The simulation program “SEM Nano” is introduced to explain and visualize probe formation in field-emission scanning electron microscopes (SEMs). The program offers an easy and intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) to provide input in terms of understandable SEM parameters and visualization of the output. The simulations are based on wave optics treatment of the electron beam in the SEM column. Based on input parameters provided by the user, the spatial intensity distribution of electrons is calculated at the specimen by incorporating the effects of diffraction, aberrations, coherence, and noise. Given the specimen structure signal (S o ), the program has the capability to produce an image of the specimen using the electron probe intensity distribution. Finally, a feature is provided to reconstruct the electron probe intensity from the noisy image using a Wiener filter-based deconvolution.

IntroductıonOsteoarthritis (OA) is the third most common diagnosis made by general practitioners in elderly patients and the most common arthropathy to affect knees. OA, a degenerative disease, is defined as a conglomeration of small and large injuries to the joints followed by ineffective cartilage repair.1 Risk factors for knee OA include ageing, female gender, being overweight, prior knee injury and a positive family history. 2,3,4,5,6 About 25% of adults over 55 years of age experience significant knee pain and half of them have radiographic changes of OA and a quarter have significant disability. Role of inflammation in OA is controversial, but it may be crucial to OA pathogenesis, as synovial inflammation is frequently observed. Articular calcium deposition, comprising of calcium phosphate dehydrate (CPPD) and basic calcium phosphate crystals (BCP), is seen in majority of joints affected by severe OA. The inflammatory potential of CPPD crystal is similar to monosodium urate crystals. Inflammatory mediators, released from cartilage into the synovial space, activate synovial cells to produce chemoattractants and initiate inflammatory response. Colchicine, an alkaloid commonly used for the treatment of gout, aids in preventing crystalinduced inflammation. Certain literature findings suggest that colchicine may be beneficial in improving the symptoms of OA. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial by Das et al. showed greater symptomatic relief at 20 weeks when colchicine was added to nimesulide in 36 patients with knee OA.7 The present study determined whether addition of colchicine to etodolac (selective cox-2 inhibitor NSAIDs) may confer any beneficial effect on osteoarthritis of knee joints. Materials and methodsPatients of both gender, between 40 and 70 years of age, fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of American college of rheumatology (ACR) for OA of knees, were considered for the study. The inclusion criteria considered were occurrence of moderately severe symptomatic OA, determined by Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis total scale (WOMAC) score ≥25, and subjects without clinical or radiological evidence of Abstract Aim: To determine whether the therapeutic use of colchicine along with etodolac (selective cox-2 inhibitor NSAIDs) confer any beneficial effect in the treatment of osteoarthritis of knee joint.Materials and methods: Forty selected subjects were randomized to receive either 0.5 mg of colchicine twice daily or placebo for 26 weeks.Results: Visual analog scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis total scale (WOMAC), and patient global assessment and physician global assessment scores were recorded on day 0, weeks 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22 and 26. Improvement rate at the end of 22 week was higher in colchicine group than placebo, as measured by VAS score (46.88 vs.51.11;P=0.033), WOMAC score (18.88 vs.24.56; P=0.019), patient global assessment score(34.69 vs. 38.33; P=0.039) and physician global assessment score (20.00 vs. 26.39; P=0.02).Conc...

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract