Best Practices Using Ex Vivo Animal Brain Models in Neurosurgical Education to Assess Surgical Expertise

Abstract X-Ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM), though traditionally used for studies of in vivo skeletal kinematics, can also be used to precisely and accurately measure ex vivo range of motion from cadaveric manipulations. The workflow for these studies is holistically similar to the in vivo XROMM workflow, but presents several unique challenges. This paper aims to serve as a practical guide by walking through each step of the ex vivo XROMM process: how to acquire and prepare cadaveric specimens, how to manipulate specimens to collect X-ray data, and how to use these data to compute joint rotational mobility. Along the way, it offers recommendations for best practices and for avoiding common pitfalls to ensure a successful study.

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Ex vivo micro-CT imaging of murine brain models using non-ionic iodinated contrast

10.1063/1.4901392 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

N. Salas Bautista ◽

A. Martínez-Dávalos ◽

M. Rodríguez-Villafuerte ◽

T. Murrieta-Rodríguez ◽

J. Manjarrez-Marmolejo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ex Vivo ◽

Ct Imaging ◽

Micro Ct ◽

Iodinated Contrast ◽

Brain Models ◽

Murine Brain

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Clinico-pathological correlation of homologous recombination status in epithelial ovarian cancer: Surgeon’s perspective

10.1055/s-0039-1685292 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Asima Mukhopadhyay ◽

Nicola Curtin ◽

Richard Edmondson

Keyword(s):

Homologous Recombination ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Parp Inhibitor ◽

Primary Cultures ◽

Functional Assay ◽

Primary Surgery ◽

Ovarian Cancers ◽

Surgical Expertise ◽

Hyperthermic Treatment ◽

Ascetic Fluid

Background: TCGA data using expensive multi-modality diagnostic platforms have shown that 50% epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs) are estimated to be homologous recombination (HR) deficient (HRD). We developed a functional assay for HR using gamma H2AX-Rad51 immunofluoresence.[1] Methods: Primary cultures were developed in 50 consecutive EOCs from ascetic fluid and HR assay was performed. Results: 50% patients were HRD based on the functional assay and show improved ex-vivo chemosensitivity to PARP inhibitor (PARPi) (PPV = 92%, NPV = 100%). HRD patients showed improved platinum sensitivity (53.8% vs 16.7%), survival (12 month OS - 41.7% vs. 11.5%) and optimal cytoreduction (80% vs. 62%) rates compared to HR competent (HRC) tumours which are less responsive and represent an unmet clinical need. Conclusions: Personalised surgical and chemotherapeutic strategies may be developed for HR stratified EOCs. Primary surgery may be the preferred approach in HRC due to poor chemoresponse; surgical expertise/environment should be optimised to ensure optimal surgical outcome. Intra-operative hyperthermic treatment and selective HR inhibitors may improve subsequent chemoresponse in HRC and are currently being investigated.

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Guidelines for the measurement of vascular function and structure in isolated arteries and veins

AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpheart.01021.2020 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Camilla F. Wenceslau ◽

Cameron G. McCarthy ◽

Scott Earley ◽

Sarah K. England ◽

Jessica A. Filosa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Vascular Function ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Pharmacological Treatments ◽

Scientific Rigor ◽

Vascular Physiology ◽

Methodological Approaches ◽

Biomechanical Features ◽

Isolated Arteries ◽

Arteries And Veins

The measurement of vascular function in isolated vessels has revealed important insights into the structural, functional, and biomechanical features of the normal and diseased cardiovascular system, and has provided a molecular understanding of the cells that constitutes arteries and veins and their interaction. Further, this approach has allowed the discovery of vital pharmacological treatments for cardiovascular diseases. However, the expansion of the vascular physiology field has also brought new concerns over scientific rigor and reproducibility. Therefore, it is appropriate to set guidelines for the best practices of evaluating vascular function in isolated vessels. These guidelines are a comprehensive document detailing the best practices and pitfalls for the assessment of function in large and small arteries and veins. Herein, we bring together experts in the field of vascular physiology with the purpose of developing guidelines for evaluating ex vivo vascular function. By utilizing this document, vascular physiologists will have consistency amongst methodological approaches, producing more reliable and reproducible results.

