Target identification for the diagnosis and intervention of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques beyond 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging: promising tracers on the horizon

Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries and atherosclerosis is the major cause of cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerotic lesions obstruct blood flow in the arterial vessel wall and can rupture leading to the formation of occlusive thrombi. Conventional diagnostic tools are still of limited value for identifying the vulnerable arterial plaque and for predicting its risk of rupture and of releasing thromboembolic material. Knowledge of the molecular and biological processes implicated in the process of atherosclerosis will advance the development of imaging probes to differentiate the vulnerable plaque. The development of imaging probes with high sensitivity and specificity in identifying high-risk atherosclerotic vessel wall changes and plaques is crucial for improving knowledge-based decisions and tailored individual interventions. Arterial PET imaging with F-18-FDG has shown promising results in identifying inflammatory vessel wall changes in numerous studies and clinical trials. However, due to its limited specificity in general and its intense physiological uptake in the left ventricular myocardium that impair imaging of the coronary arteries, different PET tracers for the molecular imaging of atherosclerosis have been evaluated. This review describes biological, chemical and medical expertise supporting a translational approach that will enable the development of new or the evaluation of existing PET tracers for the identification of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques for better risk prediction and benefit to patients

Экологическое воспитание студентов вузов

В статье раскрываются теоретические основы экологического воспитания студентов и особенности экологического воспитания: формирование экологических представлений; развитие экологического сознания и чувств; формирование убеждений в необходимости экологической деятельности; выработка навыков и привычек поведения в природе. The article describes the theoretical foundations of environmental education students and especially environmental education: the formation of environmental performances; the development of ronmental consciousness and feelings; the formation of beliefs in the necessity of environmental performance; develop the skills and habits of behavior in nature

Grammatical Distinctions in the Left Frontal Cortex

Selective deficits in producing verbs relative to nouns in speech are well documented in neuropsychology and have been associated with left hemisphere frontal cortical lesions resulting from stroke and other neurological disorders. The basis for these impairments is unresolved: Do they arise because of differences in the way grammatical categories of words are organized in the brain, or because of differences in the neural representation of actions and objects? We used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to suppress the excitability of a portion of left prefrontal cortex and to assess its role in producing nouns and verbs. In one experiment subjects generated real words; in a second, they produced pseudowords as nouns or verbs. In both experiments, response latencies increased for verbs but were unaffected for nouns following rTMS. These results demonstrate that grammatical categories have a neuroanatomical basis and that the left prefrontal cortex is selectively engaged in processing verbs as grammatical objects.Psycholog

Конспект лекцій з дисципліни «Фінансовий ринок»

Конспект лекцій з дисципліни «Фінансовий ринок» для студентів спеціальності 6.030508 Фінанси та кредитКонспект лекцій з дисципліни «Фінансовий ринок» для студентів спеціальності 6.030508 Фінанси та креди

Increasing striatal dopamine release through repeated bouts of theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. A 18F-desmethoxyfallypride positron emission tomography study

IntroductionTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) can modulate fronto-striatal connectivity in the human brain. Here Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and neuro-navigated TMS were combined to investigate the dynamics of the fronto-striatal connectivity in the human brain. Employing 18F-DesmethoxyFallypride (DMFP) – a Dopamine receptor-antagonist – the release of endogenous dopamine in the striatum in response to time-spaced repeated bouts of excitatory, intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) of the Left-Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (L-DLPFC) was measured.Methods23 healthy participants underwent two PET sessions, each one with four blocks of iTBS separated by 30 minutes: sham (control) and verum (90% of individual resting motor threshold). Receptor Binding Ratios were collected for sham and verum sessions across 37 time frames (about 130 minutes) in striatal sub-regions (Caudate nucleus and Putamen).ResultsVerum iTBS increased the dopamine release in striatal sub-regions, relative to sham iTBS. Dopamine levels in the verum session increased progressively across the time frames until frame number 28 (approximately 85 minutes after the start of the session and after three iTBS bouts) and then essentially remained unchanged until the end of the session.ConclusionResults suggest that the short-timed iTBS protocol performed in time-spaced blocks can effectively induce a dynamic dose dependent increase in dopaminergic fronto-striatal connectivity. This scheme could provide an alternative to unpleasant and distressing, long stimulation protocols in experimental and therapeutic settings. Specifically, it was demonstrated that three repeated bouts of iTBS, spaced by short intervals, achieve larger effects than one single stimulation. This finding has implications for the planning of therapeutic interventions, for example, treatment of major depression

Radioiodinated Phenylalkyl Malonic Acid Derivatives as pH-Sensitive SPECT Tracers

pH imaging has been a field of interest for molecular imaging for many years. This is especially important for determining tumor acidity, an important driving force of tumor invasion and metastasis formation, but also in the process of apoptosis.I]IPM was evaluated in an anti-Fas monoclonal antibody (mAb) apoptosis model. In addition a mouse RIF-1 tumor model was explored in which tumor pH was decreased from 7.0 to 6.5 by means of induction of hyperglycemia in combination with administration of meta-iodobenzylguanidine.I]IPM showed a clear pH-related uptake pattern in the RIF-1 tumor model. which allows to visualize regional acidosis. However, these compounds are not suitable for detection of apoptosis due to a poor acidosis effect