A study on anatomical dimensions of bronchial tree

Background: The principle of minimal work requires that the conducting airways of human lungs should have a maximum radius for minimal resistance to gas flow. Malphigi et al said that the trachea terminated in dilated vesicle. The study of bronchial tree and their dimensions is useful in various aspects as to know the entry of foreign particles, to maintain posture for patients suffering from suppurative lung disorders. For anaesthetist to know the caliber of trachea for intubation, bronchoscopy. Bronchial anatomy is essential knowledge for thoracic surgeons in various surgical maneuvers.Methods: The study of bronchial tree is done in 20 pairs of lungs and the following are observed. Various dimensions like tracheal length, width, sub carinal angle, Length and diameter of principal bronchi from the level of bifurcation of trachea is noted with digital Vernier calipers and scale.Results: Though dimensional analysis of bronchi was studied, it shows no significance from earlier studies.  In the present study all the dimensions are within normal limits. Out of 20 pairs 6 specimens showed variations in the branching patterns.Conclusions: The results suggests that there are limited variations in the dimensional study, now a days bronchoscopy procedures  are  widely used in  diagnostic  and  therapeutic  purposes. The sub carinal angle indirectly helps in diagnosis of cardiovascular problems and for surgical resection of segments

More than just a side effect: Dynamic knee valgus and deadbug bridging performance in youth soccer players and alpine skiers have similar absolute values and asymmetry magnitudes but differ in terms of the direction of laterality

From a preventative perspective, leg axis and core stabilization capacities are important for soccer players and alpine skiers; however, due to different sport-specific demands, the role of laterality clearly differs and may result in functional long-term adaptations. The aims of this study are 1) to determine whether there are differences in leg axis and core stability between youth soccer players and alpine skiers and 2) between dominant and non-dominant sides, and 3) to explore the outcomes of applying common sport-specific asymmetry thresholds to these two distinct cohorts. Twenty-one highly trained/national-level soccer players (16.1 years, 95% CI: 15.6, 16.5) and 61 alpine skiers (15.7 years, 95% CI: 15.6, 15.8) participated in this study. Using a marker-based 3D motion capture system, dynamic knee valgus was quantified as the medial knee displacement (MKD) during drop jump landings, and core stability was quantified as the vertical displacement during deadbug bridging exercise (DBB $_{displacement}$ ). For the analysis of sports and side differences, a repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance was used. For the interpretation of laterality, coefficients of variation (CV) and common asymmetry thresholds were applied. There were no differences in MKD or DBB $_{displacement}$ between soccer players and skiers or between the dominant and non-dominant sides, but there was an interaction effect side*sports for both variables (MKD: p = 0.040, η$^{2}$ p = 0.052; DBB $_{displacement}$ : p = 0.025, η$^{2}$ p = 0.061). On average, MKD was larger on the non-dominant side and DBB $_{displacement}$ laterality on the dominant side in soccer players, whereas this pattern was reversed in alpine skiers. Despite similar absolute values and asymmetry magnitudes of dynamic knee valgus and deadbug bridging performance in youth soccer players and alpine skiers, the effect on the direction of laterality was opposite even though much less pronounced. This may imply that sport-specific demands and potential laterality advantages should be considered when dealing with asymmetries in athletes

MTPpilot: An Interactive Software for Visualization of Next-Generation Sequencing Results in Molecular Tumor Boards

PURPOSE Comprehensive targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels are routinely used in modern molecular cancer diagnostics. In molecular tumor boards, the detected genomic alterations are often discussed to decide the next treatment options for patients with cancer. With the increasing size and complexity of NGS panels, the discussion of these results becomes increasingly complex, especially if they are reported in a text-based form, as it is the standard in current molecular pathology. METHODS We have developed the Molecular Tumor Profiling pilot (MTPpilot) webservice using HTML, PHP, JavaScript, and MySQL to support the clinical discussion of NGS results at molecular tumor boards. RESULTS MTPpilot integrates various public genome, network, and cancer mutation databases with interactive visualization tools to assess the functional impact of mutations and support clinical decision making at tumor boards. CONCLUSION MTPpilot is tailored for discussion of NGS gene panel results at molecular tumor boards. It is freely available as a webservice at MTPpilot

