Tsunamis: Some pre-emptive disaster planning and management issues for consideration by the construction industry

10.1108/02630800610711979Structural Survey245378-39

Electroacupuncture inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 up-regulation in rat spinal cord after spinal nerve ligation

Electroacupuncture (EA) has long been used to treat pain including neuropathic pain, but its mechanisms remain to be delineated. Since cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been reported to increase in the spinal dorsal horn following spinal nerve ligation (SNL) and it may play a role in the neuropathic pain, we hereby tested the hypothesis that EA may affect COX-2 expression and hence neuropathic nociception after SNL. The results showed that EA (2 Hz) can significantly reduce mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity following lumbar L5 SNL in rats. Immunostaining demonstrated suppression of COX-2 expression in the spinal L4–L6 dorsal horn after EA. The present results suggest that EA may alleviate neuropathic hypersensitivity by, at least partially, inhibiting COX-2 expression in the spinal cord

Rapid assembly of PMMA microfluidic devices with PETE membranes for studying the endothelium

Biomicrofluidic devices and organ-on-a-chip (OOC) systems with integrated membranes are often fabricated from two different thermoplastic materials but bonding of such dissimilar thermoplastics remains challenging to manufacture at scale. Here, we present a method to bond poly(methylmethacrylate) layers to a polyethylene terephthalate porous membrane to create membrane-based microfluidic devices for biological barrier modeling. By combining milling, laser cutting and chlorocarbon-based solvent bonding supported by retention grooves, we achieved a fabrication rate of 36 devices in 5 h. Chlorocarbon-based solvent bonding resulted in bond strength of ~10 J/m2 and did not adversely affect the membrane pore structure or the channel cross-sectional shape. The bonded devices were found to support long term culture of human endothelial cells that developed expected morphology and cell-cell adhesion contacts as evidenced by immunofluorescent labeling of VE-cadherin. Barrier permeability was measured to be 3.38 × 106 cm/s for 10 kDa dextran using a sampling-based method compatible with mass spectrometry and scintillation techniques and was in agreement with literature. To validate the devices for cell migration experiments, THP-1 monocytes were introduced into devices with confluent endothelial monolayers. Monocytes adhered to and migrated through the endothelium. Activation of the endothelium with TNF-α prior to introducing monocytes significantly increased monocyte adhesion. Overall, the rapid device fabrication method achieved medium-volume production rates and was found to support both cell culture and experiments associated with measuring barrier and endothelial function. This fabrication method has potential to both accelerate biomicrofluidics and OOC research in the lab and accelerate development of commercialized microfluidic membrane devices

Donor-Derived Genotype 4 Hepatitis E Virus Infection, Hong Kong, China, 2018

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) genotype 4 (HEV-4) is an emerging cause of acute hepatitis in China. Less is known about the clinical characteristics and natural history of HEV-4 than HEV genotype 3 infections in immunocompromised patients. We report transmission of HEV-4 from a deceased organ donor to 5 transplant recipients. The donor had been viremic but HEV IgM and IgG seronegative, and liver function test results were within reference ranges. After a mean of 52 days after transplantation, hepatitis developed in all 5 recipients; in the liver graft recipient, disease was severe and with progressive portal hypertension. Despite reduced immunosuppression, all HEV-4 infections progressed to persistent hepatitis. Four patients received ribavirin and showed evidence of response after 2 months. This study highlights the role of organ donation in HEV transmission, provides additional data on the natural history of HEV-4 infection, and points out differences between genotype 3 and 4 infections in immunocompromised patients