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Bilateral maxillary defects are a challenge for fibula free flap reconstruction (FFFR) surgery due to limitations in virtual surgical planning (VSP) workflows. While meshes of unilateral defects can be mirrored to virtually reconstruct missing anatomy, Brown class c and d defects lack a contralateral reference and associated anatomical landmarks. This often results in poor placement of osteotomized fibula segments. This study was performed to improve the VSP workflow for FFFR using statistical shape modeling (SSM) – a form of unsupervised machine learning – to virtually reconstruct premorbid anatomy in an automated, reproducible, and patient-specific manner. A training set of 112 computed tomography scans was sourced from an imaging database by stratified random sampling. The craniofacial skeletons were segmented, aligned, and processed via principal component analysis. Reconstruction performance was validated on a set of 45 unseen skulls containing various digitally generated defects (Brown class IIa–d). Validation metrics demonstrated promising accuracy: mean 95th percentile Hausdorff distance of 5.47 ± 2.39 mm, mean volumetric Dice coefficient of 48.8 ± 14.5%, compactness of 7.28 × 105 mm2, specificity of 1.18 mm, and generality of 8.12 × 10−6 mm. SSM-guided VSP will allow surgeons to create patient-centric treatment plans, increasing FFFR accuracy, reducing complications, and improving postoperative outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design and construction of compact body humanoid robots and various biped locomotion control strategies implemented onto them in the ESYS humanoid project at the Engineering Systems Laboratory are presented. Four control strategies are developed with the realization that dynamic biped walk is the most fundamental capability of humanoids.

Abstract: Cross sections for the stopping of swift protons in liquid water have been measured for the first time by using a liquid water jet target of 50μm in diameter. The energy loss spectra of incident 2.0MeV protons were measured at scattering angles of 5.0–50 mrad. Experimental energy loss spectra have been successfully reproduced by Monte Carlo simulation calculations (GEANT4.9.1.p02 toolkit) by taking account of multiple scattering of projectile ions inside the liquid water target. The present stopping cross sections are found to be considerably smaller than other standard stopping power data, revealing e.g. about 11% deviation from those of SRIM2003. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: In current Gynecologic Oncology Group studies, serum creatinine level is adjusted to 0.6 mg/dL in patients with levels < 0.6 mg/dL (Adjusted-Jelliffe formula). The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether this adjustment is suitable. Patients and Methods: Carboplatin clearance was estimated in 115 patients with serum creatinine < 0.6 mg/dL who received carboplatin-based chemotherapy for gynecologic malignancies between January 1996 and August 2004. The clearance was estimated using the Cockroft-Gault, Jelliffe, and Adjusted-Jelliffe formulae. The 3 estimations were then compared with each other using the post hoc Wilcoxon signed rank test. Bias was assessed by mean percentage error (MPE), and precision was assessed by mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). The relationships between body surface area (BSA) and ratios of estimated carboplatin clearance (Jelliffe formula/Cockroft-Gault formula and Adjusted-Jelliffe formula/Cockroft-Gault formula) were evaluated by simple regression analysis. Results: The carboplatin clearance calculated by the Jelliffe formula was significantly larger than the other 2 formulae (P < .0001). Although MPE was reduced from +20 to +6 by adjustment of serum creatinine, MAPE was barely reduced from 21 to 14. The simple regression line represents correlation between BSA and ratios of estimated carboplatin clearance was merely translated to below by adjusting the serum creatinine level, and the bias by BSA was not corrected. Conclusion: Despite adjusting the serum creatinine level, the Adjusted-Jelliffe formula overestimates the creatinine clearance when compared with the Cockcroft-Gault formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new experimental technique has been developed for the investigation of secondary particle emission from liquid targets resulting from collision interactions with fast charged particles. Secondary ion mass spectra are presented for the first time for liquid water and 0.1M, 1M and 5M NaCl aqueous solutions bombarded by 2.0MeV He+ ions. The mass spectra exhibit a series of negative cluster ions of the form of XmYnR−, where X and Y stand for neutral molecules such as H2O, NaCl and NaOH and R− stands for a negative charged ion such as O−, OH− and Cl−. Intensities of negative ions are found to change significantly as a function of the concentration. The results imply evidently that the cluster structure in liquid targets changes drastically depending on the abundance of NaCl in solutions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to determine whether chicken sperm express avian 13-defensin 3 (AvBD-3), an antimicrobial peptide, and retain it dur- ing the residence in the male and female reproductive tract. Immunocytochemistry to identify AvBD-3 was performed in the testis, epididymis, ductus deferens, ejaculated sperm, and utero-vaginal junction of the ovi- duct of inseminated hens. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis was also performed to confirm the synthesis of AvBD-3 by testicular cells and ejaculated sperm. The immunoreaction products for AvBD-3 were identified in the elongated spermatids attached to the seminiferous epithelium and in the sperm in the lumen of seminifer- ous tubules. Immunoreaction products were found in the sperm in the epididymal ducts and ductus defer- ens. In the ejaculated sperm, immunoreaction products were distributed in the midpiece and cephalic region of the tail of sperm, but not in the head. The AvBD- 3 immunoreaction products were also identified in the sperm stored in the sperm storage tubules in the utero- vaginal junction. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis showed the expression of AvBD-3 mRNA in the testicu- lar tissue, but not in the ejaculated sperm. These re- sults suggest that AvBD-3 is synthesized by late stage of spermatids in the testis, and this molecule is retained by the sperm during the passage of male reproductive tract, and even in the sperm storage tubules of oviduct. The sperm AvBD-3 is assumed to play roles in protect- ing the sperm from the microbial infection and enable to survive in the male and female reproductive tracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bilateral maxillary defects (whether traumatic, surgical, or congenital in origin) challenge fibula free flap (FFF) reconstruction surgery due to limitations in virtual surgery planning (VSP) workflows. While segmented 3D meshes of unilateral maxillary defects can be mirrored to virtually reconstruct missing anatomy, bilateral defects (Brown class c and d) lack a contralateral reference and associated anatomical landmarks. This often results in poor placement of osteotomized fibula segments. The current study improves the VSP workflow for FFF reconstructions using statistical shape modelling (SSM) – a form of unsupervised machine learning – to virtually reconstruct premorbid anatomy in an automated, reproducible, and patient-specific manner. The SSM training set was sourced from the New Mexico Decedent Image Database via stratified random sampling to ensure even age and sex distributions. Skulls from 104 computed tomography scans were segmented and rigidly aligned, after which principal component (PC) analysis was applied to construct a discrete Gaussian process (GP). Defect reconstruction was accomplished on a validation set of 8 skulls via an iterative closest point algorithm with GP regression. Preliminary analysis shows that Brown class 2c maxillectomy defects can be virtually reconstructed with promising accuracy [Hausdorff distance = 7.89±1.63 mm, volumetric Dice coefficient = 99.1±0.01%, compactness = 7.22×105 mm2 (over the first 97 PC), specificity = 1.18 mm, and generality = 1.06×10−5 mm]. SSM-guided VSP will allow surgeons to create patient-centric treatment plans, increasing reconstruction accuracy and reducing the risk of complications. This is expected to improve post-operative outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To evaluate the usefulness of the vascularity in parotid glands in sonographic diagnosis for Sjögren syndrome.Study design. Sonographic images of 72 cases of previously suspected Sjögren syndrome (including 43 actual cases) were analyzed retrospectively for the abnormal vascularity in the parotid gland parenchyma. The relationships between the vascularity and the results of sialographic, serologic, and histopathologic examinations were analyzed. We also compared the diagnostic accuracy of B-mode only with that of B-mode plus Doppler-mode.Results. Sjögren-positive cases showed significantly higher vascularity. As the grade of vascularity became higher, the rate of the Sjögren-negative cases became lower. The highest mean vascular score could be observed both in the initial stage and in the cavitary-destructive stage in the sialographic grades. Sensitivity and accuracy were markedly improved with vascular information.Conclusion. By using vascular information, sonographic diagnosis for Sjögren syndrome can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Chromosome 15 aberrations clinically present as facial dysmorphisms such as a prominent nose, low-set ears, micrognathia and a short neck; a cleft lip and palate have not been reported. This is the first reported case of de-novo terminal deletion at 15q24 with a cleft lip and palate and low-set ears. The baby boy had a complete cleft lip and palate on the left side and incomplete cleft lip and palate on the right. A chromosomal study revealed partial monosomy and trisomy of the long arm of chromosome 15, with a karyotype of 46,XY,add(15)(24q) de novo. Surgery for lip plasty was performed at 6 months old and for palate plasty at 1 year and 9 months. Both operations were uneventful, although preoperative and postoperative examinations showed high creatinine phosphokinase values. At 3 years old, mild mental retardation was observed, but his physical development was normal. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]