A rat model of orthopedic injury-induced hypercoagulability and fibrinolytic shutdown.

Background: Postinjury hypercoagulability occurs in >25% of injured patients, increasing risk of thromboembolic complications despite chemoprophylaxis. However, few clinically relevant animal models of posttraumatic hypercoagulability exist. We aimed to evaluate a rodent model of bilateral hindlimb injury as a preclinical model of postinjury hypercoagulability.

Anatomy of a dinosaur-Clarification of vertebrae in vertebrate anatomy.

The flat-end surfaces of dinosaur vertebral centra led to the presumption that intervertebral discs occupied the space between their vertebrae. A set of fused hadrosaur vertebrae allowed that hypothesis to be tested. The Tyrannosaurus rex responsible for this pathology did not escape unscathed.

Laser-stimulated fluorescence in paleontology.

Fluorescence using ultraviolet (UV) light has seen increased use as a tool in paleontology over the last decade. Laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF) is a next generation technique that is emerging as a way to fluoresce paleontological specimens that remain dark under typical UV. A laser's ability to concentrate very high flux rates both at the macroscopic and microscopic levels results in specimens fluorescing in ways a standard UV bulb cannot induce.

Failure events in transition of care for surgical patients.

Background: Unexpected clinical deterioration (failure events) in surgical patients on standard nursing units (WARDs) could have a significant impact on eventual survival. We sought to investigate failure events requiring intensive care (surgical ICU [SICU]) transfer of surgical patients on WARDs in a single-center academic setting.

Study Design: Surgical patients admitted to WARDs over a 12-month period, who developed failure events, were retrospectively reviewed.

The power of the claw.

Scratches on bones have routinely been attributed to tooth marks (a predominantly untested speculation), ignoring the effects of claws, perhaps because of the general assumption that claws are too soft to damage bone. However, some pathologies appears to be more compatible with claw rather than tooth impacts. Therefore, it is critical to determine if the claws of any animal are capable of scratching into the surface of any bone--a test and proof of concept.

Physical evidence of predatory behavior in Tyrannosaurus rex.

Feeding strategies of the large theropod, Tyrannosaurus rex, either as a predator or a scavenger, have been a topic of debate previously compromised by lack of definitive physical evidence. Tooth drag and bone puncture marks have been documented on suggested prey items, but are often difficult to attribute to a specific theropod. Further, postmortem damage cannot be distinguished from intravital occurrences, unless evidence of healing is present.

Raman spectroscopic documentation of Oligocene bladder stone.

Discovery of a fossil (30-35 million-year-old) urolith from Early Oligocene deposits in northeastern Colorado provides the earliest evidence for the antiquity of bladder stones. These are spherical objects with a layered phosphatic structure and a hollow center. Each layer is composed of parallel crystals oriented perpendicular to the surface.

No association of time from surgery with functional deficits in athletes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: evidence for objective return-to-sport criteria.

Background: Release for full activity and return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is often dictated by time from surgery and subjective opinion by the medical team. Temporal guidelines for return to sport may not accurately identify impaired strength and neuromuscular control, which are associated with increased risk for second injury (contralateral and/or ipsilateral limb) after ACLR in athletes.

Hypotheses: Athletes undergoing ACLR and returning to sport would demonstrate functional deficits that would not be associated with time from surgery.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex lipid virulence factors preserved in the 17,000-year-old skeleton of an extinct bison, Bison antiquus.

Tracing the evolution of ancient diseases depends on the availability and accessibility of suitable biomarkers in archaeological specimens. DNA is potentially information-rich but it depends on a favourable environment for preservation. In the case of the major mycobacterial pathogens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae, robust lipid biomarkers are established as alternatives or complements to DNA analyses.

Microfluidics-based capture of human neutrophils for expression analysis in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage.

Gene expression analysis can be a powerful tool in predicting patient outcomes and identifying patients who may benefit from targeted therapies. However, isolating human blood polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) for genomic analysis has been challenging. We used a novel microfluidic technique that isolates PMNs by capturing CD66b(+) cells and compared it with dextran-Ficoll gradient isolation.

Fossil evidence of avian crops from the Early Cretaceous of China.

The crop is characteristic of seed-eating birds today, yet little is known about its early history despite remarkable discoveries of many Mesozoic seed-eating birds in the past decade. Here we report the discovery of some early fossil evidence for the presence of a crop in birds. Two Early Cretaceous birds, the basal ornithurine Hongshanornis and a basal avian Sapeornis, demonstrate that an essentially modern avian digestive system formed early in avian evolution.

Lipooligosaccharide Structure is an Important Determinant in the Resistance of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae to Antimicrobial Agents of Innate Host Defense.

The strict human pathogen Neisseria gonorrhoeae has caused the sexually transmitted infection termed gonorrhea for thousands of years. Over the millennia, the gonococcus has likely evolved mechanisms to evade host defense systems that operate on the genital mucosal surfaces in both males and females. Past research has shown that the presence or modification of certain cell envelope structures can significantly impact levels of gonococcal susceptibility to host-derived antimicrobial compounds that bathe genital mucosal surfaces and participate in innate host defense against invading pathogens.

All-terrain vehicle safety in Florida: is legislation really the answer?

Florida is among the nation's leaders in all-terrain vehicle (ATV)-related injuries and fatalities. We hypothesized that patients sustaining injuries while in compliance with ATV laws would demonstrate less severe injury patterns and improved outcomes when compared with noncompliant patients. We reviewed patients treated for ATV-related injuries over a 36-month period.

100-million-year dynasty of giant planktivorous bony fishes in the Mesozoic seas.

Large-bodied suspension feeders (planktivores), which include the most massive animals to have ever lived, are conspicuously absent from Mesozoic marine environments. The only clear representatives of this trophic guild in the Mesozoic have been an enigmatic and apparently short-lived Jurassic group of extinct pachycormid fishes. Here, we report several new examples of these giant bony fishes from Asia, Europe, and North America.

Model tests of gliding with different hindwing configurations in the four-winged dromaeosaurid Microraptor gui.

Fossils of the remarkable dromaeosaurid Microraptor gui and relatives clearly show well-developed flight feathers on the hind limbs as well as the front limbs. No modern vertebrate has hind limbs functioning as independent, fully developed wings; so, lacking a living example, little agreement exists on the functional morphology or likely flight configuration of the hindwing. Using a detailed reconstruction based on the actual skeleton of one individual, cast in the round, we developed light-weight, three-dimensional physical models and performed glide tests with anatomically reasonable hindwing configurations.

The birdlike raptor Sinornithosaurus was venomous.

We suggest that some of the most avian dromaeosaurs, such as Sinornithosaurus, were venomous, and propose an ecological model for that taxon based on its unusual dentition and other cranial features including grooved teeth, a possible pocket for venom glands, and a groove leading from that pocket to the exposed bases of the teeth. These features are all analogous to the venomous morphology of lizards. Sinornithosaurus and related dromaeosaurs probably fed on the abundant birds of the Jehol forests during the Early Cretaceous in northeastern China.

A new dosing protocol reduces dexmedetomidine-associated hypotension in critically ill surgical patients.

Background: Although no ideal sedative exists, dexmedetomidine is unique because it produces sedation and analgesia without decreasing the respiratory drive. Hemodynamic responses to dexmedetomidine are variable and dependent on the patient population. Our initial experience was associated with an unacceptable incidence of hypotension and bradycardia.

Endovascular treatment of traumatic thoracic aortic injuries.

Background: Although a large proportion of patients with traumatic thoracic aortic injury die before undergoing definitive repair, those who survive still face ongoing risk of death and morbidity. Endovascular therapy may offer a minimally invasive alternative in the repair of the aortic injury.

Study Design: We reviewed our experience with endovascular repair of traumatic aortic injuries using medical records, imaging studies, and a prospectively maintained endovascular and institutional trauma database.

Phylogeography of lions (Panthera leo ssp.) reveals three distinct taxa and a late Pleistocene reduction in genetic diversity.

Lions were the most widespread carnivores in the late Pleistocene, ranging from southern Africa to the southern USA, but little is known about the evolutionary relationships among these Pleistocene populations or the dynamics that led to their extinction. Using ancient DNA techniques, we obtained mitochondrial sequences from 52 individuals sampled across the present and former range of lions. Phylogenetic analysis revealed three distinct clusters: (i) modern lions, Panthera leo; (ii) extinct Pleistocene cave lions, which formed a homogeneous population extending from Europe across Beringia (Siberia, Alaska and western Canada); and (iii) extinct American lions, which formed a separate population south of the Pleistocene ice sheets.

Phosphoethanolamine substitution of lipid A and resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to cationic antimicrobial peptides and complement-mediated killing by normal human serum.

The capacity of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to cause disseminated gonococcal infection requires that such strains resist the bactericidal action of normal human serum. The bactericidal action of normal human serum against N. gonorrhoeae is mediated by the classical complement pathway through an antibody-dependent mechanism.

Perceived value of trauma autopsy among trauma medical directors and coroners.

Introduction: Although autopsy is acknowledged as essential for improving quality of medical care of trauma patients and accuracy of injury surveillance systems, the autopsy rate has remained well below 100% for certain categories of trauma. We obtained recent documentation of the frequency of autopsy among trauma-related deaths in Ohio, and surveyed coroners and trauma program medical directors (TMDs) about the perceived benefits and challenges of performing autopsy.

Materials And Methods: Copies of death certificates were obtained for the years 1996-2001.