Human adult bone marrow-derived stem cells decrease severity of lipopolysaccharide-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome in sheep

Introduction. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the most common cause of respiratory failure among critically ill subjects, sepsis and severe bacterial pneumonia being its most common causes. The only interventions that have proven beneficial are protective ventilation strategies and fluid conservation approaches. New therapies are needed to address this common clinical problem. Others and we have previously shown the beneficial effect of infusion of exogenous adult stem cells in different pre-clinical models of ARDS. Methods. In the present study endotoxin was infused intravenously into 14 sheep from which 6 received different doses of adult stem cells by intrabronchial delivery to evaluate the effect of stem cell therapy. Results: After administration of endotoxin, there was a rapid decline in oxygenation to hypoxemic values, indicative of severe-to-moderate ARDS. None of the animals treated with saline solution recovered to normal baseline values during the 6 hours that the animals were followed. In contrast, sheep treated with a dose of 40 million adult stem cells returned their levels of oxygen in their blood to baseline two hours after the cells were infused. Similarly, improvements in carbon dioxide (CO2) clearance, pulmonary vascular pressures and inflammation were observed and confirmed by histology and by the decrease in lung edema. Conclusions: We concluded that instillation of adult non-hematopoietic stem cells can diminish the impact of endotoxin and accelerate recovery of oxygenation, CO2 removal and inflammation in the ovine model, making the use of adult stem cells a real alternative for future therapies for ARDS. © 2014 Rojas et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Quantitative analysis of dribble volumes and rates using three-dimensional reconstruction of X-ray and diffused back-illumination images of diesel sprays