Patellar Tendon Shear Wave Velocity Is Higher and has Different Regional Patterns in Elite Competitive Alpine Skiers than in Healthy Controls

Competitive alpine skiers are exposed to enormous forces acting on their bodies-particularly on the knee joint and hence the patellar tendon - during both the off-season preparation and in-season competition phases. However, factors influencing patellar tendon adaptation and regional pattern differences between alpine skiers and healthy controls are not yet fully understood, but are essential for deriving effective screening approaches and preventative countermeasures. Thirty elite competitive alpine skiers, all members of the Swiss Alpine Ski Team, and 38 healthy age-matched controls were recruited. A set of two-dimensional shear wave elastography measurements of the PT was acquired and projected into three-dimensional space yielding a volumetric representation of the shear wave velocity profile of the patellar tendon. Multivariate linear models served to quantify differences between the two cohorts and effects of other confounding variables with respect to regional shear wave velocity. A significant (p < 0.001) intergroup difference was found between skiers (mean ± SD = 10.4 ± 1.32 m/s) and controls (mean ± SD = 8.9 ± 1.59 m/s). A significant sex difference was found within skiers (p = 0.024), but no such difference was found in the control group (p = 0.842). Regional SWV pattern alterations between skiers and controls were found for the distal region when compared to the mid-portion (p = 0.023). Competitive alpine skiers exhibit higher SWV in all PT regions than healthy controls, potentially caused by long-term adaptations to heavy tendon loading. The presence of sex-specific differences in PT SWV in skiers but not in controls indicates that sex effects have load-dependent dimensions. Alterations in regional SWV patterns between skiers and controls suggest that patellar tendon adaptation is region specific. In addition to the implementation of 3D SWE, deeper insights into long-term tendon adaptation and normative values for the purpose of preventative screening are provided

Zusammenhänge zwischen metabolischen Profilen und 4 Bestandsbetreuung-Scores bei Milchkühen: Statistische Analyse anhand eines additiven Bayesian Netzwerkes

Gegenstand und Ziel: Die vorliegende Arbeit hatte das Ziel, mit Hilfe eines Bayesian Netzwerkes den Zusammenhang zwischen metabolischen Profilen und verschiedenen, in der Bestandsbetreuung von Milchkühen üblicherweise gebrauchten Scores zu objektivieren. Es wurde untersucht, ob zwischen den metabolischen Blutprofilen und dem Body Condition Score (BCS), dem Rumen Filling Score (RFS), dem Faeces Condition Score (FCS) und dem Undigested Fraction Score (UFS) auf Herdenbasis ein Zusammenhang besteht und ob die Bestandsscores das metabolische Profil zu ersetzen vermögen. Material und Methoden: Mittels blutchemischer Untersuchungen wurden von jeweils mindestens 10 Milchkühen aus 10 Betrieben, insgesamt 106 Proben, ein metabolisches Profil in den verschiedenen Leistungssphasen erstellt. Diese wurden oben angeführten Scores bei denselben Kühen gegenübergestellt. Aus den Daten wurde ein additives Bayesian Netzwerk erstellt. Ergebnisse Im additiven Bayesian Netzwerk war ersichtlich, dass die Glukosekonzentration im Blut direkt auf die Kotkonsistenz (FCS) einwirkte. Es bestand eine Einwirkung des β-Hydroxybutyrat (BHB) auf die freien Fettsäuren (FFS). Der Harnstoff beeinflusste Phosphor im Blut wie auch die Glutamat-Oxalacetat-Transaminase (GOT). Der Harnstoff beeinflusste auch Kalzium im Blut und dieses dann Magnesium im Blut. Ein Zusammenhang des RFS mit dem BCS und einer erhöhten Leberaktivität wurde festgestellt. Die Glutathionperoxidase (GSH-Px), welche als Parameter für die Selenversorgung des Rindes herangezogen wird, hatte keinen signifikanten Zusammenhang mit den anderen gemessenen Parametern. Die GSH-Px und UFS standen isoliert im Modell. Schlussfolgerung Durch die Anwendung eines multidimensionalen Modells, speziell eines additiven Bayesian Netzwerks, konnten Zusammenhänge zwischen Parametern von metabolischen Profilen und 4 Scoring-Systemen der Bestandsbetreuung von Milchkühen offengelegt werden. Mit diesen Zusammenhängen können die untersuchten 4 Scoring-Systeme effektiver in der Bestandsbetreuung eingesetzt werden. Klinische Relevanz: Es bestehen Zusammenhänge zwischen metabolischen Profilen und Gesundheitsscores. Letztere sind schneller verfügbar und kostengünstiger. Bei Milchkühen mit metabolischen Erkrankungen oder Fruchtbarkeitsstörungen ersetzt das Scoring eine detaillierte Auswertung mittels metabolischer Profile nicht

