Chondrodystrophic dwarfism and multiple malformations in two sisters.

A genetic skeletal dysplasia with dwarfism, scoliosis and multiple skeletal defects was observed in two sisters. Only nine cases with similar features have been reported in the literature

Fracture with loss of the proximal femur in a child. A case report.

An 8 year old child was involved in a road accident and sustained a large wound in the left groin; radiographs showed a fracture with loss of the proximal femur. After skeletal traction for 80 days, there was bony regeneration of the proximal femur. At 8 months she was able to walk without support and her left leg was 2 cm only shorter than the right

Conicoid Mirrors

The first order equation relating object and image location for a mirror of arbitrary conic-sectional shape is derived. It is also shown that the parabolic reflecting surface is the only one free of aberration and only in the limiting case of distant sources.Comment: 9 page

Pediatric Ocular Health and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A Review

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects neurobehavioral, cognitive, and cardiovascular aspects, particularly in children, by obstructing the upper airways during sleep. While its impact in adult ocular health is recognized, there is ongoing debate about OSA’s relevance in pediatrics. This review explores the relationship between OSA and ocular health in children, focusing on the effects and potential improvements through treatment. A systematic search found 287 articles through PubMeD/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect; 94.4% were excluded. After careful selection, six English articles were included, addressing the effects of OSA on children’s eyes. Three studies examined choroidal alterations, three explored retinal and optic nerve changes, and two analyzed ocular changes following otorhinolaryngological intervention. The immediate correlation in children is inconclusive, but age may be a contributing factor. Pediatric OSA patients exhibit corneal anomalies and increased optic nerve thickness, possibly due to intermittent hypoxia. OSA influences retinal vascular density in children, with increased density after treatment and reduced choroidal thickness in cases of adenotonsillar hypertrophy. This review emphasized OSA’s significant impact on children’s ocular health, revealing alterations in the optic nerve, choroid, retina, and cornea. While the direct correlation with the optic nerve is not always evident, OSA raises intraocular pressure and induces structural changes. Treatment holds promise, highlighting the need for regular monitoring to promptly address childhood OSA

Radiographic findings in hereditary multiple exostoses and a new theory of the pathogenesis of exostoses.

Analysis of 330 exostoses in 18 patients affected by hereditary multiple exostoses disease suggested a new classification of exostoses as eccentric or full-thickness. Radiographically arrest of metaphyseal remodeling with failure of coning and persistence of the primary metaphyseal trabeculae was evident in full-thickness exostoses. Similar bone lesions can be obtained experimentally with inhibitors of bone turn-over. A localized, peripheral defect in remodeling over a limited time can give a satisfactory explanation also for the origin of eccentric exostoses. The thesis that this is the basic mechanism of exostosis formation is presented

An analytical model for the control of silica grout penetration in natural groundwater systems

Over the last three decades, colloidal silica has been investigated and more recently adopted as a low viscosity grouting technology (e.g. for grouting rock fractures within geological disposal facilities nuclear waste). The potential of colloidal silica as a favourable grouting material exists due to: its initial low viscosity; its low hydraulic conductivity after gelling (of the order of 10-7 cm/s); the very low injection pressures required; its controllable set/gel times (from minutes to several days); the fact it is environmentally inert; its small particle size (less than hundreds of nanometres) and its cost-effectiveness. Despite the documented success of colloidal silica based grouts for hydraulic barrier formation, research has not translated into widespread industrial use. A key factor in this limited commercial uptake is the lack of a predictive model for grout gelling which controls grout penetration: whilst data are available to underpin design of a grouting campaign in laboratory conditions, little research has been done to underpin applications in natural environments. Here we develop and validate an analytical model of colloidal silica gelling in groundwaters with varying pH and background electrolyte concentrations. This paper presents an analytical model that accounts for changes in pH, electrolyte concentration, cation valency and molar mass, silica particle size and silica concentration giving predictive capability without the need for site-specific calibration. The model is validated against experimental observations for gel times of 32 minutes to 766 minutes, the model accurately predicts the log(gel time) with an average error of 4% which corresponds to an R2 value of 0.96 The model is then applied to a hypothetical case study to demonstrate its use in grout design, based on published in-situ groundwater data from the Olkiluoto area of Finland. The model successfully predicts the required accelerator concentration to achieve a grout gel time of approximately 50 minutes, taking into account the cations already present within the synthetic groundwater

