Evaluation of Esophageal Varices by Multidetector-row CT: Correlation with Endoscopic ‘Red Color Sign’

<P>To evaluate the ability of multidetector-row CT (MDCT) to predict a risk of hemorrhage in patients with esophageal varices, a total of 40 MDCT scans were performed in 29 patients who had been diagnosed with esophageal varices by conventional upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy. In 11 patients, MDCT was performed both before and after endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS). Endoscopically, the red color sign (RC sign) was present in 28 scans. Of the 11 patients who underwent EIS, the RC sign disappeared after EIS in 9. The MDCT scans were obtained in the arterial, portal, and equilibrial phases, and the portal phase images were used in this study. Subsequently, the extent of esophageal varices was categorized into four MDCT scores. The variceal score, the maximum short axis of the varices, and the presence of palisade vein dilatation obtained from MDCT had significant correlation with endoscopic variceal forms, and the presence and severity of RC sign, respectively (p<0.01). All cases with a maximum minor axis of more than 4 mm showed positive RC sign. MDCT was useful in the evaluation of esophageal varices for predicting a risk of hemorrhage

Transfer of Plasmid pJP4 from Escherichia coli to Activated Sludge Bacteria by filter Mating

『大阪大学大学院工学研究科環境・エネルギー工学専攻生物圏環境工学領域 研究活動報告』, (2009.4.1～2010.3.31), pp.101-107, 大阪大学大学院工学研究科環境・エネルギー工学専攻環境資源・材料学講座生物圏環境工学領域, 2010.5 に掲

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evidence of an Occipital- Straight Sinus Dural Arteriovenous Fistula Causing Severe Bilateral Thalamic Oedema: A Case Report

An 81-year-old woman, with a 3-month history of tinnitus and vertigo, presented with a deterioration of symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, using fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T2 weighted (T2WI) images, demonstrated hyperintensity and swelling of the bilateral thalami, medial parietal lobes, occipital lobes, and left cerebellar hemisphere. She was referred to us with the suggestion of a brain tumour that had spread into the bilateral thalami, or encephalitis. A review of the MR images, however, demonstrated dilatation of a vein on the surface of the cerebellar hemisphere on the T2WI image. Susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) revealed small and multiple hypointense lesions, indicating microhaemorrhages, in the bilateral thalami and left cerebellar hemisphere. The time of flight source imaging demonstrated small hyperintense dots in the wall of the occipital and straight sinus. Finally, a digital subtraction angiogram (DSA) revealed a dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) in the occipito-straight sinus with reflux flow into the straight sinus (Borden Type II). A transvenous embolization and trans-arterial embolization were performed, in an emergency setting, for the occipital sinus and dural shunt, respectively, with the aim of preserving the antegrade flow of the straight sinus. The DSA following the endovascular treatment showed the disappearance of shunt flow and recovery of the antegrade flow in the straight sinus. Therefore, this case report highlights that meticulous analysis of MRI scans help diagnose DAVF, which results in quick and radical treatment

Cricotracheostomy for patients with severe COVID-19: A case control study

BackgroundTracheostomy is an important procedure for the treatment of severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Older age and obesity have been reported to be associated with the risk of severe COVID-19 and prolonged intubation, and anticoagulants are often administered in patients with severe COVID-19; these factors are also related to a higher risk of tracheostomy. Cricotracheostomy, a modified procedure for opening the airway through intentional partial cricoid cartilage resection, was recently reported to be useful in cases with low-lying larynx, obesity, stiff neck, and bleeding tendency. Here, we investigated the usefulness and safety of cricotracheostomy for severe COVID-19 patients.Materials and methodsFifteen patients with severe COVID-19 who underwent cricotracheostomy between January 2021 and April 2022 with a follow-up period of ≥ 14 days were included in this study. Forty patients with respiratory failure not related to COVID-19 who underwent traditional tracheostomy between January 2015 and April 2022 comprised the control group. Data were collected from medical records and comprised age, sex, body mass index, interval from intubation to tracheostomy, use of anticoagulants, complications of tracheostomy, and decannulation.ResultsAge, sex, and days from intubation to tracheostomy were not significantly different between the COVID-19/cricotracheostomy and control/traditional tracheostomy groups. Body mass index was significantly higher in the COVID-19 group than that in the control group (P = 0.02). The rate of use of anticoagulants was significantly higher in the COVID-19 group compared with the control group (P < 0.01). Peri-operative bleeding, subcutaneous emphysema, and stomal infection rates were not different between the groups, while stomal granulation was significantly less in the COVID-19 group (P = 0.04).ConclusionsThese results suggest that cricotracheostomy is a safe procedure in patients with severe COVID-19

Mechanism of Sequential Water Transportation by Water Loading and Release in Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Water in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) displays unique behaviors such as ring-like structure formation, anomalous hydrogen bonds, and fast transportation. We demonstrated the structures and stability of water in loading and release processes using a combination of X-ray diffraction analysis and hybrid reverse Monte Carlo simulations. Water formed nanoclusters in water loading, whereas layered structures were formed in water release. The water nanoclusters formed in water loading were well stabilized in CNTs. In contrast, in water release, the water layers were less stable than the water nanoclusters. The significant stabilization of nanoclusters in water loading and the relatively low stability of water layers in water release suggest easy water loading and release through CNTs, providing sequential water transportation through CNTs