Cytogenetic and Reproductive studies of Bulls Born Co-Twin to Freemartins

International audienc

Seven Years of ACTS Technology Verification Experiments Reviewed

The Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) was designed to achieve a 99.5-percent system availability rate and signals with less than one error in 10(exp 7) bits throughout the continental United States. To accomplish such a high rate of system availability, ACTS uses multiple narrow hopping beams and very small aperture terminal (VSAT) technology. In addition, ACTS uses an adaptive rain fade compensation protocol to reduce the negative effects of propagation on the system. To enhance knowledge on how propagation and system variances affect system availability, researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field performed technology verification experiments over a 7-yr period (from September 1993 to the present). These experiments include T1VSAT System Availability, Statistical Rain Fade Compensation Characterization, Statistical Characterization of Ka-Band Propagation Effects on Communication Link Performance, and Multibeam Antenna Performance

Effective dose and effective risk from post-SPECT imaging of the lumbar spine

Purpose Planar bone scans play an important role in the staging and monitoring of malignancy and metastases. Metastases in the lumbar spine are associated with significant morbidity, therefore accurate diagnosis is essential. Supplementary imaging after planar bone scans is often, required to characterise lesions, however, this is associated with additional radiation dose. This paper provides information on the comparative effective dose and effective risk from supplementary lumbar spine radiographs, low-dose CT (LDCT) and diagnostic CT (DCT). Method Organ dose was measured in a phantom using thermo-luminescent dosimeters. Effective dose and effective risk were calculated for radiographs, LDCT, and DCT imaging of the lumbar spine. Results Radiation dose was 0.56mSv for the antero-posterior and lateral lumbar spine radiographs, 0.80mSv for LDCT, and 3.78mSv for DCT. Additional imaging resulted in an increase in effective dose of 12.28%, 17.54% and 82.89%for radiographs, LDCT and DCT respectively. Risk of cancer induction decreased as age increased. The difference in risk between the modalities also decreased. Males had a statistically significant higher risk than female patients (p=0.023) attributed to the sensitive organs being closer to the exposed area. Conclusion Effective Dose for LDCT is comparable to radiographs of the lumbar spine. Due to the known benefits image fusion brings it is recommended that LDCT replace radiographs imaging for characterisation of lumbar spine lesions identified on planar bone scan. DCT is associated with significantly higher effective dose than LDCT. Effective risk is also higher and the difference is more marked in younger female patients

Incomplete ovarian tissue removal in female dogs and cats

Incomplete ovariectomy (IO) is the unintentional partial or complete lack of removal of one or both ovaries during an ovariohysterectomy or ovariectomy procedure, and is often referred to as ‘ovarian remnant syndrome’. It usually has a clear clinical presentation, although there are a number of other conditions that may have similar presenting signs. In female cats and dogs these include: non-oestrous mounting behaviour, non-oestrous vulval discharge and, solely in bitches, sexual interest from males and iatrogenic pseudopregnancy. This article considers the causes, presentation, methods of diagnosis and management of IO in bitches and queens

Treatment of Distal Radius Fractures in Patients Over 80 Years of Age: Functional Outcomes After Open Reduction and Internal Fixation versus Nonoperative Treatment

INTRODUCTION Distal radius fractures are one of the most common fractures seen in the elderly. With the younger physiological age of patients over 60 years, the expectation of functional outcomes is changing. The management of distal radius fractures in the elderly patient, especially those over the age of 80, has not been well defined. The purpose of this study was to compare operative to nonoperative treatment of distal radius fractures in patients older than 80 years to determine if there is any difference in functional outcomes or complications. METHODS A retrospective review was performed to identify patients 80 years or older who were treated for a distal radius fracture with either open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) or nonsurgical management. Medical records were reviewed for demographics, past medical history, and functional outcomes including wrist range of motion, quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Elbow (DASH), VAS pain scores, and complications. RESULTS There were 237 patients in the operative cohort and 458 patients in the nonoperative cohort. Average age was 84 years in the operative and 86 years in the nonoperative groups. Wrist flexion was significantly better in the operative cohort; 50 versus 45 degrees in the nonoperative group. The remainder of wrist range of motion was not different between the two groups. The quick DASH at final follow-up in the operative cohort was significantly better than the nonoperative group; 26 versus 45. Complications were similar in both groups. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION Distal radius fractures in patients older than 80 years of age treated with ORIF have superior functional outcomes and comparable complication rates than those treated nonoperatively. Increased functionality of the elderly and updated implant design make surgical management of these fractures an effective treatment that leads to improved outcomes in patients over 80 years of age

