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Left flank retroperitoneal exposure: a technical aid to complex aortic reconstruction.

Over the last 5 years an extended left flank retroperitoneal approach was used in 85 of 531 (16%) aortic reconstructions deemed technically complex. Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair was performed in 70 patients (82%), bypass of aortoiliac occlusive disease was performed in 11 (13%), and aortic endarterectomy for mesenteric and/or renovascular disease was performed in 4 (5%). Indications for use of this approach included a "hostile" abdomen (43 patients), juxta/suprarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (35), large (greater than 10 cm) abdominal aortic aneurysm (12), extreme obesity (10), associated renal and/or visceral artery stenosis requiring endarterectomy (9), inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm (2), and horseshoe kidney (2). Suprarenal or supraceliac aortic clamping, averaging 31 minutes, was required in 43 patients (50%). Postoperative recovery was rapid (average length of stay, 10.2 days), and morbidity was minimal despite the complex nature of these reconstructions. The perioperative mortality rate in elective operations was 1.2%. This approach facilitated proximal abdominal aortic exposure and anastomosis, especially in large, pararenal aneurysms or in situations unfavorable to a transabdominal approach. Whereas a left flank retroperitoneal approach can be used in most aortic reconstructions, it seems especially suited to those that pose significant technical challenges.

Abdomen↗

3D quantification of microclimate volume in layered clothing for the prediction of clothing insulation.

Garment fit and resultant air volume is a crucial factor in thermal insulation, and yet, it has been difficult to quantify the air volume of clothing microclimate and relate it to the thermal insulation value just using the information on the size of clothing pattern without actual 3D volume measurement in wear condition. As earlier methods for the computation of air volume in clothing microclimate, vacuum over suit and circumference model have been used. However, these methods have inevitable disadvantages in terms of cost or accuracy due to the limitations of measurement equipment. In this paper, the phase-shifting moiré topography was introduced as one of the 3D scanning tools to measure the air volume of clothing microclimate quantitatively. The purpose of this research is to adopt a non-contact image scanning technology, phase-shifting moiré topography, to ascertain relationship between air volume and insulation value of layered clothing systems in wear situations where the 2D fabric creates new conditions in 3D spaces. The insulation of vests over shirts as a layered clothing system was measured with a thermal manikin in the environmental condition of 20 degrees C, 65% RH and air velocity of 0.79 m/s. As the pattern size increased, the insulation of the clothing system was increased. But beyond a certain limit, the insulation started to decrease due to convection and ventilation, which is more apparent when only the vest was worn over the torso of manikin. The relationship between clothing air volume and insulation was difficult to predict with a single vest due to the extreme openings which induced active ventilation. But when the vest was worn over the shirt, the effects of thickness of the fabrics on insulation were less pronounced compared with that of air volume. In conclusion, phase-shifting moiré topography was one of the efficient and accurate ways of quantifying air volume and its distribution across the clothing microclimate. It is also noted that air volume becomes more crucial factor in predicting thermal insulation when clothing is layered.

Body Temperature Regulation↗

Hormonal regulation of mummy is needed for apical extracellular matrix formation and epithelial morphogenesis in Drosophila.

Many epithelia produce apical extracellular matrices (aECM) that are crucial for organ morphogenesis or physiology. Apical ECM formation relies on coordinated synthesis and modification of constituting components, to enable their subcellular targeting and extracellular assembly into functional matrices. The exoskeleton of Drosophila, the cuticle, is a stratified aECM containing ordered chitin polysaccharide lamellae and proteinaceous layers, and is suited for studies of molecular functions needed for aECM assembly. Here, we show that Drosophila mummy (mmy) mutants display defects in epithelial organisation in conjunction with aberrant deposition of the cuticle and an apical matrix needed for tracheal tubulogenesis. We find that mmy encodes the UDP-N-acetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylase, which catalyses the production of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, an obligate substrate for chitin synthases as well as for protein glycosylation and GPI-anchor formation. Consequently, in mmy mutants GlcNAc-groups including chitin are severely reduced and modification and subcellular localisation of proteins designated for extracellular space is defective. Moreover, mmy expression is selectively upregulated in epithelia at the time they actively deposit aECM, and is altered by the moulting hormone 20-Hydroxyecdysone, suggesting that mmy is part of a developmental genetic programme to promote aECM formation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Comparison of mode analyses at different resolutions applied to nucleic acid systems.

