Changes in spleen volume after resection of hepatic colorectal metastases.

AIM: To identify and describe changes in spleen volume occurring in patients with colorectal metastases to the liver after partial hepatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-one consecutive patients (20 men, 21 women) with histopathology-proven colorectal liver metastases who underwent partial hepatectomy between August 2007 and April 2011 were included. Liver and spleen volumes were measured by computed tomography (CT) volumetry on the most recent CT prior to surgery and on all CTs obtained within a year after partial hepatectomy. Patients were carefully evaluated for and excluded if they had co-morbid conditions known to cause splenomegaly or risk factors for portal hypertension such as underlying liver disease and portal vein thrombosis. RESULTS: Thirty-two (78%) patients demonstrated an increase in spleen volume on the first post-operative CT, with more than a double increase in volume amongst five patients. Spleen volume increased by an average of 43% within 3 months of partial hepatectomy (p < 0.0001) and remained increased through 6 months after surgery, returning to near baseline thereafter. In the remaining nine (22%) patients, the spleen was observed to decrease an average of 11% in volume on first postoperative CT (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Splenic enlargement after partial hepatectomy of colorectal metastases is a common finding on CT. Increased familiarity amongst radiologists of this phenomenon as likely reflecting physiological changes is important in order to avoid unnecessary evaluation for underlying conditions causing interval enlargement of the spleen.

Direct metal nano-imprinting using an embossed solid electrolyte stamp.

In this paper, we report direct patterning of metal nanostructures using an embossed solid electrochemical stamp. Microforming of solid superionic stamps using Si templates--analogous to polymer patterning in nano-imprint lithography--is explored. Silver sulfide (Ag2S)--a superionic conductor with excellent microforming properties--is investigated as a candidate material. Important parameters of the superionic stamp, including mechanical behavior, material flow during forming and feature recovery after embossing, are studied. Excellent feature transferability during embossing as well as etching is observed. To illustrate the capability of this approach silver nano-antennas with gaps < 10 nm were successfully fabricated. The possibility for large area patterning with stamp diameters > 6 mm is also demonstrated. Embossing-based metal patterning allows fabrication beyond two-dimensional nanofabrication and several patterning schemes are reported.

Solid-state superionic stamping with silver iodide-silver metaphosphate glass.

This paper demonstrates and analyzes the new use of the glassy solid electrolyte AgI-AgPO(3) for direct nanopatterning of thin silver films with feature resolutions of 30 nm. AgI-AgPO(3) has a high room temperature ionic conductivity with Ag( + ) as the mobile ion, leading to silver etch/patterning rates of up to 20 nm s( - 1) at an applied bias of 300 mV. The glass can be melt-processed at temperatures below 200 °C, providing a facile and economical pathway for creating large area stamps, including the 25 mm(2) stamps shown in this study. Further, the glass is sufficiently transparent to permit integration with existing tools such as aligners and imprint tools, enabling high overlay registration accuracy and facilitating insertion into multi-step fabrication recipes.

Examination of Listeria monocytogenes intracellular gene expression by using the green fluorescent protein of Aequorea victoria.

The ActA protein of Listeria monocytogenes is an essential virulence factor and is required for intracellular bacterial motility and cell-to-cell spread. plcB, cotranscribed with actA, encodes a broad-specificity phospholipase C that contributes to lysis of host cell vacuoles and cell-to-cell spread. Construction of a transcriptional fusion between actA-plcB and the green fluorescent protein gene of Aequorea victoria has facilitated the detailed examination of patterns of actA/plcB expression within infected tissue culture cells. actA/plcB expression began approximately 30 min postinfection and was dependent upon entry of L. monocytogenes into the host cytosol. L. monocytogenes Deltahly mutants, which are unable to escape from host cell vacuoles, did not express actA/plcB at detectable levels within infected tissue culture cells; however, complementation of the hly defect allowed entry of the bacteria into the host cytoplasm and subsequent actA/plcB expression. These results emphasize the ability of L. monocytogenes to sense the different host cell compartment environments encountered during the course of infection and to regulate virulence gene expression in response.