Unusual small choroid plexus cyst obstructing the foramen of monroe: case report

This is a case report of unusual case of choroid plexus cyst at the right foramen of Monro in the anterior third ventricle that caused unilateral obstructive hydrocephalus. The value of small-FOV thin-section MR imaging in the diagnosis of small lesions of the foramen of Monroe is demonstrated. The immunohistochemical findings in choroid epithelial cysts in comparison with those of other types of cysts at this location are discussed.     

Survival Time and Prognostic Factors for Breast Cancer among Women in North-East Peninsular Malaysia

Background: Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease and the leading cause of cancer death amongwomen globally. This study aimed to determine the median survival time and prognostic factors for breast cancerpatients in a North-East State of Malaysia. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted from January tillApril 2017 using secondary data obtained from the state’s cancer registry. All 549 cases of breast cancer diagnosedfrom 1st January 2007 until 31st December 2011 were selected and retrospectively followed-up until 31st December2016. Sociodemographic and clinical information was collected to determine prognostic factors. Results: The average(SD) age at diagnosis was 50.4 (11.2) years, the majority of patients having Malay ethnicity (85.8%) and a histology ofductal carcinoma (81.5%). Median survival times for those presenting at stages III and IV were 50.8 (95% CI: 25.34,76.19) and 6.9 (95% CI: 3.21, 10.61) months, respectively. Ethnicity (Adj. HR for Malay vs non-Malay ethnicity=2.52;95% CI: 1.54, 4.13; p<0.001), stage at presentation (Adj. HR for Stage III vs Stage I=2.31; 95% CI: 1.57, 3.39; p<0.001and Adj. HR for Stage IV vs Stage I=6.20; 95% CI: 4.45, 8.65; p<0.001), and history of surgical treatment (Adj. HRfor patients with no surgical intervention=1.95; 95% CI: 1.52, 2.52; p<0.001) were observed to be the statisticallysignificant prognostic factors associated with death caused by breast cancer. Conclusion: The median survival timeamong breast cancer patients in North-East State of Malaysia was short as compared to other studies. Primary andsecondary prevention aimed at early diagnosis and surgical management of breast cancer, particularly among the Malayethnic group, could improve treatment outcome.     

Staged Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty : Does History Dictate the Future?

A retrospective cohort study of 668 staged bilateral TKA patients was conducted to determine first-side versus second-side subjective and objective outcomes. Improvement in patient perceived function, measured by one-year Oxford Score (OKS) was defined by a minimal clinically important difference of > 5 points in OKS. Results indicate that patients who had a minimal clinically important improvement (MCII) on the first-side have a significantly greater chance of maintaining or improving benefit with second-side TKA (OR 3.2; 95% CI 1.63–6.22; P = 0.000). Of those with no clinical improvement (NCI), 71.4% achieved MCII on the second-side, while 28.6% remained NCI (P = 0.000). Patients who do not initially benefit from first-side TKA should not be denied second-side staged-TKA as they still have a significant chance of achieving an MCII.     

Basalt Fiber Reinforced Concrete: A Compressive Review on Durability Aspects

The creation of sustainable composites reinforced with natural fibers has recently drawn the interest of both industrial and academics. Basalt fiber (BF) stands out as the most intriguing among the natural fibers that may be utilized as reinforcement due to their characteristics. Numerous academics have conducted many tests on the strength, durability, temperature, and microstructure characteristics of concrete reinforced with BF and have found promising results. However, because the information is dispersed, readers find it problematic to assess the advantages of BF reinforced concrete, which limits its applications. Therefore, a condensed study that provides the reader with an easy route and summarizes all pertinent information is needed. The purpose of this paper (Part II) is to undertake a compressive assessment of basalt fiber reinforced concrete’s durability features. The results show that adding BF significantly increased concrete durability. The review also identifies a research deficiency that must be addressed before BF is used in practice.     

