Computed tomography as a screening exam in patients with suspected blunt aortic injury.

BACKGROUND: Chest computed tomography (CT) screening of patients with blunt trauma for thoracic aortic injury is controversial. This study was undertaken to determine whether CT could exclude aortic injury and be used to select patients for aortography. METHODS: Computed tomography and aortography were used to evaluate 155 patients with blunt trauma. Computed tomography scans were reviewed separately by four attending radiologists who were unaware of the patients' clinical course and angiographic findings. RESULTS: Eight of 155 patients had aortic injuries requiring operation. Computed tomography scans in five patients were read as positive by all reviewers. One scan was read as positive by three reviewers and as negative by one. Two scans were read as positive by two radiologists and as negative by two. After poor scans were excluded, the combined sensitivity of CT for detecting aortic injury was 88%, specificity was 54%, positive predictive value was 9%, and negative predictive value 99%. CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivity of CT scan for indicating the need for aortography is observer dependent. As CT manifestations of aortic injury are often subtle, CT does not reliably exclude aortic injury.     

Radionuclide surveillance of the allografted pancreas

To determine the value of scintigraphy to detect posttransplantation complications of the allografted pancreas, we retrospectively reviewed 209 scintigrams obtained with 99mTc-sulfur colloid (99mTc-SC) and 99mTc-glucoheptonate (99mTc-GH). The scintigraphic studies were performed in 37 recipients of simultaneous renal and pancreatic allografts harvested from the same donor. 99mTc-SC was used as an indicator of thrombotic vasculitis; pancreatic perfusion and blood-pool parameters were monitored with 99mTc-GH. In 11 of the 37 recipients, scintigraphic abnormalities suggested posttransplantation infarction. Recurrent episodes of acute rejection of the pancreatic allograft, which always coincided with acute rejection of the renal allograft, were monitored in 24 recipients. Rejection-induced ischemic pancreatitis was suggested in 12 of the 24 recipients and persisted in 10 recipients for several weeks after improvement of renal allograft rejection. Pancreatic atrophy was suggested scintigraphically in 16 of the 24 recipients with recurrent episodes of rejection. Spontaneous pancreatic-duct obstruction and obstructive pancreatitis were associated with a scintigraphic pattern similar to that of rejection-induced ischemic pancreatitis. We concluded that the specific radionuclides used in this series are useful for the surveillance and assessment of posttransplantation pancreatic infarction, acute rejection, pancreatitis, and atrophy.     

Damaged chromatin does not prevent the exit from metaphase I in fused mouse oocytes

The presence of checkpoint mechanisms which are able to recognize damaged chromatin and thereafter to prevent exit from metaphase I has been investigated in giant mouse oocytes produced by fusion of a normal metaphase I oocyte with an equivalent oocyte with damaged chromatin. The presence of damaged chromatin did not prevent the onset of anaphase I in both sets of chromatin in the fused cells. Interestingly, fused or unfused cells containing only damaged chromatin failed to enter anaphase and persisted instead in a metaphase-like state. These results demonstrate the fragility of checkpoint controls in mammalian female germ cells.      

Artificial extracellular matrix for biomedical applications: biocompatible and biodegradable poly (tetramethylene ether) glycol/poly (ε-caprolactone diol)-based polyurethanes

The cells as a tissue component need to viscoelastic, biocompatible, biodegradable, and wettable extracellular matrix for their biological activity. In this study, in order to prepare biomedical polyurethane elastomers with good mechanical behavior and biodegradability, a series of novel polyester–polyether- based polyurethanes (PUs) were synthesized using a two-step bulk reaction by melting pre-polymer method, taking 1,4-Butanediol (BDO) as chain extender, hexamethylene diisocyanate as the hard segment, and poly (tetramethylene ether) glycol (PTMEG) and poly (ε-caprolactone diol) (PCL-Diol) as the soft segment without a catalyst. The soft to the hard segment ratio was kept constant in all samples. Polyurethane characteristics such as thermal and mechanical properties, wettability and water adsorption, biodegradability, and cellular behavior were changed by changing the ratio of polyether diol to polyester diol composition in the soft segment. Our present work provides a new procedure for the preparation of engineered polyurethanes in surface properties and biodegradability, which could be a good candidate for bone, cartilage, and skin tissue engineering.