Regional variations in intramyocellular lipid concentration correlate with muscle fiber type distribution in rat tibialis anterior muscle.

1H MR spectroscopy (MRS) has proved to be a valuable noninvasive tool to measure intramyocellular lipids (IMCL) in research focused on insulin resistance and type II diabetes in both humans and rodents. An important determinant of IMCL is the muscle fiber type, since oxidative type I fibers can contain up to three times more IMCL than glycolytic type II muscle fibers. Because these different muscle fiber types are inhomogeneously distributed in rodent muscle, in the present study we investigated the distribution of IMCL within the rat tibialis anterior muscle (TA) in vivo using single-voxel 1H MRS along with the muscle fiber distribution in the TA ex vivo determined from immunohistological assays. IMCL levels in the TA differed by up to a factor of 3 depending on the position of the voxel. The distribution of IMCL over the TA cross section was not random, but emerged in a pattern similar to the distribution of the predominantly oxidative muscle fiber types. Dietary interventions, such as high-fat feeding and 15 hr of fasting, did not significantly change this typical fiber type-dependent pattern of IMCL content. These results stress the importance of voxel positioning when single-voxel 1H MRS is used to study IMCL in rodent muscle.     

Psychometric properties of the apathy evaluation scale in patients with Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) frequently entails non‐motor symptoms, worsening the course of the disease. Apathy is one of the core neuropsychiatric symptoms that has been investigated in recent years; research is however hampered by the limited availability of well‐evaluated apathy scales for these patients. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) in a sample of PD patients. Psychometric properties, convergent and discriminant validity and sensitivity/specificity were evaluated in patients with (n = 582) or without dementia/depression (n = 339). Internal consistency was high in the entire sample as well as in patients without dementia/depression. Correlations were moderate for convergent validity (UPDRS I item 4: motivation). While apathy could be differentiated from cognitive decline, it was related to depression (Geriatric Depression Scale, GDS‐15). The overall classification accuracy based on the UPDRS I item 4 was comparable for AES and GDS scores. The AES exhibits good psychometric properties in PD patients with and without dementia and/or depression. Commonly used screenings on the presence of apathy had low detection rates compared to the AES and reflected both apathetic and depressive symptoms. Psychometric evaluation of available instruments will support further research on the clinical relevance of apathy for disease progression and treatment approaches in PD patients.     

Ongoing rabies outbreak in dogs of unprecedented scale and human cases in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality,South Africa,up to 13 February 2022

More than 430 cases of rabies have been confirmed in dogs in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality of South Africa since July 2021. We describe the ongoing outbreak, its geographical spread and six related human deaths that have occurred. Further investigation of the outbreak and vaccination of the dog population is required. Raising awareness among healthcare providers, the public, and among international travellers planning to visit the region, is key for action to protect human and animal health.     

Dysphagia in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Treated with Chemoradiotherapy

Dysphagia is a very common complaint of head and neck cancer patients and can exist before, during, and after chemoradiotherapy. It leads to nutritional deficiency, weight loss, and prolonged unnatural feeding and also has a major potential risk for aspiration. This has a significant negative impact on the patient’s entire quality of life. Because treatment of dysphagia in this setting is rarely effective, prevention is paramount. Several strategies have been developed to reduce dysphagia. These include swallowing exercises, treatment modification techniques such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy, selective delineation of elective nodes, reducing xerostomia by parotid-sparing radiotherapy, and adding of radioprotectors. However, more research is needed to further decrease the incidence of dysphagia and improve quality of life.     

A standardized framework for the validation and verification of clinical molecular genetic tests

The validation and verification of laboratory methods and procedures before their use in clinical testing is essential for providing a safe and useful service to clinicians and patients. This paper outlines the principles of validation and verification in the context of clinical human molecular genetic testing. We describe implementation processes, types of tests and their key validation components, and suggest some relevant statistical approaches that can be used by individual laboratories to ensure that tests are conducted to defined standards.     

Quantitative image analysis for the detection of motion artefacts in coronary artery computed tomography

Multi detector-row CT (MDCT), the current preferred method for coronary artery disease assessment, is still affected by motion artefacts. To rule out motion artefacts, qualitative image analysis is usually performed. Our study aimed to develop a quantitative image analysis for motion artefacts detection as an added value to the qualitative analysis. An anthropomorphic moving heart phantom with adjustable heart-rate was scanned on 64-MDCT and dual-source-CT. A new software technique was developed which detected motion artefacts in the coronaries and also in the myocardium, where motion artefacts are more apparent; with direct association to the qualitative analysis. The new quantitative analysis managed to detect motion artefacts in phantom scans and relate them to artefact-induced vessel stenoses. Quantifying these artefacts at corresponding locations in the myocardium, artefact-induced vessel stenosis findings could be avoided. In conclusion, the quantitative analysis together with the qualitative analysis rules out artefact-induced stenosis.