Fenestration of the vertebrobasilar junction detected with multidetector computed tomography angiography

The complex embryonic origin of the vertebrobasilar system may result in a wide range of anatomical variations. It has been hypothesized that the formation of fenestrations are likely to occur due to the failure of regression of the bridging arteries that connect the longitudinal neural arteries during embryogenesis. Fenestration of the vertebrobasilar system is a rare anatomical variation that involves a luminal division of the artery, that has a single origin into two separate and parallel channels which are rejoined distally. Fenestrations are important anatomical variants in patients undergoing endovascular and invasive intracranial interventions. Vascular fenestration has been associated with aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, neuralgia, and vertebrobasilar ischaemia. We report on 3 cases of fenestration at the vertebrobasilar junction in 1 female and 2 male patients, respectively, using multidetector computed tomography angiography. The length of the fenestrated segment of the artery measured 4.41 mm, 3.90 mm, and 5.90 mm, respectively in the patients. Our report is clinically important as the presence of this anatomical variation may influence the management of cervical and intracranial pathologies. Increased awareness of the prevalence of anatomic variations contributes to the advancement of noninvasive imaging capabilities

Determination of neo- and d-chiro-Inositol Hexakisphosphate in Soils by Solution 31P NMR Spectroscopy

The inositol phosphates are an abundant but poorly understood group of organic phosphorus compounds found widely in the environment. Four stereoisomers of inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) occur, although for three of these (scyllo, flea, and D-chiro) the origins, dynamics, and biological function remain unknown, due in large part to analytical limitations in their measurement in environmental samples. We synthesized authentic neo- and n-chiro-IP6 and used them to identify signals from these compounds in three soils from the Falkland Islands. Both compounds resisted hypobromite oxidation and gave quantifiable P-31 NMR signals at delta = 6.67 ppm (equatorial phosphate groups of the 4-equatorial/2-axial conformer of neo-IP6) and delta = 6.48 ppm (equatorial phosphate groups of the 2-equatorial/4-axial conformer of D-chiro-IP6) in soil extracts. Inositol hexakisphosphate accounted for 46-54% of the soil organic phosphorus, of which the four stereoisomers constituted, on average, 55.9% (myo), 32.8% (scyllo), 6.1% (neo), and 5.2% (n-chiro). Reappraisal of the literature based on the new signal assignments revealed that neo- and D-chiro-IP6 occur widely in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. These results confirm that the inositol phosphates can constitute a considerable fraction of the organic phosphorus in soils and reveal the prevalence of neo- and D-chiro-IP6 in the environment. The hypobromite oxidation and solution P-31 NMR spectroscopy procedure allows the simultaneous quantification of all four IP6 stereoisomers in environmental samples and provides a platform for research into the origins and ecological significance of these enigmatic compounds

Differences and Commonalities in Physical, Chemical and Mineralogical Properties of Zanzibari Geophagic Soils

The function of human geophagy has long been questioned. We sought to test hypotheses concerning its potential physiological effects through analysis of soils and patterns in geophagy behavior. Eleven samples of geophagic soils consumed by pregnant women on Pemba Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania, were characterized according to their color, texture, major element chemistry, trace element chemistry, bulk mineralogy, and clay mineralogy. An epidemiological study (N = 2367) and ethnographic interviews (N = 57) on Pemba yielded information about geophagic behaviors and socio-demographic and biological characteristics of those who consumed earth. The soils varied widely in color, ranging from light red to white through various shades of brown and yellow, and texture ranged from clay to sand. Major element chemistry of the soils also varied greatly; most were low in Fe and Ca. Trace elements, whether of biological or non-biological significance, were uniformly low when compared with normal ranges of mineral soils. The sole commonality among the samples is that all clay fractions were dominated by a kaolin mineral: kaolinite, halloysite, or a mixture of both. Geophagy behavior also varied greatly, with one major exception: a greater proportion of pregnant women (7.1%) and young children (4.5%) consumed earth than non-pregnant women (0.2%) or men (0%). The presence of kaolin mineral in all samples, its palliative and detoxifying properties, and the highest prevalence of geophagy among those most biologically vulnerable suggest that geophagy may be a protective behavior

Identification of active sites on supported metal catalysts with carbon nanotube hydrogen highways

