Meerlagenteelt onder led

De resultaten van de praktijkproef waarbij de meerlagenteelt van boomkwekerijgewassen onder ledverlichting is onderzocht, zijn veelbelovend. De proeven laten een meerwaarde zien voor de beworteling van stek in een geconditioneerde klimaatcel die uitsluitend belicht wordt door ledverlichting

Full-field analysis of epicardial strain in an in vitro porcine heart platform.

The quantitative assessment of cardiac strain is increasingly performed to provide valuable insights on heart function. Currently, the most frequently used technique in the clinic is ultrasound-based speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). However, verification and validation of this modality are still under investigation and further reference measurements are required to support this activity. The aim of this work was to enable these reference measurements using a dynamic beating heart simulator to ensure reproducible, controlled, and realistic haemodynamic conditions and to validate the reliability of optical-based three-dimensional digital image correlation (3D-DIC) for a dynamic full-field analysis of epicardial strain. Specifically, performance assessment of 3D-DIC was carried out by evaluating the accuracy and repeatability of the strain measurements across multiple cardiac cycles in a single heart and between five hearts. Moreover, the ability of this optical method to differentiate strain variations when different haemodynamic conditions were imposed in the same heart was examined. Strain measurements were successfully accomplished in a region of the lateral left ventricle surface. Results were highly repeatable over heartbeats and across hearts (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.99), whilst strain magnitude was significantly different between hearts, due to change in anatomy and wall thickness. Within an individual heart, strain variations between different haemodynamic scenarios were greater than the estimated error of the measurement technique. This study demonstrated the feasibility of applying 3D-DIC in a dynamic passive heart simulator. Most importantly, non-contact measurements were obtained at a high spatial resolution (~ 1.5 mm) allowing resolution of local variation of strain on the epicardial surface during ventricular filling. The experimental framework developed in this paper provides detailed measurement of cardiac strains under controlled conditions, as a reference for validation of clinical cardiac strain imaging modalities

Elizabeth Irene Reiser, By And Through Her Guardian, Richard E. Reiser And Eleanor Reiser v. Richard Lohner And Howard Francis, Medical Doctors, And Provo Obstetrical And Gynecology Clinic, Inc., A Professional Corporation : Brief of Defendants-Respondents

Appeal from a Verdict of the Fourth Judicial District Court of Utah County, State of Utah Honorable James S. Sawaya, Presidin

Survey of the needs of patients with spinal cord injury: impact and priority for improvement in hand function in tetraplegics\ud

Objective: To investigate the impact of upper extremity deficit in subjects with tetraplegia.\ud \ud Setting: The United Kingdom and The Netherlands.\ud \ud Study design: Survey among the members of the Dutch and UK Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Associations.\ud \ud Main outcome parameter: Indication of expected improvement in quality of life (QOL) on a 5-point scale in relation to improvement in hand function and seven other SCI-related impairments.\ud \ud Results: In all, 565 subjects with tetraplegia returned the questionnaire (overall response of 42%). Results in the Dutch and the UK group were comparable. A total of 77% of the tetraplegics expected an important or very important improvement in QOL if their hand function improved. This is comparable to their expectations with regard to improvement in bladder and bowel function. All other items were scored lower.\ud \ud Conclusion: This is the first study in which the impact of upper extremity impairment has been assessed in a large sample of tetraplegic subjects and compared to other SCI-related impairments that have a major impact on the life of subjects with SCI. The present study indicates a high impact as well as a high priority for improvement in hand function in tetraplegics.\ud \u

Direct effects of doxorubicin on skeletal muscle contribute to fatigue

Chemotherapy-induced fatigue is a multidimensional symptom. Oxidative stress has been proposed as a working mechanism for anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. In this study, doxorubicin (DOX) was tested on skeletal muscle function. Doxorubicin induced impaired ex vivo skeletal muscle relaxation followed in time by contraction impediment, which could be explained by DOX-induced changes in Ca2+ responses of myotubes in vitro. The Ca2+ responses in skeletal muscle, however, could not be explained by oxidative stress

A Cardioprotective perfusion protocol limits myocardial functional decline during ex situ heart perfusion

Background Ex situ heart perfusion is associated with a significant decline in graft quality related to oxidative stress, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and metabolic perturbations. We assessed the effects of a more optimized, cardioprotective normothermic perfusion approach compared to a conventional perfusion protocol in a slaughterhouse model using porcine hearts. Methods A total of 12 hearts were harvested and subjected to 4 hours of normothermic perfusion. The optimized protocol consisted of an adenosine-lidocaine cardioplegic solution, subnormothermic initial reperfusion and controlled rewarming, hemofiltration and supplementation of methylprednisolone and pyruvate. This was compared to a conventional protocol consisting of St. Thomas II cardioplegic solution, normothermic initial reperfusion without hemofiltration or methylprednisolone, and a mixture of glucose and insulin for metabolic support. Results Myocardial function was superior in the optimized group, while significant functional decline was absent. Hearts subjected to the conventional protocol demonstrated a significant reduction in function over time. Conclusions We have developed a further optimized, cardioprotective normothermic ex situ heart perfusion approach and demonstrated significantly improved myocardial function and attenuated functional decline during 4 hours of normothermic perfusion, indicating improved preservation