Inadvertent trypan blue staining of posterior capsule during cataract surgery associated with Argentinian flag event

Trypan blue is common in visualizing the anterior capsule during cataract surgery. Inadvertent staining of the posterior capsule during phacoemulsification is a rare complication and there are few reports in the literature. The proposed mechanism of posterior capsule staining in previous reports includes a compromised zonular apparatus or iris retractors facilitating the posterior flow of trypan blue. We report the first case of trypan blue staining of the posterior capsule associated with the “Argentinian flag” sign. In our case, the “Argentinian flag” allowed the trypan blue to seep between the posterior capsule and the lens, staining the anterior surface of the posterior capsule

Exploring the limit of metazoan thermal tolerance via comparative proteomics: thermally induced changes in protein abundance by two hydrothermal vent polychaetes

Temperatures around hydrothermal vents are highly variable, ranging from near freezing up to 300°C. Nevertheless, animals thrive around vents, some of which live near the known limits of animal thermotolerance. Paralvinella sulfincola, an extremely thermotolerant vent polychaete, and Paralvinella palmiformis, a cooler-adapted congener, are found along the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the northwestern Pacific. We conducted shipboard high-pressure thermotolerance experiments on both species to characterize the physiological adaptations underlying P. sulfincola's pronounced thermotolerance. Quantitative proteomics, expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries and glutathione assays revealed that P. sulfincola (i) exhibited an upregulation in the synthesis and recycling of glutathione with increasing temperature, (ii) downregulated nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and succinate dehydrogenases (key enzymes in oxidative phosphorylation) with increasing temperature, and (iii) maintained elevated levels of heat shock proteins (HSPs) across all treatments. In contrast, P. palmiformis exhibited more typical responses to increasing temperatures (e.g. increasing HSPs at higher temperatures). These data reveal differences in how a mesotolerant and extremely thermotolerant eukaryote respond to thermal stress, and suggest that P. sulfincola's capacity to mitigate oxidative stress via increased synthesis of antioxidants and decreased flux through the mitochondrial electron transport chain enable pronounced thermotolerance. Ultimately, oxidative stress may be the key factor in limiting all metazoan thermotolerance.Organismic and Evolutionary Biolog

Comparison of human uterine cervical electrical impedance measurements derived using two tetrapolar probes of different sizes

BACKGROUND We sought to compare uterine cervical electrical impedance spectroscopy measurements employing two probes of different sizes, and to employ a finite element model to predict and compare the fraction of electrical current derived from subepithelial stromal tissue. METHODS Cervical impedance was measured in 12 subjects during early pregnancy using 2 different sizes of the probes on each subject. RESULTS Mean cervical resistivity was significantly higher (5.4 vs. 2.8 Ωm; p < 0.001) with the smaller probe in the frequency rage of 4–819 kHz. There was no difference in the short-term intra-observer variability between the two probes. The cervical impedance measurements derived in vivo followed the pattern predicted by the finite element model. CONCLUSION Inter-electrode distance on the probes for measuring cervical impedance influences the tissue resistivity values obtained. Determining the appropriate probe size is necessary when conducting clinical studies of resistivity of the cervix and other human tissues

Coupled dynamics of voltage and calcium in paced cardiac cells

We investigate numerically and analytically the coupled dynamics of transmembrane voltage and intracellular calcium cycling in paced cardiac cells using a detailed physiological model and its reduction to a three-dimensional discrete map. The results provide a theoretical framework to interpret various experimentally observed modes of instability ranging from electromechanically concordant and discordant alternans to quasiperiodic oscillations of voltage and calcium

Microcorrosion Casting of the Human Respiratory Acinus

Microcorrosion casts demonstrating the respiratory acini of human lungs were produced using Tensol Cement No. 70 (a methyl methacrylate mixture). Lung casts were made from foetuses of 19 weeks\u27 gestation to term, a child of 5 years and two adults. Tensol Cement No. 70 was found to infuse the most peripheral airspaces without tissue penetration and could be airdried. Attempts using Batson\u27s medium were hampered by permeation of the airway walls and inability to withstand airdrying. Despite the use of autopsy material, good cell impressions were seen. At 19 weeks\u27 gestation, the respiratory acinus is simple with only two or three generations of rather tubular respiratory bronchioles. In later intra-uterine development, the number of generations of intraacinar airways increases and the most peripheral airspaces expand to form initially shallow but later cup-shaped saccules. At all ages, the proximal airways of the acinus have regularly-spaced deep cell impressions suggesting a cuboidal/columnar epithelium while the distal airspaces have less frequent shallow cell impressions suggesting a flattened epithelium. Measurements of the maximum diameter of the most peripheral airspaces show an approximate doubling of size between 19 weeks\u27 gestation and term and a further doubling by the age of 5 years

Soil biochemistry and microbial activity in vineyards under conventional and organic management at Northeast Brazil.

