Use of contrast in ultrasound

Author(s):  
Tomas Jansson ◽  
Anders Nilsson

In 1968, Drs Pravin M. Shah and Raymond Gramiak at the University of Rochester, New York, were conducting a study with the ultimate goal to investigate whether heart stroke volume could be estimated from the extent and duration of cusp separation of the aortic valve, as measured with M-mode ultrasound. Simultaneously, as the reference, they also measured cardiac output with the indicator dilution technique. Here, a bolus of a dye (indocyanine green) is injected and blood is sampled downstream to determine the rate at which the indicator has been transported from the injection site. In Dr Shah’s own account of the experiments, he explains that the routine at his university then was to place a catheter in the left atrium with the trans-septal technique, i.e. inserting the catheter in a vein and penetrating into the left atrium via the right atrium. During the injections of the dye, somewhat to their surprise, they observed a striking echo enhancement across the aorta. The enhancement also appeared when saline and dextrose in water was flushed through the catheter. Dr Gramiak reminded himself of a comment from Dr Claude Joyner, that a temporary echo-enhancement could be observed during saline injections, and they speculated that miniature bubbles produced by gaseous cavitation upon rapid injection of the fluid gave rise to the enhancement, and raised the idea that this could be used as a contrast agent. An in vitro study by Frederick Kremkau provided strong evidence that gas bubbles were actually responsible for the echo enhancement. It is interesting to note how discoveries are made independently around the world, when the time is ripe. At the same time in Lund, Drs Inge Edler and Kjell Lindström performed studies to measure blood flow in the heart. At this point no ultrasound Doppler signals had been recorded from the inside of the heart, and they used a calf heart in an in vitro model to verify that signals could be obtained when water and blood was led through the model.

EP Europace ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (suppl_3) ◽  
pp. iii339-iii339
Author(s):  
U. Gulan ◽  
AM. Saguner ◽  
D. Akdis ◽  
C. Brunckhorst ◽  
M. Holzner ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madhuravasal Krishnan Janani ◽  
Venkatakrishnan Jaichandran ◽  
Hajib Narahari Rao Madhavan ◽  
Lingam Vijaya ◽  
Ronnie Jacob George ◽  
...  

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of lignocaine on growth and apoptosis indication of primary human Tenon’s capsule fibroblast (HTFs) in an in vitro model. Patients and Methods: Tenon’s capsule tissue obtained from patients undergoing trabeculectomy were grown in cell culture medium. The effect of different concentrations of lignocaine (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2%) on the morphology and growth of the fibroblasts was studied using microscopy, cell viability, and proliferation assay, and apoptosis was detected using the FITC Annexin V Apoptosis Kit. Results: Morphological changes similar to those of apoptotic cells, including cytoplasmic vacuolation, shrinkage, and rounding were visualized in the cells treated with concentrations greater than 1.0% (i.e., 1.5, 2.0%). Though proliferation inhibition was found with all four concentrations (0.5–2.0%), the viability of cells decreased from 1.0% lignocaine. Conclusion: 0.5% lignocaine prevents proliferation of fibroblasts without causing apoptosis in vitro.


Author(s):  
David I Lewis

The world of work is changing rapidly, with an increasing global demand for employees with higher-level skills. Employees need to have the right attitudes and aptitudes for work, possess work-relevant skills, and have relevant experience. Whilst universities are embedding employability into their curricula, partnerships outside of the taught curriculum provide additional, largely untapped, opportunities for students to develop these key skills and gain valuable work experience. Two extracurricular partnership opportunities were created for Bioscience undergraduates at the University of Leeds, UK: an educational research internships scheme, where students work in partnership with fellow students and academic staff on on-going educational projects, and Pop-Up Science, a unique, student-led public engagement volunteer scheme. Both schemes generate substantial benefits for all. They enhance student’s skills and employability, facilitate and enhance staff-student education practices and research, and engage the public with research in the Biosciences. Collectively, they demonstrate the extraordinary value and benefits accrued from developing extracurricular partnerships between students, staff, and the community.


Author(s):  
Booysen Sabeho Tubulingane ◽  
Neeta Baporikar

Universities contribute to the creation of a knowledgeable and skilled national workforce. The world over, universities are hailed as one of the old forms of organizations that have been instrumental in contributing to the development of many nations by producing skilled and intellectual human resources needed to produce goods and services. For this role fulfillment, the universities must ensure student satisfaction as students are the core of the very existence of universities and most important stakeholders in the higher education scenario. Moreover, student satisfaction is likely to enhance not only the better teaching-learning process, knowledge transfer, but also the competitiveness of the universities. This is all the more relevant and probably the best way to adopt for the university to play their role effectively and also is competitive in emerging economies. Hence, adopting a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional research methodology, this study aims to deliberate on how student satisfaction is the right approach and can drive university competitiveness.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (S 01) ◽  
pp. S15-S20
Author(s):  
Jens Müller ◽  
Georg Goldmann ◽  
Natascha Marquardt ◽  
Bernd Pötzsch ◽  
Johannes Oldenburg

AbstractDue to structural differences between extended half-life (EHL) factor VIII (FVIII) or FIX products and equivalent plasma wild-type molecules used for assay calibration, reagent-dependent discrepancies during monitoring of FVIII- and FIX-replacement therapies with EHL products have been described. To assess the performance of available one-stage clotting and chromogenic substrate assays on the Siemens Atellica COAG 360 analyzer, an in vitro study using spiked plasma samples was performed. The described results confirm previously described findings and allowed allocation of each EHL product to an appropriate assay. In addition, corresponding EHL product–specific analytes were defined within the order entry system of the University Hospital Bonn. The requirement of product-specific FVIII and FIX assays complicates patient monitoring and demonstrates the need for both continuous education and communication between treating physicians and the coagulation laboratory.


