BACKGROUND Intracranial pressure changes during head impact cause brain injuries such as vasogenic edema and cerebral contusion. However, the influence of impulsive pressure on endothelial function has not yet been fully studied in vitro. In this study, we developed a pressure loading device that produced positive and negative pressures by modifying an in vitro fluid percussion model and examin...

PURPOSE To test patient acceptance and reproducibility of the 3D magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) brain exam using a soft vibration source, and to determine if MRE could noninvasively measure a change in the elastic properties of the brain parenchyma due to Alzheimer's disease (AD). MATERIALS AND METHODS MRE exams were performed using an accelerated spin-echo echo planar imaging (EPI) pu...

Climatic conditions and in situ lithology govern the hydrogeological behaviour of badland surfaces in western Canada. Based on field observations, samples representing three distinct surfaces in the Avonlea badlands (60 km SSW of Regina) of Saskatchewan were collected. The influence of erosion on the engineering properties of this typical indigenous badland profile was investigated by measuring...

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) and in vivo viscoelasticity of the liver and spleen before and after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) implantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ten patients with portal hypertension were examined twice by 3-dimensional multifrequency magnetic resonance elastog...

We compared the infusion accuracy of the Baxter Flo-Gard 6201, IVAC 530 and Abbott Lifecare 3HB pumps with saline and enteral formula at chamber pressures from 86.1 kPa (0.85 atm abs) to 304 kPa (3.0 atm abs). The Baxter pump infused +/- 10% saline at all tested pressures and rates (1-1,999 ml/hr). At 1 ml/hour, the IVAC infused 18% more saline than expected (86.1 kPa). The Abbott infused -15% ...

Quantification of the mechanical properties of living tissue equivalents (LTEs) is essential for assessing their ultimate functionality as tissue substitutes, yet their delicate nature makes failure testing problematic. For this study, we evaluated the validity of using an inflation device for quantifying the biaxial tensile failure properties of extremely delicate fibroblast-populated collagen...

The impacts of watercore on incidence of internal disorders and other physiological characteristics of ‘Fuji’ apples (Malus domestica Borkh) were determined following short-term exposure at 20 °C in 20 kPa CO2 (high pCO2) or long-term storage at 0.5 °C in 0.5 kPa O2+0.05 kPa CO2 (low pCO2) or 1.5 kPa O2+3 kPa CO2 (medium pCO2). CO2-injury (brown-heart) occurred in apples exposed to high pCO2 or...

Pulse oximeter (SaO2P) measurements were compared with direct arterial line oxygen saturation (SaO2) from co-oximeters in 92 instances in 43 patients, and with arterial line oxygen measurements (PaO2) in 169 instances in 81 patients. The mean (SD) absolute difference between SaO2P and SaO2 was 2.6% (2.4) after attempt to correct for the co-oximeter falsely measuring a proportion of fetal haemog...

BACKGROUND Nocturnal non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is an effective treatment for hypercapnic respiratory failure in patients with restrictive thoracic disease. We hypothesised that NIV may reverse respiratory failure by increasing the ventilatory response to carbon dioxide, reducing inspiratory muscle fatigue, or enhancing pulmonary mechanics. METHODS Twenty patients with restrictive disease...

The ability of the adult shore crab Carcinus maenas, native to the Bay of Arcachon (SW France), to feed in hypoxia was determined at various seasons. Crabs previously kept at field temperature were fed after a 5-day fasting period at 15 degrees C. Their blood oxygenation and pH regulation strategy and also their gill anatomy were analysed. From May to October, C. maenas feed at levels of O(2) p...