Periarticular injection and continuous femoral nerve block versus continuous femoral nerve block alone on postoperative opioid consumption and pain control following total knee arthroplasty: Randomized controlled trial

© 2017 Continuous femoral nerve block (CFNB) has been used to prevent the breakthrough pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Multimodal drug injection (PMDI) has also been shown to decrease opioid consumption and pain. We investigated whether the use of PMDI further improves analgesic and rehabilitation outcomes when used in conjunction with CFNB. This is a prospective randomized controlled study of 44 patients undergoing primary TKA. The treatment group (n = 23) received a PMDI of combined ropivacaine, epinephrine, ketorolac and morphine, and the controlled group (n = 21) received saline at wound closure. Total opioid consumption, pain scores, knee range of motion (ROM) outcomes, length of stay, and patient satisfaction were measured and compared. The total consumption of morphine is similar between the two groups (52.6 ± 40.6 vs. 41.5 ± 32.9, p = 0.325). The mean morphine consumption of the treatment group was significantly lower than the control at 4 h after surgery (4.2 ± 5.5 vs. 11.3 ± 8.1, p = 0.002) but comparable on POD1, POD2, and POD3. The mean pain scores were significantly higher in the treatment group than the control group at POD2 (at rest: 47.3 ± 29.1 vs. 23.8 ± 20.6, p = 0.004; after PT: 57.7 ± 25.4 vs. 35.2 ± 26.8, p = 0.007) and POD3 (at rest: 30.9 ± 30.3 vs. 14.8 ± 20.9, p = 0.045; after PT: 50.2 ± 30.6 vs. 29.0 ± 32.1, p = 0.035), and not significantly different at 4 h after surgery or at POD1. Mean maximal knee flexion ROM in degrees during active and active assisted mobilization showed no significant difference between the control and the treatment groups on POD2 and POD3. The mean length of stay of the treatment group is significantly longer than the control group (5.1 ± 2.1 vs. 3.8 ± 1.6, p = 0.032). At discharge, no significant difference exists between the two groups for mean patient satisfaction. The addition of PMDI led to a decrease in opioid consumption in the immediate postoperative period but with no significant difference in the total consumption within the first three days postoperatively. This finding provides an opportunity for appropriate preoperative treatment and education for both patients and caregivers

An evaluation of the new elementary school curriculum (NESC) as implemented at Canossa College, San Pablo City (1985-1986)

This study aimed to evaluate the New Elementary School Curriculum as implemented at Canossa College during its tryout phase in the school year 1985-86. It evaluated the degree of congruence between the intended and the observed implementation of the NESC at the respondent school. It also determined the difference between the performance of the NESC pupils of Canossa (NESCC) and those of the Central Mindanao College Elementary Department (CMC), a comparable private tryout school in Cotabato, and of the NESCC pupils and the average examinee of the thirteen try-out schools in the national level. The findings of this study were hoped to facilitate decisions on the part of the administration regarding the future implementation of the NESC at the respondent school. This study included all the thirty-nine grade four pupils who had been subjected to the NESC at Canossa College, San Pablo City since grade one. The other group of pupil respondents of this study were the thirty-four pupils who composed the tryout class of Central Mindanao College, Elementary Department. The four teachers who handled the NESC class at Canossa College for the first four years were also included. Stake\u27s Congruence-Contingency Model for Educational Evaluation with some modifications provided the theoretical basis for this evaluation study. The intended antecedents, transactions, and outcomes of the NESC with the observed antecedents, transactions, and outcomes of the NESC as actually implemented at Canossa College were compared based on the model. The NESCC achievement test scores were compared with the test scores of CMC and of the average examinee in the national level. The NESCC achievement test scores of the pupils of Canossa College and Central Mindanao College were provided by the BEE-DECS. These tests were administered to the pupils at the end of the school year by BEE researchers. The scores were subjected to statistical analysis at the Statistical Education Center located at De La Salle University. To determine any significant difference in the mean achievement test scores of the Canossa College tryout class and the tryout class of CMC for each of the subjects, sibika at kultura/HEKASI, English, mathematics, Pilipino, and science and health, one way analysis of variance test was used. The study revealed that there was no complete congruence between the intended and the actual implementation of the NESC at Canossa College that the NESC as implemented at Canossa College could be considered effective based on the Canossa College pupils\u27 mean achievement test scores which were generally higher than those of the national level and of CMC and that the modifications done by Canossa College could be continued in its future implementation of the NESC in accordance with the needs and thrust of the school. The Canossa College NESC pupils however, were weak in HEKASI, science and mathematics when evaluated on the basis of their performance in the other subject areas. The results of the study suggested that Canossa College should continue offering in-service training to the teachers in the implementation of the NESC with special focus on the teaching of HEKASI and science that remedial classes in HEKASI and Science be offered to the pupils during summer the difficult Pilipino words in HEKASI be integrated in the teaching of Pilipino, and that modifications made by Canossa College in the implementation of the NESC be continued

Implementing an egg candling process using image comparison techniques

Candling is a method used in embryology to study the growth and development of an embryo inside an egg. The method uses a bright light source behind the egg to show details through the shell, and is so called because the original sources of light use were candles. The technique of using light to examine is used in the egg industry to assess the potency of eggs whether it is fertile of infertile. The project generally will focus on the sorting of good and bad eggs, hatch-able or not, through an Egg Candling process. The project leans on the Digital Image Processing which includes capturing images from the egg and analyzing it through a template store within the Personal Computer. Based on the gathered data, the system was able to achieve an accuracy of 91.67% and a candling rate of 13.25 per minute. To increase the rate of candling, the system should be implemented in a large scale application and to implement multiple cameras

Effect of low vitamin a status on fat deposition and fatty acid desaturation in beef cattle

The original publication can be found at www.springerlink.comA group of Angus beef cattle was removed from temperate pastures and fed a very low β-carotene cereal-based ration in a feedlot for over 300 d. Half the group was supplemented weekly with retinyl palmitate (at the rate of 60,000 IU vitamin A/100 live weight (LW)/day), sufficient to offset clinical vitamin A deficiency; the other half received no supplement. Blood was sampled from all animals at biweekly intervals to assess β-carotene and vitamin A status. Adipose tissue was sampled by biopsy on three occasions throughout the experimental period and at slaughter to assess FA composition. Muscle was sampled at slaughter to determine the intramuscular fat content. The mean plasma concentration of β-carotene of all animals fell from an initial value of 20.1 to 5.2 μg/mL at 14 d, to 1.4 μg/mL at 35 d, and to zero at 105 d. Mean vitamin A in plasma was not significantly different between the treatment groups initially. The values then rose to almost twice their initial values by 35 d, but subsequently fell to below initial values by day 119. Thereafter, plasma vitamin A of the supplemented group was significantly greater than that of the unsupplemented group (P<0.05). Muscle samples at slaughter from supplemented animals contained significantly (P<0.01) more intramuscular lipid (13.0 vs. 9.6%). Major changes occurred over time in FA composition in both groups. Saturated FA decreased as monounsaturated FA increased over the first 60 d. An index of desaturation of FA was significantly lower (P<0.001) in the vitamin A-supplemented group than in the nonsupplemented group. M.P. of the adipose tissue of nonsupplemented animals was 32.3°C, significantly less (P<0.05) than that of supplemented animals (34.1°C). Feeding vitamin A was associated with less intramuscular fat but with a less desirable (less unsaturated, more solid) FA profile.B. D. Siebert, Z. A. Kruk, J. Davis, W. S. Pitchford, G. S. Harper, C. D. K. Bottem