Complete atrioventricular septal defect: Modified 2-patch technique.

Complete atrioventricular septal defect is a common congenital malformation. Various surgical corrections coexist. This video tutorial describes a correction that preserves the height of the leaflets by splitting both the anterior and the posterior bridging leaflets and using two patches to close the ventricular septal defect and the atrial septal defect separately.

Human skin permeation rates ex vivo following exposures to mixtures of glycol ethers.

Skin exposure to cleaning products in the general and occupational population are a public health concern. Among the most frequently identified amphiphilic organic solvents in cleaning products are propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGME) and propylene glycol n-butyl ether (PGBE). Internal dose from skin exposure may be efficiently evaluated using in vitro flow-through diffusion cells with excised human skin.

Heart procurement in a multi-organ donor.

The first orthotopic heart transplant was performed in 1967. Following on from this achievement, the first major evolution in heart transplantation was the transition from biatrial anastomosis to separate caval anastomoses, in 1991. Various strategies for myocardial protection have been used for this.

Tolylfluanid permeates human skin slowly and as dimethylamino sulfotoluidid (DMST).

Tolylfluanid (TF) is a sensitizing biocide used in antifouling products and wood preservatives. Paint application is associated with skin exposure; however, the importance of this exposure route is uncertain as TF skin permeation rates are lacking in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. TF is a lipophilic powder that hydrolyses rapidly in contact with water to dimethylamino sulfotoluidid (DMST).

Pediatric Orthotopic Heart Transplantation.

Since the first pediatric orthotopic heart transplant was performed by Dr Adrian Krantowicz in 1967, just days after the first ever human transplant by Dr Christiaan Barnard, the technique for orthotopic heart transplantation has evolved from biatrial anastomosis to separate caval anastomoses, leaving the right atrium intact. In this video tutorial, we present our technique for standard orthotopic heart transplantation in children.

Ethanolamines permeate slowly across human skin ex vivo, but cause severe skin irritation at low concentrations.

Skin exposures are common during cleaning activities, and may contribute to the overall body burden. Cleaning products may contain irritants such as monoethanolamine (MEA) and diethanol amine (DEA). The significance of the skin exposure route is unknown, as no estimates for MEA skin permeation are available.

Biological monitoring of workers exposed to carcinogens using the buccal micronucleus approach: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

A biomarker-based approach using micronucleus (MN) (extranuclear DNA-containing bodies) frequencies in buccal cells has been proposed to monitor workers exposed to aero-digestive carcinogens for early detection of occupational cancer. To assess this non-invasive MN approach, we sought to understand: (A) What is the extent of MN frequency increase in occupationally exposed over non-exposed populations across studies published in the scientific literature for buccal cells; and (B) Which types of occupational exposures give relevant summary MN ratios across studies published in the scientific literature. A systematic literature review was performed, and the MN frequency ratios for buccal cells were calculated for each occupational study.

Reducing the use of screen electronic devices in the evening is associated with improved sleep and daytime vigilance in adolescents.

The use of screen electronic devices in the evening negatively affects sleep. Yet, sleep is known to be essential for brain maturation and a key factor for good academic performance, and thus is particularly critical during childhood and adolescence. Although previous studies reported associations between screen time and sleep impairment, their causal relationship in adolescents remains unclear.

Muscle-sparing extrapleural repair of neonatal aortic coarctation.

The goal of surgical treatment of aortic coarctation is to relieve the pressure gradient on the aorta and to allow for subsequent growth of the repaired aorta. In this regard, coarctation resection and extended end-to-end anastomosis has become the surgical gold standard. Early and long-term results have been reported to be excellent.

Global Gene Expression Response in Peripheral Blood Cells of Petroleum Workers Exposed to Sub-Ppm Benzene Levels.

Altered gene expression in pathways relevant to leukaemogenesis, as well as reduced levels of circulating lymphocytes, have been reported in workers that were exposed to benzene concentrations below 1 ppm. In this study, we analysed whole blood global gene expression patterns in a worker cohort with altered levels of T cells and immunoglobulins IgM and IgA at three time points; pre-shift, post-shift (after three days), and post-recovery (12 hours later). Eight benzene exposed tank workers performing maintenance work in crude oil cargo tanks with a mean benzene exposure of 0.

Fluid Intelligence Predicts Change in Depressive Symptoms in Later Life: The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936.

We examined reciprocal, time-ordered associations between age-related changes in fluid intelligence and depressive symptoms. Participants were 1,091 community-dwelling older adults from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 study who were assessed repeatedly at 3-year intervals between the ages of 70 and 79 years. On average, fluid intelligence and depressive symptoms worsened with age.

Implementation, mechanisms and effects of maternity protection legislation: a realist narrative review of the literature.

Purpose: Most industrialized countries have introduced maternity protection legislation (MPL) to protect the health of pregnant workers and their unborn children from workplace exposure. This review aimed to assess this legislation's level of implementation, barriers and facilitators to it, and its expected or unexpected effects.

Methods: A realist narrative review was conducted.

HeartMate 3 implantation via left antero-lateral thoracotomy to avoid resternotomy in high risk patients.

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are currently the best alternative to cardiac transplantation for patients with end-stage heart failure (HF) as a bridge to transplant or to decision, or as destination therapy. Full median sternotomy or minimally invasive techniques are the more standard approaches used at present.  LVADs are usually implanted between the left ventricle apex and the ascending aorta.

Beneficial Effects of Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells on Porcine Hepatocyte Viability and Albumin Secretion.

