Relación angular radiológica de las superficies articulares de la tibia en sujetos asintomáticos

Se efectuó un estudio radiológico para determinar la relación angular existente entre las superficies articulares proximal y distal de 108 tibias correspondientes a 54 pacientes asintomáticos, de edades entre 14 y 72 años (media: 29,8). La medición se llevó a cabo con un «cobbometro» de Oxford en proyección anteroposterior y lateral. El ángulo medio entre ambas superficies fue de 3,3 ± 2,6° (intervalo de confianza al 95%: 2,8-3,8°) en proyección anteroposterior y de 5,5 ± 3,9° (intervalo de confianza: 4,7-6,3°) en proyección lateral. Cuando se consideró para cada paciente, la diferencia media de esta relación angular entre las tibias derechas e izquierdas fue inferior a 0,5° en ambas proyecciones.The angular relationship between proximal and distal articular surfaces was determined, through an Oxford Cobbometer, in 108 tibiae of 54 asymptomalic patients aging 14 to 72 years (mean: 30). Mean angle between both surfaces was 3.3 ± 2.6° (95% confidence interval: 2.8-3.8°) for the anteroposterior view and 5.5 ± 3.9° (95% confidence interval: 4.7-6.3°) for the lateral view. When considered individually for each patient, mean difference of this angular relationship among right and left tibiae was lesser than 0.5° for both projections

Modificaciones fisarias en el conejo inducidas por campos electromagnéticos

Se efectúa un estudio experimental para valorar los efectos de campos electromagnéticos de dos intensidades diferentes (2,4 y 10 Gauss) sobre la fisis de huesos largos. Se emplearon 45 conejos de 4 semanas divididos en tres grupos de 15 animales, a los que se colocó unas bobinas de Helmholtz en la rodilla derecha durante ocho horas diarias. Cinco animales de cada grupo fueron estimulados (subgrupo testigo). El primer grupo se sacrificó tras cuatro semanas, el segundo tras 12 semanas y el tercero llevó las bovinas durante 12 semanas y luego se sacrificó 12 semanas después para comprobar la duración de los efectos de la corriente. Los resultados demuestran que la diferencia en longitud entre los huesos estimulados y sus contralaterales fue mayor en el subgrupo sometido a 10 Gauss, aunque en ningún caso superior al 2,5%. La altura fisaria fue mayor en los huesos estimulados que en sus contralaterals, aunque no se apreciaron otras diferencias histológicas. No obstante, el cierre de la fisis se retrasó en todos los huesos estimulados con 10 Gauss y evolucionó normalmente en el resto. Los huesos de los subgrupos testigo no mostraron diferencias entre ellos.This study was carried out to compare the effects of two different electromagnetic fields (2,4 and 10 Gauss) on the growth plate of long bones. Forty five 4-week-old rabbits were divided in three groups of 15 animals each. All of them wore two Helmholtz coils on their right knee for 8 hours daily and then were sacrificed, the first after for 4 weeks, the second one after 12 weeks and the third one after 24 weeks. In this last group the coils were removed after 12 weeks and the animals allowed to live other 12 weeks to study the evolution of the growth plate after cesation of the stimulation. In each group, animals were not stimulated (sham subgroup). Results showed a greater difference in length in those bones stimulated with 10 Gauss, in respect to their contralateral, than the other subgroups. However these differences were less than 2,5% of the total length of the bone. Growth plate height of stimulated bones was greater than their contralateral in all subgroups with no other remarkable histological differences. Closure of the growth plate was delayed in the 10 Gauss stimulated bones but not in the rest. No differences were found among bones of sham subgroups at any time

Modulation of ecdysal cyst and toxin dynamics of two Alexandrium (Dinophyceae) species under small-scale turbulence

Some dinoflagellate species have shown different physiological responses to certain turbulent conditions. Here we investigate how two levels of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rates (epsilon = 0.4 and 27 cm(2) s(-3)) affect the PSP toxins and ecdysal cyst dynamics of two bloom forming species, Alexandrium minutum and A. catenella. The most striking responses were observed at the high epsilon generated by an orbital shaker. In the cultures of the two species shaken for more than 4 days, the cellular GTX(1+4) toxin contents were significantly lower than in the still control cultures. In A. minutum this trend was also observed in the C(1+2) toxin content. For the two species, inhibition of ecdysal cyst production occurred during the period of exposure of the cultures to stirring (4 or more days) at any time during their growth curve. Recovery of cyst abundances was always observed when turbulence stopped. When shaking persisted for more than 4 days, the net growth rate significantly decreased in A. minutum (from 0.25 +/- 0.01 day(-1) to 0.19 +/- 0.02 day(-1)) and the final cell numbers were lower (ca. 55.4%) than in the still control cultures. In A. catenella, the net growth rate was not markedly modified by turbulence although under long exposure to shaking, the cultures entered earlier in the stationary phase and the final cell numbers were significantly lower (ca. 23%) than in the control flasks. The described responses were not observed in the experiments performed at the low turbulence intensities with an orbital grid system, where the population development was favoured. In those conditions, cells appeared to escape from the zone of the influence of the grids and concentrated in calmer thin layers either at the top or at the bottom of the containers. This ecophysiological study provides new evidences about the sensitivity to high levels of small-scale turbulence by two life cycle related processes, toxin production and encystment, in dinoflagellates. This can contribute to the understanding of the dynamics of those organisms in nature

