A comparative study of the relationship between the recovery of movement and the anatomical alignment in fractures around the elbow

Background: The injury around the elbow joint is a common condition in any age group, especially in children as a result of fall, during the course of a child's normal play. The aim of the present study was to study the relationship between the recovery of movements and the anatomical alignment in fractures around the elbow.Methods: In the present study, 110 cases of fractures around elbow were included. The treatment with conservative or operative procedure depends on the surgeon concerned and his priorities. Sixty-six cases were treated conservatively, and 56 cases required operative intervention. At the time of follow up examination, cases were assessed as to the anatomical and functional point of view according to Flynn's criteria. We evaluated the reduction as per alignment in anteroposterior axis, lateral axis, and angulation. The patients were followed up for over 24 months.Results: Patients who had good anatomical alignment (grade A) showed 96.87% satisfactory result as compared to the patient who had fair anatomical alignment (91.66%) and poor anatomical alignment (54.54%). Thus in grade A where alignment was up to 76 points, we had satisfactory result in 96.87% patients, where as in grade C where alignment was less than 50 points, the result in 45.5% of patients was poor.Conclusions: Patients who had good anatomical alignment achieved, showed higher recovery of movement compared to the patient who had fair anatomical alignment and poor anatomical alignment

Evaluation of clinical results and complications of internal fixation of intertrochanteric femur fracture with proximal femoral nail antirotation

Background: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the theoretical advantages of the proximal femoral nail antirotation in cases of intertrochanteric fractures and also whether it actually alters the eventual functional outcome of the patient.Methods: The present study includes a total 30 patients with intertrochanteric femur fractures managed with proximal femoral nail antirotation between December 2014 to November 2016. In all patients similar standard physical rehabilitation therapy were followed. All complications including intra and postoperative were assessed and recorded. The patients were followed up for over 24 months. Functional outcome was assessed using the Harris hip score.Results: All of 30 cases of intertrochanteric fracture got united with good anatomical position and average time of fracture union was 14 weeks. Postoperative complications included 2 degree varus deformity (n=1, 3%), calcification at tip of greater trochanter (n=4, 13%), sensitivity over TFL (n=2, 7%), medial thigh pain (n=3, 10%). 10 patients developed femoral shortness (mean=0.22 cm, range from 0-1 cm). Average harris hip score at the end of study showed mean value of 87, ranged from 65 to 94 with almost 22 (73%) patients showing excellent or good outcome.Conclusions: Proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA) represents a significant treatment option in management of intertrochanteric fractures with low complication rate

Hydrodynamical simulations of merging galaxy clusters: giant dark matter particle colliders, powered by gravity

Terrestrial particle accelerators collide charged particles, then watch the trajectory of outgoing debris – but they cannot manipulate dark matter. Fortunately, dark matter is the main component of galaxy clusters, which are continuously pulled together by gravity. We show that galaxy cluster mergers can be exploited as enormous, natural dark matter colliders. We analyse hydrodynamical simulations of a universe containing self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) in which all particles interact via gravity, and dark matter particles can also scatter off each other via a massive mediator. During cluster collisions, SIDM spreads out and lags behind cluster member galaxies. Individual systems can have quirky dynamics that makes them difficult to interpret. Statistically, however, we find that the mean or median of dark matter’s spatial offset in many collisions can be robustly modelled, and is independent of our viewing angle and halo mass even in collisions between unequal-mass systems. If the SIDM cross-section were σ/m = 0.1 cm2 g−1 = 0.18 barn GeV−1, the ‘bulleticity’ lag would be ∼5 per cent that of gas due to ram pressure, and could be detected at 95 per cent confidence level in weak lensing observations of ∼100 well-chosen clusters

Determination and optimisation of Resonant Acoustic Mixing (RAM) efficiency in Polymer Bonded eXplosive (PBX) processing

An investigation into how the efficiency (time and energy required for homogeneity) of Resonant Acoustic Mixing (RAM) can be determined and optimised was undertaken. An idealised Polymer Bonded eXplosive (PBX) simulant based on glass microbeads (28.3 um D50, 62% v/v in binder and plasticiser) was used for mixing. Mixing evolution was monitored using machine output data, whereby the mixer ‘intensity’ (related to power draw) was plotted against time. Experiments were undertaken with three acceleration settings, three mixer units, and three vessel materials of low, medium, and high surface free energy. Different stages of the mixer ‘intensity’ profiles were found to correspond to discrete stages of mixing, as well as further rheological changes due to continued frictional heating, thus viscosity reduction, beyond homogeneity being achieved. Time to mixing completion was found to be repeatable within a standard deviation of +/- 10%, strongly dependent on acceleration setting, and additionally dependent on vessel material, though additional data is required to confirm this. A significant difference in mixing time was observed between different LabRAM units. Partial vacuum application without degassing was beneficial for mixing. Finally, a paradigm linking the ‘movement modes’ of mixing was constructed, based on literature observations and the experimental results

MIRO-1 Determines Mitochondrial Shape Transition upon GPCR Activation and Ca^(2+) Stress

