Perianal Inflammation or Something More?

Perianal fistulae are commonly complicated by abscesses and ramifications, which have well-recognized imaging morphology. Less commonly, atypical findings of solid enhancing mass-like lesions with no fluid component are associated with chronic and recurrent fistulae, the etiology of which includes inflammatory masses as well as locally aggressive malignancy. The latter predicts poorer prognosis and warrants extensive surgical resection. The reading radiologist must identify the unusual appearance, be aware of the possible etiologies, and if appropriate recommend prompt tissue sampling to exclude malignancy. This is pertinent as it determines surgical management, which is crucial in achieving a potential curative outcome.

Proteome Characterization of BALF Extracellular Vesicles in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Unveiling Undercover Molecular Pathways

In the longtime challenge of identifying specific, easily detectable and reliable biomarkers of IPF, BALF proteomics is providing interesting new insights into its pathogenesis. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first shotgun proteomic investigation of EVs isolated from BALF of IPF patients. Our main aim was to characterize the proteome of the vesicular component of BALF and to explore its individual impact on the pathogenesis of IPF. To this purpose, ultracentrifugation was chosen as the EVs isolation technique, and their purification was assessed by TEM, 2DE and LC-MS/MS. Our 2DE data and scatter plots showed considerable differences between the proteome of EVs and that of whole BALF and of its fluid component. Analysis of protein content and protein functions evidenced that EV proteins are predominantly involved in cytoskeleton remodeling, adenosine signaling, adrenergic signaling, C-peptide signaling and lipid metabolism. Our findings may suggest a wider system involvement in the disease pathogenesis and support the importance of pre-fractioning of complex samples, such as BALF, in order to let low-abundant proteins-mediated pathways emerge.

Determination of barometric criteria for rupture of atherosclerotic plaques in the brachiocephalic arteries

The sequence of determining determination of the critical value of blood pressure for the occurrence of dissection of atherosclerotic intima of the internal carotid artery according to the experimental study. Atherosclerotic lesion of the brachiocephalic arteries was modeled on a vascular silicone phantom of the carotid arteries, in which the surgical material (intact annular area of atherosclerotic intima with plaque), obtained after eversion endarterectomy in a patient with atherosclerotic lesions, was placed and fixed in the region of the mouth of the internal carotid artery. A total of 30 models were created. To determine the critical values of the pressure on the intima with the plaque, at which it ruptures, balloon catheters were used, controlling the pressure with a manometer. The results were compared with the preoperative data of ultrasound and computed tomography examinations of patients. Dissection of the intima in the area of the plaque occurred in 6 cases at a pressure of 150180 mm Hg; in 9 cases at 180200 mm Hg, in 3 cases at a pressure of more than 200 mmHg, in 12 when exposed to more than 300 mm Hg. All patients, whose intima ruptured at a pressure of less than 200 mm Hg, had a fluid component of the plaque on preoperative examination, and in 6 patients, the critical pressure on the plaque was 150 mm Hg., there was also a thinned "cover" of the plaque. In the rest of the cases, the plaques were stable without a liquid component. Dissection of the intima in these cases did not occur when the exposure value was more than 300 mm Hg. The presence of a fluid component in an atherosclerotic plaque of the carotid artery in combination with a thinned cover of the plaque indicates the extreme danger of its destruction and embolism during a hypertensive crisis. The degree of stenosis of the carotid artery was found to be a less significant risk factor for unstable plaque rupture than the presence of a fluid component.

