Alcohol exposure during late gestation: Multiple developmental outcomes in sheep

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy remains common in many countries. Exposure to even low amounts of alcohol (i.e. ethanol) in pregnancy can lead to the heterogeneous fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), while heavy alcohol consumption can result in the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS is characterized by cerebral dysfunction, growth restriction and craniofacial malformations. However, the effects of lower doses of alcohol during pregnancy, such as those that lead to FASD, are less well understood. In this article, we discuss the findings of recent studies performed in our laboratories on the effects of fetal alcohol exposure using sheep, in which we investigated the effects of late gestational alcohol exposure on the developing brain, arteries, kidneys, heart and lungs. Our studies indicate that alcohol exposure in late gestation can (1) affect cerebral white matter development and increase the risk of hemorrhage in the fetal brain, (2) cause left ventricular hypertrophy with evidence of altered cardiomyocyte maturation, (3) lead to a decrease in nephron number in the kidney, (4) cause altered arterial wall stiffness and endothelial and smooth muscle function and (5) result in altered surfactant protein mRNA expression, surfactant phospholipid composition and pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression in the lung. These findings suggest that fetal alcohol exposure in late gestation can affect multiple organs, potentially increasing the risk of disease and organ dysfunction in later life

Kant’s Causal Power Argument Against Empirical Affection

A well-known trilemma faces the interpretation of Kant’s theory of affection, namely whether the objects that affect us are empirical, noumenal, or both. I argue that according to Kant, the things that affect us and cause representations in us are not empirical objects. I articulate what I call the Causal Power Argument, according to which empirical objects cannot affect us because they do not have the right kind of power to cause representations. All the causal powers that empirical objects have are moving powers, and such powers can only have spatial effects. According to Kant, however, the representations that arise in us as a result of the affection of our sensibility are non-spatial. I show that this argument is put forward by Kant in a number of passages, and figures as a decisive reason for rejecting empirical affection and instead endorsing affection by the things in themselves

Isometry of medial collateral ligament reconstruction

The purpose of this study was to determine the femoral and tibial fixation sites that would result in the most isometric MCL reconstruction technique. Seven cadaveric knees were used in this study. A navigation system was utilized to determine graft isometry continuously from 0º to 90º. Five points on the medial side of the femur and four on the tibia were tested. A graft positioned in the center of the MCL femoral attachment (FC) and attached in the center of the superficial MCL attachment on the tibia led to the best isometry (2.7 ± 1.1 mm). Movement of the origin superiorly only 4 mm (FS) led to graft excursion of greater than 10 mm (P < 0.01). MCL reconstruction performed with the origin of the MCL within the femoral footprint and the insertion in tibial footprint of the superficial MCL results in the least graft excursion when the knee is cycled between 0º and 90º. Although the MCL often heals without surgical intervention, surgical reconstruction is occasionally in Grade III MCL and combined ligamentous injuries to the knee. This study demonstrates the optimal position of the MCL reconstruction to reproduce the kinematics of the native knee

The site of embolization related to infarct size, oedema and clinical outcome in a rat stroke model - further translational stroke research

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background and purpose</p> <p>Reliable models are essential for translational stroke research to study the pathophysiology of ischaemic stroke in an effort to find therapies that may ultimately reduce oedema, infarction and mortality in the clinic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between the site of arterial embolization and the subsequent oedema, infarction and clinical outcome in a rat embolic stroke model.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were thromboembolized into the internal carotid artery. The site of occlusion was demonstrated by arteriography. Following histological preparation and evaluation, the size of the hemispheres and the infarcts were measured by quantitative histology and planimetry. Another parallel stroke model study was subsequently examined to investigate if the conclusions from the first study could be applied to the second study.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The median size of the infarct was 40% of the ipsilateral hemisphere in both the 19 animals with occlusion localised to the intracranial part of the internal carotid artery and in the 11 animals where the main trunk of the middle cerebral artery was occluded. In 5 animals, occlusion of the extracranial part of the internal carotid artery resulted in significantly smaller infarcts compared to other groups (p < 0.01). Another independent study re-confirmed these results. Furthermore, significant correlations (R > 0.76, p < 0.0001) were found between 1) cortical, subcortical, and total infarct volumes, 2) oedema in percent of the left hemisphere, 3) clinical score before termination and 4) postoperative weight loss.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Distal occlusions of the intracranial part of the internal carotid or middle cerebral arteries resulted in comparable large sized infarctions and oedema. This indicates that investigators do not need a similar number of such occlusions in each experimental group. Contrary to observations in the clinic, distal internal carotid artery occlusions did not result in worse outcome than middle cerebral stem occlusions, but this finding may be explained by the controlled emboli size in this experimental stroke model.</p

Social distancing enhanced automated optimal design of physical spaces in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic

NoAs the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, manually enhanced ad-hoc solutions have helped the physical space designers and decision makers to cope with the dynamic nature of space planning. Due to the unpredictable nature by which the pandemic is unfolding, the standard operating procedures also change, and the protocols for physical interaction require continuous reconsideration. Consequently, the development of an appropriate technological solution to address the current challenge of reconfiguring common physical environments with prescribed physical distancing measures is much needed. To do this, we propose a design optimization methodology which takes the dimensions, as well as the constraints and other necessary requirements of a given physical space to yield optimal redesign solutions on the go. The methodology we propose here utilizes the solution to the well-known mathematical circle packing problem, which we define as a constrained mathematical optimization problem. The resulting optimization problem is solved subject to a given set of parameters and constraints – corresponding to the requirements on the social distancing criteria between people and the imposed constraints on the physical spaces such as the position of doors, windows, walkways and the variables related to the indoor airflow pattern. Thus, given the dimensions of a physical space and other essential requirements, the solution resulting from the automated optimization algorithm can suggest an optimal set of redesign solutions from which a user can pick the most feasible option. We demonstrate our automated optimal design methodology by way of a number of practical examples, and we discuss how this framework can be further taken forward as a design platform that can be implemented practically.University of Bradford's COVID-19 Response Fund, the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities (Computer Science National Program) under grant #TIN2017-89275-Rof the Agencia Estatal de Investigacion and European Funds (AEI/FEDER, UE