Synthesis,Surface Nitriding and Characterization of Ti-Nb Modified 316L Stainless Steel Alloy Using Powder Metallurgy

The powder metallurgy (PM) technique has been widely used for producing different alloy compositions by the addition of suitable reinforcements. PM is also capable of producing desireable mechanical and physical properties of the material by varying process parameters. This research investigates the addition of titanium and niobium in a 316L stainless steel matrix for potential use in the biomedical field. The increase of sintering dwell time resulted in simultaneous sintering and surface nitriding of compositions, using nitrogen as the sintering atmosphere. The developed alloy compositions were characterized using OM, FESEM, XRD and XPS techniques for quantification of the surface nitride layer and the nitrogen absorbed during sintering. The corrosion resistance and cytotoxicity assessments of the developed compositions were carried out in artificial saliva solution and human oral fibroblast cell culture, respectively. The results indicated that the nitride layer produced during sintering increased the corrosion resistance of the alloy and the developed compositions are non-cytotoxic. This newly developed alloy composition and processing technique is expected to provide a low-cost solution to implant manufacturing.     

Development and Investigation of an Inexpensive Low Frequency Vibration Platform for Enhancing the Performance of Electrical Discharge Machining Process

Difficulty in debris removal and the transport of fresh dielectric into discharge gap hinders the process performance of electrical discharge machining (EDM) process. Therefore, in this work, an economical low frequency vibration platform was developed to improve the performance of EDM through vibration assistance. The developed vibratory platform functions on an eccentric weight principle and generates a low frequency vibration in the range of 0–100 Hz. The performance of EDM was evaluated in terms of the average surface roughness (R_a), material removal rate (MRR), and tool wear rate (TWR) whilst varying the input machining parameters viz. the pulse-on-time (T_on), peak current (I_p), vibration frequency (VF), and tool rotational speed (TRS). The peak current was found to be the most significant parameter and contributed by 78.16%, 65.86%, and 59.52% to the R_a, MRR, and TWR, respectively. The low frequency work piece vibration contributed to an enhanced surface finish owing to an improved flushing at the discharge gap and debris removal. However, VF range below 100 Hz was not found to be suitable for the satisfactory improvement of the MRR and reduction of the TWR in an electrical discharge drilling operation at selected machining conditions.     

Carotid artery stenting in surgical high-risk patients.

Recent studies have shown that carotid artery angioplasty and stenting may offer a viable alternative for symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with carotid artery stenosis, especially in high-risk patients. We report the results of a prospective single-center registry designed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of carotid artery angioplasty and stenting with and without distal protection devices in high-risk patients. A total of 116 consecutive patients underwent 126 procedures and 127 stents were deployed successfully in 130 lesions. The majority of patients (63%) had restenosis after a prior carotid endarterectomy; 31% were considered to be ineligible for carotid endarterectomy by both the vascular surgeons and the interventional cardiologist and 9% were considered ineligible for surgery due to hostile neck anatomy. Periprocedural and follow-up evaluation included a thorough independent clinical and neurological assessment. Distal embolic protection devices were used in 44% of all cases. Procedural success was achieved in 122 procedures (97%). The overall rate of in-hospital major adverse cerebrovascular events (death, stroke, and myocardial infarction) was 2.6%. Event rates in patients with prior carotid endarterectomy were comparable to patients with de novo lesions with 5.2% vs. 2.4% death/stroke at 30 days and 8.3% and 6.6% stroke/death rates at 1 year, respectively. When distal protection devices were used, death/stroke rates were 0% as compared to 4.5% when distal protection was not used (P = NS). However, minor embolic phenomena were observed in both primary and secondary lesions independent of the use of distal protection. These results support the use of carotid artery angioplasty and stenting in high-risk patients with significant primary or secondary carotid artery stenosis. In both types of lesions, acceptable results justify its use as a valid revascularization method. While clinical embolic events occur in a minority of patients in both lesion types, they are not entirely prevented by distal protection.