Transmission electron microscopy of free standing thin films of poly(ether ether ketone)

Free standing thin films of poly(ether ether ketone) crystallized in situ by heating from the glassy state have been shown to be suitable for high resolution transmission electron microscopy lattice imaging. Films mounted on coarse-mesh copper grids could also be observed in the deformed state, allowing lattice imaging of regions of strain induced crystallization at temperatures in the neighbourhood of the glass transition temperature.     

Early venous manifestation of Ehlers–Danlos syndrome Type IV through a novel mutation in COL3A1

Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (EDS) leads to abnormalities in the synthesis of collagen and complications involving arterial vessels. We describe here a mutation in the intron 14 of the COL3A1 gene leading to EDS Type IV (EDS IV) associated with venous manifestations only. The patient, an 18-year-old male, suffered from truncal varicosity of the long saphenous vein on both sides. Conventional stripping surgery of the left saphenous vein revealed an extremely vulnerable ectatic superficial femoral vein. An inserted vein graft occluded, and venous thrombectomy was unsuccessful. A conservative anticoagulant and compression therapy finally succeeded. This is the first report describing EDS IV due to a mutation in intron 14 of the COL3A1 gene leading to venous manifestations without affecting arterial vessels at clinical presentation. Our findings imply that molecular genetic analysis should be considered in patients with unusual clinical presentation and that conservative therapy should be applied until a suspected clinical diagnosis has been secured.     

Conventional versus CO2 laser-assisted treatment of peri-implant defects with the concomitant use of pure-phase beta-tricalcium phosphate: a 5-year clinical report

PURPOSE: Recently, histologic studies in the beagle dog model demonstrated that CO2 laser-assisted implant decontamination can result in reosseointegration. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of CO2 laser-assisted therapy as compared with conventional therapy, with the concomitant use of beta-tricalcium phosphate, in humans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 32 patients with 73 ailing implants. In the laser group, 22 implants were treated with soft tissue resection following laser decontamination; whereas in 17 implants, bone augmentation was performed. In the control group, soft tissue resection after conventional decontamination was performed in 19 implants, augmentation in 15 implants. Results were evaluated 4 months after surgery and in May 2004. RESULTS: Four months after therapy, there were no significant differences in distance from implant shoulder to the first bone contact (ie, DIB values) between implants undergoing laser decontamination and soft tissue resection and implants treated with conventional decontamination followed by soft tissue resection. At the end of the study, there was a statistically significant difference between these 2 groups. Four months after therapy, DIB values after laser decontamination and augmentation were significantly more favorable than after conventional decontamination and augmentation. This difference was no longer detectable at the end of the study. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, it may be concluded that the treatment of peri-implantitis may be accelerated by using a CO2 laser concomitant with soft tissue resection. However, with respect to long-term results in augmented defects, there seems to be no difference between laser and conventional decontamination.     

A short time interval between the neurologic index event and carotid endarterectomy is not a risk factor for carotid surgery

Objective

Current guidelines recommend that carotid endarterectomy (CEA) be performed as early as possible after the neurologic index event in patients with 50% to 99% carotid artery stenosis. However, recent registry data showed that patients treated ≤48 hours had a significantly increased perioperative risk. Therefore, the aim of this single-center study was to determine the effect of the time interval between the neurologic index event and CEA on the periprocedural complication rate at our institution.

The influence of oral cavity tumour treatment on the voice quality and on fundamental frequency

This study aimed to discover whether the surgical treatment of oral cavity tumours only affects on articulation or whether it also leads to a change in voice quality and fundamental frequency. Twelve participants were examined pre- and postoperatively for mean speaking fundamental frequency, standard deviation of the mean fundamental frequency, harmonic-to-noise-ratio and intrinsic pitch. All the parameters showed a substantial postoperative change in some patients.     

Ion imaging during axolotl tail regeneration in vivo

Several studies have reported that endogenous ion currents are involved in a wide range of biological processes from single cell and tissue behavior to regeneration. Various methods are used to assess intracellular and local ion dynamics in biological systems, e.g., patch clamping and vibrating probes. Here, we introduce an approach to detect ion kinetics in vivo using a noninvasive method that can electrophysiologically characterize an entire experimental tissue region or organism. Ion‐specific vital dyes have been successfully used for live imaging of intracellular ion dynamics in vitro. Here, we demonstrate that cellular pH, cell membrane potential, calcium, sodium and potassium can be monitored in vivo during tail regeneration in the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) using ion‐specific vital dyes. Thus, we suggest that ion‐specific vital dyes can be a powerful tool to obtain electrophysiological data during crucial biological events in vivo. Developmental Dynamics 239:2048–2057, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Corium transplantation cannula

This article presents a newly designed instrument capable of being used for three surgical procedures: (1) removal of dermis (without epithelium) from a donor site, (2) dissection of specific muscles that cause cutaneous folds, (3) implantation of the dermis under a cutaneous depression or fold.