Reemployment of patients with surgical salvage of open, high-energy tibial fractures: an outcome study

The association of soft tissue and bone sarcoidosis in the hand and wrist is rare. Two cases of sarcoidosis, 1 with involvement of the distal radius and both flexor and extensor tendons in the wrist and another with tenosynovitis of 2 fingers associated with phalangeal osteolysis, are reported. Both patients were surgically treated by tenosynovectomy. The importance of the systemic corticosteroid therapy is emphasized.     

Public safety radios must pool spectrum - [Topics in radio communications]

The dynamic-spectrum-access research and development community is maturing technologies that will enable radios to share RF spectrum much more intensively. The adoption of DSA technologies by the public-safety community can better align systems with the future of wireless services, in general, and can contribute to making next-generation public-safety radio systems more robust, capable, and flexible. A critical first step toward a DSA-enabled future is to reform spectrum management to create spectrum pools that DSA-enabled devices, such as cognitive radios, can use iquest under the control of more dynamically flexible and adaptive prioritization policies than is possible with legacy technology. Appropriate reform will enable spectrum portability, facilitating the decoupling of spectrum rights from the provision of infrastructure. This article examines the economic, policy, and market challenges of enabling spectrum pooling and portability for public-safety radios.     

Effect of paddle placement and size on defibrillation currentdistribution: a three-dimensional finite element model

A realistic three-dimensional finite-element model (FEM) of the conductive anatomy of a canine thorax was constructed for use in the study of transthoracic electrical defibrillation. The model was constructed from a series of 21 cross-sectional computed tomography (CT) scans of a 14.5 kg beagle, each separated by 0.82 cm. The electrical conductive properties of eight distinct tissues were incorporated, including the anisotropic properties of skeletal muscle. Current density distributions were obtained for six paddle pairings and two paddle sizes. A quantitative basis for comparing the resulting distributions was formulated. The results suggest that placing one or both of the paddles near the heart delivers a higher fraction of current to the heart. However, such placements also produce a less uniform myocardial current density distribution and thus have a higher potential for causing damage. Some paddle positions produced myocardial current densities close to the threshold for damage in successful defibrillations. The results indicate that 12 cm paddles may offer modest advantages over 8 cm paddles in clinical defibrillation     

1-(3-biaryloxy-2-oxopropyl)indole-5-carboxylic acids and related compounds as dual inhibitors of human cytosolic phospholipase A2α and fatty acid amide hydrolase

Cytosolic phospholipase A2α (cPLA2α) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) are enzymes that have emerged as attractive targets for the development of analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs. We recently reported that 1-[3-(4-octylphenoxy)-2-oxopropyl]indole-5-carboxylic acid (5) is a dual inhibitor of cPLA2α and FAAH. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed that substituents at the indole 3- and 5-positions and replacement of the indole scaffold of this compound by other heterocycles strongly influences the inhibitory potency against cPLA2α and FAAH, respectively. Herein we report the effect of variation of the 4-octyl residue of 5 and an exchange of its carboxylic acid moiety by some bioisosteric functional groups. Several of the compounds assayed were favorably active against both enzymes, and could therefore represent agents with improved analgesic and anti-inflammatory qualities in comparison with selective cPLA2 α and FAAH inhibitors.     

Nanoparticles made of fluorescence-labelled Poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide): preparation, stability, and biocompatibility

Nanoparticles have recently been demonstrated in a rat model to be a promising tool for targeting inflamed areas of the intestinal mucosa in inflammatory bowel diseases whilst concentrating anti-inflammatory drugs at their site of action. Still, however, this novel concept has to be proven in vivo in humans. As a first step biodegradable and biocompatible fluorescent nanoparticles were prepared and characterized to serve as markers for successful inflammation targeting in future clinical trials. To achieve stable fluorescence labelling, fluoresceinamine was covalently bound to poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) as described by Horisawa et al. The modification rate of carboxyl-end groups of the PLGA chains determined by 1H NMR was 65%. From this modified polymer, nanoparticles (FA-PLGA nanoparticles) of approximately 270 nm size were prepared via nanoprecipitation. Apart from an initial burst effect, most of the label (> 88%) appeared to be strongly bound and was leaked only slowly from the particles. In contrast, we found an immediate leakage of encapsulated sodium fluorescein with nanoparticles prepared by a double emulsion method. In degradation experiments we studied and visualized the changes in morphology and elastic properties of the FA-PLGA nanoparticles within 15 weeks using atomic force microscopy. When FA-PLGA nanoparticles were applied on an in vitro model of the intestinal mucosa (Caco-2 cell culture), only minor amounts of their fluorescent degradation products (approximately 0.02% after 6 h) were transported. In a cytotoxicity study with Caco-2 cells, FA-PLGA nanoparticles yielded an IC50 value as for plain PLGA nanoparticles. In conclusion, the polymer modification method allows to prepare fluorescently labelled nanoparticles from a well-known biodegradable pharmaceutical polymer with sufficient stability to be monitored over a period of several days. Some initial leakage of fluorescence label appears to be unavoidable but negligible with respect to potential absorption and cytotoxicity when applied in vivo.     

Space-time dependencies in psychophysical judgment of extent and duration: Algebraic models of the tau and kappa effects.

The tau effect is a functional dependence of spatial judgments, normally judgments of length, on the temporal context, whereas the kappa effect is a corresponding dependence of temporal judgments on the spatial context. The evidence for both effects in vision, hearing, and touch and with a variety of psychophysical procedures (absolute and relative judgments, reproduction adjustment) is reviewed. A number of theories of tau and kappa are briefly discussed. Consistent with several researchers, the present authors suggest that in a formal sense, Ss impute uniform motion to discontinuous displays. A general algebraic model of the psychological process is developed. The evidence is consistent with a model in which spatial or temporal judgments in context are a weighted average of the given interval, temporal or spatial, and the expected time or distance that would be traversed at a given velocity. Consequently, it is argued that the functional relations between distance, duration, and velocity provide a natural context for distance and duration judgments. (41 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)