Since 1978 the United States Department of Energy`s (DOE) International Safeguards Program has conducted policy analysis, strategies and technology development, international cooperation and training to support the formulation and implementation of international safeguards. The end of the Gulf War (1991), the end of the Cold War (1992), and the trend towards regionalization of safeguards has led to increased US and international attention to the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation and the need for significantly greater support to nonproliferation policy making and implementation activities. As a result, DOE`s International Safeguards Program has undergone substantial growth and has continued to focus its resources on the priority issues which are part of today`s and tomorrow`s world. In order to effectively and efficiently conduct and ...
According to the International Headache Society, idiopathic stabbing headache (ISH), an indomethacin-responsive headache syndrome, is a paroxysmal disorder of short duration manifested as head pain...Full Text Available
International police have been deployed on a number of peacekeeping missions, but providing capacity development and assisting in reform of local police in war-torn nations are only a relatively recent undertaking. The process of police reform is complicated because of the inherent difficulty in evaluating the impact of a development programme on police service delivery performance. This study reports on the results of a pilot survey of international police managers assessment of the level of competency of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force following the introduction of a capacity development programme 3 years earlier. The results indicate that although the local police had improved operationally, and in some cases to an international standard, the Force had lower capability in strateg...
'Trojan horses', 'logic bombs', 'armoured viruses' and 'cryptovirology' are terms recalling war gears. In fact, concepts of attack and defence drive the world of computer virology, which looks like a war universe in an information society. This war has several shapes, from invasions of a network by worms, to military and industrial espionage ...
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
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is a life-threatening reaction of neuroleptic medication. The estimated incidence rate of neuroleptic malignant syndrome is between 1% and 1.5% of patients treated with...Full Text Available
What genes are related to AEC syndrome? AEC syndrome is caused by mutations in the TP63 gene. This gene provides instructions for making a protein known as p63, which plays an...
The national research and development (R&D) base has in the post-cold war era gained increased importance in order to fill new security demands. There is a broadening of the search for security relevant science and technology involving more organizations and interests, scientific disciplines and nations. The question discussed in this article is if the premises of international, free and open R&D will be(come) compromised? Will we see more scientists, in their normal scientific activities, being accused of spying? The article suggests that such risks are not unrealistic to expect. Spy cases in less democratic countries could have consequences for scientists also in other countries. Outcomes depend on, among other things, the relative strengths of academic freedom and a political ...
This paper summarizes the IHY and BSS activities in West Asia and their importance in many Arab countries, such as Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, etc. BSS future plans for some of these countries are as follows: It is proposed by the astronomers from the Arabian Gulf Region to build the Gulf Observatory on top of Jabal Shams (2980 msl) which will have a 2-3 m optical telescope. Libya signed a contract with a French company for building an observatory which will have a 2-m optical robotic telescope. It is also proposed to rebuild the Iraqi National Astronomical Observatory (INAO) which was destroyed during the two wars. It is planned to build a 5-6 m optical telescope and a small solar telescope on the top of Korek mountain, which has excellent observing conditions.
Since the 1950s a transport revolution has occurred comparable to events in the late nineteenth century when sailing ships were replaced by steam vessels. Freight rates for bulk products have decreased 65-70% due to improved maritime technology, and formerly separate markets for bulk products have been unified globally. It is suggested that the low freight rates since the early 1980s will level out in future. Price peaks caused by political and military crises like the Korean war, the Suez crisis, OPEC I and OPEC II also seem to be of diminishing importance over time. The world market has become much less sensitive to external shocks due to alternative sources of supply and alternative transport routes. Examples are given from the coal, grain and iron ore international market. 62 refs., 24 figs., 4 tabs.
The reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS), the reactive upper airways dysfunction syndrome (RUDS), the sick building syndrome (SBS), and the multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome (MCS) are overlapping...Full Text Available
Since the 1970s, Danish electricity supply has been dependent on imported coal. This has lead to greater reliability of supply, as could be seen during the Gulf War when Danish electricity prices remained stable in contrast to conditions in other countries. The disadvantage is the air pollution caused by coal combustion. This is regulated, it is stated, by several international laws and agreements, and these are named here. The nature of this form of pollution is explained in relation to actual Danish power plants and their efforts to reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas, is also emitted. Danish environmental policy concentrates on these problems. The efforts of the electric power companies to reduce air pollution are detailed, both nationally and internationally, and their positive consequences are described. Desulphurization and denitrification costs are ...
There has been growing international consensus on issues related to child labour - evident in various declarations, platforms, conventions, programmes of action etc. Child labour is the economic exploitation of children, or performance of any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development. Poverty is the principal cause of child labour. Mostly the children work to support their families and also for their own survival. Paradoxically, however, child labour further aggravates the poverty syndrome as it usually deprives the children of education and opportunity to acquire skills for developing earning potentials. Other causes of child labour include family indebtedness, the lack or poor quality of schooli...
The cause of the Gulf WarSyndrome may be related to soldiers being exposed to insecticides (e.g., permethrin (P)), insect repellents (e.g., N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET)), an organophosphate nerve agent simulant (e.g., diisopropyl fluorpohosphate (DFP)), and/or prophylactic treatment (e.g., pyridostigmine bromide (PB)) against potential nerve gas attacks. The purpose of this study was to assess the dermal disposition of [14C]permethrin in ethanol or ethanol:water (3:2) in the isolated perfused porcine skin flap (IPPSF) model with simultaneous dermal exposure to DEET or DFP. These IPPSFs were also simultaneously perfused arterially with or without PB, DFP, or DFP + PB. The results indicated that DFP + PB significantly increased [14C]permethrin absorption compared to controls (1.06% dose vs 0.14% dose). PB significantly increased [14C]permethrin disposition in the stratum corneum (SC) in aqueous mixtures only (9.40 vs 3.35% dose), while topical ...
AIMS/BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to document visual function and acuity in patients with Aicardi syndrome, and to determine whether there is any relation between ocular features of the syndrome...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND: Each component of metabolic syndrome (MS) conveys increased cardiovascular disease risk, but as a combination they become much more powerful. Vigorous early management of the syndrome may...Full Text Available
BackgroundQuality of Life measurements are necessary tools for effectively evaluating health services. In the population of patients afflicted with war-related blindness in Iran,...Full Text Available
... Author: Vets With A Mission Subjects: vietnam, vietnam war, warfare DeweyClass: 959.7043 Resource ... Subjects: vietnam, vietnam war DeweyClass: 959.7 Resource type: bibliography, index World Travel ...
I review the past and present of wound ballistics research in China and look toward the future of this subject. The main points area as follows: (1) Before the 1970s, China did not conduct any experimental study on wound ballistics. (2) After the 1970s, experts in ordnance and medicine closely cooperated to conduct a series of experiments or tests on wound ballistics, such as wounding effects and the mechanism of various high-speed projectiles, the treatment of the protection from firearm wounds, high quality of ammunition design, lethality criterion, blast injuries, etc. Between 1981 and 1993, four national symposia on wound ballistics were held in China. In 1988, China sponsored the Sixth International Symposium on wound Ballistics. China has made great contributions to this subject. (3) As for the future of Chinese research on wound ballistics, I suggest strengthening the following areas: the relationship with weapons traumatology; the basic science research on ...
Throughout their history, Americans have believed that citizens' fulfillment of their individual duties in a participatory democracy is at least partly met through the forming of groups around important societal issues. Given the complex nature of political socialization, this study investigated identifiable determinants of social action that might be used to advantage in educating young people for citizenship in a democracy. This study attempted to differentiate among junior high, high school and college students (N=517) who were inclined and not inclined to act on their concerns about nuclear threat with selected demographic, psychological, political, and educational variables. The results of a discriminant functional analysis indicated that in comparison with the non-action group, students in the action group were characterized by reporting less trust in government, more exposure to sources of nuclear war information, more political knowledge, a more liberal ...
Test Area North (TAN) was a site of the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion (ANP) Project of the U.S. Air Force and the Atomic Energy Commission. Its Cold War mission was to develop a turbojet bomber propelled by nuclear power. The project was part of an arms race. Test activities took place in five areas at TAN. The Assembly & Maintenance area was a shop and hot cell complex. Nuclear tests ran at the Initial Engine Test area. Low-power test reactors operated at a third cluster. The fourth area was for Administration. A Flight Engine Test facility (hangar) was built to house the anticipated nuclear-powered aircraft. Experiments between 1955-1961 proved that a nuclear reactor could power a jet engine, but President John F. Kennedy canceled the project in March 1961. ANP facilities were adapted for new reactor projects, the most important of which were Loss of Fluid Tests (LOFT), part of an international safety program for commercial power reactors. ...
In general, over the course of the time, the phenomenon of acceleration in physical development may be observed, i.e. the children and adults of the next generation are taller and heavier than in former generation. Our data presented in this paper show a regular trend of acceleration in the development on Vietnamese, but the trend is still slow and was mostly probably influenced by our difficulties in a long time of war. It is hoped that, the acceleration in the development may be increased in the future following the economical acceleration of our country, however it is known that the ratio between the length of different parts of human body is a specific characteristic for human race, sex and group age. Therefore we may estimate these ratio for the prolongation of the utilization of our measured physical data. The result of studies on water balance of Vietnamese living in comfortable environment air temperature conditions and working in hot environment with ...
... TTP tactics, techniques, and procedures UCP Unified ... be sold or transferred to Pakistan, pursuant to ... substantial amounts of those funds being spent ...
... Uninterrupted access to and use of critical infrastructure in the Arabian Gulf region are key to the successful prosecution of the Global War on Terror ...
A previously unrecognized form of nystagmus associated with esotropia was described in the German literature by Adelstein and Cüppers in 1966 as the nystagmus blockage syndrome. Even though...Full Text Available
Objectives: To evaluate the training of pharmacists in Accra, Ghana, in the syndromic management of STIs. Methods: We randomly selected 50 pharmacy outlets that had...Full Text Available
The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a multi-systemic disease being characterized by the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies that involves both arterial and venous systems resulting in arterial...Full Text Available
The cause of the female urethral syndrome has previously been obscure, as it has been associated by definition with a lack of objective findings but a plethora of subjective complaints of retropubic...Full Text Available
Objective:To determine the pattern of executive dysfunction in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS) and to determine the brain areas associated with executive...Full Text Available
The next great issue on the Russian landscape will be management of its foreign debt. In the near future the United States will be called upon to lead an international program of debt restructuring to assist Russia in overcoming the burden of its debt trap. With debt service obligations equal to 50{percent} of 1999 revenues, Russia has virtually no chance of sustaining a program of economic recovery without debt relief (Hardt, 1999). With some form of debt restructuring a foregone conclusion, Russia, the United States, and world community have a vital stake in searching for creative ways to transform the inevitability of debt restructuring into something of value and constructive to Russia and the problems it faces. This was the rationale behind debt-for-nature swaps which emerged in the early 1980s in Latin American and Eastern Europe as a means of relieving developing nations of their crippling foreign debt. Debt-for-nature swaps served both domestic and ...
The author resumes what is actually known about the behaviour of war projectiles in the target (wound ballistics). This is function of their nature, their velocity, their air trajectory. The difference between lesions due to slow moving bullets and these due to projectiles with a high kinetic energy is outlined. The last ones create, through the temporary cavitation effect, lesions at distance from the residual visible tract, particularly in the vascular conduits. The therapeutic conclusions, which derive from those ballistic behaviours, are briefly described in matter of repair of vascular war injuries [Acta chir. belg., 1982, 82, 457-461]. PMID:7148288
... that operated in Pakistan, Dubai, and throughout the Middle East ... identifies 'funds' as one of eight major terrorist ... techniques, and procedures (TTP). ...
U.S. nuclear policy has become the target of increasing criticism during the past decade. Critics often argue that the use of nuclear weapons would be irrational, would destroy humankind, and thus could not serve any rational policy goal. Other critics point to the immortality of the use of nuclear weapons. Both groups condemn U.S. military policy. In Nuclear War, James Child considers and rejects both these lines of criticism. He argues that a policy of deterrence can be both rational and moral; that U.S. nuclear policy is, on balance, based on rational and moral foundations. Child examines near-term consequences of a nuclear war and finds them ghastly but not unthinkable or incomparable to the havoc produced by previous wars. He also analyzes long-term consequences, such as those proposed by the ''nuclear winter'' theory, and finds the fear of total annihilation of humankind to be ...
Health Iran Iraq Landmines Middle East Muslim Outreach Narcotics Nonproliferation North Korea Pakistan Piracy Reconstruction and Stabilization Sudan Trafficking in Persons War...
... The solution used on the size Large helmet war an arbitrary one; as discussed above, the developers added a standard deviation to ... 4 O. i3a: o.04. ...
... Uninterrupted access to and use of critical infrastructure in the Arabian Gulf region are key to the successful prosecution of the Global War on Terror ...
Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASp) is essential for optimal T cell activation. Patients with WAS exhibit both immunodeficiency and a marked susceptibility to systemic autoimmunity. We investigated...Full Text Available
Werner syndrome (WS) is characterized by premature onset of age-associated disorders and predisposition to cancer. The WS protein, WRN, encodes 3′ → 5′ DNA helicase and 3′...Full Text Available
BackgroundMost studies on children with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)/myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) have been undertaken in tertiary care and little is known about their management...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe pathogenesis of visceral hypersensitivity, a characteristic pathophysiological feature of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), remains elusive. Recent studies suggest a...Full Text Available
Irritable bowel syndrome is a frequent gastrointestinal disorder of unknown etiology. The serotonin transporter regulates the intensity and duration of serotonin signaling in the gut and is,...Full Text Available
Syndrome X is a combination or co-occurrence of several known cardiovascular risk factors (including central obesity, dyslipidemias, fatty liver disease, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance,...Full Text Available
Background. For unknown reasons, the prevalence of thyroid autoimmune disorders is higher in patients with Down's syndrome than in the general population. The present case strongly...Full Text Available
Patients with Alport syndrome progressively lose renal function as a result of defective type IV collagen in their glomerular basement membrane. In mice lacking the α3 chain of type IV collagen...Full Text Available
This paper assesses the hypothesis that depressive syndrome is associated with socioeconomic status, using longitudinal data from the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area Followup. Socioeconomic...Full Text Available
BackgroundIrritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia (FD) show considerable overlap and are both associated with psychiatric comorbidity. The present study aimed to...Full Text Available
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is an infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus that cost nearly 800 lives. While there have been no recent outbreaks of the disease, the threat...Full Text Available
BackgroundComplex etiology and pathogenesis of pathophysiological components of the cardio-metabolic syndrome have been demonstrated in humans and animal models.Methodology/Principal...Full Text Available
PurposeTo report unusual ocular manifestations of branchio-oculo-facial syndrome (BOFS) caused by a novel mutation in activating enhancer binding protein 2 alpha (TFAP2A).MethodsFull...Full Text Available
Study objectives:To verify the existence of a symptomatic form of restless legs syndrome (RLS) secondary to multiple sclerosis (MS) and to identify possible associated risk factors.Design:Prospective,...Full Text Available
AbstractA newly recognized syndrome, characterized by sudden death of farmed deer that are in good to excellent nutritional condition, with lesions of small intestinal mucosal hemorrhage...Full Text Available
Understanding the dynamics of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) vertical transmission is important to enhance the accuracy of monitoring protocols for endemically infected...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
The IFAP syndrome is a rare X-linked genetic disorder reported in nearly 40 patients. It is characterized by the triad of Ichthyosis Follicularis, Alopecia, and Photophobia from birth. Other features...Full Text Available
Werner Syndrome (WS) is an inherited disease characterized by premature onset of aging, increased cancer incidence, and genomic instability. The WS gene encodes a 1,432-amino acid polypeptide (WRN)...Full Text Available
Lumbar epidural anesthesia is useful in a variety of chronic benign pain syndromes, including lumbar radiculopathy, low back pain syndrome, spinal stenosis, and vertebral compression fractures. Given...Full Text Available
Thirteen fetuses (five twin, one triplet) were compromised by fetofetal transfusion syndrome in six pregnancies, five in the mid trimester, and one in the third trimester. This diagnosis, which was...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
At least implicitly, most clinical decisions represent an integration of disease and treatment-based risk assessments. Often, as is the case with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), these decisions need...Full Text Available
Low back pain is common during pregnancy. However, the prevalence of symtomatic lumbar disc herniation is rare, and cauda equina syndrome due to disc herniation during pregnancy is even rarer. We report...Full Text Available
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are two familial syndromes known as phakomatoses that may be associated with endocrine tumors. These hereditary cutaneous...Full Text Available
BackgroundRestrictions on the nonurgent use of hospital services were imposed in March 2003 to control an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Toronto, Ont. We...Full Text Available
Objectives. We investigated increases in diarrheal illness detected through syndromic surveillance after a power outage in New York City on August 14, 2003.Methods....Full Text Available
XMRV or xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related retrovirus, a recently discovered retrovirus, has been linked to both prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Recently, the teams of Drs....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
BackgroundWhite spot syndrome (WSS) is a viral disease that affects most of the commercially important shrimps and causes serious economic losses to the shrimp farming industry worldwide....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
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
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
IntroductionA rare side effect of antipsychotic medication is neuroleptic malignant syndrome, mainly characterized by hyperthermia, altered mental state, haemodynamic dysregulation,...Full Text Available
In source coding, either with or without side information at the decoder, the ultimate performance can be achieved by means of random binning. Structured binning into cosets of performing channel codes has been successfully employed in practical applications. In this letter it is formally shown that various convolutional- and turbo-syndrome decoding algorithms proposed in literature lead in fact to the same estimate. An equivalent implementation is also delineated by directly tackling syndrome decoding as a maximum a posteriori probability problem and solving it by means of iterative message-passing. This solution takes advantage of the exact same structures and algorithms used by the conventional channel decoder for the code according to which the syndrome is formed.
