Mobile robotic teleguide based on video images

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A New Fluorescence-Based Method Identifies Protein Phosphatases Regulating Lipid Droplet Metabolism

In virtually every cell, neutral lipids are stored in cytoplasmic structures called lipid droplets (LDs) and also referred to as lipid bodies or lipid particles. We developed a rapid high-throughput assay based on the recovery of quenched BODIPY-fluorescence that allows to quantify lipid droplets. The method was validated by monitoring lipid droplet turnover during growth of a yeast culture and by screening a group of strains deleted in genes known to be involved in lipid metabolism. In both tests, the fluorimetric assay showed high sensitivity and good agreement with previously reported data using microscopy. We used this method for high-throughput identification of protein phosphatases involved in lipid droplet metabolism. From 65 yeast knockout strains encoding protein phosphatases and its regulatory subunits, 13 strains revealed to have abnormal levels of lipid droplets, 10 of them having high lipid droplet content. Strains deleted for type I protein phosphatases and related regulators (ppz2, gac1, bni4), type 2A phosphatase and its related regulator (pph21 and sap185), type 2C protein phosphatases (ptc1, ptc4, ptc7) and dual phosphatases (pps1, msg5) were catalogued as high-lipid droplet content strains. Only reg1, a targeting subunit of the type 1 phosphatase Glc7p, and members of the nutrient-sensitive TOR pathway (sit4 and the regulatory subunit sap190) were catalogued as low-lipid droplet content strains, which were studied further. We show that Snf1, the homologue of the mammalian AMP-activated kinase, is constitutively phosphorylated (hyperactive) in sit4 and sap190 strains leading to a reduction of acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity. In conclusion, our fast and highly sensitive method permitted us to catalogue protein phosphatases involved in the regulation of LD metabolism and present evidence indicating that the TOR pathway and the SNF1/AMPK pathway are connected through the Sit4p-Sap190p pair in the control of lipid droplet biogenesis

Defining the process to literature searching in systematic reviews: a literature review of guidance and supporting studies

BACKGROUND: Systematic literature searching is recognised as a critical component of the systematic review process. It involves a systematic search for studies and aims for a transparent report of study identification, leaving readers clear about what was done to identify studies, and how the findings of the review are situated in the relevant evidence. Information specialists and review teams appear to work from a shared and tacit model of the literature search process. How this tacit model has developed and evolved is unclear, and it has not been explicitly examined before. The purpose of this review is to determine if a shared model of the literature searching process can be detected across systematic review guidance documents and, if so, how this process is reported in the guidance and supported by published studies. METHOD: A literature review. Two types of literature were reviewed: guidance and published studies. Nine guidance documents were identified, including: The Cochrane and Campbell Handbooks. Published studies were identified through 'pearl growing', citation chasing, a search of PubMed using the systematic review methods filter, and the authors' topic knowledge. The relevant sections within each guidance document were then read and re-read, with the aim of determining key methodological stages. Methodological stages were identified and defined. This data was reviewed to identify agreements and areas of unique guidance between guidance documents. Consensus across multiple guidance documents was used to inform selection of 'key stages' in the process of literature searching. RESULTS: Eight key stages were determined relating specifically to literature searching in systematic reviews. They were: who should literature search, aims and purpose of literature searching, preparation, the search strategy, searching databases, supplementary searching, managing references and reporting the search process. CONCLUSIONS: Eight key stages to the process of literature searching in systematic reviews were identified. These key stages are consistently reported in the nine guidance documents, suggesting consensus on the key stages of literature searching, and therefore the process of literature searching as a whole, in systematic reviews. Further research to determine the suitability of using the same process of literature searching for all types of systematic review is indicated

NACA Technical Notes

From Summary: "A unit oil system and oil-weighing device designed for laboratory engine tests to permit the remote measurement of oil-flow rate and oil consumption is described. The system regulates the oil pressure and temperature and is closed to make possible the accurate measurement of blow-by gas. The oil is weighed by a self-contained diaphragm and pilot-valve assembly, which uses compressed air as the transmitting medium. Several of those unit systems have given satisfactory service for more than a year.

Extracorporeal life support for refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: Should we still fight for? A single-centre, 5-year experience

cited By 16International audienceBackground Cardiopulmonary resuscitation displays low survival rate after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) could be suggested as a rescue therapeutic option in refractory OHCA. The aim of this report is to analyze our experience of ECLS implantation for refractory OHCA. Methods We performed a retrospective observational analysis of our prospectively collected database. Patients were divided into a shockable rhythm (SH-R) and a non-shockable rhythm (NSH-R) group according to cardiac rhythm at ECLS implantation. The primary endpoint was survival to hospital discharge with good neurological recovery. Results From January 2010 to December 2014 we used ECLS in 68 patients (SH-R, n = 19, 27.9% vs. NSH-R, n = 49, 72.1%) for refractory OHCA. The clinical profile before ECLS implantation was comparable between the groups. Eight (11.7%) patients were successfully weaned from ECLS (SH-R = 31.5% vs. NSH-R = 4.0%, p = 0.01) after a mean period of support of 2.1 days (SH-R = 4.1 days vs. NSH-R = 1.4 days, p = 0.01). Six (8.8%) patients survived to discharge (SH-R = 31.5% vs. NSH-R = 0%, p = 0.00). In the SH-R group 50% of the survivors were discharged without neurological complications. Conclusions ECLS for refractory OHCA should be limited in consideration of its poor, especially neurological, outcome. Non-shockable rhythms could be considered as a formal contraindication allowing a concentration of our efforts on the shockable rhythms, where the chances of success are substantial. © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

