Aircraft Cabin Pressurization and Concern for Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy.

BACKGROUND: Cabin pressurization is the process by which aircraft maintain a comfortable and safe environment for passengers flying at high altitudes. At high altitudes, most patients can tolerate changes in pressurization; however, passengers at high risk of hypoxia may experience ischemic events. The purpose of this study was to evaluate variations in pressurization of commercial aircraft at cruising altitude and describe its relevance in relation to patients with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).METHODS: Altimeters were used to measure altitude and cabin altitude at cruising altitude aboard 113 commercial flights, including 53 narrow-body and 60 wide-body aircraft.RESULTS: Cabin altitude ranged from 4232 ft to 7956 ft at cruising altitudes ranging from 30,000 ft to 41,000 ft. The mean cabin altitude for all flights was 6309 876 ft. Narrow-body aircraft had a significantly higher mean cabin altitude (6739 829 ft) compared to wide-body aircraft (5929 733 ft). For all flights, the mean cruising altitude was 35,369 2881 ft with narrow-body aircraft cruising at a lower altitude of 34,238 2389 ft compared to wide-body aircraft at 36,369 2925 ft. Newer generation aircraft had a mean cabin altitude of 6066 837 ft, which was lower than the mean cabin altitude of older aircraft (6616 835 ft).DISCUSSION: Innovation in flight design has offered the ability for aircraft to fly at greater altitudes while maintaining lower cabin altitude. Those at high risk of hypoxia-induced complications may consider aircraft type when air travel is required.Nazarali S, Liu H, Syed M, Wood T, Asanad S, Sadun AA, Karanjia R. Aircraft cabin pressurization and concern for non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(9):715719.

Approaches to Microthrombotic Wounds: A Review of Pathogenesis and Clinical Features.

GENERAL PURPOSE: To discuss the pathogenesis and clinical features of wounds caused by microthrombi formation under the following categories of systemic diseases: cold-related and immune-complex deposition diseases, coagulopathies, abnormalities in red blood cell structure, emboli, and vasospasm. TARGET AUDIENCE: This continuing education activity is intended for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses with an interest in skin and wound care. LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES: After participating in this educational activity, the participant should be better able to:1. Recall the etiology, risk factors, and pathophysiology of the various types of microthrombotic wounds.2. Describe the clinical manifestations and treatment of the various types of microthrombotic wounds. ABSTRACT: Typical wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, pressure ulcers, and arterial ulcers are responsible for more than 70% of chronic wounds. Atypical wounds have broad differential diagnoses and can sometimes develop as a combination of different conditions. Regardless of the etiology, impaired blood circulation is characteristic of all chronic and acute wounds. Chronic wounds associated with microthrombi formation are an important group of atypical wounds commonly linked to an underlying systemic disease. In this perspective article, the pathogenesis and clinical features of wounds caused by microthrombi formation are discussed under the following categories of systemic diseases: cold-related and immune-complex deposition diseases, coagulopathies, abnormalities in red blood cell structure, emboli, and vasospasm.

Genital Ulcer Disease: A Review of Pathogenesis and Clinical Features.

Genital ulcer disease can be caused by a wide variety of sources. Most commonly, genital ulcer disease is grouped into infectious and noninfectious causes. HSV, syphilis, lymphogranuloma venereum, and chancroid represent some common infectious ulcers. Noninfectious causes on the other hand can be inflammatory, noninflammatory, or malignant (eg, squamous cell carcinoma). Depending on the etiology, genital ulcers may present with unique features that can help clinicians identify the etiology and start treatment in a timely manner. The clinical presentation and management of infectious and noninfectious genital ulcers will be discussed in this review.

Dynamic Functional Connectivity States Between the Dorsal and Ventral Sensorimotor Networks Revealed by Dynamic Conditional Correlation Analysis of Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Functional connectivity in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) has received substantial attention since the initial findings of Biswal et al. Traditional network correlation metrics assume that the functional connectivity in the brain remains stationary over time. However, recent studies have shown that robust temporal fluctuations of functional connectivity among as well as within functional networks exist, challenging this assumption. In this study, these dynamic correlation differences were investigated between the dorsal and ventral sensorimotor networks by applying the dynamic conditional correlation model to rs-fMRI data of 20 healthy subjects. k-Means clustering was used to determine an optimal number of discrete connectivity states (k = 10) of the sensorimotor system across all subjects. Our analysis confirms the existence of differences in dynamic correlation between the dorsal and ventral networks, with highest connectivity found within the ventral motor network.

Microwave-accelerated bioassay technique for rapid and quantitative detection of biological and environmental samples.

Quantitative detection of molecules of interest from biological and environmental samples in a rapid manner, particularly with a relevant concentration range, is imperative to the timely assessment of human diseases and environmental issues. In this work, we employed the microwave-accelerated bioassay (MAB) technique, which is based on the combined use of circular bioassay platforms and microwave heating, for rapid and quantitative detection of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) and Shiga like toxin (STX 1). The proof-of-principle use of the MAB technique with the circular bioassay platforms for the rapid detection of GFAP in buffer based on colorimetric and fluorescence readouts was demonstrated with a 900W kitchen microwave. We also employed the MAB technique with a new microwave system (called the iCrystal system) for the detection of GFAP from mice with brain injuries and STX 1 from a city water stream. Control bioassays included the commercially available gold standard bioassay kits run at room temperature. Our results show that the lower limit of detection (LLOD) of the colorimetric and fluorescence based bioassays for GFAP was decreased by ~1000 times using the MAB technique and our circular bioassay platforms as compared to the commercially available bioassay kits. The overall bioassay time for GFAP and STX 1 was reduced from 4h using commercially available bioassay kits to 10min using the MAB technique.

Rapid and Selective Crystallization of Acetaminophen using Metal-Assisted and Microwave-Accelerated Evaporative Crystallization.

In this paper, we demonstrate the application of Metal-Assisted and Microwave-Accelerated Evaporative Crystallization (MA-MAEC) technique to rapid and selective crystallization of a small drug compound. i.e. acetaminophen. Subsequent characterization of the crystals by optical microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and Raman spectroscopy showed quantitatively selective growth of different crystal forms at various experimental conditions. Acetaminophen crystals were grown predominantly as Form I (99%) on blank glass slides at room temperature. Form II crystals with 39% purity grown on SIFs using microwave energy.