Background: Recent series describing the clinical presentation, response to therapy, and long-term outcome of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome are limited. Aims: To assess the clinical characteristics and long-term outcome of patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Methods: Over a 20-year period, patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome were enrolled in a prospective trial evaluating the efficacy of lansoprazole. Following dose stabilization, patients were followed on a 6-monthly basis with interval history, physical examination, endoscopy with gastric biopsies, gastric acid analysis and laboratory studies. Results: 72 patients (mean age 54+/-12 years, % male 58%, % Caucasian 69%) were prospectively enrolled. The clinical presentation was stereotypical for Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Symptoms ...
In the by now extended debate about the end of the Cold War and its causes, very little attention has been paid to the role played by historical memory in helping shape the way policy-makers approached the collapse of the post-war order. As this article shows, many, if not most policy elites at the time, confronted the passing of the old world with a great degree of caution and trepidation; and one of the key reasons they did so, it is argued here, is because of their reading of the past. This reading, I go on to suggest, made many of them especially cautious and fearful when faced with great change. In the end of course these changes proved irresistible, and for liberals at least seemed to augur in more peaceful and prosperous times. However, as we shall see here, this unguarded optimism ...
The long-term health consequences of war service remain unclear, despite burgeoning scientific interest. A longitudinal cohort study of a random sample of Australian Vietnam veterans was designed to assess veterans' postwar physical and mental health 36 years after the war (2005-2006) and to examine its relation to Army service, combat, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) assessed 14 years previously (1990-1993). Prevalences in veterans (n = 450) were compared with those in the Australian general population. Veterans' Army service and data from the first assessments were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression prediction modeling. Veterans' general health and some health risk factors were poorer and medical consultation rates were higher than Australian population expectatio...
of satellite, aircraft and ground-based observations. In ..... swarm traps by Utah Department of Food and Agriculture (DAF) personnel. Preliminary Results ..... the 150th anniversary of the book's publication and the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth. ...... cold war submarine missions to find that Arctic Ocean ...
The authors review the experimental work that has been done since the Second World War on the use of chemical molluscicides in Southern Rhodesia and describe the development of a co-operative snail...Full Text Available
... t.., tt:,tifv! th - cui,nt !shor tfal 1 in breaching capAbiii tN wi h i- 1!,-ia . ~ ... Before the 1967 war, the Israeli Training ... trained Arab opponents. ...
BackgroundA legacy of colonial rule coupled with a devastating 16-year civil war through 1992 left Mozambique economically impoverished just as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)...Full Text Available
Current military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced a significant number of complex injury patterns. Multiple extremity trauma and wide zones of injury mandate a flexible approach to these...Full Text Available
Theoretically, the outcome of World War II in Europe hung in the balance as the Allies poured onto the Normandy beachhead. Following the June 6, 1944 invasion, the Allies continue to come ashore, massively building up men and material inside the beachhead...
...because it had greatly contributed to the geospatial capability of coalition forces in the Global War on Terrorism by producing a system that provides high-resolution imagery for use in detecting ground changes, creating detailed maps and obtaining Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) information. ...
The importance of a properly functioning and well-balanced immune system for maintaining health has become strikingly evident over the past decades. Roughly since World War II, there has been an apparent...Full Text Available
Environmental health concerns in the Persian Gulf are peculiar to the geography of the region. Prevention of heat and solar injury deserves primary consideration, but cold injury also may occur in the...Full Text Available
This study investigates the contributions of the military working dogs in Vietnam to determine their significance to the United States' war effort. There is limited written history concerning the use of the military working dogs in Vietnam. The methods an...
BackgroundComplex situations that follow war and natural disasters have a psychosocial impact on not only the individual but also on the family, community and society. Just as the...Full Text Available
/sup 99m/Tc biliary imaging was performed on a 34-year-old woman who was being investigated for suspected cholelithiasis. A left-sided liver was detected. On subsequent radionuclide imaging, partial visceral situs inversus and asplenia were demonstrated. Extensive roentgenographic investigation, ECG, echocardiogram, and laparotomy confirmed the radionuclide findings. Asplenia syndrome may exist without cardiovascular abnormalities and thus be undiscovered. Radionuclide imaging is important in the diagnosis of this syndrome.
A 60-year-old male was bitten by a venomous snake (Vipera ammodytes) and gradually developed signs of an allergic reaction including generalized itching, generalized rash, and chest discomfort. This was followed by severe retrosternal pain with electrocardiographic evidence of an inferior myocardial ischemia progressing to acute myocardial infarction. Cardiac enzymes and troponin, serum tryptase, and histamine were elevated. Coronary arteriography showed normal coronary arteries. This is a characteristic type I variant of Kounis syndrome, which is the concurrence of acute coronary syndromes with conditions associated with mast cell activation including allergic or hypersensitivity reactions as well as anaphylactic or anaphylactoid reactions. This is the first report to show that viper bite...
The authors report the findings of Aicardi syndrome, a disease of unknown etiology composed of multiple spasms, chorioretinal lacunae and agenesis of the corpus callosum. They present a case of Aicardi syndrome with characteristic clinical presentation and magnetic resonance imaging findings. The disease, despite being considered rare, has characteristic imaging findings. Over the past years magnetic resonance imaging has improved its ability in demonstrating other findings besides agenesis of the corpus callosum, making the radiologist's role very important in the diagnostic suspicion of this disease. (author)
In the year 1996 the spheres of competence of several DLR-Institutes working in the areas of fluid dynamics, reaction kinetics, combustion, numerical methods and laser measuring techniques have been brought together while contributing to the internal DLR project 'combustion chamber modelling (BKM)', in order to proceed with the computational simulation of combustion processes in combustion chambers of gas turbines. The main issue was the development of a research code for numerical simulation of fluid flow in real combustion chambers. Here the development of computational models of physical and chemical processes was emphasized, among other processes the formation of soot was treated. Moreover, a worldwide outstanding database of measured data for the purpose of code validation has been created within the framework of the BKM project using the laboratory facilities of the DLR, which are in Germany unique for the experimental investigation of the ...
Larsen syndrome is an autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by multiple joint dislocations, vertebral anomalies and dysmorphic facies. Both autosomal-dominant and autosomal-recessive forms of the disorder have been proposed. Individuals with autosomal-dominant Larsen syndrome have characteristic ''cylindrical-shape'' thumbs caused by broad, shortened phalanges. Autosomal-dominant Larsen syndrome results from heterozygosity for mutations in filamin B, a cytoskeletal protein involved in multicellular processes. We report here a patient with a duplicated or accessory distal thumb phalanx and multiple large joint dislocations who was shown to be heterozygous for a filamin B mutation predicting the amino acid substitution G1691S. This adds a new radiographic finding, duplicated or accessory distal phalanx, to the radiographic abnormalities seen in this rare dominant disorder. (orig.)
Nutcracker phenomenon refers to compression of the left renal vein, most commonly between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery, with impaired blood outflow often accompanied by distention...Full Text Available
ObjectiveNeuralgic amyotrophy (NA) is a distinct clinical syndrome that is characterized by the acute onset of shoulder and arm pain, weakness, and sensory loss. The purpose of this...Full Text Available
... elevated blood sugar levels, but not full-blown diabetes. What are the keys to preventing the disease? ... been well studied, in a study called The Diabetes Prevention Program, in several thousand people with this ...
Although the cause and development of most inflammatory and fibrotic interstitial lung diseases are unknown, both the antigenic stimuli and the immunopathogenic mechanisms that produce the syndrome...Full Text Available
PurposeAlthough the safety and feasibility of partial adrenalectomy in patients with von Hippel-Lindau syndrome have been established, long-term outcomes have not been examined. In this study we evaluate the recurrence and functional outcomes in a von Hippel-Lindau syndrome cohort treated for pheochromocytoma with partial adrenalectomy with a followup of at least 5 years. Materials and MethodsWe reviewed the records of patients with von Hippel-Lindau syndrome treated with partial adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma at the National Cancer Institute. Demographic, germline mutation status, surgical indication, oncologic and functional outcome data were collected. Local recurrence was defined as radiographic evidence of recurrent tumor on the ipsilateral side of partial adrenalectomy. Patients ...
BackgroundMutations that disrupt the conversion of prelamin A to mature lamin A cause the rare genetic disorder Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome and a group of laminopathies....Full Text Available
BackgroundTo investigate the effects of intravenous lignocaine infusions (IV lignocaine) in fibromyalgia.MethodsProspective study...Full Text Available
Aims.- To examine the relationships between depression, coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and quality of life in Taiwanese adults from a cardiovascular department of a major hospital in Taiwan. Background.- Research suggests associations between depression, metabolic syndrome and quality of life. Despite this fact, few studies have investigated these relationships among Taiwanese. Design.- A cross-sectional descriptive correlational design was used to conduct this study. Methods.- A convenience sample of 140 adults participated in the study. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, Pearson-s correlations, hierarchical regression and t-tests. Results.- Almost a half of the subjects (465%) had metabolic syndrome. The most common combination of metabolic synd...
Abstract Crouzon syndrome is characterized by premature fusion of sutures and synchondroses. Recently, the first mouse model of the syndrome was generated, having the mutation Cys342Tyr in Fgfr2c, equivalent to the most common human Crouzon/Pfeiffer syndrome mutation. In this study, a set of micro-computed tomography (CT) scannings of the skulls of wild-type mice and Crouzon mice were analysed with respect to the dysmorphology caused by Crouzon syndrome. A computational craniofacial atlas was built automatically from the set of wild-type mouse micro-CT volumes using (1) affine and (2) non-rigid image registration. Subsequently, the atlas was deformed to match each subject from the two groups of mice. The accuracy of these registrations was measured by a comparison of manually placed landma...
Prolonged disability is best understood as an illness that exists independently of the initiating disease. The disabled individual goes through predictable stages of disability before resolution occurs....Full Text Available
Snakebite envenomation is an uncommon condition in the northern hemisphere, but requires high vigilance with regard to both the systemic effects of the venom and the locoregional impact on the soft...Full Text Available
BACKGROUNDOpen carpal tunnel release (OCTR) is the standard procedure for the surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. With the advent of minimally invasive surgery, endoscopic...Full Text Available
Hereditary hyperferritinemia cataract syndrome (HHCS) is a rare condition caused by mutations in the gene coding for the light chain of ferritin; it does not lead to iron overload, but it is associated...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
Werner syndrome (WS) is a rare disorder characterized by the premature onset of several pathologies associated with aging. The gene responsible for WS codes for a RecQ-type DNA helicase and is believed...Full Text Available
Positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies were performed on a case of neuro-Behcet's syndrome. In accordance with the clinical signs, FDG PET (using /sup 18/F-labeled 2-F-2'-desoxyglucose) revealed disseminated storage defects in the cerebrum and cerebellum. Focal regions of enhanced signal intensity were demonstrated in the parietal white matter of the cerebrum in T2-weighted images and in the brain stem by MRI. (orig.).
Klippel-Feil Syndrome (KFS) is a congenital anomaly characterized by a defect in the formation or segmentation of the cervical vertebrae. The clinical triad consists of short neck, low posterior hairline and limited neck movement. Multiple congenital anomalies have been associated with this disease. This is a case of KFS in a young girl along with situs inversus, which is an extremely rare association. Various systemic associations occurring in this multi-system disorder are also discussed. (author)
Nonthyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS) is a state of low serum 3,5,3′ triiodothyronine (T3) that occurs in chronically ill patients; the degree of reduction in T3 is associated...Full Text Available
Background:Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) can occur in patients with prior coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). In the Gulf Registry of acute coronary events (Gulf RACE), we identified...Full Text Available
In the past few months, there has been public discussion relating to a new perspective on blood safety and specifically upon measures to prevent or discourage donation by individuals with a diagnosis of myalgic encephalopathy-chronic fatigue syndrome. This reflects an intriguing interplay between science, public health and public concern and illustrates some of the difficulties of making decisions in the face of uncertainty and inadequate information.
Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) remains an enigmatic medical condition. Creation of the (NIH) Chronic Prostatitis Collaborative Research Network (CPCRN) funded by...Full Text Available
The history of the urinary test papers does not being in the post-war period. As early as the 1880's some practitioners and pharmacists tried to replace the complicated wet-chemical procedures and apparatus by "dry chemistry." The first popular test paper for sugar and albumin originated in England in 1883. Dry reagents for proving hematuria have been available since the beginning of this century. Until the 1930s a wide palette of commercial urine tests with "modern" brand names was established. A methodological breakthrough was created by the spot test chemistry inaugurated by the Austrian, Fritz Feigl, about 1920. Using the capillary properties of filter paper in enhancing color reactions he founded a new area of analytical chemistry. Many of the pioneers were recruited from Jewish scientists. In this lecture is proposed that their emigration and banishment as well as the Second World War have stopped the development of urinary diagnostics on ...
Abstract Background: Premature ovarian failure is diagnosed with a picture of amenorrhea, elevated follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and age under 40 years. Twenty percent (20%) of patients with premature ovarian failure have a concomitant autoimmune disease. Cases of premature ovarian failure associated with Sj?gren syndrome have been reported in the literature. Patient and method: We report a case of a 42-year-old white woman with Sj?gren syndrome and premature ovarian failure who underwent a reversal of her premature ovarian failure and restoration of normal menses using an elimination diet protocol. The patient was diagnosed with her rheumatological condition in 2005 and started on disease-modifying antirheumatoid drugs, which were taken intermittently due to a concern over medicatio...
Abstract Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is always a devastating and unexpected occurrence. SIDS is the leading cause of death in the first 6 months after birth in the industrialized world. Since the discovery in 1998 of long QT syndrome as an underlying substrate for SIDS, around 10-20% of SIDS cases have been proposed as being caused by genetic variants in either ion channel or ion channel-associated proteins. Until now, 10 cardiac channelopathy susceptibility genes have been found to be implicated in the pathogenesis of SIDS. Four of the genes encode cardiac ion channel a-subunits, 3 genes encode ion channel b-subunits, and 3 genes encode other channel-interacting proteins. All 10 genes have been associated with primary electrical heart diseases. SIDS may hereby be the initial sympt...