More than two decades of different types of mode analyses has shown that these techniques can be useful in describing large-scale motions in protein systems. A number of mode analyses are available and include quasiharmonics, classical normal mode, block normal mode, and the elastic network model. Each of these methods has been validated for protein systems and this variety allows researchers to choose the technique that gives the best compromise between computational cost and the level of detail in the calculation. These same techniques have not been systematically tested for nucleic acid systems, however. Given the differences in interactions and structural features between nucleic acid and protein systems, the validity of these techniques in the protein regime cannot be directly translated into validity in the nucleic acid realm. In this work, we investigate the usefulness of the above mode analyses as applied to two RNA systems, i.e., the hammerhead ribozyme and a guanine riboswitch. We show that classical normal-mode analysis can match the magnitude and direction of residue fluctuations from the more detailed, anharmonic technique, quasiharmonic analysis of a molecular dynamics trajectory. The block normal-mode approximation is shown to hold in the nucleic acid systems studied. Only the mode analysis at the lowest level of detail, the elastic network model, produced mixed results in our calculations. We present data that suggest that the elastic network model, with the popular parameterization, is not best suited for systems that do not have a close packed structure; this observation also hints at why the elastic network model has been found to be valid for many globular protein systems. The different behaviors of block normal-mode analysis and the elastic network model, which invoke similar degrees of coarse-graining to the dynamics but use different potentials, suggest the importance of applying a heterogeneous potential function in a robust analysis of the dynamics of biomolecules, especially those that are not closely packed. In addition to these comparisons, we briefly discuss insights into the conformational space available to the hammerhead ribozyme.

Algorithms↗

Preparation of space for posting: effect on thickness of canal walls and incidence of perforation in molars.

A total of 150 extracted maxillary and mandibular molars separated into six groups of 25 teeth each were prepared to the size of a 30 endodontic file. Numbers 2, 3, and 4 Peeso drills were used to produce a post cavity preparation in the root canals of these teeth. After use of each size of Peeso drill, the thickness of the canal walls was measured at two levels: the middle level, 4 mm from the canal orifice; and the apical level, 7 mm from the canal orifice. Mean thickness of all walls was determined for each tooth and drill size. The incidence of root perforations and strippings was recorded also. We found that distal roots of mandibular molars and palatal roots of maxillary molars are best suited for post cavity preparation. Most perforations and strippings occurred on the distal walls of mesial roots of mandibular molars or on the proximal walls of the buccal roots of maxillary molars.

Crowns↗

Recent ice-rich deposits formed at high latitudes on Mars by sublimation of unstable equatorial ice during low obliquity.

Observations from the gamma-ray spectrometer instrument suite on the Mars Odyssey spacecraft have been interpreted as indicating the presence of vast reservoirs of near-surface ice in high latitudes of both martian hemispheres. Ice concentrations are estimated to range from 70 per cent at 60 degrees latitude to 100 per cent near the poles, possibly overlain by a few centimetres of ice-free material in most places. This result is supported by morphological evidence of metres-thick layered deposits that are rich in water-ice and periglacial-like features found only at high latitudes. Diffusive exchange of water between the pore space of the regolith and the atmosphere has been proposed to explain this distribution, but such a degree of concentration is difficult to accommodate with such processes. Alternatively, there are suggestions that ice-rich deposits form by transport of ice from polar reservoirs and direct redeposition in high latitudes during periods of higher obliquity, but these results have been difficult to reproduce with other models. Here we propose instead that, during periods of low obliquity (less than 25 degrees), high-latitude ice deposits form in both hemispheres by direct deposition of ice, as a result of sublimation from an equatorial ice reservoir that formed earlier, during a prolonged high-obliquity excursion. Using the ice accumulation rates estimated from global climate model simulations we show that, over the past ten million years, large variations of Mars' obliquity have allowed the formation of such metres-thick, sedimentary layered deposits in high latitude and polar regions.

