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Pediatric low-grade gliomas (LGGs) are found in approximately 1–3% of patients with childhood epilepsy that is often medically refractory. Magnetic resonance guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) is a minimal access technique FDA-approved since 2007 to ablate soft tissue lesions including brain tumors and seizure foci in children. The authors describe the case of an 11-year-old boy who presented with focal right-sided seizures and was found to have a growing left insular mass determined to be a WHO grade II diffuse astrocytoma. After the initial open resection using frontotemporal craniotomy with transsylvian approach, gross total resection was achieved; however, the tumor recurred, as did the seizures. Six months postoperatively, the patient underwent laser ablation with MRgLITT for the recurrent tumor with complete removal. At both 1- and 6-months post re-operation, he has remained seizure free. MRgLITT management of LGG allows for both successfully reducing tumor burden and the amelioration of secondary seizures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertical solidification experiments have been carried out on Pb-Sn and Pb-Cd alloys at hypereutectic compositions where solute convection was present. A significant amount of macrosegregation was observed due to the convection, and the macrosegregation was found to be independent of tube diameter for those diameters studied, 3 to 6 mm. The resulting macrosegregation correlated well with existing theories. The experiments employed a temperature gradient of 360°C/cm and it was found that thermotransport made a significant contribution to the observed macrosegregation at growth rates below around 5 μm/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]