3D Printing A New Ally for the Liver

3D Printing A New Ally for the Liver 3D Printing A New Ally for the Liver 3D Printing A New Ally for the LiverIn 2012, Dr. Nizar Zein found himself at a Starbucks reading an article on 3D printing for non-medical use. Among other things, he considered the problem with surgery involving livers, whether transplant or tumor resection. One issue for this complicated organ, he says, is that patients sometimes end up with complications due to inadvertently cutting through a major blood vessel or bile duct.He realized 3D printing might bea helpfulassistant. Working as parte of a team at the Cleveland Clinic,he and his group havebeen on an odyssey to gebru this technology with the medical need.A Closer Look, and FeelAs Zein explains, there are difficulties in coming up with a surgical plan when it comes to the liver. For example, when you turn 2D images into 3D images, you were still looking at these 3D images through a 2D computer screen. You lose the sense of depth, he says. The thinking w ith 3D printing a liver wasthatit would solve this issue.And it could have the added advantage of tactile functioning. With a replica of the patients liver, the thought was also that you could reassess your landmark and proximity to major blood vessels and bile ducts, says Zein, the Cleveland Clinics chief of hepatology and chairman of global patient services.A human liver during transplantation procedure. Image Wikimedia CommonsThey produced the very first patient-phased liver in 2012 and, to his knowledge, it was the first 3D-printed liver ever done.Phase II then came, itsprimary goal to verify that an identical copy could be created for a patients liver. We went through a process for every patient who underwent liver surgery where we resected a portion of the liver, took it out, and prior to surgery, weprepared a 3D printed version of it, explains Zein. They found the results showed it was quite accurate, he says.Improvements vary from the first model being at 75% of an actual li ver model to those today createdat actual scale, to moving to plastic as a material. Among the most impressive improvements is in speed, however. The first model took roughly six weeks to produce. Now? It takes less than 48 hours.But there has also been a change in the transparency of the model. Zein described early ones as a little bit hazy, yellowish in color,while more recent models are almost like looking through glass.Theyve also extended the technology, for surgical purposes, to components. This includes the hilum, which, Zein says, is the most complicated in terms of blood vessels and bile ducts structures. Its printed separately from the liver so it allows for better planning, he says. They have utilized magnets to print the liver and different components separately but, with magnets, they can put them back together depending on what particular component you want to see more carefully.They even developed methods toallow models in sterile packaging to be taken into the operat ing room.The teams data has shown times when surgical plans have been at least somewhat altered when a model was utilized. The hospital has even used a model for guidance for a surgery involving a tumor in the liverafter the patient had been turned down by multiple institutions for surgery, he says.My career has been as a clinical investigator so medical research and investigation is part of my life and its probably the most exciting part of my life.Dr. Nizar Zein, The Cleveland ClinicMy career has been as a clinical investigator so medical research and investigation is part of my life and its probably the most exciting part of my life, says Zein, whose father was an engineer. So Im very proud of what we did. What comes out of it, in the end, Im not sure, but I have a feeling that there will be a role for these technologies, 3D printing, in complex surgeries.Eric Butterman is an independent writer.Bioengineering is the theme of ASMEs IMECE 2015. Learn more in Houston, TX next week. For Further Discussion

