Minimally Invasive Techniques for the Management of Thyroid Nodules.

Image-guided interventional techniques have emerged as promising treatments for thyroid disease. Percutaneous ethanol ablation, radiofrequency ablation, laser ablation, high intensity focused ultrasound, and microwave ablation have shown efficacy in treating benign thyroid disease. There is increasing evidence that these techniques may effectively treat papillary thyroid microcarcinomas, recurrent and metastatic disease, follicular neoplasms, and parathyroid lesions. They are performed in an outpatient setting, well-tolerated, with negligible risk for thyroid hormone supplementation, making them a popular alternative to surgical resection. In this comprehensive review, we discuss the devices, techniques, advantages, and disadvantages of each intervention, and summarize the published outcomes.

Magically deceptive biological motion-the French Drop Sleight.

Intentional deception, as is common in the performance of magic tricks, can provide valuable insight into the mechanisms of perception and action. Much of the recent investigations into this form of deception revolve around the attention of the observer. Here, we present experiments designed to investigate the contributions of the performer to the act of deception. An experienced magician and a naïve novice performed a classic sleight known as the French Drop. Video recordings of the performance were used to measure the quality of the deception-e.g., if a non-magician observer could discriminate instances where the sleight was performed (a deceptive performance) from those where it was not (a veridical performace). During the performance we recorded the trajectory of the hands and measured muscle activity via EMG to help understand the biomechanical mechanisms of this deception. We show that expertise plays a major role in the quality of the deception and that there are significant variations in the motion and muscular behaviors between successful and unsuccessful performances. Smooth, minimal movements with an exaggerated faux-transfer of muscular tension were characteristic of better deception. This finding is consistent with anecdotal reports and the magic performance literature.