Abstract: A mammography-apparatus for detecting malignant cells in a breast comprising an X-ray source, an X-ray detector and a paddle for pressing the breast against said X-ray detector, wherein the mammography-apparatus further comprises a non-focussed laser-beam source for pulsed laser-light, which during use is aimed at the breast, and said apparatus comprises at least one non-contact ultrasound detector for contact-free detection of an ultrasound originating from said breast so as to screen the occurrence or non-occurrence of said malignant cells.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for producing a stabilized cell of interest, said method comprising providing a stem cell and/or a precursor cell of said cell of interest with a nucleic acid sequence which, when present in said cell of interest, is capable of stabilizing said cell of interest, providing a non-human animal with said stem cell and/or precursor cell, allowing generation of said cell of interest in said animal, and obtaining said cell of interest. Said animal is preferably provided with a human stem cell and/or human precursor cell, allowing production of a human cell line.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for dating a body sample, for example a sample of body fluid involves taking a series of spectroscopic measurements of the sample, each measurement in the series including at least two predetermined positions in the spectrum. The positions have spectral characteristics corresponding to two or more predetermined substances present in the sample that have a time varying relationship with each other. The measurements in the series are spaced in time. A concentration of each of the substances present in the sample is then determined from each of the spectroscopic measurements at each point in time. Next, a ratio of the concentrations of the two predetermined substances at each point in time is determined and then the ratios of the concentrations of the two predetermined substances over time are analysed to estimate when the concentrations of the two substances were at a limit of their concentrations, thereby providing an indication of the age of the sample.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for imaging an object, comprising the illumination of the object, and the detection of light coming from an area where the object is located and, based on the detected light, forming the image, with the illumination of the object taking place by distinguishing image elements in an imaging plane or space, and by separately illuminating the object parts corresponding with these image elements, while simultaneously registering the applied illumination dose of these object parts, and wherein the image is subsequently constructed by assembling the image elements corresponding with the illuminated object parts, subject to the light output and illumination doses pertaining to those image elements, wherein the illumination dose of each separate object part depends at least on a light output and/or illumination dose of another object part or several other object parts.

Abstract: The invention provides means and methods for providing a cell with a spontaneous electrical activity and means and methods for increasing the depolarization rate of a cell having a spontaneous electrical activity. Means and methods are provided comprising: providing a cell with a compound capable of providing and/or increasing a pacemaker current If, and diminishing electrical coupling between said cell and surrounding cells and/or reducing the inward rectifier current IK1 of said cell, and or increasing the availability of INa at depolarized potentials, preferably using overexpression of additional sodium channels.

Abstract: Described are methods for determining a concentration of a substance in a compartment comprising exciting an endogenous compound, or a functional part, derivative, analogue or precursor thereof, measuring the lifetime of the luminescence and/or transient absorption exhibited by the compound, functional part, derivative, analogue and/or precursor, and correlating the lifetime with the concentration of the substance.

Abstract: A manipulator for an instrument for minimally invasive surgery, having at a proximal end a handle for operating the instrument, and wherein the instrument is removably placed at a distal end, and wherein a parallelogram construction is provided between the proximal end and the distal end for guaranteeing an unambiguous positional relationship between the handle and the instrument, wherein the parallelogram construction is coupled with a system of bars for controlling the position of the parallelogram construction, the bars of the system of bars being connected to the parallelogram construction as well as to each other by means of cardan joints.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for influencing the stability of an antibody producing cell, comprising directly or indirectly influencing the amount of BCL6 and/or Blimp 1 expression product within said antibody producing cell. Stable antibody producing cells and cell lines are also provided, as well as methods for producing antibodies using such cells and/or cell lines.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a therapeutic target for the treatment of cystic fibrosis. It was found that inhibition of non-lysosomal glucosylceramidase (GBA2) sufficiently restores chloride current in cells from CF patients carrying the common delF508-CFTR mutation. With the catalytic centre (4) of the enzyme positioned on top of the membrane bilayer face particularly potent inhibitors are found in deoxynojirimycin derivatives having a group that is capable of inserting in the membrane bilayer.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of an agonist of one or more of the nuclear receptors TR3, MINOR and NOT for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of cardiovascular disease, in particular in-stent restenosis and/or vein-graft disease. The invention further relates to medical devices, such as stents and cuffs, that are coated with the agonist, or in which the agonist is incorporated and which are for use in the treatment of in-stent restenosis or vein-graft disease.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring patients utilizing reflectance avoidance as well as other imaging modalities. Information regarding perfusion, oxygen saturation and oxygen availability, as well as others may be obtained. System embodiments may include a light source, a light transport body configured to project light from the light source to an examination substrate and transmit light reflected by the examination substrate, and an analysis section in optical communication with the light transport body. The light source may be pulsed in order to improve the quality of video images produced by the systems.

