Tuberculous osteo-arthritis unmasked through unusual elbow swelling: A case report.

Introduction And Importance: Tuberculous osteoarthritis, a rare condition affecting the elbow in 1-5 % of cases, poses diagnostic challenges due to its subtle clinical presentation, often resulting in delayed diagnosis. Herein, we present a case of tuberculous osteoarthritis involving the elbow joint. Our aim is to underscore the complexities associated with diagnosing this condition and to emphasize the critical importance of early recognition and appropriate management strategies for optimal patient outcomes.

Desmoid-type fibromatosis in an uncommon location: A case report of shoulder involvement misdiagnosed as rhabdomyosarcoma.

Introduction And Importance: Desmoid-type fibromatosis is an uncommon tumor characterized by its local invasiveness, with shoulder involvement being notably infrequent. The optimal treatment strategy for this tumor remains a topic of ongoing debate.

Case Presentation: A 47-year-old Tunisian woman with a history of hypothyroidism, presented with pain and swelling in her left shoulder for a year.

Biosensing of Bacterial Secretions via Topological Defects at Smectic Interfaces.

Characterizing the anchoring properties of smectic liquid crystals (LCs) in contact with bacterial solutions is crucial for developing biosensing platforms. In this study, we investigate the anchoring properties of a smectic LC when exposed to and bacterial suspensions using interfaces with known anchoring properties. By monitoring the optical response of the smectic film, we successfully distinguish different types of bacteria, leveraging the distinct changes in the LC's response.

Giant cell tumor of the cervical spine: A very uncommon cause for cervical spine compression.

Giant cell tumors (GCTs) are rare neoplasms, primarily found in long bones, typically affecting the epiphysis of the distal femur, proximal tibia, and distal radius. However, their occurrence in the cervical spine is exceedingly rare. Here, we present a case report of a 21-year-old female patient who presented with progressive neck pain, radiating numbness, and right hemiparesis.

Solitary thoracic spine osteochondroma: a rare cause for spinal cord compression.

Introduction: Osteochondromas, also known as osteocartilaginous exostosis, are among the most common benign cartilaginous bone tumors, primarily occurring as solitary lesions. While typically found in long bones, spinal involvement is rare, accounting for only a small percentage of benign lesions in this location. Solitary osteochondromas responsible for spinal cord compression are seldom.

Uncommon Thigh Mass in Neurofibromatosis Type 1: Unveiling Aggressive Epithelioid Sarcoma.

Background: Patients with neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) have an increased risk of developing soft-tissue sarcomas, particularly those related to the nervous system. Epithelioid sarcoma (ES) is an exceptionally rare subtype of soft-tissue sarcoma, with limited knowledge about its clinical presentation and optimal management in NF1. This report aims to provide insights into the characteristics and outcomes of ES in NF1 patients.

Primary extrahepatic hydatid cyst of the thigh, an unusual presentation of sciatica: A case report of a diagnostic challenge.

Introduction: Sciatica, a condition characterized by pain along the sciatic nerve distribution, is commonly associated with nerve compression or irritation. However, its etiology can vary, including rare non-spinal causes such as hydatid cysts. We present a case of hydatid cyst in the thigh causing sciatica-like symptoms, highlighting the diagnostic challenges and management approach.

An unusual cause of inguinal swelling: Primary synovial osteochondromatosis.

Inguinal swelling should raise suspicion for hip joint osteochondromatosis. Early recognition, accurate diagnosis, and prompt surgical intervention are essential for optimizing patient outcomes.

Polarization Z-Scan Studies Revealing Plasmon Coupling Enhancement Due to Dimer Formation of Gold Nanoparticles in Nematic Liquid Crystals.

We investigate the plasmon coupling of gold nanoparticle (AuNP) dimers dispersed in a nematic liquid crystal matrix using the polarization z-scan technique. Our experimental setup includes the precise control of incident light polarization through polarization angles of 0°, 45°, and 90°. Two distinct cell orientations are examined: parallel and twisted nematic cells.

One-stage combined approach en bloc vertebrectomy for primary Ewing's sarcoma of mobile spine in an adult patient: 3 years following aggressive surgery for a rare entity.

Key Clinical Message: Currently, there is no consensus on the optimal management of nonmetastatic Ewing's sarcoma of the mobile spine. However, associated to chemotherapy, aggressive surgery with en bloc wide resection seems to improve local control and survival.

Abstract: Primary Ewing's sarcoma (EWS) of non-sacral spine is extremely rare, especially in middle-age.

Conservative surgical management of surface osteosarcoma using 3D printing technology: An unusual case report and literature review.

Introduction And Importance: Surface osteosarcoma, a rare variant of osteosarcoma, poses unique challenges in diagnosis and treatment. This report discusses the application of 3D printing technology in the surgical management of a complex case involving a 27-year-old female patient with surface osteosarcoma in the proximal tibia.

Case Presentation: A 27-year-old female patient presented with a progressively growing mass on her right knee, initially misdiagnosed as a benign bone tumor.

Effect of airflow rate and drainage on the properties of 2D smectic liquid crystal foams.

