Despite an extensive diagnostic workup, some cases of acute transverse myelitis (ATM) remain of unknown etiology and have been referred to as "idiopathic" by the Transverse Myelitis Consortium group. In a retrospective study of 288 patients with ATM, 45 cases (15.6%) met the criteria for idiopathic ATM. The patients formed a relatively homogeneous group in terms of clinical and MRI data, but the prognosis was highly variable.

Stents are tubular devices that are used in cylindrical passages of the body following trauma or disease in order to keep the cross section of these passages open. A mathematical model of a self-expanding metallic stent has been developed with the aim of predicting various geometrical and mechanical properties of the stent. The model was developed with the main assumptions that the stent acts as a combination of a number of independent open-coiled helical springs with ends fixed against rotation, and that the springs undergo elastic deformations only. A series of experiments has been carried out in order to assess the validity of the model. The experimental results show good agreement with theory for the tests involving stent diameter and longitudinal force as a function of stent length and fair agreement, limited by frictional effects, for the tests involving radial pressure as a function of stent diameter.

The secondary current distribution in a Hull cell is investigated by numerical calculation and experimental measurement. Theoretical calculations with the finite element method and the boundary element method are performed for linear kinetics, Tafel kinetics, and complete Butler‐Volmer kinetics as boundary conditions at the cathode. A dimensional analysis of the problem for Butler‐Volmer kinetics shows that the current distribution depends on three dimensionless parameters. Good agreement between the results obtained with the two numerical approaches is observed, and the calculations are verified experimentally for copper deposition from an acid copper sulfate electrolyte.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of various sterilization processes on the physical and mechanical properties of self-reinforced bioabsorbable fibres made out of polylactide (PLLA). The samples were sterilized using plasma, ethylene oxide (one and two cycles), gamma (25 kGy at room temperature, 25 kGy in dry ice, and 2 x 25 kGy at room temperature), and electron beam (15, 25, and 55 kGy) sterilization. The intrinsic viscosity, crystallinity, and mechanical properties (modulus of elasticity, yield strength, and ultimate tensile strength) were tested before and immediately after each sterilization treatment, as well as up to 30 weeks in vitro. Compared with unsterilized fibres, the intrinsic viscosity was markedly decreased after radiation sterilization (gamma and electron beam) and the loss in mechanical properties was accelerated during in vitro degradation. Plasma and ethylene oxide (one and two cycles) did not markedly alter the properties of the samples after sterilization or during in vitro degradation. These data are important for determining the effect of various sterilization processes on the physical and mechanical properties of polylactide-based materials and can be used to predict how fast degradation of the mechanical properties of the self-reinforced PLLA will occur. They can also be used to tailor the degradation kinetics to optimize implant design.