Repainting the ceiling

Breaking the Catheterization Laboratory Ceiling.

A t my first Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference a few years ago, I came upon a shocking discovery, which had nothing to do with novel stents or valves. Upon exiting the 1,000-seat main auditorium, I bumped into a massive line for the men’s bathroom—and there was no one in line for the women’s bathroom. I skipped with glee into a stall, but then started to wonder, do all ...

Cortex shatters the glass ceiling.

Recreating developmental structures in vitro has been a primary challenge for stem cell biologists. Recent studies in Cell Stem Cell (Eiraku et al., 2008) and Nature (Gaspard et al., 2008) demonstrate that embryonic stem cells can recapitulate early cortical development, enabling them to generate specific cortical subtypes.

Atmosphere contamination following repainting of a human hyperbaric chamber complex.

The Naval Medical Research Institute currently conducts hyperbaric research in a Man-Rated Chamber Complex (MRCC) originally installed in 1977. Significant engineering alterations to the MRCC and rusting of some of its interior sections necessitated repainting, which was completed in 1988. Great care was taken in selecting an appropriate paint (polyamide epoxy) and in ensuring correct applicati...

An impressive ceiling.

Fever's glass ceiling.

The importance of an upper limit of the febrile response has been recognized since the time of Hippocrates. Although the precise temperature defining this limit varies according to the site at which body temperature is measured, human core temperature is almost never permitted to rise above 41 degrees C-42 degrees C during fever. There are compelling physiological reasons for such an upper limi...