The influence of reading direction on hemianopic reading disorders.

Hemianopic reading impairment is a consequence of a visual field defect to either the right or the left side and is characterized by an increased reading time and reduced reading performance. Depending on the side of the visual field defect, reading will be affected differently: Patients suffering from a visual field defect to the right side have noticeable difficulties in reading fluently with slowing. Patients suffering from a visual field defect to the left usually struggle to find the beginning of a line and read more fluently. It was suggested in the literature that changing the reading direction from horizontal to vertical may be a training strategy to reduce reading problems in patients with hemianopia. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of reading direction on reading speed in patients with left- or right-sided visual field defects and in healthy controls. METHOD In 13 patients with hemianopia and in 13 age-matched controls, reading speed was calculated for texts in standard as well as in clockwise rotated orientation of 90, 180, and 270°. RESULTS In both groups, text rotation reduced reading speed compared to standard reading. Patients with left-sided hemianopia had the greatest reduction after text rotation. Patients with right-sided hemianopia had the smallest speed reduction in 90° vertically rotated texts. CONCLUSIONS Text rotation has different effects in left- or right-sided hemianopia patients. For patients with left-sided heminanopia, rotation of the text may not be a helpful training strategy, for right-sided hemianopia vertical rotation of the text of 90° may be a beneficial training strategy to reduce reading deficits.

Intestinal atresia and ectopia in a bovine fetus

A 2-year-old Red Holstein cow was presented with uterine torsion at 235 days of pregnancy. The fetus extracted by cesarean section had weak vital signs and marked abdominal distention. An edematous pouch that contained tubular structures with peristaltic activity was associated with the umbilical cord. Because of poor prognosis, both dam and fetus were euthanized. At necropsy, the fetus had severe distention of the forestomachs, abomasum, and proximal small intestine; absence of distal small intestine, cecum, and proximal colon; atresia of the 2 blind ends of the intestine; and atrophy of distal colon and rectum. The tubular structures associated with the umbilical cord were identified as the segments of intestine that were absent in the fetus. Intestinal atresia combined with ectopia may be caused by local ischemia during temporary herniation and rotation of the fetal gut into the extraembryonic coelom. The close connection between ectopic intestine and amniotic sheath of the umbilical cord in this case may have facilitated vascularization and allowed development and viability of the ectopic intestine.

Impingement-free hip motion: the 'normal' angle alpha after osteochondroplasty

Femoroacetabular impingement is considered a cause of hip osteoarthrosis. In cam impingement, an aspherical head-neck junction is squeezed into the joint and causes acetabular cartilage damage. The anterior offset angle alpha, observed on a lateral crosstable radiograph, reflects the location where the femoral head becomes aspheric. Previous studies reported a mean angle alpha of 42 degrees in asymptomatic patients. Currently, it is believed an angle alpha of 50 degrees to 55 degrees is normal. The aim of this study was to identify that angle alpha which allows impingement-free motion. In 45 patients who underwent surgical treatment for femoroacetabular impingement, we measured the angle alpha preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and 1 year postoperatively. All hips underwent femoral correction and, if necessary, acetabular correction. The correction was considered sufficient when, in 90 degrees hip flexion, an internal rotation of 20 degrees to 25 degrees was possible. The angle alpha was corrected from a preoperative mean of 66 degrees (range, 45 degrees - 79 degrees) to 43 degrees (range, 34 degrees - 60 degrees) postoperatively. Because the acetabulum is corrected to normal first, the femoral correction is tested against a normal acetabulum. We therefore concluded an angle alpha of 43 degrees achieved surgically and with impingement-free motion, represents the normal angle alpha, an angle lower than that currently considered sufficient.

Terahertz macrospin dynamics in insulating ferrimagnets

We investigate numerically the excitation of nonlinear magnetic interactions in a ferrite material by an energetic pump pulse of terahertz (THz) radiation. The calculations are performed by solving the coupled Maxwell and Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert differential equations. In a time-resolved THz pump/THz probe scheme, it is demonstrated that Faraday rotation of a delayed THz probe pulse can be used to map these interactions. Our study is motivated by the ability of soft x-ray free electron lasers to perform time-resolved imaging of the magnetization process at the submicrometer and subpicosecond length and time scales.

A Case for CDN-as-a-Service in the Cloud: A Mobile Cloud Networking Argument

Content Distribution Networks are mandatory components of modern web architectures, with plenty of vendors offering their services. Despite its maturity, new paradigms and architecture models are still being developed in this area. Cloud Computing, on the other hand, is a more recent concept which has expanded extremely quickly, with new services being regularly added to cloud management software suites such as OpenStack. The main contribution of this paper is the architecture and the development of an open source CDN that can be provisioned in an on-demand, pay-as-you-go model thereby enabling the CDN as a Service paradigm. We describe our experience with integration of CDNaaS framework in a cloud environment, as a service for enterprise users. We emphasize the flexibility and elasticity of such a model, with each CDN instance being delivered on-demand and associated to personalized caching policies as well as an optimized choice of Points of Presence based on exact requirements of an enterprise customer. Our development is based on the framework developed in the Mobile Cloud Networking EU FP7 project, which offers its enterprise users a common framework to instantiate and control services. CDNaaS is one of the core support components in this project as is tasked to deliver different type of multimedia content to several thousands of users geographically distributed. It integrates seamlessly in the MCN service life-cycle and as such enjoys all benefits of a common design environment, allowing for an improved interoperability with the rest of the services within the MCN ecosystem.

[Helminth control in the adult horse: the need for a re-orientation].