Airborne pollen in Alpine sites

Airborne pollen is usually monitored at urban centers, where most people live, to provide information on types and amount of allergenic pollen. Thus, very few aerobiological data are available for remote, mountainous sites. This study aims to characterize the biological quality of the air in an alpine valley in Trentino (North Italy), a region highly interested by the presence of tourists (e.g., 9.3 million overnight stays registered during June - September 2021). Materials and Methods An aerobiological study was carried out during late spring and summer in 2020 and 2021 in Val di Rabbi, an alpine valley located in the Trentino sector of Stelvio National Park. Gravitational Sigma2 samplers were selected for the survey, for their reliability and efficiency (VDI_2119 2013) and easy handling at remote sites (Gottardini et al. 2021), and installed at 2 m above ground level in 5 sites located at altitudes ranging from 700 to 2000 m a.s.l. Sampling surfaces, treated with an adhesive medium, were analyzed by optical microscopy (OM; 400×; Leitz Diaplan) for pollen identification and count (weekly samples); the average daily sedimentation rate (P cm–2 d–1 ) was calculated for the June-August period. In 2021, an active Hirst-type sampler was concurrently installed in one of the five sites (daily samples). Samples were processed and analyzed following conventional techniques and standardized protocols (UNI EN 16868:2019). Results and Discussion In the two study periods, the number of identified pollen taxa ranged from 25 at the highest elevation site (2000 m a.s.l.) to 39 at the lowest elevation (700 m a.s.l.). The proportion of arboreal pollen slightly decreased with the altitude, from 51% to 42%. The three most abundant pollen taxa were pine (Pinus), grasses (Poaceae) and neetle (Urticaceae), even if in different proportion at each site. The only grass and nettle allergenic pollen represented on average the 52% of the total pollen. The pollen season peak for grasses showed a delay of about 4 days every 100 m of elevation (Figure 1). 47 pollen taxa were identified, by active sampling, 10 more than by the passive one. The most abundant pollen taxa detected by active sampling were pine, grasses, and nettle, as for passive sampling, with the last two representing even the 71% of the total. The pollen season peak for grasses was on 22nd June, coherently with the passive sampling results at the same site. Conclusions Our mountain aerobiological study reveals the presence of allergenic pollen even at high altitude, with noteworthy shifts in the pollen season. The surveyed data can be further exploited for studying the plant biodiversity in remote areas, as well as to provide useful information for allergic tourist and hikers. Moreover, passive sampling proved to be a feasible solution for aerobiological studies in remote or orographically complex areas, typically excluded in routine air quality monitoring. References Gottardini et al. (2021). AAQR, Vol. 21, https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.210010 VDI_2119 (2013). Ambient air measurements. Sampling of atmospheric particles > 2.5 μm on an acceptor surface using the Sigma-2 passive sampler. Characterization by optical microscopy and calculation of number settling rate and mass concentration. ICS: 13.040.01. Beuth Verlag, Berlin. Germany. Acknowledgements The study was partially financed by Provincia Autonoma di Trento (IT). We are grateful to Mattia Precazzini and Gabriele Canella for the support in field work, and to Maria Cristina Viola for the microscope pollen analysis

XEN glaucoma treatment system in the management of refractory glaucomas: a short review on trial data and potential role in clinical practice

The recent development of new devices that are significantly less invasive, collectively termed minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, offers new perspective of intraocular pressure reduction with less risk, short operating times, and rapid recovery. The aim of this work is to provide a panoramic review of the currently published clinical data to assess the potential role of XEN gel stent (Allergan PLC, Irvine, CA, USA) in the management of glaucoma, which is the only filtering minimally invasive glaucoma surgery device that allows the subconjunctival filtration. The ab interno placement of the XEN gel stent offers an alternative for lowering intraocular pressure in refractory glaucoma as a final step, and in patients intolerant to medical therapy as an early surgical approach with minimum conjunctival tissue disruption, restricted flow to avoid hypotony, and long-term safety

Q & A Experiment to Search for Vacuum Dichroism, Pseudoscalar-Photon Interaction and Millicharged Fermions

A number of experiments are underway to detect vacuum birefringence and dichroism -- PVLAS, Q & A, and BMV. Recently, PVLAS experiment has observed optical rotation in vacuum by a magnetic field (vacuum dichroism). Theoretical interpretations of this result include a possible pseudoscalar-photon interaction and the existence of millicharged fermions. Here, we report the progress and first results of Q & A (QED [quantum electrodynamics] and Axion) experiment proposed and started in 1994. A 3.5-m high-finesse (around 30,000) Fabry-Perot prototype detector extendable to 7-m has been built and tested. We use X-pendulums and automatic control schemes developed by the gravitational-wave detection community for mirror suspension and cavity control. To polarize the vacuum, we use a 2.3-T dipole permanent magnet, with 27-mm-diameter clear borehole and 0.6-m field length,. In the experiment, the magnet is rotated at 5-10 rev/s to generate time-dependent polarization signal with twice the rotation frequency. Our ellipsometer/polarization-rotation-detection-system is formed by a pair of Glan-Taylor type polarizing prisms with extinction ratio lower than 10-8 together with a polarization modulating Faraday Cell with/without a quarter wave plate. We made an independent calibration of our apparatus by performing a measurement of gaseous Cotton-Mouton effect of nitrogen. We present our first experimental results and give a brief discussion of our experimental limit on pseudo-scalar-photon interaction and millicharged fermions.Comment: 21 pages, 13 figures, submitted to Modern Physics Letter