Transarterial embolization of the uterine arteries: patient reactions and effects on uterine vasculature

Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) has been localized to interneurons of the mammalian cerebral cortex, but these neurons have not been fully characterized. The present study determined the extent of co-localization of CRH with glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and calcium-binding proteins in the infant rat neocortex using immunocytochemistry. CRH-immunoreactive (ir) neurons were classified into two major groups. The first group was larger and consisted of densely CRH-immunostained small bipolar cells, predominantly localized to layers II and III. The second group of CRH-ir cells was lightly labeled and included multipolar neurons mainly found in deep cortical layers. Co-localization studies indicated that the vast majority of CRH-ir neurons, including both bipolar and multipolar types, was co-immunolabeled for GAD-65 and GAD-67. Most multipolar, but only some bipolar, CRH-ir neurons also contained parvalbumin, while CRH-ir neurons rarely contained calbindin or calretinin. These results indicate that virtually all CRH-ir neurons in the rat cerebral cortex are GABAergic. Furthermore, since parvalbumin is expressed by cortical basket and chandelier cells, the co-localization of CRH and parvalbumin suggests that some cortical CRH-ir neurons may belong to these two cell types.     

A clinical, echocardiographic and genetic characterization of a Danish kindred with familial amyloid transthyretin methionine 111 linked cardiomyopathy

AIMS: To identify carriers and non-carriers of the mutant transthyretin methionine 111 linked familial amyloid disease, to detect early signs of the restrictive cardiomyopathy and other clinical manifestations characteristic of this inheritable disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: Out of 125 living family members 99 were available for clinical, echocardiographic and genetic examination. Twenty-five family members were heterozygous carriers of the mutant transthyretin methionine 111 genotype, while 74 were non-carriers. Among the 25 carriers, none had overt clinical signs of heart disease. Eight carriers, all above the age of 35, showed echocardiographic abnormalities suggestive of developing or manifest restrictive cardiomyopathy. Three had biopsy-verified transthyretin-related amyloid cardiomyopathy. None of the 15 carriers in the younger age group exhibited aberrant echocardiographic patterns. Nine carriers had carpal tunnel syndrome as opposed to none of the non-carriers. CONCLUSION: For early detection of familial amyloid cardiomyopathy, echocardiography is the investigation of choice. The first sign is diastolic dysfunction detected as an abnormal relaxation pattern. The appearance of echocardiographic aberrations solely in the older age group suggests that the cardiomyopathy is a late onset disease. Carpal tunnel syndrome appears to be the earliest presenting clinical symptom. A curative treatment seems to be an early liver transplantation.     

Medium-term patency and anatomic changes after direct bronchial artery revascularization in lung and heart-lung transplantation with the internal thoracic artery conduit

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship of estrogen-induced changes in lipids and lipoproteins with alterations in the coagulation system. METHODS: Coagulation and lipid indices were measured in 31 postmenopausal women, ages 40-60 years, after a 3-month course of 0.625-mg conjugated equine estrogen. We analyzed changes in variables from baseline to 3 months using t tests for paired samples or the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test. RESULTS: Unopposed estrogen replacement therapy produced statistically significant decreases in antithrombin-III antigen (P = .006) and activity (P = .001) and total protein S (P = .003) and a significant increase in protein C antigen (P = .017). C4b-binding protein also decreased significantly from baseline to 3 months (P < .001). Mean fibrinogen level decreased by 18.2 mg/dL, not a statistically significant change (P = .213). Estrogen produced the expected statistically significant changes in lipids and lipoproteins. Several correlations between changes in lipids and lipoproteins and coagulation indices were statistically significant. Protein C antigen and activity changes correlated directly with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol changes (r = .52, P < or = .005; r = .38, P < or = .05; respectively), and protein C antigen also correlated directly with increases in apoprotein A-I (r = .54, P < or = .005). Triglyceride changes correlated directly with changes in protein C antigen (r = .36, P < or = .05) and activity (r = .49, P < or = .005) and inversely with C4b-binding protein (r = -.58, P < or = .01). Apoprotein B was correlated with free protein S (r = .48, P < or = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Although several estrogen-induced changes may decrease atherosclerotic potential and hypercoagulability, others may promote coagulability. These divergent effects may be manipulated pharmacologically by other estrogen compounds or by the addition of various progestins.     

