The use vacuum therapy in wound healing after fasciotomy in compartment syndrome — case report and literature review

Fasciotomy (opening of the fascial compartments) is one of the main and most effective methods used for emergency treatment of compartment syndrome. Post-fasciotomy wounds may be the cause of the patient’s prolonging hospitalization and may be a challenge in terms of their treatment. In order to avoid potential complications, the wound should be closed as quickly as possible — once the compartment’s pressure on the muscle has been relieved. A large size of the surgical wounds constitutes a significant care problem as it may substantially prolong their healing period and increase infection risk. The use of skin transplants may lead to complications and rigid scars both in the place of harvest and the post-fasciotomy wound; therefore immediate wound closure to allow healing by primary intention is a better option for the patient. This technique allows limiting complications and gives better aesthetic effects; however, it may often be difficult to apply due to the significant limb swelling and shrinking or necrosis of the wound edges. In this paper the authors present a case of a 58-year-old man after the open fasciotomy for whom Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) was applied as a method auxiliary to compartment syndrome treatment and shortening wound healing period. In the summary, the use of NPWT in facilitating the treatment of compartment syndrome and healing of fasciotomy wound was discussed briefly, based on the literature review

Analysis of the Thermal and Magnetic Properties of Amorphous Fe 61Co10Zr2.5Hf2.5Me2W2B20 (Where Me = Mo, Nb, Ni Or Y) Ribbons

The paper presents the results of structural and magnetic properties and thermal stability for a group of functional materials based on Fe61Co10Zr2.5Hf2.5Me2W2B20 (where Me = Mo, Nb, Ni or Y). Samples were obtained in the form of ribbons using melt-spinning method. The X-ray diffraction patterns of investigated samples confirmed their amorphous structure. Based on the analysis of DSC curves characteristic temperatures: glass forming temperature (Tg), crystallization temperature (Tx) and temperature range of the supercooled liquid ΔTx were determined. Small addition of transition metals elements has strong influence on magnetic and thermal parameters of studied materials. The comprehensive studies revealed that in terms of magnetic properties the Ni-addition resulted in highest reduction in coercivity and anisotropy field

The Lake Baikal neutrino experiment: selected results

We review the present status of the lake Baikal Neutrino Experiment and present selected physical results gained with the consequetive stages of the stepwise increasing detector: from NT-36 to NT-96. Results cover atmospheric muons, neutrino events, very high energy neutrinos, search for neutrino events from WIMP annihilation, search for magnetic monopoles and environmental studies. We also describe an air Cherenkov array developed for the study of angular resolution of NT-200.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figures. To appear in the Procrrdings of International Conference on Non-Accelerator New Physics, June 28 - July 3, 1999, Dubna, Russi

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

The Study of Magnetization in Strong Magnetic Fields for Alloys Fe60Co10WxNb2Y8B20−xFe_{60}Co_{10}W_xNb_2Y_{8}B_{20-x} (x=0, 1)

The study analyzed the influence of structural defects on the process of magnetization in the area called the approach to ferromagnetic saturation for bulk $Fe_{60}Co_{10}W_xNb_2Y_{8}B_{20-x}$ (x=0, 1) alloys. For this purpose, the magnetization studies were performed in the fields range of 0 T to 2 T using a LakeShore vibrating magnetometer. On the basis of the Kronmüller theory an analysis of the magnetization curves was conducted and the type of occurring structural defects in the studied alloys was established. Then, using a Monte Carlo method the effective anisotropy of the tested samples was designated

Krystalizacja masywnych stopów amorficznych na bazie żelaza

The aim of this paper is to present the results of crystallization studies for the bulk amorphous (Fe0.61Co0.10Zr0.025Hf0.025 Ti0.02W0.02B0.20)98Y2, Fe61Co10TixY6B20, Fe61Co10Ti2Y7B20 alloys. The crystallization of the alloys was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The amorphicity of the investigated alloys in the as-quenched state was testified using Mossbauer spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, X-ray diffractometry was applied to structure investigations of partially crystallized samples. The crystallization process in the investigated alloys occurs in one or two stages. Two peaks in the DSC curves can be overlapped or well separated indicating the complex crystallization processes. From X-ray diffraction we have stated that in both types of devitrification the crystalline phase can be ascribed to the α-FeCo. In the first stage the crystalline grains seem to grow from the nuclei frozen in the samples during the rapid quenching, whereas in the second one both the growth of the existed grains and creation of new ones during annealing may occur.W pracy przedstawiono wyniki badań krystalizacji masywnych stopów amorficznych (Fe0.61Co0.10Zr0.025Hf0.025 Ti0.02W0.02B0.20)98Y2, Fe61Co10TixY6B20, Fe61Co10Ti2Y7B20 w postaci prętów. Krystalizację tych stopów badano wykorzystując skaningowy kalorymetr różnicowy (DSC). Amorficzność próbek w stanie po zestaleniu została zbadana przy użyciu spektroskopii Mössbauera, dyfrakcji promieni Röntgena oraz transmisyjnej mikroskopii elektronowej. Ponadto, dyfrakcję promieni X użyto do badań próbek częściowo skrystalizowanych. Na podstawie badań z wykorzystaniem DSC stwierdzono, że krystalizacja może przebiegać w jednym lub w dwóch etapach. Piki na krzywych DSC odpowiadające tym dwóm etapom mogą być położone blisko siebie lub wyraźnie rozdzielone. Pierwsze maksimum odpowiada tworzeniu się ziaren α-FeCo z zarodków powstałych podczas produkcji stopu, drugie natomiast związane jest z procesem tworzenia się ziaren fazy krystalicznej α-FeCo z zarodków powstałych podczas wygrzewania i rozrostem wcześniej powstałych ziaren