Water runoff harvesting systems for restoration of degraded rangelands: A review of challenges and opportunities.

Mismanagement of rangelands worldwide has accelerated processes of overland flow and soil erosion, resulting in extensive land degradation. Wherever self-restoration processes of degraded rangelands are hindered or negated, active recovery efforts, coupled with livestock pressure management, might be needed. The objective of this review paper is to provide land managers and environmental planners with applied and practical knowledge on advantages and disadvantages of the main methodologies and practices for runoff harvesting in rangelands. Preferably, restoration efforts should focus on forming low-footprint runoff harvesting systems on hillslopes which encompass the runoff's source area. These systems should imitate natural patchiness, strengthening source-sink relations, accelerating re-establishment of herbaceous and woody vegetation, maximizing the retaining of water on hillslopes, regulating hydrological connectivity, lessening soil erosion, and minimizing transmission of water to stream channels. The resulting lower-energy floods are expected to negate the need for massive check dams in channels. If flood dissipation in streams is still necessary, then high-to medium-porosity check dams, made of local materials, might be effective for lessening scour processes and sediment transport. Furthermore, in terms of environmental sustainability, a large number of pointed (e.g., branch bundles; brush or woody piles; micro-catchments) or low-to medium-footprint lineal means for regulating surface processes in hillslopes (e.g., stone terraces; contour furrows/trenches/ditches) and channels (e.g., log check dams; loose rock check dams; porous or semi-permeable rock check dams; gabions) are expected to be more cost-effective than a small number of massive means (e.g., contour bench terraces; earth bunds/dykes; concrete check dams). If runoff harvesting systems are properly designed, restoration processes over time are expected to generate geo-ecological feedbacks and recover eco-hydrological functioning, increasing pasture productivity and sustaining rangeland carrying capacity.

Technical aspects involved in the harvesting and preservation of the pancreas used for pancreatic islet allotransplantation.

The pancreas procurement from brain-dead donors used for pancreatic islet isolation and transplantation, was analyzed between 2007-2012. The pancreas was transported to the Fundeni Clinical Institute and the islet isolation process was performed in the Cell Therapy Laboratory. There were 20 en bloc pancreas-duodenum-spleen procurement during multiorgan harvesting. Eighteen pancreata were used for islet isolation and two were used for whole pancreas transplantation.One pancreas was used for whole pancreas transplant alone and the other one was used for simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation. Donor age ranged between 12 and 61 years, with a median age of 35 years old. The donors were 9 females and 11 males. The causes of death were in 8 cases ­brain injury, in 7 cases ­ aneurism rupture, and in 5 cases stroke. The donors' blood group was A(II) in 11 cases, O(I) in7 cases, and B(III) in 2 cases. The calculated BMI of the donors ranged between 15.6 and 27.8, with a median value of 24.1. The median calculated Vinkers score for our study group was 11. Cold ischemia time ranged between 1.5 and 8 hours,with a median value of 5 hours.

[Liver transplantation--indications, surgical technique, results--the analysis of a clinical series of 200 cases]. / Transplantul hepatic--indicati, tehnica, rezultate-analiza unei serii clinice de 200 de cazuri.

INTRODUCTION: Initially considered experimental, liver transplantation (LT) has become the treatment of choice for the patients with end-stage liver diseases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between April 2000 and October 2009, 200 LTs (10 reLTs) were performed in 190 patients, this study being retrospective. There were transplanted 110 men and 80 women, 159 adults and 31 children with the age between 1 and 64 years old (mean age--39.9). The main indication in the adult group was represented by viral cirrhosis, while the pediatric series the etiology was mainly glycogenosis and biliary atresia. There were performed 143 whole graft LTs, 46 living donor LTs, 6 split LTs, 4 reduced LTs and one domino LT RESULTS: The postoperative survival was 90% (170 patients). The patient and graft one-year and five-year survivals were 76.9%, 73.6% and 71%, 68.2%, respectively. The early complications occurred in 127 patients (67%). The late complications were recorded in 71 patients (37.3%). The intraoperative and early postoperative mortality rate was 9.5% (18 patients). CONCLUSIONS: The Romanian liver transplantation program from Fundeni includes all types of current surgical techniques and the results are comparable with those from other international centers.

Splenic artery used for replaced common hepatic artery reconstruction during pancreatoduodenectomy--a case report.

The arterial anatomy supplying the liver is highly variable. A replaced common hepatic artery originating from superior mesenteric artery is a rare anomaly. We herein present the case of a patient with retro pancreatic lymph nodes recurrence after laparoscopic cholecystectomy for pT2 gallbladder carcinoma, whose replaced common hepatic artery arose from the superior mesenteric artery. It was performed a Whipple operation en bloc with the replaced common hepatic artery resection (enhanced by the tumour). The arterial reconstruction was needed (due to the severe decrease of the arterial flow after clamping the replaced common hepatic artery), using the splenic artery, without any serious complications.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in Riedel's lobe.

We present a rare case of 65-year female with right abdominal mass and abdominal discomfort; a combination of Doppler ultrasonography, computed tomography and laparotomy was utilized to make a diagnosis of tumoral Riedel's lobe. In our case, laparotomy with resection of Riedel's lobe was the proper therapeutical solution.

[Human pancreas procurement for pancreas and islet transplantation]. / Prelevarea pancreasului uman pentru transplantul de pancreas si de insule pancreatice.

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is a disease characterized by a deficiency of insulin secretion by beta islet cells. Integral pancreatic transplantation and islet cell transplantation represent two possibilities of replacing the beta islet cells. The aim of this paper is to analyze the main aspects of selection criteria of the pancreas donor and surgical methods of preservation for integral pancreas or islet cell transplantation. There are described the pancreas procurements realized by the Center of General Surgery and Liver Transplantation team from Fundeni Clinical Institute between December 2005-December 2006 and correlation between the donor's and pancreas features and the quality of islet cell isolation. The selection of pancreas donor and the accomplishment of pancreas procurement represent important factors in the post-transplantation course of the graft. The data from pancreas/islet cell transplantation centers suggest that the factors that influence positively the course of graft are: the donor's age, body mass index, cold ischemia time.

A rare indication for liver resection.

We present the rare case of a young female with a right upper abdomen tumoral mass and suffering abdominal discomfort. A combination of ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and laparotomy was utilized to conclude a diagnosis of Riedel's lobe. Laparotomy and a resection of Riedel's lobe were selected as the correct therapeutic solutions.

Influence of CD34(+) marrow cell dose on outcome of HLA-identical sibling allogeneic bone marrow transplants in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia.

In order to study the influence of bone marrow CD34(+) cell dose on the outcome of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), we analysed the results of BMT from HLA-identical siblings donors in 50 patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). The median numbers of nucleated cells (NC) and CD34(+) cells infused were 2.18 x 10(8)/kg (0.05-4.14 x 10(8)/kg) and 3.12 x 10(6)/kg (0.35-8.52 x 10(6)/kg), respectively. All patients engrafted. In univariate analysis, there was no correlation between the number of CD34(+) cells infused and the time to neutrophil recovery (P = 0.17). The Kaplan-Meier estimate of grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) at day 100 was 53 +/- 14% and 2-year survival was 46 +/- 15%. A number of CD34(+) cells infused greater than the median was the main factor increasing survival (P = 0.0006) and decreasing 100 day transplant-related mortality (P = 0.009). Patient-, disease- and transplant-related characteristics were not statistically different among patients receiving more or less than the median number of CD34(+) cells. The rate of infectious deaths was significantly higher in patients receiving less than 3.12 x 10(6) CD34/kg (48% vs 16%, P = 0.01). In a multivariable analysis, two factors associated with increased risk of death were advanced disease status at transplant (HR: 2.5 (95% CI: 1.09-5.75), P = 0.03) and a lower number of marrow CD34(+) cells infused/kg (HR: 4.55 (95% CI: 1.87-10.90), P = 0.0008).