This study used high-resolution impedance manometry (HRIM) to determine pressure topography thresholds of peristaltic integrity predictive of incomplete esophageal bolus clearance. A total of 16 normal controls and 8 patients with dysphagia were studied using a solid-state HRIM assembly incorporating 36 manometric sensors and 12 impedance segments. Each of the ...

BACKGROUND: The deleterious effects of elevated intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) have been known for more than a century. The proposed objectives were to measure changes in IAP and analyze increase-related factors and complications and whether high IAP and its persistence are related to complications and mortality in a predominantly medical intensive ...

INTRODUCTION: Given that regular nocturnal erections are physiological, it has been suggested that erections are pivotal to the maintenance of erectile tissue health. It has been postulated that a critical element to erectile tissue protection is cavernosal oxygenation. It is accepted that the corpora cavernosa are oxygenated fully during a ...

PURPOSE: To compare vacuum rise time, vacuum limit accuracy, and occlusion break surge of 3 new phacoemulsification machines. SETTING: Jules Stein Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA. METHODS: The vacuum rise time under normal and enhanced aspiration modes, vacuum ...

BACKGROUND: Previous studies established that a level of partial pressure end-tidal carbon dioxide (P(ET)CO(2)) of 10 mm Hg divided patients undergoing advanced life support (ALS) into those likely to be resuscitated (values > 10 mm Hg) and those likely to die during ALS (values < 10 mm Hg). Objective: The ...

BACKGROUND: Secure endoscopic closure of transgastric natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) access is of paramount importance. The over-the-scope clip (OTSC) system has previously been shown to be effective for NOTES gastrotomy closure. OBJECTIVE: To compare OTSC gastrotomy closure with surgical closure. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled animal study. SETTING: Animal facility ...

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the comparative accuracy of renal translesional pressure gradients (TPG), intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), and angiographic parameters in predicting hypertension improvement after stenting of renal artery stenosis (RAS). BACKGROUND: The degree of RAS that justifies stenting is unknown. METHODS: In 62 patients with RAS, TPG (resting and hyperemic systolic ...

BACKGROUND: Recent research suggests that central pulse pressure may be a better indicator of cardiovascular disease outcomes than brachial pressure. Little information is available regarding the effect of food intake on postprandial central pressure and other measures of arterial stiffness when measured with a noninvasive pulse wave analysis (PWA) technique. ...

BACKGROUND: Although maintenance of adequate spinal cord perfusion pressure (SCPP) by the paraspinal collateral network is critical to the success of surgical and endovascular repair of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms, direct monitoring of SCPP has not previously been described. METHODS: A catheter was inserted into the distal end ...

This research focuses on mercury (Hg) mobilization in stormwater runoff from an urban roadway. The objectives were to determine: how the transport of surface-derived Hg changes during an event hydrograph; the influence of antecedent dry days on the runoff Hg load; the relationship between total suspended sediments (TSS) and Hg ...

High pressure superconductivity in iron-based superconductor FeSe(0.5)Te(0.5) has been studied up to 15 GPa and 10 K using an eight probe designer diamond anvil in a diamond anvil cell device. Four probe electrical resistance measurements show the onset of superconductivity (T(c)) at 14 K at ambient pressure with T(c) increasing with increasing pressure ...

BACKGROUND: Simultaneous recordings of arterial blood pressure (ABP) and middle cerebral artery blood velocity can be used to calculate the apparent zero flow pressure (aZFP). The inverse of the slope of the pressure-velocity relationship is known as resistance area product (RAP) and is an index of cerebrovascular resistance. There is ...

BACKGROUND: Decompressive laparotomy followed by temporary abdominal closure (TAC) is an established prophylaxis and treatment for abdominal compartment syndrome. The herein presented study aimed at the comparison of volume reserve capacity and development of intra-abdominal hypertension after forced primary abdominal closure and different TAC techniques in a porcine model. METHODS: ...

BACKGROUND: Better understanding of cardiopulmonary physiology in children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia of Bochdalek (CDH) has facilitated improved survival. In addition, it has allowed surgeons to employ minimally invasive techniques to their repair under conditions that might result in hypercarbia and/or recurrent pulmonary hypertension. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Under institutional review ...

AIM: To investigate the influence of probing pressure on the probing pocket depth (PPD) in diseased and healthy periodontal tissue conditions through a systematic review. In addition, to facilitate comparison of the study outcomes, an attempt was made to provide a correction factor that compensates for the different probing pressures ...

The concentration of mercury (Hg) in eggs that causes reduced hatching success is regarded as a critical end point for Hg toxicity in birds. However, incorporating effects of in ovo mercury exposure on chick health and survival could improve risk assessment. We developed equations to predict Hg in eggs using ...

To determine whether venous congestion, rather than impairment of cardiac output, is primarily associated with the development of worsening renal function (WRF) in patients with advanced decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Reduced cardiac output is traditionally believed to be the main determinant of WRF in patients with ADHF. A total of ...