Believing in Credibility Measures: Reviewing Credibility Measures in Media Research From 1951 to 2018

Although credibility has been a key concept in communication research for decades, there still is no consensus on its conceptualization and measurement. Indeed, scholars have criticized the lack of theory-driven approaches, conceptual inconsistencies between sub-constructs of credibility, and the problems of applying them to the contemporary media environment. This literature review of quantitative studies of credibility published between 1951 and 2018 explores state-of-the-art definitions and measures of credibility (N = 259). While most studies make a conceptual distinction between source, media, and message credibility, measurement scales do not follow this traditional trinity. Instead, we propose moving toward a dual-credibility model

Evaluation der nationalen Strategie zur Bekämpfung der Tuberkulose 2012-2017

A b s t r a c t Die nationale Strategie zur Bekämpfung der Tuberkulose wurde 2012 vom Bundesamt für Gesundheit (BAG) lanciert. Die Evaluation hat gezeigt, dass sich die Strategie weitgehend an bewährten Strukturen, Prozessen und Massnahmen zur Bekämpfung der Tuberkulose orientiert. Sie hat entsprechend weder grosse Veränderungen in der Umsetzung noch bei den Risikogruppen sowie Fachleuten im Kontakt mit dieser Zielgruppe ausgelöst. Die Strategie hat vor allem einen ideellen Mehrwert. Die Strategie entspricht einem Bedürfnis nach Legitimierung, Harmonisierung und Aufgabenklärung. Die Strategie ist in sich stimmig. Gemäss mehreren Befragten aus der Westschweiz hat die Strategie zu einer effizienteren TB-Bekämpfung in ihrem Kanton beigetragen. Der grösste Optimierungsbedarf betrifft das Asylwesen. Die Evaluation formuliert vier Empfehlungen: 1. Überführung der wichtigsten Strategieelemente in ein anwendungsfreundlicheres Dokument, 2. Nutzung wichtiger Erkenntnisse der Evaluation für die Entwicklung neuer Strategien, 3. Die überkantonale Zusammenarbeit in der TB-Bekämpfung stärken, 4. Optimierung der TB-Bekämpfung im Asylwesen, 5. Stärkung des Zugangs von Risikogruppen in Zusammenarbeit mit anderen Sektionen

Modular und 3D-gedruckt

Der Hauptkostenträger bei der Herstellung von Kunststoffbauteilen im Spritzgussverfahren ist die Herstellung der Spritzgussform. Besonders bei komplexen Geometrien fallen hohe Kosten und Herstellzeiten für gefräste und erodierte Formen an. Aus diesem Grund können Investitionen in Spritzgussformen fast ausschliesslich mit hohen Stückzahlen begründet werden