Can retrograde perfusion mitigate cerebral injury after particulate embolization? A study in a chronic porcine model

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the impact on histologic and behavioral outcome of an interval of retrograde cerebral perfusion after arterial embolization, comparing retrograde cerebral perfusion with and without inferior vena caval occlusion with continued antegrade perfusion. METHODS: Sixty Yorkshire pigs (27 to 30 kg) were randomly assigned to the following groups: antegrade cerebral perfusion control; antegrade cerebral perfusion after embolization; retrograde cerebral perfusion control; retrograde cerebral perfusion after embolization; retrograde cerebral perfusion with inferior vena cava occlusion, retrograde cerebral perfusion with inferior vena cava occlusion control, and retrograde cerebral perfusion with inferior vena cava occlusion after embolization. After cooling to 20 degrees C, a bolus of 200 mg of polystyrene microspheres 250 to 750 (microm diameter (or saline solution) was injected into the isolated aortic arch. After 5 minutes of antegrade cerebral perfusion, 25 minutes of antegrade cerebral perfusion, retrograde cerebral perfusion, or retrograde cerebral perfusion with inferior vena cava occlusion was instituted. After the operation, all animals underwent daily assessment of neurologic status until the time of death on day 7. RESULTS: Aortic arch return, cerebral vascular resistance, and oxygen extraction data during retrograde cerebral perfusion showed differences, suggesting that more effective flow occurs during retrograde cerebral perfusion with inferior vena cava occlusion, which also resulted in more pronounced fluid sequestration. Microsphere recovery from the brain revealed significantly fewer emboli after retrograde cerebral perfusion with inferior vena cava occlusion. Behavioral scores showed full recovery in all but one control animal (after retrograde cerebral perfusion with inferior vena cava occlusion) by day 7 but were considerably lower after embolization, with no significant differences between groups. The extent of histopathologic injury was not significantly different among embolized groups. Although no histopathologic lesions were present in either the antegrade cerebral perfusion control group or the retrograde cerebral perfusion control group, mild significant ischemic damage occurred after retrograde cerebral perfusion with inferior vena cava occlusion even in control animals. CONCLUSIONS: Although effective washout of particulate emboli from the brain can be achieved with retrograde cerebral perfusion with inferior vena cava occlusion, no advantage of retrograde cerebral perfusion with inferior vena cava occlusion after embolization is seen from behavioral scores, electroencephalographic recovery, or histopathologic examination; retrograde cerebral perfusion with inferior vena cava occlusion results in greater fluid sequestration and mild histopathologic injury even in control animals. Retrograde cerebral perfusion with inferior vena cava occlusion shows clear promise in the management of embolization, but further refinements must be sought to address its still worrisome potential for harm.     

Behavioral treatment of mucous colitis.

Reports the case history of a 22-yr-old female student who suffered aproximately 1 colitis attack/day who was apparently successfully treated by a procedure in which the therapist labeled antecedent stress events that appeared to be precipitating the attacks. The client was then taught a behavioral coping strategy to counter the stress events. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Using active supervision and precorrection to improve transition behaviors in an elementary school.

Investigated the effect of a school-wide intervention plan, consisting of precorrection and active supervision strategies, on the social behavior of elementary students in major transition settings. Three transition settings were targeted in an elementary school: (1) entering the school building, (2) moving to the cafeteria for lunch, and (3) exiting the school building. A multiple baseline design across the 3 transition settings was used. An analysis of baseline data indicated high rates of student problem behavior, especially running, hitting, and yelling, and low rates of precorrection and active supervision behaviors by staff. Results showed increases in precorrection and active supervision behaviors by staff with concomitant, substantial reductions in student problem behavior. Details of the methodology and results, and practical implications and directions for future research are described and discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Quantification of gluconeogenesis in cirrhosis: response to glucagon

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Accelerated starvation and early recruitment of alternate fuels in cirrhosis have been attributed to reduced availability of hepatic glycogen. The aim of this study was to measure gluconeogenesis (as a marker of protein oxidation) in relation to total glucose production and glucagon-stimulated glycogenolysis. METHODS: Glucose and urea production, gluconeogenesis, and glycogenolysis were calculated using stable isotope methods before and during glucagon infusion (3 ng. kg-1. min-1) in 5 cirrhotic patients and 5 matched controls before and after glycogen repletion. RESULTS: In the basal state, cirrhotic patients had a normal rate of glucose production, but the contribution of gluconeogenesis was increased (74.3% +/- 4.1% vs. 55. 6% +/- 12.1%; P < 0.005). Glycogen repletion normalized the rate of gluconeogenesis. The glycemic response to glucagon (3 ng. kg-1. min-1) was blunted in cirrhotic patients because of a lower rate of glycogenolysis (0.63 +/- 0.23 vs. 1.22 +/- 0.23 mg. kg-1. min-1; P < 0.01) and was not affected by glycogen repletion. Despite increased gluconeogenesis, the simultaneously measured rate of urea synthesis was lower in cirrhotic patients (3.11 +/- 1.02 vs. 5.0 +/- 1.0 mg/kg; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These data show that in cirrhosis, glucose production is sustained by an increased rate of gluconeogenesis. The hepatic resistance to glucagon action is not caused by reduced glycogen stores.     

