The Effect of Medetomidine on the Burying Speed of Corbicula fluminea

A new anti-fouling drug, medetomidine, was tested to determine if it reduced the burying speed of a freshwater alien-invasive bivalve species, Corbicula fluminea. Corbicula are known to damage underwater structures and must be managed with chemical paints. The burying speeds of Corbicula were measured both before and after exposure to two different concentrations of medetomidine. The burying speed of Corbicula before exposure to a 1x10-6 M medetomidine solution was not significantly different from the burying speed after exposure (t=.55, df=21, p=.588). The burying speed of Corbicula was significantly slower after exposure to a 1x10-5 M medetomidine solution than before exposure (t=4.08, df=8, p\u3c.01). The results of this study indicated that medetomidine could be effective against Corbicula at concentrations higher than 1x10-5 M due to sedation of the foot muscles involved with burying. If so, medetomidine could be a superior chemical for anti-fouling applications compared to older, more toxic compounds

Postoperative delirium after major orthopedic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative delirium (POD) is one of the most common complications in older adult patients undergoing elective surgery. Few studies have compared, within the same institution, the type of surgery, risk factors and type of anesthesia and analgesia associated with the development of POD. AIM: To investigate the following three questions: (1) What is the incidence of POD after non-ambulatory orthopedic surgery at a high-volume orthopedic specialty hospital? (2) Does surgical procedure influence incidence of POD after non-ambulatory orthopedic surgery? And (3) For POD after non-ambulatory orthopedic surgery, what are modifiable risk factors? METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted of all non-ambulatory orthopedic surgeries at a single orthopedic specialty hospital between 2009 and 2014. Patients under 18 years were excluded from the cohort. Patient characteristics and medical history were obtained from electronic medical records. Patients with POD were identified using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9) codes that were not present on admission. For incidence analyses, the cohort was grouped into total hip arthroplasty (THA), bilateral THA, total knee arthroplasty (TKA), bilateral TKA, spine fusion, other spine procedures, femur/pelvic fracture, and other procedures using ICD-9 codes. For descriptive and regression analyses, the cohort was grouped, using ICD-9 codes, into THA, TKA, spinal fusions, and all procedures. RESULTS: Of 78492 surgical inpatient surgeries, the incidence from 2009 to 2014 was 1.2% with 959 diagnosed with POD. The incidence of POD was higher in patients undergoing spinal fusions (3.3%) than for patients undergoing THA (0.8%); THA patients had the lowest incidence. Also, urgent and/or emergent procedures, defined by femoral and pelvic fractures, had the highest incidence of POD (7.2%) than all other procedures. General anesthesia was not seen as a significant risk factor for POD for any procedure type; however, IV patient-controlled analgesia was a significant risk factor for patients undergoing THA [Odds ratio (OR) = 1.98, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19 to 3.28, P = 0.008]. Significant risk factors for POD included advanced age (for THA, OR = 4.9, 95%CI: 3.0-7.9, P \u3c 0.001; for TKA, OR = 2.16, 95%CI: 1.58-2.94, P \u3c 0.001), American Society of Anesthesiologists score of 3 or higher (for THA, OR = 2.01, 95%CI: 1.33-3.05, P \u3c 0.001), multiple medical comorbidities, hyponatremia (for THA, OR = 2.36, 95%CI: 1.54 to 3.64, P \u3c 0.001), parenteral diazepam (for THA, OR = 5.05, 95%CI: 1.5-16.97, P = 0.009; for TKA, OR = 4.40, 95%CI: 1.52-12.75, P = 0.007; for spine fusion, OR = 2.17, 95%CI: 1.19-3.97, P = 0.01), chronic opioid dependence (for THA, OR = 7.11, 95%CI: 3.26-15.51, P \u3c 0.001; for TKA, OR = 2.98, 95%CI: 1.38-6.41, P = 0.005) and alcohol dependence (for THA, OR = 5.05, 95%CI: 2.72-9.37, P \u3c 0.001; for TKA, OR = 6.40, 95%CI: 4.00-10.26, P \u3c 0.001; for spine fusion, OR = 6.64, 95%CI: 3.72-11.85, P \u3c 0.001). CONCLUSION: POD is lower (1.2%) than previously reported; likely due to the use of multi-modal regional anesthesia and early ambulation. Both fixed and modifiable factors are identified

KMU und Arbeitsplatzdynamik: Eine Analyse auf Basis der Beschäftigten-Historik (SMEs and employment dynamics: an analysis based on the Employee History)

