'I have no life and neither do the ones watching me suffer': women's experiences of transvaginal mesh implant surgery.

Many women are affected by pelvic floor disorders, such as stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. In recent years, these disorders have been treated with transvaginal mesh implant surgeries involving the vaginal insertion of woven netting. We explored women's experiences of transvaginal mesh implant surgery through a biopsychosocial lens.

Patients' perspectives about doctor-patient communication regarding transvaginal mesh implant surgery.

Objectives: Many women experience pelvic floor disorders which may require medical intervention such as transvaginal mesh implant surgeries (TVM; the abdominal or vaginal insertion of woven netting to support pelvic tissue). We examined women's perceptions of communication with their health professionals concerning TVM.

Design: We analysed 153 women's written submissions to an Australian Government Inquiry regarding their experiences of transvaginal mesh surgery to explore their perceptions of TVM-related doctor-patient communication.

Epidural vs. lumbar plexus infusions following total knee arthroplasty: randomized controlled trial.

Background And Objective: Postoperative regional analgesia for total knee replacement can provide excellent pain control and speedy rehabilitation compared with systemic opioid analgesia but the optimal technique to provide best analgesia with minimal adverse effects remains unclear. We carried out an observer-blinded randomized trial of side-directed epidural infusion with lumbar plexus infusion after total knee arthroplasty.

Methods: Sixty patients scheduled for total knee replacement were randomized to receive epidural or lumbar plexus infusions of levobupivacaine and clonidine.

Thin-film theories for two-phase reactive flow models of active cell motion.

The aim of this paper is to develop a broadly-applicable and self-consistent thin-film biphasic modelling framework for the full crawling cycle of a single animal cell. A hierarchy of thin-film two-phase 'reactive flow' models is derived; between them these cover a wide range of biologically relevant parameter regimes. The mathematical properties and biological implications of the resulting systems of high-order nonlinear degenerate parabolic-elliptic evolution equations are investigated.

Predictors of inotrope use during separation from cardiopulmonary bypass.

Objective: To identify the demographic, clinical, and echocardiographic features that predict the use of inotropic support at separation from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Design: Retrospective study of consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

Setting: Referral center for cardiothoracic surgery at a university hospital.

Comparison of environmental scanning electron microscopy with high vacuum scanning electron microscopy as applied to the assessment of cell morphology.

The efficacy of conventional high vacuum scanning electron microscopy (SEM), environmental SEM (ESEM), and confocal laser scanning microscopy techniques in the assessment of cell-material interactions is compared. Specific attention is given to the application of these techniques in the assessment of the early morphological response of human osteoblast-like cells cultured on titanium dioxide. The processing of cells cultured for conventional high vacuum SEM leads to the loss of morphological features that are retained when using ESEM.

DEF6, a novel PH-DH-like domain protein, is an upstream activator of the Rho GTPases Rac1, Cdc42, and RhoA.

In this paper, we describe the characterization of DEF6, a novel PH-DH-like protein related to SWAP-70 that functions as an upstream activator of Rho GTPases. In NIH 3T3 cells, stimulation of the PI 3-kinase signaling pathway with either H2O2 or platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) resulted in the translocation of an overexpressed DEF6-GFP fusion protein to the cell membrane and induced the formation of filopodia and lamellipodia. In contrast to full-length DEF6, expression of the DH-like (DHL) domain as a GFP fusion protein potently induced actin polymerization, including stress fiber formation in COS-7 cells, in the absence of PI 3-kinase signaling, indicating that it was constitutively active.

Needlestick injuries: the shock and reality.

It has been a typically busy Saturday night in the emergency department. Then, near midnight, a trauma casualty was admitted and an incident occurred that would occupy Suzanne Smith's thoughts for months to come. When starting an intravenous line on this patient, Suzanne spiked herself with a needle.

An intracranial tumour causing dental pain.

A case is reported of a glioma of the parietal lobe in which the early symptoms mimicked dental pain and led the patient to consult his dental practitioner in the first instance. The need for careful investigation of unusual presentations of facial pain is stressed.

West African malaria.

Plasmodium falciparum malaria poses an increasing risk to travellers to West Africa. The development of chloroquine resistant in West Africa has further compounded the risk. Two cases of falciparum malaria from Sierra Leone are presented.

A two-part obturator prosthesis for use following maxillectomy in edentulous patients.

Some problems of conventional prostheses after maxillectomy are discussed. A two-part appliance which incorporates a removable, flexible obturator is described. It is simple to construct and comfortable to wear.