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Background: The rapid development of less invasive and traumatic medical procedures has resulted in a mixture of terms used to describe them, without any agreed definition for each. This is confusing to both medical professionals and patients and can lead to unrealistic patient expectations. The aim of this article is to show the current confused nomenclature and to suggest a new, simple classification based on access and invasiveness (AI) that can be applied to any medical procedure. Methods: We performed an online search for definitions for ‘non-invasive’, ‘non-surgical’, ‘minimally invasive’, ‘minimal access’, ‘pinhole’ and ‘keyhole’. We then searched peer-reviewed medical papers(PRMPs) and patient facing websites (PFWs) for the following index procedures, to see which of the original 6 terms were used to describe them: transvaginal ultrasound, sclerotherapy for leg veins, botulinum toxin injections, dermal fillers, endovenous thermal ablation and laparoscopic gall bladder removal. Results: We found a wide variety of definitions for each of the initial terms. In both PRMPs and PFWs, there were a variety of terms used for each index procedure (i.e.: transvaginal ultrasound, injections of sclerotherapy, botulinum toxin or dermal fillers being both ‘non-invasive’ and ‘minimally invasive’) showing confusion in the classification of procedures. We suggested the ‘AI classification’ based on access (A - none, B - natural orifice or C - penetrating an epithelial surface) and invasiveness (1 - none, 2 - surface damage, 3 ‑ needle = <21G, 4 ‑ cannula >21G but not a surgical trocar, 5 ‑ surgical trocars or small incisions and 6 - incisions). Conclusion: The current confusion of terms used for procedures that are less invasive than the open surgical alternatives leads to confusion and possible false patient expectations. We have proposed an AI classification that can be applied easily to any procedure, giving a uniform classification for medical professionals and patients to understand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The status of heavy metal buildup in commercial and non-commercial ponds of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and its effect on fish health was evaluated. Pond water and tilapia meat were examined for Pb, As, cadmium Cd and Cu using flame atomic absorption spectrometry; and Hg through manual cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. Standard methods in hematology were applied to estimate red and white blood cell function of fish in relation to heavy metal accumulation. The results revealed significantly higher Cu content in pond water of a commercial farm compared to the Cu content of water from a non-commercial farm, while similar levels of Hg and Pb were recorded. Tilapia meat from commercial ponds had significantly higher Pb and lower levels of Cu compared to meat from a non-commercial farm. Similar levels of Hg were observed in tilapia meat obtained from farms while tilapia meat from non-commercial ponds had significantly higher Cu. Neither As nor Cd were detected in the farms. Hematological evaluation revealed comparable counts of total red blood cell. Red blood cell indices such as hematocrit and mean corpuscular volume were significantly higher in tilapia from the commercial ponds. The amount of hemoglobin per red blood cell was similar in tilapia from the farms while mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration was significantly higher in tilapia from the non-commercial farm. Total white blood cell and eosinophil counts of tilapia were similar in the farms. Tilapia from the commercial ponds had significantly high neutrophil and monocyte counts while tilapia from the non-commercial ponds had significantly high lymphocyte counts. The hematological evaluation indicate relationship of cellular components of fish blood and heavy metal accretion from the aquatic environment by Nile tilapia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Simultaneous measurement of gaseous elemental, reactive gaseous, and fine particulate mercury took place in Tuscaloosa AL, (urban airshed) and Cove Mountain, TN (non-urban airshed) during the summers of 2002 and 2003. The objective of this research was to (1) summarize the temporal distribution of each mercury specie at each site and compare to other speciation data sets developed by other researchers and (2) provide insight into urban and non-urban mercury speciation effects using various statistical methods. Average specie concentrations were as follows: 4.05ngm−3 (GEM), 13.6pgm−3 (RGM), 16.4pgm−3 (Hg-p) for Tuscaloosa; 3.20ngm−3 (GEM), 13.6pgm−3 (RGM), 9.73pgm−3 (Hg-p) for Cove Mountain. As a result of urban airshed impacts, short periods of high concentration for all mercury species was common in Tuscaloosa. At Cove Mountain a consistent mid-day rise and evening drop for mercury species was found. This pattern was primarily the result of un-impacted physical boundary layer movement, although, other potential impacts were ambient photochemistry and air-surface exchange of mercury. Meteorological parameters that are known to heavily impact mercury speciation were similar for the study period for Tuscaloosa and Cove Mountain except for wind speed (ms−1), which was higher at Cove Mountain. For both sites statistically significant (), inverse relationships existed between wind speed and Hg0 concentration. A weaker windspeed-Hg0 correlation existed for Tuscaloosa. By analyzing Hg concentration—wind speed magnitude change at both sites it was found that wind speed at Cove Mountain had a greater influence on Hg0 concentration variability than Tuscaloosa by a factor of 3. Using various statistical tests, we concluded that the nature of Tuscaloosa''s atmospheric mercury speciation was the result of typical urban airshed impacts. Cove Mountain showed atmospheric mercury speciation characteristics indicative of a non-urban area along with potential influence from steady regional input of mercury pollution from larger sources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]