Sleep symptoms are a prominent feature of mental health disorders like PTSD and depression. However, it is unknown whether sleep symptoms mediate the relationship between combat stress and these disorders. We examined the mediating role of sleep symptoms on the relationship between combat stress and PTSD; and the relationship between combat stress and depression using data from 576 Army veterans of the Iraq War surveyed in 2004. Correlational analyses revealed that when insomnia was included in the model, the correlation between combat stressors and other depression symptoms decreased by 65%; and when nightmares were included in the model, the correlation between combat stressors and other PTSD symptoms decreased by 69%. We replicated these analyses using individual items assessing PTSD an...
Physicians are exercising their responsibility as healers in their efforts to prevent nuclear war. Death for Hiroshima survivors was experienced in four stages: the immediate impact of destruction, the acute impact of radiation, delayed radiation effects, and later identification as an atomic bomb survivor. Each phase had its physical and psychological impacts and negates Hiroshima as a model for rational behavior despite those who claim survival is possible for those who are prepared. The psychic effects of modern nuclear, chemical, and germ warfare need to be challenged with a symbolization of life and immortality. Studies of psychological reactions to the terror children felt during practice air-raid drills indicate that the fears can be surpressed and re-emerge in adult life as a linking of death with collective annihilation. Other themes which emerge are feelings of impermanence, craziness, identification with the bomb, and a double existence. Psychic numbing ...
Although the first references are from the 15th Century when both Hussites and crusaders are said to have used rockets during the Hussite Wars (also known as the Bohemian Wars) there is no strong evidence that rockets were actually used at that time. It is worth noting that Konrad Kyeser, who described several rockets in his Bellifortis manuscript written 1402-1405, served as advisor to Bohemian King Wenceslas IV. Rockets were in fact used as fireworks from the 16th century in noble circles. Some of these were built by Vavrinec Kricka z Bitysky, who also published a book on fireworks, in which he described how to build rockets for firework displays. Czech soldiers were also involved in the creation of a rocket regiment in the Austrian (Austro-Hungarian) army in the first half of the 19th c...
Objective: To evaluate the treatment of malignant biliary stenoses and occlusions using a new stent. Methods: In a prospective study, 25 patients with malignant obstructive jaundice were treated with SMART stents. The handling and the quality of stent expansion were documented. Stent function was assessed 2-4 days after intervention by cholangiography and laboratory tests. A follow-up was performed three months, after stent placement. Results: All lesions were treated successfully, with a total of 35 stents implanted. In 14 patients a further balloon dilatation was performed after stent placement (8-10 mm diameter/40-80 mm length). The mean serum bilirubin level decreased significantly from 11.6 mg/dl to 4.6 mg/dl after intervention (p<0.05). The follow-up showed a mean serum bilirubin level at 4.0 mg/dl. In 4 cases (16%) a further intervention (PTCD or stent) was performed. Six patients died due to tumor progression. The stents proved to be patent in 79% (n=15) of patients ...
The Global Warming International Center (GWIC) is the international body disseminating information on global warming science and policy, serving both governamental, non-governamental ... ...
Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a heterogeneous disease that is caused by defective complement regulation in over 50% of cases. Mutations have been identified in genes encoding both complement...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
Of 107 women investigated for frequency of micturition and dysuria, 21 had gonorrhoea, 14 chlamydial urethritis, eight an Escherichia coli urinary tract infection, 18 candidosis, 12 trichomoniasis,...Full Text Available
Recessive inactivating mutations in human matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2, gelatinase A) are associated with syndromes that include abnormal facial appearance, short stature, and severe bone...Full Text Available
A ten week old girl who had previously undergone a palliative procedure for the hypoplastic left heart syndrome had unrelieved aortic coarctation that did not respond to standard balloon dilatation....Full Text Available
FRAXA is one of a number of fragile sites in human chromosomes that are induced by agents like fluorodeoxyuridine (FdU) that affect intracellular thymidylate levels. FRAXA coincides with a >200...Full Text Available
Monogenic autoinflammatory diseases encompass a distinct and growing clinical entity of multisystem inflammatory diseases with known genetic defects in the innate immune system. The diseases...Full Text Available
BackgroundCharacterizing infectious disease burden in Africa is important for prioritizing and targeting limited resources for curative and preventive services and monitoring the...Full Text Available
Prostate maldevelopment in prune-belly syndrome has only been described at necropsy. No reports are available in the “in vivo” studies. The absence of the verumontanum at voiding cystourethrography...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe study of small airway diseases such as post-transplant bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is hampered by the difficulty in assessing peripheral airway function...Full Text Available
Purified Shiga toxin (Stx) alone is capable of producing systemic complications, including hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), in animal models of disease. Stx includes two major antigenic forms (Stx1...Full Text Available
Excessive weight loss due to protein calorie malnutrition (PCM) is a significant problem in Nigerian children. This syndrome may be difficult to differentiate from the wasting disease caused by human...Full Text Available
PurposeIt has been demonstrated that mutations in deafness, autosomal recessive 31 (DFNB31), the gene encoding whirlin, is responsible for nonsyndromic hearing loss...Full Text Available
We have recently reported that progeroid Zmpste24−/− mice, which exhibit multiple defects that phenocopy Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, show a profound dysregulation...Full Text Available
Neurological disorders induced by long-term exposure to organic solvents typically have a slowly progressive clinical course, which may be arrested or even reversed following discontinuation of exposure....Full Text Available
Treatment of functional bowel disorders of irritable bowel-type (IBS) in children remains a difficult task because of a lack of drugs with low adverse event profile. We here report the results of a...Full Text Available
The current obesity pandemic is expected to result in considerable downstream morbidity, mortality and incremental costs to health care systems around the world. The major metabolic complications of...Full Text Available
Severe pericardial effusion is a rare complication of bacterial pneumonia and it usually disappears under medical treatment. Herein we report a case of a girl with a congenital immunodeficient syndrome...Full Text Available
Retroviruses are well known pathogens of mammals, birds and fish. Their potential to induce cancer in chickens was already described almost 100 years ago and murine retroviruses have been a subject...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
Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB (MPS IIIB; Sanfilippo syndrome type B) is a metabolic disorder with devastating clinical characteristics starting in early childhood and leading to premature death. A...Full Text Available
Obesity and metabolic syndrome result from excess calorie intake and genetic predisposition and are mechanistically linked to type II diabetes and accelerated body aging; abnormal nutrient and insulin...Full Text Available
Dysregulation of the alternative pathway of complement activation, caused by mutations or polymorphisms in the genes encoding factor H, membrane co-factor protein, factor I or factor B, is associated...Full Text Available
BackgroundHigh serum uric acid concentration (hyperuricemia) has been studied for its relationship with multiple adverse health outcomes, such as metabolic syndrome. Intervention...Full Text Available
A 30-year-old man with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and Kaposi's sarcoma had a palpable thyroid mass and cervical lymphadenopathy. Nuclear medicine and ultrasound scans revealed multiple thyroid nodules. Results of biopsy showed Kaposi's sarcoma metastatic to the thyroid.
Disorders of the adrenal gland are rare and complex, with many potential pitfalls in their management. An understanding of embryology, anatomy, physiology and biochemistry is crucial. Surgical treatment may be required for syndromes of hormonal excess and/or suspicion of neoplasia.
BackgroundWe have recently reported successful treatment of patients with chronic pain syndromes using human pooled intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in a prospective, open-label...Full Text Available
An association of Hirschsprung disease with polydactyly, unilateral renal agenesis, hypertelorism, and congenital deafness is described in sibs (brother and sister) of consanguineous parents. It is...Full Text Available
Uterus didelphys with obstructed hemivagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis is a rare entity, sometimes referred to as Herlyn-Werner-Wunderlich syndrome (HWW). It usually presents after menarche with progressive pelvic pain, sometimes with regular menses, and a palpable mass due to hemihaematocolpos. The diagnosis is generally made only if the suspicion of this genitourinary syndrome is raised. To highlight the imaging diagnostic clues in this rare condition. We report on 11 adolescents with this condition. Sonography mostly allowed the correct diagnosis by showing uterovaginal duplication, haematocolpos or haematometrocolpos, and the absence of the ipsilateral kidney. MRI provided more detailed information regarding uterine morphology, the continuity with each vaginal channel (obstructed and nonobstructed), and the bloody nature of the contents. Early and accurate diagnosis of this syndrome is important so that adequate and ...
Objectives:The human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic is in its third decade and has reached to alarming proportions worldwide....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
Pseudoaneurysms related to the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) are a recognised complication of trauma to the vessel, and successful treatment with stenting has been previously described. We report...Full Text Available
BackgroundSeven genes involved in folate metabolism are located on chromosome 21. Previous studies have shown that folate deficiency may contribute to mental retardation in Down's...Full Text Available
Most published estimates of the costs of the epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been developed from the societal perspective,...Full Text Available
Carney-Stratakis syndrome, an inherited condition predisposing affected individuals to gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) and paraganglioma, is caused by germline mutations in succinate dehydrogenase...Full Text Available
Species of the large family Orchidaceae display a spectacular array of adaptations and rapid speciations that are linked to several innovative features, including specialized pollination syndromes,...Full Text Available
The symptoms of two patients with bilateral cortical auditory lesions evolved from cortical deafness to other auditory syndromes: generalised auditory agnosia, amusia and/or pure word deafness, and...Full Text Available
Five children from two families presented to a regional neonatal surgical unit between 1959 and 1984 with congenital anal anomalies and other malformations resulting from an autosomal dominant inherited...Full Text Available
Shilajit has been used traditionally in folk medicine for treatment of a variety of disorders, including syndromes involving excessive complement activation. Extracts of Shilajit contain significant...Full Text Available
Objective:To estimate the prevalence of insulin resistant syndrome (IRS) among newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes and to test their validity against two indices...Full Text Available
IntroductionColonoscopic perforation is a rare but serious complication of colonoscopy. Factors known to increase the risk of perforation include colonic strictures, extensive diverticulosis,...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
Germ cell tumor development in humans has been proposed to be part of testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS), which manifests as undescended testes, sterility, hypospadias, and, in extreme cases,...Full Text Available
Dicarboxylic acids are prominent features of several diseases, including Reye's syndrome and inborn errors of mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation. Moreover, dicarboxylic acids are potentially...Full Text Available
Background and aims: Serotonin (5-hydroxtryptamine, 5-HT) is an important factor in gut function, playing key roles in intestinal peristalsis and secretion, and in sensory...Full Text Available
Forty children with the fetal alcohol syndrome were identified in the west of Scotland. All were growth retarded and had abnormal facial features, and all those who were tested were found to have neurological...Full Text Available
Platelet reactivity plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of ischemic adverse events during and after acute coronary syndromes (ACS), and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Glycoprotein (GP)...Full Text Available
BackgroundObesity is one of the principal causative factors involved in the development of metabolic syndrome. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an energy sensor that regulates...Full Text Available
Frontotemporal lobar degeneration is a progressive neurodegenerative syndrome that is the second most common cause of early-onset dementia. Mutations in the progranulin gene are a major cause of familial...Full Text Available
ObjectiveThe goal of the study was to investigate the genetic and molecular basis of a novel syndrome of marked hyperglucagonemia and pancreatic α cell hyperplasia...Full Text Available
Examination and assessment of 140 liveborn and stillborn infants referred within two weeks of birth for chromosome analysis showed that 48 had Down's syndrome, 12 other chromosome abnormalities, 17...Full Text Available
The global acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic is thought to have arisen by the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1)-like viruses from chimpanzees in southeastern...Full Text Available
BackgroundCerebral malaria (CM) is a neurological syndrome that includes coma and seizures following malaria parasite infection. The pathophysiology is not fully understood and cannot...Full Text Available
Eliminating anterior tooth contact is paramount when treating combination syndrome. It is possible to do so through the use of linear occlusion with a non-interceptive arrangement and the bilateral fulcrum of protrusive stability. The presence of mandibular anterior teeth often complicates this procedure. When establishing the horizontal plane of occlusion, clinical circumstances often necessitate modifications; nevertheless, certain principles must be incorporated into the design of the prostheses. Clinical circumstances may dictate altering the approach but these principles must be maintained to eliminate anterior hyperfunction. PMID:15055634
It may result in acute radiation syndrome after body is exposed to ionizing radiation. The one of long-term effects of irradiation injury is leukemia. The bone marrow cells (BMC) transplantation including stem cells is the only effective therapy for acute radiation syndrome patients. Recently, with the advancement of stem cell research that the stem cells have multipotential and can convert each other, it may supply the new stem source for the irradiation injury patients. At the same time with the further research of radioprotective reagents, the hematopoietic stem cells proliferation after irradiation injury is promoted
Thirty-two patients with AIDS related complex (ARC) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) underwent /sup 67/Ga scans as part of their evaluation. Three patterns of /sup 67/Ga biodistribution were found: lymph node uptake alone; diffuse pulmonary uptake; normal scan. Gallium-67 scans were useful in identifying clinically occult Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in seven of 15 patients with ARC who were asymptomatic and had normal chest radiographs. Gallium scans are a useful ancillary procedure in the evaluation of patients with ARC or AIDS.
The method of syndrome coding for data compression read out from multiwire proportional chambers that has been previously proposed is generalized in case of its application to registration of the coordinates of events detected. The questions of execution of arithmetic and algebraic operations on the Galois field elements and their hardware implementation are considered. The method of computation is presented of a specialized processor for parallel computing the coordinates of three sparks. The estimate of its speed is equal to 185 ns. Data compression, data selection and coordinate calculations are performed without use of memory elements and timing pulses.
Visceral hypersensitivity is currently considered a key pathophysiological mechanism involved in pain perception in large subgroups of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In IBS, visceral hypersensitivity has been described in 20%?90% of patients. The contribution of the central nervous system and psychological factors to visceral hypersensitivity in patients with IBS may be significant, although still debated. Peripheral factors have gained increasing attention following the recognition that infectious enteritis may trigger the development of persistent IBS symptoms, and the identification of mucosal immune, neural, endocrine, microbiological, and intestinal permeability abnormalities. Growing evidence suggests that these factors ...
Lumbar epidural anesthesia is useful in a variety of chronic benign pain syndromes, including lumbar radiculopathy, low back pain syndrome, spinal stenosis, and vertebral compression fractures. Given the increased number of epidural nerve blocks being performed, some have reported unexplained complications of a transient or permanent nature and with varying degrees of severity. However, no case has been reported of a broken epidural needle tip retained in the lumbar facet joint area. This represents the first reported case presentation of foraminal stenosis developing in a patient after a retained epidural needle tip. PMID:21286465
Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), containing the developmental neurotoxicant, nicotine, is a prevalent component of indoor air pollution. Despite a strong association with active maternal smoking and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), information on the risk of SIDS due to prenatal and postnatal ETS exposure is relatively inconsistent. This literature review begins with a discussion and critique of existing epidemiologic data pertaining to ETS and SIDS. It then explores the biologic plausibility of this association, with comparison of the known association between active maternal smoking and SIDS, by examining metabolic and placental transfer issues associated with nicotine, and the biologic responses and mechanisms that may follow exposure to nicotine. Evidence indicates that prenatal ...
Purpose: Budd-Chiari syndrome is a fairly uncommon disease in Europe. This often leads to its late diagnosis. The syndrome is characterised by portal hypertension and splanchnic congestion due to obstruction of hepatic venous outflow. This paper describes the treatment of three patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome by interventional therapeutic techniques and discusses alternative treatment modalities. Patients and Methods: The first patient presented with veno-occlusive disease and was treated by the placement of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stentshunt. The second patient showed an occlusion of the major hepatic veins. After percutaneous recanalisation, a stent was placed in the right hepatic vein which remained patent. The third patient had a membranous obstruction of the right hepatic vein which was treated by percutaneous balloon dilatation. Results: In all patients the clinical symptoms resolved completely ...
IntroductionMustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic, had guarded many German scientists of a Jewish descent before the Second World War. Dr. Rudolf Nissen...Full Text Available
In 1960s V.Geodakian proposed a theory that explains sexes as a mechanism for evolutionary adaptation of the species to changing environmental conditions. In 2001 V.Iskrin refined and augmented the concepts of Geodakian and gave a new and interesting explanation to several phenomena which involve sex, and sex ratio, including the war-years phenomena. He also introduced a new concept of the "catastrophic sex ratio." This note is an attempt to digest technical aspects of the new ideas by Iskrin.
This book examines the Soviet military space effort from its infancy in the 1950s to the spy craft and anti-satellite systems of today. It describes in detail the Soviet equivalents of the U.S. Star Wars program and explains technical and political issues in laymen's terms. A full text of major arms control agreements completes the volume.
A population-based, cohort study was conducted to determine the importance of Gulf War deployment to Southwest Asia, from 1 August 1990 to 31 December 1991, in explaining neurologic mortality and peripheral nerve disease among United States military worki...
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.
Zusammenfassung Der vom Bundesamt f?r Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI) entwickelte Ansatz des IT-Grundschutzes war bereits Gegenstand von Beitr?gen in der DuD. Inzwischen hat das ?Grundschutzhandbuch? Eingang in die internationale Standard-Familie ISO 2700x gefunden. Der Autor berichtet ?ber die Erfahrungen mit den ersten durchgef?hrten Zertifizierungen nach dem neuen ISO-Standard auf der Basis von IT-Grundschutz.
Spain was a scientifically backward country in the early 19th-century. Thecauses were various political events, the War of Independence, and the reign ofFernando VII. The introduction of contemporary physics into textbooks wastherefore a slow process. An analysis of the contents of 19th-century Spanishtextbooks is here presented, centred on imponderable fluids, the concept ofenergy, the mechanical theory of heat, and the kinetic theory of gases.
This is an account of the initial struggles and subsequently successful career of a young woman growing up in prewar Australia with the overriding desire to become a physicist despite various problems and prejudices. The book provides first-hand accounts of wartime radar research and development in Australia; the immediately post-war era in nuclear physics at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge; and work in the Nuclear Physics Division at AERE Harwell in the period from the 1950s onwards. (UK).
The puborectalis syndrome is a defecation disorder supported by the nonrelaxation of puborectalis sling with consequent dyschezia. They report on a series of 98 patients submitted to clinical examination, defecography, anorectal manometry, electromyography and intestinal transit time studies. The main symptoms of puborectalis syndrome in their patients were incomplete defecation (89 %) and intermittent evacuation (63 %); 28 % of patients turned to finger defecation. In all patients, defecography showed an abnormal increase in puborectalis impression on the posterior anorectal wall, reduced anorectal angle opening under straining (mean value: 113 deg) and prolonged expulsion time with barium pooling in the ampulla (mean evacuation time: 38 seconds). Such anorectal abnormalities as rectal mucosal prolapse (47 cases) and anterior rectocele (36 cases) were also associated. In 33 of 98 patients (34 % of cases), sling assessment by bidigital ...
The puborectalis syndrome is a defecation disorder supported by the nonrelaxation of puborectalis sling with consequent dyschezia. They report on a series of 98 patients submitted to clinical examination, defecography, anorectal manometry, electromyography and intestinal transit time studies. The main symptoms of puborectalis syndrome in their patients were incomplete defecation (89 %) and intermittent evacuation (63 %); 28 % of patients turned to finger defecation. In all patients, defecography showed an abnormal increase in puborectalis impression on the posterior anorectal wall, reduced anorectal angle opening under straining (mean value: 113 deg) and prolonged expulsion time with barium pooling in the ampulla (mean evacuation time: 38 seconds). Such anorectal abnormalities as rectal mucosal prolapse (47 cases) and anterior rectocele (36 cases) were also associated. In 33 of 98 patients (34 % of cases), sling assessment by bidigital ...
Objective: To develop a computerized method of internal dose estimation on radiation protection. Methods: Based on MIRD mathematic model of the organs and by means of the programming language of MS Visual Basic 6.0, a computer program of dose estimation in internal radiation was developed for radiation protection. Results: The computerized method of dose estimation for internal radiation was completed. Conclusions: This computerized method is very convenient for internal radiation dose estimation of several aspects. It can also be used in radiation accident. (authors)
Gallstone is a common disease with a 10% prevalence in the United States and Western Europe. However, it is only symptomatic in 20-30% of patients, with biliary pain "colic" being the most common symptom. Complications of asymptomatic gallstone disease are generally rare, with an incidence of <1 %/yr. The most common complications of gallstone disease are acute cholecystitis, acute pancreatitis, ascending cholangitis, and gangrenous gallbladder. Less frequent complications include Mirizzi syndrome, cholecystocholedochal fistula, and gallstone ileus. Mirizzi syndrome and cholecystocholedochal fistula are two manifestations of the same process that starts with impaction of a gallstone in the gallbladder neck that results in obstruction of the bile duct, causing jaundice. The gallstone may erode into the bile duct, causing cholecystocholedochal fistula. Gallstone ileus refers to small bowel obstruction resulting from the impaction of one or ...
The survival time of golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) after whole-body "6"0Co-#gamma#-irradiation in the range of 600 to 200 000 rad was investigated. The two plateaus of the dose-survival curve which correspond to bone marrow and gastrointestinal death are similar to those of other species such as mice, rats and mongolian gerbils. A new plateau occurring 40-57 hours after doses of 30 000-60 000 rad, where there is a little reduction in survival time, has been found. It is in addition to the well recognized central nervous system (CNS) syndrome. This plateau is observed only in golden hamsters, presumably because of their relatively high resistance to CNS syndrome. Experiments involving partial body irradiation of the animals indicate that the target is in the cephalic one-third of abdomen. The new segment may well indicate a new type of acute somatic radiation injury different from the well known bone marrow, gastrointestinal and CNS ...
In two pilot projects Maingas AG has complemented an existing marketing mix with a telephone marketing segment. One of these telephone marketing campaigns was conducted for the purpose of `Intensification`, the other for `Activation of Unused Mains Connections`. The aim was to provide professional support to canvassing campaigns in their various phases in order to minimise diffusion losses and increase the probability of winning new customers. The slogan chosen for the drive was therefore: `Its no good being present unless one`s efficient in the preparation, execution, and revision of a campaign`. (orig.) [Deutsch] Die Maingas AG hat in zwei Pilotprojekten das bestehende Marketing-Mix durch das Segment Telefonmarketing ergaenzt. Es wurde eine Telefonmarketing-Aktion im Bereich `Verdichtung` und eine Telefonmarketing-Aktion im Bereich `Aktivierung Inaktive Hausanschluesse` durchgefuehrt. Ziel war es, durch einen professionellen flankierenden Service in den ...
More than 2 years after the Gulf conflict, scientists are continuing to keep a close watch on marine pollution stemming from the war. Following the conflict in early 1991, major concern was raised worldwide when an estimated four to eight million barrels of crude oil were directly released into the Persian Gulf from the Sea Island terminal in Kuwait. Such amounts clearly made it the largest oil spill in history. The catastrophe was exacerbated when Kuwaiti oil fields were ignited. The magnitude of the pollution, and the types of toxic contaminants involved, led to a worldwide response through the United Nations system. An inter-agency plan of action was developed quickly. As one of its steps, the co-ordinating agency - the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - asked the IAEA's Marine Environment Laboratory (MEL) in Monaco to help make a preliminary assessment of the situation. The Laboratory's main goal in initial surveys was to map the extent and general ...
During the Vietnam War, US military working dogs served with their companion dog handlers in close proximity, sharing common exposures to war-related activity, many zoonotic infectious agents, chemical pesticides, phenoxy herbicides, and extensive use of therapeutic drugs. To gain insight into the effects of the Vietnam experience, we investigated the occurrence of neoplasms in military working dogs based on standard necropsy examination by the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. We observed that these dogs experienced significant elevated risks for testicular seminoma and, independently, testicular dysfunction. Experimental evidence shows testicular dysfunction and impaired spermatogenesis in laboratory animals exposed to phenoxy herbicides, dioxin, or tetracycline, and antibiotic used extensively in military working dogs in Vietnam. Because an unexplained significant decrease in sperm quality in Vietnam veterans has been observed by the ...
This paper describes the estimated the rate of carbon accumulation in the woody biomass and total carbon storage in the forests including trees, soil and litter in Korea. The relevant data come from the Statistical Yearbook of Forestry and major results of the studies on forest biomass in Korea. Most of the forests, which has been denuded or degraded during the 2nd World War and the Korean War, were recovered through ``Reforestation Project(1973-1987)`` and natural regeneration. So, now they are mostly young secondary forests and grow rapidly. Total carbon removal by forests is estimated at 8.1 million tonnes of carbon(MtC) and the carbon emission by commercial harvesting at 0.9 MtC. therefore, the forests in Korea play an essential role as a net carbon sink. The annul net carbon removal is 7.2 MtC and accounts for about 11.0% of total carbon emissions in energy sector of Korea. The carbon storage in the forests is 589.9 MtC, 22.4% of that ...
The chemist and pharmacologist Fritz Hauschild developed the sympathomimetic agent Pervitin (metamphetamin) in the 1930s. Not only because of the abuse of the stimulant during the Second World War ("pilot's chocolate") it is one of the most controversial substances in drug history. Nearly forgotten are Hauschild's contributions to build up the drug system in the GDR. Although he was a convinced communist, the skilful pharmacologist gave very early warning of the imminent lack of innovation in the GDR pharmaceutical industry. A letter which he addressed to the Minister of Health, Max Sefrin (born 1913), did not lack explicitness. PMID:15997840
This article outlines the use of gasifiers during World War II and how, with soaring fuel prices, producer gas may provide an alternate energy path for agribusiness and farms today. In the last few years, the University of California has become a focus of producer gas research in the US. Biomass fuels used include crushed walnut shells, fruit pits, cereal straw and corn cobs. Particle size, moisture content and slagging create problems and the right kind of gas producer must be used to obtain reliable conversion to producer gas.
Most papers appearing in the surgical literature dealing with wound ballistics concern themselves with wound management in the civilian setting. The pathophysiology of modern war wounds is contrasted with ballistic wounds commonly encountered in peacetime, but it should be noted that even in peacetime the modern terrorist may have access to sophisticated military weaponry, and that patients injured by them may fall within the catchment area of any civilian hospital. Management problems associated with both wound types are highlighted; areas of controversy are discussed. The orthodox military surgical approach to ballistic wounds is expounded and defended. PMID:1996857
The document reports the status of the 'electricity' in Lebanon since 1885 with an emphasis on its present economical situation. Data concerning electric power consumption and distribution as well as the average of rainwater, spring and weather are given. Power plants in Lebanon, the production of electric power and its consumption are described. A quantitative analysis of specifications of power plants and their annual and monthly production of electric power, the distribution of electricity consumption in Lebanon (geographical, annual, monthly) are presented in tables and graphs. An overview of the economical status of the 'electricity' in Lebanon is presented. The evolution of prices charges, hour cuts, damages and the impact of Lebanese wars on the distribution and the consumption of electricity are presented
There are very different views on the health hazards of DU munitions. Most of the concerns of veterans and their advisors focus on the radiological effects of DU and consequently these are the focus of this editorial. Effects on the kidney and environmental consequences are, however, considered in the second of the Royal Society reports and the main conclusions of both of the reports are outlined in the summary document published in this issue of the journal. The main radiological concerns focus on the irradiation of lung tissues from inhaled DU particles and irradiation resulting from the translocation of inhaled particles to the thoracic lymph nodes.The overwhelming scientific view, presented in the two Royal Society reports and in other independent reviews, is that the main risks of exposure to DU aerosols are an increase in lung cancer and (from chemical toxicity) damage to the kidney, although these are likely to be evident only following substantial intakes. The equivalent doses ...
In April 2002, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) released this overview of its current work. The report summarizes many of the organization's main programs, which are grouped into three broad areas. The first area details the efforts being made to minimize threats and ensure national security. Development of new technologies and advanced systems is highlighted in the second section, and the third looks at investigations into "high-risk, high-payoff technologies." There are numerous references to the war on terrorism that describe DARPA's involvement and specific projects to defend against terrorist acts.
The Danish windmill industry has become an international success. This book describes the historical development of the Danish windmill industry and technology and evaluates the innovation ability of these. (LG) 176 ref.
The brain maintains internal models of its environment to interpret sensory inputs and prepare actions. While behavioral studies demonstrated that these internal models are optimally adapted...Full Text Available
The Second International Seminar on Horizontal Steam Generator Modelling was arranged to continue the international cooperation that was started during the first seminar in March 1991. The main topics of the seminar were: (1) further experimental results ...
This glossary contains over 750 terms encountered in international maritime law texts. It includes terms of the art, fairly common abbreviations, geographic names, and prepositional phrases routinely encountered in international treaties, conventions, and...
Paget Schroetter syndrome, or effort thrombosis of the axillosubclavian venous system, is distinct from other forms of upper limb deep vein thrombosis. It occurs in younger patients and often is secondary to competitive sport, music, or strenuous occupation. If untreated, there is a higher incidence of disabling venous hypertension than was previously appreciated. Anticoagulation alone or in combination with thrombolysis leads to a high rate of rethrombosis. We have established a multidisciplinary protocol over 15?years, based on careful patient selection and a combination of lysis, decompressive surgery, and postoperative percutaneous venoplasty. During the past 10?years, a total of 232 decompression procedures have been performed. This article reviews the literature and presents the Exet...
Objective To investigate the impact on life quality of women with traumatic and non-traumatic origin fibromyalgia syndrome [FMS]. Method Women affected with FMS were selected and divided into two groups: those with traumatic origin FMS [Group 1] and those with non-traumatic origin FMS [Group 2]. A standard question form was used for the research, as well as the fibromyalgia impact questionnaire [FIQ] for evaluation of life quality. Results Seventy-two patients, 34 for Group 1 and 38 for Group 2 were analyzed. The main triggering symptoms were divorce [23.5 percent of cases] and death in the family [23.5 percent of cases]. In addition to diffuse pain, the main symptoms presented were poor sleep quality, weariness, and paresthesia, with no difference between the groups; migraine had a greate...
MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) has been widely used in the diagnosis of primary carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). However, it has had limited clinical application in diagnosing persistent or recurrent CTS. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of this imaging modality in patients who had previously undergone open carpal tunnel release without relief of symptoms, and assess the correlation of MRI with intra-operative findings upon re-exploration. MRI studies were performed on 17 wrists (16 patients) presenting with recurrent/persistent symptoms and signs of CTS in whom repeat nerve conduction studies were also performed. Surgical re-exploration was undertaken on 16 wrists in which a 100% correlation was noted between MRI and intra-operative findings of an incompletely released or re-grown tran...
Abstract Aims: The aim of this study was to examine whether metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with periodontitis in a representative sample of Korean adults, who were involved in the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Materials and Methods: A total of 7178 subjects over the age of 19 years who participated in KNHANES were examined. MS was defined as the definition proposed by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III and the abdominal obesity cut-off line based on Korean Society for the Study of Obesity. The periodontal status was assessed by the Community Periodontal Index. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out adjusting for the sociodemographics, oral health behaviours and status, and health behaviou...
Individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS) have problems in following conversation, especially in the situations where several people are talking. This might result from impairments in audiovisual speech perception, especially from difficulties in focusing attention to speech-relevant visual information and ignoring distracting information. We studied the effect of visual spatial attention on the audiovisual speech perception of adult individuals with AS and matched control participants. Two faces were presented side by side, one uttering /aka/ and the other /ata/, while an auditory stimulus of /apa/ was played. The participants fixated on a central cross and directed their attention to the face that an arrow pointed to, reporting which consonant they heard. We hypothesized that the adults wi...
