Iatrogenic arachnoid cyst with distinct clinical picture as a result of bone defect in the floor of the middle cranial fossa: case report

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: This kind of arachnoid cyst has not previously been described as a complication of a cranial base bone defect. Recognition of this rare complication may be delayed, because clinicians are unaware of its possibility. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 22-year-old man presented with severe headache and increasing difficulty in breathing and swallowing. A physical examination revealed a pulsatile mass in the oral cavity, arising from the parapharyngeal area. A cystic mass that protruded into the oral cavity, through a dural and bony defect in the left middle fossa, was detected on neuroimages. INTERVENTION: A left frontotemporal craniotomy was made, and the cyst was decompressed. Duraplasty was performed with lyophilized dura. The bone defect was managed with a calvarial free bone graft and a pedicled myofacial flap. Serial neuroimaging studies performed postoperatively showed that the cyst had decreased in size. CONCLUSION: This report describes an unusual complication of a cranial base bone defect. Although not all bone defects in the cranial base require reconstruction, management of the large bone defect, particularly in the middle fossa, should preferably be accomplished with the help of a bone graft to support the dural graft.     

Some properties of urfa cheese (a traditional white-brined Turkish cheese) produced from bovine and ovine milks

In this study, the basic composition and ripening profile of traditional urfa cheese made from ovine and bovine milks were investigated. While cheese made from ovine milk had higher total solids, fat-in-dry matter and total nitrogen, the titratable acidity, salt-in-dry matter, pH, total mesophilic colony count and total yeasts and moulds counts were found to be close to each other. During storage, whilst the total solids content of cheese produced from ovine milk gradually decreased, the variation in the total solids content of cheese made from bovine milk was found to be insignificant. The salt penetration into the cheeses was rapid during the first two weeks of ripening, and it continued to diffuse into the samples throughout storage. Proteolysis developed faster in the cheese made from ovine milk than in cheese of bovine milk. The former sample had higher water soluble nitrogen, nonprotein nitrogen, phosphotungustic acid soluble nitrogen, Proteose-peptone nitrogen and tyrosine levels throughout storage, and the ripening index was higher as well.     

Langzeit- und Dauerschwingfestigkeit des Vergütungsstahls 25CrMo4 bei mehrachsiger Beanspruchung durch drei schwingende Lastspannungen

High-Cycle and Long-Life Fatigue of 25CrMo4 under Multiaxial Load Conditions by three Alternating Stresses Statistically verified experimental results from high-cycle and long-life fatigue tests (HCF and LLF) with altogether 537 unnotched solid cylindrical and thin-walled hollow specimen are demonstrating the fatigue behaviour (S-N-characteristics, scatterband) of 25CrMo4 under uniaxial loading with superimposed static stresses (consideration of the mean stress effect) and under biaxial loadings in variation of phase differences between the three combined normal and torsional stresses σ_x, σ_y, τ_xy The fatigue strength is commonly decreasing with life time in the high-cycle regime until reaching the fatigue endurance limit in the transition range to infinite life. The “ductility level” τ_w/σ_w and the “mean stress sensibility” p = p (σ_w, σ_zSch, R_m) are relatively independent of the intensity by stress amplitudes and fatigue life to failure. In comparision with the specific case of biaxial combined loading with synchroneous amplitudes, the fatigue resistance characteristics are detrimentally influenced by out-of-phase normal stresses σ_x, σ_y; a phase difference of 180° between the normal stress amplitudes is the most critical state of combination, especially in the lower cycle regime caused by a greater slope coefficient (probability of survival P_s = 50%). On the contrary is there in the high-cycle regime as well as in the long-life range no significant influence to the fatigue strength by biaxial load conditions of simultaneously normal stresses with out-of-phase torsional stress τ_xy     

The loss of poliovirus 1 infectivity in marine waters

The loss of infectivity (LOI) of poliovirus 1 in marine water from the Gulf of Mexico was studied. Typically, three logs of infectivity were lost in 5–6 days at 24°C. Experiments described in this report suggested that this LOI was not a result of container adsorption or virion aggregation: nor was a resistant component within the stock virus found that would have explained the two-component curves often observed with the virus loss. Viral infectivity loss occurred in raw, filter-sterilized, and autoclaved marine water. Loss was also observed when the virus was suspended in artificial seawater of 1, 10 and 20 g kg⁻¹ salinity. No explanation for the LOI other than true inactivation of the virion was found. The specific component(s) of marine water responsible for virion inactivation remains to be ascertained.     

