Acromioclavicular joint cyst in ASA 3-4 patients. Whether and how quickly it recurs after aspiration and steroid injection

We observed the clinical course, in the short-medium term, of patients with voluminous type II acromio-clavicular (AC) joint cyst who underwent aspiration and steroid injection regarded as the only possible treatment to avoid possible skin complications. Four patients (7.4% of cases described in literature) (3F-1M ; mean age 83 years, range : 78-87 years) with a voluminous ( > 7 cm) oval, no mobile, no fluctuant cyst overlying the AC joint, were retrospectively observed. The patients, judged by the anesthesiologist as ASA 3-4 patients, were merely submitted to cyst aspiration and steroid injection. The content of the cyst was microscopically analysed. All patients were clinically evaluated on the day of aspiration and after 14-30 days and after 1 year. Shoulder function and pain intensity were analysed with Constant score and VAS. We were able to aspirate 80-150 ml of amorphous joint fluid. At the first follow-up, all patients had a recurrence of the cyst, a lower grade of tension of the skin overlying the cyst and also a very little decreasing of pain intensity. After a month from aspiration, the cysts of the 4 patients had the same size as that present before aspiration. The range of motion, the average value of VAS and Constant were similar to those recorded before aspiration. In no case signs of infection or draining sinus occurred. Aspiration is a useless practice. However it is still a motive for discussion if the reduced suffering of the skin overlying the cyst after the aspiration has avoided, or simply postponed, an imminent complication

Critical review of literature on the use of short implants

Aim The aims of this review were to verify the validity of short implants as a treatment option in patients with partial or total edentulism, having more or less atrophic jawbones. Methods A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCT) was conducted, involving also prospective and retrospective studies published in English language between January 2005 and December 2015. The PubMed and Scopus databases were electronically analyzed. Titles and abstracts were selected, and full texts were evaluated. The data were organized in tables and then presented as a narrative analysis. Results The electronic search provided 891 publications, 50 articles were retrieved in full text and only 11 were included in the review. Although the performance of the implants was evaluated through different success and survival criteria, short implants have shown to have a similar performance to longer implants. Conclusions Short implants could be considered as a treatment option comparable to traditional lenght implant. However, other studies must be conducted to assess uniform criteria to state the quality of treatment

Development of a Solar Array Drive Assembly for CubeSat

Small satellites and in particular CubeSats, have increasingly become more viable as platforms for payloads typically requiring much larger bus structures. As advances in technology make payloads and instruments for space missions smaller, lighter and more power efficient, a niche market is emerging from the university community to perform rapidly developed, low-cost missions on very small spacecraft - micro, nano, and picosatellites. In just the last few years, imaging, biological and new technology demonstration missions have been either proposed or have flown using variations of the CubeSat structure as a basis. As these missions have become more complex, and the CubeSat standard has increased in both size (number of cubes) and mass, available power has become an issue. Body-mounted solar cells provide a minimal amount of power; deployable arrays improve on that baseline but are still limited. To truly achieve maximum power, deployed tracked arrays are necessary. To this end, Honeybee Robotics Spacecraft Mechanisms Corporation, along with MMA of Nederland Colorado, has developed a solar array drive assembly (SADA) and deployable solar arrays specifically for CubeSat missions. In this paper, we discuss the development of the SADA

Adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder: pain intensity and distribution

Purpose Papers regarding adhesive capsulitis (AC) of the shoulder focused on etiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment; until now, information on shoulder pain characteristics is still scarce. Our aim was to analyze pain intensity and distribution in patients with AC. Methods The study group was composed of 278 (133M–145F) consecutive patients with AC. After diagnosis, shoulder pain distribution was assessed through an upper limb pain map and pain intensity through a visual analog scale. Patients were distinguished on the basis of gender, age, time elapsed from onset of symptoms, and severity of functional limitation. Data were submitted to statistical analysis. Results Intensity of shoulder pain caused by AC was higher in females (p 0.05). Conclusion Shoulder pain due to AC may be influenced by gender and severity of functional limitation. AC pain distribution principally involves anterior aspect of the shoulder with downward extension of the arm until its distal third

Association between alcohol consumption and rotator cuff tear

Background and purpose - Long-term alcohol intake is associated with various negative effects on capillary microcirculation and tissue perfusion. We hypothesized that alcohol consumption might be a risk factor for both the occurrence and the severity of rotator cuff tears (RCTs). Patients and methods - A case-control study was performed. We studied 249 consecutive patients (139 men and 110 women; mean age 64 (54-78) years) who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Tear size was determined intraoperatively. The control group had 356 subjects (186 men and 170 women; mean age 66 (58-82) years) with no RCT. All participants were questioned about their alcohol intake. Participants were divided into: (1) non-drinkers if they consumed less than 0.01 g of ethanol per day, and (2) moderate drinkers and (3) excessive drinkers if women (men) consumed > 24 g (36 g) per day for at least 2 years. Results - Total alcohol consumption, wine consumption, and duration of alcohol intake were higher in both men and women with RCT than in both men and women in the control group. Excessive alcohol consumption was found to be a risk factor for the occurrence of RCT in both sexes (men: OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2-3.9; women: OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 0.94-4.1). Massive tears were associated with a higher intake of alcohol (especially wine) than smaller lesions. Interpretation - Long-term alcohol intake is a significant risk factor for the occurrence and severity of rotator cuff tear in both sexes

