Imaging in interventional oncology, the better you see, the better you treat

Imaging and image processing is the fundamental pillar of interventional oncology in which diagnostic, procedure planning, treatment and follow-up are sustained. Knowing all the possibilities that the different image modalities can offer is capital to select the most appropriate and accurate guidance for interventional procedures. Despite there is a wide variability in physicians preferences and availability of the different image modalities to guide interventional procedures, it is important to recognize the advantages and limitations for each of them. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the most frequently used image guidance modalities for interventional procedures and its typical and future applications including angiography, computed tomography (CT) and spectral CT, magnetic resonance imaging, Ultrasound and the use of hybrid systems. Finally, we resume the possible role of artificial intelligence related to image in patient selection, treatment and follow-up.Patholog

The Location and Status of Egret Colonies in Coastal New South Wales

Thirteen active egret colonies were located along 800 km of the NSW coastline from Sydney north to the New South Wales-Queensland border. These colonies contained up to four egret species: Great Ardea alba, Intermediate A. intermedia, Little Egretta garzetta, and Cattle Egrets A. ibis. Each colony site is described and its location given. All colonies were located in or near wetlands, and the factors that may be important in determining which wetland is selected for occupation are discussed. The long term future of breeding colonies is examined and a recommendation made about the reservation of potential colony sites

The amyloid precursor protein controls PIKfyve function

While the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) plays a central role in Alzheimer's disease, its cellular function still remains largely unclear. It was our goal to establish APP function which will provide insights into APP's implication in Alzheimer's disease. Using our recently developed proteo-liposome assay we established the interactome of APP's intracellular domain (known as AICD), thereby identifying novel APP interactors that provide mechanistic insights into APP function. By combining biochemical, cell biological and genetic approaches we validated the functional significance of one of these novel interactors. Here we show that APP binds the PIKfyve complex, an essential kinase for the synthesis of the endosomal phosphoinositide phosphatidylinositol-3,5-bisphosphate. This signalling lipid plays a crucial role in endosomal homeostasis and receptor sorting. Loss of PIKfyve function by mutation causes profound neurodegeneration in mammals. Using C. elegans genetics we demonstrate that APP functionally cooperates with PIKfyve in vivo. This regulation is required for maintaining endosomal and neuronal function. Our findings establish an unexpected role for APP in the regulation of endosomal phosphoinositide metabolism with dramatic consequences for endosomal biology and important implications for our understanding of Alzheimer's disease

Evaluation of different primers for DNA fingerprinting of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 strains by the polymerase chain reaction

A DNA fingerprinting method for the characterization of Legionella pneumophila serogroup I strains was established. This method was based on the DNA extraction using Chelex 100 and subsequent PCR analysis using primers under conditions of low stringency. Sixteen single primers were tested for the typing of the 10 epidemiologically unrelated reference strains of L. pneumophila serogroup I as well as patient isolates and environmental strains isolated from the water system of a hospital where patients with legionellosis were treated. In addition, a combination of two primers (Lpm-1 and Lpm-2) originally established for the specific detection of Legionella strains was tested. The PCR results were compared with two further subtyping methods, i.e. monoclonal antibody analysis and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The type strains Philadelphia 1, Knoxville 1, Allentown 1, Benidorm 0303E, Bellingham 1, and France 5811 could be distinguished clearly in experiments using all of the primers. Depending on the primer used, Heysham 1 and Oxford 4032E showed different DNA profiles. The strains Olda and Camperdown I were nearly indistinguishable. In contrast, the analysis by PFGE and MAb subtyping revealed distinct types for all 10 reference strains. The discrimination of the patient isolates from two suspected cases of nosocomial legionellosis and environmental isolates was not possible with the 16 single primers used in the study. However, the PCR assay with the combination of Lpm-1 and Lpm-2 as well as the PFGE and MAb analysis were able to differentiate distinct types. The use of the sequence-specific primers under low-stringency annealing conditions allowed both simultaneous gene detection as well as epidemiological typing of Legionella strains

Stress-strain curves of flip-chip solder balls based on finite-element modeling of thermal displacements measured by electronic speckle pattern interferometry

Electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) was applied to noncontact, real-time evaluation of thermal deformation in a flip-chip solder joint. To measure the deformation of such tiny components as the solder balls in the flip-chip, the spatial resolution of ESPI was increased to submicron scale by magnifying the areas studied. Experimental-computational procedures were developed to obtain stress-strain curves for solder balls in the flip-chip based on finite-element modeling (FEM) of in-plane ESPI thermal displacement data. The stress-strain curve obtained for the flip-chip solder was compared with those for bulk solder. The microstructure was also studied to clarify the stress-strain curve results.open2