Objective To find out whether taking images of the male and female genitals during coitus is feasible and to find out whether former and current ideas about the anatomy during sexual intercourse and during female sexual arousal are based on assumptions or on facts. Design Observational study. Setting University hospital in the Netherlands. Methods Magnetic resonance imaging was used to study the female sexual response and the male and female genitals during coitus. Thirteen experiments were performed with eight couples and three single women. Results The images obtained showed that during intercourse in the "missionary position" the penis has the shape of a boomerang and 1/3 of its length consists of the root of the penis. During female sexual arousal without intercourse the uterus was raised and the anterior vaginal wall lengthened. The size of the uterus did not increase during sexual arousal. Conclusion Taking magnetic resonance images of the male and female genitals during coitus is feasible and contributes to understanding of anatomy.
The substructure of both the epithelial and endothelial surfaces of a keratoconus and an artificially aged cornea was compared with that of a healthy cornea by investigating them with a scanning electron microscope. From the depressions around the protruding centre of the epithelial surface of the keratoconus cornea, and from the whole epithelial surface of the artificially aged cornea, cells detached themselves, assuming a more or less rounded shape. The endothelial surface of both the keratoconus and the aged cornea showed areas of cells with an almost completely disintegrated cell membrane, exposing the cell contents. On the endothelial surface of the keratoconus cells were found with a missing cell-nucleus and a perforated cell membrane, due to a 'Kammerwasser Einbruch' effect.
Serendipity, the art of making an unsought finding plays also an important role in the emerging field of data science, allowing the discovery of interesting and valuable facts not initially sought for. Previous research has extracted many serendipity-fostering patterns applicable to digital data-driven systems. Linked Open Data (LOD) on the Web which is powered by the Follow-Your-Nose effect, provides already a rich source for serendipity. The serendipity most often takes place when browsing data. Therefore, flexible and intuitive browsing user interfaces which support serendipity triggers such as enigmas, anomalies and novelties, can increase the likelihood of serendipity on LOD. In this work, we propose a set of serendipity-fostering design features supported by an adaptive multigraph-based faceted browsing interface to catalyze serendipity on Semantic Web and LOD environments.
A keratoprosthesis (KP) is the last and only surgical resort to regain some visual acuity in eyes with severely damaged corneae. Corneal blindness represents an important percentage of the blind in the economically poor countries. Commercially available KP's, e.g. those made of PMMA, which are difficult to sterilize and vulnerable to surface damage, are too expensive in these countries. To overcome these disadvantages, we developed a new KP, made of a glass core melted into a platinum cylinder with flange. They were implanted unilaterally in eyes of ten Hollander rabbits intralamellarly. They were fixated by two stainless steel traction threads passed around the whole eyeball. We investigated this type of KP in the rabbit cornea, its acceptance by stroma, epi- and endothelium, and its hydro-mechanical dynamics in situ. No signs of infection or extrusion were observed. No epithelial downgrowth, nor adverse tissue reaction could be detected. LM and SEM showed endothelialization of the newly formed stroma around the central column of the KP. We conclude that this type of KP (although optically still to be optimized) has been accepted by the rabbit cornea and a clinical trial on cornea-blind patients is justified.
By means of a new fixation technique keratoprostheses were fixed in the cornea of 'Hollander' rabbits. The fixation is based on the use of corneo-sclerally orientated stainless steel-vanadium traction threads in corneal stroma and scleral tissue. Keratoprostheses placed according to this fixation technique have a follow-up of a maximum of two years. The liquid sealing capacity, the cell behaviour on the surface of the prosthesis and the anchoring of the stainless steel vanadium wire have been investigated in detail with the scanning electronmicroscope (SEM).
Serendipity is defined as the art of discovering an unsought finding. Over a thousand examples have been collected and examined, including material from unpublished work by the American sociologist, Robert Merton. It is suggested that serendipity play a supporting but essential role in discoveries in science, technology, the arts and daily life. The phenomenon deserves more serious attention as it may offer prospects of unsought benefits in all these fields of endeavour.
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