Soft tissue tumor imaging in adults: European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology-Guidelines 2023-overview, and primary local imaging: how and where?

OBJECTIVES: Early, accurate diagnosis is crucial for the prognosis of patients with soft tissue sarcomas. To this end, standardization of imaging algorithms, technical requirements, and reporting is therefore a prerequisite. Since the first European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR) consensus in 2015, technical achievements, further insights into specific entities, and the revised WHO-classification (2020) and AJCC staging system (2017) made an update necessary. The guidelines are intended to support radiologists in their decision-making and contribute to interdisciplinary tumor board discussions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A validated Delphi method based on peer-reviewed literature was used to derive consensus among a panel of 46 specialized musculoskeletal radiologists from 12 European countries. Statements were scored online by level of agreement (0 to 10) during two iterative rounds. Either "group consensus," "group agreement," or "lack of agreement" was achieved. RESULTS: Eight sections were defined that finally contained 145 statements with comments. Overall, group consensus was reached in 95.9%, and group agreement in 4.1%. This communication contains the first part consisting of the imaging algorithm for suspected soft tissue tumors, methods for local imaging, and the role of tumor centers. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound represents the initial triage imaging modality for accessible and small tumors. MRI is the modality of choice for the characterization and local staging of most soft tissue tumors. CT is indicated in special situations. In suspicious or likely malignant tumors, a specialist tumor center should be contacted for referral or teleradiologic second opinion. This should be done before performing a biopsy, without exception. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The updated ESSR soft tissue tumor imaging guidelines aim to provide best practice expert consensus for standardized imaging, to support radiologists in their decision-making, and to improve examination comparability both in individual patients and in future studies on individualized strategies. KEY POINTS: • Ultrasound remains the best initial triage imaging modality for accessible and small suspected soft tissue tumors. • MRI is the modality of choice for the characterization and local staging of soft tissue tumors in most cases; CT is indicated in special situations. Suspicious or likely malignant tumors should undergo biopsy. • In patients with large, indeterminate or suspicious tumors, a tumor reference center should be contacted for referral or teleradiologic second opinion; this must be done before a biopsy

Dynamic metabolic control: towards precision engineering of metabolism

Advances in metabolic engineering have led to the synthesis of a wide variety of valuable chemicals in microorganisms. The key to commercializing these processes is the improvement of titer, productivity, yield, and robustness. Traditional approaches to enhancing production use the “push–pull-block” strategy that modulates enzyme expression under static control. However, strains are often optimized for specific laboratory set-up and are sensitive to environmental fluctuations. Exposure to sub-optimal growth conditions during large-scale fermentation often reduces their production capacity. Moreover, static control of engineered pathways may imbalance cofactors or cause the accumulation of toxic intermediates, which imposes burden on the host and results in decreased production. To overcome these problems, the last decade has witnessed the emergence of a new technology that uses synthetic regulation to control heterologous pathways dynamically, in ways akin to regulatory networks found in nature. Here, we review natural metabolic control strategies and recent developments in how they inspire the engineering of dynamically regulated pathways. We further discuss the challenges of designing and engineering dynamic control and highlight how model-based design can provide a powerful formalism to engineer dynamic control circuits, which together with the tools of synthetic biology, can work to enhance microbial production

VI. Régionalisation et régionalisme en Suède

Olsson Jan, Aström Joachim. VI. Régionalisation et régionalisme en Suède. In: Annuaire des collectivités locales. Tome 24, 2004. Réforme de la décentralisation, réforme de l'État. Régions et villes en Europe. pp. 335-352

Extreme 13 C depletion of carbonates formed during oxidation of biogenic methane in fractured granite

Precipitation of exceptionally 13C-depleted authigenic carbonate is a result of, and thus a tracer for, sulphate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation, particularly in marine sediments. Although these carbonates typically are less depleted in 13C than in the source methane, because of incorporation of C also from other sources, they are far more depleted in 13C (δ13C as light as -69% V-PDB) than in carbonates formed where no methane is involved. Here we show that oxidation of biogenic methane in carbon-poor deep groundwater in fractured granitoid rocks has resulted in fracture-wall precipitation of the most extremely 13Cdepleted carbonates ever reported, δ13C down to -125% V-PDB. A microbial consortium of sulphate reducers and methane oxidizers has been involved, as revealed by biomarker signatures in the carbonates and S-isotope compositions of co-genetic sulphide. Methane formed at shallow depths has been oxidized at several hundred metres depth at the transition to a deep-seated sulphate-rich saline water. This process is so far an unrecognized terrestrial sink of methane.A3497</p

No increase of plasma malondialdehyde after primary coronary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: Free radicals formed after coronary artery occlusion and reperfusion are assumed to produce myocardial stunning and possibly other forms of reperfusion injury as well. Malondialdehyde (MDA) is an end product in the lipid peroxidation chain reaction and is frequently used as a marker for free oxygen radical production. Increased levels of plasma MDA have been found following successful thrombolytic therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether plasma MDA levels also increase after successful primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). DESIGN: In 23 patients with AMI, treated with primary PTCA, plasma MDA was analysed using a high-performance liquid chromatography method (HPLC). The results obtained with this method were compared with those obtained with a fluorimetric assay of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). This assay measures MDA but with a lower specificity. RESULTS: We found a significant decrease of plasma MDA from baseline 0.99 to 0.87 micro mol/l at 30 min and to 0.90 micro mol/l at 90 min following the primary PTCA (p = 0.048 and 0.014, respectively). No significant changes in TBARS method levels were observed. CONCLUSION: Instead of the expected increase in MDA following reperfusion we found a significant decrease. The results from measurements of MDA and TBARS were significantly incompatible. The results raise serious doubts as to the usefulness of increased plasma levels of MDA as a marker of oxidative stress caused by coronary reperfusion in patients treated with angioplasty