Porcine hepatocytes transplanted during acute liver failure might support metabolic functions until the diseased liver recovers its function. Here, we isolated high numbers of viable pig hepatocytes and evaluated hepatocyte functionality after encapsulation. We further investigated whether coculture and coencapsulation of hepatocytes with human multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are beneficial on hepatocyte function.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) skin permeation rates change with simultaneous exposures to solar ultraviolet radiation (UV-S).

Road construction workers are simultaneously exposed to two carcinogens; solar ultraviolet (UV-S) radiation and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in bitumen emissions. The combined exposure may lead to photogenotoxicity and enhanced PAH skin permeation rates. Skin permeation rates (J) for selected PAHs in a mixture (PAH-mix) or in bitumen fume condensate (BFC) with and without UV-S co-exposures were measured with in vitro flow-through diffusion cells mounted with human viable skin and results compared.

A safe and reproducible method to correct a d-transposition of the great arteries with the usual (type A) coronary artery pattern.

The success of the arterial switch operation mostly depends on the proper relocation of the coronary arteries. This involves more than the simple suturing of the coronary cuff to the neo-aortic root, it also involves the preparation of the landing zone and the correct mobilisation of the primary coronary branches. In this tutorial, we present our technique for correction of a dextro-transposition of the great arteries with a normal, type A, coronary artery pattern.

Prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in pig farms in Switzerland.

The presence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in pig farms has been widely reported, and the emergence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) has been documented in several countries. However, data for Switzerland are very scarce. This study aimed to compare changes in the prevalence of MRSA in Swiss pig farms between 2008 and 2015 and make the first ever estimates of the presence of ESBL-E and carbapenemase producers in pigs and pig farm workers.

A systematic review of passive exposure to cannabis.

Passive exposure to cannabis smoke may induce effects on behavior and psychomotor skills, and have legal consequences, including the risk of being falsely considered as a cannabis user. This can become a concern, especially in occupational contexts or when driving vehicles. In order to enable a differentiation between a passive and an active exposure to cannabis and to limit the likeliness to be detected positive following passive exposure, this review identified specific biomarkers of passive exposure in urine, blood, oral fluid, hair, and sebum.

A System to Create Stable Nanoparticle Aerosols from Nanopowders.

Nanoparticle aerosols released from nanopowders in workplaces are associated with human exposure and health risks. We developed a novel system, requiring minimal amounts of test materials (min. 200 mg), for studying powder aerosolization behavior and aerosol properties.

Airborne engineered nanomaterials in the workplace-a review of release and worker exposure during nanomaterial production and handling processes.

For exposure and risk assessment in occupational settings involving engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), it is important to understand the mechanisms of release and how they are influenced by the ENM, the matrix material, and process characteristics. This review summarizes studies providing ENM release information in occupational settings, during different industrial activities and using various nanomaterials. It also assesses the contextual information - such as the amounts of materials handled, protective measures, and measurement strategies - to understand which release scenarios can result in exposure.

3D T 2-weighted imaging at 7T using dynamic kT-points on single-transmit MRI systems.

Objectives: For turbo spin echo (TSE) sequences to be useful at ultra-high field, they should ideally employ an RF pulse train compensated for the B 1 (+) inhomogeneity. Previously, it was shown that a single kT-point pulse designed in the small tip-angle regime can replace all the pulses of the sequence (static kT-points). This work demonstrates that the B 1 (+) dependence of T 2-weighted imaging can be further mitigated by designing a specific kT-point pulse for each pulse of a 3D TSE sequence (dynamic kT-points) even on single-channel transmit systems

Materials And Methods: By combining the spatially resolved extended phase graph formalism (which calculates the echo signals throughout the sequence) with a gradient descent algorithm, dynamic kT-points were optimized such that the difference between the simulated signal and a target was minimized at each echo.

In Vivo Longitudinal (1)H MRS Study of Transgenic Mouse Models of Prion Disease in the Hippocampus and Cerebellum at 14.1 T.

In vivo (1)H MR spectroscopy allows the non invasive characterization of brain metabolites and it has been used for studying brain metabolic changes in a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases. The prion diseases form a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases, also described as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. The mechanism by which prions elicit brain damage remains unclear and therefore different transgenic mouse models of prion disease were created.

"Vivre/Leben/Vivere": An interdisciplinary survey addressing progress and inequalities of aging over the past 30 years in Switzerland.

In this paper, we present the rationale and the design of "Vivre/Leben/Vivere" (VLV), a large interdisciplinary survey looking at the life and health conditions of individuals who are aged 65 and older and living in Switzerland. VLV is of the third survey of a repeated cross-sectional study, previously conducted in 1979 and 1994 in two French-speaking areas of Switzerland (the cantons of Geneva and Valais). Launched in 2011, VLV extends the original design to additional German and Italian-speaking areas and targets a sample of 4200 individuals.

Skin permeation and metabolism of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP).

Phthalates are suspected to be endocrine disruptors. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is assumed to have low dermal absorption; however, previous in vitro skin permeation studies have shown large permeation differences. Our aims were to determine DEHP permeation parameters and assess extent of skin DEHP metabolism among workers highly exposed to these lipophilic, low volatile substances.

Health effects of occupational exposure in a dairy food industry, with a specific assessment of exposure to airborne lactic acid bacteria.

Objective: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are used in food industries as probiotic agents. The aim of this study is to assess the potential health effects of airborne exposure to a mix of preblend (LAB and carbohydrate) and milk powder in workers.

Methods: A medical questionnaire, lung function tests, and immunologic tests were carried out on 50 workers.