The Use of Advanced Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography During Simple and Complex Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repairs.

Background: Endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) success depends on imaging technology both in the planning and operative phases. Endovascular repair requires intravenous contrast and radiation exposure to the patient as well as radiation exposure to the operator. Recent developments in imaging technology attempt to merge preoperative imaging with intraoperative imaging to improve the efficiency and accuracy of EVAR.

In silico evaluation of the potential allergenicity of a fungal biomass from Rhizomucor pusillus for use as a novel food ingredient.

The world's hunger for novel food ingredients drives the development of safe, sustainable, and nutritious novel food products. For foods containing novel proteins, potential allergenicity of the proteins is a key safety consideration. One such product is a fungal biomass obtained from the fermentation of Rhizomucor pusillus.

Use of the GORE Conformable Excluder Device in Highly Angulated Aortic Neck Anatomy: Mid-term Outcomes.

Introduction: Patients with complex aortic anatomy require meticulous surgical planning to optimize intraoperative and postoperative outcomes. The GORE Excluder Conformable Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Endoprosthesis (CEXC Device, WL Gore and Associates, Flagstaff, AZ) allows for endovascular treatment of highly angulated and short proximal neck abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). Owing to its recent approval, short-term clinical outcomes of this device remain scarce.

In silico and in vitro safety assessment of a fungal biomass from Rhizomucor pusillus for use as a novel food ingredient.

To address the growing world population and reduce the impact of environmental changes on the global food supply, ingredients are being produced using microorganisms to yield sustainable and innovative products. Food ingredients manufactured using modern biotechnology must be produced by non-toxigenic and nonpathogenic production organisms that do not harbor antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Several fungal species represent attractive targets as sources of alternative food products.

COVID-19-related Peripheral Arterial Thrombosis Treated in a Large Health Maintenance Organization.

Background: COVID-19 was initially identified as an acute respiratory disease, but it was quickly recognized that multiple organ systems could be affected. Venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism have been well reported. However, there is a paucity of data on COVID-19-related arterial thrombosis.

Percutaneous Axillary Artery Access for Peripheral and Complex Endovascular Interventions: Clinical Outcomes and Cost Benefits.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the safety, efficacy, and applicability of percutaneous axillary artery (pAxA) access in patients requiring upper extremity large sheath access during complex aortic, cardiac, and peripheral endovascular procedures. We also take this opportunity to address the potential cost-benefits offered by pAxA access compared to open upper extremity access.

Methods: A total of 26 consecutive patients, between June 2018 and October 2020, underwent endovascular intervention, requiring upper extremity access (UEA).

Safety assessment of glutaminase from .

Glutaminase (glutamine aminohydrolase EC 3.5.1.

Safety assessment of miraculin using in silico and in vitro digestibility analyses.

Miraculin is a glycoprotein with the ability to make sour substances taste sweet. The safety of miraculin has been evaluated using an approach proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization for assessing the safety of novel proteins. Miraculin was shown to be fully and rapidly digested by pepsin in an in vitro digestibility assay.

Dietary Exposures to Common Emulsifiers and Their Impact on the Gut Microbiota: Is There a Cause for Concern?

Emulsifiers are commonly used in food processing for the technological purpose of altering the flavor or to improve the texture of foods. Due to their ubiquity, these substances are consumed daily at low levels in the human diet. Recently published in vitro and in vivo studies suggest dietary exposure to emulsifiers modulate the gut microbiota and contribute to the increasing prevalence of metabolic disease.

Technique to Avoid Hemodialysis Catheter in Patients with Failing Aneurysmal Arteriovenous Fistula by Creating a Concomitant New Arteriovenous Fistula.

Autogenous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the primary recommended access for hemodialysis. Long-term use will not uncommonly result in AVF aneurysmal degeneration. Aneurysm-associated complications encompass pain, skin ulceration, infection, thrombosis, cannulation difficulties, and life-threatening bleeding.

Carotid Artery Angioplasty and Stenting for Atherosclerotic Plaque with Mobile Intimal Flap.

Atherosclerotic carotid stenosis associated with a mobile carotid plaque (MCP) is a relatively rare entity, observed in less than 1 in 2,000 carotid ultrasound examinations. As such, the natural history of this lesion and risk for neurological thromboembolic complications are not well defined. Small case reports have described treatment varying from medical management with anticoagulation, to carotid endarterectomy, and more recently, carotid stenting.

Genotoxicity, acute and subchronic toxicity evaluation of savory food ingredients.

The potential toxicity of two savory food ingredients produced by fermentation of enzymatically hydrolyzed corn starch (Savory Base 100 and Savory Base 200) was evaluated individually in a bacterial reverse mutation assay, an in vitro mammalian cell gene mutation assay, an acute oral study and as a mixture in a 90-day dietary study. In the bacterial reverse mutation and in vitro mammalian cell gene mutation assays, neither ingredient was mutagenic at concentrations up to 5000 μg/plate and 5000 μg/mL, respectively in the presence and absence of metabolic activation. In the acute study, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for each Savory Base 100 and Savory Base 200 in male and female rats was 2000 mg/kg body weight.

Lipid-soluble green tea extract: Genotoxicity and subchronic toxicity studies.

To assess the potential safety of lipid soluble green tea extract, also referred to as lipid soluble tea polyphenols (LSTP), a series of genotoxicity tests were conducted, including an Ames, in vivo mouse micronucleus, and in vivo mouse sperm abnormality test. The toxicity of LSTP was evaluated in 90- and 30-day feeding studies. LSTP did not show mutagenic activity in the Ames test and no genotoxic potential in the in vivo assays at doses up to 10 g/kg body weight (bw).

Endovascular Repair of Concomitant Celiac and Splenic Artery Aneurysms Using a Combination of Coil Embolization and Aortic Cuff Stent Graft.

Large celiac artery aneurysms are associated with a high rupture and mortality risk. Traditionally, open surgical repair has been the mainstay of treatment. Endovascular alternatives have been increasingly described, ranging from coil embolization to exclusion with covered stent grafts.

Genotoxicity and subchronic toxicity evaluation of dried Euglena gracilis ATCC PTA-123017.

Euglena gracilis is a microalga capable of synthesizing various nutrients of interest in human and animal nutrition. When cultivated aerobically in the dark, Euglena synthesize paramylon, a storage polysaccharide comprised of high molecular weight beta-1,3-D-glucose polymers organized in cytoplasmic granules. Beta-glucans have been shown to have immune modulation effects, including anti-microbial, anti-tumor, and anti-oxidant properties, and metabolic effects, such as regulation of cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Clinical safety evaluation of marine oil derived from Calanus finmarchicus.

Marine oils are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), including docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acid. These PUFAs are associated with health benefits and additional sustainable sources of marine oils are desirable. One of the source organisms is Calanus finmarchicus, a copepod endemic to the North Atlantic.

Safety evaluation of nuclease P1 from Penicillium citrinum.

Nuclease P1 has been widely used in the food industry to enhance or create flavor. One commercial source of this enzyme is Penicillium citrinum, an anamorphic mesophilic fungus with a long history of safe use in Europe and Asia as a fermentation organism used in the production of ribonucleases. Given the intended use in food for human consumption, and noting its potential presence at trace levels in finished products, a series of safety studies including an in vitro Ames and chromosome aberration assay, an in vivo rat erythrocyte micronucleus assay and a 90-day oral toxicity study in rats were conducted.

Safety evaluation of AMP deaminase from Aspergillus oryzae.

Adenosine-5'-monophosphate (AMP) deaminase is an enzyme used to increase concentrations of 5'-inosine monophosphate in certain foods and beverages for flavoring purposes. One commercial source of this enzyme is Aspergillus oryzae, a filamentous fungus with a history of safe use in Asia as a fermentation organism used in the production of miso sauce and sake liquors. Noting the use of the enzyme in food intended for human consumption and potential presence at trace levels in finished goods, a series of safety studies including an in vitro Ames test and chromosome aberration assay with Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts were conducted along with a 90-day oral toxicity study in rats.

Chalcogenide fiber-based distributed temperature sensor with sub-centimeter spatial resolution and enhanced accuracy.

We demonstrate a sub-centimeter spatial resolution fiber-based distributed temperature sensor with enhanced measurement accuracy and reduced acquisition time. Our approach employs time domain analysis of backscattered Stokes and anti-Stokes photons generated via spontaneous Raman scattering in a chalcogenide (ChG) As2S3 fiber for temperature monitoring. The sensor performance is significantly improved by exploiting the high Raman coefficient and increased refractive index of the ChG fiber.

The Kaiser Permanente experience with ultrasound-guided percutaneous endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Background: This study was conducted to determine the effect of ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous access for percutaneous endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (PEVAR) on conversion to open repair by femoral cutdown. We also sought to identify other risk factors associated with failure of percutaneous access and conversion to femoral cutdowns.

Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective review of 101 patients who underwent PEVAR between January 1, 2005 and July 31, 2009 (56 months).

Single parameter optimization for simultaneous automatic compensation of multiple orders of dispersion for a 1.28 Tbaud signal.

We report the demonstration of automatic higher-order dispersion compensation for the transmission of 275 fs pulses associated with a Tbaud Optical Time Division Multiplexed (OTDM) signal. Our approach achieves simultaneous automatic compensation for 2nd, 3rd and 4th order dispersion using an LCOS spectral pulse shaper (SPS) as a tunable dispersion compensator and a dispersion monitor made of a photonic-chip-based all-optical RF-spectrum analyzer. The monitoring approach uses a single parameter measurement extracted from the RF-spectrum to drive a multidimensional optimization algorithm.

Photonic chip-based all-optical XOR gate for 40 and 160 Gbit/s DPSK signals.

We demonstrate a photonic chip-based all-optical exclusive-OR (XOR) gate for phase-encoded optical signals via four-wave mixing in a highly nonlinear, dispersion-engineered chalcogenide (As2S3) planar waveguide. We achieve error-free, XOR operation for 40 Gbit/s differential phase shift keying (DPSK) optical signals with no power penalty. The effectiveness and broad bandwidth operation of our approach is highlighted by implementing an XOR gate for 160 Gbit/s DPSK signals.

Ultrahigh-bandwidth, on-chip all-optical pulse erasure using the χ(3) process in a nonlinear chalcogenide waveguide.

We demonstrate on-chip all-optical pulse erasure based on four-wave mixing and cross-phase modulation in a dispersion engineered chalcogenide (As(2)S(3)) rib waveguide. We achieve an erasure efficiency of ~15 dB for picosecond pulses in good agreement with numerical simulations using the nonlinear Schrödinger equation. The combined effect of the high instantaneous optical nonlinearity (γ = 9900 (W km)(-1)) and small group-velocity dispersion (D = 29 ps/nm km), which reduces pulse walk-off, will enable all-optical pulse erasure for ultrafast signal processing.

Automatic dispersion compensation for 1.28Tb/s OTDM signal transmission using photonic-chip-based dispersion monitoring.

We present automatic dispersion control of 1.28Tb/s optical time domain multiplexed signals. The dispersion is monitored by measuring the power of the 1.