University of Würzburg

About: University of Würzburg is a education organization based out in Wurzburg, Bayern, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & CAS Registry Number. The organization has 31437 authors who have published 62203 publications receiving 2337033 citations. The organization is also known as: Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg & Würzburg University.

Escherichia coli Harboring Shiga Toxin 2 Gene Variants: Frequency and Association with Clinical Symptoms

Abstract: Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) from patients with hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), patients with diarrhea without HUS, or asymptomatic subjects were genotyped to assess associations between stx2 variants and clinical manifestations of infection. Neither stx2d nor stx2e was found in 268 STEC isolates from patients with HUS. Of 262 STEC isolates from patients with diarrhea, stx(2d) was found in 41 (15.6%; P<.000001), and stx2e was found in 12 (4.6%; P=.0004). The stx2c genotype frequency was similar among isolates from patients with HUS (3.7%) and diarrhea (5.0%). The frequencies of stx2c, stx2d, and stx2e among 96 STEC isolates from asymptomatic subjects were comparable to those among isolates from patients with diarrhea. None of the 626 STEC isolates contained stx2f. All stx2d-positive or stx2e-positive STEC isolates were eae negative and originated from subjects older than those with STEC isolates with stx2c. stx2c-positive STEC isolates can cause HUS, but the presence of stx2d or stx2e may predict a milder disease with a minimal risk of HUS.

Snapshot FLASH MRI. Applications to T1, T2, and chemical-shift imaging.

Abstract: Snapshot FLASH magnetic resonance imaging techniques have been developed to enable real-time imaging of MR parameters. The first realization of the method is based on a 64 × 128 FLASH tomogram acquired within 200 ms, using improved MR system hardware conditions. The soft tissue contrast obtained in FLASH MRI almost disappears by using flip angles of less than 5° and repetition times of 3 ms. This work describes extensions of FLASH MRI placing conventional MR experiments before the whole imaging sequence. This creates images of any desired contrast without changing the measuring time. Examples of inversion-recovery T1, spin-echo T2, chemical-shift-selective, and spectroscopic FLASH MRI are presented. Further extensions to real-time MRI of blood vessels, diffusion coefficients, combination with two-dimensional MR spectroscopy experiments, and other nuclei are discussed.

Autoamplification of NFATc1 expression determines its essential role in bone homeostasis.

Abstract: NFATc1 and NFATc2 are functionally redundant in the immune system, but it was suggested that NFATc1 is required exclusively for differentiation of osteoclasts in the skeletal system. Here we provide genetic evidence that NFATc1 is essential for osteoclast differentiation in vivo by adoptive transfer of NFATc1 − / − hematopoietic stem cells to osteoclast-deficient Fos − / − mice, and by Fos − / − blastocyst complementation, thus avoiding the embryonic lethality of NFATc1 − / − mice. However, in vitro osteoclastogenesis in NFATc1 -deficient cells was rescued by ectopic expression of NFATc2. The discrepancy between the in vivo essential role of NFATc1 and the in vitro effect of NFATc2 was attributed to selective autoregulation of the NFATc1 gene by NFAT through its promoter region. This suggested that an epigenetic mechanism contributes to the essential function of NFATc1 in cell lineage commitment. Thus, this study establishes that NFATc1 represents a potential therapeutic target for bone disease and reveals a mechanism that underlies the essential role of NFATc1 in bone homeostasis.