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Variable micro speed drives are the solution of the high electricity consumption of low power industrial AC induction motors. Micro speed drives feature basic functions for starting, stopping and speed control, and cost about 100 to 200 pounds sterling. These are small, easy to install and EMC compliant. These also provide motor thermal and current overload protection as well as soft start relays.

Purpose: To compare long-term cognitive outcomes of patients treated with surgical clipping or endovascular coiling after subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). Method: Retrospective matched cohort study assessed neuropsychological functioning at least 12 months after aneurysmal SAH treatment. Fourteen patients treated by endovascular coiling and nine patients treated by surgical clipping participated. After gaining written consent, a comprehensive neuropsychological battery was completed. Standardised tests were employed to assess pre-morbid and current intellectual functioning (IQ), attention, speed of information processing, memory and executive function as well as psychosocial functioning and affect. Results: Treatment groups were not significantly different in terms of age, pre-morbid IQ, time from injury to treatment or time since injury. A significant effect of treatment on full-scale IQ score (p = 0.025), performance IQ (p = 0.045) and verbal IQ score (p = 0.029), all favouring the coiled group was observed. A medium effect size between groups difference in immediate memory (p = 0.19, partial η2 = 0.08) was also observed. No significant between group differences on attention, executive functioning and speed of information processing measures or mood and psychosocial functioning were noted. Both groups reported increased anxiety and memory, attention and speed of information processing deficits relative to normative data. Conclusions: Study findings indicate fewer cognitive deficits following endovascular coiling. Cognitive deficits in the clipped group may be due in part to the invasive nature of neurosurgical clipping. Further prospective research with regard to long-term cognitive and emotional outcomes is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims A retrospective service evaluation identified seven patients who developed local conjunctival metastases (LCMs) of the conjunctiva after a primary diagnosis of conjunctival invasive melanoma. The study was conducted to identify the clinicopathological characteristics and implications of these LCMs. Methods Seven patients with primary conjunctival melanoma seen by the ocular oncology service were identified as having also developed LCMs. The clinical history, histopathology, tumour biology, prognostic and staging implications of LCMs were evaluated. Results A total of 15 primary conjunctival melanomas and 19 LCMs were identified. The LCM developed 8-102 months after the first primary melanoma and, in three patients, non-conjunctival metastases developed 8-37 months after the first LCM. The LCMs showed some distinct histopathological features: they were well defined, were separated from the overlying epithelium by a Grenz zone, and were often multiple and associated with vessels and sometimes lymphocytic aggregates. Some appeared within the confines of the vascular drainage territory of the primary melanoma; others did not confine themselves to this distribution. Conclusions LCMs are local metastases of primary conjunctival melanoma that probably develop by dissemination through the local vessels and then becoming extavascular. Their accurate histopathological recognition is important, as it indicates a higher disease stage-indicating 'N' status within the TNM classification and may be a proxy indicator of the presence of nonconjunctival metastases, thus necessitating highresolution radiological imaging modalities or sentinel node biopsy. LCMs may represent an under-recognised lesion and may have been mistaken for primary 'nodular' conjunctival melanomas in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Even in experienced hands, the classification of some melanocytic lesions of the conjunctiva remains challenging. In skin pathology, the recent application of fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) has been demonstrated to be of use for the analysis and diagnosis of ambiguous melanocytic neoplasms of the skin. This study set out to evaluate this method on seven prospective conjunctival cases that were histologically equivocal. Methods 18 unequivocal retrospective melanocytic controls were exposed to FISH. Commercially available probes assessing copy numbers of RREB1 (6p25), MYB (6q23) and CCND1 (11q13) genes compared with CEP6 (a chromosome six centromeric reference point) were used. After control verification, seven prospective, equivocal cases were identified and exposed to FISH. Results There was complete correlation between FISH result and the control section histopathology report. Control cases of melanoma cases were all positive for FISH and control benign lesions were negative. Of the seven equivocal cases, five were positive and classed as invasive melanoma or melanoma-in situ, one was negative and one tetraploid, classed as negative (these last two cases were classed as naevi with careful clinical observation). Conclusions FISH is very useful in classifying equivocal conjunctival melanocytic lesions, especially those with atypical junctional activity and naevoid melanocytic proliferations of the conjunctiva. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The middle meningeal artery (MMA) is the most proximal and largest branch of the internal maxillary artery (IMA). It courses superiorly to the foramen spinosum making a sharp right angle bend entering the skull. The MMA has frontal, parietal and petrosal branches, the frontal branch being identified by its anterior convex curve along the greater wing of sphenoid. Trauma and a resultant extradural haematoma (EDH) demands urgent neurosurgical intervention to prevent imminent foramen magnum herniation and rapid demise. The seriousness of EDHs cannot be overstated and is a clear neurosurgical emergency requiring immediate definitive management. Historically craniotomy is the gold standard. But recent advances propose angiography and subsequent embolization as an alternative to craniotomy. We employed embolization to manage EDHs in two cases whose original clinical presentation did not demand urgent surgery. We discuss their subsequent management focusing on treatment choices and the potential role of endovascular techniques. We describe an alternative diagnostic protocol and embolic agents using Onyx and coils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To demonstrate a novel surgical technique for the accurate diagnosis of iris lesions using a minimally invasive aspiration cannula. Method 12 consecutive patients underwent biopsy of iris lesions at the Ocular Oncology Service, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK. Samples were obtained using a novel technique called trans-corneal fine cannula aspiration. This comprised a 25-gauge, Rycroft cannula aspiration technique performed by a single surgeon and samples transferred into alcohol-based tissue fixative. A specialist ophthalmic histopathologist performed a histological analysis of the samples. Results On average, the size of the specimens obtained in theatre ranged from 1 mm to 1.5 mm (maximum dimensions). This sample size allowed an unequivocal histological diagnosis in all 12 cases. In this study, 10 patients were diagnosed as having iris melanoma, one patient with metastatic adenocarcinoma and one patient with pigmented adenoma. Conclusions This simple iris tumour biopsy technique provides sufficiently large sample sizes to obtain a firm histological diagnosis in 100% of cases performed so far. The sample sizes permitted not only morphological interpretation but also ancillary investigations such as immunohistochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a unique case of a patient with an established diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in clinical remission who later presented with apparent vitreous inflammation. A vitreous biopsy (including fortuitously some peripheral retinal fragments) exhibited granulomatous inflammation. Since the latter can be a paraneoplastic phenomenon of active Hodgkin’s lymphoma in distant organ sites, the haematologists were alerted to the possibility of recurrent lymphoma, despite the patient having no clinical symptoms. Repeat body imaging showed enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes, biopsy of which confirmed recurrent Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The patient responded well to systemic chemotherapy with resolution of the visual symptoms. This case report illustrates the importance of vitreous biopsy in this clinical setting and how to interpret the significance of granulomas in this context, and outlines a unique vitreo-retinal paraneoplastic granulomatous presentation in the setting of recurrent Hodgkin’s lymphoma and how this diagnosis triggered a prompt review of the patient who had no constitutional symptoms, with hopefully a favourable impact on prognosis given the early recurrent disease detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]