Validation of the

The cluster structure of the neutron-rich isotope ^{10}Be has been probed via the (p,pα) reaction at 150 MeV/nucleon in inverse kinematics and in quasifree conditions. The populated states of ^{6}He residues were investigated through missing mass spectroscopy. The triple differential cross section for the ground-state transition was extracted for quasifree angle pairs (θ_{p},θ_{α}) and compared to distorted-wave impulse approximation reaction calculations performed in a microscopic framework using successively the Tohsaki-Horiuchi-Schuck-Röpke product wave function and the wave function deduced from antisymmetrized molecular dynamics calculations. The remarkable agreement between calculated and measured cross sections in both shape and magnitude validates the molecular structure description of the ^{10}Be ground-state, configured as an α-α core with two valence neutrons occupying π-type molecular orbitals.

Multiple Mechanisms in Proton-Induced Nucleon Removal at ∼100 MeV/Nucleon.

We report on the first proton-induced single proton- and neutron-removal reactions from the neutron-deficient ^{14}O nucleus with large Fermi-surface asymmetry S_{n}-S_{p}=18.6 MeV at ∼100 MeV/nucleon, a widely used energy regime for rare-isotope studies. The measured inclusive cross sections and parallel momentum distributions of the ^{13}N and ^{13}O residues are compared to the state-of-the-art reaction models, with nuclear structure inputs from many-body shell-model calculations. Our results provide the first quantitative contributions of multiple reaction mechanisms including the quasifree knockout, inelastic scattering, and nucleon transfer processes. It is shown that the inelastic scattering and nucleon transfer, usually neglected at such energy regime, contribute about 50% and 30% to the loosely bound proton and deeply bound neutron removal, respectively. These multiple reaction mechanisms should be considered in analyses of inclusive one-nucleon removal cross sections measured at intermediate energies for quantitative investigation of single-particle strengths and correlations in atomic nuclei.

Oesophagostomy tube complications in azotaemic dogs: 139 cases (2015 to 2019).

OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively assess the rate of oesophagostomy tube-related complications in azotaemic dogs, the influence of the oesophagostomy tube (o-tube) duration and the therapeutic approach (medical versus haemodialysis) on the complication rate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed in order to identify azotaemic dogswhich underwent o-tube placement. o-Tube duration (short-term versus long-term), time of o-tube change, therapeutic approach (medical versus haemodialysis), prevalence of minor (malposition, suture related, inflammation, muco-purulent discharge, abscess) and major (haemorrhage, malposition, obstruction, dislodgement, vomiting of the tube, food coming from the stoma) o-tube-related complications were extracted. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify the risk factors for o-tube-related complications. RESULTS: Tube-related complications were reported in 74 of 139 dogs (53%). Minor complications were reported in 66 of 74 (89%) and major complications in eight of 74 (11%). In azotaemic dogs, o-tube indwelling time (odds ratio (OR) 1.03; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01 to 1.05), and the use of haemodialysis (OR 40.12; 95% CI 9.18 to 175.20) were risk factors for o-tube-related complications. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The majority of o-tube-related complications were minor, and easily manageable, with no need of hospitalisation, tube-removal or euthanasia. In azotaemic dogs, the use of haemodialysis was strongly associated with a higher risk of o-tube-related complications, possibly as a consequence of the presence of the neck bandage.

Endomicroscopy with Fluorescent CD105 Antibodies for "In Vivo" Imaging of Colorectal Cancer Angiogenesis.

The aim of this case report was to evaluate the feasibility of in vivo acquisition of microscopic images using fluorescent CD105 antibodies for molecular imaging in human colorectal cancer. After excluding the presence of tissue autofluorescence, the antibody solution was topically administered through a spray-catheter. The targeted area was analyzed by eCLE and images were recorded. The fractal dimension of tumor vessels and the vessel density were determined using ImageJ software. Immunohistochemistry was used as a gold standard. In vivo CLE analysis of CD105 expression enabled the study of tumor vascular network, revealing a chaotic structure.

