Haemoadsorption reduces the inflammatory response and improves blood flow during ex vivo renal perfusion in an experimental model.

BACKGROUND: Ex-vivo normothermic perfusion strategies are a promising new instrument in organ transplantation. The perfusion conditions are designed to be protective however the artificial environment can induce a local inflammatory response. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of incorporating a Cytosorb adsorber into an isolated kidney perfusion system. METHODS: Porcine kidneys were subjected to 22 h of cold ischaemia then reperfused for 6 h on an ex vivo reperfusion circuit. Pairs of kidneys were randomised to either control (n = 5) or reperfusion with a Cytosorb adsorber (n = 5) integrated into the circuit. Tissue, blood and urine samples were taken for the measurement of inflammation and renal function. RESULTS: Baseline levels of cytokines (IL-6, TNFα, IL-8, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-1α) were similar between groups. Levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in the perfusate significantly increased during reperfusion in the control group but not in the Cytosorb group (P = 0.023, 0.049). Levels of the other cytokines were numerically lower in the Cytosorb group; however, this did not reach statistical significance. The mean renal blood flow (RBF) was significantly higher in the Cytosorb group (162 ± 53 vs. 120 ± 35 mL/min/100 g; P = 0.022). Perfusate levels of prostaglandin E2 were significantly lower in the Cytosorb group (642 ± 762 vs. 3258 ± 980 pg/mL; P = 0.0001). Levels of prostacyclin were significantly lower in the Cytosorb group at 1, 3 and 6 h of reperfusion (P = 0.008, 0.003, 0.0002). Levels of thromboxane were also significantly lower in the Cytosorb group throughout reperfusion (P = 0.005). Haemoadsorption had no effect on creatinine clearance (P = 0.109). CONCLUSION: Haemoadsorption can reduce the inflammatory response and improve renal blood flow during perfusion. Nonetheless, in this model haemoadsorption had no influence on renal function and this may relate to the broad-spectrum action of the Cytosorb adsorber that also removes potentially important anti-inflammatory mediators

Creativity and arts-based expression: Building resilience in the pandemic and beyond

This poster reports on our continuing work with arts-based pedagogy. Though our work in this area began long before the 2020-2021 pandemic, we discovered during the early stages of the pandemic that “providing students with opportunities for creativity and arts-based expression lead to a welcome and positive disruption of traditional teaching and learning; increased student engagement, meaning-making, and real-word connections; and collaborative risk-taking that decenters traditional pedagogical systems” (blinded for review). In such abnormal circumstances, this creative decentering was a welcome change for students who were often struggling to keep up in classes with more traditional pedagogical strategies. The continuation of the pandemic and the need for alternative modes of instructional delivery support the need to foster and maintain resilience in our pedagogy and in our students. Creativity and arts-based expression offer a way to do just that by focusing attention not only on the curriculum, but also on students’ affective processes. Students bring their whole selves to the classroom (whether virtual or in-person) and creative activities offer them the opportunity to engage fully with course content. Our poster will offer examples of how we have incorporated creativity and arts-based practices into our courses

Liposomal Bupivacaine Infiltration and Transversus Abdominis Plane Block Versus Standard of Care for Post Caesarean Pain Control: A Retrospective Chart Review

Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block and wound infiltration with local anesthetics are shown to reduce opiate use and pain scores when compared to controls who received narcotic pain medications. With the current opiate epidemic, finding different ways to control pain without opiates is important,-to prevent unnecessary use of these drugs and reduce the potential for addiction in patients having a Cesarean delivery who often times receive opiate medications on schedule regardless of their reported pain

Cultivating Creative Inquiry in Higher Education

Incorporating media in our disciplines “entails a form of ‘critical framing’ that enables learners to take a theoretical distance from what they have learned, to account for its social and cultural location, and to critique and extend it” (Buckingham, 2007, p. 45). However, traditional teaching modes that prioritize print-based literacy continue to dominate (Rhodes & Robnolt, 2009) despite being restrictive and limiting access for diverse learners to engage in meaning making. Visual journaling transforms pedagogy by supporting critical and diverse ways of learning and expressing knowledge. Students are invited to process knowledge and generate new understandings in reflexive ways that move beyond the uniform experiences of traditional classrooms. Visual journaling as a strategy for inviting creative inquiry and learning may also facilitate the development of democratic classrooms that extend pathways for inclusion and equity. This poster reports on the preliminary results of an exploration of visual journaling as a teaching and learning strategy to cultivate creative inquiry in higher education. The authors prompted students to use multiple media to engage with, reflect on, and synthesize course materials

Cortical tau deposition follows patterns of entorhinal functional connectivity in aging.

Tau pathology first appears in the transentorhinal and anterolateral entorhinal cortex (alEC) in the aging brain. The transition to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is hypothesized to involve amyloid-β (Aβ) facilitated tau spread through neural connections. We contrasted functional connectivity (FC) of alEC and posteromedial EC (pmEC), subregions of EC that differ in functional specialization and cortical connectivity, with the hypothesis that alEC-connected cortex would show greater tau deposition than pmEC-connected cortex. We used resting state fMRI to measure FC, and PET to measure tau and Aβ in cognitively normal older adults. Tau preferentially deposited in alEC-connected cortex compared to pmEC-connected or non-connected cortex, and stronger connectivity was associated with increased tau deposition. FC-tau relationships were present regardless of Aβ, although strengthened with Aβ. These results provide an explanation for the anatomic specificity of neocortical tau deposition in the aging brain and reveal relationships between normal aging and the evolution of AD

Energy Renovations: Volume 17: Insulation - A Guide for Contractors to Share with Homeowners

This report was prepared by PNNL for DOE's Building America program and is intended as a guide that energy performance contractors can share with homeowners to describe various insulation options for improving the energy performance and comfort of existing homes. The report provides descriptions of many common insulation types, including their advantages and disadvantages, R-values, characteristics, and typical uses. The report also describes potentially hazardous products such as asbestos and formaldehyde and safety issues when conducting energy-efficient upgrades including radon. The guide is available for download at the DOE Building America website, www.buildingamerica.gov

Near-surface dynamics of a gas bubble collapsing above a crevice

The impact of a collapsing gas bubble above rigid, notched walls is considered. Such surface crevices and imperfections often function as bubble nucleation sites, and thus have a direct relation to cavitation-induced erosion and damage structures. A generic configuration is investigated numerically using a second-order-accurate compressible multi-component flow solver in a two-dimensional axisymmetric coordinate system. Results show that the crevice geometry has a significant effect on the collapse dynamics, jet formation, subsequent wave dynamics, and interactions. The wall-pressure distribution associated with erosion potential is a direct consequence of development and intensity of these flow phenomena.Comment: 21 pages, 16 figures, submitted to the Journal of Fluid Mechanic

Near-surface dynamics of a gas bubble collapsing above a crevice

The impact of a collapsing gas bubble above rigid, notched walls is considered. Such surface crevices and imperfections often function as bubble nucleation sites, and thus have a direct relation to cavitation-induced erosion and damage structures. A generic configuration is investigated numerically using a second-order accurate compressible multi-component flow solver in a two-dimensional axisymmetric coordinate system. Results show that the crevice geometry has a significant effect on the collapse dynamics, jet formation, subsequent wave dynamics and interactions. The wall-pressure distribution associated with erosion potential is a direct consequence of development and intensity of these flow phenomena