Climate↗

A reproducible canine model of nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia.

A technique for producing a reliable, clinically applicable, and highly reproducible canine model of nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia was developed. Following left thoracotomy in 10 dogs, a 1 mm diameter soft polyethylene tube was inserted into the pericardial space via a small puncture site. This tube was sealed in place with cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive. A solution of 10% Dextran 40 in saline was infused into the pericardial space until a 50% reduction (as monitored by electromagnetic flowmeter) in superior mesenteric artery flow (SMAQ) was obtained. Without additional intrapericardial infusion of the Dextran solution, SMAQ was reduced 51 +/- 4% to 54 +/- 3% of control values during a 60 minute post-tamponade observation period. During the same time. Cardiac output was depressed between 40 +/- 8% and 54 +/- 3%, and right atrial pressure remained elevated between 164 +/- 15% and 171 +/- 15%. Systemic arterial pressure initially dropped 28 +/- 5% but compensated to within 11 +/- 5% of pre-tamponade level at 60 minutes. The stability of this model is well suited for evaluating new experimental diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Animals↗

Non-existence of positive glitches in spectra using the YB(66) double-crystal monochromator of BL15XU at Spring-8.

YB(66) is suitable for dispersing synchrotron radiation in the 1-2 keV energy range with a 2d lattice spacing of 1.17 nm. When used with an undulator there are no positive glitches at 1385.6 and 1438 eV in spectra dispersed by a YB(66) 400 double-crystal monochromator as observed using bending-magnet or wiggler beamlines. The transmission function of a YB(66) double-crystal monochromator has been measured by means of a Si PIN photodetector, and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) of Mg, Al and Si were measured at high resolution. From all of these experiments it has been clarified that a YB(66) double-crystal monochromator is well suited for soft X-ray beamlines on third-generation light sources.

Journal Article↗

The NASA/LRC Computerized Test System.

A new testing package, including apparatus and tasks, is described for the study of behavior of a variety of species in a variety of experiments. The package is described with respect to the kinds of comparative psychological investigations for which it is well suited. The preliminary data generated within this new testing paradigm demonstrate that the NASA/LRC Computerized Test System provides a flexible yet powerful environment for the investigation of behavioral and psychological processes.

Animals↗

Modeling field-scale multiple tracer injection at a low-level waste disposal site in fractured rocks: effect of multiscale heterogeneity and source term uncertainty on conceptual understanding of mass transfer processes.

Multiple factors may affect the scale-up of laboratory multi-tracer injection into structured porous media to the field. Under transient flow conditions and with multiscale heterogeneities in the field, previous attempts to scale-up laboratory experiments have not answered definitely the questions about the governing mechanisms and the spatial extent of the influence of small-scale mass transfer processes such as matrix diffusion. The objective of this research is to investigate the effects of multiscale heterogeneity, mechanistic and site model conceptualization, and source term density effect on elucidating and interpreting tracer movement in the field. Tracer release and monitoring information previously obtained in a field campaign of multiple, conservative tracer injection under natural hydraulic gradients at a low-level waste disposal site in eastern Tennessee, United States, is used for the research. A suite of two-pore-domain, or fracture-matrix, groundwater flow and transport models are calibrated and used to conduct model parameter and prediction uncertainty analyses. These efforts are facilitated by a novel nested Latin-hypercube sampling technique. Our results verify, at field scale, a multiple-pore-domain, multiscale mechanistic conceptual model that was used previously to interpret only laboratory observations. The results also suggest that, integrated over the entire field site, mass flux rates attributable to small-scale mass transfer are comparable to that of field-scale solute transport. The uncertainty analyses show that fracture spacing is the most important model parameter and model prediction uncertainty is relatively higher at the interface between the preferred flow path and its parent bedrock. The comparisons of site conceptual models indicate that the effect of matrix diffusion may be confined to the immediate neighborhood of the preferential flow path. Finally, because the relatively large amount of tracer needed for field studies, it is likely that source term density effect may exaggerate or obscure the effect of matrix diffusion on the movement of tracers from the preferred flow path into the bedrock.

