Dissecting the role of the MS-ring protein FliF in Bacillus cereus flagella-related functions.

The flagellar MS-ring, uniquely constituted by FliF, is essential for flagellar biogenesis and functionality in several bacteria. The aim of this study was to dissect the role of FliF in the Gram-positive and peritrichously flagellated Bacillus cereus. We demonstrate that fliF forms an operon with the upstream gene fliE.

Management of Implant Exposure in One-Stage Breast Reconstruction Using Titanium-Coated Polypropylene Mesh: Sub-Mammary Intercostal Perforator Flap.

Introduction: One-stage implant-based breast reconstruction using titanium-coated polypropylene mesh is a novel approach widely used in Europe. Complication rates in breast reconstruction with the use of titanium-coated meshes seem to be comparable to those in patients with implant-based breast reconstruction alone. However, the use of synthetic meshes in implant-based breast reconstructive surgery leads to new clinical scenarios with the need for the breast surgeon to face new complications.

Intraoral approach for nasal tip upturning.

Background: The nose is an important landmark in facial beauty, and slight modifications lead to dramatic changes. The authors describe their surgical technique to upturn the tip of the nose with an intraoral approach sectioning the fibers of muscle depressor septi.

Methods: There were 14 patients (5 male and 9 female patients) in this study.

A case of a giant submandibular gland calculus perforating the floor of the mouth.

Sialolithiasis is characterized by the obstruction of salivary gland secretion by a calculus. It is associated with swelling, pain, and infection of the affected gland. More than 80% of all salivary calculi occur in the submandibular gland.

Polyacrylamide gel injection for treatment of human immunodeficiency virus-associated facial lipoatrophy: 18 months follow-up.

Background: Lipoatrophy of the face affects the quality of life and body image of individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of a permanent nonbiodegradable polyacrylamide gel filler, used for facial wasting rehabilitation.

Methods: Thirty-two individuals positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were enrolled in the study between January 2007 and January 2009 and treated using nonbiodegradable polyacrylamide gel injections for a facial wasting rehabilitation.

Polyacrylamide gel for facial wasting rehabilitation: how many milliliters per session?

Background: Facial lipoatrophy is most distressing for HIV patients in pharmacologic treatment. Nonabsorbable fillers are widely used to restore facial features in these patients. We evaluated the safety and aesthetic outcomes of two samples of HIV+ patients affected by facial wasting who received different filling protocols of the nonabsorbable filler Aquamid® to restore facial wasting.

Recurrence of ameloblastoma in temporal area: primary treatment influences recurrence rate.

Ameloblastomas are benign odontogenic tumors but are locally aggressive, most commonly occurring in the mandible and in the third to fifth decade of life. The male-to-female ratio is approximately equal. Recurrence of ameloblastoma due to inadequate treatment is often described.

Electrical injuries due to theft of copper.

This study shows that the theft of copper, mainly from electrical wires, is becoming a more frequent crime as the value of this metal rises. We have collected all the data from the Burn Centre of the Hospital of Palermo, Italy, from 1992 to 2007. Over the last two decades, we assisted to a dramatic increase of patients admitted to our hospital, reporting burn injuries while attempting to steal it in dangerous conditions.

Easy closure of anterior palatal fistula with local flaps.

Background: Anterior palatal fistula is often observed in the treatment of the cleft palate with a push-back palatoplasty. High rate of incomplete closure is reported. We describe a reliable new technique with reverse local flaps to close an anterior palatal fistula.

Comparison of two techniques of cinch suturing to avoid widening of the base of the nose after Le Fort I osteotomy.

All Le Fort I osteotomies have the potential to alter the dimensions of the alar base, and widen it. Surgical techniques to control this lateralisation of the base of the nose, including those of cinch suturing of the alar base, have been widely described and modified. We have compared two techniques of cinch suturing to try and prevent widening of the base of the nose after Le Fort I osteotomy.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide and thermal injury: review of literature.

The aim of this review article is to report about the anti-inflammatory properties of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in burns. CGRP is a 37-amino acid neuropeptide, primarily released from sensory nerves and is well known as the most potent and long-lasting microvascular vasodilator in vitro and hypotensive agents in vivo.A wide range of proinflammatory stimuli can induce the release of neuropeptides from cutaneous sensory nerves, including heat, physical trauma, UV radiation, and irritant chemicals.

Soft tissue defects of the heel: a surgical reconstruction algorithm based on a retrospective cohort study.

Unlabelled: The hindfoot is a special anatomical location, requiring unique forms of reconstruction of the thick, durable heel pad, the underlying calcaneus, and the Achilles tendon and its thin, pliable soft tissue envelope. Perhaps more than in any other region of the foot, the heel poses a reconstructive challenge to the surgeon who must consider both form and function when repairing wounds in this location. There are many possible reconstructive options, including local, distant, and free flaps.

Melanoma of the head and neck: a review.

Melanoma of the head and neck and its treatment are complex issues. The behavior of head and neck melanoma is aggressive, and it has an overall poorer prognosis than that of other skin sites. Current understanding of the behavior of head and neck melanoma is reviewed and treatment strategies are presented.

Merkel cell carcinoma: clinicopathological aspects of an unusual neoplasm.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare, aggressive cutaneous cancer that predominately affects elderly Caucasians with fair skin and has a propensity for local recurrence and regional lymph node metastases. It can occur on the face, the trunk, the genitalia, and the perianal region. The median age of the patients is 69 years, but it may occur earlier and more frequently in immunosuppressed patients.

Observations on the microcirculation of the human burn wound using orthogonal polarization spectral imaging.

Orthogonal polarization spectral imaging (OPS) utilizes the illumination of the tissue with polarized light within the haemoglobin spectrum. We report here on OPS for the assessment of the skin microcirculation non-invasively through the surface of the human burn wound. This allows inspection of individual capillaries of the cutaneous microcirculation and flow through these vessels in real time.

Trilucent breast implants: voluntary removal following the Medical Device Agency recommendation. Report on 115 consecutive patients.

In June of 2000, the U.K. Medical Device Agency recommended the removal of Trilucent implants as a precautionary maneuver in response to reports of local inflammatory reactions.

Immediate breast reconstruction with the transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap after skin-sparing mastectomy.

Immediate breast reconstruction with the transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap after skin-sparing mastectomy is becoming an increasingly performed procedure in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ, early invasive breast cancer, and prophylactic mastectomy. Through a periareolar approach, it is possible to remove the breast parenchyma along with the nipple areola complex, preserving almost all the original skin envelope and the inframmamary fold. The TRAM flap is used to recreate the volume and shape of the original breast.