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Abstract Background We investigate the safety of the application of the Rigidfix cross-pin system via different tibial tunnels in the tibial fixation during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Methods Five adult fresh cadaver knees were fixed with the Rigidfix cross-pins in the tibial fixation site during ACL reconstruction. Two different tibial tunnel groups were established: in group A, the tunnel external aperture was placed at the 25° angle of coronal section; in group B, the tunnel external aperture was placed at the 45° angle of coronal section. The guide was placed at the plane 0.5 mm below articular facet through the tibial tunnel, with three rotation positions set at 0°, 30°, and 60° slopes. The incidences of iatrogenic injuries at tibial plateau cartilage (TPC), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and patellar tendon in three different slope angles were calculated in groups A and B and the results were analyzed by using chi square test. Results The iatrogenic injuries at MCL, TPC, and patellar tendon could occur after the Rigidfix cross-pin system was placed 5 mm below tibial plateau cartilage for ACL reconstruction. The incidences of TPC injury (χ2 = 5.662, P = 0.017) and MCL injury (P = 0.048, Fisher exact probability method) were significantly lower in group A than in group B. However, the incidence of patellar tendon injury showed no significant difference between these two groups (χ 2 = 0.120, P = 0.729). Conclusions When the Rigidfix cross-pin system is used for ACL reconstruction at the tibial fixation site, the external aperture of tibial tunnel should not be placed at the excessively posterosuperior site, to avoid MCL and TPC injuries.

In the title molecule, C12H8F3NO3, the trifluoromethyl group is rotationally disordered over three orientations in a 0.5:0.3:0.2 ratio. In the crystal, N—H...O hydrogen bonds link the molecules related by translation into chains along the c axis. The crystal packing exhibits π–π interactions between the pyran rings of neighboring molecules [centroid–centroid distance = 3.462 (4) Å] and short C...O contacts of 3.149 (4) Å.

In the title compound, C14H15NO3, all non-H atoms except for those of the methyl and the disordered ethyl groupare approximately co-planar, the largest deviation from the mean plane being 0.0223 (13) Å at the N atom. In the crystal, the packing of molecules through weak intermolecular C—H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions leads to the formation of layers parallel to bc plane. Within these layers, there exist slipped π–π stacking interactions between symmetry-related fused rings [centroid–centroid distances = 3.527 (3) and 3.554 (3), slippage = 0.988 and 1.011 Å, respectively]. One ethyl group is disordered over two sets of sites with site-occupation factors of 0.54 and 0.46.

Abstract. Rationale:. Pituitary apoplexy occurs in about 8% of those with nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma. Subsequent hormone deficiency, especially corticotropic deficiency, is the most common finding. We describe the unusual manifestations of adrenal insufficiency that are usually overlooked in such cases, with the aim of raising awareness of this disease. Patient concerns:. A 53-year-old male with a history of hyponatremia came to our hospital with intermittent fever and generalized pruritic skin rash. He also reported general weakness, abdominal pain, poor appetite, and severe retroorbital headache. Diagnoses:. Laboratory data revealed hypereosinophilia, hypotonic hyponatremia, and hypopituitarism, including secondary adrenal insufficiency. Sellar magnetic resonance imaging revealed a pituitary macroadenoma, 2 cm in height, with mild displacement of the optic chiasm. Pathologic report and immunohistochemical stains of surgical specimen showed pituitary gonadotropic adenoma with apoplexy. Interventions:. Transsphenoidal removal of the pituitary adenoma was performed. The patient received intravenous hydrocortisone then oral form cortisone acetate regularly. Outcomes:. His symptoms and laboratory data recovered after the operation and medical treatment. Lessons:. This case highlights that eosinophilia, pruritic skin rash and fever can be manifestations of adrenal insufficiency, and that they may initially be regarded as cellulitis.

This paper is about distributed oblivious function evaluation (DOFE). In this setting one party (Alice) has a function f(x), and the other party (Bob) with an input α wants to learn f(α) in an oblivious way with the help of a set of servers. What Alice should do is to share her secret function f(x) among the servers. Bob obtains what he should get by interacting with the servers. This paper proposes the model and security requirements for DOFE and analyzes three distributed oblivious polynomial evaluation protocols presented in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of two-party oblivious polynomial evaluation (OPE) is studied, where one party (Alice) has a polynomial P(x) and the other party (Bob) with an input x wants to learn P(x) in such an oblivious way that Bob obtains P(x) without learning any additional information about P except what is implied by P(x) and Alice does not know Bob's input x. The former OPE protocols are based on an intractability assumption except for OT protocols. In fact, evaluating P(x) is equivalent to computing the product of the coefficient vectors (a0,..., an) and (i,..., xn). Using this idea, an efficient scale product protocol of two vectors is proposed first and then two OPE protocols are presented which do not need any other cryptographic assumption except for OT protocol. Compared with the existing OPE protocol, another characteristic of the proposed protocols is the degree of the polynomial is private. Another OPE protocol works in case of existence of untrusted third party. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iodine deficiency causes a broad spectrum of disorders across all ages. Mandatory salt iodization in Taiwan successfully reduced the goiter rate from 21.6% to 4.3% in schoolchildren surveyed in 1971. The program continued until 2003 when salt iodization was changed from mandatory to voluntary. The purpose of this study was to investigate the iodine status of Taiwanese individuals after the change in the iodine policy. Methods: Urinary iodine (UI) was measured in samples from adults in the Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan 2005–2008. Results: The median UI level was 100 μg/L, and the percentage of populations with UI levels below 100 μg/L and 50 μg/L was 50.1% and 15.1%, respectively, indicating that the iodine status was borderline adequate. Men had a higher UI level than women (102 μg/L vs. 98 μg/L, p = 0.003), and older individuals (age > 60 years) had a lower UI level than younger people, particularly in women. The iodine status of the population < 50 years was sufficient, but it was insufficient in older groups. Mild iodine insufficiency was noted in all areas of Taiwan except the Southern area and Penghu islands, with the lowest UI level of 79 μg/L in the Mountain area. Although the UI level of women of childbearing age (19–44 years) was 103 μg/L, there may be a risk of iodine deficiency during pregnancy. Conclusion: The iodine nutrition of the Taiwanese population in 2005–2008 was borderline adequate, with insufficiency in some subgroups. Further monitoring of the iodine status is necessary.

Metformin-associated lactic acidosis is a very rare but critical condition. It is seen in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who take metformin and attempt suicide with a metformin overdose. Here, we report a 43-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic renal insufficiency who developed hypoglycemia, hypothermia, tachycardia and lactic acidosis after a suicide attempt with a metformin overdose. She was successfully treated by continuous venovenous hemofiltration, and adequate hemodynamic and ventilatory support. Although metformin does not usually cause hypoglycemia when administered as monotherapy, hypoglycemia can occur in a condition coexistent with lactic acidosis secondary to metformin overdose. Metformin intoxication should be suspected when patients present with high anion gap metabolic acidosis after attempting suicide by ingesting drugs, particularly when comorbidities such as renal failure are present. Early diagnosis and rapid correction of the metabolic acidosis using hemodialysis or hemofiltration, together with concomitant cardiovascular support, and maintenance of blood glucose and core body temperature, provide the possibility of a positive outcome.