Valor de la resonancia magnética cerebral en fetos con sospecha ecográfica de agenesia del cuerpo calloso / Value of brain MRI when sonography raises suspicion of agenesis of the corpus callosum in fetuses

Objetivo. Valorar el papel de la resonancia magnética (RM) en los fetos con sospecha ecográfica de agenesia del cuerpo calloso (ACC) para confirmar el diagnóstico y detectar anomalías intracraneales asociadas. Material y métodos. Estudio observacional descriptivo y retrospectivo de las RM cerebrales realizadas a 78 fetos remitidos a nuestro centro entre enero de 2006 y diciembre de 2015 por sospecha de ACC. Dos especialistas en diagnóstico por imagen fetal revisaron las exploraciones para evaluar la presencia y la morfología del cuerpo calloso. En los casos de ACC se valoró el resto de la neuroanatomía fetal para determinar la presencia de anomalías asociadas. Se correlacionaron los hallazgos de imagen prenatales con la RM posnatal o con la necropsia, cuando estuvieron disponibles. Resultados. La RM diagnosticó de ACC 45 casos, de los que 12 fueron de tipo parcial (26,7%) y 33 completa (73,3%). Se detectaron anomalías asociadas en 28 casos (62,2%), siendo la más frecuente la ventriculomegalia (78,6%), seguida de las malformaciones corticales (53,6%) y las anomalías de la fosa posterior (25%) y de la línea media (10,7%). Conclusión. La RM fetal facilita el diagnóstico de la ACC y la detección de anomalías asociadas. Su realización es importante ante la sospecha ecográfica prenatal de ACC (AU)

Objective. To evaluate the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in fetuses with a previous sonographic suspicion of agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC) to confirm the diagnosis and to detect associated intracranial anomalies. Material and methods. Single-center retrospective and descriptive observational study of the brain MRI performed in 78 fetuses with ACC sonographic suspicion between January 2006 and December 2015. Two experts in fetal imaging reviewed the MRI findings to evaluate the presence and morphology of the corpus callosum. When ACC was detected the whole fetal brain anatomy was thoroughly studied to determine the presence of associated anomalies. Prenatal MR imaging findings were compared to postnatal brain MRI or necropsy findings when available. Results. Fetal MRI diagnosed 45 cases of ACC, 12 were partial (26.7%) and 33 complete (73.3%). In 28 cases (62,2%) associated intracranial anomalies were identified. The most often abnormality was ventriculomegaly (78,6%), followed by cortical malformations (53,6%), posterior fossa (25%) and midline anomalies (10,7%). Conclusion. Fetal brain MRI has an important role in the diagnosis of ACC and detection of associated anomalies. To perform a fetal brain MRI is important in fetuses with sonographic suspicion of ACC (AU)

Value of brain MRI when sonography raises suspicion of agenesis of the corpus callosum in fetuses. / Valor de la resonancia magnética cerebral en fetos con sospecha ecográfica de agenesia del cuerpo calloso.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in fetuses with a previous sonographic suspicion of agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC) to confirm the diagnosis and to detect associated intracranial anomalies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Single-center retrospective and descriptive observational study of the brain MRI performed in 78 fetuses with ACC sonographic suspicion between January 2006 and December 2015. Two experts in fetal imaging reviewed the MRI findings to evaluate the presence and morphology of the corpus callosum. When ACC was detected the whole fetal brain anatomy was thoroughly studied to determine the presence of associated anomalies. Prenatal MR imaging findings were compared to postnatal brain MRI or necropsy findings when available. RESULTS: Fetal MRI diagnosed 45 cases of ACC, 12 were partial (26.7%) and 33 complete (73.3%). In 28 cases (62,2%) associated intracranial anomalies were identified. The most often abnormality was ventriculomegaly (78,6%), followed by cortical malformations (53,6%), posterior fossa (25%) and midline anomalies (10,7%). CONCLUSION: Fetal brain MRI has an important role in the diagnosis of ACC and detection of associated anomalies. To perform a fetal brain MRI is important in fetuses with sonographic suspicion of ACC.

Biannual otolith-zone formation of young shallow-water hake Merluccius capensis in the northern Benguela: age verification using otoliths sampled by a top predator.

Otoliths collected at least monthly from scat samples of Cape fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus are used to show that shallow-water hake Merluccius capensis from the northern Benguela develop three translucent zones in their first 1·5 years of life. The novel sampling approach provided otoliths that belonged to four M. capensis cohorts of approximate known age (hatched in 1996, 1998, 2002 and 2005), allowing age verification. Following spawning in austral winter, translucent zones consistently formed first in summer and autumn (T1), then in winter and spring (T2) and again in summer and autumn (T3), with no difference in appearance of the zones (biannuli) for the four cohorts considered. The second translucent zone is usually the first true annulus (year mark). It forms during July to September in fish of 15-20 cm total length (LT ). Formation of the translucent zones appears to be determined by fish length or age, rather than by exogenous cues. It is suggested that length measurements should be used to help determine the first age group; fish with a translucent zone marked at otolith lengths >7·5 mm should be termed 1 year-old fish. Ages of M. capensis used in previous stock assessment models have been overestimated. Biannuli are an unusual occurrence in fish otoliths in general, but have been observed in other Merluccius species.

