Initial attachment of osteoblasts to various guided bone regeneration membranes: an in vitro study

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) has proved to be a suitable and somehow predictable technique for promoting bone regeneration. Avariety of synthetic and naturally derived GBR barriers have been used in clinics to facilitate bone regeneration. These barriers may differ in composition and structure and these may affect the outcomes of GBR. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the in vitro ability of osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) to attach to various GBR membranes. Materials and methods:  Six GBR/GTR (guided tissue regeneration) membranes [BioMend ® (BM), Resolut ® (RL), Guidor ® (GD), EpiGuide ® (EG), Gore-Tex ® (GT) and Millipore filter ® (MP)] were tested. For controls, cells were directly plated on culture dishes (CD). Each test membrane was secured to the bottom of a culture dish with a double-sided adhesive tape. All samples were triplicate. At 1.5 and 24 h after plating of 2 ml (5 × 10 4 cells/ml) of MC3T3-E1 (passage 7) cells, the specimens were rinsed with phosphate-buffered saline to wash out any unattached cells and then fixed with a 10% buffered formalin solution for 1 d. After washing with distilled water, the cells were stained with hematoxylin. The number of attached cells was counted under a light microscope equipped with an ocular-micrometer in a unit area of 0.25 mm 2 (five areas on each membrane). In addition, cell morphology attached to the membranes was evaluated under scanning electron microscope. Results:  Data were presented as mean ± standard error and analyzed for statistical difference using a generalized Wilcoxon's test. Cell attachment at 1.5 h was as follows: MP (27.5 ± 2.1) > RL (17.0 ± 1.4) ≈ BM (14.5 ± 1.4) ≈ EG (11.4 ± 1.0) > GD (5.2 ± 0.8) ≈ GT (3.1 ± 0.6); and at 24 h was: MP (67.6 ± 3.6) > RL (35.8 ± 1.8) > BM (15.4 ± 0.9) ≈ EG (13.3 ± 1.3) > GD (5.9 ± 0.7) ≈ GT (5.6 ± 1.3). At 24 h, the scanning electron microscope finding revealed that cells attached on MP, RL, BM and EG were flatter in shape, like cells on CD, than cells on GD and GT, where cells were rather round. Conclusions:  Results from this study suggested that MP, BM, RL and EG enhanced the early osteoblast attachment. However, the true benefit of this observation in clinic remains to be determined.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65252/1/j.1600-0765.2002.01625.x.pd

Discovery of a new pulsating X-ray source with a 1549.1-s period, AX J183220-0840

A new pulsating X-ray source, AX J183220-0840, with a 1549.1-s period was discovered at R.A.= 18h32m20s and Dec.=-8d40'30'' (J2000, uncertainty=0.6degree) during an ASCA observation on the Galactic plane. The source was observed two times, in 1997 and in 1999. A phase-averaged X-ray flux of 1.1E-11 ergs cm-2 s-1 and pulsation period of 1549.1+/-0.4 s were consistently obtained from these two observations. The X-ray spectrum was represented by a flat absorbed power-law with a photon-index of =~0.8 and an absorption column density of =~1.3E22 cm-2. Also, a signature of iron K-shell line emission with a centroid of 6.7 keV and an equivalent width of approximately 450 eV was detected. From the pulsation period and the iron-line feature, AX J183220-0840 is likely to be a magnetic white dwarf binary with a complexly absorbed thermal spectrum with a temperature of about 10 keV.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Role of Coagulation Factors in Cerebral Venous Sinus and Cerebral Microvascular Thrombosis

Thrombus formation can occur in both macroscopic and microscopic blood vessels. In the brain, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and focal cortical infarctions can result from the formation of thrombi in these different sized vessels. In this study we define the relative contributions of three major pro- and anti-coagulation pathways (heparin-antithrombin, protein C, and tissue factor (TF)) in the thrombogenic responses that occur in large and small vessels of the brain

Cerebral air embolism as a complication of peptic ulcer in the gastric tube: case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The reported incidence of ulcer formation in the gastric tube in esophageal replacement is rare.</p> <p>Case Presentation</p> <p>This is the first report of a case of cerebral air embolism as a result of spontaneous perforation of an ulcer in the constructed gastric tube into the pulmonary vein during post-operative follow-up in a patient with esophageal cancer.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Cerebral air embolism is a rare complication of penetrating gastric ulcer, but should be considered in patients with a history of esophagectomy with gastric conduit that present with acute neurologic findings.</p

Adult Intussusception Caused by an Inverted Meckel Diverticulum

Adult intussusception caused by an inverted Meckel diverticulum is rare. We report a 55-year-old Japanese man with intussusception. He was admitted to our hospital with vomiting and abdominal pain. The abdomen was hard with tenderness and muscle guarding. Computed tomography scanning demonstrated a typical inhomogeneous target-shaped mass in the right abdomen. We diagnosed intussusception and performed emergency surgery. At laparotomy, ileocolic intussusception was observed and the ileocecal segment was resected. The surgical specimen comprised an 84 cm segment of resected ileocecum with an elongated polypoid lesion measuring 11 × 2 cm within the ileal lumen. Histopathological examination demonstrated that the polypoid lesion was an inverted Meckel diverticulum. Postoperatively, the patient made an uneventful recovery

