Intra-arterial delivery of triolein emulsion increases vascular permeability in skeletal muscles of rabbits

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To test the hypothesis that triolein emulsion will increase vascular permeability of skeletal muscle.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Triolein emulsion was infused into the superficial femoral artery in rabbits (triolein group, n = 12). As a control, saline was infused (saline group, n = 18). Pre- and post-contrast T1-weighted MR images were obtained two hours after infusion. The MR images were qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated by assessing the contrast enhancement of the ipsilateral muscles. Histologic examination was performed in all rabbits.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The ipsilateral muscles of the rabbits in the triolein group showed contrast enhancement, as opposed to in the ipsilateral muscles of the rabbits in the saline group. The contrast enhancement of the lesions was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Histologic findings showed that most examination areas of the triolein and saline groups had a normal appearance.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Rabbit thigh muscle revealed significantly increased vascular permeability with triolein emulsion; this was clearly demonstrated on the postcontrast MR images.</p

Gamma Power Is Phase-Locked to Posterior Alpha Activity

Neuronal oscillations in various frequency bands have been reported in numerous studies in both humans and animals. While it is obvious that these oscillations play an important role in cognitive processing, it remains unclear how oscillations in various frequency bands interact. In this study we have investigated phase to power locking in MEG activity of healthy human subjects at rest with their eyes closed. To examine cross-frequency coupling, we have computed coherence between the time course of the power in a given frequency band and the signal itself within every channel. The time-course of the power was calculated using a sliding tapered time window followed by a Fourier transform. Our findings show that high-frequency gamma power (30–70 Hz) is phase-locked to alpha oscillations (8–13 Hz) in the ongoing MEG signals. The topography of the coupling was similar to the topography of the alpha power and was strongest over occipital areas. Interestingly, gamma activity per se was not evident in the power spectra and only became detectable when studied in relation to the alpha phase. Intracranial data from an epileptic subject confirmed these findings albeit there was slowing in both the alpha and gamma band. A tentative explanation for this phenomenon is that the visual system is inhibited during most of the alpha cycle whereas a burst of gamma activity at a specific alpha phase (e.g. at troughs) reflects a window of excitability

Lawson criterion for ignition exceeded in an inertial fusion experiment

For more than half a century, researchers around the world have been engaged in attempts to achieve fusion ignition as a proof of principle of various fusion concepts. Following the Lawson criterion, an ignited plasma is one where the fusion heating power is high enough to overcome all the physical processes that cool the fusion plasma, creating a positive thermodynamic feedback loop with rapidly increasing temperature. In inertially confined fusion, ignition is a state where the fusion plasma can begin "burn propagation" into surrounding cold fuel, enabling the possibility of high energy gain. While "scientific breakeven" (i.e., unity target gain) has not yet been achieved (here target gain is 0.72, 1.37 MJ of fusion for 1.92 MJ of laser energy), this Letter reports the first controlled fusion experiment, using laser indirect drive, on the National Ignition Facility to produce capsule gain (here 5.8) and reach ignition by nine different formulations of the Lawson criterion