23 research outputs found

    Levels of evidence in plastic surgery – Trends and comparison with five other surgical specialties

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    Background: Categorising research by level of evidence (LOE) is an important evidence-based medicine initiative. Our objective was to assess the change in LOEs in plastic surgery from 2003 to 2013 and compared this with five other surgical specialties. Methods: A search for all research articles published in the top three general plastic surgery journals (ranked by impact factor) was conducted for 2003 and 2013. Articles were then labelled as LOE 1–5 and compared to other specialties. Results: Mean LOE for plastic surgery improved by 4.1 % from 3.86 (95 % confidence interval 3.81–3.91) to 3.70 (95 % confidence interval 3.64–3.74) from 2003 to 2013 respectively. All six surgical specialties improved their mean LOE (range 3.7 to 10.9 %). By mean LOE, plastic surgery continues to rank five out of six. Conclusions: Plastic surgery is tending towards higher levels of evidence at a slow pace. The specialty must continue to drive towards higher levels of evidence. Level of Evidence: Not ratable

    Comparison between simulated and observed LHC beam backgrounds in the ATLAS experiment at Ebeam =4 TeV

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    Results of dedicated Monte Carlo simulations of beam-induced background (BIB) in the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) are presented and compared with data recorded in 2012. During normal physics operation this background arises mainly from scattering of the 4 TeV protons on residual gas in the beam pipe. Methods of reconstructing the BIB signals in the ATLAS detector, developed and implemented in the simulation chain based on the \textscFluka Monte Carlo simulation package, are described. The interaction rates are determined from the residual gas pressure distribution in the LHC ring in order to set an absolute scale on the predicted rates of BIB so that they can be compared quantitatively with data. Through these comparisons the origins of the BIB leading to different observables in the ATLAS detectors are analysed. The level of agreement between simulation results and BIB measurements by ATLAS in 2012 demonstrates that a good understanding of the origin of BIB has been reached

    Prompt and non-prompt J/psi elliptic flow in Pb plus Pb collisions at root S-NN=5.02 TeV with the ATLAS detector

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    The elliptic flow of prompt and non-prompt J/ \u3c8 was measured in the dimuon decay channel in Pb+Pb collisions at sNN=5.02 TeV with an integrated luminosity of 0.42nb-1 with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The prompt and non-prompt signals are separated using a two-dimensional simultaneous fit of the invariant mass and pseudo-proper decay time of the dimuon system from the J/ \u3c8 decay. The measurement is performed in the kinematic range of dimuon transverse momentum and rapidity 9 < pT< 30 GeV , | y| < 2 , and 0\u201360% collision centrality. The elliptic flow coefficient, v2, is evaluated relative to the event plane and the results are presented as a function of transverse momentum, rapidity and centrality. It is found that prompt and non-prompt J/ \u3c8 mesons have non-zero elliptic flow. Prompt J/ \u3c8v2 decreases as a function of pT, while for non-prompt J/ \u3c8 it is, with limited statistical significance, consistent with a flat behaviour over the studied kinematic region. There is no observed dependence on rapidity or centrality

    Search for squarks and gluinos in final states with hadronically decaying tau-leptons, jets, and missing transverse momentum using pp collisions at root s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

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    A search for supersymmetry in events with large missing transverse momentum, jets, and at least one hadronically decaying τ-lepton is presented. Two exclusive final states with either exactly one or at least two τ-leptons are considered. The analysis is based on proton-proton collisions at √s=13  TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36.1  fb⁻¹ delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded by the ATLAS detector in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess is observed over the Standard Model expectation. At 95% confidence level, model-independent upper limits on the cross section are set and exclusion limits are provided for two signal scenarios: a simplified model of gluino pair production with τ-rich cascade decays, and a model with gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking (GMSB). In the simplified model, gluino masses up to 2000 GeV are excluded for low values of the mass of the lightest supersymmetric particle (LSP), while LSP masses up to 1000 GeV are excluded for gluino masses around 1400 GeV. In the GMSB model, values of the supersymmetry-breaking scale are excluded below 110 TeV for all values of tanβ in the range 2 ≤ tanβ ≤ 60, and below 120 TeV for tanβ > 30.M. Aaboud … D. Duvnjak … P. Jackson … J.L. Oliver … A. Petridis … A. Qureshi … A.S. Sharma … M.J. White … et al. [The ATLAS Collaboration

    Discussion. The new reconstructive ladder: modifications to the traditional model.

