Failure of femoral neck fracture fixation in younger patients

Background: Failure of femoral neck fracture fixation in younger patients frequently lead to significant morbidity. This study aims to evaluate the associated risk factors, to help achieve better outcomes.Methods: Records of 25 men and 6 women aged 23 to 50 (mean, 39.8) years who underwent fixation for femoral neck fractures using cancellous screws (n=29), a dynamic hip screw (n=1), or a locking plate (n=1) were reviewed. Patients with or without fixation failure were compared.Results: The mean follow-up period was 28.4 (range, 24–38) months. Of the 31 patients, 24 had bone union and 7 had fixation failure secondary to non-union (n=1), screw cut-out (n=4), and avascular necrosis (n=2). The Revised Trauma Score on admission was 4 in one patient with fixation failure and >6 in all other patients. Comparing patients with or without fixation failure, excess alcohol consumption (5/7 vs. 6/24, p=0.024), smoking (6/7 vs. 9/24, p=0.025), and operative time in minutes (57±16 vs 108±58, p=0.00004), fracture type of OTA 31 B2 or 31 B3 (7/7 vs. 14/24, p=0.027) were significant risk factors.Conclusions: Excess alcohol consumption, smoking, operative time >85 minutes, and displaced fractures were risk factors for femoral neck fixation failure

Detecting modules in multiplex networks – an application for integrating expression profiles across multiple species

Multiplex network, a set of networks linked through interconnected layers, is a useful mathematical framework for data integration. Here, we present a general method to detect modules in multiplex networks and apply it in a specific biological context: to simultaneously cluster the genome-wide expression profiles of C. elegans and D. melanogaster generated by the ENOCDE and modENCODE consortia. The method revealed modules that are fundamentally cross-species and can either be conserved or species-specific. In general, the method could be applied in various contexts like the integration of different social networks

OrthoClust: An Orthology-Based Network Framework for Clustering Data Across Multiple Species

Increasingly, high-dimensional genomics data are becoming available for many organisms.Here, we develop OrthoClust for simultaneously clustering data across multiple species. OrthoClust is a computational framework that integrates the co-association networks of individual species by utilizing the orthology relationships of genes between species. It outputs optimized modules that are fundamentally cross-species, which can either be conserved or species-specific. We demonstrate the application of OrthoClust using the RNA-Seq expression profiles of Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster from the modENCODE consortium. A potential application of cross-species modules is to infer putative analogous functions of uncharacterized elements like non-coding RNAs based on guilt-by-association

OrthoClust: An Orthology-Based Network Framework for Clustering Data Across Multiple Species

Increasingly, high-dimensional genomics data are becoming available for many organisms.Here, we develop OrthoClust for simultaneously clustering data across multiple species. OrthoClust is a computational framework that integrates the co-association networks of individual species by utilizing the orthology relationships of genes between species. It outputs optimized modules that are fundamentally cross-species, which can either be conserved or species-specific. We demonstrate the application of OrthoClust using the RNA-Seq expression profiles of Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster from the modENCODE consortium. A potential application of cross-species modules is to infer putative analogous functions of uncharacterized elements like non-coding RNAs based on guilt-by-association

Degradation of a dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator

Dielectric barrier discharge is vulnerable to ion bombardment, radical species or ultraviolet radiations that can be emitted by plasma filaments in air under atmospheric pressure. In our experiments, traces of degradation on the actuator surface can be observed by naked eye after the discharge operation. The degradation could come from the non-uniformity of the electric field. Despite the degradation marks, some scratches due to the corona discharge process can be seen on the dielectric surface. The parametric study in this study reveals that the degradation on the actuator panel is subjected to a failure rate that increases with the cumulative time of plasma operation and the magnitude of supplied voltage. Besides, this study suggests that the severity of degradation can be lessened for a symmetric and larger gap design plasma actuator, since the concentration for the ion bombardment can be weakened at a particular discharge area

The fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations signals related to amyloid uptake in high-risk populations—A pilot fMRI study

BackgroundPatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD) have a higher risk to develop Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Resting-state-functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was used to document neurological involvement in the two groups from the aspect of brain dysfunction. Accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) starts decades ago before the onset of clinical symptoms and may already have been associated with brain function in high-risk populations. However, this study aims to compare the patterns of fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) maps between cognitively normal high-risk groups (SCD and T2DM) and healthy elderly and evaluate the association between regional amyloid deposition and local fALFF signals in certain cortical regions.Materials and methodsA total of 18 T2DM, 11 SCD, and 18 healthy elderlies were included in this study. The differences in the fALFF maps were compared between HC and high-risk groups. Regional amyloid deposition and local fALFF signals were obtained and further correlated in two high-risk groups.ResultsCompared to HC, the altered fALFF signals of regions were shown in SCD such as the left posterior cerebellum, left putamen, and cingulate gyrus. The T2DM group illustrated altered neural activity in the superior temporal gyrus, supplementary motor area, and precentral gyrus. The correlation between fALFF signals and amyloid deposition was negative in the left anterior cingulate cortex for both groups. In the T2DM group, a positive correlation was shown in the right occipital lobe and left mesial temporal lobe.ConclusionThe altered fALFF signals were demonstrated in high-risk groups compared to HC. Very early amyloid deposition in SCD and T2DM groups was observed to affect the neural activity mainly involved in the default mode network (DMN)

A multi-center study of high dose Aldesleukin (Proleukin® (HD IL-2) + Vemurafenib Zelboraf® ) therapy in patients with BRAFV600 mutation positive metastatic melanoma (proclivity 01)

Purpose: To investigate whether the Vemurafenib-induced increased tumor antigen expression, T lymphocyte infiltration and tumor debulking improve the complete response rate induced by HD IL-2 in metastatic melanoma and if there is synergistic toxicity using the drugs in close approximation. Schema: Adult patients with measurable metastatic or unresectable Stage III melanoma with no prior therapy and a BRAFV600 mutation who are candidates for HD IL-2 are eligible for entry into the first cohort of 135 patients (figure 1). Six weeks of Vemurafenib therapy per package insert precedes up to 2 courses of HD IL-2. Vemurafenib is administered during the outpatient intervals between cycles of HD IL-2 and following completion. A second cohort of up to 50 similar patients already responding or stable with < 18 weeks of Vemurafenib therapy will also be accrued. The study was amended to permit prior anti-PD-1 therapy. The primary endpoint is Complete Response (CR) and near CR at 6 months of therapy. Current status: Sixteen sites have enrolled patients. 41 patients have been enrolled to date, 27 in Cohort 1 and 14 in cohort 2. The Data Safety and Monitoring Board performed an initial safety analysis after the initial 8 patients which demonstrated no unexpected safety signal. An analysis of the effect of the combination on Progression Free Survival in both cohorts will be performed after the first 20% of patients in Cohort 1 have received at least one course of HD IL-2. The results of this analysis should be available at the time of the SITC meeting. Figure 1 Treatment of metastatic melanoma with HD IL-2 immunotherapy and targeted agent vemurafenib Treatment of metastatic melanoma with HD IL-2 immunotherapy and targeted agent vemurafenib

Be prepared: communism and the politics of scouting in 1950s Britain

This article examines the exposure, and in some cases dismissal, of Boy Scouts who belonged or sympathised with the Young Communist League in Britain during the early 1950s. A focus on the rationale and repercussions of the organisation's approach and attitudes towards ‘Red Scouts’ found within their ‘ranks’ extends our understanding of youth movements and their often complex and conflicting ideological foundations. In particular, the post-World War Two period presented significant challenges to these spaces of youth work in terms of broader social and political change in Britain. An analysis of the politics of scouting in relation to Red Scouts questions not only the assertion that British McCarthyism was ‘silent’, but also brings young people firmly into focus as part of a more everyday politics of communism in British society