In Vitro Proof of Concept of a First-Generation Growth-Accommodating Heart Valved Conduit for Pediatric Use.

Currently available heart valve prostheses have no growth potential, requiring children with heart valve diseases to endure multiple valve replacement surgeries with compounding risks. This study demonstrates the in vitro proof of concept of a biostable polymeric trileaflet valved conduit designed for surgical implantation and subsequent expansion via transcatheter balloon dilation to accommodate the growth of pediatric patients and delay or avoid repeated open-heart surgeries. The valved conduit is formed via dip molding using a polydimethylsiloxane-based polyurethane, a biocompatible material shown here to be capable of permanent stretching under mechanical loading.

Design optimization of a cardiovascular stent with application to a balloon expandable prosthetic heart valve.

A cardiovascular stent design optimization method is proposed with application to a pediatric balloon-expandable prosthetic heart valve. The prosthetic valved conduit may be expanded to a larger permanent diameter via subsequent transcatheter balloon dilation procedures. While multiple expandable prosthetic heart valves are currently at different stages of development, this work is focused on one particular design in which a stent is situated inside of an expandable polymeric valved conduit.

Mechanical considerations for polymeric heart valve development: Biomechanics, materials, design and manufacturing.

The native human heart valve leaflet contains a layered microstructure comprising a hierarchical arrangement of collagen, elastin, proteoglycans and various cell types. Here, we review the various experimental methods that have been employed to probe this intricate microstructure and which attempt to elucidate the mechanisms that govern the leaflet's mechanical properties. These methods include uniaxial, biaxial, and flexural tests, coupled with microstructural characterization techniques such as small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), small angle light scattering (SALS), and polarized light microscopy.

A novel phase field method for modeling the fracture of long bones.

A proximal humerus fracture is an injury to the shoulder joint that necessitates medical attention. While it is one of the most common fracture injuries impacting the elder community and those who suffer from traumatic falls or forceful collisions, there are almost no validated computational methods that can accurately model these fractures. This could be due to the complex, inhomogeneous bone microstructure, complex geometries, and the limitations of current fracture mechanics methods.

Probabilistic Model Updating for Sizing of Hole-Edge Crack Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors and the High-Order Extended Finite Element Method.

This paper presents a novel framework for probabilistic crack size quantification using fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. The key idea is to use a high-order extended finite element method (XFEM) together with a transfer (T)-matrix method to analyze the reflection intensity spectra of FBG sensors, for various crack sizes. Compared with the standard FEM, the XFEM offers two superior capabilities: (i) a more accurate representation of fields in the vicinity of the crack tip singularity and (ii) alleviation of the need for costly re-meshing as the crack size changes.

Streptozotocin-induced diabetes, bile-pancreatic secretion and insulo-pancreon-axis interaction.

The present tests were undertaken in order to analyze in male Wistar rats the changes in the exocrine and endocrine pancreas and on the interactions that normally evolve in the insulo-pancreon-axis. To evaluate this by a single i.p.

Paediatric community-acquired septic shock: results from the REPEM network study.

Unlabelled: INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: With this study we aimed to describe a "true world" picture of severe paediatric 'community-acquired' septic shock and establish the feasibility of a future prospective trial on early goal-directed therapy in children. During a 6-month to 1-year retrospective screening period in 16 emergency departments (ED) in 12 different countries, all children with severe sepsis and signs of decreased perfusion were included.

Results: A 270,461 paediatric ED consultations were screened, and 176 cases were identified.

Primary adenosquamous carcinoma of the rectum. Report of 4 cases and review of the literature.

Objective: To review the experience of two referral centres in the management of an infrequent condition: primary adenosquamous carcinoma of the rectum, a rare disease.

Materials And Methods: Four cases of primary adenosquamous carcinomas of the rectum are reported with a review of the literature. No preoperative diagnosis of adenosquamous carcinoma was established.

[Autonomic nervous system and pancreas. (Analysis of the influence of different types of autonomic denervation in glandular regeneration phenomena and the interactions of the exocrine-endocrine-Axis)].

The present tests, in male Wistar rats, center around the trophic and functional changes of the pancreatic gland (R G), both exocrine and endocrine, induced by different types of autonomic nervous interruptions. First Group of Tests: Following one year celiac ganglionectomy (CG), nonpancreatectomized (Non-Pt) rats showed, basally, in blood, a drop of glucose (G), without changes of insulin (I). At autopsy, the CG animals showed an increase of the pancreatic we weight, of the total protein, of the RNA but not DNA.

[Is there pancreatic regeneration? Morphological and functional certification after a corporocaudal splenopancreatectomy/].

Introduction: The process of pancreatic regeneration, well known and accepted, is less known than the hepatic and includes different mechanisms and factors. Pancreatic regeneration is better known in acute pancreatitis. After an extensive pancreatic necrosis, the morphological and functional regeneration is assessed by dynamic computed tomography associated with normalization of glycemia and the exocrine function.

[Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. An infrequent cause of prolonged fever syndrome and leucocytosis in a young adult].

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare neoplasia usually associated with exposure to asbestos. The incidence in the population not in contact with asbestos is of one per million per year. The disease is most common in males over the age of 40, with signs and symptoms of neoplasic disease together with abdominal pain and ascitis with or without a palpable abdominal mass.

Pure pancreatic juice in humans: orange-lemon-juice-induced secretory effects. Comparative analysis with a regular meal, sorbitol, acidified peptone broth and secretin.

The secretory effect elicited by the ingestion of 100 ml of orange-lemon juice (O.-L.J.

[Post-sectional antral peptic ulcer and antrofundic re-anastomosis in rats (manifestation of a probable antrofundic neuroendocrine center)].

The antrum-fundic section and re-anastomosis (AESR), liberates, in Wistar male rats, genuine antral peptic ulcers. They start within 20 days. They are progressive evolution, penetrating into all gastric walls.

[Hydroelactic and ecbolic of piprozoline on basal bile-pancreatic secretion in rats].

In male conscious rats provided with a new type of biliary-pancreatic fistula, the effects on basal bile-pancreatic secretion by piprozoline were analyzed when infused intraduodenally superimposed on a "plateau" reached by three previous collection periods of 30 minutes each. Different doses: 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg were evaluated at random during the first 48 hs. of fistula.

[Malignant tumors of extrahepatic bile ducts].

In connection with increased incidence of extrahepatic bile duct cancer, clinicalpathological characteristics, treatment and prognosis of this particular tumor are revised on the basis of data obtained from patients series observed by the authors and from those of the reference.

Sibship with histidinemia and an unrelated encephalopathy. Clinical and biochemical studies.

Histidinemia was found in 3 of 4 siblings in one family, while a fatal encephalopathy with mental retardation was present in two of them and in the fourth child who did not have histidinemia. Biochemical studies of the histidinemic subjects showed elevated histidine levels in urine, CSF, and brain, while in a few urine samples histidine related imidazole compounds were found. Plasma levels of other amino acids were positively correlated with plasma histidine levels.