The key role of nitric oxide in hypoxia: hypoxic vasodilation and energy supply-demand matching

Significance: a mismatch between energy supply and demand induces tissue hypoxia with the potential to cause cell death and organ failure. Whenever arterial oxygen concentration is reduced, increases in blood flow - 'hypoxic vasodilation' - occur in an attempt to restore oxygen supply. Nitric oxide is a major signalling and effector molecule mediating the body's response to hypoxia, given its unique characteristics of vasodilation (improving blood flow and oxygen supply) and modulation of energetic metabolism (reducing oxygen consumption and promoting utilization of alternative pathways). Recent advances: this review covers the role of oxygen in metabolism and responses to hypoxia, the hemodynamic and metabolic effects of nitric oxide, and mechanisms underlying the involvement of nitric oxide in hypoxic vasodilation. Recent insights into nitric oxide metabolism will be discussed, including the role for dietary intake of nitrate, endogenous nitrite reductases, and release of nitric oxide from storage pools. The processes through which nitric oxide levels are elevated during hypoxia are presented, namely (i) increased synthesis from nitric oxide synthases, increased reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide by heme- or pterin-based enzymes and increased release from nitric oxide stores, and (ii) reduced deactivation by mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase. Critical issues: several reviews covered modulation of energetic metabolism by nitric oxide, while here we highlight the crucial role NO plays in achieving cardiocirculatory homeostasis during acute hypoxia through both vasodilation and metabolic suppression Future directions: we identify a key position for nitric oxide in the body's adaptation to an acute energy supply-demand mismatc

Successful Use of Squeezed-Fat Grafts to Correct a Breast Affected by Poland Syndrome

This study attempted to reconstruct deformities of a Poland syndrome patient using autologous fat tissues. All injected fat tissues were condensed by squeezing centrifugation. Operations were performed four times with intervals over 6 months. The total injection volume was 972 ml, and the maintained volume of 628 ml was measured by means of a magnetic resonance image (MRI). The entire follow-up period was 4.5 years. After surgery, several small cysts and minimal calcifications were present but no significant complications. The cosmetic outcomes and volume maintenance rates were excellent despite the overlapped large-volume injections. In conclusion, higher condensation of fat tissues through squeezing centrifugation would help to achieve better results in volume maintenance and reduce complications. It is necessary, however, to perform more comparative studies with many clinical cases for a more scientific analysis. The study experiments with squeezed fat simply suggest a hypothesis that squeezing centrifugation could select healthier cells through pressure disruption of relatively thinner membranes of larger, more vulnerable and more mature fat cells

Spontaneous pneumothorax as a first sign of pulmonary carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) is a rare manifestation of lung cancer. The mechanisms by which pneumothorax occurs in lung cancer is not clear, resulting in different views being expressed.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>Here we present a case in which pneumothorax occurred as a first manifestation of lung cancer. The chest x-ray of a 68 year old man revealed a right partial pneumothorax. VATS was then performed: the visceral pleura lying over segment S₃was destroyed and air leaks were found in this section. Pathologic examination of the biopsy specimen revealed non-small cell carcinoma. Thoracoscopic talc pleurodesis was performed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Spontaneous pneumothorax in association with lung cancer is rarely seen. Pneumothorax can be the first sign of lung cancer. The most common possibility for SP complicating lung cancer is the tumor necrosis mechanism or, in separate cases, rupture of the emphysematous bullae. Lung cancer should always be considered as a possible cause of SP in elderly patients or in heavy smokers.</p

A spectral study of gamma-ray emitting AGN

In this paper we present a statistical analysis of the gamma-ray spectra of flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQ) compared to those of BL Lacs. The average spectra and possible systematic deviations from power-law behaviour are investigated by summing up the intensity and the power-law fit statistic for both classes of objects. We also compare the time-averaged spectrum to that at the time of gamma-ray outbursts. The spectrum of the average AGN is softer than that of the extragalactic gamma-ray background. It may be that BL Lacs, which on average have a harder spectrum than FSRQs, make up the bulk of the extragalactic background. We also find apparent cut-offs at both low and high energies in the spectra of FSRQs at the time of gamma-ray outbursts. While the cut-off at high energies may have something to do with opacity, the cut-off at low energies may be taken as indication that the gamma-ray emission of FSRQs is not a one component spectrum.Comment: 8 pages, accepted for publication in A&

Study of the reaction e^{+}e^{-} -->J/psi\pi^{+}\pi^{-} via initial-state radiation at BaBar

We study the process $e^+e^-\to J/\psi\pi^{+}\pi^{-}$ with initial-state-radiation events produced at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy collider. The data were recorded with the BaBar detector at center-of-mass energies 10.58 and 10.54 GeV, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 454 $\mathrm{fb^{-1}}$. We investigate the $J/\psi \pi^{+}\pi^{-}$ mass distribution in the region from 3.5 to 5.5 $\mathrm{GeV/c^{2}}$. Below 3.7 $\mathrm{GeV/c^{2}}$ the $\psi(2S)$ signal dominates, and above 4 $\mathrm{GeV/c^{2}}$ there is a significant peak due to the Y(4260). A fit to the data in the range 3.74 -- 5.50 $\mathrm{GeV/c^{2}}$ yields a mass value $4244 \pm 5$ (stat) $\pm 4$ (syst)$\mathrm{MeV/c^{2}}$ and a width value $114 ^{+16}_{-15}$ (stat)$\pm 7$(syst)$\mathrm{MeV}$ for this state. We do not confirm the report from the Belle collaboration of a broad structure at 4.01 $\mathrm{GeV/c^{2}}$. In addition, we investigate the $\pi^{+}\pi^{-}$ system which results from Y(4260) decay

Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in √sNN=5.02 TeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector

Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (Δϕ) and pseudorapidity (Δη) are measured in √sNN=5.02  TeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1  μb-1 of data as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and the transverse energy (ΣETPb) summed over 3.1<η<4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2<|Δη|<5) “near-side” (Δϕ∼0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing ΣETPb. A long-range “away-side” (Δϕ∼π) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small ΣETPb, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in Δη and Δϕ) and ΣETPb dependence. The resultant Δϕ correlation is approximately symmetric about π/2, and is consistent with a dominant cos⁡2Δϕ modulation for all ΣETPb ranges and particle pT

Search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum in pp collisions at √ s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for new phenomena in final states with an energetic jet and large missing transverse momentum are reported. The search uses 20.3 fb−1 of √ s = 8 TeV data collected in 2012 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. Events are required to have at least one jet with pT > 120 GeV and no leptons. Nine signal regions are considered with increasing missing transverse momentum requirements between Emiss T > 150 GeV and Emiss T > 700 GeV. Good agreement is observed between the number of events in data and Standard Model expectations. The results are translated into exclusion limits on models with either large extra spatial dimensions, pair production of weakly interacting dark matter candidates, or production of very light gravitinos in a gauge-mediated supersymmetric model. In addition, limits on the production of an invisibly decaying Higgs-like boson leading to similar topologies in the final state are presente