Tricholemmoma of the eyelid

Tricholemmoma is a benign cutaneous tumor that shows differentiation characteristic of the outer hair sheath. The usual site of occurrence is the face, including the nose and eyelid. Four cases of tricholemmoma involving the eyelid margin to a variable extent are presented and the clinical and pathologic findings are reviewed. In three of the four cases, a histopathologic misdiagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma was initially made. In one case, this resulted in a greater sacrifice of normal lid tissue than was necessary, although the reconstruction yielded a good result. In the subsequent cases, the entity of tricholemmoma was well appreciated before definitive oculoplastic surgery and the referring diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma was refuted.     

Tracheal bronchus

Tracheal bronchus is an aberrant bronchus that arises most often from the right tracheal wall above the carina and is the result of an additional tracheal outgrowth early in embryonic life. Its incidence ranges between 0.1 and 5%. This anomaly usually is diagnosed incidentally during bronchoscopy or bronchography performed for various respiratory problems. Occasionally, it represents the underlying etiology for chronic pulmonary disease such as emphysema, atelectasis, and persistent or recurrent pneumonia, especially if it involves the right upper lobe and reflects an abnormal pulmonary clearing mechanism. Tracheal bronchus may be associated with other bronchopulmonary anomalies, tracheal stenosis, or Down's syndrome. In the absence of clinical symptoms, a diagnosis of tracheal bronchus does not require any treatment. In patients with recurrent right upper lobe disease and a tracheal bronchus, therapy should include resection of the aberrant bronchus as well as the lobe it supplies.     

Psychometric properties of visual functioning index using Rasch analysis

Acta Ophthalmol. 2010: 88: 797–803

Abstract.

Purpose: The visual functioning index (VFI) was one of the first questionnaires developed using classical test theory to assess outcomes of cataract surgery. However, it was not Rasch‐validated. The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the VFI using Rasch analysis in patients with cataract. Methods: The 11‐item VFI was self‐administered to 243 patients (mean age 73.9 years) drawn from a cataract surgery waiting list. We examined the response category thresholds, item fit statistics, differential item functioning and unidimensionality for the VFI and its three subscales. Results: Category thresholds were ordered. The person separation and reliability were low, indicating the poor discriminatory ability of the VFI. No items misfit but there was suboptimal targeting of item difficulty to patient ability. On the whole the items in the VFI were too easy for the sample. Only one item showed moderate differential item functioning. Conclusion: The VFI does not meet the stringent requirements of the Rasch model. However adding more items to suit the more able patients with cataract as well as those awaiting second‐eye cataract surgery could optimize the VFI.     

Risk factors for internalizing symptoms: The influence of empathy,theory of mind,and negative thinking processes

Internalizing symptoms such as elevated stress and sustained negative affect can be important warning signs for developing mental disorders. A recent theoretical framework suggests a complex interplay of empathy, theory of mind (ToM), and negative thinking processes as a crucial risk combination for internalizing symptoms. To disentangle these relationships, this study utilizes neural, behavioral, and self-report data to examine how the interplay between empathy, ToM, and negative thinking processes relates to stress and negative affect. We reanalyzed the baseline data of N = 302 healthy participants (57% female, M_age = 40.52, SD_age = 9.30) who participated in a large-scale mental training study, the ReSource project. Empathy and ToM were assessed using a validated fMRI paradigm featuring naturalistic video stimuli and via self-report. Additional self-report scales were employed to measure internalizing symptoms (perceived stress, negative affect) and negative thinking processes (rumination and self-blame). Our results revealed linear associations of self-reported ToM and empathic distress with stress and negative affect. Also, both lower and higher, compared to average, activation in the anterior insula during empathic processing and in the middle temporal gyrus during ToM performance was significantly associated with internalizing symptoms. These associations were dependent on rumination and self-blame. Our findings indicate specific risk constellations for internalizing symptoms. Especially people with lower self-reported ToM and higher empathic distress may be at risk for more internalizing symptoms. Quadratic associations of empathy- and ToM-related brain activation with internalizing symptoms depended on negative thinking processes, suggesting differential effects of cognitive and affective functioning on internalizing symptoms. Using a multi-method approach, these findings advance current research by shedding light on which complex risk combinations of cognitive and affective functioning are relevant for internalizing symptoms.     

