Can excessive wear of ceramic bearing couples be a consequence of hip squeaking?

The occurrence of Ceramic-­on­‐Ceramic hip squeaking in some patients is a cause for concern. Friction was shown the main reason of hip squeaking. Moreover, hip vibration significantly altered contact point path during the gait cycle. This study investigated the effect of hip squeaking on hip implant wear

Trends in gabapentinoid prescribing in patients with osteoarthritis: a United Kingdom national cohort study in primary care

Summary Objective To investigate trends in gabapentinoid prescribing in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Patients aged 40 years and over with a new OA diagnosis recorded between 1995 and 2015 were identified in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink and followed to first prescription of gabapentin or pregabalin, or other censoring event. We estimated the crude and age-standardised annual incidence rates of gabapentinoid prescribing, stratified by patient age, sex, geographical region, and time since OA diagnosis, and the proportion of prescriptions attributable to OA, or to other conditions representing licensed and unlicensed indications for a gabapentinoid prescription. Results Of 383,680 newly diagnosed OA cases, 35,031 were prescribed at least one gabapentinoid. Irrespective of indication, the annual age-standardised incidence rate of first gabapentinoid prescriptions rose from 1.6 (95% CI: 1.3, 2.0) per 1,000 person-years in 2000, to 27.6 (26.7, 28.4) in 2015, a trend seen across all ages and not explained by length of follow-up. Rates were higher among women, younger patients, and in Northern Ireland, Scotland and the North of England. Approximately 9% of first prescriptions could be attributed to OA, a further 13% to comorbid licensed or unlicensed indications. Conclusion Gabapentinoid prescribing in patients with OA increased dramatically between 1995 and 2015. In most cases, diagnostic codes for licensed or unlicensed indications were absent. Gabapentinoid prescribing may be attributable to OA in a significant proportion but evidence for their effectiveness in OA is lacking. Further research to investigate clinical decision making around prescribing these expensive and potentially harmful medicines is recommended

Spin-dependent thermoelectric transport coefficients in near-perfect quantum wires

Thermoelectric transport coefficients are determined for semiconductor quantum wires with weak thickness fluctuations. Such systems exhibit anomalies in conductance near 1/4 and 3/4 of 2e^2/h on the rising edge to the first conductance plateau, explained by singlet and triplet resonances of conducting electrons with a single weakly bound electron in the wire [T. Rejec, A. Ramsak, and J.H. Jefferson, Phys. Rev. B 62, 12985 (2000)]. We extend this work to study the Seebeck thermopower coefficient and linear thermal conductance within the framework of the Landauer-Buettiker formalism, which also exhibit anomalous structures. These features are generic and robust, surviving to temperatures of a few degrees. It is shown quantitatively how at elevated temperatures thermal conductance progressively deviates from the Wiedemann-Franz law.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev. B 2002; 3 figure

The Wiimote on the Playground Phys. Teach. 51, 272 (2013) Helicopter Toy and Lift Estimation Phys. Teach

The detailed design of a robust and inexpensive optical trap system is presented. The system features high-sensitivity back focal plane position detection, mechanically controlled specimen stage movement, and fluorescence imaging to provide broad experimental applications. Three educational experimental modules are described to cover basic concepts in optical trapping and biophysics at a level appropriate for undergraduate students

Sequence Variability of P2-Like Prophage Genomes Carrying the Cytolethal Distending Toxin V Operon in Escherichia coli O157

Cytolethal distending toxins (CDT) are potent cytotoxins of several Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, including Escherichia coli, in which five types (CDT-I to CDT-V) have been identified so far. CDT-V is frequently associated with Shiga-toxigenic E. coli (STEC), enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O157 strains, and strains not fitting any established pathotypes. In this study, we were the first to sequence and annotate a 31.2-kb-long, noninducible P2-like prophage carrying the cdt-V operon from an stx- and eae-negative E. coli O157:H43 strain of bovine origin. The cdt-V operon is integrated in the place of the tin and old phage immunity genes (termed the TO region) of the prophage, and the prophage itself is integrated into the bacterial chromosome between the housekeeping genes cpxP and fieF. The presence of P2-like genes (n = 20) was investigated in a further five CDT-V-positive bovine E. coli O157 strains of various serotypes, three EHEC O157:NM strains, four strains expressing other variants of CDT, and eight CDT-negative strains. All but one CDT-V-positive atypical O157 strain uniformly carried all the investigated genomic regions of P2-like phages, while the EHEC O157 strains missed three regions and the CDT-V-negative strains carried only a few P2-like sequences. Our results suggest that P2-like phages play a role in the dissemination of cdt-V between E. coli O157 strains and that after integration into the bacterial chromosome, they adapted to the respective hosts and became temperate

Insights Into Insular Isolation of the Bull Shark, Carcharhinus leucas (Müller and Henle, 1839), in Fijian Waters

The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is a large, mobile, circumglobally distributed high trophic level predator that inhabits a variety of remote islands and continental coastal habitats, including freshwater environments. Here, we hypothesize that the barriers to dispersal created by large oceanic expanses and deep-water trenches result in a heterogeneous distribution of the neutral genetic diversity between island bull shark populations compared to populations sampled in continental locations connected through continuous coastlines of continental shelves. We analyzed 1,494 high-quality neutral single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in 215 individual bull sharks from widespread locations across the Indian and Pacific Oceans (South Africa, Indonesia, Western Australia, Papua New Guinea, eastern Australia, New Caledonia, and Fiji). Genomic analyses revealed partitioning between remote insular and continental populations, with the Fiji population being genetically different from all other locations sampled (FST = 0.034–0.044, P \u3c 0.001), and New Caledonia showing marginal isolation (FST = 0.016–0.024, P \u3c 0.001; albeit based on a small sample size) from most sampled sites. Discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) identified samples from Fiji as a distinct cluster with all other sites clustering together. Genetic structure analyses (Admixture, fastStructure and AssignPOP) further supported the genetic isolation of bull sharks from Fiji, with the analyses in agreement. The observed differentiation in bull sharks from Fiji makes this site of special interest, as it indicates a lack of migration through dispersal across deep-water trenches and large ocean expanses

A short report examining the introduction of routine use of patient reported outcome measures in a mixed oncology population

Aims: People living with treatable but not curable cancer often experience a range of symptoms related to their cancer and its treatment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face consultations were reduced and so remote monitoring of these needs was necessary. University Hospitals Sussex implemented the routine use of electronic remote patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in a mixed oncology population, focusing on those with treatable but not curable cancers. Materials and methods: Over a 9-month period, patients were invited to register with My Clinical Outcomes (MCO) – a secure online platform for the collection of electronic PROMs. They were prompted by e-mail to complete assessments (EORTC QLQ-C30, EQ-5D-3L and EQ-5D VAS) routinely every 2 weeks. The team monitored patient scores and changes in these prompted clinical interventions. Results: In total, 324 patients completed at least one assessment. The median number of assessments completed by each patient was eight. The most represented tumour groups were secondary breast (28%), prostate (25%) and other (32%). Median scores for the assessments did not deteriorate in a clinically or numerically significant way for patients living with non-curable conditions for the majority of patients monitored. Conclusion: Routine collection of electronic remote PROMs is an effective and useful strategy to provide real-time clinical feedback to teams. With integration into existing systems, online platforms (such as MCO) could provide efficient and patient-centred information for those providing care for people with cancer