A primary intrapelvic hydatid cyst presenting with foot drop and a gluteal swelling: a case report

A primary hydatid cyst in the pelvis is rare, and usually presents with pressure symptoms affecting the adjacent abdominal organs. We describe such a cyst which protruded through the sciatic notch and presented as a gluteal swelling with a foot drop due to compression of the lumbosacral nerve roots. Surgical excision and postoperative treatment with albendazole for six weeks were effective in controlling the disease and preventing recurrence.     

Biodistribution of p-boronophenylalanine in patients with glioblastoma multiforme for use in boron neutron capture therapy

OBJECTIVE: The success of boron neutron capture therapy depends on the safety and specificity of the boron delivery agent. As a preface to clinical boron neutron capture therapy of glioblastoma multiforme, a biodistribution study of intravenous p-boronophenylalanine (BPA) in patients undergoing craniotomy for resection of glioblastoma was performed. METHODS: Varying doses of intravenously administered BPA-fructose (130-250 mg BPA per kilogram of body weight) were given to patients 2 to 3 hours prior to the start of craniotomy for either suspected or known glioblastoma multiforme. Blood samples were collected over a 48-hour period for boron assay. At surgery, multiple samples of tumor, brain, and scalp were obtained for boron and histological analysis. RESULTS: Seventeen patients were studied; all but one had glioblastoma multiforme. No adverse effects from the BPA infusions were noted. The boron concentration in the blood reached a maximum at the end of the BPA infusion and was proportional to the administered dose of BPA. Normal brain concentrations of boron generally were equal to or less than that in blood. Tumor-blood boron ratios were highly variable: 1.6 +/- 0.8 (mean +/- standard deviation; n = 187; range, 0.3-3.5). The observed heterogeneity of BPA uptake in glioblastoma samples appears to correlate with the degree of cellularity observed on histological examination. CONCLUSION: Intravenous BPA administration up to a dose of 250 mg/kg is safe and well tolerated. BPA uptake in surgical samples of glioblastoma tissue is variable and may depend on the fraction of viable tumor cells in the individual sample. Further clinical studies using BPA as a boron delivery agent for boron neutron capture therapy of glioblastoma multiforme appear warranted.     

Network-distributed finite element analysis

The widespread availability of local-area networks has made the combined processing power of workstations a viable approach for compute-intensive analyses. In this paper, we describe several distributed algorithms for structural analysis using finite element methods, and we assess their performance on a conventional Ethernet-connected workstation network. Direct, iterative and hybrid equation solvers are evaluated for their performance on plane-elasticity problems, and are contrasted with respect to overall solution time and efficiency in distributing computations over a network. Equations modeling the costs of network communication and structural analysis computations are derived, and are subsequently used to predict the performance of several variations on the implemented algorithms. Our results show that each of the methods performs well on network architectures, and in particular that, while direct methods usually minimize network communication, certain iterative and hybrid methods can often be used to minimize overall solution time.     

RASSP Enterprise Technologies for Signal Processor Life-Cycle Support

Enterprise integration technologies are a key contributor to improving time-to-market, cost, and design quality by a factor, which is the goal of the DARPA Rapid Prototyping of Application-Specific Signal Processors (RASSP) program [1]. The Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL) RASSP team developed a productivity improvement model, shown in Fig. 1, that indicates the relative contributions of various RASSP technologies to the overall improvement. Enterprise technologies address the entire 17% enterprise partition, and more than half of the 30% reuse and model-year architecture partition, thus accounting for at least 35% of the overall RASSP productivity improvement.The ATL RASSP approach to implement enterprise systems is to extend commercial technologies so the results are available to a broad base of potential users. Unlike current automation concepts which start at later stages of the development cycle, the RASSP enterprise system supports the entire signal processor life cycle. Core concepts of the enterprise system include:Tools and tool frameworks integrated into an enterprise environmentProgram execution control through workflowsIntegrated data management functionsDesign reuseConcurrent engineering team supportIntegrated design engineering and manufacturing.The model-year architecture, which enables users to rapidly, efficiently upgrade systems with new technology, is supported in the enterprise system by a robust reuse management system. Manufacturing interface and communication services elements of the enterprise system provide improved concurrent engineering support for distributed product teams. The enterprise system will be provided to commercial and aerospace users as products, including a reusable set of workflows for electronics design, commercial tools supporting the enterprise system environment, and utilities to enable users to customize the RASSP enterprise system for a particular organization or project.The enterprise system development cycle includes four build cycles with increasing capabilities. The ATL team completed the Build 2 implementation in May'96. This implementation supports the processes associated with detailed hardware/software design, architecture design, and trade-off analyses. It is being used at Lockheed Martin and multiple government sites for benchmarking and evaluation. Results to date indicate >5:1 productivity improvements in the manufacturing interface, and 5–10% improvements in design engineering, which is growing with increasing level of utilization.     

