In silico evaluation of geometry variations with respect to the thermal spread during coagulation of egg white using bipolar vessel sealing instruments.

Background: Bipolar vessel sealing is an efficient electrosurgical procedure for the occlusion of blood vessels particularly during minimally invasive surgery. Reliable knowledge of the thermal spread is crucial for a safe application of bipolar vessel sealing instruments when operating close to thermo-sensitive structures, such as nerves. The evolution of the thermal spread over time and space depends on a variety of parameters, such as the biological tissue, the energy applied to the tissue, and the geometry of the vessel sealing instrument.

Diffractive incremental and absolute coding principle for optical rotary sensors.

Rotary sensors are an essential component in numerous applications where a rotation movement has to be detected. With optical encoders, a high angular resolution can be achieved. As a disadvantage, the resolution enhancement is associated with increasing cost.

Intermittent positive-pressure breathing after lung surgery.

Intermittent positive-pressure breathing is thought to avoid atelectasis and improve pulmonary function after major lung resections. Since no clear scientific data was available to confirm this, our objective was to determine whether atelectasis can be avoided and if postoperative lung function is improved. Prospective analysis was carried out in 135 patients operated on between 2007 and 2009; 55 received intermittent positive-pressure breathing.

Association of angiotensinogen haplotypes with angiotensinogen levels but not with blood pressure or coronary artery disease: the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health Study.

Angiotensinogen and its cleaved forms angiotensin I and angiotensin II are important regulators of blood pressure. The gene for angiotensinogen (AGT) carries two common polymorphisms, T207M and M268T (previously described as T174M and M235T). To investigate the role of haplotypes formed by these polymorphisms for angiotensinogen levels we examined blood pressure, coronary artery disease (CAD), myocardial infarction (MI), and AGT genotypes and haplotypes in 2,575 patients with angiographically documented CAD and 731 individuals in whom CAD had been ruled out by angiography.