Neisseria oralis sp. nov., isolated from healthy gingival plaque and clinical samples

A polyphasic analysis was undertaken of seven independent isolates of Gram-negative cocci collected from pathological clinical samples from New York, Louisiana, Florida and Illinois and healthy subgingival plaque from a patient in Virginia, USA. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity among these isolates was 99.7–100 %, and the closest species with a validly published name was Neisseria lactamica (96.9 % similarity to the type strain). DNA–DNA hybridization confirmed that these isolates are of the same species and are distinct from their nearest phylogenetic neighbour, N. lactamica. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S and 23S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the novel species belongs in the genus Neisseria. The predominant cellular fatty acids were C16 : 0, summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH) and C18 : 1ω7c. The cellular fatty acid profile, together with other phenotypic characters, further supports the inclusion of the novel species in the genus Neisseria. The name Neisseria oralis sp. nov. (type strain 6332T = DSM 25276T = LMG 26725T) is proposed

Biocomposites Based on Thermoplastic Starch and Granite Sand Quarry Waste

Granite stone is a by-product of the rock crushing manufacturing. An industrial waste in powder form that causes health problems and environmental pollution. Fine particles fraction can be used as a partial replacement of sand in concrete manufacture. In this work, an alternative exploitation of this waste fraction is proposed. Granite sand (GS) with particles mean size of ~1 μm was employed as thermoplastic starch (TPS) filler at different concentrations. Biocomposites were obtained by melt-mixing and thermo-compression, achieving translucent and easy to handle films. A good GS dispersion within the matrix was evidenced by SEM. Mineral presence induced a shift of starch’s melting point to higher values and a better thermal resistance. TPS UV absorption capacity was increased ~90% by GS addition. An increment in TPS Young’s modulus and maximum tensile stress of 5 and 3 times, respectively was observed by adding 5 % w/w GS.Fil: Passaretti, María Gabriela. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Química; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química; ArgentinaFil: Ninago, Mario Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Aplicadas a la Industria; ArgentinaFil: Paulo, Cecilia Inés. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. - Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Petit, Andres. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. - Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Irassar, Edgardo Fabián. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. - Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Vega, Daniel Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Física del Sur. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Física. Instituto de Física del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Villar, Marcelo Armando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Química; ArgentinaFil: Lopez, Olivia Valeria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química; Argentin

Shoulder pain due to cervical radiculopathy: an underestimated long-term complication of herpes zoster virus reactivation?

Purpose To evaluate if herpes zoster virus (HZV) reactivation may be considered in the aetiology of cervical radiculopathy. Methods The study group was composed of 110 patients (52 M-58F;mean age ± SD:46.5 ± 6.12; range:40-73) with a clinical diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy. Patients with signs of chronic damage on neurophysiological studies were submitted to an X-ray and to an MRI of the cervical spine in order to clarify the cause of the cervical radiculopathy and were investigated for a possible reactivation of HZV; HZV reactivation was considered as “recent” or “antique” if it occurs within or after 24 months from the onset of symptoms, respectively. Data were submitted to statistics. Results Thirty-eight patients (34,5%,16 M-22F) had a history of HZV reactivation: four (2 M-2F) were “recent” and 34 (14 M-20F) were “antique”. In 68 of 110 participants (61,8%,30 M-38F), pathological signs on X-ray and/or MRI of the cervical spine appeared; in the remaining 42 (38,2%,22 M-20F) X-ray and MRI resulted as negative. Among patients with HZV reactivation, seven (18,4%) had a “positive” X-ray-MRI while in 31 (81,6%) the instrumental exams were considered as negative. The prevalence of “antique” HZV reactivations was statistically greater in the group of patients with no pathological signs on X-ray/MRI of the cervical spine with respect to the group with a pathological instrumental exam (p < 0.01). Conclusions It may be useful to investigate the presence of a positive history of HZV reactivation and to consider it as a long-term complication of a cervical root inflammation especially in patients in which X-ray and MRI of the cervical spine did not show pathological findings

May the odds be ever in your favour.

Probability and chance are essential concepts, not just in statistics but in real life. We present an adaptable activity which investigates what we mean by bias, how we can identify bias, and how we can use it to our advantage