Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M I Rodriguez.
Transdiaphragmatic approach to the pericarium through the use of the laparoscope is a safe and rapid way to obtain biopsy of the pericardium and create a window. No drainage tubes are needed: pericardial fluid is absorbed by the peritoneum; there is no need for double lumen tubes for one lung ventilation; and the laparoscopy incisions are small and almost painless.
Sunflower (Heliantus annuus) is an important crop in the economy of Argentina due to its high production and demand from domestic and export markets. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of Alternaria species and its mycotoxins in ensiled sunflower seeds. The sampling was carried out in three periods: at the beginning of ensiling, on the second month and finally on the fourth month. The mycological analysis was made with disinfected seeds, cultured on Dichloran-Rose Bengal-Chloramphenicol (DRBC) and Dichloran-Chloramphenicol-Malt Extract-Agar (DCMA). The toxins were analyzed by thin layer chromatography (TLC). A alternata was the main fungal species isolated. The incidence of Alternaria species and the levels of alternariol and tenuazonic acid decreased as the time of ensiling increased. Alternariol monomethyl ether was detected in two samples from the second and third sampling periods.
Tests of 12 popular brands of cigarettes manufactured by 6 companies from the United States have shown that fibers were released from the filters and that there exists probable cause to suggest that fibers are inhaled and/or ingested. Filter fibers, made of cellulose acetate, were implanted in mice for 6 months. The fibers withstood degradation and retained the tobacco-brown color and bright fluorescence of the tobacco tar that had been adsorbed from cigarette smoke. With a confocal laser scanning microscope, we have observed cigarette filter fibers in lung tissue from patients with lung cancer and who were known to be habitual smokers. These findings raise the question as to whether fibers released from cigarettes further jeopardize the health of smokers and document the need to test components of cigarette filters for toxicity and tumorigenicity.
OBJECTIVE: Most postpneumonectomy empyemas occur shortly after the surgery, but rarely do they manifest much later. We present our experience in treating two cases of delayed postpneumonectomy empyema and discuss its clinical features. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The diagnosis of delayed empyema is difficult as patients present with nonspecific symptoms. Consequently, there was a delay of several weeks in reaching the correct diagnosis. This is a retrospective case study of two patients. SETTING: The patients were admitted to hospital for appropriate care. PATIENTS: Two patients were diagnosed as having delayed postpneumonectomy empyema from consequential infection. Chest X-ray may provide helpful information such as the presence of air-fluid level or a mediastinal shift toward the remaining lung (by accumulation of pus in the postpneumonectomy cavity). INTERVENTION: The patients were treated surgically. RESULTS: In both cases the diagnosis of postpneumonectomy empyema was delayed, but eventually correct diagnosis was made. The outcome of the surgical therapy was successful. CONCLUSIONS: Delayed postpneumonectomy empyema is a rare condition. The etiology in the majority of cases is probably due to hematogenous spread of bacteria from other parts of the body. Correct diagnosis of this condition is often delayed. The treatment is surgical.
We report the development of a simple, efficient, expedient, and inexpensive procedure for isolating a large and relatively pure population of macrophages (Mphi) from residual (i.e., non-tumor) lung tissue obtained from lung cancer patients undergoing either a lobectomy or pneumonectomy. The proposed technique was founded on observations by fluorescent microscopy of fresh, non-fixed, and non-stained human lung tissue. Examinations of 74 specimens from different patients revealed that most of the Mphi reside as non-adherent cells within the sponge-like lung stroma. Very few Mphi were observed in the lungs of nonsmokers. In contrast, many Mphi were visible in the lungs of habitual smokers. For most specimens from smokers, a few of the Mphi were present as randomly distributed single cells; the majority of the Mphi, however, were in clusters that ranged from a dozen to several hundred cells. The Mphi could be released readily by different mechanical techniques. In the procedure reported herein, pulmonary leukocytes (> 75% Mphi) were dislodged easily from lung tissue with the use of an inexpensive, hand-operated, tissue grinder. The grinder consisted of a glass mortar and Teflon pestle that provided sufficient clearance between the mortar and pestle so as to avert damaging the displaced leukocytes. The leukocytes were then segregated by centrifugation on a density gradient. Further purification was achieved by harvesting Mphi that had been allowed to adhere to serum-coated polystyrene culture dishes (> 90% Mphi). In most experiments, the Mphi yield (approximately 5 x 10(6) Mphi /gr of lung) and Mphi viability (> 85%) were good. A significant advantage of this technique is that it avoids jeopardizing the cells to the hazards associated with enzymes that have been used in techniques employed previously for isolating Mphi from the lung and other organs. Thus, the proposed method provides numerous lung Mphi for detailed studies of their morphology, phenotype, and function. Moreover, lung Mphi were cultured as non-adherent, single cells in a serum- and cytokine-free tissue culture medium for more than 6 weeks. Lung Mphi from habitual smokers displayed a high level of fluorescence that was readily apparent when viewed with a fluorescence microscope that had been configured with either a fluorescein or rhodamine filter. Serial sections of single, living Mphi obtained with the use of a confocal laser scanning microscope revealed that the fluorescence originated from cytoplasmic inclusions. Relative fluorescence intensity was measured by cytometry.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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To function effectively, individuals must voluntarily postpone immediate gratification and persist in goal-directed behavior for the sake of later outcomes. The present research program analyzed the nature of this type of future-oriented self-control and the psychological processes that underlie it. Enduring individual differences in self-control were found as early as the preschool years. Those 4-year-old children who delayed gratification longer in certain laboratory situations developed into more cognitively and socially competent adolescents, achieving higher scholastic performance and coping better with frustration and stress. Experiments in the same research program also identified specific cognitive and attentional processes that allow effective self-regulation early in the course of development. The experimental results, in turn, specified the particular types of preschool delay situations diagnostic for predicting aspects of cognitive and social competence later in life.
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