Cauchy's residue theorem for a class of real valued functions

Let $[a,b]$ be an interval in $\mathbb{R}$ and let $F$ be a real valued function defined at the endpoints of $[a,b]$ and with a certain number of discontinuities within $[a,b]$. Having assumed $F$ to be differentiable on a set $[a,b] \backslash E$ to the derivative $f$, where $E$ is a subset of $[a,b]$ at whose points $F$ can take values $\pm \infty$ or not be defined at all, we adopt the convention that $F$ and $f$ are equal to 0 at all points of $E$ and show that $\mathcal{KH-}vt\int_{a}^{b}f=F(b) -F(a)$%, where $\mathcal{KH-}$ $vt$ denotes the total value of the \textit{% Kurzweil-Henstock} integral. The paper ends with a few examples that illustrate the theory.Comment: 6 page

Estudio comparativo de dos métodos de radiografías forzadas para detectar la insuficiencia del ligamento cruzado anterior

En 32 pacientes con rotura unilateral de ligamento cruzado anterior (LCA) comprobada mediante artroscopia se efectuó previamente una radiografía forzada de ambas rodillas para estudiar el desplazamiento anterior de la tibia. Cada paciente fue estudiado mediante dos métodos diferentes, Lachman activo radiológico (LAR) y TelosR. Se asumió el diagnóstico radiológico de inestabilidad cuando la diferencia en el desplazamiento entre la rodilla lesionada y su control fue superior a 3 mm. Los resultados demuestran que la diferencia media del desplazamiento entre la rodilla lesionada y la normal fue superior a 3 mm con ambos métodos. En el lado interno 3,7 ± 3,7 mm con el LAR y 4,8 ± 5,8 mm con el Telos (diferencias no significativas). En el lado externo esta diferencia fue de 4,3 ± 4,7 nun con el LAR y de 6,8 ± 6 mm con el Telos (p < 0,05). A pesar de estos resultados, ambos métodos mostraron una sensibilidad para la detección de la insuficiencia ligamentosa inferior al 70%, lo que cuestiona su valor para el diagnóstico de la misma.In a prospective study, 32 patients with arthroscopically proved anterior cruciate ligament rupture were previously stressradiographied on both knees through two methods: the quadriceps-contraction technique (QCT) and the TelosR device. Instability was assumed when radiological differential displacement between injured and normal knee was greated than 3 mm. Results showed that this differential displacement was greater than 3 mm with both methods: 3,7 ± 3,7 mm v.s. 4,8 ± 5,8 mm in the medial side (differences not significant) and 4,3 ± 4,7 mm v.s. 6,8 ± 6 mm (p < 0.05) for the lateral side with the QCT and TelosR respectively. In spite of these differences, both methods showed a sensitivity lower than 70%

Spatial structure of demersal fish assemblages in South and Southeast Asia and implications for fisheries management

We provide a review of the assemblage structure of demersal fish resources in four South and Southeast Asian countries. Multivariate techniques (classification and ordination analysis) were used to analyze scientific trawl survey data from a collaborative project in the region. Analyses covered major coastal fishing areas in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. This represents the first such assessment of fish assemblages for the region using a standard analysis framework. Results indicate that spatial patterns of demersal assemblages are influenced by depth. However, other environmental factors such as salinity and substrate type also appear important. Critical fisheries management implications of the observed assemblage patterns are discussed, particularly in terms of the existing spatial management zones. Existing management zones are based on distance from shore and were found to be largely inconsistent with the assemblage patterns observed. If management is to be effective it must be structured to take into account the underlying pattern of the fish assemblages

Involving people with diabetes and the wider community in diabetes research: a realist review protocol.

BACKGROUND: Patient and public involvement in diabetes research is now actively encouraged in different countries because it is believed that involving people with experience of the condition will improve the quality and relevance of the research. However, reviews of patient involvement have noted that inadequate resources, patients' and communities' lack of research knowledge, and researchers' lack of skills to involve patients and communities in research may present significant contextual barriers. Little is known about the extent of patient/community involvement in designing or delivering interventions for people with diabetes. A realist review of involvement will contribute to assessing when, how and why involvement works, or does not work, to produce better diabetes interventions. METHODS/DESIGN: This protocol outlines the process for conducting a realist review to map how patients and the public have been involved in diabetes research to date. The review questions ask the following: How have people with diabetes and the wider community been involved in diabetes research? What are the characteristics of the process that appear to explain the relative success or failure of involvement? How has involvement (or lack of involvement) in diabetes research influenced the development and conduct of diabetes research? The degree of support in the surrounding context will be assessed alongside the ways in which people interact in different settings to identify patterns of interaction between context, mechanisms and outcomes in different research projects. The level and extent of the involvement will be described for each stage of the research project. The descriptions will be critically reviewed by the people with diabetes on our review team. In addition, researchers and patients in diabetes research will be asked to comment. Information from researcher-patient experiences and documents will be compared to theories of involvement across a range of disciplines to create a mid-range theory describing how involvement (or lack of involvement) in diabetes research influences the development and conduct of diabetes research

A regional database management system—the fisheries resource information system and tools (FiRST): Its design, utility and future directions

South and Southeast Asian countries have undertaken demersal trawl surveys to measure the fisheries potential of their waters throughout the 20th century. However, ensuring full use of, and easy access to the resulting data is a challenge in developing countries. The “Fisheries Resource Information System and Tools” (FiRST) was developed through a regional collaborative effort across eight South and Southeast Asian counties to meet these needs. FiRST is a data management system for scientific trawl survey data and includes data summary and visualization tools, an analytical routine to estimate biomass, and data import/export modules. The FiRST software has also facilitated the establishment of a regional database, ‘Trawl Base’, which contains more than 20,000 hauls or stations from scientific trawl surveys in 10 countries conducted between 1926 and 1995. The regional database is an important regional resource for coastal fisheries management complementing national fisheries catch statistics