4 ways to eat healthy when your office is working against you

4 ways to eat healthy when your office is working against you4 ways to eat healthy when your office is working against youCookies, upon donuts, upon farewell cakes for employees. Alcohol at happy hour. The sweet and salty treats never seem to end at work, so howin the world are you supposed to maintain a healthy diet?Here are a few things to keep in mind if this is your mission.Dont wait until youre hungry to figure out lunchIf you want to make healthy decisions, it might be too late by then.Ron Friedman, Ph.D., a psychologist, author and founder of ignite80, writes about this in the Harvard Business Review.He notlagees that you should make your eating decisions before you get hungry. If youre going out to lunch, choose where youre eating in the morning, not at 1230 PM. If youre ordering in, decide what youre having after a mid-morning snack. Studies show were a lot better at resisting salt, calories, and fat in the future than we are in the present.Pack healthy things to look forwar d toThis might just help curb your temptation. You want to make sure youve packed a snack that youll actually want to eat when faced with more attractive options at work.Maybe you stopped at a farmers market on the weekend and picked up some fresh fruit thats in season, or discovered something with the flavors you crave that wont send you into a downward sugar spiral.Marion Nestle, a nutritionist, researcher at New York University and author of What to Eat, told Allure about what you can pack for lunch.Bring in a few simple meals and snacks from home. Aim for a mix of lean proteins and fiber, which have been shown to increase the feeling of fullness Stash a bag of mixed seeds, walnuts, and raisins in your drawer or keep low-fat string cheese or fruit in the fridge. For lunch, go for a mixed-green salad and grilled chicken, she told the publication.Need some more lunchbox inspiration? Check out thislist of recipes from The Muse.Dont go crazy at happy hour - even if your coworkers do It may not be a good idea to when the beer and wine departure flowing.John Rampton, an entrepreneur, investor, online marketing expert, and founder of online invoicing company Due, writes in Entrepreneur that you should limit alcohol at happy hour when youre trying to lead a healthier lifestyle.As tempting as it can be to indulge in a happy hour drink after work, its one of the worst ways to add calories to your diet, he writes. While the occasional drink or two wont hurt, its important to moderate your alcohol consumption, especially if the rest of your diet is severely lacking.Reward yourself every once and a whileCompletely depriving yourself is no way to live - when youre not dealing with a ton offood allergies and dietary restrictions for medical reasons, that is.Make sure you treat yourself to the things you love the most from time to time.

5 Things Comedy Class Teaches You About Job Search

5 Things Comedy Class Teaches You About Job Search5 Things Comedy Class Teaches You About Job SearchFor six weeks this fall, Ive been studying writing of a different kind Karen Bergreens beginner comedy class at the Manhattan Comedy School. I always tell my job-seeking clients and column readers to be well-rounded and unique and to keep learning and stretching. So learning about things seemingly unrelated to my own day job is part of taking my own advice. Luckily, comedy is relevant to job search techniqueBe specific. The funniest comedians give very specific details. The same can be said about compelling job candidates the best candidates are specific in explaining what they want and what they contribute. When good job candidates give an example, we understand the scope of their responsibilities and the scale of their accomplishments.Edit ruthlessly. You dont need a lot of explanation before getting to the punch line of the story. In fact, too much explanation diminishes the power of the joke. Similarly, dont ramble in your bewerbungsgesprch responses and other job search communication. Get to the point quickly and keep your listeners attention.Talk about what you know. Being comfortable and familiar with your subject matter made it infinitely easier to be specific and find the humor. Successful jobseekers need to get comfortable and familiar with the industries, companies, and jobs they are targeting. Do research before meeting people. Prepare your interview examples. When you talk about what you know (because you have researched and prepared in advance), you captivate your listener.Be yourself. There is no one profile or style that is the funny one. It is better to infuse who you are genuinely into your comedy set. In the case of job candidates, your unique personality differentiates you in addition to your professional attributes. There are other good communicators, exceptional problem-solvers, and strong leaders. You compete on skills and experience but also contribute your unique style.The audience needs to get the joke. Sometimes a student was really attached to a joke that others in the class didnt understand or didnt think was funny. Instead of arguing the point, students were encouraged to rewrite and rework the original premise. Similarly, jobseekers should pay attention to any feedback that suggests what youre doing isnt working. You may think your job search technique is fine, but if its been several months and you havent landed anything, employers clearly arent getting you. Dont argue with the market rework your job search.Sometimes when you are overly-focused on a goal, you can get stuck. Its very helpful to step back and focus on something very differentto refresh, reignite your creativity, and broaden your perspective. You may find that you come back to your original goal with fresh eyes and are more productive. You dont have to take comedy class specifically or even do something artistic. It can be sports, cooking, joining a book club. Diverse interests are valuable to the jobseeker because they make you more unique, they stretch and challenge you in different ways, and they enable you to remain fresh and productive. Caroline Ceniza-Levine