Utility of intravascular ultrasound in intracranial and extracranial neurointerventions: experience at University at Buffalo Neurosurgery-Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital.

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) generates high-resolution cross-sectional images and sagittal reconstructions of the vessel wall and lumen. As a result, this imaging modality can provide accurate measurements of the degree of vessel stenosis, allow the detection of intraluminal thrombus, and analyze the plaque composition. The IVUS modality is widely used in interventional cardiology, and its use in neurointerventions has gradually increased.

Posterior inferior cerebellar artery to posterior inferior cerebellar artery in situ bypass for the treatment of Bow hunter's-type dynamic ischemia in holovertebral dissection.

Background: Bow hunter's syndrome is a rare cause of vertebrobasilar insufficiency arising from mechanical compression of the vertebral artery (VA) during rotation of the head. Surgical treatment usually involves direct decompression of the VA at the site of compression. We describe what is to our knowledge the first reported case of a posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA)-to-PICA in situ bypass for treatment of Bow hunter's-type ischemia in a patient with a VA dissection.

First reported use of retrievable stent technology for removal of a large septic embolus in the middle cerebral artery.

Background: The treatment of acute ischemic stroke in the setting of infective endocarditis (IE) is not well established. Although there have been a few reports on the use of intravenous thrombolysis, the role of mechanical thrombolysis through embolectomy is unknown.

Case Description: A 78-year-old woman with an acute middle cerebral artery stroke secondary to septic embolization underwent successful stent retrieval of the septic embolus, followed by complete revascularization and neurologic improvement.

Horizontal deployment of an intracranial stent via an antegrade approach for coil embolization of a basilar apex aneurysm: technical note.

The treatment of basilar apex aneurysms has progressively become more minimalistic in nature. Although initial coil embolizations were geared towards those aneurysms with a favorable neck to dome ratio, wide necked aneurysms have also been increasingly treated by the endovascular route. Several techniques have been described in the stent assisted coiling of basilar apex aneurysms, including the Y stent formation, waffle cone technique and horizontal stenting.

Intravascular ultrasound-guided thrombus retrieval with a multipurpose-angled catheter during carotid artery stenting.

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) has provided invaluable real-time information during carotid artery stenting (CAS). We present a case of IVUS-guided thrombus extraction during CAS. A 46-year-old man underwent an urgent right CAS under proximal flow reversal for embolic protection for a hemodynamically significant symptomatic near-occlusion of the internal carotid artery.

Electroluminescence dependence on the organic thickness in ZnO nano rods/Alq3 heterostructure devices.

ZnO nanorods are synthesised by a hydrothermal method on ITO glass. Their crystallization and morphology are detected by XRD and SEM, respectively. The results show that the ZnO nanorod array has grown primarily along a direction aligned perpendicular to the ITO substrate.

The development of an adaptive upper-limb stroke rehabilitation robotic system.

Background: Stroke is the primary cause of adult disability. To support this large population in recovery, robotic technologies are being developed to assist in the delivery of rehabilitation. This paper presents an automated system for a rehabilitation robotic device that guides stroke patients through an upper-limb reaching task.

Utility of CT perfusion scanning in patient selection for acute stroke intervention: experience at University at Buffalo Neurosurgery-Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital.

Computed tomography perfusion scanning generates physiological flow parameters of the brain parenchyma, allowing differentiation of ischemic penumbra and core infarct. Perfusion maps, along with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, are used as the bases for endovascular stroke intervention at the authors' institute, regardless of the time interval from stroke onset. With case examples, the authors illustrate their perfusion-based imaging guidelines in patient selection for endovascular treatment in the setting of acute stroke.

Intra-arterial thrombolysis and thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke: technique and results.

Endovascular intraarterial (IA) strategies have emerged as important treatment options for patients with acute ischemic stroke who are ineligible for intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) or in whom such therapy has failed. The goal of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of percutaneous IA endovascular techniques aimed at revascularization in the setting of acute ischemic stroke from IA thrombolysis, mechanical thrombectomy, and primary intracranial stenting to retrievable-stent technology. For each modality, we focus on the existing clinical data, including our institutional experience and techniques.

A liposomal formulation able to incorporate a high content of Paclitaxel and exert promising anticancer effect.

A liposome formulation for paclitaxel was developed in this study. The liposomes, composed of naturally unsaturated and hydrogenated phosphatidylcholines, with significant phase transition temperature difference, were prepared and characterized. The liposomes exhibited a high content of paclitaxel, which was incorporated within the segregated microdomains coexisting on phospholipid bilayer of liposomes.

Enhanced properties of discrete pulmonary deoxyribonuclease I (DNaseI) loaded PLGA nanoparticles during encapsulation and activity determination.

In the present work, DNaseI loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) for pulmonary delivery were prepared using emulsion solvent evaporation. The effects of the various formulation and experimental variables on the size and morphological characteristics of the particles as well as on the encapsulation efficiency were investigated. The stability of the encapsulated DNaseI was evaluated and the respirable fraction was determined.

Dynamic ultrasonographic sign for posterior shoulder dislocation.

Acute posterior shoulder dislocation is rare, and its early diagnosis remains a challenge to the emergency physician. This report describes two cases of acute posterior shoulder dislocation confirmed by bedside ultrasound scan performed by the emergency physician. Bedside ultrasound for diagnosis of posterior shoulder dislocation is accurate, noninvasive, repeatable, convenient, and without ionizing radiation.

Word learning in children with primary language impairment: a meta-analysis.

Purpose: The present study is a meta-analysis that examines the difference in novel word learning performance between children with primary language impairment (LI) and typically developing children. Participant and task characteristics were examined as variables that potentially moderated children's word learning.

Method: Eight hundred and forty-six published studies were retrieved from conventional databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and Web of Science).

Lexical and grammatical associations in sequential bilingual preschoolers.

Purpose: The authors investigated potential relationships between traditional linguistic domains (words, grammar) in the first (L1) and second (L2) languages of young sequential bilingual preschool children.

Method: Participants were 19 children, ages 2;11 (years;months) to 5;2 (M = 4;3) who began learning Hmong as the L1 from birth and English as the L2 during early childhood. Measures were the number of different words (NDW) and mean length of utterance (MLU) produced during a story retell task and scores on picture identification, an independent measure of receptive vocabulary.

Bombesin functionalized gold nanoparticles show in vitro and in vivo cancer receptor specificity.

Development of cancer receptor-specific gold nanoparticles will allow efficient targeting/optimum retention of engineered gold nanoparticles within tumors and thus provide synergistic advantages in oncology as it relates to molecular imaging and therapy. Bombesin (BBN) peptides have demonstrated high affinity toward gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) receptors in vivo that are overexpressed in prostate, breast, and small-cell lung carcinoma. We have synthesized a library of GRP receptor-avid nanoplatforms by conjugating gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) with BBN peptides.

Utility of a cervical spine clearance protocol after trauma in children between 0 and 3 years of age.

Object: Cervical spine clearance after trauma in children 0-3 years of age is deceptively difficult. Young children may not be able to communicate effectively, and severe injuries may require intubation and sedation. Currently, no published guidelines are available to aid in decision-making in these complex situations.

Recognition of histone H3K4 trimethylation by the plant homeodomain of PHF2 modulates histone demethylation.

Distinct lysine methylation marks on histones create dynamic signatures deciphered by the "effector" modules, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We identified the plant homeodomain- and Jumonji C domain-containing protein PHF2 as a novel histone H3K9 demethylase. We show in biochemical and crystallographic analyses that PHF2 recognizes histone H3K4 trimethylation through its plant homeodomain finger and that this interaction is essential for PHF2 occupancy and H3K9 demethylation at rDNA promoters.

Gold(III) bis-thiosemicarbazonato complexes: synthesis, characterization, radiochemistry and X-ray crystal structure analysis.

Introduction: A variety of (bis)thiosemicarbazone-based ligand systems have been investigated as chelating agents for Au(III) complexes with potential radiotherapeutic applications. Ligand systems containing an ethyl, propyl or butyl backbone between the two imine N donors have been synthesized to evaluate chelate ring size effects on the resultant Au(III) complex stability at the macroscopic and radiotracer levels.

Methods: The Au(III) complexes were synthesized and characterized by NMR, electrospray ionization mass spectra, elemental analysis and X-ray crystallography.

Radioactive gold nanoparticles in cancer therapy: therapeutic efficacy studies of GA-198AuNP nanoconstruct in prostate tumor-bearing mice.

Unlabelled: Biocompatibility studies and cancer therapeutic applications of nanoparticulate beta-emitting gold-198 (198Au; beta(max) = 0.96 MeV; half-life of 2.7 days) are described.

Blood transfusions after thoracoscopic anterior thoracolumbar vertebrectomy.

Purpose: Anterior vertebral body reconstruction (AVBR) for trauma or tumor involves corpectomy and placement of hardware to reconstitute the anterior weight-bearing stability of the spine. We report our clinical experience with thoracoscopic techniques for AVBR.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent thoracoscopic AVBR surgery for expandable cage placement.

Brief report: Predictors of heavy Internet use and associations with health-promoting and health risk behaviors among Hong Kong university students.

To examine the correlates of heavy Internet use and determine the associations of heavy Internet use with various health risk behaviors and health-promoting behaviors among Chinese adolescents, an anonymous, self-administered health behavior questionnaire was completed by 2427 matriculants into a Hong Kong university (mean age=18.9 y) and returned at compulsory health examination. Of students, 14.

Correlation between ventriculomegaly on prenatal magnetic resonance imaging and the need for postnatal ventricular shunt placement.

Object: Pediatric neurosurgeons are increasingly called on to provide prognostic data regarding the antenatal diagnosis of ventriculomegaly. This study was designed to determine if there is a correlation between prenatal MR imaging results and the need for ventricular shunt placement during the neonatal period.

Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed the prenatal MR imaging data of 38 consecutive patients who had been referred for neurosurgical consultation following the diagnosis of ventriculomegaly.