Comparative study between LMA supreme with I-gel in anaesthetised adult patient on effectiveness and safety

Background: Supreme laryngeal mask airway (SLMA) and I-gel airway devices are second generation supraglottic airway devices (SAD) and are good alternatives to intubation during surgeries. The study was conducted with the objective to compare two supraglottic airway devices for ease of insertion, number of attempts of insertion, hemodynamic changes, incidence of adverse effects like regurgitation, lip and dental trauma and post-operative sore throat, dysphagia or hoarseness.Methods: This study was conducted at Topiwala National Medical College and BYL Nair hospital, Mumbai. 80 patients of ASA class 1 and 2 with Mallampati grading 1 and 2, between age group of 18-60 years and with BMI 0.05). Postoperatively no significant complications were observed in terms of dental injury, laryngospasm. Complication like sore throat after 1 hour and after 24 hours was comparatively more in I-gel group but difference was not significant at 1 hr (p>0.05). Dysphagia was reported more in SLMA group (8 cases) than I-gel group (1 case) at one hour and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.013).Conclusions: SLMA and I-GEL are better airway management option for patients undergoing short surgical procedures under general anaesthesia

Modelling heat transfer-controlled cooling and freezing times: A comparison between computational values and experimental results

Modelling of heat transfer-controlled cooling and freezing time predictions are very important for a good preservation of foodstuffs. In that regard, we used a computer code based on the finite-element method that allowed us to analyse the phase-change of various foodstuffs during their freezing. The model was exercised to predict process times. The results can be used to design high efficiency plants. In this work, the results predicted by the FEM program are compared with the experimental values given in technical literature

Thermodynamic-based method for supporting design and operation of thermal grids in presence of distributed energy producers

District heating networks are well-established technologies to efficiently cover the thermal demand of buildings. Recent research has been devoting large efforts to improve the design and management of these systems for integrating low-temperature heat coming from distributed sources such as industrial processes and renewable energy plants. Passing from a centralized to a decentralized approach in the heat supply, it is important to develop indicators that allow an assessment of the rational use of the available heat sources in supplying heating networks, and a quantification of the effect of inefficiencies on the unit cost of heat. To answer these questions, Exergy Cost Theory is here proposed. Thanks to the unit exergetic cost of heat, energy managers can (i) quantify the effects of thermodynamic inefficiencies occurring in the production and distribution on the final cost of heat, (ii) compare alternative systems for heat production, and (iii) monitor the performance of buildings’ substation over time. To show the capabilities of the method, some operating scenarios are compared for a cluster of five buildings in the tertiary sector interconnected by a thermal grid, where heat is produced by a cogeneration unit, an industrial process, and distributed heat pumps. Results suggest that moving from the centralized production of heat based on fossil fuels to a decentralized production with air-to-water heat pumps, the unit cost of heat can be decreased by almost 30% thanks to the improvement of thermodynamic efficiency. In addition, the analysis reveals a great sensitivity of unit exergetic cost to the maintenance in substations. The developed tool can provide thermodynamic-sound support for the design, operation, and monitoring of innovative district heating networks

Decay rates for a class of diffusive-dominated interaction equations

We analyse qualitative properties of the solutions to a mean-field equation for particles interacting through a pairwise potential while diffusing by Brownian motion. Interaction and diffusion compete with each other depending on the character of the potential. We provide sufficient conditions on the relation between the interaction potential and the initial data for diffusion to be the dominant term. We give decay rates of Sobolev norms showing that asymptotically for large times the behavior is then given by the heat equation. Moreover, we show an optimal rate of convergence in the $L^1$-norm towards the fundamental solution of the heat equation.Comment: 22 page

Reaching the boundary between stellar kinematic groups and very wide binaries. II. alpha Lib + KU Lib: a common proper motion system in Castor separated by 1.0 pc

Aims: I investigate the gravitational binding of a nearby common proper motion system in the young Castor moving group (tau ~ 200 Ma), formed by the bright quadruple star alpha Lib (Zubenelgenubi) and the young solar analog KU Lib. The system has an exceptionally wide angular separation, of about 2.6 deg, which corresponds to a projected physical separation of about 1.0 pc. Methods: I compile basic information of the system and compare its binding energy with those of other weakly bound systems in the field, and study the physical separations of resolved multiple systems in Castor. Results: KU Lib has roughly the same proper motion, parallactic distance, radial velocity, and metallicity than the young hierarchical quadruple system alpha Lib. Besides, KU Lib also displays youth features. The resemblance between these basic parameters and the relatively large estimated binding energy point out that the five stars are gravitationally bound. KU Lib and alpha Lib constitute the widest known multiple system at all mass domains, and likely represent the most extreme example of young wide binaries on the point of being disrupted. Besides, I make a comprehensive compilation of star candidates in Castor, including new ones.Comment: A&A, in press (v2: language edited

Multimodal imaging and diagnosis of myopic choroidal neovascularization in Caucasians

To investigate myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV) by fluorescein angiography (FA), spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), near-infrared (NIR) reflectance, and autofluorescence (AF)

Ensayo bajo norma IRAM de colectores solares planos y de tubos evacuados : Comparación de características

