High-resolution ultrasound of rotator cuff and biceps reflection pulley in non-elite junior tennis players: anatomical study

BACKGROUND: Tennis is believed to be potentially harmful for the shoulder, therefore the purpose of this study is to evaluate the anatomy of the rotator cuff and the coraco-humeral ligament (CHL) in a-symptomatic non-elite junior tennis players with high-resolution ultrasound (US). METHODS: From August 2009 to September 2010 n = 90 a-symptomatic non-elite junior tennis players (mean age ± standard deviation: 15 ± 3) and a control group of age- and sex- matched subjects were included. Shoulder assessment with a customized standardized protocol was performed. Body mass index, dominant arm, years of practice, weekly hours of training, racket weight, grip (Eastern, Western and semi-Western), kind of strings were recorded. RESULTS: Abnormalities were found at ultrasound in 14/90 (15%) players. Two players had supraspinatus tendinosis, two had subacromial impingement and ten had subacromial bursitis. CHL thickness resulted comparable in the dominant and non-dominant arms (11.3 ± 4.4 mm vs. 13 ± 4.2, p > 0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that no association was present among CHL thickness and the variables evaluated. In the control group, abnormalities were found at ultrasound in 6/60 (10%) subjects (sub-acromial bursitis). No statistically significant differences between players and control group were found (p = 0.71). CONCLUSION: In a-symptomatic non-elite junior tennis players only minor shoulder abnormalities were found

A novel uncoupled quasi-3D Euler-Euler model to study the spiral jet mill micronization of pharmaceutical substances at process scale: model development and validation

In this work we present a novel approach to model the micronization of pharmaceutical ingredients at process scales and times. 3D single-phase fluid-dynamics simulations are used to compute the gas velocity field within a spiral jet mill which are provided as input in a 1D compartmentalized model to calculate solid velocities along the radial direction. The particles size reduction is taken into account through a breakage kernel that is function of gas energy and local solid holdup. Simulation results are validated against micronization experiments for lactose and paracetamol, comparing the model predictions with D10, D50 and D90 diameters values coming from Design of Experiments isosurfaces. The developed model allows for a fair estimation of the outlet particle size distribution in a short computational time, with very good predictions especially for D90 values

The primary role of radiological imaging in the diagnosis of rare musculoskeletal diseases. Emphasis on ultrasound

Objective: In July 2017 a multidisciplinary clinical Center specialized in rare diseases was activated. A rare disease can involve the musculoskeletal system. A multimodality musculoskeletal imaging approach allows for a rapid diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to assess when musculoskeletal radiology, ultrasound in particular, plays a primary role in the diagnostic path of a rare disease. Methods and materials: The Center included a list of 621 main rare diseases. Pathologies in which radiology has a primary diagnostic role were extracted from the list. From September 2017 to January 2018 all conditions involving the musculoskeletal system, including the peripheral nervous system, were systematically evaluated by one radiologist. The second radiologist, an official consultant of the Center, verified the list for consistency. Descriptive analysis was performed. Results: A total of 101/621 (16%) rare diseases can be diagnosed for the first time in the diagnostic path of the patient with medical imaging. A total of 36/101 (36%) rare diseases involve the musculoskeletal system. A total of 14/36 (39%) are pediatric diseases, 10/36 (28%) are adult age diseases, while 12/36 (33%) diseases affect all ages. A total of 23/36 (64%) of the selected rare diseases could be diagnosed with MRI, 19/36 (53%) with CT, 23/36 (64%) with X-ray, 9/36 (25%) with an US, and 1/36 (3%) with PET. Conclusions: Musculoskeletal imaging could be important for a non-invasive diagnosis in up to 36/101 (36%) rare diseases, as well as for outcome prediction, especially in pediatrics. Musculoskeletal imaging plays a crucial role in the diagnosis of rare diseases and could strongly influence the clinical pathway. Ultrasound is crucial in up to 25% of patients with rare diseases affecting the musculoskeletal system

New data on age and death seasonality estimations of pinnipeds in the Beagle channel, Tierra del Fuego (Argentina)

Durante varias décadas, las interpretaciones sobre las pautas de explotación de pinnípedos en el canal Beagle se basaron sobre los conjuntos zooarqueológicos recuperados en el Segundo Componente de Túnel I. En los últimos años, el análisis sistemático de un número mayor de contextos distribuidos en distintos sectores de la costa norte del canal Beagle generó información para momentos más recientes de la secuencia de ocupación. Si bien se mantiene una tendencia en la explotación de machos adultos y subadultos de A. australis durante el Holoceno medio, se observa heterogeneidad en el tipo de presas explotadas en el Holoceno tardío en relación con los perfiles de sexo y edad. En este trabajo se presentan y discuten los resultados de cortes delgados efectuados en 15 caninos de pinnípedos a fin de ampliar estimaciones sobre edad y estación de muerte de especímenes recuperados en contextos del Holoceno tardío en el canal Beagle. Los resultados indican variabilidad en los perfiles de edad respecto de los determinados previamente y capturas de pinnípedos en todas las estaciones del año durante el Holoceno tardío. Se concluye que es posible que las estrategias de aprovechamiento se hayan diversificado hacia momentos tardíos en la historia de ocupaciones de dicha región.For decades, studies of past pinniped exploitation in the Beagle Channel were mainly based on the zooarchaeological assemblages in the Second Component of Túnel I site, dated to the middle Holocene. In recent years, the systematic analysis of further contexts located at different sectors of the north coast of the Beagle Channel have provided new information, especially for the late Holocene. While a hunting pattern focused on adult and subadult males of A. australis remain apparent in middle Holocene assemblages, age and sex profiles show a more heterogeneous pattern in later moments of the archaeological sequence. In this paper, new estimations on the age and season of death of pinniped specimens recovered from archaeological contexts in the Beagle Channel are presented. The results, based on thin sections of canine teeth, indicate variation from the age profiles previously obtained from zooarchaeological studies. The results also indicate a seasonally diverse pattern in pinniped capture during the late Holocene. It is argued that pinniped harvesting strategies probably varied in the Beagle Channel throughout the Holocene.Fil: Martinoli, Maria Paz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Crespo, Enrique Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; ArgentinaFil: Dellabianca, Natalia Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Zangrando, Atilio Francisco Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentin

Vitamin C in the plasma and in the leukocytes of Italians in different periods of the year.

After briefly mentioning the factors which influence the vitamin C levels in tissues, the findings are reported of an investigation, conducted on 11 volunteers, in which some variations were revealed in vitamin C concentrations in the plasma and in the leukocytes of the subjects examined during a period of one year. The lowest levels were found in the months of March and December