using adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction for evaluating chronic myocardial infarction using iodine density images with spectral CT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kishimoto, Junichi; Ohta, Yasutoshi; Kitao, Shinichiro; Watanabe, Tomomi; Ogawa, Toshihide

    2018-04-01

    Single-source dual-energy CT (ssDECT) allows the reconstruction of iodine density images (IDIs) from projection based computing. We hypothesized that adding adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR) could improve image quality. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect and determine the optimal blend percentages of ASiR for IDI of myocardial late iodine enhancement (LIE) in the evaluation of chronic myocardial infarction using ssDECT. A total of 28 patients underwent cardiac LIE using a ssDECT scanner. IDIs between 0 and 100% of ASiR contributions in 10% increments were reconstructed. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of remote myocardia and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of infarcted myocardia were measured. Transmural extent of infarction was graded using a 5-point scale. The SNR, CNR, and transmural extent were assessed for each ASiR contribution ratio. The transmural extents were compared with MRI as a reference standard. Compared to 0% ASiR, the use of 20-100% ASiR resulted in a reduction of image noise (p ASiR images, reconstruction with 100% ASiR image showed the highest improvement in SNR (229%; p ASiR above 80% showed the highest ratio (73.7%) of accurate transmural extent classification. In conclusion, ASiR intensity of 80-100% in IDIs can improve image quality without changes in signal and maximizes the accuracy of transmural extent in infarcted myocardium.

  6. Chronic anal fissure: morphometric analysis of the anal canal at 3.0 Tesla MR imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erden, Ayşe; Peker, Elif; Gençtürk, Zeynep Bıyıklı

    2017-02-01

    OBJECTıVE: To compare the morphometric data relating to the muscular structures of the anal canal, in patients with chronic anal fissure and in control group, examined at a 3.0 Tesla MR system. Forty-seven consecutive patients with chronic anal fissure and randomly selected 40 patients who had no claims for perianal disease during their life time were included in the study. T2-weighted sagittal, high-resolution (HR) T2-weighted, and contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted oblique axial and oblique coronal images were retrospectively analyzed by two observers in consensus. Thickness of sphincteric muscles, anal canal length, anorectal angle, thickness of anococcygeal ligament, depth of Minor triangle, width between subcutaneous sphincters, vascularity of posterior commissure, visibility of posterosuperior projection of external sphincter, and angle between the distal anal canal and posterosuperior projection of external sphincter (H angle) in patients and in controls were compared and analyzed using t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Spearman correlation. The patients with chronic anal fissure had longer anal canal (51.50 mm ± 0.91 vs. 44.11 mm ± 0.71; p = 0.000), thicker internal anal sphincter muscle at mid-anal level (4.18 ± 0.15 vs. 3.39 ± 0.07; p = 0.007), and wider space between subcutaneous external sphincters (11.39 ± 0.50 vs. 6.89 ± 0.22; p = 0.000). In patients, there was a positive correlation between H angle and external sphincter thickness at proximal (r = 0.347; p = 0.021), middle (r = 0427; p = 0.000), and distal (r = 0.518; p = 0.000)) levels of the anal canal. CONCLUSıON: 3.0 Tesla MR imaging provides detailed information about the morphometric changes in the anal sphincter muscles in patients with chronic anal fissure.

  7. Cellular phone-based image acquisition and quantitative ratiometric method for detecting cocaine and benzoylecgonine for biological and forensic applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cadle, Brian A; Rasmus, Kristin C; Varela, Juan A; Leverich, Leah S; O'Neill, Casey E; Bachtell, Ryan K; Cooper, Donald C

    2010-01-01

    Here we describe the first report of using low-cost cellular or web-based digital cameras to image and quantify standardized rapid immunoassay strips as a new point-of-care diagnostic and forensics tool with health applications. Quantitative ratiometric pixel density analysis (QRPDA) is an automated method requiring end-users to utilize inexpensive (∼ $1 USD/each) immunotest strips, a commonly available web or mobile phone camera or scanner, and internet or cellular service. A model is described whereby a central computer server and freely available IMAGEJ image analysis software records and analyzes the incoming image data with time-stamp and geo-tag information and performs the QRPDA using custom JAVA based macros (http://www.neurocloud.org). To demonstrate QRPDA we developed a standardized method using rapid immunotest strips directed against cocaine and its major metabolite, benzoylecgonine. Images from standardized samples were acquired using several devices, including a mobile phone camera, web cam, and scanner. We performed image analysis of three brands of commercially available dye-conjugated anti-cocaine/benzoylecgonine (COC/BE) antibody test strips in response to three different series of cocaine concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 300 ng/ml and BE concentrations ranging from 0.003 to 0.1 ng/ml. This data was then used to create standard curves to allow quantification of COC/BE in biological samples. Across all devices, QRPDA quantification of COC and BE proved to be a sensitive, economical, and faster alternative to more costly methods, such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, tandem mass spectrometry, or high pressure liquid chromatography. The limit of detection was determined to be between 0.1 and 5 ng/ml. To simulate conditions in the field, QRPDA was found to be robust under a variety of image acquisition and testing conditions that varied temperature, lighting, resolution, magnification and concentrations of biological fluid in a sample. To

  8. Cellular Phone-Based Image Acquisition and Quantitative Ratiometric Method for Detecting Cocaine and Benzoylecgonine for Biological and Forensic Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian A. Cadle

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Here we describe the first report of using low-cost cellular or web-based digital cameras to image and quantify standardized rapid immunoassay strips as a new point-of-care diagnostic and forensics tool with health applications. Quantitative ratiometric pixel density analysis (QRPDA is an automated method requiring end-users to utilize inexpensive (~ $1 USD/each immunotest strips, a commonly available web or mobile phone camera or scanner, and internet or cellular service. A model is described whereby a central computer server and freely available IMAGEJ image analysis software records and analyzes the incoming image data with time-stamp and geo-tag information and performs the QRPDA using custom JAVA based macros ( http://www.neurocloud.org . To demonstrate QRPDA we developed a standardized method using rapid immunotest strips directed against cocaine and its major metabolite, benzoylecgonine. Images from standardized samples were acquired using several devices, including a mobile phone camera, web cam, and scanner. We performed image analysis of three brands of commercially available dye-conjugated anti-cocaine/benzoylecgonine (COC/BE antibody test strips in response to three different series of cocaine concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 300 ng/ml and BE concentrations ranging from 0.003 to 0.1 ng/ml. This data was then used to create standard curves to allow quantification of COC/BE in biological samples. Across all devices, QRPDA quantification of COC and BE proved to be a sensitive, economical, and faster alternative to more costly methods, such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, tandem mass spectrometry, or high pressure liquid chromatography. The limit of detection was determined to be between 0.1 and 5 ng/ml. To simulate conditions in the field, QRPDA was found to be robust under a variety of image acquisition and testing conditions that varied temperature, lighting, resolution, magnification and concentrations of biological fluid

  9. Magnetic resonance imaging of chronic subdural hematomas; Especially in recurrent cases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamagami, Tatsuhito; Higashi, Kenichiro; Handa, Hajime (Ijinkai Takeda General Hospital, Kyoto (Japan)) (and others)

    1993-02-01

    Sixty-two patients with chronic subdural hematomas (CSDH) were examined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI was performed using 0.2 and 0.5 Tesla imagers. The MRI findings were then compared with the density patterns of X-ray CT. In many cases, the CSDHs were more hyperintense than the gray matter on the T[sub 1]-weighted image, though a few cases showed hypo- or isointensity. Most cases showed a high intensity on a proton-density-weighted image (PDW), while a low signal intensity was rarely seen on PDW. However, it always had a higher signal intensity than that of CSF in the lateral ventricle. Therefore, PDW was thought to be the most useful image for the diagnosis of CSDH with regard to differentiation from the subdural hydroma. All the cases of CSDH showed a very high intensity on a T[sub 2]-weighted image (T[sub 2]W), while, in a small number of cases, the hematoma contained a layered hypointensity near the hematoma capsule and demonstrated a heterogeneous appearance on T[sub 2]W. This was considered to indicate repeated hemorrhages. In 58 patients, an operation was performed by removing the hematoma through one or two burr holes and by then irrigating the hematoma cavity. A second operation was necessary in nine cases. Some of the recurrent cases showed heterogeneous intensity on MRI. Three of the six cases of bilateral CSDH, which showed different intensities on the two sides, had to be operated on again. MRI was superior to X-ray CT in demonstrating the postoperative residual hematomas. The disappearance of residual CSDH was confirmed by follow-up MRI in 19 of 40 postoperative cases. The residual hematoma was found by the MRI to have disappeared 158 days after the operation, on the average. On the other hand, the disappearance of the hematomas could not be ascertained before the operation in the recurrent cases. It is thus considered to be necessary to follow-up the post-operative MRI findings for at least five months in cases of CSDH. (author).

  10. Synovitis, Acne, Pustulosis, Hyperostosis and Osteitis (SAPHO) and chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO): Role of imaging in diagnosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thakur, Uma; Blacksin, Marcia; Beebe, Kathleen; Neilson, J.C.; Dashefsky, Barry; Tagoylo, Gino

    2012-01-01

    There is a spectrum of musculoskeletal disorders which can be associated with dermatologic findings, the fundamental component of which is a nonbacterial osteitis. CRMO (Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis) and SAPHO syndrome (Synovitis, Acne, Pustulosis, Hyperostosis and Osteitis) describe paediatric and adult conditions, respectively, of inflammatory osteitis that can be associated with palmoplantar pustulosis and acne. Imaging findings are similar and a key component to the diagnosis in both conditions. This report describes two patients with strikingly similar radiologic presentations of clavicular osteitis in whom the diagnosis was made predominantly on the basis of imaging findings. The typical imaging features and radiographic hallmarks of both conditions will also be discussed.

  11. 123I-BMIPP delayed scintigraphic imaging in patients with chronic heart failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kida, Keisuke; Akashi, Yoshihiro J; Yoneyama, Kihei; Shimokawa, Mitsuhiro; Musha, Haruki

    2008-11-01

    The objective of the present study was to clarify the ability of 123I-beta-methyl-iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (123I-BMIPP) to evaluate the heart-to-mediastinum (H/M) ratio and myocardial global washout rate (WR) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). The severity of CHF was evaluated on the basis of the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification. Twenty patients with CHF (13 with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and 7 with ischemic cardiomyopathy) and 11 age-matched controls underwent myocardial radionuclide imaging. Scintigraphic images were obtained from each participant at the early (30 min following radio-isotope injection) and late (4 h) phases using 123I-BMIPP. The H/M ratio and WR were calculated from planar images. Concentrations of plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were measured prior to the scintigraphic study. The 123I-BMIPP uptake of early H/M and global WR did not significantly differ among groups, but uptake of delayed H/M was significantly lower in patients with NYHA class III than in controls (control 2.47 +/- 0.39; class III 1.78 +/- 0.28, P < 0.05). The uptake of delayed H/M and global WR correlated with plasma log BNP in all participants (r = -0.38, P < 0.05; 0.43, P < 0.05, respectively). These data suggest that 123I-BMIPP uptake of delayed H/M enhances the image of CHF severity. The myocardial WR of 123I-BMIPP also effectively depicted the severity of CHF.

  12. HDACi: cellular effects, opportunities for restorative dentistry.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Duncan, H F

    2011-12-01

    Acetylation of histone and non-histone proteins alters gene expression and induces a host of cellular effects. The acetylation process is homeostatically balanced by two groups of cellular enzymes, histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). HAT activity relaxes the structure of the human chromatin, rendering it transcriptionally active, thereby increasing gene expression. In contrast, HDAC activity leads to gene silencing. The enzymatic balance can be \\'tipped\\' by histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), leading to an accumulation of acetylated proteins, which subsequently modify cellular processes including stem cell differentiation, cell cycle, apoptosis, gene expression, and angiogenesis. There is a variety of natural and synthetic HDACi available, and their pleiotropic effects have contributed to diverse clinical applications, not only in cancer but also in non-cancer areas, such as chronic inflammatory disease, bone engineering, and neurodegenerative disease. Indeed, it appears that HDACi-modulated effects may differ between \\'normal\\' and transformed cells, particularly with regard to reactive oxygen species accumulation, apoptosis, proliferation, and cell cycle arrest. The potential beneficial effects of HDACi for health, resulting from their ability to regulate global gene expression by epigenetic modification of DNA-associated proteins, also offer potential for application within restorative dentistry, where they may promote dental tissue regeneration following pulpal damage.

  13. Proton MR spectroscopy and MR imaging in acute and chronic multiple sclerosis - ringlike appearances in acute plaques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Landtblom, A M [Dept. of Clinical Neuroscience, Linkoeping Univ. Hospital (Sweden); Sjoeqvist, L [Dept. of Radiation Physics, Linkoeping Univ. Hospital (Sweden); Soederfeldt, B [Dept. of Clinical Neuroscience, Linkoeping Univ. Hospital (Sweden); Nyland, H [Dept. of Neurology, Haukeland Hospital, Bergen (Norway); Thuomas, K Aa [Dept. of Radiology, Linkoeping Univ. Hospital (Sweden)

    1995-05-01

    We wanted to compare the metabolite status of brain lesions in different clinical subtypes of multiple sclerosis (MS). Two acute MS lesions with ringlike appearances were also investigated. Twenty-three clinically stable MS patients, 2 patients with acute relapses, and 15 healthy individuals were examined by MR imaging and localized proton MRS. No metabolite differences were seen in plaques of different subtypes. Decreased NAA/Cr and NAA/choline ratios as well as increased inositol/CR ratios were observed in the plaques of the clinically stable or chronic active MS patients as compared with controls. The ring plaques had hyperintense cores with surrounding halos, separated from the cores by rings with low signal intensity in T2-weighted images. The core exhibited a prolonged T2 relaxation time. Proton spectra initially contained lactate. No differences between the metabolite status of nonacute plaques in different clinical subtypes could be detected. The ring plaques contained lactate signals indicating oedema, inflammation, and macrophage invasion, and may be transition forms between acute oedematous lesions and chronic demyelinated plaques. (orig.).

  14. Atomic force microscopy for cellular level manipulation: imaging intracellular structures and DNA delivery through a membrane hole.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afrin, Rehana; Zohora, Umme Salma; Uehara, Hironori; Watanabe-Nakayama, Takahiro; Ikai, Atsushi

    2009-01-01

    The atomic force microscope (AFM) is a versatile tool for imaging, force measurement and manipulation of proteins, DNA, and living cells basically at the single molecular level. In the cellular level manipulation, extraction, and identification of mRNA's from defined loci of a cell, insertion of plasmid DNA and pulling of membrane proteins, for example, have been reported. In this study, AFM was used to create holes at defined loci on the cell membrane for the investigation of viability of the cells after hole creation, visualization of intracellular structure through the hole and for targeted gene delivery into living cells. To create large holes with an approximate diameter of 5-10 microm, a phospholipase A(2) coated bead was added to the AFM cantilever and the bead was allowed to touch the cell surface for approximately 5-10 min. The evidence of hole creation was obtained mainly from fluorescent image of Vybrant DiO labeled cell before and after the contact with the bead and the AFM imaging of the contact area. In parallel, cells with a hole were imaged by AFM to reveal intracellular structures such as filamentous structures presumably actin fibers and mitochondria which were identified with fluorescent labeling with rhodamine 123. Targeted gene delivery was also attempted by inserting an AFM probe that was coated with the Monster Green Fluorescent Protein phMGFP Vector for transfection of the cell. Following targeted transfection, the gene expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) was observed and confirmed by the fluorescence microscope. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. Dynamics and mechanisms of quantum dot nanoparticle cellular uptake

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Telford William G

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The rapid growth of the nanotechnology industry and the wide application of various nanomaterials have raised concerns over their impact on the environment and human health. Yet little is known about the mechanism of cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of nanoparticles. An array of nanomaterials has recently been introduced into cancer research promising for remarkable improvements in diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Among them, quantum dots (QDs distinguish themselves in offering many intrinsic photophysical properties that are desirable for targeted imaging and drug delivery. Results We explored the kinetics and mechanism of cellular uptake of QDs with different surface coatings in two human mammary cells. Using fluorescence microscopy and laser scanning cytometry (LSC, we found that both MCF-7 and MCF-10A cells internalized large amount of QD655-COOH, but the percentage of endocytosing cells is slightly higher in MCF-7 cell line than in MCF-10A cell line. Live cell fluorescent imaging showed that QD cellular uptake increases with time over 40 h of incubation. Staining cells with dyes specific to various intracellular organelles indicated that QDs were localized in lysosomes. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM images suggested a potential pathway for QD cellular uptake mechanism involving three major stages: endocytosis, sequestration in early endosomes, and translocation to later endosomes or lysosomes. No cytotoxicity was observed in cells incubated with 0.8 nM of QDs for a period of 72 h. Conclusions The findings presented here provide information on the mechanism of QD endocytosis that could be exploited to reduce non-specific targeting, thereby improving specific targeting of QDs in cancer diagnosis and treatment applications. These findings are also important in understanding the cytotoxicity of nanomaterials and in emphasizing the importance of strict environmental control of nanoparticles.

  16. Multifunctional PLGA Nanobubbles as Theranostic Agents: Combining Doxorubicin and P-gp siRNA Co-Delivery Into Human Breast Cancer Cells and Ultrasound Cellular Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Hong; Deng, Liwei; Li, Tingting; Shen, Xue; Yan, Jie; Zuo, Liangming; Wu, Chunhui; Liu, Yiyao

    2015-12-01

    Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major impediment to the success of cancer chemotherapy. One of the effective approaches to overcome MDR is to use nanoparticle-mediated the gene silence of chemotherapeutic export proteins by RNA interference to increase drug accumulation in drug resistant cancer cells. In this work, a new co-delivery system, DOX-PLGA/PEI/P-gp shRNA nanobubbles (NBs) around 327 nm, to overcome doxorubicin (DOX) resistance in MCF-7 human breast cancer was designed and developed. Positively charged polyethylenimine (PEI) were modified onto the surface of DOX-PLGA NBs through DCC/NHS crosslinking, and could efficiently condense P-gp shRNA into DOX-PLGA/PEI NBs at vector/shRNA weight ratios of 70:1 and above. An in vitro release profile demonstrated an efficient DOX release (more than 80%) from DOX-PLGA/PEI NBs at pH 4.4, suggesting a pH-responsive drug release for the multifunctionalized NBs. Cellular experimental results further showed that DOX-PLGA/PEI/P-gp shRNA NBs could facilitate cellular uptake of DOX into cells and increase the cell proliferation suppression effect of DOX against MCF-7/ADR cells (a DOX-resistant and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) over-expression cancer cell line). The IC50 of DOX-PLGA NBs against MCF-7/ADR cells was 2-fold lower than that of free DOX. The increased cellular uptake and nuclear accumulation of DOX delivered by DOX-PLGA/PEI/P-gp shRNA NBs in MCF-7/ADR cells was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence spectrophotometry, and might be owning to the down-regulation of P-gp and reduced the efflux of DOX. The cellular uptake mechanism of DOX-PLGA/PEI/P-gp shRNA NBs indicated that the macropinocytosis was one of the pathways for the uptake of NBs by MCF-7/ADR cells, which was also an energy-dependent process. Furthermore, the in vitro cellular ultrasound imaging suggested that the employment of the DOX-PLGA/PEI/P-gp shRNA NBs could efficiently enhance ultrasound imaging of cancer cells. These results demonstrated

  17. Magnetic resonance imaging of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques: current imaging strategies and molecular imaging probes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Briley-Saebo, Karen C.; Mulder, Willem J. M.; Mani, Venkatesh; Hyafil, Fabien; Amirbekian, Vardan; Aguinaldo, Juan Gilberto S.; Fisher, Edward A.; Fayad, Zahi A.

    2007-01-01

    The vulnerability or destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques has been directly linked to plaque composition. Imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, that allow for evaluation of plaque composition at a cellular and molecular level, could further improve the detection of

  18. Chronic Use of Aspirin and Total White Matter Lesion Volume: Results from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holcombe, Andrea; Ammann, Eric; Espeland, Mark A; Kelley, Brendan J; Manson, JoAnn E; Wallace, Robert; Robinson, Jennifer

    2017-10-01

    To investigate the relationship between aspirin and subclinical cerebrovascular heath, we evaluated the effect of chronic aspirin use on white matter lesions (WML) volume among women. Chronic aspirin use was assessed in 1365 women who participated in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Differences in WML volumes between aspirin users and nonusers were assessed with linear mixed models. A number of secondary analyses were performed, including lobe-specific analyses, subgroup analyses based on participants' overall risk of cerebrovascular disease, and a dose-response relationship analysis. The mean age of the women at magnetic resonance imaging examination was 77.6 years. Sixty-one percent of participants were chronic aspirin users. After adjusting for demographic variables and comorbidities, chronic aspirin use was nonsignificantly associated with 4.8% (95% CI: -6.8%, 17.9%) larger WML volumes. These null findings were confirmed in secondary and sensitivity analyses, including an active comparator evaluation where aspirin users were compared to users of nonaspirin nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or acetaminophen. There was a nonsignificant difference in WML volumes between aspirin users and nonusers. Further, our results suggest that chronic aspirin use may not have a clinically significant effect on WML volumes in women. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  19. Impact of CT perfusion imaging on the assessment of peripheral chronic pulmonary thromboembolism: clinical experience in 62 patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Le Faivre, Julien; Khung, Suonita; Faivre, Jean-Baptiste; Remy, Jacques; Remy-Jardin, Martine [University of Lille, Department of Thoracic Imaging, Hospital Calmette, Lille (France); Duhamel, Alain [University of Lille, Department of Biostatistics, Lille (France); Lamblin, Nicolas [University of Lille, Department of Cardiology, Cardiology Hospital, Lille (France)

    2016-11-15

    To evaluate the impact of CT perfusion imaging on the detection of peripheral chronic pulmonary embolisms (CPE). 62 patients underwent a dual-energy chest CT angiographic examination with (a) reconstruction of diagnostic and perfusion images; (b) enabling depiction of vascular features of peripheral CPE on diagnostic images and perfusion defects (20 segments/patient; total: 1240 segments examined). The interpretation of diagnostic images was of two types: (a) standard (i.e., based on cross-sectional images alone) or (b) detailed (i.e., based on cross-sectional images and MIPs). The segment-based analysis showed (a) 1179 segments analyzable on both imaging modalities and 61 segments rated as nonanalyzable on perfusion images; (b) the percentage of diseased segments was increased by 7.2 % when perfusion imaging was compared to the detailed reading of diagnostic images, and by 26.6 % when compared to the standard reading of images. At a patient level, the extent of peripheral CPE was higher on perfusion imaging, with a greater impact when compared to the standard reading of diagnostic images (number of patients with a greater number of diseased segments: n = 45; 72.6 % of the study population). Perfusion imaging allows recognition of a greater extent of peripheral CPE compared to diagnostic imaging. (orig.)

  20. Chronic left ventricular failure: the role of imaging in diagnosis and planning of conventional and novel therapies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoey, E.T.D.; Gopalan, D.; Agrawal, S.K.B.; Screaton, N.J.

    2009-01-01

    Heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalisation in the UK, and its prevalence is expected to increase further in the future due partly to an aging population. Although pharmacological agents remain the mainstay of therapy, an increasing number of surgical and novel minimally invasive interventions have been developed for the treatment of both acute and chronic heart failure. Imaging is essential for diagnosis, guiding therapeutic options, and monitoring therapy and its complications. As a result, radiologists should be familiar with the pathogenesis, treatment options, and imaging-related issues pertaining to the management of these patients

  1. Detecting the Extent of Cellular Decomposition after Sub-Eutectoid Annealing in Rolled UMo Foils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kautz, Elizabeth J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Jana, Saumyadeep [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Devaraj, Arun [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Lavender, Curt A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Sweet, Lucas E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Joshi, Vineet V. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2017-07-31

    This report presents an automated image processing approach to quantifying microstructure image data, specifically the extent of eutectoid (cellular) decomposition in rolled U-10Mo foils. An image processing approach is used here to be able to quantitatively describe microstructure image data in order to relate microstructure to processing parameters (time, temperature, deformation).

  2. Imaging of cellular spread on a three-dimensional scaffold by means of a novel cell-labeling technique for high-resolution computed tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thimm, Benjamin W; Hofmann, Sandra; Schneider, Philipp; Carretta, Roberto; Müller, Ralph

    2012-03-01

    Computed tomography (CT) represents a truly three-dimensional (3D) imaging technique that can provide high-resolution images on the cellular level. Thus, one approach to detect single cells is X-ray absorption-based CT, where cells are labeled with a dense, opaque material providing the required contrast for CT imaging. Within the present work, a novel cell-labeling method has been developed showing the feasibility of labeling fixed cells with iron oxide (FeO) particles for subsequent CT imaging and quantitative morphometry. A biotin-streptavidin detection system was exploited to bind FeO particles to its target endothelial cells. The binding of the particles was predominantly close to the cell centers on 2D surfaces as shown by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and CT. When cells were cultured on porous, 3D polyurethane surfaces, significantly more FeO particles were detected compared with surfaces without cells and FeO particle labeling using CT. Here, we report on the implementation and evaluation of a novel cell detection method based on high-resolution CT. This system has potential in cell tracking for 3D in vitro imaging in the future.

  3. Analysis of cellular response by exposure to acute or chronic radiation in human lymphoblastoid TK-6 cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohnishi, T.; Yasumoto, J.; Takahashi, A.; Ohnishi, K.

    To clarify the biological effects of low-dose rate radiation on human health for long-term stay in space, we analyzed the induction of apoptosis and apoptosis-related gene expression after irradiation with different dose-rate in human lymphoblastoid TK-6 cells harboring wild-type p53 gene. We irradiated TK-6 cells by X-ray at 1.5 Gy (1 Gy/min) and then sampled at 25 hr after culturing. We also irradiated by gamma-ray at 1.5 Gy (1 mGy/min) and then sampled immediately or 25 hr after irradiation. For DNA ladder analysis, we extracted DNA from these samples and electrophoresed with 2% agarose gel. In addition, we extracted mRNA from these samples for DNA-array analysis. mRNA from non-irradiated cells was used as a control. After labeling the cDNA against mRNA with [α -33P]-dCTP and hybridizing onto DNA array (Human Apoptosis Expression Array, R&D Systems), we scanned the profiles of the spots by a phosphorimager (BAS5000, FUJI FILM) and calculated using a NIH Image program. The data of each DNA-array were normalized with eight kinds of house keeping genes. We analyzed the expression level of apoptosis-related genes such as p53-related, Bcl-2 family, Caspase family and Fas-related genes. DNA ladders were obviously detected in the cells exposed to a high dose-rate radiation. We detected the induction of the gene expression of apoptosis-promotive genes. In contrast, almost no apoptosis was observed in the cells exposed to the chronic radiation at a low dose-rate. In addition, we detected the induction of the gene expression of apoptosis-suppressive genes as compared with apoptosis promotive-genes immediately after chronic irradiation. These results lead the importance of biological meaning of exposure to radiation at low dose-rate from an aspect of carcinogenesis. Finally, the effects of chronic irradiation become a highly important issue in space radiation biology for human health.

  4. Real-time in vivo imaging of butterfly wing development: revealing the cellular dynamics of the pupal wing tissue.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masaki Iwata

    Full Text Available Butterfly wings are covered with regularly arranged single-colored scales that are formed at the pupal stage. Understanding pupal wing development is therefore crucial to understand wing color pattern formation. Here, we successfully employed real-time in vivo imaging techniques to observe pupal hindwing development over time in the blue pansy butterfly, Junonia orithya. A transparent sheet of epithelial cells that were not yet regularly arranged was observed immediately after pupation. Bright-field imaging and autofluorescent imaging revealed free-moving hemocytes and tracheal branches of a crinoid-like structure underneath the epithelium. The wing tissue gradually became gray-white, epithelial cells were arranged regularly, and hemocytes disappeared, except in the bordering lacuna, after which scales grew. The dynamics of the epithelial cells and scale growth were also confirmed by fluorescent imaging. Fluorescent in vivo staining further revealed that these cells harbored many mitochondria at the surface of the epithelium. Organizing centers for the border symmetry system were apparent immediately after pupation, exhibiting a relatively dark optical character following treatment with fluorescent dyes, as well as in autofluorescent images. The wing tissue exhibited slow and low-frequency contraction pulses with a cycle of approximately 10 to 20 minutes, mainly occurring at 2 to 3 days postpupation. The pulses gradually became slower and weaker and eventually stopped. The wing tissue area became larger after contraction, which also coincided with an increase in the autofluorescence intensity that might have been caused by scale growth. Examination of the pattern of color development revealed that the black pigment was first deposited in patches in the central areas of an eyespot black ring and a parafocal element. These results of live in vivo imaging that covered wide wing area for a long time can serve as a foundation for studying the

  5. Real-time in vivo imaging of butterfly wing development: revealing the cellular dynamics of the pupal wing tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iwata, Masaki; Ohno, Yoshikazu; Otaki, Joji M

    2014-01-01

    Butterfly wings are covered with regularly arranged single-colored scales that are formed at the pupal stage. Understanding pupal wing development is therefore crucial to understand wing color pattern formation. Here, we successfully employed real-time in vivo imaging techniques to observe pupal hindwing development over time in the blue pansy butterfly, Junonia orithya. A transparent sheet of epithelial cells that were not yet regularly arranged was observed immediately after pupation. Bright-field imaging and autofluorescent imaging revealed free-moving hemocytes and tracheal branches of a crinoid-like structure underneath the epithelium. The wing tissue gradually became gray-white, epithelial cells were arranged regularly, and hemocytes disappeared, except in the bordering lacuna, after which scales grew. The dynamics of the epithelial cells and scale growth were also confirmed by fluorescent imaging. Fluorescent in vivo staining further revealed that these cells harbored many mitochondria at the surface of the epithelium. Organizing centers for the border symmetry system were apparent immediately after pupation, exhibiting a relatively dark optical character following treatment with fluorescent dyes, as well as in autofluorescent images. The wing tissue exhibited slow and low-frequency contraction pulses with a cycle of approximately 10 to 20 minutes, mainly occurring at 2 to 3 days postpupation. The pulses gradually became slower and weaker and eventually stopped. The wing tissue area became larger after contraction, which also coincided with an increase in the autofluorescence intensity that might have been caused by scale growth. Examination of the pattern of color development revealed that the black pigment was first deposited in patches in the central areas of an eyespot black ring and a parafocal element. These results of live in vivo imaging that covered wide wing area for a long time can serve as a foundation for studying the cellular dynamics of living

  6. Sexual behavior, body image, and partnership in chronic illness: a comparison of Huntington's disease and multiple sclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reininghaus, Eva; Reininghaus, Bernd; Fitz, Werner; Hecht, Karen; Bonelli, Raphael Maria

    2012-08-01

    Huntington's disease (HD) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are both chronic progressive illnesses posing a serious challenge to affected patients and families. Sexual dysfunction in HD as well as in MS is a very common problem, although it is unclear whether the dysfunction is caused by the chronic illness itself or by the sociopsychiatric burden related to the illness. Twenty-nine patients with HD and 27 patients with MS each participated in a semistructured interview and several standardized questionnaires concerning partnership, sexual function, and body image. The results display significant differences in both patient groups, displaying higher sexual desire and activity in HD patients, but MS patients also reported fewer sexual problems compared to the norming values. Conversely, the MS patients' relationships seemed to be stable despite subjectively perceived lower initiative on sexual activities. The results are discussed under the possible influences of the underlying organic changes and the psychosocial consequences of chronic progressive disorders.

  7. Cerebral perfusion MR imaging using FAIR-HASTE in chronic carotid occlusive disease. Comparison with dynamic susceptibility contrast-perfusion MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ida, Kentaro; Akaki, Shiro; Sei, Tetsuro; Kanazawa, Susumu; Tsunoda, Masatoshi

    2006-01-01

    To determine the efficacy of flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery using half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin-echo (FAIR-HASTE) in detecting cerebral hypoperfusion in chronic carotid occlusive disease, we subjected 12 patients with various degrees of cervical internal carotid artery stenoses and/or occlusion (Stenosis group) and 24 volunteers (Normal group) to FAIR-HASTE. In addition, 10 out of 12 patients in the Stenosis group underwent dynamic susceptibility contrast-perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-pMRI) before and after revascularization in the dominantly affected side. The absolute asymmetry indexes (AIs) of both cerebral hemispheres in the Normal and Stenosis groups were compared in FAIR-HASTE. In addition, the AIs were compared with those in the Stenosis group before and after revascularization in both FAIR-HASTE and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), calculated with DSC-pMRI. A statistically significant difference was recognized between the AIs in the Normal and Stenosis groups (AI=2.25±1.92, 8.09±4.60, respectively; p<0.0001). Furthermore, in the Stenosis group the AIs on both FAIR-HASTE (8.88±4.93, 2.22±1.79, respectively; p=0.0003) and rCBF (7.13±3.57, 1.25±1.33, respectively; p=0.0003) significantly decreased after revascularization. In the Stenosis group, before revascularization, signal intensity on both FAIR-HASTE and rCBF had a tendency to be lower in the dominantly affected side. FAIR-HASTE imaging was useful in the detection and evaluation of cerebral hypoperfusion in chronic occlusive carotid disease. (author)

  8. Label-free in vivo in situ diagnostic imaging by cellular metabolism quantification with a flexible multiphoton endomicroscope (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leclerc, Pierre; Hage, Charles-Henri; Fabert, Marc; Brevier, Julien; O'Connor, Rodney P.; Bardet-Coste, Sylvia M.; Habert, Rémi; Braud, Flavie; Kudlinski, Alexandre; Louradour, Frederic

    2017-02-01

    Multiphoton microscopy is a cutting edge imaging modality leading to increasing advances in biology and also in the clinical field. To use it at its full potential and at the very heart of clinical practice, there have been several developments of fiber-based multiphoton microendoscopes. The application for those probes is now limited by few major restrictions, such as the difficulty to collect autofluorescence signals from tissues and cells theses being inherently weak (e.g. the ones from intracellular NADH or FAD metabolites). This limitation reduces the usefulness of microendoscopy in general, effectively restraining it to morphological imaging modality requiring staining of the tissues. Our aim is to go beyond this limitation, showing for the first time label-free cellular metabolism monitoring, in vivo in situ in real time. The experimental setup is an upgrade of a recently published one (Ducourthial et.al, Scientific Reports, 2016) where femtosecond pulse fiber delivery is further optimized thank's to a new transmissive-GRISM-based pulse stretcher permitting high energy throughput and wide bandwidth. This device allows fast sequential operation with two different excitation wavelengths for efficient two-photon excited NADH and FAD autofluorescence endoscopic detection (i.e. 860 nm for FAD and 760 nm for NADH), enabling cellular optical redox ratio quantification at 8 frames/s. The obtained results on cell models in vitro and also on animal models in vivo (e.g. neurons of a living mouse) prove that we accurately assess the level of NADH and FAD at subcellular resolution through a 3-meters-long fiber with our miniaturized probe (O.D. =2.2 mm).

