Micropropagation and In Vitro Inflorescence of Pentas lanceolata

In this study, different concentrations of 6-benzyladenine (BA) on in vitro shoot and inflorescence inductions of P. lanceolata were investigated. The in vivo and in vitro floral characteristics of this plant were also compared. Nodal explants of P. lanceolata were cultured vertically with the cut ends inserted into semi-solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 mg L–1 BA. The results showed that the explants formed the highest numbers of shoots even when cultured in MS basal medium without any addition of BA, while the shoots formed in the explants cultured in MS medium supplemented with 1 mg L–1 BA were the longest. No inflorescence was found in the shoots cultured in MS medium supplemented with 8 mg L–1 BA, while the highest percentage of inflorescence induction was found in the shoots cultured in the medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L–1 BA. The apperances of in vivo and in vitro flowers of P. lanceolata were the same in many aspects except that the number of flower/inflorescence formed was different. In addition, water accumulation was observed only inside the in vitro flowers. Water deposit in the long tubular structure of P. lanceolata flower could cause anther injury, suggesting that flowers developed in vitro may not always produce pollen.

Biomass porous carbon as the active site to enhance photodegradation of oxytetracycline on mesoporous g-C3N4

A novel mesoporous g-C3N4 loaded with biomass porous carbon was synthesized by molten salt assisted thermal polycondensation, and the formation of hollow tubular structure increased the specific surface area.

Case Report: Spontaneous Appendicitis With Suspected Involvement of Klebsiella variicola in Two Pet Rabbits

Although laboratory rabbits are commonly used as models of appendicitis in man, spontaneous appendicitis was only described ante-mortem in one pet rabbit with an acute abdomen. The aim of this article is to describe two spontaneous cases of appendicitis in pet rabbits, to describe therapeutic appendectomy, and to discuss the microbial flora of the inflamed appendix. A 5-month-old intact female and a 16-month-old, neutered male were presented to the veterinary clinic with restlessness, anorexia, and reduced faecal output. The main clinical findings were restlessness, severe discomfort on abdominal palpation, a mid-abdominal palpable tubulous mass and an elevated rectal temperature. Blood analyses showed lymphocytosis, monocytosis, and hyperglycaemia. Radiography was inconclusive. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a presence of a tubular structure with wall thicknesses of 4.2 and 3.7 mm in the two rabbits, respectively. The tubular structure had a rounded, closed end, and a multilayered wall, suggestive of appendicitis. Due to metabolic acidosis and poor prognosis, the first rabbit was euthanized. In the 16-month-old rabbit, appendectomy was performed. Recovery was uneventful, and 4 h after surgery, the rabbit started to become normally active. Postoperative care consisted of fluid therapy, multimodal analgesia, supportive care and prokinetics. Follow-up examinations at 10 days, 1 month, and at 11 months after the surgery did not show any abnormal clinical or laboratory findings. Histopathological examination of appendices from both rabbits showed gangrenous appendicitis. Aerobic cultivation showed the presence of pure culture of Klebsiella variicola sensitive to enrofloxacin, marbofloxacin, tetracycline, cefuroxime, trimethoprim sulphonamide, neomycin, and gentamicin. Restlessness associated with anorexia, abdominal pain, palpable abdominal mass, hyperglycaemia, lymphocytosis, and elevated rectal temperature may be indicative of inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract. Abdominal ultrasound is recommended in rabbits with showing these clinical signs because radiography can be inconclusive. Appendicitis is a life-threatening condition, which should be included into the list of differential diagnoses; for the rabbit, an acute abdomen and gastrointestinal stasis syndrome and must be treated immediately. K. variicola may be associated with appendicitis in rabbits as a causative agent or in association with appendix intraluminal dysmicrobia.

Bioprinting small-diameter vascular vessel with endothelium and smooth muscle by the approach of two-step crosslinking process

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting shows great potential for autologous vascular grafts due to its simplicity, accuracy, and flexibility. 6mm diameter vascular grafts are used in clinic. However, producing small-diameter vascular grafts are still an enormous challenge. Normally, sacrificial hydrogels are used as temporary lumen support to mold tubular structure which will affect the structure’s stability. In this study, we develop a new bioprinting approach to fabricating small-diameter vessel using two-step crosslinking process. ¼ lumen wall of bioprinted gelatin mechacrylate (GelMA) flat structure is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light briefly for having certain strength, while ¾ lumen wall shows as concave structure remained uncrosslinked. Pre-crosslinked flat structure is merged towards the uncrosslinked concave structure. Two individual structures will be combined tightly into an intact tubular structure by receiving more UV exposure time. Complicated tubular structures are constructed by these method. Notably, the GelMA-based bioink loaded with smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are bioprinted as the outer layer and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) are seeded onto the inner surface. A bionic vascular vessel with dual layers is fabricated successfully and keeps good viability, and functionality. This study may provide a novel idea for fabricating biomimetic vascular network or other more complicated organs.

234 Echocardiographic visualization of retroaortic anomalous coronary artery

A 65-year-old female was admitted to our hospital for sudden onset of typical chest pain at rest lasting few minutes. Her medical background included systemic hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidaemia, and mild obesity. Upon arrival in the emergency room, the electrocardiogram didn’t reveal signs of acute myocardial ischaemia and serial cardiac troponin T measurements were persistently negative. A transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) was performed, showing mild ventricular hypertrophy, no regional wall motion abnormalities, and a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. A highly echogenic tubular structure, located slightly on the atrial side of the atrioventricular groove was noted in multiple apical views. Its tubular shape was suggestive of a vascular structure, but its location was atypical for a normal vessel; indeed its persistence in more than an echocardiographic plane excluded an artefact. According to patient’s clinical history and her high cardiovascular risk profile she was referred for coronary angiography, demonstrating no critical stenosis but an anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) from the inappropriate sinus of Valsalva: the left main coronary artery (LMCA) arose from the right coronary cusp and then took a caudal posterior loop running posterior to the aortic root. In light of these findings we could associate the tubular structure seen at TTE to the retroaortic course of LMCA, a finding recently described as retroaortic anomalous coronary (RAC) sign. Among AAOCA, the retroaortic course of the LMCA is an uncommon diagnosis in adults, and its association with a single coronary origin is extremely rare. Although it has been usually considered a benign clinical entity, it is associated with an increased risk in morbidity and mortality during valve surgery. The presence of RAC sign at TTE was demonstrated to be highly suggestive of an anomalous coronary artery (specificity 93.9%) and strongly associated with retroaortic LMCA course at computed tomography angiography. 234 Figure B

The “Inside-outside” Sign

We describe a radiological sign, “inside-outside sign,” observed during the cannulation of an expandable contrast-filled tubular structure in the human body. In this optical illusion, a catheter or guidewire appears to be outside the lumen when it is inside the lumen in reality. Knowing this rare optical illusion is essential to avoid mistaking it for a catheter or guidewire outside the lumen.