Magnetic resonance imaging was used to investigate brain structural and functional asymmetries in 15 participants with complete visceral reversal (situs inversus totalis, SIT). Language-related brain structural and functional lateralization of SIT participants, including peri-Sylvian gray and white matter asymmetries and hemispheric language dominance, was similar to those of 15 control participants individually matched for sex, age, education, and handedness. In contrast, the SIT cohort showed reversal of the brain (Yakovlevian) torque (occipital petalia and occipital bending) compared to the control group. Secondary findings suggested different asymmetry patterns between SIT participants with (n = 6) or without (n = 9) primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD, also known as Kartagener syndrome) although the small sample sizes warrant cautious interpretation. In particular, reversed brain torque was mainly due to the subgroup with PCD-unrelated SIT and this group also included 55% left handers, a ratio close to a random allocation of handedness. We conclude that complete visceral reversal has no effect on the lateralization of brain structural and functional asymmetries associated with language, but seems to reverse the typical direction of the brain torque in particular in participants that have SIT unrelated to PCD. The observed differences in asymmetry patterns of SIT groups with and without PCD seem to suggest that symmetry breaking of visceral laterality, brain torque, and language dominance rely on different mechanisms.

Non-chemical weed control on pavements needs more frequently repeated treatments than the application of glyphosate and often uses large amounts of fuel. To obtain effective hot water control with minimum energy consumption, an in-depth study of efficacyinfluencing factors was performed. Three doseresponse pot experiments were conducted outdoors to investigate the impact of growth stage (39, 60 and 81 day old), water temperature (78, 88 and 98°C), time of the day (2, 7 and 12 h after sunrise) and treatment interval (2, 3, 4 and 6 week intervals) on hot water sensitivity of seven weed species that are hard to control on pavements. Responses to hot water were quantified by weed coverage and total dry biomass. In general, hot water sensitivity was highest for species with large planophile leaves and lowest for grasses with small erectophile leaves. Most species were twofold to sixfold more sensitive to water at 98°C than at 78 and 88°C, particularly when treated at early growth stages. Among treatment intervals, treating at 3-week intervals was up to twofold more effective and energy efficient than treating at 6-week intervals. Sensitivity was about twofold lower in the morning than in the afternoon. For effective control of weeds, while using less fuel, it is recommended to apply hot water in the late afternoon, to operate at high water temperature (98°C) and to treat plants as young as possible at 3-week intervals.Keywords: thermal weed control, hot water, hard surfaces, dose-response, treatment interval, energy dose, water temperature, time of the day. DE CAUWER B, BOGAERT S, CLAERHOUT S, BULCKE R & REHEUL D (2015). Efficacy and reduced fuel use for hot water weed control on pavements. Weed Research 55,[195][196][197][198][199][200][201][202][203][204][205]

These findings indicate that the presented multi-site MRI acquisition protocol can be used in a longitudinal study design and that pooling of the acquired data as part of the phase III longitudinal HA-PCI project is possible with careful monitoring of the results of the half-yearly QA assessment to follow-up on potential scanner-related longitudinal changes in image quality.

Three Tesla MRI of the third molars is a feasible technique for forensic age estimation, in which a T2 FSE sequence can provide the desired in plane resolution within a clinically acceptable acquisition time.