A preliminary investigation of the subcutaneous tissue reaction to a 3D printed polydioxanone device in horses

BackgroundA 3D printed self-locking device made of polydioxanone (PDO) was developed to facilitate a standardized ligation technique. The subcutaneous tissue reaction to the device was evaluated after implantation in ten horses of mixed age, sex and breed and compared to loops of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). In two of the horses, the implants were removed before closing the skin. The appearance of the implants and surrounding tissue was followed over time using ultrasonography. Implants were removed after 10 and 27 (± 1) days for histologic examination.ResultsOn macroscopic inspection at day 10, the PDO-device was fragmented and the surrounding tissue was oedematous. On ultrasonographic examination, the device was seen as a hyperechoic structure with strong acoustic shadowing that could be detected 4 months post-implantation, but not at 7 months. Histology revealed a transient granulomatous inflammation, i.e., a foreign body reaction, which surrounded both PDO and PLGA implants. The type and intensity of the inflammation varied between individuals and tissue category.ConclusionsThe 3D printed PDO-device caused a transient inflammatory reaction in the subcutaneous tissue and complete resorption occurred between 4 and 7 months. Considering the intended use as a ligation device the early fragmentation warrants further adjustments of both material and the 3D printing process before the device can be used in a clinical setting

Ligation of the spermatic cord in dogs with a self-locking device of a resorbable polyglycolic based co-polymer

Background: New surgical techniques are developed to enable a quicker, easier and safer surgery with reduced risk of complications and shortened time needed for recovery. A resorbable device, a self-locking loop, was designed for surgical ligation. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate the feasibility of ligating the spermatic cord with the device, its biocompatibility and long-term resorption in dogs.  Results: The device was made of a block co-polymer (glycolide and trimethylene carbonate), manufactured by injection moulding and consisted of a flexible band running through a case with a locking mechanism. Ten devices were tested for ligation of the spermatic cords in five dogs admitted for routine neutering. The dogs were monitored by physical examination and ultrasonography of the site of ligation, area of spermatic cord and medial iliac lymph nodes regularly until no hyperechoic remnants of the device or acoustic shadowing or local tissue reactions were observed. Haemostasis of the spermatic cords was achieved with the devices. On ultrasonography the devices were seen as hyperechoic structures for 2 months after neutering causing acoustic shadowing for 1 month. The dogs were monitored for 3 - 5 months after surgery. Gradual decrease in echogenicity and final disappearance of the hyperechoic structures suggested resorption. Macroscopic and histological post mortem examinations were performed in one dog at 3 months after surgery. Post mortem examination showed a tissue reaction of a suture granuloma that was restricted in extent at site of the device.  Conclusions: The results of this pilot study suggest biocompatibility and indicate that ligation of the spermatic cord is feasible with the device

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), thrombospondin-4 (TSP-4) and type I and III collagens in tendon

Injury to digital flexor tendons leading to partial or total rupture is a common cause of lameness in athletic horses. Degeneration to the tendon extracellular matrix (ECM) often precedes rupture and a high cyclic load is most likely an important factor explaining its high incidence in racing horses. Tendon is composed of tenocytes that produce and support an abundant ECM responsible for the physical properties of the tendon. Type I collagen, the most abundant protein in the ECM, forms long fibrils and is oriented along the tensional axis of the tendon. Other matrix molecules include type III collagen, proteoglycans, glycoproteins (COMP and TSP-4). These molecules contribute to the strength of the tendon and are involved in regulating extracellular growth of the collagen fibrils. The ultrastructural distributions of COMP were delineated with high immunolabeling in healthy three-year-old horses. In the same material, collagen fibril size and the relative distribution of thin, medium and thick fibrils were examined and the highest levels of thin fibrils were found in the three-year-old horses. Achilles tendons from rats were analysed and an active-related decrease in COMP immunolabelling was found. The immunolocalization of TSP-4 was clearly elevated in the pericellular compartment. In injured equine tendons, immunolabelling of COMP and type III collagen was present in all repair structures, described as organized and disorganized fibroblastic. TSP-4 was purified from equine tendon and a heterooligomer between COMP and TSP-4 was displayed. This Thesis shows that COMP increases in equine tendons during skeletal maturation and is related to greater amounts of thin fibrils. Furthermore, COMP is present in tendon repair tissue and. these findings indicate a role during repair/remodelling where the fibrils are newly synthesised. The decrease in COMP found in active rat tendons can be caused by activity-induced degradation. The heterooligomers of COMP and TSP-4 and the immunolocalization of TSP-4 indicate a function as an adhesion and/or signal molecule between the cell membrane and the extracellular matrix. These results indicate that COMP is involved in activity and aging processes, in repair processes in combination with type III collagen, and in heterooligomer formation with TSP-4 in equine tendon

