Bodycontouring beim Mann

Body contouring procedures in men are gaining popularity. The annual statistics from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) confirm this development. Worldwide, approximately 20% of people undergoing body contouring surgery are male. For good treatment results and with respect to safety, it is important to know the special details of male anatomy and to take these into consideration for correct planning of surgery and determination of the incision lines. In this article the gender-specific characteristics are emphasized, especially with respect to abdominoplasty.     

Rapid and reliable detection of previous freezing of cerebral tissue by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging

Due to slowing or even inhibition of postmortem processes, freezing may make an estimation of the time-since-death very difficult. This is also true in previously frozen and subsequently thawed bodies. Knowledge of prior freezing is important, as it may lead to a different assessment of the time since death. Twelve pig heads were frozen at ?20 °C, and 6 heads were either kept at room temperature (approximately 20 °C) or in a cooling cell (approximately 5 °C). The frozen brains and cadavers were thawed at either room temperature or in a cooling cell. All specimens underwent repeated CT and MRI scanning until the brains were sampled for histological examination. Two radiologists assessed the images and two pathologists reviewed the histological slides with regard to thawing artifacts and putrefaction. All raters were blinded regarding whether the samples had been frozen, for how long and how they had been thawed. Imaging revealed distinct, tiny bubble-like artifacts only in previously frozen specimens. Histology also revealed artifacts only seen in such cases, namely very distinct, columnar bubbles in the cerebral cortex. All raters successfully identified previously unfrozen brains (100% specificity) and nearly all previously frozen brains. Our results suggest that initial post-mortem imaging can be of enormous importance in everyday forensic practice by identifying possible cases of previous freezing – cases that would therefore warrant closer scrutiny and thus raise caution regarding the time of death.     

Reproducibly emitting reference materials for volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds—using finite element modeling for emission predictions

Recent research into emissions of (semi-)volatile organic compounds [(S)VOC] from solid materials has focused on the development of suitable reference materials for quality assurance/quality control of emission test chamber measurements, which fulfill requirements such as homogenous and reproducible (S)VOC release. The approach of this study was to find a method for preparation of a material with predictable (S)VOC emission rates. A VOC (styrene) and an SVOC (2,6-diisopropylnaphthalene, DIPN), loaded into either vacuum grease or a 1:1 mixture of paraffin/squalane, have been tested. For the prediction of the emission rates, a model using the finite element method (FEM) was created to simulate the (S)VOC emission profiles. Theoretical and experimental results obtained in a Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor (μ-CTE?) and in 24 L emission test chamber measurements were in good agreement. Further properties were investigated concerning the material applicability, such as shelf life and inter-laboratory comparability. The maximum relative standard deviation in the inter-laboratory study was found to be 20%.     

Economic repercussions of fisheries-induced evolution

Fish stocks experiencing high fishing mortality show a tendency to mature earlier and at a smaller size, which may have a genetic component and therefore long-lasting economic and biological effects. To date, the economic effects of such ecoevolutionary dynamics have not been empirically investigated. Using 70 y of data, we develop a bioeconomic model for Northeast Arctic cod to compare the economic yield in a model in which life-history traits can vary only through phenotypic plasticity with a model in which, in addition, genetic changes can occur. We find that evolutionary changes toward faster growth and earlier maturation occur consistently even if a stock is optimally managed. However, if a stock is managed optimally, the evolutionary changes actually increase economic yield because faster growth and earlier maturation raise the stock’s productivity. The optimal fishing mortality is almost identical for the evolutionary and nonevolutionary model and substantially lower than what it has been historically. Therefore, the costs of ignoring evolution under optimal management regimes are negligible. However, if fishing mortality is as high as it has been historically, evolutionary changes may result in economic losses, but only if the fishery is selecting for medium-sized individuals. Because evolution facilitates growth, the fish are younger and still immature when they are susceptible to getting caught, which outweighs the increase in productivity due to fish spawning at an earlier age.     

Functional studies and rare variant screening of SLC1A1/EAAC1 in males with obsessive-compulsive disorder

Several studies have found that the neuronal glutamate transporter gene SLC1A1/EAAC1 is associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), with a stronger association in males. Previous studies have primarily focused on common single-nucleotide polymorphisms, rather than rare functional variants that are likely to have larger effects. We screened 184 males with OCD for rare variation in SLC1A1 exons; however, no new coding variation was found. When combined with previous screens, only one SLC1A1 amino acid variant has been detected among the 841 individuals screened, which is less than for other neurotransmitter transporter genes (P=0.0001). We characterized the function of the one SLC1A1 missense variant reported previously in OCD, Thr164Ala, and found that the Ala164 allele leads to decreased Vmax and Km (P<0.0001) in transfected human embryonic kidney cells. Further work will be necessary to understand the impact of this rare SLC1A1/EAAC1 Ala164 variant on neuronal function and circuitry relevant to OCD.     

EFAS Score —Validation of Persian Version by the Score Committee of the European Foot and Ankle Society (EFAS)

BackgroundThe Score Committee of the European Foot and Ankle Society (EFAS) developed, validated, and published the EFAS Score in nine European languages (English, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Turkish). From other languages under validation, the Persian version finished data acquisition and underwent further validation.MethodsThe Persian version of the EFAS Score was developed and validated in three stages: 1) item (question) identification (completed during initial validation study), 2) item reduction and scale exploration (completed during initial validation study), 3) confirmatory analyses and responsiveness of Persian version (completed during initial validation study in nine other languages). The data were collected pre-operatively and post-operatively at a minimum follow-up of 3 months and mean follow-up of 6 months. Item reduction, scale exploration, confirmatory analyses and responsiveness were executed using classical test theory and item response theory.ResultsThe internal consistency was confirmed in the Persian version (Cronbach’s Alpha 0.82). The Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) was 0.38 and is similar to other language versions. Between baseline and follow-up, 97% of patients showed an improvement on their EFAS score, with excellent responsiveness (effect size 1.93).ConclusionsThe Persian EFAS Score version was successfully validated in patients with a wide variety of foot and ankle pathologies. All score versions are freely available at www.efas.co.     

Matrix-associated stem cell transplantation (MAST) in chondral defects of foot and ankle is effective

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to assess the feasibility and clinical results of matrix-associated stem cell transplantation (MAST) and 2-year-follow-up in chondral defects of foot and ankle.MethodsIn a prospective, consecutive, non-controlled clinical follow-up study, all patients with chondral defects, that were treated with MAST from April 1st to November 30th, 2009 were analyzed. The size and location of the chondral defects, method-associated problems and the Visual Analogue Scale Foot and Ankle (VAS FA) before treatment and at follow-up were registered and analyzed.ResultsTwenty-six chondral defects in 25 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 33 years (range, 16–48 years), 18 (72%) were male. The VAS FA before surgery was 49.2 on average (range, 24.3–68.4). The defects were located as follows: medial talar shoulder, n = 9; lateral talar shoulder, n = 13 (medial and lateral talar shoulder, n = 1); distal tibia, n = 1; posterior calcaneal facet, n = 1; head of 1st metatarsal, n = 2. The defect size was 1.1 cm² on average (range, .5–6 cm²). All patients completed 2-year-followup. No complications or consecutive surgeries were registered. The mean VAS FA at follow-up was 94.5 (range, 73.4–100; t-test, p < .01).ConclusionsMAST led to good clinical scores. No complications were registered. Even though a control group is missing, we conclude that MAST is a safe and effective method for the treatment of chondral defects. The main advantage of MAST in comparison with ACI and MACI is the single procedure methodology. The advantage in comparison with AMIC is the potential higher concentration of stem cells.