We examined an area 8mm distal from SCI-epicenter.

Results: Compared with the sham group, both injured groups had higher GRP78 expression ratio in contused spinal cord at 1 dpo. GRP78 expression ratio was highest in GFAP+ cells of both groups, PF 2341066 and lowest in NG2+ cells. Although GRP78 was expressed strongly immediately after SCI in the both groups, increased CHOP expression was observed only in the HI group. The CHOP expression in NG2+ cells was

significantly higher than that observed in GFAP+ cells at 5 dpo.

Conclusion: Although the ER stress response contributes to cell survival in the low-stress SCI conditions, the ER stress response induces an apoptotic cascade in high-stress SCI conditions. The ER response varies according to cell type, with the highest observed in astrocytes, and the lowest observed in oligodendrocyte precursor cells.”
“We

report a case study of an IgG1 with a unique basic charge variant profile caused by C-terminal proline amidation on either one or two heavy chains. The proline amidation was sensitive to copper ion concentration in the production media during cell culture: the higher the Cu2+ ion concentration, the higher the level of proline amidation detected. This conclusion was supported by the analysis of samples that revealed direct correlation between the proline amidation level observed from peptide maps and the level of basic peaks measured by imaged capillary isoelectric focusing and a pH gradient ion-exchange chromatography method. The importance JQ-EZ-05 in vitro of these observations to therapeutic antibody production is discussed.”
“Although there is a significant amount of literature that deals with the identification of plant viral proteins involved in membrane remodeling and vesicle production in infected cells, there are very few investigations that report on the impact that infection has on the overall architecture and dynamics of the early secretory endomembranes. Recent investigations have shown that for some viruses the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi bodies and other organelles are heavily recruited into virus-induced perinuclear structures. These structures are

not isolated organelles and are dynamically connected to the bulk of non-modified endomembranes. They also have a functional link with peripheral motile vesicles involved in virus intracellular movement. The full molecular CAL-101 purchase events that consubstantiate with this endomembrane recruitment in virus-induced structures remain to be elucidated but viral genome replication and virion assembly are probably taking place within these structures.”
“Chibby (Cby) was originally identified as an antagonist of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. It physically interacts with the key co-activator beta-catenin and inhibits beta-catenin-mediated transcriptional activation. More recently, we demonstrated that Cby protein localizes to the base of motile cilia and is required for ciliogenesis in the respiratory epithelium of mice.

(C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 123: 77-91, 2012″
“Dust particles in discharge are often levitated in a sheath region

selleckchem rather than in bulk plasma under gravitational conditions (on Earth). Gravity compresses dust clouds, and the gravitational force restricts the motion of the dust particles. Microgravity gives the plasmas, including dust particles, so-called complex (dusty) plasmas, where dust particles are embedded in a completely charge-neutral region of the bulk plasma. The dust cloud, as an uncompressed strongly-coupled Coulomb system, corresponds to an atomic model with physical phenomena, e. g., crystallization, phase transition, and so on. Since the phenomena are tightly connected to plasma states expressed by plasma parameters, it is significant to estimate the plasma parameters, such as electron density and temperature. The present work shows the electron density measured by the frequency shift probe in the apparatus for microgravity experiments currently boarding on the International Space Station (PK-3 plus). The frequency shift probe measurement gave electron density in the order of 10(8) cm(-3) as a typical value in the apparatus, and demonstrated the detection of electrons in plasmas with dust particles. The spatial distribution profile of the electron density

obtained in this measurement presents an aspect for the void 11-deoxojervine formation of dust clouds under microgravity. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3606431]“
“Paraneoplastic coagulation disorders associated with benign and malignant gynecological tumors have been reported. However,

reports on cutaneous purpural manifestation of paraneoplastic coagulopathy in cases of gynecological tumors are extremely limited.