Bacteria-mediated delivery of nanoparticles and cargo into cells

Nanoparticles and bacteria can be used, independently, to deliver genes and proteins into mammalian cells for monitoring or altering gene expression and protein production. Here, we show the simultaneous use of nanoparticles and bacteria to deliver DNA-based model drug molecules in vivo and in vitro. In our approach, cargo (in this case, a fluorescent or a bioluminescent gene) is loaded onto the nanoparticles, which are carried on the bacteria surface. When incubated with cells, the cargo-carrying bacteria ('microbots') were internalized by the cells, and the genes released from the nanoparticles were expressed in the cells. Mice injected with microbots also successfully expressed the genes as seen by the luminescence in different organs. This new approach may be used to deliver different types of cargo into live animals and a variety of cells in culture without the need for complicated genetic manipulations.     

Precision pneumatic pressure measurement with diaphragm-based mechatronic devices

A clamped circular metallic diaphragm, with shallow spherical shell deformation, elongates spherically proportional to the pressure acting on it. By making use of the inflation characteristics and mechanical properties of the diaphragm, three types of pneumatic pressure sensor are proposed in this article. In the first type, an optical mirror is engraved on its outer surface in an optimal position falling midway between its vertex and circumference. A laser beam is made to incident on the mirror and it gets deflected to fall over a matrix of photocells; the excitation of a particular cell in the coordinates of the matrix determines the pressure acting on the diaphragm. In the second proposal, a weightless secondary coil of a transformer is fixed around the vertex of the diaphragm which would move around a stationary magnetic core. The excitation of the primary coil wound over the magnetic core causes a voltage to be picked up in the secondary coil which would depend upon the displacement of the vertex because of pressure. The third type of the transducer is a capacitance pickup arrangement wherein the pressure is converted into capacitance and it is sensed and displayed as pressure. Furthermore, as an extension of the work, the motion of the diaphragm is mechanically coupled to a stylus for producing hard copy of the pressure over a strip chart.     

Multi-featured epoxy composites filled with surface-modified PTFE powders treated by Na-naphthalenide system

This study aimed to produce new multi-featured epoxy composites that are advanced in terms of mechanical properties, wear and impact resistance, and glass transition and heat deflection temperatures. Epoxy composites filled with chemically surface-treated poly (tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) powders at various ratios were prepared to obtain these improved properties. The chemical treatment was carried out via a Na-naphthalenide system. After this treatment, the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results presented the existence of functional groups such as OH, carbonyl groups, and CC unsaturation points on the surface of the PTFE powders. On the PTFE surfaces, while the atomic ratios of carbon and oxygen were substantially increased, the fluorine ratio presented a significant decrease after the chemical treatment. However, the wear rates of the novel composites were highly advanced despite this large decrease in the fluorine ratio on the surface of the PTFE powders. Moreover, functional groups such as OH, carbonyl groups, and CC unsaturation points and spongelike or network structures on the PTFE surfaces provided the opportunity to obtain strong adhesion and interfacial bonding between the surface-modified PTFE powders and the matrix. Strength and modulus values showed substantial enhancement besides the IZOD impact resistance. All glass transition and heat deflection temperatures were also substantially improved.     

Characterization of Luffa cylindrica fibers and the effect of water aging on the mechanical properties of its composite with polyester

Luffa cylindrica of Turkey's Aegean Region was evaluated in terms of fiber characterization and the mechanical properties of its composite with polyester. Characterization of Luffa cylindrica was carried out by Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin contents of Luffa cylindirica were also determined. Deconvolutions of XPS data enable determining the distributions of functional groups on the surface of Luffa cylindrica. Luffa cylindrica‐reinforced polyester composite was subjected to water aging under a steam of seawater containing 5% sodium chloride for 170 h at 50°C. After water aging, tensile strength, flexural strength, interlaminar shear strength, and tensile elongation at break values of the composite decreased ～ 28%, 24%, 45%, and 31%, respectively. However, tensile modulus and flexural modulus did not change significantly. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012