A new paper by a team of researchers led by University of Notre Dame physicist Bolizsar Janko provides an overview of research into one of the few remaining unsolved problems of quantum mechanics.

More than a century ago, at the dawn of modern quantum mechanics, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Neils Bohr predicted so-called “quantum jumps.” He predicted that these jumps would be due to electrons making transitions between discrete energy levels of individual atoms and molecules. Although controversial in Bohr’s time, such quantum jumps were experimentally observed, and his prediction verified, in the 1980s. More recently, with the development of single molecule imaging techniques in the early 1990s, it has been possible to observe similar jumps in individual molecules.

Experimentally, these quantum jumps translate to discrete interruptions of the continuous emission from single molecules, revealing a phenomenon known as florescent intermittency or “blinking.”

However, while certain instances of blinking can be directly ascribed to Bohr’s original quantum jumps, many more cases exist where the observed fluorescence intermittency does not follow his predictions. Specifically, in systems as diverse as fluorescent proteins, single-light harvesting complexes, single organic fluorophores, and, most recently, individual inorganic nanostructures, clear deviations from Bohr’s predictions occur.

As a consequence, virtually all know fluorophores, including fluorescent quantum dots and molecules, exhibit unexplainable episodes of intermittent “blinking” in their emission. The underlying quantum mechanical process responsible for this phenomenon is an enduring mystery in modern chemical physics.

In a paper appearing in today’s edition of the journal Nature Physics, Jankó and his colleagues present a “progress report” on the research, including their own, that has been aimed at unlocking the mysteries of these fluorescent molecules or flourophores. They hope the paper will help spark further experimental and theoretical activity to solve the mystery of fluorescence intermittency.

Finding the answer could lead to powerful imaging probes that will enable future researchers to better track disease-related molecules within cells.

“Fluorescent molecules could be of fundamental importance in imaging biological systems and monitoring dynamic processes in vivo,” Jankó said. “One of the most attractive types of flourophores today are semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots (NQD). Their small size, brightness, photostability and highly tunable fluorescent color make them vastly superior to organic dyes.”

The blinking phenomenon, however, presents a daunting difficulty in using these dots, especially for such applications as single-molecule biological imaging, where a single NQD is used as a fluorescent label.

“The NQD is fluorescent for some time, a so-called ‘on-time,’ and then becomes optically inactive, experiencing an ‘off-time,’ whereupon it turns on again,” Jankó said.

If the blinking process could be controlled, quantum dots could, for example, provide better, more stable, multi-color imaging of cancer cells or provide researchers with real-time images of a viral infection, such HIV, within a cell.

“It is very important to elucidate the origin of this phenomenon and to identify ways to control the blinking process,” Jankó said.

Jankó’s Notre Dame research group already has taken a strong first step toward understanding the phenomenon through research by group member Masaru Kuno, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University. Kuno has discovered that the on- and off-time intervals of intermittent nanocrystal quantum dots follow a universal power law distribution. This discovery has provided Notre Dame researchers and others with the first hints for developing a deeper insight into the physical mechanism behind the vast range of on- and off-times in the intermittency.

Jankó has received a $1.2 million National Science Foundation Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team (NIRT) grant to help solve the fluorescence intermittency mystery.

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Source: Boldizsar Janko
University of Notre Dame

New research from Harvard University neuroscientists has pinpointed exactly how neural activity boosts blood flow to the brain. The finding has important implications for our understanding of common brain imaging techniques such as fMRI, which uses blood flow in the brain as a proxy for neural activity.

The research is described in the June 26 issue of the journal Neuron.

“When you see a brain image from fMRI studies, you are actually looking at changes in blood flow and oxygenation,” says Venkatesh N. Murthy, professor of molecular and cellular biology in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. “But because of the tight coupling between neural activity and blood flow, we are able to use the blood flow changes as a surrogate for brain activity. A better understanding of exactly how brain activity boosts blood flow should help us better read this process in reverse, which is what we do when interpreting fMRI images.”

While it represents only about 5 percent of the human body’s mass, the brain consumes 20 percent of the oxygen carried in its blood. Unlike muscle and other types of tissue, the brain has no internal energy stores, so all its metabolic needs must be met through the continuous flow of blood.

Murthy and colleagues studied mice and found that neurovascular coupling occurs through intermediary cells called astrocytes. By manipulating calcium levels, astrocytes can dilate or constrict blood vessels, depending on whether or not the cells are bound by neurotransmitters.

