Optimal point of insertion of the needle in neuraxial blockade using a midline approach: Study in a geometrical model

Performance of neuraxial blockade using a midline approach can be technically difficult. It is therefore important to optimize factors that are under the influence of the clinician performing the procedure. One of these factors might be the chosen point of insertion of the needle. Surprisingly few data exist on where between the tips of two adjacent spinous processes the needle should be introduced. A geometrical model was adopted to gain more insight into this issue. Spinous processes were represented by parallelograms. The length, the steepness relative to the skin, and the distance between the parallelograms were varied. The influence of the chosen point of insertion of the needle on the range of angles at which the epidural and subarachnoid space could be reached was studied. The optimal point of insertion was defined as the point where this range is the widest. The geometrical model clearly demonstrated, that the range of angles at which the epidural or subarachnoid space can be reached, is dependent on the point of insertion between the tips of the adjacent spinous processes. The steeper the spinous processes run, the more cranial the point of insertion should be. Assuming that the model is representative for patients, the performance of neuraxial blockade using a midline approach might be improved by choosing the optimal point of insertion

Increased incidence of thyroid cancer among world trade center first responders: A descriptive epidemiological assessment

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. An increased incidence of thyroid cancer among 9/11 rescue workers has been reported, the etiology of which remains unclear but which may, at least partly, be the result of the increased medical surveillance this group undergoes. This study aimed to investigate thyroid cancer in World Trade Center (WTC) responders by looking at the demographic data and questionnaire responses of thyroid cancer cases from the Mount Sinai WTC Health Program (WTCHP). WTCHP thyroid cancer tumors were of a similar size (p = 0.4), and were diagnosed at a similar age (p = 0.2) compared to a subset of thyroid cancer cases treated at Mount Sinai without WTC exposure. These results do not support the surveillance bias hypothesis, under which smaller tumors are expected to be diagnosed at earlier ages. WTCHP thyroid cancer cases also reported a past history of radiation exposure and a family history of thyroid conditions at lower rates than expected, with higher than expected rates of previous cancer diagnoses, family histories of other cancers, and high Body Mass Indexes (BMIs). Further research is needed to better understand the underlying risk factors that may play a role in the development of thyroid cancer in this group

Estimating population densities of the Australian sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) from catches in wind-oriented traps 1 The Late W

Summary An analysis of 2-hourly catches of the blowfly, Lucilia cuprina, in 10 wind-oriented fly traps on 34 trapping days (06.00 -18.00h

Deploying Learning Analytics for Awareness and Reflection in Online Scientific Experimentation

Recent trends in online learning, most notably Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Learning Analytics, are changing the landscape in the education sector by offering learners with access to free learning materials of high quality, as well as with the means to monitor their progress and reflect on their learning experiences. This part presents FORGE, a European initiative for online learning and experimentation via interactive learning resources. FORGE provides learners and educators with access to world-class experimentation facilities and high quality learning materials. Additionally, the deployment of Learning Analytics in the FORGE learning resources aims at supporting awareness and reflection both for learners and educators

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure and thyroid cancer risk

BACKGROUND: Although per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure is a potential contributor to the increasing thyroid cancer trend, limited studies have investigated the association between PFAS exposure and thyroid cancer in human populations. We therefore investigated associations between plasma PFAS levels and thyroid cancer diagnosis using a nested case-control study of patients with thyroid cancer with plasma samples collected at/before cancer diagnosis. METHODS: 88 patients with thyroid cancer using diagnosis codes and 88 healthy (non-cancer) controls pair-matched on sex, age (±5 years), race/ethnicity, body mass index, smoking status, and year of sample collection were identified in the BioMe population (a medical record-linked biobank at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York); 74 patients had papillary thyroid cancer. Eight plasma PFAS were measured using untargeted analysis with liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry and suspect screening. Associations between individual PFAS levels and thyroid cancer were evaluated using unconditional logistic regression models to estimate adjusted odds ratios (OR adj) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). FINDINGS: There was a 56% increased rate of thyroid cancer diagnosis per doubling of linear perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (n-PFOS) intensity (OR adj, 1.56, 95% CI: 1.17-2.15, P = 0.004); results were similar when including patients with papillary thyroid cancer only (OR adj, 1.56, 95% CI: 1.13-2.21, P = 0.009). This positive association remained in subset analysis investigating exposure timing including 31 thyroid cancer cases diagnosed ≥1 year after plasma sample collection (OR adj, 2.67, 95% CI: 1.59-4.88, P < 0.001). INTERPRETATION: This study reports associations between exposure to PFAS and increased rate of (papillary) thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer risk from PFAS exposure is a global concern given the prevalence of PFAS exposure. Individual PFAS studied here are a small proportion of the total number of PFAS supporting additional large-scale prospective studies investigating thyroid cancer risk associated with exposure to PFAS chemicals. FUNDING: National Institutes of Health grants and The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies

Giant Huang–Rhys Factor for Electron Capture by the Iodine Intersitial in Perovskite Solar Cells

Improvement in the optoelectronic performance of halide perovskite semiconductors requires the identification and suppression of nonradiative carrier trapping processes. The iodine interstitial has been established as a deep level defect and implicated as an active recombination center. We analyze the quantum mechanics of carrier trapping. Fast and irreversible electron capture by the neutral iodine interstitial is found. The effective Huang–Rhys factor exceeds 300, indicative of the strong electron–phonon coupling that is possible in soft semiconductors. The accepting phonon mode has a frequency of 53 cm–1 and has an associated electron capture coefficient of 1 × 10–10 cm3 s–1. The inverse participation ratio is used to quantify the localization of phonon modes associated with the transition. We infer that suppression of octahedral rotations is an important factor to enhance defect tolerance

Effectiviteit en welzijnsaspecten van kastvallen (verdrinkingsvallen) voor de bestrijding van schadelijke wilde knaagdieren

This report examines the effectiveness and animal welfare aspects of drowning traps for the control of harmful wild rodents, with special attention to the Ekomille or EKO1000 trap. The conclusion is that such systems can be effective in certain situations, but that the welfare impact of the Ekomille is estimated to be severe to extreme. This is because animals in the Ekomille drown consciously. When redesigning, manufacturers could pay attention to direct stunning of animals and/or shortening the time to loss of consciousness and/or death

Effect of deformation on components of internal stress tensor in grains of FCC-polycristal

Study of contributions of internal stress tensor components in deformed of austenitic steel was carriedout. The tensor components of internal stresses were determined with using bending extinction contours observing on electron microscope images of the steel

Are physical measures good indicators of clinical image quality at low dose levels? A pilot study

Background - For dose reduction actions, the principle of “image quality as good as possible” to “image quality as good as needed” requires to know whether the physical measures and visual image quality relate. Visual evaluation and objective physical measures of image quality can appear to be different. If there is no noticeable effect on the visual image quality with a low dose but there is a objective physical measure impact, then the overall dose may be reduced without compromising the diagnostic image quality. Low dose imaging can be used for certain types of observations, e.g. thoracic scoliosis, control after metal implantation for osteosynthesis, reviewing pneumonia and tuberculosis. Aim of the study - To determine whether physical measures of noise predict visual (clinical) image quality at low dose levels