By using a newly developed optical technique which enables non-invasive measurement of mitochondrial oxygenation (mitoPO(2)) in the intact heart, we addressed three long-standing oxygenation questions in cardiac physiology: 1) what is mitoPO(2) within the in vivo heart?, 2) is mitoPO(2) heterogeneously distributed?, and 3) how does mitoPO(2) of the isolated ...

The total mercury (T-Hg) and methyl mercury (Me-Hg) concentrations in the hair were measured to evaluate mercury (Hg) exposure for the residents in Da-shui-xi Village (DSX) and Xia-chang-xi Village (XCX) in the Wanshan Hg mining area, Guizhou Province, Southwestern China. The mean concentrations in the hair of DSX residents were ...

Hematocrit (Hct) as an indicator of blood viscosity and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were assessed according to the season in adult participants of health screenings conducted throughout Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Data was collected at the end of summer (April) and the end of winter (August) and identified ...

Invasive hemodynamic monitoring is a cornerstone of the care of critically ill and hemodynamically unstable patients in both intensive care units and operating rooms. The assessment of cardiac output by means of the pulmonary artery catheter has been considered the clinical gold standard. Nevertheless, several concerns have been raised regarding ...

OBJECTIVE: We have previously described placental oxygenation capacity as an index of placental function. The aim of this study was to utilize this test to evaluate placental gas exchange capacity in pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction (FGR). STUDY DESIGN: Two nested case-control studies were conducted between: (i) pre-eclamptic appropriate-for-gestational-age fetus ...

INTRODUCTION: To assess potential metabolic and microcirculatory alterations in critically ill patients, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used, in combination with a vascular occlusion test (VOT), for the non-invasive measurement of tissue oxygen saturation (StO2), oxygen consumption, and microvascular reperfusion and reactivity. The methodologies for assessing StO2 during a VOT, ...

PURPOSE: Effective treatment of respiratory failure in premature infants remains an unsolved problem. The development of an artificial placenta, in the form of a pumpless arteriovenous extracorporeal life support (AV-ECLS) circuit that maintains fetal circulation, is an appealing alternative. METHODS: A near-term (140 d/term = 145 days) neonatal lamb model ...

The Maya ball game (MBG) originated more than 3,000 years ago. As best as is now known from archaeological and iconographical sources as well as the structure of the sport courts, this was a very physically taxing and important part of Mayan culture. The objective of this paper was to ...

Mercury (Hg) stable isotope fractionation has recently been developed as a tool in biogeochemistry. In this study, the extent of Hg stable isotope fractionation during reduction of ionic mercury [Hg(II)] by two Hg(II)-resistant strains, Bacillus cereus 5 and the thermophile Anoxybacillus sp. FB9 [which actively detoxify Hg(II) by the mer ...

We report the pressure effect of the normal-state transport and magnetic properties of CeTe(1.82) up to 9 kbar. We found that the applied pressure increases the Kondo temperature (T(K)(*)∼170 K), which is associated with the two-dimensional motion of carriers confined within the Te plane. Both the short-range ferromagnetic ordering temperature (T(SRF)∼6 K) and ...

BACKGROUND: Torsional mode ultrasonic coagulating shears are an alternative device to linear mode shears for hemostatic cutting. The aim of this study was to compare the vessel-sealing quality of torsional and linear mode ultrasonic coagulating shears on human veins. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Veins were harvested from 15 patients during varicose ...

OBJECT: Inappropriate sudden blood pressure (BP) reductions may adversely affect cerebral perfusion. This study explores the effect of nicardipine on regional brain tissue O(2) (PbtO(2)) during treatment of acute hypertensive emergencies. METHODS: A prospective case-control study was performed in 30 patients with neurological conditions and clinically elevated BP. All patients ...

BACKGROUND: Advanced therapies for heart failure (HF), such as mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices and xenotransplantation, are usually tested in bovine and porcine models. This approach assumes a priori that animal (patho)physiology will closely match that of humans. Systemic aortic input impedance (Z(ART)) is an important physiologic determinant of left ...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the robustness and zero-drift of an intracranial pressure sensor, Neurovent-P (Raumedic AG, Münchberg, Germany), when used in the clinical environment. METHODS: A prospective multicenter trial, conforming to the International Organization for Standardization 14155 Standard, was conducted in 6 European BrainIT centers ...

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to assess the acute hemodynamic effect of vasopressin V(2) receptor antagonism. BACKGROUND: In decompensated heart failure (HF), tolvaptan, a vasopressin V(2) receptor antagonist, has been shown to improve congestion. It has not yet been established whether these improvements may be associated with the hemodynamic effects of ...

BACKGROUND: One of the challenges in the current expansion of endoscopic sinonasal surgery is the ability to adequately reconstruct the skull base. Laser tissue welding (LTW) uses laser energy coupled to a biological solder to produce tissue bonds with burst thresholds exceeding human intracranial pressure. This technology could be used ...

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Oral mucosa can distort under impressions. To reduce or control mucosal distortion, modern impression techniques aim to reduce or control the impression pressure. If changing seating velocity significantly changes pressure, then this effect should be considered for clinical impressions of mucosa. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study ...

