Stabilised beta-catenin in postnatal ventricular myocardium leads to dilated cardiomyopathy and premature death.

Beta-catenin is a component of the intercalated disc in cardiomyocytes, but can also be involved in signalling and activation of gene transcription. We wanted to determine how long-term changes in beta-catenin expression levels would affect mature cardiomyocytes. Conditional transgenic mice that either lacked beta-catenin or that expressed a non-degradable form of beta-catenin in the adult ventricle were created. While mice lacking beta-catenin in the ventricle do not have an overt phenotype, mice expressing a non-degradable form develop dilated cardiomyopathy and do not survive beyond 5 months. A detailed analysis could reveal that this phenotype is correlated with a distinct localisation of beta-catenin in adult cardiomyocytes, which cannot be detected in the nucleus, no matter how much protein is present. Our report is the first study that addresses long-term effects of either the absence of beta-catenin or its stabilisation on ventricular cardiomyocytes and it suggests that beta-catenin's role in the nucleus may be of little significance in the healthy adult heart.

Statistical Modeling of the Eye for Multimodal Treatment Planning for External Beam Radiation Therapy of Intraocular Tumors.

PURPOSE: Ocular anatomy and radiation-associated toxicities provide unique challenges for external beam radiation therapy. For treatment planning, precise modeling of organs at risk and tumor volume are crucial. Development of a precise eye model and automatic adaptation of this model to patients' anatomy remain problematic because of organ shape variability. This work introduces the application of a 3-dimensional (3D) statistical shape model as a novel method for precise eye modeling for external beam radiation therapy of intraocular tumors. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Manual and automatic segmentations were compared for 17 patients, based on head computed tomography (CT) volume scans. A 3D statistical shape model of the cornea, lens, and sclera as well as of the optic disc position was developed. Furthermore, an active shape model was built to enable automatic fitting of the eye model to CT slice stacks. Cross-validation was performed based on leave-one-out tests for all training shapes by measuring dice coefficients and mean segmentation errors between automatic segmentation and manual segmentation by an expert. RESULTS: Cross-validation revealed a dice similarity of 95% ± 2% for the sclera and cornea and 91% ± 2% for the lens. Overall, mean segmentation error was found to be 0.3 ± 0.1 mm. Average segmentation time was 14 ± 2 s on a standard personal computer. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the solution presented outperforms state-of-the-art methods in terms of accuracy, reliability, and robustness. Moreover, the eye model shape as well as its variability is learned from a training set rather than by making shape assumptions (eg, as with the spherical or elliptical model). Therefore, the model appears to be capable of modeling nonspherically and nonelliptically shaped eyes.

Loulied Elli Ghrek / Edmond Natan Yafil et Pepino, auteurs. Ell Mra Elli Herbet Aâla Radjelha / Edmond Natan Yafil, auteur

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El Mra Elli Aâmret Fel Ghenaïa ; Meaâehrot El Djirana / Edmond Natan Yafil et Pépino, auteurs

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Haïta / Mahlema Brika, chant. Sefa / Mahlema Zohra El Marrakechia, voix

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Abisollan Fkiraoun Laman ; Ouahed Loucham / Rais Abdallah Enair, chant [acc. instr.]

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Guedmioua ; Tifelt / Raïs Mohamed Mouzi, chant [acc. instr.]

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Manaoudchi M'hlic ; Nahoua Ghouziel / Mira El Marrakchia, chant [acc. instr.]

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Tiznit ; Allouch / Abouch Tamassit, chant [acc. voc. et perc.]

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Bsit Drad Dil ; Bsit Drad Dil (suite) / Benhaïm et Melul, duo voc. [acc. instr.]

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Nodé : Chant hébraïque ; Nodé (suite) / Troupe Hadida et Bohbot

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Hozrimi El Hay ; Hozrimi El Hay (suite) / Troupe Hadida et Bohbot

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Yafim Halelot Bikhnahan ; Rahom Bakh Yaghil / Troupe Hadida et Bohbot

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Dialt Frouga ; Gmasa / Moulay Ahmed, chant [acc. instr.]

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Ksida Dialt El M'zouda ; Ksida Dialt Haha / Moulay Ahmed, chant [acc. instr.]

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