BACKGROUNDLifestyle modifications are successfully employed to treat obese and overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The aims of the current pilot study were (i) to compare the efficacy on reproductive functions of a structured exercise training (SET) programme with a diet programme in obese PCOS patients and (ii) to study their clinical, hormonal and metabolic effects to elucidate potentially different mechanisms of action.METHODSForty obese PCOS patients with anovulatory infertility underwent a SET programme (SET group, n = 20) and a hypocaloric hyperproteic diet (diet group, n = 20). Clinical, hormonal and metabolic data were assessed at baseline, and at 12- and 24-week follow-ups. Primary endpoint was cumulative pregnancy rate.RESULTSThe two groups had similar demogra...
Abstract Aim:- To describe the first case of ceftriaxone-related haemolysis in a patient with congenital nephrotic syndrome (CNS). Background:- Severe haemolysis caused by an immune reaction to ceftriaxone has mostly been described in patients with underlying haematological or immune dysfunction. Case report:- The authors present a 20-month-old boy with CNS of the Finnish type with several previous severe infections treated with ceftriaxone, admitted for suspected sepsis. Following ceftriaxone administration he developed shock secondary to an acute haemolytic reaction, with severe anaemia. Hypersensitivity to ceftriaxone was documented through positive agglutination tests. Conclusion:- Onset of haemolysis following ceftriaxone administration, particularly in a patient previously exposed to...
We investigated the presence of XMRV in a cohort of Quebec patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). DNA was purified from activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and PCR was used to detect XMRV gag and env in 72 patients. Anti-XMRV antibodies were searched in sera of 62 patients by Western blot analysis. Attempts to detect XMRV antigens was made, using immunofluorescence with Gag anti-p30 antiserum on activated PBMC from 50 patients. Plasma viremia was measured by RT-PCR on 9 subjects. Finally, detection of infectious virus in 113 CFS subjects was made by co-culture of PHA+IL-2 activated PBMC with human LNCaP carcinoma cells, and by infecting the same susceptible cells with plasma, using a reverse transcriptase (RT) assay as a readout in both experiments. No detection of ...
The winter syndrome in the gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata indicates that the species is exposed to critically low temperatures in Mediterranean aquaculture in winter. The present study of metabolic patterns and molecular stress responses during cold exposure was carried out to investigate this ?disease?, in light of the recent concept of oxygen and capacity limited thermal tolerance. The metabolic profile of fuel oxidation was examined by determining the activities of the enzymes hexokinase (HK), aldolase (Ald), pyruvate kinase (PK), l-lactate dehydrogenase (l-LDH), citrate synthase (CS), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and 3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase (HOAD) in heart, red and white muscle after exposure to temperatures of 10, 14 and 18?C. Especially, the increase in LDH activity combined ...
From May, 1999 to August, 2006, we performed laparoscopic diagnosis and treatment for 103 cases of impalpable testes. Among those we found 5 cases of male pseudohermaphroditism of different etiologies. Three males presented by impalpable testes with ambiguous genitalia and 2 females presented by primary amenorrhea. All of them have 46-XY normal male chromosomal pattern. In the first 3 cases, the etiology was complete gonadal dysgenesis, and 2 cases with persistent Mullerian syndrome. Timed gonadectomy for the first case and laparoscopic orchiopexy for the other 2 cases were performed. For the other 2 female cases, the etiology was complete androgen insensitivity syndrome and laparoscopic bilateral orchiectomy was performed for both of them. All the procedures were done without complications with satisfactory results. PMID:18319558
KMeyeDB () is a database of human gene mutations that cause eye diseases. We have substantially enriched the amount of data in the database, which now contains information about the mutations of 167 human genes causing eye-related diseases including retinitis pigmentosa, cone-rod dystrophy, night blindness, Oguchi disease, Stargardt disease, macular degeneration, Leber congenital amaurosis, corneal dystrophy, cataract, glaucoma, retinoblastoma, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, and Usher syndrome. KMeyeDB is operated using the database software MutationView, which deals with various characters of mutations, gene structure, protein functional domains, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers, as well as clinical data for each case. Users can access the database using an ordinary Internet browser wi...
The Lesch-Nyhan (LN) syndrome is a severe X chromosome-linked disease that results from a deficiency of the purine salvage enzyme hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT). The mutations leading to the disease are heterogeneous and frequently arise as de novo events. The authors have identified nucleotide alterations in 15 independently arising HPRT-deficiency cases by direct DNA sequencing of in vitro amplified HPRT cDNA. They also demonstrate that the direct DNA sequence analysis can be automated, further simplifying the detection of new mutations at this locus. The mutations include DNA base substitutions, small DNA deletions, a single DNA base insertion, and errors in RNA splicing. The application of these procedures allows DNA diagnosis and carrier identification by the direct detection of the mutant alleles within individual families affected by LN.
Adipose tissue plays an essential role in energy homeostasis as a metabolic and endocrine organ. Accordingly, adipocytes are emerging as a major drug target for obesity and obesity-mediated metabolic syndrome. Dysfunction of enlarged adipocytes in obesity is involved in obesity-mediated metabolic syndrome. Adipocytokines, such as adiponectin released from small adipocytes, are able to prevent these disorders. In this study, we found that honokiol, an ingredient of Magnolia officinalis used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicines, enhanced adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Oil Red O staining showed that treatment with honokiol in the presence of insulin dose-dependently increased lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 preadipoyctes although its activity was weak compared with r...
ObjectiveTo address the characteristics of hearing loss in patients with Turner syndrome (TS), we evaluated hearing levels of patients with TS and analyzed causative factors.Study designThirty-three patients with TS (8 to 40 years of age) were studied through the use of audiological measurements, and causative factors were explored.ResultsTwenty cases (35 of 66 ears tested) showed high-frequency (8 kHz) sensory neural hearing loss (HFQ-SNHL). Fifteen cases (26 ears) and 15 cases (24 ears) of the impaired 20 cases were unresponsive to distortion-product otoacoustic emissions and transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions, respectively. HFQ-SNHL showed little relation to the history of middle ear infection and puberty, although middle ear infections were seen in 11 of the 20 cases. The hearing t...
Aims To study the effect of fish consumption on the risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in healthy subjects. Methods and results This Danish follow-up study included 57 053 men and women between 50 and 64 years. Intake of lean and fatty fish was estimated from a detailed and validated food frequency questionnaire. Potential cases of ACS were identified through nationwide medical databases. A total of 1122 cases of ACS were verified during a mean follow-up period of 7.6 years. Among men, intake of fatty fish was associated with a lower risk of ACS. For men in the highest quintile of fish intake compared with the lowest quintile, the hazard ratio was 0.67 (95% confidence interval: 0.53-0.85). The inverse association was observed for intakes >6 g of fatty fish per day with no obvious additi...
Abstract Hereditary primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) may develop as a solitary endocrinopathy (FIHP) or as part of multiple endocrine neoplasia Type 1, multiple endocrine neoplasia Type 2A, or hereditary HPT-jaw tumor syndrome. Inactivating germline mutations of the tumor suppressor gene CDC73 account for 14 and 50% of all FIHP and HPT-JT patients, respectively, and have also been found in almost 20% of apparently sporadic parathyroid carcinoma patients. Although more than 60 independent germline mutations have been described, to date no rearrangement affecting the CDC73 locus has been identified. By means of multiplex-PCR we found a large germline deletion affecting the whole gene in a two-generation HPT-JT family. Subsequently array-CGH and specific PCR analysis determined that the muta...
XMRV or xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related retrovirus, a recently discovered retrovirus, has been linked to both prostate cancer and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Recently, the teams of Drs. Shyh-Ching Lo and Harvey Alter discovered the presence of sequences closely related to XMRV in the blood of 86.5% of patients with CFS [1]. These findings are important because since the initial discovery of XMRV in CFS, several studies have failed to find XMRV in specimens collected from CFS patients. While the current study also did not find XMRV in CFS, Lo et al. did detect sequences that belong to polytropic mouse endogenous retroviruses (PMV), which share considerable similarity with XMRV. Criteria for future studies that will help bring greater clarity to the issue of retroviral sequences in CFS are proposed below. PMID:21994623
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), and Hashimotos thyroiditis (HT) are autoimmune disorders caused by impaired self-tolerance mechanisms triggered by interaction between genetic and environmental factors. ITP is an immune-mediated destruction of platelets resulting in mucocutaneous bleeding, GBS is an ascending motor paralysis caused by an inflammatory demyelination of peripheral nerves, and HT is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of the thyroid gland. The concurrent development of ITP and GBS has only rarely been reported in the literature, and GBS itself rarely occurs with other autoimmune disorders. We present a 21 year-old patient with known Hashimotos hypothyroidism that simultaneously developed GBS and ITP after an upper respiratory t...
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...
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.
Abstract Recent reports showed many patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) harbor a retrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia-related virus (XMRV), in blood; other studies could not replicate this finding. A useful next step would be to examine cerebrospinal fluid, because in some patients CFS is thought to be a brain disorder. Finding a microbe in the central nervous system would have greater significance than in blood because of the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. We examined cerebrospinal fluid from 43 CFS patients using polymerase chain reaction techniques, but did not find XMRV or multiple other common viruses, suggesting that exploration of other causes or pathogenetic mechanisms is warranted. Ann Neurol 2011;
The human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a closed circular, 16,569-bp double-stranded DNA, encoding 13 genes whose protein products are subunits of the oxidative phosphorylation system required for synthesis of most of the ATP consumed by eukaryotic cells. Point mutations of the mtDNA that cause multi-tissue, loss-of-energy syndromes, called mitochondrial encephalomyopathies (e.g., MERRF and MELAS), have been identified. In addition, large-scale deletions of the human mtDNA have been identified and are the molecular bases for the neonatal and adolescent onset loss-of-energy syndromes Pearson and Kearns-Sayer, respectively. 5 refs., 1 fig.
Early in the Cold War, the United States adopted a policy of ''extended nuclear deterrence'' to protect its allies by threatening a nuclear strike against any state that attacks these allies. This threat can (in principle) be used to try to deter an enemy attack using conventional weapons or one using nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons. The credibility of a nuclear threat has long been subject to debate and is dependent on many complex geopolitical factors, not the least of which is the military capabilities of the opposing sides. The ending of the Cold War has led to a significant decrease in the number of strategic nuclear weapons deployed by the United States and Russia. START II, which was recently ratified by the Russian Duma, will (if implemented) reduce the number deployed strategic nuclear weapons on each side to 3500, compared to a level of over 11,000 at the end of the Cold ...
11 matches ... 04.17.2002. International Space Station Sports a New Truss + More Details. 04.17 .2002. International Space Station Sports a New Truss ...
This dissertation evaluates recent proposals to include tropical deforestation into international climate change mitigation strategies. The research ... ...
The WHO Expert Committee on Biological Standardization authorized the National Institute for Medical Research to establish an International Reference Preparation of Erythropoietin on the basis of the...Full Text Available
Insofar as international conferences reflect the state of development of the subject under discussion, they provide an opportunity to question, at a rather fundamental level, the direction of and progress...Full Text Available
... Society Physics Press Release 05-175Korea Joins International Computing Infrastructure ... connectivity with Korea in a ceremony last month. Facilitated by the Korea Institute for Science and ...
Objective:To create the International Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Male Sexual Function Basic Data Set within the International SCI Data Sets.Setting:An international working group.Methods:The draft of the data set was developed by an international working group consisting of members appointed by the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS), the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) and a representative from the executive committee of the International SCI Standards and Data Sets. The data set was developed in an iterative process with review and comments by the members of the executive committee of the International SCI Standards and Data Sets, ISCoS scientific committee, ASIA Board and the ISCoS Council, as well as all the interested organizations and individuals. Next, the data set was...
International Patenting Trends in Advanced Materials: Ceramics (June 18, 1999) This report is the ... manufacturing, biotechnology, and advanced materials. Hypertext Format Portable Document Format ...
In Tarapur Atomic Power Station unit-3 and 4, which is 540 MWe pressurized heavy water reactor, tritium is produced in primary heat transport system and moderator system. Tritium is a major contributor to the internal dose. Internal dose contributes about 30% of the collective dose. Internal dose monitoring and its control are important to control the collective dose. Estimation of internal dose is done by analysis of bioassay samples of radiation workers. In a month, about 7000 bioassay samples are analysed for the internal dose assessment during normal operation, and about 12000 during the biennial shut down of the reactor. To enhance the sample preparation and counting performance, minimize the entry errors and reduce the processing time, barcode based label generation system was developed for the internal dose monitoring. This paper discusses about the use ...
This book contains the abstracts of all the presentations made either in oral or poster form, at the VII International Symposium on Photosynthetic Prokaryotes.
This book contains the abstracts of all the presentations made either in oral or poster form, at the VII International Symposium on Photosynthetic Prokaryotes.
BackgroundThe most recent ESC guidelines for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) recommend the use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) in high risk patients with non-ST-segment...Full Text Available
Background and ObjectivesClopidogrel resistance or low-responsiveness may be associated with recurrent atherothrombotic events after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. We prospectively...Full Text Available
BackgroundAδ and C fibers are the major pain-conducting nerve fibers, activate only partly the same brain areas, and are differently involved in pain syndromes....Full Text Available
BackgroundUsing a transcriptional profiling approach, we recently identified myeloid-related protein-8/14 (MRP-8/14) to be expressed by platelets during acute MI....Full Text Available
When an animal is exposed to a sufficient amount of radiation, there will be changes in many organs of the body, and as a result of either the effects in one particular organ or the interaction of effects in several organs, the animal as a whole will show...
To evaluate the reactivity of the recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3), a Western blot assay was performed by using a panel of 78 serum samples obtained,...Full Text Available
Mutations of ephrin B1 in humans result in craniofrontonasal syndrome. Because little is known of the role and mechanism of action of ephrin B1 in bone, we examined the function of osteoblast-produced...Full Text Available
Inferior vena cava (IVC) obstruction is a well-described clinical entity. Most IVC obstructions from malignant neoplasms are a direct result of tumor compression [Oviedo J, Cerda S. Vascular invasion by hepatocellular carcinoma. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2001;125: 454-5; Furui S, Sawada S, et al. Gianturco stent placement in malignant caval obstruction: analysis of factors for predicting the outcome. Radiology 1995;195:147-52; Fletcher WS, Lakin PC, et al. Results of treatment of inferior vena cava syndrome with expandable metallic stents. Arch Surg 1998;133:935-8]. The symptoms of IVC obstruction include progressive ascites, scrotal edema and lower body edema. These constellations of symptoms are described as IVC syndrome and are devastating to a patient with end-stage cancer. We describe a palliative therapy utilizing Luminexx nitinol self-expanding stents to treat intracaval hepatoma thrombus obstructing the IVC. The procedure is rapidly ...
Since April 2010, a severe outbreak of duck viral infection, with egg drop, feed uptake decline and ovary-oviduct disease, has spread around the major duck-producing regions in China. A new virus, named...Full Text Available
BackgroundATRX is a tightly-regulated multifunctional protein with crucial roles in mammalian development. Mutations in the ATRX gene cause ATR-X syndrome, an X-linked...Full Text Available
BackgroundGene mutation is an important mechanism of myeloid leukemogenesis. However, the number and combination of gene mutated in myeloid malignancies is still a matter of investigation.MethodsWe...Full Text Available
The most common cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) – mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary Syndrome – are characterised by the presence of clonally expanded, skin-homing helper-memory...Full Text Available
The incidence of adrenal involvement in MEN1 syndrome has been reported between 9 and 45%, while the incidence of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) in MEN1 patients has been reported between 2.6 and 6%....Full Text Available
AimsTo evaluate the associations of myocardial infarction (MI) and major bleeding with 1-year mortality. Both MI and major bleeding predict 1-year mortality in patients presenting...Full Text Available
ATR-X (alpha-thalassemia/mental retardation, X-linked) syndrome is a human congenital disorder that causes severe intellectual disabilities. Mutations in the ATRX gene, which encodes an ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeler, are responsible for the syndrome. Approximately 50% of the missense mutations in affected persons are clustered in a cysteine-rich domain termed ADD (ATRX-DNMT3-DNMT3L, ADD{sub ATRX}), whose function has remained elusive. Here we identify ADD{sub ATRX} as a previously unknown histone H3-binding module, whose binding is promoted by lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) but inhibited by lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3). The cocrystal structure of ADD{sub ATRX} bound to H3{sub 1-15}K9me3 peptide reveals an atypical composite H3K9me3-binding pocket, which is distinct from the conventional trimethyllysine-binding aromatic cage. Notably, H3K9me3-pocket mutants and ATR-X syndrome mutants are defective in both H3K9me3 ...
