The arterioportal fistula syndrome: clinicopathologic features, diagnosis, and therapy

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Arterioportal fistulas (APFs) are rare vascular disorders of the mesenteric circulation. The aim of this study was to determine the etiology, anatomical location, and main symptom at presentation of APFs, and analyze the various modes of treatment. METHODS: The etiology, clinical presentation, radiographs, and treatment of 12 patients with APFs are reported in detail, and another 76 cases published since 1980 are reviewed. RESULTS: APFs result from trauma (n = 25, 28%), iatrogenic procedures (n = 14, 16%), congenital vascular malformations (n = 13, 15%), tumor (n = 13, 15%), aneurysm (n = 12, 14%), and other causes (n = 11, 12%). The origin of APFs is the hepatic artery in the majority of patients (n = 56, 65%). The main symptoms at presentation are lower or upper gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 29, 33%), ascites (n = 23, 26%), heart failure (n = 4.5%), or diarrhea (n = 4.5%). Radiological intervention provides definitive treatment in 42% (n = 33) of patients, whereas the remainder are treated by surgery alone (n = 27, 31%) or a combination of radiological intervention and surgery (n = 8, 9%). CONCLUSIONS: APFs result in a protean syndrome variously combining portal hypertension and other hemodynamic imbalances (heart failure, intestinal ischemia). Single or multiple interventional radiological procedures using arterial and/or venous approaches allow definitive treatment of most APFs. With increasing technological advances, it is anticipated that surgery will only be indicated in rare instances after failure of radiological intervention(s).     

On the permeation rate of copper extraction through liquid membranes

The understanding of the permeation rate of metal ions through liquid membranes is important for the design of such systems. In this paper, the permeation rates of copper ions through liquid surfactant membranes, including interfacial reaction rates and the diffusion rate of the copper ion, were analyzed using a model based on a mobilized hollow spherical globule configuration. The analysis shows that the extracting reaction is dominant at the external interface of the membrane and the stripping reaction is dominant at the internal interface; this means the reactions at both interfaces are not in equilibrium during the course of extraction. It also shows that the extraction rate, the diffusion rate and the stripping rate are not of equal value, especially at the early stage of the run.     

Cross sections of proton induced nuclear reactions on enriched 111Cd and 112Cd for the production of 111In for use in nuclear medicine

Proton induced nuclear reactions on enriched 111Cd and 112Cd have been studied up to 30 MeV in the context of routine production of the medically used isotope 111In with low and medium energy cyclotrons. The excitation functions of 111Cd(p,n)111m,gIn and 112Cd(p,2n)111m,gIn as production reactions and 111Cd(p,2n)110mIn, 111Cd(p,2n)110In, 111Cd(p,3n)109ml,m2,In, 112Cd(p,3n)110mIn, 112Cd(p,3n)110gIn as competing processes have been measured using the activation method involving the stacked-foil technique. The deduced thick target yields are compared with those obtained experimentally.     

Gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tumors. A clinicopathological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural study of 12 cases

The gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tumor (GAN tumor) is an uncommon stromal tumor of the intestinal tract and retroperitoneum first described by Herrera and associates in 1984. Distinction of GAN tumors from other gastrointestinal stromal tumors is based on electron microscopic findings. Thus far there have been 12 reported cases. We present an additional 12 GAN tumors, identified by us during 4 years. There were seven male and five female patients and they ranged in age from 10 to 85 years (mean: 58 years). Sites of the tumors were stomach (three), jejunum (two), ileum (four), mesentery (one), and retroperitoneum (two). Eight of the tumors measured > 10 cm in greatest dimension. Usually well circumscribed, the neoplasms were tan to light pink, sometimes hemorrhagic, and soft. There was a variety of histologic patterns including fascicles, palisades, and whorls. Mitotic activity varied from 0 to 23 mitosis per 10 high-power fields (HPF). Using a panel of 10 immunohistochemical stains, only vimentin was consistently positive. There was neuron-specific enolase reactivity in six and S-100 protein reactivity in two cases. All muscle markers were negative. Ultrastructural studies showed neuron-like cells with long axonic cytoplasmic processes ending in bulbous synapse-like structures containing dense-core neurosecretory granules and clear vesicles. Basement membrane was absent. These features are reminiscent of ganglia of the intestinal autonomic nervous system. The patients were followed for 5-125 months (mean of 26 months). Tumor recurred or metastasized to the liver in seven patients (58%) and four patients died with tumor. There were correlations between tumor size (> 10 cm), mitotic count (at least five per 10 HPF), and aggressive behavior.     

我国首个智慧城市国家标准将出台

截争2014年第一季度末,在我国新型城镇化建设过程中,已有l04个城市开展了智慧城市规划建设,80％以上的二级城市明确提出将建设智慧城市。为此,住房与城乡建设部正在编制智慧城市评价模型及基础评价标准体系国家标准,预计将于今年内完成相关编制工作并提交评审。