Social support during intensive care unit stay might improve mental impairment and consequently health-related quality of life in survivors of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome

Introduction  

We investigated health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and persistent symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in long-term survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We wished to evaluate the influence of PTSD on HRQoL and to investigate the influence of perceived social support during intensive care unit (ICU) treatment on both PTSD symptoms and HRQoL.     

Applicability Assessment of Different Materials for Standards Ensuring Comparability of Optical and Tactile Coordinate Measurements

Multisensor CMMs are systems with an established position on the market, but their popularity still grows, as they provide access to the advantages offered by tactile and contactless measurement methods. Yet there are still questions of the comparability of results obtained using the optical and tactile operation modes of multisensor system. This phenomenon can be assessed by measuring appropriate gauges, most often reference rings or spheres. Due to the completely different nature of probing processes for tactile and contactless measurements, the material from which reference object is made may significantly affect measurement results. In order to assess the influence of this factor on measurement accuracy, three reference spheres made from different materials were measured on optical multisensor CMMs. Measurements involved tactile measurements as well as optical measurements made using different probing systems: a video probe and white light sensor. Results obtained from performed experiments show large differences depending on the material used for spherical standard production. On the basis of obtained results, it can be stated that the best material for a reference object that can be used for comparability tests of tactile and optical measurements is a composite of alumina with at least one oxidic additive.     

Numerical Study on the Dependency of Microstructure Morphologies of Pulsed Laser Deposited TiN Thin Films and the Strain Heterogeneities during Mechanical Testing

Numerical study of the influence of pulsed laser deposited TiN thin films’ microstructure morphologies on strain heterogeneities during loading was the goal of this research. The investigation was based on the digital material representation (DMR) concept applied to replicate an investigated thin film’s microstructure morphology. The physically based pulsed laser deposited model was implemented to recreate characteristic features of a thin film microstructure. The kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) approach was the basis of the model in the first part of the work. The developed kMC algorithm was used to generate thin film’s three-dimensional representation with its columnar morphology. Such a digital model was then validated with the experimental data from metallographic analysis of laboratory deposited TiN(100)/Si. In the second part of the research, the kMC generated DMR model of thin film was incorporated into the finite element (FE) simulation. The 3D film’s morphology was discretized with conforming finite element mesh, and then incorporated as a microscale model into the macroscale finite element simulation of nanoindentation test. Such a multiscale model was finally used to evaluate the development of local deformation heterogeneities associated with the underlying microstructure morphology. In this part, the capabilities of the proposed approach were clearly highlighted.     

Functionalization of Polycaprolactone Electrospun Osteoplastic Scaffolds with Fluorapatite and Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles: Biocompatibility Comparison of Human Versus Mouse Mesenchymal Stem Cells

A capability for effective tissue reparation is a living requirement for all multicellular organisms. Bone exits as a precisely orchestrated balance of bioactivities of bone forming osteoblasts and bone resorbing osteoclasts. The main feature of osteoblasts is their capability to produce massive extracellular matrix enriched with calcium phosphate minerals. Hydroxyapatite and its composites represent the most common form of bone mineral providing mechanical strength and significant osteoinductive properties. Herein, hydroxyapatite and fluorapatite functionalized composite scaffolds based on electrospun polycaprolactone have been successfully fabricated. Physicochemical properties, biocompatibility and osteoinductivity of generated matrices have been validated. Both the hydroxyapatite and fluorapatite containing polycaprolactone composite scaffolds demonstrated good biocompatibility towards mesenchymal stem cells. Moreover, the presence of both hydroxyapatite and fluorapatite nanoparticles increased scaffolds’ wettability. Furthermore, incorporation of fluorapatite nanoparticles enhanced the ability of the composite scaffolds to interact and support the mesenchymal stem cells attachment to their surfaces as compared to hydroxyapatite enriched composite scaffolds. The study of osteoinductive properties showed the capacity of fluorapatite and hydroxyapatite containing composite scaffolds to potentiate the stimulation of early stages of mesenchymal stem cells’ osteoblast differentiation. Therefore, polycaprolactone based composite scaffolds functionalized with fluorapatite nanoparticles generates a promising platform for future bone tissue engineering applications.     

Endangitis obliterans — Periphlebitis tuberculosa retinae

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