Chemical Phenomena↗

State-space analysis of joint angle kinematics in normal treadmill walking.

By restricting analysis to single averaged strides considered to be characteristic for the individual under investigation, current methods in gait analysis do not exploit the full dynamics of continuous locomotion. Therefore, a novel approach is presented that is based on long-term measurements of kinematic data during treadmill walking. The method consists of reconstructing the system attractor in the embedding space and then analyzing its geometric structure. Estimating the dimension of movement trajectories correlates well with the notion of controlling multiple degrees of freedom during performance of complex movement tasks such as walking. The influence of walking speed on the complexity of physiologic walking was investigated in 10 healthy subjects walking on a treadmill at seven fixed speeds. The results suggest that human walking becomes more complex at slower speeds. This may be associated with results from EMG studies demonstrating more irregular EMG patterns at very slow walking speeds. This study emphasizes that tools from non-linear dynamics are well suited for providing more insight into motor control in humans.

Algorithms↗

Liver of juvenile Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.: a light, transmission, and scanning electron microscopic study, with special reference to the sinusoid.

BACKGROUND: This report provides a detailed description of sinusoidal and perisinusoidal structures in the normal liver of the juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), a teleost species. METHODS: The liver was studied by light, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy, and organ specimens were sampled after retrograde, whole-body perfusion through the dorsal aorta using 3% glutaraldehyde. Detailed characterization of perisinusoidal stellate cells also included immunohistochemical staining for desmin and evaluation of autofluorescence of the same cells upon excitation in ultraviolet (UV) light. RESULTS: The sinusoid is lined by one cell type only: the endothelial cell. No intraluminal pit cells or Kupffer cells are present. The space of Disse contains reticulin fibres, visualized by Gomori's silver stain, and perisinusoidal stellate cells (PSC). PSC exhibited autofluorescence in UV light, indicating that these cells store vitamin A in cytoplasmic lipid droplets. Immunohistochemically, PSC were found negative for desmin. The space of Disse, extending deep down between adjacent hepatocytes, receives long, slender microvilli from parenchymal cells. In addition to scattered macrophages, interhepatocytic cells (IHC) are found perisinusoidally. Hepatocytes of Atlantic salmon form branching and anastomosing tubules. CONCLUSIONS: The sinusoids of Atlantic salmon liver are lined by a fenestrated endothelium, with PSC located in the space of Disse, with macrophages and IHC as inhabitants of the interhepatocytic space. IHC show ultrastructural similarities to mammalian pit cells and teleostean large granular lymphocytes, as well as to piscine monocytes. PSC might be storage cells for vitamin A in Atlantic salmon as shown by autofluorescence in these cells, while immunohistochemical studies indicate that desmin does not seem to be an adequate immunohistochemical marker for PSC in the juvenile Atlantic salmon. Methodologically, fixation for electron microscopy was performed by a new and convenient perfusion method: arterial retrograde whole body perfusion. Liver specimens intended for scanning electron microscopy were fractured at room temperature after prolonged osmium postfixation, leaving hepatocytes intact and producing images well suited to document the three-dimensional structure of cells and tissue.

Animals↗

Validation of transport measurements in skeletal muscle with N-13 amino acids using a rabbit isolated hindlimb model.

