Role of optical coherence tomography angiography in the characterization of vascular network patterns of ocular surface squamous neoplasia

PurposeTo visualize and quantify vascular networks in individuals with ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) through optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).MethodCross-sectional study of OSSN patients. Vascular networks were measured by OCTA in the epithelium and sub-epithelial space in the tumors, adjacent tissue, and in the contralateral eye. Vessel area density (VAD, percent of blood vessels within 2.14 mm²), was calculated for each location. Total tumor density (TTD, percent of blood vessels within the entire tumor) was calculated. VAD was assessed separately for corneal and conjunctival locations and compared.ResultsFifteen patients with OSSN were included. The mean age was 61 ± 12 years and the majority were male (80%). The mean tumor area, volume, depth, and TTD were 28.0 ± 9.0 mm² (range, 10.9–39.7), 9.1 ± 4.1 mm³ (range, 3.4–18.8), 334 ± 125 μm (range, 177–571), and 33.2% ± 11.0% (range, 18.7–58.8), respectively. The VAD was highest within the tumor (28.9% ± 8.7%) followed by the adjacent sub-epithelial tissue and the tissue underneath the conjunctival component of tumor. These densities were higher than the VAD in the tissues of the non-involved eye (all P < 0.05). The VAD within conjunctival component of tumor was significantly higher than those with corneal component (29.8% ± 9.5% vs. 21.1% ± 5.5%, p = 0.006). The VAD under conjunctival tumor was also significantly higher than under corneal component (24.1% ± 7.8% vs. 17.0% ± 6.1%, p = 0.024).ConclusionsOCTA imaging allowed for visualization and quantification of vessel structure and density within, under, and surrounding OSSN.     

Convergence and attractivity of memristor-based cellular neural networks with time delays

This paper presents theoretical results on the convergence and attractivity of memristor-based cellular neural networks (MCNNs) with time delays. Based on a realistic memristor model, an MCNN is modeled using a differential inclusion. The essential boundedness of its global solutions is proven. The state of MCNNs is further proven to be convergent to a critical-point set located in saturated region of the activation function, when the initial state locates in a saturated region. It is shown that the state convergence time period is finite and can be quantitatively estimated using given parameters. Furthermore, the positive invariance and attractivity of state in non-saturated regions are also proven. The simulation results of several numerical examples are provided to substantiate the results.     

血管移植搭桥治疗巨大动脉瘤

目的探讨中、高流量血管搭桥方法对颅内巨大颅内动脉瘤的治疗。方法8例巨大和颅底复杂动脉瘤患者,主要表现头痛发病者5例,视力减退者2例,面部麻木者1例。未破裂动脉瘤6例,2例患者发生动脉瘤破裂,Hunt-Hess分级分别为Ⅰ级和Ⅱ级。血管造影证实：动脉瘤体位于颈内动脉海绵窦段（C4段）4例、床突上段（C1段）2例、大脑中动脉M2～M1段者2例动脉瘤大小为2．5～6．0cm,平均直径3．7cm。其中6例动脉瘤为梭形,2例为宽颈动脉瘤。8例患者均采用额颞开颅,骨瓣要尽可能低到颅底,以缩短搭桥移植血管在颅外走行长度。通常用7-0显微缝线吻合移植血管与颈外动脉,用8-0缝线吻合移植血管与颅内段颈内动脉和大脑中动脉。4例患者利用大隐静脉移植搭桥,4例患者利用桡动脉移植搭桥。颅内、外搭桥完毕后将动脉瘤近心端和远端的供血动脉结扎和夹闭,阻断动脉瘤的全部血供。对3例有压迫脑神经或颅内占位引起颅压高的患者,将动脉瘤切除。结果5例术后头痛消失,1例视力减退者明显改善,1例动眼神经麻痹恢复。5例术后行脑血管造影检查,3例行CT血管造影检查,7例搭桥吻合血管全部畅通,动脉瘤消失。2例术后出现暂时性一侧肢体力弱,肌力在Ⅱ～Ⅲ级之间,术后1个月完全恢复。结论中、高流量颅内外血管搭桥可作为治疗颅内巨大动脉瘤的有效方法。     

Modification of Blood Vessel Diameter Following Perivascular Application of Botulinum Toxin-A

