Correction of asymmetric calf hypertrophy with differential selective neurectomy.

Contour asymmetry of the legs is a major aesthetic concern among Asian women. This study enrolled 60 patients with asymmetric calf hypertrophy, defined as a differential calf circumference exceeding 0.6 cm. Differential selective neurectomy techniques, which depend on the sizes of the small and large calves, were performed exactly via a 1-cm popliteal wound. The pre- and postoperative mean differences between the larger and smaller calf circumferences at the 1-year follow-up consultation were 1.38 +/- 0.65 and 0.42 +/- 0.38 cm, respectively (p < 0.01). The reduction was significantly greater in the leg that was initially larger. The procedure was effective in reducing circumference discrepancies so that leg contours were more balanced. All the patients were able to ambulate normally within 5 months after the procedure without disability. The authors posit that differential neurectomy is a safe and reliable technique for the correction of asymmetric calf hypertrophy, with minimal morbidities.

Analysis of the body mass index and leg profiles of Asian women after total leg sculpture.

BACKGROUND: In addition to the conventional methods used to improve leg contours, total leg sculpture, including liposuction, selective neurectomy, and transilluminated powered phlebectomy, provides a one-time solution of leg contour problems, which is a major aesthetic concern among Asian women. The authors present the postoperative results of total leg sculpture and determine any significance and correlation between the leg variables and body mass index by statistical analysis. METHODS: Thirty female patients who underwent total leg sculpture between 2005 and 2008 were included in the study, and prospective analysis of the patients' data was performed during a follow-up period of 1 year. Local measurement variables and body mass index were recorded, and the correlation between them was determined by Pearson's correlation and regression analysis. A paired t test was used to compare the postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: Subjectively, all patient results were satisfactory. There were significant differences between preoperative and postoperative measurements for all variables for total leg sculpture. Body mass index was strongly correlated with all leg indexes, and there was a significant positive correlation between the index and variables related to the buttocks and upper thigh. The satisfactory postoperative leg variables were buttocks circumference (87.85 cm), thigh circumference (T60, 44.20 cm), maximal calf circumference (32.24 cm), and calf ratio (0.78). Each preoperative body mass index increment represents a 0.3 percent circumference improvement around the buttocks after surgery. No obvious morbidities or long-term hospital stays were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Total leg sculpture provides a combined aesthetic solution for improving limb contours with minimal morbidity. Patients with larger body mass index values exhibit better aesthetic improvement than those with smaller values.

Grid-enabled high-throughput in silico screening against influenza A neuraminidase.

Encouraged by the success of the first EGEE biomedical data challenge against malaria (WISDOM), the second data challenge battling avian flu was kicked off in April 2006 to identify new drugs for the potential variants of the influenza A virus. Mobilizing thousands of CPUs on the Grid, the six-week-long high-throughput screening activity has fulfilled over 100 CPU years of computing power and produced around 600 gigabytes of results on the Grid for further biological analysis and testing. In the paper, we demonstrate the impact of a worldwide Grid infrastructure to efficiently deploy large-scale virtual screening to speed up the drug design process. Lessons learned through the data challenge activity are also discussed.