Pneumatosis intestinalis: a review.

Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is an uncommon but important condition in which gas is found in a linear or cystic form in the submucosa or subserosa of the bowel wall. PI is a sign, not a disease; therefore, its relevance should be interpreted within the whole clinical context. PI has been found in several distinctive clinical settings: 1) in premature infants with necrotizing enterocolitis; 2) in adults with obstructive pulmonary disease; 3) in adults and children with a wide variety of associated conditions, including pyloric stenosis, jejunoileal bypass, progressive systemic sclerosis, transplantation, ischemic bowel, and drug therapy, particularly steroids, chemotherapy, and immunosuppression; 4) in adults as a primary benign problem; and 5) as an incidental finding in endoscopic mucosal biopsies.

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction in infants and children caused by diverse abnormalities of the myenteric plexus.

Background: Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction is a motility disorder that leads to severe disability in infants and children. Our purpose was to study the myenteric plexus in infants and children with pseudo-obstruction

Methods: Using cross sections stained with H&E and frozen tangential sections of the myenteric plexus processed using Smith's silver technique, the myenteric plexus of the stomach, small intestine, and colon from 26 affected infants and children was analyzed quantitatively.

Results: Under H&E staining, there were decreased neuron scores of 34.

Experimental ionization cross-sections of phosphorus and calcium by electron spectroscopic imaging.

The absolute partial electron scattering cross-section for the phosphorus L2,3-shell ionization was measured by electron spectroscopic imaging using poliovirus as a primary standard. The equivalent calcium cross-section was obtained in relation to phosphorus using the stoichiometric ratio for these two elements in hydroxyapatite, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2. At 80 keV, the partial cross-section of phosphorus was 2.

Electron energy loss spectroscopic imaging in biology.

One of the goals in biology is to relate the ultrastructure with the movement of elements to understand better physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms. Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) imaging, which was developed in the last decade, appears to be an ideal technique to make such correlation. EELS takes advantage of the energy distribution of transmitted electrons which interacted with the specimen.

Imaging of calcium in biological specimens: role of electron energy loss spectroscopy.

The regulation of intracytoplasmic calcium is an essential mechanism involved in many normal cytological functions. Disorders of calcium regulation are coupled to numerous pathological conditions. Calcium is such a universal participant that knowledge of its fine movements and sites of action is essential for the understanding of many biological phenomena at the cellular level.