Quantitative repeated open application testing with a rinse-off product in methyldibromo glutaronitrile-sensitive patients: results of the IVDK

While the use of methyldibromo glutaronitrile (MDBGN) in leave-on products is clearly associated with high sensitization or elicitation risk, such a clear-cut relation could be questioned with regard to rinse-off products.

On the way to light the dark: a retrospective inquiry into the registered cases of domestic violence towards women over a six year period with a semi-quantitative analysis of the corresponding forensic documentation

Domestic violence victims are increasingly identified at emergency departments (ED). Studies report a prevalence of 6-30%; women are more frequently affected and to a more serious extent than men. Studies have shown that without screening domestic violence victims are often not recognised. The primary aim of the study is to collect data descriptive of domestic violence victims and to show whether medical documentation meets the requirements of forensic medicine.

Quantitative analysis of the native presynaptic cytomatrix by cryoelectron tomography

The presynaptic terminal contains a complex network of filaments whose precise organization and functions are not yet understood. The cryoelectron tomography experiments reported in this study indicate that these structures play a prominent role in synaptic vesicle release. Docked synaptic vesicles did not make membrane to membrane contact with the active zone but were instead linked to it by tethers of different length. Our observations are consistent with an exocytosis model in which vesicles are first anchored by long (>5 nm) tethers that give way to multiple short tethers once vesicles enter the readily releasable pool. The formation of short tethers was inhibited by tetanus toxin, indicating that it depends on soluble N-ethyl-maleimide sensitive fusion protein attachment protein receptor complex assembly. Vesicles were extensively interlinked via a set of connectors that underwent profound rearrangements upon synaptic stimulation and okadaic acid treatment, suggesting a role of these connectors in synaptic vesicle mobilization and neurotransmitter release.

Suitability of real-time quantitative PCR to estimate the relative telomere length in European Hake (Merluccius merluccius Linnaeus, 1758)

Telomere length measurement has been proposed as a promising tool to estimate the age of individuals in natural populations. We used real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) to measure relative telomere length in four tissues (brain, kidney, liver and muscle) of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) in different groups based upon body length an otolith age estimate. We observed a high level of inter-individual differences in the measurements of relative telomere length in hakes of similar age and body length groups. The results of qPCR analysis showed a great variability in all measures and a lack of repeatability and reproducibility with significant statistical differences in the results of the different assays. The paper discusses the technical reasons for the variability in qPCR obtained in this work and by other authors.

Quantitative mapping of T2 using partial spoiling

Fast quantitative MRI has become an important tool for biochemical characterization of tissue beyond conventional T1, T2, and T2*-weighted imaging. As a result, steady-state free precession (SSFP) techniques have attracted increased interest, and several methods have been developed for rapid quantification of relaxation times using steady-state free precession. In this work, a new and fast approach for T2 mapping is introduced based on partial RF spoiling of nonbalanced steady-state free precession. The new T2 mapping technique is evaluated and optimized from simulations, and in vivo results are presented for human brain at 1.5 T and for human articular cartilage at 3.0 T. The range of T2 for gray and white matter was from 60 msec (for the corpus callosum) to 100 msec (for cortical gray matter). For cartilage, spatial variation in T2 was observed between deep (34 msec) and superficial (48 msec) layers, as well as between tibial (33 msec), femoral, (54 msec) and patellar (43 msec) cartilage. Excellent correspondence between T2 values derived from partially spoiled SSFP scans and the ones found with a reference multicontrast spin-echo technique is observed, corroborating the accuracy of the new method for proper T2 mapping. Finally, the feasibility of a fast high-resolution quantitative partially spoiled SSFP T2 scan is demonstrated at 7.0 T for human patellar cartilage.