Blind-Watermarking-Proof-of-Concept of a Novel Approach to Ensure Batch Traceability for 3D Printed Tablets.

Falsified medicines are a major issue and a threat around the world. Various approaches are currently being investigated to mitigate the threat. In this study, a concept is tested that encodes binary digits (bits) on the surface of Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) 3D printed geometries.

Should we recommend occipital plate fixation using bicortical screws or inverted occipital hooks to optimize occipito-cervical junction fusion? A biomechanical study combining an experimental and analytical approach.

Background: Occipito-cervical fusion can be necessary in case of cranio-cervical junction instability. Proximal stabilisation is usually ensured by bi-cortical occipital screws implanted through one median or two lateral occipital plate(s). Bone thickness variability as well as the proximity of vasculo-nervous elements can induce substantial morbidity.

Multicolumn spinal cord stimulation for significant low back pain in failed back surgery syndrome: design of a national, multicentre, randomized, controlled health economics trial (ESTIMET Study).

Background: Many studies have demonstrated the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for chronic neuropathic radicular pain over recent decades, but despite global favourable outcomes in failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) with leg pain, the back pain component remains poorly controlled by neurostimulation. Technological and scientific progress has led to the development of new SCS leads, comprising a multicolumn design and a greater number of contacts. The efficacy of multicolumn SCS lead configurations for the treatment of the back pain component of FBSS has recently been suggested by pilot studies.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) injection in spinal cord transection stimulates Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase in skeletal muscle via β 1 subunit.

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) induce a loss of skeletal muscle mass and functional capacity. The muscle excitability and contractility depend on the plasma membrane potential, regulated by transmembrane ion gradients, and thus necessarily on the Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase activity. The aim of this work was to evaluate the consequences of a spinal cord transection (SCT) on the skeletal muscle Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase and the impact of collateral GlyceroPhosphoLipids enriched in DocosaHexaenoic Acid (GPL-DHA) administration.

The Franco-Canadian multicolumn spinal cord stimulation prospective study: a subgroup analysis focusing on the decisive role of lead positioning.

Introduction: Multicolumn spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is now considered to be effective for the treatment of the radicular and back component in refractory Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS) patients. The relationship between the paresthesia coverage of the back and clinical outcomes has recently been confirmed by an international prospective study. However, significant disparities in outcomes were identified and could result from the heterogeneity of lead implantation parameters which are dependant on local practices and experience.

An algorithmic programming approach for back pain symptoms in failed back surgery syndrome using spinal cord stimulation with a multicolumn surgically implanted epidural lead: a multicenter international prospective study.

Introduction: Many studies have demonstrated the efficacy and the medical/economic value of epidural spinal cord stimulation for the treatment of "failed back surgery syndrome" (FBSS). However, the back pain component of FBSS has been recalcitrant. Recent clinical trials have suggested that multicolumn surgically implanted leads combined with enhanced programming capabilities in the newer implantable pulse generators demonstrate the ability to treat the back pain component of FBSS.

Multicolumn spinal cord stimulation lead implantation using an optic transligamentar minimally invasive technique.

Background: A new generation of neurostimulation surgical leads is used to increase the success of spinal cord stimulation in difficult-to-treat indications such as failed back surgery syndrome. Minimal access spinal technologies (MASTs) have previously been used for surgical lead implantation. However, only a unilateral approach was possible, causing difficulties for median lead placement, and not always preventing laminectomy.

Successful treatment of pudendal neuralgia with tricolumn spinal cord stimulation: case report.

Background And Importance: There is large variation in the success of decompressive surgery for pudendal neuralgia (PN), the most chronic, disabling form of perineal pain. We attempt to determine whether spinal cord stimulation using new-generation multicolumn leads could form part of the treatment algorithm for refractory PN.

Clinical Presentation: A man with PN that was unresponsive to conventional treatment demonstrated a neuropathic component and had a negative response to nerve infiltrations (so he was not indicated for decompressive surgery) and a positive response to perianal transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and was implanted with a 16-contact surgical lead at the level of conus medullaris, allowing multicolumn stimulation.

Back pain: a real target for spinal cord stimulation?

Background: Failed back surgery syndrome represents one of the most frequent etiologies of chronic back pain and is a major public health issue. Neurostimulation has currently not been validated in the treatment of back pain because of technological limitations in implantable spinal cord stimulation (SCS) systems. New-generation leads using several columns of stimulation can generate longitudinal and/or transverse stimulation fields into the spinal cord.

Protein multi-scale organization through graph partitioning and robustness analysis: application to the myosin-myosin light chain interaction.

Despite the recognized importance of the multi-scale spatio-temporal organization of proteins, most computational tools can only access a limited spectrum of time and spatial scales, thereby ignoring the effects on protein behavior of the intricate coupling between the different scales. Starting from a physico-chemical atomistic network of interactions that encodes the structure of the protein, we introduce a methodology based on multi-scale graph partitioning that can uncover partitions and levels of organization of proteins that span the whole range of scales, revealing biological features occurring at different levels of organization and tracking their effect across scales. Additionally, we introduce a measure of robustness to quantify the relevance of the partitions through the generation of biochemically-motivated surrogate random graph models.

Parametric sensitivity analysis and reduction of a detailed nutritional model of plant cell cultures.

A kinetic model of plant nutrition described by Cloutier et al. (Cloutier et al., 2008.

[Anatomic bases of surgical approaches to the nerves of the lower limb: tips for young surgeons].

For trainee surgeons, the surgical approaches of the lower limb's peripheral nerves remain partially or completely unknown, but traumatic nerve lesions are rather frequent at this level and nerve tumors require intervention. Young surgeons will also have to treat spasticity and perform selective neurotomies, which can provide dramatic improvement of the functional status of properly selected patients. Excellent knowledge of anatomy is the key point to successful surgery.

[The main tunnel syndromes].

Several tunnel syndromes are responsible for substantial functional impairment. The diagnosis has to be made and treatment is most often very simple--nerve decompression--with excellent results. Of these syndromes, the most common are median and ulnar tunnel syndromes of the wrist and ulnar tunnel syndrome of the elbow, but other syndromes must be identified at the risk of therapy failure due to poorly adapted treatment.

[Anatomic bases of surgical approaches to the nerves of the upper limb: tips for young surgeons].

Peripheral nerve surgery requires a certain level of specialization. Surgeons must have solid knowledge of morphological anatomy of the different segments to be explored, decompressed, repaired, or even neurotized. This paper describes the most common approaches to the peripheral nerves of the upper limb.

[Physiology of the injured peripheral nerve].

Peripheral nerve injuries are frequent and generate significant deficits. Their treatment sometimes leads to functional recovery but is mostly incomplete or unpredictable, despite the regular use of sophisticated repair techniques. The clinician must clearly understand the peripheral nervous system's responses to injury, which reveal surprising degenerating and spontaneous regenerating abilities.

Increased arterial calcification in Paget's disease of bone.

When examining radiographs of patients with Paget's disease of bone (PD), we often observed calcification of the aorta and iliac or femoral arteries. The processes of extraosseous calcification or mineralization are very close to the mechanisms regulating mineralization of bone tissue. The aim of our study was to quantify the number, extent (length and thickness), and type (arteriosclerotic or medial arterial calcification) of vascular calcification in patients with Paget's disease and to compare them with those of controls, in order to discover whether PD is accompanied by increased calcification.

Teaching in the new NHS: the specialised ward based teacher.

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of introducing specialised ward based teachers (WBTs) who had a broad remit to improve third year medical undergraduates' clinical experience.

Design: Quantitative and qualitative methods including interviews with WBTs, participating consultants and SIFT co-ordinator; student questionnaire and evaluations; analysis of Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) scores to ascertain if exposure to WBTs affected OSCE scores.

Setting: Two university teaching hospitals.