Excimer laser-facilitated balloon angioplasty of a nondilatable lesion

AbstractPreliminary clinical experience with excimer laser coronary angioplasty shows that it is a safe and effective means of achieving nonsurgical coronary revascularization in selected patients but specific indications for its use are as yet undefined. In the present report a specific indication is proposed for the use of the excimer laser: to facilitate balloon inflation in a rigid stenosis that fails to dilate despite high balloon inflation pressures

Capillary Rise in Nanopores: Molecular Dynamics Evidence for the Lucas-Washburn Equation

When a capillary is inserted into a liquid, the liquid will rapidly flow into it. This phenomenon, well studied and understood on the macroscale, is investigated by Molecular Dynamics simulations for coarse-grained models of nanotubes. Both a simple Lennard-Jones fluid and a model for a polymer melt are considered. In both cases after a transient period (of a few nanoseconds) the meniscus rises according to a $\sqrt{\textrm{time}}$-law. For the polymer melt, however, we find that the capillary flow exhibits a slip length $\delta$, comparable in size with the nanotube radius $R$. We show that a consistent description of the imbibition process in nanotubes is only possible upon modification of the Lucas-Washburn law which takes explicitly into account the slip length $\delta$.Comment: 4 pages 4 figure

Modelling Disorder: the Cases of Wetting and DNA Denaturation

We study the effect of the composition of the genetic sequence on the melting temperature of double stranded DNA, using some simple analytically solvable models proposed in the framework of the wetting problem. We review previous work on disordered versions of these models and solve them when there were not preexistent solutions. We check the solutions with Monte Carlo simulations and transfer matrix numerical calculations. We present numerical evidence that suggests that the logarithmic corrections to the critical temperature due to disorder, previously found in RSOS models, apply more generally to ASOS and continuous models. The agreement between the theoretical models and experimental data shows that, in this context, disorder should be the crucial ingredient of any model while other aspects may be kept very simple, an approach that can be useful for a wider class of problems. Our work has also implications for the existence of correlations in DNA sequences.Comment: Final published version. Title and discussion modified. 6 pages, 3 figure

A review on the wettability of dental implant surfaces I: Theoretical and experimental aspects

The surface wettability of biomaterials determines the biological cascade of events at the biomaterial/ host interface. Wettability is modulated by surface characteristics, such as surface chemistry and surface topography. However, the design of current implant surfaces focuses mainly on specific micro- and nanotopographical features, and is still far from predicting the concomitant wetting behavior. There is an increasing interest in understanding the wetting mechanisms of implant surfaces and the role of wettability in the biological response at the implant/bone or implant/soft tissue interface. Fundamental knowledge related to the influence of surface roughness (i.e. a quantification of surface topography) on titanium and titanium alloy surface wettability, and the different associated wetting regimes, can improve our understanding of the role of wettability of rough implant surfaces on the biological outcome. Such an approach has been applied to biomaterial surfaces only in a limited way. Focusing on titanium dental and orthopaedic implants, the present study reviews the current knowledge on the wettability of biomaterial surfaces, encompassing basic and applied aspects that include measurement techniques, thermodynamic aspects of wetting and models predicting topographical and roughness effects on the wetting behavior.The surface wettability of biomaterials determines the biological cascade of events at the biomaterial/ host interface. Wettability is modulated by surface characteristics, such as surface chemistry and surface topography. However, the design of current implant surfaces focuses mainly on specific micro- and nanotopographical features, and is still far from predicting the concomitant wetting behavior. There is an increasing interest in understanding the wetting mechanisms of implant surfaces and the role of wettability in the biological response at the implant/bone or implant/soft tissue interface. Fundamental knowledge related to the influence of surface roughness (i.e. a quantification of surface topography) on titanium and titanium alloy surface wettability, and the different associated wetting regimes, can improve our understanding of the role of wettability of rough implant surfaces on the biological outcome. Such an approach has been applied to biomaterial surfaces only in a limited way. Focusing on titanium dental and orthopaedic implants, the present study reviews the current knowledge on the wettability of biomaterial surfaces, encompassing basic and applied aspects that include measurement techniques, thermodynamic aspects of wetting and models predicting topographical and roughness effects on the wetting behavior

Thrombin generation in human coronary arteries after percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty

AbstractObjectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between coronary atherosclerotic plaque injury and activation of the coagulation cascade.Background. Thrombus formation after atherosclerotic plaque disruption has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, unstable angina and myocardial infarction.Methods. Biochemical markers of thrombin generation (prothrombin fragment F1+2) and thrombin activity (fibrinopeptide A) were measured in coronary blood before, during and immediately after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. After demonstrating that blood withdrawal through an angioplasty catheter does not artifactually elevate the plasma levels of these markers in patients after heparinization, coronary artery samples ware collected proximal and distal to the lesion before and distal to the lesion after baltoon inflation in 26 patients.Results. Plasma levels of F1+2measured proximal to the lesion before angioplasty (median 0.47 nmol/liter, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.40 to 0.50) were significantly elevated after angioplasty (median 0.55 nmol/liter, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.72, p = 0.001). In contrast, plasma fibrinopeptide A levels measured proximal to the lesion before angioplasty (median 2.0 ng/ml, 95% CI 1.3 to 22) were similar to those measured after angioplasty (median 1.8 ng/ml, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.0, p = NS). After we defined a normal range of interassay variability on the basis of values obtained from samples drawn proximal and distal to the lesion before angioplasty, seven patients (27%) had a significant increase in F1+2plasma levels. A significant increase in plasma fibrinopeptide A occurred in five of these seven patients. Lesions with dissection, filling defects or haziness on postangioplasty angiography were associated with more thrombin generation than lesions without these features.Conclusions. Markers of thrombio generation and activity can be collected safely and assayed accurately in heparinized blood withdrawn through aa angioplasty catheter. Balloon dilation of coronary stenoses increases thrombin generation and activity within the coronary artery in a substantial subgroup of patients undergoing angioplasty

