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Physical Review. B Feb 2021A micromagnetic study is carried out on the role of using topology to stabilize different magnetic textures, such as a vortex or an anti-vortex state, in a magnetic...
A micromagnetic study is carried out on the role of using topology to stabilize different magnetic textures, such as a vortex or an anti-vortex state, in a magnetic heterostructure consisting of a Permalloy disk coupled to a set of nanomagnetic bars. The topological boundary condition is set by the stray field contributions of the nanomagnet bars and thus by their magnetization configuration, and can be described by a discretized winding number that will be matched by the winding number of the topological state set in the disk. The lowest number of nanomagnets that defines a suitable boundary is four, and we identify a critical internanomagnet angle of 225° between two nanomagnets, at which the boundary fails because the winding number of the nanomagnet configuration no longer controls that of the disk magnetization. The boundary also fails when the disk-nanomagnets separation is > 50 nm and for disk diameters > 480 nm. Finally, we provide preliminary experimental evidence from magnetic force microscopy studies in which we demonstrate that an energetically unstable, anti-vortex-like structure can indeed be stabilized in a Permalloy disk, provided that the appropriate topological conditions are set.
PubMed: 34409242
DOI: 10.1103/physrevb.103.l060407 -
BMC Anesthesiology Apr 2023Pain intensity may be varied during the needle advancing through different skin layers, injection into the intradermal layer may exclude mixed pain from deeper planes.... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Pain intensity may be varied during the needle advancing through different skin layers, injection into the intradermal layer may exclude mixed pain from deeper planes. This study aimed to investigate whether compressing a three-dimensional (3D)-printed disk against the skin may relieve pain associated with intradermal injection of local anesthetic which mimics the skin test procedure.
METHODS
After institutional review board approval, 3D-printed disks with projections were designed for this study. Enrolled patients were randomized to receive either a disk compressing against the axillary skin during the intradermal injection of local anesthesia (compressing disk group) or an intradermal injection of local anesthesia without any compression (no compressing disk group). The primary outcomes were pain intensity (100-mm visual analog scale) and satisfaction (5-point Likert scale) as assessed by patients.
RESULTS
Ninety patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists I-II physical status receiving intradermal local anesthesia prior to an ultrasound-guided axillary approach were included. Eighty-seven patients completed the study, with 44 and 43 patients in disk and no disk groups, respectively. Pain scores were significantly different (P < 0.001) in compressing disk (median, 10; IQR, 5-20) and no compressing disk (median, 30; IQR, 20-40) groups. The median satisfaction score was 5 in both groups. No complications occurred during follow-up.
CONCLUSION
Compressing a 3D-printed disk against the skin may reduce intradermal needle pain and offers an effective alternative for nerve block induction.
Topics: Humans; Anesthesia, Local; Lidocaine; Anesthetics, Local; Pain; Printing, Three-Dimensional
PubMed: 37118673
DOI: 10.1186/s12871-023-02088-y -
Global Spine Journal Jun 2016Study Design Retrospective study. Objectives To assess the fatty atrophy of the lumbar paraspinal muscles (LPMs) as determined using magnetic resonance imaging in...
A Comparison of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Muscle Fat Content in the Lumbar Paraspinal Muscles with Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Patients with Lumbar Degenerative Disk Disease and Focal Disk Prolapse.
Study Design Retrospective study. Objectives To assess the fatty atrophy of the lumbar paraspinal muscles (LPMs) as determined using magnetic resonance imaging in patients with lumbar degenerative disk disease (DDD) and focal disk herniation and to determine if fatty atrophy is associated with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS). Methods One hundred sixty-five patients with lumbar DDD were identified from a PROMS database of >1,500 patients. These patients were divided into two study groups: DDD alone (n = 58) and DDD with disk herniation (n = 107). A grid was randomly applied to the axial scans at the L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 levels. The muscle-to-fat ratio of the LPMs was recorded and compared with PROMS data. Subcutaneous fat thickness at each level was also measured. Results This study found no difference in the muscle-to-fat ratio between the DDD and disk herniation groups. There was no association between the muscle-to-fat ratio and PROMS data in either group. There was significantly more subcutaneous fat at all levels in the DDD group as compared with the disk prolapse group. In DDD and disk prolapses, subcutaneous fat was thicker in women (p = 0.013 and 0.001). In patients with DDD, more subcutaneous fat was associated with disability (p < 0.001). Muscle content of erector spinae and multifidus negatively correlated with increasing age in both groups at the L3-L4 level. Conclusions Muscle fat content in the LPM does not appear to relate to PROMS. Muscle content decreases with age. Those with low back pain (DDD) have greater subcutaneous fat thickness.
PubMed: 27190744
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1583290 -
Progress in Rehabilitation Medicine 2022Auto-mobilization (AM) is a treatment method that patients can use by themselves for pain relief. We report the case of a patient diagnosed with cervical disk herniation...
BACKGROUND
Auto-mobilization (AM) is a treatment method that patients can use by themselves for pain relief. We report the case of a patient diagnosed with cervical disk herniation (CDH), with frequent recurrences of upper limb numbness and neck pain. The patient experienced a favorable outcome after cervical spine AM, as evidenced by the immediate and long-term relief of his symptoms as well as changes observed through imaging.
CASE
A 33-year-old-man diagnosed with CDH presented with frequent recurrences of upper limb numbness and neck pain. Radiographic and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed cervical spine kyphosis and a left paracentral to intraforaminal lesion with disk herniation of protrusion type at C4-5. He was started on AM to elicit physiological lordosis of the cervical spine. This treatment was painless and did not cause withdrawal on discontinuation. AM improved the mobility of his cervical lower facet joints, reduced dysesthesia, and eliminated pain. Improvement in neck pain and cervical kyphosis and reduction of disk herniation were observed 2 years after initiating the intervention.
DISCUSSION
Appropriate physical therapy evaluation and cervical AM for this patient resulted in symptomatic relief and indirect disk herniation regression. By adding imaging findings to clinical findings, the effect of AM could be visualized, and the reliability of the therapeutic effect was further enhanced.
PubMed: 36561294
DOI: 10.2490/prm.20220062 -
Disk diffusion, agar dilution and the E-test for susceptibility testing of Corynebacterium jeikeium.Clinical Microbiology and Infection :... Feb 1996OBJECTIVE: The susceptibilities to penicillin, tetracycline, erythromycin, gentamicin, vancomycin and teicoplanin of 58 strains of Corynebacterium jeikeium were assessed...
OBJECTIVE: The susceptibilities to penicillin, tetracycline, erythromycin, gentamicin, vancomycin and teicoplanin of 58 strains of Corynebacterium jeikeium were assessed by disk diffusion and agar dilution reference methods. METHODS: Zone sizes and minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) by agar dilution were interpreted using the ranges in the NCCLS tables for organisms other than Haemophilus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. RESULTS: By agar dilution, 14%, 88%, 17% and 26% of the 58 isolates were susceptible to penicillin, tetracycline, erythromycin, and gentamicin, respectively. Using the breakpoints for Listeria monocytogenes, all strains showed concordant results for penicillin by disk diffusion. Discrepancies in the interpretative categories by disk diffusion were found in four cases (two very major and two minor) for tetracycline, in nine (two very major, two major, and five minor) for erythromycin, and in 1 case (very major) for gentamicin. All 58 strains were susceptible to vancomycin and teicoplanin by agar dilution and disk diffusion. The overall agreement of interpretative disk diffusion for all six antibiotics was 95.9%. In addition, all strains were susceptible to both glycopeptides by E-test. However, for vancomycin the MIC results in 58.6% were two log2 dilutions and in 1.7% more than two log2 dilutions higher by E-test than by agar dilution, whereas for teicoplanin agreement within one log2 dilution was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Further evaluation of methodologies of disk diffusion is required to obtain a better agreement for erythromycin and tetracycline. The criteria of the NCCLS for interpretation of disk diffusion are adequate for susceptibility testing of C. jeikeium to penicillin, gentamicin, vancomycin and teicoplanin.
PubMed: 11866845
DOI: 10.1016/s1198-743x(14)65144-2 -
Brazilian Journal of Microbiology :... 2014Antimicrobial susceptibility testing for Helicobacter pylori is increasingly important due to resistance to the most used antimicrobials agents. Only agar dilution... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing for Helicobacter pylori is increasingly important due to resistance to the most used antimicrobials agents. Only agar dilution method is approved by CLSI, but it is difficult to perform routinely. We evaluated the reliability of E-test and disk diffusion comparing to agar dilution method on Helicobacter pylori antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Susceptibility testing was performed for amoxicillin, clarithromycin, furazolidone, metronidazole and tetracycline using E-test, disk-diffusion and agar dilution method in 77 consecutive Helicobacter pylori strains from dyspeptic children and adolescents. Resistance rates were: amoxicillin - 10.4%, 9% and 68.8%; clarithromycin - 19.5%, 20.8%, 36.3%; metronidazole - 40.2%33.7%, 38.9%, respectively by agar dilution, E-test and disk diffusion method. Furazolidone and tetracycline showed no resistance rates. Metronidazole presented strong correlation to E-test (r = 0.7992, p < 0.0001) and disk diffusion method (r=-0.6962, p < 0.0001). Clarithromycin presented moderate correlation to E-test (r = 0.6369, p < 0.0001) and disk diffusion method (r=-0.5656, p < 0.0001). Amoxicillin presented weak correlation to E-test (r = 0.3565, p = 0.0015) and disk diffusion (r=-0.3565, p = 0.0015). Tetracycline presented weak correlation with E-test (r = 0.2346, p = 0.04) and furazolidone to disk diffusion (r=-0.0288, p = 0.8038). E-test presented better agreement with gold standard. It is an easy and reliable method for Helicobacter pylori susceptibility testing. Disk diffusion method presented high disagreement and high rates of major errors.
