Background and Purpose-No neuroradiological markers have been characterized that support a timely decision for decompressive surgery in malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction (mMCAI). This case-control study was designed to analyze whether early cerebral CT (CCT) scanning provides reliable information for the prospective selection of stroke patients at risk of developing mMCAI. Methods-Thirty-one pairs (nϭ62) were formed with cases (mMCAI) and controls (acute but not malignant MCA infarction) closely matched in terms of age, sex, and stroke etiology. CCT was performed within 18 hours of stroke onset and analyzed by a blinded neuroradiologist according to a defined panel of 12 CCT criteria. Results-In terms of predicting mMCAI, the criteria of extended MCA territory hypodensities Ͼ67% and Ͼ50%, hemispheric brain swelling, midline shift, and hyperdense MCA sign exhibited high specificity (100%, 93.5%, 100%, 96.7%, and 83.9%, respectively) but low sensitivity (45.2%, 58.1%, 12.9%, 19.4%, and 70.9%, respectively). Two criteria yielded high sensitivity (subarachnoid space compressed, 100%; cella media compressed, 80.6%) but low specificity (29% and 74.2%, respectively). The criterion of attenuated corticomedullary contrast yielded both high specificity (96.8%) and sensitivity (87.1%). The latter remained as the crucial criterion [Exp(B)ϭ90.8; 95% CI, 5.8 to 1427.5] in a 2-tailed logistic regression analysis with the strongest correlating parameters (Spearman correlation factor Ն0.6 or ՅϪ0.6). Conclusions-The analysis of CCT scans within 18 hours of stroke onset revealed an attenuated corticomedullary contrast as the crucial CCT criterion, which, with both sufficient sensitivity and specificity, predicted mMCAI with 95% certainty.

In this study different state-of-the-art visualization methods were evaluated to study human skeletal remains for the determination of the post-mortem interval (PMI).

We present here a prospective study on infections following tickbites in military recruits in the province of Tyrol (Austria). 84 recruits experienced tickbites and underwent clinical and serological examination twice at four-week intervals for signs of tick borne encephalitis (TBE)-virus or Borrelia burgdorferi infections. 56 and 50 recruits could be evaluated for TBE-virus and Borrelia infection, respectively. Whereas no recruit was found with clinical or laboratory evidence of TBE-virus infection, two (4%) recruits showed an erythema chronicum migrans as primary manifestation of a Borrelia burgdorferi infection and 11 (20%) recruits had a significant increase in the titer of anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies. Our results support the predominance of a subclinical course of a tick-transmitted borrelia infection in the population under observation, and shed some light on the epidemiological situation of tick-transmitted diseases in Tyrol.

In this study the potential of new imaging techniques such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) profiling mass spectrometry ("MALDI Profiling") and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic imaging was evaluated to study morphological and molecular patterns of the potential medicinal fungus Hericium coralloides. For interpretation, the MALDI profiling, FTIR imaging and MRI results were correlated with histological information gained from Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Light Microscopy (LM). Additionally we tested several evaluation processes and optimized the methodology for use of complex FTIR images to monitor molecular patterns. It is demonstrated that the combination of these spectroscopic methods enables to gain a more distinct picture concerning morphology and distribution of active ingredients. We were able to obtain high quality FTIR imaging and MALDI-profiling results and to distinguish different tissue types with their chemical ingredients. Beside this, we have created a 3-D reconstruction of a mature Hericium basidioma, based on the MRI dataset: analyses allowed, for the first time, a realistic approximation of the "evolutionary effectiveness" of this bizarrely formed basidioma type, concerning the investment of sterile tissue and its reproductive output (production of basidiospores).

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Progressive degeneration of striatal projection neurons is thought to account for the loss of L-Dopa response observed in the majority of patients with the parkinsonian variant of multiple system atrophy (MSA-P). Here we have investigated the effects of E14 embryonic striatal allografts on dopaminergic responsiveness in the unilateral double-lesion rat model of MSA-P by using tests of complex motor behavior. Both sham and graft animals showed an increase in apomorphine-induced rotations as well as an improvement in cylinder test performance following surgical intervention. In contrast, L-Dopa responsiveness of stepping behavior was improved only in grafted animals. The restoration of apomorphine-induced rotation correlated with the P-zone volume of grafts. Our findings indicate that transplantation of embryonic striatal grafts might, at least to some extent, restore responsiveness to L-Dopa in tasks of complex motor behavior. Therefore, striatal transplantation should be further defined preclinically as a possible therapeutic option for patients with MSA-P and a failing L-Dopa response.

Four cases are described in which livedo reticularis was associated with repeated cerebrovascular accidents, which eventually resulted in severe disability in two cases. Patients with severe disability had a history of many years, whereas two patients with little or moderate residual disability had a follow-up of 3 years each. CT scan revealed multifocal cerebral infarctions and cortical atrophy in all cases. Repeated cerebral angiograms, done in three cases, showed no signs of a vascular disease. There were no parameters that pointed to active immunological or inflammatory disorder. Neither clinical evidence of heart or large vessel disease was found. Observations suggest that a so-far unknown progressive cerebral vessel disease associated with livedo is the cause of a steady increase in multiple small cerebral infarctions. Because of the progressive character of the disease the search for effective therapy is needed.