Introduction to special issue on ‘Recent computing paradigms, network protocols, and applications’

This special issue of Innovations in Systems and Software Engineering: A NASA Journal is devoted to selected contributions from the 3rd International Conference on Advanced Computing, Networking and Informatics (ICACNI-2015), organized by School of Computer Engineering, KIIT University, Odisha, India, during 23–25 June, 2015. The conference commenced with a keynote by Prof. Nikhil R. Pal (Fellow IEEE, Vice President for Publications IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (2015–2016), Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, India) on ‘A Fuzzy Rule-Based Approach to Single Frame Super Resolution’. Apart from three regular tracks on advanced computing, networking, and informatics, the conference hosted three invited special sessions. While a total of 558 articles across different tracks of the conference were received, 132 articles are finally selected for presentation and publication by Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies series of Springer as Volume 43 and 44. The conference showcased a technical talk by Prof. Nabendu Chaki (Senior Member IEEE, Calcutta University, India) on ‘Evolution from Web-based Applications to Cloud Services: A Case Study with Remote Healthcare’. The conference identified some wonderful works and has given away eight awards in different categories

A study of histological changes of human placenta in rural population of eastern India

Background: Placenta is essential for maintenance of pregnancy and for promoting normal growth and development of fetus. It forms the morphological record of anatomical condition, intrauterine events and intrapartum events of gestation. Present study has been undertaken to record the data on the morphology and histology of placenta from mothers with hypertension and diabetes.Methods: This study showed several significant morphological and histological differences in the placenta of the mother with GDM and hypertensive placenta. The histological study of the placenta was done under microscope and number of syncytial knots, cytotrophoblastic cellular proliferation, fibrinoid necrosis, endothelial proliferation, calcified and hyalinised villous spots were noted per low power field in the diabetics and hypertensive group in comparison to control group.Results: All other parameters including area, thickness, diameter, and circumference of GDM placenta show a significant increase when compared with normal placenta. The gross anatomic features of placentae e.g infarcted areas, calcified areas and marginal insertion of the umbilical cord in the study group show significant increase in value (p>0.01) in diabetic and hypertensive groups when compared to that of the control or normal group.Conclusions: In present study we found that hypertensive placentae tend to be slightly smaller in size, weight, volume, area, thickness, diameter, circumference and feto-placental ratio than normal placentae but the parameters were found to be significantly greater than that of normal placentae in case of diabetic placentae. No significant differences were found in umbilical cord insertion. In normal pregnancy cases we found several histological findings which were increased in hypertensive and diabetic cases

Contractile response of femoral arteries in pigs with acute liver failure

BACKGROUND: Acute liver failure (ALF) is characterized haemodynamically by a progressive hyperdynamic circulation. The pathophysiological mechanism is unknown, but impaired contractility of vascular smooth muscle may play an important role. The aim of this study was to evaluate the vascular response to stimulation with norepinephrine and angiotensin II in endothelium-denuded femoral artery rings. METHODS: Norwegian Landrace pigs weighing 27.1 +/- 0.5 kg (mean +/- sx (standard error of the mean)) were used. ALF was induced by performing a portacaval shunt followed by ligation of the hepatic arteries (n = 6). Sham-operated animals served as controls (n = 5). Cumulative isometric concentration contraction curves were obtained after in vitro stimulation of the femoral artery rings with either angiotensin II (10(-13) - 10(-5) mol/L) or norepinephrine (10(-13) - 10(-3) mol/L). RESULTS: Pigs suffering from ALF developed a hyperdynamic circulation with an increased cardiac index (P = 0.017) and decreased systemic vascular resistance index (P = 0.015). Studies of the hind leg revealed a decreased vascular resistance index and increased blood flow compared to sham-operated controls (P = 0.003 and P = 0.01, respectively). Angiotensin II caused a concentration-dependent contraction of the arterial segments, with no significant differences in vascular responses between the two groups. Maximum force generated did not differ (55 +/- 7 versus 56 +/- 7 mN, P = 0.95). Furthermore, there were no differences for norepinephrine in the cumulative concentration-response curves and the maximum contractile force was not significantly different (87 +/- 8 versus 93 +/- 16 mN, P = 0.55). CONCLUSIONS: This study documents for the first time that there are no signs of endothelium-independent peripheral vascular hyporesponsiveness to angiotensin II and norepinephrine in pigs with ALF

Association of reduced extracellular brain ammonia, lactate, and intracranial pressure in pigs with acute liver failure

