Quadriceps muscle fat infiltration is associated with cardiometabolic risk in COPD.

Purpose: Losses of peripheral muscle mass and ectopic fat accumulation have been associated with cardiometabolic morbidity in COPD. We aimed at identifying the relationship between quadriceps muscle fat infiltration and cardiovascular risk.

Materials And Methods: From 2009 to 2014, 78 COPD patients (64 ± 8 years; 80% male) were prospectively included after having given written consent (ethical committee approval number: 2006-A00491-50).

Phantom evaluation of a navigation system for out-of-plane CT-guided puncture.

Objective: The purpose of this phantom study was to assess a new real time electromagnetically-guided navigation system and compare it to standard computed tomography (CT) guidance.

Material And Methods: A prospective, randomized, comparative study was carried out over a two-day period. Operators without prior experience on the new navigation system sequentially attempted to puncture two 6 mm-diameter targets (one attempt for each target) with out-of-plane trajectories using both the standard CT-guided method and the new navigation station (NAV method).

An automated method to analyze vocalization of unrestrained rats submitted to noxious electrical stimuli.

Unrestrained rats were subjected to electrical stimuli applied to their paws via an electrified cage floor. Intensity, duration, and order of stimulation were chosen after preliminary tests. Vocalization threshold and vocalization as a behavioral response were studied.