[EN] Post-injection fuel dribble is known to lead to incomplete atomisation and combustion due to the release of slow-moving, and often surface-bound, liquid fuel after the end of injection. This can have a negative effect on engine emissions, performance and injector durability. To better quantify this phenomenon, we developed an image-processing approach to measure the volume of ligaments produced during the end of injection. We applied our processing approach to an Engine Combustion Network 'Spray B' 3-hole injector, using datasets from 220 injections generated by different research groups, to decouple the effect of gas temperature and pressure on the fuel dribble process. High-speed X-ray phase-contrast images obtained at room temperature conditions (297 K) at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, together with diffused back-illumination images captured at a wide range of temperature conditions (293-900 K) by CMT Motores Termicos were analysed and compared quantitatively. We found a good agreement between image sets obtained by Argonne National Laboratory and CMT Motores Termicos using different imaging techniques. The maximum dribble volume within the field of view of the imaging system and the mean rate of fuel dribble were considered as characteristic parameters of the fuel dribble process. Analysis showed that the absolute mean dribble rate increases with temperature when injection pressure is higher than 1000 bar and slightly decreases at high injection pressures (>500 bar) when temperature is close to 293 K. Larger maximum volumes of the fuel dribble were observed at lower gas temperatures (similar to 473 K) and low gas pressures (<30 bar), with a slight dependence on injection pressure.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The image processing research was supported by the United Kingdom's Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (Grants EP/K020528/1 and EP/M009424/1) and BP Formulated Products Technology. The X-ray measurements were performed at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. Use of the Advanced Photon Source (APS) is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DEAC02-06CH11357. The X-ray component of this research was partially funded by DOE's Vehicle Technologies Program, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.Sechenyh, V.; Duke, DJ.; Swantek, AB.; Matusik, KE.; Kastengren, AL.; Powell, CF.; Viera, A.... (2020). Quantitative analysis of dribble volumes and rates using three-dimensional reconstruction of X-ray and diffused back-illumination images of diesel sprays. International Journal of Engine Research. 21(1):43-54. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468087419860955S4354211Örley, F., Hickel, S., Schmidt, S. J., & Adams, N. A. (2016). Large-Eddy Simulation of turbulent, cavitating fuel flow inside a 9-hole Diesel injector including needle movement. International Journal of Engine Research, 18(3), 195-211. doi:10.1177/1468087416643901Benajes, J., Novella, R., De Lima, D., & Tribotté, P. (2014). Analysis of combustion concepts in a newly designed two-stroke high-speed direct injection compression ignition engine. International Journal of Engine Research, 16(1), 52-67. doi:10.1177/1468087414562867Moon, S., Huang, W., Li, Z., & Wang, J. (2016). End-of-injection fuel dribble of multi-hole diesel injector: Comprehensive investigation of phenomenon and discussion on control strategy. Applied Energy, 179, 7-16. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.06.116Kook, S., Pickett, L. M., & Musculus, M. P. B. (2009). Influence of Diesel Injection Parameters on End-of-Injection Liquid Length Recession. SAE International Journal of Engines, 2(1), 1194-1210. doi:10.4271/2009-01-1356Kastengren, A., Powell, C. F., Tilocco, F. Z., Liu, Z., Moon, S., Zhang, X., & Gao, J. (2012). End-of-Injection Behavior of Diesel Sprays Measured With X-Ray Radiography. Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 134(9). doi:10.1115/1.4006981Manin, J., Bardi, M., Pickett, L. M., & Payri, R. (2016). Boundary condition and fuel composition effects on injection processes of high-pressure sprays at the microscopic level. International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 83, 267-278. doi:10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2015.12.001Payri, R., Bracho, G., Marti-Aldaravi, P., & Viera, A. (2017). NEAR FIELD VISUALIZATION OF DIESEL SPRAY FOR DIFFERENT NOZZLE INCLINATION ANGLES IN NON-VAPORIZING CONDITIONS. Atomization and Sprays, 27(3), 251-267. doi:10.1615/atomizspr.2017017949Gimeno, J., Martí-Aldaraví, P., Carreres, M., & Peraza, J. E. (2018). Effect of the nozzle holder on injected fuel temperature for experimental test rigs and its influence on diesel sprays. International Journal of Engine Research, 19(3), 374-389. doi:10.1177/1468087417751531Payri, R., Salvador, F. J., Manin, J., & Viera, A. (2016). Diesel ignition delay and lift-off length through different methodologies using a multi-hole injector. Applied Energy, 162, 541-550. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.10.118Duke, D. J., Matusik, K. E., Kastengren, A. L., Swantek, A. B., Sovis, N., Payri, R., … Powell, C. F. (2017). X-ray radiography of cavitation in a beryllium alloy nozzle. International Journal of Engine Research, 18(1-2), 39-50. doi:10.1177/1468087416685965Duke, D., Swantek, A., Kastengren, A., Fezzaa, K., & Powell, C. (2015). Recent Developments in X-ray Diagnostics for Cavitation. SAE International Journal of Fuels and Lubricants, 8(1), 135-146. doi:10.4271/2015-01-0918Walko, D. A., Adams, B. W., Doumy, G., Dufresne, E. M., Li, Y., March, A. M., … Zhu, Y. (2016). Developments in time-resolved x-ray research at APS beamline 7ID. doi:10.1063/1.4952871Fessler, J. A., & Macovski, A. (1991). Object-based 3-D reconstruction of arterial trees from magnetic resonance angiograms. IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 10(1), 25-39. doi:10.1109/42.75608Canny, J. (1986). A Computational Approach to Edge Detection. IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, PAMI-8(6), 679-698. doi:10.1109/tpami.1986.4767851Kastengren, A. L., Tilocco, F. Z., Duke, D. J., Powell, C. F., Zhang, X., & Moon, S. (2014). TIME-RESOLVED X-RAY RADIOGRAPHY OF SPRAYS FROM ENGINE COMBUSTION NETWORK SPRAY A DIESEL INJECTORS. Atomization and Sprays, 24(3), 251-272. doi:10.1615/atomizspr.2013008642Edelsbrunner, H., & Mücke, E. P. (1994). Three-dimensional alpha shapes. ACM Transactions on Graphics, 13(1), 43-72. doi:10.1145/174462.156635Lafarge, T., Pateiro-López, B., Possolo, A., & Dunkers, J. P. (2014). RImplementation of a Polyhedral Approximation to a 3D Set of Points Using theα-Shape. Journal of Statistical Software, 56(4). doi:10.18637/jss.v056.i04Koci, C., Dempsey, A., Nudd, J., & Knier, B. (2017). Understanding Hydrocarbon Emissions in Heavy Duty Diesel Engines Combining Experimental and Computational Methods. SAE International Journal of Engines, 10(3), 1093-1109. doi:10.4271/2017-01-070