Imaging Evaluation of the Orbit in Graves Ophthalmopathy.

Diagnosis of Graves ophthalmopathy is based on the typical eye signs and symptoms, the exclusion of other orbital pathologies and evidence of thyroid autoimmunity. We report the case of a non-smoker 61 years old woman, known with Graves disease, which performed a 3T MRI examination in order to evaluate the orbits. The MRI exam revealed eye protrusion, increased orbital fat with compression on the optic nerve and increased volume of the extraocular muscles. We concluded that MRI, using high-field 3T imaging techniques, is very important for diagnosis of these anomalies, making the differential diagnosis with other pathology and also providing additional information in the decision for therapy.

Systemic atheromatosis influence on retinal vascular disease.

Clinical study on a group of 48 patients over 3 months: 27 patients were recruited from ophtalmology and 21 recruited from cardiology, 25 % of these patients coming for routine check. Patients were investigated by ophthalmic, cardiologic examination, imaging and laboratory tests. The study demonstrated the need for interdisciplinary consultation for patients with vascular complaints in carotid territory and a close correlation between the vascular pathology and ophthalmology at this level.

Learning curve in hemifacial transplantation in rats.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to emphasize the learning curve of hemifacial transplantation in rats by comparison between 2 operators: medical student trained in basic microsurgery and an experienced microsurgeon. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total number of 15 hemifacial transplants between Brown Norway as donors and Wistar as receiver rats were performed by two operators: experienced microsurgeon (group II, n=5) and the medical student (group III, n=10). Warm ischemia time and operative time were used as instrument for comparison. All the rats received immunosuppressive treatment with cyclosporine A in monotherapy for 30 days. Results were processed statistically using Microsoft Excel. RESULTS: Transplantation procedure duration time performed by experienced microsurgeon began from 420 min and decreased to 330 min after 5 transplantations, with confidence interval (95% probability)382 ± 37.9 min and the warm ischemia time decreased from 140 min to 50 min, confidence interval of the warm ischemia time being 90 ± 33.52 min. After transplantation the rats were treated with cyclosporine A and monitored for 30 days. Medical student tended to equalize the operative time and warm ischemia time, approximately, after 9 transplantations, from 660 min to 330 min and warm ischemia time from 190 min to 60 min. The confidence interval (95%) of the procedure by duration of the surgery was 467 ± 80.66 min and 133.5 ± 31.44 min for the warm ischemia time. Most of the rats (n=11) survived in both transplanted groups (group II and group III) performed by microsurgeon and student. By analyzing learning curves using two parameters (operative time and warm ischemia time) and survival rates no statistically significant difference was found (p 0.05). CONCLUSION: Hemifacial transplantation model in rats is a useful tool for preparing experimental and clinical application of the facial transplantation. It is a good model for training young specialists for future transplantation surgery. It is important to notice that the medical student had previous experience in microsurgery and the learning curve was applied only for this specific procedure. Even young specialists in microsurgery could perform such a complex procedure after an appropriate training period (in our study after 9 consecutive transplantations) in the same fashion and with the same results as an experienced microsurgeon. Usage of cyclosporine A as monotherapy gave good immunosuppression results in rats' transplantations for the studied duration of time (30 days).

Vascularized bone marrow transplantation model in rats as an alternative to conventional cellular bone marrow transplantation: preliminary results.

The aim of the study was to follow the development of microchimerism after allogeneic vascularized bone marrow transplantation (VBMT) versus conventional bone marrow transplantation (BMT). In one group, a VBMT model consisted of donor Brown Norway rat hind limb heterotopic transplanted on recipient Lewis rats. An intravenous infusion of donor bone marrow cells in suspension equivalent to that grafted in the vascularized femur limb was administered intravenously to recipient rats in the second group. Cellular microchimerism was investigated in recipients of VBMT versus BMT. Donor-derived cells could be detected in VBMT recipients at 30 and 60 days but not in recipients of intravenous suspension of BMC. VBMT provides a theoretical alternative to conventional cellular bone marrow transplantation by addressing crucial clinical problems such as failure of engraftment or graft-versus-host disease.