The epidemiological situation of strongyle infections in adult horses in Switzerland is characterized by a strong dominance of small strongyles (Cyathostominae) and an overall low level of egg shedding in the faeces. The prevailing attitude towards anthelmintic therapy considers neither husbandry conditions nor pasture hygiene measures. Instead, calendar-based routine medication, comprising usually 3 to 4 annual treatments, is the typical strategy. Such an approach, however, often results in an excessive administration of anthelmintics. With respect to the continuous spread of drug resistant cyathostomins a change of strategy seems inevitable. A consensus has been agreed on between equine parasitologists and clinicians of the Vetsuisse Faculty in Zurich and Berne to focus on the concept of a selective control approach, based on individual faecal egg counts as the central element. It is now recommended that clinically healthy horses (> 4 y) are treated only when their strongyle egg count is equal to or higher than 200 eggs per gram of faeces. A regular analysis of the strongyle population based on larval cultures, the control of drug efficacy, and quarantine measures for incoming horses are mandatory components of the concept. Recent experiences in several pilot farms have indicated that only 4 % of the McMaster analyses resulted in a deworming treatment. For horses that did not receive any nematicidal anthelmintic during the current season, a "safety" treatment is recommended at the end of the grazing period.

Finite element analysis predicts experimental failure patterns in vertebral bodies loaded via intervertebral discs up to large deformation

Vertebral compression fracture is a common medical problem in osteoporotic individuals. The quantitative computed tomography (QCT)-based finite element (FE) method may be used to predict vertebral strength in vivo, but needs to be validated with experimental tests. The aim of this study was to validate a nonlinear anatomy specific QCT-based FE model by using a novel testing setup. Thirty-seven human thoracolumbar vertebral bone slices were prepared by removing cortical endplates and posterior elements. The slices were scanned with QCT and the volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) was computed with the standard clinical approach. A novel experimental setup was designed to induce a realistic failure in the vertebral slices in vitro. Rotation of the loading plate was allowed by means of a ball joint. To minimize device compliance, the specimen deformation was measured directly on the loading plate with three sensors. A nonlinear FE model was generated from the calibrated QCT images and computed vertebral stiffness and strength were compared to those measured during the experiments. In agreement with clinical observations, most of the vertebrae underwent an anterior wedge-shape fracture. As expected, the FE method predicted both stiffness and strength better than vBMD (R2 improved from 0.27 to 0.49 and from 0.34 to 0.79, respectively). Despite the lack of fitting parameters, the linear regression of the FE prediction for strength was close to the 1:1 relation (slope and intercept close to one (0.86 kN) and to zero (0.72 kN), respectively). In conclusion, a nonlinear FE model was successfully validated through a novel experimental technique for generating wedge-shape fractures in human thoracolumbar vertebrae.

The use of weightbearing radiographs to assess the stability of supination-external rotation fractures of the ankle

Isolated lateral malleolar fractures usually result from a supination-external rotation (SER) injury and may include a deltoid ligament rupture. The necessity of operative treatment is based on the recognition of a relevant medial soft-tissue disruption. Currently used tests to assess ankle stability include manual stress radiographs and gravity stress radiographs, but seem to overestimate the need for fracture fixation.

Reversed shoulder arthroplasty with modified L'Episcopo for combined loss of active elevation and external rotation

In patients with a rotator cuff-deficient shoulder, a combined loss of active elevation and external rotation (CLEER) can occur when both the infraspinatus and teres minor muscles are absent. A reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) can restore active elevation in these patients but cannot restore active external rotation because there are no other external rotator cuff muscles. We hypothesized that a modified L'Episcopo procedure (latissimus dorsi [LD] and teres major [TM] transfer) with a simultaneous RSA would restore shoulder function and activities of daily living (ADLs).

The role of rotation thromboelastometry in early prediction of massive transfusion

Early prediction of massive transfusion (MT) is critical in the management of severely injured trauma patients. Variables available early after injury including physiologic, laboratory, and rotation thromboelastometric (ROTEM) parameters were evaluated as predictors for the need of MT.

Left ventricular rotation: a neglected aspect of the cardiac cycle

To describe the mechanics and possible clinical importance of left ventricular (LV) rotation, exemplify techniques to quantify LV rotation and illustrate the temporal relationship of cardiac pressures, electrocardiogram and LV rotation.

Unique paleopathology in a pre-Columbian mummy remnant from Southern Peru--severe cervical rotation trauma with subluxation of the axis as cause of death

We describe the multidisciplinary findings in a pre-Columbian mummy head from Southern Peru (Cahuachi, Nazca civilisation, radiocarbon dating between 120 and 750 AD) of a mature male individual (40-60 years) with the first two vertebrae attached in pathological position. Accordingly, the atlanto-axial transition (C1/C2) was significantly rotated and dislocated at 38° angle associated with a bulging brownish mass that considerably reduced the spinal canal by circa 60%. Using surface microscopy, endoscopy, high-resolution multi-slice computer tomography, paleohistology and immunohistochemistry, we identified an extensive epidural hematoma of the upper cervical spinal canal-extending into the skull cavity-obviously due to a rupture of the left vertebral artery at its transition between atlas and skull base. There were no signs of fractures of the skull or vertebrae. Histological and immunohistochemical examinations clearly identified dura, brain residues and densely packed corpuscular elements that proved to represent fresh epidural hematoma. Subsequent biochemical analysis provided no evidence for pre-mortal cocaine consumption. Stable isotope analysis, however, revealed significant and repeated changes in the nutrition during his last 9 months, suggesting high mobility. Finally, the significant narrowing of the rotational atlanto-axial dislocation and the epidural hematoma probably caused compression of the spinal cord and the medulla oblongata with subsequent respiratory arrest. In conclusion, we suggest that the man died within a short period of time (probably few minutes) in an upright position with the head rotated rapidly to the right side. In paleopathologic literature, trauma to the upper cervical spine has as yet only very rarely been described, and dislocation of the vertebral bodies has not been presented.