Patterns of scent-mounding in a population of beaver (Castor canadensis)

The frequency and pattern of distribution of scent-mound construction were studied in a population of beaver in southeast Ohio from 1975 through 1977. The study addressed the questions of whether or not the frequency of scent-mound construction varied with season, site, year, and degree of contact with other family groups, and whether the pattern of scent-mounding activity was parsimonious with the idea of territorial marking. The number of scent-mounds constructed was determined weekly for each site throughout the ice-free season. Scent-mounding activity was highest in spring and declined and remained low during summer and fall. Significant differences were found amoung sites and over years. Contact with other resident family groups altered both frequency and pattern of scent-mound construction. Scent-mounds did not conform to a scent-fence model. The most parsimonious interpretation of function of odor cues deposited on scent-mounds is the effect on the motivational state of residents and nonresidents, increasing the confidence and reducing anxiety in residents smelling their own scent-mound and decreasing the confidence and increasing the readiness to flee in trespassers encountering a strange scent-mound.     

Efficient Modelling and Simulation of Process Chains in Sheet Metal Forming and Processing

The ultimate aim of this work is the development of methods for the simulation of manufacturing process chains such as forming→cutting→heat treatment→joining, providving maximal efficiency without significant loss of accuracy. In the current work, we make the first step in this direction by considering the case of forming of the new high strength steel LH®800. The work begins with a characterization and metallographic investigation of this new steel. Following this, a combined hardening model appropriate for this steel is formulated and identified. The identified model is then validated with the help of the finite‐element simulation of draw‐bending. On this basis, the model was then used to simulate cup deep‐drawing. This process was also simulated with a so‐called one‐step solver which is much faster than the finite element simulation. The results of these two simulations are compared with the results of the deep‐drawing experiment.     

Experimental characterization of microstructure development during loading path changes in bcc sheet steels

Interstitial free sheet steels show transient work hardening behavior, i.e., the Bauschinger effect and cross hardening, after changes in the loading path. This behavior affects sheet forming processes and the properties of the final part. The transient work hardening behavior is attributed to changes in the dislocation structure. In this work, the morphology of the dislocation microstructure is investigated for uniaxial and plane strain tension, monotonic and forward to reverse shear, and plane strain tension to shear. Characteristic features such as the thickness of cell walls and the shape of cells are used to distinguish microstructural patterns corresponding to different loading paths. The influence of the crystallographic texture on the dislocation structure is analyzed. Digital image processing is used to create a “library” of schematic representations of the dislocation microstructure. The dislocation microstructures corresponding to uniaxial tension, plane strain tension, monotonic shear, forward to reverse shear, and plane strain tension to shear can be distinguished from each other based on the thickness of cell walls and the shape of cells. A statistical analysis of the wall thickness distribution shows that the wall thickness decreases with increasing deformation and that there are differences between simple shear and uniaxial tension. A change in loading path leads to changes in the dislocation structure. The knowledge of the specific features of the dislocation structure corresponding to a loading path may be used for two purposes: (i) the analysis of the homogeneity of deformation in a test sample and (ii) the analysis of a formed part.     

An assessment of the fate, behaviour and environmental risk associated with sunscreen TiO₂ nanoparticles in UK field scenarios

The fate of Ti was examined in an activated sludge plant serving over 200,000 people. These studies revealed a decrease of 30 to 3.2 μg/L of Ti < 0.45 μm from influent to effluent and a calculated Ti presence of 305 mg/kg DW in wasted sludge. Thus, using sludge as a fertiliser would result in a predicted deposition of up to 250 mg/m² of Ti to soil surfaces using a recommended maximal agricultural application rate. Given the major use of TiO₂ in many industrial and domestic applications where loss to the sewer is possible, this measured Ti was presumed to have been largely TiO₂, a proportion of which will be nanoparticle sized. To assess the behaviour of engineered nanoparticle (ENP) TiO₂ in sewage and toxicology studies, Optisol (Oxonica Materials Ltd) and P25 (Evonik Industries AG), which are representative of forms used in sunscreen and cosmetic products, were used. These revealed a close association of TiO₂ ENPs with activated sludge. Using commercial information on consumption, and removal rates for sewage treatment, predictions were made for river water concentrations for sunscreen TiO₂ ENPs for the Anglian and Thames regions in Southern England. The highest predicted value from these exercises was 8.8 μg/L for the Thames region in which it was assumed that one in four people used the recommended application of sunscreen during a low flow (Q95) period. Ecotoxicological studies using potentially vulnerable species indicated that 1000 μg/L TiO₂ ENP did not affect the viability of a mixed community of river bacteria in the presence of UV light. Direct exposure to TiO₂ ENPs did not impair the immuno-effectiveness of earthworm coelomocyte cells at concentrations greatly above those predicted for sewage sludge.