Topics: Adolescent; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Brazil; Child; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Helicobacter Infections; Helicobacter pylori; Humans; Microbial Sensitivity Tests
PubMed: 25763052
DOI: 10.1590/s1517-83822014000400039 -
World Neurosurgery Aug 2021We report a middle-aged man with a history of back pain and right-sided sciatica. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an atypical disk fragment with radiologic...
We report a middle-aged man with a history of back pain and right-sided sciatica. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an atypical disk fragment with radiologic characteristics of a spinal tumor. Follow-up imaging shows resolution of the lesion. Clinical symptoms resolved simultaneously. Clinical and radiologic characteristics cannot distinguish atypical disk herniation from tumors. While no imaging method allows distinguishing between these 2 entities, resolution of a disk herniation is not uncommon. In the absence of muscle weakness, follow-up imaging rather than surgery is advised in order to clarify its true entity.
Topics: Conservative Treatment; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Intervertebral Disc Displacement; Low Back Pain; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Remission, Spontaneous; Sciatica; Spinal Neoplasms
PubMed: 34098136
DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2021.05.121 -
Scientific Reports Jan 2021The thermal management of the flow of the hybrid nanofluid within the conical gap between a cone and a disk is analyzed. Four different cases of flow are examined,...
The thermal management of the flow of the hybrid nanofluid within the conical gap between a cone and a disk is analyzed. Four different cases of flow are examined, including (1) stationary cone rotating disk (2) rotating cone stationary disk (3) rotating cone and disk in the same direction and (4) rotating cone and disk in the opposite directions. The magnetic field of strength [Formula: see text] is added to the modeled problem that is applied along the z-direction. This work actually explores the role of the heat transfer, which performs in a plate-cone viscometer. A special type of hybrid nanoliquid containing copper Cu and magnetic ferrite FeO nanoparticles are considered. The similarity transformations have been used to alter the modeled from partial differential equations (PDEs) to the ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The modeled problem is analytically treated with the Homotopy analysis method HAM and the numerical ND-solve method has been used for the comparison. The numerical outputs for the temperature gradient are tabulated against physical pertinent variables. In particular, it is concluded that increment in volume fraction of both nanoparticles [Formula: see text] effectively enhanced the thermal transmission rate and velocity of base fluid. The desired cooling of disk-cone instruments can be gained for a rotating disk with a fixed cone, while the surface temperature remains constant.
PubMed: 33441841
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80750-y -
Journal of Clinical Microbiology May 1991Disk inflammation in children is believed to result from infection, and Staphylococcus aureus is reported to be the organism most commonly isolated from cases of... (Review)
Review
Disk inflammation in children is believed to result from infection, and Staphylococcus aureus is reported to be the organism most commonly isolated from cases of intervertebral disk infection. A case of disk inflammation caused by the unusual pathogen Kingella kingae is described. The antibiotic susceptibility of other K. kingae isolates and the clinical features of 11 other previously reported cases of disk infection caused by this microorganism are reviewed.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacterial Infections; Discitis; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Female; Humans; Infant; Intervertebral Disc; Moraxella
PubMed: 2056049
DOI: 10.1128/jcm.29.5.1083-1086.1991 -
Journal of Clinical Microbiology Aug 2019Third-generation cephalosporin resistance among , mediated by the spread of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), is a very serious medical concern with limited...
Development of Broth Microdilution MIC and Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Susceptibility Test Quality Control Ranges for the Combination of Cefepime and the Novel β-Lactamase Inhibitor Enmetazobactam.
Third-generation cephalosporin resistance among , mediated by the spread of extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), is a very serious medical concern with limited therapeutic options. Enmetazobactam (formerly AAI101) is a novel penicillanic sulfone β-lactamase inhibitor active against a wide range of ESBLs. The combination of enmetazobactam and cefepime has entered phase 3 development in patients with complicated urinary tract infections. Using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) M23 tier 2 study design, broth microdilution MIC and disk diffusion quality control (QC) ranges were determined for cefepime-enmetazobactam. Enmetazobactam was tested at a fixed concentration of 8 μg/ml in the MIC assay, and a cefepime-enmetazobactam disk mass of 30/20 μg was used in the disk diffusion assay. ATCC 25922, ATCC 35218, NCTC 13353, ATCC 700603, and ATCC 27853 were chosen as reference strains. The CTX-M-15-producing NCTC 13353 isolate is recommended for routine testing to control for inhibition of ESBL activity by enmetazobactam. Broth microdilution MIC QC ranges spanned 3 to 4 doubling dilutions and contained 99.6% to 100.0% of obtained MIC values for the five reference strains. Disk diffusion yielded inhibition zone diameter QC ranges that spanned 7 mm and encompassed 97.1% to 100.0% of the obtained values. Quality control ranges were approved by the CLSI in 2017 (broth microdilution MIC) and 2019 (disk diffusion). The established QC ranges will ensure that appropriate assay performance criteria are attained using CLSI reference methodology when determining the susceptibility of clinical isolates to cefepime-enmetazobactam.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Azabicyclo Compounds; Cefepime; Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests; Enterobacteriaceae; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Quality Control; Triazoles; beta-Lactamase Inhibitors
PubMed: 31167844
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00607-19