  9. Role of cellular adhesions in tissue dynamics spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merrill, Daniel A.; An, Ran; Turek, John; Nolte, David

    2014-02-01

    Cellular adhesions play a critical role in cell behavior, and modified expression of cellular adhesion compounds has been linked to various cancers. We tested the role of cellular adhesions in drug response by studying three cellular culture models: three-dimensional tumor spheroids with well-developed cellular adhesions and extracellular matrix (ECM), dense three-dimensional cell pellets with moderate numbers of adhesions, and dilute three-dimensional cell suspensions in agarose having few adhesions. Our technique for measuring the drug response for the spheroids and cell pellets was biodynamic imaging (BDI), and for the suspensions was quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS). We tested several cytoskeletal chemotherapeutic drugs (nocodazole, cytochalasin-D, paclitaxel, and colchicine) on three cancer cell lines chosen from human colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT-29), human pancreatic carcinoma (MIA PaCa-2), and rat osteosarcoma (UMR-106) to exhibit differences in adhesion strength. Comparing tumor spheroid behavior to that of cell suspensions showed shifts in the spectral motion of the cancer tissues that match predictions based on different degrees of cell-cell contacts. The HT-29 cell line, which has the strongest adhesions in the spheroid model, exhibits anomalous behavior in some cases. These results highlight the importance of using three-dimensional tissue models in drug screening with cellular adhesions being a contributory factor in phenotypic differences between the drug responses of tissue and cells.

  10. An effective assay for high cellular resolution time-lapse imaging of sensory placode formation and morphogenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Das Raman M

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The vertebrate peripheral nervous system contains sensory neurons that arise from ectodermal placodes. Placodal cells ingress to move inside the head to form sensory neurons of the cranial ganglia. To date, however, the process of placodal cell ingression and underlying cellular behavior are poorly understood as studies have relied upon static analyses on fixed tissues. Visualizing placodal cell behavior requires an ability to distinguish the surface ectoderm from the underlying mesenchyme. This necessitates high resolution imaging along the z-plane which is difficult to accomplish in whole embryos. To address this issue, we have developed an imaging system using cranial slices that allows direct visualization of placode formation. Results We demonstrate an effective imaging assay for capturing placode development at single cell resolution using chick embryonic tissue ex vivo. This provides the first time-lapse imaging of mitoses in the trigeminal placodal ectoderm, ingression, and intercellular contacts of placodal cells. Cell divisions with varied orientations were found in the placodal ectoderm all along the apical-basal axis. Placodal cells initially have short cytoplasmic processes during ingression as young neurons and mature over time to elaborate long axonal processes in the mesenchyme. Interestingly, the time-lapse imaging data reveal that these delaminating placodal neurons begin ingression early on from within the ectoderm, where they start to move and continue on to exit as individual or strings of neurons through common openings on the basal side of the epithelium. Furthermore, dynamic intercellular contacts are abundant among the delaminating placodal neurons, between these and the already delaminated cells, as well as among cells in the forming ganglion. Conclusions This new imaging assay provides a powerful method to analyze directly development of placode-derived sensory neurons and subsequent ganglia

  11. Free-radical sensing by using naphthalimide based mesoporous silica (MCM-41) nanoparticles: A combined fluorescence and cellular imaging study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jha, Gaurav; Roy, Subhasis; Sahu, Prabhat Kumar; Banerjee, Somnath; Anoop, N.; Rahaman, Abdur; Sarkar, Moloy

    2018-01-01

    Keeping in mind the advantages of material-based systems over simple molecule-based systems, we have designed and developed three inorganic-organic hybrid systems by anchoring 1,8-naphthalimide derivatives to mesoporous silica nanoparticles for detection of free radicals. Prior to photophysical study, systems are characterized by spectroscopic, microscopic and thermo-gravimetric techniques. Steady state and time-resolved fluorescence studies demonstrate that the hydrazine based system is senstive towards detection of various free radicals. Cellular imaging study reveals cell permeability and toxicity study demonstrates the non-toxic nature of the material. These studies have suggested that present system has the potential to be used in various biological applications.

  12. Muscle biopsies off-set normal cellular signaling in surrounding musculature

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Krag, Thomas O; Hauerslev, Simon; Dahlqvist, Julia R

    2013-01-01

    muscle tissue for at least 3 weeks after the biopsy was performed and magnetic resonance imaging suggests that an effect of a biopsy may persist for at least 5 months. Cellular signaling after a biopsy resembles what is seen in severe limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2I with respect to protein......Studies of muscle physiology and muscular disorders often require muscle biopsies to answer questions about muscle biology. In this context, we have often wondered if muscle biopsies, especially if performed repeatedly, would affect interpretation of muscle morphology and cellular signaling. We...... hypothesized that muscle morphology and cellular signaling involved in myogenesis/regeneration and protein turnover can be changed by a previous muscle biopsy in close proximity to the area under investigation. Here we report a case where a past biopsy or biopsies affect cellular signaling of the surrounding...

  13. Atomic force microscopic neutron-induced alpha-autoradiography for boron imaging in detailed cellular histology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amemiya, K.; Takahashi, H.; Fujita, K.; Nakazawa, M.; Yanagie, H.; Eriguchi, M.; Nakagawa, Y.; Sakurai, Y.

    2006-01-01

    The information on subcellular microdistribution of 10 B compounds a cell is significant to evaluate the efficacy of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) because the damage brought by the released alpha/lithium particles is highly localized along their path, and radiation sensitivity is quite different among each cell organelles. In neutron-induced alpha-autoradiography (NIAR) technique, 10 B can be measured as tracks for the energetic charged particles from 10 B(n, alpha) 7 Li reactions in solid state track detectors. To perform the NIAR at intracellular structure level for research of 10 B uptake and/or microdosimetry in BNCT, we have developed high-resolution NIAR method with an atomic force microscope (AFM). AFM has been used for analyses of biological specimens such as proteins, DNAs and surface of living cells have, however, intracellular detailed histology of cells has been hardly resolved with AFM since flat surface of sectioned tissue has quite less topographical contrast among each organelle. In our new sample preparation method using UV processing, materials that absorb UV in a semi-thin section are selectively eroded and vaporized by UV exposure, and then fine relief for cellular organelles such as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, filament structure and so on reveals on flat surface of the section, which can be observed with an AFM. The imaging resolution was comparable to TEM imaging of cells. This new method provides fast and cost-effective observation of histological sections with an AFM. Combining this method with NIAR technique, intracellular boron mapping would be possible. (author)

  14. Multi-slice spiral CT perfusion imaging of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shao Yanhui; Qian Nong; Xue Yuejun; Dao Yinhong

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) perfusion imaging in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: Twenty COPD patients and 20 volunteers underwent 8-row detector spiral CT (MSCT) perfusion imaging using cine scan mode with 5 mm slice thickness, 0.5 s rotation time and a total scan time of 45 s with 5 s intervals. 60 ml contrast agent (300 nag I/ml) were administered at a rate of 4 ml/s from the forearm superficial vein. The imaging data were transferred to a workstation. A time-density curve and pseudo-color map were generated automatically with GE CT perfusion 3 software, the blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), mean transit time (MTT) and permeability surface (PS) were measured. Results: Time-density curve was flatter and the peak of the curve was obviously lower in COPD patients than the volunteers. The BF, BV, PS in COPD patients was (24.77±11.49) ml·min -1 ·100 g -1 , (2.48±1.02) ml/100 g and (2.75±1.13) ml· min -1 ·100 g -1 respectively. In volunteers was (290.14±107.59) ml·min -1 ·100 g -1 , (16.51 ± 5.98) ml/100 g, (8.80±3.03) ml·min -1 ·100 g -1 respectively. The MTT in COPD patients and volunteers was (10.58±4.85) s and (4.50±1.71)s respectively. The BF, BV and PS in COPD patients was lower than the volunteers, the MTY was higher (P<0.01). Conclusion: MSCT perfusion imaging is helpful for the diagnosis of COPD. (authors)

  15. A new generation of topical chronic wound treatments containing specific MMP inhibitors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shrivastava R

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Ravi Shrivastava, Nathalie Cucuat, Monika Rousse, Thomas Weigand, Pedro Neto, Claire Janicot, Christiane Shrivastava VITROBIO Research Institute, Issoire, France Purpose: Incidence of chronic wounds is constantly rising worldwide, but all currently available treatments are intended either to provide symptomatic relief or to assist cicatrization to some extent, but not to directly stimulate cellular growth. Physiologically, chronic wound healing simply requires cell growth to fill the injured cavity. To grow, our cells need to attach onto a cushion, called extracellular matrix (ECM, secreted by the mother cells and composed of multiple proteins. Recent scientific works prove that the concentration of certain matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs is extremely high in all chronic wounds and, because of their proteolytic nature, some MMPs completely degrade the ECM, hindering cell attachment and cell growth. The aim of this study was to identify, neutralize, and eliminate these MMPs from the wound surface so as to design an effective treatment for chronic wounds. Methods: Acute and chronic models of human epithelial and fibroblast cells were prepared on a defined ECM cushion in vitro and MMPs were added in the culture medium to identify the MMPs causing ECM disintegration for each cell type. ECM-degrading MMPs were then incubated with selected procyanidin-rich plant extracts (PCDs and cell growth was reanalyzed. Results: It was observed that: 1 multiple MMPs are involved in cellular matrix destruction; 2 ECM-destroying MMPs are specific with respect to cell type; and 3 specific PCDs may bind and neutralize selected MMPs. Conclusion: Topical application of specific plant PCDs to selectively neutralize ECM-destroying MMPs in acute and chronic wounds represents a novel approach for the treatment of superficial and deep skin wounds. Keywords: extra cellular matrix (ECM, matrix metalloproteinases, procyanidins (PCDs, tannins, ulcers

  16. Future prospects of health management systems using cellular phones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Hun-Sung; Hwang, Yunji; Lee, Jae-Ho; Oh, Hye Young; Kim, Yi-Jun; Kwon, Hyeon Yoon; Kang, Hyoseung; Kim, Hyunah; Park, Rae Woong; Kim, Ju Han

    2014-06-01

    Cellular phones enable communication between healthcare providers and patients for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. However, few studies have examined the user-friendliness or effectiveness of cellular phone-based medical informatics (CPBMI) for healthcare. This study investigated the use of CPBMI to identify its current status within the medical field, advantages and disadvantages, practicability, clinical effectiveness, costs, and cost-saving potential. CPBMI was validated in terms of practicality and provision of medical benefits. It is critical to use CPBMI in accordance with the different features of each disease and condition. Use of CPBMI is expected to be especially useful for patients with chronic disease. We discussed the current status of the clinical use, benefits, and risks of CPBMI. CPBMI and information technology-based health management tools are anticipated to become useful and effective components of healthcare management in the future.

  17. Skeletal muscle proton T 2 in chronic heart failure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morvan, D.; Richard, B.

    1995-01-01

    To evaluate the interest of proton T 2 measurement of skeletal muscle at rest and with exercise in patients with chronic heart failure, we performed associated measurements of proton T 2 using magnetic resonance imaging, of external work using ergometry, and of intra-cellular pH (pH) using magnetic resonance 31 P-spectroscopy, in skeletal muscle of the leg anterior compartment, in 37 patients with chronic heart failure. Sixteen patients were in New York Heart Association class II (NYHA II, moderate cardiac failure) and 21 in NYHA classes III-IV (severe cardiac failure). Rest T 2 was significantly increased in NYHA III-IV patients (30.9 ± 2.2 versus 32.8 ± 209 ms, p i variations were of -8 ± 4 versus -9 ± 5%, p =3D NS. The ratio of relative T 2 variations to W was significantly increased in NYPH III-IV patients (0.24 ± 0.12 versus 0.60 ± 0.41%/J, p i with exercise were coupled with external work, only in group NYHA II. T 2 variations negatively correlated with those of pH i in both groups (r=3D -0.78, p i variations with exercise which seems to depend on the exercise intensity level. (authors). 22 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs

  18. Coupling biomechanics to a cellular level model: an approach to patient-specific image driven multi-scale and multi-physics tumor simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    May, Christian P; Kolokotroni, Eleni; Stamatakos, Georgios S; Büchler, Philippe

    2011-10-01

    Modeling of tumor growth has been performed according to various approaches addressing different biocomplexity levels and spatiotemporal scales. Mathematical treatments range from partial differential equation based diffusion models to rule-based cellular level simulators, aiming at both improving our quantitative understanding of the underlying biological processes and, in the mid- and long term, constructing reliable multi-scale predictive platforms to support patient-individualized treatment planning and optimization. The aim of this paper is to establish a multi-scale and multi-physics approach to tumor modeling taking into account both the cellular and the macroscopic mechanical level. Therefore, an already developed biomodel of clinical tumor growth and response to treatment is self-consistently coupled with a biomechanical model. Results are presented for the free growth case of the imageable component of an initially point-like glioblastoma multiforme tumor. The composite model leads to significant tumor shape corrections that are achieved through the utilization of environmental pressure information and the application of biomechanical principles. Using the ratio of smallest to largest moment of inertia of the tumor material to quantify the effect of our coupled approach, we have found a tumor shape correction of 20% by coupling biomechanics to the cellular simulator as compared to a cellular simulation without preferred growth directions. We conclude that the integration of the two models provides additional morphological insight into realistic tumor growth behavior. Therefore, it might be used for the development of an advanced oncosimulator focusing on tumor types for which morphology plays an important role in surgical and/or radio-therapeutic treatment planning. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Increased cellular proliferation in rat skeletal muscle and tendon in response to exercise

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skovgaard, Dorthe; Bayer, Monika L; Mackey, Abigail

    2010-01-01

    PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate exercise-induced cellular proliferation in rat skeletal muscle/tendon with the use of 3'-[F-18]fluoro-3'deoxythymidine (FLT) and to quantitatively study concomitant changes in the proliferation-associated factor, Ki67. PROCEDURES: Wistar rats (...... = 13) performed 3 days of treadmill running. Cellular proliferation was investigated 3 days before and 48 h after the running exercise with the use of FLT and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Results were compared to a sedentary control group (n = 10). Image......-derived results were supported by a correlation in calf muscle to Ki67 (protein and mRNA level), while this coherence was not found in tendon. CONCLUSION: FLT-PET seems to be a promising tool for imaging of exercise-induced cellular proliferation in musculo-tendinous tissue....

  20. Long-term effects of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril on chronic heart failure. Examination by 123I-MIBG imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soeki, Takeshi; Tamura, Yoshiyuki; Bandou, Kanji; Tanaka, Hideji; Takeichi, Naoki; Shinohara, Hisanori; Yui, Yasuko; Fukuda, Nobuo; Sui, Osamu

    1998-01-01

    To examine the long-term effects of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor enalapril on chronic heart failure, 10 patients (7 men and 3 women, mean age: 62±11 years) with chronic stable heart failure, classified as New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class 2-3 for more than 3 months, and a left ventricular ejection fraction less than 45% were treated with 2.5-5.0 mg of enalapril once a day for 3-15 months (mean 7 months). The causes of heart failure were old myocardial infarction (n=7), hypertension (n=2), and atrial fibrillation (n=1). Radioiodinated metaiodobenzyl guanidine ( 123 I-MIBG) imaging, radionuclide angiography, and treadmill exercise test were performed before and after the treatment. With enalapril treatment, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) increased significantly from 38.3±6.9% to 47.5±14.7%; sub-maximal exercise time increased significantly from 205±112 to 272±120 seconds; the heart to mediastinum (H/M) ratio of 123 I-MIBG increased significantly (early image: 1.99±0.38 versus 2.20±0.50; delayed image: 1.86±0.44 versus 2.09±0.51); and the washout rate of 123 I-MIBG decreased slightly from 29.1±9.1% to 25.4±7.0%. The improvement rate of LVEF was significantly correlated with the improvement rates of the H/M ratio and washout rate after treatment with enalapril. Thus, the long-term effects of enalapril can be observed in the cardiac sympathetic nervous system, and 123 I-MIBG imaging appears to be useful for evaluating the therapeutic effects of enalapril on the cardiac sympathetic nervous system in patients with chronic heart failure. (author)

  1. Diagnostic usefulness of the oedema-infarct ratio to differentiate acute from chronic myocardial damage using magnetic resonance imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamada, Kiyoyasu; Suzuki, Susumu; Kinoshita, Kousuke; Yokouchi, Kazuhiko; Iwata, Hirokazu; Sawada, Ken; Isobe, Satoshi; Ohshima, Satoru; Murohara, Toyoaki; Hirai, Makoto

    2012-01-01

    To differentiate acute from chronic damage to the myocardium in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) using DE and T2w MR. Short-axis T2w and DE MR images were acquired twice after the onset of MI in 36 patients who successfully underwent emergency coronary revascularisation. The areas of infarct and oedema were measured. The oedema-infarct ratio (O/I) of the left ventricular area was calculated by dividing the oedema by the infarct area. The oedema size on T2w MR was significantly larger than the infarct size on DE MR in the acute phase. Both the oedema size on T2w MR and the infarct size on DE MR in the acute phase were significantly larger than those in the chronic phase. The O/I was significantly greater in the acute phase compared with that in the chronic phase (P < 0.05). An analysis of relative cumulative frequency distributions revealed an O/I of 1.4 as a cut-off value for differentiating acute from chronic myocardial damage with the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 85.1%, 82.7% and 83.9%, respectively. The oedema-infarct ratio may be a useful index in differentiating acute from chronic myocardial damage in patients with MI. (orig.)

  2. Stimulation of Cellular Proliferation by Hepatitis B Virus X Protein

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charles R. Madden

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV is a known risk factor in the development of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC. The HBV-encoded X protein, HBx, has been investigated for properties that may explain its cancer cofactor role in transgenic mouse lines. We discuss here recent data showing that HBx is able to induce hepatocellular proliferation in vitro and in vivo. This property of HBx is predicted to sensitize hepatocytes to other HCC cofactors, including exposure to carcinogens and to other hepatitis viruses. Cellular proliferation is intimately linked to the mechanism(s by which most tumor-associated viruses transform virus-infected cells. The HBx alteration of the cell cycle provides an additional mechanism by which chronic HBV infection may contribute to HCC.

  3. Chronic pulmonary embolism - radiological imaging and differential diagnosis; Chronische Lungenembolie - Radiologische Bildmorphologie und Differenzialdiagnose

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coppenrath, E.; Herzog, P.; Attenberger, U.; Reiser, M. [Klinikum Innenstadt der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Institut fuer Klinische Radiologie, Muenchen (Germany)

    2007-08-15

    In chronic pulmonary embolism branches of the pulmonary arterial tree remain partially or totally occluded. This may lead to pulmonary hypertension with the development of right ventricular hypertrophy as well as structural changes of pulmonary arteries. Imaging of chronic pulmonary embolism should prove vessel occlusions (pulmonary angiography, MSCT, MRI) and reduction of regional lung perfusion (lung scanning, MSCT, MRI). According to current guidelines ventilation-perfusion lung scanning and pulmonary angiography are still recommended as the methods of choice. MSCT and MRI provide technical alternatives which are helpful in differential diagnosis versus other types of pulmonary hypertension. In spite of medical and surgical measures (in rare cases pulmonary thromboendarterectomy) the prognosis of chronic pulmonary embolism remains unfavourable. (orig.) [German] Bei der chronischen Lungenembolie sind Abschnitte der arteriellen Lungenstrombahn dauerhaft verschlossen. Dies kann zu einer Erhoehung des pulmonal-arteriellen Drucks mit den Folgen einer Rechtsherzbelastung und strukturellen Veraenderungen der Pulmonalarterien fuehren. Bildmorphologisch nachzuweisen sind Gefaessverschluesse (Pulmonalisangiographie, MSCT, MRT) und die Minderperfusion des Lungenparenchyms (Szintigraphie, MSCT, MRT). Nach den bisherigen Empfehlungen gelten fuer die Diagnostik der chronischen Lungenembolie die Lungenszintigraphie (Ventilation/Perfusion) und die Pulmonalisangiographie als Methoden der ersten Wahl. Die MSCT und MRT (Angiographie/Perfusion) stellen technische Alternativen dar. Differenzialdiagnostisch sind andere Formen der pulmonalen Hypertonie abzugrenzen. Trotz medikamentoeser und chirurgischer Therapiemassnahmen (z. B. pulmonale Thrombendarterektomie) bleibt die Prognose der chronischen Lungenembolie unguenstig. (orig.)

  4. Hepatitis C virus NS2 protein activates cellular cyclic AMP-dependent pathways

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Kyoung Mi; Kwon, Shi-Nae; Kang, Ju-Il; Lee, Song Hee; Jang, Sung Key; Ahn, Byung-Yoon; Kim, Yoon Ki

    2007-01-01

    Chronic infection of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) leads to liver cirrhosis and cancer. The mechanism leading to viral persistence and hepatocellular carcinoma, however, has not been fully understood. In this study, we show that the HCV infection activates cellular cAMP-dependent pathways. Expression of a luciferase reporter gene controlled by a basic promoter with the cAMP response element (CRE) was significantly elevated in human hepatoma Huh-7 cells infected with the HCV JFH1. Analysis with viral subgenomic replicons indicated that the HCV NS2 protein is responsible for the effect. Furthermore, the level of cellular transcripts whose stability is known to be regulated by cAMP was specifically reduced in cells harboring NS2-expressing replicons. These results allude to the HCV NS2 protein having a novel function of regulating cellular gene expression and proliferation through the cAMP-dependent pathway

  5. Multimodality Imaging of Calcinosis of Chronic Renal Failure

    OpenAIRE

    Loya, Raul; Beavers, Kimberly; Scherer, Kurt

    2017-01-01

    Secondary tumoral calcinosis (STC) refers to periarticular calcified masses associated with an identifiable condition. The most common of these identifiable conditions is a chronic renal failure. We present a unique case in which massive periarticular masses in a patient with calcinosis of chronic renal failure (CCRF) are demonstrated in the shoulder and hip on sonography, radiography and computed tomography (CT).

  6. Combinatorial approaches to evaluate nanodiamond uptake and induced cellular fate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eldawud, Reem; Reitzig, Manuela; Opitz, Jörg; Rojansakul, Yon; Jiang, Wenjuan; Nangia, Shikha; Zoica Dinu, Cerasela

    2016-02-01

    Nanodiamonds (NDs) are an emerging class of engineered nanomaterials that hold great promise for the next generation of bionanotechnological products to be used for drug and gene delivery, or for bio-imaging and biosensing. Previous studies have shown that upon their cellular uptake, NDs exhibit high biocompatibility in various in vitro and in vivo set-ups. Herein we hypothesized that the increased NDs biocompatibility is a result of minimum membrane perturbations and their reduced ability to induce disruption or damage during cellular translocation. Using multi-scale combinatorial approaches that simulate ND-membrane interactions, we correlated NDs real-time cellular uptake and kinetics with the ND-induced membrane fluctuations to derive energy requirements for the uptake to occur. Our discrete and real-time analyses showed that the majority of NDs internalization occurs within 2 h of cellular exposure, however, with no effects on cellular viability, proliferation or cellular behavior. Furthermore, our simulation analyses using coarse-grained models identified key changes in the energy profile, membrane deformation and recovery time, all functions of the average ND or ND-based agglomerate size. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for ND-cell membrane interactions could possibly advance their implementation in various biomedical applications.

  7. Combinatorial approaches to evaluate nanodiamond uptake and induced cellular fate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eldawud, Reem; Reitzig, Manuela; Opitz, Jörg; Rojansakul, Yon; Jiang, Wenjuan; Nangia, Shikha; Dinu, Cerasela Zoica

    2016-01-01

    Nanodiamonds (NDs) are an emerging class of engineered nanomaterials that hold great promise for the next generation of bionanotechnological products to be used for drug and gene delivery, or for bio-imaging and biosensing. Previous studies have shown that upon their cellular uptake, NDs exhibit high biocompatibility in various in vitro and in vivo set-ups. Herein we hypothesized that the increased NDs biocompatibility is a result of minimum membrane perturbations and their reduced ability to induce disruption or damage during cellular translocation. Using multi-scale combinatorial approaches that simulate ND-membrane interactions, we correlated NDs real-time cellular uptake and kinetics with the ND-induced membrane fluctuations to derive energy requirements for the uptake to occur. Our discrete and real-time analyses showed that the majority of NDs internalization occurs within 2 h of cellular exposure, however, with no effects on cellular viability, proliferation or cellular behavior. Furthermore, our simulation analyses using coarse-grained models identified key changes in the energy profile, membrane deformation and recovery time, all functions of the average ND or ND-based agglomerate size. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for ND-cell membrane interactions could possibly advance their implementation in various biomedical applications. PMID:26820775

  8. Combinatorial approaches to evaluate nanodiamond uptake and induced cellular fate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eldawud, Reem; Dinu, Cerasela Zoica; Reitzig, Manuela; Opitz, Jörg; Rojansakul, Yon; Jiang, Wenjuan; Nangia, Shikha

    2016-01-01

    Nanodiamonds (NDs) are an emerging class of engineered nanomaterials that hold great promise for the next generation of bionanotechnological products to be used for drug and gene delivery, or for bio-imaging and biosensing. Previous studies have shown that upon their cellular uptake, NDs exhibit high biocompatibility in various in vitro and in vivo set-ups. Herein we hypothesized that the increased NDs biocompatibility is a result of minimum membrane perturbations and their reduced ability to induce disruption or damage during cellular translocation. Using multi-scale combinatorial approaches that simulate ND-membrane interactions, we correlated NDs real-time cellular uptake and kinetics with the ND-induced membrane fluctuations to derive energy requirements for the uptake to occur. Our discrete and real-time analyses showed that the majority of NDs internalization occurs within 2 h of cellular exposure, however, with no effects on cellular viability, proliferation or cellular behavior. Furthermore, our simulation analyses using coarse-grained models identified key changes in the energy profile, membrane deformation and recovery time, all functions of the average ND or ND-based agglomerate size. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for ND-cell membrane interactions could possibly advance their implementation in various biomedical applications. (paper)

  9. Combinatorial approaches to evaluate nanodiamond uptake and induced cellular fate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eldawud, Reem; Reitzig, Manuela; Opitz, Jörg; Rojansakul, Yon; Jiang, Wenjuan; Nangia, Shikha; Dinu, Cerasela Zoica

    2016-02-26

    Nanodiamonds (NDs) are an emerging class of engineered nanomaterials that hold great promise for the next generation of bionanotechnological products to be used for drug and gene delivery, or for bio-imaging and biosensing. Previous studies have shown that upon their cellular uptake, NDs exhibit high biocompatibility in various in vitro and in vivo set-ups. Herein we hypothesized that the increased NDs biocompatibility is a result of minimum membrane perturbations and their reduced ability to induce disruption or damage during cellular translocation. Using multi-scale combinatorial approaches that simulate ND-membrane interactions, we correlated NDs real-time cellular uptake and kinetics with the ND-induced membrane fluctuations to derive energy requirements for the uptake to occur. Our discrete and real-time analyses showed that the majority of NDs internalization occurs within 2 h of cellular exposure, however, with no effects on cellular viability, proliferation or cellular behavior. Furthermore, our simulation analyses using coarse-grained models identified key changes in the energy profile, membrane deformation and recovery time, all functions of the average ND or ND-based agglomerate size. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for ND-cell membrane interactions could possibly advance their implementation in various biomedical applications.

  10. Impact of CT perfusion imaging on the assessment of peripheral chronic pulmonary thromboembolism: clinical experience in 62 patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Faivre, Julien; Duhamel, Alain; Khung, Suonita; Faivre, Jean-Baptiste; Lamblin, Nicolas; Remy, Jacques; Remy-Jardin, Martine

    2016-11-01

    To evaluate the impact of CT perfusion imaging on the detection of peripheral chronic pulmonary embolisms (CPE). 62 patients underwent a dual-energy chest CT angiographic examination with (a) reconstruction of diagnostic and perfusion images; (b) enabling depiction of vascular features of peripheral CPE on diagnostic images and perfusion defects (20 segments/patient; total: 1240 segments examined). The interpretation of diagnostic images was of two types: (a) standard (i.e., based on cross-sectional images alone) or (b) detailed (i.e., based on cross-sectional images and MIPs). The segment-based analysis showed (a) 1179 segments analyzable on both imaging modalities and 61 segments rated as nonanalyzable on perfusion images; (b) the percentage of diseased segments was increased by 7.2 % when perfusion imaging was compared to the detailed reading of diagnostic images, and by 26.6 % when compared to the standard reading of images. At a patient level, the extent of peripheral CPE was higher on perfusion imaging, with a greater impact when compared to the standard reading of diagnostic images (number of patients with a greater number of diseased segments: n = 45; 72.6 % of the study population). Perfusion imaging allows recognition of a greater extent of peripheral CPE compared to diagnostic imaging. • Dual-energy computed tomography generates standard diagnostic imaging and lung perfusion analysis. • Depiction of CPE on central arteries relies on standard diagnostic imaging. • Detection of peripheral CPE is improved by perfusion imaging.

  11. Imaging cellular pharmacokinetics of 18F-FDG and 6-NBDG uptake by inflammatory and stem cells.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raiyan T Zaman

    Full Text Available Myocardial infarction (MI causes significant loss of cardiomyocytes, myocardial tissue damage, and impairment of myocardial function. The inability of cardiomyocytes to proliferate prevents the heart from self-regeneration. The treatment for advanced heart failure following an MI is heart transplantation despite the limited availability of the organs. Thus, stem-cell-based cardiac therapies could ultimately prevent heart failure by repairing injured myocardium that reverses cardiomyocyte loss. However, stem-cell-based therapies lack understanding of the mechanisms behind a successful therapy, including difficulty tracking stem cells to provide information on cell migration, proliferation and differentiation. In this study, we have investigated the interaction between different types of stem and inflammatory cells and cell-targeted imaging molecules, 18F-FDG and 6-NBDG, to identify uptake patterns and pharmacokinetics in vitro.Macrophages (both M1 and M2, human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs, and human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs were incubated with either 18F-FDG or 6-NBDG. Excess radiotracer and fluorescence were removed and a 100 μm-thin CdWO4 scintillator plate was placed on top of the cells for radioluminescence microscopy imaging of 18F-FDG uptake, while no scintillator was needed for fluorescence imaging of 6-NBDG uptake. Light produced following beta decay was imaged with a highly sensitive inverted microscope (LV200, Olympus and an Electron Multiplying Charge-Couple Device (EM-CCD camera. Custom-written software was developed in MATLAB for image processing.The average cellular activity of 18F-FDG in a single cell of hAMSCs (0.670±0.028 fCi/μm2, P = 0.001 was 20% and 36% higher compared to uptake in hiPSCs (0.540±0.026 fCi/μm2, P = 0.003 and macrophages (0.430±0.023 fCi/μm2, P = 0.002, respectively. hAMSCs exhibited the slowest influx (0.210 min-1 but the fastest efflux (0.327 min-1 rate compared to the other

  12. Imaging cellular pharmacokinetics of 18F-FDG and 6-NBDG uptake by inflammatory and stem cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaman, Raiyan T; Tuerkcan, Silvan; Mahmoudi, Morteza; Saito, Toshinobu; Yang, Phillip C; Chin, Frederick T; McConnell, Michael V; Xing, Lei

    2018-01-01

    Myocardial infarction (MI) causes significant loss of cardiomyocytes, myocardial tissue damage, and impairment of myocardial function. The inability of cardiomyocytes to proliferate prevents the heart from self-regeneration. The treatment for advanced heart failure following an MI is heart transplantation despite the limited availability of the organs. Thus, stem-cell-based cardiac therapies could ultimately prevent heart failure by repairing injured myocardium that reverses cardiomyocyte loss. However, stem-cell-based therapies lack understanding of the mechanisms behind a successful therapy, including difficulty tracking stem cells to provide information on cell migration, proliferation and differentiation. In this study, we have investigated the interaction between different types of stem and inflammatory cells and cell-targeted imaging molecules, 18F-FDG and 6-NBDG, to identify uptake patterns and pharmacokinetics in vitro. Macrophages (both M1 and M2), human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), and human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) were incubated with either 18F-FDG or 6-NBDG. Excess radiotracer and fluorescence were removed and a 100 μm-thin CdWO4 scintillator plate was placed on top of the cells for radioluminescence microscopy imaging of 18F-FDG uptake, while no scintillator was needed for fluorescence imaging of 6-NBDG uptake. Light produced following beta decay was imaged with a highly sensitive inverted microscope (LV200, Olympus) and an Electron Multiplying Charge-Couple Device (EM-CCD) camera. Custom-written software was developed in MATLAB for image processing. The average cellular activity of 18F-FDG in a single cell of hAMSCs (0.670±0.028 fCi/μm2, P = 0.001) was 20% and 36% higher compared to uptake in hiPSCs (0.540±0.026 fCi/μm2, P = 0.003) and macrophages (0.430±0.023 fCi/μm2, P = 0.002), respectively. hAMSCs exhibited the slowest influx (0.210 min-1) but the fastest efflux (0.327 min-1) rate compared to the other tested

  13. Image processing with cellular nonlinear networks implemented on field-programmable gate arrays for real-time applications in nuclear fusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Palazzo, S.; Vagliasindi, G.; Arena, P.; Murari, A.; Mazon, D.; De Maack, A.