Representative size distributions of framboidal, euhedral, and sunflower pyrite from high-resolution X-ray tomography and scanning electron microscopy analyses

A statistical procedure designed to obtain representative size distributions for different morphologies and arrangements of pyrite is described here. This statistical procedure is applied to data acquired during scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution X-ray tomography (micro-CT) analyses. The statistical procedure was tested in methane-derived carbonate pipes recovered in the Gulf of Cadiz. These samples contain abundant pyrite together with pseudomorph iron oxyhydroxides showing multiple morphologies including euhedral crystals, framboids, and sunflowers (framboidal core with outer crystals). The SEM analysis consisted in the establishment of independent populations of pyrite and iron oxyhydroxides grouped by morphology and arrangement and the determination of its size distributions. Micro-CT analysis included a determination of the 3D volume of pyrite from the density difference between pyrite and the rest of mineral forming the samples. The use of the micro-CT technique implies that minerals with similar attenuation coefficients than those of pyrite are scarce or not present in the studied samples. A filtering process was applied to the 3D volume. This filtering process consisted of the selection of objects with corrected sphericity greater than 0.80, discrete compactness greater than 0.60, elongation and flatness of the circumscribed 3D ellipsoid less than 1.80 and the sum of the elongation and flatness less than 3. Objects with shapes similar to those expected in pyrite (spheroidal and regular shapes) were selected with this filtering process. The optimal mixture of lognormal size distributions was obtained applying statistical techniques to the entire size distribution represented by the filtered objects. The correspondence between size distributions obtained during the SEM and the micro-CT analyses was done by matching statistical parameters and using 3D renderings. The representative size distributions of pyrite as determined by the proposed 3D processing methodology can be used to accurately quantify the paleo-environmental conditions of pyrite formation, which would solve some of the limitations resulting from analyses based on 2D images.Peer reviewe

Telangiectasias yuxtafoveales unilaterales con exudacion tratada con triamcinolona intravítrea

Case report: We report the case of a 39-year-old man with unilateral juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis and associated with cystic macular edema. He was treated with an injection of intravitreal triamcinolone. Fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography showed improvement of the macular edema. The patient¿s visual acuity also improved. Discussion: The classical treatment of the juxtafoveal retinal telangiectasis with exudation has been the photocoagulation with laser and it shows irregular results and numerous complications. Nowadays intravitreal triamcinolone can be regarded as a therapeutical tool useful for the threatment of unilateral idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis.Caso clínico: Presentamos el caso de un paciente varón de 39 años con la presencia de telangiectasias retinianas yuxtafoveales unilateral y edema macular quístico asociado tratado mediante una inyección intravítrea de triamcinolona. El paciente presenta una rápida mejoría de su agudeza visual y del edema macular constatándose por angiografía y tomografía de coherencia óptica. Discusión: El tratamiento básico de las telangiectasias retinianas yuxtafoveales con exudación ha sido la fotocoagulación, presentando resultados irregulares y numerosas complicaciones. La triamcinolona intravítrea puede considerarse en estos momentos un arma terapéutica eficaz en el tratamiento de las telangiectasias retinianas yuxtafoveales idiopáticas unilaterales

Edema de la papila y paresia bilateral de VI par en la trombosis de seno transverso como complicación de la otitis media