[Cardiac response as stress marker in surgery]. / Valoarea raspunsului cardiovascular ca marker de stres în terapia chirurgicala.

UNLABELLED: Surgical area--as a precursor of negative emotions, is the threshold between the two areas of anxiety and anxiety among the general and specific stimuli. By dominant color, noise, odors and environmental factors in complex anxiety these elements define the specific treatment of dental medicine better. The emotional stress on the patient child which undergoes a surgical dento-alveolar therapy is negative and consists of the combination of three important elements, in close relationship: score of dental anxiety, the anticipation and experience of pain and phobic stimuli which is implicitly true precursor of pain. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Our study was performed on 448 patients. Different methods of preanesthesia were made per oral, intravenous, intramuscular, according with DAS score: Midazolam, Diazepam + Algocalmin, Xanax. RESULTS: 58% of our patients declare after surgery that their satisfaction score is 100% positive after one of our method of preanesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: The purpose of premedication should be unconditionally determined by the effect of the analgesic and anxiolytic drugs to improve cardiac response and avoid medical emergency. Doses administered must be correlated with the anxiety score DAS, road use and the probable duration of surgery.

Very fast optical flaring from a possible new Galactic magnetar.

Highly luminous rapid flares are characteristic of processes around compact objects like white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes. In the high-energy regime of X-rays and gamma-rays, outbursts with variabilities on timescales of seconds or less are routinely observed, for example in gamma-ray bursts or soft gamma-ray repeaters. At optical wavelengths, flaring activity on such timescales has not been observed, other than from the prompt phase of one exceptional gamma-ray burst. This is mostly due to the fact that outbursts with strong, fast flaring are usually discovered in the high-energy regime; most optical follow-up observations of such transients use instruments with integration times exceeding tens of seconds, which are therefore unable to resolve fast variability. Here we show the observation of extremely bright and rapid optical flaring in the Galactic transient SWIFT J195509.6+261406. Our optical light curves are phenomenologically similar to high-energy light curves of soft gamma-ray repeaters and anomalous X-ray pulsars, which are thought to be neutron stars with extremely high magnetic fields (magnetars). This suggests that similar processes are in operation, but with strong emission in the optical, unlike in the case of other known magnetars.

[Carcinoid tumors, leiomyosarcoma and invasive adenocarcinoma metastasis of the Treitz angle]. / Tumori carcinoide, leiomiosarcom si metastaza invaziva de adenocarcinom, ale unghiului duodeno-jejunal Treitz.

Our paper studies the quite rare occurrence of the digestive superior occlusive pathology, namely some causes which might induce partial or even total obstruction of the digestive tract, at the distal anatomical limits of the duodenum, also known as the Treitz angle. The first two described cases were carcinoid tumors, obstructive and ulcerated in the lumen of the same angle. The last two cases were an obstructive leiomyosarcoma and an invasive mesenteric metastasis from a right colon cancer, which cause a total external compression of the Treitz angle, clinically manifested as a complete food intolerance, as a first symptom. Concerning the clinical evolution, these are totally different lesions, malign, metastasis and neuroendocrine tumors, which occurred at the same level, had a totally different clinical evolution and surgical approach, only three of them developing at good postoperative course. The imaging, clinical and pathological diagnosis problems, the different specific surgical solutions, the postoperative care and finally the rarity of this level of obstruction of the small bowel, are the aim of this paper.

Dopamine D2-like receptors and amino acid-induced glomerular hyperfiltration in humans.