    2010-01-01

    In the past years cameras have become increasingly common tools in scientific applications. They are now quite systematically used in magnetic confinement fusion, to the point that infrared imaging is starting to be used systematically for real-time machine protection in major devices. However, in order to guarantee that the control system can always react rapidly in case of critical situations, the time required for the processing of the images must be as predictable as possible. The approach described in this paper combines the new computational paradigm of cellular nonlinear networks (CNNs) with field-programmable gate arrays and has been tested in an application for the detection of hot spots on the plasma facing components in JET. The developed system is able to perform real-time hot spot recognition, by processing the image stream captured by JET wide angle infrared camera, with the guarantee that computational time is constant and deterministic. The statistical results obtained from a quite extensive set of examples show that this solution approximates very well an ad hoc serial software algorithm, with no false or missed alarms and an almost perfect overlapping of alarm intervals. The computational time can be reduced to a millisecond time scale for 8 bit 496x560-sized images. Moreover, in our implementation, the computational time, besides being deterministic, is practically independent of the number of iterations performed by the CNN - unlike software CNN implementations.

  14. Diffusion tensor and volumetric magnetic resonance imaging using an MR-compatible hand-induced robotic device suggests training-induced neuroplasticity in patients with chronic stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lazaridou, Asimina; Astrakas, Loukas; Mintzopoulos, Dionyssios; Khanicheh, Azadeh; Singhal, Aneesh B; Moskowitz, Michael A; Rosen, Bruce; Tzika, Aria A

    2013-11-01

    Stroke is the third leading cause of mortality and a frequent cause of long-term adult impairment. Improved strategies to enhance motor function in individuals with chronic disability from stroke are thus required. Post‑stroke therapy may improve rehabilitation and reduce long-term disability; however, objective methods for evaluating the specific impact of rehabilitation are rare. Brain imaging studies on patients with chronic stroke have shown evidence for reorganization of areas showing functional plasticity after a stroke. In this study, we hypothesized that brain mapping using a novel magnetic resonance (MR)-compatible hand device in conjunction with state‑of‑the‑art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can serve as a novel biomarker for brain plasticity induced by rehabilitative motor training in patients with chronic stroke. This hypothesis is based on the premises that robotic devices, by stimulating brain plasticity, can assist in restoring movement compromised by stroke-induced pathological changes in the brain and that these changes can then be monitored by advanced MRI. We serially examined 15 healthy controls and 4 patients with chronic stroke. We employed a combination of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and volumetric MRI using a 3-tesla (3T) MRI system using a 12-channel Siemens Tim coil and a novel MR-compatible hand‑induced robotic device. DTI data revealed that the number of fibers and the average tract length significantly increased after 8 weeks of hand training by 110% and 64%, respectively (probotics in the molecular medicine era.

  15. High-throughput dual-color precision imaging for brain-wide mapping of the connectome with cytoarchitectonic landmarks at the cellular level (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Qingming; Gong, Hui; Yuan, Jing; Li, Xiangning; Li, Anan; Xu, Tonghui

    2017-02-01

    Deciphering the fine morphology and precise location of neurons and neural circuits are crucial to enhance our understanding of brain function and diseases. Traditionally, we have to map brain images to coarse axial-sampling planar reference atlases to orient neural structures. However, this means might fail to orient neural projections at single-cell resolution due to position errors resulting from individual differences at the cellular level. Here, we present a high-throughput imaging method that can automatically obtain the fine morphologies and precise locations of both neurons and circuits, employing wide-field large-volume tomography to acquire three-dimensional images of thick tissue and implementing real-time soma counterstaining to obtain cytoarchitectonic landmarks during the imaging process. The reconstruction and orientation of brain-wide neural circuits at single-neuron resolution can be accomplished for the same mouse brain without additional counterstains or image registration. Using our method, mouse brain imaging datasets of multiple type-specific neurons and circuits were successfully acquired, demonstrating the versatility. The results show that the simultaneous acquisition of labeled neural structures and cytoarchitecture reference at single-neuron resolution in the same brain greatly facilitates precise tracing of long-range projections and accurate locating of nuclei. Our method provides a novel and effective tool for application in studies on genetic dissection, brain function and the pathology of the nervous system.

  16. Comparison of acquisition time and dose for late gadolinium enhancement imaging at 3.0 T in patients with chronic myocardial infarction using Gd-BOPTA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doltra, A.; Skorin, A.; Gebker, R.; Klein, C.; Fleck, E.; Kelle, S.; Hamdan, A.; Schnackenburg, B.; Nagel, E.

    2014-01-01

    To compare contrast doses and acquisition times for late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging at 3.0 T using gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA) in patients with chronic myocardial infarction. Thirty-four patients with chronic myocardial infarction were randomised to 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20 mmol/kg of Gd-BOPTA. T1-weighted inversion recovery gradient echo sequences were performed at 5, 10, 15 and 20 min post-administration of contrast in a 3.0-T scanner. Scar-to-myocardium contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), scar-to-blood CNR, scar size and image quality were assessed. Imaging at 5 min was associated with a lower scar-to-blood CNR in comparison to 10, 15 and 20 min at 0.10 mmol/kg, and in comparison to 15 and 20 min at 0.20 mmol/kg. At 0.10-mmol/kg, imaging at 5 min yielded smaller infarct sizes in comparison to 15 and 20 min. Finally, at 0.20-mmol/kg, imaging at 5 min was associated with poorer image quality in comparison to later times. In LGE imaging at 3.0 T, low doses of Gd-BOPTA perform equally well as higher doses. Early acquisition (5 min) is associated with lower infarct sizes and image quality. Studies with sufficient diagnostic quality can be obtained after 10 min using 0.10 mmol/kg Gd-BOPTA. (orig.)

  17. Development of Therapeutics That Induce Mitochondrial Biogenesis for the Treatment of Acute and Chronic Degenerative Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cameron, Robert B; Beeson, Craig C; Schnellmann, Rick G

    2016-12-08

    Mitochondria have various roles in cellular metabolism and homeostasis. Because mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with many acute and chronic degenerative diseases, mitochondrial biogenesis (MB) is a therapeutic target for treating such diseases. Here, we review the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in acute and chronic degenerative diseases and the cellular signaling pathways by which MB is induced. We then review existing work describing the development and application of drugs that induce MB in vitro and in vivo. In particular, we discuss natural products and modulators of transcription factors, kinases, cyclic nucleotides, and G protein-coupled receptors.

  18. [Control of asthma symptoms and cellular markers of inflammation in induced sputum in children and adolescents with chronic asthma].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciółkowski, Janusz; Stasiowska, Barbara; Mazurek, Henryk

    2009-03-01

    After the GINA 2006 publication, asthma therapy is based on control of symptoms. However there are suggestions of monitoring of airway inflammation. Aim of the study was to compare clinical criteria of asthma control with cellular markers of lower airway inflammation in induced sputum in a group of young asthmatics. To assess relationship between sputum eosinophilia, asthma severity and spirometry. A group of 154 young patients with chronic asthma (8-21 years) underwent sputum induction by inhalation of 4,5% saline solution. Sputum induction was effective in 121 patients (78%), and in this group control of clinical symptoms was assessed according to GINA 2006 criteria. Asthma was controlled in 82 subjects (67.8%) and uncontrolled in 39 (32.2%). Patients with controlled asthma had higher FEV1/FVC (79.8 +/- 7.1% vs 74.2 +/- 9.9%; p = 0.004) and MMEF (80.7 +/- 23.0% vs 65.3 +/- 21.8%; p 3%) was observed in 24.4% of patients with controlled asthma and in 61.5% with uncontrolled asthma (p astma than in patients with moderate-severe disease (3.1 +/- 5.7% vs 7.1% +/- 8.8; p = 0.006). Patients with high sputum eosinophil count had lower FEV1 (89.4 +/- 14.9% vs 94.9 +/- 13.9%; p = 0.047), FEV1/FVC (74.5 +/- 10.1% vs 79.2 +/- 9.3%; p = 0.01) and MMEF (68.7 +/- 23.3% vs 81.7 +/- 23.1%; p = 0.004). In this study of young asthmatics, control of asthma symptoms was observed in 67.8% of patients. However, cellular markers of lower airway inflammation were present in 1/4 of patients with controlled asthma and in 3/4 with uncontrolled disease. Sputum eosinophilia was related to asthma severity. FEV1/FVC and MMEF were more important that FEV1 for estimating control of asthma. Improvement of asthma control scoring is needed as well as availability of simple methods of inflammation monitoring.

  19. Chronic kidney disease: Pathological and functional evaluation with intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mao, Wei; Zhou, Jianjun; Zeng, Mengsu; Ding, Yuqin; Qu, Lijie; Chen, Caizhong; Ding, Xiaoqiang; Wang, Yaqiong; Fu, Caixia

    2018-05-01

    Because chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide problem, accurate pathological and functional evaluation is required for planning treatment and follow-up. Intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) can assess both capillary perfusion and tissue diffusion and may be helpful in evaluating renal function and pathology. To evaluate functional and pathological alterations in CKD by applying IVIM-DWI. Prospective study. In all, 72 CKD patients who required renal biopsy and 20 healthy volunteers. 1.5T. All subjects underwent IVIM-DWI of the kidneys, and image analysis was performed by two radiologists. The mean values of true diffusion coefficient (D), pseudo diffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) were acquired from renal parenchyma. Correlation between IVIM-DWI parameters and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), as well as pathological damage, were assessed. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), paired sample t-test and Spearman correlation analysis. The paired sample t-test revealed that IVIM-DWI parameters were significantly lower in medulla than cortex for both patients and controls (P Imaging 2018;47:1251-1259. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  20. Imaging of human T-lymphotropic virus type I-associated chronic progressive myeloneuropathies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alcindor, F. (Dept. of Neurology, State Univ. of New York, Health Science Center, Brooklyn, NY (United States)); Valderrama, R. (Dept. of Neurology, State Univ. of New York, Health Science Center, Brooklyn, NY (United States)); Canavaggio, M. (Abbott Labs., North Chicago, IL (United States)); Lee, H. (Abbott Labs., North Chicago, IL (United States)); Katz, A. (Dept. of Neurology, State Univ. of New York, Health Science Center, Brooklyn, NY (United States)); Montesinos, C. (Beth Israel Medical Center, Dept. of Neurology and Clinical Electrophysiology, New York, NY (United States)); Madrid, R.E. (New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Inst. for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, NY (United States)); Merino, R.R. (Beth Israel Medical Center, Dept. of Neurology and Clinical Electrophysiology, New York, NY (United States)); Pipia, P.A. (Dept. of Neurology, State Univ. of New York, Health Science Center, Brooklyn, NY (United States))

    1992-12-01

    We studied magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head and cervical spine and CT of the head in 46 patients (14 men, 32 women) with chronic progressive myeloneuropathy. The findings were correlated with human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) serology, race, country of origin, and age. We found a female predominance of 2:1. Most patients were aged between 30 and 50 years, and most were Caribbean immigrants and black. There were 9 men and 17 women with blood antibody titers to HTLV-I and 7 mem and 15 women with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) titers. All patients with virus or antibodies in blood or CSF were Caribbean immigrants or black. T2-weighted cranial MRI showed scattered areas of high signal intensity in the cerebral white matter, usually in the periventricular and subcortical areas, but not in the posterior cranial fossa. Cranial CT revealed periventricular low density areas, ventricular enlargement, and atrophy MRI of the cervical spine showed atrophy of the cord. Myelography was normal in all 15 patients examined. No imaging differences were observed between the HTLV-I-positive and -negative patients. These findings, although consistent with demyelination, are not specific. (orig.)

  1. Imaging of human T-lymphotropic virus type I-associated chronic progressive myeloneuropathies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alcindor, F.; Valderrama, R.; Canavaggio, M.; Lee, H.; Katz, A.; Montesinos, C.; Madrid, R.E.; Merino, R.R.; Pipia, P.A.

    1992-01-01

    We studied magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the head and cervical spine and CT of the head in 46 patients (14 men, 32 women) with chronic progressive myeloneuropathy. The findings were correlated with human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) serology, race, country of origin, and age. We found a female predominance of 2:1. Most patients were aged between 30 and 50 years, and most were Caribbean immigrants and black. There were 9 men and 17 women with blood antibody titers to HTLV-I and 7 mem and 15 women with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) titers. All patients with virus or antibodies in blood or CSF were Caribbean immigrants or black. T2-weighted cranial MRI showed scattered areas of high signal intensity in the cerebral white matter, usually in the periventricular and subcortical areas, but not in the posterior cranial fossa. Cranial CT revealed periventricular low density areas, ventricular enlargement, and atrophy MRI of the cervical spine showed atrophy of the cord. Myelography was normal in all 15 patients examined. No imaging differences were observed between the HTLV-I-positive and -negative patients. These findings, although consistent with demyelination, are not specific. (orig.)

  2. Characterization of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) BZLF1 gene promoter variants and comparison of cellular gene expression profiles in Japanese patients with infectious mononucleosis, chronic active EBV infection, and EBV-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imajoh, Masayuki; Hashida, Yumiko; Murakami, Masanao; Maeda, Akihiko; Sato, Tetsuya; Fujieda, Mikiya; Wakiguchi, Hiroshi; Daibata, Masanori

    2012-06-01

    Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genotypes can be distinguished based on gene sequence differences in EBV nuclear antigens 2, 3A, 3B, and 3C, and the BZLF1 promoter zone (Zp). EBV subtypes and BZLF1 Zp variants were examined in Japanese patients with infectious mononucleosis, chronic active EBV infection, and EBV-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. The results of EBV typing showed that samples of infectious mononucleosis, chronic active EBV infection, and EBV-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis all belonged to EBV type 1. However, sequencing analysis of BZLF1 Zp found three polymorphic Zp variants in the same samples. The Zp-P prototype and the Zp-V3 variant were both detected in infectious mononucleosis and chronic active EBV infection. Furthermore, a novel variant previously identified in Chinese children with infectious mononucleosis, Zp-V1, was also found in 3 of 18 samples of infectious mononucleosis, where it coexisted with the Zp-P prototype. This is the first evidence that the EBV variant distribution in Japanese patients resembles that found in other Asian patients. The expression levels of 29 chronic active EBV infection-associated cellular genes were also compared in the three EBV-related disorders, using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis. Two upregulated genes, RIPK2 and CDH9, were identified as common specific markers for chronic active EBV infection in both in vitro and in vivo studies. RIPK2 activates apoptosis and autophagy, and could be responsible for the pathogenesis of chronic active EBV infection. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. ToF-SIMS imaging of capsaicinoids in Scotch Bonnet peppers (Capsicum chinense).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyler, Bonnie J; Peterson, Richard E; Lee, Therese G; Draude, Felix; Pelster, Andreas; Arlinghaus, Heinrich F

    2016-06-13

    Peppers (Capsicum spp.) are well known for their ability to cause an intense burning sensation when eaten. This organoleptic response is triggered by capsaicin and its analogs, collectively called capsaicinoids. In addition to the global popularity of peppers as a spice, there is a growing interest in the use of capsaicinoids to treat a variety of human ailments, including arthritis, chronic pain, digestive problems, and cancer. The cellular localization of capsaicinoid biosynthesis and accumulation has previously been studied by fluorescence microscopy and electron microscopy, both of which require immunostaining. In this work, ToF-SIMS has been used to image the distribution of capsaicinoids in the interlocular septum and placenta of Capsicum chinense (Scotch Bonnet peppers). A unique cryo-ToF-SIMS instrument has been used to prepare and analyze the samples with minimal sample preparation. Samples were frozen in liquid propane, cryosectioned in vacuum, and analyzed without exposure to ambient pressure. ToF-SIMS imaging was performed at -110 °C using a Bi3 (+) primary ion beam. Molecular ions for capsaicin and four other capsaicinoids were identified in both the positive and negative ToF-SIMS spectra. The capsaicinoids were observed concentrated in pockets between the outer walls of the palisade cells and the cuticle of the septum, as well as in the intercellular spaces in both the placenta and interlocular septum. This is the first report of label-free direct imaging of capsaicinoids at the cellular level in Capsicum spp. These images were obtained without the need for labeling or elaborate sample preparation. The study demonstrates the usefulness of ToF-SIMS imaging for studying the distribution of important metabolites in plant tissues.

  4. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of kidneys in patients with chronic kidney disease: initial study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Xueqin; Fang, Wenqiang; Ling, Huawei; Chai, Weimin; Chen, Kemin [Ruijin Hospital Shanghai, Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Shanghai (China)

    2010-04-15

    To prospectively evaluate the feasibility of diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the assessment of renal function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Seventy-two healthy volunteers and 43 patients underwent coronal echo-planar DW MR imaging of the kidneys with a single breath-hold time of 16 s. The patients were grouped according to five stages as indicated by the K/DOQI CKD (kidney disease outcome quality initiative). The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of the kidneys was calculated with high b values (b = 500 s/mm{sup 2}). The ADC values were compared between patients and healthy volunteers, and among different stages. For statistical analysis, Student's t tests, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation tests, and Spearman's correlation tests were used. No difference between the cortex and medulla could be observed on DW images of all volunteers. Patients with CKD had significantly lower renal ADC (t = -4.383, P = 0.000) than volunteers. The ADC values of kidneys were significantly lower than normal at most stages of CKD, except CKD1. There was a negative correlation between the ADCs and serum creatinine (sCr) level (P = 0.000) amongst the patients. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging is feasible in the assessment of renal function, especially in the detection of early stage renal failure of CKD. (orig.)

  5. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging of kidneys in patients with chronic kidney disease: initial study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Xueqin; Fang, Wenqiang; Ling, Huawei; Chai, Weimin; Chen, Kemin

    2010-01-01

    To prospectively evaluate the feasibility of diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the assessment of renal function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Seventy-two healthy volunteers and 43 patients underwent coronal echo-planar DW MR imaging of the kidneys with a single breath-hold time of 16 s. The patients were grouped according to five stages as indicated by the K/DOQI CKD (kidney disease outcome quality initiative). The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of the kidneys was calculated with high b values (b = 500 s/mm 2 ). The ADC values were compared between patients and healthy volunteers, and among different stages. For statistical analysis, Student's t tests, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation tests, and Spearman's correlation tests were used. No difference between the cortex and medulla could be observed on DW images of all volunteers. Patients with CKD had significantly lower renal ADC (t = -4.383, P = 0.000) than volunteers. The ADC values of kidneys were significantly lower than normal at most stages of CKD, except CKD1. There was a negative correlation between the ADCs and serum creatinine (sCr) level (P = 0.000) amongst the patients. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging is feasible in the assessment of renal function, especially in the detection of early stage renal failure of CKD. (orig.)

  6. The value of multi-slice spiral CT liver perfusion imaging to evaluate the chronic hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Long Liling; Huang Zhongkui; Ding Ke; Liao Jinyuan; Jiang Jianning

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the value of the MSCT liver perfusion imaging parameters in the evaluation of the chronic hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. Methods: Liver CT perfusion (CTP) was performed in 107 participants,including 31 patients with mild hepatic fibrosis (S1, S2), 34 patients with severe hepatic fibrosis (S3, S4) and early stage of hepatic cirrhosis which conformed by liver pathologic biopsy, 42 patients with hepatic cirrhosis who had typical clinical and image signs, and 30 healthy subjects as control group. The data of CTP (HAP, PVP, LTP, HPI and TTP) at different stages were obtained with Body perfect CT-syngo CT2007A and control study with histopathologic stage. Compared the study index by the one-way ANOVA analysis. Used Spearman rank correlation to analysis the relationship between liver perfusion imaging parameters and the degrees of the chronic hepatic fibrosis. Used Logistic regression to analysis the maximum regression coefficient among the liver perfusion imaging parameters, which affected the histopathologic stage mostly. Results: In the subgroups of the chronic hepatic fibrosis S1, S2, S3, S4 to the hepatic cirrhosis,HAP values was (28.9 ±8.6), (24.6 ±2.4), (29.2 ±2.3) and (38.9 ± 7.0) ml · 100 ml -1 · min -1 , respectively. HAP decreased firstly,then increased. Statistic analysis showed the difference of HAP between later-stage cirrhosis and other groups (F=40.26, P<0.01). PVP values of above subgroups was (111.3 ± 18.1), (92.9 ±5.3), (73.0 ±9.0) and (54.1 ± 13.8) ml · 100 ml -1 ·min -1 , respectively. TLP values of above subgroups was (140.2 ± 25.9), (117.1 ± 4.5), (102.3 ± 8.7)and (93.0 ± 11.8) ml · 100 ml -1 ·min -1 , respectively. The difference of PVP, TLP among each subgroup was significant (F=136.79, 67.40, respectively, P<0.01). HPI values of above subgroups was (20.4 ± 2.6)%, (21.0 ±2.1)%, (28.5 ±3.1)% and (42.6± 11.1)%, respectively. TTP values of above subgroups was (123.7±22.2), (137.1 ±27.1), (145.0 ±28

  7. Remodelling of cellular excitation (reaction) and intercellular coupling (diffusion) by chronic atrial fibrillation represented by a reaction-diffusion system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Henggui; Garratt, Clifford J.; Kharche, Sanjay; Holden, Arun V.

    2009-06-01

    Human atrial tissue is an excitable system, in which myocytes are excitable elements, and cell-to-cell electrotonic interactions are via diffusive interactions of cell membrane potentials. We developed a family of excitable system models for human atrium at cellular, tissue and anatomical levels for both normal and chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) conditions. The effects of AF-induced remodelling of cell membrane ionic channels (reaction kinetics) and intercellular gap junctional coupling (diffusion) on atrial excitability, conduction of excitation waves and dynamics of re-entrant excitation waves are quantified. Both ionic channel and gap junctional coupling remodelling have rate dependent effects on atrial propagation. Membrane channel conductance remodelling allows the propagation of activity at higher rates than those sustained in normal tissue or in tissue with gap junctional remodelling alone. Membrane channel conductance remodelling is essential for the propagation of activity at rates higher than 300/min as seen in AF. Spatially heterogeneous gap junction coupling remodelling increased the risk of conduction block, an essential factor for the genesis of re-entry. In 2D and 3D anatomical models, the dynamical behaviours of re-entrant excitation waves are also altered by membrane channel modelling. This study provides insights to understand the pro-arrhythmic effects of AF-induced reaction and diffusion remodelling in atrial tissue.

  8. Mapping organism expression levels at cellular resolution in developing Drosophila

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knowles, David W.; Keranen, Soile; Biggin, Mark D.; Sudar, Damir

    2002-05-01

    The development of an animal embryo is orchestrated by a network of genetically determined, temporal and spatial gene expression patterns that determine the animals final form. To understand such networks, we are developing novel quantitative optical imaging techniques to map gene expression levels at cellular and sub-cellular resolution within pregastrula Drosophila. Embryos at different stages of development are labeled for total DNA and specific gene products using different fluorophors and imaged in 3D with confocal microscopy. Innovative steps have been made which allow the DNA-image to be automatically segmented to produce a morphological mask of the individual nuclear boundaries. For each stage of development an average morphology is chosen to which images from different embryo are compared. The morphological mask is then used to quantify gene-product on a per nuclei basis. What results is an atlas of the relative amount of the specific gene product expressed within the nucleus of every cell in the embryo at the various stages of development. We are creating a quantitative database of transcription factor and target gene expression patterns in wild-type and factor mutant embryos with single cell resolution. Our goal is to uncover the rules determining how patterns of gene expression are generated.

  9. Hyperpolarized 3He magnetic resonance imaging: Preliminary evaluation of phenotyping potential in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mathew, Lindsay; Kirby, Miranda; Etemad-Rezai, Roya; Wheatley, Andrew; McCormack, David G.; Parraga, Grace

    2011-01-01

    Rationale and objectives: Emphysema and small airway obstruction are the pathological hallmarks of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this pilot study in a small group of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients was to quantify hyperpolarized helium-3 ( 3 He) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) functional and structural measurements and to explore the potential role for 3 He MRI in detecting the lung structural and functional COPD phenotypes. Materials and methods: We evaluated 20 ex-smokers with stage I (n = 1), stage II (n = 9) and stage III COPD (n = 10). All subjects underwent same-day plethysmography, spirometry, 1 H MRI and hyperpolarized 3 He MRI at 3.0 T. 3 He ventilation defect percent (VDP) was generated from 3 He static ventilation images and 1 H thoracic images and the 3 He apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was derived from diffusion-weighted MRI. Results: Based on the relative contribution of normalized ADC and VDP, there was evidence of a predominant 3 He MRI measurement in seven patients (n = 3 mainly ventilation defects or VDP dominant (VD), n = 4 mainly increased ADC or ADC dominant (AD)). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significantly lower ADC for subjects with predominantly elevated VDP (p = 0.02 compared to subjects with predominantly elevated ADC; p = 0.008 compared to mixed group) and significantly decreased VDP for subjects with predominantly elevated ADC (p = 0.003, compared to mixed group). Conclusion: In this small pilot study, a preliminary analysis shows the potential for 3 He MRI to categorize or phenotype COPD ex-smokers, providing good evidence of feasibility for larger prospective studies.

  10. Long-term effects of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor enalapril on chronic heart failure. Examination by {sup 123}I-MIBG imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soeki, Takeshi; Tamura, Yoshiyuki; Bandou, Kanji; Tanaka, Hideji; Takeichi, Naoki; Shinohara, Hisanori; Yui, Yasuko; Fukuda, Nobuo; Sui, Osamu [Zentsuji National Hospital, Kagawa (Japan)

    1998-11-01

    To examine the long-term effects of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor enalapril on chronic heart failure, 10 patients (7 men and 3 women, mean age: 62{+-}11 years) with chronic stable heart failure, classified as New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class 2-3 for more than 3 months, and a left ventricular ejection fraction less than 45% were treated with 2.5-5.0 mg of enalapril once a day for 3-15 months (mean 7 months). The causes of heart failure were old myocardial infarction (n=7), hypertension (n=2), and atrial fibrillation (n=1). Radioiodinated metaiodobenzyl guanidine ({sup 123}I-MIBG) imaging, radionuclide angiography, and treadmill exercise test were performed before and after the treatment. With enalapril treatment, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) increased significantly from 38.3{+-}6.9% to 47.5{+-}14.7%; sub-maximal exercise time increased significantly from 205{+-}112 to 272{+-}120 seconds; the heart to mediastinum (H/M) ratio of {sup 123}I-MIBG increased significantly (early image: 1.99{+-}0.38 versus 2.20{+-}0.50; delayed image: 1.86{+-}0.44 versus 2.09{+-}0.51); and the washout rate of {sup 123}I-MIBG decreased slightly from 29.1{+-}9.1% to 25.4{+-}7.0%. The improvement rate of LVEF was significantly correlated with the improvement rates of the H/M ratio and washout rate after treatment with enalapril. Thus, the long-term effects of enalapril can be observed in the cardiac sympathetic nervous system, and {sup 123}I-MIBG imaging appears to be useful for evaluating the therapeutic effects of enalapril on the cardiac sympathetic nervous system in patients with chronic heart failure. (author)

  11. Point process models for localization and interdependence of punctate cellular structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Ying; Majarian, Timothy D; Naik, Armaghan W; Johnson, Gregory R; Murphy, Robert F

    2016-07-01

    Accurate representations of cellular organization for multiple eukaryotic cell types are required for creating predictive models of dynamic cellular function. To this end, we have previously developed the CellOrganizer platform, an open source system for generative modeling of cellular components from microscopy images. CellOrganizer models capture the inherent heterogeneity in the spatial distribution, size, and quantity of different components among a cell population. Furthermore, CellOrganizer can generate quantitatively realistic synthetic images that reflect the underlying cell population. A current focus of the project is to model the complex, interdependent nature of organelle localization. We built upon previous work on developing multiple non-parametric models of organelles or structures that show punctate patterns. The previous models described the relationships between the subcellular localization of puncta and the positions of cell and nuclear membranes and microtubules. We extend these models to consider the relationship to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and to consider the relationship between the positions of different puncta of the same type. Our results do not suggest that the punctate patterns we examined are dependent on ER position or inter- and intra-class proximity. With these results, we built classifiers to update previous assignments of proteins to one of 11 patterns in three distinct cell lines. Our generative models demonstrate the ability to construct statistically accurate representations of puncta localization from simple cellular markers in distinct cell types, capturing the complex phenomena of cellular structure interaction with little human input. This protocol represents a novel approach to vesicular protein annotation, a field that is often neglected in high-throughput microscopy. These results suggest that spatial point process models provide useful insight with respect to the spatial dependence between cellular structures.

  12. Linking the microbiota, chronic disease and the immune system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hand, Timothy W.; Vujkovic-Cvijin, Ivan; Ridaura, Vanessa K.; Belkaid, Yasmine

    2016-01-01

    Chronic inflammatory diseases are the most important causes of mortality in the world today and are on the rise. We now know that immune-driven inflammation is critical in the etiology of these diseases, though the environmental triggers and cellular mechanisms that lead to their development are still mysterious. Many chronic inflammatory diseases are associated with significant shifts in the microbiota towards inflammatory configurations, which can affect the host both by inducing local and systemic inflammation and by alterations in microbiota-derived metabolites. This review discusses recent findings suggesting that shifts in the microbiota may contribute to chronic disease via effects on the immune system. PMID:27623245

  13. Chronic bacterial seminal vesiculitis as a potential disease entity in men with chronic prostatitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Soo-Hwan; Ryu, Ji-Kan; Choo, Gwoan-Youb; Chung, Yeun-Goo; Seong, Do-Hwan; Kim, Chang-Ho; Choe, Won-Sik; Ryu, Dong-Soo; Hyun, In Young; Suh, Jun-Kyu

    2015-05-01

    To investigate bacterial infection in the seminal vesicles by bacteriological examination and radionuclide imaging in men with chronic prostatitis. The study included 50 patients with chronic prostatitis who showed hot uptake in seminal vesicles on Tc-99m ciprofloxacin imaging and eight patients who did not show hot uptake. The evaluation included the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index and four-glass test. In all participants, transperineal aspiration of seminal vesicle fluid under the guidance of transrectal ultrasonography and bacteriological examination was carried out. Of the 50 patients who showed hot uptake in the seminal vesicles on the isotope study, microorganisms were isolated from the seminal vesicle fluid in 17 patients (positive predictive value, 34%). The most common causative organisms were Escherichia coli in 13 patients (26%), followed by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species in two patients (4%), Enterococcus faecalis in one patient (2%) and Chlamydia trachomatis in one patient (2%). No microorganisms were isolated in the eight patients who did not show hot uptake in the seminal vesicles (negative predictive value, 100%). However, there were no significant differences in National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index total scores and subscores between the study groups. Chronic bacterial seminal vesiculitis might simultaneously affect a considerable portion of patients with chronic prostatitis, although the clinical implication of the disease remains to be further investigated. © 2015 The Japanese Urological Association.

  14. Uniaxial Compression of Cellular Materials at a 10-1 s-1 Strain Rate Simultaneously with Synchrotron X-ray Computed Tomographic Imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Patterson, Brian M. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2016-03-01

    The topic is presented as a series of slides. Motivation for the work included the following: X-ray tomography is a fantastic technique for characterizing a material’s starting structure as well as for non-destructive, in situ experiments to investigate material response; 3D X-ray tomography is needed to fully characterize the morphology of cellular materials; and synchrotron micro-CT can capture 3D images without pausing experiment. Among the conclusions reached are these: High-rate radiographic and tomographic imaging (0.25 s 3D frame rate) using synchrotron CT can capture full 3D images of hyper-elastic materials at a 10-2 strain rate; dynamic true in situ uniaxial loading can be accurately captured; the three stages of compression can be imaged: bending, buckling, and breaking; implementation of linear modeling is completed; meshes have been imported into LANL modeling codes--testing and validation is underway and direct comparison and validation between in situ data and modeled mechanical response is possible.

  15. [Chronic appendicitis. A case report].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montiel-Jarquín, Alvaro José; Gómez-Conde, Eduardo; Reyes-Páramo, Pedro; Romero-Briones, Carlos; Mendoza-García, Aurelio Valentín; García-Ramírez, Ulises Noel

    2008-01-01

    The term chronic appendicitis has been used to describe any type of chronic pain that originates in the appendix, with or without inflammation. This broad category can be divided more specifically into: chronic or recurrent appendicitis and appendiceal colic pain. a 41-year-old female, suffering intestinal chronic constipation, abdominal pain, nausea, hiporexia and febricula, treated with antibiotics, vermifuges, analgesics and antispasmodics, showing a slight and partial improvement. She was suffering chronic pain in lower abdomen, mostly on the right side along a year. With these symptoms, she underwent an exploratory laparotomy, that showed chronic appendicitis. Appendix had been removed. The histopathological report corresponded to chronic appendicitis. the histopathological characteristics and the clinical manifestations of the chronic appendicitis are different from those of acute appendicitis. Criteria for chronic appendicitis include: symptoms lasting longer than 4 weeks, confirmation of chronic swelling through histopathological examination, improvement of symptoms after appendectomy. The ultrasonic images, the barium enema and the computerized helicoidal tomography could be suggestive for its diagnosis.