When a region of the brain becomes active, neurotransmitters begin to trickle out of that area’s neural circuitry. The most common of these neurotransmitters in the mammalian brain, glutamate, is widely released at synapses and binds to astrocytes as well as to postsynaptic receptors. Murthy’s group found that after binding glutamate, astrocytes elevate their intracellular calcium levels, dilating blood vessels and increasing blood flow to that region of the nervous system.

Murthy and colleagues studied this process in the olfactory bulb, which processes odors.

“When a mouse encounters a scent, discrete loci in its olfactory bulb are activated, which in turn increases blood flow in those spots,” Murthy says. “We measured all this using sophisticated optical microscopy, actually counting the number and rate of red blood cells passing through capillaries in the area. In addition to showing directly that astrocytes are involved in neurovascular coupling, we discovered that there are multiple molecular signaling pathways involved.”

The new research by Murthy and colleagues lays the groundwork for further study of how this exquisite neurovascular coupling may go awry in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, as well as in the normally aging brain. A growing body of evidence suggests that as people age — and especially with the onset of neurodegenerative disease — neurovascular coupling can be impaired. It’s still unknown whether this impairment can add to the cognitive defects associated with both healthy and diseased aging.

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Murthy and his colleagues now hope to examine whether their findings in the olfactory bulb can be generalized to the broader brain areas such as the cortex.

The lead author of the study is Gabor C. Petzold, and the other co-authors are Dinu F. Albeanu and Tomokazu F. Sato, all of Harvard’s Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science. The research was supported by Harvard University, the Pew Scholars Program, the German Science Foundation, and the Marie Curie Fellowship Program of the European Union.

Source: Steve Bradt
Harvard University

Sound has a long history in medicine, from the stethoscopes doctors have used since the early 19th century to listen to the internal sounds of the human body to the obstetric ultrasound images so familiar to expectant parents. Now scientists are finding many more advanced applications of sound in medicine.

Sound waves can assess potentially dangerous atherosclerotic plaques, monitor chronic liver disease, and help deliver drugs to particular locations within the body. Ultrasound devices can image tumors deep inside the body, and acoustical energy can be focused upon those tumors as a way of treating cancer. Acoustics is also blending with other disciplines such as psychology and neuroscience to help improve communication for people with speech disorders and hearing problems.

These applications and many more will be described at Acoustics ‘08 Paris — the largest ever meeting devoted to the science of acoustics. The meeting will take place Monday June 30 through Friday July 4, 2008 at the Palais des Congres in Paris, France.

This news release highlights just a few of the biomedical talks at Acoustics ‘08 Paris.

HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS RELEASE

1. Minimally Invasive Technique Offers New Hope for People with Cancer

2. Microbubbles Offer Potential for New Non-Invasive Therapies
3. Brain-Computer Interface May Helps People to Speak Up
4. Auditory Scene Analysis May Lead to “Smart” Hearing Instruments
5. Virtual Palpation is New Way to Detect Disease
6. Using Ultrasound to Assess Liver Stiffness and Disease
7. Clinical Assessment of Blood Vessel Ultrasound

1) MINIMALLY INVASIVE TECHNIQUE OFFERS NEW HOPE FOR PEOPLE WITH CANCER

A new technique that destroys tumors via thermal ablation may offer new hope to the sickest people with cancer. This new technique developed by a team of researchers from the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) uses interstitial ultrasound applicators that bring the ultrasound source in close contact with the target tissue to be destroyed for efficient heating. Using these probes would allow physicians to reach deep-seated tumors, and the minimally invasive method makes this treatment methodology an option even for people in poor general condition.

In addition to these clinical advantages, this method of treatment offers the potential to allow concurrent monitoring during treatment. This could be a real boon to treatment, explains Cyril Lafon, a member of the research team from INSERM. “When combined with imaging capability, the treatment is safer because the probe can be properly positioned with respect to the tumor and thermal damage can be followed.” The team is now working on improving monitoring techniques to bring new non-surgical alternatives to patients who may not be able to withstand surgery and offer new hope for treatment that is precise, safe, and effective.

Cyril Lafon will speak on “Ultrasound interstitial applicators for thermal ablation in liver” (Talk 1pBBa7) on June 30 at 3:00 p.m. in Room 352B.

2) MICROBUBBLES OFFER POTENTIAL FOR NEW NON-INVASIVE THERAPIES

University of Michigan researchers are utilizing microbubbles in therapeutic ultrasound to explore new opportunities to treat disease by non-invasive means with fewer side effects and greater quality of life. J. Brian Fowlkes and his colleagues are exploring two areas with incredible potential to improve treatment and outcomes via methods reminiscent of the 1966 movie “Fantastic Voyage.”

Utilizing microbubbles for histotripsy, or the disruption of tissue from the outside of the body, holds particular promise for treating prostate cancer and enlarged prostates, a condition known as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. This condition affects nearly 90 percent of men by age 80. Histotripsy ablates prostate tissue by using acoustical energy to create a cavitation field and disrupting target tissues in a controlled way. Scarring is reduced as the tissue is broken down to a subcellular level.

Another application of microbubbles under study uses ultrasonic pulses to create bubbles from small droplets the size of a red blood cell that can be delivered intravenously, occluding tumor vessels and/or delivering therapeutic agents. Further development of these techniques may yield treatment methodologies that will minimize side effects and improve outcomes for patients. J. Brian Fowlkes will speak Monday, June 30 at 3:20 p.m. in Room 352B on “Histotripsy and the developing role of microbubbles in ultrasound therapy” (Talk 1pBBa8).

3) BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACE MAY HELP PEOPLE TO SPEAK UP

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is allowing scientists to identify the brain regions responsible for correcting auditory errors — the differences between how we hear our own speech and what we expect it to sound like. Researchers are now feeding this information into refining what they call the “DIVA Model”, a way of modeling neural networks that could enable the design of neural implants and brain-computer interfaces for people with damage to their speech motor output.

Collaborating with Philip Kennedy at Neural Signals Inc. in Georgia, Boston University’s Frank Guenther is developing a brain-computer interface that records brain signals from a person’s speech motor cortex and transmits them across the scalp to a computer. This computer then decodes these signals into commands for a speech synthesizer, allowing that person to hear what he/she was trying to say in real-time. With practice, using the synthesizer should help someone to improve their sound output.

The long-term goal of the brain-computer interface is to enable almost conversational speech for individuals with locked-in syndromes or diseases that affect speech motor output, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Other applications of the model include stuttering, apraxia of speech, and other related disorders.

Dr. Frank H. Guenther will speak on Thursday, July 3 at 8:40 a.m. “Involvement of Auditory Cortex in Speech Production” (Talk 4aSCb1) in Room 250B

4) AUDITORY SCENE ANALYSIS MAY LEAD TO “SMART” HEARING INSTRUMENTS

“Smart” algorithms may help those dependent on hearing aids hear better in all situations, whether they are in a crowded stadium or in a library reading room by allowing their hearing device to adjust to different auditory scenes automatically. Matthias Froehlich of Siemens AG is studying how the brain accomplishes the auditory scene analysis and developing ways to use this information to help configure hearing instruments to maximize the hearing capabilities of their users.

The ultimate goal is a completely new kind of hearing aid that “knows” what the wearer wants to listen to and automatically adjusts its own settings accordingly. This would be particularly useful for elderly hearing aid wearers who may be unable or unwilling to make manual adjustments to their hearing instruments to allow them to enjoy the sounds around them, whatever the situation.

Dr. Froehlich will present Talk 1pEAc5, “Auditory scene analysis in hearing instruments” on Monday, June 30 at 5:40 p.m. in Room 353

5) “VIRTUAL PALPATION” IS NEW WAY TO DETECT DISEASE

Using acoustic radiation force, Kathryn Nightingale, Gregg Trahey, and their colleagues at Duke University are developing the capability to “virtually palpate” patients for diagnostic purposes, providing the opportunity to reach deep inside the body where conventional palpation is not possible.

This virtual palpation technique images tissue stiffness differences associated with different pathologies. Focused ultrasound is used to apply localized radiation force to small volumes of tissue for short durations, with resulting tissue displacements mapped using ultrasonic correlation-based methods. Dr. Nightingale compares the technique to extending physicians fingers so they can feel small structures deep within the body.

Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging, as it is formally known, offers a useful adjunct to conventional ultrasound for clinicians, since images acquired using this method can be compared to conventional ultrasound images to provide additional information and often, improved contrast. Clinical studies using these techniques on various organs including the liver, prostate,breast and heart have demonstrated the utility of this tool, and researchers are now beginning to apply this technology for the detection of liver diseases.