Los colectores solares están en permanente equilibrio con el ambiente. La eficiencia de conversión del mismo depende de la radiación solar, la temperatura ambiente, la temperatura del agua de entrada y salida, la velocidad del viento y el caudal de circulación. De esta manera, no es posible asignar un solo valor de eficiencia a los colectores solares sino que es necesario determinar su curva de rendimiento. Esta curva representa el funcionamiento de los colectores solares bajo distintas situaciones ambientales y es necesaria para dimensionar cualquier sistema. La curva de rendimiento se determina experimentalmente bajo condiciones controladas de los parámetros mencionados y conforme a la norma IRAM 210002. En el banco de ensayos del LESES (Laboratorio de Estudios sobre energía Solar) se realizaron ensayos de diferentes colectores bajo la norma IRAM 210002. Este trabajo presenta una comparación de varios colectores ensayados y relaciona sus características constructivas con los parámetros determinados. Los resultados de este trabajo servirán para ser utilizados en el dimensionamiento de sistemas que utilicen los colectores ensayados. Asimismo, el LESES se encuentra transitando la adaptación del banco para cumplir con los requerimientos de la nueva versión de la Norma que entró en vigencia el corriente año y es objetivo del mismo, difundir la existencia de estas instalaciones para que sean consideradas a la hora de implementar una política de promoción de la energía solar térmica y para divulgar las actividades de investigación que allí se realizan.Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES

Non-local kinetic and macroscopic models for self-organised animal aggregations

The last two decades have seen a surge in kinetic and macroscopic models derived to investigate the multi-scale aspects of self-organised biological aggregations. Because the individual-level details incorporated into the kinetic models (e.g., individual speeds and turning rates) make them somewhat difficult to investigate, one is interested in transforming these models into simpler macroscopic models, by using various scaling techniques that are imposed by the biological assumptions of the models. However, not many studies investigate how the dynamics of the initial models are preserved via these scalings. Here, we consider two scaling approaches (parabolic and grazing collision limits) that can be used to reduce a class of non-local 1D and 2D models for biological aggregations to simpler models existent in the literature. Then, we investigate how some of the spatio-temporal patterns exhibited by the original kinetic models are preserved via these scalings. To this end, we focus on the parabolic scaling for non-local 1D models and apply asymptotic preserving numerical methods, which allow us to analyse changes in the patterns as the scaling coefficient ϵ is varied from ϵ=1 (for 1D transport models) to ϵ=0 (for 1D parabolic models). We show that some patterns (describing stationary aggregations) are preserved in the limit ϵ→0, while other patterns (describing moving aggregations) are lost. To understand the loss of these patterns, we construct bifurcation diagrams

Breast cancer "tailored follow-up" in Italian oncology units: a web-based survey

urpose: Breast cancer follow-up procedures after primary treatment are still a controversial issue. Aim of this study was to investigate, through a web-based survey, surveillance methodologies selected by Italian oncologists in everyday clinical practice. Methods: Referents of Italian medical oncology units were invited to participate to the study via e-mail through the SurveyMonkey website. Participants were asked how, in their institution, exams of disease staging and follow-up are planned in asymptomatic women and if surveillance continues beyond the 5th year. Results: Between February and May 2013, 125 out of 233 (53.6%) invited referents of Italian medical oncology units agreed to participate in the survey. Ninety-seven (77.6%) referents state that modalities of breast cancer follow-up are planned according to the risk of disease progression at diagnosis and only 12 (9.6%) oncology units apply the minimal follow-up procedures according to international guidelines. Minimal follow-up is never applied in high risk asymptomatic women. Ninety-eight (78.4%) oncology units continue follow-up in all patients beyond 5 years. Conclusions: Our survey shows that 90.4% of participating Italian oncology units declare they do not apply the minimal breast cancer follow-up procedures after primary treatment in asymptomatic women, as suggested by national and international guidelines. Interestingly, about 80.0% of interviewed referents performs the so called "tailored follow-up", high intensity for high risk, low intensity for low risk patients. There is an urgent need of randomized clinical trials able to determine the effectiveness of risk-based follow-up modalities, their ideal frequency and persistence in time

Differential Cerebral Cortex Transcriptomes of Baboon Neonates Consuming Moderate and High Docosahexaenoic Acid Formulas

BACKGROUND: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) and arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n-6) are the major long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) of the central nervous system (CNS). These nutrients are present in most infant formulas at modest levels, intended to support visual and neural development. There are no investigations in primates of the biological consequences of dietary DHA at levels above those present in formulas but within normal breastmilk levels. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Twelve baboons were divided into three formula groups: Control, with no DHA-ARA; “L”, LCPUFA, with 0.33%DHA-0.67%ARA; “L3”, LCPUFA, with 1.00%DHA-0.67%ARA. All the samples are from the precentral gyrus of cerebral cortex brain regions. At 12 weeks of age, changes in gene expression were detected in 1,108 of 54,000 probe sets (2.05%), with most showing <2-fold change. Gene ontology analysis assigns them to diverse biological functions, notably lipid metabolism and transport, G-protein and signal transduction, development, visual perception, cytoskeleton, peptidases, stress response, transcription regulation, and 400 transcripts having no defined function. PLA2G6, a phospholipase recently associated with infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy, was downregulated in both LCPUFA groups. ELOVL5, a PUFA elongase, was the only LCPUFA biosynthetic enzyme that was differentially expressed. Mitochondrial fatty acid carrier, CPT2, was among several genes associated with mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation to be downregulated by high DHA, while the mitochondrial proton carrier, UCP2, was upregulated. TIMM8A, also known as deafness/dystonia peptide 1, was among several differentially expressed neural development genes. LUM and TIMP3, associated with corneal structure and age-related macular degeneration, respectively, were among visual perception genes influenced by LCPUFA. TIA1, a silencer of COX2 gene translation, is upregulated by high DHA. Ingenuity pathway analysis identified a highly significant nervous system network, with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) as the outstanding interaction partner. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that LCPUFA concentrations within the normal range of human breastmilk induce global changes in gene expression across a wide array of processes, in addition to changes in visual and neural function normally associated with formula LCPUFA