This document describes a simple and general way to generate House Simulation Protocol (HSP)-consistent internal sensible and latent loads in unoccupied homes. It is newly updated based on recent experience, and provides instructions on how to calculate and set up the operational profiles in unoccupied homes. The document is split into two sections: how to calculate the internal load magnitude and schedule, and then what tools and methods should be used to generate those internal loads to achieve research goals.
...com: Directory Enquiries International Dialing Codes International Telephone Directory White and Yellow Pages Europe WhoWhere? Yell: Electronic Yellow Pages Comments: bubl@...6 Resource type: directory International Dialing Codes Table listing country codes (for makes telephone calls to that country) and IDD (International ...Direct Dialing) prefixes (for dialing abroad from that country). Author: Kropla, Steve ...
Patients with heterotaxy syndrome often have complex cardiac and extracardiac anomalies requiring further detailed diagnostic evaluation. They often present severe cardiac failure early in life. Newer radiological modalities in the form of spiral computed tomography (CT) and three-dimensional reconstruction of spiral CT allow clear definition of the anatomy of these anomalies. A 59-year-old woman was diagnosed with polysplenia and multiple anomalies in an abdominal ultrasonography (US) during a control medical examination due to a trivial dietary mistake. She was then referred to our institution for further examination of these anomalies and an additional thoraco-abdominal computed tomography (CT) examination. The patient was totally asymptomatic at the time of admission. There was no significant past history and no abnormal laboratory data. We performed abdominal, pelvic and thoracic CT examinations using Somatom Siemens Emotion scanner. Non-enhanced sections were ...
This volume presents the main address, the lectures and the discussions of the symposium. The papers presented to the symposium were the following: the Draft Convention on the Law of the Sea and problems of the international deep seabed regime; developments in science and technology, as a challenge to international law; modern fishery engineering and its impact on international law; the EEC agricultural market - a case study of European Law; problems of international law in connection with a new system of the world economy; the GATT and a new world economic system; the Third World and UNCTAD; international disaster relief and mutual assistance in case of accidents, especially with a view to Atomic Energy Law; organisation, scope and limits of international co-operation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
National environmental policies have international repercussions: Thus the question arises as to how environmental policy should be designed in order to cope with international environmental problems in an efficient way. These topics were discussed in a conference held at the Kiel Institute of World Economics on July 5-6, 1990. The conference papers and comments are presented in this volume. Environmental scarcity has important international aspects. First, national environmental endowment and policy influence competitiveness and trade. Second, transfrontier pollution is a specific issue. Third, global environmental problems require a solution. This classification of the international aspects of the environmental issue provides the outline of the book. (orig./HSCH).
The review of the practical, internal implementation of the rules shows that the Federal Republic of Germany is provided with instruments which are flexible enough to fulfill her duties relating to international law, and to ensure the internal applicatibility of these rules. The simplified implementary methods, especially empowering the executive to put certain rules into force which have been modified or re-issued by international organizations and commissions promises that - internally - these rules will become effective quickly. The switch-over of law-making to the executive is appreciated with regard to the special features of subjects relating to technical rules, and with regard to the necessity of their prompt adaptation to changing circumstances and to respectively existing scientific knowledge. Reproaching the international community of states with ...
The paper investigates early Soviet policies regarding the institution of waqf (charitable endowment) in Turkestan, questioning the issue of the post-colonial character of the early Soviet administration. After taking into consideration practices related to waqf management in modern Muslim states and European colonial empires, the paper briefly describes the tsarist administrative approach to the issue. We then address the ambiguity inherent in Soviet policies on waqf requisition and restitution during Civil War years. In the section that follows we deal with different groups of Muslim intellectuals that attempted to use the Soviet state in their mutual struggle over authority in Central Asian society and describe the creation and functioning of the bureaucracies responsible for managing w...
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...
TRITEX was a pumped loop with Pb-15.8Li, fabricated from steel 1.4922. In contact with the molten eutectic were also molybdenum, vanadium and armco-iron. The loop was originally designed to investigate tritium extraction using solid getter metals. Over the years the goal changed to the study of metals, corrosion products and purification of the eutectic mixture. Therefore many modifications were done. The first part of this report describes TRITEX. All parts were enclosed in thermoboxes for a homogeneous temperature. One test section was in an argon glove box and could be opened during operation. Other special equipment`s were: permeation membranes and liquid-metal-covergas-interfaces to study the transport of H{sub 2}, D{sub 2} and {sup 3}H, different purification devices, a quartz observation window to see the liquid metal surface, 4 different kinds of flow measurements, level indicators, freeze valves. The second part describes loop operation. Between 1989 and 1996, the eutectic ...
MPA research activities focus on fracture prevention and on the development of a generally applicable method of component integrity testing which, independent of the safety relevance of the components involved, is also part of ageing management. (orig.) [German] Die Forschungsaktivitaeten an der MPA im Hinblick auf die Erhoehung der Sicherheit und Zuverlaessigkeit komplex beanspruchter Bauteile orientieren sich an den Grundgedanken des Basissicherheitskonzepts (Prinzip des Bruchausschlusses). Zielsetzung war dabei die Entwicklung eines allgemein anwendbaren Nachweisverfahrens zur Komponentenintegritaet, das, abhaengig von der sicherheitstechnischen Relevanz der zu betrachtenden Komponenten, auch Bestandteil des Alterungsmanagements ist. (orig.)
The alliance of J. Robert Oppenheimer, scientist, and Leslie R. Groves, military leader, is often interpreted as the classic example of the clash between the academic mind and the military style. Evidence suggests, instead, that it was a collaboration that led to the dawn of the nuclear age. Instead of a clash, it was collaboration and an implosion of the diverse talents needed for the success of this project. Discussion of these flawed and fascinating individuals still ignites controversy today. This presentation will explore the backgrounds and personalities of these two men and their work together to accomplish their mission. Was the aftermath inevitable, given a relationship based on respect, but perhaps not trust? The genesis of the modern military-industrial complex rested on the genius of these two men, though they personify two distinct American sub-cultures. What lessons can be drawn from their wartime and post-war relationship? What analogies can be drawn ...
The study concerns the assessment of the state of the environment in Lebanon and the identification of policy options has three specific objectives namely to determine the conditions of the environment in Lebanon after years of wars (1975-1992); to identify environmentals trends associated with Lebanon's development and to assess their sustainability; to identify policy options for environmental management. Issues of the environment concerned are both the brown issues e.g. the management of wastes and effluent arising from human activitiesand green issues, the natural resource base defined through main receptors:air, water (including coastal waters), land and terrestrial ecology sectors such as agriculture, industry, energy, transport, tourism and fisheries, population and human settlements are also studied
Mechanical ventilation in private homes was for many years a stepchild of air conditioning engineers. A decisive impulse for change came in January 1995 with the enactment of the new Thermal Insulation Ordinance which for the first time allows house owners to exceed the usual admissible annual heating requirement by a certain amount on the condition that they equip the house with mechanical ventilation systems. (orig.) [Deutsch] Ueber lange Jahre war die mechanische Wohnungslueftung ein Stiefkind der Raumlufttechnik. Einen entscheidenden Impuls gab erst die seit Januar 1995 gueltige Waermeschutzverordnung, die erstmals zulaesst, dass ein gewisses Quantum des Jahres-Heizwaermebedarfs durch den Einbau mechanischer Wohnungslueftungen kompensiert werden kann. (orig.)
The research project aimed at the selection or development of wear-reducing measures for submerged components of hydroelectric power plants. This comprised the optimisation of hydraulic profiles as well as materials testing for abrasion and cavitation. Another field of research was the development of appropriate application processes. (orig.) [German] Das Hauptziel des Forschungsvorhabens bestand in der Auswahl bzw. Entwicklung geeigneter Schutzmassnahmen zur Verschleissminderung an wasserberuehrten Komponenten von Wasserkraftanlagen. Diesem Ziel untergeordnet waren neben der Optimierung hydraulischer Profile auch Materialuntersuchungen hinsichtlich Verschleissbestaendigkeit gegenueber Abrasion und Kavitation. Ebenso war die Entwicklung geeigneter Applikationsprozesse ein wichtiger Bestandteil der Aufgabenstellung. (orig.)
The Plutonium-Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Plant, conceived during the early Cold War years, was a vehicle to increase significantly US nuclear weapons production capacity. The original PUREX Plant was a concrete rectangle 1,005 feet long and 61.5 feet wide. The shielding capacity of the concrete was designed so that personnel in non-regulated service areas would not receive radiation in excess of 0.1 millirem per hour. This report discusses the design of the PUREX Plant, the production chronology, projects and equipment changes, equipment decontamination and reuse, waste management, and contamination events that have occurred during the operation of the plant. Additionally, the development and history of the Uranium Trioxide Plant are also covered.
The CO laser is superior in the absorption characteristic to materials to the CO2 laser due to its shorter wavelength. In consideration of this characteristic Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation is studying this applicability sponsored by the Ministry of International Trade Industry of Japan to cutting of reactor core internals of commercial nuclear power plant. In decommissioning of reactor core internals it is necessary to cut stainless steel plates of 305 mm thick. The authors cut stainless steel plates of up to 310mm thick in air and those of up to 150 mm thick underwater with a 20kW class laser. Further, models simulating key structural elements of PWR core internals were cut and secondary products to clarify the applicability of the CO laser cutting to reactor core internals were evaluated. (author)
Pain is necessary for survival but chronic pain is disabling and causes significant health and economic problems. This study provides an understanding of the future for spinal cord stimulation. Stimulation by means of chronically implanted electrodes, was carried out in 200 patients with pain of varied benign organic etiology. In 177 of them, pain was confined to the failed back syndrome. Most patients were referred by a Pain Management Service. 226 epidural implants were used: 80 unipolar, 59 Resume, 12 bipolar, and 75 quadripolar. Patients were followed for periods of 6 months to 12 years, with a mean follow-up of 44 months. 84 patients (42%) were able to control their pain by stimulation alone, 22 patients (11%) needed occasional analgesic supplements along with their stimulation program. Pain secondary to failed back syndrome, multiple sclerosis, peripheral vascular disease, sympathetic dystrophy and diabetic neuropathy responded favorably. ...
The development of the space HVAC sector during the past 25 years is reviewed. It is shown how the importance of room climate has increased, as illustrated, e.g., by the concepts of 'thermal comfort', 'comfort', and 'sick building syndrome'. A sequel will be published in the next issue of KK. (orig.) [German] Der folgende Beitrag ist eine Bestandsaufnahme im Hinblick auf technologische Entwicklungen in der Klima- und Lueftungstechnik der letzten 25 Jahre, ein Zeitraum in dem sich einiges veraendert hat. Gleichzeitig wird deutlich, welcher Wandel sich bei der Bedeutung des Raumklimas in Gebaeuden vollzogen hat, indem beispielsweise Begriffe wie ''Behaglichkeit'', ''Komfort'' aber auch ''Sick Building Syndrom'' eine immer groessere Rolle spiel(t)en. Die Fortsetzung in der naechsten ...
We performed histological examination of 69 samples of Acropora sp. manifesting different types of tissue loss (Acropora White Syndrome-AWS) from Hawaii, Johnston Atoll and American Samoa between 2002 and 2006. Gross lesions of tissue loss were observed and classified as diffuse acute, diffuse subacute, and focal to multifocal acute to subacute. Corals with acute tissue loss manifested microscopic evidence of necrosis sometimes associated with ciliates, helminths, fungi, algae, sponges, or cyanobacteria whereas those with subacute tissue loss manifested mainly wound repair. Gross lesions of AWS have multiple different changes at the microscopic level some of which involve various microorganisms and metazoa. Elucidating this disease will require, among other things, monitoring lesions over time to determine the pathogenesis of AWS and the potential role of tissue-associated microorganisms in the genesis of tissue loss. Attempts to experimentally induce AWS should ...
IMPORTANT REMINDER If you have just come back from one of the regions identified by the WHO as being infected with SARS, it is essential to monitor your state of health for ten days after your return. The syndrome manifests itself in the rapid onset of a high fever combined with respiratory problems (coughing, breathlessness, breathing difficulty). Should these signs appear, you must contact the CERN Medical Service as quickly as possible on number 73802 or 73186 during normal working hours, and the fire brigade at all other times on number 74444, indicating that you have just returned from one of the WHO-identified areas with recent local transmission.China: Beijing, Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region), Guangdong Province, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi Province, Tianjin ProvinceTaiwan:TaipeiMoreover, until further notice the CERN Management requests that all trips to these various regions of the world be reduced to a strict minimum and then only with the consent ...
Central nervous system (CNS) manifestations in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients are an early and common feature. The spectrum of AIDS-related CNS diseases are encephalitis caused by the human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) itself, opportunistic infection, infarct and malignancy. We experienced two cases of CNS involvement in AIDS and they were serologically diagnosed as HIV encephalitis and CNS toxoplasmosis, respectively. In the case of the HIV encephalitis patient, brain MRI showed a non-enhancing lesion with high signal intensity on T2WI and low signal on T1WI and there was no mass effect on the right frontal lobe, periventricular white matter, splenium of the corpus callosum or bilateral basal ganglia. In the other case of CNS toxoplasmosis, MR showed multiple nodular and rim enhanced mass lesions in the right basal ganglia, thalamus and periventricular white matter, which were of low signal intensity on T1WI and of high intensity on T2WI. We ...
The purpose of this investigation was to determine the association between gender and the prevalence and incidence of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). One thousand five hundred and twenty-five participants from the United States Naval Academy (USNA) were followed for up to 2.5 years for the development of PFPS. Physicians and certified athletic trainers documented the cases of PFPS. PFPS was defined as retropatellar pain during at least two of the following activities: ascending/descending stairs, hopping/jogging, prolonged sitting, kneeling, and squatting, negative findings on examination of knee ligament, menisci, bursa, and synovial plica, and pain on palpation of either the patellar facets or femoral condyles. Poisson and logistic regressions were performed to determine the association between gender and the incidence and prevalence of PFPS, respectively. The incidence rate for PFPS was 22/1000 person-years. Females were 2.23 times (95% CI: 1.19, 4.20) more ...
The effectiveness of Noveko's antimicrobial filter was evaluated after 16 months of exposure to commercial swine production. The experiment involved the use of a scaled model of a commercial swine facility consisting of 2 small chambers connected by a duct containing the filters. A 5 kg naive pig was placed in the reception chamber for a period of 6 hours after aerosolization with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). Blood samples from pigs were collected before and after aerosolization to test for the presence of PRRSV RNA. Only blood samples were tested for PRRSV antibodies by IDEXX 2XR ELISA. None of the 9 pigs tested were found to be infected. The study showed that the technology used to integrate the antimicrobial agent into the filter fibers allows the filter combination to withstand extreme weather and endure commercial swine production for at least 16 months, and can maintain its effectiveness to avoid airborne transmission ...
Aluminum toxicity has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of clinical disorders in patients with chronic renal failure on long-term intermittent hemodialysis treatment. The predominant disorders have been those involving either bone (osteomalacic dialysis osteodystrophy) or brain (dialysis encephalopathy). In nonuremic patients, an increased brain aluminum concentration has been implicated as a neurotoxic agent in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and was associated with experimental neurofibrillary degeneration in animals. The brain aluminum concentrations of patients dying with the syndrome of dialysis encephalopathy (dialysis dementia) are significantly higher than in dialyzed patients without the syndrome and in nondialyzed patients. Two potential sources for the increased tissue content of aluminum in patients on hemodialysis have been proposed: (1) intestinal absorption from aluminum containing phosphate-binding ...
Stem cell research has important implications for medicine. The source of stem cells influences their therapeutic potential, with stem cells derived from early-stage embryos remaining the most versatile. Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), a source of embryonic stem cells, allows for understandings about disease development and, more importantly, the ability to yield embryonic stem cell lines that are genetically matched to the somatic cell donor. However, SCNT requires women to donate eggs, which involves injection of ovulation-inducing hormones and egg retrieval through laparoscopy or transvaginal needle aspiration. Risks from this procedure are fiercely debated, most notably risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). This review examines risk of OHSS resulting from oocyte donation. We conclude that risk posed by OHSS in egg donation is not significant enough to warrant undue concern, and much of this can be eliminated when proper precautions are taken. ...
We evaluated robotically assisted laparoscopic adrenalectomy (RLA) in a prospective study of 100 consecutive patients (60 women and 40 men) undergoing unilateral adrenalectomy at the University Hospital. The median age was 59 (24?82) years and BMI 27.6 (17.1?40.9) kg/m2. Preoperative diagnoses were Conn?s syndrome 30%, pheochromocytoma 23%, Cushing syndrome 27% and non-functional tumor 20%. The median tumor size was 53 (10?106) mm. The majority of the 7% of the patients who were converted to open surgery were in the early phase after the introduction of the technique. The BMI of the patients who were converted to open surgery was significantly higher, 31.5 (range 25.3?37.8) compared to, 27.5 (range 17.1?40.9) in patients without conversion (P?=?0.047). The median weight of the tumor was 51...
Abstract Reticulate pattern is one of the most important dermatological signs of a pathological process involving the superficial vascular networks. Vascular malformations, such as cutis marmorata congenita telangiectasia and benign forms of livedo reticularis, and sinister conditions, such as meningococcal meningitis or Sneddon's syndrome, can all present with a reticulate pattern. The clinical presentation and morphology is determined by the nature and extent of the underlying pathology and the involvement of a particular vascular network. This review has been divided into four instalments. In the present paper, we discuss the anatomy and physiology of the complex network of vascular structures that support the function of the skin and subcutis.
Radioimmunoassay of serum myoglobin was done in 53 patients with polymyositis syndromes and other conditions. Serum myoglobin values in 33 healthy subjects ranged from 4 to 77 [mean 33.3 +/- 19.8 (SD)] ng/ml. Fifty percent of polymyositis patients had elevated serum myoglobin levels (greater than 80 ng/ml). Serum myoglobin values in polymyositis patients fluctuated more sensitively than CPK and GOT. Combined estimation of myoglobin and CPK offers advantages for the detection of muscle injury and the prediction of disease exacerbation.
This text-book (electronic book - multi-media CD-ROM) constitutes a course-book - author's collection of lectures. It consists of 13 lectures in which the reader acquaints with the basis of radiobiology: Introduction to radiobiology; Physical fundamentals of radiobiology; Radiation of cells; Modification of radiation damage of cells; Reparation of radiation damage of cells; Radiation syndromes and their modification; Radiation injury; Radiation damage of tissues; Effect of radiation on embryo and fetus; Biological effects of incorporated radionuclides; Therapy of acute irradiation sickness; Delayed consequences of irradiation; Radiation oncology and radiotherapy. This course-book may be interesting for students, post-graduate students of chemistry, biology, physics, medicine as well as for teachers, scientific workers and physicians. (author)
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is frequently used for relief of chronic benign pain resistant to conservative therapies. Clinical practice suggests, at least in patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), the possibility that SCS significantly improves motor performances. We present here the case of a 41-years-old female patient with FBSS, who showed a clear improvement in muscle strength after SCS, persisting at 6-months follow-up. We speculate that the electrical stimulation of posterior columns could potentiate the caudal, segmental spinal reflexes resulting in a facilitation of motoneurons activation. PMID:16175150
Chronic benign pain is commonly associated with chronic fatigue and depression. Depression and chronic fatigue syndrome are also associated with each other and often include pain. Psychologic factors are prominent in these conditions, and they may share neurobiologic factors as well. Management requires separately addressing each component of patients' distress and usually includes physical rehabilitation, education, administration of nonhabituating medications and often counseling. Depression may be a favorable prognostic sign, as it suggests a treatable condition and provides incentive for recovery. PMID:1876618
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).
The crystal and molecular structures of the anti-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome agent 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) have been determined by x-ray diffraction. There are two crystallographically independent AZT molecules in the crystal asymmetric unit; they have similar conformation and differ primarily in the glycosyl torsion angle. Comparisons with a hydrated thymidylate structure indicate that the azido group does not significantly affect the gross conformational preference of the molecule. The comparisons also suggest possible functional roles for the azido group in enzyme binding.
Most breast cancers are multicentric in origin. They drain into two primary lymphatic depots—the axilla and internal mammary chain of nodes. The incidence of metastasis to the internal mammary...Full Text Available
This paper announces the availability of the first international standard for anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA). The material, coded Wo/80, was obtained after recalcification of plasma taken from...Full Text Available
Human antibodies targeting prostate cancer cell surface epitopes may be useful for imaging and therapy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the tumor targeting of an internalizing human...Full Text Available
BackgroundRadiofrequency ablation (RFA) of tumors by means of internally cooled electrodes (ICE) combined with interstitial infusion of saline may improve clinical results. To date,...Full Text Available
The possibility of studying the adsorption of acetic acid vapour on coal by the method of multiple attenuated total internal reflection by two proposed procedures has been shown.
The obligations under international law to reduce transfrontier air pollution is discussed in five chapters from various aspects. Consequences for the European Communities are gone into in five further chapters. (orig./HP)
Neutron Star Evolution with Internal Energy h'q/>a. Dissipation by Vortex Creep. N. Shibazaki and F. K. Lamb. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ...
ObjectiveTo develop consistent variable names and a common database structure for the data elements in the International Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Data Sets.Full Text Available
The technical committees of the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) play an important part in preparing international standards. In this report the chairman of the Technical Comittee 14 (Power Transformers) describes the present state and the progressive work.
The general objective of the International Seminars of Horizontal Steam Generator Modelling has been the improvement in understanding of realistic thermal hydraulic behaviour of the generators when performing safety analyses for VVER reactors. The main to...
The authors studied noncancer mortality among phenoxyacid herbicide and chlorophenol production workers and sprayers included in an international study comprising 36 cohorts from 12 countries followed...Full Text Available
The hypothesis that the internal viscosity of erythrocytes is governed by the intracellular hemoglobin (Hb) concentration is examined. Here viscosity is determined by labeling of the cytoplasmic reduced...Full Text Available
international vehicles, control centers, and ground support personnel. ... consists of thin membranes made from a polymer-based film and ..... (including airplanes and submarines), environmental monitoring, and control ...... sciences can use it to analyze the birth and death of stars, the formation of solar ...
During the past 10 years, five infants with Kasabach-Merritt syndrome (K-M) receiving radiation therapy were reported. We investigated whether radiation therapy for K-M was useful and what the unfavorable factors of K-M were. During the past 10 years, we have treated five infants with K-M. The syndrome occurred at ages ranging from birth to 4 months. The incidence of female to male ratio was 3:2. Among 5 cases, the site of hemangioma was as follows; shoulder, anterior chest wall, lower abdominal wall, face and neck and inguinal site. All 5 cases received medication to control the coagulopathy including prednisone and blood transfusion at first. Because the platelet count and the bleeding tendency did not improve in any case, these cases received radiation therapy. Total dose ranged from 5 to 10 Gy and fraction-size ranged from 0.5 to 1.75 Gy. Irradiation session was 2 or 3 times per week. In 5 cases, 4 cases showed cure of bleeding tendency and ...
Citation information: Rosenfield M. Computer vision syndrome: a review of ocular causes and potential treatments. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2011, 31, 502-515. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-1313.2011.00834.x ABSTRACT: Computer vision syndrome (CVS) is the combination of eye and vision problems associated with the use of computers. In modern western society the use of computers for both vocational and avocational activities is almost universal. However, CVS may have a significant impact not only on visual comfort but also occupational productivity since between 64% and 90% of computer users experience visual symptoms which may include eyestrain, headaches, ocular discomfort, dry eye, diplopia and blurred vision either at near or when looking into the distance after prolonged computer use. This paper reviews the principal ocular causes for this condition, namely oculomotor anomalies and dry eye. Accommodation and vergence responses to electronic screens appear ...
The US investigated the use of {sup 233}U for weapons, reactors, and other purposes from the 1950s into the 1970s. Based on the results of these investigations, it was decided not to use {sup 233}U on a large scale. Most of the {sup 233}U-containing materials were placed in long-term storage. At the end of the cold war, the US initiated, as part of its arms control policies, a disposition program for excess fissile materials. Other programs were accelerated for disposal of radioactive wastes placed in storage during the cold war. Last, potential safety issues were identified related to the storage of some {sup 233}U-containing materials. Because of these changes, significant activities associated with {sup 233}U-containing materials are expected. This report is one of a series of reports to provide the technical bases for future decisions on how to manage this material. A basis for defining when {sup 233}U-containing materials can be managed as ...
From 1946 - 1990, i.e. from shortly after the end of World War II and the rise of the cold war until the German reunification, there had been extensive uranium mining both in Saxony and Thuringia, which formed the southern parts of the former German Democratic Republic. Mining activities started in Saxony in the Ore Mountains (German: Erzgebirge). Mining was conducted by a Soviet, since 1954 by a Soviet- German Incorporated Company named Wismut. It is estimated that about 400,000 persons may have worked in this time period with the company, most of them underground or in uranium ore processing facilities. In the early years, exposure to radiation and dust was particularly high for underground workers. After introduction of several ventilation measures and wet drilling from 1955 onwards, the levels of exposures to the various agents steadily decreased. After German reunification, it was decided by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment ...
Processes for the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide have had commercial importance since about 1920, when the commercial production of methanol and higher alcohols on oxide catalysts began. Soon thereafter Fischer and Tropsch discovered that liquid hydrocarbons could be synthesized from carbon monoxide and hydrogen over Group VIII metal catalysts. Following extensive catalyst and process development efforts, this technology provided Germany with a source of liquid fuels during World War II. The period following the war saw an acceleration in research and development on the Fischer-Tropsch process, but the only commercial application that was to emerge was the SASOL process in the Union of South Africa. The oil crises of the 1970s have rekindled worldwide interest in indirect liquefaction technologies for the production of clean, high-quality motor fuels from coal. The development of more efficient coal gasification processes and the advent of ...
This report presents the results of the BMBF-sponsored project Fundamentals and models for assessing the effect of climate changes on soil, plant development and the crops of an economically significant range of farm products. Its aim was to study, by means of the results obtained for winter wheat, the dependence of plant growth on temperature, radiation and water as well as nutrient supply for other economically important crop types. Building on this, process-oriented, climate-sensitive agricultural ecosystem models for winter rye, winter barley, sugar-beet and winter intercrops were developed, verified and, in some sites, validated. First scenario calculations served to demonstrate the climate sensitivity of these models. (orig./KW) [Deutsch] Im vorliegenden Bericht werden die Ergebnisse des BMBF - Vorhabens `Grundlagen und Modelle zur Abschaetzung von Klimaaenderungen auf den Boden, die Pflanzenentwicklung sowie den verwertbaren Ernteertrag einer wirtschaftlich bedeutenden ...
Makeup water is distilled internally in an amine gas treating unit by adding it to the reclaimer used to process a slipstream of lean amine from the stripper.
... in the processes of production and, partic- ularly, product distribution and also by the increase in directive and disciplinary methods of intervention ...
Integrating phytotechnologies with energy crop production for biofuels, bioenergy, and bioproducts. In: Sixth International Phytotechnologies Conference ; ...
... Several outbreaks have been associated with "slow cookers" or crock pots, or in casseroles which had not reached a high enough internal temperature to destroy ...
In a study of hitchhiking or contaminating insect pests on international cargo aircraft at Miami International Airport from 1998 to 1999, it was found that contamination rates were greatest, 23%, on cargo flights from Central America and much lower, near 5%, on flights from all other regions. We reanalyzed the study data to test for associations between contaminated flights and factors such as season, cargo type, and time of departure (night or day), and developed probabilistic models for predicting insect pest arrivals by region and pest risk levels. Significant (P
Purpose: To visualise the vessel wall of the descending thoracic aorta using magnetic resonance imaging. To evaluate the diagnostic potential of tailored T{sub 1}-weighted sequences with contrast enhancement to assess systemic atherosclerotic disease. Methods: This study was performed on a clinical 1.5 Tesla scanner using a gradient strength of 30 mT/m and the phased array spine coil. A cadaver was examined to optimise a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol to evaluate atherosclerotic aortic wall disease. The acquired MR images were compared to gross specimens and histology. Subsequently seven patients who had undergone transesophageal ultrasound (TEU) with detailed assessment of the descending thoracic aorta were examined with MRI. The optimised protocol included untriggered and fat suppressed T{sub 2}-weighted turbo spin echo sequences and ECG-triggered and fat suppressed T{sub 1}-weighted spin echo sequences before and after iv administration of Gd-DTPA. Findings of the MR ...
The International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics reports on activities undertaken in the study of global climate change. Some of these activities are a part of the overall International Geosphere Biosphere Program but others predate that program. The organization has been solely responsible for five of ten permanent global data services and jointly responsible for three others. Workshops and meetings devoted to issues of global change are also reported.
The Second International Seminar on Horizontal Steam Generator Modelling was arranged to continue the international cooperation that was started during the first seminar in March 1991. The main topics of the seminar were: (1) further experimental results on horizontal steam generator behaviour, (2) resent developments in modelling, (3) results on analyses and studies on primary-to-secondary side leakages, and (4) results of the common exercise calculations.
The paper describes design and practical realization of an internal communication layer referred to as the Internal Interface (II). The system was realized for the RFC Muon Trigger of the CMS experiment. Fully automatic implementation of the communication layer is realized in the FPGA chips and in the control software. The methodology of implementation was presented in the description form of the interface structure from the sides of hardware and software. The examples of the communication layer realizations were given for the RFC Muon Trigger.
This paper identifies some of the issues which arise in the consideration of the derivation of new limits on exposure to internal emitters. Basic and secondary radiation protection limits are discussed. Terms are defined and applied to the limitation of risk from stochastic effects. Non-stochastic data for specific internal emitters (/sup 131/I and the radium isotopes) are presented. Emphasis is placed on the quantitative aspects of the limit setting problem. 65 references, 2 figures, 12 tables.
The possibility of having properly designed multinational fuel cycle agreements which would contribute to public acceptance of nuclear energy are explored. The advantages of existing international cooperation in the field of uranium enrichment and nuclear waste disposal and reprocessing are discussed. The possible forms of multinational co-operation under an international organisation, committed the non-proliferation and operating under international law and covering storage facilities, security of raw materials and the nuclear fuel cycle are summarised in model form. (U.K.).
This manual is a guide to the services provided by the Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program (IDP), which is operated by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.( ) for the U.S. Department of Energy Richland Operations Office, Office of River Protection and their Hanford Site contractors. The manual describes the roles of and relationships between the IDP and the radiation protection programs of the Hanford Site contractors. Recommendations and guidance are also provided for consideration in implementing bioassay monitoring and internal dosimetry elements of radiation protection programs.
Solid state effects are taken into account in an internal conversion coefficients computation by using Wigner-Seitz boundary conditions. Both the bound and free electron wave functions are calculated from an atomic Dirac-Hartree-Fock-Slater self consistent potential. These internal conversion coefficients are compared with those obtained from the usual free atom boundary conditions.