Dr. Kathryn Nightingale will present Talk 5aBBf9,” Impulsive acoustic radiation force: imaging approaches and clinical applications” on Friday, July 4 in Room 352 B.

6) USING ULTRASOUND AND SHEAR WAVES TO ASSESS LIVER STIFFNESS AND DISEASE

Human livers are under siege because of a global rise in end-stage liver disease related to obesity, alcoholism, and infectious diseases like hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV. Because the prognosis for people with chronic liver disease is related to the progressive growth of fibrotic liver tissue, the search is on for better alternatives to surgical biopsy for detecting fibrosis. Ultrasound-based transient elastography is one alternative. It quickly and non-invasively provides clinicians with a quantitative measure of liver stiffness, a diagnostic trait that correlates well with the degree of destructive fibrotic growth. Knowledge of liver stiffness enables physicians to detect and treat chronic liver diseases, when they are most treatable.

There’s just one hitch: Current use of transient elastography is limited to average-weight adults. Obese adults and children are difficult or impossible to assess with transient elastography. Their body size inhibits the passage of the low-frequency shear waves through the liver. This impedance undermines the usefulness of transient elastography because stiffness score is based on the velocity of a shear wave as it passes through the liver.

Now this may change, thanks to work by Laurent Sandrin and colleagues at Echosens, R&D department in Paris, France. They have developed new probes for children and obese patients, and modified stiffness measurement procedures to extend the applications of transient elastography. (Talk 1pBBb8, “Transient elastography: changing clinical practice in hepatology,” will be at 3:20 p.m. on Monday, June 30 in Room 362/363).

7) CLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF BLOOD VESSEL ULTRASOUND

Understanding the mechanics of cardiovascular disease is changing. The old idea of static, clogged “pipes” is now yielding to a more sophisticated concept of cardiovascular disease as an inflammatory process that begins in children as young as 10 years old. The life-threatening end product of this process is an unstable blood vessel lesion-known as a vulnerable plaque-that has developed a specific chemical composition and distinct form (thin, fibrous cap) that render it likely to rupture and lead to heart attack.

Detecting vulnerable plaques would be an immense aid for managing heart disease, the leading cause of death and disability in western nations, but traditional imaging methods don’t currently detect vulnerable plaque. Antonius FW van der Steen, and his colleagues at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands, are working to change this with an emerging technology called intravascular ultrasound palpography.

Once threaded through a catheter to reach the target blood vessel, intravascular ultrasound palpography measures the local strain in vessels caused by vulnerable plaque. These measurements help assess the vulnerable plaque’s stability and its likelihood of rupture. Clinical trials now underway are testing the validity of using intravascular ultrasound palpography readings as “biomarkers” to help clinicians evaluate the efficacy of various drugs to treat vulnerable plaque. (Talk 1pBBb2, “Quantitative intravascular ultrasound elasticity imaging as an imaging biomarker in clinical trials,” will be at 1:20 p.m. on Monday, June 30 in Room 362/363).

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MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ACOUSTICS ‘08 PARIS

The science of acoustics is a cross-section of diverse disciplines, including fields such as architecture, speech science, oceanography, meteorology, psychology, noise control, physics, marine biology, medicine, and music. Acoustics’08 Paris is the world’s largest meeting devoted to this range of topics. It incorporates the 155th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), the 5th Forum Acusticum of the European Acoustics Association (EAA), and the 9th Congres Francais d’Acoustique of the French Acoustical Society (SFA) integrating the 7th EUROpean conference on NOISE control (euronoise), the 9th European Conference on Underwater Acoustics (ecua) and the 60th Anniversary of the SFA.

MEETING WEBSITE LINKS OF INTEREST

Main meeting web site
Complete meeting program
Meeting abstract search form
Hotel and other travel information

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

The Acoustical Society of America is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,500 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America-the world’s leading journal on acoustics, Acoustics Today magazine, books and standards on acoustics. The Society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about the Society, visit our Web site, http://asa.aip.org/.

Source: Jason Bardi
American Institute of Physics

An automated system for measuring brain tissue with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can help physicians more accurately diagnose Alzheimer’s disease at an earlier stage according to a new study published in the July issue of the journal Radiology.

In Alzheimer’s disease, nerve cell death and tissue loss cause all areas of the brain, especially the hippocampus region, to shrink. MRI with high spatial resolution allows radiologists to visualize subtle anatomic changes in the brain that signal atrophy, or shrinkage. But the standard practice for measuring brain tissue volume with MRI, called segmentation, is a complicated, lengthy process.