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that perivascularly applied botulinum toxin-A (BTX) increases the diameter of treated blood vessels in a rat femoral vessel exposure model. Six adult Sprague–Dawley rats were used and bilateral femoral artery and vein exposures were performed. Five units of BTX were applied to the experimental side and an equal volume of sterile saline was applied to the control side. Digital images of the vessels were obtained at the following time points: pretreatment, immediately posttreatment, and postoperative days (POD) 1, 14, and 28. Vessel diameters were equivalent at baseline and immediately following application of BTX and saline. The BTX artery was significantly larger than the control artery on POD 1 and 14. The BTX treated artery was significantly larger than all other vessels on POD 14 (p < 0.05) as well as all prior time points (p < 0.01). Direct perivascular application of BTX increases the diameter of rat femoral vessels as early as POD 1. The affect is most robust on POD 14 where the artery was significantly larger than all other vessels at all time points. It is likely that the increased diameter of blood vessels results in an increased blood flow across the area of dilation. Such an increase in flow may serve to improve end-organ perfusion in microvascular procedures.     

Crowns cemented on crown preparations lacking geometric resistance form. Part II: effect of cement.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the effect of different cements on resistance to dislodgment of crowns cemented on preparations lacking geometric resistance form. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A preparation that offered no geometric resistance form, with 20 degrees total occlusal convergence (TOC), 0.9 mm wide shoulder finish line, and a 2.5 mm axial wall height was created on an ivorine tooth using a milling machine. Ten metal test specimen die replicas and 10 standardized metal crowns with recipient sites for the application of external forces through a universal testing machine were fabricated. The crowns were cemented on the dies under 5 and 10 kg external loads, the marginal openings measured, loaded to dislodgment, and cleaned of cement. The process was repeated using zinc oxide and eugenol (ZOE), zinc phosphate (ZPh), resin modified glass ionomer (RMGI), and composite resin (CR) cements. RESULTS: Marginal openings under 5 kg cementation loads were 74.63 (+/-15.04) for ZOE, 75.98 (+/-18.20) microm for ZPh, 98.58 (+/-22.62) microm for RMGI, and 105.82 (+/-20.07) microm for CR cements respectively; under 10 kg cementation loads they were 57.62 (+/-15.86) microm, 59.55 (+/-15.41) microm, 95.00 (+/-19.52) microm, 101.30 (+/-12.52) microm respectively. Oblique dislodgment forces, measured with a Universal testing machine, were 40.18 (+/- 6.76) N for ZOE, 215.65 (+/-45.79) N for ZPh, 165.43 (+/-19.53) N for RMGI, and 181.54 (+/-30.75) N for CR respectively when crowns were cemented under 5 kg loads. The corresponding values for 10 kg loads were 38.62 (+/-4.19), 274.86 (+/-54.22), 139.70 (+/-21.71), and 160.40 (+/-21.21) respectively. Only zinc phosphate cement produced statistically enhanced resistance when crowns were cemented under 10 kg force (p value = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: Under the conditions of the present study only crowns cemented with zinc phosphate displayed increased resistance to dislodgment on preparations lacking resistance form.     

肾下型腹主动脉瘤的外科治疗

目的总结26例肾下型腹主动脉瘤的手术治疗经验。方法回顾性分析近5年多来手术治疗26例肾下型腹主动脉瘤的临床资料，全组26例，术前均经影像检查证实诊断。行择期手术21例，破裂型腹主动脉瘤急诊手术5例。26例均行腹主动脉瘤切除，人工血管重建术。结果围手术期死亡2例，均为急症手术患者，总病死率7．7％，急诊手术病死率40．0％。随访时间1-5年。术后1，3，5年生存率分别为96％，88％，75％。死亡原因均与腹主动脉瘤和手术无关。结论CTA检查是诊断腹主动脉瘤的可靠方法。手术治疗仍是治疗腹主动脉瘤的重要方法。瘤体直径不是决定手术的唯一指征。影响手术的危险因素主要是高龄、严重的心肺疾病和肾功能不全。     

Complete Axon Arborization of a Single CA3 Pyramidal Cell in the Rat Hippocampus, and its Relationship With Postsynaptic Parvalbumin-containing Interneurons

