Tolerance: Should We Approve of It, Put up with It, or Tolerate It?

Erythema nodosum :what should we consider about it?

Diathermy smoke plume: why do we put up with it?

Diathermy is used in most theatres for every case but how many people think about the contents of diathermy plume or surgical smoke? Surgical smoke is an unpleasant smell that leaves many considering whether surgical masks reduce the risk of inhaling its contents. This article suggests that practitioners should be more aware of its contents and take action to lessen the risk to themselves and t...

Geoengineering: could we or should we make it work?

Schemes to modify large-scale environment systems or control climate have been proposed for over 50 years to (i) increase temperatures in high latitudes, (ii) increase precipitation, (iii) decrease sea ice, (iv) create irrigation opportunities, or (v) offset potential global warming by injecting iron in the oceans or sea-salt aerosol in the marine boundary layer or spreading dust in the stratos...

Sympathovagal balance: how should we measure it?

There are complex interactions between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system inputs to the sinus node. The concept of "sympathovagal balance" reflects the autonomic state resulting from the sympathetic and parasympathetic influences. Despite widespread usage of a variety of heart rate (HR) variability parameters as indexes of sympathovagal balance, no index has been validated as a ...

High density lipoprotein - should we raise it?

Low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels are associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction. Experimental studies have identified several potential anti-atherogenic properties of HDL, including promotion of macrophage cholesterol efflux, endothelial nitric oxide stimulation, anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic effects. These observations ha...