AIMS: In rodents, blockade of dopamine D2-like receptors abolishes both the physiological increase in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) induced by amino acids and the pathological hyperfiltration in experimental diabetes mellitus. This study addressed the contribution of dopamine D2-like receptors to changes in renal haemodynamics after amino acid infusion in humans. METHODS: Twelve healthy volunteers participated in this double-blind, randomized, cross-over study. GFR and renal blood flow (RPF) were assessed by renal clearance of inulin and p-aminohippuric acid (PAH), respectively. Following infusion of 0.45% saline at baseline, an electrolyte-balanced solution of mixed amino acids (10%) was infused. Prior to the experiments, the subjects received orally either placebo, or sulpiride (10 mg kg-1), a centrally and peripherally acting D2-like receptor antagonist, or domperidone (1 mg kg-1) which affects only peripheral D2-like receptors. RESULTS: In the placebo series, amino acid infusion significantly increased GFR and RPF by up to 15.8 +/- 5.3% and 14.4 +/- 6.1%, respectively, while mean blood pressure and heart rate remained unchanged. Pretreatment with domperidone only marginally altered the renal response to amino acids (maximal increase by 13.2 +/- 5.6 and 11.9 +/- 4.0% in GFR and RPF, respectively), while sulpiride completely abolished the renal haemodynamic changes induced by amino acids. Total and fractional urinary sodium excretion as well as urinary osmolality were similar at baseline and increased in response to amino acids, to the same extent, in all series. No changes in renal dopamine excretion occurred. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that in man dopamine D2-like receptors are involved in the renal haemodynamic response to amino acid infusion. Whether dopamine D2-like receptor blockade diminishes glomerular hyperfiltration in pathological states requires clinical investigations.

[Recessive hiccup of rare cause (compressive pleuro-pericardial lymphocele). Case report]. / Singultus rebel de cauza rara (Limfocel pleuro-pericardic compresiv cu evolutie lenta) prezentare de caz.

The authors discuss the case of a 40 year-old woman, which was performed surgery for a stenosant duodenal ulcer by bilateral troncular vagotomy and hemigastrectomy, using the Pean-Billroyh 1 anastomosis. Immediately after surgery untractable hicongh gradually set in which lasted over a 14 year, till the moment when a compressive pleuropericardic lymphocele, of the right phrenic nerve was revealed, a very long time growing cyst. After the surgical removal of the lymphocele was performed, which had compressed the right phrenic nerve, singultation totally disappeared, the patient has been monitorized through periodical medical checkings for more than 4 years. The period of 14 years when the patient constantly complained of steady untractable singultation has comprised 30 admission or more, to various surgical, gastroenterology and psychiatry wards. The patient was finally considered an incurable psychotic and was medically pensioned. The authors discuss a number of possible sequels of the initial gastric surgery which could have triggered untractable singultation, without being able to control them or totally ruling out the psychotic causes. There is natural suspicion cast of either existence or beginning of this cyst simultaneous with surgery since clinical tests and explorations were able to reveal it only after 14 years.

IgG transport across trophoblast-derived BeWo cells: a model system to study IgG transport in the placenta.

In primates, prenatal transfer of IgG from mother to offspring occurs predominantly across the placenta. Although a number of Fcgamma-receptors and IgG binding proteins have been detected in human placental tissue, an involvement of any of these receptors in IgG transport across the syncytiotrophoblast remains to be demonstrated. Therefore, we investigated the mechanism of IgG transcytosis in trophoblast-derived BeWo cells. BeWo cells were not only found to express the MHC class I-related IgG Fc receptor, human FcRn, but also specifically bound fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled human IgG (FITC-hIgG) at the apical surface at mildly acidic pH. The cells preferentially transcytosed FITC-hIgG from the apical to the basolateral side when compared to the fluid-phase marker FITC-dextran and to FITC-hIgG transcytosis in the opposite direction. However, endocytosis of FITC-hIgG at the apical plasma membrane at physiological pH required the continuous presence of FITC-hIgG at concentrations similar to those present in the maternal circulation. These results suggest a mechanism by which IgG is internalized by BeWo cells via fluid-phase endocytosis. Tight binding of IgG to hFcRn may then occur in acidic endosomes, followed by selective sorting into the transcytotic pathway. Thus, the main function of this receptor is to prevent entry of IgG into the degradative pathway in lysosomes.