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Correlation of γ-radioactivity and Scanning Electron Microscopy in measurement of retention of 111Indium-labeled canine endothelial cells on synthetic vascular grafts

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100156419 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 47 ◽

pp. 886-887

Author(s):

E.J. Prendiville ◽

S. Laliberté Verdon ◽

K. E. Gould ◽

K. Ramberg ◽

R. J. Connolly ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Vascular Grafts ◽

Retention Data ◽

Vascular Prostheses ◽

Group 4 ◽

Human Fibronectin ◽

Insufficient Time ◽

Group 3 ◽

Group 2

Endothelial cell (EC) seeding is postulated as a mechanism of improving patency in small caliber vascular grafts. However the majority of seeded EC are lost within 24 hours of restoration of blood flow in previous canine studies . We postulate that the cells have insufficient time to fully develop their attachment to the graft surface prior to exposure to hemodynamic stress. We allowed EC to incubate on fibronectin-coated ePTFE grafts for four different time periods after seeding and measured EC retention after perfusion in a canine ex vivo shunt circuit.Autologous canine EC, were enzymatically harvested, grown to confluence, and labeled with 30 μCi 111 Indium-oxine/80 cm 2 flask. Four groups of 5 cm x 4 mm ID ePTFE vascular prostheses were coated with 1.5 μg/cm.2 human fibronectin, and seeded with 1.5 x 105 EC/ cm.2. After seeding grafts in Group 1 were incubated in complete growth medium for 90 minutes, Group 2 were incubated for 24 hours, Group 3 for 72 hours and Group 4 for 6 days. Grafts were then placed in the canine ex vivo circuit, constructed between femoral artery and vein, and subjected to blood flow of 75 ml per minute for 6 hours. Continuous counting of γ-activity was made possible by placing the seeded graft inside the γ-counter detection crystal for the duration of perfusion. EC retention data after 30 minutes, 2 hours and 6 hours of flow are shown in the table.

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Elevated level of circulatory sTLT1 induces inflammation through SYK/MEK/ERK signalling in coronary artery disease

Clinical Science ◽

10.1042/cs20190999 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 133 (22) ◽

pp. 2283-2299

Author(s):

Apabrita Ayan Das ◽

Devasmita Chakravarty ◽

Debmalya Bhunia ◽

Surajit Ghosh ◽

Prakash C. Mandal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Coronary Artery Disease ◽

Coronary Artery ◽

Chronic Inflammation ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Human Subjects ◽

Critical Role ◽

Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Artery Disease

Abstract The role of inflammation in all phases of atherosclerotic process is well established and soluble TREM-like transcript 1 (sTLT1) is reported to be associated with chronic inflammation. Yet, no information is available about the involvement of sTLT1 in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Present study was undertaken to determine the pathophysiological significance of sTLT1 in atherosclerosis by employing an observational study on human subjects (n=117) followed by experiments in human macrophages and atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E (apoE)−/− mice. Plasma level of sTLT1 was found to be significantly (P<0.05) higher in clinical (2342 ± 184 pg/ml) and subclinical cases (1773 ± 118 pg/ml) than healthy controls (461 ± 57 pg/ml). Moreover, statistical analyses further indicated that sTLT1 was not only associated with common risk factors for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) in both clinical and subclinical groups but also strongly correlated with disease severity. Ex vivo studies on macrophages showed that sTLT1 interacts with Fcɣ receptor I (FcɣRI) to activate spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK)-mediated downstream MAP kinase signalling cascade to activate nuclear factor-κ B (NF-kB). Activation of NF-kB induces secretion of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) from macrophage cells that plays pivotal role in governing the persistence of chronic inflammation. Atherosclerotic apoE−/− mice also showed high levels of sTLT1 and TNF-α in nearly occluded aortic stage indicating the contribution of sTLT1 in inflammation. Our results clearly demonstrate that sTLT1 is clinically related to the risk factors of CAD. We also showed that binding of sTLT1 with macrophage membrane receptor, FcɣR1 initiates inflammatory signals in macrophages suggesting its critical role in thrombus development and atherosclerosis.

