Single-leg versus double-leg hip spica casts in the management of paediatric femoral shaft fractures? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Paediatric femoral shaft fractures can be managed with single- or double-leg hip spica casting between ages six-months and six-years. The aim of this review was to determine if single-leg hip spicas reduce the impact on family life without compromising fracture stability.

Methods: The study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023454309).

Is there a role for autologous conditioned serum injections in osteoarthritis? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Objective: To assess whether patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) improve after autologous conditioned serum (ACS) administration in patients with osteoarthritis.

Methods: Databases and clinical trial registers were searched to March 2024 for randomised controlled trial (RCTs) comparing ACS vs comparators/controls. Primary outcomes were pain, function and stiffness measured with Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and visual analogue scale (VAS).

Severe obesity in total knee arthroplasty occurs in younger patients with a greater healthcare burden and complication rate.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis in the presence of severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40) is becoming an increasing presentation to healthcare services. When progressing to arthroplasty, this group is known to have higher complication rates.

Method: A retrospective cohort study at a tertiary referral centre (UK) with all sequential patients undergoing TKA between 2019 and 2020 included following identification from the UK National Joint Registry.

Improved Ablation Efficiency in PVI Guided by Contact Force and Local Impedance: Chronic Canine Model.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect local impedance (LI) has on an ablation workflow when combined with a contact force (CF) ablation catheter. Left pulmonary vein isolation was performed in an canine model ( = 8) using a nominal (30 W) or an elevated (50 W) power strategy with a CF catheter. The catheter was enabled to measure LI prior to and during ablation.

Remote Clinics During Coronavirus Disease 2019: Lessons for a Sustainable Future.

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a focus on non-face-to-face (NF2F) orthopedic clinics. In this study, our aim was to establish whether NF2F clinics are sustainable according to the "triple bottom line" framework by taking into account the impact on patients, the planet, and the financial cost. Methodology This retrospective cohort study was carried out at a large district general hospital with 261 patients identified as having undergone face-to-face (F2F) or NF2F orthopedic consultations (April 2020).

Is Aortic Z-score an Appropriate Index of Beneficial Drug Effect in Clinical Trials in Aortic Aneurysm Disease?

Aortic Z-score (Z-score) is utilized in clinical trials to monitor the effect of medications on aortic dilation rate in Marfan (MFS) patients. Z-scores are reported in relation to body surface area and therefore are a function of height and weight. However, an information void exists regarding natural, non-pharmacological changes in Z-scores as children age.

The 'National Finals Revision Day' Teaching Strategy: A Cost-Effective Way to Pass Medical School 'Finals' and Upskill Junior Doctors.

Courses to help medical students pass 'Finals' already exist but are typically expensive or can only be attended by a limited number of students. We describe the success of 'The National Finals Revision Day' (NFRD) course, which we believe is sustainable and unique in terms of its combined scale and cost (£10 per person). The course was organised and taught by 12 junior doctors.

Human tissue kallikrein in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) remains a major cause of death and disability throughout the world. The most severe form of stroke results from large vessel occlusion of the major branches of the Circle of Willis. The treatment strategies currently available in western countries for large vessel occlusion involve rapid restoration of blood flow through removal of the offending blood clot using mechanical or pharmacological means (e.

Object-based verification of a prototype Warn-on-Forecast system.

An object-based verification methodology for the NSSL Experimental Warn-on-Forecast System for ensembles (NEWS-e) has been developed and applied to 32 cases between December 2015 and June 2017. NEWS-e forecast objects of composite reflectivity and 30-minute rotation tracks of updraft helicity are matched to corresponding objects in Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor data on space and time scales typical of a National Weather Service warning. Object matching allows contingency table-based verification statistics to be used to establish baseline performance metrics for NEWS-e thunderstorm and mesocyclone forecasts.

Effectiveness and Safety of Aprotinin Use in Thoracic Aortic Surgery.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness and safety of aprotinin use in adult patients undergoing thoracic aortic surgery.

Design: Single-center, retrospective study.

Setting: All cases performed at a single university hospital.

Patient management in aortic arch surgery†.

SummaryAortic arch surgery requires complex patient management beyond the manual replacement of the diseased vessel. These procedures include (i) a thorough and pathologically adjusted preoperative evaluation, (ii) initiation and control of cardiopulmonary bypass, (iii) cerebral protection strategies and (iv) techniques to protect the abdominal end organs during prolonged operations. Due to the complexity of aortic arch procedures, multimodal real-time surveillance is required during all stages of the operation.

The Mystery of the Z-Score.

