Fibrinolysis and Beyond: Bridging the Gap between Local and Systemic Clot Removal

Recanalization methods in ischemic stroke have been progressively expanded over the past years. In addition the continuous development of specialized mechanical devices for thrombectomy a broad spectrum of new drugs has been tested: Both options, novel drugs as well as new devices, can be employed independently of each other, but in most cases a combination of the two with the standard treatment of intravenous fibrinolysis is applied. Until recently, a large number of case series have been performed to investigate the effects of various drugs and interventions, but only a few trials have been conducted to determine the optimal conditions for combining both procedures. This review surveys the different systemic and endovascular vessel reopening practices and their major bridging techniques

Effects of abdominal hot compresses on indocyanine green elimination – a randomized cross over study in healthy subjects

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hot compresses on the right upper abdomen are used as support for patients with liver diseases in Germany. The study was designed to determine, whether they affect hepatic blood flow.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Single dose kinetics of indocyanine green (ICG) were studied in 13 healthy subjects with or without hot compresses on the right upper abdomen over 40 minutes. The time interval between the investigations was 8 days, the sequence was randomly assigned.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Within non-linear kinetic analyses the area under the curves (AUC) were 23% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5–37%) lower with hot compresses. In the initial phase, however, no differences were detected (p = 0.295). The differences occurred only in the late phase after 30–40 minutes, when the genuine ICG is eliminated from the plasma and only the degradation product remains.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Hot compresses have no effect on ICG elimination in healthy subjects but seem to affect the elimination of ICG metabolites.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00484913</p

Electrical conductance of molecular junctions by a robust statistical analysis

We propose an objective and robust method to extract the electrical conductance of single molecules connected to metal electrodes from a set of measured conductance data. Our method roots in the physics of tunneling and is tested on octanedithiol using mechanically controllable break junctions. The single molecule conductance values can be deduced without the need for data selection.Comment: 4 figure

Floral scent emission and pollinator attraction in two species of Gymnadenia (Orchidaceae)

We investigated scent composition and pollinator attraction in two closely related orchids, Gymnadenia conopsea (L.) R.Br. s.l. and Gymnadenia odoratissima (L.) Rich. in four populations during the day and night. We collected pollinators of both species using hand nets and sampled floral odour by headspace sorption. We analysed the samples by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry to identify compounds and with electroantennographic detection to identify compounds with physiological activity in pollinators. In order to evaluate the attractiveness of the physiologically active compounds, we carried out trapping experiments in the field with single active odour substances and mixtures thereof. By collecting insects from flowers, we caught eight pollinators of G. conopsea, which were members of four Lepidoptera families, and 37 pollinators of G. odoratissima, from five Lepidopteran families. There was no overlap in pollinator species caught from the two orchids using nets. In the scent analyses, we identified 45 volatiles in G. conopsea of which three (benzyl acetate, eugenol, benzyl benzoate) were physiologically active. In G. odoratissima, 44 volatiles were identified, of which seven were physiologically active (benzaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde, benzyl acetate, 1-phenyl-2,3-butandione, phenylethyl acetate, eugenol, and one unknown compound). In field bioassays using a mixture of the active G. odoratissima compounds and phenylacetaldehyde alone we caught a total of 25moths, some of which carried Gymnadenia pollinia. A blend of the active G. conopsea volatiles placed in the G. odoratissima population did not attract any pollinators. The two orchids emitted different odour bouquets during the day and night, but G. odoratissima showed greater temporal differences in odour composition, with phenylacetaldehyde showing a significant increase during the night. The species differed considerably in floral odour emission and this differentiation was stronger in the active than non-active compounds. This differentiation of the two species, especially in the emission of active compounds, appears to have evolved under selection for attraction of different suites of Lepidopteran pollinator

Bicycle helmet ventilation and comfort angle dependence

Five modern bicycle helmets were studied to elucidate some of the variations in ventilation performance, using both a heated manikin headform and human subjects (n=7). Wind speed and head angle were varied to test their influence on the measured steady-state heat exchange (cooling power) in the skull section of the headform. The cooling power transmitted by the helmets varied from about 60% to over 90% of that of the nude headform, illustrating the range of present manufacturer designs. Angling the head forward by 30° was found to provide better cooling power to the skull (up to 25%) for three of the helmets and almost equal cooling power in the remaining two cases. Comparisons of skull ventilation at these angles with human subjects strongly supported the headform result

Intrinsically Polar Elastic Metamaterials

In many applications, one needs to combine materials with varying properties to achieve certain functionalities. For example, the inner layer of a helmet should be soft for cushioning while the outer shell should be rigid to provide protection. Over time, these combined materials either separate or wear and tear, risking the exposure of an undesired material property. This work presents a design principle for a material that gains unique properties from its 3D microstructure, consisting of repeating basic building blocks, rather than its material composition. The 3D printed specimens show, at two of its opposing faces along the same axis, different stiffness (i.e., soft on one face and hard on the other). The realized material is protected by design (i.e., topology) against cuts and tears: No matter how material is removed, either layer by layer, or in arbitrary cuts through the repeating building blocks, two opposing faces remain largely different in their mechanical response