25 research outputs found
The low-virulent African swine fever virus (ASFV/NH/P68) induces enhanced expression and production of relevant regulatory cytokines (IFNα, TNFα and IL12p40) on porcine macrophages in comparison to the highly virulent ASFV/L60
The impact of infection by the low-virulent ASFV/NH/P68 (NHV) and the highly virulent ASFV/L60 (L60) isolates on porcine macrophages was assessed through the quantification of IFNα, TNFα, IL12p40, TGFβ and ASFV genes by real-time PCR at 2, 4 and 6 h post-infection. Increased IFNα, TNFα and IL12p40 expression was found in infection with NHV, in which expression of TGFβ was lower than in infection with L60. Principal component analysis showed a positive interaction of cytokines involved in cellular immune mechanisms, namely IFNα and IL12p40 in the NHV infection. Quantification by ELISA confirmed higher production of IFNα, TNFα and IL12p40 in the NHV-infected macrophages. Overall, our studies reinforce and clarify the effect of the NHV infection by targeting cellular and cellular-based immune responses relevant for pig survival against ASFV infection
What scans we will read: imaging instrumentation trends in clinical oncology
Oncological diseases account for a significant portion of the burden on public healthcare systems with associated
costs driven primarily by complex and long-lasting therapies. Through the visualization of patient-specific
morphology and functional-molecular pathways, cancerous tissue can be detected and characterized non-
invasively, so as to provide referring oncologists with essential information to support therapy management
decisions. Following the onset of stand-alone anatomical and functional imaging, we witness a push towards
integrating molecular image information through various methods, including anato-metabolic imaging (e.g., PET/
CT), advanced MRI, optical or ultrasound imaging.
This perspective paper highlights a number of key technological and methodological advances in imaging
instrumentation related to anatomical, functional, molecular medicine and hybrid imaging, that is understood as
the hardware-based combination of complementary anatomical and molecular imaging. These include novel
detector technologies for ionizing radiation used in CT and nuclear medicine imaging, and novel system
developments in MRI and optical as well as opto-acoustic imaging. We will also highlight new data processing
methods for improved non-invasive tissue characterization. Following a general introduction to the role of imaging
in oncology patient management we introduce imaging methods with well-defined clinical applications and
potential for clinical translation. For each modality, we report first on the status quo and point to perceived
technological and methodological advances in a subsequent status go section. Considering the breadth and
dynamics of these developments, this perspective ends with a critical reflection on where the authors, with the
majority of them being imaging experts with a background in physics and engineering, believe imaging methods
will be in a few years from now.
Overall, methodological and technological medical imaging advances are geared towards increased image contrast,
the derivation of reproducible quantitative parameters, an increase in volume sensitivity and a reduction in overall
examination time. To ensure full translation to the clinic, this progress in technologies and instrumentation is
complemented by progress in relevant acquisition and image-processing protocols and improved data analysis. To
this end, we should accept diagnostic images as “data”, and – through the wider adoption of advanced analysis,
including machine learning approaches and a “big data” concept – move to the next stage of non-invasive tumor
phenotyping. The scans we will be reading in 10 years from now will likely be composed of highly diverse multi-
dimensional data from multiple sources, which mandate the use of advanced and interactive visualization and
analysis platforms powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) for real-time data handling by cross-specialty clinical experts
with a domain knowledge that will need to go beyond that of plain imaging
Migration of Primary Aromatic Amines From Food Packaging Materials
This chapter reviews the state of the art on the migration of primary aromatic amines (PAAs) from packaging materials to the food. The main routes of formation of PAAs in polyurethane (PU)-based multilayer films are described, with special emphasis on the processing parameters that most affect the potential release of PAAs across the film thickness. The last part of the chapter is devoted to the analytical tools that are used nowadays for the determination of PAAs, with an in-depth description of electrochemical sensors as new tools for the future