Contrast enhanced magneto-motive ultrasound in lymph nodes - modelling and pre-clinical imaging using magnetic microbubbles

Despite advances in MRI, the detection and characterisation of lymph nodes in rectal cancer remains complex, especially when assessing the response to neo-adjuvant treatment. An alternative approach is functional imaging, previously shown to aid characterization of cancer tissues. We report proof-of-concept of the novel technique Contrast-Enhanced Magneto-Motive Ultrasound (CE-MMUS) to recover information relating to local perfusion and lymphatic drainage, and interrogate tissue mechanical properties through magnetically induced tissue deformations. The feasibility of the proposed application was explored using a combination of pre-clinical ultrasound imaging and finite element analysis. First, contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging on one wild type mouse recorded lymphatic drainage of magnetic microbubbles after bolus injection. Second, preliminary CE-MMUS data were acquired as a proof of concept. Third, the magneto-mechanical interactions of a magnetic microbubble with an elastic solid were simulated using finite element software. Accumulation of magnetic microbubbles in the inguinal lymph node was verified using contrast enhanced ultrasound, with peak enhancement occurring 3.7 s post-injection. Preliminary CE-MMUS indicates the presence of magnetic contrast agent in the lymph node. The finite element analysis explores how the magnetic force is transferred to motion of the solid, which depends on elasticity and bubble radius, indicating an inverse relation with displacement. Combining magnetic microbubbles with MMUS could harness the advantages of both techniques, to provide perfusion information, robust lymph node delineation and characterisation based on mechanical properties. Clinical Relevance— Robust detection and characterisation of lymph nodes could be aided by visualising lymphatic drainage of magnetic microbubbles using contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging and magneto-motion, which is dependent on tissue mechanical properties

Women’s agency in living apart together: constraint, strategy and vulnerability

Recent research suggests that women can use living apart together (LAT) for a reflexive and strategic undoing of the gendered norms of cohabitation. In this article we examine this assertion empirically, using a representative survey from Britain in 2011 and follow-up interviews. First, we find little gender differentiation in practices, expectations, or attitudes about LAT, or reasons for LAT. This does not fit in with ideas of undoing gender. Secondly, in examining how women talk about LAT in relation to gender, we distinguish three groups of ‘constrained’, ‘strategic’ and ‘vulnerable’ female interviewees. All valued the extra space and time that LAT could bring, many welcomed some release from traditional divisions of labour, and some were glad to escape unpleasant situations created by partnership with men. However, for the constrained and vulnerable groups LAT was second best, and any relaxation of gendered norms was seen as incidental and inconsequential to their major aim, or ideal, of the ‘proper family’ with cohabitation and marriage. Rather, their agency in achieving this was limited by more powerful agents, or was a reaction to perceived vulnerability. While the strategic group showed more purposeful behaviour in avoiding male authority, agency remained relational and bonded. Overall we find that women, at least in Britain, seldom use LAT to purposefully or reflexively undo gender. Equally, LAT sometimes involves a reaffirmation of gendered norms. LAT is a multi-faceted adaption to circumstances where new autonomies can at the same time incorporate old subordinations, and new arrangements can herald conventional family forms

Contrast enhanced magneto-motive ultrasound in lymph nodes - modelling and pre-clinical imaging using magnetic microbubbles

Despite advances in MRI, the detection and characterisation of lymph nodes in rectal cancer remains complex, especially when assessing the response to neo-adjuvant treatment. An alternative approach is functional imaging, previously shown to aid characterization of cancer tissues. We report proof-of-concept of the novel technique Contrast-Enhanced Magneto-Motive Ultrasound (CE-MMUS) to recover information relating to local perfusion and lymphatic drainage, and interrogate tissue mechanical properties through magnetically induced tissue deformations. The feasibility of the proposed application was explored using a combination of pre-clinical ultrasound imaging and finite element analysis. First, contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging on one wild type mouse recorded lymphatic drainage of magnetic microbubbles after bolus injection. Second, preliminary CE-MMUS data were acquired as a proof of concept. Third, the magneto-mechanical interactions of a magnetic microbubble with an elastic solid were simulated using finite element software. Accumulation of magnetic microbubbles in the inguinal lymph node was verified using contrast enhanced ultrasound, with peak enhancement occurring 3.7 s post-injection. Preliminary CE-MMUS indicates the presence of magnetic contrast agent in the lymph node. The finite element analysis explores how the magnetic force is transferred to motion of the solid, which depends on elasticity and bubble radius, indicating an inverse relation with displacement. Combining magnetic microbubbles with MMUS could harness the advantages of both techniques, to provide perfusion information, robust lymph node delineation and characterisation based on mechanical properties. Clinical Relevance— Robust detection and characterisation of lymph nodes could be aided by visualising lymphatic drainage of magnetic microbubbles using contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging and magneto-motion, which is dependent on tissue mechanical properties

Flows of granular material in two-dimensional channels

Secondary cone-type crushing machines are an important part of the aggregate production process. These devices process roughly crushed material into aggregate of greater consistency and homogeneity. We apply a continuum model for granular materials (`A Constitutive Law For Dense Granular Flows', Nature 441, p727-730, 2006) to flows of granular material in representative two-dimensional channels, applying a cyclic applied crushing stress in lieu of a moving boundary. Using finite element methods we solve a sequence of quasi-steady fluid problems within the framework of a pressure dependent particle size problem in time. Upon approximating output quantity and particle size we adjust the frequency and strength of the crushing stroke to assess their impact on the output

Co-resident Parents and Young People Aged 15–34: Who Does What Housework?