INTRODUCTION: Invasive assessment of pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), via right heart catheterization, is part of the usual protocol prior to heart transplantation. Echocardiography is considered a valuable technique to evaluate PAP. We sought to determine the reliability of measurements of PAP via a noninvasive technique, echocardiography, in relation to the ...

BACKGROUND: We compare the efficacy of using a 15 mm to the standard 25 mm needle for performing peribulbar blockade. METHODS: Blocks were performed on 150 patients using 15 or 25 mm needle length. Digital compression was applied by the thumb and index finger around the needle hub during injection ...

The present experimental study compared the effectiveness of counterpulsation provided by the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) versus that of a nonpulsatile, radial-flow centrifugal pump (CFP) in rapidly worsening acute heart failure (HF). Eighteen pigs were included in the study. After the induction of acute moderate HF, circulatory support was randomly ...

OBJECTIVE: A prehospital trial in trauma patients has been proposed to evaluate Hemopure (hemoglobin glutamer-250 [bovine], hemoglobin-based oxygen carrying compound [HBOC]-201, Biopure). We tested the hypothesis that HBOC-201 would improve cerebrovascular resuscitation in a unique polytrauma model. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, blinded animal study. SUBJECTS: Thirty-two anesthetized swine (42 +/- 1 ...

Outcomes of patients undergoing cavopulmonary palliation for single ventricle physiology may be impacted by living at altitude, as the passive pulmonary circulation is dependent on the resistance of the pulmonary vascular bed. The objective of this study is to identify risk factors for failure of cavopulmonary palliation at elevated altitude. ...

Isotope ratio measurements characterizing (202)Hg/(200)Hg in NIST SRM 3133 Mercury Standard Solution were undertaken by multicollector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry employing NIST SRM 997 Tl for mass bias correction by use of the slope and the intercept obtained from a natural logarithmic plot of each session of measurements of ...

Spontaneous baroreflex function can be altered by acute changes in central blood volume. Both a reduction in spontaneous baroreflex function at central hypovolemia and augmentation at hypervolemia suggest a dose-effect relationship between central blood volume and spontaneous baroreflex function. However, this relationship has not been quantified over stepwise widespread changes ...

Although pressure therapy is the mainstay of treatment for hypertrophic scars, its actual mechanism remains unknown. An in vitro study was designed to investigate the effects of positive pressure on the growth of human scar-derived fibroblasts through its transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) secretion. A pneumatic pressure system connecting to ...

OBJECTIVE: High renal pelvic pressure brings systemic absorption of irrigation fluid containing bacteria or endotoxins, which leads to postoperative fever. We inspected the renal pelvic pressure (RPP) in vivo during minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy (MPCNL) to investigate whether a 14- to 18-French percutaneous tract and perfusion would bring high RPP ...

OBJECTIVE: Phenylephrine is often used for management of cerebral perfusion pressure after traumatic brain injury, but can have undesirable actions. Few studies have evaluated alternatives. The hypothesis was that arginine vasopressin was as effective as phenylephrine for maintaining tissue oxygenation during cerebral perfusion pressure management. DESIGN: Prospective randomized, blinded animal ...

BACKGROUND: Early morbidity and mortality after Fontan operations are related to the elevation of postoperative pulmonary vascular resistance. Inhalation of nitric oxide (iNO) and intravenous milrinone are two options capable of reducing pulmonary vascular resistance. We hypothesized that their combined use could maximally stabilize the pulmonary circulation after Fontan operation. ...

We determined whether estimated hemodynamics from history and physical examination (H&P) reflect invasive measurements and predict outcomes in advanced heart failure (HF). The role of the H&P in medical decision making has declined in favor of diagnostic tests, perhaps due to lack of evidence for utility. We compared H&P estimates ...

To experimentally characterize 2D surface mapping of the deformation pattern of porcine peripapillary sclera following acute elevations of intraocular pressure (IOP) from 5 mm Hg to 45 mm Hg. Four porcine eyes were obtained within 48 h postmortem and dissected to the sclera. After the anterior chamber was removed, each ...

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare but fatal lung disease of diverse origins. PAH is now further subclassified as idiopathic PAH, familial PAH, and associated PAH varieties. Heterozygous mutations in BMPR2 can be detected in 50% to 70% of patients with familial PAH and 10% to 40% of patients ...

BACKGROUND: Hyperventilation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is harmful. METHODS: We tested the hypotheses that, during CPR, 2 breaths/min would result in higher cerebral perfusion pressure and brain-tissue oxygen tension than 10 breaths/min, and an impedance threshold device (known to increase circulation) would further enhance cerebral perfusion and brain-tissue oxygen tension, ...

BACKGROUND: Interhospital transportation of critically ill and mechanically ventilated patients represents a common, yet difficult problem. Three different methods to determine Pco2 during transport are available: arterial blood gas analysis (Paco2), end-tidal (Petco2) and transcutaneous (Ptcco2) measurement. The aim of the present study is to analyze accuracy and precision of ...