Mänskliga aspekter av Just-In-Time inom sågverksindustrin

Den japanska produktionsfilosofin Just-In-Time (JIT) är kanske mest förknippad med leveranser som kommer rätt i tid och att rätt sak skall vara på rätt ställe vid rätt tidpunkt samt att ett företag inte skall ha några lager. Även kanban är förmodligen rätt känt. Allt detta är delar av JIT, fast JIT omfattar mycket mer än bara detta. Det finns bland annat även en mänsklig bit inom JIT, som handlar om hur människorna som arbetar i tillverkningen upplever situationen och förhållandet till JIT. Dessa mänskliga bitar är inte lika uppmärksammade som de rent produktionstekniska bitarna som till exempel kanban, fast de är nog så viktiga i alla fall. Om människorna som arbetar på ett företag inte trivs och accepterar arbetssituationen är det svårt för dem att göra ett bra arbete. Därför är det viktigt att alla på ett företag trivs bra. Det tjänar alla på i längden. I den här rapporten har jag genom en enkätundersökning till 3 sågverk i Mellansverige undersökt om och hur vanligt det är att 10 stycken faktorer, som har att göra med de mänskliga aspekterna, används inom dessa sågverk i dagsläget. Jag undersöker även om det är någon skillnad på tillämpande och också orsaker till eventuella skillnader mellan de olika sågverken. De processfaktorer jag har undersökt är: · Jobbrotation · Gemensamt beslutsfattande · Skapa teamwork · Förutsättningar för informell kommunikation · Livstidsanställningar · Omfattande utbildning · Gemensamt språk inom företaget · Aktiv förslagsverksamhet · Synbarhet för alla · Lönesystem Utifrån undersökningen har jag kunnat dra slutsatsen att samtliga faktorer tillämpas på de undersökta sågverken, dock skiljer det sig mellan sågverken hur vanligt det är att faktorerna används

The use of information by the decision-maker

In this dissertation different decision-making processes are considered. The concept of information is described and different types of information are identified. These are operative information, supportive information, state-of-the-art-information, feedback information, directive information and private-interpersonal information. The research method, which has been used in this investigation, is personal interviews. Those who participated in the investigation were decision-makers from five different organizations. One aim was to investigate decision-making processes used in organizations and compare them with certain theoretical decision-making processes. Another aim was to identify what types of information were used in the different parts of a decision-making process. One conclusion is that the decision-making processes used in organizations differ from each other, mostly in the first and last phase, but they are still fairly similar. The main difference in the first phase is the focus on the overall goal of the organization and in the last phase if evaluation is included in the decision-making process. Another conclusion is that all types of information, except private-interpersonal information, are used in the different decision-making processes

Acoustic cues to femininity and masculinity in spontaneous speech

The perceived level of femininity and masculinity is a prominent property by which a speaker’s voice is indexed, and a vocal expression incongruent with the speaker’s gender identity can greatly contribute to gender dysphoria. Our understanding of the acoustic cues to the levels of masculinity and femininity perceived by listeners in voices is not well developed, and an increased understanding of them would benefit communication of therapy goals and evaluation in gender-affirming voice training. We developed a voice bank with 132 voices with a range of levels of femininity and masculinity expressed in the voice, as rated by 121 listeners in independent, individually randomized perceptual evaluations. Acoustic models were developed from measures identified as markers of femininity or masculinity in the literature using penalized regression and tenfold cross-validation procedures. The 223 most important acoustic cues explained 89% and 87% of the variance in the perceived level of femininity and masculinity in the evaluation set, respectively. The median fo was confirmed to provide the primary cue, but other acoustic properties must be considered in accurate models of femininity and masculinity perception. The developed models are proposed to afford communication and evaluation of gender-affirming voice training goals and improve voice synthesis efforts

Exploring motives and perceived barriers for voice modification : the views of transgender and gender-diverse voice clients

Purpose: To date, transgender and gender-diverse voice clients' perceptions and individual goals have been missing in discussions and research on gender-affirming voice therapy. Little is, therefore, known about the client's expectations of therapy outcomes and how these are met by treatments developed from views of vocal gender as perceived by cisgender persons. This study aimed to explore clients' individual motives and perceived barriers to undertaking gender-affirming voice therapy. Method: Individual, semistructured interviews with 15 transgender and gender-diverse voice clients considering voice therapy were conducted and explored using qualitative content analysis. Results: Three themes were identified during the analysis of the participants' narratives. In the first theme, “the incongruent voice setting the rules,” the contribution of the voice on the experienced gender dysphoria is put in focus. The second theme, “to reach a voice of my own choice,” centers around anticipated personal gains using a modified voice. The third theme, “a voice out of reach,” relates to worries and restricting factors for not being able to reach one's set goals for voice modification. Conclusions: The interviews clearly indicate a need for a person-centered voice therapy that starts from the individuals' expressed motives for modifying the voice yet also are affirmative of anticipated difficulties related to voice modification. We recommend that these themes should form the basis of the pretherapy joint discussion between the voice client and the speech-language pathologist to ensure therapy goals that are realistic and relevant to the client