"This article uses the total population of firms, as contained in the Employee History ('Beschäftigten-Historik') of the IAB, to analyse the dynamics of employment in establishments of different size classes. This analysis is therefore the first of its kind to include all economic sectors for Germany. The results show that in 2005 approximately 69.6% of all employees subject to social security were working in small and medium-sized establishments with up to 250 employees. Furthermore, it becomes apparent that small and medium-sized firms contribute mostly to the reallocation of jobs and play an important role in the efficient allocation of labour. Our findings cast doubt on the traditional hypothesis that small and medium-sized firms are the main contributors to employment gains in the German economy. During the 2002-2005 period, characterized by a weak domestic economy, the number of employees liable to social security in large-scale enterprises decreased by 1.19%. All other segments of the firm population exhibited relatively larger losses." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en)) Additional Information Kurzfassung (deutsch) Executive summary (English)Klein- und Mittelbetrieb, job turnover, IAB-Beschäftigtenhistorik, Beschäftigungsentwicklung, sozialversicherungspflichtige Arbeitnehmer, zusätzliche Arbeitsplätze, Arbeitsplatzabbau, Unternehmensgründung, Beschäftigungseffekte, regionaler Vergleich, Beschäftigungsschwankung, Beschäftigtenzahl, Betriebsgröße, Betriebsstilllegung, Ostdeutschland, Westdeutschland, Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Treatment as required versus regular monthly treatment in the management of neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: To investigate whether treatment as required ‘pro re nata’ (PRN) versus regular monthly treatment regimens lead to differences in outcomes in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Regular monthly administration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors is an established gold standard treatment, but this approach is costly. Replacement of monthly by PRN treatment can only be justified if there is no difference in patient relevant outcomes. Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis. The intervention was PRN treatment and the comparator was monthly treatment with VEGF-inhibitors. Four bibliographic databases were searched for randomised controlled trials comparing both treatment regimens directly (head-to-head studies). The last literature search was conducted in December 2014. Risk of bias assessment was performed after the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Findings: We included 3 head-to-head studies (6 reports) involving more than 2000 patients. After 2 years, the weighted mean difference in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 1.9 (95% CI 0.5 to 3.3) ETDRS letters in favour of monthly treatment. Systemic adverse events were higher in PRN treated patients, but these differences were not statistically significant. After 2 years, the total number of intravitreal injections required by the patients in the PRN arms were 8.4 (95% CI 7.9 to 8.9) fewer than those having monthly treatment. The studies were considered to have a moderate risk of bias. Conclusions: PRN treatment resulted in minor but statistically significant decrease in mean BCVA which may not be clinically meaningful. There is a small increase in risk of systemic adverse events for PRN treated patients. Overall, the results indicate that an individualized treatment approach with anti-VEGF using visual acuity and OCT-guided re-treatment criteria may be appropriate for most patients with nAMD

KMU und Arbeitsplatzdynamik : eine Analyse auf Basis der Beschäftigten-Historik-Datei

"Im Beitrag wird die Grundgesamtheit der in der Beschäftigten-Historik des IAB erfassten Betriebe zur Analyse der Beschäftigungsdynamik in Betrieben unterschiedlicher Größe verwendet. Damit werden erstmals alle Sektoren der Wirtschaft in einer derartigen Analyse abgedeckt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass im Jahr 2005 etwa 69,6% der sozialversicherungspflichtig Beschäftigten in kleinen und mittleren Betriebe mit unter 250 Beschäftigten tätig waren. Weiterhin wird deutlich, dass überwiegend kleinere und mittlere Betriebe zur Reallokation von Arbeitsplätzen beitragen und somit für die effiziente Allokation des Faktors Arbeit eine wichtige Rolle einnehmen. Die Resultate lassen jedoch an der Hypothese zweifeln, dass insbesondere kleinere und mittlere Betriebe den Beschäftigungsmotor der deutschen Volkswirtschaft darstellen. So nahm im Zeitraum von 2002 bis 2005, gekennzeichnet durch eine schwache Binnenkonjunktur, die Zahl der sozialversicherungspflichtig Beschäftigten in westdeutschen Großbetrieben um 1,19% ab. Für alle anderen Segmente der Betriebspopulation finden sich - relativ betrachtet - höhere Rückgänge der Beschäftigung." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)Klein- und Mittelbetrieb, IAB-Beschäftigtenhistorik, Beschäftigungsentwicklung, Betriebsgröße, sozialversicherungspflichtige Arbeitnehmer, Westdeutschland, Ostdeutschland, Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Caloric Restriction Affects Liver Microsomal Monooxygenases Differentially in Aging Male Rats

Caloric restriction (CR) extends life span and retards the onset of physiological changes and pathologies associated with aging, but the underlying mechanisms remain unresolved. This study demonstrates that CR postpones the documented age-related declines in and/or enhances the activity and microsomal concentrations of several liver monooxygenases in male rats, i.e., NADPH cytochrome P-450 reductase, total cytochromes P-450. However, the relative concentration of cytochrome P-450b+c did not exhibit statistically significant changes, whereas another isozyme, the male specific P-450h, declined significantly in both ad libitum-fed and CR rats as a function of increasing age. While CR appears to retard age-associated changes in certain liver enzymes, this effect is by no means universal. The hepatic monooxygenases constitute a well-characterized enzyme system in which to examine the perturbation of the aging process by C

KMU und Arbeitsplatzdynamik: eine Analyse auf Basis der Beschäftigten-Historik-Datei

"Im Beitrag wird die Grundgesamtheit der in der Beschäftigten-Historik des IAB erfassten Betriebe zur Analyse der Beschäftigungsdynamik in Betrieben unterschiedlicher Größe verwendet. Damit werden erstmals alle Sektoren der Wirtschaft in einer derartigen Analyse abgedeckt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass im Jahr 2005 etwa 69,6 Prozent der sozialversicherungspflichtig Beschäftigten in kleinen und mittleren Betriebe mit unter 250 Beschäftigten tätig waren. Weiterhin wird deutlich, dass überwiegend kleinere und mittlere Betriebe zur Reallokation von Arbeitsplätzen beitragen und somit für die effiziente Allokation des Faktors Arbeit eine wichtige Rolle einnehmen. Die Resultate lassen jedoch an der Hypothese zweifeln, dass insbesondere kleinere und mittlere Betriebe den Beschäftigungsmotor der deutschen Volkswirtschaft darstellen. So nahm im Zeitraum von 2002 bis 2005, gekennzeichnet durch eine schwache Binnenkonjunktur, die Zahl der sozialversicherungspflichtig Beschäftigten in westdeutschen Großbetrieben um 1,19 Prozent ab. Für alle anderen Segmente der Betriebspopulation finden sich - relativ betrachtet - höhere Rückgänge der Beschäftigung." (Autorenreferat