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    A morphometric study of mechanotransductively induced dermal neovascularization.

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    BACKGROUND:: Mechanical stretch has been shown to induce vascular remodeling and increase vessel density, but the pathophysiologic mechanisms and the morphologic changes induced by tensile forces to dermal vessels are poorly understood. METHODS:: A custom computer-controlled stretch device was designed and applied to the backs of C57BL/6 mice (n = 38). Dermal and vascular remodeling was studied over a 7-day period. Corrosion casting and three-dimensional scanning electron microscopy and CD31 staining were performed to analyze microvessel morphology. Hypoxia was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Western blot analysis of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and mRNA expression of VEGF receptors was performed. RESULTS:: Skin stretching was associated with increased angiogenesis as demonstrated by CD31 staining and vessel corrosion casting where intervascular distance and vessel diameter were decreased (p < 0.01). Immediately after stretching, VEGF dimers were increased. Messenger RNA expression of VEGF receptor 1, VEGF receptor 2, neuropilin 1, and neuropilin 2 was increased starting as early as 2 hours after stretching. Highly proliferating epidermal cells induced epidermal hypoxia starting at day 3 (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS:: Identification of significant hypoxic cells occurred after identification of neovessels, suggesting an alternative mechanism. Increased expression of angiogenic receptors and stabilization of VEGF dimers may be involved in a mechanotransductive, prehypoxic induction of neovascularization

    New concepts for the design of dermal substitutes

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    Objectives: Skin can be partially regenerated after full thickness defects by collagen matrices, In this study, we identified the main limitations of induced regeneration aiming to improve the design of dermal matrices. Methods: Single mice received a 1 cm2, full thickness skin wound on the dorsum, which were grafted with collagen-GAG matrices or left ungrafted. The healing modulation induced by the collagen-GAG matrices was compared to spontaneous healing and to custom designed, bioactive, poly-N-Acetyl- Glucosamine (NAG) matrices. Wound staging was based on macroscopic, histological and immunhistochemical analysis on days 3, 7, 10 and 21 post wounding. Results: Cell density was higher in spontaneously granulating wounds compared to grafted wounds. While grafted wounds exhibited increased levels of cell proliferation on days 7 and 10, vascularity was dramatically reduced. NAG scaffolds accelerated both angiogenesis and wound re-epithelialization. Conclusions: Since slow integration and revascularization severely limit the engraftment of clinically used dermal scaffolds, the design of dermal matrices using bioactive materials represent the next step in skin regeneration

    Letters

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    Wound healing kinetics of the genetically diabetic mouse

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    \ufeffThe increased number of chronic nonhealing wounds mirrors the epidemic of type 2 diabetes. Diabetic animal models may allow for better understanding of the pathophysiology of wound healing and may lead to the pre-clinical testing of a variety of therapeutic modalities for this patient group. The authors present an overview of the literature on excisional wound mouse models and focus on the authors' experience with the db/db mouse. Excisional wounds in wild type mice heal quickly due primarily to wound contraction, which is delayed in the db/db mouse. In this animal model it is possible to study and quantify the main mechanisms of healing and produce highly reproducible information. Differences in methodologies, infection control, as well as fine details such as the dressing option, partially explain heterogeneous results in the literature. Given the increase of the diabetic population, the db/db mouse model provides a powerful tool to study the effects of therapeutics for improving wound healing. The standardization of this animal model represents an important aspect to improve in the wound care field
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