As a two-phase system, foams are widely applied in the industry and exist ubiquitously in our daily lives. For this reason, studying them and investigating the parameters that affect their properties is crucial for the development of new and improved foam-based products. In this paper, we create 2D foam using an ordered fluid, the smectic liquid crystal (LC), and discuss the experimental parameters that affect their fabrication, including temperature and confining conditions.

Plasmon enhancement of third-order nonlinear optical absorption of gold nanoparticles dispersed in planar oriented nematic liquid crystals.

We report structural and nonlinear optical properties of 20 nm gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) that are dispersed in planar degenerate (non-oriented) and planar oriented nematic liquid crystals (LCs) (4'-Pentyl-4-biphenylcarbonitrile-5CB). Taking advantage of elastic forces in the planar oriented nematic LC, we aligned AuNPs parallel to the 5CB director axis. In the case of planar degenerate, 5CB is not aligned and has no preferred orientation, forcing the AuNPs to disperse randomly.

Giant cell tumor of the tendon sheath of the toe: case report of an unusual localization.

Introduction And Importance: The purpose of this study is to highlight a rare entity of unusual location and to report our therapeutic attitude in this regard, while detailing the diagnostic criteria and therapeutic management.

Case Presentation: We describe the case of a 32 years old woman with a swelling of the big toe initially neglected by the patient, the evolution is marked by a discomfort when wearing shoes, it was a firm mass of 2 cm slightly painful without local inflammatory signs with bone lysis on radiography, The MRI showed an invasion of the flexor and extensor tendons of the hallux, our approach was a carcinological tumor exeresis and arthrodesis while preserving the toe since the pedicle was not invaded, the histological examination confirmed the diagnosis and the evolution is good without tumor recurrence.

Clinical Discussion: A giant cell tumor of the tendon sheaths (GCTTC) usually presents as a firm slow growing mass, the radiological assessment shows bone erosions, an MRI for extension assessment and histological confirmation are mandatory, malignant degenerations are unusual but should always be investigated, treatment is based on the most complete surgical resection to avoid the risk of recurrence, adjuvant radiotherapy can be done in case of incomplete resection but it is a controversial subject.

Bone metastases from renal cell carcinoma: 4 years after aggressive surgeries and anti-angiogenic therapy.

Management of bone metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has significantly changed after the era of targeted therapy that improved the overall survival (OS). Surgical decision-making remains a subject of controversy. We report a case of pelvic bone metastasis from RCC, 2 months after nephrectomy and surgery of a revealing clavicular metastasis.

Submersed micropatterned structures control active nematic flow, topology, and concentration.

Coupling between flows and material properties imbues rheological matter with its wide-ranging applicability, hence the excitement for harnessing the rheology of active fluids for which internal structure and continuous energy injection lead to spontaneous flows and complex, out-of-equilibrium dynamics. We propose and demonstrate a convenient, highly tunable method for controlling flow, topology, and composition within active films. Our approach establishes rheological coupling via the indirect presence of fully submersed micropatterned structures within a thin, underlying oil layer.

Hierarchical assembly of smectic liquid crystal defects at undulated interfaces.

The assembly of topological defects in liquid crystals has drawn significant interest in the last decade due to their ability to trap colloidal objects and direct their arrangements. They have also brought about a high impact in modern technologies, in particular in optics, e.g.

Better Actuation Through Chemistry: Using Surface Coatings to Create Uniform Director Fields in Nematic Liquid Crystal Elastomers.

Controlling the molecular alignment of liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) within nano- and microstructures is essential in manipulating the actuation behavior of nematic liquid crystal elastomers (NLCEs). Here, we study how to induce uniformly vertical alignment of nematic LCMs within a micropillar array to maximize the macroscopic shape change using surface chemistry. Landau-de Gennes numerical modeling suggests that it is difficult to perfectly align LCMs vertically in every pore within a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) mold with porous channels during soft lithography.

Dynamics of ordered colloidal particle monolayers at nematic liquid crystal interfaces.

We prepare two-dimensional crystalline packings of colloidal particles on surfaces of the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) 5CB, and we investigate the diffusion and vibrational phonon modes of these particles using video microscopy. Short-time particle diffusion at the air-NLC interface is well described by a Stokes-Einstein model with viscosity similar to that of 5CB. Crystal phonon modes, measured by particle displacement covariance techniques, are demonstrated to depend on the elastic constants of 5CB through interparticle forces produced by LC defects that extend from the interface into the underlying bulk material.

Around the corner: Colloidal assembly and wiring in groovy nematic cells.

We study colloids suspended in nematic liquid crystal in grooves with homeotropic anchoring. We observe "eyelashes", topological dipole chains that follow the local, curved director field. These beget wires that connect the groove corners to topographical features on the cell lid to yield oriented, curvilinear colloidal wires spanning the cell, formed in a nonsingular director field.

Reversible Nanoparticle Cubic Lattices in Blue Phase Liquid Crystals.

Blue phases (BPs), a distinct class of liquid crystals (LCs) with 3D periodic ordering of double twist cylinders involving orthogonal helical director twists, have been theoretically studied as potential templates for tunable colloidal crystals. Here, we report the spontaneous formation of thermally reversible, cubic crystal nanoparticle (NP) assemblies in BPs. Gold NPs, functionalized to be highly miscible in cyanobiphenyl-based LCs, were dispersed in BP mixtures and characterized by polarized optical microscopy and synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS).