Visualization of respiratory flows from 3D reconstructed alveolar airspaces using X-ray tomographic microscopy

A deeper knowledge of the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the pulmonary acinus has direct applications in studies on acinar fluid dynamics and aerosol kinematics. To date, however, acinar flow simulations have been often based on geometrical models inspired by morphometrical studies; limitations in the spatial resolution of lung imaging techniques have prevented the simulation of acinar flows using 3D reconstructions of such small structures. In the present study, we use high-resolution, synchrotron radiation-based X-ray tomographic microscopy (SRXTM) images of the pulmonary acinus of a mouse to reconstruct 3D alveolar airspaces and conduct computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations mimicking rhythmic breathing motion. Respiratory airflows and Lagrangian (massless) particle tracking are visualized in two examples of acinar geometries with varying size and complexity, representative of terminal sacculi including their alveoli. The present CFD simulations open the path towards future acinar flow and aerosol deposition studies in complete and anatomically realistic multi-generation acinar trees using reconstructed 3D SRXTM geometries

CD14 Deficiency Impacts Glucose Homeostasis in Mice through Altered Adrenal Tone

The toll-like receptors comprise one of the most conserved components of the innate immune system, signaling the presence of molecules of microbial origin. It has been proposed that signaling through TLR4, which requires CD14 to recognize bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), may generate low-grade inflammation and thereby affect insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. To examine the long-term influence of partial innate immune signaling disruption on glucose homeostasis, we analyzed knockout mice deficient in CD14 backcrossed into the diabetes-prone C57BL6 background at 6 or 12 months of age. CD14-ko mice, fed either normal or high-fat diets, displayed significant glucose intolerance compared to wild type controls. They also displayed elevated norepinephrine urinary excretion and increased adrenal medullary volume, as well as an enhanced norepinephrine secretory response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia. These results point out a previously unappreciated crosstalk between innate immune- and sympathoadrenal- systems, which exerts a major long-term effect on glucose homeostasis

Chlorpromazine-induced vanishing bile duct syndrome leading to biliary cirrhosis

We describe a 33-yr-old pregnant woman in whom a primary biliary cirrhosis-like syndrome developed after 2 wk of chlorpromazine therapy. The clinical course was characterized by severe jaundice lasting 22 mo, intense pruritus, fever, steatorrhea, high alkaline phosphatase levels and hypercholesterolemia. Jaundice resolved with initiation of ursodeoxycholic acid therapy, but subclinical cholestasis and low-level inflammatory activity persisted and ultimately evolved into biliary cirrhosis. The pathological substrate of this severe and prolonged cholestatic reaction was found to be the vanishing bile duct syndrome with a marked transient pseudoxanthomatosis

Anterior cervical osteotomy of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis lesions with computer‐assisted navigation surgery: A case report

Key Clinical Message Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) involves spine ligament ossification. Computer‐assisted navigation (CAN) effectively aids complex surgeries, such as anterior cervical osteotomy, to alleviate progressive DISH‐related dysphagia. Abstract We describe a 68‐year‐old man with sudden onset dysphagia to both solids and liquids. Radiographic Imaging revealed DISH lesions from C2 down to the thoracic spine. The patient was successfully treated with CAN anterior osteotomy and resection of DISH lesions from C3–C6 and had complete symptom relief within 2 weeks post‐operatively

Large-scale anodic bonding mediated by a liquid tin solder

Large area seals were prepared between a metal foil frame (Fe-Ni alloy with 48 wt% Ni) and a 901 × 814 mm2 glass pane through the simultaneous application of activated liquid tin solder anodic bonding and soft soldering. An experimental facility including a liquid solder injector was built. Prototype seals were produced with tin solder alloys with variable Al contents and the hermiticity and interface integrity was determined. Solder alloys with an Al content of 112.5 ppm resulted in the strongest adhesion forces, broadly consistent with a previous study at the laboratory scale. The resulting prototypes consist of a bonded area of ∼450 cm2 along the perimeter of a 0.73 m2 glass pane and display consistently strong bonds for sections over a meter in length, demonstrating that activate d liquid solder anodic bonding is not restricted to small-area applications