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Biomedical subjects

A Carbonell

Publications and source records attributed to A Carbonell.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Telementoring versus on-site mentoring in virtual reality-based surgical training.

BACKGROUND: Telementoring can be an adjunct to surgical training using virtual reality surgical simulation. Telementoring is hypothesized to be as effective as a local mentor for surgical skills training. METHODS: In this study, 20 Romanian medical students trained using a virtual reality surgical simulator (LapSim) with a telementor or local mentor. All the students watched an instructional module at the beginning of the exercise. The telementor, in the United States, interacted by videoconferencing. Before and after training sessions, tool path length and time for task completion were measured. RESULTS: Instructional media and training with mentoring resulted in similar levels of performance between locally mentored and telementored groups. Right- and left-hand path length and time decreased significantly within each group from the initial to the final evaluation (p < 0.05) for most tasks (grasping, cutting, suturing). No significant difference was achieved for clip-applying. CONCLUSIONS: Integration of instructional media with telementoring can be as effective for the development of surgical skills as local mentoring.

Education, Medical↗

Canine pancreatic responses to intracolonic perfused nutrients.

To study the effect intracolonic perfusion of nutrients has on exocrine pancreatic secretion, six dogs were prepared with gastric, duodenal, and cecal cannulas using a modified Thomas technique. In our study protocol, we collected pancreatic juice by selective ductal cannulation after having applied several types of intracolonic stimulation: perfusion of sodium chloride, tryptophan, rice starch + glucose, or sodium oleate. All these solutions were applied together with a background dose of intravenous secretin. Our results showed a significant increase in the volume of pancreatic juice and bicarbonate output after intracolonic perfusion of sodium oleate. Other perfusions did not change these parameters. Protein output did not change in any of the cases. It seems that the ascending colon plays a regulating role in pancreatic secretion; in some conditions the colon could increase exocrine pancreatic function.

Animals↗

Synthesis and antitumor evaluation of new thiazolo[5,4-b]quinoline derivatives.

A new synthesis of 9-hydroxy- and 9-(alkylamino)thiazolo[5,4-b]quinolines by cyclization of 4-(ethoxycarbonyl)-5-(arylamino)thiazoles and 5-(arylamino)-4-carbamoylthiazoles, respectively, is described. In vitro cytotoxicity of a large number of derivatives of these compounds has been tested against several cell lines. The highest activities observed are associated with the presence of a 2-[[(N,N-diethylamino)ethyl]amino] substituent at C-2 and a fluorine atom at the C-7 position of the tricyclic planar heteroaromatic framework. Three structural features seem to be essential for antitumor activities: a positive charge density at carbon C-7, a side chain at position C-2 or C-9 of the thiazoloquinoline skeleton with two basic nitrogens and a pKa value of 7.5-10 in the most basic center, and a conformational flexibility of this basic side chain. These structural requirements must be simultaneously satisfied in order to ensure a significant antitumor activity.

Animals↗

Placebo-controlled trial of nimodipine in the treatment of acute ischemic cerebral infarction.

Nimodipine is a 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative that shows a preferential cerebrovascular activity in experimental animals. Clinical data suggest that nimodipine has a beneficial effect on the neurologic outcome of patients suffering an acute ischemic stroke. Our double-blind placebo-controlled multicenter trial was designed to assess the effects of oral nimodipine on the mortality rate and neurologic outcome of patients with an acute ischemic stroke. One hundred sixty-four patients were randomly allocated to receive either nimodipine tablets (30 mg q.i.d.) or identical placebo tablets for 28 days. Treatment was always started less than or equal to 48 hours after the acute event. The Mathew Scale, slightly modified by Gelmers et al, was used for neurologic assessment. Mortality rate and neurologic outcome after 28 days were used as evaluation criteria. We considered 123 patients to be valid for the analysis of efficacy. Mortality rates did not differ significantly between groups. Neurologic outcome after 28 days of therapy did not differ between groups. However, when only those patients most likely to benefit from any intervention (Mathew Scale sum score of less than or equal to 65 at baseline) were analyzed separately in post hoc-defined subgroups, the nimodipine-treated subgroups showed a significantly better neurologic outcome. This result suggests that some patients with acute ischemic stroke will benefit from treatment with nimodipine tablets.

Adult↗

A human plasma cell line: induction and characterization.

A stable line of IgG K producing human plasma cells was established from a myelomatous human bone marrow using conditioned media from a rapidly metabolizing lymphoblast line, RPMI 4098. Growth in RPMI 1640 (15% fetal calf serum) at 6% CO2 promoted a 62-hour doubling time with a preferred cell concentration of 1 x 10(6)/mL. Surface marker studies showed: no receptors for sheep erythrocytes, no surface immunoglobulins, variable number of cells bearing complement receptors and 83% bearing Fc receptors. Although transmission electron micrographs demonstrated a poorly developed endoplasmic reticulum, radioimmunoassay showed 23 ng IgG and 28.7 ng Kappa were produced by 1 x 10(6) cells in 72 hours. Further, the cells are lipase, esterase and Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen negative. ASG banding showed a total chromosome number that varied from 46--49. Since the number of human plasma cell lines is limited, it is felt that this line will augment the immunobiological study of human myeloma.

Bone Marrow↗

Nucleoid condensation and cell division in Escherichia coli MX74T2 ts52 after inhibition of protein synthesis.

The reorganization of the bacterial nucleoid of an Escherichia coli mutant, MX74T2 ts52, was studied by electron microscopy after protein synthesis inhibition by using whole mounts of cell ghosts, ultrathin-sectioning, and freeze-etching. The bacterial nucleoid showed two morphological changes after chloramphenicol addition: deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) localization and DNA condensation. DNA localization was observed 10 min after chloramphenicol addition; the DNA appeared as a compact, solid mass. DNA condensation was observed at 25 min; the nucleoid appeared as a cytoplasm-filled sphere, often opened at one end. Ribosomes were observed in the center. Giant nucleoids present in some mutant filaments showed fused, spherical nucleoids arranged linearly, suggesting that the tertiary structure of the nucleoid reflects the number of replicated genomes. Inhibitors which directly or indirectly blocked protein synthesis and caused DNA condensation were chloramphenicol, puromycin, amino acid starvation, rifampicin, or carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone. All inhibitors that caused cell division in the mutant also caused condensation, although some inhibitors caused condensation without cell division. Nucleoid condensation appears to be related to chromosome structure rather than to DNA segregation upon cell division.

Amino Acids↗

Salvaging the exposed mammary prosthesis.

The authors present a new approach to handling the problem of extrusion of mammary implants. The prosthesis is removed and reintroduced in the same operation. Five cases are discussed.

Adult↗