Cholera outbreaks continue to occur regularly in Africa. Cholera has been associated with proximity to lakes in East Africa, and Vibrio cholerae has been found experimentally to concentrate...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn the past two decades the eastAfrican highlands have experienced several major malaria epidemics. Currently there is a renewed interest in exploring the possibility...Full Text Available
Pneumococcal disease in young children has not been as well characterized in East Africa as it has been in industrialized countries. Although pneumococci are likely to cause substantial mortality...Full Text Available
Purpose/ObjectivesTo describe the Heiney-Adams Recruitment Framework (H-ARF); to delineate a recruitment plan for a randomized, behavioral trial (RBT) based on H-ARF;...Full Text Available
This article describes the design and implementation of an online diabetes self-management intervention for a sample of inner-city African Americans with diabetes. Study participants were randomly assigned...Full Text Available
Abstract The baobab tree, with more than 300 uses and commercial value in EU and United States, has been identified as one of the most important trees to be conserved and domesticated in Africa. A decline in baobab populations because of changes in climate could have a negative effect on African livelihoods. Therefore, it is important to study the potential future distribution of this species and determine strategies for conservation. We used Maxent, 480 geo-referenced records, present and future climatic and soil layers. Different general circulation models and scenarios were selected. Models were simulated for (i) All records, (ii) East Africa and (iii) West Africa species records. For each combination, the proportion of the present habitat that might remain suitable in the future was de...
The summertime tropical cyclogenesis rate per unit area in the eastern Pacific ocean is arguably higher than in any other location in the world. Many if not most of these cyclones form from African easterly waves which cross Central America into the Pacific. Of order 25% of these waves intensify into cyclones. A significant fraction of east Pacific tropical cyclones undergoes landfall on the Mexican coast. Those which do not, generally dissipate over cold ocean waters north of the east Pacific intertropical convergence zone, often not far from land. The layer of warm ocean water which supports the development of east Pacific cyclones is unusually shallow and is structured by anticyclonic vortices which form by various processes and propagate slowly to the west. These vortices locally deepen the oceanic mixed layer and support stronger convection than their surroundings, possibly promoting ...
Tanzania has recently developed a comprehensive environmental policy which has put high priority on several specific environmental issues. One of the issues is the quality of waste water. A special priority is given to the pollution from the sisal industry. The East-African agro-industries generate very large quantities of organic residues from production and processing of different crops. These residues form a major contribution to the pollution of air, soil and waterways, but, at the same time they constitute a large potential for production of bioenergy through anaerobic digestion as well as potential substrate for other biological fermentation processes. Generally, these residues are regarded as having no or very little value and the different disposal methods are mainly a matter of getting rid of the waste. The generation of residues are very often concentrated on few large units, which makes the exploitation of these resources feasible in large scale biogas ...
Abstract Aim- According to the revised Bethesda Guidelines, colorectal cancer (CRC) occurring under age 50-years should be screened to exclude Lynch syndrome. However, in current practice in East Anglia, tumour screening is initiated only after genetics referral, reserved for those with a strong pedigree. This study aimed to determine how many patients with young-onset CRC undergo tumour screening in hospitals in East Anglia. Method- A retrospective case notes review over 5-years in four hospitals was undertaken to determine what proportion of those with young-onset CRC underwent referral for tumour screening and to assess local practices in terms of patient counselling and management. Results- One hundred and twenty-two patients were included. There was an average yearly caseload of 6-9 p...
BackgroundThe 516G > T polymorphism in exon 4 of the CYP2B6 gene has been associated with increased plasma Efavirenz (EFV) concentrations. EFV concentrations...Full Text Available
Rb-Sr phlogopite age determinations, interpreted as emplacement ages, are reported for 15 southern African kimberlites. Jagersfontein and Rietfontein (85 and 95 Ma) have ages typical of the majority of well-known Cretaceous kimberlites, whereas somewhat older ages of about 118 to 125 Ma have been obtained for localities in the Postmasburg, Barkly West and Boshoff districts. Previous zircon ages of 90Ma for Finsch and Roberts Victor are believed to be incorrect. Two other localities in the Barkly West area have significantly younger emplacement ages of about 114 Ma relative to most Barkly West occurrences. Two off-craton kimberlites, Uintjiesberg and Mzongwana, are 100 and 150 Ma in age respectively. Swartruggens and Elandskloof have ages of 150-160 and 165 Ma respectively. A Barkly West occurrence, Klipfontein, also has an apparent age of 160 Ma, but this result cannot be considered reliable. The emplacement ages and initial "8"7Sr/"8"6Sr ratios of southern ...
This article describes the design and implementation of an online diabetes self-management intervention for a sample of inner-city African Americans with diabetes. Study participants were randomly assigned to the treatment (26) and control (21) conditions. The results indicate that treatment group participants were more likely to achieve positive outcomes in terms of lowered hemoglobin A1c and body mass index measurements than were control group members. These findings support the development of telehealth interventions to promote effective chronic disease management in medically underserved communities.
Summary Objective To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of an educational outreach intervention to improve primary respiratory care by South African nurses. Methods Cost-effectiveness analysis alongside a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial, with individual patient data. The intervention, the Practical Approach to Lung Health in South Africa (PALSA), comprised educational outreach based on syndromic clinical practice guidelines for tuberculosis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia and other respiratory diseases. The study included 1999 patients aged 15 or over with cough or difficult breathing, attending 40 primary care clinics staffed by nurses in the Free State province. They were interviewed at first presentation, and 1856 (93%) were interviewed 3 months late...
A 33-year-old male of proven fertility suffered six attacks of malaria while resident in an African country. For this he received anti-malarial drugs. Semen analysis performed after the fourth attack, and repeated during the following 2 years after his return to Israel, revealed severe oligozoospermia, necrozoospermia and occasionally even azoospermia. Immunological examination of the patient revealed an inverse ratio of T-cell subsets and mast cell degranulation in response to palludrin. Twenty-five months after the last attack of malaria a significant improvement was found in semen quality and there was an increase in the ratio of T-helper to T-suppressor cytotoxic cells. These observations indicate that although malaria and its treatment may affect spermatogenesis, recovery may be expected eventually. PMID:3500921
Countries and Regions A-Z List of Countries and Other Areas Africa (Sub-Sahara) East Asia and the Pacific Europe and Eurasia Near East (northern Africa, Middle East) South and...
The literature is littered with reports presenting the proportion of patients admitted with ischaemic stroke receiving thrombolysis. This gives some measure of activity and the efficiency of prehospital and hospital triage. Some stroke centres have reported rates of thrombolysis as high as 20%, but without knowing the population that such services serve, these proportions do not indicate how well or equitably the treatment is being delivered. Here, we explore various metrics to monitor our efforts to provide equitable access to stroke thrombolysis in Lothian, a region in the South East of Scotland. PMID:21086712
Bellevue Hospital, the oldest public hospital in the United States and a lineal descendant of an infirmary for slaves, accepted its first African-American resident, Dr. Ubert Conrad Vincent, in 1918....Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo investigate the associations between intimate partner violence, rape and HIV among South African men.DesignCross-sectional study involving...Full Text Available
In all mammals, tissue inflammation leads to pain and behavioral sensitization to thermal and mechanical stimuli called hyperalgesia. We studied pain mechanisms in the African naked mole-rat, an unusual...Full Text Available
The evolution of the human mitochondrial genome is characterized by the emergence of ethnically distinct lineages or haplogroups. Nine European, seven Asian (including Native American), and three African...Full Text Available
Analysis of gestation length in an obstetric population of indigenous African women revealed a mean pregnancy duration of 274.8 days, which is similar to values recorded in women of African descent...Full Text Available
Although dissimilarities in cranial and post-cranial morphology among African pygmies groups have been recognized, comparative studies on skull morphology usually pull all pygmies together assuming...Full Text Available
Outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and low-level wind fields in the Atlantic and Pacific Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) are dominated by variability on synoptic time scales primarily associated with convectively coupled easterly waves during boreal summer and fall. This study uses spectral filtering of observed OLR data to capture the convective variability coupled to Pacific easterly waves. Filtered OLR is then used to isolate easterly waves in winds, temperature and humidity fields from TAO/TRITON and TAO/EPIC buoys, radiosondes, and gridded reanalysis products. Our analysis shows that while some of the Pacific easterly waves originate in the Atlantic, most of the waves appear to form and strengthen within the Pacific. Pacific easterly waves have wavelengths of 3300-5500 km and phase speeds of 9-13 m s-1. A warm, moist boundary layer is observed ahead of the convective wave, with moisture lofted quickly through the troposphere by deep convection, followed by a cold, dry signal ...
Countries and Regions A-Z List of Countries and Other Areas Africa (Sub-Sahara) East Asia and the Pacific Europe and Eurasia Near East (northern Africa, Middle East) South and...
Summary We describe the initiation and establishment of The University of Zambia - University College London Medical School (UNZA-UCLMS) Research and Training Project, an entirely African scientist-led, south-north partnership. In its 16 year existence, the project, by successfully obtaining competitive grant funding, has transformed itself into one of Africa's most productive African-led R&D programmes with training and visible research outputs. The project serves as a role model and now networks R&D and training activities with six southern African (10 institutions) and six European countries. This project case study illustrates that deep commitment is essential for success and that the factors which facilitate success in R&D in Africa need to be evaluated. The long-term prospects for su...
The paper gives a detailed overview of the history of subsidence engineering in South African collieries. Surface displacements resulting from total-seam extraction are discussed, and the important role of local geology is highlighted. It is shown that the differences in subsidence behaviour between South African and European collieries can be attributed to the presence of competent strata in the overburden of South African coal seams. Criteria are given for the prediction of the most important subsidence parameters, and a new model for the simulation of surface subsidence above total-extraction panels is introduced. The final section of the paper deals with the damage to surface structures caused by total-seam extraction. A brief summary of the most important undermining experiments in South African collieries is given, and it is concluded that local experiences of damage compare with those in Europe. ...
BackgroundAfrican horse sickness virus (AHSV) causes a non-contagious, infectious disease in equids, with mortality rates that can exceed 90% in susceptible horse populations....Full Text Available
Significant recent writings have suggested strong parallels and actual links between the historical legal architectures of Canadian Aboriginal policy and South African apartheid. This article's further probing of these claims shows them to be very doubtful. At the same time, some more limited legal parallels between the two systems shows the importance of undertaking further analysis of the transmission and exchange of legal ideas and norms within the Commonwealth order.
A Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance investigation was performed by NIOSH on February 1-4, 1977, at ASARCO, East Helena, Montana, a facility engaged in lead smelting. The survey was prompted by a request from the Regional OSHA Director in referenc...
... east Nigeria) and has also been recorded from south west Cameroon. Only two records; that from Angola the locality ... east Nigeria) and has also been recorded from south-west Cameroon. It is inferred tha...
A bedload trap in the riverbed provided direct quantitative measurement of debris-transport rate in the East Fork River, Wyoming, a basin of 466 km2 drainage area. Traction load moves only...Full Text Available
This study presents the data of an evaluation of the automated Nuclisens easyMAG and EasyQ systems versus the Roche AmpliPrep-AMPLICOR combination for testing of high-volume human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) load. This represents a follow-up of a previous study investigating the performance of the real-time Nuclisens assay using the semiautomated NucliSENS miniMAG extraction procedure. Three hundred eighteen patient samples were analyzed using both methods. The easyMAG-EasyQ HIV type 1 system has a higher sensitivity and broader dynamic range than the Cobas AmpliPrep-AMPLICOR system when the standard Roche assay is used alone, 25 to 3,000,000 IU/ml versus 400 to 750,000 HIV RNA copies/ml, respectively. There was significant correlation between the assays (0.93; P < 0.0001), with good accuracy (percent similarity mean ? = 96%), good precision (percent similarity standard deviation = 4.97%), and overall good agreement with a low percent similarity coefficient of ...
The purpose of this study is to examine the cross-ethnic measurement equivalence of the "Child Behavior Checklist" (CBCL) for 6- to 18-year-olds (2001, parent version) using a sample of African American special needs adopted children, along with a comparison group of Caucasian American special needs adopted children. Reliability and multiple sources of postdictive criterion-related validity were analyzed, and a confirmatory factor analysis of the CBCL within and between participating groups was performed. The results indicate that for practical purposes, the CBCL items appear reliable but not valid in terms of assessing the mental health profiles of both African American and Caucasian youth. These findings are significant because they have important implications for the practical utility of the CBCL in the field for adopted youth. (Contains 6 tables.)
The presence of inefficient distribution networks and supply chains of medicines creates problems in that even if African countries can secure steep, sustainable cost-containing procurements, access to needed medicines may still be impaired. The expected health benefits from affordable pricing or subsidies on prices of medicines may not be realized. This article evaluates drug supply chains in African countries and advocates for consolidated private wholesale markets and multiplicity of retail pharmacies. Public supply chains should be shortened and supported by contracting out with private distributors, including wholesalers and retail pharmacies. Additionally, drug regulatory authorities should be allowed to charge registration fees that are proportionate to the costs of technical regula...
Background: In North America and Europe, 80% of invasive skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma while 20% are squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). In contrast, African studies reveal a preponderance...Full Text Available
This study assesses the contribution of smoking to all-cause mortality among a primarily minority cohort of urban transit operators. Survey and medical exam data, obtained from 1,785 workers (61% African...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo evaluate a faith-based intervention (“Sisters in Motion”) intended to increase walking among older, sedentary African American women.Full Text Available
This case report describes the second known instance of a multifocal capillary pancreatic neoplasm. Both cases occurred in young African American females. A less-than-total pancreatectomy was performed...Full Text Available
SUMMARYA study of microbicide acceptability among high-risk African American, Puerto Rican, non-Hispanic White, and other women in Hartford, Connecticut indicated...Full Text Available
BackgroundLake Tanganyika (LT) is the oldest of the African Rift Lakes and is one of the richest freshwater ecosystems on Earth, with high levels of faunal diversity and endemism....Full Text Available
Although research demonstrates many negative family outcomes associated with single-parent households, little is known about processes that lead to positive outcomes for these families. Using...Full Text Available
This paper summarizes the findings for the African Region of the WPA Task Force on Steps, Obstacles and Mistakes to Avoid in the Implementation of Community Mental Health Care. We present an overview...Full Text Available
African trypanosomes exert significant morbidity and mortality in man and livestock. Only a few drugs are available for the treatment of trypanosome infections and therefore, the development of new...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn South Africa, HIV prevalence among youth aged 15-24 is among the world's highest. Given the urgent need to identify effective HIV prevention approaches, this review...Full Text Available
BackgroundAlthough ivermectin is distributed free of charge through the African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), not all eligible individuals within communities receive...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe western African clawed frog Xenopus tropicalis is an anuran amphibian species now used as model in vertebrate comparative genomics. It provides the...Full Text Available
BackgroundStudies conducted in developed countries using economic models show that individual- and household- level variables are important determinants of health insurance ownership....Full Text Available
BackgroundThe southern African tick shell, Nassarius kraussianus (Dunker, 1846), has been identified as being the earliest known ornamental object used by human...Full Text Available
Characteristics relevant to cardiovascular disease, including anthropometry, arterial blood pressure, serum cholesterol levels, chest radiography and electrocardiography, were investigated in a survey...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND: Angiosarcoma of the scalp is a rare, aggressive, and deadly cancer that affects mainly elderly Caucasian men. OBJECTIVES: The insidious and masquerading presentation of angiosarcoma poses...Full Text Available
The objective of this study was to determine the level of anesthesia attained in Xenopus laevis frogs using a propofol bath administration. Thirty-three nonbreeding female Xenopus...Full Text Available
Signatures of natural selection occur throughout the human genome and can be detected at the sequence level. We have re-sequenced ABCE1, a host candidate gene essential for...Full Text Available
To diagnose asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis (BV), self-sampled vaginal smears were collected during a study of risk factors for preterm birth in African American women. More than 90% of those...Full Text Available
ObjectivesThis feasibility study developed and pilot tested an intervention to: (1) increase knowledge about prostate cancer (CaP) screening; and (2) promote self-efficacy...Full Text Available
This paper explores how an aid-funded Ph.D.-programme in mathematics education instituted in some Southern African Development Community countries measures up to issues related to research capacity development projects. The research capacity development programme is described and reflected against mutual benefit, relevance, sustainability and prioritization of the location of project funding expenditure--some of the constructs in the discourse on research capacity development initiatives. It is found that the benefits of the programme are indeed mutual; the outcomes regarding relevance and sustainability are more uncertain and the location of expenditure of the funding is not overtly in favour of the donor country.
A discussion of the Sasol I, II, and III coal liquefaction plants of the Republic of South Africa was presented. The technology, capacity, and economics of these projects were included in the discussion. These plants utilize the Fischer-Tropsch process of indirect coal liquefaction and produce a barrel of synthetic crude for about $55 (or about $20 above current market prices). Outlines of the differences in indirect coal liquefaction and newer direct methods were presented. It was determined that the South African dedication to coal liquefaction was made more for the political aspects of energy independence than economics.
Large amounts of atmospheric dust are lifted from the North African deserts and are transported by the trade winds over the Caribbean region, especially during the summer months. How African dust particles influence the earth's radiative budget is not well understood because these particles are highly variable and their physical, optical, and chemical properties are poorly characterized, especially when they are atmospherically processed as are those that travel from Africa to the Caribbean region. Here we present results of aerosol measurements performed at Cape San Juan (CPR), a ground-based station located at the northeastern tip of the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. We used a condensation particle counter to determine the particle number concentration, a sunphotometer (part of the AErosol RObotical NETwork, AERONET, aeronet.gsfc.nasa.gov) to determine volume size distributions and aerosol optical thickness, and a 3-wavelength ...
... that operated in Pakistan, Dubai, and throughout the Middle East ... identifies 'funds' as one of eight major terrorist ... techniques, and procedures (TTP). ...
Team 6 Regimental Combat Team 8 Retired Activities Office Safety Division School of Infantry - East School of Infantry - West Second Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion Security...
Health Iran Iraq Landmines Middle East Muslim Outreach Narcotics Nonproliferation North Korea Pakistan Piracy Reconstruction and Stabilization Sudan Trafficking in Persons War...
... more so when that and he is leaving it with ... reminds me of the story about the sick man who ... fers based on industrial cooperation and the establish- ...
Issues Democracy and Human Rights Economic Issues Energy Security Food Security Haiti Health Iran Iraq Landmines Middle East Muslim Outreach Narcotics Nonproliferation North Korea...
Several factors have been proposed to explain the persistence of a high incidence of venous thromboembolism worldwide with its associated morbidity and mortality. Underutilization of anticoagulants...Full Text Available
All African Nations belong to the category of third world underdeveloped countries of the world. UNDP Human Development Index uses factors like per capita income, health of the people, and educational attainment to classify countries. Adult literacy and gross enrolment ratios are indicators of education status. This paper uses Nigeria, a typical African country, to illustrate the problems posed by adult illiteracy to national development. Statistical data are used to show the low levels of adult literacy with disparities between males and females; urban and rural areas, and between different zones of Nigeria and the continent. Enrolments and completion rate in adult literacy programmes are presented. Nigeria's policy on adult and non formal education as reflected in the Nigerian constitution (1999), National Policy on Education (2004 edition), Decree 17 on the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non formal education (1990), and the ...
Abstract Interest in soy foods has increased with consumer awareness of its health benefits, especially with soy-related ingredients being utilized as one of the major sources of high-protein fortification. The aim of the present study was to assess South African (SA) consumers' opinion of soy and soy products through different statements on consumption, taste, protein value and healthiness. The respondents (n = 3001) for this randomized cross-sectional study were randomly selected from metropolitan and rural areas in South Africa. Trained fieldworkers administered questionnaires by conducting face-to-face interviews. Fourteen statements from four sections of the questionnaire (consisting of 17 food-related topics in total), probing information on consumers' opinion on soy and soy products...
The history of the North German Mission Society (established 1836 in Hamburg) and its activity on the West African coast (from 1847 onwards among the Ewe, in what is now Ghana and Togo where it was and still is known as the 'Bremen Mission') mirrors neatly the various phases of the idea of 'mission': its composite motivation (Enlightenment, humanism and Pietism); the rejection of a narrow denominationalism (though the management of the mission was from 1850 onwards in the hands of the society's Bremen branch which belonged to the Reformed tradition); the entanglement of mission and overseas trade; the ambivalent attitude towards imperialism; the shaping of the missionary process as a profoundly educational one; the growing independence of the African church when the German missionaries wer...
A method and device have been provided for distinguishing Africanized honeybees from European honeybees. The method is based on the discovery of a distinct difference in the acoustical signatures of these two species of honeybees in flight. The European honeybee signature has a fundamental power peak in the 210 to 240 Hz range while the Africanized honeybee signature has a fundamental power peak in the 260 to 290 Hz range. The acoustic signal produced by honeybees is analyzed by means of a detecting device to quickly determine the honeybee species through the detection of the presence of frequencies in one of these distinct ranges. The device includes a microphone for acoustical signal detection which feeds the detected signal into a frequency analyzer which is designed to detect the presence of either of the known fundamental wingbeat frequencies unique to the acoustical signatures of these species as an indication of the identity of the ...
? Introduction For large trees without a continuous sequence of growth rings in their trunk, such as the African baobab (Adansonia digitata L.), the only accurate method for age determination is radiocarbon dating. As of today, this method was limited to dating samples collected from the remains of dead specimens. ? Methods Our research extends significantly the dating of such trees to large live specimens with inner cavities. The new approach is based on collecting samples from the cavities and their subsequent radiocarbon dating. ? Results The giant two-stemmed Platland tree, also known as Sunland baobab, was investigated by using this new approach. AMS radiocarbon dates of the oldest sample segments originating from the two inner cavities indicate that the large stem I (364.5?m3) is 750...
The Baobab tree (Adansonia digitata L.) is a key multipurpose species for the African region. In the recent years there has been an extended commercial interest for different A. digitata products. As a spectacular African key species there has been a growing interest from NGO?s and various research groups. A research group, focussing on the following countries Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, has participated in a concerted research action with cross counter disciplinary cooperation between plant physiology, population genetics, tree breeding, food science, and socioeconomics. This paper presents a review and the way knowledge gaps are being addressed using the above mentioned approach. The overall work was initiated in 2005?2006 when a large collection of A. digitata seeds was carried out in...
The first reported Far East scarlet-like fever (FESLF) epidemic swept the Pacific coastal region of Russia in the late 1950s. Symptoms of the severe infection included erythematous skin rash and desquamation,...Full Text Available
Areas with elevated levels of radioactivity were found throughout both residences, as well as on the surrounding property. Contamination was also found in the garage behind the 105 East structure. The 105 East residence had substantially more contamination than the 107 East residence, as was expected. The chimneys, particularly the rear chimney, from the 105 East residence had extensive contamination, indicating that contaminated materials may have been burned at the site. The high background radiation emanating from this residence made it difficult to establish the relatively lower levels of contamination in the 107 East residence. The property surrounding the 105 East residence was found to have substantial contamination scattered throughout, with the highest level occurring in the backyard. The soil surface contamination seemed to drop markedly (but not ...
The budding natural gas markets in East Europe attract a great deal of interest from natural gas industries in the Western countries. Dutch companies, institutions and the government, too, are active in this market. So far the results have not been spectacular. An analysis is made of the present situation and the Dutch approach
Private transfers of capital from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to developing countries are intended to complement private transfers from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) by tapping the emerging capital markets in the Middle East. Developing countries will be able to diversify their borrowing and gain additional financing. The long-term investment of oil-producing countries will benefit and the pressures on the banking institutions to recycle funds will lessen. Middle East capital markets include international loans and international bonds. The history of the Kuwaiti dinar (KD) bond market, with its advantages for both investors and borrowers, illustrates the successful development of a capital market. Financial intermediation needs to be improved, however, if the Middle East is to become efficient enough to compete with the Euromarkets. Efficiency will require ...
The dynamical factors controlling the mean state and variability of the east Pacific intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and the associated cross-equatorial boundary layer flow are investigated using observations from the East Pacific Investigation of Climate (EPIC2001) project. The tropical east Pacific exhibits a southerly boundary layer flow that terminates in the ITCZ. This flow is induced by the strong meridional sea surface temperature (SST) gradient in the region. Away from the equator and from deep convection, it is reasonably well described on a day-to-day basis by an extended Ekman balance model. Variability in the strength and northward extent of this flow is caused by variations in free-tropospheric pressure gradients that either reinforce or oppose the pressure gradient associated with the SST gradient. These free-tropospheric gradients are caused by easterly waves, tropical cyclones, and the Madden Julian ...
The study reports ultrasonography and computerise tomography findings in 16 patients with amoebic abscesses, 12 of whom lived in a temperate peripheral area north-east of Naples (Italy). All patients have a clinical-diagnostic condition called sub-urban amoebiasis. The personal experience with the US guided therapeutic drainage of amoebic abscess with repeated cavity washing, which is important for positive parasitology. Combined US and CT assessment facilitated the diagnosis of amoebiasis and its differentiation from pyogenic abscess and hepatoma. [Italian] La colonizzazione epatica rappresenta la localizzazione piu' comune dell'amebiasi extraintestinale e gli ascessi epatici ne costituiscono la manifestazione piu' frequente sviluppandosi nel 3-9 % dei pazienti affetti da infezione parassitaria. Diversi studi confermano che la terapia medica dell'amebiasi risulta piu' efficace ...
Extracts from Helichrysum caespititium were found to have antimicrobial activity. Structure elucidation of the active compound, 2-(4-methylpentanoyl)-4-(3-methylbuten-2-yl)-phloroglucinol (caespitin), by means of spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic analyses, is described.
Description is given of how the design challenges were met in commissioning the Sasol Two plant in 1980, a larger plant than Sasol One, and devoted to producing liquid fuels. The design parameters included treating South African coals of poor quality with high ash contents, and rapidity in building the plant.
A total of 172 persons from nine South Amerindian, three African and one Eskimo populations were studied in relation to the Paired box gene 9 (PAX9) exon 3 (138 base...Full Text Available
Issues Democracy and Human Rights Economic Issues Energy Security Food Security Haiti Health Iran Iraq Landmines Middle East Muslim Outreach Narcotics Nonproliferation North Korea...
The abundance of host-seeking Ixodes scapularis nymphs, the principal vector for the Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, in Old Lyme, Lyme, and East Haddam, Connecticut,...Full Text Available
Previous studies with a limited number of strains have indicated that there are two genotypes of yellow fever (YF) virus in Africa, one in west Africa and the other in east and central Africa. We have...Full Text Available
BackgroundWithin the last 25 years, after the introduction of the swimbladder nematode Anguillicoloides crassus from East-Asia to Europe, a body of work has aggregated...Full Text Available
Licorice, Glycyrrhizae radix, is one of the herbal medicines in East Asia that has been commonly used for treating various diseases, including stomach disorders. This study investigated...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe continued depletion of tropical rainforests and fragmentation of natural habitats has led to significant ecological changes which place most top carnivores under heavy...Full Text Available
This report gives the results of an assessment of the effects on seabirds of possible petroleum exploration at the shelf outside Central-Norway out to 1"o East. By combining oil spill simulations with the valued ecosystem components, i.e. seabirds, their distribution, and their vulnerability indexes, the relative index values for the direct effects of oil spills were calculated. For the purpose, the analysis system SIMPACT was used. On the basis of these results and other relevant considerations, recommendations for limiting a possible drilling activity are given. 85 refs., 49 figs., 9 tabs.
The paleogeography postulated from the distribution of Permian and Triassic sedimentary rocks in the Middle East is shown and related to the paleostructure of the region. The Middle East region as defined here includes the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Iraq, SE Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, West Jordan, and the Sinai Peninsula. Within the limits of the area included in this study, a relatively stable pre-Late Triassic tectonic regime can be recognized and distinguished from a succession of diastrophic events of the Late Triassic epoch, which caused marked changes in the types and distribution of facies. Excluding NE Iran, the Middle East was stable from Late Cambrian to Middle Triassic times, as it formed a part of the Arabian Massif and much of the Middle East Platform, which is a broad shelf bordering the positive Afro-Arabian Massif to the NE and east. The sediments of this platform ...
A performance assessment analysis was completed for the 200 East Area Low-Level Burial Grounds (LLBG) to satisfy compliance requirements in DOE Order 5820.2A. In the analysis, scenarios of radionuclide release from the 200 East Area Low-Level waste facility was evaluated. The analysis focused on two primary scenarios leading to exposure. The first was inadvertent intrusion. In this scenario, it was assumed that institutional control of the site and knowledge of the disposal facility has been lost. Waste is subsequently exhumed and dose from exposure is received. The second scenario was groundwater contamination.In this scenario, radionuclides are leached from the waste by infiltrating precipitation and transported through the soil column to the underlying unconfined aquifer. The contaminated water is pumped from a well 100 m downstream and consumed,causing dose. Estimates of potential contamination of the surrounding environment were developed ...
This study examines the degree of price-integration of equity indices between the major markets of Africa, namely Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Namibia and South Africa with the European markets of London and Paris. Vector Autoregressive and Autoregressive Distributed Lag methods reveal that African markets are largely price-segmented. The only markets that are price-integrated have shared economic and financial institutions, such as Namibia and South Africa, and Egypt, Tunisia and France. The evidence suggests that development policy should be focussed on enhancing existing institutions rather than embarking prematurely on regional integration.
This article presents the text of a lecture delivered by American Educational Research Association President Carol D. Lee at the 29th Annual Charles H. Thompson Lecture-Colloquium Series which was held on November 5, 2008. In her lecture, Lee discussed several points of similarities between W. E. B. Du Bois and President Barack Obama. These similarities in background, education, and in their ideas on politics and power are historically connected with implications for educating Black people though race consciousness.
In this paper following a brief outline of the geological background in Greece, as related to geothermal exploration, the prospective areas for low enthalpy fluids are classified into four groups. These are the Tertiary grabens associated with Lithospheric stretching and crustal subsidence, the Arc of the Aegean Plio-Quaternary volcanism induced by the subduction of the African plate, Central Aegean islands of distensive tectonism bordering back-arc marine basins and finally Tertiary-Quaternary sedimentary basins of various types, not classified as grabens. The geothermal regime in each of these groups is outlined, and the current status of exploration is reviewed.
An overview of current concepts on neuroinflammation and on the dialogue between neurons and non-neuronal cells in three important infections of the central nervous systems (rabies, cerebral malaria, and human African trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness) is here presented. Large numbers of cases affected by these diseases are currently reported. In the context of an issue dedicated to Camillo Golgi, historical notes on seminal discoveries on these diseases are also presented. Neuroinflammation is currently closely associated with pathogenetic mechanisms of chronic neurodegenerative diseases. Neuroinflammatory signaling in brain infections is instead relatively neglected in the neuroscience community, despite the fact that the above infections provide paradigmatic examples of alterations o...
The fact that South Africa had no commercially significant deposits of crude oil necessitated the early development of production of gasoline from coal which was present in abundance in low to medium grade in thick seams, the development of the process since the early 1950s is discussed. Both the Fischer Tropsch and Lurgi processes are used, and three large plants named Sasol One, Two, and Three have been completed. A flow diagram for the Lurgi process as used in these plants is included. Typical products and their properties resulting from the Sasol-type Synthol operation are presented in tabular form. Marketing considerations and economics of production of the Sasol products are discussed briefly. (BLM)
The fact that South Africa had no commercially significant deposits of crude oil necessitated the early development of production of gasoline from coal which was present in abundance in low to medium grade in thick seams, the development of the process since the early 1950s is discussed. Both the Fischer Tropsch and Lurgi processes are used, and three large plants named Sasol One, Two, and Three have been completed. A flow diagram for the Lurgi process as used in these plants is included. Typical products and their properties resulting from the Sasol-type Synthol operation are presented in tabular form. Marketing considerations and economics of production of the Sasol products are discussed briefly. (BLM)
Several wood samples collected from Dorslandboom, a large iconic African baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) from Namibia, were investigated by AMS radiocarbon dating subsequent to pretreatment and, alternatively, without pretreatment. The comparative statistical evaluation of results showed that there were no significant differences between fraction modern values and radiocarbon dates of the samples analyzed after pretreatment and without pretreatment, respectively. The radiocarbon date of the oldest sample was 993 +- 20 BP. Dating results also revealed that Dorslandboom is a multi-generation tree, with several stems showing different ages.
The Asejire dam at Ibadan, Nigeria was constructed in the late sixties for the purpose of providing water for the city of Ibadan (presently about 4,5 million inhabitants). It is located on the Oshun river approximately fifteen miles from the city. In 1982 cracks were observed on the wing walls and although these continued to develop, no attempt was made at that time to investigate their causes and no repair was carried out. In 1989 the SGI ENGINEERING Group of Geneva, Switzerland was appointed as the consultant for the complete refurbishment of the Asejire water scheme. The consortium Degremont-Poat-Clemessy was awarded the contract for the project. The African Development Bank and the Nigerian Government have provided the loan to finance the project.
African bovine trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma sp., is a major constraint on cattle productivity in sub-Saharan Africa. Some African Bos taurus breeds are highly tolerant of infection, but the potentially more productive Bos indicus zebu breeds are much more susceptible. Zebu cattle are well adapted for plowing and haulage, and increasing their tolerance of trypanosomiasis could have a major impact on crop cultivation as well as dairy and beef production. We used three strategies to obtain short lists of candidate genes within QTL that were previously shown to regulate response to infection. We analyzed the transcriptomes of trypanotolerant N'Dama and susceptible Boran cattle after infection with Trypanosoma congolense. We sequenced EST libraries from these two breeds to identify polymorphisms that might underlie previously identified quantitative trait loci (QTL), and we assessed QTL regions and candidate loci for evidence of selective ...
The grey-black mudstones of the Sonehat Formation form part of the Middle Jurassic fill of the Jameson Land Basin in East Greenland. The formation is exposed in the southernmost part of the north south-trending, Mesozoic rift system in East Greenland that was part of the epeiric seaway betaveen East Greenland and Norway. Sedimentological observations of the Sortehat Formation indicate deposition in an offshore marine setting that was typically low energy and periodically oxygen-deficient but was influenced by storm currents on occasion. Detailed palynological studies of the Sortehat Formation have resulted in the definition of theee palynological assemblage zones recognised at four localities, namely Enhjoerningen Dal and Pelion (north Jameson Land), the type section at Sortehat (central Jameson Land) and Albuen at Neill Klinter along Hurry Inlet (south-east Jameson Land). In stratigraphic order, these ...
In association with excavation of the No. 135 steam producing well in the Onikubi geothermal power plant in Miyagi Prefecture, shapes of production zones and drilling-induced fracture (DIF) were acquired from the borehole televiewer (BHTV) data. The BHTV logging shoots sound waves onto well walls of wells filled with fluid and detects the reflection waves to investigate the state of the well walls. Vertical fracture with opening lengths from 2 to 3 m were found at depths of about 1232 m and 1312 m. Water run-off has occurred at a depth of about 1312 m during the excavation, to which these vertical fractures might have contributed possibly. In depths of about 1232 m and 1312 m, fractures inclining toward north-east direction and south-west direction are predominant. Some fractures in the depth of about 1333 m incline toward east-south-east direction and west-north-west direction. Fracture inclination azimuth in all of the present logging ...
In May 1985, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit was issued for the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, a nuclear weapons components production facility located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and operated by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., for the US Department of Energy. As a condition of the permit, a Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) was developed to demonstrate that the effluent limitations established for the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant protect the classified uses of the receiving stream (East Fork Poplar Creek), in particular, the growth and propagation of fish and aquatic life, as designated by the Tennessee Department of Health and Environment. A second purpose for the BMAP is to document the ecological effects resulting from implementation of a water pollution control program that will include construction of nine new wastewater treatment facilities over the next 4 years. Because of the complex nature of the effluent discharged to ...
Geological, geophysical, thermal, petrophysical and hydrological data available for the East Mesa hydrothermal system that are pertinent to the construction of a computer model of the natural flow of heat and fluid mass within the system are assembled and correlated. A conceptual model of the full system is developed and a subregion selected for quantitative modeling. By invoking the Boussinesq approximation, valid for describing the natural flow of heat and mass in a liquid hydrothermal system, it is found practical to carry computer simulations far enough in time to ensure that steady-state conditions are obtained. Initial calculations for an axisymmetric model approximating the system demonstrate that the vertical formation permeability of the deep East Mesa system must be very low (k/sub v/ approx. 0.25 to 0.5 md). Since subsurface temperature and surface heat flow data exhibit major deviations from the axisymmetric approximation, ...
Hyperglycemia frequently occurs with acute medical illness, especially among patients with cardiovascular disease, and has been linked to increased morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients....Full Text Available
Monocelis lineata is a complex of cryptic species (three in the Mediterranean and one in the Atlantic) widespread in midlittoral habitats. Throughout the range, populations with or without an ocular pigmented shield are found. We investigated the genetic structure of the North-East Atlantic populations with the aim of shedding light on their phylogeography and reconstructing possible patterns of recolonization after the Wrmian glaciation. Fourteen samples were investigated using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 13 by inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs). COI did not exhibit a clear pattern of decreased genetic diversity along a latitudinal gradient. Populations from Ferrol (Spain), Doolin (Ireland), and Helsingr (Denmark) showed a higher genetic variability, whereas a reduction in...
We have analyzed data obtained with the Deep River neutron monitor and the underground vertical muon telescope at Embudo for the period 1965--79. Our data in conjunction with other published data show that for 1957--70 the diurnal anisotropy is unidirectional; with direction along 18 hour LT (east-west). During 1971--79, the diurnal anisotropy consists of two components. One is in east-west direction and the other is the radial component, with direction along 12 hour LT. The latter attains a maximum amplitude in 1976. We find no evidence for the existence of the twenty year wave in the diurnal anisotropy of cosmic rays. copyright American Geophysical Union 1988
The tests reported were part of the DOE Geothermal Reservoir Well Stimulation Program. This East Mesa (Imperial Valley, CA) well was successfully stimulated with two fracture treatments, a dendritic fracture and a planar fracture. The natural flow production of the well increased 114 percent, to 197,900 lb/hr. These tests were among the few successful attempts of this program to increase flow from geothermal production wells. The general belief is that these tests worked OK primarily because the formation was sedimentary rock (similar to rock in most oil and gas wells that have been stimulated successfully. Similar tests in geothermal hard rock reservoirs did not work very well. (DJE 2005)
The commercialization of geothermal energy resources consists of a sequence of exploration, development, and utilization activities. Each of these activities are beset by both generic and project specific technical, environmental, and institutional constraints which must be adequately resolved before geothermal operations can be conducted. This report presents a summary of selected environmental activities conducted during the early planning stages of geothermal resource commercialization. Three representative activities are elaborated upon. These include preliminary environmental planning for geothermal energy development in the Medicine Lake Highlands of California; potential alternatives for non-electric use of the geothermal resource at East Mesa in Imperial County, California; and site specific studies of the impacts from using East Mesa geothermal fluids to irrigate selected crops and indigenous climax vegetation.
ObjectivesCoastal ecosystems in developing countries supply a diverse range of services to local communities and national economies, including fish production, protection against floods and storms and support to tourism. Multiple drivers of change are influencing the status of the ecosystems, most of which are anthropogenic (Brown et al., 2006). Managing coastal ecosystems requires recognition of the diverse range of uses and users, and coordination between structures and processes, many of which are curr [continued...]DescriptionCommitment to the management of coastal ecosystems through addressing both ecological and social objectives already exists in East and Southern Africa (Glavovic 2006; Gustavson et al. 2009). More understanding, however, of the ecosystem services of priority to the poor and to poverty alleviation would strengthen the capacity of these initiatives to deliver on poverty alleviation and resource sustainability. The coastal regions of Tanzania, ...
In this study we investigated cultural, familial, and individual beliefs that influenced international students? perceptions of therapy and help-seeking behaviors. Included were changes in perception or behavior before and after the students came to the US, and factors that influenced help-seeking behaviors. Six international students from East Asian countries where English is a foreign language, including Taiwan, Mainland China, Japan, and South Korea, were interviewed. We used semi-structured interviews and participant observations for collecting data. The findings indicated changes after students came to the US. Further discussions focus on encouraging and discouraging factors relative to seeing therapists, and culturally sensitive interventions for family therapy clinicians.
The report presents details of the distributions of air pollution in the Berlin area and the developments of the past 20 years. Highly polluted areas are indicated in which air pollution reduction measures are particularly urgent. The report therefore intends not only to inform but also to point out the deficiencies of air pollution abatement measures, so that political consequences can be derived and measures can be taken. In all, data were recorded by 39 measuring stations in West Berlin, 16 in East Berlin, and 7 in Potsdam and Frankfurt/Oder. In most stations, sulphur dioxide and airborne dust were measured; 14 stations in West Berlin and one in East Berlin measured carbon monoxide and nitric oxides; 8 stations in West Berlin recorded ozone concentrations. (orig./KW).
ObjectiveTo identify patient-care practices related to an increased prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among chronic hemodialysis patients.Full Text Available
Carcinoma in situ in the contralateral testis was diagnosed in 27 of 500 patients (5.4%) with unilateral testicular germ cell cancer. Eight of the 27 patients received intensive chemotherapy for spread...Full Text Available
ObjectiveWe sought to determine the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement with hemodynamically confirmed severe pulmonary hypertension and aortic stenosis and compare them with the outcomes of patients not undergoing aortic valve replacement and patients undergoing aortic valve replacement with mild-to-moderate pulmonary hypertension. MethodsA total of 317 patients with severe aortic stenosis (aortic valve area 35 mm Hg) was present in 81 patients, of whom 35 (43.2%) underwent surgical aortic valve replacement. We compared the clinical outcomes of these 35 patients with the 46 patient...
Abstract This article introduces some of the key philosophical contributions of W. E. B. Du Bois. Du Bois studied with Santayana and William James (among others), but chose social science, social theory, journalism, and activism over academic philosophy. Despite this detour, the philosophic depth of his work has won the attention of scholars in fields such as history, English, post colonial theory, African American Studies, American philosophy, and Africana philosophy, and it has belatedly begun to attract the interest of philosophers more generally. This brief overview will explore the philosophical dimensions of some of Du Bois s best known positions his claims about the color line and the Talented Tenth, his argument with Booker T. Washington, and his account of double consciousness. Th...
Local communities in southern Africa derive many benefits from marula [Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.) Hochst. subsp. caffra (Sond.) Kokwaro]. These include the contribution of this species towards health, nutrition, food security and conservation by sharing local skills and knowledge related to it. Marula fruits can be eaten fresh, squeezed to make juice, brewed in traditional beer or used to make jam and jelly. The kernels are also edible and can be pressed to extract oil for cooking and cosmetics, i.e., for skin and hair application. The bark, roots, seeds and leaves are exploited for traditional medicinal purposes. Marula has acquired significant commercial value since its fruits and other products have entered local, regional and international trade in southern Africa. To diversify frui...
It has often been argued that the success and spread of modern humans 50,000years ago was due to a series of key behavioral shifts that conferred particular adaptive advantages. And yet, particularly during the African Middle Stone Age (MSA), some of these "modern" behaviors see only patchy expression across time and space. Recent models have proposed a link between the emergence of modern behaviors and environmental degradation and/or demographic stress. Under these models, modern behaviors represent a form of social/economic intensification in response to stress; if this were the case, signs of subsistence intensification should be more common during periods in which these behaviors are manifested than when they are not. In order to test these models, I analyzed faunal remains from Sibud...
High levels of unemployment are a permanent feature in the urban areas of many developing countries. South Africa is no exception in this regard. Poverty and hardship caused by unemployment force many participants in the labour market to venture into the urban informal economy in order to survive. The activities of the waste pickers fall within the urban informal economy. In spite of the fact that waste pickers are a common sight in the urban areas of Pretoria and other South African cities, remarkably little is known about them and scant attention is paid to them. The aim of the study was to establish a socio-economic profile of the street waste pickers in Pretoria and to describe the social interaction and relationship dynamics between the waste pickers and their families, each other, th...
Taking the port city of Alicante the author outlines how numerous crossroads connect the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean. Along the arc of Euro-Mediterranean trading centres lies the European continent as a whole, extending eastwards to the republics emerging from the disintegration of the Soviet Empire, and in the south to Francophone and Muslim Africa. This arc of trading towns includes Istanbul, Dubai, Naples, Antwerp, Hamburg, Marseilles and Alicante. The author traces the movements of individuals pursuing "suitcase trade" performed by means of face-to-face links, word of mouth, and verbal agreements. The author then traces this vast "choreographed movement" that originates from Europe's borders, and suggests that although reasons other than trade influence mobility a...
The European Commission recently authorized the import of baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) fruit pulp as a novel food. In rural West Africa the multipurpose baobab is used extensively for subsistence. Three hundred traditional uses of the baobab were documented in Benin, Mali, and Senegal across 11 ethnic groups and 4 agroecological zones. Baobab fruits and leaves are consumed throughout the year. The export of baobab fruits could negatively influence livelihoods, including reduced nutritional intake, change of power relations, and access rights. Capacity building and certification could encourage a sustainable and ethical trade of baobab fruits without neglecting baobab use in subsistence.
Sasol, a South-African company, has converted coal into synthetic fuels for 40 years; in order to increase by 6 pc its annual production (40 Mt coal are processed), Sasol has launched the Sky High project and intends to replace the ancient Sasol Synthol reactors by Advanced Synthol reactors using conventional fluidized beds instead of circulating fluidized beds. Coal is first gasified under high pressure and high temperature conditions (the Secunda site uses the Fischer-Tropsch conversion process) and is then processed in the reactor through a single phase process using an iron-base catalyst, leading to significant cost reductions.
A section of the northern margin of the Guineo-Congolian rain forest of the Central African Republic is studied to determine to what extent deforestation is evolving. Three sites are presented to highlight the diversity in local environmental settings at the northern margin of the closed equatorial rain forest: the contiguous equatorial rain forest, the boundary between the closed rain forest and the grasslands, and a predominantly secondary grassland environment. Proven image processing procedures for determining land cover and vegetation vigor were applied to Landsat MSS data to determine land cover characteristics and identify alterations in land cover that indicate potentially degraded forest environments. Land cover was independently assessed using spectral signatures determined from a statistical clustering routine. The images presented and image analyses contribute insights and information to an ongoing effort to determine more reliable data on the status of ...
From their genesis by weathering and sedimentation, bauxites, the principal aluminium ores, contain appreciable amounts of uranium and thorium. High resolution gamma spectrometry with a high purity germanium detector was used for an analysis of four industrially used bauxites from Gondama, Sierra Leone; Boke, Guinea; Weipa, Queensland, Australia; Gove, Northern Territory, Australia. Significant differences in uranium to thorium ratios and in activities of the uranium and thorium daughters were observed for the four bauxites. It was found that the bauxite from Gondama, Sierra Leone has an activity of only 10% compared with the others. Red mud tailings from such a bauxite may well be used as an additive to bricks, which is now illegal for normal red mud from more active bauxites. (author).
From their genesis by weathering and sedimentation, bauxites, the principal aluminium ores, contain appreciable amounts of uranium and thorium. High resolution gamma spectrometry with a high purity germanium detector was used for an analysis of four industrially used bauxites from Gondama, Sierra Leone; Boke, Guinea; Weipa, Queensland, Australia; Gove, Northern Territory, Australia. Significant differences in uranium to thorium ratios and in activities of the uranium and thorium daughters were observed for the four bauxites. It was found that the bauxite from Gondama, Sierra Leone has an activity of only 10% compared with the others. Red mud tailings from such a bauxite may well be used as an additive to bricks, which is now illegal for normal red mud from more active bauxites. (author).
The risks from mining and processing of ores is reviewed on a generic basis with particular reference to some of the confusions which can arise due to lack of consistency or common logic in the use of exclusion, exemption and clearance. The difference in exclusion and exemption are challenged by comparing doses received in high background radiation areas and the doses received from a mining practice. The common principle of risk to the human species is not applied consistently. The differences between IAEA recommendations and local regulatory conditions are compared, and the use of exemption levels as clearance levels is considered. A case study on management of mine tailings is presented with special focus on the use of clearance levels. In all areas of review the interpretation of regulation is subject to confusion resulting from inconsistencies which can distort free market economics. (author).
A new method for determining the year of birth, the year of death, and hence, the age at death, of post-bomb and recently deceased elephants has been developed. The technique is based on Accelerator Mass Spectrometry radiocarbon analyses of small-sized samples extracted from along the length of a ge-line of an elephant tusk. The measured radiocarbon concentrations in the samples from a tusk can be compared to the {sup 14}C atmospheric bomb-pulse curve to derive the growth years of the initial and final samples from the tusk. Initial data from the application of this method to two tusks will be presented. Potentially, the method may play a significant role in wildlife management practices of African national parks. Additionally, the method may contribute to the underpinnings of efforts to define new international trade regulations, which could, in effect, decrease poaching and the killing of very young animals.
Poaching of wildlife animals for subsistence and commercial purposes has lead to population declines in Africa. In forensic cases, a need exists to identify the species of origin of carcasses, meat or blood. In the study presented here, the mitochondrial COI gene was sequenced to determine the species of unknown samples in three suspect South African forensic wildlife cases. In two cases the unknown samples were identified as originating from domestic cattle (Bos taurus) and in the third case the sample was identified as common reedbuck (Redunca arundinum). This is the first report of the COI sequence of common reedbuck. The study highlights the need for accurate wildlife reference material from each country in order to convict wildlife cases.
The article surveys studies into the global warming which have found that the OECD countries are responsible for less than half of the total registered warming. Calculation and analysis methods for estimating the global contributions from the blocks of OECD, Africa/America/Middle East, Asia and former Soviet Union/Eastern Europe are presented. The results and some pollution abatement measures are discussed.
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) is implementing waste minimization and pollution prevention activities into its conduct of decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) projects. Many of these activities are rather straight forward and simple approaches, yet they are often overlooked and not implemented as often as they should or could be. Specific activities involving recycling and reuse of materials and structures, which have proven useful in lowering decommissioning and disposal costs on D&D projects at ANL are presented.
BackgroundMalaria is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in Nigeria. It is not known how user fees introduced under the Bamako Initiative (BI) system affect healthcare...Full Text Available
Today, highly frequent radio waves are regarded as undangerous to man. Diseases seen at radar-technicians during the 2nd World War, however, indicated that microwaves applied in radar systems were hazardous to health. The Russian work medicine has been knowing microwave-caused hazards in industry since the beginning of the thirties. Therefore in some East-European countries there are terms of protection and severe norms of safety for the staying of persons in the radiation sphere of microwaves.
A primary and basic question prevails in the methanol industry - What will be the global demand for methanol, for the expanded production of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), during the next few years This article attempts to answer the question by discussing the global market; supply and demand factors; the market in North America, Western Europe, Far East and Asia, South America, and other regions; and the uncertainties that remain.
Rock fracture characterization documents a total of 1496 fractures in unit 2 of the Tshirege Member of the Bandelier Tuff along 6013 feet of Los Alamos Canyon`s north wall adjacent to Operational Unit 1098. Geologically termed joints, these fractures likely owe their primary origin to brittle failure during the cooling contraction of the tuff after its emplacement nearly 1 million years ago. Subsequent tectonic movement along the Pajarito Fault system has modified fracture strikes, dips, apertures, and linear density. From a background linear density of approximately 20 fractures per 100-foot interval along the canyon wall, fracture density increases to values in excess of 50 fractures per 100-foot interval in a zone at and immediately east of the Omega West reactor building TA-2-1. This increase in fracture density is coincident with the mapped trace of the Guaje Mountain Fault (GMFZ) that apparently bifurcates with a branch running through the canyon at Building ...
...Studies People Projects Opportunities Framework Critical Sectors Development Goals Geographic Region Geographic Scale Research Themes Printer-Friendly MSU Environmental Science and Policy Program Michigan State University East Lansing , Michigan Type: Program Education Level: Graduate Event Duration: Ongoing Philosophy of the doctoral specialization: In the ...
Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) of South Korea has awarded Asea Brown Boveri Switzerland, a member of the ABB Group, a contract to supply the main equipment for two gas-fired combined-cycle power stations. News of the contract followed an announcement last year that Kepco will build a series of gas-fired power stations in the early 1990s to supply electricity to new housing and commercial areas being built in the Seoul-Incheon connurbation. (author).
This report surveys potential impacts of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) on inter-ASEAN affairs and its external relations when ASEAN will enlarge its members to include all nations in South East Asia, and thus fully represent the region. For this purpose, the survey was conducted on Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, which joined in 1995, from the viewpoint of their economic and political system, and their relations with other member countries. The nature of ASEAN has gradually transformed, in which all the countries in the region have increased and internal economic issues have been tackled. It has an aim to stimulate inter-ASEAN trade and induce foreign direct investment into ASEAN as a whole by reducing import duties on intra-ASEAN trade. Underlying in these, new development is a concern about growing economic and military power of China. ASEAN solidarity will work an leverage against China should change toward worse, and ...
Contents: Lead smelter operations generating SO2 and particulate; Sulfuric acid plant technology; Lead smelters with sulfuric acid plant SO2 control; Sulfuric acid plant operation with lead sinter machine problems and solutions; SO2 control for ASARCO lea...
Arsenic in soils from the Asarco Lead Smelter in East Helena, Montana was characterized by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). As oxidation state and geochemical speciation were analyzed as a function of depth (two sampling sites) and surface distribution. These results were c...
Interaction of drilling fluids with a geothermal reservoir formation can result in significant permeability impairment and therefore reduced well productivity. This interaction is studied under simulated in situ geothermal conditions of overburden stress, pore fluid pressure, temperature, and pore fluid chemistry. Permeability impairment of an East Mesa KGRA reservoir material is evaluated as a function of stagnation time, drilling fluid, and temperature. Results indicate that all of these parameters contribute significantly to the magnitude and the reversibility of the impairment.
The engineering and economic feasibility of using the geothermal resources in East Mesa, California, in a new corn processing plant is evaluated. Institutional barriers were also identified and evaluated. Several alternative plant designs which used geothermal energy were developed. A capital cost estimate and rate of return type of economic analysis were performed to evaluate each alternative. (MHR)
This report attempts to bring together available information on the coal deposits of Antarctica and discuss factors that would be involved if these deposits were to be explored and mined. Most of the reported principal coal deposits in Antarctica lie generally within the Transantarctic Mountains: the majority are of Permian age and are present in the Victoria Group of the Beacon Supergroup. Several other deposits have been recorded in East Antarctica and in the Antarctic Peninsula, including minor occurrences of Mesozoic and Tertiary coal and carbonaceous shale.
References covering the years 1904-80 are listed under the following headings: cultivation and occurrence (India and Pakistan, Africa, South America, Pacific, Middle East); Taxonomy, morphology, variation and selection; Reference works and reviews; Ecology of Prosopis (General effects on surrounding soil and vegetation): Physiology (General, Roots, Growth, Hydrology, Saline tolerance); Control of mesquite: Propagation (Germination and other nursery techniques, Vegetative propagation): and Utilization (General, Chemical analyses, Food and Ethnobiology, Fodder, Wood, Charcoal, Gum, Paper). 141 references.
There are over 4,500 petroleum platforms in the north-central Gulf of Mexico. Explosives are commonly used to remove platforms and have the potential to kill nearby sea turtles. From June 1988-June 1990, the authors used aerial surveys to study turtle density and the spatial relationship between turtles and platforms offshore of Louisiana. They sighted 316 turtles most of which (92%) were loggerheads. Seventy-eight percent were sighted just east of the Mississippi River offshore of the Chandeleur Islands. East of the river, turtle densities ranged from 0.92 (winter) to 4.83 turtles/100 sq km (spring). West of the river, annual densities ranged from 0.11-0.50 turtles/100 sq km. East of the river, three statistical tests indicated that turtles were generally closer to platforms than expected by chance alone. West of the river, turtles were randomly located with respect to platform locations. Before explosives are used, ...
Patients who fail to attend initial appointments reduce clinic efficiency. To maximize attendance by newly referred outpatients, we introduced a mandatory group orientation clinic for all new patients...Full Text Available
One hundred and fifty patients requiring maintenance haemodialysis were investigated to determine the incidence and pattern of tuberculosis. Twenty patients were found to have tuberculosis, giving an...Full Text Available
In a group of 32 patients with terminal renal failure the initial hypocalcaemia was corrected after two months' adequate maintenance haemodialysis. In seven patients hypercalcaemia occurred with a...Full Text Available
BackgroundPersonal health records (PHRs) provide patients with access to personal health information (PHI) and targeted education. The use of PHRs has the potential to improve a...Full Text Available
By analyzing the data of 459 patients who completed the Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS), the prevalence, medical and non-medical predictors of unmet needs were investigated. Breast cancer patients...Full Text Available
Background/Objective:Three patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and 3 able-bodied (AB) patients were infused with naloxone during a study to examine their neuroendocrine...Full Text Available
Background:Encouragement of stroke patients to resume driving is important to promote their reintegration into the community. Limited rehabilitation has been performed in this regard,...Full Text Available
Using plasma glutathione S-transferase measurements hepatocellular integrity was assessed in groups of hyperthyroid and hypothyroid patients before and after treatment. Ten of 14 hyperthyroid patients...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate prospectively the efficacy of a single fraction of high-dose radiotherapy in patients with Kaposi's sarcoma. PATIENTS: Between 1994 and 2004, 47 patients with Kaposi's sarcoma...Full Text Available
A patient’s electronic medical record contains a large amount of unstructured textual information. As patient records become increasingly dense owing to an aging population and increased occurrence...Full Text Available
BackgroundAcute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with increased short-term mortality of septic patients; however, the exact influence of AKI on long-term mortality in such patients...Full Text Available
Electronic personal health records (ePHRs) can potentially maximize access and coordination of health information and improve patient/clinician collaboration, patient self-management, and health outcomes....Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE: To assess the motor function of the left, supposedly unaffected, limbs of patients with an acute right vascular hemiplegia. METHODS: Fifteen patients with an acute vascular right hemiplegia...Full Text Available
The DNA sequences were determined for the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene from five unrelated Japanese patients with familial LPL deficiency. The results demonstrated that all five patients are homozygotes...Full Text Available
BackgroundDiagnostic delay in patients with tuberculosis (TB) leads to ongoing TB transmission, higher mortality rates and increased patient and government health expenditure. Qualitative...Full Text Available
Patients treated with bleomycin are at risk of developing the acute adult respiratory distress syndrome post-operatively. In a prospective study of 12 patients who had received bleomycin preoperatively...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn patients with Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease who require renal replacement therapy a major decision concerns modality choice. However, many patients defer the decision...Full Text Available
BackgroundCompared to healthy controls, cancer patients have a higher risk of unemployment, which has negative social and economic impacts on the patients and on society at large....Full Text Available
The performance of the Lung Imaging Fluorescence Endoscope (LIFE) system was compared with conventional bronchoscopy in 158 patients: 68 patients with invasive cancer, 42 patients with abnormal sputum...Full Text Available
Background & objectives: Fatigue is a debilitating symptom experienced by patients undergoing dialysis, but there is only limited information on its prevalence and its association with patient...Full Text Available
In a combined clinical, radiological, and laboratory study of 77 patients throughout the leprosy spectrum, 10 patients had an enthesitis which has not been described previously as far as is known and...Full Text Available
Patients do considerable information work. Technologies that help patients manage health information so they can play active roles in their health-care, such as personal health records, provide...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe effects of intervention programs on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients with hip fracture have not been well studied. We hypothesized that older patients...Full Text Available
The increased risk of thrombosis in patients with active cancer has multiple causes. Acute thrombosis of the aorta is an exceedingly rare but potentially devastating complication in patients with cancer...Full Text Available
BackgroundClassification systems may be useful to direct more aggressive treatment to cancer patients with a relatively poor prognosis. The definition of 'poor prognosis' often lacks...Full Text Available
Six patient assessment systems that have explicit decision rules for replicating team judgments on level of care patient placement were selected for analysis. The six were selected because of their...Full Text Available
Forty-three patients with basal and squamous cell carcinomata arising on the pinna were treated radically using a 10 MeV electron beam. The technique and dosage are described and discussed. Primary cancer control with retention of the pinna was achieved in 34 patients. Salvage pinnectomy was performed in four patients for recurrence and one patient for radiation necrosis. Two patients with large primary tumours failed to resolve and died of their disease. The advantages for the patient of the policy of primary radical electron beam therapy are discussed.
Jurisdictional wetlands of the Argonne National Laboratory-East (ANL-E) site in DuPage County, Illinois, were delineated in the summer and autumn of 1993 in accordance with the 1987 US Army Corps of Engineers methodology. Potential wetland sites with an area greater than 500 m{sup 2} (0.05 ha [0.124 acre]) were identified for delineation on the basis of aerial photographs, the DuPage County soil survey, and reconnaissance-level field studies. To qualify as a jurisdictional wetland, an area had to support a predominance of hydrophytic vegetation as well as have hydric soil and wetland hydrology. Thirty-five individual jurisdictional wetlands were delineated at ANL-E, totaling 180,604 m{sup 2} (18.1 ha [44.6 acres]). These wetlands were digitized onto the ANL-E site map for use in project planning. Characteristics of each wetland are presented -- including size, dominant plant species and their indicator status, hydrologic characteristics (including water source), ...
In the contribution under consideration, the author reports on the energy resources as a conflict factor and co-operation factor in East Asia on the basis of the Spratly islands. The main aspects of this contribution are: topography of the Spratly islands; history and actual claims; evaluation of the claims; strategic significance of the islands; resources of oil and natural gas as a conflict factor; resources of oil and natural gas as a co-operation factor. The resources of oil and natural gas have intensified the conflict around the Spratly islands in the last few decades. Due to the unsettled situation relating to international law six countries could claim the potentially energy-rich area having a geo-strategic instrument of power. Due to a treaty and due to the new common research studies of the neighbouring countries a phase of stability can be expected. The increasing involvement of China in the international economic structures suggests a military solution ...
Thermal gradients and thermal conductivities were obtained in real time using an in situ heat-flow technique in 15 shallow (90 to 150 m) wells drilled between Brawley and Glamis in the Imperial Valley, Southern California. The in situ measurements were supplemented by follow-up conventional temperature logs in seven of the wells and by laboratory measurements of thermal conductivity on drill cuttings. The deltaic sedimentary material comprising the upper approx. 100 m of the Salton Trough generally is poorly sorted and high in quartz resulting in quite high thermal conductivities (averaging 2.0 Wm/sup -1/ K/sup -1/ as opposed to 1.2 to 1.7 for typical alluvium). A broad heat-flow anomaly with maximum of about 200 mWm/sup -2/ (approx. 5 HFU) is centered between Glamis and East Brawley and is superimposed on a regional heat-flow high in excess of 100 mWm/sup -2/ (> 2.5 HFU). The heat-flow high corresponds with a gravity maximum and partially with a minimum in ...
Radian received twelve sections of heat exchanger tubing from the Magma Electric Company's 10MW(e) East Mesa binary geothermal power plant. Three tube sections were received from each of four shell and tube heat exchangers (HX1, Hx6, HX8, and Hx10) of the isobutane vaporizer train. All samples were taken from the upper few rows of tubes. Two months later, four more tube sections were received. These four sections were taken from the lower rows of heat exchangers 1, 6 (two sections), and 10. Radian was requested to investigate the cause of severe pitting failure of these heat exchanger tubes. This report is part of a continuing DOE effort to gain insight into the service life of component materials employed in geothermal energy utilization.
Preliminary field investigations suggest three detachments in the Sadlerochit and Shublik Mountains: (1) the Kingak Shale, (2) along the pre-Mississippian unconformity, and (3) within the pre-Mississippian basement. Thrust faults that cut the overlying Mississippian and younger section have horizontal displacements of 5-8 km and emplace pre-Mississippian rocks on Cretaceous strata. A large number of smaller thrust faults, responsible for deformation of the pre-Mississippian surface contribute to shortening. Structures involving the pre-Mississippian section trend east-west whereas earlier formed structures related to the Kingak Shale decollement trend east-northeast-to west-southwest. Possible exploration leads beneath the coastal plain include: (1) large, broad, basement involved structural culminations that may have subtle seismic expressions and (2) pre-Mississippian potential reservoirs thrust over Cretaceous source beds. Possible ...
The juvenile fish community associated with natural, degraded and replanted Sonneratia alba mangroves in Gazi Bay was sampled during the South East and North East monsoons between April 2002 and June 2003. A total of 1800 individuals belonging to 49 taxa and 34 families were collected from the intertidal forest using stake nets. Fish abundance ranged from 0.93+-0.20ind. m-2 (SEM02) to 1.16+-0.18ind. m-2 (SEM03) between seasons and between 0.54+-0.07ind. m-2 and 1.64+-0.33ind. m-2 for individual sites across seasons. Five taxa accounted for approximately 70% of the total fish abundance, with Gobidae and Gerres oyena dominating. ANOSIM revealed seasonal differences in fish species composition and abundance (p=0.01) due to fluctuating abundances of primarily Terapon sp. and Thryssa sp. The ma...
A broad range of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and selected heavy metals has been analysed in sediment cores of North-East Germany. The pollutants analysed include polychlorinated dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), several pesticides (DDT, HCH, CBz) and its metabolites as well as selected heavy metals. The sediment cores were sampled at five locations, reflecting a range of anthropogenic influences and background contamination: Arkona Basin (AK) representing a remote marine site, Lake Bugsin (BS) a background location only with atmospheric deposition, Lake Quenz (QS) close to the industrial city of Brandenburg, Teltowkanal (TK) in the suburban-industrial zone of Berlin and Lake White (WS) in the centre of Berlin. The age of the lower part of the AK, BS and TK cores were dated at 100-150 years. Results of selected pollutants (PCDD/Fs) have been presented earlier, focussing on the depth ...
The northeastern part of the Great Divide basin is a separate, unique, and until recently, little-explored subbasin sometimes called the Bison basin. It is bounded by the Wind River Mountains, Sweetwater-Granite Mountain foreland uplift, Lost Soldier-Wertz structure, and a little-studied very positive east-west structural arch approximately coincident with the Sweetwater-Fremont county line. A comprehensive seismic, Landsat, and subsurface geologic examination or, better, dissection of the Bison basin was initiated in 1978. Numerous oil and gas prospects were delineated by this study. Since this small, 12 by 40 mi (19 by 64 km) basin is bordered by known reserves of 260 million bbl of oil and 90 million bcf of gas, these prospects proved to be a popular target of the drill bit. At least one of these prospects appears to be productive; others are currently being drilled. The presence of major east-west wrench faults, a well-documented foreland ...
Forty-one patients were treated with epidural neurolysis using 50 % ethyl alcohol 2 ml. Thirty eight patients were suffering from cancer pain and three patients were complaining of chronic benign pain. Alcohol block was repeated 2.3 times (mean) in the same patient. Thirty patients were followed after the treatment. Forty-seven percent of the patients reported 70 % or greater pain relief and 20 % of the patients reported about 50 % pain relief. Duration of pain relief was from 9 days to 203 days with a mean duration of 54 days. Adverse effects were reported 43 % of the patients. There is no miserable adverse effect. Adverse effect reported most was pain with epidural injection of drugs after the alcohol block had been performed. PMID:8544293
BackgroundApproximately 25% of ischemic stroke patients awaken with neurological deficits. In these patients, in whom the time from symptom onset is uncertain, brain imaging is a...Full Text Available
A patient with Cushing's syndrome due to a nonresectable chromophobe adenoma underwent external irradiation of the hypothalamic-pituitary area. The signs of Cushing's syndrome ameliorated subsequently...Full Text Available
Although clinic environments are a primary location for exchanging information with clinicians, patients experience these spaces as harsh environments to access, use, exchange, and manage information....Full Text Available
The ultrastructure of conjunctival melanocytic lesions in 49 patients was evaluated to find significant differences between benign and malignant cells. The patients studied included 9 with benign epithelial...Full Text Available
Although the life expectancy of thalassemia patients has markedly improved over the last few decades, patients still suffer from many complications of this congenital disease. The presence of a high...Full Text Available
ObjectivesTo determine the content and extent, design, and relative importance of patient assessment courses in the professional pharmacy curriculum.MethodsA...Full Text Available
We describe the successful creation of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in a patient with complete situs inversus using a simple modification of the standard TIPS technique.
BackgroundProvision of consumer information and patient education are considered an essential part of chronic disease management programmes developed for patients with heart failure....Full Text Available
PurposeTo identify the extent of persistence (period of time of continuous therapy with the drug prescribed) of glaucoma patients treated with prostaglandins (latanoprost, bimatoprost,...Full Text Available
Two experiments used the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) to examine the affective dimension of pain in patients whose pain was secondary to malignancy. In experiment I, segregating groups of cancer patients on the basis of extreme scores (high versus low) on the MPQ failed to produce segregation on independent measures of affect and infirmity. This outcome contrasts with earlier work with chronic benign pain patients. Experiment II compared cancer pain patients matched with benign pain patients on intensity of pain report on the affective dimension of the MPQ. Cancer pain patients reported a reliably higher affective loading to their pain. These data suggest that cancer pain patients employ different criteria than benign pain patients in selecting affective pain descriptors. Possible explanations for this difference are ...
The Model for the Assessment of Psychosocial Problems (MAPP) can help family medicine residents effectively assess patients with psychosocial problems. Following a patient-centred clinical method, MAPP...Full Text Available
Direct radiological measurements of the mineral content of femoral bone were performed in 13 patients on maintenance dialysis. They were found to be sufficiently sensitive to be used for monitoring,...Full Text Available
A group of patients is described who developed the clinical features of foveomacular retinitis. No causative factors were isolated, and all patients strongly denied any type of sun gazing. It is possible...Full Text Available
Purpose:To report crystal formation as a complication of intravitreal ganciclovir injection.Patients and methods:A 73-year-old female patient with...Full Text Available
This exploratory research paper investigated the coping strategies of families of hospitalized psychiatric patients and identified their positive and negative coping strategies. In this paper, the coping...Full Text Available
The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of consumer demand for patient-oriented pharmacy services. Data, collected via a self-administered questionnaire distributed to 300 households,...Full Text Available
The evaluation of hepatic histology and treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV)/HIV-coinfected patients is rapidly changing. HCV has become an important cause of mortality in HIV-infected patients. Consequently, assessment of liver histology in all coinfected patients is particularly important. The evaluation of hepatic histology is shifting from reliance on the liver biopsy toward noninvasive modalities. Additionally, the importance of HCV-associated morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected patients has prompted increasing numbers of these patients to be HCV treatment candidates. Prospective trials in coinfected patients have reported lower sustained virologic responses compared to HCV-monoinfected patients. Consequently, the numbers of coinfected nonresponders to pegylated interferon/ribavir...
Background Increasing numbers of cancer patients are using the Internet, but little is known about their attitudes toward online health care.Full Text Available
Bone integrity and mineral status were studied with a noninvasive method in uremic patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.
The Systems Development Group and the Pharmacy Service of the Washington D.C. VAMC are involved in automating the administrative and clinical data requirements of a satellite out-patient pharmacy....Full Text Available
Hypertension affects most hemodialysis patients and is often poorly controlled. Adequate control of blood pressure is difficult with conventional hemodialysis alone but is important to improve...Full Text Available
BackgroundAdnexal masses are not uncommon in patients with breast cancer. Breast cancer and ovarian malignancies are known to be associated. In patients with breast cancer and co-existing...Full Text Available
In recent years the feedstock base of the coking plants in the South has been significantly degraded: the charges contain an increased quantity of gas coal and coal from coalfields in the East are being included. Certain plants in the Ukraine receive coal from the Kuznetsk, Pechora and Karaganda coalfields. Addition of these coal types in the charges of plants in the South is expected to continue in the future. Their efficient utilization requires careful investigation of the new charges in order to determine the optimal composition and to produce blast furnace coke meeting modern specifications.
A rocket borne experiment to measure the temperature structure of the inner solar corona via the doppler broadening of the resonance hydrogen Lyman-..cap alpha.. (lambda1216A) radiation scattered by ambient neutral hydrogen atoms was attempted during the 16 Feb 1980 solar eclipse. Two Nike-Black Brant V sounding rockets carrying instrumented payloads were launched into the path of the advancing eclipse umbra from the San Marco satellite launch platform 3 miles off the east coast of Kenya.
Over the last year, the energy industry firmly established itself as the premier borrowing sector in the international financial markets. While Europe and North America's major energy companies continue to access the loan market as their main source of financing, with a steady flow of new international borrowings, their peers from other areas of the world, such as Latin America and the Middle East, are in the process of positioning themselves in the market as regular borrowers and have become an important new source of fee income for industry's bankers. (Author).
McLeod River Coal Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Manalta Coal Ltd., has received Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board approval to establish an open pit coal mine and plant in the northwest portion of the Coalspur field, east of Hinton. McLeod proposes to produce up to 4.2 million tonnes/year of thermal coal for 40 years, starting in 1985. The commercial viability of the project must be assessed before construction starts at the McLeod River site. The Board's ruling is subject to provincial cabinet approval.
Preserving customers` investments in capital goods is one of the strategic market services offered by ABB, and to this end the company has developed project-specific retrofit concepts especially for older power generation plant. A prime example of such a modernization is the Umm Al Nar East (UANE) combined cycle power station in Abu Dhabi, UAE. UANE has two gas turbines of type GT13D, which together generate 140 MW of electrical energy, and heat-recovery boilers which supply steam to a seawater desalination plant with a capacity of 80 million liters of drinking water per day. After almost 20 years in operation, UANE is being modernized. To address the owner`s concerns and minimize plant downtime, ABB has introduced Service, Operation and Rehabilitation (SOR) Key Account Management for Abu Dhabi. In the first phase of the modernization project, the static starting equipment was upgraded and the mechanical turbine governor replaced by the EGATROL electro-hydraulic ...
This paper presents a survey on public preferences in SE England for the use of wind, biomass and nuclear power in electricity generation. Using a labelled CE the perceived importance (value) to the public of distance and the energy options' impacts on biodiversity, emissions, land occupation and household cost was explored. Results suggest that impacts, technology name, demographic characteristics, attitudes towards the environment, knowledge and experience with the technologies were significant choice determinants. Considering the current debate about the development of nuclear power and biomass in UK and worldwide, this survey provides an insight into the factors affecting public acceptability
National Power is building its first gas turbine combined cycle power station at Killingholme, situated to the south of the River Humber in the East of England. NEI ABB Gas Turbines Limited was awarded the turnkey contract in July 1990 to build a nominal 650 MW combined cycle power station based around three Asea Brown Boveri GT13E gas turbines. The project is outlined in this article. The plant is due for completion in July 1993. (author)
SO/sub 2/ concentrations in the Stuttgart air have been measured continuously since 1965. The two measuring points were located at the bottom of the Stuttgart city basin and 900 m east on the side of one of the surrounding hills. Long-term curves of pollutant loads have been established in consideration of meteorological parameters, as well as curves showing the average daily, weekly, and yearly pollution. The information thus gained may help to plan air pollution abatement measures in city planning.
A methodology of tsunami PSA was developed in this study. A tsunami PSA consists of tsunami hazard analysis, tsunami fragility analysis and system analysis. In the case of tsunami hazard analysis, evaluation of tsunami return period is major task. For the evaluation of tsunami return period, numerical analysis and empirical method can be applied. The application of this method was applied to a nuclear power plant, Ulchin 56 NPP, which is located in the east coast of Korean peninsula. Through this study, whole tsunami PSA working procedure was established and example calculation was performed for one of real nuclear power plant in Korea
The purpose of this report is to provide the reader with a basic understanding of Argonne National Laboratory`s current general refuse disposal and material recycling programs, how they were developed, and where they are going. In order to better understand the current situation, a brief description of the facilities past practices is explained. ANL is a multi-program research and development center owned by DOE and operated by the University of Chicago. Argonne`s primary facilities are on a 1,700 acre site, 27 miles southwest of Chicago. Fifty-seven major buildings house approximately 4,500 employees at the site.
Computational transport models are described with applications in three problem areas related to unsaturated zone moisture movement beneath Area G. These studies may be used to support the ongoing maintenance of the site Performance Assessment. The three areas include: a 1-D transient analysis with average tuff hydraulic properties in the near surface region with computed results compared to field data; the influence on near surface transient moisture percolation due to realistic distributions in hydraulic properties derived statistically from the observed variance in the field data; and the west to east moisture flow in a 2-D steady geometry approximation of the Pajarito Plateau. Results indicate that a simple transient model for transport of moisture volume fraction fits field data well compared to a moisture pulse observed in the active disposal unit, pit 37. Using realistic infiltration boundary conditions for summer showers and for spring snow melt conditions, ...
The Sheep Mountain area, in the southwest Wind River Basin, is the up plunge closure of the Derby Dome-Winkleman Dome producing trend of an echelon folds which comprise the first line of folding down the northeast flank of the Wind River Mountains. The structural style exposed in the Palozoic reservoir rocks of Sheep Mountain may serve as a model for the other structural features in the Wind River Basin. As in the case of the Derby Dome and Winkleman Dome, Sheep Mountain is typically asymmetric to the southwest. Local east-directed thrusts exposed in the core of the anticline place Pennsylvania over Permian age rocks. A major change in the trend of the anticlinal crest within Sheep Mountain, suggests development of separate left-stepping en echelon closures at depth. The northwest end of Sheep Mountain also forms a left-stepping en echelon pattern with Derby Dome. The northwest plunge of Sheep Mountain is facilitated by compartmentalization across an ...
Continental facies of Scythian-early Anisian age (Buntsandstein) of East of the Paris Basin form the underground gas storage reservoir exploited by Gaz de France in the area of Nancy (east of France). An accurate sedimentological study and the application of Genetic Stratigraphy principles lead to the understanding of the deposition of fluvial, which form the reservoirs, and to the reconstruction of their geometries. The subsurface data are calibrated on outcrops. Three types of fluvial systems (braided, sinuous to straight and anastomosed) are defined. A special focus on anastomosed channels permits to differentiate a proximal and a distal facies. Study of laterally continuous outcrops induces recurrent cycles of thickness, velocity and time variations (few tens to hundred ka). These correspond to the highest frequence stratigraphic units, i.e. parasequences or genetic units. Maximum of channel and levee presentation occurs during base-level ...
Purpose: To evaluate the significance of preoperative localization of abnormal parathyroid glands to the surgical outcome in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Material and Methods: Thirty-nine patients with primary hyperparathyroidism were studied preoperatively with US (39 patients), CT (30 patients) and MR imaging (18 patients). The overall diagnostic accuracy for US was 87%, CT 66% and MR 94%. In patients with a single parathyroid adenoma US was the most cost-effective localization technique with a detection rate of 96%. CT had a lower detection rate (78%) but was of particular value for fairly large ectopic adenomas in the root of the neck. MR imaging was a good confirmatory test (93%). In patients with multiple gland disease (primary hyperplasia and multiple adenomas), no single localization study alone was sufficient. ...
The role of MRT in the prebiopsy diagnosis of muscular and vascular inflammatory conditions was evaluated prospectively and an optimal method of examination was investigated. 92 patients with a suspected diagnosis of myositis (60 cases) or vasculitis (32 cases) were examined, in each case two extremities were studied using transverse T_1 and T_2 weighted SE sequences and double echo STIR sequences on a 0.5 Tesla (56 patients) or 1.5 Tesla magnet (36 patients; T5/S15 Gyroscan, Philips). The site of the biopsy depended on the MRT findings. In 41 patients the suspected diagnosis was confirmed histologically, in two patients an infective myositis was diagnosed on clinical grounds despite negative histology. MRT demonstrated muscle oedema in 86% of patients. There were negative findings after immuno-suppressive therapy (two patients), in focal ...
Therapeutic effect of p-aminobenzoic acid-N-xyloside Na (K-247) were studied. Eleven patients with a variety of solid tumors were treated with K-247 alone. K-247 was given orally 800 mg daily for 4 weeks. As for side effect of the drug, only mild gastritis was observed in a few patients. Partial response (over 25% reduction of tumor size) with a median duration of two months was observed in 3 patients. These cases were metastatic tumor of lung from the carcinoma of thyroid, metastatic tumors of lung from the carcinoma of kidney, and mediastinal tumor. In eight patients the response was classified as no change and in one patient there was progressive disease. Thus K-247 has some therapeutic activity in patients with solid tumor. Combination therapy of irradiation and administration of K-247 were also studied. In the twelve patients receiving ...
This report deals with the preliminary results of trials in the DATECA project with stage I, II and III patients with non-seminomatous germ cell tumours. Stage 1 patients were randomized between infradiaphragmatic irradiation and observation. No significant difference in recurrence rates has been observed as yet. Eighteen of 95 patients had recurrence with a median time to relapse of 3 months. Fifteen patients achieved complete remission after treatment by combination chemotherapy while 3 patients are still undergoing treatment. Stage II patients received 6 series of cis-platinum, bleomycin, and vinblastine. The patients were initially randomized to receive chemotherapy alone versus chemotherapy plus irradiation. Irradiation led to increased toxicity and decreased doses of the antineoplastic drugs. Fifty-one patients ...
This report deals with the preliminary results of trials in the DATECA project with stage I, II and III patients with non-seminomatous germ cell tumours. Stage 1 patients were randomized between infradiaphragmatic irradiation and observation. No significant difference in recurrence rates has been observed as yet. Eighteen of 95 patients had recurrence with a median time to relapse of 3 months. Fifteen patients achieved complete remission after treatment by combiantion chemotherapy while 3 patients are still undergoing treatment. Stage II patients received 6 series of cis-platinum, bleomycin, and vinblastine. The patients were initially randomized to receive chemotherapy alone versus chemotherapy plus irradiation. Irradiation led to increased toxicity and decreased doses of the antineoplastic drugs. Fifty-one patients ...
W. E. B. Du Bois, one of the brightest lights in African American history, wrote a sparkling critique of the American social and economic system originally planned as part of the Bronze Booklets series, edited and published by Alain Locke and the Associates in Negro Folk Education. The piece was never published and has, until now, been lost to the annals of adult education history. Using historical evidence, the authors examine Du Bois's Basic American Negro Creed and the circumstances that led to its exclusion from the series. It is argued that the Creed was far too radical for the liberal minded Carnegie Corporation and its leaders who were only interested in accommodating adult education for Blacks through the AAAE funded Bronze Booklets. The exclusion of the Creed represents an example of repressive tolerance by the AAAE.
The near infrared (NIR) upgrade to the Robert Stobie Spectrograph (RSS) on the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), RSS/NIR, extends the spectral coverage of all modes of the visible arm. The RSS/NIR is a low to medium resolution spectrograph with broadband imaging, spectropolarimetric, and Fabry-Perot imaging capabilities. The visible and NIR arms can be used simultaneously to extend spectral coverage from approximately 3200 A to 1.6 um. Both arms utilize high efficiency volume phase holographic gratings via articulating gratings and cameras. The NIR camera is designed around a 2048x2048 HAWAII-2RG detector housed in a cryogenic dewar. The Epps optical design of the camera consists of 6 spherical elements, providing sub-pixel rms image sizes of 7.5 +/- 1.0 um over all wavelengths and field angles. The exact long wavelength cutoff is yet to be determined in a detailed thermal analysis and will depend on the semi-warm instrument cooling scheme. Initial estimates ...
Human hair fibers experience tensile forces during grooming and styling processes. The tensile response of hair is hence of considerable interest to the cosmetics industry. In this study, in situ tensile characterization studies have been carried out in an atomic force microscope (AFM) on different hair under different conditions. A custom-built AFM sample stage allows hair fibers to be loaded in tension. A technique to locate and image the same control area at different strains has been developed to study the changes in morphology that occur with deformation. Virgin Caucasian, Asian and African hair were studied to understand the differences between different ethnic hair types. Also, the tensile response and morphological changes of virgin, chemically damaged and conditioner-treated Caucasian hair after soaking were compared against the corresponding dry tensile response. Finally, virgin, damaged and treated Caucasian hair fibers were subjected to fatigue cycling ...
Purpose: Treatment results and the pattern of relapse were evaluated in the multimodal treatment of Ewing's sarcomas of the chest wall. Methods and Materials: In a retrospective analysis, 114 patients with non-metastatic Ewing's sarcoma of the chest wall were evaluated. They were treated in the CESS 81, CESS 86, or EICESS 92 studies between January 1981 and December 1993. The treatment consisted of polychemotherapy (VACA, VAIA, or EVAIA) and local therapy, either surgery alone (14 patients), radiotherapy alone (28 patients) or a combination of both (71 patients). The median follow-up was 46.6 months (range 5-170). A relapse analysis for all patients with local or combined relapses was performed. Results: Overall survival was 60% after 5 years, event-free survival was 50%. Thirty-seven patients had a systemic relapse (32.4%), 11 patients had ...
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the radiologic findings of the extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma. Six patients with pathologically confirmed extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma were retrospectively reviewed. Patients included two men and four women with an average age of 21.5 years (age range 9-48 years). Plain radiographs (six patients), magnetic resonance (MR) images (five patients), computed tomographic (CT) scans (three patients) and whole body scintigraphy (two patients) were reviewed and analyzed. Images were evaluated with regard to lesion location, size, margin, muscle or bone involvement and intrinsic imaging characteristics on CT and MRI. The tumors were located in the thigh (three patients), back (two patients) and upper arm (one patient). The tumors ranged in size from 2.3 cm to 7.5 cm ...
Two patients receiving maintenance dialysis therapy developed osteonecrosis, the first in the humeral head and the second in the talus. Both patients lacked known risk factors for developing osteonecrosis. A possible pathogenic role of secondary hyperparathyroidism in this disorder is suggested. Rheumatologists evaluating patients receiving maintenance dialysis with rheumatic manifestations should be aware of this potential complication. PMID:2185360
Between October 1990 and March 1991, 8 patients with cystic lesions in the region of the posterior bladder wall, the seminal vesicles and the prostate were examined by MRI. In all cases there was accurate characterisation of the lesion and of its anatomy. In 3 patients with abnormalities in the retrovesical space there was very good agreement with the operative findings. 4 patients were treated conservatively. In these patients there was good agreement with the findings on cystoscopy, CT and sonography. (orig.).
Background Limited data is available for investigating the long-term safety and effects of intracoronary progenitor cell therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Objective To assess the clinical course, NT-proBNP and MRI data as objective markers of cardiac function of the TOPCARE-AMI patients at 5-year follow-up. Design The TOPCARE-AMI trial was the first randomized study investigating the effects of intracoronary infusion of circulating (CPC) or bone marrow-derived progenitor cells (BMC) in 59 patients with successfully reperfused AMI. Results Five-year follow-up data were completed in 55 patients, 3 patients were lost to follow-up. None of the patients showed any signs of intramyocardial calcification or tumors at 5?years. One patient died during the initial hospitali...
Objective: To investigate the X-ray radiation dose patients dealt with the hepatic intervention. Methods: Thermoluminescence and tissue-equivalent anthropomorphic phantom were used to measure the X-ray radiation dose in patients dealt with the hepatic intervention in 85 patients. Results: The peak skin dose in the patients who accepted hepatic intervention was from 179.95 to 1759.00 mGy, effective dose approached 29.22 mSv (male), 29.27 mSv (female). Conclusion: Hepatic intervention is now regarded as an important therapeutic method for liver cancer. However, the patients were exposed to too much X-ray radiation during interventional procedures. Some more effective protection should be taken to decrease the X-ray radiation dose accepted by patients. (authors)
Purpose We retrospectively analyzed the results of percutaneous nephrolithotomy operations for treatment of staghorn kidney stone disease in elderly patients and compared surgical parameters and outcomes with a control group of young adult patients. Patients and method Between 2002 and 2010, 300 consecutive patients underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy operation for treatment of staghorn kidney stone disease. Forty-five of the patients were older than 65?years and considered to be in elderly group. Thirty-seven of the patients were between the ages 18 and 36?years and considered to be the control group. Surgical parameters and outcomes were compared between groups. Results There were no significant differences between groups for stone area, operation time, difference in hemoglobin levels...
Background Trauma centers are designated to provide systematized multidisciplinary care to injured patients. Effective trauma systems reduce patient mortality by facilitating the treatment of injured patients at appropriately resourced hospitals. Several U.S. studies report reduced mortality among patients admitted directly to a level I trauma center compared with those admitted to hospitals with less resources. It has yet to be shown whether there is an outcome benefit associated with the ?level of hospital? initially treating severely injured trauma patients in Australia. This study was designed to determine whether the level of trauma center providing treatment impacts mortality and/or hospital length of stay. Methods Outcomes were evaluated for severely injured trauma patients with an ...
BACKGROUND: Controversy exists as to whether patients with thick (Breslow depth >4 mm), clinically lymph node-negative melanoma require sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy. The authors examined the impact of SLN biopsy on prognosis and outcome in this patient population. METHODS: A review of the authors institutional review board-approved melanoma database identified 293 patients with T4 melanoma who underwent surgical excision between 1998 and 2007. Patient demographics, histologic features, and outcome were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Of 227 T4 patients who had an SLN biopsy, 107 (47%) were positive. The strongest predictors of a positive SLN included angiolymphatic invasion, satellitosis, or ulceration of the primary tumor. Patients with a T4 melanoma and a negative SLN had a significa...
Background: The Internet has become a popular source of health information for patients with a variety of medical concerns; however, research examining patient interactions on the Internet has been limited. Purpose: Four questions were examined in a survey study of hysterectomy patients who visited http://www.hystersisters.com: (a) Do hysterectomy patients use the support Web site because they perceive their proximal sources of social support to be inadequate? (b) What kinds of support do patients receive from the Web site? (c) What attributes characterize the "Hystersisters" that are perceived to be most helpful? (d) How do informational sources vary depending on the nature of the patient concern? Methods: Women (N = 137) responded to questions about social support, Web site use, and perc...
A destructive spondyloarthropathy is reported in four patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis for chronic renal disease. In a separate investigation a controlled, prospective radiographic study of the cervical spine revealed this spondyloarthropathy in 4 (15%) of 26 long-term dialysis patients. A single disk level was involved in three patients, and two disc levels were involved in one patient. This spondyloarthropathy correlated with the duration of dialysis but not with the radiographic evidence of renal osteodystrophy or severity of laboratory abnormalities associated with hyperparathyroidism. Three of these four patients also had discovertebral erosions or destruction involving the lumbar spine. Cervical spine flexion views revealed evidence of ligamentous laxity or instability in three (12%) dialysis patients, all with vertebral resorption and disc ...
Abstract Purpose: To compare the safety and efficiency of conventional monopolar, plasmakinetic and holmium laser transurethral resection of bladder tumor (CM-TURBT, PK-TURBT and HoL-TURBT) while managing primary non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Patients and Methods: From 2005 to 2009, 173 patients with primary non-muscle invasive bladder cancer underwent endoscopic surgery. Among them, 51 patients underwent CM-TURBT, 58 patients underwent PK-TURBT, and 64 patients underwent HoL-TURBT. All patients were divided into three risk groups (low, intermediate, and high) based on the European Association of Urology guidelines and prognostic factors of recurrence. Clinical data, included preoperative, operative, and postoperative management and follow-up, were recorded. Results: Patient demograp...
Somatostatin receptor expression has been demonstrated on a number of plasma cell lines. Therefore, we questioned whether somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) can be used to demonstrate in vivo multiple myeloma (MM) activity. SRS was performed in newly diagnosed (n = 9) or relapsing (n = 18) MM patients or in patients with localized plasmacytoma (n = 2). The results were compared with radiographic findings. A positive SRS was demonstrated in 44% of the newly diagnosed patients, in 83% of the relapsed patients and in both patients with plasmacytoma. The SRS findings corresponded with radiographic abnormalities in 40% of the patients. However, in relapsed patients 60% demonstrated increased SRS uptake in areas without new radiographic abnormalities. The positive SRS corresponded with histologically proven disease activity and responded ...
Staging bone scans or skeletal surveys were obtained of 97 patients with endometrial carcinoma. Of the 77 patients with Stage I or II disease, no metastases were identified at staging. Three patients in the entire series demonstrated bony metastases; all of these metastases were detectable by radionuclide bone scan and radiographic bone survey. Eighty-nine patients were examined with radionuclide liver/spleen scanning at the time of staging. Four of the 89 initial scans were interpreted as demonstrating hepatocellular disease, and all four patients had abnormal liver function studies. Only one patient demonstrated a possible hepatic metastasis at initial diagnosis. This patient also had abnormal liver function studies. Based on these results, bone surveys and radionuclide bone scans are not indicated as screening procedures in endometrial ...
Background: In order to reconceptualize somatoform disorders (SFDs), the psychological characteristics of SFD patients are increasingly investigated. The cognitive style of magical thinking (MT) has not been studied so far in patients with SFDs. Sampling and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 201 allergy workup patients were interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV; they answered a set of self-report questionnaires including the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire subscale for MT and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). The expression of MT was explored in 61 patients with SFDs compared to 140 patients without SFDs. Results: Patients with SFDs reached higher scores of MT, also when controlled for gender, depression, and anxiety. In particular, they stated more frequently that they were believers in telepathy (64 ...
After some observations about the tests of the research exposed in the literature, authors illustrate the tests for 142 patients divided into 5 groups: a) patients affected with acute viral hepatitis; b) patients affected with praegressa acute viral hepatitis; c) relatives of patients with acute viral hepatitis; d) volunteers; e) patients affected with chronic uraemia under dialisis periodic treatment. After the testing control, authors, conclude with an hipotesis: a possible epidemic function of faeces, urine saliva, in the passage of the acute viral hepatitis. PMID:488577
Intraspinal synovial cysts were diagnosed in six patients during a 5-year period and retrospectively studied. Plain films of the lumbar spine showed degenerative changes in all patients. Lumbar myelography showed a posterior and lateral defect caused by extradural compression. Using CT without contrast enhancement established the diagnosis in five of the six patients. In four cases MRI was performed, three before and after injection of gadolinium diethyline-triamine penta-acetic acid (Gd-DTPA). Including the patient with a false-negative CT, MRI was positive in all patients. (orig.)
Computerized tomography of the adrenal glands was performed in 10 patients with Cushing's syndrome using a G.E. 8800 CT/T Body Scanner. The tomographic findings of unilateral adrenal masses in 4 patients were confirmed by surgery. In the remaining 6 patients, computerized tomography did not identify any masses, and both glands were well visualized and showed normal shape. In these patients, measurement of the adrenal glands revealed both normal (n=1) and enlarged glands (n=5). The findings of adrenalectomy (n=4) or transphenoidal surgery and follow-up (n=2) established the diagnosis of adrenal phyperplasia in all patients. (Author).
Objective was to present our 8 year experience in the prevention of the obturator nerve reflex during transurethral resection of bladder tumors. This study was performed in Ataturk University Hospital between 1999 and 2007. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 89 patients with inferolateral bladder tumors, who underwent transurethral resection under epidural or general anesthesia and requested obturator nerve reflex inhibition. Epidural anesthesia was administered to 57 patients, while the remaining 32 patients underwent general anesthesia via mask; and succinylcholine was administered prior to resection. Of the 57 patients received epidural anesthesia, 18 were diagnosed as inferolateral bladder tumors during endoscopy and had to undergo general anesthesia. Obturator nerve block was attempted preoperatively in 39 patients. However, a nerve identification failure, hematoma and ...
Purpose To analyze the clinical profile, management and outcome of non-hematological tumors in head and neck region in children less than 18?years of age. Patients and methods Medical records of patients (0?18?years) presenting with non-hematological tumors of head and neck region from 2000 to 2010 were reviewed. Result Out of the 78 patients identified, 50 were males with median age of 14?years (3?months to 18?years). Histologically, 58 out of the 78 patients had malignant tumors and 20 were metastatic at presentation. Common site of tumor origin was noted as thyroid (23/78), salivary glands (21/78) and nasopharynx (13/78). Out of 78 patients, 44 patients were treated by surgery, 26 patients received radiation and 13 patients received chemotherapy, while 9 patients received radio-iodine (...
Objective:? Primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) is characterised by autonomous secretion of PTH from enlarged parathyroid glands leading, in most patients, to asymptomatic hypercalcaemia. Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FHH) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by inactivating mutations in the calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) gene; it is characterised by lifelong and usually asymptomatic hypercalcaemia. Establishing the correct diagnosis is important because surgery can be curative in HPT, but ineffective in FHH. There is overlap in the diagnostic criteria for the two disorders and some patients carrying inactivating mutations in the CaSR gene, which is suggestive of FHH, also have HPT with hyperplastic parathyroid glands or adenomas. Design and Patients:? CaSR gene mutations were analyzed and clinical and biochemical parameters evaluated in 139 consecutive out-patients presenting with ...
Thirty-nine previously untreated patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue were treated by irradiation or a combination of irradiation and surgery, with or without chemotherapy, between January 1971 and December 1980. All of the patients had a follow-up period of at least nine years. Twenty-two patients were men and 17 were women. The average age was 50.1 years, with a range of 30 to 74 years. The absolute five-year survival rate was 82.1% and the cumulative ten-year survival rate 76.9% for these 39 patients. Cervical node metastases were clinically found on admission in 14 patients whose five-year survival rate was 64.3%, whereas it was 92.0% for 25 patients without metastasis. The absolute five-year survival rate decreased from 92.3% for patients with stage I lesions to 90.9%, 87.5% and 42.9% for those with stage II, stage III ...
There is limited information on the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) although AKI may contribute to morbidity and mortality. We investigated the incidence of AKI in patients with moderate and severe TBI and the association of AKI with risk factors and outcomes in these patients. We studied all TBI patients over 16 years of age admitted to the two designated trauma hospitals in the state of Victoria, Australia from 1 January to 31 December 2008. Patients were included if they had head trauma and presented with a Glasgow coma scale (GCS) <13. Prospectively collected data from the hospital trauma registries, ICUs, and pathology databases were analyzed retrospectively. Risk injury failure loss end (RIFLE) criteria were used to categorize rena...
The prospective study includes 25 patients without pathology of the femoral head for the evaluation of the normal femoral head perfusion. In addition 34 patients with femoral head necrosis underwent i.a. DSA preoperatively before pedicled pelvic bone grafting. 15 patients after pelvic bone graft operation and 7 patients with medial femoral head fracture were also examined via superselective DSA. In cases with femoral head necrosis a rarefaction or interruption of the rami nutricii proximales, or an occlusion of the medial circumflex femoral artery were observed. Patients with medial femoral neck fracture showed an interruption of the rami nutricii proximales of the femoral head. Postoperative DSA - after pedicled pelvic bone graft - revealed a regular arterial graft perfusion in 82%. (orig.).
Soluble TWEAK is a member of the TNF-alpha family of cytokines that has been shown to predict mortality in patients with heart failure. Pulmonary artery hypertension is a devastating disease, in which right ventricular function has been shown to be the major determinant of prognosis. In this hypothesis-generating study, we sought to evaluate the potential usefulness of sTWEAK in the prediction of disease severity in patients with pulmonary artery hypertension. We therefore conducted a retrospective analysis of sTWEAK serum levels in 95 stable patients with PAH. For all patients data on hemodynamic parameters, biomarkers and functional exercise tests were available. Compared to controls, patients with PAH showed significantly decreased levels of sTWEAK [median 314?pg/ml (interquartile range...
Objectives Vietnamese patients? views on healthcare are changing as surgical interventions become more commonplace, but their views on perioperative care have remained largely unstudied during this period of rapid change. This study assesses Vietnamese patients? impression of anesthesia safety and postoperative pain in relation to clinical outcomes with the aim of improving patient-centered perioperative care. Methods The study cohort consisted of 180 hospitalized patients who were followed for 24?h following abdominal surgery. The assessments of these patients on the use of anesthesia and postoperative pain were measured by means of a 5-point Likert scale survey. Perioperative events were recorded on standardized forms by medical staff. The relationship between relevant factors affecting ...
To determine the proportion of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving preventive health care according to US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations compared with a community-based population sample, with emphasis on dyslipidemia testing, given the increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in RA patients. Patients with RA (ICD-9 code 714.0 at ?2 office visits with a rheumatologist) and a primary care physician (PCP) at the Geisinger Health System (GHS) were identified through electronic health records. The records were searched back from 3/31/08 for the length of time required to satisfy each outcome measure. Percentages were compared with population testing rates using the Pearson Chi-square test. Eight hundred and thirty-one RA patients were compared to 169,476 subjects...
In a retrospective single-centre study 170 consecutive patients were included who received a Kotz modular prosthesis after resection of bone tumours of the proximal femur to evaluate the management of prosthetic infection. Infection occurred in 12 of 166 patients available for follow-up (six males; six females; mean age, 47?years; range, ten to 75?years) after a mean of 39?months (range, one to 166?months; infection rate, 7.2%). Mean follow-up was 54?months (range, four to 200?months). One patient died of septic shock. Two patients were treated by wound revision only. Treatment of infection in the remaining patients was one-stage revision in eight and hip disarticulation in one. Infection control by one-stage revision was achieved in five of eight patients; re-infection occurred in three p...
Context. Cardiovascular medication overdoses can be difficult to treat. Various treatment modalities are currently recommended. Objective. To describe patient outcomes and adverse events of high-dose insulin therapy in consecutive overdose patients in cardiogenic shock after implementation of a high-dose insulin protocol (1-10 U/kg/h, while avoiding or tapering off vasopressors). Methods. This is an observational consecutive case series of patients identified from a registry. Data were collected by retrospective chart review of patients treated by our toxicology service with this protocol from February 2007 until March 2010. Results. Twelve patients were treated with high-dose insulin. The mean age was 36.5 years (SD 11.7). Seven patients had pre-existing vasopressor therapy, and all were ...
Abstract Introduction.- There are no studies on the sexual function of male patients with Behet's disease (BD), but it is probable that male sexual dysfunction may be seen in this chronic condition. Aim.- The aim of this study was to assess the effect of BD on male sexual function and psychiatric status, and to examine the relationship between sexual function and depression in this population. Methods.- Patients with a diagnosis of BD for at least one year were included in the study. The patients' age, educational level, and duration of disease were recorded. A healthy control group was selected with highly similar characteristics to the patient group. The sexual functions of the patient and the control groups were assessed using the International Index of Erectile Functions (IIEF), and th...
Background There is increasing recognition that lower nurse staffing levels are associated with higher morbidity and mortality among medical and surgical patients. The degree to which this applies to elderly patients with hip fractures is unclear. Questions/purposes We conducted a pilot study using administrative data as an initial step in investigating the relationship between nurse staffing levels and in-hospital mortality among elderly patients with hip fractures. Patients and Methods We retrospectively reviewed administrative data for 13,343 patients 65?years or older with a primary diagnosis of hip fracture admitted to 39 Michigan hospitals between 2003 and 2006. We used logistic regression to calculate the change in predicted probability of in-hospital death conferred by differences ...
Objective: To compare pediatric patients with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) with normal children by using diffusion tensor MR imaging. Methods: Diffusion tensor images were obtained in 15 pediatric patients with PVL and 15 age-matched normal children. Regions of interest were drawn to measure the fractional anisotropy (FA) in bilateral posterior limb of internal capsule, bilateral optic radiation, genu of corpus callosum, and splenium of corpus callosum. The values of PVL patients and normal children were compared using non-dependent samples T-test. Results: The FA values of regions of interest prescribed were significantly lower in PVL patients than in normal children (P<0.01). Conclusion: Diffusion tensor imaging may reveal retard of myelination of fiber tracts in PVL patients. It can be a potential tool in evaluating the brain development of children. (authors)
Objective To demonstrate clinical features of a patient subgroup presenting with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) without polycystic ovary morphology. Design Retrospective study. Setting Hospital-based IVF center. Patient(s) In the present study, 876 PCOS patients were selected from women who visited the Reproductive Medicine Center at Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, between September 2004 and October 2006. Women with PCOS were divided into two groups based on ultrasound image: group A, PCOS patients with classic polycystic ovary (n = 800); group B, PCOS patients without polycystic ovary morphology (n = 76). The following available data were analyzed in the large cohort of women: body height, weight, waistline, hip circumference, hirsutism scores, family history, serum s...
This study is for chemoradiotherapy of unresectable and recurrent cholangiocarcinoma (CCC). Between April 2005 and March 2007, 5 patients were evaluated for unresectable and recurrent CCC. All patients were performed percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) and treated with chemoradiotherapy. The radiation method was an external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and remote after loading system (RALS). The chemotherapy was 5-fluorouracil (FU) and gemcitabine by intravenous injection. Three patients had unresectable and 2 had recurrent CCC. As for the side effects, 4 patients had a slight neutropenia and 1 had an uncontrollable gastric bleeding. No patient had cholangitis. The mean survival time for unresectable and recurrent CCC was 13.7 months and 17 months, respectively. Our results indicated that chemoradiotherapy had been consistent with efficacy in patients ...
Contrast agent-enhanced CT scans in nine male patients with histologically proved benign lymphoepithelial lesions of the perotid gland were reviewed. All scans showed cystic-appearing masses with peripheral rim enhancement corresponding to the macroscopic appearance of the lesion. Five patients were seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or had infections seen in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Three patients were members of high-risk groups. Only one patient had symptoms of the SICCA syndrome. Once a rare cause of parotid gland enlargement, benign lymphoepithelial lesions have recently been seen with increasing frequency in patients with HIV infection. Although the CT appearance is not pathognomic, correlation results of aspiration cytology and with clinical history can lead to a preoperative diagnosis of a benign lymphoepithelial lesion.
All patients with von Willebrand?s disease (vWD) who showed an arterial or venous thrombosis and were reported in the literature have been evaluated. 11 patients had arterial thrombosis while 19 had venous thrombosis for a total of 30 cases. 9 out the 11 cases with arterial thrombosis had myocardial infarction. Two had cerebral thrombosis. Associated risk factors for arterial thrombosis were available only for three patients who showed, respectively, smoking and dyslipidemia (2 cases) and smoking and intravenous desmopressin infusion (1 case). The majority of patients with venous thrombosis showed DVT with or without PE. Four patients presented with apparently isolated PE. In two instances thrombosis occurred in unusual sites (central retinal vein and portal vein, respectively). Several as...
Background There is some evidence that a patient?s pre-operative condition influences short-term and long-term post-operative outcomes. The aim of the present study is to compare the physiological and operative severity score for the enumeration of mortality and morbidity (POSSUM) and modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) models in the prediction of post-operative outcome, both short term and long term, in patients undergoing resection of oesophago-gastric cancer. Patients and Methods Patients who underwent curative resection for oesophago-gastric cancer from January 2005 to May 2009 and who had data to score the POSSUM, P-POSSUM, O-POSSUM and mGPS models were included in the study. Observed morbidity and mortality rates were compared with predicted outcome in different risk groups. Bot...
Abstract Objective:- This study explored 12-month outcome and its associations to social adjustment-related variables in patients with first-episode non-affective psychosis in Finland and Spain. Methods:- Forty-nine Finnish and 37 Spanish patients were evaluated at admission on various characteristics of social adjustment. Outcome was measured for 68 (79%) patients by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Global Assessment Scale, and Grip on Life. Results:- One-fourth of the patients experienced psychotic symptoms at follow-up. Sixty per-cent of the patients showed good global functioning and Grip on Life. In both patient groups, poor earlier global functioning, weak social network, poor Grip on Life, and psychological dependence on family of origin were associated with poor outcome. In the ...
Greenland is the world's largest island, with an area of 2.2 million square kilometres, 80 % of which is covered by the ice sheet. The climate is Arctic, but as Greenland stretches 2600 km from north to south, there is a huge variability in climate, with temperature decreasing from south to north. Due to the influence of oceanic currents, the west coast is slightly warmer than the east coast. Precipitation also decreases strongly from the south to the north, and also with distance from the coast. Kangerlussuaq is located in the dry, continental area of central west Greenland. The bedrock of Greenland is dominated by Precambrian gneisses, with sedimentary rocks occurring in some areas of East and North Greenland, and smaller areas of basalts. All of Greenland has been glaciated several times and has thus been eroded and shaped by the ice, as it still is at the ice margin. Soils are generally thin, and especially in the gneiss regions rather poor ...
Permeable reactive barriers (PRB) are a promising technology for the remediation of groundwater containing a range of organic and inorganic contaminants. Although there are number of different types of reactive barriers, some of the most important are constructed from granular zero valent iron (ZVI). One challenge in the large- scale, long-term implementation of PRBs is to monitor the change in barrier properties over time. For example, mineral precipitates can reduce the effectiveness of the barrier by either insulating the reaction surfaces of the ZVI particles and/or by filling the pore space in the barrier and thus reducing its hydraulic permeability. Previous research has shown that resistivity and induced polarization (IP) measurements are sensitive to corrosion and precipitation due to redox reactions between ions in solution and the ZVI mineral surface. New field studies, supported by additional laboratory studies appear to confirm this work. Resisitivity and IP surveys ...
Mutation C1494T in mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene was recently reported in two large Chinese families with aminoglycoside-induced and nonsyndromic hearing loss (AINHL) and was claimed to be pathogenic. This mutation, however, was first reported in a sample from central China in our previous study that was aimed to reconstruct East Asian mtDNA phylogeny. All these three mtDNAs formed a subclade defined by mutation C1494T in mtDNA haplogroup A. It thus seems that mutation C1494T is a haplogroup A-associated mutation and this matrilineal background may contribute a high risk for the penetrance of mutation C1494T in Chinese with AINHL. To test this hypothesis, we first genotyped mutation C1494T in 553 unrelated individuals from three regional Chinese populations and performed an extensive search ...
Intermittent sun exposure and sunburn are strong predictors of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM). On the other hand, melanomas may arise also in non-sun-exposed areas such as the vulva. However, little is known about a possible relationship between sun exposure and vulvar melanoma. Temporal and latitudinal dependencies of the incidence rates of vulvar melanoma were studied in comparison with those of CMM among Caucasians in Sweden, East Germany, USA and Victoria (Australia). The ratios of vulvar melanoma incidence rates to those of CMM tend to decrease with increasing CMM rates. The incidence rates of CMM have increased with time until recently, while those of vulvar melanoma have either decreased or remain constant. In USA vulvar melanoma incidence rates seem to increase from south to no...
Seismic records, combined with dredged samples and a core, indicate that the Spratly Islands of the Dangerous Ground Province are constructed of presently active carbonate build-ups, known to extend back continuously at least to the Pleistocene and presumed to have initiated in the Miocene, most likely upon the crests of sea-floor cuestas that trend north-east-south-west parallel to the sea-floor spreading magnetic anomalies of the contiguous abyssal plain of the southern part of the South China Sea. The cuestas range from spectacular to subdued, constructed of Triassic and Cretaceous strata and no older rocks have been identified from dredges. The cuesta axes plunge towards the south-west away from the islands, suggesting that the reefs began colonising their more elevated parts, but the ...
This study reviews the wireline log responses of some geothermal fields in the Imperial Valley, California. The fields under study include the Heber, the East Mesa, the Brawley, and the Westmoreland. The well logs used in the study did not include all the wireline surveys obtained by the operators. The selected well logs obtained under special arrangements with the operators were chosen to maintain the anonymity of specific well locations but are only representative of each area. Analysis of the well logs indicates that on an individual field basis, the well logs are excellent for correlation purposes. The presence of extremely saline fluids in some fields precludes the monitoring of Q/sub v/ (cation exchange capacity per unit volume) profile for detection of hydrothermally altered zones. The producing sections in all the fields are characterized by low porosity and high resistivity.
Several nuclear power plants are operating in Wolsung area, a south-east coastland of Korea. In addition, a medium-level radioactive waste repository is under construction there. If radionuclides are released from these facilities, food crops could be radioactively contaminated, leading to human exposure to internal radiations via food consumption. There are a number of rice fields around the Wolsung nuclear sites. However, almost nothing has yet been reported on the transfer of radionuclides to rice plants from Wolsung soils. In this study, {sup 85}Sr and {sup 137}Cs transfer factors (TFs) were measured for the rice in three paddy soils collected around the Wolsung nuclear sites.
Several nuclear power plants are operating in Wolsung area, a south-east coastland of Korea. In addition, a medium-level radioactive waste repository is under construction there. If radionuclides are released from these facilities, food crops could be radioactively contaminated, leading to human exposure to internal radiations via food consumption. There are a number of rice fields around the Wolsung nuclear sites. However, almost nothing has yet been reported on the transfer of radionuclides to rice plants from Wolsung soils. In this study, 85Sr and 137Cs transfer factors (TFs) were measured for the rice in three paddy soils collected around the Wolsung nuclear sites
The circulating cooling water flowrate of GNPS and LNPS is totally about 190 m"3/s. Both stations are located on the western coast of semi-closed Daya Bay. A lot of studies concerning thermal impact of GNPS and LNPS have been carried out since 1987, including mathematical model, physical model, on-site survey and satellite remote sensing, etc. This paper describes the hydrological features of Daya Bay and discharge characteristics of circulating water of GNPS and LNPS, estimates the actual thermal impact of GNPS and LNPS, and indicates that it is advantageous for the dilution of circulating water while the two discharge channels of GNPS and LNPS are combined together towards east
Mammalodon colliveri is an unusual toothed archaic mysticete (Cetacea) from the Upper Oligocene Jan Juc Formation of south-east Australia. The morphology of the holotype skull and postcrania are described in detail. Superimposed on the generally plesiomorphic archaeocete-like morphology of Mammalodon are subtle mysticete synapomorphies. Derived features of Mammalodon include a short and bluntly rounded rostrum, reduced premaxillae, and anterodorsally directed orbits. Within Mysticeti, this suite of features is unique. The aberrant rostral morphology of Mammalodon suggests specialization for suction feeding. Janjucetus hunderi is placed in an expanded family Mammalodontidae. Phylogenetic analysis corroborates the monophyly of Basilosauridae, Neoceti, Odontoceti, and Mysticeti, and yields a ...
The economic development of eastern Europe was associated during the last 15 years with the following average annual increases in energy consumption: Approximately 1% in the sectors industry, building and transport, almost 7% in the farming sector, approximately 3% in households, and nearly 4% in the municipal sector. This trend will not continue. As the economic system shifts from centrally planned to free economy and as the previously secluded economy is forced to face world market conditions as well as changed pars of exchange and conditions of payment, it not only experiences a transitory, sharp dip of economic growth in general but, in particular, drastic structural changes. - While there is to be expected, on the whole a slump in national economic growth, in tradiational branches of industry (e.g., metallurgy, the chemicals and textile industry) as well as in farming, such sectors as the service industry and small trade are expanding. (orig./UA).
The North-West Borneo Trough is bordered along its south-east margin by a melange wedge that has been the subject of disagreement with insufficient discussion. Offshore Palawan it has been interpreted as an accretionary prism that has been preserved in place when subduction ceased in the Middle Miocene. It is unconformably overlain by undeformed Upper Miocene to Holocene draping strata. Farther south-west along the Trough, the seismically identical melange wedge has been named a Major Thrust Sheet System, which was assumed to have been thrust as a nappe north-westwards over the autochthonous Dangerous Grounds terrane of attenuated continental crust of the South China Sea passive margin. The accretionary prism model is the simplest, resulting in interpretation of the North-West Borneo Troug...
Babcock and Wilcox Volund is a major European provider of energy producing plants based on biomass and waste materials, which was founded in 1898 and today employs about 400 persons with headquarters and manufacturing in Esbjerg, Denmark. The R and D staff is about 10 persons, concentrating on gasification and improvement of traditional products. The Company turnover is about 120 mio. Euro annually, of which about 80 % is exported (50 % outside Europe - mostly far East). In 2000 the Company was acquired by US Company Babcock and Wilcox. In 1988 Volund initiated the development of updraft wood-chips gasifier Technology, which led to the commissioning of the Harboore gasifier early 1994. The work was supported in part by the Danish ELKRAFT Power Utilities and the Danish Energy Agency. The development process was carried out until 2002 and Volund now just concluded a license agreement with the Japanese engineering Company JFE. The overall layout for the Harboore plant ...
Terror management theory (TMT) proposes that people who are reminded of their mortality should be motivated to defend their cultural worldview. Studies 1 and 2 examined whether the TMT worldview defence-buffering effect found in Western cultures could be generalized to Asians in Taiwan. No such effect was found in the present studies. This non-significant result was robust when either a stronger distraction task was used (study 1) or when a subliminal manipulation of mortality salience was utilized (study 2). A meta-analysis, including 24 TMT experiments in East Asia, was also conducted (study 3). The average effect size (d = 0.11, r = 0.055) of worldview defence among these experiments was not significantly different from zero. Study 4 found that mortality salience manipulation also did n...
This study uses the European Patent Office worldwide patent database and applies two-stage interactive data collection methods to reveal the evolving technological interdependence for China's emerging biofuel industry. Three findings are excerpted from our empirical results. First, due to dominant patterns of business ownership, China's biofuel technology is seen as largely based on the evolutionary strength of the foodstuff and chemical fields. Second, China's biofuel technology development has evolved in the mode of 'forward engineering', led by Chinese universities rather than initiated by the public research institutes as in the experience of other East Asian latecomers. Third, our patent map and technology trajectory analyses illustrate that China's biofuel technology tends to be appl...
Supplement 2 to the Safety Evaluation Report for Mississippi Power and Light Company, et. al, joint application for licenses to operate the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Units 1 and 2, located on the east bank of the Mississippi River near Port Gibson, in Claiborne County, Mississippi, has been prepared by the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This supplement reports the status of certain items that had not been resolved at the time of publication of the Safety Evaluation Report.
This paper consists the radiation streaming analysis of Horizontal penetrations in Calandria Vault of 540 MWe PHWR. There are total 19 penetrations, penetrating east and west walls of calandria vault of 540 MWe PHWR. These penetrations are provided to accommodate ion chambers. HFUs and SDS - 2. Penetrations described here are not present in 220 MWe units except for ion chamber penetrations. As these penetrations are in accessible area, a detailed analysis has been carried out to find out the neutron and gamma dose rates around these penetrations when reactor is operating. Analysis has been carried out using computer code DOT-III and MCNP. Predictions by this method compare well with the measurements at ion chamber locations at KGS-1,2. (author)
The Argyle pipe occurring in the East Kimberley Province of Western Australia is a unique, highly-diamondiferous lamproite. Although it resembles other lamproites located in the West Kimberley Province with respect to its setting, structure, petrography and geochemistry, it is probably Proterozoic in age and hence substantially older than Tertiary occurrences of the West Kimberley Province. Rb-Sr measurements on whole rock and phlogopite samples from magmatic olivine-phlogopite lamproite, reveals a two point model age of 1126 +- 9 Ma for the Argyle pipe. This age is consistent with ages of other, similar volcanic igneous rocks occurring in several localities worldwide. The widespread occurrence of Proterozoic kimberlites and lamproites suggests that this was an important period of worldwide alkalic intrusive activity.
Climex climate-matching and inferential-modelling was used to examine the naturalisation potential of genetically modified and non-transgenic Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum variety hirsutum) in Australia north of latitude 22degreeS. The Climate-Match (CM) function was used to identify locations in north-east Australia where climate matches (CM Index>0.7) the experimental sites of Eastick [Eastick, R., 2002. The Potential Weediness of Transgenic Cotton in Northern Australia. Northern Territory Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development Technical Bulletin No. 305 (Internet resource: http://cotton.pi.csiro.au/Assets/PDFFiles/TB3051.pdf)] in north-west Australia. Most of Australia north of 22degreeS had climate matching one or more of the sites of Eastick (2002), locations wh...
ERDMANN A.L., DE ANDRADE S.R., FERREIRA DE MELLO A.L., KLOCK P., DO NASCIMENTO K.C., SANTOS KOERICH M. & STEIN BACKES D. (2011) Practices for caring in nursing: Brazilian research groups. International Nursing Review58, 379-385 Background:- The present study considers the production of knowledge and the interactions in the environment of research and their relationships in the system of caring in nursing and health. Aim:- To elaborate a theoretical model of the organization of the practices used for caring, based on the experiences made by the research groups of administration and management in nursing, in Brazil. Methods:- The study is based on grounded theory. Twelve leaders of research groups, working as professors in public universities in the south and the south-east of Brazil, distri...
The exceptional ability of marine sponges to adapt to often drastic changes of their environments could be due to special structural features in cell membranes, including firstly phospholipids (PL). Thus, PL class composition was investigated in marine sponges (22 species from 19 genera to 15 families) originating from various locations (East Atlantic, North Atlantic, South-West Pacific, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Arabian?Persian Gulf). The quantitative determination of PL class composition was obtained by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) with scanning densitometry of the different spots. Previous reports have shown phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) as the major PL class in marine sponges, followed by phosphatidylcholine (PC), while other papers described PC as a minor class...
... Home Our work Conservation Advice Land management for nightjars Land management for nightjars Nightjars are masters of camouflage The nightjar is now a scarce breeding bird of lowland heathland, forest clearings and clearfells on suitable light soils throughout Britain, north to southern Scotland, and in coppice woodland in south-east England. Nightjars were once much more numerous and widespread than today, but now appear to be recovering.... This offers shelter, camouflage and seclusion from potential predators. Scattered trees are used to sing from and to roost in. In conifer forest clearings, clear-fells and restocks, especially on former heathland, the vegetation structure is like that of heathland, augmented with lying brash, which provides added concealment. Restocked clearings are abandoned as the tree canopy closes over the open ground around seven to ...
The costs of greenhouse gas emission-reductions vary among countries depending on emission levels, technologies used, past emission-reduction achievements, path of economic development, fuel mix, and initial endowment of hydrocarbon resources. The criterion of cost-effectiveness therefore suggests that the ways should be found to encourage emission reductions in the countries where the required costs of reduction of additional unit of emissions are the lowest. These countries usually face crucial capital constraints and have other development priorities than investing in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Developed countries could invest their resources in the former Soviet Union and the east European countries to achieve the same level of reduction of greenhouse gases with lower costs than they could in their own countries.
Mycoplasma infections of small ruminants are known to exist in the Mediterranean region, Asia, Africa and cause significant economic impacts but little is known of the Mycoplasma spp. in sheep and goats in the Middle East. During the period of 2002-2003, 104 flocks of local sheep and goats (17 sheep, 27 goat and 60 mixed flocks) were surveyed for the occurrence of mycoplasma infections in Northern Jordan. The clinical signs seen in the studied flocks were, to varying degrees, mastitis in sheep and goats, arthritis, mainly in kids, and pneumonia in both sheep and goats of most age groups. Small ruminant farms were sampled and pooled milk samples and nasal swabs were collected for culture and isolation of mycoplasma. Mycoplasmas were isolated from 17 (26%) of the 62 milk samples and 12 (3.9%...
Various SST indices in the Indo-Pacific region have been proposed in the literature in light of a long-range seasonal forecasting of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM). However, the dynamics associated with these different indices have never been compared in detail. To this end, the present work re-examines the variabilities of ISM rainfall, onset and withdrawal dates at interannual timescales and explores their relationships with El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and various modes of coupled variability in the Indian Ocean. Based on recent findings in the literature, five SST indices are considered here: Ni?o3.4 SST index in December?January both preceding [Nino(?1)] and following the ISM [Nino(0)], South East Indian Ocean (SEIO) SST in February?March, the Indian Ocean Basin (IOB) mode in ...
This operation plan covers the period of operations from the time major elements of the joint task force are deployed in the forward area until the completion of on-site operations. It was published for planning purposes only, always subject to periodic revision and refinement as more detailed information became available. ENIWETOK-BIKINI Danger Area, as the term is used in this plan, is that area encompassing ENIWETOK and BIKINI ATOLLS and bounded by the meridians 160 deg 35' - 166 deg 16' east longitude, and by the parallels 10 deg 15' - 12 deg 45' north latitude (an area of 150 by 350 miles).
Abstract Few butterflies are pests of economic significance, but some may be locally destructive, such as the papilionid Graphium agamemnon Linnaeus, which is known to feed on the commercially important soursop (Annona muricata Linnaeus) in Vietnam. This paper documents the life history and ecology ofG. agamemnon and investigates commonly used control measures in south-east Vietnam. A novel method of controlling G. agamemnon infestation is described. If soursop basal rootstock (Annona glabra Linnaeus) is encouraged to shoot during times of peak butterfly activity, ovipositing G. agamemnon females are preferentially attracted to the new growth where the resulting early stages may be easily detected and removed by hand.
One of the more extensive uses of directional drilling anywhere in the world has been in the development of the East Wilmington Oil Field in Long Beach, California. The Measurement-While-Drilling (MWD) directional system has been tested on several wells and proven to provide the required accuracy, along with many advantages over past methods, used in the field development. Accurate transmission by MWD of bottom-hole measurements to the surface is provided by mud pressure pulses generated in the drill pipe downhole and detected by a pressure transducer includes the means for detecting, recording and processing these pressure pulses, to translate the information from the pressure pulses to rig floor displays usable by the drilling crew. 2 refs.
Proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and proton induced {gamma}-ray emission (PIGE) techniques are employed for the determination of essential and trace elements in some commonly used medicinal plants of north east India. Light elements such as Na, Mg, Al and P are determined by PIGE while medium Z elements such as K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Rb and Sr are determined by PIXE. Analysis is performed on pellets (thick targets) prepared using powders of the specimens which, in turn, are obtained following a series of processing steps. Plant based biological certified reference materials (CRMs) served as standards for quantification. These elements are found to be present in varying concentrations in the studied plants, with the contents of Mn and Zn being notably large in certain specimens. Medicinal properties possessed by these plants have been correlated with their elemental distribution.
The article examines the limits and challenges small powers face when they adjust to systemic changes. Specifically, this article discusses the Philippines' conduct of a diplomatic strategy of equi balancing between the USA and China. In this strategy, the Philippines enhances and deepens its security relations with its strategic ally, the USA and at the same time, obtains economic assistance and politico diplomatic concessions from East Asia's emergent power, China. The Philippines' diplomatic gambit, however, is restrained by its formal alliance with the USA and its chronic territorial dispute with China over the Spratly Islands. At present, several developments are undermining Manila's efforts in playing this balancing game with Washington and Beijing. These are: the Philippines' passiv...
The IGCC of the U.S. government was created under the intent of Public Law 93-410 (1974) to serve as a forum for the discussion of Federal plans, activities, and policies that are related to or impact on geothermal energy. Eight Federal Departments were represented on the IGCC at the time of this meeting. The main presentations in this report were on: Department of Energy Geothermal R&D Program, the Ormat binary power plant at East Mesa, CA, Potential for direct use of geothermal at Defense bases in U.S. and overseas, Department of Defense Geothermal Program at China Lake, and Status of the U.S. Geothermal Industry. The IGCC briefing books and minutes provide a historical snapshot of what development and impact issues were important at various time. (DJE 2005)
Abstract Previous research has established the comorbidity of adult Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with different personality disorders including Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The association between adult ADHD and BPD has primarily been investigated at the phenotypic level and not yet at the genetic level. The present study investigates the genetic and environmental contributions to the association between borderline personality traits (BPT) and ADHD symptoms in a sample of 7,233 twins and siblings (aged 18-90 years) registered with the Netherlands Twin Register and the East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey (EFPTS) . Participants completed the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS-S:SV) and the Personality Assessment Inventory-Borderline Features Scale (PAI-BO...
Using a case-study, inductive, narrative approach, this article explores the history, drivers, benefits, and barriers to the Bakun Hydroelectric Project in East Malaysia. Situated on the island of Borneo, Bakun Dam is a 204m high concrete face, rock filled dam on the Balui River in the Upper Rajang Basin in the rainforests of Sarawak. Bakun Dam and its affiliated infrastructure could be the single largest and most expensive energy project ever undertaken in Southeast Asia. Based on data collected through site visits, original field research in Sarawak, and more than 80 research interviews, the article begins by teasing out the complex history and drivers behind the Bakun project before identifying a set of potential social, political, and economic benefits the project could deliver. It the...
Abstract Alcoa World Alumina Australia mines bauxite under lease agreements with the Government of Western Australia. The leases lie in the Darling Range to the east of Perth, the capital and major population center. In addition to bauxite and other mineral ores, the Darling Range is a major potable water source and harbors a species-rich forest dominated by Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), a significant commercial timber. Conservation and recreation are important land uses in the region. Social and political pressures have led to stringent governmental requirements for restoration. In addition, a summer drought period, a soil deficient in most nutrients, water management challenges, an introduced disease, caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands, and a post-mining ecosystem that must be condu...
The Taiwan Strait is an important channel in the west Pacific Ocean transporting water and chemical constituents between the East China Sea and the South China Sea. Due to its complex bottom topography, alternating monsoon forcing and conjunction of several current systems [such as the Zhejiang-Fujian (Zhe-Min) Coastal Current, the Kuroshio intrusion and the extension of the South China Sea Warm Current], the physical and biogeochemical processes and ecosystem dynamics in the Taiwan Strait vary significantly both in space and in time. Our recent interdisciplinary studies, combining in situ and remote sensing observations with numerical modeling, allow us to address several important issues concerning the Taiwan Strait. The temporal and spatial variation of circulation in the Taiwan Strait ...
The ARE progress report discusses the following issues: Economic development and its effects on power supply; Deregulation of the electricity and gas market; Competition between regional utilities; Energy policy of the new German government; European regulations; Legislation on energy supply; Energy supply and cartel law; Regional supply in the East German states. [German] Der Taetigkeitsbericht der ARE befasst sich mit folgenden Themen: Gesamtwirtschaftliche Entwicklung und ihre Auswirkung auf die Energiewirtschaft, Oeffnung des Monopoles fuer Strom und Gas, Wettbewerb der regionalen Energieversorger, Energiepolitik der neuen Bundesregierung, Europaeische Richtlininen, energiewirtschaftsrecht, Versorgungswirtschaft und Kartellrecht und der Regionalversorgung in den neuen Bundeslaendern.
Restructuring of power system has changed the traditional planning objectives and introduced challenges in the field of Transmission Expansion Planning (TEP). Due to these changes, new approaches and criteria are needed for transmission planning in deregulated environment. Therefore, in this paper, a dynamic expansion methodology is presented using a multi-objective optimization framework. Investment cost, congestion cost and reliability are considered in the optimization as three objectives. To overcome the difficulties in solving the non-convex and mixed integer nature of the optimization problems, a Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA II) approach is used followed by a fuzzy decision making analysis to obtain the final optimal solution. The planning methodology has been demonstrated on the IEEE 24-bus test system and north-east of Iran national 400 kV transmission grid to show the feasibility and capabilities of the proposed algorithm in electricity ...
The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the safety and efficacy of chemoembolization (TACE) as palliative treatment for patients with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and to compare the results with those in the literature. Fifteen patients with histology-proven CCA (5 men, 10 women) had received palliative treatment with TACE over a 6-year period. The treatment protocol comprised repeated TACE at a minimum of 8-week intervals. TACE was performed with a mixture of 10 ml Lipiodol and 10 mg mitomycin C injected into the tumor-supplying vessels. Follow-up investigations after 8-10 weeks comprised contrast-enhanced multislice spiral CT and laboratory control. Statistical evaluation included survival analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method. During the investigation period 58 TACEs (3.9 #+-# 3.8; 1-15) were performed in 15 patients. Mean tumor size was 10.8 #+-# 4.6 cm (range, 2.0-18.0 cm). Unifocal ...
In this study, we investigated the effects of one- and two-staged orchiopexy on testicular volume and serum testosterone levels in cases with high, abdominally localized, bilateral nonpalpable testes. Between March 1996 and April 2001, orchiopexy was performed on 46 testes in 23 patients with bilateral nonpalpable testes. In 15 of the 23 patients, a two-stage Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy was performed, and in 8 of the 23 patients, a one-stage laparoscopic orchiopexy was performed. For one patient who lacked both testes, bilateral prosthetic testes were inserted. The patients' ages were between 20 and 23 years (average, 21 years). In the first stage of the two-stage orchiopexy, the spermatic artery was ligated laparoscopically. Six months later, open surgery orchiopexy was performed. Patients were followed for 2 to 16 months (average, 10 months) and were evaluated ...
BACKGROUND: The urgent need for patient safety education for healthcare students has been recognised by many accreditation bodies, but to date there has been sporadic attention to undergraduate/graduate medical programmes. Medical students themselves have identified quality and safety of care as an important area of instruction; as future doctors and healthcare leaders, they must be prepared to practise safe healthcare. Medical education has yet to fully embrace patient safety concepts and principles into existing medical curricula. Universities are continuing to produce graduate doctors lacking in the patient safety knowledge, skills and behaviours thought necessary to deliver safe care. A significant challenge is that patient safety is still a relatively new concept and area of study; thus, many medical educators are unfamiliar with the literature and unsure how to integrate ...
The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of postoperative radiotherapy in a case of perihilar cholagiocarcinoma by analyzing overall survival rate, patterns of failure, prognostic factors for overall survival, and toxicity. Between January 1998 and March 2008, 38 patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent a surgical resection and adjuvant radiotherapy. The median patient age was 59 years (range, 28 to 72 years), which included 23 men and 15 women. The extent of surgery was complete resection in 9 patients, microscopically positive margins in 25 patients, and a subtotal resection in 4 patients. The tumor bed and regional lymphatics initially received 45 Gy or 50 Gy, but was subsequently boosted to a total dose of 59.4 Gy or 60 Gy in incompletely resected patients. The median radiotherapy dose was 59.4 Gy. Concurrent chemotherapy was ...
A sensitive radio-assay for ferritin was developed and used to examine serum ferritin levels in 105 patients with recurrent oral ulceration (ROU), 41 patients with Behcet's syndrome (BS), 42 with other ulcerative oral lesions, 35 patients with non-ulcerative oral lesions and in 78 controls. Ferritin levels increased with age and were significantly higher in males than females. The mean ferritin concentrations in male patients with ROU, BS or with other oral ulcers were significantly reduced in comparison with controls, and in female patients were significantly reduced in those with major aphthous ulcers. The prevalence of low serum ferritin levels was about 8% in patients with ROU, 15% in BS and 9.5% in patients with other ulcerative oral lesions, compared with less than 3% in patients with non-ulcerative oral ...
BACKGROUND: The urgent need for patient safety education for healthcare students has been recognised by many accreditation bodies, but to date there has been sporadic attention to undergraduate/graduate medical programmes. Medical students themselves have identified quality and safety of care as an important area of instruction; as future doctors and healthcare leaders, they must be prepared to practise safe healthcare. Medical education has yet to fully embrace patient safety concepts and principles into existing medical curricula. Universities are continuing to produce graduate doctors lacking in the patient safety knowledge, skills and behaviours thought necessary to deliver safe care. A significant challenge is that patient safety is still a relatively new concept and area of study; thus, many medical educators are unfamiliar with the literature and unsure how to integrate ...
Purpose: Efficacy and safety of the own single-center experience with moderately dosed radiosurgery (SRS) for limited (one to four) brain metastases were analyzed and correlated with patient- and treatment-related variables. Patients and Methods: Between 05/1998 and 10/2006, 93 patients received SRS for a total of 142 brain metastases. The median number of brain metastases treated per patient was one (range, one to four). 46 patients (49%) received initial SRS alone, 13 patients (14%) SRS with up-front whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT), and 34 patients (37%) SRS for recurrent metastases after WBRT. Median dose was 16 Gy (range, 10-20 Gy). Results: Median overall survival (OS) was 7.5 months. The actuarial 6- and 12-month data for OS were 60% and 35%, for local brain control (LBC) 87% and 79%, and for distant brain control (DBC) 48% and 37%, ...
The frequency of peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis in patients after surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) ranges from 20 to 40%. This can be either primary or secondary to the surgical intervention. The influence of resulting lung perfusion alterations on the life quality of patients is difficult to predict. The aim of this study was to compare the utility of the diagnostic procedures in this group of patients, with particular focus on lung perfusion scintigraphy. This study comprised 104 patients who underwent repair of TOF at ages from 5 months to 25 years. The patients have been followed up for from 4.2 to 25 years. On the basis of chest X-ray peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis was suspected in 11 patients, in 12 on the basis of echocardiography examination. Lung perfusion scintigraphy has been performed on 87 patients. The ...
Background and purpose: A diagnosis of malignancy and its treatment is a very stressful time for patients and their families. This study was conducted to determine the impact of more intensive written information on patients' anxiety levels. The secondary aim was to determine the impact of this information on patients' satisfaction levels. Materials and methods: This prospective randomized trial consisted of patients with a pathological diagnosis of cancer having radical radiotherapy (RT). Patients were randomized to receive the more intensive information (including written information and a telephone call from the research nurse) or not to receive the more intensive information at the time of their initial consultation with the radiation oncologist. Study questionnaires measuring anxiety (STAI form) were completed prior to their first consultation (baseline) at the time of ...
Of 1850 patients with cholelithiasis diagnosed in the past 17 years, 1116 female and 734 male, 598 patients (32.3%) presented with one or more of three major symptoms, i.e., abdominal pain, fever and jaundice, whereas the remainder (67.7%) had none of these symptoms. The proportion of the asymptomatic patients was similar in all age groups, being around 70%. Only 20 per cent of 680 asymptomatic patients, followed for 10 to 17 years (median 13.3 years), developed biliary symptoms. Older patients over 70 years of age had a higher rate of change to the symptomatic group, as compared with younger patients under 70, 29.5% vs. 19.3%, respectively. During this period, carcinoma of the gallbladder developed in one of the asymptomatic patients (0.1%). Oral dissolution therapy was successful in only 4.2 per cent of attempted cases and associated with ...
Patient decision support systems have a promising role in the delivery of health care. However, the best approach for further development of these systems is a matter of speculation. To help chart a...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe cachexia-anorexia syndrome impacts on patients' physical independence and quality of life. New treatments are required and need to be evaluated using acceptable and...Full Text Available
Background:The manufacturers of oral bisphosphonates (alendronate, risedronate) recommend avoiding use of these drugs in patients with renal impairment. However, many patients who...Full Text Available
Forty-two patients were treated with intravenous cefoxitin, a new cephamycin antibiotic. These patients had postoperative abdominal sepsis (26), intrathoracic infections (6), urinary tract infections...Full Text Available
Femur fractures typically affect elderly patients with multiple co-morbidities. Pain control can be difficult, requiring intensive nursing and physician care as elderly patients may manifest cardiovascular...Full Text Available
ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to identify patterns of brain activation elicited by erotic visual stimuli in patients treated with either Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors...Full Text Available
Successful management of a patient with tracheo-innominate artery erosion requires the rapid institution of specific resuscitative and operative measures. Ten patients seen at the Charity Hospital of...Full Text Available
BackgroundIn France, it is estimated that 24% of HIV-infected patients are also infected with HCV. Longitudinal studies addressing clinical and public health questions related to...Full Text Available
ContextMusic and surgery.ObjectiveTo determine the effect of live classical piano music on vital signs of patients undergoing ophthalmic surgery.DesignRetrospective...Full Text Available
AbstractBackgroundGender concordance between patients and their physicians is related to prevention screening and other quality indicators. Research suggests female...Full Text Available
Aging is a risk factor for heart failure, which is a leading cause of death world-wide. Elderly patients are more likely than young patients to experience a myocardial infarction (MI) and are...Full Text Available
Background and objectives: While many patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) have impaired physical and psychologic well-being, less is known about these health domains in patients with advanced...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe natural history of bronchial preinvasive lesions and the risk of developing lung cancer in patients with these lesions are not clear. Previous studies have treated...Full Text Available
Chronic pain patients who show aberrant drug-related behavior often are discontinued from treatment when they are noncompliant with their use of opioids for pain. The purpose of this study was...Full Text Available
We ran a comparative analysis of all patients for whom a positive culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex was available between April 2004 and October 2005 and whose HIV serology...Full Text Available
Fresh blood has many potential advantages over older blood, but there is no evidence that these properties translate into clinical benefit for intensive care patients. The observational multicenter...Full Text Available
During 1975 we studied 100 patients--77 men and 23 women--who had a history of alcohol abuse and disturbed liver function test results. On presentation the women were less likely to be suspected of...Full Text Available
OJECTIVEThis study seeks to identify practices of self-medication in the treatment of ocular emergencies. We examine patients’ use of both homemade preparations and manufactured...Full Text Available
BackgroundPercutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) allows long-term tube feeding. Safety of pull-type and introducer PEG placement in oncology patients with head/neck or oesophageal...Full Text Available
BackgroundSafety for diabetic patients means providing the most suitable treatment for each type of diabetic in order to improve monitoring and to prevent the adverse effects of...Full Text Available
BackgroundPatients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with fibrinolysis are increasingly, and ever earlier, referred for routine coronary angiography and where...Full Text Available
BackgroundSymptomatic heterotopic ossification (HO) in multiple trauma patients may lead to follow up surgery, furthermore the long-term outcome can be restricted. Knowledge of the...Full Text Available
PurposeTo present full ophthalmologic examination and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) photographs of autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) patients...Full Text Available
Bone scintigraphy was performed in 16 men with newly diagnosed prostatic carcinoma before orchiectomy as well as 2 weeks and 2 months after operation. The uptake in the lower thoracic and lumbar vertebrae was registered up to 240 min after injection of /sup 99m/Tc-MDP and was then calculated for each patient and vertebra. The relative standard deviation in measured uptake due to measuring technique was estimated to be +-7%. In eight patients, who had normal bone scintigraphies before orchiectomy, there were no changes in the uptake values after operation. The remaining eight patients had widespread metastatic involvement prior to treatment, six of these patients showed a so-called 'flare phenomenon' in the abnormal vertebrae which means an initial increase in uptake after operation followed by a decreased uptake in response to therapy. One patient had a ...
Bone scintigraphy was performed in 16 men with newly diagnosed prostatic carcinoma before orchiectomy as well as 2 weeks and 2 months after operation. The uptake in the lower thoracic and lumbar vertebrae was registered up to 240 min after injection of "9"9"mTc-MDP and was then calculated for each patient and vertebra. The relative standard deviation in measured uptake due to measuring technique was estimated to be #+-#7%. In eight patients, who had normal bone scintigraphies before orchiectomy, there were no changes in the uptake values after operation. The remaining eight patients had widespread metastatic involvement prior to treatment, six of these patients showed a so-called 'flare phenomenon' in the abnormal vertebrae which means an initial increase in uptake after operation followed by a decreased uptake in response to therapy. One patient had a continuously increased uptake ...
This clinical report described the oral rehabilitation of a cleft lip and palate patient with removable partial denture. Although implant-supported fixed treatment was presented as part of the optimum...Full Text Available
BackgroundTransarterial chemoembolization (TACE) therapy is an effective locoregional treatment in hepatocellular cancer (HCC) patients. For early modification of therapy, markers...Full Text Available
A large percentage of patients with HIV/AIDS will develop dermatological complications. Consequently, all practising clinicians and pathologists in regions with a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS must be...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe optimal treatment for locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC) is still a matter of debate. This study assessed the outcome of LRRC patients treated with multimodality...Full Text Available
SummaryRadiotherapy is used commonly in the treatment of gynecologic malignancies. Many patients experience emotional distress prior to the initiation of radiotherapy, during...Full Text Available
Study objective:To describe sleep characteristics and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder in patients with Guadeloupean atypical parkinsonism (Gd-PSP), a tauopathy resembling...Full Text Available
Incidence of esophageal cancer (EC) is rising more rapidly in the Western world than that of any other cancer. Despite advances in therapy, more than 50% of patients have incurable disease at the time...Full Text Available
We quantified antibody responses to the HCV proteome that are associated with sustained virologic response (SVR) in HIV/HCV co-infected patients treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin....Full Text Available
Although patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) are not seen regularly in general dental practice, this is a frequent congenital anomaly; approximately one in every 800 live births results in a CLP....Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of pathogens that cause sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in semen from asymptomatic male infertility patients with and...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in HTLV-I infected patients, and its association with overactive bladder (OB).Full Text Available
BackgroundHealthcare professionals can play a crucial role in optimizing the health status of patients with cardiovascular risk factors (abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, low...Full Text Available
This program focused on practice-level service change as a means of improving patient care and developing leadership skills of 19 general practitioners (GPs) and aimed to: promote and support change...Full Text Available
IntroductionPatients undergoing selective minor emergency and elective procedures are followed up by a nurse-led structured telephone review six weeks post-operatively in our hospital....Full Text Available
Idiopathic frozen shoulder is a common medical diagnosis for patients seeking physical therapy. Radiographic and surgical evidence exists that describes the coracohumeral ligament (CHL) as a major contributor...Full Text Available
The plasma protein binding of phenytoin was investigated in 100 epileptic patients, using equilibrium dialysis at 37 degrees C. The unbound fractions of phenytoin in plasma formed a skewed distribution,...Full Text Available
The pharmacokinetics of fusidic acid and 3-ketofusidic acid were investigated in cholestatic and noncholestatic patients after intravenous administration of single and multiple doses of 500 mg of sodium...Full Text Available
The pharmacokinetics of oral fluoroquinolone antibiotics in normal volunteers have been studied extensively; however, limited patient data exist. Enoxacin steady-state pharmacokinetics and bioavailability...Full Text Available
Nowadays, percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation is a successful alternative to surgery for patients requiring treatment of pulmonary valve dysfunction. However, owing to the wide variety of implantation...Full Text Available
BackgroundLittle is known about the role European patient organisations play in the process of deciding on reimbursement for medicines. Therefore we explore the...Full Text Available
The outcome of patients admitted to intensive care units is known to be influenced by such factors as age, previous health status, severity of disease, and diagnosis. To estimate the outcome of such...Full Text Available
Background and objectives: Patients receiving dialysis have a high burden of cardiovascular disease. Some receive coronary artery revascularization but the optimal method is controversial.Design,...Full Text Available
PURPOSE: To determine the frequency of ophthalmic abnormalities in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome) and T-cell lymphoma involving the skin and...Full Text Available
Purpose:To evaluate the midterm efficacy and safety of the iStent® glaucoma device in patients with secondary open-angle glaucoma.Patients...Full Text Available
BackgroundNorway, and particularly Oslo, has the highest reported incidence of hip fractures in the world. It is increasingly common to care for older hip fracture patients in orthogeriatric...Full Text Available
Aims: To study the expression of nuclear β catenin in patients with colorectal cancer, colorectal adenoma, and colorectal polyps to elucidate its role in carcinogenesis, and its...Full Text Available
Over a 5-year period (1976-1980) 499 patients with non-seminomatous testicular germ cell tumours were included in the Danish Testicular Carcinoma Study (DATECA). The 3-year crude survival for patients in clinical stages I, II and III was 91, 77 and 45 per cent, respectively. In stage I the relapse-free survival for patients given radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine was significantly higher than that for patients given radiation alone. No difference in the crude survival for patients given radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine was significantly higher than that for patients given radiation alone. No difference in the crude survival was observed. For stage II patients maintenance chemotherapy following radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine did not improve relapse-free or crude survival. The survival of ...
Over a 5-year period (1976-1980) 499 patients with non-seminomatous testicular germ cell tumours were included in the Danish Testicular Carcinoma Study (DATECA). The 3-year crude survival for patients in clinical stages I, II and III was 91, 77 and 45 per cent, respectively. In stage I the relapse-free survival for patients given radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine was significantly higher than that for patients given radiation alone. No difference in the crude survival for patients given radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine was significantly higher than that for patients given radiation alone. No difference in the crude survival was observed. For stage II patients maintenance chemotherapy following radiation combined with bleomycin and vincristine did not improve relapse-free or crude survival. The survival of ...
BackgroundAlthough considerable progress has been made in the treatment of chronic kidney disease, compromised quality of life continues to be a significant problem for patients...Full Text Available
BackgroundMyelomatous pleural effusion (MPE) is rare in myeloma patients. We present a consecutive series of patients with MPE in a single institution.MethodsWe...Full Text Available
The pharmacokinetic parameters of amikacin and ceftazidime were assessed in four patients undergoing hemofiltration for septic shock. The parameters were assessed during hemofiltration and in the interim...Full Text Available
AIMS OF THE STUDY: Type-2 diabetic patients have excessive cardiovascular mortality, primarily related to diabetic nephropathy. The extent of the morbidity due to nephropathy in type-2 diabetes mellitus...Full Text Available
Specific criteria have been developed based on computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) to assist clinicians in identifying patients with psychogenic balance problems (Cyr and Cevette, Full Text Available
During 1978 there was a marked increase in the number of patients with meningococcal infection in the Hamilton area. Of 21 patients admitted to St. Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, two thirds were under...Full Text Available
BackgroundControversy exists about how to effectively measure patient reported outcomes in IBS clinical trials. Pain numeric rating scales (NRS) are widely used in...Full Text Available
Background:In 2007, the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) published new guidelines for the diagnosis and management of patients with unstable angina/non-ST...Full Text Available
The prognosis for patients with newly diagnosed malignant gliomas remains poor; however there have been some recent advances in treatment that have generated optimism. Medical management usually includes...Full Text Available
Background:The aim of present study is to determine the long-term results of patients who undergo pars plana vitrectomy after retained nucleus into the vitreous.Setting:Service...Full Text Available
The needs of hospitalized geriatric patients differ from the needs of hospitalized younger adults. In an attempt to improve systems of care for the older adult, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid...Full Text Available
Sixty-six patients in whom the macula was detached before surgery were observed for at least 1 year after retinal reattachment. Macular abnormalities were recognised clinically in most patients with...Full Text Available
Conducting rigorous psychosocial intervention research with cancer patients has many challenges including encouraging them to join studies, asking them to engage in interventions or be part...Full Text Available
Although management of warfarin is challenging for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), no prospective studies have compared response to warfarin among patients with minimal, moderate, and severe...Full Text Available
... of the American Medical Association JAMA PATIENT PAGE Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation W hen the heart stops beating (cardiac arrest), ... circulation (blood flow) returns or is restored. Providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation ( CPR ) is a way to keep some circulation ...
The lysosomal catabolism of sulfatide requires arylsulfatase A and a specific sphingolipid activator protein, SAP-1. While most patients with metachromatic leukodystrophy have mutations in the gene...Full Text Available
We sought to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in patients with acute myocardial infarction and its effect on clinical outcomes. Employing data from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction...Full Text Available
Exercise-training might be a logical method to reverse muscle atrophy and weakness in patients treated with glucocorticoids. The purpose of the present investigation was to establish whether a treatment...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the profile of osteoporosis treatment among patients hospitalized due to hip fractures at a tertiary-level university hospital. To compare the impact of hospitalization...Full Text Available
Of 868 patients admitted with pancreatitis between 1971 and 1976, coexisting hyperbilirubinemia was noted in 125 (14%). The patient population was primarily composed of alcoholics (84%) with chronic...Full Text Available
Between 50 and 70% of patients with a terminal illness indicate a preference to remain at home for as long as possible until their death. Nevertheless, a much smaller percentage actually die at home...Full Text Available
Background:Increasing evidence shows the importance of young age, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) status, and HER-2 expression in patients with breast cancers.Patients...Full Text Available
AIMS: To examine the frequency of intraocular metastases in patients who had died of cancer, in an eye bank and necropsy population sample. METHODS: The first group included 302 cancer cases received...Full Text Available
Purpose:The risks and benefits of continuing bisphosphonate therapy beyond 5 years in patients with primary osteoporosis have not been well established.Methods:We...Full Text Available
A 17-year-old H1N1-positive patient was successfully extubated after 25 days of ventilatory support for treatment of viral pneumonia which was complicated by empyema thoracis due to Candida...Full Text Available
BackgroundManagement of benign tracheal stenosis (BTS) varies with the type and extent of the disease and influenced by the patient's age and general health status, hence we sought...Full Text Available
Emergency Departments (ED) are fast-paced, information-intensive environments where patient care team members must address their information needs quickly and accurately. We conducted a qualitative...Full Text Available
AIM: To investigate clinical characteristics associated with the presence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms in hemodialysis (HD) patients.METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. A...Full Text Available
ObjectiveWhile essential for patient care, information related to medication is often written as free text in clinical records and, therefore, difficult to use in computerized systems....Full Text Available
To study the expression of Fc receptors in human alveolar macrophages (AM), the cells were collected from 12 healthy controls and 22 patients with sarcoidosis and the activity involved in binding to...Full Text Available
Metastatic testicular germ cell tumours are cured in approximately 85% of patients using cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy. Patients who fail to respond have a poor prognosis, and there is a...Full Text Available
The method of linear analogue self-assessment (LASA) was used to quantify the views concerning day care which were held by patients attending a geriatric day hospital. The results suggest that day hospitals...Full Text Available
BackgroundIt is known that diabetes and stress are directly or indirectly related, and that it is important to evaluate stress in patients with diabetes. The relationship between...Full Text Available
ObjectivesTo assess Croatian community pharmacists' patient care competencies using the General Level Framework (GLF).MethodsThe competencies of...Full Text Available
Inclusion of family members in the assessment of patients with chronic pain can improve outcomes. Family functioning can be assessed in four basic areas: boundaries, power, communication, and intimacy....Full Text Available
BackgroundElevated cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is frequently observed in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. However, the mechanisms underlying cTnI release in these patients...Full Text Available
This work is a retrospective study of 86 patients with squamous cell (51) and basal cell (35) carcinoma of the face. The median age was 67 years. The staging is as following: 31 cases T{sub 1} and T{sub 2}, 55 patients T{sub 3} and T{sub 4}. All patients were considered NO. Electron beam was used in all cases and energy ranged from 5 to 15 MeV depending on the thickness of the tumor. The total tumor dose was 60-70 Gy delivered in 6 weeks. In 7 cases of very old patients the authors have used concentrated irradiation: 3 patients received 21 Gy in one fraction and 4 patients 48 Gy in 8 fractions. 96.8% patients T{sub 1} i T{sub 2} are NED contrary to 56.4% T{sub 3} i T{sub 4}. Cosmetic results were considered as good in 52, fairly good in 7 and bad in 2 patients.
AimsTo describe the pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic (PK–PD) characteristics of the direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran in hip replacement patients by assessing coagulation...Full Text Available
SummaryBackgroundPatients undergoing dialysis have a substantially increased risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Although several trials have shown the...Full Text Available
IntroductionIn critically ill patients the relationship between the storage age of red blood cells (RBCs) transfused and outcomes are controversial. To determine if duration of RBC...Full Text Available
Psychological illness influences the experience and expression of pain and disability. We tested three null hypotheses: (1) patients with nonspecific pain (medically unexplained and idiopathic) and...Full Text Available
ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to ascertain whether all cervical cancer patients who received adjuvant concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) for high risk of treatment failure after...Full Text Available
BackgroundThere is a dearth of data relating UK general practice workload to personal and social markers of individual patients.AimTo test whether there is a significant association...Full Text Available
Communication problems have been implicated in many safety and quality issues, but tools to examine communication networks and their impact on patient outcomes are only beginning to become available....Full Text Available
Aims:To investigate the relationship between the duration of comatose state, severity of rhabdomyolysis and frequency of peripheral nerve injury (PNI) in patients following...Full Text Available
AIMSTo evaluate and compare the risk of specific safety outcomes in patients prescribed ibuprofen and paracetamol concomitantly with those in patients prescribed ibuprofen or paracetamol...Full Text Available
Antiplatelet agents are the cornerstone of treatment for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Clopidogrel, when added to aspirin, has demonstrated...Full Text Available
PURPOSE The Wells rule is widely used for clinical assessment of patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT), especially in the secondary care setting. Recently a new clinical decision...Full Text Available
The goal of community-based services for frail older patients is to help them achieve the greatest degree of functional ability and independence. The services available include case management, geriatric...Full Text Available
Ten coccygectomies were performed. Patients were all females (aged 26-74, average 46). All patients expressed satisfaction after the operation (one was deceased at the time of follow up). The material...Full Text Available
Because the results with cobalt-57-bleomycin (57Co-bleo) as a tumour-seeking agent in patients with pulmonary tumours were promising, a prospective study was carried out to test the sensitivity and...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe purpose of our study was to evaluate the clinical value of hybrid SPECT/CT for the assessment of patients with painful total knee arthroplasty (TKA).MethodsTwenty-three...Full Text Available
BackgroundEchocardiography is widely used in the management of patients with cardiogenic shock (CS). Left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) has been shown to be an independent predictor...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe elevated serum and peritoneal cytokine concentrations responsible for the systemic response syndrome (SIRS) and multiorgan failure in patients with severe acute pancreatitis...Full Text Available
Background/AimsThe findings of several recent studies suggest that antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are frequently detected in patients with acute hepatitis A (AHA). However, the clinical...Full Text Available
Clinical features and treatment outcome were compared in depressed outpatients with and without a history of emotional and physical abuse (EPA), including childhood maltreatment. Patients were...Full Text Available
Background & AimsData are conflicting on the benefit of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) for patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS);...Full Text Available
Approximately 20% to 30% of patients who undergo coronary arteriography for the evaluation of chest pain are found to have normal coronary arteries. These patients have a survival rate comparable to...Full Text Available
The measurement of bone loss in patients undergoing maintenance dialysis over a period of two and a half years is reported. The tendency to lose bone is a likely event in renal failure, but depends...Full Text Available
Evidence suggests that patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are hyper-responsive to environmental, physical, and visceral stimuli. IBS patients also frequently report poor sleep quality....Full Text Available
Social support is a critical, yet underutilized resource when undergoing cancer care. Underutilization occurs in two conditions: (a) when patients fail to seek out information, material assistance,...Full Text Available
This study was designed to identify the causes of the development of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) associated with end stage kidney disease (ESKD). A total of 112 patients with ESKD, 64 on hemodialysis...Full Text Available
PurposeTo analyze the contributions of cytochrome P4501B1 (CYP1B1) mutations to primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) in Spanish patients.MethodsWe...Full Text Available
Of 400 patients with brucellosis, 104 (26%) had arthritis, of whom 96 could be followed up. The systemic disease in the 96 patients was acute in 54 (56%), subacute in 24 (25%), and chronic in 18 (19%)....Full Text Available
Anemia commonly affects critically ill patients. The causes are multifactorial and include acute blood loss, blood loss from diagnostic testing and blunted red blood cell production. Blood transfusions...Full Text Available
In 29 patients with urinary obstruction due to prostatic enlargement, medium-fill water cystometry was performed before prostatectomy and again 3 months after. A high incidence of detrusor hyperreflexia...Full Text Available
BackgroundComputer-based health-risk assessments are electronic surveys which can be completed by patients privately, for example during their waiting time...Full Text Available
The two categories of anti-albumin antibodies (AAA), namely precipitins (AA-P) and agglutinins (AA-Aggl), were investigated in 260 patients with morphologically diagnosed chronic liver diseases (CLD)....Full Text Available
Objectives:The aim of this study was to analyze clinical records of dental patients attending the Dental Department at the University of Jordan Hospital: a teaching hospital in Jordan....Full Text Available
BackgroundPatient organisations may be exposed to conflicts of interest and undue influence through pharmaceutical industry (Pharma) donations. We examined advertising and disclosure...Full Text Available
Very few areas of medical science have experienced more rapid development of new and beneficial treatment approaches during the past two decades than the disciplines required for total care of patients...Full Text Available
PurposeWe previously reported a randomized phase II clinical trial combining a poxvirus-based vaccine encoding PSA with radiotherapy in patients with localized prostate...Full Text Available
There are a range of barriers precluding patients from fully engaging in and benefiting from the spectrum of eHealth interventions developed to support patient access to health information, disease...Full Text Available
Five methods of personality assessment are evaluated to provide guidance for the psychological treatment of patients with chronic back pain. Patient pain drawings, pentothal pain studies, stress score...Full Text Available