Expression of placental alkaline phosphatase does not correlate with IgG binding, internalization and transcytosis.

The human homologue of FcRn, an IgG Fc receptor expressed in rat villous syncytiotrophoblasts, might be involved in IgG transfer from the maternal to the fetal circulation. However, because the receptor does not bind IgG at the physiological pH of the maternal blood (pH 7.4), FcRn is probably not involved in the initial uptake of IgG. A role in IgG internalization has been suggested for placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), which is highly expressed on the apical surface of syncytiotrophoblasts. To determine whether PLAP does indeed have a role in IgG uptake, we analysed the ability of PLAP to bind, internalize and transcytose IgG in BeWo choriocarcinoma cells endogenously expressing the protein, or in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells transfected with the PLAP cDNA. Although PLAP expression in MDCK cells resulted in increased IgG binding to intact cells, binding was not correlated with the level of PLAP expressed in the different cell lines. Furthermore our findings do not support a role for PLAP in IgG endocytosis or transcytosis.

[The surgical approach to invasive orbital tumors]. / Abordul chirurgical al tumorilor invazive orbitare.

The orbital exenteration is less and less practiced today, because of the reduced pathology which may impose such a radical intervention, but also because it has been transferred, in the lest two decades, to the maxillofacial plastic surgery. The paper presents three orbital exenterations, accomplished in the spinous-cell carcinoma of the inferior eye lid invading in the orbit, basal-cell epithelioma of internal angle recidivated during repeated interventions and conjunctival malignant melanoma invading the orbit. It is shown that orbital exenteration must not to abandoned by the ophthalmologists, which are the first doctors contracted by these patients and the only ones which can decide when the ocular globe may be sacrificed, with a recovery of the region as aesthetic as can be.

An improvement of the endocrine diagnosis by high-performance liquid chromatography.

The assessment of catecholamines (NE, E), essential metabolites (VMA, HVA) and serotonergic metabolite 5HIIA in urine by HPLC with UV detection is of interest for clinical diagnosis concerning HTA, pheochromocytoma, neuroblastoma, carcinoid syndrome, hypotension, etc. In the same urine sample one can detect (following preliminary steps) by HPLC the above--mentioned biochemical parameters with good reproducibility and sensitivity.

Direct assay of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol (MHPG) in human saliva; a new approach in the assessment of noradrenergic function.

The present paper offers a simple, reliable and specific method for the evaluation of salivary level of conjugated MHPG in 16 children (5-16 years) selected as control group. In the chosen group, we established the urinary level of NA: 17.64 +/- 1.38 micrograms/24 h, of A: 5.87 +/- 0.44 micrograms/24 h, of MHPG: 1.62 +/- 0.14 mg/24 h, of VMA: 1.54 +/- 10.10 mg/24 h. In all patients we assayed salivary MHPG: 57 +/- 5.25 mg/ml; in only 6 patients we also determined salivary NA: 2.21 +/- 0.11 micrograms/l and A: 0.25 +/- 0.03 micrograms/l. The MHPG in saliva correlates with urinary MHPG but doesn't correlate with NA in saliva or in urine. The assay of salivary MHPG may represent a non-invasive procedure of evaluation of noradrenergic tonus in children.

Low level of urinary 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5 HIAA) in obese children having concomitantly high 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl glycol (MHPG) excretion.

Eighty six obese children and adolescents (44 males) were screened for urinary 5 HIAA and MHPG, noradrenaline (NA), and adrenaline (A) and the results compared with age- and sex-matched controls. Significantly lower amounts of 5 HIAA were found, by contrast to the significantly higher levels of MHPG. These findings cannot be easily explained but an alteration of the normal equilibrium between the adrenergic and the serotonergic tonus may be circumstantially invoked.