MR-guided cholecystostomy: Assessment of biplanar, real-time needle tracking in three pigs

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of magnetic resonance (MR)-guided cholecystostomy using active, real-time, biplanar MR tracking in animal experiments. Methods: Experiments were performed on three fully anesthetized pigs in an interventional MR system (GE open). The gallbladder was displayed in two orthogonal planes using a heavily T2-weighted fast spin-echo sequence. These "cholangio roadmaps” were displayed on LCD monitors positioned in front of the interventionalist. A special coaxial MR-tracking needle, equipped with a small receive-only coil at its tip, was inserted percutaneously into the gallbladder under continuous, biplanar MR guidance. The MR-tracking sequence allowed sampling of the coil (needle tip) position every 120 msec. The position of the coil was projected onto the two orthogonal "cholangio roadmap” images. Results: Successful insertion of the needle was confirmed by aspiration of bile from the gallbladder. The process of aspiration and subsequent instillation of Gd-DTPA into the gallbladder was documented with fast gradient-recalled echo imaging. Conclusion: Biplanar, active, real-time MR tracking in combination with "cholangio roadmaps” allows for cholecystostomies in an interventional MRI environmen

Identification of Relevant ICF Categories in Vocational Rehabilitation: A Cross Sectional Study Evaluating the Clinical Perspective

Introduction Vocational rehabilitation (VR) emphasizes a need for medical support, rehabilitation and biopsychosocial approach to enable individuals to successfully participate in the workforce. Optimal rehabilitation management relies on an in-depth knowledge of the typical spectrum of problems encountered of patients in VR. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is based on a universal conceptual model and provides a holistic view of functioning of the lived experience of people such as those undergoing VR. The objectives of this study are to describe the functioning and health of persons undergoing VR and to identify the most common problems around work and in VR using the ICF as the reference framework. Methods An empirical cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted using convenience sampling from March 2009 to March 2010. Data were collected using a Case Record Form rated by health professionals which was based on an extended version of the ICF Checklist containing 292 ICF categories and sociodemographic information. Results 152 patients with various health conditions participated. We identified categories from all four ICF components: 24 for body functions, six for body structures, 45 for activities and participation, and 25 for environmental factors. Conclusions Our study identified a multitude of ICF categories that describe functioning domains and which represent the complexity of VR. Such a comprehensive approach in assessing patients in VR may help to understand and customize the process of VR in the clinical setting and to enhance multidisciplinary communicatio

Machbarkeitsstudie zur Etablierung einer Agentur im Bereich Agrarmarketing für regionale und/oder ökologische land- und ernährungswirtschaftliche Erzeugnisse im Freistaat Sachsen

Ziel der Machbarkeitsstudie ist es, fachliche Empfehlungen zur Etablierung und zum Betrieb einer Agentur im Bereich Agrarmarketing für regionale und/oder ökologische land- und ernährungswirtschaftliche Erzeugnisse im Freistaat Sachsen zu geben. Die vorliegende Studie wurde von Juni bis Oktober 2020 in enger Abstimmung mit dem SMEKUL, Referat 32 sowie mit Beteiligung von maßgeblichen und/oder repräsentativen Akteur*innen in Form einer SWOT-Analyse und Workshops erarbeitet

High Complexity of Plasmodium vivax Infections in Symptomatic Patients from a Rural Community in Central Vietnam Detected by Microsatellite Genotyping

Fourteen published and three newly identified polymorphic microsatellites were used to genotype 69 Plasmodium vivax samples obtained from 39 patients detected over a period of two years who lived in a rural community of central Vietnam. All samples were polyclonal with an average expected heterozygosity of 0.86. Among the 39 patients, 16 experienced 1–5 recurrent episodes of P. vivax malaria, most of them (83%) with a different genotype profile compared with previous infections. The minimal set of microsatellites required for differentiating the genotype profiles of the recurrent infections compared with the full set of 17 microsatellites was explored. A combination of five markers was sufficient to identify all recurrent infections with an unrelated or different genotype profile compared with all previous episodes

MR-guided cholecystostomy: Assessment of biplanar, real-time needle tracking in three pigs

Purpose: To demonstrate the feasibility of magnetic resonance (MR)-guided cholecystostomy using active, real-time, biplanar MR tracking in animal experiments. Methods: Experiments were performed on three fully anesthetized pigs in an interventional MR system (GE open). The gallbladder was displayed in two orthogonal planes using a heavily T2-weighted fast spin-echo sequence. These "cholangio roadmaps” were displayed on LCD monitors positioned in front of the interventionalist. A special coaxial MR-tracking needle, equipped with a small receive-only coil at its tip, was inserted percutaneously into the gallbladder under continuous, biplanar MR guidance. The MR-tracking sequence allowed sampling of the coil (needle tip) position every 120 msec. The position of the coil was projected onto the two orthogonal "cholangio roadmap” images. Results: Successful insertion of the needle was confirmed by aspiration of bile from the gallbladder. The process of aspiration and subsequent instillation of Gd-DTPA into the gallbladder was documented with fast gradient-recalled echo imaging. Conclusion: Biplanar, active, real-time MR tracking in combination with "cholangio roadmaps” allows for cholecystostomies in an interventional MRI environmen

Plasmodium knowlesi malaria in Vietnam: some clarifications

A recently published comment on a report of Plasmodium knowlesi infections in Vietnam states that this may not accurately represent the situation in the study area because the PCR primers used may cross-hybridize with Plasmodium vivax. Nevertheless, P. knowlesi infections have been confirmed by sequencing. In addition, a neighbour-joining tree based on the 18S S-Type SSUrRNA gene shows that the Vietnamese samples clearly cluster with the P. knowlesi isolates identified in Malaysia and are distinct from the corresponding P. vivax sequences. All samples came from asymptomatic individuals who did not consult for fever during the months preceding or following the survey, indicating that asymptomatic P. knowlesi infections occur in this population, although this does not exclude the occurrence of symptomatic cases. Large-scale studies to determine the extent and the epidemiology of P. knowlesi malaria in Vietnam are further needed