Search

There is growing evidence that obesity represents a risk for enhanced gray matter (GM) density changes comparable to those demonstrated for mild cognitive impairment in the elderly. However, it is not clear what mechanisms underlie this apparent alteration in brain structure of overweight subjects and to what extent these changes can already occur in the adolescent human brain. In the present volumetric magnetic resonance imaging study, we investigated GM changes and serum levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE), a marker for neuronal injury, in a set of overweight/obese subjects and controls. We report a negative correlation for overweight and obese subjects between serum NSE and GM density in hippocampal and cerebellar regions. To validate our neuroimaging findings, we complement these data with NSE gene expression information obtained from the Allen Brain atlas. GM density changes were localized in brain areas that mediate cognitive function—the hippocampus associated with memory performance, and the cognitive cerebellum (lateral posterior lobes) associated with executive, spatial and linguistic processing. The data of our present study highlight the importance of extending current research on cognitive function and brain plasticity in the elderly in the context of obesity to young adult subjects and include serum biomarkers to validate imaging findings generally.

This paper presents a resource management based concept of social value creation applicable to any innovation context within, as well as beyond, classic organisational borders. As such, it is being tested as an evaluation tool to measure the success of two thematically identical innovation projects: an intra-organisational and an extra-organisational idea contest. Results are being presented along with a critical assessment of the concept.

This study suggests and tests a model for the systematic evaluation of management activities in company-wide standard software implementations using the example of a business intelligence (BI) software package. The proposed model builds on an extended technology acceptance model (TAM), previous research on IT implementation success factors and reviews of relevant change management variables. Using structural equation modelling, several hypotheses are tested. The investigated management variables demonstrate significant influences on the psychological acceptance factors included in the model. Seven out of ten hypotheses are confirmed. In addition, the model explains a substantial amount of variance in actual user behaviour measured with a system-based indicator. Practical implications for the implementation of company-wide standard software in organisations are discussed.

Alkan A 2008. Diffusion-weighted imaging features of brain in obesity. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 446-450. Anwander A 2007. Connectivity-based parcellation of Broca's area. Cerebral Cortex, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 816-825.Haltia LT 2007. Brain white matter expansion in human obesity and the recovering effect of dieting. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 92, no. 8, pp. 3278-3284. Jenkinson P 2002. Improved optimization for the robust and accurate linear registration and motion correction of brain images. NeuroImage, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 825-841. Lohmann G 2001. Lipsia A new software system for the evaluation of functional magnetic resonance images of the human brain. Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics, vol. 25, no. 6, pp. 449-457.Smith SM 2006. Tract-based spatial statistics: Voxelwise analysis of multi-subject diffusion data. NeuroImage, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 1487-1505. Thirion J-P 1998. Image matching as a diffusion process: an analogy with Maxwell's demons, Medical Image Analysis. vol. 2, no. 3, pp. 243-260. Connectivity of voxels related to the negative BMI/FA-correlation overlaid onto a shrunken brain surface (based on a representative individual subject). The tractography indicates that the detected areas in the corpus callosum project to cortical regions in the frontal lobe. Voxel-wise GLM analysis of the FA values. The red dots show the fitted parameters for the factor BMI. There is a negative correlation between FA and BMI (adjusted for subject's age and gender) in anterior regions of the corpus callosum. TBSS analysis of FA maps of 53 subjects with a BMI between 18.9 and 50.7. The results (color-coded in red/yellow) show the negative correlation between BMI and FA (p

Background: With time-gated detection of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) fluorescence by spectroscopy (LIFS) we were able to detect dysplasia in Barrett`s esophagus with a sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 64%. Aimof this study was to evaluate the capability of simultaneouslaserinduced fluorescence imaging (LIFE) and white-light endoscopy for detection of dysplasia and early tumors. Methods:In fifteen patients, with a routine endosocpy one to two weeks earlier, fluorescence endoscopy was performed after administration of 5-aminolaevulinic acid. The experimental set-up consists of an optical parametric oscillator (GWU, Germany), pumped by the third harmonic of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (GCR-11, Spectra Physics, USA). The laser beam (λ = 505 nm) was coupled into the illumination fiber bundle of the endoscope. For detection of the fluorescence images the double channel gastroscope (GIF 2 T 20, Olympus Co, Japan) was equipped with an auxiliary image guide (Medisecur, Germany) adapted to an intensified CCD camera (Princeton Instruments, USA). Optical filters were used to select the fluorescence bands of PpIX. The biopsies were taken at locations with high and for control at locations with low PpIX fluorescence. Subsequently these samples were analyzed by routine pathology. Results:Short-Barrett`s esophagus was newly detected in 5 patients and excluded in 4 patients. In one Short-Barrett`s esophagus a early carcinoma was found. Furthermore, malignancy in a duodenal polyp and one early cancer in the stomach were newly diagnosed. In one patient with a known localized squamous carcinoma of the esophagus tumor spread in the esophagus was seen. Interestingly not only malignancies and specialized intestinal metaplasia in Barrett`s showed significantly higher fluorescence, but also intestinal metaplasia in the stomach (median fluorescence intensity: intestinal metaplasia: 1.28 (68% CI:.27 - 3.07); inflamed stomach mucosa: 0.10 (68 % CI: 0.01 - 1.08); Sen: 83% Spez: 77%). Therefore we were able to visualize intestinal metaplasia in 3 patients, not detected by prior endoscopic biopsies. Furthermore, due to visibility of the increased PpIX fluorescence, localization of lesions was possible. Therefore, LIFE was time saving and we needed much less biopsy samples for diagnosis than usually. Conclusion:Fluorescence endoscopy improves sensitivity and decreases endoscopy time. However, up until now spectroscopy is more sensitive, due to a higher spatial resolution.

One of the principal goals in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is the detection of local activation in the human brain. However, lack of statistical power and inflated false positive rates have recently been identified as major problems in this regard. Here, we propose a non-parametric and threshold-free framework called LISA to address this demand. It uses a non-linear filter for incorporating spatial context without sacrificing spatial precision. Multiple comparison correction is achieved by controlling the false discovery rate in the filtered maps. Compared to widely used other methods, it shows a boost in statistical power and allows to find small activation areas that have previously evaded detection. The spatial sensitivity of LISA makes it especially suitable for the analysis of high-resolution fMRI data acquired at ultrahigh field (≥7 Tesla)., Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a powerful technique for measuring human brain activity, but the statistical analysis of fMRI data can be difficult. Here, the authors introduce a new fMRI analysis tool, LISA, which provides increased statistical power compared to existing techniques.