Oxygen persufflation as adjunct in liver preservation (OPAL): Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Early graft dysfunction due to preservation/reperfusion injury represents a dramatic event after liver transplantation. Enhancement of donor organ criteria, in order to cope with the ever increasing donor shortage, further increases graft susceptibility to ischemic alterations.</p> <p>Major parts of post-preservation injury, however, occur at the time of warm reperfusion but not during ischemic storage; successful reperfusion of ischemic tissue in turn depends on an adequate redox and intracellular signal homeostasis. The latter has been shown experimentally to be favorably influenced by oxygen persufflation within short time spans. Thus viability of marginally preserved liver grafts could still be augmented by transient hypothermic reconditioning <b><it>even after </it></b>normal procurement and static cold storage. The present study is aimed to confirm the conceptual expectations, that hypothermic reconditioning by gaseous oxygen persufflation is a useful method to suppress injurious cellular activation cascades and to improve post-ischemic recovery of marginally preserved liver grafts.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>OPAL is a prospective single center randomized proof of concept study, including two parallel groups in a total of 116 liver transplant patients. The effect of an in hospital treatment of the isolated liver graft by 2 hours of oxygen persufflation immediately prior to transplantation will be assesses as compared to standard procedure (cold storage without further intervention). The primary endpoint is the peak transaminase serum level (AST) during the first three days after transplantation as a surrogate readout for parenchymal liver injury. Other outcomes comprise patient and graft survival, time of intensive care requirement, hepatic tissue perfusion 1h after revascularisation, early onset of graft dysfunction based on coagulation parameters, as well as the use of a refined scoring-system for initial graft function based on a multi-parameter (AST, ALT, Quick and bilirubin) score. Furthermore, the effect of OPAL on molecular pathways of autophagy and inflammatory cell activation will be evaluated. Final analysis will be based on all participants as randomized (intention to treat).</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trials <a href="http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN00167887">ISRCTN00167887</a></p

Recent atmospheric neutrino results from Soudan 2

An updated measurement of the atmospheric nu_mu/nu_e ratio-of-ratios, 0.68+-0.11+-0.06, has been obtained using a 4.6-kty exposure of the Soudan-2 iron tracking calorimeter. The L/E distributions have been analyzed for effects of nu_mu -> nu_x oscillations, and an allowed region in the Delta m^2 vs. sin^2 2 theta plane has been determined.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures; presented at TAUP99, the 6th Int. Workshop on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics, Sept. 6-10, 1999, College de France, Paris, Franc

Strong Correlations in Electron Doped Phthalocyanine Conductors Near Half Filling

We propose that electron doped nontransition metal-phthalocyanines (MPc) like ZnPc and MgPc, similar to those very recently reported, should constitute novel strongly correlated metals. Due to orbital degeneracy, Jahn-Teller coupling and Hund's rule exchange, and with a large on-site Coulomb repulsion, these molecular conductors should display, particularly near half filling at two electrons/molecule, very unconventional properties, including Mott insulators, strongly correlated superconductivity, and other intriguing phases.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, submited to PR

Three-dimensional coherent X-ray diffraction imaging of a ceramic nanofoam: determination of structural deformation mechanisms

Ultra-low density polymers, metals, and ceramic nanofoams are valued for their high strength-to-weight ratio, high surface area and insulating properties ascribed to their structural geometry. We obtain the labrynthine internal structure of a tantalum oxide nanofoam by X-ray diffractive imaging. Finite element analysis from the structure reveals mechanical properties consistent with bulk samples and with a diffusion limited cluster aggregation model, while excess mass on the nodes discounts the dangling fragments hypothesis of percolation theory.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 30 reference

Comparison of six rabbit liver cytochrome P-450 isozymes in formation of a reactive metabolite of acetaminophen

This laboratory has recently reported the isolation of an ethanol-inducible form of rabbit liver microsomal cytochrome P-450, designated isozyme 3a. In view of the reports of others that the hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen is increased in ethanol-treated animals and the human alcoholic, we have determined the activity of the six available P-450 isozymes in the activation of the drug to give an intermediate which forms a conjugate with reduced glutathione. Isozymes 3a, 4, and 6, all of which are present in significant amounts in the liver microsomes from rabbits chronically admini-stered ethanol, exhibited the highest activities in the reconstituted enzyme system, whereas isozymes 3b and 3c were 10- to 20-fold less effective, and phenobarbital-inducible isozyme 2 was essentially inactive, even in the presence of cytochrome 5. The results obtained thus indicate that induction by ethanol of P-450 isozyme 3a (or a homologous enzyme in other species) may contribute to the toxicity of acetaminophen but that other cytochromes also play a significant role.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/25240/1/0000682.pd

Progress in Three-Dimensional Coherent X-Ray Diffraction Imaging

The Fourier inversion of phased coherent diffraction patterns offers images without the resolution and depth-of-focus limitations of lens-based tomographic systems. We report on our recent experimental images inverted using recent developments in phase retrieval algorithms, and summarize efforts that led to these accomplishments. These include ab-initio reconstruction of a two-dimensional test pattern, infinite depth of focus image of a thick object, and its high-resolution (~10 nm resolution) three-dimensional image. Developments on the structural imaging of low density aerogel samples are discussed.Comment: 5 pages, X-Ray Microscopy 2005, Himeji, Japa

Measurement of quasi-elastic 12C(p,2p) scattering at high momentum transfer

We measured the high-momentum quasi-elastic 12C(p,2p) reaction (at center of mass angle near 90 degrees) for 6 and 7.5 GeV/c incident protons. The three-momentum components of both final state protons were measured and the missing energy and momentum of the target proton in the nucleus were determined. The validity of the quasi-elastic picture was verified up to Fermi momenta of about 450 MeV/c, where it might be questionable. Transverse and longitudinal Fermi momentum distributions of the target proton were measured and compared to independent particle models which do not reproduce the large momentum tails. We also observed that the transverse Fermi distribution gets wider as the longitudinal component increases in the beam direction, in contrast to a simple Fermi gas model.Comment: 4 pages including 3 figure