The complete axon arborization of a single CA3 pyramidal cell has been reconstructed from 32 (60 /μm thick) sections from the rat hippocampus following in vivo intracellular injection of neurobiotin. The same sections were double-immunostained for parvalbumin-a calcium-binding protein selectively present in two types of GABAergic interneurons, the basket and chandelier cells-in order to map boutons of the pyramidal cell in contact with dendrites and somata of these specific subsets of interneurons visualized in a Golgi-like manner. The axon of the pyramidal cell formed 15 295 boutons, 63.8% of which were in stratum oriens, 15.4% in stratum pyramidale and 20.8% in stratum radiatum. Only 2.1% of the axon terminals contacted parvalbumin-positive neurons. Most of these were single contacts (84.7%), but double or triple contacts (15.3%) were also found. The majority of the boutons terminated on dendrites (84.1%) of parvalbumin-positive cells, less frequently on cell bodies (15.9%). In order to estimate the proportion of contacts representing synapses, 16 light microscopically identified contacts between boutons of the filled pyramidal cell axon and the parvalbumin-positive targets were examined by correlated electron microscopy. Thirteen of them were found to be asymmetrical synapses, and in the remaining three cases synapses between the labelled profiles could not be confirmed. We conclude that the physiologically effective excitatory connections between single pyramidal cells and postsynaptic inhibitory neurons are mediated by a small number of contacts, mostly by a single synapse. This results in a high degree of convergence and divergence in hippocampal networks.     

Evaluation of portal MR angiography using superparamagnetic iron oxide

The purpose of our research was to determine the effects of superparamagnetic iron oxide on MR imaging of the portal venous system. Eight piglets were examined in deep anaesthesia and respiratory arrest using a time-of-flight magnetic resonance fast low angle shot, two-dimensional angiography sequence at 1.5T. MR angiograms were acquired precontrast and after intravenous administration of a cumulative dose of 10, 20 and 40 μmol/kg SHU 555A, a superparamagnetic iron oxide contrast agent for MR imaging with a particle size of 60 nm. For each dose, two subsequent sets of scans were obtained and reconstructed by a maximum-intensity-projection algorithm. Hepatic parenchymal and portal venous signal intensities were measured, and portal vein contrast calculated for each set of scans. All examinations were visually rated as to portal vein contrast and homogeneity by two blinded observers. Receiver operating characteristics of both observers were analyzed. The contrast agent reduced hepatic parenchymal signal in a dose-dependent way. After a cumulative dose of 10 μmol iron oxide, hepatic parenchymal signal intensity decreased to 63 ± 6% (average of measurements at 4 and 14 minutes, mean ± standard error of the mean), after 20 μmol to 24 ± 3%, and after 40 μmol to 12 ± 1% of control. Intra-vascular signal in the left main portal vein branch increased to 117 ± 6%, 127 ± 10%, and 133 ± 9% of control, respectively. The contrast-to-noise ratio of the portal vein improved (521 ± 90%, 891 ± 178%, and 995 ± 201% of control in the left portal vein main branch). Intravascular signal intensities increased slightly. The combined effect improved contrast of the portal vein stem and its branches. Receiver operating characteristics analysis documented dose-dependency of contrast medium effects on portal venous contrast and intravascular homogeneity. Visual rating also indicated a positive effect on portal venous contrast. The superparamagnetic iron oxide agent improved portal venous contrast with surrounding hepatic parenchyma in this normal animal model, and could potentially result in more accurate diagnosis of portal venous pathology.     

Convergence of occipital nerve and superior sagittal sinus input in the cervical spinal cord of the cat

Co-existence of facial and occipital pain may occur in occipital neuralgia, migraine and cluster headache; suggesting convergence of trigeminal and cervical afferents. Such convergence has been shown in humans and other animals, but the site and extent of this are uncertain. In anaesthetized adult cats, the superior sagittal sinus and occipital nerve were stimulated electrically, and extracellular recordings made in the dorsolateral area of the upper cervical cord using glass-coated tungsten electrodes. Of 49 units in 10 cats, 33 (67%) had input from the superior sagittal sinus and the occipital nerve. Thirteen (27%) had superior sagittal sinus input and 3 (6%) had occipital nerve input. Convergent receptive fields were identified mechanically in 7 units. These experiments in cats show convergent input from occipital nerve and superior sagittal sinus on dorsolateral area units in two-thirds of cases studied. This experimental site of trigeminocervical convergence may relate to referral of pain in occipital neuralgia and other headaches.