Military medicine
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Blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury was generated in a mouse model using a shock tube to investigate recovery and axonal injury from single blast. ⋯ Blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury in a mouse model follows a biphasic FA response within 12 days after a single blast similar to that reported for human subjects.
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Blood is a precious commodity, with storage limited to 42 days under refrigeration. Degradative changes in red blood cells (RBCs) begin as early as 11-21 days after collection, and compromise their function. Materials that extend the life of RBCs will improve blood utilization in the field, as well as in hospital settings. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeONPs) are widely used in the materials industry to counteract oxidative stress and improve oxygen storage. We have previously shown that CeONPs extended the lifespan of cells in culture and counteract oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo. Here, we test the hypothesis that CeONPs extend the lifespan of RBCs in whole stored blood. ⋯ This work suggests that CeONPs may be a promising additive for extending storage and function of blood and blood products.
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Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that a magnetic resonance imaging method called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can differentiate between crush and complete transection peripheral nerve injuries in a rat model ex vivo. DTI measures the directionally dependent effect of tissue barriers on the random diffusion of water molecules. In ordered tissues such as nerves, this information can be used to reconstruct the primary direction of diffusion along fiber tracts, which may provide information on fiber tract continuity after nerve injury and surgical repair. ⋯ DTI tractography is a noninvasive tool that can yield a visual representation of a partial nerve transection as early as 1 week after surgical repair.
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Retracted Publication
Monitoring from Battlefield to Bedside: Serum Repositories Help Identify Biomarkers, Perspectives on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.
Serum repositories are foundations for seroepidemiological data, revealing targeted information about morbidities and existing heterogeneity in human populations. With the recent technological advances, we can perform high-throughput screening at an affordable cost using minimal plasma. Monitoring brain health after an injury is critical since mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) and other neurological symptoms are under-diagnosed. Our objective in this study is to present our preliminary serological data from one of our ongoing studies on mTBI. ⋯ Biorepositories are powerful resources for understanding the spectrum of morbidity. Biomarkers serve as a valuable diagnostic and therapeutic tool.