Mesenchymal Stromal Cells From Adipose Tissue Attached To Suture Material Enhance The Closure Of Enterocutaneous Fistulas In A Rat Model.

Surgical treatment for enterocutaneous fistulas (EF) frequently fails. Cell therapy may represent a new approach to treatment. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have high proliferative and differentiation capacity. This study aimed to investigate whether MSCs could adhere to suture filament (SF), promoting better EF healing. MSCs, 1 × 10(6), from adipose tissue (ATMSCs) were adhered to a Polyvicryl SF by adding a specific fibrin glue formulation. Adhesion was confirmed by confocal and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A cecal fistula was created in 22 Wistar rats by incising the cecum and suturing the opening to the surgical wound subcutaneously with four separate stitches. The animals were randomly allocated to three groups: control (CG)-five animals, EF performed; injection (IG)-eight animals 1 × 10(6) ATMSCs injected around EF borders; and suture filament (SG): nine animals, sutured with 1 × 10(6) ATMSCs attached to the filaments with fibrin glue. Fistulas were photographed on the operation day and every 3 days until the 21st day and analyzed by two observers using ImageJ Software. Confocal and SEM results demonstrated ATMSCs adhered to SF (ATMSCs-SF). The average reduction size of the fistula area at 21st day was greater for the SG group (90.34%, P < 0.05) than the IG (71.80%) and CG (46.54%) groups. ATMSCs adhered to SF maintain viability and proliferative capacity. EF submitted to ATMSCs-SF procedure showed greater recovery and healing. This approach might be a new and effective tool for EF treatment.

Topiramate-associated acute, bilateral, angle-closure glaucoma: case report

This paper describes a topiramate induced acute bilateral angle-closure glaucoma. This rare adverse effect is an idiosyncratic reaction characterized by uveal effusion and lens forward displacement, leading to increased intraocular pressure and vision loss. We describe a 55 year-old white woman with migraine, spasmodic torticollis and essential tremor, who developed bilateral acute angle-closure glaucoma, one week after starting topiramate 25 mg/day. She was seen at the Ophthalmology Emergency Department of the Fundação João Penido Burnier (Campinas, SP, Brazil) with a 4 hours history of blurry vision, ocular pain and bright flashes vision. Slit lamp examination revealed moderate conjunctival injection and corneal edema, and shallow anterior chambers. Intraocular pressure was 48 mmHg in both eyes. Fundoscopic examination findings were normal. She was treated with timolol, brimonidine, dorzolamide, pilocarpine, prednisone acetate eye drops and acetazolamide. One hour after those measures, as the intraocular pressure was 30 mmHg, she received a manitol intravenous injection and the intraocular pressure normalized. After 24 hours an iridotomy with Yag laser was performed. Topiramate was discontinued and she was totally recovered after one week.

Prediction of carbon monoxide in fires by conditional moment closure

Carbon monoxide is the chief killer in fires. Dangerous levels of CO can occur when reacting combustion gases are quenched by heat transfer, or by mixing of the fire plume in a cooled under- or overventilated upper layer. In this paper, carbon monoxide predictions for enclosure fires are modeled by the conditional moment closure (CMC) method and are compared with laboratory data. The modeled fire situation is a buoyant, turbulent, diffusion flame burning under a hood. The fire plume entrains fresh air, and the postflame gases are cooled considerably under the hood by conduction and radiation, emulating conditions which occur in enclosure fires and lead to the freezing of CO burnout. Predictions of CO in the cooled layer are presented in the context of a complete computational fluid dynamics solution of velocity, temperature, and major species concentrations. A range of underhood equivalence ratios, from rich to lean, are investigated. The CMC method predicts CO in very good agreement with data. In particular, CMC is able to correctly predict CO concentrations in lean cooled gases, showing its capability in conditions where reaction rates change considerably.