Catalysts consisting of metal particles supported on reducible oxides exhibit promising activity and selectivity for a variety of current and emerging industrial processes. Enhanced catalytic activity can arise from direct contact between the support and the metal or from metal-induced promoter effects on the oxide. Discovering the source of enhanced catalytic activity and selectivity is challenging, with conflicting arguments often presented based on indirect evidence. Here, we separate the metal from the support by a controlled distance while maintaining the ability to promote defects via the use of carbon nanotube hydrogen highways. As illustrative cases, we use this approach to show that the selective transformation of furfural to methylfuran over Pd/TiO2 occurs at the Pd-TiO2 interface while anisole conversion to phenol and cresol over Cu/TiO2 is facilitated by exposed Ti3+ cations on the support. This approach can be used to clarify many conflicting arguments in the literatureWe acknowledge financial support from the National Science Foundation, Grant CAREER1653935. Use of the Advanced Photon Source is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, and Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract DE-AC02-06CH11357. MRCAT operations are supported by the Department of Energy and the MRCAT member institutions. E.C.W. and J.T.M. were supported in part by Center for Innovative Transformation of Alkane Resources (CISTAR) by the National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement No. EEC-1647722. Open access fees fees for this article provided whole or in part by OU Libraries Open Access Fund.Ye

May Measurement Month 2018: a pragmatic global screening campaign to raise awareness of blood pressure by the International Society of Hypertension

Aims Raised blood pressure (BP) is the biggest contributor to mortality and disease burden worldwide and fewer than half of those with hypertension are aware of it. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global campaign set up in 2017, to raise awareness of high BP and as a pragmatic solution to a lack of formal screening worldwide. The 2018 campaign was expanded, aiming to include more participants and countries. Methods and results Eighty-nine countries participated in MMM 2018. Volunteers (≥18 years) were recruited through opportunistic sampling at a variety of screening sites. Each participant had three BP measurements and completed a questionnaire on demographic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg, or taking antihypertensive medication. In total, 74.9% of screenees provided three BP readings. Multiple imputation using chained equations was used to impute missing readings. 1 504 963 individuals (mean age 45.3 years; 52.4% female) were screened. After multiple imputation, 502 079 (33.4%) individuals had hypertension, of whom 59.5% were aware of their diagnosis and 55.3% were taking antihypertensive medication. Of those on medication, 60.0% were controlled and of all hypertensives, 33.2% were controlled. We detected 224 285 individuals with untreated hypertension and 111 214 individuals with inadequately treated (systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg) hypertension. Conclusion May Measurement Month expanded significantly compared with 2017, including more participants in more countries. The campaign identified over 335 000 adults with untreated or inadequately treated hypertension. In the absence of systematic screening programmes, MMM was effective at raising awareness at least among these individuals at risk

Radiological anatomy of the intracranial vertebral artery in a select South African cohort of patients

Abstract The intracranial segment of the vertebral artery (VA) is the unique part of the artery where the two VAs join to form a single vascular channel, viz. the basilar artery. In addition to this typical description, anatomical variations have been described; the presence of anatomical variation has been associated with some pathological processes, neurological complications, and the risk of vascular diseases in the posterior circulatory territory. We evaluated the typical anatomical features and variations of the VA4 component of the VA in a South African population to provide useful data on the prevalence of variation and morphometry of the distal VA. The study is an observational, retrospective chart review of 554 consecutive South African patients (Black, Indian, and Caucasian) who had been examined with multidetector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) from January 2009 to September 2019. We observed various anatomical variations in the VA4 segment of the VA. We report the incidence of VA hypoplasia, hypoplastic terminal VA, and atresia. Fenestration and duplicate posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) origin were also observed. The left intracranial VA was significantly larger than the right. Our study shows that anatomical variation of the intracranial VA is common in the population studied, with a total prevalence of 36.5%. Understanding the patterns of anatomical variations of the VAs will contribute significantly to the interpretation of ischemic areas and diagnosis of various diseases in the posterior circulatory territory

Neuroprotective Properties of NMDA R1 Antagonist (Ketamine) in Cyanide Treated Neurons in vitro

Aims: This study aims at investigating possible means of reducing cyanide toxicity by blocking NMDA R1 via ketamine (an NMDA R1 antagonist). This is to provide a template for quick arrest of cyanide toxicity in neurons under oxygen deprived condition. Place and Duration of Study: Bingham University, Department of Anatomy, Karu, Nigeria. The duration of the study was100 minutes. Methodology: Freshly harvested cortical tissue blocks were perfused in accessory cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) containing all the necessary salts and glucose. The cultures were treated with ACSF (Control), ACSF+KCN (potassium cyanide), ACSF+KCN+Ketamine and ACSF+Ketamine for a total duration of 100 minutes at 37ºC. Results: The Ketamine had a protective and reversal effects on the tissues both for oxygen deprivation and cyanide toxicity, The cells in tissues treated with ACSF+KCN+Ketamine showed normal appearance of cell body and axonal projections, the cells treated with ACSF+Ketamine showed fewer degenerating cells compared to those treated with cyanide. Conclusion: Ketamine, an NMDA R1 antagonist is neuroprotective against the toxicity of cyanid