There is a theory that the more evident clinical signs of testicular dysgenesis, the more frequent the neoplastic lesions are. The aim of this study was to relate the incidence of testicular germ cell neoplastic lesions (overt germ cell tumours--GCT or testicular carcinoma in situ) to the intensity of testicular organogenesis disturbances (dysgenesis). Biopsies were taken from 154 testes of the following patients: 23 patients with GCT in the contralateral gonad (CGCT), 41 patients with undescended testes operated in childhood (UDT), 90 with azoo-/oligozoospermia (A/O) diagnosed because of infertility. Assessment of seminiferous epithelium, number of Leydig cells, areal fraction of intertubular space (IS), morphometric analysis of seminiferous tubules diameter and thickness of tubular wall were performed. Monoclonal antibodies against placental like alkaline phosphatase and cytokeratin 18 were applied. Germ cell neoplastic lesions were detected in 7.1% of testes and were associated with disturbed spermatogenesis. Among testes with disturbed spermatogenesis they were found the most frequently in CGCT (22.2% vs. 11.1% in UDT and 3.8% in A/O), where spermatogenesis had the highest score (5.7 +/- 3.8 points vs. 4.2 +/- 2.7 in UDT and 4.6 +/- 2.9 in A/O). In CGCT, signs of testicular dysgenesis were less advanced: the highest tubular diameter was 164.4 +/- 32.3 microm vs. 163.5 +/- 28.6 in UDT and 161.4 +/- 31.5 in A/O, the lowest thickness of tubular wall was 8.9 +/- 3.2 microm vs. 10.2 +/- 3.6 in UDT and 10.2 +/- 3.2 in A/O, lowest IS was 36.9 +/- 14.9% vs. 47.9 +/- 18.0 in UDT and 46.5 +/- 18.5 in A/O, and the lowest percentage of tubules with immature Sertoli cells was 0.1 +/- 0.4% vs. 4.9 +/- 7.0 in UDT and 5.2 +/- 9.7 in A/O. Results indicate that neoplastic lesions appear only in testes with disturbed spermatogenesis. Worse condition of spermatogenesis is associated by the presence of other dysgenetic features, but neoplastic lesions appear more frequently in testes with the less advanced features of testicular dysgenesis.

Purpose -This paper aims to describe new measuring device designed for measuring the pressure exerted by textile products used in healing therapy of hypertrophic scars. The testing device called "Textilpress" has been used for verification of the usually used method of designing and manufacturing ready-made compression garment products. Design/methodology/approach -The pressure measurement, realized by use of the "Textilpress" device, is an indirect measuring method, which is based on the Laplace Law. The investigations described in this paper concern the pressure measuring under textile bands placed on the models representing selected parts of the human body with pre-set circumferences. For this purpose, rigid cylinders were prepared, covered by a layer of neoprene which simulated the susceptibility of human skin. Findings -The investigations described in this paper indicate that the "Textilpress" test-device may be used for pressure measuring exerted by compression bands on the cylinder surface. In order to estimate the pressure exerted on a particular body part with the shape close to a cylinder, a measurement should be carried out on a cylinder with a circumference similar to that of the selected part of the human body.Research limitations/implications -The "Textilpress" test-device may be used by the manufacturers for measuring pressures exerted by compression bands (manufactured from knitted fabrics) on the cylinder surface of a pre-set diameter. In order to estimate the pressure exerted on a particular body part with the shape close to a cylinder, a measurement should be carried out on a cylinder with a circumference similar to that of the selected part of the human body. Originality/value -As hospitals do not possess appropriate measuring devices, which would enable one to measure the pressure on the scar exerted by the textile garment, the pressure efficiency and the appropriate fittings are estimated subjectively for the particular case. The "Textilpress" device enables monitoring such pressure.

The work comprises a statistical tolerance analysis of human body dimensions using a 3D body scanner and its impact on the value of unit pressure exerted by a compression product on the subject’s body. Model calculations of changes in unit pressure due to the susceptibility of the human body were carried out on the basis of the Laplace law using experimentally determined values of circumferences of particular parts of a female subject, with and without a compression product. Experimentally documented changes in the body circumferences under the influence of a compression garment are one of the reasons for the differences between the intended and actual pressure value exerted by the product.

Fingertip injuries are among the most common injuries in children and preservation of the hand's motor abilities depends on thorough surgical care. Most children with fingertip injuries are treated in Emergency Units and only 10% of patients need surgery under general anaesthesia after hospital admission. A number of surgical techniques can be used in the management of fingertip injuries in children. These techniques represent adaptations of methods used in adults. A model for the evaluation of severity and management of fingertip injuries in children should be established.

No abstract