Avoiding neuromuscular stimulation in liver irreversible electroporation using radiofrequency electric fields

Electroporation based treatments typically consist in applying high voltage dc pulses. As an undesired side effect, these dc pulses cause electrical stimulation of excitable tissues such as motor nerves. In the present in vivo study, it was explored the use of bursts of sinusoidal voltage in the frequency range from 50 kHz to 2 MHz to induce irreversible electroporation (IRE) whilst avoiding neuromuscular stimulation. Series of 100 dc pulses or sinusoidal bursts, both with an individual duration of 100 μs, were delivered to rabbit liver through thin needles in a monopolar electrode configuration and thoracic movements were recorded with an accelerometer. Tissue samples were harvested three hours after treatment and later postprocessed to determine the dimensions of the IRE lesions. Thermal damage due to Joule heating was ruled out via computer simulations. Sinusoidal bursts with a frequency equal or above 100 kHz did not cause thoracic movements and induced lesions equivalent to those obtained with conventional dc pulses when the applied voltage amplitude was sufficiently high. IRE efficacy dropped with increasing frequency. For 100 kHz bursts, it was estimated that the electric field threshold for IRE is about 1.4 kV/cm whereas that of dc pulses is about 0.5 kV/cm.This work was supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain through the grant TEC2014-52383-C3-R (TEC2014-52383-C3-2-R and TEC2014-52383-C3-3-R)

Male Midwives in France : An Example of Masculinizing a "Feminine" Profession?

International audienceOf 19,208 midwives polled in France in 2010, 349 were men. Based on interviews from a selected group of male midwives and midwifery students, as well as data from a recent study of the midwife profession in France, this study shows that the masculinity brought to this profession by male practitioners can be qualified as "respective masculinity." This theoretical perspective permits a broader consideration of the existing models that explain male presence in non-traditional professions. These models describe their presence as either a power struggle, a means by which to be promoted, or even as a possible questioning of male identity. Male midwives assert their masculinity by seeking autonomy in their work. They are able to work around the obstacle of showing empathy to female patients, typically considered a gendered predisposition. The case of male midwives shows the dynamics of masculinization when taking into account socio-professional contexts.Sur les 19208 sages-femmes exerçant en France en 2010, 349 étaient des hommes. Basé sur des entretiens à partir d'une sélection d'hommes et d'étudiants sages-femmes, ainsi que sur des données d'une étude récente portant sur la profession sage-femme en France, cette étude montre que la masculinité portée par ces praticiens masculins peut être qualifiés de " masculinité respectueuse ". Cette perspective théorique permet une réflexion plus large sur les modèles existants pouvant expliquer la présence des hommes dans des professions non traditionnellement masculine. Ces modèles décrivent leur présence soit comme une lutte de pouvoir, soit un moyen de promotion, ou comme une remise en cause possible de l'identité masculine. Ces sages-femmes affirment leur masculinité en cherchant l'autonomie dans leur travail. Ils sont aussi capables de contourner l'obstacle de l'empathie envers les parturientes, généralement considérée comme une prédisposition sexuée. Le cas des hommes sages-femmes montre qu'il indispensable de croiser les dynamiques de masculinisation avec le contexte socio-professionne

Neighborhood Outsiders, Field Insiders: Latino Immigrant Men and the Control of Public Space

 This paper examines how a group of primarily Latino immigrant men claim and control a sought-after and contested public soccer field in a West Los Angeles public park. In contrast to previous studies that took the stability, viability, and visibility of groups, and their claims, as given, this study examines how group boundaries become constructed and taken-for-granted in working out the use and control of public space. As this study reveals, control is premised on creating and sustaining meaningful distinctions between insiders and outsiders, which are far from self-evident in open gatherings. Control is also constructed through the enforcement of informal authority, which is inherently uncertain in public space, especially for stigmatized groups with no formal association to the area. By studying how social organization is repeatedly challenged and reconstructed on the playing field, this paper sheds new light onto how informal claims on public space are made and remade in the contemporary city.