Papillary Carcinoma of Thyroglossal Duct Cyst- A Diagnostic and Therapeutic Conundrum.

Thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDC) are the most common congenital midline neck mass. It accounts for 70% of congenital neck masses in children and 7% in the general population. Untreated, Thyroglossal duct cyst may transform into a thyroid carcinoma in less than 1% of cases. A 47 year old female patient presented with complaints of swelling on the anterior aspect of neck for 1 year which was progressively increasing in size. Smears from needle aspiration revealed features suspicious of Papillary carcinoma of thyroid which was confirmed as on histopathology. Thyroid gland and the adjacent lymph nodes were free of the tumour on Computed Tomography (CT). Thyroglossal duct cysts undergoing neoplastic change is more common among women. Though sistrunk's procedure is widely accepted as a primary management, the role of total thyroidectomy with radioiodine therapy still remains a controversy due to contrasting opinions available in the literature.

Experimental Investigation of the

The ^{19}Ne(p,γ)^{20}Na reaction is the second step of a reaction chain which breaks out from the hot CNO cycle, following the ^{15}O(α,γ)^{19}Ne reaction at the onset of x-ray burst events. We investigate the spectrum of the lowest proton-unbound states in ^{20}Na in an effort to resolve contradictions in spin-parity assignments and extract reliable information about the thermal reaction rate. The proton-transfer reaction ^{19}Ne(d,n)^{20}Na is measured with a beam of the radioactive isotope ^{19}Ne at an energy around the Coulomb barrier and in inverse kinematics. We observe three proton resonances with the ^{19}Ne ground state, at 0.44, 0.66, and 0.82 MeV c.m. energies, which are assigned 3^{+}, 1^{+}, and (0^{+}), respectively. In addition, we identify two resonances with the first excited state in ^{19}Ne, one at 0.20 MeV and one, tentatively, at 0.54 MeV. These observations allow us for the first time to experimentally quantify the astrophysical reaction rate on an excited nuclear state. Our experiment shows an efficient path for thermal proton capture in ^{19}Ne(p,γ)^{20}Na, which proceeds through ground state and excited-state capture in almost equal parts and eliminates the possibility for this reaction to create a bottleneck in the breakout from the hot CNO cycle.

Virtual reality-based orthopedic telerehabilitation.

Rehabilitation interventions in remote areas are problematic because of distance and available resources. Orthopedic impairments acquired by individuals in remote areas can then lead to permanent disabilities/loss of function because of lack of appropriate rehabilitation. A system being developed by Rutgers and Stanford Universities provides therapy at the patient's home, with remote monitoring and periodic re-assessment. This telerehabilitation system uses virtual reality and haptic interfaces, and a pair of networked PCs. It is intended for rehabilitation of patients with hand, elbow, knee and ankle impairments. Data from the first patient treated with the telerehabilitation system is encouraging.

Why opt for an unnecessary delay? Delays in presentation of breast cancer.

Despite the fact that early presentation of breast cancer increases the likelihood of recovery, many women delay consulting their GP when they discover a lump. A study was undertaken to determine the reasons for such delays and to identify areas where information is lacking.

The longer the delay, the greater the anxiety. Delay in treatment for breast cancer.

While there has been much publicity about the importance of observing for breast changes and seeking medical help quickly, there are considerable variations in the waiting times for diagnosis and treatment. A study was undertaken to explore the extent of such delays and the reasons for them.

Pupillary constriction during haloperidol treatment as a predictor of relapse following drug withdrawal in schizophrenic patients.

It has been proposed that the autonomic nervous system is dysregulated in schizophrenia. We hypothesized that measures of autonomic function, even during neuroleptic stabilization, might predict relapse following withdrawal of medication. Previously, shorter latencies to maximum pupillary constriction have been reported to differentiate acutely hospitalized schizophrenic patients from control subjects. Pupillary light reactions were recorded weekly from 19 chronic schizophrenic inpatients who were initially maintained on haloperidol and subsequently were withdrawn from medication under double-blind, placebo-controlled conditions. Patients were then classified as either relapsed or nonrelapsed (clinically stable) during the drug-free period. During the treatment phase, a shorter latency to maximum pupillary constriction significantly distinguished patients who were later to relapse from the nonrelapsers. The potential use of autonomic activity as an indicator of prodromal sensitivity was supported. In addition, these findings emphasize the need for classification of drug-free patients according to clinical status.