“Visually evaluating the atrophy of the hippocampus is not only difficult and prone to subjectivity, it is time-consuming,” explained the study’s lead author, Olivier Colliot, Ph.D, from the Cognitive Neuroscience and Brain Imaging Laboratory in Paris, France. “As a result, it hasn’t become part of clinical routine.”

In the study, the researchers used an automated segmentation process with computer software developed in their laboratory by Marie Chupin, Ph.D., to measure the volume of the hippocampus in 25 patients with Alzheimer’s disease, 24 patients with mild cognitive impairment and 25 healthy older adults. The MRI volume measurements were then compared with those reported in studies of similar patient groups using the visual, or manual, segmentation method.

The researchers found a significant reduction in hippocampal volume in both the Alzheimer’s and cognitively impaired patients when compared to the healthy adults. Alzheimer’s patients and those with mild cognitive impairment had an average volume loss in the hippocampus of 32 percent and 19 percent, respectively. Studies using manual segmentation methods have reported similar results.

“The performance of automated segmentation is not only similar to that of the manual method, it is much faster,” Dr. Colliot said. “It can be performed within a few minutes versus an hour.”

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than five million Americans currently have Alzheimer’s disease. One of the goals of modern neuroimaging is to help in the early and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, which can be challenging. When the disease is diagnosed early, drug treatment can help improve or stabilize patient symptoms.

“Combined with other clinical and neurospychological evaluations, automated segmentation of the hippocampus on MR images can contribute to a more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. Colliot said.

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“Discrimination of Alzheimer’s Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Normal Aging Using Automated Segmentation of the Hippocampus.” Collaborating with Dr. Colliot and Dr. Chupin on this paper were Ga?l Chételat, Ph.D., Béatrice Desgranges, Ph.D., Beno?t Magnin, Habib Benali, Ph.D., Bruno Dubois, M.D., Ph.D., Francis Eustache, Ph.D., and Stéphane Lehéricy, M.D., Ph.D.

Radiology is edited by Herbert Y. Kressel, M.D., Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., and owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (RSNA.org/radiologyjnl)

The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) is an association of more than 41,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. (RSNA.org)

For patient-friendly information on brain MRI, visit RadiologyInfo.org.

Source: Linda Brooks
Radiological Society of North America

Magnetic resonance imaging is one of the most powerful and safest of all medical imaging modalities, but its narrow tunnel and heavy noise can frighten some patients and its powerful magnetic field has the potential to transform any metallic object into a dangerous projectile. The magnetic field strength in the MRI tunnel is about 100,000 times higher than the terrestrial magnetic field. Considering that the latter is sufficient to let a compass needle move, one can imagine the strength the MRI scanner can exert on ferromagnetic objects (see simulated accident).

The provision of good information to both patient and staff is essential for the quality and safety of MRI examinations. Unfortunately, transmitting this complex information can take time and isn’t always compatible with the heavy clinical load. Accidents, often the result of insufficient information, can cause serious or even life threatening injuries. Moreover, in some innovative clinical procedures, informed consent is required from the patient, which in turn requires a clear understanding by the patient of the entire procedure that they will be undertaking.

Aware of this situation, Imagilys, a Belgian company specializing in neuroimaging, along with Dominique Fremond, a French computer graphist, have created a 3D animation movie that explains the basic MRI safety rules and, more generally, what to expect from an MRI examination. Using the most recent animation movie technologies, a virtual MRI unit has been created in which the patient is followed from arrival to departure. All the necessary information is transmitted visually, in an eye-catching and easy way.

MRI Safety Week, which commemorates a tragic accident in which a child was killed by a projectile in the MRI scanner in 2001, is the occasion for Imagilys to announce the official release of Patiencys. Its purpose is to offer patients an informative and entertaining waiting time, and thereby decrease the risk of such an accident occurring in the future.

The full movie can be seen on Patiencys’s website. It can be displayed alternately with short entertaining movies, and even be customized according to each MRI department’s wishes.

Source
www.imagilys.com

Swedish and British scientists have shown using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that the hormone oxytocin can inhibit feelings of anxiety in specific individuals. Their discovery might lead to a better understanding and the improved treatment of psychiatric affections in which people feel distressed when meeting others, such as in cases of autism and social phobia.