Predictions of limiting mechanical performance for anisotropic crystalline polymers

A four-stage synthesis of molecular, micromechanical, and macromechanical models is used to predict the dependence of the longitudinal and transverse Young's moduli and the axial and transverse shear moduli of anisotropic polyethylene on percent crystallinity and the state of molecular orientation. Variational methods are employed to establish the upper and lower limits for anisotropic elastic response. The difference between lower and upper bound limits is interpreted as the potential for improving mechanical performance. A modified form of the Tsai-Halpin equation is used to examine parametric ranging (via a contiguity factor, ξ) between the lower and Tupper bound limits. In this application, the contiguity factor is interpreted as a characteristic of the internal stress-strain distribution which is dependent upon the size, shape, packing geometry, and elastic properties of the crystalline and amorphous regions. The potential for achieving high modulus polymeric materials is illustrated by treating percent crystallinity, molecular orientation, and contiguity as materials design variables subject to control by processing conditions. Optimum property trade-offs, necessary for balancing the over all mechanical behavior of anisotropic materials, are illustrated through the control of orientation and contiguity, The theoretical predictions for the moduli of anisotropic polyethylene are in good agreement with values reported for material processed by traditional procedures as well as ultra-oriented polyethylene.     

The Colour Museum now and the future

The Colour Museum has been one of the Society's most controversial areas since it wasset up in 1977. It achieved national prominence in 1988 when it one the award for the best technological museum of the year. In this article Geoff Hall , chairman of the Museum and Archives Coordination Committee, outlines some of the museum's present activities and discusses plans for future work.     

Formation of mesophase in coal tar pitches. Influence of pyrolytic carbon particles

Hitherto it has been considered that the pyrolytic particles present in pitch as a result of high temperature cracking accelerate the formation of mesophase by the nucleation process. It has been demonstrated by optical and hot stage microscopy that the contrary is the case. The pyrolytic particles in pitch retard the development of mesophase so that mesophase starts to be detectable only at higher temperatures of pyrolysis and the coalescence is suppressed or even prevented by pyrolytic particles surrounding the mesophase spheres originally formed.     

Towards a rapid, non-contact shaping method for fibre metal laminates using a laser source

Since their initial development, fibre metal laminates (FMLs) have slowly started to be used by industry, particularly the aerospace sector. One of the reasons for the relatively slow adoption of FMLs is due to the difficulties faced in shaping them to the desired geometry. Whilst traditional processes such as roll forming are effective in shaping monolithic materials, these processes could potentially destroy the mechanical properties of the composite layer. The approached investigated here uses thermal or laser forming (LF) to shape flat panels of thermosetting glass fibre based FMLs into 2D geometries. This initial empirical investigation covers the effectiveness of the various LF processes and the effects of various parameters have on the forming process. These include laser parameters such as power and velocity and material parameters such as FML lay-up strategy, fibre orientation and comparison with monolithic materials.     

Segmentation of whole cells and cell nuclei from 3-D optical microscope images using dynamic programming

Communications between cells in large part drive tissue development and function, as well as disease-related processes such as tumorigenesis. Understanding the mechanistic bases of these processes necessitates quantifying specific molecules in adjacent cells or cell nuclei of intact tissue. However, a major restriction on such analyses is the lack of an efficient method that correctly segments each object (cell or nucleus) from 3-D images of an intact tissue specimen. We report a highly reliable and accurate semi-automatic algorithmic method for segmenting fluorescence-labeled cells or nuclei from 3-D tissue images. Segmentation begins with semi-automatic, 2-D object delineation in a user-selected plane, using dynamic programming (DP) to locate the border with an accumulated intensity per unit length greater that any other possible border around the same object. Then the two surfaces of the object in planes above and below the selected plane are found using an algorithm that combines DP and combinatorial searching. Following segmentation, any perceived errors can be interactively corrected. Segmentation accuracy is not significantly affected by intermittent labeling of object surfaces, diffuse surfaces, or spurious signals away from surfaces. The unique strength of the segmentation method was demonstrated on a variety of biological tissue samples where all cells, including irregularly shaped cells, were accurately segmented based on visual inspection.