An analysis of the case records at the Boston University speech clinic from 1948 through 1950

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Adult native knee extensor mechanism ruptures.

Extensor mechanism rupture is a serious event requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment. Patella fractures are reportedly six times more frequent than soft tissue injuries such as quadriceps or patella tendon ruptures. Classically quadriceps and patella tendon ruptures are seen more in males, with those over 40 predominantly suffering from quadriceps tendon ruptures, often associated with an underlying condition, whereas patella tendon ruptures are mostly associated with sport injuries and are commonly seen in the under 40s. Almost all types of extensor mechanism ruptures benefit from early management which typically involves surgery. Diagnosis can be deemed easy to make by demonstrating inability to actively extend the knee, this however can be easily overlooked and missed in a busy emergency department leading to a late diagnosis and necessitating more complex surgery. Earlier surgical intervention and rehabilitation tend to produce improved outcomes.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2016.06.03

Mangroves as a sustainable coastal defence

Mangroves effectively reduce the height of wind and swell waves over short distances (less than 500 m),\ud and can reduce storm surge water levels over greater distances (several kilometres of mangroves). Thus mangroves can\ud contribute to coastal defence strategies. However, their appropriate use depends on a thorough understanding of the\ud conditions under which they can provide these coastal defence services. Here we present a literature review of this\ud topic. Small wind and swell waves can be reduced in height by between 50 and 100% over 500 m of mangroves. Wave\ud reduction largely depends on water depth and vegetation structure and density. However, few measurements are\ud available for the reduction of bigger waves (> 70 cm in height) in deeper water (> 2 m). Storm surge water levels may\ud be reduced by between 5 cm and 50 cm per kilometre of mangrove, based on field measurements and validated\ud numerical models; water level reduction rates depend on the distance from the edge of the mangrove and the forward\ud speed of the cyclone, amongst other factors. Extreme events may severely damage or destroy mangroves, reducing their\ud effectiveness as a coastal defence. The use of mangroves in hybrid engineering can reduce flood risk: for example, a\ud mangrove foreshore in front of a sea wall/dyke will reduce wave impacts on the wall/dyke. The likelihood of waves\ud overtopping the sea wall or walls being breached is thus reduced, with an associated reduction in sea defence\ud maintenance costs. Therefore mangroves can contribute to coastal risk reduction, alongside other risk reduction\ud measures such as sea walls/dykes, early warning systems and evacuation plans. Additionally, mangroves can respond\ud dynamically to rising sea levels, in some cases maintaining their surface elevation with respect to local sea level; thus\ud they may act as a sustainable coastal defence in the face of rising sea levels and changing climatic patterns

Overexpression of biotin synthase and biotin ligase is required for efficient generation of sulfur-35 labeled biotin in E. coli

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Biotin is an essential enzyme cofactor that acts as a CO₂carrier in carboxylation and decarboxylation reactions. The <it>E. coli </it>genome encodes a biosynthetic pathway that produces biotin from pimeloyl-CoA in four enzymatic steps. The final step, insertion of sulfur into desthiobiotin to form biotin, is catalyzed by the biotin synthase, BioB. A dedicated biotin ligase (BirA) catalyzes the covalent attachment of biotin to biotin-dependent enzymes. Isotopic labeling has been a valuable tool for probing the details of the biosynthetic process and assaying the activity of biotin-dependent enzymes, however there is currently no established method for ³⁵S labeling of biotin.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, we produced [³⁵S]-biotin from Na³⁵SO₄and desthiobiotin with a specific activity of 30.7 Ci/mmol, two orders of magnitude higher than previously published methods. The biotinylation domain (<it>Pf</it>BCCP-79) from the <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) was expressed in <it>E. coli </it>as a biotinylation substrate. We found that overexpression of the <it>E. coli </it>biotin synthase, BioB, and biotin ligase, BirA, increased <it>Pf</it>BCCP-79 biotinylation 160-fold over basal levels. Biotinylated <it>Pf</it>BCCP-79 was purified by affinity chromatography, and free biotin was liberated using acid hydrolysis. We verified that we had produced radiolabeled biologically active [<it>D</it>]-biotin that specifically labels biotinylated proteins through reuptake in <it>E. coli</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The strategy described in our report provides a simple and effective method for the production of [³⁵S]-biotin in <it>E. coli </it>based on affinity chromatography.</p

Anthelmintic tolerance in free-living and facultative parasitic isolates of Halicephalobus (Panagrolaimidae)

Studies on anthelmintic resistance in equine parasites do not include facultative parasites. Halicephalobus gingivalis is a free-living bacteriovorous nematode and a known facultative parasite of horses with a strong indication of some form of tolerance to common anthelmintic drugs. This research presents the results of an in vitro study on the anthelmintic tolerance of several isolates of Halicephalobus to thiabendazole and ivermectin using an adaptation of the Micro-Agar Larval Development Test hereby focusing on egg hatching and larval development. Panagrellus redivivus and Panagrolaimus superbus were included as a positive control. The results generally show that the anthelmintic tolerance of Halicephalobus to both thiabendazole and ivermectin was considerably higher than that of the closely related Panagrolaimidae and, comparing to other studies, than that of obligatory equine parasites. Our results further reveal a remarkable trend of increasing tolerance from fully free-living isolates towards horse-associated isolates. In vitro anthelmintic testing with free-living and facultative parasitic nematodes offers the advantage of observing drug effect on the complete lifecycle as opposed to obligatory parasites which can only be followed until the third larval stage. We therefore propose Halicephalobus gingivalis as an experimental tool to deepen our understanding of the biology of anthelmintic tolerance

Cortical bony thickening of the lateral intercondylar wall : the functional attachment of the anterior cruciate ligament

Background: The anatomy of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) has become the subject of much debate. There has been extensive study into attachment points of the native ligament, especially regarding the femoral attachment. Some of these studies have suggested that fibers in the ACL are of differing functional importance. Fibers with higher functional importance would be expected to exert larger mechanical stress on the bone. According to Wolff’s law, cortical thickening would be expected in these areas. Purpose: To examine cortical thickening in the region of the ACL footprint (ie, the functional footprint of the ACL). Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: Using micro–computed tomography with resolutions ranging from 71 to 91 μm, the cortical thickness of the lateral wall of the intercondylar notch in 17 cadaveric knees was examined, along with surface topography. After image processing, the relationship between the cortical thickening and surface topology was visually compared. Results: A pattern of cortical thickening consistent with the functional footprint of the ACL was found. On average, this area was 3 times thicker than the surrounding bone and significantly thicker than the remaining lateral wall (P < .0001). This thickening was roughly elliptical in shape (with a mean centroid at 23.5 h:31 t on a Bernard and Hertel grid) and had areas higher on the wall where greater thickness was present. The relationship to previously reported osseous landmarks was variable, although the patterns were broadly consistent with those reported in previous studies describing direct and indirect fibers of the ACL. Conclusion: The findings of this study are consistent with those of recent studies describing fibers in the ACL of differing functional importance. The area in which the thickening was found has been defined and is likely to represent the functional footprint of the ACL