Consensus-Based Technical Recommendations for Clinical Translation of Renal Phase Contrast MRI

BACKGROUND: Phase-contrast (PC) MRI is a feasible and valid noninvasive technique to measure renal artery blood flow, showing potential to support diagnosis and monitoring of renal diseases. However, the variability in measured renal blood flow values across studies is large, most likely due to differences in PC-MRI acquisition and processing. Standardized acquisition and processing protocols are therefore needed to minimize this variability and maximize the potential of renal PC-MRI as a clinically useful tool. PURPOSE: To build technical recommendations for the acquisition, processing, and analysis of renal 2D PC-MRI data in human subjects to promote standardization of renal blood flow measurements and facilitate the comparability of results across scanners and in multicenter clinical studies. STUDY TYPE: Systematic consensus process using a modified Delphi method. POPULATION: Not applicable. SEQUENCE FIELD/STRENGTH: Renal fast gradient echo-based 2D PC-MRI. ASSESSMENT: An international panel of 27 experts from Europe, the USA, Australia, and Japan with 6 (interquartile range 4–10) years of experience in 2D PC-MRI formulated consensus statements on renal 2D PC-MRI in two rounds of surveys. Starting from a recently published systematic review article, literature-based and data-driven statements regarding patient preparation, hardware, acquisition protocol, analysis steps, and data reporting were formulated. STATISTICAL TESTS: Consensus was defined as ≥75% unanimity in response, and a clear preference was defined as 60–74% agreement among the experts. RESULTS: Among 60 statements, 57 (95%) achieved consensus after the second-round survey, while the remaining three showed a clear preference. Consensus statements resulted in specific recommendations for subject preparation, 2D renal PC-MRI data acquisition, processing, and reporting. DATA CONCLUSION: These recommendations might promote a widespread adoption of renal PC-MRI, and may help foster the set-up of multicenter studies aimed at defining reference values and building larger and more definitive evidence, and will facilitate clinical translation of PC-MRI. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE:

Molecular mechanisms of cell death: recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death 2018.

Over the past decade, the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death (NCCD) has formulated guidelines for the definition and interpretation of cell death from morphological, biochemical, and functional perspectives. Since the field continues to expand and novel mechanisms that orchestrate multiple cell death pathways are unveiled, we propose an updated classification of cell death subroutines focusing on mechanistic and essential (as opposed to correlative and dispensable) aspects of the process. As we provide molecularly oriented definitions of terms including intrinsic apoptosis, extrinsic apoptosis, mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT)-driven necrosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, parthanatos, entotic cell death, NETotic cell death, lysosome-dependent cell death, autophagy-dependent cell death, immunogenic cell death, cellular senescence, and mitotic catastrophe, we discuss the utility of neologisms that refer to highly specialized instances of these processes. The mission of the NCCD is to provide a widely accepted nomenclature on cell death in support of the continued development of the field

Mango fruit calcium levels and the effect of postharvest calcium infiltration at different maturities

Calcium concentrations in 'Kensington' and 'Sensation' mango fruits were measured throughout fruit development on the tree. Flesh calcium concentrations fell from 2.1 to 0.8 mg/g d.w. for 'Kensington' and 1.6 to 0.8 mg/g d.w. for 'Sensation' as the fruits grew into maturity. Cuticle thickness in both cultivars varied only slightly during growth. Increases in cell wall thickness and in cell length and breadth were similar for both cultivars. Cell wall thickness was greatest in the outer flesh, while cell size increased most in the inner flesh of the fruit. Calcium concentration profiles were determined in 'Kensington' fruit harvested at normal commercial maturity for untreated fruit and fruit vacuum infiltrated (-33 kPa) with 4% (w/v) calcium chloride. Similar profiles were obtained for both cases. The skin, outer flesh, middle flesh and inner flesh had sequentially decreasing calcium concentrations. Concentrations ranged between 0.371 mg/g d.w. (skin) and 0.095 mg/g d.w. (inner flesh) for untreated ripened fruit. Corresponding concentrations for calcium-treated ripened fruits were 0.547-0.086 mg/g d.w. Calcium-treated fruits exhibited no differences in colour or firmness changes and weight loss during shelf life as compared to control fruit. Some lenticel damage was observed as a result of calcium infiltration. Shelf life studies were undertaken on control and vacuum infiltrated 'Kensington' and 'Sensation' mango fruits harvested at early (-3 weeks), middle, and late (+3 weeks) stages of maturity and on 'Irwin' and 'Palmer' mangoes harvested at middle maturity, i.e. normal commercial harvest time. Calcium levels in skin tissue of only 'Kensington' and 'Palmer' mangoes were slightly higher for calcium-treated than for untreated fruits. Calcium levels in flesh tissue were not increased by vacuum infiltration of calcium into any of the cultivars or maturities. Treatment with 4% (w/v) calcium chloride did not extend the shelf life of fruits of any of the four cultivars. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Application of magnetic resonance imaging to pre- and post-harvest studies of fruits and vegetables

As magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems with cryomagnets large enough to accommodate samples of interest to postharvest researchers become more accessible, MRI will come to be regarded as an integral component in pre- and post-harvest investigations of physiological changes in fruit and vegetables. The non-invasive, non-destructive attributes of H-1 MRI, and its ability to provide highly resolved spatial information concerning the distribution and magnetic environment of water in soft tissues, makes it an attractive technique for probing such samples. In reports to date, examination of the quality, histology, histochemistry and structural characteristics of samples have been emphasised. These and other applications pertaining to the study of fruits and vegetables are reviewed, as well as recent developments that employ nuclear magnetic resonance principles as on-line sensors in postharvest sorting and processing situations. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V

H-1-Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of ripening 'Kensington Pride' mango fruit

Physicochemical gradients occur in mango mesocarp tissue during ripening. These gradients are reflected in water activity, which is non-uniform throughout the mesocarp. Signal intensity in proton magnetic resonance images (first echo, proton density and T-2) for green-mature 'Kensington Pride' mesocarp tissue was highest near the endocarp and lowest near the exocarp. Relative signal intensity increased in the middle mesocarp as ripening proceeded, but remained relatively low in the outer mesocarp. T-2 relaxation times for inner and middle mesocarp regions fell during ripening. The data suggest that water activity in the mesocarp tissue increased in an outward-moving flux as ripening progressed. This change in water activity was associated with starch hydrolysis and other ripening-related processes that commence near the endocarp

Population status of Pan troglodytes verus in Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park, Guinea-Bissau

The western chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes verus, has been classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1988. Intensive agriculture, commercial plantations, logging, and mining have eliminated or degraded the habitats suitable for P. t. verus over a large part of its range. In this study we assessed the effect of land-use change on the population size and density of chimpanzees at Lagoas de Cufada Natural Park (LCNP), Guinea-Bissau. We further explored chimpanzee distribution in relation to landscape-level proxies of human disturbance. Nest count and distance-sampling methods were employed along 11 systematically placed linear transects in 2010 and 2011. Estimated nest decay rate was 293.9 days (%CV = 58.8). Based on this estimate of decay time and using the Standing-Crop Nest Count Method, we obtained a habitat-weighted average chimpanzee density estimate for 2011 of 0.22 nest building chimpanzees/km2 (95% CI 0.08–0.62), corresponding to 137 (95% CI 51.0–390.0) chimpanzees for LCNP. Human disturbance had a negative influence on chimpanzee distribution as nests were built farther away from human settlements, roads, and rivers than if they were randomly distributed, coinciding with the distribution of the remaining patches of dense canopy forest. We conclude that the continuous disappearance of suitable habitat (e.g. the replacement of LCNP's dense forests by monocultures of cashew plantations) may be compromising the future of one of the most threatened Guinean coastal chimpanzee populations. We discuss strategies to ensure long-term conservation in this important refuge for this chimpanzee subspecies at its westernmost margin of geographic distribution.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

A global evaluation of coral reef management performance: are MPAs producing conservation and socio-economic improvements?

There is a consensus that Marine Protected Area (MPA) performance needs regular evaluation against clear criteria, incorporating counterfactual comparisons of ecological and socio-economic performance. However, these evaluations are scarce at the global level. We compiled self-reports from managers and researchers of 78 coral reef-based MPAs world-wide, on the conservation and welfare improvements that their MPAs provide. We developed a suite of performance measures including fulfilment of design and management criteria, achievement of aims, the cessation of banned or destructive activities, change in threats, and measurable ecological and socio-economic changes in outcomes, which we evaluated with respect to the MPA's age, geographical location and main aims. The sample was found to be broadly representative of MPAs generally, and suggests that many MPAs do not achieve certain fundamental aims including improvements in coral cover over time (in 25% of MPAs), and conflict reduction (in 25%). However, the large majority demonstrated improvements in terms of slowing coral loss, reducing destructive uses and increasing tourism and local employment, despite many being small, underfunded and facing multiple large scale threats beyond the control of managers. However spatial comparisons suggest that in some regions MPAs are simply mirroring outside changes, with demonstrates the importance of testing for additionality. MPA benefits do not appear to increase linearly over time. In combination with other management efforts and regulations, especially those relating to large scale threat reduction and targeted fisheries and conflict resolution instruments, MPAs are an important tool to achieve coral reef conservation globally. Given greater resources and changes which incorporate best available science, such as larger MPAs and no-take areas, networks and reduced user pressure, it is likely that performance could further be enhanced. Performance evaluation should test for the generation of additional ecological and socio-economic improvements over time and compared to unmanaged areas as part of an adaptive management regime