A 40-year-old woman was referred due to generalized ecchymosis 7 years after laparoscopic-assisted myomectomy. Coagulogram was markedly deranged with severe thrombocytopenia. After hematological disorders were excluded, image diagnostic modalities showed multiple intramyometrial heterogeneous mass lesions with extensive intratumoral hemorrhage. Laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy was performed with supplementation of coagulation factors and platelets. Histological examination showed 5-Fluoracil intramyometrial low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) coexistent with adenomyosis. Coagulation disorder immediately disappeared after hysterectomy and the postoperative course was uneventful. Recurrence of either ESS or coagulopathy has not been noted 15 months postoperatively, to date.

This case illustrates a rare but potentially life-threatening consumptive coagulopathy caused by intramyometrial low-grade ESS that was assumed to secondarily arise from stromal cells of adenomyosis developed in postmyomectomy scar.”
“The melting behaviors and crystal structures of a long alkyl chain polyamide and nylon 18 18, were investigated under annealing and isothermal crystallization conditions.

A formula was then applied to estimate the corresponding prevalence rate ratio, assuming 3 possible prevalence rates for LBP in the general population.

Results. Data were most extensive for disc protrusion, nerve

root displacement or compression, disc degeneration, and high intensity zone, all of which could be assessed repeatedly. All were associated with LBP, meta-estimates of odds ratios ranging from 2.3 Selleckchem LY2157299 (nerve root displacement or compression) to 3.6 (disc protrusion). However, even for disc protrusion, estimates of the corresponding prevalence rate ratios were mostly less than 2.

Conclusion. MRI findings of disc protrusion, nerve root displacement or compression, disc degeneration, and high intensity zone are all associated with LBP, but individually, none of these abnormalities provides a strong indication that LBP is attributable to underlying pathology. This limits their value in refining epidemiological case definitions for LBP.”
“This article and others that focused on the clinical features, mechanisms,

and epidemiology of skeletal muscle loss and wasting in chronic diseases, which include chronic kidney disease, cancer, and AIDS, were presented at a symposium entitled “”Cachexia and Wasting: Recent Breakthroughs in Understanding and p38 MAPK assay Opportunities for Intervention,”" held at Experimental Biology 2009. The clinical and anabolic efficacy of specific growth factors and anabolic steroids (eg, growth hormone, testosterone, megestrol acetate) in malnutrition and other catabolic states has been the subject of considerable research during the past several PD0325901 price decades. Research on the effects of these agents in cachexia or wasting conditions, characterized by progressive loss of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, focused on patients with AIDS in the early 1990s, when the devastating effects of the loss of body weight, lean body mass, and adipose tissue were recognized as contributors to these patients’ mortality. These same agents have also been studied as

methods to attenuate the catabolic responses observed in cancer-induced cachexia and in wasting induced by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, renal failure, and other conditions. This article provides an updated review of recent clinical trials that specifically examined the potential therapeutic roles of growth hormone, testosterone, oxandrolone, and megestrol acetate and emerging data on the orexigenic peptide ghrelin, in human cachexia and wasting. Am J Clin Nutr 2010;91(suppl):1143S-7S.”
“Bacterial biofilms have been observed in many prosthesis-related infections, and this mode of growth renders the infection both difficult to treat and especially difficult to detect and diagnose using standard culture methods.

A fusion of the FKD1 promoter and Selumetinib the GUS reporter gene was expressed in vascular tissue throughout the plant, and its expression in incipient veins in leaves narrows in a manner similar to that of PIN1. FKD1 expression in roots and leaves can be altered by changes to auxin response and auxin transport. In the absence of FKD1, PIN1::GFP narrowing to incipient veins is delayed, and localization to the apical cell face is infrequent. The lack of apical PIN1 localization correlates with the failure of newly forming veins to connect distally with previously formed

veins. Our data suggest that FKD1 influences PIN1 localization in an auxin-dependent manner, and we propose that it represents a key component of the auxin canalization pathway.”
“Background: The association between vegetarian diets and bone mineral density (BMD) is controversial because of conflicting findings from previous studies.

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the effect of vegetarian diets on BMD by using a meta-analytic approach.

Design: A systematic electronic literature search was conducted to identify all relevant articles on the association between vegetarian diet and BMD. Nine studies of 2749 subjects (1880 women and 869 men) were included in Small Molecule Compound Library the analysis. Traditional and Bayesian methods of meta-analysis were applied to synthesize the data.