Direct imaging of pH1N1 2009 influenza virus replication in alveolar pneumocytes in fatal cases by transmission electron microscopy

Human influenza virus pandemics constitute a major global public health issue. Although studies on autopsy specimens from the recent pandemic by the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus have revealed a broad spectrum of pathologic findings, direct electron microscopic studies of the lung tissue from influenza fatalities are few. In this study, we examined five well-preserved pulmonary necropsy specimens from fatal cases of laboratory-confirmed pH1N1 from India. The novel observations in comparison with earlier reports included direct imaging of influenza virus budding within dilated cisternae of pneumocytes, cell-free virus emerging from the cell membrane of a pneumocyte in the alveolar lumen, presence of polymorphonuclear cells with red blood cells as inflammatory exudates close to hyaline membranes and extensive cytoplasmic degeneration of epithelial cells of the alveolar lining. These observations are in consistent with the earlier findings and emphasize the possible role of this virus directly infecting cells of the lower respiratory tract as a key event in the rapid pathogenesis of pH1N1 disease process.     

Improved salp swarm algorithm based on the levy flight for feature selection

The Journal of Supercomputing - The fields of data science and data mining are enduring high-dimensionality issues because of a high volume of data. Conventional machine learning techniques give...     

Miniaturization of EISCAP sensor for triglyceride detection

Designing a three-dimensional (3-D) ideal scaffold has been one of the main goals in biomaterials and tissue engineering, and various mechanical techniques have been applied to fabricate biomedical scaffolds used for soft and hard tissue regeneration. Scaffolds should be biodegradable and biocompatible, provide temporary support for cell growth to allow cell adhesion, and consist of a defined structure that can be formed into customized shapes by a computer-aided design system. This versatility in preparing scaffolds gives us the opportunity to use rapid prototyping devices to fabricate polymeric scaffolds. In this study, we fabricated polycaprolactone scaffolds with interconnecting pores using a 3-D melt plotting system and compared the plotted scaffolds to those made by salt leaching. Scanning electron microscopy, a laser scanning microscope, micro-computed tomography, and dynamic mechanical analysis were used to characterize the geometry and mechanical properties of the resulting scaffolds and morphology of attached cells. The plotted scaffolds had the obvious advantage that their mechanical properties could be easily manipulated by adjusting the scaffold geometry. In addition, the plotted scaffolds provided more opportunity for cells to expand between the strands of the scaffold compared to the salt-leached scaffold.     

Kinetics of base-catalyzed transesterification of triglycerides from Pongamia oil

The kinetics of transesterification of Pongamia oil using methanol at 60°C were studied. The forward as well as the reverse rate constants of all three steps involved in the transesterification of Pongamia oil are reported for the first time. Among the forward rate constants, the one governing the conversion of TG to DG was the highest and the one for DG to MG was the lowest. A distinct feature of the present work is the direct estimation of the equilibrium constants of all three steps by measuring the concentrations of TG, DG, and MG at very long reaction times. This reduced the number of parameters to be, determined from the kinetic data by one-half, thereby leading to more accurate estimation of the rate constants. The equilibrium constant of the final step involving the conversion of MG to methyl ester and glycerol was at least an order of magnitude greater than that of the first two reaction steps. A detailed comparison was made with kinetic parameters reported in literature. The trend in the relative magnitudes of the rate constants appears to be unique to Pongamia oil.     

Bio-Interactive Zwitterionic Dental Biomaterials for Improving Biofilm Resistance: Characteristics and Applications

Biofilms are formed on surfaces inside the oral cavity covered by the acquired pellicle and develop into a complex, dynamic, microbial environment. Oral biofilm is a causative factor of dental and periodontal diseases. Accordingly, novel materials that can resist biofilm formation have attracted significant attention. Zwitterionic polymers (ZPs) have unique features that resist protein adhesion and prevent biofilm formation while maintaining biocompatibility. Recent literature has reflected a rapid increase in the application of ZPs as coatings and additives with promising outcomes. In this review, we briefly introduce ZPs and their mechanism of antifouling action, properties of human oral biofilms, and present trends in anti-biofouling, zwitterionic, dental materials. Furthermore, we highlight the existing challenges in the standardization of biofilm research and the future of antifouling, zwitterated, dental materials.     

Durable Oral Biofilm Resistance of 3D-Printed Dental Base Polymers Containing Zwitterionic Materials

Poly(methyl methacralyate) (PMMA) has long been used in dentistry as a base polymer for dentures, and it is recently being used for the 3D printing of dental materials. Despite its many advantages, its susceptibility to microbial colonization remains to be overcome. In this study, the interface between 3D-printed PMMA specimens and oral salivary biofilm was studied following the addition of zwitterionic materials, 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) or sulfobetaine methacrylate (SB). A significant reduction in bacterial and biofilm adhesions was observed following the addition of MPC or SB, owing to their protein-repellent properties, and there were no significant differences between the two test materials. Although the mechanical properties of the tested materials were degraded, the statistical value of the reduction was minimal and all the properties fulfilled the requirements set by the International Standard, ISO 20795-2. Additionally, both the test materials maintained their resistance to biofilm when subjected to hydrothermal fatigue, with no further deterioration of the mechanical properties. Thus, novel 3D-printable PMMA incorporated with MPC or SB shows durable oral salivary biofilm resistance with maintenance of the physical and mechanical properties.