Modelling of species in hood fires by conditional moment closure

Carbon monoxide, the chief killer in fires, and other species are modelled for a series of enclosure fires. The conditions emulate building fires where CO is formed in the rich, turbulent, nonpremixed flame and is transported frozen to lean mixtures by the ceiling jet which is cooled by radiation and dilution. Conditional moment closure modelling is used and computational domain minimisation criteria are developed which reduce the computational cost of this method. The predictions give good agreement for CO and other species in the lean, quenched-gas stream, holding promise that this method may provide a practical means of modelling real, three-dimensional fire situations. (c) 2005 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gasless fetoscopy: A new approach to endoscopic closure of a lumbar skin defect in fetal sheep

Objective: To develop a new endoscopic approach to the correction of a myelomeningocele-like defect in fetal sheep. Methods: The fetuses of 9 pregnant ewes, with an average gestational age of 115 days, were subjected to a 3.0 x 2.0 cm removal of the skin over the lumbar spine, performed through hysterotomy. The uterus was closed, and three 5-mm endoscopic cannulas, without valve mechanisms, were inserted. In the pilot phase (2 animals), we initially worked exclusively in the amniotic fluid space. In the study phase, we partially withdrew the fetus from the amniotic fluid to completely expose its back. By simply allowing air to enter the amniotic cavity (without gas injection), a working space was created using a uterine lift device. The skin around the defect was dissected, and a biosynthetic cellulose material was applied to cover the area. A continuous suture of the skin was performed to completely hide the material. Results: The combined air/fluid space allowed the skin to be successfully closed in 6 out of 7 cases in the study phase. All fetuses were alive at the end of the procedures. Time to complete the endoscopic part of the procedure fell from 3 to 1 h by the end of this series. Premature birth occurred in 2 of the 4 cases allowed to continue with the pregnancy. Conclusion: A new gasless fetoscopic surgery technique was developed as an alternative to current techniques used for fetal endoscopic surgery. Copyright (C) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Neoskin development in the fetus with the use of a three-layer graft: an animal model for in utero closure of large skin defects

Objective: To assess the ability of a three-layer graft in the closuse of large fetal skin defects. Methods: Ovine fetuses underwent a large (4 x 3 cm) full-thickness skin defect over the lumbar region at 105 days` gestation (term = 140 days). A bilaminar artificial skin was placed over a cellulose interface to cover the defect (3-layer graft). The skin was partially reapproximated with a continuous nylon suture. Pregnancy was allowed to continue and the surgical site was submitted to histopathological analysis at different post-operative intervals. Results: Seven fetuses underwent surgery. One maternal/fetal death occurred, and the remaining 6 fetuses were analyzed. Artificial skin adherence to the wound edges was observed in cases that remained in utero for at least 15 days. Neoskin was present beneath the silicone layer of the bilaminar artificial skin. Conclusions: Our study shows that neoskin can develop in the fetus using a 3-layer graft, including epidermal growth beneath the silicone layer of the bilaminar skin graft. These findings suggest that the fetus is able to reepithelialise even large skin defects. Further experience is necessary to assess the quality of this repair.

Closure of the Challinor Centre II: An extended report on 95 individuals after 12 months of community living

As part of an institutional closure programme, 95 individuals with an intellectual disability were relocated to community-based group homes. Each individual was assessed 6 months prior to the relocation and then again after 1, 6, and 12 months of community living. Assessments involved ratings of adaptive and maladaptive behaviour, choice-making, and life circumstances. The group means comparing institution to community ratings showed improvements in adaptive functioning but no significant change in maladaptive behaviour. There were also improvements in life circumstances and increased opportunities for choice-making following relocation to the community. These outcomes suggest that relocation to the community was associated with a more active and normalised lifestyle than experienced in the institutional setting.

On the relation between the conditional moment closure and unsteady flamelets

We consider the relation between the conditional moment closure (CMC) and the unsteady flamelet model (FM). The CMC equations were originally constructed as global equations, while FM was derived asymptotically for a thin reaction zone. The recent tendency is to use FM-type equations as global equations. We investigate the possible consequences and suggest a new version of FM: coordinate-invariant FM (CIFM). Unlike FM, CIFM complies with conditional properties of the exact transport equations which are used effectively in CMC. We analyse the assumptions needed to obtain another global version of FM: representative interactive flamelets (RIF), from original FM and demonstrate that, in homogeneous turbulence, one of these assumptions is equivalent to the main CMC hypothesis.