1996 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Bradley ◽  
Jamie P. Levine ◽  
Christopher Blewett ◽  
Thomas Krummel ◽  
Joseph G. Mccarthy ◽  
...  

The biology underlying craniosynostosis remains unknown. Previous studies have shown that the underlying dura mater, not the suture itself, signals a suture to fuse. The purpose of this study was to develop an in vitro model for cranial-suture fusion that would still allow for suture-dura interaction, but without the influence of tensional forces transmitted from the cranial base. This was accomplished by demonstrating that the posterior frontal mouse cranial suture, known to be the only cranial suture that fuses in vivo, fuses when plated with its dura in an organ-culture system. In such an organ-culture system, the sutures are free from both the influence of dural forces transmitted from the cranial base and from hormonal influences only available in a perfused system. For the cranial-suture fusion in vitro model study, the sagittal sutures (controls that remain patent in vivo) and posterior frontal sutures (that fuse in vivo) with the underlying dura were excised from 24-day-old euthanized mice, cut into 5 × 4 × 2-mm specimens, and cultured in a chemically defined, serum-free media. One hundred sutures were harvested at the day of sacrifice, then every 2 days thereafter until 30 days in culture, stained with H & E, and analyzed. A subsequent cranial-suture without dura in vitro study was performed in a similar fashion to the first study, but only the calvariae with the posterior frontal or sagittal sutures (without the underlying dura) were cultured. Results from the cranial-suture fusion in vitro model study showed that all sagittal sutures placed in organ culture with the underlying dura remained patent. More importantly, the posterior frontal sutures with the underlying dura, which were plated-down as patent at 24 days of age, demonstrated fusion after various growth periods in organ culture. In vitro posterior frontal mouse-suture fusion occurred in an anterior-to-posterior direction but in a delayed fashion, 4 to 7 days later than in vivo posterior frontal mouse-suture fusion. In contrast, the subsequent cranial-suture without dura in vitro study showed patency of all sutures, including the posterior frontal suture. These data from in vitro experiments indicate that: (1) mouse calvariae, sutures, and the underlying dura survive and grow in organ-culture systems for 30 days; (2) the local dura, free from external influences transmitted from the cranial base and hormones from distant sites, influences the cells of its overlying suture to cause fusion; and (3) without dura influence, all in vitro cranial sutures remained patent. By first identifying the factors involved in dural-suture signaling and then regulating these factors and their receptors, the biologic basis of suture fusion and craniosynostosis may be unraveled and used in the future to manipulate pathologic (premature) suture fusion.


Author(s):  
Anna Maria Bassi

The 21st century life science requires that scientists become aware of scientific and ethical issues of substitutive approaches to animal testing. For more than 20 years Dr Bassi Team at University of Genoa promotes several activities in Academia on the Replacement of Animal Testing: 2 days training course, lectures within teaching programs, work experience opportunities for graduated or graduating students, stages for Biology, Medicine and Surgery degrees and PhD courses on human in vitro model disease projects, This effort is now improved by Centro3R activities to increase the number of scientists aware of effective alternatives to classical in vivo approaches, and prevent needless suffering of animals.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
U Gulan ◽  
A M Saguner ◽  
D Akdis ◽  
A Denegri ◽  
M X Miranda ◽  
...  

1995 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 947-953. ◽  
Author(s):  
Norbert Roewer ◽  
Clemens Greim ◽  
Eckhart Rumberger ◽  
Jochen Schulte am Esch

Background During human and porcine malignant hyperthermia (MH), cardiac dysrhythmias and altered myocardial function can be observed. It is unknown whether a primary abnormality in cardiac muscle contributes to the cardiac symptoms during MH. An abnormal response to halothane has recently been demonstrated in action potentials (APs) from MH-susceptible (MHS) human skeletal muscles. We investigated the electrophysiologic properties in trabeculae isolated from the right ventricles of normal (MHN) and MHS pigs. Methods The experiments were performed on electrically stimulated (1 Hz) trabeculae isolated from the right ventricles of MHS and MHN pigs. Resting membrane potentials, APs, and tension were measured with and without the presence of 1% halothane. In addition, the halothane-equilibrated muscles were exposed to caffeine in increasing doses (1, 2, and 4 mM). Results In the absence of halothane, resting potential and AP characteristics in MHS and MHN muscles did not differ significantly. Halothane did not alter resting potentials but produced different alterations in the APs in MHS and MHN muscles, whereas the decrease in twitch tension was identical. In contrast to reductions in the AP amplitude and duration in MHN muscle, halothane produced an enlargement of the APs in MHS muscle. The addition of caffeine caused nearly identical prolongations of AP duration in MHS and MHN muscles. Conclusions This in vitro study demonstrates that halothane produces abnormal alterations in the dynamic electric properties of the ventricular excitable membrane from MHS pigs. These results suggest a latent defect in the myocardium of MHS pigs that becomes apparent in the presence of MH-triggering agents.


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