Intrathoracic plates versus extrathoracic plates: a comparison of postoperative pain in surgical stabilization of rib fracture technique.

Background: Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) has been shown to improve outcomes, yet there is an absence of studies comparing SSRF techniques. An intrathoracic system that minimizes incision length has recently been developed and adopted by multiple institutions. We hypothesized that SSRF with an intrathoracic system plus intercostal nerve cryoneurolysis (IC) leads to improved pain control compared with an extrathoracic system plus IC.

Mate preference of female blue tits varies with experimental photoperiod.

Organisms use environmental cues to time their life-cycles and among these cues, photoperiod is the main trigger of reproductive behaviours such as territory defence or song activity. Whether photoperiod is also important for another behaviour closely associated with reproduction, mate choice, is unknown. In many bird species, mate choice occurs at two different times during the annual cycle that strongly differ in daylength: in late winter when photoperiod is short and social mates are chosen, and again around egg-laying when photoperiod is longer and extra-pair mates are chosen.