Metal drilling with portable hand drills

Study of metal drilling solves problems of excessive burring, oversized holes, and out-of-round holes. Recommendations deal with using the proper chemical coolants, applying the coolants effectively, employing cutting oils, and dissipating the heat caused by drilling

Preliminary Study on the Reliability of AFIX Tracker for Lip Print Examination

Lip prints have been proposed as a type of impression evidence with similar issues as fingerprints, but with greater scrutiny by the forensic community due to a lack of history in using this type of impression as evidence. A survey of 11 questions about lip print examination was sent to 63 members of the Chesapeake Bay Division of the International Association for Identification (CBD-IAI) to gather opinions from active forensic scientists in determining an appropriate direction for this study. The responses were presented at the spring CBD-IAI 2009 conference to generate more discussion and to achieve greater awareness. A method including glass slides, magnetic black powder with photography and tape lifting resulted. Phase I focused on intervariability with the collection of 300 impressions from 100 individuals. Phase II focused on intravariability. The 49 best donors from Phase I were selected for the collection of 6 lip prints on 5 different dates throughout 2 different seasons, fall and winter. In total, 1770 lip prints were collected in this study. In addition to promoting awareness for lip prints, the purpose of this study was to test the reliability of AFIX Tracker, a minutiae based system, for lip print individualization. Reproducible rules of mark-up were established for lip prints based on the author\u27s classification systems, frequency analyses, and experience with AFIX Tracker for fingerprint examination. Preliminary analysis resulted in the detection of 4 potentially useful minutiae , or unique identifying characteristics: bifurcations, diamonds, triangles, and middle horizontals. Each minutiae Type was tested via AFIX Tracker by the analysis of 10 individuals from Phase I. Focus was placed on the number of matched minutiae and match score corresponding to where False Positives (Type I errors) decrease and where False Negatives (Type II errors) increase. As a preliminary study, it cannot be said if all individuals produced different lip prints. In addition, the author cannot say if changes did or did not occur in lip print patterns with change in time. Future analysis will involve a more thorough approach to these issues

Lysine Effect on Ruthenium Red and Alcian Blue Preservation and Staining of the Staphylococcal Glycocalyx

The effect of lysine on ruthenium red (RR) and alcian blue (AB) preservation arid/or staining for transmission electron microscopy of glycocalyces was evaluated for three species of the gram-positive, coagulase-negative staphylococci. A RR and an AB procedure were compared with and without lysine included in the glutaraldehyde prefixation. Minimal or no glycocalyx was preserved or stained by glutaraldehyde fixation only. For all species, the inclusion of lysine increased visualization of fibrous material. RR treatment without lysine, results in sparse or limited fibrous material or artifactual condensations which contrasts with enhanced fibrous material seen when lysine is included with RR. The effect of lysine is also to enhance the visualization of staphylococcal glycocalyx by AB. Without lysine, condensed curved structures are consistently seen following AB processing. In contrast, extensive and elaborate glycocalyces are observed with inclusion of lysine with AB. Thus, ultrastructural visualization by RR and AB of the staphylococcal glycocalyx in the species studied was enhanced by use of lysine

Perioperative hair removal in the 21st century: utilizing an innovative vacuum-assisted technology to safely expedite hair removal before surgery.

Background: Perioperative hair removal using clippers requires lengthy cleanup to remove loose hairs contaminating the operative field. We compared the amount of hair debris and associated microbiologic contamination produced during clipping of surgical sites using standard surgical clippers (SSC) or clippers fitted with a vacuum-assisted hair collection device (SCVAD). Methods: Trained nurses conducted bilateral hair clipping of the chest and groin of 18 male subjects using SSC or SCVAD. Before and during clipping, measurements of particulate matter and bacterial contamination were evaluated on settling plates placed next to each subject’s chest and groin. Skin condition after clipping and total clipping/cleanup times were compared between SSC and SCVAD. Results: The microbial burden recovered from residual hair during cleanup in the SSC group was 3.9 log10 CFU and 4.6 log10 CFU from respective, chest, and groin areas. Use of the SCVAD resulted in a significant (P < .001) reduction in both residual hair and microbial contamination within the operative field compared with SSC. Conclusions: Use of SCVAD resulted in significant (P< .001) reduction in total time required to clip and clean up residual hair contaminating the operative field compared with standard practice (ie, SSC), eliminating the need to physically remove dispersed hairs, which can harbor a significant microbial burden, from within the operative field

Claiming but connected to work : Welfare at a (Social) Distance Rapid Report #1

This report presents the first findings from the Welfare at a (Social) Distance project, a major national research project investigating the benefits system during the COVID19 pandemic, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council as part of UK Research and Innovation’s rapid response to COVID-19. It draws upon a new survey of 2,364 new Universal Credit (UC)/Jobseekers’ Allowance (JSA) claimants (carried out between 25th May and 3rd June) to look at how far benefit claimants are connected to the world of work, helping to better understand the emerging picture from recent UK labour market statistics

Claiming But Connected to Work

This report presents the first findings from the Welfare at a (Social) Distance project, a major national research project investigating the benefits system during the COVID-19 pandemic, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council as part of UK Research and Innovation’s rapid response to COVID-19. It draws upon a new survey of 2,364 new Universal Credit (UC)/Jobseekers’ Allowance (JSA) claimants (carried out between 25th May and 3rd June) to look at how far benefit claimants are connected to the world of work, helping to better understand the emerging picture from recent UK labour market statistics

The first simultaneous pancreas, renal transplant in a patient with HIV in Australia

We report the first case of a simultaneous pancreas and renal transplantation, in Australia, in a 45 year old male with long standing human immunodeficiency virus infection, type 1 diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy requiring haemodialysis. This patient experienced previous virological failure and subsequent resistance to most nucleoside and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. However, using novel combinations of anti-retroviral agents, along with careful monitoring, successful outcomes were achieved during the peri and post transplantation period, with excellent pancreas and renal graft function at one year

Accelerated Electrons in Cassiopeia A: An Explanation for the Hard X-ray Tail

We propose a model for the hard X-ray (> 10 keV) emission observed from the supernova remnant Cas A. Lower hybrid waves are generated in strong (mG) magnetic fields, generally believed to reside in this remnant, by shocks reflected from density inhomogeneities. These then accelerate electrons to energies of several tens of keV. Around 4% of the x-ray emitting plasma electrons need to be in this accelerated distribution, which extends up to electron velocities of order the electron Alfven speed, and is directled along magnetic field lines. Bremsstrahlung from these electrons produces the observed hard x-ray emission. Such waves and accelerated electrons have been observed in situ at Comet Halley, and we discuss the viability of the extrapolation from this case to the parameters relevant to Cas A.Comment: 20 pages, 3 figures, aasTeX502, accepted in Ap