A systematic comparative description of extant turtle humeri, with comments on humerus disparity and evolution based on fossil comparisons.

The humerus is central for locomotion in turtles as quadrupedal animals. Osteological variation across testudine clades remains poorly documented. Here, we systematically describe the humerus anatomy for all major extant turtle clades based on 38 species representing the phylogenetic and ecological diversity of crown turtles.

Analysis of excitatory and inhibitory neuron types in the inferior colliculus based on properties.

The inferior colliculus (IC) is a large midbrain nucleus that integrates inputs from many auditory brainstem and cortical structures. Despite its prominent role in auditory processing, the various cell types and their connections within the IC are not well characterized. To further separate GABAergic and non-GABAergic neuron types according to their physiological properties, we used a mouse model that expresses channelrhodopsin and enhanced yellow fluorescent protein in all GABAergic neurons and allows identification of GABAergic cells by light stimulation.

[Ischaemic and pharmacologic preconditioning: desflurane reduces renal reperfusion injury in rabbits].

Background: Anaesthetic preconditioning, i.e. administration of volatile agents before ischemia, is known to have protective effects on several organs, but remains uncertain on the kidney.

Development of an alarm management system to manage those alarms occurred during the illness prevention and management inside and outside the hospital environment.

A great amount of information is available to be exploited thanks to the use of information technologies. However, the systems that analyze this data lack the ability to alert the right clinical staff to important events, having some of the latest developments centered on the possibility of sending events from specific areas. The following system tries to solve these dependencies and offers a unique system capable of analyzing any data source and communicates the alarms through different means in an effective way.

Reversal of cardiac cirrhosis following orthotopic heart transplantation.

Irreversible hepatic cirrhosis greatly increases the risks attending heart transplantation (HT), and is accordingly considered to be an absolute contraindication for HT unless combined heart and liver transplantation can be performed. It is now recognized that hepatic cirrhosis can undergo regression if the source of insult is removed, but no cases of post-HT regression of cirrhosis of cardiac origin have hitherto been reported. Here we report a case of cardiac cirrhosis that underwent complete regression following orthotopic HT, and we discuss the implications of this case.

Biliary complications after liver transplantation from maastricht category-2 non-heart-beating donors.

Background: There are unresolved issues regarding the security of liver transplantation with non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs). Recently, an increased incidence of biliary complications, mainly intrahepatic ischemic-type biliary strictures, has been described after controlled NHBDs.

Methods: We studied the incidence and risk factors for biliary complications among uncontrolled NHBDs recipients compared with a large population of HBD recipients.

Impact of recipient HLA-C in liver transplant: a protective effect of HLA-Cw*07 on acute rejection.

The involvement of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) in liver graft acceptance is controversial, but the frequency of acute rejection (AR) remains high in spite of the use of the modern immunosuppressive agents. The present study was aimed at determining whether an association exists between liver recipient HLA-C polymorphism and AR development that could influence graft acceptance. Four hundred and forty-six liver recipients and 473 controls were studied within the framework of a collaborative study carried out by the Spanish Transplant Immunotolerance Group (RED-GIT).

Nitric oxide and liver microcirculation during autoregulation and haemorrhagic shock in rabbit model.

Background: Direct evidence of nitric oxide (NO) involvement in the regulation of hepatic microcirculation is not yet available under physiological conditions nor in haemorrhagic shock.

Methods: A laser Doppler flowmetry was used to measure liver perfusion index and a specific NO-sensitive electrode was inserted into liver parenchyma of anaesthetized rabbits. Hepatic autoregulation during moderate hypovolaemia {mean arterial pressure at 50 mm Hg without liver perfusion alteration; blood withdrawal 17.

Validation of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa porcine model of septic shock.

Objectives: To develop a standardized bacteraemic porcine model of septic shock with cardiovascular and immunological profiles similar to those observed in human clinical states.

Methods: Sepsis was induced by an intravenous challenge of 18 anaesthetized pigs with live Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The pulmonary arterial pressure was monitored and the bacterial infusion was stopped when the systolic pulmonary arterial pressure reached 45 mmHg.

[Experimental model of auxiliary heterotopic liver-intestinal transplantation].

In pigs, orthotopic liver-intestine transplantation (LITX) has high per operative morbidity and mortality. It is due to hemodynamic, coagulation and metabolism disorders during native liver hepatectomy (total hepatic vascular exclusion) and the postoperative diarrhea secondary to initial dysfunction of the graft and enterectomy of native intestine. To avoid those disturbances and to increase the survival, we have developed a porcine model of auxiliary heterotopic LITX.

Jejunal leiomyosarcoma, a rare cause of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding diagnosed by wireless capsule endoscopy.

Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding is a relatively frequent disorder and may account for as many as 5% of all cases of gastrointestinal bleeding. The etiology of these hemorrhages may be attributed to lesions in the small intestine, which may not show up in radiologic studies, located in areas inaccessible to conventional endoscopy. The case of a 50-year-old patient admitted to the hospital on two occasions for gastrointestinal bleeding requiring blood transfusions is reported.

Retransplantation for hepatitis C-related cirrhosis under long-term pegylated interferon therapy.

Introduction: Because of an increased organ shortage, one of the most controversial questions is whether hepatic retransplantation should be offered to transplant recipients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related graft failure because of their worse survival and the inevitable denial of other patients to access to primary transplantation. The objective of the present study was to review our experience with HCV-infected transplant recipients undergoing re-orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for HCV graft cirrhosis and receiving pegylated interferon and ribavirin on a prophylactic basis.

Results: With a median follow-up of 26 months, all 5 patients are alive with stable graft function.

Liver transplantation from maastricht category 2 non-heart-beating donors: a source to increase the donor pool?

Introduction: The demand for liver transplantation has increasingly exceeded the supply of cadaver donor organs. Non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs) may be an alternative to increase the cadaver donor pool. The outcome of 20 liver transplants from Maastricht category 2 NHBD was compared with that of 40 liver transplants from heart-beating donors (HBDs).

Ropivacaine combined with various anti-arrhythmic drugs results in mild alterations in myocardial contractility in pigs.

Purpose: The present study was undertaken following the observation of a marked decrease in myocardial contractility after ropivacaine in a patient on amiodarone, in order to investigate the cardiovascular effects of combining ropivacaine with anti-arrhythmic drugs (AARD).

Methods: Anesthetized domestic pigs were treated with disopyramide, flecainide, atenolol, amiodarone, diltiazem or nicardipine at a dose leading to blood levels obtained in treated patients, then received 1 mg*kg(-1) ropivacaine. Blood pressure (BP), left venticular (LV) dP/dt max, sinus heart rate, and intraventricular conduction time were measured before and following the administration of AARD, and following ropivacaine at different time points.

Liver transplantation from Maastricht category 2 non-heart-beating donors.

Background: The demand for liver transplantation has increasingly exceeded the supply of cadaver donor organs. Non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs) may be an alternative to increase the cadaver donor pool.

Methods: The outcome of 20 liver transplants from Maastricht category 2 NHBDs is compared with 40 liver transplants from heart-beating donors (HBDs).

Treatment of monomorphic B-cell lymphoma with rituximab after liver transplantation in a child.

Rituximab, a monoclonal antibody directed against the B-cell specific CD20 antigen has been used with success in post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) of B-cell phenotype. However, the use of such drug in children with liver transplantation and PTLD is very limited. We report a 2-yr-old liver transplant recipient with monomorphic non-Hodgkin lymphoma of B-cell origin.

Maternal aging and chromosomal abnormalities: new data drawn from in vitro unfertilized human oocytes.

The effect of maternal age on the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities was investigated on a large sample of 3,042 in vitro unfertilized human oocytes II obtained from 792 women aged 19-46 years and participating in an in vitro fertilization program for various indications. The chromosomal analysis combined a gradual fixation of oocytes and an adapted R-banding technique. A total of 1,397 interpretable karyotypes were obtained.

Mechanisms of non-disjunction in human female meiosis: the co-existence of two modes of malsegregation evidenced by the karyotyping of 1397 in-vitro unfertilized oocytes.

Background: Although numerous studies have been published on the chromosomal constitution of in-vitro unfertilized human oocytes, data remain highly variable and controversial because of the size of oocyte samples, technical reservations and potential misinterpretation.

Methods: A cytogenetic study was undertaken on 3042 unfertilized human oocytes recovered from 792 women participating in an IVF programme for various infertility problems. Both a gradual fixation technique and an R-banding procedure were used.

Auxiliary liver transplantation with portal arterialization in the rat: description of a new model.

In recent years, portal arterialization has been used in liver transplantation to increase the portal flow, as a solution for singular technical problems. We have developed a new auxiliary liver transplantation model in the rat with portal arterialization, so the native hepatic hilium remains untouched, consisting on a graft with a previous 70% hepatectomy. It is sited on the right renal bed, joining the infrahepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) of the graft with the recipient IVC.

Salpingectomy for repeated embryo nonimplantation after in vitro fertilization in patients with severe tubal factor infertility.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of salpingectomy on the rates of embryo implantation and pregnancy in patients with severe, irreversible tubal factor sterility.

Methods: A retrospective study of patients with repeated failure of in vitro fertilization due to nonimplantation of the embryo. Seventy-two patients with severe and irreversible tubal factor sterility were selected following repeated failure of in vitro fertilization (IVF) due to assumed nonimplantation of the embryo: 35 underwent a salpingectomy before continuing IVF cycles and 37 continued IVF cycles without salpingectomy.

[Coasting: a response to excessive ovarian stimulation].

The ovarian hyperstimulation treatment increases results of in vitro fertilization. However, the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome must be carefully evaluated for each patient. An excessive response increases complication and cancellation rates.

Complete mutational screening of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene: cystic fibrosis mutations are not involved in healthy men with reduced sperm quality.

Based on the analysis of the most frequent mutations responsible for cystic fibrosis (CF), a higher than expected frequency of CF mutations was recently reported in men with infertility due to reduced sperm quality. To further document whether this condition is associated with severe or mild abnormalities of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) functions, we carried out a complete scanning of CFTR sequences using a strategy that detects almost all 850 mutations and 150 polymorphisms reported to date in the CFTR gene. We have investigated a cohort of 56 patients with severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) and 50 controls from southern France for CFTR gene mutations and variations.