Results:

Overall, BMD was approximate to 4% lower in vegetarians than in omnivores (95% CI: 2%, 7%) at both the femoral neck and the lumbar spine. Compared with omnivores, vegans had a significantly lower lumbar spine BMD

(6% lower; 95% CI: 2%, 9%), which was more pronounced than in lactoovovegetarians (2% lower; 95% CI: 1%, 4%). The probability that BMD was >= 5% lower in vegetarians than in omnivores (or approximate to 0.3 SD) was 42% for the femoral neck and 32% for the lumbar spine. There was no evidence of publication bias. There was a moderate degree of between-study heterogeneity; the coefficient of heterogeneity varied between 46% and 51%.

Conclusion: The results suggest that vegetarian diets, particularly vegan diets, are associated with lower BMD, but the magnitude of the association is clinically insignificant. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;90:943-50.”
“Imidization reactions onto PMMA copolymers were performed in the presence of primary amines. This study allowed ML323 inhibitor establishing a correlation between the functional group of the primary amine and the reactivity of the primary amine toward ester groups of PMMA. This correlation was allowed by using model PMMA/PMAA copolymers, i.e., obtained using a chain transfer agent by radical polymerization. According to the suggested mechanism of PMMA imidization, methylamine afforded higher content of glutarimide groups, hence leading to high T(g) values of about 160 degrees C. The use of bulky groups for the primary amine instead, i.e., cyclohexyl, decreased the content of glutarimide function.

001). In our study, we state that functional status and radiographic damage are the main factors associated with limited spinal mobility. Also, altered spinal measurements had a negative impact on physical function domain of quality of life. Recognizing relationships between spinal mobility measures and selleckchem clinical and radiological measures in AS can help us to develop early therapeutic strategies to reduce loss of

spinal mobility in Moroccan patients.”
“Ferumoxtran-10 is an ultrasmall superparamagnetic biodegradable iron oxide which serves as a MRI contrast agent in the differentiation of metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes in primary malignancies and imaging of phagocyte-associated disease processes. Ferumoxtran-10 is supplied as a lyophilized powder containing 210 mg of iron, 631 mg of dextran, and 27 mg of sodium citrate. The iron oxide core determines the magnetic properties of ferumoxtran-10, primarily its effects on the MR relaxation times, T1, T2, and T2*. Attachment of dextran prolongs the circulatory time of the nanoparticles. The intended human dose of ferumoxtran-10 is 2.6 mg Fe/kg.

Reconstituted and diluted with physiological saline it is administered intravenously by means of a slow drip infusion. After initial vascular distribution of the particles,

they are slowly phagocytosed by the reticuloendothelial system cells of the spleen, lymph Ro-3306 nodes, bone marrow, and liver. When ferumoxtran-10 p38 MAPK assay is present in phagocytic cells the iron oxide causes local magnetic field inhomogeneities which

lead to increases in proton relaxation rates, resulting in signal loss on mid-T1/T2 or heavily T2-weighted MR images. Stored in lysosomes the particles are ultimately degraded: the iron enters the normal body iron metabolism cycle and dextran is eliminated mainly via the kidney.”
“A 5-year-old boy was presented for a growth disturbance, which was initially noted at 3 years of age. Endocrinological testing identified severe hypothyroidism, defined by the following levels: TSH 990.5 mu IU/mL, F-T3 0.26 pg/mL, and F-T4 0.09 ng/dL. Serum anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies were 158 IU/mL and serum thyroid-stimulation blocking antibodies (TSBab) levels were 82.1 IU/mL (normal range <45.6). Thyroid scintigraphy with (99m)Tc showed markedly decreased uptake, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed pituitary hyperplasia. He was diagnosed with atrophic autoimmune thyroiditis. His thyroid function and pituitary size normalized following thyroid hormone replacement therapy. We report a rare case of a young boy with atrophic thyroiditis caused by TSBab.”
“Interleukin 17 (IL-17) is a Th17 cytokine associated with inflammation, autoimmunity, and defense against some bacteria; it has been implicated in many chronic autoimmune diseases including psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and systemic sclerosis. However, whether IL-17 plays a role in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) remains unclear.

The drastic change of EPDM morphology from continuous to disperse phase has as consequence a decrease in the intensity of the loss modulus peaks corresponding to the EPDM glass transition. However, the storage modulus AG-881 supplier at temperatures between the glass transition of EPDM and PS/SAN phases does not change significantly. This effect was attributed to the presence of the SAN rigid chains in the AES. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 113: 2638-2648,2009″
“Glioneuronal tumors with neuropil-like islands are rare. The 1st reported cases were localized in the cerebral hemispheres of adults, showed homogeneous histopathologic features

(infiltrating astrocytic growth and neuropil-like islands rimmed by neuronal cells), and had an unfavorable behavior. We report 3 pediatric cases (1 boy and 2 girls, ages 4, 6, and 8 years, respectively). The boy had a cerebral tumor, and the girls had a spinal tumor. The younger

girl also had multiple posterior fossa lesions. BMS-777607 in vitro The boy and older girl underwent a gross total resection. The younger girl underwent a subtotal resection of the spinal tumor; posterior fossa lesions were not surgically treated. The boy and younger girl are in complete remission at 33 and 24 months, respectively, after surgery and subsequent high-dose chemoradiotherapy. The older girl had a recurrence that was partially resected. Afterward, she started high-dose chemoradiotherapy and NSC105823 had

an optimal radiologic response at 4 months follow up. Microscopically, the common denominator was the presence of synaptophysin-positive neuropil-like islands. One tumor showed ependymal features (pseudorosettes and punctate epithelial membrane antigen immunopositivity). Two tumors had 1p deletion. 19q deletion, MGMT gene promoter methylation, EGFR amplifications or polysomy, and EGFR, IDH1, IDH2, and TP53 genes mutation analyses yielded negative results. In conclusion, glioneuronal tumor with neuropil-like islands can affect children, arise in the spinal cord, and show ependymal features in its glial component. A high-dose chemoradiotherapy program is effective.”
“A noncontact corona-Kelvin metrology technique was applied to investigate stress-induced leakage current (SILC) on thermal and afterglow thermal oxides grown on n-type 4H-SiC substrates. The equivalent oxide thickness was extracted from noncontact C-V measurements and used to obtain the experimental Fowler -Nordheim (F-N) plots. Differences between characteristics calculated from theory and experimental plots were found. Modification of the theoretical F-N characteristics with respect to trapped charge phenomena effectively eliminated the offset between theoretically predicted and experimental curves for thermal oxides grown at atmosphere but was unable to achieve such agreement in the case of afterglow oxides.

Right hand function could not be isolated during either extraoperative or intraoperative cortical stimulation of the anatomical M1 representation. Ictal and interictal activity was contained within the region with the abnormal motor response,

and MEG of interictal activity showed spike propagation from the left mesial to lateral frontal cortex. This propagation pathway may have facilitated M1-to-SMA connectivity and therefore explain the unusual motor response after stimulation of M1. This case highlights the potential impact of interictal activity on plasticity of the motor cortex. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All CYT387 molecular weight rights reserved.”
“Two-component signal transduction systems (TCS) are important elements in the interaction of endobacteria with host cells. They are basically composed of two proteins, an environmental signal sensor and a response regulator, which activate genes involved in a wide range of bacterial responses to their environment. We analyzed three

sets of genes corresponding to TCS of Ehrlichia canis, a common tick-borne canine pathogen and the etiologic agent of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis, in order to identify the characteristic domains of the sensor and response regulator components. Analysis JQEZ5 cost of sequence alignments of the corresponding proteins indicated a high degree of similarity to other members of the Anaplasmataceae TCS proteins, demonstrating that they could be useful as universal targets for development of new drugs against these bacteria. We also evaluated by quantitative PCR inhibition of E. canis by (2H)-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one ( BOA), the core compound of the plant phenolic compound DIMBOA, which shows inhibitory action against TCS of the phytopathogen Agrobacterium tumefasciens. This bacterium exerts its pathogenicity by transferring oncogenic DNA (T-DNA) into plant cells; this transfer is mediated through a type-IV secretion system, which is regulated by the VirA/VirG TCS. The

process of infection and pathogenesis of E. canis is associated with the secretion of effector proteins into S3I-201 in vitro the host cell cytoplasm through a T4SS system, which blocks the cell defense response. We suggest that BOA, and possibly other plant phenolic compounds that are TCS inhibitors, can be exploited in the search for new antiehrlichial drugs to be used alone or as complements in the treatment of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis.”
“We describe the case of a 10-year-old girl who developed behavioral changes consistent with Kluver-Bucy Syndrome following Listeria meningoencephalitis at 21/2 years of age. MRI at age 4 revealed evidence of diffuse brain atrophy with predominant temporal lobe involvement. Electroencephalograpy at 91/2 years of age showed abnormal electrical discharges from the left temporal area. Follow-up MRI with volumetric analysis of the mesial temporal structures at 9 years of age demonstrated decreased hippocampal volume bilaterally.

6% of cerebral palsy after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Inflammatory markers occurred in 13.9% and 11.9% of these outcomes, respectively. Growth restriction contributed significantly to all poor outcome groups. Birth defects were recognized in 5.5% of neonates in the control group compared with 60% of neonatal deaths and more than half of cases of cerebral palsy without hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. In children with cerebral palsy, a potentially asphyxial birth event, inflammation, or both were experienced by 12.6%, whereas

growth restriction, a birth defect, or both were experienced by 48.6% (P<.001).

CONCLUSION: Fetal growth restriction and birth defects recognized by age 6 years were more substantial contributors Selleckchem Ruboxistaurin NSC23766 concentration to cerebral palsy and neonatal death than potentially asphyxial birth events and inflammation.”
“Objective: The present paper reports about the content and evaluation of a psycho-educational group intervention for children growing up with a history of cancer, Op Koers Oncologie (OK Onco). OK Onco is aimed at empowerment of survivors of childhood cancer by teaching disease-related skills. The purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate whether OK Onco was appropriate for use among paediatric survivors of childhood cancer.

Methods: Eleven participating children and their parents completed questionnaires about the disease-related skills that were taught in the

intervention, before the intervention and 0-4 weeks after the intervention. In addition, parents were interviewed in focus groups.

Results: Positive outcomes were found on most items concerning disease-related this website skills. Remarkable improvements were found with respect to the intervention goals ‘social competence’ and ‘positive thinking’.

The parents reported that sharing emotions and experiences with other survivors of childhood cancer was an important element of the OK Onco program, which underscores the benefit of a disease-specific program for cancer survivors.

Conclusions: In conclusion, the results of the pilot study indicate that OK Onco is appropriate for paediatric survivors of childhood cancer. Implementation of the intervention is the next challenge. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.”
“Studies of our laboratory have led to elaboration of the DEAMOX (DEnitrifying AMmonia OXidation) technology intended for removal of nitrogen contaminants from wastewater. The DEAMOX process comprises two anaerobic stages implemented by the same sludge biocatalyst, namely, denitratation (conversion of nitrate to nitrite) and anammox reaction (ANaerobic AMmonium nitrogen OXidation by nitrite). The results of reactivation of biocatalysts after their long-term storage (5 and 16 months) and successful startup of the DEAMOX process in two modifications (S- and O-) are described. An S-DEAMOX process was launched using a sludge biocatalyst with restored anammox activity of 20.

In addition to quantification of A beta deposition in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s Selleck Blebbistatin disease, PiB has also increased our understanding of A beta deposition in older adults without cognitive impairment. In vivo A beta deposition has been studied in relation to genotype, structural and functional brain changes, as well as alterations in biomarker levels. To date, several studies have reported changes in A beta burden over time. This, together with investigation of the relationship between A beta deposition and cognition, sets the stage for elucidation of the temporal sequence of the neurobiological events leading to cognitive decline. Furthermore, correlation of A beta

levels detected by PiB PET and those obtained

from biopsy or postmortem specimens will allow more rigorous quantitative interpretation of PiB PET data in relation to neuropathological evaluation. Since the first human study in 2004, in vivo amyloid imaging has led to advances in our understanding of the role of A beta deposition in human aging and cognitive decline, as well as provided new tools for patient selection and therapeutic monitoring selleck chemicals in clinical trials.”
“In this work, we employed the effective coordination concept to study the local environments of the Ge, Sb, and Te atoms in the GemSb2nTem+3n compounds. From our calculations and analysis, we found an average effective coordination number (ECN) reduction of 1.59, 1.42, and 1.37, for the Ge, Sb, Te atoms in the phase transition from crystalline, ECN=5.55 (Ge), 5.73 (Sb), 4.37 (Te), to the amorphous phase, ECN=3.96 (Ge), 4.31 (Sb), 3.09 (Te), for the Ge2Sb2Te5 composition. Similar changes are observed for other compositions.

Thus, our results indicate that the coordination changes from the crystalline to amorphous phase are not large as previously assumed in the literature, i.e., from sixfold to fourfold for Ge, which can contribute to obtain a better understanding of the crystalline learn more to amorphous phase transition. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3533422]“
“The antimicrobial effects Ethanolic extracts of leaves of two species of genus Ziziphus were determined against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans. S. pyogenes was the most susceptible followed by E. coli while S. aureus was the least susceptible. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were 1 mg, 5 mg ml(-1) and 20 mg, 40 mg ml(-1), respectively. Extracts showed no activity against the fungal isolates – A. niger and C. albicans. The plants cannot be used in treating any type of fungal infections (dermatophycoses). The phytochemicals identified were cardiac glycosides, polyphenols, saponins and tannins.

Whether administering such drugs prophylactically

for post-resuscitation care after ROSC prevents re-arrest and improves outcome is unstudied.

Methods: We evaluated a cohort of 1721 patients with witnessed VF/VT OHCA who did (1296) or did not receive prophylactic lidocaine (425) at first ROSC. Study endpoints included re-arrest, hospital admission and survival.

Results: Prophylacic lidocaine recipients and non-recipients were comparable, except for shorter time to first ROSC and higher systolic blood pressure at ROSC in those receiving lidocaine. After initial ROSC, arrest from VF/VT recurred in 16.7% and from non-shockable arrhythmias in 3.2% of prophylactic lidocaine recipients, 93.5% of AC220 concentration whom were admitted to hospital and 62.4%

discharged alive, as compared with 37.4%, 7.8%, 84.9% and 44.5%, of corresponding non-recipients (all p < 0.0001). Adjusted for pertinent covariates, prophylactic lidocaine was independently associated with reduced odds of re-arrest from VF/VT, odds ratio, (95% confidence interval) 0.34 (0.26-0.44) and from nonshockable arrhythmias (0.47 (0.29-0.78)); a higher hospital admission rate (1.88, (1.28-2.76)) and improved Volasertib in vitro survival to discharge (1.49 (1.15-1.95)). However in a propensity score-matched sensitivity analysis, lidocaine’s only beneficial association with outcome was in a lower incidence of recurrent VF/VT arrest.

Conclusions: Administration of prophylactic lidocaine upon ROSC after OHCA was consistently associated with less recurrent VF/VT arrest,

and therapeutic equipoise for other measures. The prospect of a promising association between Selleckchem Captisol lidocaine prophylaxis and outcome, without evidence of harm, warrants further investigation. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“The review considers transformations of ecdysteroids (mostly of 20-hydroxyecdysone and its derivatives) involving the A, B, C, and D rings of the steroid skeleton and the side chain, which are used in the synthesis of minor phyto- and zooecdysteroids and structural analogs of ecdysteroids.”
“Background: Compliant vascular phantoms are desirable for in-vitro patient-specific experiments and device testing. TangoPlus FullCure 930 (R) is a commercially available rubber-like material that can be used for PolyJet rapid prototyping. This work aims to gather preliminary data on the distensibility of this material, in order to assess the feasibility of its use in the context of experimental cardiovascular modelling.

Methods: The descending aorta anatomy of a volunteer was modelled in 3D from cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) images and rapid prototyped using TangoPlus. The model was printed with a range of increasing wall thicknesses (0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.5 mm), keeping the lumen of the vessel constant.