Adapting to the Abyss: Passive Ventilation in the Deep-Sea Glass Sponge Euplectella aspergillum.

We analyze the flow physics inside the body cavity and downstream the deep-sea glass sponge Euplectella aspergillum. We provide evidence that the helical skeletal motifs of the sponge give rise to a rich fluid dynamic field, allowing the organism to scavenge flow from the bottom of the sea and promoting a spontaneous, organized vertical flow within its body cavity toward the osculum. Our analysis points at a functional adaptation of the organism, which can passively divert flow through the osculum in unfavorable, low ambient currents, with no need for active pumping, with potential repercussions in functional ecology, as well as the design of chemical reactors, air-treatment units, and civil and aeronaval structures.

Comparative Analysis of Patient-Specific Aortic Dissections through Computational Fluid Dynamics Suggests Increased Likelihood of Degeneration in Partially Thrombosed False Lumen.

Aortic dissection is a life-threatening vascular disease associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, especially in medically underserved communities. Understanding patients' blood flow patterns is pivotal for informing evidence-based treatment as they greatly influence the disease outcome. The present study investigates the flow patterns in the false lumen of three aorta dissections (fully perfused, partially thrombosed, and fully thrombosed) in the chronic phase, and compares them to a healthy aorta.

[Syphilitic gastritis with secondary malabsorption syndrome (exudative hypoproteinemia). A clinical case and review of syphilitic gastropathies].

The case is described of a 39 year old man referred for clinical treatment of widespread oedema in the lower half of the body, especially the lower extremities. He was suffering from a gastroenteric protein malabsorption syndrome caused by syphilitic hypertrophic gastritis (tertiary syphilis). The syphilitic origin of the gastropathy was confirmed ex iuvantibus by penicillin treatment which cured the condition completely.