Making Engineering Visible: Photography and the Politics of Drinking Water in Modern Paris.

Visual images shape knowledge, as scholars of visual representation have long argued. Historians of technology stand to benefit from understanding how seemingly objective photographs of colossal engineering works are much more than technical illustrations. With their unmatched legibility and reproducibility, photographs can crucially shape the public's view. Civil engineers were well aware of how photographs could advance their cause. Photographs of infrastructures were part of a political project: the builders of Paris's modern water system harnessed photographs as political tools in the contentious construction of aqueducts bringing drinking water to Paris in the 1860s and 1870s. This article examines how photographs engineered the public's understanding of large water projects and landscape transformation.

Transoral resection of a retropharyngeal myxoma: a case report.

This study was conducted to describe a retropharyngeal myxoma and discuss clinical concerns regarding this pathology and a retropharyngeal site of occurrence. We present a case report and review of literature. A 71-year-old woman presented with mild right neck pressure for 3 weeks. Imaging studies and head neck examination confirmed a 5.3 × 3.1 × 1.0 cm retropharyngeal mass with no communication to the vertebral column but was intimately involved with the pharyngeal mucosa. A transoral fine needle aspiration biopsy suggested a possible spindle cell neoplasm. A presurgical swallowing consultation was obtained. A transoral excision of the tumor was possible with no intraoperative complications. Histopathology was a cellular myxoma. Postoperative dysphagia required swallowing therapy and nasogastric tube feeding for 2 weeks before oral intake was possible. The patient has no evidence of clinical or radiological recurrence more than 1 year after surgical intervention. We present the second case of a myxoma in the retropharynx reported in English literature. Transoral excision was safe, feasible, and cosmetically appealing option in our patient. Additional clinical data are required to valid its safety and utility as an approach to tumors in the retropharynx. Postoperative dysphagia can be significant and consequently we recommend preoperative swallowing evaluation and counseling.

The effect of AlloDerm on the initiation and growth of human neovessels.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: AlloDerm (LifeCell Corp., Branchburg, NJ) is commonly employed for reconstruction of ablative soft tissue and mucosal defects following surgical resections. Although devoid of growth factors, AlloDerm may serve as an adhesive matrix for binding of growth factors, increasing local angiogenesis, and wound healing. We hypothesized that AlloDerm would enhance angiogenesis and might be altered with autologous blood products to enhance initiation of the angiogenic response. METHODS: We used a human placental vein in a fibrin-thrombin clot-based angiogenesis model. Four groups, human placental vein (HPVM), HPVM with AlloDerm, HPVM with AlloDerm plus platelet-poor plasma, and HPVM with AlloDerm plus platelet-rich plasma were evaluated. Endothelial cell growth was evaluated visually (40x). Hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunofluorescent staining for growth within the AlloDerm matrix were also performed. To assess human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) sites of attachment to AlloDerm, we incubated HUVEC cells with AlloDerm for a period of 2 weeks and evaluated attachment with anti-factor VIII immunofluorescence. RESULTS: Angiogenic initiation decreased in the combined placental vein with AlloDerm group (P < .0001 at day 7, 14, 21). Additionally, initiation in the AlloDerm plus platelet-poor plasma group was significantly better than the AlloDerm alone group when placentas 2 and 3 were compared (P < .0001). On hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunofluorescent factor VIII staining, no endothelial growth into the AlloDerm was noted in the samples analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: AlloDerm may be enriched with platelet-poor plasma to stimulate greater initiation and wound healing; however, AlloDerm inhibits angiogenic initiation in this model.

Retroauricular hairline approach for excision of second branchial cleft cysts: a preliminary experience.

OBJECTIVE: To report our preliminary experience with a retroauricular hairline incision (RAHI) for excision of second branchial cleft cysts (SBCC) and to present a relevant literature review. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted of two consecutive patients diagnosed with SBCC who underwent surgical removal via a RAHI. Relevant demographic, clinicopathological, and radiological data was recorded. A web-based search was conducted to identify relevant scientific literature on "retroauricular hairline incision /approach" in order to present a systematic review of current literature. RESULT: In both cases, the SBCC (6.0 cm and 3.8 cm) could be safely excised without major complications. One patient developed a temporary hypoesthesia of ear lobe. None of the patients had a postoperative infection, hematoma, spillage of cyst fluid, or necrosis of the skin flap. All patients were satisfied with the cosmetic outcome of the procedure (100%). The incisions healed well without any evidence of hair loss or keloid formation. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the RAHI offers an excellent surgical outcome and cosmetic result with no proven increased risks to the patients who require surgical excision of a benign SBCC.

The effect of drug dose and drug exposure time on the binding, internalization, and cytotoxicity of radiolabeled somatostatin analogs.

BACKGROUND: Creation of protease-resistant somatostatin analogs has allowed development of these peptides as clinically useful drugs. Widespread diagnostic use of radiolabeled somatostatin analogs has enhanced interest in the binding and intracellular distribution of these peptides. The degree of drug internalization and length of drug retention may be critical for drug-induced cytotoxicity. We hypothesized that the ability of a radiolabeled peptide to bind to a cell, be internalized, and induce cytotoxicity is proportional to both the radioligand concentration and the exposure time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To test this hypothesis, somatostatin receptor-expressing cells (IMR-32) were incubated with (111)In-pentetreotide, a sst 2 preferring somatostatin analogue. Radioligand exposure time and/or concentration were varied. RESULTS: Prolonged exposure to a fixed concentration of radioligand resulted in progressive increases in whole cell binding and internalization over time. Cells exposed to a relatively fixed number of microCi-Hr yielded constant whole cell binding and internalization. Increasing the microCi-Hr resulted in a proportionate increase in binding. Cytotoxicity was also proportional to the dose of radiation regardless of whether the exposure was internalized radiation (microCi-Hr from (111)In-pentetreotide) or from external beam radiation (cGy). CONCLUSION: Both drug exposure time and drug concentration contribute to cell binding and cytotoxicity in this model and their relative contributions are inversely related.