Herd immunity drives the epidemic fadeout of avian cholera in Arctic-nesting seabirds.

Avian cholera, caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida, is a common and important infectious disease of wild birds in North America. Between 2005 and 2012, avian cholera caused annual mortality of widely varying magnitudes in Northern common eiders (Somateria mollissima borealis) breeding at the largest colony in the Canadian Arctic, Mitivik Island, Nunavut. Although herd immunity, in which a large proportion of the population acquires immunity to the disease, has been suggested to play a role in epidemic fadeout, immunological studies exploring this hypothesis have been missing.

[Dorsal preservation septorhinoplasty].

Background: Nasal dorsum deprojection is a very important tool in functional and aesthetic rhinoplasty. In classic techniques, resection of dorsal bone and cartilage renders dorsal reconstruction necessary. The concept of dorsal preservation rhinoplasty has been known for more than a century but has experienced a renaissance in recent years, with many critical technical modifications.

Costs of reproduction in a long-lived bird: large clutch size is associated with low survival in the presence of a highly virulent disease.

Fitness costs of reproduction are expected to be more pronounced when the environmental conditions deteriorate. We took advantage of a natural experiment to investigate the costs of reproduction among common eiders (Somateria mollissima) nesting at a site in the Arctic, where an avian cholera epizootic appeared at different magnitudes. We tested the predictions that larger reproductive effort (clutch size) is associated with lower survival or breeding probability the following year, and that this relationship was more pronounced under heightened exposure to the disease.

[Surgical techniques in hepatic resections: Ultrasonic aspirator versus Jet-Cutter. A prospective randomized clinical trial].

Aim Of The Study: For all resection-techniques of liver tissue intra- and post-operative blood-loss remains an important problem. Two novel resection-techniques the ultrasound-aspirator (CUSA) and the water-jet dissector (Jet-Cutter) appear to offer significant advantages regarding this problem. Aim of the present prospective clinical study was the comparison of these dissection techniques.

Impact of virtual reality imaging on hepatic liver tumor resection: calculation of risk.

The risk involved in partial liver resections depends mainly on tumor localization, invasion of central vascular structures, and parenchymal function. The imaging techniques available today (computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging) allow us to detect precisely the extent of tumor invasion and their relationship to central vessels. The various three-dimensional reconstruction techniques are helpful with regard to a virtual planning of liver resections.

Laparoscopic liver resection compared with conventional partial hepatectomy--a prospective analysis.

Background/aims: Tumor size and location are the major influences on the practicality of a laparoscopic operation. Visual control of the operating field is important for isolation and ligation of blood vessels and bile ducts after selective liver dissection by suitable techniques such as the water-jet dissector.

Methodology: We carried out laparoscopic liver resections with the Jet-Cutter in 17 patients.

Preoperative risk assessment of hepatic resection for malignant disease.

Clinical, laboratory, functional, and volumetric data of 340 consecutive patients undergoing hepatic resection for malignant disease between November 1990 and June 1995 were analyzed. The operative mortality was 3.3% (8/244 patients).

Jet-cutting supported by high frequency current: new technique for hepatic surgery.

To reduce blood loss incurred during liver resection, techniques that separate vessels from liver parenchyma, such as the CUSA or the jet-cutter, are in clinical use. By conducting high frequency current through the jet beam using hypertonic NaCl cutting solution, we developed a new method enabling simultaneous coagulation during selective cutting. In this study we examined the effects of this method on liver resection in a rabbit model.

[Liver resection with the water jet: conventional and laparoscopic surgery].

In a prospective study 60 patients underwent liver resection. Two different resection techniques, ultrasonic aspirator (CUSA, n = 30) and Jet-Cutter (n = 30), were compared, Speed of resection, blood loss, transfusion rate, liver hilus clamping time and tissue damage were evaluated on the basis of the area of transsected liver. Liver resection with the Jet-Cutter was significantly faster with a resection time of 0.

A comparison of different techniques for liver resection: blunt dissection, ultrasonic aspirator and jet-cutter.

In a prospective study 116 patients underwent liver resection. Three different resection techniques, blunt dissection (n = 61), ultrasonic aspirator (CUSA) (n = 27) and jet-cutter (n = 28) were compared. Speed of resection, blood loss, transfusion rate, liver hilus clamping time and tissue damage were evaluated on the basis of area of transected liver surface.