Percutaneous treatment of biliary cast syndrome after orthotopic liver transplantation: comparison of mechanical versus hydraulic rheolytic cast extraction

Biliary cast syndrome (BCS) is the presence of casts within the intrahepatic or extrahepatic biliary system after orthotopic liver transplantation. Our work compares two percutaneous methods for BCS treatment: the mechanical cast-extraction technique (MCE) versus the hydraulic cast-extraction (HCE) technique using a rheolytic system.

Effects of drilling and stress release on hydraulic properties and porewater chemistry of crystalline rocks

The experimental verification of matrix diffusion in crystalline rocks largely relies on indirect methods performed in the laboratory. Such methods are prone to perturbations of the rock samples by collection and preparation and therefore the laboratory-derived transport properties and fluid composition might not represent in situ conditions. We investigated the effects induced by the drilling process and natural rock stress release by mass balance considerations and sensitivity analysis of analytical out-diffusion data obtained from originally saturated, large-sized drillcore material from two locations drilled using traced drilling fluid. For in situ stress-released drillcores of quartz-monzodiorite composition from the Aspo HRL, Sweden, tracer mass balance considerations and 1D and 2D diffusion modelling consistently indicated a contamination of <1% of the original pore water. This chemically disturbed zone extends to a maximum of 0.1 mm into the drillcore (61.8 mm x 180.1 mm) corresponding to about 0.66% of the total pore volume (0.77 vol.%). In contrast, the combined effects of stress release and the drilling process, which have influenced granodioritic drillcore material from 560 m below surface at Forsmark. Sweden, resulted in a maximum contamination of the derived porewater Cl(-) concentration of about 8%. The mechanically disturbed zone with modified diffusion properties covers the outermost similar to 6 mm of the drillcore (50 mm x 189 mm), whereas the chemically disturbed zone extends to a maximum of 0.3 mm based on mass balance considerations, and to 0.15 mm to 0.2 mm into the drillcore based on fitting the observed tracer data. This corresponds to a maximum of 2.4% of the total pore volume (0.62 vol.%) being affected by the drilling-fluid contamination. The proportion of rock volume affected initially by drilling fluid or subsequently with experiment water during the laboratory diffusion and re-saturation experiments depends on the size of the drillcore material and will become larger the smaller the sample used for the experiment. The results are further in support of matrix diffusion taking place in the undisturbed matrix of crystalline rocks at least in the cm range.

Differences in Median Ultraviolet Light Transmissions of Serial Homeopathic Dilutions of Copper Sulfate, Hypericum perforatum, and Sulfur

Homeopathic remedies are produced by potentising, that is, the serial logarithmic dilution and succussion of a mother tincture. Techniques like ultraviolet spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, calorimetry, or thermoluminescence have been used to investigate their physical properties. In this study, homeopathic centesimal (c) potencies (6c to 30c) of copper sulfate, Hypericum perforatum, and sulfur as well as succussed water controls were prepared. Samples of these preparations were exposed to external physical factors like heat, pressure, ultraviolet radiation, or electromagnetic fields to mimic possible everyday storage conditions. The median transmissions from 190nm to 340nm and 220nm to 340nm were determined by ultraviolet light spectroscopy on five measurement days distributed over several months. Transmissions of controls and potencies of sulfur differed significantly on two of five measurement days and after exposure to physical factors. Transmissions of potencies exposed to ultraviolet light and unexposed potencies of copper sulfate and Hypericum perforatum differed significantly. Potency levels 6c to 30c were also compared, and wavelike patterns of higher and lower transmissions were found. The Kruskal-Wallis test yielded significant differences for the potency levels of all three substances. Aiming at understanding the physical properties of homeopathic preparations, this study confirmed and expanded the findings of previous studies.

Possible open-system (hydraulic) pingos in and around the Argyre impact region of Mars

We report the observation of possible (hydraulic) open-system pingos (OSPs ) at the mid latitudes (∼37°S) in and around the Argyre impact-basin. OSPs are perennial (water)–ice cored mounds; they originate and evolve in periglacial and pro-glacial landscapes on Earth where intra- or sub-permafrost water under hydraulic/artesian pressure uplifts localised sections of surface or near-surface permafrost that then freezes in-situ. We invoke three lines of evidence in support of our analogue-based interpretation: (1) similarities of shape, size and summit traits between terrestrial OSPs and the Martian mounds; (2) clustered distribution and the slope-side location of the mounds, consistent with terrestrial permafrost-environments where OSPs are found; and, (3) spatially-associated landforms putatively indicative of periglacial and glacial processes on Mars that characterise OSP landscapes on Earth. This article presents five OSP candidate-locations and nests these mound locations within a new geological map of the Argyre impact-basin and margins. It also presents three periglacial hypotheses about the possible origin of the water required to develop the mounds. Alternative (non-periglacial) formation-hypotheses also are considered; however, we show that their robustness is not equal to that of the periglacial ones.

Viscous-Flow Approach to In Situ Infiltration and In Vitro Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Determination

Infiltration is dominantly gravity driven, and a viscous-flow approach was developed. Laminar film flow equilibrates gravity with the viscous force and a constant flow velocity evolves during a period lasting 3/2 times the duration of a constant input rate, qS. Film thickness F and the specific contact area L of the film per unit soil volume are the key parameters. Sprinkler irrigation produced in situ time series of volumetric water contents, θ(z,t), as determined with TDR probes. The wetting front velocity v and the time series of the mobile water content, w(z,t) were deduced from θ(z,t). In vitro steady flow in a core of saturated soil provided volume flux density, q(z,t), and flow velocity, v, as determined from a heat front velocity. The F and L parameters of the in situ and the in vitro experiments were compared. The macropore-flow restriction states that, for a particular permeable medium, the specific contact area L must be independent from qS i.e., dL/dqS = 0. If true, then the relationship of qS ∝ v3/2 could scale a wide range of input rates 0 ≤ qS ≤ saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ksat, into a permeable medium, and kinematic-wave theory would become a versatile tool to deal with non-equilibrium flow. The viscous-flow approach is based on hydromechanical principles similar to Darcy’s law, but currently it is not suited to deduce flow properties from specified individual spatial structures of permeable media.