VACTERL association in a fetus with multiple congenital malformations - Case report.

VACTERL represents an acronym for a broad spectrum of congenital anomalies such as vertebral anomalies, anorectal anomalies (anal atresia), cardiac anomalies, tracheoesophageal fistula or atresia, renal anomalies, and limb anomalies. We present the case of a male fetus with multiple anomalies consistent with VACTERL association such as scoliosis, imperforate anus, common truncus arteriosus, tracheoesophageal fistula associated with inferior esophagus atresia, polycystic kidneys, with short right ureter, lower limb hypoplasia micrognathia, hygroma, duodenal atresia, and cloacal malformation, with an aberrant omphalomesenteric duct. The presented case highlights the crucial importance of pathologists specialized in the dissection and confirmation of fetal abnormalities as an essential part of the multidisciplinary team that establishes the management of complicated pregnancies with this type of pathology.

Mechanical, Corrosion and Biological Properties of Room-Temperature Sputtered Aluminum Nitride Films with Dissimilar Nanostructure.

Aluminum Nitride (AlN) has been long time being regarded as highly interesting material for developing sensing applications (including biosensors and implantable sensors). AlN, due to its appealing electronic properties, is envisaged lately to serve as a multi-functional biosensing platform. Although generally exploited for its intrinsic piezoelectricity, its surface morphology and mechanical performance (elastic modulus, hardness, wear, scratch and tensile resistance to delamination, adherence to the substrate), corrosion resistance and cytocompatibility are also essential features for high performance sustainable biosensor devices.

Trigger points--ultrasound and thermal findings.

Rationale: Muscle pain can be elicited by any irritation of the nociceptors in the muscle or central sensitization in the central nervous system. The most frequently described muscle pain syndromes are myofascial pain syndrome and fibromyalgia syndrome. Myofascial pain syndrome has a more localized manifestation, the trigger points.

A rare case of uterine myxoid leiomyosarcoma: a case report.

We present the rare case of a 61-year-old female patient who was submitted in the hospital with metrorrhagia and pelvi-abdominal pain. Echographic examination revealed an heterogeneous uterine mass measuring 190/130/110 mm. Therefore, total hysterectomy with bilateral ooforectomy was performed.

Possible errors in the calculation of cell-binding parameters exemplified by the analysis of the IgG-Fc receptor system.

The binding parameters of monomeric and polymeric (immune complex with a molecular weight of 500,000 daltons) rabbit IgG to homologous Fc receptor-bearing alveolar macrophages were estimated, using corrected values for IgG and cell concentrations. Considering the maximum percentage of monomeric IgG binding to cells (2.7%) and the maximum percentage of cells binding monomeric IgG (32%) instead of the IgG and cell concentrations in the initial reaction mixture, a 36-fold increase of the equilibrium constant (K) (from 0.