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Future Aspect (future + aspect)
Selected AbstractsUltrasound Contrast Agents for Brain Perfusion Imaging and Ischemic Stroke TherapyJOURNAL OF NEUROIMAGING, Issue 3 2005Alberto Della Martina PhD ABSTRACT Stroke is one of the major causes of death and disabilities in industrialized countries. Ultrasound imaging is a largely wide spread bedside technique that is easily accessible and valuable in case of emergency but suffers from the fact that the ultrasound wave has to cross the skull for brain imaging. However, ultrasound contrast agents and new contrast-specific imaging modalities have helped to improve the diagnostic quality of transcranial ultrasonography. This review article surveys and discusses the current state of microbubbles technology and the use of contrast-enhanced transcranial ultrasound for the assessment of brain perfusion. Future aspects and expecta tions in contrast agent functionality, such as targeting and drug or gene delivery, acceleration of thrombolysis, and imaging technology, are also discussed. [source] Anaemia after renal transplantationEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION, Issue 2005M. Lorenz Abstract Anaemia is a frequent complication among long-term renal transplant recipients. A prevalence of approximately 40% has been reported in several studies. If renal function declines to stage 5 kidney disease, the prevalence of anaemia in kidney transplants is even higher. A positive correlation between haemoglobin concentration and creatinine clearance has been reported, which is a function of endogenous erythropoietin production by the functioning graft. Inflammation related to a retained kidney graft may cause hypo-responsiveness to erythropoietic agents once kidney transplant recipients return to dialysis. Furthermore, the use of azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil and sirolimus may be associated with post-transplant anaemia. Along with erythropoietin deficiency, depletion of iron stores is one of the major reasons for anaemia in the kidney transplant population. The proportion of hypochromic red blood cells appears to be a useful parameter to measure iron supply and utilization as well as to estimate mortality risks in kidney transplant recipients. While anaemia is an important cardiovascular risk-factor after transplantation, our data suggest that anaemia is not associated with mortality and graft loss. Nevertheless, inadequate attention is paid so far to the management of anaemia after renal transplantation. A promising future aspect for risk reduction of cardiovascular disease includes the effect of erythropoietic agents on endothelial progenitor cells. [source] A rat model for evaluating physiological responses to femoral shaft fracture reduction using a surgical robotJOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 12 2008Markus Oszwald Abstract The first step in treatment of displaced femoral shaft fractures is adequate reduction of the fracture fragments. Manually performed, reduction can be challenging, and is frequently associated with soft tissue damage, especially when repeated reduction attempts are made. The magnitude of local and systemic inflammatory responses caused by prolonged and repeated reduction maneuvers has not been fully established. We devised an operative technique utilizing a robotic reduction device for use in a rat. A femoral fracture was simulated by means of an osteotomy. The robot enabled reproduction of both manual and guided precision reductions, performed in a single path movement. An external fixator was designed specifically to manipulate the rat femur and also for fixation of the osteotomy region. First, reduction accuracy was assessed in eight femurs, then the quality of fixator placement and reduction accuracy was analyzed in 22 femurs. In the first case, 100% of the femurs were accurately reduced. In the second case, 91% had successful stable fixation and an accurate reduction was achieved in 86% of the specimens. We demonstrated the feasibility of a model of robot-assisted fracture reduction that could be used to analyze the effects of reduction on the surrounding soft tissue via biochemical and histopathological means. A future aspect will be to evaluate whether the robot confers an advantage in fracture reduction versus the conventional technique, which would have significant implications for the use of robotic devices in orthopaedic surgery. © 2008 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res [source] Contributions to the theory and practice of the chromatographic separation of enantiomers,CHIRALITY, Issue S1 2005Volker Schurig Abstract The theory and practice of enantioselective capillary chromatography employing metal coordination compounds and modified cyclodextrins as chiral stationary phases are treated. A unified approach involving all contemporary chromatographic methods and a single enantioselective column is described. Reliable thermodynamic data of enantioselectivity are derived by the retention-increment method. The existence of an isoenantioselective temperature is demonstrated. Kinetic enantiomerization studies are presented. The preparative-scale separation of enantiomers by gas chromatography with enantioselective packed columns is achieved. Unusual phenomena and future aspects of enantioselective chromatography are discussed. Chirality 17:S205,S226, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||