Reconstruction of velopharyngeal sphincter in secondary Cleft Palate: surgical alternative

Cir Pediatr. 2006 Apr;19(2):106-10. [Reconstruction of velopharyngeal sphincter in secondary Cleft Palate: surgical alternative] [Article in Spanish] Recamán M, Bonet B, Leitão J, Mesquita A. Hospital Central e Especializado de Crianças Maria Pia, Serviço de Cirurgía Plástica. [email protected] Abstract There are numerous surgical procedures for the repair of Cleft Palate (CP). Since 1998, in children with CP we use a modified Wardill-Kilner technique, with a large section of the nasal mucous layer at the level of the muscular insertion on the hard palate and lateral nasopharingeal wall, obtaining a push-back and reorientation of the muscular fibres without dissection, diminishing this way the risks of haemorrhages and fibrosis, simplifying the intervention. It allows a lower operative time and a short internment. The aim of our study was to evaluate the results of this operative procedure specially in the development of the speech in 73 children operated on from 1998 until 2000 in our hospital. We verify a competence of the velopharingeal sphincter with ideal results in speech in 88,8% of the cases. PMID: 16846134 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLIN

Holography and Variable Cosmological Constant

An effective local quantum field theory with UV and IR cutoffs correlated in accordance with holographic entropy bounds is capable of rendering the cosmological constant (CC) stable against quantum corrections. By setting an IR cutoff to length scales relevant to cosmology, one easily obtains the currently observed rho_Lambda ~ 10^{-47} GeV^4, thus alleviating the CC problem. It is argued that scaling behavior of the CC in these scenarios implies an interaction of the CC with matter sector or a time-dependent gravitational constant, to accommodate the observational data.Comment: 7 pages, final version accepted by PR

Histogram Reweighting Method for Dynamic Properties

The histogram reweighting technique, widely used to analyze Monte Carlo data, is shown to be applicable to dynamic properties obtained from Molecular Dynamics simulations. The theory presented here is based on the fact that the correlation functions in systems in thermodynamic equilibrium are averages over initial conditions of functions of the trajectory of the system in phase-space, the latter depending on the volume, the total number of particles and the classical Hamiltonian. Thus, the well-known histogram reweighting method can almost straightforwardly be applied to reconstruct the probability distribution of initial states at different thermodynamic conditions, without extra computational effort. Correlation functions and transport coefficients are obtained with this method from few simulation data sets.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Adjustment with aphasia after stroke: study protocol for a pilot feasibility randomised controlled trial for SUpporting wellbeing through PEeR Befriending (SUPERB)

Background: Despite the high prevalence of mood problems after stroke, evidence on effective interventions particularly for those with aphasia is limited. There is a pressing need to systematically evaluate interventions aiming to improve wellbeing for people with stroke and aphasia. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of a peer-befriending intervention. Methods/design: SUPERB is a single blind, parallel group feasibility trial of peer befriending for people with aphasia post-stroke and low levels of psychological distress. The trial includes a nested qualitative study and pilot economic evaluation and it compares usual care (n = 30) with usual care + peer befriending (n = 30). Feasibility outcomes include proportion screened who meet criteria, proportion who consent, rate of consent, number of missing/incomplete data on outcome measures, attrition rate at follow-up, potential value of conducting main trial using value of information analysis (economic evaluation), description of usual care, and treatment fidelity of peer befriending. Assessments and outcome measures (mood, wellbeing, communication, and social participation) for participants and significant others will be administered at baseline, with outcome measures re-administered at 4 and 10 months post-randomisation. Peer befrienders will complete outcome measures before training and after they have completed two cycles of befriending. The qualitative study will use semi-structured interviews of purposively sampled participants (n = 20) and significant others (n = 10) from both arms of the trial, and all peer befrienders to explore the acceptability of procedures and experiences of care. The pilot economic evaluation will utilise the European Quality of life measure (EQ-5D-5 L) and a stroke-adapted version of the Client Service Receipt Inventory (CSRI). Discussion: This study will provide information on feasibility outcomes and an initial indication of whether peer befriending is a suitable intervention to explore further in a definitive phase III randomised controlled trial. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02947776, registered 28th October 2016

Testículos no palpables: experiencia del Hospital Central Especializado de Crianças Maria Pia

La incidencia de criptorquidia es del 1% en niños de 1 año de edad, siendo en el 20% de los casos el testículo no palpable. El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la contribución de la cirugía mínimamente invasiva en el diagnóstico y tratamiento de estos pacientes. Los autores realizaron un estudio prospectivo, analítico y longitudinal durante el período de enero de 2001 a diciembre de 2004, englobando 89 niños portadores de 98 testículos no palpables sometidos a laparoscopia. Los autores analizaron los siguientes parámetros: localización del testículo no palpable, examen objetivo bajo anestesia general ecografía inguinoescrotal, edad de la intervención, hallazgos laparoscópicos, tratamiento efectuado, resultados anatomopatológicos de las piezas extirpadas y seguimiento después de la cirugía

Resummed Quantum Gravity

We present the current status of the a new approach to quantum general relativity based on the exact resummation of its perturbative series as that series was formulated by Feynman. We show that the resummed theory is UV finite and we present some phenomenological applications as well.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure; presented at ICHEP0

A computational framework for polyconvex large strain elasticity for geometrically exact beam theory

In this paper, a new computational framework is presented for the analysis of nonlinear beam finite elements subjected to large strains. Specifically, the methodology recently introduced in Bonet et al. (Comput Methods Appl Mech Eng 283:1061–1094, 2015) in the context of three dimensional polyconvex elasticity is extended to the geometrically exact beam model of Simo (Comput Methods Appl Mech Eng 49:55–70, 1985), the starting point of so many other finite element beam type formulations. This new variational framework can be viewed as a continuum degenerate formulation which, moreover, is enhanced by three key novelties. First, in order to facilitate the implementation of the sophisticated polyconvex constitutive laws particularly associated with beams undergoing large strains, a novel tensor cross product algebra by Bonet et al. (Comput Methods Appl Mech Eng 283:1061–1094, 2015) is adopted, leading to an elegant and physically meaningful representation of an otherwise complex computational framework. Second, the paper shows how the novel algebra facilitates the re-expression of any invariant of the deformation gradient, its cofactor and its determinant in terms of the classical beam strain measures. The latter being very useful whenever a classical beam implementation is preferred. This is particularised for the case of a Mooney–Rivlin model although the technique can be straightforwardly generalised to other more complex isotropic and anisotropic polyconvex models. Third, the connection between the two most accepted restrictions for the definition of constitutive models in three dimensional elasticity and beams is shown, bridging the gap between the continuum and its degenerate beam description. This is carried out via a novel insightful representation of the tangent operator