  16. Chronic tears of the posterior tibial tendon: A correlative study of CT, MR imaging, and surgical exploration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenberg, Z.S.; Cheung, Y.; Jahss, M.; Noto, A.M.; Norman, A.; Leeds, N.E.

    1987-01-01

    Fifty-two cases with clinically suspected chronic tears of the posterior tibial tendon were studied with either CT (22 cases), MR imaging (nine cases), or both modalities (21 cases). Subsequent surgical exploration was performed in 22 of the cases (43%). Three radiologic patterns of tendon abnormalities were recognized: (1) hypertrophied, heterogeneous tendon; (2) attenuated tendon; and (3) tendon gap. Both type 1 and type 2 patterns correlated surgically with partial tendon ruptures, and type 3 correlated with complete tendon rupture. While both CT and MR imaging demonstrated excellent correlation with surgical findings, MR was superior in detecting early partial ruptures, longitudinal splits, and synovial fluid. CT was superior in evaluating associated bony abnormalities such as periostitis and subtalar dislocations

  17. Imaging of congenital mesoblastic nephroma with pathological correlation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaudry, Gulraiz; Perez-Atayde, Antonio R.; Ngan, Bo Yee; Gundogan, Munire; Daneman, Alan

    2009-01-01

    There are a variety of imaging findings for congenital mesoblastic nephroma (CMN) and two main pathological variants: classic and cellular. To determine whether imaging findings in children can predict the likely pathological variant. We reviewed imaging in children with pathology-proven CMN. Imaging findings correlated with gross and histological appearance. In 15 boys and 15 girls with CMN, US was performed in 27, CT in 19, and MRI in 7. Cystic components were readily identified on US; central hemorrhage was better differentiated on CT. MRI demonstrated high sensitivity for both. Histology confirmed classic CMN in 13 children, cellular CMN in 14 and ''mixed'' CMN in 3. Age at presentation was significantly higher in children with the cellular variant. Of 15 solid or predominantly solid tumors and 10 lesions with a hypoechoic ring, 12 and 7, respectively, had pathology consistent with classic CMN. In contrast, five of seven with intratumoral hemorrhage and all with a large cystic/necrotic component had pathology consistent with the cellular variant. The imaging appearance of CMN is often determined by the pathological type of tumor. Findings suggestive of the classic variant include a peripheral hypoechoic ring or large solid component. In comparison, cystic/necrotic change and hemorrhage is much more common in cellular CMN. (orig.)

  18. Neuroimaging revolutionizes therapeutic approaches to chronic pain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Borsook David

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract An understanding of how the brain changes in chronic pain or responds to pharmacological or other therapeutic interventions has been significantly changed as a result of developments in neuroimaging of the CNS. These developments have occurred in 3 domains : (1 Anatomical Imaging which has demonstrated changes in brain volume in chronic pain; (2 Functional Imaging (fMRI that has demonstrated an altered state in the brain in chronic pain conditions including back pain, neuropathic pain, and complex regional pain syndromes. In addition the response of the brain to drugs has provided new insights into how these may modify normal and abnormal circuits (phMRI or pharmacological MRI; (3 Chemical Imaging (Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy or MRS has helped our understanding of measures of chemical changes in chronic pain. Taken together these three domains have already changed the way in which we think of pain – it should now be considered an altered brain state in which there may be altered functional connections or systems and a state that has components of degenerative aspects of the CNS.

  19. Adding dimension to cellular mechanotransduction: Advances in biomedical engineering of multiaxial cell-stretch systems and their application to cardiovascular biomechanics and mechano-signaling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedrich, O; Schneidereit, D; Nikolaev, Y A; Nikolova-Krstevski, V; Schürmann, S; Wirth-Hücking, A; Merten, A L; Fatkin, D; Martinac, B

    2017-11-01

    Hollow organs (e.g. heart) experience pressure-induced mechanical wall stress sensed by molecular mechano-biosensors, including mechanosensitive ion channels, to translate into intracellular signaling. For direct mechanistic studies, stretch devices to apply defined extensions to cells adhered to elastomeric membranes have stimulated mechanotransduction research. However, most engineered systems only exploit unilateral cellular stretch. In addition, it is often taken for granted that stretch applied by hardware translates 1:1 to the cell membrane. However, the latter crucially depends on the tightness of the cell-substrate junction by focal adhesion complexes and is often not calibrated for. In the heart, (increased) hemodynamic volume/pressure load is associated with (increased) multiaxial wall tension, stretching individual cardiomyocytes in multiple directions. To adequately study cellular models of chronic organ distension on a cellular level, biomedical engineering faces challenges to implement multiaxial cell stretch systems that allow observing cell reactions to stretch during live-cell imaging, and to calibrate for hardware-to-cell membrane stretch translation. Here, we review mechanotransduction, cell stretch technologies from uni-to multiaxial designs in cardio-vascular research, and the importance of the stretch substrate-cell membrane junction. We also present new results using our IsoStretcher to demonstrate mechanosensitivity of Piezo1 in HEK293 cells and stretch-induced Ca 2+ entry in 3D-hydrogel-embedded cardiomyocytes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The Impacts of Cellular Senescence in Elderly Pneumonia and in Age-Related Lung Diseases That Increase the Risk of Respiratory Infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanagi, Shigehisa; Tsubouchi, Hironobu; Miura, Ayako; Matsuo, Ayako; Matsumoto, Nobuhiro; Nakazato, Masamitsu

    2017-02-25

    Pneumonia generates considerable negative impacts on the elderly. Despite the widespread uses of vaccines and appropriate antibiotics, the morbidity and mortality of elderly pneumonia are significantly higher compared to the counterparts of young populations. The definitive mechanisms of high vulnerability in the elderly against pathogen threats are unclear. Age-associated, chronic low-grade inflammation augments the susceptibility and severity of pneumonia in the elderly. Cellular senescence, one of the hallmarks of aging, has its own characteristics, cell growth arrest and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). These properties are beneficial if the sequence of senescence-clearance-regeneration is transient in manner. However, persisting senescent cell accumulation and excessive SASP might induce sustained low-grade inflammation and disruption of normal tissue microenvironments in aged tissue. Emerging evidence indicates that cellular senescence is a key component in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which are known to be age-related and increase the risk of pneumonia. In addition to their structural collapses, COPD and IPF might increase the vulnerability to pathogen insults through SASP. Here, we discuss the current advances in understanding of the impacts of cellular senescence in elderly pneumonia and in these chronic lung disorders that heighten the risk of respiratory infections.

  1. Chronic pelvic pain: how does noninvasive imaging compare with diagnostic laparoscopy?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tirlapur, Seema A; Daniels, Jane P; Khan, Khalid S

    2015-12-01

    Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) has an annual prevalence of 38/1000 in the UK, with coexisting pathologies often present. Diagnostic laparoscopy has long been the gold standard diagnostic test, but with up to 40% showing no abnormality, we explore the value of noninvasive imaging, such as pelvic ultrasound and MRI. A literature review from inception until January 2015 of the following databases: PubMed, MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Excerpta Medica database, and System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe were performed to identify published studies assessing the usefulness of ultrasound, MRI, and laparoscopy in the diagnosis of CPP. Three studies (194 women) addressed their comparative performance in patients with endometriosis, showing the sensitivity of ultrasound ranged between 58 and 88.5%; MRI was 56-91.5% and in the one study using histology as its reference standard, the sensitivity of laparoscopy was 85.7%. Noninvasive imaging has the additional benefit of being well tolerated, safer, and cheaper than surgery. CPP, by nature of its multifactorial causation, can be difficult to manage and often requires a multidisciplinary team. Ultrasound and MRI may provide information about the presence or lack of abnormality, which would allow general practitioners or office gynaecologists to initiate treatment and think about surgery as a second-line investigative tool.

  2. Application of a cellular automaton for the evolution of etched nuclear tracks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cruz-Trujillo, Leonardo de la; Hernández-Hernández, C.; Vázquez-López, C.; Zendejas-Leal, B.E.; Golzarri, I.; Espinosa, G.

    2013-01-01

    In the present work, it is demonstrated the first application of cellular automata to the growing of etched nuclear tracks. The simplest case in which conical etched tracks are gradually formed is presented, as well as a general case of time varying etching rate V t . It is demonstrated that the cellular automata elements consist in an image pattern of the latent nuclear track input cells, 16 rules for updating states, the Moore neighborhood and an algorithm of four states. - Highlights: ► We model the evolution of an etched nuclear track using cellular automata (ca). ► A cellular automaton of a conical track has 4 states and 16 transition rules. ► The ca of general tracks require a not regular mesh and the L(t) and V b parameters

  3. Increased Incidence of T-Cell Malignancies in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

    OpenAIRE

    Choi, Goda; van den Broek, Esther C; Stam, Olga CG; van Noesel, C.J.M.; Tonino, Sanne H.; Kater, Armon P.

    2015-01-01

    We present a patient with chemotherapy-refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) in whom postmortem examination showed hepatosplenomegaly, with both multiple small-cellular CLL lesions and large-cellular, monoclonal T-cell infiltrates. Following this case, the co-incidence of T-cell malignancies and CLL was studied using Dutch and American cancer registry databases. Analysis showed an excess risk for T-cell malignancies in CLL patients, with increased standardized incidence ratios compare...

  4. Dose-volume analysis of predictors for chronic rectal toxicity after treatment of prostate cancer with adaptive image-guided radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vargas, Carlos; Martinez, Alvaro; Kestin, Larry L.; Yan Di; Grills, Inga; Brabbins, Donald S.; Lockman, David M.; Liang Jian; Gustafson, Gary S.; Chen, Peter Y.; Vicini, Frank A.; Wong, John W.

    2005-01-01

    Purpose We analyzed our experience treating localized prostate cancer with image-guided off-line correction with adaptive high-dose radiotherapy (ART) in our Phase II dose escalation study to identify factors predictive of chronic rectal toxicity. Materials and Methods From 1999-2002, 331 patients with clinical stage T1-T3N0M0 prostate cancer were prospectively treated in our Phase II 3D conformal dose escalation ART study to a median dose of 75.6 Gy (range, 63.0-79.2 Gy), minimum dose to confidence limited-planning target volume (cl-PTV) in 1.8 Gy fractions (median isocenter dose = 79.7 Gy). Seventy-four patients (22%) also received neoadjuvant/adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy. A patient-specific cl-PTV was constructed using 5 computed tomography scans and 4 sets of electronic portal images by applying an adaptive process to assure target accuracy and minimize PTV margin. For each case, the rectum (rectal solid) was contoured from the sacroiliac joints or rectosigmoid junction (whichever was higher) to the anal verge or ischial tuberosities (whichever was lower), with a median volume of 81.2 cc. The rectal wall was defined using the rectal solid with an individualized 3-mm wall thickness (median volume = 29.8 cc). Rectal wall dose-volume histogram was used to determine the prescribed dose. Toxicity was quantified using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria 2.0. Multiple dose-volume endpoints were evaluated for their association with chronic rectal toxicity. Results Median follow-up was 1.6 years. Thirty-four patients (crude rate 10.3%) experienced Grade 2 chronic rectal toxicity at a median interval of 1.1 years. Nine patients (crude rate = 2.7%) experienced Grade ≥3 chronic rectal toxicity (1 was Grade 4) at a median interval of 1.2 years. The 3-year rates of Grade ≥2 and Grade ≥3 chronic rectal toxicity were 20% and 4%, respectively. Acute toxicity predicted for chronic: Acute Grade 2-3 rectal toxicity (p 40% respectively. The volume

  5. Detection of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage at Acute and Subacute/Chronic Stages: Comparison of Four Magnetic Resonance Imaging Pulse Sequences and Computed Tomography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mei-Kang Yuan

    2005-03-01

    Conclusion: FLAIR and GE T2* MRI pulse sequences, and CT scans, are all statistically significant indicators of acute SAH. GE T2*-weighted images are statistically significant indicators of subacute-to-chronic SAH, whereas other MRI pulse sequences, and CT scans, are not.

  6. High-speed atomic force microscopy combined with inverted optical microscopy for studying cellular events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Yuki; Sakai, Nobuaki; Yoshida, Aiko; Uekusa, Yoshitsugu; Yagi, Akira; Imaoka, Yuka; Ito, Shuichi; Karaki, Koichi; Takeyasu, Kunio

    2013-01-01

    A hybrid atomic force microscopy (AFM)-optical fluorescence microscopy is a powerful tool for investigating cellular morphologies and events. However, the slow data acquisition rates of the conventional AFM unit of the hybrid system limit the visualization of structural changes during cellular events. Therefore, high-speed AFM units equipped with an optical/fluorescence detection device have been a long-standing wish. Here we describe the implementation of high-speed AFM coupled with an optical fluorescence microscope. This was accomplished by developing a tip-scanning system, instead of a sample-scanning system, which operates on an inverted optical microscope. This novel device enabled the acquisition of high-speed AFM images of morphological changes in individual cells. Using this instrument, we conducted structural studies of living HeLa and 3T3 fibroblast cell surfaces. The improved time resolution allowed us to image dynamic cellular events.

  7. Imaging of chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis of childhood first presenting with isolated primary spinal involvement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anderson, S.E.; Heini, P.; Kalbermatten, D.; Sauvain, M.J.; Stauffer, E.; Geiger, L.; Johnston, J.O.; Roggo, A.; Steinbach, L.S.

    2003-01-01

    Initial presentation with primary spinal involvement in chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis of childhood (CRMO) is rare. Our objective was to review the imaging appearances of three patients who had CRMO who initially presented with isolated primary spinal involvement.Design and patients The imaging, clinical, laboratory and histology findings of the three patients were retrospectively reviewed. Imaging included seven spinal MR imaging scans, one computed tomography scan, nine bone scans, two tomograms and 16 radiographs. These were reviewed by two musculoskeletal radiologists and a consensus view is reported. All three patients presented with atraumatic spinal pain and had extensive bone spinal pathology. The patients were aged 11, 13 and 12 years. There were two females and one male.Results and conclusions The initial patient had thoracic T6 and T8 vertebra plana. Bone scan showed additional vertebral body involvement. Follow-up was available over a 3 year period. The second patient had partial collapse of T9 and, 2 years later, of C6. Subsequently extensive multifocal disease ensued and follow-up was available over 8 years. The third patient initially had L3 inferior partial collapse and 1 year later T8 involvement with multifocal disease. Follow-up was available over 3 years. The imaging findings of the three patients include partial and complete vertebra plana with a subchondral line adjacent to endplates associated with bone marrow MR signal alterations. Awareness of the imaging appearances may help the radiologist to include this entity in the differential diagnosis in children who present with spinal pathology and no history of trauma. Histopathological examination excludes tumor and infection but with typical imaging findings may not always be necessary. (orig.)

  8. Role of Protein Carbonylation in Skeletal Muscle Mass Loss Associated with Chronic Conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esther Barreiro

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Muscle dysfunction, characterized by a reductive remodeling of muscle fibers, is a common systemic manifestation in highly prevalent conditions such as chronic heart failure (CHF, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, cancer cachexia, and critically ill patients. Skeletal muscle dysfunction and impaired muscle mass may predict morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic diseases, regardless of the underlying condition. High levels of oxidants may alter function and structure of key cellular molecules such as proteins, DNA, and lipids, leading to cellular injury and death. Protein oxidation including protein carbonylation was demonstrated to modify enzyme activity and DNA binding of transcription factors, while also rendering proteins more prone to proteolytic degradation. Given the relevance of protein oxidation in the pathophysiology of many chronic conditions and their comorbidities, the current review focuses on the analysis of different studies in which the biological and clinical significance of the modifications induced by reactive carbonyls on proteins have been explored so far in skeletal muscles of patients and animal models of chronic conditions such as COPD, disuse muscle atrophy, cancer cachexia, sepsis, and physiological aging. Future research will elucidate the specific impact and sites of reactive carbonyls on muscle protein content and function in human conditions.

  9. Hyperspectral imaging as a diagnostic tool for chronic skin ulcers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denstedt, Martin; Pukstad, Brita S.; Paluchowski, Lukasz A.; Hernandez-Palacios, Julio E.; Randeberg, Lise L.

    2013-03-01

    The healing process of chronic wounds is complex, and the complete pathogenesis is not known. Diagnosis is currently based on visual inspection, biopsies and collection of samples from the wound surface. This is often time consuming, expensive and to some extent subjective procedures. Hyperspectral imaging has been shown to be a promising modality for optical diagnostics. The main objective of this study was to identify a suitable technique for reproducible classification of hyperspectral data from a wound and the surrounding tissue. Two statistical classification methods have been tested and compared to the performance of a dermatologist. Hyperspectral images (400-1000 nm) were collected from patients with venous leg ulcers using a pushbroom-scanning camera (VNIR 1600, Norsk Elektro Optikk AS).Wounds were examined regularly over 4 - 6 weeks. The patients were evaluated by a dermatologist at every appointment. One patient has been selected for presentation in this paper (female, age 53 years). The oxygen saturation of the wound area was determined by wavelength ratio metrics. Spectral angle mapping (SAM) and k-means clustering were used for classification. Automatic extraction of endmember spectra was employed to minimize human interaction. A comparison of the methods shows that k-means clustering is the most stable method over time, and shows the best overlap with the dermatologist's assessment of the wound border. The results are assumed to be affected by the data preprocessing and chosen endmember extraction algorithm. Results indicate that it is possible to develop an automated method for reliable classification of wounds based on hyperspectral data.

  10. Chronic Effects of Boxing: Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Cognitive Findings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilde, Elisabeth A; Hunter, Jill V; Li, Xiaoqi; Amador, Cristian; Hanten, Gerri; Newsome, Mary R; Wu, Trevor C; McCauley, Stephen R; Vogt, Gregory S; Chu, Zili David; Biekman, Brian; Levin, Harvey S

    2016-04-01

    We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to evaluate the effects of boxing on brain structure and cognition in 10 boxers (8 retired, 2 active; mean age = 45.7 years; standard deviation [SD] = 9.71) and 9 participants (mean age = 43.44; SD = 9.11) in noncombative sports. Evans Index (maximum width of the anterior horns of the lateral ventricles/maximal width of the internal diameter of the skull) was significantly larger in the boxers (F = 4.52; p = 0.050; Cohen's f = 0.531). Word list recall was impaired in the boxers (F(1,14) = 10.70; p = 0.006; f = 0.84), whereas implicit memory measured by faster reaction time (RT) to a repeating sequence of numbers than to a random sequence was preserved (t = 2.52; p boxing had the most consistent, negative correlations with FA, ranging from -0.65 for the right ventral striatum to -0.92 for the right cerebral peduncle. Years of boxing was negatively related to the number of words consistently recalled over trials (r = -0.74; p = 0.02), delayed recall (r = -0.83; p = 0.003), and serial RT (r = 0.66; p = 0.05). We conclude that microstructural integrity of white matter tracts is related to declarative memory and response speed in boxers and to the extent of boxing exposure. Implications for chronic traumatic encephalopathy are discussed.

  11. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging with cardiac synchronization in chronic thrombosis of main pulmonary arteries. A case review with CT scan imaging correlation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coulomb, M.; Wolf, J.E.; Rose-Pittet, L.; Le Bas, J.F.; Dalsoglio, S.; Paramelle, B.

    1986-01-01

    Results of nuclear magnetic resonance exploration in a patient with chronic thrombosis of main pulmonary arteries are used to outline an elementary semiology in agreement with current documented data. Signs observed relate to the thrombosis and showing of flow due to associated pulmonary artery hypertension. Cardiac synchronization is essential: obtaining 2 echos by the spin-echo technique allows differentiation of circulatory slowing phenomena, which provoke increased strength of 2nd echo, from the thrombus itself. Correlations established with V/Q scintigraphy, angiography and CT scan findings in this case provided preliminary evaluation of use of this imaging technique in this affection [fr

  12. General perspectives for molecular nuclear imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, June Key

    2004-01-01

    Molecular imaging provides a visualization of normal as well as abnormal cellular processes at a molecular or genetic level rather than at an anatomical level. Conventional medical imaging methods utilize the imaging signals produced by nonspecific physico-chemical interaction. However, molecular imaging methods utilize the imaging signals derived from specific cellular or molecular events. Because molecular and genetic changes precede anatomical change in the course of disease development, molecular imaging can detect early events in disease progression. In the near future, through molecular imaging we can understand basic mechanisms of disease, and diagnose earlier and, subsequently, treat earlier intractable disease such as cancer, neuro-degenerative diseases, and immunologic disorders. In beginning period, nuclear medicine started as a molecular imaging, and has had a leading role in the field of molecular imaging. But recently molecular imaging has been rapidly developed. Besides nuclear imaging, molecular imaging methods such as optical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging are emerging. Each imaging modalities have their advantages and weaknesses. The opportunities from molecular imaging look bright. We should try nuclear medicine continues to have a leading role in molecular imaging

  13. Normal pancreatic exocrine function does not exclude MRI/MRCP chronic pancreatitis findings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alkaade, Samer; Cem Balci, Numan; Momtahen, Amir Javad; Burton, Frank

    2008-09-01

    Abnormal pancreatic function tests have been reported to precede the imaging findings of chronic pancreatitis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is increasingly accepted as the primary imaging modality for the detection of structural changes of early mild chronic pancreatitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate MRI/MRCP findings in patients with symptoms consistent with chronic pancreatitis who have normal Secretin Endoscopic Pancreatic Function test. A retrospective study of 32 patients referred for evaluation of chronic abdominal pain consistent with chronic pancreatitis and reported normal standard abdominal imaging (ultrasound, computed tomography, or MRI). All patients underwent Secretin Endoscopic Pancreatic Function testing and pancreatic MRI/MRCP at our institution. We reviewed the MRI/MRCP images in patients who had normal Secretin Endoscopic Pancreatic Function testing. MRI/MRCP images were assessed for pancreatic duct morphology, gland size, parenchymal signal and morphology, and arterial contrast enhancement. Of the 32 patients, 23 had normal Secretin Endoscopic Pancreatic Function testing, and 8 of them had mild to marked spectrum of abnormal MRI/MRCP findings that were predominantly focal. Frequencies of the findings were as follows: pancreatic duct stricture (n=3), pancreatic duct dilatation (n=3), side branch ectasia (n=4), atrophy (n=5), decreased arterial enhancement (n=5), decreased parenchymal signal (n=1), and cavity formation (n=1). The remaining15 patients had normal pancreatic structure on MRI/MRCP. Normal pancreatic function testing cannot exclude abnormal MRI/MRCP especially focal findings of chronic pancreatitis. Further studies needed to verify significance of these findings and establish MRI/MRCP imaging criteria for the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis.

  14. Localization-based super-resolution imaging of cellular structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanchanawong, Pakorn; Waterman, Clare M

    2013-01-01

    Fluorescence microscopy allows direct visualization of fluorescently tagged proteins within cells. However, the spatial resolution of conventional fluorescence microscopes is limited by diffraction to ~250 nm, prompting the development of super-resolution microscopy which offers resolution approaching the scale of single proteins, i.e., ~20 nm. Here, we describe protocols for single molecule localization-based super-resolution imaging, using focal adhesion proteins as an example and employing either photoswitchable fluorophores or photoactivatable fluorescent proteins. These protocols should also be easily adaptable to imaging a broad array of macromolecular assemblies in cells whose components can be fluorescently tagged and assemble into high density structures.

  15. Juvenile chronic arthritis: imaging of the knees and hips before and after intraarticular steroid injection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eich, G.F. [Div. of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology, Univ. Children`s Hospital, Zuerich (Switzerland); Halle, F. [Div. of Immunology and Hematology, Univ. Children`s Hospital, Zuerich (Switzerland); Hodler, J. [Div. of Radiology, Balgrist Orthopedic Univ. Clinic, Zuerich (Switzerland); Seger, R. [Div. of Immunology and Hematology, Univ. Children`s Hospital, Zuerich (Switzerland); Willi, U.V. [Div. of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology, Univ. Children`s Hospital, Zuerich (Switzerland)

    1994-12-01

    Intraarticular steroid therapy in juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) is performed because of high local efficacy with few side effects. Imaging is used for initial evaluation and for monitoring of treatment response. The aim of this study was to compare imaging findings in diseased hips and knees before and after therapy. A prospective study was performed on 10 patients (15 joints) scheduled for intraarticular therapy. Pretherapeutic assessment included clinical work-up, radiographs, ultrasound (US), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of affected joints. Following therapy, clinical and sonographic examinations were performed at 1 week and 1 month. MRI was repeated at 1 month. MRI and US demonstrated pannus formation and effusion, but differentiation was less distinct on US. Popliteal cysts and lymph nodes were visible in both modalities. MRI additionally revealed articular cartilage loss and subchondral cysts, not shown by US. Epiphyseal overgrowth and osteopenia were best seen radiographically. At present MRI is the best tool to assess the inflammatory changes of the joints in JCA. Initial staging of the joints may be done with plain films and MRI. US is useful to assess effusion and pannus and may be used to monitor treatment response. (orig.)

  16. Juvenile chronic arthritis: imaging of the knees and hips before and after intraarticular steroid injection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eich, G.F.; Halle, F.; Hodler, J.; Seger, R.; Willi, U.V.

    1994-01-01

    Intraarticular steroid therapy in juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) is performed because of high local efficacy with few side effects. Imaging is used for initial evaluation and for monitoring of treatment response. The aim of this study was to compare imaging findings in diseased hips and knees before and after therapy. A prospective study was performed on 10 patients (15 joints) scheduled for intraarticular therapy. Pretherapeutic assessment included clinical work-up, radiographs, ultrasound (US), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of affected joints. Following therapy, clinical and sonographic examinations were performed at 1 week and 1 month. MRI was repeated at 1 month. MRI and US demonstrated pannus formation and effusion, but differentiation was less distinct on US. Popliteal cysts and lymph nodes were visible in both modalities. MRI additionally revealed articular cartilage loss and subchondral cysts, not shown by US. Epiphyseal overgrowth and osteopenia were best seen radiographically. At present MRI is the best tool to assess the inflammatory changes of the joints in JCA. Initial staging of the joints may be done with plain films and MRI. US is useful to assess effusion and pannus and may be used to monitor treatment response. (orig.)

  17. Muscle magnetic resonance imaging sensitivity does not decrease in chronic, mild, or proximal lower limb neuropathies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deroide, Nicolas; Bousson, Valérie; Daguet, Edouard; Dumurgier, Julien; Tin, Sophie Ng Wing; Hannouche, Didier; Richette, Pascal; Beaudreuil, Johann; Lioté, Frédéric; Lévy, Bernard; Vicaut, Eric; Laredo, Jean Denis; Kubis, Nathalie

    2012-05-01

    Muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an innovative tool for exploring focal neuropathies. However, its usefulness in mild, proximal, or chronic lesions, when electromyography (EMG), the current "gold standard" sensitivity is inadequate, has yet to be studied. Clinical, MRI, and EMG examinations were performed in 113 muscles of 17 consecutive patients with clinically diagnosed lower limb focal neuropathies. The sensitivity and specificity of MRI and EMG were evaluated in relation to disease duration, severity, and anatomical location. Muscle MRI was highly sensitive for the detection of denervated muscle, and, unlike EMG, its sensitivity did not decrease regardless of the anatomical location, duration, or severity of the neuropathy. Five MRI false positives were noted, including three in the thigh muscles. Muscle MRI is an alternative tool to EMG in proximal, mild, or chronic clinical diagnoses of lower limb focal neuropathies. However, it also seems prone to false-positive results, particularly in proximal muscles. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. MR imaging of diffuse thyroid disorders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inoue, Masaaki; Fujii, Koichi; Ohnishi, Takuya; Higashikawa, Motoki; Araki, Yutaka; Hamada, Tatsumi; Ishida, Osamu

    1996-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 38 diffuse goiters, including 30 chronic thyroiditis and 8 Basedow disease. MR findings were analyzed as to degree of swelling, margin, internal structures including homogeneity and low intensity bands. With regard to signal intensity, thyroid-muscle-signal intensity ratios on T1 and T2-weighted images were measured in 19 normal thyroid glands, 30 chronic thyroiditis and 8 Basedow disease. Additionally thyroid-muscle-signal intensity ratios were compared between 19 hypothyroid glands and 11 euthyroid glands in chronic thyroiditis. Chronic thyroiditis tended to show lobulated margins, inhomogeneous intensity, and low intensity bands connecting with vessels or not. Basedow disease tended to display smooth margins, inhomogeneous intensity and low intensity bands connecting with vessels. Thyroid-muscle-signal intensity ratios of Basedow disease and chronic thyroiditis were significantly higher than those of normal thyroid gland at all sequences. In chronic thyroiditis thyroid-muscle-signal intensity ratios of euthyroid glands were significantly higher than those of hypothyroid glands. MR imaging could reflect pathologic features of diffuse goiters. Moreover, MR imaging is potentially contributory to speculate about thyroid function and degree of serious condition in diffuse thyroid disorders. (author)

  19. Cellular Origin of [18F]FDG-PET Imaging Signals During Ceftriaxone-Stimulated Glutamate Uptake: Astrocytes and Neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dienel, Gerald A; Behar, Kevin L; Rothman, Douglas L

    2017-12-01

    Ceftriaxone stimulates astrocytic uptake of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, and it is used to treat glutamatergic excitotoxicity that becomes manifest during many brain diseases. Ceftriaxone-stimulated glutamate transport was reported to drive signals underlying [ 18 F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomographic ([ 18 F]FDG-PET) metabolic images of brain glucose utilization and interpreted as supportive of the notion of lactate shuttling from astrocytes to neurons. This study draws attention to critical roles of astrocytes in the energetics and imaging of brain activity, but the results are provocative because (1) the method does not have cellular resolution or provide information about downstream pathways of glucose metabolism, (2) neuronal and astrocytic [ 18 F]FDG uptake were not separately measured, and (3) strong evidence against lactate shuttling was not discussed. Evaluation of potential metabolic responses to ceftriaxone suggests lack of astrocytic specificity and significant contributions by pre- and postsynaptic neuronal compartments. Indeed, astrocytic glycolysis may not make a strong contribution to the [ 18 F]FDG-PET signal because partial or complete oxidation of one glutamate molecule on its uptake generates enough ATP to fuel uptake of 3 to 10 more glutamate molecules, diminishing reliance on glycolysis. The influence of ceftriaxone on energetics of glutamate-glutamine cycling must be determined in astrocytes and neurons to elucidate its roles in excitotoxicity treatment.

  20. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karabulut, N.

    2012-01-01

    Full text: Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) denote progressive lung diseases characterized by airway obstruction. COPD exhibits specific morphologic changes in the lung parenchyma, central and peripheral airways and pulmonary vasculature. A person with COPD may have either emphysema or chronic bronchitis, but most have both. Some people with COPD may also have an asthma-like or reactive component. Imaging modalities play important role in the detection or exclusion of COPD, distribution and extent of disease processes. Combined inspiratory and expiratory high resolution CT allows phenotyping of COPD (emphysema predominant, airway predominant, or mixed) and quantification of severity. Magnetic resonance imaging enables functional evaluation and demonstrates ventilation defects correlating closely with pulmonary function tests. Imaging techniques are also helpful in guiding the treatment, such as bullectomy in patients with bullous emphysema, lung volume reduction surgery or endoscopic interventions in those with severe emphysema, and smoking cessation and medical treatment designed to stop lung destruction in patients with mild or moderate emphysema or bronchiectasis.

  1. Chronic spinal subdural hematoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagen, T.; Lensch, T.

    2008-01-01

    Compared with spinal epidural hematomas, spinal subdural hematomas are rare; chronic forms are even more uncommon. These hematomas are associated not only with lumbar puncture and spinal trauma, but also with coagulopathies, vascular malformations and tumors. Compression of the spinal cord and the cauda equina means that the patients develop increasing back or radicular pain, followed by paraparesis and bladder and bowel paralysis, so that in most cases surgical decompression is carried out. On magnetic resonance imaging these hematomas present as thoracic or lumbar subdural masses, their signal intensity varying with the age of the hematoma. We report the clinical course and the findings revealed by imaging that led to the diagnosis in three cases of chronic spinal subdural hematoma. (orig.) [de

  2. Facile, Large-Quantity Synthesis of Stable, Tunable-Color Silicon Nanoparticles and Their Application for Long-Term Cellular Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Yiling; Sun, Xiaotian; Wang, Siyi; Peng, Fei; Bao, Feng; Su, Yuanyuan; Li, Youyong; Lee, Shuit-Tong; He, Yao

    2015-06-23

    We herein introduce a facile, low-cost photochemical method capable of rapid (nanoparticles (SiNPs) of tunable optical properties (peak emission wavelength in the range of 470-560 nm) under ambient air conditions, by introducing 1,8-naphthalimide as a reducing agent and surface ligands. The as-prepared SiNPs feature robust storage stability and photostability preserving strong and stable fluorescent during long-term (>3 h) high-power UV irradiation, in contrast to the rapid fluorescence quenching within 2 h of conventional organic dyes and II-VI quantum dots under the same conditions. The as-prepared SiNPs serving as photostable nanoprobes are workable for cellular imaging in long-term manners. Our findings provide a powerful method for mild-condition and low-cost, large-quantity production of highly fluorescent and photostable SiNPs for various promising applications.

  3. Application of an Image Cytometry Protocol for Cellular and Mitochondrial Phenotyping on Fibroblasts from Patients with Inherited Disorders

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fernandez-Guerra, Paula; Lund, Martin; Corydon, T J

    2015-01-01

    Cellular phenotyping of human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) from patients with inherited diseases provides invaluable information for diagnosis, disease aetiology, prognosis and assessing of treatment options. Here we present a cell phenotyping protocol using image cytometry that combines measurements...... on a parallel one. We analysed HDFs from healthy individuals after treatment with various concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for different intervals, to mimic the physiological effects of oxidative stress. Our results show that cell number, viability, TRS and MMP decreased, while MSL increased both...... in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. To assess the use of our protocol for analysis of HDFs from patients with inherited diseases, we analysed HDFs from two patients with very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD) deficiency (VLCADD), one with a severe clinical phenotype and one with a mild...

  4. Hyperpolarized {sup 3}He magnetic resonance imaging: Preliminary evaluation of phenotyping potential in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mathew, Lindsay, E-mail: lmathew@imaging.robarts.ca [Imaging Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, London (Canada); Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, London (Canada); Kirby, Miranda, E-mail: mkirby@imaging.robarts.ca [Imaging Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, London (Canada); Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, London (Canada); Etemad-Rezai, Roya, E-mail: Roya.EtemadRezai@lhsc.on.ca [Department of Medical Imaging, University of Western Ontario (Canada); Wheatley, Andrew, E-mail: awheat@imaging.robarts.ca [Imaging Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, London (Canada); McCormack, David G., E-mail: David.McCormack@lhsc.on.ca [Imaging Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, London (Canada); Division of Respirology, Department of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London (Canada); Lawson Health Research Institute, London (Canada); Parraga, Grace, E-mail: gep@imaging.robarts.ca [Imaging Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute, London (Canada); Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, London (Canada); Department of Medical Imaging, University of Western Ontario (Canada); Lawson Health Research Institute, London (Canada)

    2011-07-15

    Rationale and objectives: Emphysema and small airway obstruction are the pathological hallmarks of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this pilot study in a small group of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients was to quantify hyperpolarized helium-3 ({sup 3}He) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) functional and structural measurements and to explore the potential role for {sup 3}He MRI in detecting the lung structural and functional COPD phenotypes. Materials and methods: We evaluated 20 ex-smokers with stage I (n = 1), stage II (n = 9) and stage III COPD (n = 10). All subjects underwent same-day plethysmography, spirometry, {sup 1}H MRI and hyperpolarized {sup 3}He MRI at 3.0 T. {sup 3}He ventilation defect percent (VDP) was generated from {sup 3}He static ventilation images and {sup 1}H thoracic images and the {sup 3}He apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was derived from diffusion-weighted MRI. Results: Based on the relative contribution of normalized ADC and VDP, there was evidence of a predominant {sup 3}He MRI measurement in seven patients (n = 3 mainly ventilation defects or VDP dominant (VD), n = 4 mainly increased ADC or ADC dominant (AD)). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significantly lower ADC for subjects with predominantly elevated VDP (p = 0.02 compared to subjects with predominantly elevated ADC; p = 0.008 compared to mixed group) and significantly decreased VDP for subjects with predominantly elevated ADC (p = 0.003, compared to mixed group). Conclusion: In this small pilot study, a preliminary analysis shows the potential for {sup 3}He MRI to categorize or phenotype COPD ex-smokers, providing good evidence of feasibility for larger prospective studies.

  5. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Patients With Chronic Lateral Epicondylitis: Is There a Relationship Between Magnetic Resonance Imaging Abnormalities of the Common Extensor Tendon and the Patient's Clinical Symptom?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Liang; Zhang, Yu-Dong; Yu, Rong-Bin; Shi, Hai-Bin

    2016-02-01

    The aim of the study is to determine the inter-reliability and intra-observer reliability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for lateral epicondylitis and investigate whether there is a potential relationship between MRI abnormalities of the common extensor tendon (CET) and its clinical symptom.The study group comprised 96 consecutive patients (46 men and 50 women) with a clinical diagnosis of chronic lateral epicondylitis, which were examined on 3.0 T MR. An MRI scoring system was used to grade the degree of tendinopahty. Three independent musculoskeletal radiologists, who were blinded to the patients' clinical information, scored images separately. Clinical symptoms were assessed using the Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE).Of all the patients, total 96 elbows had MRI-assessed tendinopathy, including 38 (39.6%) with grade 1, 31 (32.3%) with grade 2, and 27 (28.1%) with grade 3. Inter-observer reliability and intra-observer agreement for MRI interpretation of the grades of tendinopathy was good, and a positive correlation between the grades of tendinopathy and PRTEE was determined.MRI is a reliable tool in determining radiological severity of chronical lateral epicondylitis. The severity of MR signal changes positively correlate with the patient's clinical symptom.

  6. The Changes of Energy Interactions between Nucleus Function and Mitochondria Functions Causing Transmutation of Chronic Inflammation into Cancer Metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponizovskiy, Michail R

    2016-01-01

    Interactions between nucleus and mitochondria functions induce the mechanism of maintenance stability of cellular internal energy according to the first law of thermodynamics in able-bodied cells and changes the mechanisms of maintenance stability of cellular internal energy creating a transition stationary state of ablebodied cells into quasi-stationary pathologic states of acute inflammation transiting then into chronic inflammation and then transmuting into cancer metabolism. The mechanisms' influences of intruding etiologic pathologic agents (microbe, virus, etc.) lead to these changes of energy interactions between nucleus and mitochondria functions causing general acute inflammation, then passing into local chronic inflammation, and reversing into cancer metabolism transmutation. Interactions between biochemical processes and biophysical processes of cellular capacitors' operations create a supplementary mechanism of maintenance stability of cellular internal energy in the norm and in pathology. Discussion of some scientific works eliminates doubts of the authors of these works.

  7. Differentiation of recently infarcted myocardium from chronic myocardial scar: the value of contrast-enhanced SSFP-based cine MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Kyoung Ah; Seo, Joon Beom; Do, Kyoung Hyun; Heo, Jeong Nam; Lee, Young Kyung; Song, Jae Woo; Lee, Jin Seong; Song, Koun Sik; Lim, Tae Hwan

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to demonstrate whether the signal intensity (SI) of myocardial infarction (MI) on contrast enhanced (CE)-cine MRI is useful for differentiating recently infarcted myocardium from chronic scar. This study included 24 patients with acute MI (36-84) years, mean age: 57) and 19 patients with chronic MI (44-80) years, mean age: 64). The diagnosis of acute MI was based on the presence of typical symptoms, i.e. elevation of the cardiac enzymes and the absence of any remote infarction history. The diagnosis of chronic MI was based on a history of MI or coronary artery disease of more than one month duration and on the absence of any recent MI within the previous six months. Retrospectively, the ECG-gated breath-hold cine imaging was performed in the short axis plane using a segmented, balanced, turbo-field, echo-pulse sequence two minutes after the administration of Gd-DTPA at a dose of 0.2 mmol/kg body weight. Delayed contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE MRI) in the same plane was performed 10 to 15 minutes after contrast administration, and this was served as the gold standard of reference. The SI of the infarcted myocardium on the CE-cine MRI was compared with that of the normal myocardium on the same image. The area of abnormal SI on the CE-cine MRI was compared with the area of hyper enhancement on the DCE MRI. The area of high SI on the CE-cine MRI was detected in 23 of 24 patients with acute MI (10 with homogenous high SI, 13 high SI with subendocardial low SI, and one with iso SI). The area of high SI on the CE- cine MRI was larger than that seen on the DCE MRI (ρ < 0.05). In contrast, the areas of chronic MI were seen as iso-SI with thin subendocardial low SI on the CE-cine MR in all the chronic MI patients. The presence of high SI on both the CE-cine MRI and the DCE MRI is more sensitive (95.8%) for determining the age of a MI than the presence of myocardial thinning (66.7%). The study showed the different SI patterns between recently

  8. Comparison of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) to liver biopsy histologic scores in the evaluation of chronic liver disease: A pilot study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haque, Mazhar; Robinson, Charlotte; Owen, David; Yoshida, Eric M; Harris, Alison

    2010-01-01

    Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging (ARFI) is a novel non invasive technique studying the localized mechanical properties of tissue by utilising short, high intensity acoustic pulses (shear wave pulses) to assess the mechanical response (tissue displacement), providing a measure of tissue elasticity. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of ARFI imaging as a non-invasive method for the assessment of liver fibrosis compared to liver biopsy scores. A prospective blind comparison study of ARFI elastography (Virtual Touch Imaging., ACUSON S2000 Ultrasound Unit, Siemens, Mountain View CA) in a consecutive series of patients who underwent liver biopsy for assessment of fibrosis in chronic liver disease. ARFI shear-wave propagation velocity was measured in meters per second. Mean ARFI velocities were compared with both Batts-Ludwig (F0 to F4) and Modified Ishak scores (F0 to F4) for fibrosis in liver biopsy findings. Twenty-one patients with chronic liver disease (Hepatitis C (HCV) =16, Hepatitis B (HBV) = 1, both HCV and HBV = 1 Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) = 1, others = 2) underwent ARFI and liver biopsy on the same day. The Spearman correlation coefficients between the median values of the ARFI measurements and the histological fibrosis stage of the Modified Ishak score and Batts-Lud- (3) wig score were both highly significant (p shak score in chronic liver disease. It.s accuracy in prediction of severe fibrosis and cirrhosis is maximal in comparison with earlier stages.

  9. Label-free imaging immune cells and collagen in atherosclerosis with two-photon and second harmonic generation microscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chunqiang Li

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Atherosclerosis has been recognized as a chronic inflammation disease, in which many types of cells participate in this process, including lymphocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells (DCs, mast cells, vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs. Developments in imaging technology provide the capability to observe cellular and tissue components and their interactions. The knowledge of the functions of immune cells and their interactions with other cell and tissue components will facilitate our discovery of biomarkers in atherosclerosis and prediction of the risk factor of rupture-prone plaques. Nonlinear optical microscopy based on two-photon excited autofluorescence and second harmonic generation (SHG were developed to image mast cells, SMCs and collagen in plaque ex vivo using endogenous optical signals. Mast cells were imaged with two-photon tryptophan autofluorescence, SMCs were imaged with two-photon NADH autofluorescence, and collagen were imaged with SHG. This development paves the way for further study of mast cell degranulation, and the effects of mast cell derived mediators such as induced synthesis and activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs which participate in the degradation of collagen.

  10. Close the Textbook & Open "The Cell: An Image Library"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saunders, Cheston; Taylor, Amy

    2014-01-01

    Many students leave the biology classroom with misconceptions centered on cellular structure. This article presents an activity in which students utilize images from an online database called "The Cell: An Image Library" (http://www.cellimagelibrary. org/) to gain a greater understanding of the diversity of cellular structure and the…

  11. Potential Cellular Signatures of Viral Infections in Human Hematopoietic Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Mikovits

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available Expression profiling of cellular genes was performed using a 10,000 cDNA human gene array in order to identify expression changes following chronic infection of human hematopoietic cells with Kapsosi’s Sarcoma -associated Virus (KSHV also known as Human Herpesvirus 8 (HHV8 and Human T cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1. We performed cell-free {\\it in vitro} infection of primary bone marrow derived CD34+ cells using semi-purified HHV8 and a mature IL-2 dependent T cell line, KIT 225, using highly concentrated viral stocks prepared from an infectious molecular clone of HTLV-1. Thirty days post infection, mRNA was isolated from infected cultures and uninfected controls and submitted for microarray analysis. More than 400 genes were differentially expressed more than two-fold following HHV8 infection of primary bone marrow derived CD34+ cells. Of these 400, interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4, cyclin B2, TBP-associated factor, eukaryotic elongation factor and pim 2 were up-regulated more than 3.5 fold. In contrast, less than 100 genes were differentially expressed more than two-fold following chronic infection of a mature T cell line with HTLV-1. Of these, only cdc7 was up-regulated more than 3.5 fold. These data may provide insight into cellular signatures of infection useful for diagnosis of infection as well as potential targets for therapeutic intervention.

  12. Magnetic resonance imaging of pancreatitis: An update

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manikkavasakar, Sriluxayini; AlObaidy, Mamdoh; Busireddy, Kiran K; Ramalho, Miguel; Nilmini, Viragi; Alagiyawanna, Madhavi; Semelka, Richard C

    2014-01-01

    Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and staging of acute and chronic pancreatitis and may represent the best imaging technique in the setting of pancreatitis due to its unmatched soft tissue contrast resolution as well as non-ionizing nature and higher safety profile of intravascular contrast media, making it particularly valuable in radiosensitive populations such as pregnant patients, and patients with recurrent pancreatitis requiring multiple follow-up examinations. Additional advantages include the ability to detect early forms of chronic pancreatitis and to better differentiate adenocarcinoma from focal chronic pancreatitis. This review addresses new trends in clinical pancreatic MR imaging emphasizing its role in imaging all types of acute and chronic pancreatitis, pancreatitis complications and other important differential diagnoses that mimic pancreatitis. PMID:25356038

  13. Cellular energy metabolism in T-lymphocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaber, Timo; Strehl, Cindy; Sawitzki, Birgit; Hoff, Paula; Buttgereit, Frank

    2015-01-01

    Energy homeostasis is a hallmark of cell survival and maintenance of cell function. Here we focus on the impact of cellular energy metabolism on T-lymphocyte differentiation, activation, and function in health and disease. We describe the role of transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of lymphocyte metabolism on immune functions of T cells. We also summarize the current knowledge about T-lymphocyte adaptations to inflammation and hypoxia, and the impact on T-cell behavior of pathophysiological hypoxia (as found in tumor tissue, chronically inflamed joints in rheumatoid arthritis and during bone regeneration). A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms that control immune cell metabolism and immune response may provide therapeutic opportunities to alter the immune response under conditions of either immunosuppression or inflammation, potentially targeting infections, vaccine response, tumor surveillance, autoimmunity, and inflammatory disorders.

  14. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of alcohol-induced osteopenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Zhenhua; Liu, Yao; Liu, Yitong; Chen, Hui; Shi, Songtao; Liu, Yi

    2017-12-01

    Alcoholic beverages are widely consumed, resulting in a staggering economic cost in different social and cultural settings. Types of alcohol consumption vary from light occasional to heavy, binge drinking, and chronic alcohol abuse at all ages. In general, heavy alcohol consumption is widely recognized as a major epidemiological risk factor for chronic diseases and is detrimental to many organs and tissues, including bones. Indeed, recent findings demonstrate that alcohol has a dose-dependent toxic effect in promoting imbalanced bone remodeling. This imbalance eventually results in osteopenia, an established risk factor for osteoporosis. Decreased bone mass and strength are major hallmarks of osteopenia, which is predominantly attributed not only to inhibition of bone synthesis but also to increased bone resorption through direct and indirect pathways. In this review, we present knowledge to elucidate the epidemiology, potential pathogenesis, and major molecular mechanisms and cellular effects that underlie alcoholism-induced bone loss in osteopenia. Novel therapeutic targets for correcting alcohol-induced osteopenia are also reviewed, such as modulation of proinflammatory cytokines and Wnt and mTOR signaling and the application of new drugs.

  15. A reliability assessment of constrained spherical deconvolution-based diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in individuals with chronic stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snow, Nicholas J; Peters, Sue; Borich, Michael R; Shirzad, Navid; Auriat, Angela M; Hayward, Kathryn S; Boyd, Lara A

    2016-01-15

    Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) is commonly used to assess white matter properties after stroke. Novel work is utilizing constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD) to estimate complex intra-voxel fiber architecture unaccounted for with tensor-based fiber tractography. However, the reliability of CSD-based tractography has not been established in people with chronic stroke. Establishing the reliability of CSD-based DW-MRI in chronic stroke. High-resolution DW-MRI was performed in ten adults with chronic stroke during two separate sessions. Deterministic region of interest-based fiber tractography using CSD was performed by two raters. Mean fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), tract number, and tract volume were extracted from reconstructed fiber pathways in the corticospinal tract (CST) and superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). Callosal fiber pathways connecting the primary motor cortices were also evaluated. Inter-rater and test-retest reliability were determined by intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs). ICCs revealed excellent reliability for FA and ADC in ipsilesional (0.86-1.00; preliability for all metrics in callosal fibers (0.85-1.00; preliable approach to evaluate FA and ADC in major white matter pathways, in chronic stroke. Future work should address the reproducibility and utility of CSD-based metrics of tract number and tract volume. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Mechanisms of adaptation to chronic respiratory acidosis in the rabbit proximal tubule.

    OpenAIRE

    Krapf, R

    1989-01-01

    The hyperbicarbonatemia of chronic respiratory acidosis is maintained by enhanced bicarbonate reabsorption in the proximal tubule. To investigate the cellular mechanisms involved in this adaptation, cell and luminal pH were measured microfluorometrically using (2",7')-bis(carboxyethyl)-(5,6)-carboxyfluorescein in isolated, microperfused S2 proximal convoluted tubules from control and acidotic rabbits. Chronic respiratory acidosis was induced by exposure to 10% CO2 for 52-56 h. Tubules from ac...

  17. Automated Functional Analysis of Astrocytes from Chronic Time-Lapse Calcium Imaging Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yinxue; Shi, Guilai; Miller, David J; Wang, Yizhi; Wang, Congchao; Broussard, Gerard; Wang, Yue; Tian, Lin; Yu, Guoqiang

    2017-01-01

    Recent discoveries that astrocytes exert proactive regulatory effects on neural information processing and that they are deeply involved in normal brain development and disease pathology have stimulated broad interest in understanding astrocyte functional roles in brain circuit. Measuring astrocyte functional status is now technically feasible, due to recent advances in modern microscopy and ultrasensitive cell-type specific genetically encoded Ca 2+ indicators for chronic imaging. However, there is a big gap between the capability of generating large dataset via calcium imaging and the availability of sophisticated analytical tools for decoding the astrocyte function. Current practice is essentially manual, which not only limits analysis throughput but also risks introducing bias and missing important information latent in complex, dynamic big data. Here, we report a suite of computational tools, called Functional AStrocyte Phenotyping (FASP), for automatically quantifying the functional status of astrocytes. Considering the complex nature of Ca 2+ signaling in astrocytes and low signal to noise ratio, FASP is designed with data-driven and probabilistic principles, to flexibly account for various patterns and to perform robustly with noisy data. In particular, FASP explicitly models signal propagation, which rules out the applicability of tools designed for other types of data. We demonstrate the effectiveness of FASP using extensive synthetic and real data sets. The findings by FASP were verified by manual inspection. FASP also detected signals that were missed by purely manual analysis but could be confirmed by more careful manual examination under the guidance of automatic analysis. All algorithms and the analysis pipeline are packaged into a plugin for Fiji (ImageJ), with the source code freely available online at https://github.com/VTcbil/FASP.

  18. Profiling pleural effusion cells by a diffraction imaging method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Qaysi, Safaa; Hong, Heng; Wen, Yuhua; Lu, Jun Q.; Feng, Yuanming; Hu, Xin-Hua

    2018-02-01

    Assay of cells in pleural effusion (PE) is an important means of disease diagnosis. Conventional cytology of effusion samples, however, has low sensitivity and depends heavily on the expertise of cytopathologists. We applied a polarization diffraction imaging flow cytometry method on effusion cells to investigate their features. Diffraction imaging of the PE cell samples has been performed on 6000 to 12000 cells for each effusion cell sample of three patients. After prescreening to remove images by cellular debris and aggregated non-cellular particles, the image textures were extracted with a gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) algorithm. The distribution of the imaged cells in the GLCM parameters space was analyzed by a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) to determine the number of clusters among the effusion cells. These results yield insight on textural features of diffraction images and related cellular morphology in effusion samples and can be used toward the development of a label-free method for effusion cells assay.

  19. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen; Diffusionsgewichtete Magnetresonanztomographie des Abdomens

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmid-Tannwald, C.; Reiser, M.F.; Zech, C.J. [Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Campus Grosshadern, Institut fuer Klinische Radiologie, Muenchen (Germany)

    2011-03-15

    Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) provides qualitative and quantitative information of tissue cellularity and the integrity of cellular membranes. Since DW-MRI can be performed without ionizing radiation exposure and contrast media application, DW-MRI is a particularly attractive tool for patients with allergies for gadolinium-based contrast agents or renal failure. Recent technical developments have made DW-MRI a robust and feasible technique for abdominal imaging. DW-MRI provides information on the detection and characterization of focal liver lesions and can also visualize treatment effects and early changes in chronic liver disease. In addition DW-MRI is a promising tool for the detection of inflammatory changes in patients with Crohn's disease. (orig.) [German] Die diffusionsgewichtete (DW-)MRT ermoeglicht die Erfassung qualitativer und quantitativer Informationen bzgl. der Gewebezellularitaet und Membranintegritaet. Die DW-MRT ist insbesondere bei Patienten mit einer Allergie gegen gadoliniumhaltige Kontrastmittel oder eingeschraenkter Nierenfunktion attraktiv, da ihr Einsatz nicht mit Strahlenexposition oder Kontrastmittelgabe verbunden ist. Durch technische Weiterentwicklungen ist die robuste Anwendung der DW-MRI in der Bildgebung des Abdomens seit einiger Zeit moeglich geworden. In der Leberdiagnostik lassen sich Zusatzinformationen zur Detektion und Charakterisierung von Leberlaesionen gewinnen, aber auch Therapieerfolge dokumentieren und fruehe chronische Leberveraenderungen visualisieren. Neben ihrer Rolle bei hepatologischen und onkologischen Fragestellungen erscheint der Einsatz der DW-MRT zudem bei entzuendlichen Fragestellungen wie dem Morbus Crohn sehr viel versprechend. (orig.)

  20. Freshwater molluscs from volcanic areas as model organisms to assess adaptation to metal chronic pollution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zaldibar, Benat; Rodrigues, Armindo; Lopes, Marco; Amaral, Andre; Marigomez, Ionan; Soto, Manu

    2006-01-01

    Cellular biomarkers of exposure and biological effects were measured in digestive gland of snails (Physa acuta) sampled in sites with and without active volcanism in Sao Miguel Island (Azores). Metal content in digestive cell lysosomes was determined by image analysis after autometallography (AMG) as volume density of autometallographed black silver deposits (Vv BSD ). Lysosomal structural changes (lysosomal volume, surface and numerical densities - Vv LYS, Sv LYS and Nv LYS- , and surface-to-volume ratio - S/V LYS -) were quantified by image analysis, after demonstration of β-glucuronidase activity, on digestive gland cryotome sections. Additional chemical analyses (atomic absorption spectrophotometry) were done in the digestive gland of snails. The highest metal concentrations were found in snails from the active volcanic site, which agreed with high intralysomal Vv BSD . Digestive cell lysosomes in snails inhabiting sites with active volcanism resembled a typical stress situation (enlarged and less numerous lysosomes). In conclusion, the biomarkers used in this work can be applied to detect changes in metal bioavailability due to chronic exposure to metals (volcanism), in combination with chemical analyses

  1. Using eye movements to investigate selective attention in chronic daily headache.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liossi, Christina; Schoth, Daniel E; Godwin, Hayward J; Liversedge, Simon P

    2014-03-01

    Previous research has demonstrated that chronic pain is associated with biased processing of pain-related information. Most studies have examined this bias by measuring response latencies. The present study extended previous work by recording eye movement behaviour in individuals with chronic headache and in healthy controls while participants viewed a set of images (i.e., facial expressions) from 4 emotion categories (pain, angry, happy, neutral). Biases in initial orienting were assessed from the location of the initial shift in gaze, and biases in the maintenance of attention were assessed from the duration of gaze on the picture that was initially fixated, and the mean number of visits, and mean fixation duration per image category. The eye movement behaviour of the participants in the chronic headache group was characterised by a bias in initial shift of orienting to pain. There was no evidence of individuals with chronic headache visiting more often, or spending significantly more time viewing, pain images compared to other images. Both participant groups showed a significantly greater bias to maintain gaze longer on happy images, relative to pain, angry, and neutral images. Results are consistent with a pain-related bias that operates in the orienting of attention on pain-related stimuli, and suggest that chronic pain participants' attentional biases for pain-related information are evident even when other emotional stimuli are present. Pain-related information-processing biases appear to be a robust feature of chronic pain and may have an important role in the maintenance of the disorder. Copyright © 2013 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Cellular Dynamics Revealed by Digital Holographic Microscopy☆

    KAUST Repository

    Marquet, P.

    2016-11-22

    Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) is a new optical method that provides, without the use of any contrast agent, real-time, three-dimensional images of transparent living cells, with an axial sensitivity of a few tens of nanometers. They result from the hologram numerical reconstruction process, which permits a sub wavelength calculation of the phase shift, produced on the transmitted wave front, by the optically probed cells, namely the quantitative phase signal (QPS). Specifically, in addition to measurements of cellular surface morphometry and intracellular refractive index (RI), various biophysical cellular parameters including dry mass, absolute volume, membrane fluctuations at the nanoscale and biomechanical properties, transmembrane water permeability as swell as current, can be derived from the QPS. This article presents how quantitative phase DHM (QP-DHM) can explored cell dynamics at the nanoscale with a special attention to both the study of neuronal dynamics and the optical resolution of local neuronal network.

  3. Cellular Dynamics Revealed by Digital Holographic Microscopy☆

    KAUST Repository

    Marquet, P.; Depeursinge, Christian; Jourdain, P.

    2016-01-01

    Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) is a new optical method that provides, without the use of any contrast agent, real-time, three-dimensional images of transparent living cells, with an axial sensitivity of a few tens of nanometers. They result from the hologram numerical reconstruction process, which permits a sub wavelength calculation of the phase shift, produced on the transmitted wave front, by the optically probed cells, namely the quantitative phase signal (QPS). Specifically, in addition to measurements of cellular surface morphometry and intracellular refractive index (RI), various biophysical cellular parameters including dry mass, absolute volume, membrane fluctuations at the nanoscale and biomechanical properties, transmembrane water permeability as swell as current, can be derived from the QPS. This article presents how quantitative phase DHM (QP-DHM) can explored cell dynamics at the nanoscale with a special attention to both the study of neuronal dynamics and the optical resolution of local neuronal network.

  4. Biological Properties of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Cellular and Molecular Magnetic Resonance Imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claus-Christian Glüer

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Superparamagnetic iron-oxide particles (SPIO are used in different ways as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI: Particles with high nonspecific uptake are required for unspecific labeling of phagocytic cells whereas those that target specific molecules need to have very low unspecific cellular uptake. We compared iron-oxide particles with different core materials (magnetite, maghemite, different coatings (none, dextran, carboxydextran, polystyrene and different hydrodynamic diameters (20–850 nm for internalization kinetics, release of internalized particles, toxicity, localization of particles and ability to generate contrast in MRI. Particle uptake was investigated with U118 glioma cells und human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC, which exhibit different phagocytic properties. In both cell types, the contrast agents Resovist, B102, non-coated Fe3O4 particles and microspheres were better internalized than dextran-coated Nanomag particles. SPIO uptake into the cells increased with particle/iron concentrations. Maximum intracellular accumulation of iron particles was observed between 24 h to 36 h of exposure. Most particles were retained in the cells for at least two weeks, were deeply internalized, and only few remained adsorbed at the cell surface. Internalized particles clustered in the cytosol of the cells. Furthermore, all particles showed a low toxicity. By MRI, monolayers consisting of 5000 Resovist-labeled cells could easily be visualized. Thus, for unspecific cell labeling, Resovist and microspheres show the highest potential, whereas Nanomag particles are promising contrast agents for target-specific labeling.

  5. Diagnostic imaging for chronic plantar heel pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barrett Joanna T

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic plantar heel pain (CPHP is a generalised term used to describe a range of undifferentiated conditions affecting the plantar heel. Plantar fasciitis is reported as the most common cause and the terms are frequently used interchangeably in the literature. Diagnostic imaging has been used by many researchers and practitioners to investigate the involvement of specific anatomical structures in CPHP. These observations help to explain the underlying pathology of the disorder, and are of benefit in forming an accurate diagnosis and targeted treatment plan. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the diagnostic imaging features associated with CPHP, and evaluate study findings by meta-analysis where appropriate. Methods Bibliographic databases including Medline, Embase, CINAHL, SportDiscus and The Cochrane Library were searched electronically on March 25, 2009. Eligible articles were required to report imaging findings in participants with CPHP unrelated to inflammatory arthritis, and to compare these findings with a control group. Methodological quality was evaluated by use of the Quality Index as described by Downs and Black. Meta-analysis of study data was conducted where appropriate. Results Plantar fascia thickness as measured by ultrasonography was the most widely reported imaging feature. Meta-analysis revealed that the plantar fascia of CPHP participants was 2.16 mm thicker than control participants (95% CI = 1.60 to 2.71 mm, P P = 0.01. CPHP participants were also more likely to show radiographic evidence of subcalcaneal spur than control participants (OR = 8.52, 95% CI = 4.08 to 17.77, P Conclusion This systematic review has identified 23 studies investigating the diagnostic imaging appearance of the plantar fascia and inferior calcaneum in people with CPHP. Analysis of these studies found that people with CPHP are likely to have a thickened plantar fascia with associated fluid collection, and that

  6. Imaging Frontostriatal Function in Ultra-High-Risk, Early, and Chronic Schizophrenia During Executive Processing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morey, Rajendra A.; Inan, Seniha; Mitchell, Teresa V.; Perkins, Diana O.; Lieberman, Jeffrey A.; Belger, Aysenil

    2009-01-01

    Context Individuals experiencing prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia (ultra-high-risk group) demonstrate impaired performance on tasks of executive function, attention, and working memory. The neurobiological underpinnings of such executive deficits in ultra-high-risk individuals remains unclear. Objective We assessed frontal and striatal functions during a visual oddball continuous performance task, in ultra-high-risk, early, and chronic schizophrenic patients with the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging. Design Cross-sectional case-control design. Setting Community; outpatient clinic. Patients Fifty-two individuals (control, n = 16; ultra-high risk, n = 10; early, n = 15; chronic, n = 11) from a referred clinical sample and age- and sex-matched control volunteers underwent scanning. Main Outcome Measures Percentage of active voxels and percentage signal change calculated for the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG), middle frontal gyrus (MFG), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), basal ganglia, and thalamus. Performance on the visual oddball task was measured with percentage of hits and d′ (a measure based on the hit rate and the false-alarm rate). Results The ultra-high-risk group showed significantly smaller differential activation between task-relevant and task-irrelevant stimuli in the frontal regions (ACG, IFG, MFG) than the control group. Frontostriatal activation associated with target stimuli in the early and chronic groups was significantly lower than the control group, while the ultra-high-risk group showed a trend toward the early group. Conclusions Our findings suggest that prefrontal function begins to decline before the onset of syndromally defined illness and hence may represent a vulnerability marker in assessing the risk of developing psychotic disorders among ultra-high-risk individuals. PMID:15753238

  7. Three-dimensional microscopic deformation measurements on cellular solids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Genovese, K

    2016-07-01

    The increasing interest in small-scale problems demands novel experimental protocols providing dense sets of 3D deformation data of complex shaped microstructures. Obtaining such information is particularly significant for the study of natural and engineered cellular solids for which experimental data collected at macro scale and describing the global mechanical response provide only limited information on their function/structure relationship. Cellular solids, in fact, due their superior mechanical performances to a unique arrangement of the bulk material properties (i.e. anisotropy and heterogeneity) and cell structural features (i.e. pores shape, size and distribution) at the micro- and nano-scales. To address the need for full-field experimental data down to the cell level, this paper proposes a single-camera stereo-Digital Image Correlation (DIC) system that makes use of a wedge prism in series to a telecentric lens for performing surface shape and deformation measurements on microstructures in three dimensions. Although the system possesses a limited measurement volume (FOV~2.8×4.3mm(2), error-free DOF ~1mm), large surface areas of cellular samples can be accurately covered by employing a sequential image capturing scheme followed by an optimization-based mosaicing procedure. The basic principles of the proposed method together with the results of the benchmarking of its metrological performances and error analysis are here reported and discussed in detail. Finally, the potential utility of this method is illustrated with micro-resolution three-dimensional measurements on a 3D printed honeycomb and on a block sample of a Luffa sponge under compression. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Effect of chronic kidney disease on serum resistin level | Dan ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... between two groups was statistically significant. Conclusion: Our study is probably the first study in India comparing serum resistin levels of CKD patients vis-à-vis control subjects. Further cellular research may be needed to explore this relation. Key words: Chronic kidney disease, HOMA-IR, insulin resistance, resistin ...

  9. Bases celulares e bioquímicas da doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica Cellular and biochemical bases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rogério Rufino

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available A doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica é uma doença inflamatória com participação ativa de macrófagos, neutrófilos e linfócitos CD8+ em sua patogênese, associada a estímulos oxidantes diretos das estruturas pulmonares, que desencadeiam reações bioquímicas, levando a progressiva desorganização das pequenas vias aéreas e ao remodelamento estrutural não reversível. A liberação de substâncias provenientes das células recrutadas e do estresse oxidativo leva ao desequilíbrio inicialmente temporário dos mecanismos de defesa pulmonar. A permanência desse desequilíbrio é uma das chaves da fisiopatogenia atual. Os autores descrevem as alterações celulares e bioquímicas da doença pulmonar obstrutiva crônica.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is an inflammatory disease. Together with oxidant stimuli, which directly affect lung structures, macrophages, neutrophils and CD8+ lymphocytes actively participate in the pathogenesis of the disease and promote biochemical reactions that result in progressive alteration of the upper airways and irreversible lung remodeling. The release of substances promoted by inflammatory cell recruitment and by oxidative stress lead to a temporary imbalance in the pulmonary defense mechanisms. Understanding the long-term maintenance of this imbalance is key to understanding the current physiopathology of the disease. The present study explores the cellular and molecular alterations seen in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

  10. Imaging of Posttraumatic Arthritis, Avascular Necrosis, Septic Arthritis, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, and Cancer Mimicking Arthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rupasov, Andrey; Cain, Usa; Montoya, Simone; Blickman, Johan G

    2017-09-01

    This article focuses on the imaging of 5 discrete entities with a common end result of disability: posttraumatic arthritis, a common form of secondary osteoarthritis that results from a prior insult to the joint; avascular necrosis, a disease of impaired osseous blood flow, leading to cellular death and subsequent osseous collapse; septic arthritis, an infectious process leading to destructive changes within the joint; complex regional pain syndrome, a chronic limb-confined painful condition arising after injury; and cases of cancer mimicking arthritis, in which the initial findings seem to represent arthritis, despite a more insidious cause. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Testing for Chronic Diarrhea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raman, M

    Chronic diarrhea is a frequently encountered symptom in clinical practice. The etiologies for chronic diarrhea are diverse and broad with varying clinical implications. A useful method of categorizing chronic diarrhea to guide a diagnostic work-up is a pathophysiology-based framework. Chronic diarrhea may be categorized as malabsorptive, secretory, osmotic, and inflammatory or motility related. Frequently, overlap between categories may exist for any given diarrhea etiology and diagnostic testing must occur with an understanding of the differential diagnosis. Investigations to achieve a diagnosis for chronic diarrhea range from screening blood and stool tests to more directed testing such as diagnostic imaging, and endoscopic and histological evaluation. The pathophysiology-based framework proposed in this chapter will allow the clinician to select screening tests followed by targeted tests to minimize cost and complications to the patient, while providing a highly effective method to achieve an accurate diagnosis. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Health and Cellular Impacts of Air Pollutants: From Cytoprotection to Cytotoxicity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karine Andreau

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Air pollution as one of the ravages of our modern societies is primarily linked to urban centers, industrial activities, or road traffic. These atmospheric pollutants have been incriminated in deleterious health effects by numerous epidemiological and in vitro studies. Environmental air pollutants are a heterogeneous mixture of particles suspended into a liquid and gaseous phase which trigger the disruption of redox homeostasis—known under the term of cellular oxidative stress—in relation with the establishment of inflammation and cell death via necrosis, apoptosis, or autophagy. Activation or repression of the apoptotic process as an adaptative response to xenobiotics might lead to either acute or chronic toxicity. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the central role of oxidative stress induced by air pollutants and to focus on the subsequent cellular impacts ranging from cytoprotection to cytotoxicity by decreasing or stimulating apoptosis, respectively.

  13. Progress on molecular imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Quan; Zhang Yongxue

    2011-01-01

    Molecular imaging is a new era of medical imaging,which can non-invasively monitor biological processes at the cellular and molecular level in vivo, including molecular imaging of nuclear medicine, magnetic resonance molecular imaging, ultrasound molecular imaging,optical molecular imaging and molecular imaging with X-ray. Recently, with the development of multi-subjects amalgamation, multimodal molecular imaging technology has been applied in clinical imaging, such as PET-CT and PET-MRI. We believe that with development of molecular probe and multi-modal imaging, more and more molecular imaging techniques will be applied in clinical diagnosis and treatment. (authors)

  14. Human Aortic Endothelial Cell Labeling with Positive Contrast Gadolinium Oxide Nanoparticles for Cellular Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 7 Tesla

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasir Loai

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Positive T1 contrast using gadolinium (Gd contrast agents can potentially improve detection of labeled cells on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI. Recently, gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3 nanoparticles have shown promise as a sensitive T1 agent for cell labeling at clinical field strengths compared to conventional Gd chelates. The objective of this study was to investigate Gado CELLTrack, a commercially available Gd2O3 nanoparticle, for cell labeling and MRI at 7 T. Relaxivity measurements yielded r1 = 4.7 s−1 mM−1 and r2/r1 = 6.2. Human aortic endothelial cells were labeled with Gd2O3 at various concentrations and underwent MRI from 1 to 7 days postlabeling. The magnetic resonance relaxation times T1 and T2 of labeled cell pellets were measured. Cellular contrast agent uptake was quantified by inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectroscopy, which showed very high uptake compared to conventional Gd compounds. MRI demonstrated significant positive T1 contrast and stable labeling on cells. Enhancement was optimal at low Gd concentrations, attained in the 0.02 to 0.1 mM incubation concentration range (corresponding cell uptake was 7.26 to 34.1 pg Gd/cell. Cell viability and proliferation were unaffected at the concentrations tested and up to at least 3 days postlabeling. Gd2O3 is a promising sensitive and stable positive contrast agent for cellular MRI at 7 T.

  15. Phenotypic complexity of T regulatory subsets in patients with B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biancotto, Angélique; Dagur, Pradeep K; Fuchs, John C; Wiestner, Adrian; Bagwell, C Bruce; McCoy, J Philip

    2012-02-01

    Increased numbers of T regulatory (T(reg)) cells are found in B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia, but the nature and function of these T(regs) remains unclear. Detailed characterization of the T(regs) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia has not been performed and the degree of heterogeneity of among these cells has not been studied to date. Using 15-color flow cytometry we show that T(reg) cells, defined using CD4, CD25, and forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), can be divided into multiple complex subsets based on markers used for naïve, memory, and effector delineation as well as markers of T(reg) activation. Furthermore FOXP3(+) cells can be identified among CD4(+)CD25(-) as well as CD8(+)CD4(-) populations in increased proportions in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia compared with healthy donors. Significantly different frequencies of naïve and effector T(regs) populations are found in healthy donor controls compared with donors with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. A population of CCR7(+)CD39(+) T(regs) was significantly associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. This population demonstrated slightly reduced suppressive activity compared with total T(regs) or T(regs) of healthy donors. These data suggest that FOXP3-expressing cells, particularly in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia are much more complex for T(reg) sub-populations and transitions than previously reported. These findings demonstrate the complexity of regulation of T-cell responses in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and illustrate the use of high-dimensional analysis of cellular phenotypes in facilitating understanding of the intricacies of cellular immune responses and their dysregulation in cancer.

  16. Functional DNA-containing nanomaterials: cellular applications in biosensing, imaging, and targeted therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Hao; Zhang, Xiao-Bing; Lv, Yifan; Gong, Liang; Wang, Ruowen; Zhu, Xiaoyan; Yang, Ronghua; Tan, Weihong

    2014-06-17

    CONSPECTUS: DNA performs a vital function as a carrier of genetic code, but in the field of nanotechnology, DNA molecules can catalyze chemical reactions in the cell, that is, DNAzymes, or bind with target-specific ligands, that is, aptamers. These functional DNAs with different modifications have been developed for sensing, imaging, and therapeutic systems. Thus, functional DNAs hold great promise for future applications in nanotechnology and bioanalysis. However, these functional DNAs face challenges, especially in the field of biomedicine. For example, functional DNAs typically require the use of cationic transfection reagents to realize cellular uptake. Such reagents enter the cells, increasing the difficulty of performing bioassays in vivo and potentially damaging the cell's nucleus. To address this obstacle, nanomaterials, such as metallic, carbon, silica, or magnetic materials, have been utilized as DNA carriers or assistants. In this Account, we describe selected examples of functional DNA-containing nanomaterials and their applications from our recent research and those of others. As models, we have chosen to highlight DNA/nanomaterial complexes consisting of gold nanoparticles, graphene oxides, and aptamer-micelles, and we illustrate the potential of such complexes in biosensing, imaging, and medical diagnostics. Under proper conditions, multiple ligand-receptor interactions, decreased steric hindrance, and increased surface roughness can be achieved from a high density of DNA that is bound to the surface of nanomaterials, resulting in a higher affinity for complementary DNA and other targets. In addition, this high density of DNA causes a high local salt concentration and negative charge density, which can prevent DNA degradation. For example, DNAzymes assembled on gold nanoparticles can effectively catalyze chemical reactions even in living cells. And it has been confirmed that DNA-nanomaterial complexes can enter cells more easily than free single

  17. Sympatho-adrenal activation by chronic intermittent hypoxia

    OpenAIRE

    Prabhakar, Nanduri R.; Kumar, Ganesh K.; Peng, Ying-Jie

    2012-01-01

    Recurrent apnea with chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is a major clinical problem in adult humans and infants born preterm. Patients with recurrent apnea exhibit heightened sympathetic activity as well as elevated plasma catecholamine levels, and these phenotypes are effectively recapitulated in rodent models of CIH. This article summarizes findings from studies addressing sympathetic activation in recurrent apnea patients and rodent models of CIH and the underlying cellular and molecular m...

  18. Early diagnosis of interferon-induced myocardial disorder in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Evaluation by myocardial imaging with 123I-BMIPP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kondo, Yuki; Yukinaka, Michiko; Nomura, Masahiro; Nakaya, Yutaka; Ito, Susumu

    2000-01-01

    Interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis C is sometimes associated with cardiac complications. In the present study, we performed myocardial imaging with 123 I-labeled β-methyl-p-iodophenylpentadecanoic acid ( 123 I-BMIPP) in order to evaluate myocardial disorders caused by IFN. We studied 40 healthy subjects (H group) and 25 patients with chronic hepatitis C who had been treated with IFN (IFN group). A Holter electrocardiogram (ECG) was performed and the autonomic nervous function was assessed by analyzing the spectral variability and 1/f fluctuation of heart rate. Myocardial planner imaging with 123 I-BMIPP was performed to obtain the time activity curve for 20 min immediately after administration of 123 I-BMIPP (dynamic study). Early and delayed myocardial single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images were expressed as Bull's eyes and the myocardium was divided into four segments to calculate the washout rate for each segment on early and late SPECT images (early and late SPECT study). No significant differences in autonomic nervous function were observed between the two groups in heart rate variability. In a dynamic study, the reduction rate from the time activity curve was significantly higher in the IFN group compared with the H group (reduction rate, IFN group, 5.3±3.7% vs H group, 1.2±3.3%; P 123 I-BMIPP myocardial scintigraphy examination several months after IFN therapy. These results indicate that metabolic disorders of fatty acids caused by IFN therapy can be detected before abnormalities are observed by Holter-ECG or echocardiography. (author)

  19. Early diagnosis of interferon-induced myocardial disorder in patients with chronic hepatitis C: evaluation by myocardial imaging with 123I-BMIPP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kondo, Y; Yukinaka, M; Nomura, M; Nakaya, Y; Ito, S

    2000-01-01

    Interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis C is sometimes associated with cardiac complications. In the present study, we performed myocardial imaging with 123I-labeled beta-methyl-p-iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (123I-BMIPP) in order to evaluate myocardial disorders caused by IFN. We studied 40 healthy subjects (H group) and 25 patients with chronic hepatitis C who had been treated with IFN (IFN group). A Holter electrocardiogram (ECG) was performed and the autonomic nervous function was assessed by analyzing the spectral variability and 1/f fluctuation of heart rate. Myocardial planner imaging with 123I-BMIPP was performed to obtain the time activity curve for 20min immediately after administration of 123I-BMIPP (dynamic study). Early and delayed myocardial single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images were expressed as Bull's eyes and the myocardium was divided into four segments to calculate the washout rate for each segment on early and late SPECT images (early and late SPECT study). No significant differences in autonomic nervous function were observed between the two groups in heart rate variability. In a dynamic study, the reduction rate from the time activity curve was significantly higher in the IFN group compared with the H group (reduction rate, IFN group, 5.3 +/- 3.7% vs H group, 1.2 +/- 3.3%; P acids caused by IFN was reversed on the second 123I-BMIPP myocardial scintigraphy examination several months after IFN therapy. These results indicate that metabolic disorders of fatty acids caused by IFN therapy can be detected before abnormalities are observed by Holter-ECG or echocardiography.

  20. Chronic pancreatitis: diagnosis, classification, and new genetic developments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Etemad, B; Whitcomb, D C

    2001-02-01

    The utilization of recent advances in molecular and genomic technologies and progress in pancreatic imaging techniques provided remarkable insight into genetic, environmental, immunologic, and pathobiological factors leading to chronic pancreatitis. Translation of these advances into clinical practice demands a reassessment of current approaches to diagnosis, classification, and staging. We conclude that an adequate pancreatic biopsy must be the gold standard against which all diagnostic approaches are judged. Although computed tomography remains the initial test of choice for the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, the roles of endoscopic retrograde pancreatography, endoscopic ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging are considered. Once chronic pancreatitis is diagnosed, proper classification becomes important. Major predisposing risk factors to chronic pancreatitis may be categorized as either (1) toxic-metabolic, (2) idiopathic, (3) genetic, (4) autoimmune, (5) recurrent and severe acute pancreatitis, or (6) obstructive (TIGAR-O system). After classification, staging of pancreatic function, injury, and fibrosis becomes the next major concern. Further research is needed to determine the clinical and natural history of chronic pancreatitis developing in the context of various risk factors. New methods are needed for early diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, and new therapies are needed to determine whether interventions will delay or prevent the progression of the irreversible damage characterizing end-stage chronic pancreatitis.

  1. Multiparametric Quantitative Ultrasound Imaging in Assessment of Chronic Kidney Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Jing; Perlman, Alan; Kalache, Safa; Berman, Nathaniel; Seshan, Surya; Salvatore, Steven; Smith, Lindsey; Wehrli, Natasha; Waldron, Levi; Kodali, Hanish; Chevalier, James

    2017-11-01

    To evaluate the value of multiparametric quantitative ultrasound imaging in assessing chronic kidney disease (CKD) using kidney biopsy pathologic findings as reference standards. We prospectively measured multiparametric quantitative ultrasound markers with grayscale, spectral Doppler, and acoustic radiation force impulse imaging in 25 patients with CKD before kidney biopsy and 10 healthy volunteers. Based on all pathologic (glomerulosclerosis, interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy, arteriosclerosis, and edema) scores, the patients with CKD were classified into mild (no grade 3 and quantitative ultrasound parameters included kidney length, cortical thickness, pixel intensity, parenchymal shear wave velocity, intrarenal artery peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistive index. We tested the difference in quantitative ultrasound parameters among mild CKD, moderate to severe CKD, and healthy controls using analysis of variance, analyzed correlations of quantitative ultrasound parameters with pathologic scores and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using Pearson correlation coefficients, and examined the diagnostic performance of quantitative ultrasound parameters in determining moderate CKD and an estimated GFR of less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. There were significant differences in cortical thickness, pixel intensity, PSV, and EDV among the 3 groups (all P quantitative ultrasound parameters, the top areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for PSV and EDV were 0.88 and 0.97, respectively, for determining pathologic moderate to severe CKD, and 0.76 and 0.86 for estimated GFR of less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 . Moderate to good correlations were found for PSV, EDV, and pixel intensity with pathologic scores and estimated GFR. The PSV, EDV, and pixel intensity are valuable in determining moderate to severe CKD. The value of shear wave velocity in

  2. Imaging windows for long-term intravital imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alieva, Maria; Ritsma, Laila; Giedt, Randy J; Weissleder, Ralph; van Rheenen, Jacco

    2014-01-01

    Intravital microscopy is increasingly used to visualize and quantitate dynamic biological processes at the (sub)cellular level in live animals. By visualizing tissues through imaging windows, individual cells (e.g., cancer, host, or stem cells) can be tracked and studied over a time-span of days to months. Several imaging windows have been developed to access tissues including the brain, superficial fascia, mammary glands, liver, kidney, pancreas, and small intestine among others. Here, we review the development of imaging windows and compare the most commonly used long-term imaging windows for cancer biology: the cranial imaging window, the dorsal skin fold chamber, the mammary imaging window, and the abdominal imaging window. Moreover, we provide technical details, considerations, and trouble-shooting tips on the surgical procedures and microscopy setups for each imaging window and explain different strategies to assure imaging of the same area over multiple imaging sessions. This review aims to be a useful resource for establishing the long-term intravital imaging procedure. PMID:28243510

  3. Cellular neural networks for the stereo matching problem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taraglio, S.; Zanela, A.

    1997-03-01

    The applicability of the Cellular Neural Network (CNN) paradigm to the problem of recovering information on the tridimensional structure of the environment is investigated. The approach proposed is the stereo matching of video images. The starting point of this work is the Zhou-Chellappa neural network implementation for the same problem. The CNN based system we present here yields the same results as the previous approach, but without the many existing drawbacks

  4. Value of stress ultrasound for the diagnosis of chronic ankle instability compared to manual anterior drawer test, stress radiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and arthroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Jae Ho; Lee, Doo Hyung; Song, Hyung Keun; Bang, Joon Young; Lee, Kyung Tai; Park, Young Uk

    2016-04-01

    Clinicians frequently diagnose chronic ankle instability using the manual anterior drawer test and stress radiography. However, both examinations can yield incorrect results and do not reveal the extent of ankle instability. Stress ultrasound has been reported to be a new diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of chronic ankle instability. The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of stress ultrasound for chronic ankle instability compared to the manual anterior drawer test, stress radiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and arthroscopy. Twenty-eight consecutive patients who underwent ankle arthroscopy and subsequent modified Broström repair for treatment of chronic ankle instability were included. The arthroscopic findings were used as the reference standard. A standardized physical examination (manual anterior drawer test), stress radiography, MRI, and stress ultrasound were performed to assess the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) prior to operation. Ultrasound images were taken in the resting position and the maximal anterior drawer position. Grade 3 lateral instability was verified arthroscopically in all 28 cases with a clinical diagnosis (100%). Twenty-two cases showed grade III instability on the manual anterior drawer test (78.6%). Twenty-four cases displayed anterior translation exceeding 5 mm on stress radiography (86%), and talar tilt angle exceeded 15° in three cases (11 %). Nineteen cases displayed a partial chronic tear (change in thickness or signal intensity), and nine cases displayed complete tear on MRI (100%). Lax and wavy ATFL was evident on stress ultrasound in all cases (100 %). The mean value of the ATFL length was 2.8 ± 0.3 cm for the stressed condition and 2.1 ± 0.2 cm for the resting condition (p radiography. III.

  5. Usefulness of bone marrow magnetic resonance imaging and indium-111-chloride bone marrow scintigraphy in patients with various hematological diseases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kobayashi, Yutaka; Umekawa, Tsunekazu; Chikayama, Satoshi [Osaka General Hospital of West Japan Railway Compapy (Japan)] [and others

    1995-03-01

    This study investigated the ability of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and indium-111 chloride (In-111) scintigraphy to assess bone marrow in various hematological lesions. The subjects were 7 with aplastic anemia (AA), 4 with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), 3 with polycythemia (PC), 3 with essential thrombocythemia (ET), 2 with multiple myeloma (MM), 2 with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), 3 with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), one with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and one with secondary anemia due to chronic inflammation (SA). Bone marrow cellularity was assessed on MR images and both uptake and tissue distribution were assessed on In-111 scintigraphy. Hypo-cellularity was seen in all AA patients, but not seen in any other patient in each group. On the other hand, hyper-cellularity was seen in 3 MDS, one PC, all 3 ET, one ALL, and one SA patients. In the group of MM, the vertebral body was seen as heterogenous signal intensity on MR images. Bone marrow was seen as iso-intensity in one MDS, 2 PC, all 2 MGUS, and all 3 ITP patients. In-111 scintigraphy showed decrease or disappearance of tracer uptake and decreased tissue distribution in all 7 AA, one MDS, one PC, and one ALL patients. Increased tracer uptake and enlarged tissue distribution were seen in one MDS, one PC, and one SA patients. One MDS, one ET, all 2 MM, all 2 MGUS, all 3 ITP patients had tracer uptake and tissue distribution that were equal to those in the normal tissues. Since MR imaging and In-111 scintigraphy provided qualitatively different information, the combination of both modalities would contribute to the understanding of bone marrow condition in hematopoietic diseases. (N.K.).

  6. Microfluidic Imaging Flow Cytometry by Asymmetric-detection Time-stretch Optical Microscopy (ATOM).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Anson H L; Lai, Queenie T K; Chung, Bob M F; Lee, Kelvin C M; Mok, Aaron T Y; Yip, G K; Shum, Anderson H C; Wong, Kenneth K Y; Tsia, Kevin K

    2017-06-28

    Scaling the number of measurable parameters, which allows for multidimensional data analysis and thus higher-confidence statistical results, has been the main trend in the advanced development of flow cytometry. Notably, adding high-resolution imaging capabilities allows for the complex morphological analysis of cellular/sub-cellular structures. This is not possible with standard flow cytometers. However, it is valuable for advancing our knowledge of cellular functions and can benefit life science research, clinical diagnostics, and environmental monitoring. Incorporating imaging capabilities into flow cytometry compromises the assay throughput, primarily due to the limitations on speed and sensitivity in the camera technologies. To overcome this speed or throughput challenge facing imaging flow cytometry while preserving the image quality, asymmetric-detection time-stretch optical microscopy (ATOM) has been demonstrated to enable high-contrast, single-cell imaging with sub-cellular resolution, at an imaging throughput as high as 100,000 cells/s. Based on the imaging concept of conventional time-stretch imaging, which relies on all-optical image encoding and retrieval through the use of ultrafast broadband laser pulses, ATOM further advances imaging performance by enhancing the image contrast of unlabeled/unstained cells. This is achieved by accessing the phase-gradient information of the cells, which is spectrally encoded into single-shot broadband pulses. Hence, ATOM is particularly advantageous in high-throughput measurements of single-cell morphology and texture - information indicative of cell types, states, and even functions. Ultimately, this could become a powerful imaging flow cytometry platform for the biophysical phenotyping of cells, complementing the current state-of-the-art biochemical-marker-based cellular assay. This work describes a protocol to establish the key modules of an ATOM system (from optical frontend to data processing and visualization

  7. Reduced background autofluorescence for cell imaging using nanodiamonds and lanthanide chelates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordina, Nicole M; Sayyadi, Nima; Parker, Lindsay M; Everest-Dass, Arun; Brown, Louise J; Packer, Nicolle H

    2018-03-14

    Bio-imaging is a key technique in tracking and monitoring important biological processes and fundamental biomolecular interactions, however the interference of background autofluorescence with targeted fluorophores is problematic for many bio-imaging applications. This study reports on two novel methods for reducing interference with cellular autofluorescence for bio-imaging. The first method uses fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs), containing nitrogen vacancy centers. FNDs emit at near-infrared wavelengths typically higher than most cellular autofluorescence; and when appropriately functionalized, can be used for background-free imaging of targeted biomolecules. The second method uses europium-chelating tags with long fluorescence lifetimes. These europium-chelating tags enhance background-free imaging due to the short fluorescent lifetimes of cellular autofluorescence. In this study, we used both methods to target E-selectin, a transmembrane glycoprotein that is activated by inflammation, to demonstrate background-free fluorescent staining in fixed endothelial cells. Our findings indicate that both FND and Europium based staining can improve fluorescent bio-imaging capabilities by reducing competition with cellular autofluorescence. 30 nm nanodiamonds coated with the E-selectin antibody was found to enable the most sensitive detective of E-selectin in inflamed cells, with a 40-fold increase in intensity detected.

  8. MRI-derived Restriction Spectrum Imaging Cellularity Index is Associated with High Grade Prostate Cancer on Radical Prostatectomy Specimens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Andre Liss

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: We evaluate a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI technique to improve detection of aggressive prostate cancer. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of presurgical prostate MRI scans using an advanced diffusion weighted imaging technique called Restriction Spectrum Imaging (RSI, which can be presented as a normalized z-score statistic (RSI z-score. Scans were acquired prior to radical prostatectomy. Prostatectomy specimens were processed using whole mount sectioning and regions of interest (ROIs were drawn around individual prostate cancer (PCa tumors. Corresponding ROIs were drawn on the MRI imaging and paired with ROIs in regions with no pathology. RSI z-score and conventional apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC values were recorded for each ROI. Paired t-test, ANOVA and logistic regression analyses were performed.Results: We evaluated 28 patients with 64 regions of interest (28 benign and 36 PCa. The mean difference in RSI z-score (PCa ROI – Benign ROI was 2.17 (SE = 0.11; p <0.001 and in ADC was 551 mm2/sec (SE = 80 mm2/sec; paired t-test, p <0.001. The differences in the means among all groups (benign, primary Gleason 3 and primary Gleason 4 was significant for both RSI z-score (F3,64 = 97.7, p <0.001 and ADC (F3,64 = 13.9, p <0.001. A t-test was performed on only PCa tumor ROIs (n=36 to determine prostate cancer aggressiveness (Gleason 3 vs. Gleason 4 revealing that RSI z-score was still significant (p = 0.03, whereas, ADC values were no longer significant (p = 0.08. In multivariable analysis adjusting for age and race, RSI z-score was associated with PCa aggressiveness (OR 10.3, 95%CI: 1.4-78.0, p=0.02 while ADC trended to significance (p=0.07. Conclusions: The RSI derived normalized cellularity index (RSI z-score is associated with aggressive prostate cancer as determined by pathologic Gleason scores. Further utilization of RSI techniques may serve to enhance standardized reporting systems.

  9. Diffusion-weighted imaging in chronic Behcet patients with and without neurological findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baysal, T.; Dogan, M.; Bulut, T.; Sarac, K.; Karlidag, R.; Ozisik, H.I.; Baysal, O.

    2005-01-01

    Our aim was to investigate whether neurological impairment in chronic Behcet's disease (BD) patients with normal appearing brain can be assessed by means of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). The averaged apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were calculated in 22 different radiologically normal appearing brain regions in 32 patients with and without neurological findings and 20 control subjects. The ADC values in bilateral frontal, temporal and occipital normal appearing white matter were significantly higher in the patient groups compared with the control subjects (p<0.05). In these brain regions, DWI revealed differences in the ADC values between patients with neurological findings (including symptomatic and neuro-Behcet patients) and the asymptomatic patient group. The similarity of the ADC values of patients without symptoms to those of the control group allowed clear discrimination between patients with and without neurological findings. DWI may serve to assess subclinical neurological involvement in BD, even when structural changes are absent. (orig.)

  10. Fast FLAIR MR images of intracranial hemorrhage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chun, Eun Ju; Choi, Hye Young; Cho, Young A; Kim, Wha Young

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to evaluate the signal characteristics of intracranial hemorrhage, as seen on fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MR imaging according to various stages, and to compare FLAIR imaging with spin-echo T1- and T2-weighted MR imaging. We retrospectively evaluated fast FLAIR images along with spin-echo T1- and T2 weighted MR images of 32 lesions in 25 patients (12 males and 14 females, aged 3 - 84 yrs) with intracranial hemorrhagic lesions. For imaging, 1.5 T unit was used, and the nature of the lesions was found to be as follows : intracranial hemorrhage (n=15); tumor (n=9); infarction (n=4); arteriovenous malformation (n=3); and arachnoid cyst with hemorrhage (n=1). On the basis of spin-echo MR imaging, lesions were classified as acute, early subacute, late subacute, early chronic, or late chronic stage. The signal characteristics of intracranial hemorrhage were analysed in accordance with each staging, as seen on MR FLAIR imaging, and compared to the staging seen on spin-echo T1- and T-2 weighted MR imaging. The signal intensity of intracranial hemorrhage, as seen on FLAIR imaging, was not characteristic; it was similar to that of T2WI during the acute and subacute stages, and similiar to that of T1WI during the chronic stage. When used together with spin-echo T1- and T2-weighted MR imaging, however, FLAIR imaging may be useful for the classification of chronic intracranial hemorrhage as either early or late stage. (author). 20 refs., 2 tabs., 6 figs

  11. The role of inflammation in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension: from cellular mechanisms to clinical phenotypes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poth, Jens M.; Fini, Mehdi A.; Olschewski, Andrea; El Kasmi, Karim C.; Stenmark, Kurt R.

    2014-01-01

    Hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (PH) comprises a heterogeneous group of diseases sharing the common feature of chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling. The disease is usually characterized by mild to moderate pulmonary vascular remodeling that is largely thought to be reversible compared with the progressive irreversible disease seen in World Health Organization (WHO) group I disease. However, in these patients, the presence of PH significantly worsens morbidity and mortality. In addition, a small subset of patients with hypoxic PH develop “out-of-proportion” severe pulmonary hypertension characterized by pulmonary vascular remodeling that is irreversible and similar to that in WHO group I disease. In all cases of hypoxia-related vascular remodeling and PH, inflammation, particularly persistent inflammation, is thought to play a role. This review focuses on the effects of hypoxia on pulmonary vascular cells and the signaling pathways involved in the initiation and perpetuation of vascular inflammation, especially as they relate to vascular remodeling and transition to chronic irreversible PH. We hypothesize that the combination of hypoxia and local tissue factors/cytokines (“second hit”) antagonizes tissue homeostatic cellular interactions between mesenchymal cells (fibroblasts and/or smooth muscle cells) and macrophages and arrests these cells in an epigenetically locked and permanently activated proremodeling and proinflammatory phenotype. This aberrant cellular cross-talk between mesenchymal cells and macrophages promotes transition to chronic nonresolving inflammation and vascular remodeling, perpetuating PH. A better understanding of these signaling pathways may lead to the development of specific therapeutic targets, as none are currently available for WHO group III disease. PMID:25416383

  12. The role of surface charge in cellular uptake and cytotoxicity of medical nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fröhlich E

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Eleonore FröhlichCenter for Medical Research, Medical University of Graz, Graz, AustriaAbstract: Many types of nanoparticles (NPs are tested for use in medical products, particularly in imaging and gene and drug delivery. For these applications, cellular uptake is usually a prerequisite and is governed in addition to size by surface characteristics such as hydrophobicity and charge. Although positive charge appears to improve the efficacy of imaging, gene transfer, and drug delivery, a higher cytotoxicity of such constructs has been reported. This review summarizes findings on the role of surface charge on cytotoxicity in general, action on specific cellular targets, modes of toxic action, cellular uptake, and intracellular localization of NPs. Effects of serum and intercell type differences are addressed. Cationic NPs cause more pronounced disruption of plasma-membrane integrity, stronger mitochondrial and lysosomal damage, and a higher number of autophagosomes than anionic NPs. In general, nonphagocytic cells ingest cationic NPs to a higher extent, but charge density and hydrophobicity are equally important; phagocytic cells preferentially take up anionic NPs. Cells do not use different uptake routes for cationic and anionic NPs, but high uptake rates are usually linked to greater biological effects. The different uptake preferences of phagocytic and nonphagocytic cells for cationic and anionic NPs may influence the efficacy and selectivity of NPs for drug delivery and imaging.Keywords: endocytosis, plasma membrane, lysosomes, polystyrene particles, quantum dots, dendrimers

  13. PET Imaging Reveals Brain Metabolic Changes in Adolescent Rats Following Chronic Escalating Morphine Administration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Qing; Hou, Haifeng; Feng, Jin; Zhang, Xiaohui; Chen, Yao; Wang, Jing; Ji, Jianfeng; He, Xiao; Wu, Hao; Zhang, Hong

    2018-04-10

    Non-medical use of prescription opioids, especially among adolescents, has been substantially increased in recent years. However, the neuromechanism remains largely unexplored. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the brain metabolic changes in adolescent rats following chronic escalating morphine administration using positron emission tomography (PET). 2-Deoxy-2-[ 18 F]Fluoro-D-glucose ([ 18 F]FDG) microPET imaging was performed, and statistical parametric mapping (SPM) was used for image analysis. Glucose transporter 3 (Glut-3), dopamine D 2 receptor (D 2 R), and Mμ-opioid receptor (μ-OR) were used for immunostaining analysis. Cerebral glucose metabolism was increased in the corpus callosum (CC) and right retrosplenial dysgranular cortex (rRSD), while it was decreased in the right ventral pallidum (rVP). The expressions of Glut-3, D 2 R, and μ-OR were increased in CC and rRSD, while they were decreased in rVP. Furthermore, glucose metabolism and Glut-3 expression were positively correlated with the expressions of D 2 R or μ-OR in CC, rRSD, and rVP. [ 18 F]FDG microPET brain imaging study in combination with immunohistological investigation revealed that CC, rRSD, and rVP were specifically involved in opioid dependence in adolescents. Our findings provided valuable insights into the neuromechanism of adolescent addiction of prescription opioids and might have important implications for the development of prevention and intervention approaches.

  14. Ultrasonography in chronic renal failure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buturovic-Ponikvar, Jadranka; Visnar-Perovic, Alenka

    2003-01-01

    Many chronic renal diseases lead to the final common state of decrease in renal size, parenchymal atrophy, sclerosis and fibrosis. The ultrasound image show a smaller kidney, thinning of the parenchyma and its hyperechogenicity (reflecting sclerosis and fibrosis). The frequency of renal cysts increases with the progression of the disease. Ultrasound generally does not allow for the exact diagnosis of an underlying chronic disease (renal biopsy is usually required), but it can help to determine an irreversible disease, assess prognosis and avoid unnecessary diagnostic or therapeutic procedures. The main exception in which the ultrasound image does not show a smaller kidney with parenchymal atrophy is diabetic nephropathy, the leading cause of chronic and end-stage renal failure in developed countries in recent years. In this case, both renal size and parenchymal thickness are preserved until end-stage renal failure. Doppler study of intrarenal vessels can provide additional information about microvascular and parenchymal lesions, which is helpful in deciding for or against therapeutic intervention and timely planning for optimal renal replacement therapy option

  15. Correlation Between Minimum Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADCmin) and Tumor Cellularity: A Meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Surov, Alexey; Meyer, Hans Jonas; Wienke, Andreas

    2017-07-01

    Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique based on measure of water diffusion that can provide information about tissue microstructure, especially about cell count. Increase of cell density induces restriction of water diffusion and decreases apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). ADC can be divided into three sub-parameters: ADC minimum or ADC min , mean ADC or ADC mean and ADC maximum or ADC max Some studies have suggested that ADC min shows stronger correlations with cell count in comparison to other ADC fractions and may be used as a parameter for estimation of tumor cellularity. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to summarize correlation coefficients between ADC min and cellularity in different tumors based on large patient data. For this analysis, MEDLINE database was screened for associations between ADC and cell count in different tumors up to September 2016. For this work, only data regarding ADC min were included. Overall, 12 publications with 317 patients were identified. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to analyze associations between ADC min and cellularity. The reported Pearson correlation coefficients in some publications were converted into Spearman correlation coefficients. The pooled correlation coefficient for all included studies was ρ=-0.59 (95% confidence interval (CI)=-0.72 to -0.45), heterogeneity Tau 2 =0.04 (pcorrelated moderately with tumor cellularity. The calculated correlation coefficient is not stronger in comparison to the reported coefficient for ADC mean and, therefore, ADC min does not represent a better means to reflect cellularity. Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

  16. Corticospinal tract damage in patients with severe diffuse axonal injury in a chronic stage on diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging and motor evoked potential

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasokawa, Yu-to; Nakayama, Noriyuki; Iwama, Toru; Okumura, Ayumi; Shinoda, Jun; Miwa, Kazuhiro

    2005-01-01

    The aim of this study is to evaluate the disturbed motor function of the corticospinal tract (CST) of diffuse axonal injury (DAI) using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance (DTMR) imaging and motor evoked potential (MEP) examination, and to analyze these comparatively. Forty-three patients (86 sides of the CST) with severe DAI in a chronic stage underwent DTMR imaging and MEP examination using transcranial magnetic stimulation. Fractional anisotrophy (FA) values of 6 regions of interests (ROIs) in the CST were measured on FA map obtained from DTMR imaging. The lowest FA value among the FA values of the 6 ROIs in each of the CSTs was defined as the minimum FA value. And the lowest magnetic stimulation strength that could derive MEP was defined as the minimum threshold of MEP. The mean minimum FA value of the CSTs in which MEP could not be obtained even by the maximum strength of magnetic stimulation (the MEP (-) group) was significantly lower than that of the CSTs in which MEP could be obtained (the MEP (+) group). In the MEP (+) group, the minimum FA value decreased with the increase of the minimum threshold of MEP with a significant correlation. These results demonstrate that physiological motor dysfunction disclosed on MEP is significantly correlated with morphological damage of the CST observed on DTMR imaging in patients with DAI in a chronic stage. DTMR imaging is strongly suggested to be helpful to evaluate disturbed motor function and to infer its severity in DAI. (author)

  17. Imaging specific cellular glycan structures using glycosyltransferases via click chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Zhengliang L; Person, Anthony D; Anderson, Matthew; Burroughs, Barbara; Tatge, Timothy; Khatri, Kshitij; Zou, Yonglong; Wang, Lianchun; Geders, Todd; Zaia, Joseph; Sackstein, Robert

    2018-02-01

    Heparan sulfate (HS) is a polysaccharide fundamentally important for biologically activities. T/Tn antigens are universal carbohydrate cancer markers. Here, we report the specific imaging of these carbohydrates using a mesenchymal stem cell line and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). The staining specificities were demonstrated by comparing imaging of different glycans and validated by either removal of target glycans, which results in loss of signal, or installation of target glycans, which results in gain of signal. As controls, representative key glycans including O-GlcNAc, lactosaminyl glycans and hyaluronan were also imaged. HS staining revealed novel architectural features of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of HUVEC cells. Results from T/Tn antigen staining suggest that O-GalNAcylation is a rate-limiting step for O-glycan synthesis. Overall, these highly specific approaches for HS and T/Tn antigen imaging should greatly facilitate the detection and functional characterization of these biologically important glycans. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  18. Non-invasive imaging using reporter genes altering cellular water permeability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukherjee, Arnab; Wu, Di; Davis, Hunter C.; Shapiro, Mikhail G.

    2016-12-01

    Non-invasive imaging of gene expression in live, optically opaque animals is important for multiple applications, including monitoring of genetic circuits and tracking of cell-based therapeutics. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could enable such monitoring with high spatiotemporal resolution. However, existing MRI reporter genes based on metalloproteins or chemical exchange probes are limited by their reliance on metals or relatively low sensitivity. Here we introduce a new class of MRI reporters based on the human water channel aquaporin 1. We show that aquaporin overexpression produces contrast in diffusion-weighted MRI by increasing tissue water diffusivity without affecting viability. Low aquaporin levels or mixed populations comprising as few as 10% aquaporin-expressing cells are sufficient to produce MRI contrast. We characterize this new contrast mechanism through experiments and simulations, and demonstrate its utility in vivo by imaging gene expression in tumours. Our results establish an alternative class of sensitive, metal-free reporter genes for non-invasive imaging.

  19. Lymphocyte Proliferation Response in Patients with Acute and Chronic Brucellosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khadijeh Khosravi

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background: Brucella is an intracellular bacterium that causes chronic infection in humans and domestic animals. The underlying mechanisms that cause prolonged illness are complex and not fully understood. Immune responses may have an important role in the chronicity of infection. Here, we evaluated the lymphocyte proliferation responses in patients with chronic and acute brucellosis. Materials and Methods: This descriptive - analytical study was performed on 22 patients with acute brucellosis, 21 patients with chronic brucellosis and 21 healthy people with the similar age, sex and genetic background as control group. Peripheral lymphocytes were isolated using Ficoll and the cellular proliferation was quantified in presence of antigen and phytohemaglutinin-A by MTT method. Results: The brucella antigen-specific stimulation index in patients with chronic brucellosis was significantly lower than the acute brucellosis patients (p=0.001. Also, stimulating the lymphocytes with phytohemaglutinin-A has shown that proliferative response in patients with chronic brucellosis was lower than the other groups (p=0.04. Conclusion: The results indicated that chronic brucellosis inhibits lymphocyte proliferation. This inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation may be due to the induction of anergy.

  20. Filtering and spectral processing of 1-D signals using cellular neural networks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Moreira-Tamayo, O.; Pineda de Gyvez, J.

    1996-01-01

    This paper presents cellular neural networks (CNN) for one-dimensional discrete signal processing. Although CNN has been extensively used in image processing applications, little has been done for 1-dimensional signal processing. We propose a novel CNN architecture to carry out these tasks. This

  1. [Reparative and neoplastic spheroid cellular structures and their mathematical model].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kogan, E A; Namiot, V A; Demura, T A; Faĭzullina, N M; Sukhikh, G T

    2014-01-01

    Spheroid cell structures in the cell cultures have been described and are used for studying cell-cell and cell- matrix interactions. At the same time, spheroid cell structure participation in the repair and development of cancer in vivo remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate the cellular composition of spherical structures and their functional significance in the repair of squamous epithelium in human papilloma virus-associated cervical pathology--chronic cervicitis and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1-3 degree, and also construct a mathematical model to explain the development and behavior of such spheroid cell structure.

  2. Cellular gravity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    F.C. Gruau; J.T. Tromp (John)

    1999-01-01

    textabstractWe consider the problem of establishing gravity in cellular automata. In particular, when cellular automata states can be partitioned into empty, particle, and wall types, with the latter enclosing rectangular areas, we desire rules that will make the particles fall down and pile up on

  3. Endometrial cancer: correlation of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) with tumor cellularity and tumor grade.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kishimoto, Keiko; Tajima, Shinya; Maeda, Ichiro; Takagi, Masayuki; Ueno, Takahiko; Suzuki, Nao; Nakajima, Yasuo

    2016-08-01

    Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) are widely used for detecting uterine endometrial cancer. The relationships between ADC values and pathological features of endometrial cancer have not yet been established. To investigate whether ADC values of endometrial cancer vary according to histologic tumor cellularity and tumor grade. We retrospectively reviewed 30 pathologically confirmed endometrial cancers. All patients underwent conventional non-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DWI procedures, and ADC values were calculated. Tumor cellularity was evaluated by counting cancer cells in three high-power ( × 400) fields. The correlation between ADC values and tumor cellularity was assessed using Pearson's correlation coefficient test for statistical analysis. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) ADC value ( ×10(-3) mm(2)/s) of endometrial cancer was 0.85 ± 0.22 (range, 0.55-1.71). The mean ± SD tumor cellularity was 528.36 ± 16.89 (range, 298.0-763.6). ADC values were significantly inversely correlated with tumor cellularity. No significant relationship was observed between ADC values and tumor grade (mean ADC values: G1, 0.88 ± 0.265 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s; G2, 0.80 ± 0.178 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s; G3, 0.81 ± 0.117 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s). There is a significant inverse relationship between ADC values and tumor cellularity in endometrial cancer. No significant differences in average ADC value were observed between G1, G2, and G3 tumors. However, the lower the tumor grade, the wider the SD. © The Foundation Acta Radiologica 2015.

  4. Early Recognition of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Through FDDNP PET Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-10-01

    characteristic distribution is felt to be the cardinal pathologic feature of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. This project will examine whether FDDNP PET...chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Pathological series have indicated that a characteristic feature of CTE is accumulation of tau protein in the...3. Accomplishments: Major goals: Upon receiving approval from the Human Research Protection Office, enrollment of participants began in March , 2015

  5. Pancreatitis-imaging approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Busireddy, Kiran K; AlObaidy, Mamdoh; Ramalho, Miguel; Kalubowila, Janaka; Baodong, Liu; Santagostino, Ilaria; Semelka, Richard C

    2014-01-01

    Pancreatitis is defined as the inflammation of the pancreas and considered the most common pancreatic disease in children and adults. Imaging plays a significant role in the diagnosis, severity assessment, recognition of complications and guiding therapeutic interventions. In the setting of pancreatitis, wider availability and good image quality make multi-detector contrast-enhanced computed tomography (MD-CECT) the most used imaging technique. However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers diagnostic capabilities similar to those of CT, with additional intrinsic advantages including lack of ionizing radiation and exquisite soft tissue characterization. This article reviews the proposed definitions of revised Atlanta classification for acute pancreatitis, illustrates a wide range of morphologic pancreatic parenchymal and associated peripancreatic changes for different types of acute pancreatitis. It also describes the spectrum of early and late chronic pancreatitis imaging findings and illustrates some of the less common types of chronic pancreatitis, with special emphasis on the role of CT and MRI. PMID:25133027

  6. [Chronic pancreatitis: new definition and perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conti Bellocchi, Maria Cristina; De Pretis, Nicolò; Amodio, Antonio; Zerbi, Alessandro; Frulloni, Luca

    2018-01-01

    Chronic pancreatitis has been considered over the past years as a single disease, alcohol-induced and different from acute pancreatitis, in terms of etiology and prognosis. Actually, the introduction of a new concept of chronic pancreatitis, now considered as a fibroinflammatory process caused by multiple factors (toxic-metabolic, genetic, immunologic, obstructive), allow to better understand the pathogenesis of this complex disease. Furthermore, the discover of peculiar forms of chronic pancreatitis (autoimmune, paraduodenal, associated to gene mutations), different in term of clinical aspects, findings at imaging, prognosis and therapy, radically changed the concept of the disease. In this brief review, we described the impact of this new concept in the comprehension of pathogenesis, in the definition of peculiar forms of chronic pancreatitis, and in the clinical and therapeutic approach of chronic pancreatitis.

  7. Tolerance of brightness and contrast adjustments on chronic apical abscess and apical granuloma interpretation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Purnamasari, L.; Iskandar, H. H. B.; Makes, B. N.

    2017-08-01

    In digitized radiography techniques, adjusting the image enhancement can improve the subjective image quality by optimizing the brightness and contrast for diagnostic needs. To determine the value range of image enhancement (brightness and contrast) on chronic apical abscess and apical granuloma interpretation. 30 periapical radiographs that diagnosed chronic apical abscess and 30 that diagnosed apical granuloma were adjusted by changing brightness and contrast values. The value range of brightness and contrast adjustment that can be tolerated in radiographic interpretations of chronic apical abscess and apical granuloma spans from -10 to +10. Brightness and contrast adjustments on digital radiographs do not affect the radiographic interpretation of chronic apical abscess and apical granuloma if conducted within the value range.

  8. Chronic aspiration of gastric and duodenal contents and their effects on inflammatory cytokine production in respiratory system of rats.

    OpenAIRE

    Mitra Samareh Fekri; Hamid Reza Poursalehi; Hamid Najafipour; Beydolah Shahouzahi; Nasrin Bazargan Harandi

    2014-01-01

    Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is defined with clinical symptoms of heart burning and regurgitation. It may be associated with external esophageal symptoms such as chronic cough, asthma, laryngitis, chronic lung disease, sinusitis and pulmonary fibrosis. In the present study, rats with chronic aspiration of gastroduodenal contents were studied for cellular phenotypes and cytokine concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage and lung tissue. Thirty-six male Albino N-MRI rats were randomly ...

  9. Targeted molecular imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, E. Edmund

    2003-01-01

    Molecular imaging aims to visualize the cellular and molecular processes occurring in living tissues, and for the imaging of specific molecules in vivo, the development of reporter probes and dedicated imaging equipment is most important. Reporter genes can be used to monitor the delivery and magnitude of therapeutic gene transfer, and the time variation involved. Imaging technologies such as micro-PET, SPECT, MRI and CT, as well as optical imaging systems, are able to non-invasively detect, measure, and report the simultaneous expression of multiple meaningful genes. It is believed that recent advances in reporter probes, imaging technologies and gene transfer strategies will enhance the effectiveness of gene therapy trials

  10. Chronic necrotising pneumonia caused by Aspergillus niger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiggins, J; Clark, T J; Corrin, B

    1989-01-01

    A woman with asthma developed chronic necrotising semi-invasive pneumonia due to mixed Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans infection; though not severely immunosuppressed, she may have been predisposed by long term oral corticosteroid and recurrent oral antibiotic treatment. The diagnosis should be considered in patients with chronic airflow limitation who develop cavitating pneumonia. Images PMID:2763249

  11. MRI for chronic inflammatory bowel disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansmann, H.J.; Hess, T.; Hahmann, M.; Erb, G.; Richter, G.M.; Duex, M.; Elsing, C.

    2001-01-01

    Chronic inflammatory bowel disease is diagnosed and monitored by the combination of colonoscopy and small bowel enteroklysis. Magnetic resonance imaging has become the gold standard for the imaging of perirectal and pelvic fistulas. With the advent of ultrafast MRI small and large bowel imaging has become highly attractive and is being advocated more and more in the diagnostic work up of inflammatory bowel disease. Imaging protocols include fast T 1 -weighted gradient echo and T 2 -weighted TSE sequences and oral or rectal bowel distension. Furthermore, dedicated imaging protocols are based on breath-hold imaging under pharmacological bowel paralysis and gastrointestinal MR contrast agents (Hydro-MRI). High diagnostic accuracy can be achieved in Crohn's disease with special reference to the pattern of disease, depth of inflammation, mesenteric reaction, sinus tract depiction and formation of abscess. In ulcerative colitis, the mucosa-related inflammation causes significantly less bowel wall thickening compared to Crohn's disease. Therefore with MRI, the extent of inflammatory changes is always underestimated compared to colonoscopy. According to our experience in more than 200 patients as well as the results in other centers, Hydro-MRI possesses the potential to replace enteroklysis in the diagnosis of chronic inflammatory bowel disease and most of the follow-up colonoscopies in Crohn's disease. Further technical improvements in 3D imaging will allow interactive postprocessing of the MR data. (orig.) [de

  12. Magnetic Resonance Microscopy of Human and Porcine Neurons and Cellular Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flint, Jeremy J.; Hansen, Brian; Portnoy, Sharon; Lee, Choong-Heon; King, Michael A.; Fey, Michael; Vincent, Franck; Stanisz, Greg J; Vestergaard-Poulsen, Peter; Blackband, Stephen J

    2012-01-01

    With its unparalleled ability to safely generate high-contrast images of soft tissues, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has remained at the forefront of diagnostic clinical medicine. Unfortunately due to resolution limitations, clinical scans are most useful for detecting macroscopic structural changes associated with a small number of pathologies. Moreover, due to a longstanding inability to directly observe magnetic resonance (MR) signal behavior at the cellular level, such information is poorly characterized and generally must be inferred. With the advent of the MR microscope in 1986 came the ability to measure MR signal properties of theretofore unobservable tissue structures. Recently, further improvements in hardware technology have made possible the ability to visualize mammalian cellular structure. In the current study, we expand upon previous work by imaging the neuronal cell bodies and processes of human and porcine α-motor neurons. Complimentary imaging studies are conducted in pig tissue in order to demonstrate qualitative similarities to human samples. Also, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were generated inside porcine α-motor neuron cell bodies and portions of their largest processes (mean = 1.7±0.5 μm2/ms based on 53 pixels) as well as in areas containing a mixture of extracellular space, microvasculature, and neuropil (0.59±0.37 μm2/ms based on 33 pixels). Three-dimensional reconstruction of MR images containing α-motor neurons shows the spatial arrangement of neuronal projections between adjacent cells. Such advancements in imaging portend the ability to construct accurate models of MR signal behavior based on direct observation and measurement of the components which comprise functional tissues. These tools would not only be useful for improving our interpretation of macroscopic MRI performed in the clinic, but they could potentially be used to develop new methods of differential diagnosis to aid in the early detection of a

  13. Paediatric chronic liver diseases: how to investigate and follow up? Role of imaging in the diagnosis of fibrosis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pariente, Daniele; Franchi-Abella, Stephanie [University Paris XI, Pediatric Radiology Department, Bicetre Hospital, Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin Bicetre (France)

    2010-06-15

    Chronic liver diseases are rare in children, but encompass a wide spectrum of disorders that may all be complicated by liver fibrosis and therefore by portal hypertension. They may be classified according to the level of portal flow obstruction: prehepatic, intrahepatic or suprahepatic. Most of them, except presinusoidal diseases, may progress to cirrhosis that carries additional risks of impaired liver function and development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Imaging plays an important role in guiding the diagnosis and biopsy and for follow-up during treatment. US, with high-frequency transducers and Doppler, is the first modality of choice, directs the rest of the investigations and guides interventional radiology. MDCT has made great progress and has replaced angiography for diagnostic purposes. MRI is indicated for parenchyma and nodule characterization and for biliary tract evaluation. To avoid liver biopsy, several elasticity imaging techniques have been developed and have to be evaluated for accuracy and convenience in children. The role of each modality with main imaging findings is described in extrahepatic portal vein obstruction, hepatoportal sclerosis, congenital hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis and Budd-Chiari syndrome. (orig.)

  14. Morphological and Cellular Features of Innate Immune Reaction in Helicobacter pylori Gastritis: A Brief Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Ieni

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Innate and adaptive immunity are both involved in acute and chronic inflammatory processes. The main cellular players in the innate immune system are macrophages, mast cells, dendritic cells, neutrophils, eosinophils, and natural killer (NK, which offer antigen-independent defense against infection. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori infection presents peculiar characteristics in gastric mucosa infrequently occurring in other organs; its gastric colonization determines a causal role in both gastric carcinomas and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. In contrast, an active role for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV has been identified only in 9% of gastric carcinomas. The aim of the present review is to discuss the role of cellular morphological effectors in innate immunity during H. pylori infection and gastric carcinogenesis.

  15. Diagnostic imaging for chronic plantar heel pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    Background Chronic plantar heel pain (CPHP) is a generalised term used to describe a range of undifferentiated conditions affecting the plantar heel. Plantar fasciitis is reported as the most common cause and the terms are frequently used interchangeably in the literature. Diagnostic imaging has been used by many researchers and practitioners to investigate the involvement of specific anatomical structures in CPHP. These observations help to explain the underlying pathology of the disorder, and are of benefit in forming an accurate diagnosis and targeted treatment plan. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the diagnostic imaging features associated with CPHP, and evaluate study findings by meta-analysis where appropriate. Methods Bibliographic databases including Medline, Embase, CINAHL, SportDiscus and The Cochrane Library were searched electronically on March 25, 2009. Eligible articles were required to report imaging findings in participants with CPHP unrelated to inflammatory arthritis, and to compare these findings with a control group. Methodological quality was evaluated by use of the Quality Index as described by Downs and Black. Meta-analysis of study data was conducted where appropriate. Results Plantar fascia thickness as measured by ultrasonography was the most widely reported imaging feature. Meta-analysis revealed that the plantar fascia of CPHP participants was 2.16 mm thicker than control participants (95% CI = 1.60 to 2.71 mm, P plantar fascia thickness values greater than 4.0 mm (OR = 105.11, 95% CI = 3.09 to 3577.28, P = 0.01). CPHP participants were also more likely to show radiographic evidence of subcalcaneal spur than control participants (OR = 8.52, 95% CI = 4.08 to 17.77, P plantar fascia and inferior calcaneum in people with CPHP. Analysis of these studies found that people with CPHP are likely to have a thickened plantar fascia with associated fluid collection, and that thickness values >4.0 mm are diagnostic of

  16. Central pontine myelinolysis in a chronic alcoholic: A clinical and brain magnetic resonance imaging follow-up

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dujmović Irena

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM is a noninflammatory, demyelinating lesion usually localised in the basis pontis. Chronic alcoholism is frequently associated with this condition which may have a variable clinical outcome. Until now, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI follow-up in alcoholic CPM cases after alcohol withdrawal has been rarely described. Case report. We reported a 30- year-old male with a 12-year history of alcohol abuse, who presented with inability to stand and walk, nausea, vomiting and somnolence. Neurological examination revealed: impared fixation on lateral gaze, dysarthria, mild spastic quadriparesis, truncal and extremity ataxia, sock-like hypesthesia and moderate decrease in vibration sense in legs. Brain MRI showed a trident-shaped non-enhancing pontine lesion highly suggestive of CPM. After an eight-month alcoholfree follow-up period, the patient’s clinical status significantly improved, while the extent of MRI pontine lesion was merely slightly reduced. Conclusion. The presented case demonstrates that CPM in chronic alcoholics may have a benign clinical course after alcohol withdrawal, which is not necessarily associated with the reduction of lesions on brain MRI. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 175031

  17. Clinical Holistic Medicine: Chronic Infections and Autoimmune Diseases

    OpenAIRE

    Ventegodt, Søren; Merrick, Joav

    2005-01-01

    The consciousness-based (holistic) medical toolbox might be useful in general practice and in cases of recurrent infections and chronic infection or inflammation. From our clinical experiences, there is hope for improvement from a number of diseases caused by disorders affecting the regulation of the immune system when the physician includes the holistic medical approach.Our scientific understanding of the connection between consciousness and cellular order is still limited. Consciousness-bas...

  18. Radiology of chronic diseases of the ankle joint

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rand, T.; Trattnig, S.; Breitenseher, M.; Imhof, H.; Wagesreither, S.

    1999-01-01

    The etiology of chronic diseases of the ankle joint comprises a wide spectrum including chronic inflammatory processes and chronic degenerative, tumorous and neuropathic processes, as well as some specific syndromes based on chronic changes of the ankle joint. Of the inflammatory processes, chronic juvenile arthritis (JVC) is the most common disease. However, also Reiter disease, psoriasis or chronic monoarthritid diseases such as gout, as well as granulomatous diseases (tuberculosis, sarcoidosis) and fungal infections, may affect the ankle joint in a chronic course. Chronic degenerative changes are usually secondary due to abnormal positioning of the joint constituents or repetitive trauma. Neuropathic changes, as frequently seen in the course of diabetes, present with massive osseous destruction and malposition of the articular constituents. Chronic osseous as well as cartilaginous and synovial changes are seen in hemoplici patients. Chronic traumatic changes are represented by pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS), and chondromatosis, both with a predilection for the ankle joint. Due to the possibilities of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diagnosis of chronic ankle changes includes chronic ligamentous, tendinous and soft tissue changes. With the use MRI, specific syndromes can be defined which particularly affect the ankle joint in a chronic way, such as the os trigonum syndrome, the anterolateral impingement syndrome and the sinus tarsi syndrome. Nevertheless, plain film radiographs are still the basic element of any investigation. MRI, however, can be potentially used as a second investigation, saving an unnecessary cascade of investigations with ultrasound and CT. The latter investigations are used only with very specific indications, for instance CT for subtle bone structures and sonography for a limited investigation of tendons or evaluation of fluid. Particularly due to the possibilities of MRI and the development of special gradient-echo imaging or

  19. Chronic administration of thiamine pyrophosphate decreases age-related histological atrophic testicular changes and improves sexual behavior in male Wistar rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández-Montiel, H L; Vásquez López, C M; González-Loyola, J G; Vega-Anaya, G C; Villagrán-Herrera, M E; Gallegos-Corona, M A; Saldaña, C; Ramos Gómez, M; García Horshman, P; García Solís, P; Solís-S, J C; Robles-Osorio, M L; Ávila Morales, J; Varela-Echavarría, A; Paredes Guerrero, R

    2014-06-01

    Aging is a multifactorial universal process and constitutes the most important risk factor for chronic-degenerative diseases. Although it is a natural process, pathological aging arises when these changes occur quickly and the body is not able to adapt. This is often associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), inflammation, and a decrease in the endogenous antioxidant systems, constituting a physiopathological state commonly found in chronic-degenerative diseases. At the testicular level, aging is associated with tissue atrophy, decreased steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis, and sexual behavior disorders. This situation, in addition to the elevated generation of ROS in the testicular steroidogenesis, provides a critical cellular environment causing oxidative damage at diverse cellular levels. To assess the effects of a reduction in the levels of ROS, thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) was chronically administered in senile Wistar rats. TPP causes an activation of intermediate metabolism routes, enhancing cellular respiration and decreasing the generation of ROS. Our results show an overall decrease of atrophic histological changes linked to aging, with higher levels of serum testosterone, sexual activity, and an increase in the levels of endogenous antioxidant enzymes in TPP-treated animals. These results suggest that TPP chronic administration decreases the progression of age-related atrophic changes by improving the intermediate metabolism, and by increasing the levels of antioxidant enzymes.

  20. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings Predict the Recurrence of Chronic Subdural Hematoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    GOTO, Haruo; ISHIKAWA, Osamu; NOMURA, Masashi; TANAKA, Kentaro; NOMURA, Seiji; MAEDA, Keiichiro

    2015-01-01

    The exact predictive factors for postoperative recurrence of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) are still unknown. Based on the preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), low recurrence rate of T1-hyperintensity hematoma was previously reported. We investigated the other types of radiological findings which are related to the recurrence rate of CSDH in large number of patients analyzed by multivariate logistic regression model. Preoperative MRI and postoperative computed tomography (CT) were performed and the influence of the preoperative use of antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs was also studied. The overall recurrence rate was 9.3% (47 of 505 hematomas). The MRI T1-iso/hypointensity group showed a significantly higher recurrence rate (18.2%, 29 of 159) compared to the other groups (5.2%, 18 of 346; p hematoma, antiplatelet or anticoagulant drug usage, residual hematoma on postoperative CT, and MRI classification (p hematoma and antiplatelet or anticoagulant drug usage did not increase the recurrence risk. The preoperative MRI findings, especially T1WI findings, have predictive value for postoperative recurrence of CSDH and the T1-iso/hypointensity group can be assumed to be a high recurrence risk group. PMID:25746312

  1. Programmable cellular arrays. Faults testing and correcting in cellular arrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cercel, L.

    1978-03-01

    A review of some recent researches about programmable cellular arrays in computing and digital processing of information systems is presented, and includes both combinational and sequential arrays, with full arbitrary behaviour, or which can realize better implementations of specialized blocks as: arithmetic units, counters, comparators, control systems, memory blocks, etc. Also, the paper presents applications of cellular arrays in microprogramming, in implementing of a specialized computer for matrix operations, in modeling of universal computing systems. The last section deals with problems of fault testing and correcting in cellular arrays. (author)

  2. Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) Membranes for Cellular Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ventura, Anthony P.

    Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) membranes can be fabricated with a highly tunable pore structure making them a suitable candidate for cellular hybrid devices with single-molecule selectivity. The objective of this study was to characterize the cellular response of AAO membranes with varying pore sizes to serve as a proof-of-concept for an artificial material/cell synapse system. AAO membranes with pore diameters ranging from 34-117 nm were achieved via anodization at a temperature of -1°C in a 2.7% oxalic acid electrolyte. An operating window was established for this setup to create membranes with through-pore and disordered pore morphologies. C17.2 neural stem cells were seeded onto the membranes and differentiated via serum withdrawal. The data suggests a highly tunable correlation between AAO pore diameter and differentiated cell populations. Analysis of membranes before and after cell culture indicated no breakdown of the through-pore structure. Immunocytochemistry (ICC) showed that AAO membranes had increased neurite outgrowth when compared to tissue culture treated (TCT) glass, and neurite outgrowth varied with pore diameter. Additionally, lower neuronal percentages were found on AAO as compared to TCT glass; however, neuronal population was also found to vary with pore diameter. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ICC images suggested the presence of a tissue-like layer with a mixed-phenotype population. AAO membranes appear to be an excellent candidate for cellular devices, but more work must be completed to understand the surface chemistry of the AAO membranes as it relates to cellular response.

  3. Imaging and Treatment of Chronic Midportion Achilles Tendinopathy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R.J. de Vos (Robert-Jan)

    2010-01-01

    textabstractIntroduction: It is estimated that 30-50% of sports injuries are caused by tendon disorders. Chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy is a frequent problem, particularly occurring in athletes but also affecting inactive people. Diagnosis is made based on clinical findings and currently

  4. Cellular Neural Networks: A genetic algorithm for parameters optimization in artificial vision applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taraglio, S.; Zanela, A.

    1997-03-01

    An optimization method for some of the CNN's (Cellular Neural Network) parameters, based on evolutionary strategies, is proposed. The new class of feedback template found is more effective in extracting features from the images that an autonomous vehicle acquires, than in the previous CNN's literature

  5. The Differential Diagnosis of Two Cases of Chronic Periaortitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takao Kato

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The imaging features of chronic periaortitis resemble those of infected aneurysms. Two illustrative cases of chronic periaortitis, in which the etiologies were caused by IgG4-related disease, are presented. The first case involved a 68-year-old man who presented with vague discomfort in his lower abdomen. The second case was a 42-year-old man who presented with a fever of 38°C and persistent, vague chest discomfort. Both cases demonstrated an increased amount of connective tissue around the aorta in computed tomography images and low intensity in the T2-weighed sequence and high intensity in the diffusion-weighed sequence, suggesting the presence of inflammation, in the magnetic resonance imaging. Negative blood cultures, elevated IgG4 levels, and pathological findings confirmed the diagnosis as chronic periaortitis due to IgG4-related disease. This is a newly recognized syndrome of unknown etiology, characterized by a fibroinflammatory condition, tumefactive lesions, and a dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate rich in IgG4-positive plasma cells. Both cases were successfully treated with corticosteroids. Infected aneurysms need to be carefully differentiated from this syndrome in view of the similar imaging features.

  6. Src family kinases in chronic kidney disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jun; Zhuang, Shougang

    2017-09-01

    Src family kinases (SFKs) belong to nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinases and have been implicated in the regulation of numerous cellular processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and invasion, and angiogenesis. The role and mechanisms of SFKs in tumorgenesis have been extensively investigated, and some SFK inhibitors are currently under clinical trials for tumor treatment. Recent studies have also demonstrated the importance of SFKs in regulating the development of various fibrosis-related chronic diseases (e.g., idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, liver fibrosis, renal fibrosis, and systemic sclerosis). In this article, we summarize the roles of SFKs in various chronic kidney diseases, including glomerulonephritis, diabetic nephropathy, human immunodeficiency virus-associated nephropathy, autosomal dominant form of polycystic kidney disease, and obesity-associated kidney disease, and discuss the mechanisms involved. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

  7. 47 CFR 22.970 - Unacceptable interference to part 90 non-cellular 800 MHz licensees from cellular radiotelephone...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ...-cellular 800 MHz licensees from cellular radiotelephone or part 90-800 MHz cellular systems. 22.970 Section... MOBILE SERVICES Cellular Radiotelephone Service § 22.970 Unacceptable interference to part 90 non-cellular 800 MHz licensees from cellular radiotelephone or part 90-800 MHz cellular systems. (a) Definition...

  8. Heterogeneous cellular networks

    CERN Document Server

    Hu, Rose Qingyang

    2013-01-01

    A timely publication providing coverage of radio resource management, mobility management and standardization in heterogeneous cellular networks The topic of heterogeneous cellular networks has gained momentum in industry and the research community, attracting the attention of standardization bodies such as 3GPP LTE and IEEE 802.16j, whose objectives are looking into increasing the capacity and coverage of the cellular networks. This book focuses on recent progresses,  covering the related topics including scenarios of heterogeneous network deployment, interference management i

  9. Using narrow-band imaging with conventional hysteroscopy increases the detection of chronic endometritis in abnormal uterine bleeding and postmenopausal bleeding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozturk, Mustafa; Ulubay, Mustafa; Alanbay, Ibrahim; Keskin, Uğur; Karasahin, Emre; Yenen, Müfit Cemal

    2016-01-01

    A preliminary study was designed to evaluate whether a narrow-band imaging (NBI) endoscopic light source could detect chronic endometritis that was not identifiable with a white light hysteroscope. A total of 86 patients with endometrial pathology (71 abnormal uterine bleeding and 15 postmenopausal bleeding) were examined by NBI endoscopy and white light hysteroscopy between February 2010 and February 2011. The surgeon initially observed the uterine cavity using white light hysteroscopy and made a diagnostic impression, which was recorded. Subsequently, after pressing a button on the telescope, NBI was used to reevaluate the endometrial mucosa. The median age of the patients was 40 years (range: 30-60 years). Endometritis was diagnosed histologically. Six cases of abnormal uterine bleeding (6/71, 8.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.03-0.17) and one case of postmenopausal bleeding (1/15, 6%, 95%CI 0.01-0.29) were only diagnosed with chronic endometritis by NBI (7/86, 8.1%, 95%CI 0.04-0.15). Capillary patterns of the endometrium can be observed by NBI and this method can be used to assess chronic endometritis. © 2015 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

  10. [New guidelines on chronic pancreatitis : interdisciplinary treatment strategies].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lerch, M M; Bachmann, K A; Izbicki, J R

    2013-02-01

    Chronic pancreatitis is a common disorder associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Interdisciplinary consensus guidelines have recently updated the definitions and diagnostic criteria for chronic pancreatitis and provide a critical assessment of therapeutic procedures. Diagnostic imaging relies on endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) as the most sensitive technique, whereas computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) remain a frequent preoperative requirement. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is now used mostly as a therapeutic procedure except for the differential diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis. Complications of chronic pancreatitis, such as pseudocysts, duct stricture and intractable pain can be treated with endoscopic interventions as well as open surgery. In the treatment of pseudocysts endoscopic drainage procedures now prevail while pain treatment has greater long-term effectiveness following surgical procedures. Currently, endocopic as well as surgical treatment of chronic pancreatitis require an ever increasing degree of technical and medical expertise and are provided increasingly more often by interdisciplinary centres. Surgical treatment is superior to interventional therapy regarding the outcome of pain control and duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection is presently the surgical procedure of choice.