Young adults are now more likely to co-reside with their parents than previous generations, but domestic work patterns among this family type are largely unexplored. This study addresses this issue using Australian Bureau of Statistics Time Use Surveys (1992, 1997, 2006) and Poisson–Gamma regression analyses. It examines patterns in and correlates of domestic labor in two-generation households in which young people aged 15–34 co-reside with their parents (n = 1,946 households comprised of 2,806 young people and 5,129 parents). It differentiates between routine indoor tasks (cooking, cleaning, laundry), non-routine tasks (outdoor work, household management and maintenance, car care) and grocery shopping. Predictors of more time in some domestic activities by young people include being in neither employment nor education/training (NEET), being older, having a single parent and being in a non-English speaking household (young women). Young people being NEET, or female, are associated with less cooking time for mothers, but in the main when young people do perform domestic activities, they do not relieve their parents of those same activities, suggesting more time is spent by the household in total

Die Vereinbarkeitsfrage für Männer: Welche Auswirkungen haben Elternzeiten und Teilzeitarbeit auf die Stundenlöhne von Vätern?

Studien zeigen, dass sich viele Väter in Deutschland wünschen, mehr Zeit mit ihren Kindern zu verbringen, dies aufgrund von langen Arbeitszeiten jedoch oft nicht umsetzen können. Elternzeit und Teilzeitarbeit könnten Optionen sein, die Vätern eine bessere Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf ermöglichen. Arbeitsmarkttheorien legen jedoch nahe, dass die Inanspruchnahme solcher Maßnahmen mit Lohneinbußen verbunden ist. Dementsprechend entscheiden sich derzeit viele Väter gegen diese Möglichkeiten zur Vereinbarkeit von Familie und Beruf, da sie finanzielle Einbußen und Karrierenachteile befürchten. Um zu überprüfen, inwieweit diese Erwartungen empirisch fundiert sind, untersucht diese Arbeit daher den Einfluss von Elternzeit und Teilzeitarbeit auf die Stundenlöhne von Vätern. Fixed Effects-Analysen auf Basis des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels (SOEP) 1991-2013 und Familien in Deutschland (FiD) 2010-2013 zeigen, dass Teilzeitarbeit mit Lohneinbußen verbunden ist. Eine Elternzeit wirkt sich hingegen nicht auf die Löhne von Vätern aus - unabhängig davon, ob Väter nur die beiden für sie reservierten Partnermonate oder eine längere Elternzeit in Anspruch nehmen. Die Ergebnisse deuten somit darauf hin, dass die gesetzliche Elternzeit Vätern einen Rahmen bietet, in dem sie sich stärker in ihren Familien engagieren können, ohne berufliche Nachteile zu erfahren.As previous research shows, many German fathers would like to spend more time with their children, but long working hours often restrict their opportunities to do so. Parental leave and part-time work could help fathers to reconcile work and family. Yet, labor market theories predict that using such family-friendly policies may lead to wage penalties. Hence, many fathers decide against using such policies because they fear that parental leave or part-time work will lead to financial penalties and career disadvantages. This article evaluates this concern by empirically examining the effect of parental leave and part-time work on fathers’ hourly wages. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) 1991-2013 and Families in Germany (FiD) 2010-2013, results from fixed-effects regression analyses show that part-time work is associated with wage penalties, but parental leave is not - irrespective of whether fathers only took the two months fathers’ quota or longer parental leaves. The results hence indicate that the German parental leave legislation enables fathers to spend more time with their children while protecting them from wage penalties at work

Dual-Earner Family Policies at Work for Single-Parent Families

Family dynamics are changing and single-parent families are becoming more common across countries. In their flagship report “Progress of the World’s Women, 2019–2020,” UN Women (2019) demonstrated that, contrary to popular belief, couples with children do not constitute a majority of all families, but rather there are many different types of families. Single parenthood is considered a “new social risk” in poverty and inequality (Bonoli, 2013). Therefore, policy makers and legislators have designed targeted policy specifically for single parents, such as targeted child benefits to single parents. In addition, legislation and social policy have been designed and implemented specifically for single parents, such as child support and family law such as child custody and shared residence. This study takes a different approach, based on the universalist argument that without adequate social protection that benefits all families, those families that are more vulnerable are often hit the hardest. We focus on family policies, and specifically we examine whether and to what extent single parents benefit from the same family policies that are available to all families with children