Dewetting of thin polymer films near the glass transition

Dewetting of ultra-thin polymer films near the glass transition exhibits unexpected front morphologies [G. Reiter, Phys. Rev. Lett., 87, 186101 (2001)]. We present here the first theoretical attempt to understand these features, focusing on the shear-thinning behaviour of these films. We analyse the profile of the dewetting film, and characterize the time evolution of the dry region radius, $R_{d}(t)$, and of the rim height, $h_{m}(t)$. After a transient time depending on the initial thickness, $h_{m}(t)$ grows like $\sqrt{t}$ while $R_{d}(t)$ increases like $\exp{(\sqrt{t})}$. Different regimes of growth are expected, depending on the initial film thickness and experimental time range.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures Revised version, published in Physical Review Letters: F. Saulnier, E. Raphael and P.-G. de Gennes, Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 196101 (2002

Inter-rater reliability of a reflective rubric to assess pharmacy students’ reflective thinking

© 2017 Elsevier Inc. Introduction Many health education programs aspire to foster reflective practices to enhance the reflective thinking of students during their study years and throughout their professional careers. Given the increasing attention paid to incorporating reflective practice activities into health education and evidence attributed to rater variability, it is important for educators to carefully consider the assessment criteria and reliability of assessment tools. A reflective rubric was developed to assess pharmacy students’ levels of reflection from a reflective writing task. This study investigates the inter-rater reliability (IRR) of a rubric as a tool to assess the levels of reflective thinking apparent in students’ written statements. Methods The research involved four raters from different disciplines utilizing a rubric to assess a random sample of the same forty-three reflective statements from a cohort of two hundred and sixty-four students. The IRR was measured using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), using a two-way random effects model (ANOVA) with absolute agreement, to determine reliability of the assessment tool among the raters. Results Results showed measures between the raters for (i) overall reflective statement scores, and (ii) average scores for stages of reflection with an “almost perfect” agreement, ICC = 0.81 (95% CI 0.61–0.90), (F(42, 126) = 7.83, p < 0.01); and ICC = 0.89 (95% CI 0.83–0.93), (F(42, 840) = 12.49, p < 0.01) respectively. Discussion and conclusions The proposed rubric utilized by four raters showed high agreement with each other's scores, and is a tool for academic assessment of pharmacy students’ reflective thinking processes

Pheochromocytoma presenting as recurrent urinary tract infections : a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Pheochromocytomas are rare, potentially fatal, neuroendocrine tumors of the adrenal medulla or extra-adrenal paraganglia. Their clinical presentation varies greatly from the classic triad of episodic headache, diaphoresis and tachycardia to include a spectrum of non-specific symptomatology.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 43-year-old Caucasian woman was referred to us from primary care services with a three-month history of recurrent urinary tract infections on a background of hypertension, latent autoimmune diabetes of adulthood and autoimmune hypothyroidism. At 38 years she required insulin therapy. Despite medication compliance and dietary control, she reported a recent history of increased insulin requirements and uncontrolled hypertension with concomitant recurrent urinary tract infections. A renal ultrasound examination, to rule out underlying renal pathology, revealed an incidental 8cm right adrenal mass of both solid and cystic components. A subsequent computed tomography of her abdomen and pelvis confirmed a solid heterogeneous mass consistent with a pheochromocytoma. There were no other features suggestive of multiple endocrine neoplasia. Urinary collection over 24 hours revealed grossly elevated levels of catecholamines and metabolites. Following an open right adrenalectomy, our patient's insulin requirements were significantly reduced and her symptoms resolved. Two weeks post-operatively, an iodine-131-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy was negative for residual tumor and metastatic disease. Urinary catecholamine and metabolite concentrations were within the normal range at a follow-up six months later.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Pheochromocytoma is a rare catecholamine-producing tumor requiring a high index of suspicion for early diagnosis. Our case report serves to highlight the importance of considering pheochromocytoma as a differential diagnosis in the atypical setting of recurrent urinary tract infections and concomitant autoimmune disease.</p