Cooperation between scientists, NGOs and industry in support of sustainable fisheries: the South African hake Merluccius spp. trawl fishery experience.

This paper examines the increasingly close interaction between natural and social scientists, non-governmental organizations (NGO) and industry, in pursuit of responsible ecosystem-based management of fisheries. South Africa has committed to implementing an ecosystem approach to fisheries management. Management advice stems from multi-stakeholder representation on government-led scientific and management working groups. In the hake Merluccius capensis and Merluccius paradoxus fishery, the primary management measure is an annual total allowable catch (TAC), the level of which is calculated using a management procedure (MP) that is revised approximately every 4 years. Revision of the MP is a consultative process involving most stakeholders, and is based on simulation modelling of projected probable scenarios of resource and fishery dynamics under various management options. NGOs, such as the Worldwide Fund for Nature in South Africa (WWF-SA), have played an important role in influencing consumers, the fishing industry and government to develop responsible fishing practices that minimize damage to marine ecosystems. Cooperation between industry, government and scientists has helped to improve sustainability and facilitated the meeting of market-based incentives for more responsible fisheries. Research includes ecosystem modelling, spatial analysis and ecosystem risk assessment with increasing research focus on social and economic aspects of the fishery. A four-year cooperative experiment to quantify the effect of trawling on benthic community structure is being planned. The food requirements of top predators still need to be included in the TAC-setting formulae and more social and economic research is needed. This paper also demonstrates how NGO initiatives such as Marine Stewardship Council certification and the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative, a traffic light system of classifying seafood for consumers, have contributed to responsible fishing practices, increased ecosystem research and public awareness. This fishery appears to have a good future, provided that the monitoring, control and surveillance systems continue to function, TACs remain within ecologically sustainable limits and the effective collaboration between government, industry, scientists and NGOs continues to drive positive change.

Interaction of alamethicin pores in DMPC bilayers.

We have investigated the x-ray scattering signal of highly aligned multilayers of the zwitterionic lipid 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine containing pores formed by the antimicrobial peptide alamethicin as a function of the peptide/lipid ratio. We are able to obtain information on the structure factor of the pore fluid, which then yields the interaction potential between pores in the plane of the bilayers. Aside from a hard core with a radius corresponding to the geometric radius of the pore, we find a repulsive lipid-mediated interaction with a range of approximately 30 A and a contact value of 2.4 k(B)T. This result is in qualitative agreement with recent theoretical models.

Two-dimensional hard x-ray beam compression by combined focusing and waveguide optics.

A two-dimensionally confining x-ray channel waveguide structure is combined with a high gain Kirkpatrick-Baez prefocusing mirror system yielding a hard x-ray beam with a cross section of 25 x 47 nm(2) (FWHM). Unlike the previously employed resonant beam coupling scheme, the incoming beam is coupled in from the front side of the waveguide and the waveguided beam is no longer accompanied by spurious reflected or transmitted beams. The field distribution in the waveguide channel has been calculated numerically. The calculated transmission and far-field intensity pattern are in good agreement with the experimental results.

Polycystic ovary syndrome in patients with focal epilepsy: a study in 93 women.

A prospective cohort analysis of premenopausal women with focal epilepsy was conducted in order to determine whether polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common finding in women treated with antiepileptic drugs (AED). This study was carried out in 93 of 150 women (aged between 20 and 53 years; mean, 34.3 years) with chronic focal epilepsy consecutively cared for at the Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn: 38 were receiving one AED (18 valproate, 20 carbamazepine), 36 more than one drug, and 19 were without medication. Patients were followed-up for 6 months. PCOS was defined as hyperandrogenism (testosterone concentration, > 0.7 ng/ml) combined with oligomenorrhoea (cycle length, > 35 days) or amenorrhoea. PCOS was identified in two out of 19 (10.5%) patients receiving no medication; in four of 38 (10.5%) of patients receiving monotherapy, and in none of the patients receiving more than one AED. The incidence of PCOS in patients treated with valproate monotherapy (11.1%) was similar to that in patients treated with carbamazepine (10%) and also to that in patients not treated with AEDs. The results of this study suggest that the manifestation of PCOS in women with focal epilepsy is not related to the administration of valproate or carbamazepine.