  11. Cellular Neural Networks: A genetic algorithm for parameters optimization in artificial vision applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taraglio, S. [ENEA, Centro Ricerche Casaccia, Rome (Italy). Dipt. Innovazione; Zanela, A. [Rome Univ. `La Sapienza` (Italy). Dipt. di Fisica

    1997-03-01

    An optimization method for some of the CNN`s (Cellular Neural Network) parameters, based on evolutionary strategies, is proposed. The new class of feedback template found is more effective in extracting features from the images that an autonomous vehicle acquires, than in the previous CNN`s literature.

  12. Fuzzy-cellular neural network for face recognition HCI Authentication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoomod, Haider K.; ali, Ahmed abd

    2018-05-01

    Because of the rapid development of mobile devices technology, ease of use and interact with humans. May have found a mobile device most uses in our communications. Mobile devices can carry large amounts of personal and sensitive data, but often left not guaranteed (pin) locks are inconvenient to use and thus have seen low adoption while biometrics is more convenient and less susceptible to fraud and manipulation. Were propose in this paper authentication technique for using a mobile face recognition based on cellular neural networks [1] and fuzzy rules control. The good speed and get recognition rate from applied the proposed system in Android system. The images obtained in real time for 60 persons each person has 20 t0 60 different shot face images (about 3600 images), were the results for (FAR = 0), (FRR = 1.66%), (FER = 1.66) and accuracy = 98.34

  13. Investigation of CT diagnostic imaging of 'Eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogino, Nobuhiro; Matsuwaki, Yoshinori; Ojiri, Hiroya; Kanou, Asami; Fukuda, Kunihiko

    2011-01-01

    'Eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (ECRS)' is a newly developed entity of chronic rhinosinusitis, which shows resistance against conventional treatment and poor prognosis. Pathologically, ECRS is manifested by high-degree of eosinophilic infiltration in the paranasal sinus mucosa. We structure the CT diagnostic criteria of ECRS and assess its availability. This diagnostic criteria consists of disease distribution (bilateral and predominant in the ethmoid sinus), existence of nasal polyp (s) and high attenuation which suggestive of allergic mucine. We retrospectively review CT of clinically diagnosed 14 ECRS cases to see if CT features of each case fit the criteria or not. The current CT diagnostic criteria of ECRS were proven to be useful to evaluate cases with clinical suspicion of ECRS. (author)

  14. [Structural features of the pulp ground substance and its significance for acute and chronic pulpitis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davarashvili, Capital Ka Cyrillich; Dgebuadze, M; Melikadze, E; Zhvitiashvili, T; Jandieri, K

    2012-12-01

    The goal of the research study is an analysis of amorphous material, fibers and cellular elements of the dental pulp and evaluation of their interactions with a variety of fibrouse structures in the norm and inflammation. To solve this problem used dental pulp tissue bioptats (10 cases) of patients with acute and chronic pulpitis and 10 control specimens (orthodontic operations). The material was studied by histological and electron microscopic methods of research. It was determined that in acute pulpitis develope changes promoting dissociation of fibrouse and cellular structures of pulp components, and thus, loss the cementing binding role of the ground substance. Acute pulpitis characterized by the recruitment of mast cells. ; The reorganization and remodeling of ground substance associated with neoangiogenesis, especially capillaries, and the replacement of collagen fibers by the fibrouse structures are major points in chronic pulpitis.

  15. AFM studies of environmental effects on nanomechanical properties and cellular structure of human hair

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhushan, Bharat; Chen, Nianhuan

    2006-01-01

    Characterization of cellular structure and physical and mechanical properties of hair are essential to develop better cosmetic products and advance biological and cosmetic science. Although the morphology of the cellular structure of human hair has been traditionally investigated using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, these techniques provide limited capability to in situ study of the physical and mechanical properties of human hair in various environments. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) overcomes these problems and can be used for characterization in ambient conditions without requiring specific sample preparations and surface treatment. In this study, film thickness, adhesive forces and effective Young's modulus of various hair surfaces were measured at different environments (humidity and temperature) using force calibration plot technique with an AFM. Torsional resonance mode phase contrast images were also taken in order to characterize the morphology and cellular structure changes of human hair at different humidity. The correlation between the nanomechanical properties and the cellular structure of hair is discussed

  16. 47 CFR 22.909 - Cellular markets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cellular markets. 22.909 Section 22.909... Cellular Radiotelephone Service § 22.909 Cellular markets. Cellular markets are standard geographic areas used by the FCC for administrative convenience in the licensing of cellular systems. Cellular markets...

  17. Quantitative analysis of the cellular inflammatory response against biofilm bacteria in chronic wounds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fazli, Mustafa; Bjarnsholt, Thomas; Kirketerp-Møller, Klaus

    2011-01-01

    Chronic wounds are an important problem worldwide. These wounds are characterized by a persistent inflammatory stage associated with excessive accumulation and elevated cell activity of neutrophils, suggesting that there must be a persistent stimulus that attracts and recruits neutrophils...... counting on the tissue sections from wounds containing either Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus. The P. aeruginosa-containing wounds had significantly higher numbers of neutrophils accumulated compared with the S. aureus-containing wounds. These results are discussed in relation...

  18. Associations between inflammatory cells infiltrating the ethmoid sinus mucosa, and nasal polyp size and grade of ethmoid sinus opacification on CT images in chronic sinusitis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imajima, Naotoshi; Watanabe, So; Furuta, Atsuko; Shimizu, Toshiyuki; Yamada, Naohiro; Mochizuki, Yuichiro; Suzaki, Harumi

    2009-01-01

    We investigated the types and numbers of inflammatory cells that infiltrated the ethmoid sinus mucosa in cases of chronic sinusitis in order to identify any associations with nasal polyp size and the grade of ethmoid sinus opacification on computer tomography images. The subjects were patients with chronic sinusitis who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery. Seventeen subjects also had bronchial asthma as a complication (six with aspirin-induced asthma, 11 with another form of asthma) and 24 did not have bronchial asthma as a complication (16 with allergic rhinitis, 8 with chronic sinusitis alone). The nasal polyps in the patients with bronchial asthma were significantly larger than those in the patients without bronchial asthma. Investigation of the numbers of infiltrating inflammatory cells according to polyp size revealed significantly more eosinophils as polyp size increased. In addition, infiltration of significantly more mast cells was observed when the polyps were large. Assessment of the grade of opacification of the ethmoid sinuses on computer tomography images showed a significantly higher grade of opacification in the patients with bronchial asthma than in the patients without bronchial asthma. Comparisons between the grade of opacification of the ethmoid sinuses and the number of infiltrating inflammatory cells revealed significantly more infiltrating eosinophils and mast cells in the patients with intense ethmoid sinus opacification. The above findings suggest that eosinophils and mast cells play a major role in forming the persistent inflammation of the sinus mucosa and nasal polyp tissue of patients with chronic sinusitis complicated by bronchial asthma. (author)

  19. Imaging brain activity during seizures in freely behaving rats using a miniature multi-modal imaging system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigal, Iliya; Koletar, Margaret M; Ringuette, Dene; Gad, Raanan; Jeffrey, Melanie; Carlen, Peter L; Stefanovic, Bojana; Levi, Ofer

    2016-09-01

    We report on a miniature label-free imaging system for monitoring brain blood flow and blood oxygenation changes in awake, freely behaving rats. The device, weighing 15 grams, enables imaging in a ∼ 2 × 2 mm field of view with 4.4 μm lateral resolution and 1 - 8 Hz temporal sampling rate. The imaging is performed through a chronically-implanted cranial window that remains optically clear between 2 to > 6 weeks after the craniotomy. This imaging method is well suited for longitudinal studies of chronic models of brain diseases and disorders. In this work, it is applied to monitoring neurovascular coupling during drug-induced absence-like seizures 6 weeks following the craniotomy.

  20. Cellular and molecular basis of chronic constipation: taking the functional/idiopathic label out.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassotti, Gabrio; Villanacci, Vincenzo; Creţoiu, Dragos; Creţoiu, Sanda Maria; Becheanu, Gabriel

    2013-07-14

    In recent years, the improvement of technology and the increase in knowledge have shifted several strongly held paradigms. This is particularly true in gastroenterology, and specifically in the field of the so-called "functional" or "idiopathic" disease, where conditions thought for decades to be based mainly on alterations of visceral perception or aberrant psychosomatic mechanisms have, in fact, be reconducted to an organic basis (or, at the very least, have shown one or more demonstrable abnormalities). This is particularly true, for instance, for irritable bowel syndrome, the prototype entity of "functional" gastrointestinal disorders, where low-grade inflammation of both mucosa and myenteric plexus has been repeatedly demonstrated. Thus, researchers have also investigated other functional/idiopathic gastrointestinal disorders, and found that some organic ground is present, such as abnormal neurotransmission and myenteric plexitis in esophageal achalasia and mucosal immune activation and mild eosinophilia in functional dyspepsia. Here we show evidence, based on our own and other authors' work, that chronic constipation has several abnormalities reconductable to alterations in the enteric nervous system, abnormalities mainly characterized by a constant decrease of enteric glial cells and interstitial cells of Cajal (and, sometimes, of enteric neurons). Thus, we feel that (at least some forms of) chronic constipation should no more be considered as a functional/idiopathic gastrointestinal disorder, but instead as a true enteric neuropathic abnormality.

  1. Live imaging of dense-core vesicles in primary cultured hippocampal neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwinter, David M; Silverman, Michael A; Kwinter, David; Michael, Silverman

    2009-05-29

    Observing and characterizing dynamic cellular processes can yield important information about cellular activity that cannot be gained from static images. Vital fluorescent probes, particularly green fluorescent protein (GFP) have revolutionized cell biology stemming from the ability to label specific intracellular compartments and cellular structures. For example, the live imaging of GFP (and its spectral variants) chimeras have allowed for a dynamic analysis of the cytoskeleton, organelle transport, and membrane dynamics in a multitude of organisms and cell types [1-3]. Although live imaging has become prevalent, this approach still poses many technical challenges, particularly in primary cultured neurons. One challenge is the expression of GFP-tagged proteins in post-mitotic neurons; the other is the ability to capture fluorescent images while minimizing phototoxicity, photobleaching, and maintaining general cell health. Here we provide a protocol that describes a lipid-based transfection method that yields a relatively low transfection rate (~0.5%), however is ideal for the imaging of fully polarized neurons. A low transfection rate is essential so that single axons and dendrites can be characterized as to their orientation to the cell body to confirm directionality of transport, i.e., anterograde v. retrograde. Our approach to imaging GFP expressing neurons relies on a standard wide-field fluorescent microscope outfitted with a CCD camera, image capture software, and a heated imaging chamber. We have imaged a wide variety of organelles or structures, for example, dense-core vesicles, mitochondria, growth cones, and actin without any special optics or excitation requirements other than a fluorescent light source. Additionally, spectrally-distinct, fluorescently labeled proteins, e.g., GFP and dsRed-tagged proteins, can be visualized near simultaneously to characterize co-transport or other coordinated cellular events. The imaging approach described here is

  2. A Review of Imaging Methods for Prostate Cancer Detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saradwata Sarkar

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Imaging is playing an increasingly important role in the detection of prostate cancer (PCa. This review summarizes the key imaging modalities–multiparametric ultrasound (US, multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, MRI-US fusion imaging, and positron emission tomography (PET imaging–-used in the diagnosis and localization of PCa. Emphasis is laid on the biological and functional characteristics of tumors that rationalize the use of a specific imaging technique. Changes to anatomical architecture of tissue can be detected by anatomical grayscale US and T2-weighted MRI. Tumors are known to progress through angiogenesis–-a fact exploited by Doppler and contrast-enhanced US and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. The increased cellular density of tumors is targeted by elastography and diffusion-weighted MRI. PET imaging employs several different radionuclides to target the metabolic and cellular activities during tumor growth. Results from studies using these various imaging techniques are discussed and compared.

  3. Cellular content and biosynthesis of polyamines during rooster spermatogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliva, R; Vidal, S; Mezquita, C

    1982-01-01

    The natural polyamines spermine and spermidine, and the diamine putrescine, were extracted from rooster testis cells separated by sedimentation at unit gravity, and from vas-deferens spermatozoa. The ratios spermine/DNA and spermidine/DNA were kept relatively constant throughout spermatogenesis, whereas the ratio putrescine/DNA rose in elongated spermatids. The cellular content of spermine, spermidine and putrescine decreased markedly in mature spermatozoa. Two rate-limiting enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway of polyamines, ornithine decarboxylase and S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase, showed their highest activities at the end of spermiogenesis and were not detectable in vas-deferens spermatozoa. A marked reduction in cell volume during spermiogenesis without a parallel decrease in the cellular content of polyamines suggests the possibility that the marked changes in chromatin composition and structure occurring in rooster late spermatids could take place in an ambience of high polyamine concentration. Images PLATE 1 PMID:7159401

  4. A review of reagents for fluorescence microscopy of cellular compartments and structures, Part III: reagents for actin, tubulin, cellular membranes, and whole cell and cytoplasm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kilgore, Jason A; Dolman, Nick J; Davidson, Michael W

    2014-01-02

    Non-antibody commercial fluorescent reagents for imaging of cytoskeletal structures have been limited primarily to tubulin and actin, with the main factor in choice based mainly on whether cells are live or fixed and permeabilized. A wider range of options exist for cell membrane dyes, and the choice of reagent primarily depends on the preferred localization in the cell (i.e., all membranes or only the plasma membrane) and usage (i.e., whether the protocol involves fixation and permeabilization). For whole-cell or cytoplasmic imaging, the choice of reagent is determined mostly by the length of time that the cells need to be visualized (hours or days) and by fixation status. Presented here is a discussion on choosing commercially available reagents for these cellular structures, with an emphasis on use for microscopic imaging, with a featured reagent for each structure, a recommended protocol, troubleshooting guide, and example image. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  5. Combined use of nuclear phosphoprotein c-Myc and cellular phosphoprotein p53 for hepatocellular carcinoma detection in high-risk chronic hepatitis C patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attallah, A M; El-Far, M; Abdelrazek, M A; Omran, M M; Attallah, A A; Elkhouly, A A; Elkenawy, H M; Farid, K

    2017-10-01

    Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a multistage process resulting from various genetic changes. We aimed to determine nuclear phosphoprotein c-Myc and cellular phosphoprotein p53 expression and to evaluate their importance in HCC diagnosis. One hundred and twenty chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients (60 non-HCC CHC patients and 60 HCC patients who had a single small (c-Myc and p53 were identified in liver tissues and serum samples using immunostaining, western blot and ELISA. Immunohistochemical detection of c-Myc and p53 with monospecific antibodies revealed intense and diffuse cytoplasmic staining patterns. Accumulated mutant proteins, released from tumour cells into the extracellular serum, were detected at 62 KDa, for c-Myc, and 53 KDa, for p53, using western blotting. In contrast to alpha feto-protein, there was a significant increase (p c-Myc (86.7% vs. 6.7%) and p53 (78.3% vs. 8.3%) in the malignant vs. non-malignant patients. The parallel combination of c-Myc and p53 reach the absolute sensitivity (100%), for more accurate and reliable HCC detection (specificity was 87%). c-Myc and p53 are potential HCC diagnostic biomarkers, and convenient combinations of them could improve diagnostic accuracy of HCC.

  6. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in chronic renal failure patients on chronic hemodialysis in Dr. Cipto-Mangunkusumo Hospital : the association with left ventricular mass

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Idrus Alwi

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available Fourty three patients with chronic renal failure undergoing chronic hemodialysis in Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia/Cipto-Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, since October 2003 until February 2004, were examined for echocardiography (2-D, M-mode, Doppler imaging.Diastolic dysfunction was found in 58.1 % of chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis. There was no significant difference between left ventricular mass in the group with or without left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. (Med J Indones 2006; 15:105-8Keywords: Left ventricular mass, diastolic function, chronic renal failure, hemodyalisis

  7. Hematopoietic tissue repair under chronic low daily dose irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seed, T.M.

    1994-01-01

    The capacity of the hematopoietic system to repair constantly accruing cellular damage under chronic, low daily dose gamma irradiation is essential for the maintenance of a functional hematopoietic system, and, in turn, long term survival. In certain individuals, however, such continuous cycles of damage and repair provide an essential inductive environment for selected types of hematopathologies, e.g., myeloid leukemia (ML). We have been studying temporal and causal relationships between hematopoietic capacity, associated repair functions, and propensities for hematologic disease in canines under variable levels of chronic radiation stress (0.3-26.3 cGy d -1 ). Results indicate that the maximum exposure rate tolerated by the hematopoietic system is highly individual-specific and is based largely on the degree to which repair capacity, and, in turn, hematopoietic restoration, is augmented under chronic exposure. In low-tolerance individuals (prone to aplastic anemia, subgroup (1), the failure to augment basic m-pair functions seemingly results in a progressive accumulation of genetic and cellular damage within vital progenitorial marrow compartments particularly marked within erythroid compartments. that results in loss of reproductive capacity and ultimately in collapse of the hematopoietic system. The high-tolerance individuals (radioaccomodated and either prone- or not prone to ML, subgroup 2 ampersand 3 appear to minimize the accumulating damage effect of daily exposures by extending repair functions, which preserves reproductive integrity and fosters regenerative hematopoietic responses. As the strength of the regenerative response manifests the extent of repair augmentation, the relatively strong response of high- tolerance individuals progressing to patent ML suggests an insufficiency of repair quality rather than repair quantity

  8. X-ray micro-tomography for investigations of brain tissues on cellular level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khimchenko, Anna; Schulz, Georg; Deyhle, Hans; Thalmann, Peter; Zanette, Irene; Zdora, Marie-Christine; Bikis, Christos; Hipp, Alexander; Hieber, Simone E.; Schweighauser, Gabriel; Hench, Jürgen; Müller, Bert

    2016-10-01

    X-ray imaging in absorption contrast mode is well established for hard tissue visualization. However, performance for lower density materials is limited due to a reduced contrast. Our aim is three-dimensional (3D) characterization of micro-morphology of human brain tissues down to (sub-)cellular resolution within a laboratory environment. Using the laboratory-based microtomography (μCT) system nanotom m (GE Sensing and Inspection Technologies GmbH, Wunstorf, Germany) and synchrotron radiation at the Diamond-Manchester Imaging Branchline I13-2 (Diamond Light Source, Didcot, UK), we have acquired 3D data with a resolution down to 0.45 μm for visualization of a human cerebellum specimen down to cellular level. We have shown that all selected modalities, namely laboratory-based absorption contrast micro-tomography (LBμCT), synchrotron radiation based in-line single distance phase contrast tomography (SDPR) and synchrotron radiation based single-grating interferometry (GI), can reach cellular resolution for tissue samples with a size in the mm-range. The results are discussed qualitatively in comparison to optical microscopy of haematoxylin and eosin (HE) stained sections. As phase contrast yields to a better data quality for soft tissues and in order to overcome restrictions of limited beamline access for phase contrast measurements, we have equipped the μCT system nanotom m with a double-grating phase contrast set-up. Preliminary experimental results of a knee sample consisting of a bony part and a cartilage demonstrate that phase contrast data exhibits better quality compared to absorption contrast. Currently, the set-up is under adjustment. It is expected that cellular resolution would also be achieved. The questions arise (1) what would be the quality gain of laboratory-based phase contrast in comparison to laboratory-based absorption contrast tomography and (2) could laboratory-based phase contrast data provide comparable results to synchrotron radiation based

  9. Biomechanics of cellular solids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibson, Lorna J

    2005-03-01

    Materials with a cellular structure are widespread in nature and include wood, cork, plant parenchyma and trabecular bone. Natural cellular materials are often mechanically efficient: the honeycomb-like microstructure of wood, for instance, gives it an exceptionally high performance index for resisting bending and buckling. Here we review the mechanics of a wide range of natural cellular materials and examine their role in lightweight natural sandwich structures (e.g. iris leaves) and natural tubular structures (e.g. plant stems or animal quills). We also describe two examples of engineered biomaterials with a cellular structure, designed to replace or regenerate tissue in the body.

  10. Comparison of renal dynamic imaging and modified MDRD equation in determining the stage of chronic kidney disease patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xie Peng; Liu Xiaomei; Huang Jianmin; Zhang Fang; Pan Liping; Wu Weijie; Gao Jianqing

    2013-01-01

    Objective: To compare the accuracy of 99 Tc m -diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid ( 99 Tc m -DTPA) renal dynamic imaging and modified modification of diet in renal disease trail (MDRD) equation in determining the stage of the chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients in clinical practice. Methods: A total of 169 patients were enrolled whose glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were determined simultaneously by 3 methods: dual plasma sample clearance method, renal dynamic imaging and modified MDRD equation. The dual plasma sample clearance method was employed as the reference method. The accuracy of the other methods in determining the stage of CKD patients was compared and the comparison was repeated based on the different stages. Results: The accuracy of renal dynamic imaging and modified MDRD equation was 56.80% and 68.64%, respectively (P=0.019<0.05). And only in the stage of uremia, the difference of the above-mentioned two method reached statistical significance (P=0.012<0.05), while in other stages they showed similar performance (P=0.180, 0.424, 0.629 and 0.754, all P>0.05). Conclusion: Modified MDRD equation showed better performance than renal dynamic imaging or as good as the second one in determining the stage of CKD patients and the former one should be the first choice in clinical practice because of its simplicity and economy. (authors)

  11. Noninvasive Evaluation of Cellular Proliferative Activity in Brain Neurogenic Regions in Rats under Depression and Treatment by Enhanced [18F]FLT-PET Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tamura, Yasuhisa; Takahashi, Kayo; Takata, Kumi; Eguchi, Asami; Yamato, Masanori; Kume, Satoshi; Nakano, Masayuki; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi; Kataoka, Yosky

    2016-08-03

    Neural stem cells in two neurogenic regions, the subventricular zone and the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampal dentate gyrus, can divide and produce new neurons throughout life. Hippocampal neurogenesis is related to emotions, including depression/anxiety, and the therapeutic effects of antidepressants, as well as learning and memory. The establishment of in vivo imaging for proliferative activity of neural stem cells in the SGZ might be used to diagnose depression and to monitor the therapeutic efficacy of antidepressants. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with 3'-deoxy-3'-[(18)F]fluoro-l-thymidine ([(18)F]FLT) has been studied to allow visualization of proliferative activity in two neurogenic regions of adult mammals; however, the PET imaging has not been widely used because of lower accumulation of [(18)F]FLT, which does not allow quantitative assessment of the decline in cellular proliferative activity in the SGZ under the condition of depression. We report the establishment of an enhanced PET imaging method with [(18)F]FLT combined with probenecid, an inhibitor of drug transporters at the blood-brain barrier, which can allow the quantitative visualization of neurogenic activity in rats. Enhanced PET imaging allowed us to evaluate reduced cell proliferation in the SGZ of rats with corticosterone-induced depression, and further the recovery of proliferative activity in rats under treatment with antidepressants. This enhanced [(18)F]FLT-PET imaging technique with probenecid can be used to assess the dynamic alteration of neurogenic activity in the adult mammalian brain and may also provide a means for objective diagnosis of depression and monitoring of the therapeutic effect of antidepressant treatment. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis may play a role in major depression and antidepressant therapy. Establishment of in vivo imaging for hippocampal neurogenic activity may be useful to diagnose depression and monitor the therapeutic efficacy of

  12. Visualizing Escherichia coli sub-cellular structure using sparse deconvolution Spatial Light Interference Tomography.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mustafa Mir

    Full Text Available Studying the 3D sub-cellular structure of living cells is essential to our understanding of biological function. However, tomographic imaging of live cells is challenging mainly because they are transparent, i.e., weakly scattering structures. Therefore, this type of imaging has been implemented largely using fluorescence techniques. While confocal fluorescence imaging is a common approach to achieve sectioning, it requires fluorescence probes that are often harmful to the living specimen. On the other hand, by using the intrinsic contrast of the structures it is possible to study living cells in a non-invasive manner. One method that provides high-resolution quantitative information about nanoscale structures is a broadband interferometric technique known as Spatial Light Interference Microscopy (SLIM. In addition to rendering quantitative phase information, when combined with a high numerical aperture objective, SLIM also provides excellent depth sectioning capabilities. However, like in all linear optical systems, SLIM's resolution is limited by diffraction. Here we present a novel 3D field deconvolution algorithm that exploits the sparsity of phase images and renders images with resolution beyond the diffraction limit. We employ this label-free method, called deconvolution Spatial Light Interference Tomography (dSLIT, to visualize coiled sub-cellular structures in E. coli cells which are most likely the cytoskeletal MreB protein and the division site regulating MinCDE proteins. Previously these structures have only been observed using specialized strains and plasmids and fluorescence techniques. Our results indicate that dSLIT can be employed to study such structures in a practical and non-invasive manner.

  13. Opioid Epidemic: Cellular & Molecular Anesthesia as a Key Solution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Dabbagh

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Opioids are one of the most important arsenals armamentarium of physicians for fighting against pain. During the decades, opioids have been used in a wide range of indications; both for treatment of acute and chronic pain; as natural and synthetic compounds and in a variety of delivery forms from intravenous infusion to intrathecal adjuvants of local anesthetics or as transdermal patches. There is no doubt that we are in an opioid misuse epidemic status; whether in the US or other countries; but if we want to resolve this miserable multilateral complication, there is no doubt that Cellular and Molecular aspects of Anesthesia has a key role in resolving the problem; through creating an opioid free pain management era.

  14. Accelerated Aging during Chronic Oxidative Stress: A Role for PARP-1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniëlle M. P. H. J. Boesten

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathophysiology of chronic inflammatory disease and it has also been linked to accelerated telomere shortening. Telomeres are specialized structures at the ends of linear chromosomes that protect these ends from degradation and fusion. Telomeres shorten with each cell division eventually leading to cellular senescence. Research has shown that poly(ADP-ribose polymerase-1 (PARP-1 and subtelomeric methylation play a role in telomere stability. We hypothesized that PARP-1 plays a role in accelerated aging in chronic inflammatory diseases due to its role as coactivator of NF-κb and AP-1. Therefore we evaluated the effect of chronic PARP-1 inhibition (by fisetin and minocycline in human fibroblasts (HF cultured under normal conditions and under conditions of chronic oxidative stress, induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP. Results showed that PARP-1 inhibition under normal culturing conditions accelerated the rate of telomere shortening. However, under conditions of chronic oxidative stress, PARP-1 inhibition did not show accelerated telomere shortening. We also observed a strong correlation between telomere length and subtelomeric methylation status of HF cells. We conclude that chronic PARP-1 inhibition appears to be beneficial in conditions of chronic oxidative stress but may be detrimental under relatively normal conditions.

  15. Noise Reduction Potential of Cellular Metals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Björn Hinze

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Rising numbers of flights and aircrafts cause increasing aircraft noise, resulting in the development of various approaches to change this trend. One approach is the application of metallic liners in the hot gas path of aero-engines. At temperatures of up to 600 °C only metallic or ceramic structures can be used. Due to fatigue loading and the notch effect of the pores, mechanical properties of porous metals are superior to the ones of ceramic structures. Consequently, cellular metals like metallic foams, sintered metals, or sintered metal felts are most promising materials. However, acoustic absorption depends highly on pore morphology and porosity. Therefore, both parameters must be characterized precisely to analyze the correlation between morphology and noise reduction performance. The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between pore morphology and acoustic absorption performance. The absorber materials are characterized using image processing based on two dimensional microscopy images. The sound absorption properties are measured using an impedance tube. Finally, the correlation of acoustic behavior, pore morphology, and porosity is outlined.

  16. In vivo characterization of chronic traumatic encephalopathy using [F-18]FDDNP PET brain imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrio, Jorge R; Small, Gary W; Wong, Koon-Pong; Huang, Sung-Cheng; Liu, Jie; Merrill, David A; Giza, Christopher C; Fitzsimmons, Robert P; Omalu, Bennet; Bailes, Julian; Kepe, Vladimir

    2015-04-21

    Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is an acquired primary tauopathy with a variety of cognitive, behavioral, and motor symptoms linked to cumulative brain damage sustained from single, episodic, or repetitive traumatic brain injury (TBI). No definitive clinical diagnosis for this condition exists. In this work, we used [F-18]FDDNP PET to detect brain patterns of neuropathology distribution in retired professional American football players with suspected CTE (n = 14) and compared results with those of cognitively intact controls (n = 28) and patients with Alzheimer's dementia (AD) (n = 24), a disease that has been cognitively associated with CTE. [F-18]FDDNP PET imaging results in the retired players suggested the presence of neuropathological patterns consistent with models of concussion wherein brainstem white matter tracts undergo early axonal damage and cumulative axonal injuries along subcortical, limbic, and cortical brain circuitries supporting mood, emotions, and behavior. This deposition pattern is distinctively different from the progressive pattern of neuropathology [paired helical filament (PHF)-tau and amyloid-β] in AD, which typically begins in the medial temporal lobe progressing along the cortical default mode network, with no or minimal involvement of subcortical structures. This particular [F-18]FDDNP PET imaging pattern in cases of suspected CTE also is primarily consistent with PHF-tau distribution observed at autopsy in subjects with a history of mild TBI and autopsy-confirmed diagnosis of CTE.

  17. Differential diagnosis of pelvic pain in women: acute and chronic forms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Speiser, P. . paul.speiser@univie.ac.at

    2001-01-01

    Acute and chronic forms of pelvic pain are symptoms of various gynaecological entities with a difficult clinical differential diagnosis. Acute pains are generally intensive attacks with a sudden onset, rapid progression, and normally short duration. Chronic pelvic pain is a continuous non-cyclic condition. Transvaginal sonography is an efficient tool to document morphologic abnormalities. Other imaging modalities, especially magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are valuable to differentiate gynaecological from other abdominal causes pain. (author)

  18. Neutralisation of interleukin-13 in mice prevents airway pathology caused by chronic exposure to house dust mite.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kate L Tomlinson

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Repeated exposure to inhaled allergen can cause airway inflammation, remodeling and dysfunction that manifests as the symptoms of allergic asthma. We have investigated the role of the cytokine interleukin-13 (IL-13 in the generation and persistence of airway cellular inflammation, bronchial remodeling and deterioration in airway function in a model of allergic asthma caused by chronic exposure to the aeroallergen House Dust Mite (HDM. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Mice were exposed to HDM via the intranasal route for 4 consecutive days per week for up to 8 consecutive weeks. Mice were treated either prophylactically or therapeutically with a potent neutralising anti-IL-13 monoclonal antibody (mAb administered subcutaneously (s.c.. Airway cellular inflammation was assessed by flow cytometry, peribronchial collagen deposition by histocytochemistry and airway hyperreactivity (AHR by invasive measurement of lung resistance (R(L and dynamic compliance (C(dyn. Both prophylactic and therapeutic treatment with an anti-IL-13 mAb significantly inhibited (P<0.05 the generation and maintenance of chronic HDM-induced airway cellular inflammation, peribronchial collagen deposition, epithelial goblet cell upregulation. AHR to inhaled methacholine was reversed by prophylactic but not therapeutic treatment with anti-IL-13 mAb. Both prophylactic and therapeutic treatment with anti-IL-13 mAb significantly reversed (P<0.05 the increase in baseline R(L and the decrease in baseline C(dyn caused by chronic exposure to inhaled HDM. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These data demonstrate that in a model of allergic lung disease driven by chronic exposure to a clinically relevant aeroallergen, IL-13 plays a significant role in the generation and persistence of airway inflammation, remodeling and dysfunction.

  19. Cellular Reflectarray Antenna

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romanofsky, Robert R.

    2010-01-01

    The cellular reflectarray antenna is intended to replace conventional parabolic reflectors that must be physically aligned with a particular satellite in geostationary orbit. These arrays are designed for specified geographical locations, defined by latitude and longitude, each called a "cell." A particular cell occupies nominally 1,500 square miles (3,885 sq. km), but this varies according to latitude and longitude. The cellular reflectarray antenna designed for a particular cell is simply positioned to align with magnetic North, and the antenna surface is level (parallel to the ground). A given cellular reflectarray antenna will not operate in any other cell.

  20. Molecular, cellular, and tissue engineering

    CERN Document Server

    Bronzino, Joseph D

    2015-01-01

    Known as the bible of biomedical engineering, The Biomedical Engineering Handbook, Fourth Edition, sets the standard against which all other references of this nature are measured. As such, it has served as a major resource for both skilled professionals and novices to biomedical engineering. Molecular, Cellular, and Tissue Engineering, the fourth volume of the handbook, presents material from respected scientists with diverse backgrounds in molecular biology, transport phenomena, physiological modeling, tissue engineering, stem cells, drug delivery systems, artificial organs, and personalized medicine. More than three dozen specific topics are examined, including DNA vaccines, biomimetic systems, cardiovascular dynamics, biomaterial scaffolds, cell mechanobiology, synthetic biomaterials, pluripotent stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, nanobiomaterials for tissue engineering, biomedical imaging of engineered tissues, gene therapy, noninvasive targeted protein and peptide drug deliver...