Abstract: A force sensor comprising a deformable body and a detector coupled to this deformable body for measuring a force brought to bear on the deformable body, wherein the detector comprises a light conductor and, disposed close to an end of the light conductor and coupled with the body a position-variable mirror, the light reflection of which depends on the position of the mirror.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of adeno-associated virus (AAV) based gene therapy, in particular in vivo gene therapy, of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The invention provides recombinant AAV virions being highly efficient in delivering genes encoding therapeutic proteins to the arthritic joints, and method for using such virions in in vivo gene therapy.

Abstract: The present application discloses a system and method for the comprehensive monitoring of the microcirculation in order to assess the ultimate efficacy of the cardiovascular system in delivering adequate amounts of oxygen to the organ cells. The system utilizes reflectance avoidance by reflectance filtering, such as OPS imaging or Mainstream Dark Field imaging, or by Sidestream Dark Field imaging, which utilizes external direct light on the tip of the light guide to achieve reflectance avoidance whereby incident and reflected light do not travel down the same pathway.

Abstract: A force sensor comprising a deformable body and a detector coupled to this deformable body for measuring a force brought to bear on the deformable body, wherein the detector comprises a light conductor and, disposed close to an end of the light conductor and coupled with the body a position-variable mirror, the light reflection of which depends on the position of the mirror.

Abstract: A manipulator for an instrument for minimally invasive surgery, provided with a first moveable carriage, on which first carriage the instrument can be mounted, wherein the first carriage is positioned on a first arm of a parallelogram construction to provide the instrument with a virtual pivoting point in the plane in which during use the instrument intersects the body of a patient, wherein the proximal end of the manipulator is provided with a handle for operating the instrument with the handle being placed on, or forming part of a second arm of the parallelogram construction opposite the first arm, such that a body axis of the handle always extends parallel to the instrument.

Abstract: A peptide with an amino acid composition such that the peptide is amphipathic, cationic and forms a stable &agr;-helix and has the following structure comprising at least 12 amino acids R1-R2-A1-B1-(A2-B2-C1-A3)m-(C2)n-R3, wherein A=an amino acid selected from the basic amino acids Lys,Arg or His B=an amino acid selected from the aromatic amino acids Phe, Trp or Tyr C=an amino acid selected from the group comprising the hydrophobic amino acids Leu, Ile, Val or Ala, and said peptide has either the orientation according to the formula or the retro orientation thereof, wherein at least 0-m of the repetitive sequence motifs (A2-B2-C1-A3) have the retro orientation and the remaining repetitive motifs (A2-B2-C1-A3) have the orientation as presented in the formula and wherein, R1-R2- and R3 are a number of amino acids, and wherein m=1-10, preferably 2-8, more preferably 2-5 and n=1-3, a pharmaceutical composition comprising such a peptide application thereof in treatment or

Abstract: Pt-containing compound with the formula {Pt.sup.II (w)(x)(y)(z)} or {Pt.sup.IV (u)(v)(w)(x)(y)(z)}, wherein u, v, w, x, y and z represent whether or not the same whether or not interconnected ligands, of which at least one is a leaving ligand and at least one of the remaining ligands represents a detectable marker group. According to the invention (CH.sub.3).sub.2 SO, Cl or H.sub.2 O appears to be suitable as a leaving ligand while as detectable marker group a fluorescent group merits preference and is the ligand fluorescein or tetramethyl rhodamine. A suitable Pt-containing compounds is {Pt(ethylenediamine)(Me.sub.2 SO)(fluorescein-NH(CS)-NHCH.sub.3)} (PtF). Further, the invention comprises a process for the preparation of the Pt-containing compounds, where the Pt-containing compounds are prepared in a manner known per se for analogous compounds.