We previously demonstrated in pigs with acute liver failure (ALF) that albumin dialysis using the molecular adsorbents recirculating system (MARS) attenuated a rise in intracranial pressure (ICP). This was independent of changes in arterial ammonia, cerebral blood flow and inflammation, allowing alternative hypotheses to be tested. The aims of the present study were to determine whether changes in cerebral extracellular ammonia, lactate, glutamine, glutamate, and energy metabolites were associated with the beneficial effects of MARS on ICP. Three randomized groups [sham, ALF (induced by portacaval anastomosis and hepatic artery ligation), and ALF+MARS] were studied over a 6-hour period with a 4-hour MARS treatment given beginning 2 hours after devascularization. Using cerebral microdialysis, the ALF-induced increase in extracellular brain ammonia, lactate, and glutamate was significantly attenuated in the ALF+MARS group as well as the increases in extracellular lactate/pyruvate and lactate/glucose ratios. The percent change in extracellular brain ammonia correlated with the percent change in ICP (r(2) = 0.511). Increases in brain lactate dehydrogenase activity and mitochondrial complex activity for complex IV were found in ALF compared with those in the sham, which was unaffected by MARS treatment. Brain oxygen consumption did not differ among the study groups. Conclusion: The observation that brain oxygen consumption and mitochondrial complex enzyme activity changed in parallel in both ALF- and MARS-treated animals indicates that the attenuation of increased extracellular brain ammonia (and extracellular brain glutamate) in the MARS-treated animals reduces energy demand and increases supply, resulting in attenuation of increased extracellular brain lactate. The mechanism of how MARS reduces extracellular brain ammonia requires further investigation

Albumin dialysis : a new therapeutic strategy for intoxication from protein-bound drugs

Abstract Objective: Although water-soluble drugs can be removed by haemofiltration/haemodialysis, morbidity and mortality from intoxication with protein-bound drugs remains high. The present study investigates whether albumin dialysis in the form of the Molecular Adsorbents Recirculating System (MARS) is effective in removal of protein-bound drugs. Design: Prospective animal study. Setting: Surgical research laboratory in a university hospital. Subjects: Seven female Norwegian Landrace pigs. Intervention: We studied whether midazolam (97% albuminbound) and fentanyl (85% alpha-1- acid glycoprotein-bound), administered as anaesthetics to pigs with induced acute liver failure, could be removed by MARS dialysis lasting for 4 h. Measurements: After 4 h of dialysis, total and free anaesthetic concentrations were measured in the blood and dialysate from different segments of the MARS circuit. Main results: Midazolam: total plasma concentrations fell by 47.1€2.1% (in 4 h) across the MARS filter (p<0.01). The charcoal component of the system reduced the total dialysate drug concentration by 16.4€2.2% (p<0.05). Free midazolam removal followed a similar pattern. Fentanyl: total plasma concentrations fell by 56.1€2.4% (in 4 h) across the MARS filter (p<0.01). Clearance of fentanyl from the dialysate by the charcoal was 70€0.7% at 4 h (p<0.001). Conclusions: The results of the study show that MARS can remove both albumin and other protein-bound drugs efficiently from the plasma, and it may have a place for the treatment of patients suffering from intoxication with this class of compounds

Albumin dialysis in liver failure

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Reduced circulating BMP10 and BMP9 and elevated endoglin are associated with disease severity, decompensation and pulmonary vascular syndromes in patients with cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: BMP9, originating from the liver, and BMP10 are circulating BMPs that preserve vascular endothelial integrity. We assessed BMP9, BMP10 and soluble endoglin (sEng) levels and their relationships to liver disease severity and associated pulmonary vascular syndromes in a cohort of well-characterised liver disease patients. METHODS: Plasma samples from patients with liver disease (n = 83) and non-disease controls (n = 21) were assayed for BMP9, BMP10 and sEng. Levels were also assessed in a separate cohort of controls (n = 27) and PoPH patients (n = 8). Expression of mRNA and immunohistochemical staining was undertaken in liver biopsy specimens. Plasma BMP activity was assessed using an endothelial cell bioassay. FINDINGS: Plasma BMP9 and BMP10 levels were normal in patients with compensated cirrhosis or fibrosis without cirrhosis, but markedly reduced in patients with decompensated cirrhosis, including those with hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) or portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH). Liver biopsy specimens revealed reduced mRNA expression and immunostaining for these ligands. Patient plasma samples with reduced BMP9 and BMP10 levels exhibited low BMP activity that was restored with exogenous BMP9. Endoglin mRNA expression was increased in cirrhotic livers and elevated circulating sEng levels in PoPH and HPS patients suggested increased endothelial sEng shedding in these syndromes. INTERPRETATION: Plasma BMP9 and BMP10 levels are reduced in decompensated cirrhosis, leading to reduced circulating BMP activity on the vascular endothelium. The pulmonary complications of cirrhosis, PoPH and HPS, are associated with markedly reduced BMP9 and BMP10 and increased sEng levels, suggesting that supplementation with exogenous ligands might be a therapeutic approach for PoPH and HPS