Corrected Scoliosis, Cholinesterase Deficiency, and Cesarean Section: A Case Report

We describe a patient with severe scoliosis for which corrective surgery was performed at the age of 12. During a previous caesarean section under general anaesthesia pseudocholinesterase deficiency was discovered. Ultrasound guided spinal anaesthesia was performed enabling a second caesarean section under loco-regional anaesthesia

Kicker impedance measurements for the future multiturn extraction of the CERN Proton Synchrotron

In the context of the novel multi-turn extraction, where charged particles are trapped into stable islands in transverse phase space, the ejection of five beamlets will be performed by means of a set of three new kickers. Before installing them into the machine, a measurement campaign has been launched to evaluate the impedance of such devices. Two measurement techniques were used to try to disentangle the driving and detuning impedances. The first consists in measuring the longitudinal impedance for different transverse offsets using a single displaced wire. The sum of the transverse driving and detuning impedances is then deduced applying Panofsky- Wenzel theorem. The second uses two wires excited in opposite phase and yields the driving transverse impedance only. Finally, the consequences on the beam dynamics are also analyzed

Tumour hypoxia causes DNA hypermethylation by reducing TET activity

Hypermethylation of the promoters of tumour suppressor genes represses transcription of these genes, conferring growth advantages to cancer cells. How these changes arise is poorly understood. Here we show that the activity of oxygen-dependent ten-eleven translocation (TET) enzymes is reduced by tumour hypoxia in human and mouse cells. TET enzymes catalyse DNA demethylation through 5-methylcytosine oxidation. This reduction in activity occurs independently of hypoxia-associated alterations in TET expression, proliferation, metabolism, hypoxia-inducible factor activity or reactive oxygen species, and depends directly on oxygen shortage. Hypoxia-induced loss of TET activity increases hypermethylation at gene promoters in vitro. In patients, tumour suppressor gene promoters are markedly more methylated in hypoxic tumour tissue, independent of proliferation, stromal cell infiltration and tumour characteristics. Our data suggest that up to half of hypermethylation events are due to hypoxia, with these events conferring a selective advantage. Accordingly, increased hypoxia in mouse breast tumours increases hypermethylation, while restoration of tumour oxygenation abrogates this effect. Tumour hypoxia therefore acts as a novel regulator of DNA methylatio

Recommendations for effective documentation in regional anesthesia: an expert panel Delphi consensus project

Background and objectives: Documentation is important for quality improvement, education, and research. There is currently a lack of recommendations regarding key aspects of documentation in regional anesthesia. The aim of this study was to establish recommendations for documentation in regional anesthesia. Methods: Following the formation of the executive committee and a directed literature review, a long list of potential documentation components was created. A modified Delphi process was then employed to achieve consensus amongst a group of international experts in regional anesthesia. This consisted of 2 rounds of anonymous electronic voting and a final virtual round table discussion with live polling on items not yet excluded or accepted from previous rounds. Progression or exclusion of potential components through the rounds was based on the achievement of strong consensus. Strong consensus was defined as ≥75% agreement and weak consensus as 50%-74% agreement. Results: Seventy-seven collaborators participated in both rounds 1 and 2, while 50 collaborators took part in round 3. In total, experts voted on 83 items and achieved a strong consensus on 51 items, weak consensus on 3 and rejected 29. Conclusion: By means of a modified Delphi process, we have established expert consensus on documentation in regional anesthesia

Performance validation of the upgraded PSB Transfer Kicker BT2.KFA20

In the framework of the LHC Injector Upgrade (LIU) project [1], the CERN PSB Transfer Kicker KFA20 pulse power generator has been modified, as done for the Transfer Kicker KFA10 pulse power generator, in order to be compatible with the extraction kinetic energy increase of the PSB from 1.4 to 2.0 GeV. This paper describes the implemented changes for 2.0 GeV operation and the results of the magnetic measurements