Reliable methods for measuring the thoracic aorta are critical for determining treatment strategies in aneurysmal disease. Z-scores are a pragmatic alternative to raw diameter sizes commonly used in adult medicine. They are particularly valuable in the pediatric population, who undergo rapid changes in physical development.

Multiple ion channel block by the cation channel inhibitor SKF-96365 in myocytes from the rabbit atrioventricular node.

The atrioventricular node (AVN) of the cardiac conduction system coordinates atrial-ventricular excitation and can act as a subsidiary pacemaker. Recent evidence suggests that an inward background sodium current, IB,Na, carried by nonselective cation channels (NSCCs), contributes to AVN cell pacemaking. The study of the physiological contribution of IB,Na has been hampered, however, by a lack of selective pharmacological antagonists.

Ascending Aortic Proaneurysmal Genetic Mutations with Antiatherogenic Effects.

Thoracic aortic aneurysms are common and are associated with a high morbidity and mortality. Despite this lethal diagnosis, there is an increasing body of evidence to suggest that the diagnosis of an aneurysm, specifically in the ascending thoracic aorta, may significantly reduce the risk of developing systemic atherosclerosis. Clinical observations in the operating room have shown pristine blood vessels in patients undergoing surgery for thoracic aortic aneurysms.

Laser-driven flyer plates for shock compression science: launch and target impact probed by photon Doppler velocimetry.

We investigated the launch and target impact of laser-driven Al flyer plates using photon Doppler velocimetry (PDV). We studied different flyer designs launched by laser pulses of different energies, pulse durations and beam diameters, that produced km s(-1) impacts with transparent target materials. Laser-launching Al flyers 25-100 μm thick cemented to glass substrates is usually thought to involve laser vaporization of a portion of the flyer, which creates many difficulties associated with loss of integrity and heating of the flyer material.

Use of genetic tests among neurologists and psychiatrists: knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and needs for training.

This study explores neurologists' and psychiatrists' knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning genetic tests. Psychiatrists (n = 5,316) and neurologists (n = 2,167) on the American Medical Association master list who had agreed to receive surveys were sent an email link to a survey about their attitudes and practices regarding genetic testing; 372 psychiatrists and 163 neurologists responded. A higher proportion of neurologists (74%) than psychiatrists (14%) who responded to the survey had ordered genetic testing in the past 6 months.

Plasma treatment of polystyrene thin films affects more than the surface.

Plasma treatment of polymer materials introduces chemical functionalities and modifies the material to make the native hydrophobic surface more hydrophilic. It is generally assumed that this process only affects the surface of the material. We used vibrationally resonant sum-frequency generation spectroscopy to observe changes in the orientation of phenyl groups in polystyrene (PS) thin films on various substrates before and after plasma treatment.

Biogenic carbon-enriched and pollutant depleted SRF from commercial and pretreated heterogeneous waste generated by NIR sensor-based sorting.

Mechanical processing using predominantly particle size and density as separation criteria is currently applied in the production of solid-recovered fuel or refuse-derived fuel. It does not sufficiently allow for the optimization of the quality of heterogeneous solid waste for subsequent energy recovery. Material-specific processing, in contrast, allows the separation criterion to be linked to specific chemical constituents.

Role of nonresonant sum-frequency generation in the investigation of model liquid chromatography systems.

In vibrationally resonant sum-frequency generation (VR-SFG) spectra, the resonant signal contains information about the molecular structure of the interface, whereas the nonresonant signal is commonly treated as a background and has been assumed to be negligible on transparent substrates. The work presented here on model chromatographic stationary phases contradicts this assumption. Model stationary phases, consisting of functionalized fused-silica windows, were investigated with VR-SFG spectroscopy, both with and without experimental suppression of the nonresonant response.

Production of ELOVL4 transgenic pigs: a large animal model for Stargardt-like macular degeneration.

Background: Truncation mutations in the elongation of very long chain fatty acids-4 (AF277094, MIM #605512) (ELOVL4) gene cause Stargardt-like macular dystrophy type 3 (STGD3). Mice expressing truncated ELOVL4 develop rapid retinal degeneration, but are poor STGD3 models since mice lack a macula. Photoreceptor topography in the pig retina is more similar to that in humans as it includes the cone rich, macula-like area centralis.

Dielectric Properties of Polyamides: Polyhexamethylene Adipamide and Polyhexamethylene Sebacamide.

The dielectric relaxation in two polyamides has been studied over a temperature range from -100 to 175 °C and a frequency range from 50 c/s to 10 Mc/s. The effects of various thermal treatments on the relaxation behavior and density, X-ray diffraction, and intrinsic viscosity have been studied. The polyamides were poly(hexamethylene adipamide) and poly(hexamethylene sebacamide).