Mitochondria shape cytosolic calcium ([Ca^(2+)]_c) transients and utilize the mitochondrial Ca_2^+ ([Ca^(2+)]_m) in exchange for bioenergetics output. Conversely, dysregulated [Ca^(2+)]_c causes [Ca^(2+)]_m overload and induces permeability transition pore and cell death. Ablation of MCU-mediated Ca^(2+) uptake exhibited elevated [Ca^(2+)]_c and failed to prevent stress-induced cell death. The mechanisms for these effects remain elusive. Here, we report that mitochondria undergo a cytosolic Ca^(2+)-induced shape change that is distinct from mitochondrial fission and swelling. [Ca^(2+)]_c elevation, but not MCU-mediated Ca^(2+) uptake, appears to be essential for the process we term mitochondrial shape transition (MiST). MiST is mediated by the mitochondrial protein Miro1 through its EF-hand domain 1 in multiple cell types. Moreover, Ca^(2+)-dependent disruption of Miro1/KIF5B/tubulin complex is determined by Miro1 EF1 domain. Functionally, Miro1-dependent MiST is essential for autophagy/mitophagy that is attenuated in Miro1 EF1 mutants. Thus, Miro1 is a cytosolic Ca^(2+) sensor that decodes metazoan Ca^(2+) signals as MiST

Using oceanic-atmospheric oscillations for long lead time streamflow forecasting

We present a data-driven model, Support Vector Machine (SVM), for long lead time streamflow forecasting using oceanic-atmospheric oscillations. The SVM is based on statistical learning theory that uses a hypothesis space of linear functions based on Kernel approach and has been used to predict a quantity forward in time on the basis of training from past data. The strength of SVM lies in minimizing the empirical classification error and maximizing the geometric margin by solving inverse problem. The SVM model is applied to three gages, i.e., Cisco, Green River, and Lees Ferry in the Upper Colorado River Basin in the western United States. Annual oceanic-atmospheric indices, comprising Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), and El Nino–Southern Oscillations (ENSO) for a period of 1906–2001 are used to generate annual streamflow volumes with 3 years lead time. The SVM model is trained with 86 years of data (1906–1991) and tested with 10 years of data (1992–2001). On the basis of correlation coefficient, root means square error, and Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency Coefficient the model shows satisfactory results, and the predictions are in good agreement with measured streamflow volumes. Sensitivity analysis, performed to evaluate the effect of individual and coupled oscillations, reveals a strong signal for ENSO and NAO indices as compared to PDO and AMO indices for the long lead time streamflow forecast. Streamflow predictions from the SVM model are found to be better when compared with the predictions obtained from feedforward back propagation artificial neural network model and linear regression

Time for a quick word? The striking benefits of training speed and accuracy of word retrieval in post-stroke aphasia

One-third of stroke survivors experience deficits in word retrieval as a core characteristic of their aphasia, which is frustrating, socially limiting and disabling for their professional and everyday lives. The, as yet, undiscovered ‘holy grail’ of clinical practice is to establish a treatment that not only improves item naming, but also generalizes to patients’ connected speech. Speech production in healthy participants is a remarkable feat of cognitive processing being both rapid (at least 120 words per minute) and accurate (∼one error per 1000 words). Accordingly, we tested the hypothesis that word-finding treatment will only be successful and generalize to connected speech if word retrieval is both accurate and quick. This study compared a novel combined speed- and accuracy-focused intervention—‘repeated, increasingly-speeded production’—to standard accuracy-focused treatment. Both treatments were evaluated for naming, connected speech outcomes, and related to participants’ neuropsychological and lesion profiles. Twenty participants with post-stroke chronic aphasia of varying severity and subtype took part in 12 computer-based treatment sessions over 6 weeks. Four carefully matched word sets were randomly allocated either to the speed- and accuracy-focused treatment, standard accuracy-only treatment, or untreated (two control sets). In the standard treatment, sound-based naming cues facilitated naming accuracy. The speed- and accuracy-focused treatment encouraged naming to become gradually quicker, aiming towards the naming time of age-matched controls. The novel treatment was significantly more effective in improving and maintaining picture naming accuracy and speed (reduced latencies). Generalization of treated vocabulary to connected speech was significantly increased for all items relative to the baseline. The speed- and accuracy-focused treatment generated substantial and significantly greater deployment of targeted items in connected speech. These gains were maintained at 1-month post-intervention. There was a significant negative correlation for the speed- and accuracy-focused treatment between the patients’ phonological scores and the magnitude of the therapy effect, which may have reflected the fact that the substantial beneficial effect of the novel treatment generated a ceiling effect in the milder patients. Maintenance of the speed- and accuracy-treatment effect correlated positively with executive skills. The neural correlate analyses revealed that participants with the greatest damage to the posterior superior temporal gyrus extending into the white matter of the inferior longitudinal fasciculus, showed the greatest speed- and accuracy treatment benefit. The novel treatment was well tolerated by participants across the range of severity and aphasia subtype, indicating that this type of intervention has considerable clinical utility and broad applicability