Oxytocin is a neuropeptide that is secreted by the body during massage, childbirth and breastfeeding to induce a calming, analgesic effect. Animal studies have also shown that oxytocin promotes social interaction, such as during the courting process. The hormone has a direct influence on the amygdala, a brain area that is important for social interaction and for identifying immediate emotional threats. In a new study published in The Journal of Neuroscience, scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet and the Welcome Trust Functional Imaging Laboratory in London show that oxytocin has a more targeted effect than simply producing a general feeling of wellbeing.

Subjects were shown pictures of four different faces, two of which were combined with a tiny, harmless but uncomfortable electric shock. As expected, the scientists found that the faces associated with the shock were considered more unpleasant than the others. However, when half of the subjects were then given oxytocin spray and the other half a placebo spray, an interesting change was brought about:

“When we showed the oxytocin group the two faces again that had previously been associated with the shock, they no longer found them disagreeable, while those who had received the placebo still found them so,” says Dr Predrag Petrovic from the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet.

Using an fMR scanner, the team also found that subjects who had developed shock-induced feelings of anxiety for certain faces exhibited, when shown these faces, higher levels of activity in two brain areas the amygdale and the ‘fusiform face area that process unpleasant and threatening faces. These activity levels then dropped when they were given oxytocin, but not when given the placebo.

“This suggests that oxytocin can reduce anxiety and increase the chances of social contact for people with certain types of psychiatric disorder”, says Dr Petrovic. “There are also previous studies to show that oxytocin can inhibit amygdala activity, which tells us that we should see this as an opportunity for new forms of treatment.”

Funding: The study was conducted at the Welcome Trust Functional Imaging Laboratory in London and the data analysed in London and at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm. The study was co-financed by the Swedish Research Council.

Publication: ‘Oxytocin Attenuates Affective Evaluations of Conditioned Faces and Amygdala Activity’, Predrag Petrovic, Raffael Kalisch, Tania Singer, and Raymond J Dolan, Journal of Neuroscience online 25 June 2008.

KAROLINSKA INSTITUTET
SE-171 77 Stockholm
http://ki.se

InSightec Ltd. announced that the first U.S. patient has been treated in the company’s pivotal trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the non-invasive, radiation-free ExAblate(R) Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) system as a pain relieving treatment for patients with bone metastases who have failed an initial round of palliative radiation.

The ExAblate system was approved to treat women suffering from symptomatic uterine fibroids in 2004. Over 4,000 women have already undergone treatment with ExAblate worldwide.

“Pain from tumors that have spread to the bone is the most common kind of pain for cancer patients,” said Dr. Kobi Vortman, InSightec’s president and CEO. “Many patients are too weak to withstand invasive procedures to quell their pain if it persists or recurs after palliative radiation. We look forward to advancing the trial in hopes that ExAblate may provide a non-invasive, ionized radiation-free means to improve the quality of life of late-stage cancer patients.”

Bone is the third most common tissue to which cancer spreads, after the lungs and liver. Almost all patients with metastatic prostate cancer have skeletal metastases and in breast cancer, bone is the second most common site of metastatic spread, affecting 90% of patients with progressive breast cancer. Most cancer patients suffer from pain; controlling it and managing its symptoms are important treatment goals.

Using the ExAblate system, the physician uses the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to visualize the patient’s anatomy and then aims focused ultrasound waves at the targeted tissue to thermally ablate, or destroy it. The MRI allows the physician to monitor and continuously adjust the treatment in real time. The patient is consciously sedated to alleviate pain and minimize motion. Due to the high acoustic absorption and low thermal conductivity of the bone cortex, it is possible to use a low level of energy and still achieve a localized heating effect while minimizing damage to adjacent tissue.

InSightec hopes to enroll patients with bone metastases who have failed palliative radiation therapy into the study, which is being conducted at 15 sites across the U.S. including Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, University of California, San Diego Medical Center and Weill Cornell Medical College in New York.

The company is in the process of obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval from the remaining sites, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Mount Sinai in Toronto, the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass. and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

The ExAblate 2000 system received the European CE Mark certification for pain palliation of bone metastases in June. In clinical studies, which supported the CE mark, the majority of patients reported pain relief within days of treatment.

About ExAblate

ExAblate is the first system to use the breakthrough MRgFUS technology that combines MRI - to visualize the body anatomy, plan the treatment and monitor treatment outcome in real time - and high intensity focused ultrasound to thermally ablate tumors inside the body non-invasively. MR thermometry, provided uniquely by the system, allows the physician to control and adjust the treatment in real time to ensure that the targeted tumor is fully treated and surrounding tissue is spared. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2004 as a treatment for symptomatic uterine fibroids, ExAblate has been recognized for its innovation and potential to serve mankind and has been awarded the 2004 European Union’s Information Society Technologies grand prize, The Wall Street Journal’s 2004 Technology Innovation Awards, Advanced Imaging’s 2007 Solutions of the Year, the Red Herring 100 Europe 2007 Award and currently one of the World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer 2008.

About InSightec

InSightec Ltd. is a privately held company owned by Elbit Imaging (EI), General Electric, MediTech Advisors, LLC and employees. It was founded in 1999 to develop the breakthrough MR guided Focused Ultrasound technology and transform it into the next generation operating room. Headquartered near Haifa, Israel, the company has over 160 employees and has invested more than $100 million in research, development, and clinical investigations. Its U.S. headquarters are located in Dallas, Texas. For more information, please go to: http://www.insightec.com

InSightec Ltd
http://www.insightec.com

The Florida Senate Health Regulation Committee voted 4-3 on Tuesday to approve a bill (SB 2400) that would require a woman to have an ultrasound prior to obtaining an abortion at any stage of pregnancy, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports (Kennedy, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 4/9). Under the bill, a woman would be required to pay for the ultrasound and view the results unless she signs a written waiver, Miami Herald reports (Klas, Miami Herald, 4/9). The measure provides exceptions to the ultrasound requirement in cases of rape, incest, domestic violence, human trafficking or if the doctor diagnoses the woman with a “condition that, on the basis of a physician’s good faith clinical judgment, would create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function if the woman delayed terminating her pregnancy” (SB 2400 bill text, 4/9).

According to the Sun-Sentinel, the “sharply divided” vote reflects the more moderate Senate. “In the full Senate, it’s hard to say” whether the bill will pass, Sen. Daniel Webster (R), the bill’s sponsor, said. The full Senate is expected to vote on the measure within the next two weeks (South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 4/9). Florida already requires ultrasounds prior to second or third trimester abortions — about 5% of the 96,000 abortions performed in 2007, according to the Herald (Miami Herald, 4/9). The House last week approved an even stricter version of the bill (HB 257) (Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, 4/3). Unlike the House bill, the Senate version does not require minors to obtain a court-appointed guardian when they seek a judge’s permission to have an abortion without notifying their parents (Miami Herald, 4/9).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women’s Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women’s Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2007 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.

Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) announced that the latest addition to its HD ultrasound family of products, the Philips HD7, has launched in the United States. The Philips HD7 was introduced to Europe in March at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) in Vienna. The system draws upon an array of features and capabilities available on high-end Philips systems and puts them into an affordable, mobile unit that is well-suited for a wide variety of clinical settings.

The system provides grayscale and color Doppler imaging with simple one button optimization, as well as Tissue Harmonic Imaging. In addition, the HD7 features a wide array of transducers, an adjustable flat panel LCD monitor, proven system architecture, and advanced imaging, measurement and quantification technologies.

“Now it no longer requires a major investment for a medical office, clinic, or small hospital to get the same kind of key capabilities, performance features and high definition imaging found in higher priced ultrasound systems,” said Anne LeGrand, senior vice president, Ultrasound, for Philips Healthcare.

The Philips HD7 system addresses basic scanning needs while adding new technology and design advances that help improve image quality. Developed with clinicians in mind, the ergonomic, easy-to-use system can meet the demands for high-volume use in cardiovascular, OB/GYN, anesthesiology, oncology, electrophysiology, stress echo, pediatric, orthopedic, urologic, emergency and other applications.

Like all Philips ultrasound systems, the HD7 has a broadband digital beamformer to capture and preserve more tissue information than conventional narrowband systems and its wide dynamic range and digital focal tuning provide exceptional sensitivity and detail resolution. Features such as iSCAN one button image optimization, multiple transducer ports, DICOM connectivity, and easy data recording to CD or USB, position the HD7 well against other modestly priced ultrasound systems. In addition, optional off-line QLAB quantification software capability allows clinicians to perform post-examination image review and analysis on a PC. Further enhancing the system’s usability is a Study Guide on disk that quickly equips clinicians to use the advanced features of the HD7.

“Customers on a modest budget have told us they appreciate high-end image quality, but it is reliability that is key for them as they do not have the technical support network of larger institutions,” said LeGrand. “That is why we have taken our proven system architecture and software and migrated it to a system designed around their needs and price point.”