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The Shikani HME: A New Tracheostomy Heat and Moisture Exchanger

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2020_jslhr-19-00107 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (9) ◽

pp. 2921-2929

Author(s):

Alan H. Shikani ◽

Elamin M. Elamin ◽

Andrew C. Miller

Keyword(s):

Ex Vivo ◽

Moisture Loss ◽

Speaking Valve ◽

Time Zero ◽

In Series ◽

Turbulent Airflow ◽

The Difference ◽

Loss Efficiency ◽

Heat And Moisture ◽

Lung Simulation

Purpose Tracheostomy patients face many adversities including loss of phonation and essential airway functions including air filtering, warming, and humidification. Heat and moisture exchangers (HMEs) facilitate humidification and filtering of inspired air. The Shikani HME (S-HME) is a novel turbulent airflow HME that may be used in-line with the Shikani Speaking Valve (SSV), allowing for uniquely preserved phonation during humidification. The aims of this study were to (a) compare the airflow resistance ( R airflow ) and humidification efficiency of the S-HME and the Mallinckrodt Tracheolife II tracheostomy HME (M-HME) when dry (time zero) and wet (after 24 hr) and (b) determine if in-line application of the S-HME with a tracheostomy speaking valve significantly increases R airflow over a tracheostomy speaking valve alone (whether SSV or Passy Muir Valve [PMV]). Method A prospective observational ex vivo study was conducted using a pneumotachometer lung simulation unit to measure airflow ( Q ) amplitude and R airflow , as indicated by a pressure drop ( P Drop ) across the device (S-HME, M-HME, SSV + S-HME, and PMV). Additionally, P Drop was studied for the S-HME and M-HME when dry at time zero (T 0 ) and after 24 hr of moisture testing (T 24 ) at Q of 0.5, 1, and 1.5 L/s. Results R airflow was significantly less for the S-HME than M-HME (T 0 and T 24 ). R airflow of the SSV + S-HME in series did not significant increase R airflow over the SSV or PMV alone. Moisture loss efficiency trended toward greater efficiency for the S-HME; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions The turbulent flow S-HME provides heat and moisture exchange with similar or greater efficacy than the widely used laminar airflow M-HME, but with significantly lower resistance. The S-HME also allows the innovative advantage of in-line use with the SSV, hence allowing concurrent humidification and phonation during application, without having to manipulate either device.

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A Survey of Speech-Language Pathologists' Approaches to Assessing Social Communication Disorders in Children

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2020_persp-20-00147 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-17

Author(s):

Kristen Izaryk ◽

Robin Edge ◽

Dawn Lechwar

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Communication Disorders ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Self Report ◽

Speech Language Pathologists ◽

Teacher Report ◽

Formal Assessment ◽

Language Sampling ◽

Specific Assessment ◽

Social Communication Disorders

Purpose The purpose of this article is to explore and describe the approaches and specific assessment tools that speech-language pathologists are currently using to assess social communication disorders (SCDs) in children, in relation to current best practices. Method Ninety-four speech-language pathologists completed an online survey asking them to identify which of the following approaches they use to assess children with SCD: parent/teacher report, naturalistic observation, formal assessment, language sample analysis, interviews, semistructured tasks, and peer/self-report. Participants were also asked to identify specific assessment tools they use within each approach. Results Participants most commonly assess SCDs by combining interviews, naturalistic observation, language sampling, parent/teacher report, and formal assessment. Semistructured tasks and peer/self-report tools were less frequently utilized. Several established parent/teacher report and formal assessment tools were commonly identified for assessing SCDs. Most participants use an informal approach for interviews, language sampling, and naturalistic observations in their SCD assessment process. Conclusions Generally, participants follow best practices for assessing SCDs by combining several different approaches. Some considerations for future assessment are identified, including the use of established protocols in the place of informal approaches in order to make the assessment of SCDs more systematic. Future directions for research are discussed.

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Practical Resources for Provision of Services to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Users of AAC

Perspectives on Communication Disorders and Sciences in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations ◽

10.1044/cds22.1.25 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 25-39

Author(s):

Elena Dukhovny ◽

E. Betsy Kelly

Keyword(s):

Best Practices ◽

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Linguistically Diverse ◽

Intervention Strategies ◽

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse ◽

Limited Resources ◽

Flexible Systems ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Practical Applications ◽

Provision Of Services

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, over 20% of Americans speak a language other than English in the home, with Spanish, Chinese, and French being the languages most commonly spoken, aside from English. However, few augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems offer multilingual support for individuals with limited functional speech. There has been much discussion in the AAC community about best practices in AAC system design and intervention strategies, but limited resources exist to help us provide robust, flexible systems for users who speak languages other than English. We must provide services that take into consideration the unique needs of culturally and linguistically diverse users of AAC and help them reach their full communication potential. This article outlines basic guidelines for best practices in AAC design and selection, and presents practical applications of these best practices to multilingual/multicultural clients.

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