Wound Healing Post-mesh Repair ― An Observational Study

This study identified the best surgical mesh repair techniques for inguinal hernia and prevalence of wound healing post-mesh repair. The cross-sectional study design used cluster sampling for data collection. Of the 120 respondents, 48.3% preferred anterior tension-free mesh repair and 49.2% Lichtenstein mesh repair, both identified as the common surgical techniques in eastern Sri Lanka. About 82.5% of the respondents (n = 99) healed while 17% (n = 21) had recurrence of hernia after one month. Nevertheless, 2.5% of the total respondents said that the hernia repaired after one month but less than two months; and 97.5% of the interviewees stated that they recovered in less than one month regardless of the surgical mesh repair technique. Respondents aged 30–39 faced little impact on healing time with mesh repair (p = 0.4393), while those aged 40–49 probably had also longer healing time (p = 0.3947). Recovering period differed significantly (p = 0.862), on pain or discomfort, especially when bending over, coughing or lifting heavy objects

Small extracellular vesicles are released ex vivo from platelets into serum and from residual blood cells into stored plasma

Abstract Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) purified from blood have great potential clinically as biomarkers for systemic disease; however interpretation is complicated by release of sEV ex vivo after blood taking. To quantify the problem and devise ways to minimise it, we characterised sEV in paired serum, plasma and platelet poor plasma (PPP) samples from healthy donors. Immunoblotting showed twofold greater abundance of CD9 in sEV fractions from fresh serum than from fresh plasma or PPP. MACSPlex confirmed this, and showed that proteins expressed on platelet sEV, either exclusively (CD41b, CD42a and CD62P) or more widely (HLA‐ABC, CD24, CD29 and CD31) were also twofold more abundant; by contrast non‐platelet proteins (including CD81) were no different. Storage of plasma (but not serum) increased abundance of platelet and selected leukocyte sEV proteins to at least that of serum, and this could be recapitulated by activating cells in fresh plasma by Ca2+, an effect abrogated in PPP. This suggests that a substantial proportion of sEV in serum and stored plasma were generated ex vivo, which is not the case for fresh plasma or PPP. Thus we provide strategies to minimise ex vivo sEV generation and criteria for identifying those that were present in vivo

Forensic bitemark identification: weak foundations, exaggerated claims

Abstract Several forensic sciences, especially of the pattern-matching kind, are increasingly seen to lack the scientific foundation needed to justify continuing admission as trial evidence. Indeed, several have been abolished in the recent past. A likely next candidate for elimination is bitemark identification. A number of DNA exonerations have occurred in recent years for individuals convicted based on erroneous bitemark identifications. Intense scientific and legal scrutiny has resulted. An important National Academies review found little scientific support for the field. The Texas Forensic Science Commission recently recommended a moratorium on the admission of bitemark expert testimony. The California Supreme Court has a case before it that could start a national dismantling of forensic odontology. This article describes the (legal) basis for the rise of bitemark identification and the (scientific) basis for its impending fall. The article explains the general logic of forensic identification, the claims of bitemark identification, and reviews relevant empirical research on bitemark identification—highlighting both the lack of research and the lack of support provided by what research does exist. The rise and possible fall of bitemark identification evidence has broader implications—highlighting the weak scientific culture of forensic science and the law's difficulty in evaluating and responding to unreliable and unscientific evidence