The HD family of performance systems now includes the small, utilitarian HD3, the new HD7 and the popular, feature-rich HD11. More information on the Philips HD7 ultrasound system is available at: http://www.philips.com/HD7.

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a global leader in healthcare, lighting and consumer lifestyle, delivering people-centric, innovative products, services and solutions through the brand promise of “sense and simplicity”. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 123,800 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 27 billion in 2007, the company is a market leader in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring systems, energy efficient lighting solutions, as well as lifestyle solutions for personal wellbeing. News from Philips is located at http://www.philips.com/newscenter.

Royal Philips Electronics

Working together, Agfa HealthCare and Canadian firm Teranet are to provide and host a new Diagnostic Imaging data centre and Virtual Private Network (VPN) service for 33 hospital sites across Ontario, allowing central and secure storage of patient images and reports. Once connected, staff will have real-time access to relevant patient images from across the different hospital sites, regardless of the point of origin.

Agfa HealthCare will implement the Diagnostic Imaging Data Centre which will centrally store the patient information in Teranet’s secure data centres.

The Hospital Diagnostic Imaging Repository Services (HDIRS) PACS project is a joint initiative involving 23 hospital corporations that want to share diagnostic images and reports across 33 Ontario hospital sites. It is part of the Canadian Health Infoway initiative to accelerate the implementation of reliable and secure health information systems, leading to the eventual goal of an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) for every Canadian. Formed in 2001, Canada Health Infoway is a federally-funded, independent, not-for-profit organisation whose members are Canada’s 14 federal, provincial and territorial Deputy Ministers of Health.

In addition, the project will provide disaster recovery, business continuity services and network management to improve hospital services and the delivery of patient care.

“Today’s Canadian health system requires a more secure and efficient method to process increasing amounts of medical data,” said Pat Ryan, General Manager, HDIRS. “We are looking forward to extending this partnership with both Agfa HealthCare and Teranet to work to make Canada Health Infoway’s national e-health initiative a reality.”

According to Michael Green, Regional Manager IT Business Division, Agfa HealthCare, Canada, “the Ontario-based HDIRS project is a vital undertaking as shared electronic patient information is a huge piece of the e-health puzzle. This project is a massive leap forward toward achieving Canada’s EPR goals, and will help healthcare organisations improve the delivery of patient care while improving the security of medical records.”

About Teranet Income Fund and Teranet

Teranet Income Fund is an unincorporated, open-ended trust established under the laws of Ontario by way of a declaration of trust. The Fund was created to indirectly acquire all of the outstanding shares of Teranet Inc. The units of the Fund trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol TF.UN. Teranet is a leading provider of integrated land-based information products and services. Teranet operates in Ontario and provides access to the Ontario Electronic Land Registration System (ELRS) through its proprietary application, Teraview(TM) software. This product enables customers to conduct electronic registrations as well as title and writ searches relating to real property. Teranet has the exclusive right to access the data in and operate the ELRS and the Writs of Execution database, and create and market value-added products and services in connection with the ELRS and writs until March 31, 2017. These licences extend on a non-exclusive basis in perpetuity for the ELRS and until 2047 for writs. Teranet has leveraged its core capabilities to create electronic service offerings in complementary information and e-commerce areas. For more information on Teranet and Teranet Income Fund, please visit http://www.teranet.ca.

About Agfa

The Agfa-Gevaert Group is one of the world’s leading imaging and information technology companies. Agfa develops, manufactures and markets analogue and digital systems for the printing industry (Agfa Graphics), the healthcare sector (Agfa HealthCare) and specific industrial applications (Agfa Materials). Agfa’s headquarters are in Mortsel, Belgium. The company is present in 40 countries and has agents in another 100 countries throughout the world. The Agfa-Gevaert Group achieved a turnover of 3,283 million Euro in 2007.

About Agfa HealthCare

Agfa HealthCare, a member of the Agfa-Gevaert Group, is a leading provider of IT-enabled clinical workflow and diagnostic image management solutions, and state-of-the-art systems for capturing and processing images in hospitals and healthcare facilities. Agfa HealthCare has over a century of healthcare experience related to diagnostic imaging and has been a pioneer on the healthcare IT market since the early 1990’s. The HealthCare division has sales offices and agents in over 100 markets worldwide. Sales for Agfa HealthCare in 2007 were 1,392 million Euro, accounting for 43% of total group sales.

Agfa HealthCare