The São Francisco Submedium Valley is located at the Brazilian semiarid region and is an important center for irrigated fruit growing. This region is responsible for 97% of the national exportation of table grapes, including seedless grapes. Based on the fact that orgThe São Francisco Submedium Valley is located at the Brazilian semiarid region and is an important center for irrigated fruit growing. This region is responsible for 97% of the national exportation of table grapes, including seedless grapes. Based on the fact that organic fertilization can improve soil quality, we compared the effects of conventional and organic soil management on microbial activity and mycorrhization of seedless grape crops. We measured glomerospores number, most probable number (MPN) of propagules, richness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species, AMF root colonization, EE-BRSP production, carbon microbial biomass (C-MB), microbial respiration, fluorescein diacetate hydrolytic activity (FDA) and metabolic coefficient (qCO2). The organic management led to an increase in all variables with the exception of EE-BRSP and qCO2. Mycorrhizal colonization increased from 4.7% in conventional crops to 15.9% in organic crops. Spore number ranged from 4.1 to 12.4 per 50 g-1 soil in both management systems. The most probable number of AMF propagules increased from 79 cm-3 soil in the conventional system to 110 cm-3 soil in the organic system. Microbial carbon, CO2 emission, and FDA activity were increased by 100 to 200% in the organic crop. Thirteen species of AMF were identified, the majority in the organic cultivation system. Acaulospora excavata, Entrophospora infrequens, Glomus sp.3 and Scutellospora sp. were found only in the organically managed crop. S. gregaria was found only in the conventional crop. Organically managed vineyards increased mycorrhization and general soil microbial activity

A high-quality annually laminated sequence from Lake Belau, Northern Germany: Revised chronology and its implications for palynological and tephrochronological studies

The annually laminated record of Lake Belau offers an exceptional opportunity to investigate with high temporal resolution Holocene environmental change, aspects of climate history and human impact on the landscape. A new chronology based on varve counts, 14C-datings and heavy metal history has been established, covering the last 9400 years. Based on multiple varve counting on two core sequences, the easily countable laminated section spans about 7850 varve years (modelled age range c. 9430 to 1630 cal. BP). Not all of the record is of the same quality but approximately 69% of the varves sequence is classified to be of high quality and only c. 5% of low quality. The new chronology suggests dates generally c. 260 years older than previously assumed for the laminated section of the record. The implications for the vegetation and land-use history of the region as well as revised datings for pollen stratigraphical events are discussed. Tephra analysis allowed the identification of several cryptotephra layers. New dates for volcanic eruptions are presented for the Lairg B event (c. 6848 cal. BP, 2s range 6930–6713 cal. BP), the Hekla 4 event (c. 4396 cal. BP, 2s range 4417–4266 cal. BP), and Hekla 3 eruption (c. 3095 cal. BP, 2s range 3120–3068 cal. BP)

Estradiol alters the immune-responsiveness of cervical epithelial cells stimulated with ligands of Toll-like receptors 2 and 4.

The mucosa of the female reproductive tract plays a pivotal role in host defence. Pregnancy must alter immunological mechanisms at this interface to protect the conceptus. We sought to determine how estradiol (E2) alters the immune-responsiveness of cervical epithelial cells to ligand stimulation of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-2 and -4. Human ectocervical epithelial cells (HECECs) were cultured and co-incubated with two concentrations of E2 and peptidoglycan (PGN) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) over durations that ranged between 10 minutes and 18 hours. Cytometric Bead Array was performed to quantify eight cytokines in the supernatant fluid. In response to PGN, HECECs co-incubated with E2 released lesser quantities of IL-1ß and IFNγ, higher levels of RANTES, and variable levels of IL-6 and IL-8 than those not exposed to E2. In contrast, HECECs co-incubated with LPS and E2 secreted increased levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, and IFNγ at 2 and 18 hours than HECECs not exposed to E2, and reduced levels of RANTES at same study time-points. Estradiol alters the immune-responsiveness of cultured HECECs to TLR2 and TLR4 ligands in a complex fashion that appears to vary with bacterial ligand, TLR subtype, and duration of exposure. Our observations are consistent with the functional complexity that this mucosal interface requires for its immunological roles

Comparison of diurnal variations, gestational age and gender related differences in fetal heart rate (FHR) parameters between appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) and small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses in the home environment

Objective To assess the influence of gender, time of the day and gestational age on fetal heart rate (FHR) parameters between appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) and small-for-gestational age (SGA) fetuses using a portable fetal ECG monitor employed in the home setting. Methods We analysed and compared the antenatal FHR data collected in the home setting on 61 healthy pregnant women with singleton pregnancies from 24 weeks gestation. Of the 61 women, 31 had SGA fetuses (estimated fetal weight below the tenth gestational centile) and 30 were pregnant with AGA fetuses. FHR recordings were collected for up to 20 h. Two 90 min intervals were deliberately chosen retrospectively with respect to signal recording quality, one during day-time and one at night-time for comparison. Results Overall, success rate of the fetal abdominal ECG in the AGA fetuses was 75.7% compared to 48.6% in the SGA group. Based on randomly selected episodes of heart rate traces where recording quality exceeded 80% we were able to show a marginal difference between day and night-time recordings in AGA vs. SGA fetuses beyond 32 weeks of gestation. A selection bias in terms of covering different representation periods of fetal behavioural states cannot be excluded. In contrast to previous studies, we neither controlled maternal diet and activity nor measured maternal blood hormone and heart rate as all mothers were monitored in the home environment. Conclusion Based on clinically unremarkable, but statistically significant differences in the FHR parameters between the AGA and SGA group we suggest that further studies with large sample size are required to assess the clinical value of antenatal fetal ECG monitoring