Superhydrophobic Surface Based on a Coral-Like Hierarchical Structure of ZnO

Background: Fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces has attracted much interest in the past decade. The fabrication methods that have been studied are chemical vapour deposition, the sol-gel method, etching technique, electrochemical deposition, the layer-by-layer deposition, and so on. Simple and inexpensive methods for manufacturing environmentally stable superhydrophobic surfaces have also been proposed lately. However, work referring to the influence of special structures on the wettability, such as hierarchical ZnO nanostructures, is rare. Methodology: This study presents a simple and reproducible method to fabricate a superhydrophobic surface with microscale roughness based on zinc oxide (ZnO) hierarchical structure, which is grown by the hydrothermal method with an alkaline aqueous solution. Coral-like structures of ZnO were fabricated on a glass substrate with a micro-scale roughness, while the antennas of the coral formed the nano-scale roughness. The fresh ZnO films exhibited excellent superhydrophilicity (the apparent contact angle for water droplet was about 0u), while the ability to be wet could be changed to superhydrophobicity after spin-coating Teflon (the apparent contact angle greater than 168u). The procedure reported here can be applied to substrates consisting of other materials and having various shapes. Results: The new process is convenient and environmentally friendly compared to conventional methods. Furthermore, the hierarchical structure generates the extraordinary solid/gas/liquid three-phase contact interface, which is the essentia

Front pinning in capillary filling of chemically coated channels

The dynamics of capillary filling in the presence of chemically coated heterogeneous boundaries is investigated, both theoretically and numerically. In particular, by mapping the equations of front motion onto the dynamics of a dissipative driven oscillator, an analytical criterion for front pinning is derived, under the condition of diluteness of the coating spots. The criterion is tested against two dimensional Lattice Boltzmann simulations, and found to provide satisfactory agreement as long as the width of the front interface remains much thinner than the typical heterogeneity scale of the chemical coating.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Physical Review

Desulfonatronovibrio halophilus sp. nov., a novel moderately halophilic sulfate-reducing bacterium from hypersaline chloride–sulfate lakes in Central Asia

Four strains of lithotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) have been enriched and isolated from anoxic sediments of hypersaline chloride–sulfate lakes in the Kulunda Steppe (Altai, Russia) at 2 M NaCl and pH 7.5. According to the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the isolates were closely related to each other and belonged to the genus Desulfonatronovibrio, which, so far, included only obligately alkaliphilic members found exclusively in soda lakes. The isolates utilized formate, H2 and pyruvate as electron donors and sulfate, sulfite and thiosulfate as electron acceptors. In contrast to the described species of the genus Desulfonatronovibrio, the salt lake isolates could only tolerate high pH (up to pH 9.4), while they grow optimally at a neutral pH. They belonged to the moderate halophiles growing between 0.2 and 2 M NaCl with an optimum at 0.5 M. On the basis of their distinct phenotype and phylogeny, the described halophilic SRB are proposed to form a novel species within the genus Desulfonatronovibrio, D. halophilus (type strain HTR1T = DSM24312T = UNIQEM U802T)

Desulfotomaculum varum sp. nov., a moderately thermophilic sulfate-reducing bacterium isolated from a microbial mat colonizing a Great Artesian Basin bore well runoff channel

A strictly anaerobic moderately thermophilic bacterium, designated strain RH04-3T (T = type strain), was isolated from a red colored microbial mat that colonizes a Great Artesian Basin (GAB) bore well (Registered Number 17263) runoff channel at 66 °C. The cells of strain RH04-3T were straight to slightly curved, sporulating, Gram-positive rods (2.0–5.0 × 1.0 μm) that grew optimally at 50 °C (temperature growth range between 37 and 55 °C) and at pH 7 (pH growth range of 5.0 and 8.5). Growth was inhibited by NaCl concentrations ≥1.5% (w/v), and by chloramphenicol, streptomycin, tetracycline, penicillin and ampicillin. The strain utilized fructose, mannose, glycerol, lactate, pyruvate and H2 in the presence of sulfate, and fermented pyruvate in the absence of sulfate. Strain RH04-3T reduced sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate and elemental sulfur, but not nitrate, nitrite, iron(III), arsenate(V), vanadium(V) or cobalt(III) as terminal electron acceptors. The G + C content of DNA was 52.4 ± 0.8 mol % as determined by the thermal denaturation (Tm) method. 16S rRNA sequence analysis indicated that strain RH04-3T was a member of the genus Desulfotomaculum and was most closely related to Desulfotomaculum putei (similarity value of 95.2%) and Desulfotomaculum hydrothermale (similarity value of 93.6%). On the basis of phylogenetic and phenotypic characteristics, strain RH04-3T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Desulfotomaculum, for which the name Desulfotomaculum varum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain RH04-3T = JCM 16158T = KCTC 5794T