We are studying the transport of C-11 and N-13 labeled amino acids in tumor-bearing rabbits to determine the role of amino acid transport in the pathogenesis of muscle wasting in cancer. To validate a new, in vivo, method for measuring transport in skeletal muscle with these compounds, an isolated hindlimb model was developed in rabbits. The limb was perfused with a non-recirculating, normothermic, constant pressure system and a cell-free perfusate. Hemodynamic and metabolic parameters were measured during the first 75 min. of perfusion and found to remain normal and stable. Flow varied directly with perfusion pressure over the normal range of resting flows in the intact rabbit hindlimb. Time-activity curves (TAC's) were recorded from the medial thigh following bolus co-injection of L-[amide N-13] glutamine or N-13 L-glutamate with Tc-99m human serum albumin (HSA) into the femoral artery. Regional plasma flow was determined from the Tc-99m data. The N-13 TAC's consistently manifested a three-phased washout with half times of approximately 30 sec., 5 min. and 2 hr. Capillary and cellular transport parameters were computed from the N-13 data using a double barrier, single capillary model of capillary and cellular transport and assuming that the three washout components result, respectively, from tracer throughput, extraction into the interstitial space and extraction into the intracellular space. This interpretation was validated and the sensitivity of the technique to transport processes demonstrated by examining the effects on the N-13 TAC's and computed transport parameters of several factors known to influence cellular transport of amino acids, viz., the insulin concentration, amino acid concentration and pH of the perfusate. Time-activity curves and transport parameters for N-13 L-glutamine in the isolated limb were very similar to those observed in the intact rabbit hindlimb, suggesting that studies in the perfused model are indicative of amino acid transport in vivo. The methodology described here is especially well suited for studying the specific effects on transport of factors which influence amino acid metabolism in skeletal muscle (e.g., hormones and monokines).

Amino Acids↗

Population responses to multifrequency sounds in the cat auditory cortex: one- and two-parameter families of sounds.

Population responses to multi-frequency sounds were recorded in primary auditory cortex of anesthetized cats. The sounds consisted of single-tone stimuli; two-tone stimuli; and nine-tone stimuli, with the tones evenly spaced on a linear frequency scale. The stimuli were presented through a sealed, calibrated sound delivery system. Single units, cluster activity (CA) and the short-time mean absolute value of the envelope of the neural signal (MABS) were recorded extracellularly from six microelectrodes simultaneously. The CA and MABS were interpreted as measures of the activity of large populations of neurons, in contrast with the single unit activity which is presumably recorded from single neurons. The responses of the MABS signal to simple stimuli were generally similar to those of the CA, but were more stable statistically. Thus, the MABS is better suited for studying the activity of populations of neurons. The responses to tones near the best frequency were strongly influenced by a second tone, even when the second tone was outside the single-tone response area. These influences could be both facilitatory and suppressory. They could not be predicted from the responses to single tones. The responses to the nine-tone stimuli could be explained qualitatively by the responses to the two-tone stimuli. It is concluded that the population responses in primary auditory cortex are shaped by the contributions of the individual frequencies appearing in the stimulus and by the interactions between pairs of frequencies. Interactions between stimulus components are therefore a necessary component of any attempt to explain the processing of complex sounds in the auditory cortex. They may play a role in a global representation of the stimulus spectrum in the primary auditory cortex. The presence of higher-order interactions cannot be excluded by the results presented here.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Effects of effusion in the middle ear and perforation of the tympanic membrane on otoacoustic emissions in guinea pigs.

The influence of fluid in the middle ear and of perforation and closure of the tympanic membrane (TM) on otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) was evaluated in guinea pigs. Click-evoked otoacoustic emissions (CEOAEs) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) were measured after the auditory bulla was opened. Neither OAE level changed significantly when fluid filled only half the space in the bulla, but both OAE levels disappeared when fluid completely filled the bulla. These changes were reversible. Thus, the presence of fluid in the bulla influenced CEOAE and DPOAE levels only when its volume filled more than half the space of the bulla. Changes in both CEOAE and DPOAE levels were affected by the size of the perforation of the tympanic membrane. For the smallest perforation, the reduction in both CEOAE and DPOAE levels was restricted to the lower frequencies. However, as the size of the perforation increased, a decrease in high-frequency function occurred. Thus, the results indicate that the magnitude of both OAEs was proportional to the size of the perforation. Both OAE levels improved after the perforation was closed. Because CEOAEs were more sensitive than DPOAEs to perforation and closure of the TM, DPOAEs may be better suited for OAE measurement in ears with perforated TMs.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Is there chaos in the brain? I. Concepts of nonlinear dynamics and methods of investigation.

