Characteristics of enzymatic induction provoked by chlordane

The effects of various stresses, such as restraint and lowering or raising of environmental temperature, in mice pretreated with chlordane were investigated. (Chlordane is an inhibitor of protein synthesis.) It was found that restraint or exposure to a cold environment for three hours mobilized the chlordane stored in the adipose tissue of mice

Management of severe blunt hepatic injury in the era of computed tomography and transarterial embolization: A systematic review and critical appraisal of the literature.

BACKGROUND: During the last decade, the management of blunt hepatic injury has considerably changed. Three options are available as follows: nonoperative management (NOM), transarterial embolization (TAE), and surgery. We aimed to evaluate in a systematic review the current practice and outcomes in the management of Grade III to V blunt hepatic injury. METHOD: The MEDLINE database was searched using PubMed to identify English-language citations published after 2000 using the key words blunt, hepatic injury, severe, and grade III to V in different combinations. Liver injury was graded according to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma classification on computed tomography (CT). Primary outcome analyzed was success rate in intention to treat. Critical appraisal of the literature was performed using the validated National Institute for Health and Care Excellence "Quality Assessment for Case Series" system. RESULTS: Twelve articles were selected for critical appraisal (n = 4,946 patients). The median quality score of articles was 4 of 8 (range, 2-6). Overall, the median Injury Severity Score (ISS) at admission was 26 (range, 0.6-75). A median of 66% (range, 0-100%) of patients was managed with NOM, with a success rate of 94% (range, 86-100%). TAE was used in only 3% of cases (range, 0-72%) owing to contrast extravasation on CT with a success rate of 93% (range, 81-100%); however, 9% to 30% of patients required a laparotomy. Thirty-one percent (range, 17-100%) of patients were managed with surgery owing to hemodynamic instability in most cases, with 12% to 28% requiring secondary TAE to control recurrent hepatic bleeding. Mortality was 5% (range, 0-8%) after NOM and 51% (range, 30-68%) after surgery. CONCLUSION: NOM of Grade III to V blunt hepatic injury is the first treatment option to manage hemodynamically stable patients. TAE and surgery are considered in a highly selective group of patients with contrast extravasation on CT or shock at admission, respectively. Additional standardization of the reports is necessary to allow accurate comparisons of the various management strategies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Systematic review, level IV

Vector bundles over noncommutative nodal curves

We desribe vector bundles over a class of noncommutative curves, namely, over noncommutative nodal curves of string type and of almost string type. We also prove that in other cases the classification of vector bundles over a noncommutative curve is a wild problem.Comment: 18 page

Direct intrahepatic portocaval shunt (DIPS) or transjugular transcaval intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TTIPS) to treat complications of portal hypertension: Indications, technique, and outcomes beyond Budd-Chiari syndrome.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is nowadays the benchmark treatment of severe portal hypertension complications. However, besides usual contraindication to the procedure (namely recurrent hepatic encephalopathy, severe liver dysfunction, right heart failure and/or pulmonary hypertension), TIPS appears regularly unfeasible due to abnormal and/or distorted anatomy. In this situation, the only non-surgical approaches to treat severe portal hypertension consist in the creation of an intrahepatic portocaval shunt from percutaneous (direct intrahepatic portocaval shunt - DIPS) or transjugular route (transjugular transcaval intrahepatic portosystemic shunt - TTIPS). These procedures have been rapidly adopted in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome but are only poorly reported in patients with cirrhosis and without BCS. Considering the broadening landscape of TIPS indication in patients with cirrhosis within the last ten years, we aimed to describe the techniques, safety and efficacy of DIPS and TTIPS procedures as an alternative to TIPS in case of unfavourable anatomy

Performance measurement of a mini thermoacoustic refrigerator and associated drivers

A miniature Thermoacoustic refrigerator is being developed to cool integrated circuits - which must sometimes operate at high temperatures nearing the upper threshold of their tolerance - to temperature spans more within the circuits' tolerable limits, without the need of the chemicals of a traditional refrigerating system. The development of an electrically powered acoustic driver that powers the thermoacoustic refrigerator is described, as well as different schemes to improve its delivered acoustic power. The driver utilizes a flexural tri-laminar piezoelectric disk to generate one to two Watts of acoustic power at 4 kHz in 15 bar of He-Kr gas mixture. Two different drivers are tested on a pressurized test resonator, and their quantitative performance is analyzed. The analysis of the drivers' performance indicates one power-improvement scheme may be faulty, while data taken before the second broke indicates its design may be beneficial to power-improvement. Tests are also conducted using a refrigerating resonator; these first attempts to meet design criteria of temperature span and cooling power are unsuccessful, but the results obtained - including a thermodynamic coefficient of performance (COP) 13.1% below the modeled ideal value for the given data set - with less-than-ideal acoustic power delivered to the resonator signal suggest continued research is worthwhile.http://archive.org/details/performancemeasu109455858Ensign, United States NavyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited