A large dermoid cyst of the spermatic cord Pang, KH; Haider, A; Ho, D Heffernan ...
Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England,
09/2023, Volume:
105, Issue:
7
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Dermoid cysts of the spermatic cord are rare, with only a few adult cases published in the literature. We report a patient with a 10cm inguinal mass referred to us for a suspected paratesticular ...sarcoma. Imaging suggested a cyst but, due to the recent increase in size, the cyst contents were evacuated and the cyst wall was biopsied. Histopathology revealed a dermoid cyst, which is a benign variant of cystic teratomas. Histopathological examination was required here due to the uncertainty. Careful interpretation was required, as cystic teratomas very occasionally undergo a malignant transformation.
Expanding automotive electronic systems Leen, G.; Heffernan, D.
Computer (Long Beach, Calif.),
2002-Jan., 2002-01-00, 20020101, Volume:
35, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
A vast increase in automotive electronic systems, coupled with related demands on power and design, has created an array of new engineering opportunities and challenges. Today's high-end vehicles may ...have more than 4 kilometers of wiring, compared to 45 meters in vehicles manufactured in 1955. Reducing wiring mass through in-vehicle networks will bring an explosion of new functionality and innovation. Our vehicles will become more like PCs, creating the potential for a host of plug-and-play devices. On average, US commuters spend 9 percent of their day in an automobile. Thus, introducing multimedia and telematics to vehicles will increase productivity and provide entertainment for millions. Further, X-by-wire solutions will make computer diagnostics a standard part of mechanics' work and may even create an electronic chauffeur.
Abstract Jumbo acetabular cups are commonly used in revision total hip arthroplasty (THA). A straightforward reaming technique is used which is similar to primary THA. However, jumbo cups may also be ...associated with hip center elevation, limited screw fixation options, and anterior soft tissue impingement. A partially truncated hemispherical shell was designed with an offset center of rotation, thick superior rim, and beveled anterior and superior rims as an alternative to a conventional jumbo cup. A three dimensional computer simulation was used to assess head center position and safe screw trajectories. Results of this in vitro study indicate that a modified hemispherical implant geometry can reduce head center elevation while permitting favorable screw fixation trajectories into the pelvis in comparison to a conventional jumbo cup.
Background
Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis remain leading causes of death. Despite many similarities, the two entities are very distinct clinically and immunologically. ...T-Lymphocytes play a key pivotal role in the pathogenesis and ultimately outcome following both SIRS and sepsis. Integrins are essential in the trafficking and migration of lymphocytes. They also serve vital roles in efficient wound healing and clearance of infections. Here, we investigate whether integrin expression, specifically β1 (CD29) and β2 (CD18), are disrupted in SIRS and sepsis, and assess differences in integrin expression between these two critically ill clinical categories.
Methods
T-Lymphocytes were isolated from whole blood collected from ICU patients exhibiting SIRS or sepsis. Samples were analyzed for CD18 (β2) and CD29 (β1) on CD3
+
T cells through flow cytometry. Septic patients were stratified into either exclusively abdominal or non-abdominal sources of sepsis.
Results
CD18 was almost ubiquitously expressed on CD3
+
T cells irrespective of clinical condition. However, CD29 (β1 integrin) was lowest in SIRS patients (20.4% of CD3
+
T cells) when compared with either septic patients (35.5%) or healthy volunteers (54.1%). Furthermore, there was evidence of compartmentalization in septic patients, where abdominal sources had a greater percentage of CD3
+
CD29
+
T cells (41.7%) when compared with those with non-abdominal sources (29.5%).
Conclusion
Distinct differences in T-cell integrin expression exists between patients in SIRS versus sepsis, as well as relative to the source of sepsis. Further work is needed to understand cause and effect relative to the progression from SIRS into sepsis.
