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We describe a pipeline of image processing steps for deriving symbolic models of vascular structures from radiological data which reflect the branching pattern and diameter of vessels. For the visualization of these symbolic models, concatenated truncated cones are smoothly blended at branching points. We put emphasis on the quality of the visualizations which is achieved by anti-aliasing operations in different stages of the visualization. The methods presented are referred to as HQVV (High Quality Vessel Visualization). Scalable techniques are provided to explore vascular structures of different orders of magnitude. The hierarchy as well as the diameter of the branches of vascular systems are used to restrict visualizations to relevant subtrees and to emphasize parts of vascular systems.Our research is inspired by clear visualizations in textbooks and is targeted toward medical education and therapy planning. We describe the application of vessel visualization techniques for liver surgery planning. For this application it is crucial to recognize the morphology and branching pattern of vascular systems as well as the basic spatial relations between vessels and other anatomic structures.

Granuloma formation in response to mycobacterial infections is associated with increased expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) within granuloma macrophages and increased levels of nitrate/nitrite in the sera of infected mice. Continuous treatment with 5 mm or 10 mm l-N6-(1-imino-ethyl)-lysine (L-NIL), a selective NOS2-inhibitor, in acidified drinking water for up to 7 weeks consistently reduced infection-induced nitrate/nitrite to background levels in mycobacteria-infected BALB/c mice. Oral treatment with 5 mm L-NIL initiated at the time of infection significantly exacerbated growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but had no effect on Mycobacterium avium colony-forming unit development in the liver, spleen and lungs of intravenously infected mice. In order to examine the role of nitric oxide in mycobacteria-induced granulomatous inflammation in the absence of any effect on the bacterial load, M. avium-infected mice were treated with 5 mm L-NIL from day 1 through 38 and the development of granulomatous lesions in the liver was assessed by histology, immunohistology and reverse-transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Computer- and video-assisted morphometry performed at 4 and 7 weeks post-infection showed that treatment with L-NIL led to markedly increased number, cellularity and size of granulomatous lesions in infected mice regardless of the virulence of the M. avium isolate used for infection. Immunohistology of the liver revealed that in mice treated with L-NIL, the numbers of CD3+ T cells, CD21/35+ B cells, CD11b+ macrophages and RB6-8C5+ granulocytes associated with granulomatous lesions was increased. RT-PCR of the liver showed that in L-NIL-treated mice infected with M. avium, mRNA levels of tumour necrosis factor, interleukin-12p40, interferon-gamma, interleukin-10 and interferon-gamma-inducible protein-10 (IP-10) were up-regulated, while mRNA levels of interleukin-4, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and MCP-5 were similar to those in untreated control infected mice. When M. avium-infected mice were treated with 5 mm L-NIL between the 5th and 12th weeks of infection, similar changes in granuloma number and size were found in the absence of any effect on the bacterial load. These findings demonstrate that nitric oxide regulates the number, size and cellular composition of M. avium-induced granulomas independently of antibacterial effects by modulating the cytokine profile within infected tissues.

Anoctamin (ANO) family of proteins, consisting of 10 members in mammals, are transmembrane proteins that have Ca2+-activated Cl- channel activities. Transmembrane channel-like (TMC) family of proteins, consisting of 8 members in mammals, are also transmembrane proteins of which mutations are implicated in various human conditions, such as hearing loss and epidermodysplasia verruciformis. Here we show that ANO and TMC proteins share high sequence similarity and probably the same membrane topology, indicating that these proteins are evolutionarily related. We found many conserved amino acid residues between the two families of proteins, especially in regions spanning the transmembrane domains TM1, TM4-TM5, and TM6-TM7. These findings imply that these proteins form one large family, which we term ANO/TMC superfamily and that TMC proteins may also function as channels for Cl- or possibly other ions. The ANO/TMC superfamily proteins are present in almost all the diverse groups of eukaryotic organisms, suggesting that the proteins function in important biological processes, such as ion homeostasis, in eukaryotic cells.

Aims To estimate the frequency of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) identified through the use of automatic signals generated from laboratory data (ALS) in hospitalised patients. To determine the frequency of spontaneous recognition of these ADRs by the attending physicians and to assess the potential value of ALS for detection of ADRs.Methods Laboratory results of patients hospitalised in a nine bed medical ward were automatically recorded over a period of 17 months. Values exceeding defined boundaries were used as ALS. Charts of every third patient were analysed retrospectively with regard to adverse drug related reactions and causality was evaluated as well as whether the ADR had been recognised during the period of hospitalisation.Results The charts and ALS of 98 patients were analysed. In 18 cases a drug-related adverse reaction was probable. Awareness to the reaction by the treating physicians was evident in 6 out of these 18 ADRs. Approximately 80% of the ADRs were considered predictable. Three ADRs were regarded as serious. Conclusions Adverse drug reactions are common and often preventable. Only one third of ADRs which could have been detected through ALS were recognised by the attending physicians. An increased doctor's awareness of the frequency of drug related abnormal laboratory results by means of ALS is likely to increase the recognition rate of ADRs and might help to prevent them.Keywords: adverse drug reactions, automated laboratory signals stays and substantially add to health care expenditure Introduction [13][14][15]. Thus, health care organisations must maintain ADR surveillance and prevention. At present, most Morbidity due to drugs is common in hospitalised patients although the rate is controversial and varies hospitals rely on spontaneous, voluntary reporting of ADRs by nurses and physicians, however, such systems between 0.7% and 35%, depending on the methods used [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. In a recent meta-analysis of prospective studies the provide limited information [16]. Moreover, physicians may not recognise ADRs even if the appropriate overall frequency of serious ADRs was 6.7% and that of fatal ADRs 0.32% of hospitalised patients [9]. information is in the patient's medical record [17, 18]. The diagnosis of ADRs, especially those that are not Approximately 2-6% of all hospital admissions per year are caused by ADRs [10][11][12]. ADRs can prolong hospital dose-related, is often difficult and agreement in clinical judgements is low (about 50%) both within and between physicians making diagnoses [19, 20]. As a result of this are the adverse reactions probability scale (APS) with 10