Renal artery reconstruction for harvesting injuries in kidney transplantation with particular reference to the use of vascular allografts.

At the University of Pittsburgh during the calendar year 1986, an arterial injury occurred during harvesting in 20 (7.5%) of the 270 grafts used to perform kidney transplantation (KTx). Four cases required reconstruction, using extension iliac arterial allografts from cadaveric donors of the same blood type; 6 patients, remodelling of the aortic patch in multiple arteries; 4 cases, repairs for injuries to the smaller segmental/polar arteries; 6 cases, a combination of the above techniques. These ex vivo arterial reconstructions are described and the use of donor arterial homografts is emphasized. No deaths have occurred at an average follow-up of 19 months. The postoperative acute tubular necrosis (ATN) rate was significantly higher (90%) compared with non-reconstructed kidneys during the same year (30%). The 1-year graft survival of kidneys undergoing arterial reconstruction (75%) was statistically no different than the overall kidney-transplant survival. Whenever extension iliac allografts were utilized, the cyclosporin-steroid immunosuppression required to control the kidney rejection contributed to the long-term patency rate of the graft. Since the number of organs available for grafting is limited, reconstruction of injured renal vessels has become justified, allowing valuable kidneys to be used that would otherwise be lost

Formal Availability Analysis using Theorem Proving

Availability analysis is used to assess the possible failures and their restoration process for a given system. This analysis involves the calculation of instantaneous and steady-state availabilities of the individual system components and the usage of this information along with the commonly used availability modeling techniques, such as Availability Block Diagrams (ABD) and Fault Trees (FTs) to determine the system-level availability. Traditionally, availability analyses are conducted using paper-and-pencil methods and simulation tools but they cannot ascertain absolute correctness due to their inaccuracy limitations. As a complementary approach, we propose to use the higher-order-logic theorem prover HOL4 to conduct the availability analysis of safety-critical systems. For this purpose, we present a higher-order-logic formalization of instantaneous and steady-state availability, ABD configurations and generic unavailability FT gates. For illustration purposes, these formalizations are utilized to conduct formal availability analysis of a satellite solar array, which is used as the main source of power for the Dong Fang Hong-3 (DFH-3) satellite.Comment: 16 pages. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1505.0264

Access Anglesey 2018: Lessons from an inclusive field course

Abstract. Traditional methods of fieldwork delivery can present learners with a range of physical, cognitive and social challenges which may subsequently hinder their ability to engage effectively with learning. We developed a residential geoscience field course designed to be physically accessible to, and socially inclusive of, a diverse range of learners including those with limited physical mobility and neurodiverse conditions. This paper presents the logistical and pedagogical challenges involved in delivering such a field course. In terms of pedagogic design scheduling, pace and timing, and the ability to access content in multiple ways were critical to ensuring that all students were included in the learning. The most effective mitigations were the simplest and benefitted the whole group. Practical interventions found to support access and inclusion for the benefit of all participants included using an audio tour-guide system to communicate with students at field locations, using a four-wheel drive vehicle to improve access to specific locations, providing alternative exercises such as prepared photomicrographs and rock specimens, providing electronic tablets with suitable apps, and selecting accommodation with accessible common-room spaces, and a dedicated quiet room. </jats:p

Molecular characterization of commensal Escherichia coli adapted to different compartments of the porcine gastrointestinal tract

The role of Escherichia coli as a pathogen has been the focus of considerable study, while much less is known about it as a commensal and how it adapts to and colonizes different environmental niches within the mammalian gut. In this study, we characterize Escherichia coli organisms (n=146) isolated from different regions of the intestinal tracts of eight pigs (dueodenum, ileum, colon, and feces). The isolates were typed using the method of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and screened for the presence of bacteriocin genes and plasmid replicon types. Molecular analysis of variance using the RAPD data showed that E. coli isolates are nonrandomly distributed among different gut regions, and that gut region accounted for 25% (

Serial Search Based Code Acquisition in the Cooperative MIMO Aided DS-CDMA Downlink

Full text of this paper is not available in UHRAFocal blockade of postsynaptic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) in a small region of the neuromuscular junction may cause long-term synapse elimination at that site. Blockade of the whole junction does not cause synapse loss, indicating that it is the contrast in postsynaptic activity between the blocked and unblocked regions which causes withdrawal of the synaptic terminals. This phenomenon can be explained by the dual role of calcium, both in controlling AChR gene transcription and influencing AChR aggregation. A computational model is provided and the stability of the solutions is confirmed by theoretical analysis and computer simulation

Development and evaluation of a molecular diagnostic method to rapidly detect Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum, the causative agent of epizootic lymphangitis, in equine clinical samples.

Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum (HCF), the causative agent of epizootic lymphangitis (EZL), is endemic in parts of Africa. Diagnosis based on clinical signs and microscopy lacks specificity, and is a barrier to further understanding this neglected disease. Here, a nested PCR method targeting the ITS region of the rRNA operon was validated for application to equine clinical samples. Twenty-nine horses with signs of EZL, from different climatic regions of Ethiopia, were clinically examined. Blood samples and aspirates of pus from cutaneous nodules were taken, along with blood from a further 20 horses with no cutaneous EZL lesions. HCF was confirmed in DNA extracts of pus and blood samples from 25 and 17 horses, respectively, of the 29 suspected EZL cases. Positive PCR results were also obtained from heat-inactivated pus (24 horses) and blood (23 horses) spotted onto Whatman FTA cards. Two positives were obtained among blood samples from 20 horses that did not exhibit clinical signs of EZL. These are the first reports of the direct detection of HCF in equine blood, and at high frequency amongst horses exhibiting cutaneous lesions. The nested PCR outperformed conventional microscopic diagnosis, as characteristic yeast cells could only be observed in 14 pus samples. HCF DNA was confirmed by sequencing the cloned PCR products, and while alignment of the ITS amplicons showed very little sequence variation, there was preliminary SNP-based evidence for the existence of two subgroups of HCF. This molecular diagnostic method now permits investigation of the epidemiology of EZL

Computing power of quantitative trait locus association mapping for haploid loci

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Statistical power calculations are a critical part of any study design for gene mapping. Most calculations assume that the locus of interest is biallelic. However, there are common situations in human genetics such as X-linked loci in males where the locus is haploid. The purpose of this work is to mathematically derive the biometric model for haploid loci, and to compute power for QTL mapping when the loci are haploid.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have derived the biometric model for power calculations for haploid loci and have developed software to perform these calculations. We have verified our calculations with independent mathematical methods.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results fill a need in power calculations for QTL mapping studies. Furthermore, failure to appropriately model haploid loci may cause underestimation of power.</p

Are there gender differences in the geography of alcohol-related mortality in Scotland? An ecological study

&lt;b&gt;Background&lt;/b&gt; There is growing concern about alcohol-related harm, particularly within Scotland which has some of the highest rates of alcohol-related death in western Europe. There are large gender differences in alcohol-related mortality rates in Scotland and in other countries, but the reasons for these differences are not clearly understood. In this paper, we aimed to address calls in the literature for further research on gender differences in the causes, contexts and consequences of alcohol-related harm. Our primary research question was whether the kind of social environment which tends to produce higher or lower rates of alcohol-related mortality is the same for both men and women across Scotland. &lt;b&gt;Methods&lt;/b&gt; Cross-sectional, ecological design. A comparison was made between spatial variation in men's and women's age-standardised alcohol-related mortality rates in Scotland using maps, Moran's Index, linear regression and spatial analyses of residuals. Directly standardised mortality rates were derived from individual level records of death registration, 2000–2005 (n = 8685). &lt;b&gt;Results&lt;/b&gt; As expected, men's alcohol-related mortality rate substantially exceeded women's and there was substantial spatial variation in these rates for both men and women within Scotland. However, there was little spatial variation in the relationship between men's and women's alcohol-mortality rates (r2 = 0.73); areas with relatively high rates of alcohol-related mortality for men tended also to have relatively high rates for women. In a small number of areas (8 out of 144) the relationship between men's and women's alcohol-related mortality rates was significantly different. &lt;b&gt;Conclusion&lt;/b&gt; In as far as geographic location captures exposure to social and economic environment, our results suggest that the relationship between social and economic environment and alcohol-related harm is very similar for men and women. The existence of a small number of areas in which men's and women's alcohol-related mortality had an different relationship suggests that some places may have unusual drinking cultures. These might prove useful for further investigations into the factors which influence drinking behaviour in men and women

Investigating the biological properties of carbohydrate derived fulvic acid (CHD-FA) as a potential novel therapy for the management of oral biofilm infections.

Background: A number of oral diseases, including periodontitis, derive from microbial biofilms and are associated with increased antimicrobial resistance. Despite the widespread use of mouthwashes being used as adjunctive measures to control these biofilms, their prolonged use is not recommended due to various side effects. Therefore, alternative broad-spectrum antimicrobials that minimise these effects are highly sought after. Carbohydrate derived fulvic acid (CHD-FA) is an organic acid which has previously demonstrated to be microbiocidal against Candida albicans biofilms, therefore, the aims of this study were to evaluate the antibacterial activity of CHD-FA against orally derived biofilms and to investigate adjunctive biological effects.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Methods: Minimum inhibitory concentrations were evaluated for CHD-FA and chlorhexidine (CHX) against a range of oral bacteria using standardised microdilution testing for planktonic and sessile. Scanning electron microscopy was also employed to visualise changes in oral biofilms after antimicrobial treatment. Cytotoxicity of these compounds was assessed against oral epithelial cells, and the effect of CHD-FA on host inflammatory markers was assessed by measuring mRNA and protein expression.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Results: CHD-FA was highly active against all of the oral bacteria tested, including Porphyromonas gingivalis, with a sessile minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.5%. This concentration was shown to kill multi-species biofilms by approximately 90%, levels comparable to that of chlorhexidine (CHX). In a mammalian cell culture model, pretreatment of epithelial cells with buffered CHD-FA was shown to significantly down-regulate key inflammatory mediators, including interleukin-8 (IL-8), after stimulation with a multi-species biofilm.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Conclusions: Overall, CHD-FA was shown to possess broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, with a supplementary function of being able to down-regulate inflammation. These properties offer an attractive spectrum of function from a naturally derived compound, which could be used as an alternative topical treatment strategy for oral biofilm diseases. Further studies in vitro and in vivo are required to determine the precise mechanism by which CHD-FA modulates the host immune response.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt