The Resurgence of the Vinyl Record

Vinyl Record
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After receiving his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Dundee, Rauf Yousaf pursued his medical training from the same university. He currently sits as the medical board chairman at North Queensland X-Ray. Outside of his medical profession, Rauf Yousaf enjoys a wide range of hobbies, one of which is collecting vinyl records.

In this age of digital streaming, one would normally think that owning physical copies of music is already passé, but one would be thinking wrong. For the past 11 years, the vinyl record – once a symbol of an older generation – has posted steady growth in sales; in fact, experts are estimating that vinyl records are on their way to becoming a $1-billion industry.

This boom has been attributed to Record Store Day, an annual event established in 2007 wherein thousands of participating stores from around the globe bring out the limited edition releases they have in stock. Some stores report that their sales for that day can equal their usual monthly quota.

What’s more surprising is the fact that according to experts, more money is now being spent on vinyl records than digital downloads. It is worth noting that digital downloads are significantly cheaper than vinyl records.

Why is this the case? Guestroom Records owner Travis Searle posits that vinyl records, being a tactile realization of music, have a great degree of collectability. Moreover, he notes how some vinyl collectors insist that they the sound they produce are better than digital music files.

Tagine – A Traditional North African Ceramic Cookware

Tagine
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Practicing radiology in Northern Australia, Rauf Yousaf assists patients at clinics spanning communities such as Darwin and Cairns. Passionate about cooking, Rauf Yousaf enjoys creating dishes from diverse regions, ranging from the Caribbean to North Africa. One of the key elements of North African cuisine involves use of the tagine, a cooking and serving dish made from ceramic or clay.

With a distinctively shallow wide bottom, the tagine likely dates from the Roman era, when ceramics traditions were introduced to Africa. Today tagines have both decorative and functional uses, with the unglazed clay tagine preferred by many cooks, as a distinctive earthiness is imparted to the flavor.

Tagines are typically used for slow-cooking savory vegetables and stews, with the cone-shaped lid functioning as a way of trapping steam. With the condensed liquid returning to continue the cooking process, this helps conserve water in regions that traditionally have water scarcity. It also helps the meat and vegetables achieve maximum tenderness.

One word of caution: a circular aluminum diffuser should be placed between the tagine and the gas burner or charcoal, as direct contact with heat can damage the ceramic.

Percutaneous Interventions for Herniated Disc Pain

Herniated Disc Pain
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The medical board chairman of Territory X-Ray Services and Queensland X-Ray, Dr. Rauf Yousaf comes to his work with diverse radiology experience and a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering. Also an in-demand consultant for patients with pain management needs, Dr. Rauf Yousaf offers in-depth knowledge of percutaneous treatment options for spinal pain.

Periradicular steroid injection is indicated to treat radicular symptoms due to discal compression in the lumbar or cervical spine. The procedure is performed on an out patient basis under CT or fluoroscopic guidance.

For lumbar levels injections are performed in the lateral epidural space, or in the foramina depending on the herniated disc location. An interlaminar or lateral oblique posterior approach is taken to guide a 22 or 23 gauge needle into place. After confirmation of needle position with iodine based contrast medium, 1 or 2mls of corticosteroid (Celestone or hydrocortisone) mixed with 1ml lidocaine 1% is injected. Foraminal injections are performed in the lower part of the foramen to avoid inadvertent puncture of the radiculomedullary artery. Symptoms typically resolve in 2-3 weeks for over 80% of patients. For cervical injections patients are typically placed in a supine position and a lateral or anterolateral approach is used. The tip of the needle is positioned in contact with the anterior part of the facet joint behind the nerve root avoiding the anteriorly situated vertebral artery.

Disc herniation causing axial and radicular pain (sciatica) is a very common pathology and one which carries huge social and economic consequences. When conservative treatment fails to rapidly control pain, selective peri-radicular injections should be considered. Image guided infiltrations are precise and safe, particularly for cervical and lumbar levels. They allow contrast opacification to demonstrate perfect needle position prior to steroid deposition. Short and medium term results are satisfying and allow rapid return to activities of daily living. Excellent pain relief is achieved in 70-80% of cases.

Interventional radiology plays an important role in pain management due to disc herniation. Careful selection of patients after precise clinical examination and imaging studies are essential to achieve successful treatment.

MRI Machines – How They Work

MRI Machines
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As a radiologist and medical board chair of Queensland X-Ray and Territory X-Ray Services, Dr. Rauf Yousaf draws on an in-depth knowledge of imaging technology. Dr. Rauf Yousaf has built a particularly extensive base of expertise in advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques.

MRI takes advantage of the human body’s high concentration of water molecules, which align in a particular direction when exposed to a strong magnetic field. The strong magnetic field of the MRI machine causes this comprehensive alignment, which serves as the baseline for the imaging test.

The machine then sends out radio waves that create variance in the magnetic field. This causes protons in the targeted area to change their direction of spin. As soon as the machine ceases delivery of radiofrequency energy, the affected proteins return to their original aligned spins.

As the protons realign, they send out radio signals that the MRI machine collects via specialized receivers. Because each tissue type re-aligns at a different speed, the signals from each vary. These differences allow the MRI system to generate a detailed map of the structures that have undergone imaging, so that physicians can assess for tumors, injuries, or other abnormalities.