Purpose/Methods: We report a case of a patient of 15 years with complicated otitis media with mastoiditis, with recent mastoidectomy, who consults by blurred vision and diplopia. Papilledema and sixth nerve palsy was found. Magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance angiography showed thrombosis of the transverse sinus as a complication of his process. With intravenous heparin and antibiotic therapy rapid improvement occurred , disappearing the blurred vision, diplopia and papilledema after one month and a halph. Discussion: Sinus vein thrombosis is a rare complication of otitis media, whose frequency is still smaller after the generalized use of treatment with antibiotics. The diagnosis with magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance angiography and the early treatment with intravenous heparine and antibiotics with or without surgery are essential to avoid the fatal progression of this intracraneal complication. This early diagnosis and treatment is important in patients with otomastoiditis and diplopia.Objetivo/Método: Presentamos el caso de un paciente de 15 años con otitis media complicada con mastoiditis, recientemente intervenido de mastoidectomía, que consulta por visión borrosa y diplopía, se objetivó edema de papila y paresia bilateral de VI par craneal. La resonancia magnética y la angiorresonancia magnética evidenciaron una trombosis de seno transverso como complicación de su proceso. Con heparinización sistémica y tratamiento antibioterápico intravenoso se produjo una rápida mejoría, desapareciendo la visión borrosa, la diplopía y el edema de papila, transcurrido un mes y medio Discusión: La trombosis de senos venosos craneales es una complicación poco frecuente de la otitis media, aún menos frecuente tras el empleo generalizado de los antibióticos. El diagnóstico con resonancia magnética y angiorresonancia magnética y el tratamiento precoz con heparina y antibióticos intravenosos con o sin cirugía es vital para evitar la fatal progresión de esta complicación intracraneal. De ahí la importancia de sospechar este cuadro en pacientes con otomastoiditis y diplopía

Enfermedad de Coats. A propósito de un caso

Case Report: We report the case of a 16-year-old girl with Coats¿ disease, in an advanced stage, apparent by a vitreous hemorrhage. We have carried out a treatment by laser therapy, transescleral cryotherapy and two subtenon¿s capsule injections of triancinolone acetonide. Discussion: Traditionally Coats¿disease has been treated by means of laser therapy on the telangiectasis lesions and with vitreoretinal surgery in advanced stages. The subtenon¿s capsule or intravitreal triamcinolona acetonide injection has not been reported as a treatment for this disease, but thanks to its mechanism of action, we consider that it is useful in these cases.Caso clínico: Presentamos el caso de una niña de 16 años con enfermedad de Coats que se manifiesta, en un estadío avanzado, con una hemorragia vítrea secundaria. Realizamos tratamiento conservador mediante laserterapia transpupilar, crioterapia transescleral y dos inyecciones de triamcinolona por vía subtenoniana. Discusión: La enfermedad de Coats clásicamente se ha tratado mediante laserterapia sobre las lesiones telangiectásicas precisando en estadíos muy avanzados incluso cirugía vitreorretiniana. La inyección subtenoniana o intravítrea de triamcinolona no ha sido descrita como tratamiento de esta enfermedad, pero gracias a su mecanismo de acción la consideramos de utilidad en estos casos

Drusas papilares bilaterales hemorrágicas

Case Report: We report the case of a 41-year-old man with bilateral drusen in the optic nerve. As a complication the patient suffered a hemorrhage in one eye, and five years later in his other eye. He recovered his visual acuity spontaneously without sequelae. Discussion: Although hemorrhages associated to optic nerve drusen were first described 85 years ago, it was recently known that subretinal hemorrhages are frequent producers of permanent sequelae. It is important to determine the presence of neovascularization by means of the fluorescein angiography, because it can interfere in the patient¿s visual prognosis.Caso clínico: Presentamos el caso de un varón de 41 años con la presencia de drusas papilares bilaterales con complicaciones hemorrágicas en ambos ojos con un intervalo de 5 años entre un ojo y otro y con resultado de recuperación espontánea de agudeza visual sin secuelas. Discusión: Aunque las hemorragias asociadas a drusas de nervio óptico se describieron por primera vez hace 85 años, recientemente se ha determinado que son las hemorragias subretinianas las que con frecuencia dan lugar a secuelas visuales. Se ha determinado de suma importancia determinar mediante angiofluoresceingrafía la presencia de neovascularización ya que esta interviene en el pronóstico visual del paciente

Widespread reforestation before European influence on Amazonia

An estimated 90 to 95% of Indigenous people in Amazonia died after European contact. This population collapse is postulated to have caused decreases in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations at around 1610 CE, as a result of a wave of land abandonment in the wake of disease, slavery, and warfare, whereby the attendant reversion to forest substantially increased terrestrial carbon sequestration. On the basis of 39 Amazonian fossil pollen records, we show that there was no synchronous reforestation event associated with such an atmospheric carbon dioxide response after European arrival in Amazonia. Instead, we find that, at most sites, land abandonment and forest regrowth began about 300 to 600 years before European arrival. Pre-European pandemics, social strife, or environmental change may have contributed to these early site abandonments and ecological shifts