MAXI and NuSTAR observations of the faint X-ray transient MAXI J1848-015 in the GLIMPSE-C01 Cluster

We present the results of MAXI monitoring and two NuSTAR observations of the recently discovered faint X-ray transient MAXI J1848-015. Analysis of the MAXI light-curve shows that the source underwent a rapid flux increase beginning on 2020 December 20, followed by a rapid decrease in flux after only $\sim5$ days. NuSTAR observations reveal that the source transitioned from a bright soft state with unabsorbed, bolometric ($0.1$-$100$ keV) flux $F=6.9 \pm 0.1 \times 10^{-10}\,\mathrm{erg\,cm^{-2}\,s^{-1}}$, to a low hard state with flux $F=2.85 \pm 0.04 \times 10^{-10}\,\mathrm{erg\,cm^{-2}\,s^{-1}}$. Given a distance of $3.3$ kpc, inferred via association of the source with the GLIMPSE-C01 cluster, these fluxes correspond to an Eddington fraction of order $10^{-3}$ for an accreting neutron star of mass $M=1.4M_\odot$, or even lower for a more massive accretor. However, the source spectra exhibit strong relativistic reflection features, indicating the presence of an accretion disk which extends close to the accretor, for which we measure a high spin, $a=0.967\pm0.013$. In addition to a change in flux and spectral shape, we find evidence for other changes between the soft and hard states, including moderate disk truncation with the inner disk radius increasing from $R_\mathrm{in}\approx3\,R_\mathrm{g}$ to $R_\mathrm{in}\approx8\,R_\mathrm{g}$, narrow Fe emission whose centroid decreases from $6.8\pm0.1$ keV to $6.3 \pm 0.1$ keV, and an increase in low-frequency ($10^{-3}$-$10^{-1}$ Hz) variability. Due to the high spin we conclude that the source is likely to be a black hole rather than a neutron star, and we discuss physical interpretations of the low apparent luminosity as well as the narrow Fe emission.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in Ap

Programmed Chemotherapy for Patients with Metastatic Unresectable Gastric Cancer

BACKGROUND: Recent advances in the treatment of metastatic unresectable gastric cancers (MGC) include the development of new antitumor drugs and new regimens for their use. However, the selection of individually designed regimens by gastric cancer (GC) subtype remains problematic. Here, we investigated the clinical usefulness of programmed chemotherapy. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: MGC patients were classified into three groups by clinical condition. We implemented a chemotherapy program consisting of S-1 combination regimens. Median survival time (MST) of level 1 patients was 416 days (95% CI: 313-506 days), with an overall response rate of 47%. MSTs of level 2 and 3 patients were 208 (95% CI: 153-287 days) and 95 days (95% CI: 28-136 days), respectively. Grade 3-4 toxicities were neutropenia in 12% and anorexia in 6%. All treatment- related toxicities were resolved, and no treatment-related deaths occurred. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This program provided reasonable selection of case-matching regimens and may improve the survival of patients with MGC. Further, it may represent the first clinical tool to provide efficient chemotherapy course selection for MGC. Ongoing analysis of newly developed drugs and regimens will allow the efficacy of this chemotherapy program to be improved

Evolutionary Patterns and Selective Pressures of Odorant/Pheromone Receptor Gene Families in Teleost Fishes

BACKGROUND: Teleost fishes do not have a vomeronasal organ (VNO), and their vomeronasal receptors (V1Rs, V2Rs) are expressed in the main olfactory epithelium (MOE), as are odorant receptors (ORs) and trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs). In this study, to obtain insights into the functional distinction among the four chemosensory receptor families in teleost fishes, their evolutionary patterns were examined in zebrafish, medaka, stickleback, fugu, and spotted green pufferfish. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Phylogenetic analysis revealed that many lineage-specific gene gains and losses occurred in the teleost fish TAARs, whereas only a few gene gains and losses have taken place in the teleost fish vomeronasal receptors. In addition, synonymous and nonsynonymous nucleotide substitution rate ratios (K(A)/K(S)) in TAARs tended to be higher than those in ORs and V2Rs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Frequent gene gains/losses and high K(A)/K(S) in teleost TAARs suggest that receptors in this family are used for detecting some species-specific chemicals such as pheromones. Conversely, conserved repertoires of V1R and V2R families in teleost fishes may imply that receptors in these families perceive common odorants for teleosts, such as amino acids. Teleost ORs showed intermediate evolutionary pattern between TAARs and vomeronasal receptors. Many teleost ORs seem to be used for common odorants, but some ORs may have evolved to recognize lineage-specific odors