The extracranial arterial system in the heads of beaked whales,with implications on diving physiology and pathogenesis

Beaked whales are medium‐sized toothed whales that inhabit depths beyond the continental shelf; thus beaked whale strandings are relatively infrequent compared to those of other cetaceans. Beaked whales have been catapulted into the spotlight by their tendency to strand in association with naval sonar deployment. Studies have shown the presence of gas and fat emboli within the tissues and analysis of gas emboli is suggestive of nitrogen as the primary component. These findings are consistent with human decompression sickness (DCS) previously not thought possible in cetaceans. Because, tissue loading with nitrogen gas is paramount for the manifestation of DCS and nitrogen loading depends largely on the vascular perfusion of the tissues, we examined the anatomy of the extracranial arterial system using stranded carcasses of 16 beaked whales from five different species. Anatomic regions containing lipid and/or air spaces were prioritized as potential locations of nitrogen gas absorption due to the known solubility of nitrogen in adipose tissue and the nitrogen content of air, respectively. Attention was focused on the acoustic fat bodies and accessory sinus system on the ventral head. We found much of the arterial system of the head to contain arteries homologous to those found in domestic mammals. Robust arterial associations with lipid depots and air spaces occurred within the acoustic fat bodies of the lower jaw and pterygoid air sacs of the ventral head, respectively. Both regions contained extensive trabecular geometry with small arteries investing the trabeculae. Our findings suggest the presence of considerable surface area between the arterial system, and the intramandibular fat bodies and pterygoid air sacs. Our observations may provide support for the hypothesis that these structures play an important role in the exchange of nitrogen gas during diving. J. Morphol. 277:5–33, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Voltage pulsation of sickle erythrocytes enhances membrane permeability to oxygen

Treatment of sickle red cells (SS homozygous) with a voltage pulse of less than 0.8 kV/cm and duration of 20 μs caused a change in the cell membrane, so as to facilitate the permeation of oxygen. The unsickling of the treated cells after a re-introduction of oxygen took place at a much faster rate. Neither leakages of Na⁺ and K⁺, nor a change in the cell volume occurred as the result of the low voltage pulsation. The effect of the voltage treatment persisted for hours at 25°C but disappeared rapidly at 37°C. The result suggests that a selective modification of membrane permeability may be achieved by the voltage pulsation technique.     

Effects of counter-ion size on solid state structures of M(Nitrilotriacetate) complexes

The crystal structure of Na[Co(NC₆H₆O₆)] · H₂O is reported. The structure is compared to similar transition-metal nitrilotriacetate complexes containing different alkali cations and transition metals (Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺). Inner-sphere coordination of the metals is similar, but the arrangement of counter-ions and water molecules in the unit cells vary with the size of the alkali cation.     

External surface area determination of lipid vesicles using trinitrobenzene sulfonate and ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometry

The lamellarity of liposomes is an important parameter to be controlled in liposomal delivery–release applications. A practical estimate of the degree of liposome lamellarity can be obtained by measuring the relative external surface area of the liposomes using a chemical assay. All such assays are based on a signal change caused by exposed marker lipids on reaction with a specific externally added reagent. However, a quantitative determination is often distorted by background reactions and contributions of internal lipid labeling. In the so-called TNBS assay, the marker lipid is phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and the externally added reagent is TNBS (2,4,6-trinotrobenzene sulfonate). Mechanistic aspects of the TNBS assay were considered for improving the assay. Internal lipid labeling via PE flip-flop and/or TNBS permeation was minimal not only in cholesterol-containing liposomes but also in cholesterol-free liposomes if in the latter case membrane fluidity was decreased by slightly increasing the PE content. Compared with earlier versions of the TNBS assay, the amount of marker lipid and the time for analysis could be reduced considerably. The elaborated protocol was also applied to liposomes prepared from lipidic egg yolk isolates, offering a simple and inexpensive method for the development and in-process control of new liposome formation technologies.     

Development of a novel MATLAB-based framework for implementing mechanical joint stability constraints within OpenSim musculoskeletal models

The Static Optimization (SO) solver in OpenSim estimates muscle activations and forces that only equilibrate applied moments. In this study, SO was enhanced through an open-access MATLAB interface, where calculated muscle activations can additionally satisfy crucial mechanical stability requirements. This Stability-Constrained SO (SCSO) is applicable to many OpenSim models and can potentially produce more biofidelic results than SO alone, especially when antagonistic muscle co-contraction is required to stabilize body joints. This hypothesis was tested using existing models and experimental data in the literature. Muscle activations were calculated by SO and SCSO for a spine model during two series of static trials (i.e. simulation 1 and 2), and also for a lower limb model (supplementary material 2). In simulation 1, symmetric and asymmetric flexion postures were compared, while in simulation 2, various external load heights were compared, where increases in load height did not change the external lumbar flexion moment, but necessitated higher EMG activations. During the tasks in simulation 1, the predicted muscle activations by SCSO demonstrated less average deviation from the EMG data (6.8% −7.5%) compared to those from SO (10.2%). In simulation 2, SO predicts constant muscle activations and forces, while SCSO predicts increases in the average activations of back and abdominal muscles that better match experimental data. Although the SCSO results are sensitive to some parameters (e.g. musculotendon stiffness), when considering the strategy of the central nervous system in distributing muscle forces and in activating antagonistic muscles, the assigned activations by SCSO are more biofidelic than SO.     

血清胱抑素C、血肌酐及血尿素氮对窒息新生儿肾功能损害的临床意义

目的:探讨体外反搏联合言语训练治疗脑性瘫痪并语言发育迟缓儿童的临床疗效。方法:选择2015年12月至2017年12月在上海市儿童医院康复科普通门诊确诊的脑瘫并语言发育迟缓患儿52例,按照随机数字表法将其随机分为治疗组和对照组,每组26例。对照组仅给予言语训练治疗,治疗组给予体外反搏联合言语训练治,以4周1个疗程,两组均治疗3个疗程。治疗前后,采用中国康复研究中心汉语版儿童语言发育评定法s-s法、Gesell发育评分法评价和比较患儿言语发育商和认知发育商的变化。结果:治疗后,两组言语发育商和认知发育商均显著高于治疗前,且治疗组言语发育商和认知发育商均显著高于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(均P0.01)。结论:体外反搏联合言语训练较单纯言语训练可更有效改善脑瘫并语言发育迟缓患儿的言语发育和认知发育。     

体外反搏治疗小儿急性脑外伤的临床应用分析

目的:探讨以体外反搏为主的综合康复治疗对脑外伤后偏瘫患儿运动功能和日常生活活动能力(ADL)的影响。方法:选择2015年7月至2017年7月我院神经外科收治的脑外伤后偏瘫患儿46例,将其随机分为对照组和治疗组。两组患者均采用常规的康复治疗和护理,对照组采取常规的物理治疗(PT治疗),治疗组患者给予以体外反搏为主的综合康复治疗。于治疗1、3个月后,评价和比较两组患者粗大运动能力(GMFM)评分、精细运动能力(FMFM)评分和日常生活能力(ADL)评分的变化。结果:治疗1、3个月后,两组患儿GMFM、FMFM评分均较治疗前明显增加(均P0.01),而治疗组治疗后GMFM、FMFM评分均明显高于对照组(均P0.01)。两组治疗一个月后ADL总有效率(显效率与有效率之和)分别为90.48%和76.19%,治疗三个月后分别为95.24%和85.71%,治疗组均显著高于对照组(均P0.05)。结论:以体外反搏为主的综合康复治疗有利于促进脑外伤后偏瘫患者ADL及部分运动功能的提高。     

指掌骨骨折合并软组织损伤的微型锁定钢板皮外固定应用效果及对关节活动度的影响

摘要 目的：探讨指掌骨骨折合并软组织损伤的微型锁定钢板皮外固定的应用效果及对关节活动度的影响。方法：选取我院2015年7月到2020年7月共收治的80例指掌骨骨折合并软组织损伤的患者作为研究对象,将其随机分为观察组与对照组,各40例。对照组应用克氏针、微型螺钉、肌腱缝线或拉力螺钉进行内固定,观察组在对照组基础上联合应用微型锁定钢板皮外固定,并针对患者合并软组织损伤情况应用石膏外固定。对比两组患者的骨折愈合时间、围术期指标、Jamar握力、TAM、DASH评分、术后不良反应情况以及生活质量。结果：观察组手术时间高于对照组,骨折愈合时间和住院时间较对照组低（P＜0.05）;观察组患者的DASH评分明显低于对照组,TAM与Jamar握力明显高于对照组（P＜0.05）;观察组术后并发症发生率较对照组低（P＜0.05）;术后1个月两组患者生活质量评分均升高,高于对照组（P＜0.05）。结论：对指掌骨骨折合并软组织损伤的患者在常规克氏针内固定的基础上,应用微型锁定钢板皮外固定,再进行石膏固定,手术步骤、手术时间虽增加,但更有利于患者术后骨折愈合,减少术后并发症的发生,减少住院时间,促进患者出院后关节功能恢复,提高生活质量,值得临床应用推广。     

Efficient,Cyanine Dye Based Bilayer Solar Cells

Simple bilayer solar cells, using commercially available cationic cyanine dyes as donors and evaporated C₆₀ layer as an acceptor are prepared. Cyanine dyes with absorption maxima of 578, 615 and 697 nm having either perchlorate or hexafluorophosphate counter‐ions are evaluated. The perchlorate dye leads to cells with S‐shape current‐voltage curves; only the dyes with the hexafluorophosphate counter‐ions lead to efficient solar cells. When the wide bandgap dyes are employed, S‐shape current‐voltage curves are obtained when the conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS is used as hole transport layer. Substitution of PEDOT:PSS with MoO₃ leads to cells with more rectangular current–voltage curves and high fill factors. Additionally, the cells using the MoO₃ layer for hole extraction lead to high open circuit voltages of 0.9 V. In the case that a low bandgap hexafluorophosphate dye is used with the HOMO above that of the PEDOT:PSS the cell performance is independent on the type of hole transport layer employed. Using this approach, bilayer solar cells are obtained with power efficiencies ranging from 1.8 to 2.9% depending on the particular dye employed. These are impressive numbers for bilayer solar cell that are partially solution processed in ambient conditions.