High rate of arterial complications in patients supported with extracorporeal life support for drug intoxication-induced refractory cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest

International audienceBackground: Cardiac failure is still a leading cause of death in drug intoxication. Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) could be used as a rescue therapeutic option in patients developing refractory cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest. The aim of this report is to present our results of ECLS in the setting of poisoning from cardiotoxic drugs. Methods: We included in this analysis consecutive patients who received an ECLS for refractory cardiogenic shock or in-hospital cardiac arrest due to drug intoxication. The primary endpoint of our study was survival to hospital discharge with good neurological recovery after ECLS support. Results: Between January 2010 and December 2015, we performed 12 ECLS. Mean age was 44.2 +/- 17.8 years and there was a predominance of females (66.7%). Drug intoxication was mainly due to beta-blockers and/or calcium channel inhibitors (83.3%) and 5 (41.7%) patients had multiple drugs overdose. Weaning rate and survival to hospital discharge with good neurological recovery were 75% (9 patients). Among patients weaned from ECLS, mean duration of support was 2.4 +/- 1.1 days. Three (25%) patients underwent ECLS implantation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, 2 (66.6%) of them died while on mechanical circulatory support (MCS). Six (50%) patients developed lower limb ischemia. Each patient was managed with ECLS decannulation: 2 (16.7%) patients underwent a concomitant iliofemoral thrombectomy, 3 (25%) needed further fasciotomy and the remaining patient (8.3%) required an amputation. Conclusions: Refractory cardiogenic shock due to drug intoxication is still one of the best indications for ECLS owing to the satisfactory survival with good neurological outcome in such a critically ill population. Further data are however necessary in order to best understand the possible relation between drug intoxication and lower limb ischemia, which was quite superior to the reported rates

Outcomes after extracorporeal life support for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) may be necessary in refractory postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock (PCS) unresponsive to optimal medical treatment. We sought to analyze the results and temporal outcomes of ECLS for PCS. METHODS: We performed an observational analysis of our prospective database. In order to analyze the temporal trends of ECLS for PCS, patients were divided into two groups according to the period of ECLS implantation: Group I from January 2007-June 2012, Group II from July 2012-December 2017. The primary endpoint was survival to hospital discharge. RESULTS: During the study period, 90 patients required ECLS for PCS (Group I n = 29, 32%; Group II n = 61, 68%). Mean age was 57.5 +/- 15.0 years with 62% of males. Preoperative characteristics were comparable over the two periods. A high proportion of patients were in NYHA class III/IV (61%) or cardiogenic shock (22%). Group II showed a significantly higher proportion of miscellaneous cardiac surgery operations (23 vs 3%, P = 0.031). Crossclamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times were significantly shorter in Group II (85.4 vs 114.2 min, P = 0.023 and 135.2 vs 184.2 min, P = 0.022, respectively). The complication rate during ECLS support was comparable between both groups. Successful weaning from ECLS could be accomplished in 45 (50%) patients (Group I = 52% vs Group II = 49%, P = 0.822) after a mean support of 6.4 days. Thirty-five (39%) patients survived to hospital discharge (Group I = 41% vs Group II = 38%, P = 0.738). CONCLUSIONS: Outcomes following ECLS remained stable over an 11-year period. ECLS may be limited in patients with severe preoperative cardiac dysfunction. Our data suggest that these patients may be better served with less invasive, percutaneous procedures

Sleep Disturbance Predicts Less Improvement in Pain Outcomes: Secondary Analysis of the SPACE Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective Sleep disturbance may limit improvement in pain outcomes if not directly addressed in treatment. Moreover, sleep problems may be exacerbated by opioid therapy. This study examined the effects of baseline sleep disturbance on improvement in pain outcomes using data from the Strategies for Prescribing Analgesics Comparative Effectiveness (SPACE) trial, a pragmatic 12-month randomized trial of opioid vs nonopioid medication therapy. Design Participants with chronic back pain or hip or knee osteoarthritis pain were randomized to either opioid therapy (N = 120) or nonopioid medication therapy (N = 120). Methods We used mixed models for repeated measures to 1) test whether baseline sleep disturbance scores modified the effect of opioid vs nonopioid treatment on pain outcomes and 2) test baseline sleep disturbance scores as a predictor of less improvement in pain outcomes across both treatment groups. Results The tests for interaction of sleep disturbance by treatment group were not significant. Higher sleep disturbance scores at baseline predicted less improvement in Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) interference (β = 0.058, P = 0.0002) and BPI severity (β = 0.026, P = 0.0164). Conclusions Baseline sleep disturbance adversely affects pain response to treatment regardless of analgesic regimen. Recognition and treatment of sleep impairments that frequently co-occur with pain may optimize outcomes