Abstract Nonbiologic and mechanical effects of hydroxyapatite coatings have received little evaluation. Hydroxyapatite coatings give porous metal the appearance of decreased roughness. We ...hypothesized that this apparent decrease in surface roughness would result in diminished initial implant stability. We measured the initial stability of titanium plasma sprayed press-fit femoral stems with and without HA. Stems were implanted into cadaver and synthetic femora and subjected to aggressive stair-climbing loads. Migrations (retroversion and subsidence) and cyclic motions were recorded. Hydroxyapatite coating significantly reduced retroversion ( P = .0007) and cyclic subsidence ( P = .0086). Scanning electron microscopy imaging revealed that HA coating appeared to have reduced roughness on a millimeter scale but increased roughness on a micrometer scale. We concluded that HA coating improves initial stability through mechanical means, before biological action.
In this paper we explore several themes based on our intertwined research and outreach activities. First, we examine and discuss emerging global food chains that are embedded in strategic alliances, ...joint ventures and relationships – in short in networks of power. Decisions are being displaced away from multiple actors situated in different localities to globalized decision–making located within a few firms that make up each cluster. While the roots of these phenomena are firmly grounded in long–term historical processes, it is important to document and understand what is emerging at the global level in order to create alternatives. Second, we discuss our outreach work with farmers, consumers and communities in helping them to frame and understand the changes that are taking place in the food and agriculture system. This is exemplified through a case study of the Kansas City Food Circle and its role in generating alternative visions from the consumption side of the food equation. This work is extremely important for challenging the global food system, and also for helping to empower farmers, eaters and communities to create alternatives. We lay out an analytical understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the global system, and the opportunities found in the social, environmental and economic failures of the global system. In conclusion, the work described above rests on the recognition of different forms of agency that are appearing in the food system, agency that is located within the spaces provided by the unsustainable, unjust nature of the global system. We remain cognizant of the incredible networks of power that shape the production and consumption relationships in the food system. However, we remain hopeful that models of emerging alternatives can help relocalize production/consumption relationships in the food system in equitable ways. In other words, in relationships that are personalized and sustainable, and that are embedded in place and community.
Status of the Belle silicon vertex detector Natkaniec, Z.; Aihara, H.; Asano, Y. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
05/2006, Volume:
560, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
The old silicon vertex detector (SVD1) of the Belle detector, operating at the high-luminosity asymmetric energy e+e− collider KEKB, was replaced by an upgraded version (SVD2) in 2003. The new ...detector has modified geometry and redesigned readout electronics, providing a larger polar angle acceptance, better vertex resolution, improved radiation hardness and reduced dead time. The operation of the detector started successfully in October 2003. The basic concepts of the SVD2 design as well as its performance after 10 months of data taking are described in this paper.
The controller area network (CAN) communications protocol is used extensively in the automotive and industrial control sectors. Much work has been done to establish the bounded response time of ...transmissions in an event-triggered CAN. However, a new time-triggered architecture for CAN is being developed and will soon be available on the market. This new control network, referred to as time-triggered controller area network, defines a session layer protocol for CAN, which is based on a static schedule time-triggered paradigm and provides intrinsic deterministic behaviour. This paper describes the new protocol and provides some practical performance equations to calculate utilisation limits for this control network.
Abstract
We studied five chemically distinct but related 1,3,5-triazine antifolates with regard to their effects on growth of a set of mutants in dihydrofolate reductase. The mutants comprise a ...combinatorially complete data set of all 16 possible combinations of four amino acid replacements associated with resistance to pyrimethamine in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Pyrimethamine was a mainstay medication for malaria for many years, and it is still in use in intermittent treatment during pregnancy or as a partner drug in artemisinin combination therapy. Our goal was to investigate the extent to which the alleles yield similar adaptive topographies and patterns of epistasis across chemically related drugs. We find that the adaptive topographies are indeed similar with the same or closely related alleles being fixed in computer simulations of stepwise evolution. For all but one of the drugs the topography features at least one suboptimal fitness peak. Our data are consistent with earlier results indicating that third order and higher epistatic interactions appear to contribute only modestly to the overall adaptive topography, and they are largely conserved. In regard to drug development, our data suggest that higher-order interactions are likely to be of little value as an advisory tool in the choice of lead compounds.
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