In the light of results obtained during the last two decades in a number of laboratories, it appears that some of the tools of nonlinear dynamics, first developed and improved for the physical sciences and engineering, are well-suited for studies of biological phenomena. In particular it has become clear that the different regimes of activities undergone by nerve cells, neural assemblies and behavioural patterns, the linkage between them, and their modifications over time, cannot be fully understood in the context of even integrative physiology, without using these new techniques. This report, which is the first of two related papers, is aimed at introducing the non expert to the fundamental aspects of nonlinear dynamics, the most spectacular aspect of which is chaos theory. After a general history and definition of chaos the principles of analysis of time series in phase space and the general properties of chaotic trajectories will be described as will be the classical measures which allow a process to be classified as chaotic in ideal systems and models. We will then proceed to show how these methods need to be adapted for handling experimental time series; the dangers and pitfalls faced when dealing with non stationary and often noisy data will be stressed, and specific criteria for suspecting determinism in neuronal cells and/or assemblies will be described. We will finally address two fundamental questions, namely i) whether and how can one distinguish, deterministic patterns from stochastic ones, and, ii) what is the advantage of chaos over randomness: we will explain why and how the former can be controlled whereas, notoriously, the latter cannot be tamed. In the second paper of the series, results obtained at the level of single cells and their membrane conductances in real neuronal networks and in the study of higher brain functions, will be critically reviewed. It will be shown that the tools of nonlinear dynamics can be irreplaceable for revealing hidden mechanisms subserving, for example, neuronal synchronization and periodic oscillations. The benefits for the brain of adopting chaotic regimes with their wide range of potential behaviours and their aptitude to quickly react to changing conditions will also be considered.

Animals↗

In vitro evaluation of current thoracic aortic stent-grafts for real-time MR-guided placement.

PURPOSE: To systematically evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of current thoracic aortic stent-graft devices before, during, and after in vitro deployment as a step toward real-time MRI-guided stent placement. METHODS: Six stent-graft devices used for thoracic aortic repair were examined in a dedicated phantom model using a 1.5-T MRI scanner. First, the delivery systems with the mounted stent-graft were examined using real-time fast imaging with steady-state precession (TrueFISP) with Cartesian and radial k-space filling. TrueFISP imaging was subsequently used for real-time monitoring of stent-graft expansion. The deployed stent-grafts were then examined in a water bath containing gadolinium (1:40) with high-resolution T1-weighted 3D fast low-angle shot (FLASH) sequences. The images were analyzed for artifacts, radiofrequency caging effects, and device visualization quality. RESULTS: Three delivery systems with mounted stent-grafts did not contain ferromagnetic elements and were well visualized. Imaging with radial k-space filling showed fewer artifacts than Cartesian imaging. Movement of the delivery system and stent-graft expansion of these devices were successfully demonstrated at a rate of up to 6 frames per second. Evaluation of the expanded stent-grafts revealed only minor susceptibility artifacts without relevant signal attenuation in the stent-graft lumen for 5 nitinol-based stent-grafts. Only a stainless steel-based stent-graft was associated with severe artifacts, thwarting visualization of its lumen or surroundings. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that 3 nitinol-based thoracic stent-graft devices are potentially suited for real-time MRI-guided placement with respect to both the delivery system and the stent-graft itself. These observations provide the basis for the evaluation of MRI-guided stent-graft placement in vivo.

Alloys↗

Spinal cord vascularity. II. Extraspinal sources of spinal cord arteries in the rat.

The arrangement of extravertebral sources of spinal cord arteries in the rat is similar to that in man. Some differences, however, do exist, concerning mainly the arrangement of spinal branches supplied by the subclavian-vertebral arteries. Contrary to the situation in man, the vertebral artery in the rat appears to be the sole source of blood supply to the cervical cord. A high incidence of variations or anomalies of the vertebral artery in the rat existed. Vascular variations in the upper left thoracic spaces were frequent in the rat and more complicated than in man. In both species, a poor supply of significant spinal cord feeders from the superior intercostal artery of the costocervical trunk was found. Variations in the origin and branching of the aortic segmental arteries occur in both species. In man the major variation consists of two or more intercostal arteries arising from a common stem, while the rat more often displays a rudimentary subcostal artery. Finally, the ileolumbar arteries in the rat are constant branches of the lumbar aorta. Despite these differences in the vascular anatomy, the rat seems to be well suited for experimental comparative investigations, not feasible in man.

Angiography↗