Effects of intrathecal opioids use in cesarean section on breastfeeding and newborns’ weight gaining

Objective: To assess the association between intrapartum intrathecal opioid use and breastfeeding and weight gain following cesarean section. Materials and methods: The prospective double-blinded study was conducted on term pregnant women, undergoing elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. They divided into two groups. In the first group, intrathecal Morphine was used to achieve analgesia during or after the operation. The remainder divided into two subgroups, those who did not receive any opioid or those received systemic opioids. Following labor breastfeeding accessed in a follow-up, two month latter. Results: There was no difference between the demographic variables of the mothers and newborns APGAR score and weight at the time of birth. Breastfeeding rate was similar in intrathecal group in compare with other patents (P value = 0.518). While, the infants’ weight at the end of second month was lower in spinal opioid group (P value = 0.036). Conclusion: The present study was the first to suggest that spinal (intrathecal) opioids do not have any impact on breastfeeding. However the relationship between spinal anesthesia on weight gaining needs more investigation

Predicting movements of onsite workers and mobile equipment for enhancing construction site safety

Tens of thousands of time-loss injuries and deaths are annually reported from the construction sector, and a high percentage of them are due to the workers being struck by mobile equipment on sites. In order to address this site safety issue, it is necessary to provide proactive warning systems. One critical part in such systems is to locate the current positions of onsite workers and mobile equipment and also predict their future positions to prevent immediate collisions. This paper proposes novel Kalman filters for predicting the movements of the workers and mobile equipment on the construction sites. The filters take the positions of the equipment and workers estimated from multiple video cameras as input, and output the corresponding predictions on their future positions. Moreover, the filters could adjust their predictions based on the worker or equipment's previous movements. The effectiveness of the filters has been tested with real site videos and the results show the high prediction accuracy of the filters

Innovation of a new silicone prosthesis for inguinal hernioplasty : new method for silicone prosthesis production, a preliminary study

Purpose: The main strategy in inguinal hernia repair is mesh hernioplasty (specially prolene mesh): Pain in anterior femoral, inguinal and scrotal-areas, Mainly due to sensory-nerve-injury in the very regions and was deferen injury are the-main complications reported following repairing inguinal hernia. In:this study we decided to use semiliquid silicone in order to form it in an in-vivo prosthesis production method to perform hernioplasty. Methods: In this technique, silicone Was produced through Room Temperature Vulcanization (RTV) technique, which is feasible in the; room temperature. The produced semiliquid polymer was shaped in the inguinal canal in six cadavers. Result : While the prostheses adequately covered all the anatomic area Of the canal with an acceptable thickness in all of the cases, a Satisfactory shape was developed in four cases. While 15-20 cc of silicone was-needed to cover all anatomic areas properly the hardness equal to 15 was achieved after curing process. Conclusion: New silicone prosthesis forms satisfyingly in the, inguinal canal and can protect it by encapsulation mechanism. It is soft with no risk of damage to the nerves or vat. It is inert and has no toxicity to the adjacent tissue. This technique of silicone remodeling can also be used in other fields of surgery such as plastic or vascular surgery

Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory findings, and outcomes of disseminated tuberculosis in Tehran, Iran

Background: Disseminated tuberculosis (TB) accounts for 1 to 3% of all TB cases. This retrospective study reviews the clinical, radiological, laboratory findings and Outcome in patients with disseminated tuberculosis in an endemic area. Methods: Medical records were reviewed for patients with disseminated TB admitted to two tertiary centers in Tehran, Iran between 1999 and 2006. Results: Fifty patients were found to have disseminated TB. A miliary pattern was documented in the chest x-ray of 34 patients. Hematologic abnormalities including anemia, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia were frequently observed. Death Occurred in nine of the cases. The mortality rate was significantly higher in diabetic patients, injection drug users, and patients with hematologic abnormalities; however, steroid usage and human immunodeficiency virus infection were not significantly associated with a higher mortality rate. Clinical improvement occurred in 41 patients following treatment. Conclusion: Disseminated TB could have different manifestations. Hematologic abnormalities are common and are considered poor prognostic signs in these patients