Analysis of Protein Intramolecular and Solvent Bonding on Example of Major Synovial Fluid Component

In this paper we review dynamics and roughness of bonds in proteins on example of albumin, that is important from the physiological point of view. We have performed computer simulations of albumin chain. Statistics were collected by performing many simulations realizations for each experimental setting. We concentrate on hydrogen bonds, cation-π and π- π interactions and NP contacts. Histograms of hydrogen bonds length are positively skewed in contrary to histograms of interactions and HP contacts that are negatively skewed. Scaling exponents of power spectra of energies of bonds / interactions /contacts are in range -0.2 to -0.5 and significantly differ between various hydrogen bonds or interactions. Varying scaling of such spectra can be used to classify between distinct bonds or contacts. Concerning particular amino-acids, largest amount of HBO H20 bonds are between Glutamate (GLU) amino-acids and water particle, while large amount of HBO bonds are formed with Lysine (LYS). For HP contacts the mayor role plays Phenylalanine (PHE) and Leucine (LEU) amino-acids. From decay curves HBO H2O bonds decays in fastest rate, while HBO bonds and HP contacts at slowest rate. We present as well decay curves of bonds formed by particular amino-acids, that gives interesting results.

Numerical Simulation of Two-Phase System of “Combustible Liquid – Solid Fuel” Combustion in a Fixed Bed

Investigation of combustion of complex heterogeneous systems and particularly of twophase “combustible liquid – solid fuel” systems is topical because of the need to improve combustion of multicomponent and non-standard fuels as well as for resolution of specific ecological problems. The qualitative and quantitative peculiarities of combustion of two model combustible systems, notionally corresponding to the “sawdust – oil” and “wood chips – oil” mixtures are investigated numerically. The main peculiarity of the systems is volatility of the fluid component, being gaseous-flow driven inside porous media. A one-dimensional plain problem of combustion of compact layer with the ignition from the bottom and from the upper side is considered. It is demonstrated that due to low gas permeability of the fine-dispersed solid matrix (sawdust), air flow velocity is relatively low which results in slow formation of the combustion front (the characteristic time is tens of minutes). In case of coarse solid phase (wood chips), airflow rate is higher and corresponding time of temperature fronts formation is smaller (a few minutes). Both for the cases of fine-dispersed and coarse particles solid matrix phase, when set on fire from below, the fluid component is evacuated from the hot zone before the combustion front is formed. Since that, the main characteristics of the temperature front dynamics correspond to “dry” fuel system. In case of upper side ignition the combustion wave is formed at the time of the order of 100 s (when the used magnitudes of parameters are being used again), then it spreads downstream of the layer, accompanied by incomplete oxidation of solid fuel and complete combustion of oxygen. The effect of incomplete solid fuel combustion was noted earlier in the investigations of combustion of lean coal layer and some other systems. The velocity of the combustion wave propagation does not differ much for the cases of upper side and bottom side ignition. But the time of establishing the quasi-stationary velocity of the front to the steady-state value at the initial stage is much less in case of bottom side ignition. The results obtained by the authors can be utilized for optimization of multi-phase fuels combustion in compact layer, the regime parameters of in-situ combustion method of oil recovery increase as well as for improvement of some specific chemical processes.

Transport: blood and circulation

The blood system transports nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogenous wastes; other functions include defence. Fish have a closed, single circulation in which blood is pumped by a contractile heart via a ventral aorta to the gills, then via the dorsal aorta to vessels supplying the tissues and organs, with a venous return to the heart. Large venous sinuses occur in elasmobranchs. Air-breathing fish have modifications of the circulation. Complex networks of narrow blood vessels can occur as red patches, retia, maximizing transfer of nutrients, oxygen or heat. Most fish have nucleated red blood cells (erythrocytes) with haemoglobin. The types of white blood cells (leucocytes) are similar to those of other vertebrates but there are thrombocytes rather than platelets. Nutrient transport is in the plasma, the fluid component of the blood, which may also carry antifreeze agents and molecules (e.g. urea in elasmobranchs) which counteract deleterious osmotic effects

Dust fluid component from Lie symmetries in scalar field cosmology

We show that in scalar field cosmology, a dust fluid follows as quantum corrections from solutions of the Wheeler–DeWitt equation generated by Lie symmetries. The energy density of the dust fluid is related with the frequency of the wave function.