This article considers the relation between infrastructural development and precarious work in the context of the electrification of a village in Northern Uganda. The case of a welder illustrates how ...partial electrification creates precarious conditions for work and how flexibility and creativity are used to mitigate its effects. In looking beyond precarity at the strategies employed by small‐scale business owners in Northern Uganda, this article aims to shed light on how people relate to infrastructural realities and play an active role in shaping the affordances and impact of infrastructures in the Global South.
New Nordic Food has within the last decade received much media coverage with chefs of top restaurants using wild plants for foods. As part of a control campaign, the Danish Veterinary and Food ...Administration visited 150 restaurants and local food producers from May-October 2016 and investigated their use of plants picked from the wild, cultivated in private gardens or market gardens. Among the species used were the flowers from 23 plants. Here we present a safety evaluation of these flowers based on published phytochemical investigations and toxicological data in humans, farm animals, pets, or experimental animals. Of the 23 flowers reviewed, nine contained compounds with toxic or potentially toxic effects if eaten, two contained unidentified toxic compound(s), and four were flowers from plants with potentially toxic compounds present in other plant parts or related species. Many of the flowers may be considered novel, since a use to a significant degree in Europe prior to 15 May 1997 before Regulation (EC) 258/97 on novel food and novel food ingredients came into force could not be established. In conclusion, this review illuminates a striking lack of chemical and toxicological data of many of the proposed wild or cultivated flowers for food use.
•Review of wild flowers used at restaurants shows a striking lack of safety data.•13 plants contained potential toxic compounds in the flowers or other plant parts.•Limited historical data on food use from ethnobotanical surveys.
Background
The number of elderly is increasing, and a large proportion of these people will require surgery and anaesthesia. However, little data exist regarding rocuronium in patients above 80 years ...of age. The aim of this study was to determine the onset time and duration of action for rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg in patients above 80 years compared with young adults.
Methods
This prospective observational study included 16 young (18‐40 years) and 16 elderly (>80 years) patients scheduled for total intravenous anaesthesia. Neuromuscular block following rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg was monitored with acceleromyography using train‐of‐four (TOF) stimulation. The primary outcome was onset time (from administration of rocuronium until TOF count = 0). Secondary outcomes were duration of action (from administration to TOF ratio >0.9) and intubating conditions according to Intubation Difficulty Score.
Results
Elderly patients, median age of 84 years, had significantly prolonged onset time compared to younger patients; median 135 seconds (135‐158) vs 90 seconds (90‐105), respectively, a mean difference of 82 seconds (40‐124) and Wilcoxon Mann‐Whitney odds (WMW) of 19.48 (7.48‐X). Duration of action in elderly patients was significantly longer, with a median time of 81 minute (71‐97) vs 53 minute (42‐73), respectively, a mean difference of 31 minute (14‐48), and WMW odds of 6.35 (2.59‐X). There was no significant difference in intubating conditions.
Conclusions
Patients above 80 years had significantly prolonged onset time and duration of action after rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg compared with patients aged 18‐40 years.
Land Use Regression (LUR) models have been used to describe and model spatial variability of annual mean concentrations of traffic related pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxides ...(NO x ) and particulate matter (PM). No models have yet been published of elemental composition. As part of the ESCAPE project, we measured the elemental composition in both the PM10 and PM2.5 fraction sizes at 20 sites in each of 20 study areas across Europe. LUR models for eight a priori selected elements (copper (Cu), iron (Fe), potassium (K), nickel (Ni), sulfur (S), silicon (Si), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn)) were developed. Good models were developed for Cu, Fe, and Zn in both fractions (PM10 and PM2.5) explaining on average between 67 and 79% of the concentration variance (R 2) with a large variability between areas. Traffic variables were the dominant predictors, reflecting nontailpipe emissions. Models for V and S in the PM10 and PM2.5 fractions and Si, Ni, and K in the PM10 fraction performed moderately with R 2 ranging from 50 to 61%. Si, NI, and K models for PM2.5 performed poorest with R 2 under 50%. The LUR models are used to estimate exposures to elemental composition in the health studies involved in ESCAPE.
Introduction: The concept of fast-track surgery (FTS) is a peri- and postoperative care concept developed to reduce length of hospital stay (LOS) and morbidity after surgery. FTS programmes have been ...reported from other surgical specialities, but there are few reports of FTS in plastic surgery. Materials and methods: Autologous breast reconstructions have been performed with abdominal free flaps since 1994. In 2006, an FTS program was introduced. Important changes in procedure were: early mobilisation, fewer/faster removal of drains and urinary catheter, discontinuation of epidural analgesia, planned early discharge, and multimodal opioid-sparing analgesia. The results from all unilateral, breast reconstructions in the first 5 years after the implementation of the FTS (n = 177) were compared to results prior to the FTS (n = 292). Flap type, operating time, blood loss and ischaemic time, LOS, early flap related and systemic complications (< 30 days) were analysed. Results: FTS significantly reduced mean LOS from 7.4 days to 6.2 days (p = 0.0002). When compared to pre-FTS results, similar flap types, operating time, blood loss and ischaemic time were found. LOS > 7 days were due to complications, the most common being haematoma. Prevalence of complications (6.5 vs 7.9%) and flap loss (2 vs 2%) did not increase. Haematomas seemed more frequent with the use of NSAID than with COX-2 inhibitors (9 vs 4%); however, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: By introducing a simple, peri- and postoperative care concept it is possible to reduce LOS after microsurgery by at least 1 day without an increase in complications or flap loss.
Land Use Regression (LUR) models have been used increasingly for modeling small-scale spatial variation in air pollution concentrations and estimating individual exposure for participants of cohort ...studies. Within the ESCAPE project, concentrations of PM2.5, PM2.5 absorbance, PM10, and PMcoarse were measured in 20 European study areas at 20 sites per area. GIS-derived predictor variables (e.g., traffic intensity, population, and land-use) were evaluated to model spatial variation of annual average concentrations for each study area. The median model explained variance (R 2) was 71% for PM2.5 (range across study areas 35–94%). Model R 2 was higher for PM2.5 absorbance (median 89%, range 56–97%) and lower for PMcoarse (median 68%, range 32– 81%). Models included between two and five predictor variables, with various traffic indicators as the most common predictors. Lower R 2 was related to small concentration variability or limited availability of predictor variables, especially traffic intensity. Cross validation R 2 results were on average 8–11% lower than model R 2. Careful selection of monitoring sites, examination of influential observations and skewed variable distributions were essential for developing stable LUR models. The final LUR models are used to estimate air pollution concentrations at the home addresses of participants in the health studies involved in ESCAPE.
•During the past century a lot of knowledge has been gained concerning hereditary ovarian cancer.•Several ovarian cancer susceptibility genes have been discovered within the past decades.•Expanding ...knowledge in the genetic field has led to preventive measures and treatment regimens for ovarian cancer patients.•In Denmark, the test panel used in screening for hereditary ovarian cancer risk currently includes ten genes.•More germline pathogenic variants will most likely be discovered and possibly added to the screening panel in the future.
The risk of ovarian, tubal, and peritoneal cancer is related to germline pathogenic variants, and over time, the number of known disease-associated genes has increased significantly. This study reviews the literature regarding the topic from a historical perspective. The aim is to present a timeline of the knowledge gained from the early 1900s until today. The findings are put into perspective by looking at the current gene panel used for screening for suspected hereditary ovarian cancer in Denmark compared to what is known internationally. In 1929, the first familial ovarian cancer incidents were registered, and in 1950, the involvement of a genetic component was suggested for the first time. During the 1970s, several studies reported an accumulation of ovarian cancer in certain families, and during this time, it was discovered that ovarian cancer was linked to both breast cancer and colorectal cancer. The inheritance of cancer disposition has been thoroughly investigated, leading to the discovery of the BRCA genes in the 1990s. Furthermore, new studies based on new genetic technologies have revealed several genes with germline pathogenic variants that increase the risk of ovarian cancer. The identification of these pathogenic variants has led to preventive measures and specific treatment of women with genetic disposition to ovarian cancer. In Denmark, consensus is to include at least ten genes in the screening panel for hereditary ovarian cancer, and in the future additional genes will probably be added.
Background
The aim of this quality assurance study was to determine the proportion of patients with residual block (train‐of‐four (TOF) ratio <0.9) upon conclusion of surgery after a bolus of ...cisatracurium 0.1 mg/kg. It was considered good quality if less than 10% of the study population had residual block upon conclusion of surgery.
Methods
A total of 40 patients ≤3 years of age scheduled for cleft lip and palate repair were consecutively enrolled. They received general anaesthesia with either sevoflurane and fentanyl (n = 20) or propofol and remifentanil (n = 20). TOF stimulation using acceleromyography was applied on the tibial nerve. Cisatracurium 0.1 mg/kg was administered to facilitate tracheal intubation.
Results
Three patients (8%; 95% CI: 1.7‐21) had a TOF ratio <0.9 at conclusion of surgery, all three receiving sevoflurane. In the sevoflurane group, this corresponded to 16% (95% CI: 3.3‐40) of the patients. Mean duration of action of cisatracurium 0.1 mg/kg was 119 minutes (SD 40) with sevoflurane and 73 minutes (SD 29) during total intravenous anaesthesia (P < .001). Onset time of cisatracurium 0.1 mg/kg was 166 seconds (SD 37) with sevoflurane and 199 seconds (SD 60) during total intravenous anaesthesia.
Conclusion
We found that 8% of the children had residual neuromuscular blockade (TOF ratio <0.9) after administration of a single bolus of cisatracurium 0.1 mg/kg but we cannot exclude that the true proportion is around 20%.
Mountain gorillas are particularly inbred compared to other gorillas and even the most inbred human populations. As mountain gorilla skeletal material accumulated during the 1970s, researchers noted ...their pronounced facial asymmetry and hypothesized that it reflects a population-wide chewing side preference. However, asymmetry has also been linked to environmental and genetic stress in experimental models. Here, we examine facial asymmetry in 114 crania from three
subspecies using 3D geometric morphometrics. We measure fluctuating asymmetry (FA), defined as random deviations from perfect symmetry, and population-specific patterns of directional asymmetry (DA). Mountain gorillas, with a current population size of about 1000 individuals, have the highest degree of facial FA (explaining 17% of total facial shape variation), followed by Grauer gorillas (9%) and western lowland gorillas (6%), despite the latter experiencing the greatest ecological and dietary variability. DA, while significant in all three taxa, explains relatively less shape variation than FA does. Facial asymmetry correlates neither with tooth wear asymmetry nor increases with age in a mountain gorilla subsample, undermining the hypothesis that facial asymmetry is driven by chewing side preference. An examination of temporal trends shows that stress-induced developmental instability has increased over the last 100 years in these endangered apes.
PDF