Solid state effects are taken into account in an internal conversion coefficients computation by using Wigner-Seitz boundary conditions. Both the bound and free electron wave functions are calculated from an atomic Dirac-Hartree-Fock-Slater self consistent potential. These internal conversion coefficients are compared with those obtained from the usual free atom boundary conditions. (orig.).
After the completion of the 4MWth pilot plant of the Pressurizied Internally Circulating Fluidized-bed Boiler (PICFB), a total of 15 test runs, amounting to 2280 hours of operation, were concluded. The test results have confirmed the superior operating performance. Additionally, Ebara plans to develop a Pressurized Internally Circulating Fluidized-bed Gasifier (PICFG or Advanced PICFB). 8 figs.
DescriptionThis project continues DEFRA's commitment to the International Programme on Chemical Safety, a joint WHO/ILO/UNEP programme. DEFRA's contribution involves preparing Environmental Health Criteira Documents (EHCs), Concise International Chemical Assessments Documents (CICADS) and input to the OECD test Guidelines Programme and gneral risk assessment guidance. Peer reviews of documents prepared through other research in the IPCS network have also been carried out,as well as attending and hosting ta [continued...
The objective of this project was to implement a centralised data base of internal quality control in radiotherapy according to the criteria of the decree of A.f.s.s.a.p.s. (French agency of sanitary safety of health products on 27 july 2007, about the internal quality control of external radiotherapy facilities. The software on one year meets the objectives: compliance by comparison with A.f.s.s.a.p.s. criteria but particularly optimization of the centralisation and analysis of the internal quality controls. (N.C.)
Objective: To establish a computer program for rapid calculation of internal committed effective close through inhalation and ingestion pathways under radiological emergency. Methods: Visual Basic 6.0 is used to compile the generic procedures of internal committed effective dose by inhalation and ingestion in IAEA-TECDOC-1162, Generic Procedures for Assessment and Response during a Radiological Emergency. Results: The assessment methodology of internal committed effective dose by inhalation and ingestion under radiological emergency in the report IAEA-TECDOC-1162 can be coded into a computer program. Conclusions: This research provides a rapid method of assessment for internal committed effective dose by inhalation and ingestion under radiological emergency, and it may provide needed dosimetry data for treatment under emergency response. (authors)
Greenhouse gas emissions from international maritime transport are exempt from liabilities under the Kyoto Protocol. Research into quantifying these emissions is ongoing, and influences policy proposals to reduce emissions. This paper presents a cargo-based analysis of fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from New Zealand's international maritime transport of goods. Maritime transport moves 99.5% (by mass) of New Zealand's internationally traded products. It is estimated that 73% of visiting vessels' activity can be directly attributed to the movement of goods in and out of New Zealand. A cargo-based methodology was used to estimate that the international maritime transport of New Zealand's imports and exports consumed 2.5 million tonnes (Mt; 2.6 billion litres) of fuel during the year 2007, which generated 7.7 Mt of carbon dioxide (CO_2) emissions. Double-counting of emissions would occur if a ...
Early recognition of recurrence and work-up of clinically indeterminate lesions may be impaired after reconstruction with silicone implants due to superimposition of the implant or to scarring. This study was undertaken to evaluate the use of contrast-enhanced MRI in patients with silicone implant after breast cancer. Contrast-enhanded MRI was offered to 169 patients. Comparative two- to three-view mammography was also performed in 169 patients, as well as comparative sonography in 144 patients. Conventional imaging and clinical examination detected only 8/13 recurrences, whereas 12/13 were detected by MRI. One recurrence had been visible as a strongly enhancing 2-mm dot in a previous examination (2 years before), but was not called. It was therefore counted as false negative. In addition, multicentricity was detected by MRI alone in two of three cases. MRI correctly diagnosed scar tissue in all cases with indeterminate findings. However, due to false-positive calls caused by enhancing ...
Purpose: To evaluate a T{sub 2}-weighted URSE sequence for the assessment of pulmonary infiltrations in comparison to CT. Methods: 28 MRT scans of 22 patients with confirmed pneumonia were recorded on a 1.5 Tesla apparatus with an expiratory and diastolic triggered, T{sub 2}-weighted ultrafast-spin-echo sequence in axial slice mode with the following parameters: TR{sub eff}/T{sub E}/Turbofactor 2000-4000/90 ms/21-23; slice thickness/separation 6/0.6 mm; FOV 360 mm; 24 slices. 24 spiral CTs (sice thickness/table advance: 1-2 mm/10 mm) were available for comparison. The separate evaluation of MRTs and CTs was performed by three radiologists in a consensus procedure with regard to pulmonary lesions (e.g., infiltration, round foci, net patterns) and image quality of the MRTs (4-step scale). Results: In 71% of the cases the CTs and MRTs agreed with the diagnosis and representation of the lesions, in 25% MRT was superior. MRT was better for the detection of pulmonary abscesses. In 93% the ...
Experiences with weight stigma negatively impact both psychological outcomes (e.g., body dissatisfaction, depression) and behavioral outcomes (e.g., dieting, exercise). However, not everyone is equally affected by experiences with weight stigma. This study examined whether internalized societal attitudes about weight moderated the impact of weight stigma. Adult participants (n = 111) completed measures of experiences with weight stigma, as well as two indexes of internalized societal attitudes (the moderators): Internalized anti-fat attitudes and internalization of societal standards of attractiveness. Psychological outcomes included self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and bulimic symptoms; behavioral outcomes included avoidance of exercise and self-reported exercise behavior. Weight stigma was positively correlated with body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and bulimic symptoms, ...
Automatic weapons such as machine guns and submachine guns are found in the German-speaking region only in special army and police units and appear accordingly rarely in homicides, suicides and accidents. In the following, the findings in two cases of death with the use of machine and submachine guns are presented. The first case was a fatal accident during shooting on a training area (current machine gun of the German army, calibre 7.62 x 51 mm), the second case was a killing during a physical conflict (submachine gun MP 40 from World War II, calibre 9 x 19 mm). In the case with the machine gun autopsy disclosed typical entry holes corresponding to the calibre, but unusually large exit wounds with tissue bridges in the wound ground, measuring 4 x 2.5 cm in diameter. By contrast, the second case (submachine gun) showed "normal" entry and exit wounds. The differences are mainly caused by deviating ballistic data of the ammunition used. They are discussed against the ...
The authors investigated the development of tribochemical reaction layers and surface-level structural changes in a fuel-lubricated roller bearing steel 100Cr6 in the limiting friction range, using two different variants of surface treatment and heat treatment. Tribological experiments were carried out in a laboratory test stand with reversing sliding wear under varying loads and with a varying number of friction cycles. [German] Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, die Entstehung von tribochemischen Reaktionsschichten und oberflaechennahen Gefuegeaenderungen am Waelzlagerstahl 100Cr6 bei Kraftstoffschmierung im Grenzreibungsbereich fuer je zwei Oberflaechenbearbeitungen und Waermebehandlungen zu untersuchen. Dazu wurden tribologische Kurzversuche in einem Laborpruefstand mit reversierender Gleitbeanspruchung unter Variation der Last und der Anzahl der Reibzyklen durchgefuehrt. (orig.)
Estuaries and coastal regions are highly variable in the physical and hydrographic conditions. As a result of heavy urbanization and industrialization of the head waters of most estuaries, there are substantial localized inputs of contaminants to the estuary. These factors combined with the flushing characteristics of individual estuaries to create relatively unique features that result in variation in the typical levels of trace metals for these systems. This makes intercomparison of the estuaries difficult. Comparability among estuaries becomes even more difficult when metals analyses are conducted without proper control of field and laboratory contamination, now firmly established in the trace metal analytical literature as a prerequisite for reliable marine trace metals analysis. This paper compares the concentrations of selected trace metal (Ag, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) concentrations in the waters of several major estuaries of the United States. The basis of comparison is that all ...
This study reviews past assessments of world oil, natural gas, and oil-shale resources. It identifies the methods used in making these assessments (historical statistics, geological analogy, engineering, and probabilistic), the geographical coverage, the time horizons, and the major assumptions about such factors as discovery rates, and recovery factor. The period covered extends from the end of World War II to the end of 1980. Conclusions are presented on the current state of knowledge and understanding concerning each of these three hydrocarbon resources. Regarding world oil resources, an assumed consensus on 2000 billion barrels ultimately recoverable is, in fact, only weakly supported. Close examination of its component parts reveals widespread disagreement. World natural gas resources are even less well understood. And it is premature to venture a meaningful assessment of world oil-shale resources. Thus, our knowledge and scientific understanding of these ...
The 3001 Storage Canal is located under portions of Buildings 3001 and 3019 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and has a capacity of approximately 62,000 gallons of water. The term canal has historically been used to identify this structure, however, the canal is an in-ground reinforced concrete structure satisfying the regulatory definition of a tank. From 1943 through 1963, the canal in Building 3001 was designed to be an integral part of the system for handling irradiated fuel from the Oak Ridge Graphite Reactor. Because one of the main initial purposes of the reactor was to produce plutonium for the chemical processing pilot plant in Building 3019, the canal was designed to be the connecting link between the reactor and the pilot plant. During the war years, natural uranium slugs were irradiated in the reactor and then pushed out of the graphite matrix into the system of diversion plates and chutes which directed the fuel into the deep pit of the canal. ...
Until now, monitoring of power transformers focussed mainly large generator and network transformers. Siemens goes a step ahead and provides a system especially developed and designed for small and medium power transformers, e.g. for the 100 kV level. This low cost version could be achieved by restriction to really necessary measuring quantities. This allows to realize also for small and medium power transformers an online monitoring including an estimation of aging and as an option an early warning to avoid unexpected failures. (orig.) [German] Die Ueberwachung (Monitoring) von Leistungstransformatoren war bisher vor allem fuer Maschinentransformatoren und grosse Netzkuppeltransformatoren in der Diskussion. Siemens geht einen Schritt weiter und stellt nun auch ein System bereit, das speziell fuer kleine und mittlere Leistungstransformatoren, z.B. der 110-kV-Spannungsebene, konzipiert ist. Diese kostenguenstige Variante wurde durch Beschraenkung auf die aus ...
We reported three cases of acute intracranial tuberculosis including miliary tuberculosis, basal meningitis, tuberculomas and neuritis of cranial nerves. All patients had native and contrast enhanced CT and MRI scans. MRI revealed more granulomas and a better imaging contrast in the detection of basal meningitis. Neuritis was diagnosed only with the MRI. MRI scans should be prefered as the imaging procedure in clinically presumed intracranial tuberculosis. (orig.) [Deutsch] Die Befunde von drei Patienten mit intrakranieller Tuberkulose (intrakranielle Miliartuberkulose, Meningitis tuberculosa, Neuritis und Tuberkulome) in der Magnetresonanztomographie (MRT) wurden mit der Computertomographie (CT) verglichen. Sowohl die MRT als auch die CT wurden nativ und nach Kontrastmittelgabe durchgefuehrt. Die MRT zeigte sich im Nachweis von Granulomen insbesondere im Bereich des Hirnstamms ueberlegen. Ebenso wurde ein hoeherer Bildkontrast bei der Darstellung der Meningitis beobachtet. Eine ...
The MRI morphology in combined subacute degeneration has only rarely been reported. We describe two patients suffering from subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord on the basis of a deficiency of vitamin B{sub 12}. In both patients characteristic hyperintense areas on T{sub 2}-weighted images in the posterior columns of the cervical and thoracic cord without contrast enhancement were demonstrated by MRI. (orig.) [Deutsch] Bisher liegen zur wenige Beschreibungen der MR-Morphologie bei funikulaerer Myelose vor. Wir beschreiben zwei Patienten mit den klinischen Zeichen einer funikulaeren Myelose auf der Basis eines Vitamin B{sub 12}-Mangels. Bei beiden konnten mit der MRT charakteristische Signalanhebungen im T{sub 2}-gewichteten Bild in den Hinterstraengen des zervikalen und thorakalen Rueckenmarks gezeigt werden. Eine Kontrastmittelaufnahme war nicht nachweisbar. (orig.)
Rehabilitation of the abandoned uranium mining areas in Saxonia and Thuringia is a task posing also legal problems. The radiation protection laws of the former GDR continued to be effective to a great extent and proved to be a legal basis not ``perfect`` in formal terms, but suitably efficient in practice to tackle the manifold problems encountered in the land reclamation and waste disposal work. Originally intended to serve as a legal interim regime awaiting amendment at a later date, the body of laws available for the task proved to be a sufficient basis. (orig./HP) [Deutsch] Das fortgeltende Strahlenschutzrecht der frueheren DDR hat sich zwar nicht als formal `perfektes`, in der Sache aber strahlenschutzgerechtes und praktikables Instrument zur Loesung der anstehenden Sanierungsaufgaben erwiesen. Bei seiner Beurteilung darf nicht ausser Acht gelassen werden, dass die Ueberleitung dieses Rechts seinerzeit aus der Not eines kurzfristigen Regelungsbedearfs geboren wurden und stets nur ...
Zusammenfassung Im Jahre 1910 f?hrte der schwedische Internist Hans-Christian Jacobaeus den ersten laparoskopischen Eingriff am Menschen in Stockholm durch. Grundlage seiner Pioniertat waren die tierexperimentellen Studien von Georg Kelling (1866?1945) aus Dresden, der im Jahre 1901 die erste Laparoskopie mittels eines Nitze-Zystoskops am Hund durchf?hrte. Jacobaeus ver?ffentlichte 1910 in der M?nchener Medizinischen Wochenschrift seine Erfahrungen mit den ersten 17 Laparoskopien unter dem Titel: ??ber die M?glichkeit die Zystoskopie bei Untersuchungen ser?ser H?hlen anzuwenden?. Hierbei nutzte er die neue Technik insbesondere zu diagnostischen Zwecken bei unklaren abdominellen Beschwerden und Funktionsst?rungen. Er war auch der Erste, der explizit auf die Gefahr der Darmverletzung bei Er?...
The objective of this Energy Engineering Analysis (EEA) for LSAAP is threefold: Develop a systematic plan of projects which will result in reducing energy consumption. Consider renewable energy sources with the objective of establishing an orderly procedure for reducing use of non-renewable energy sources. Determine the feasibility of Total Energy (TE), Selective Energy (SE), and Central Heating Plant (CHP) concepts using alternative fuels. In essence, an assessment of the entire energy picture at LSAAP was undertaken. This report is a summary of that effort. LSAAP was originally built during 1941 and 1942 as a shell loading plant for the Army. After World War II, the facility was deactivated until 1951 when it was reactivated as a Government Owned, Contractor Operated (GOCO) facility. Day and Zimmerman was selected as the operator in 1951 and has been the operating contractor ever since. Located just west of Texarkana, Texas, LSAAP encompasses an area of ...
With the end of the cold war the United States, Russia, and other countries have excess plutonium and other materials from the reductions in inventories of nuclear weapons. The United States Academy of Sciences (NAS) has recommended that these surplus fissile materials (SFMs) be processed so they are no more accessible than plutonium in spent nuclear fuel (SNF). This spent fuel standard, if adopted worldwide, would prevent rapid recovery of SFMs for the manufacture of nuclear weapons. The NAS recommended investigation of three sets of options for disposition of SFMs while meeting the spent fuel standard: (1) incorporate SFMs with highly radioactive materials and dispose of as waste, (2) partly burn the SFMs in reactors with conversion of the SFMs to SNF for disposal, and (3) dispose of the SFMs in deep boreholes. The US Government is investigating these options for SFM disposition. A new method for the disposition of SFMs is described herein: the simultaneous ...
The goal of this project was to develop a new technology for preparing samples for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on the basis of ion fine beam processing. For this purpose processes of ion-beam-assisted removal (sputtering), separation, sample handling and ion-beam-assisted chemical etching as well of system-inherent components were examined. As an alternative to a Ga-source a liquid-metal ion source based on a AuGeSi alloy was developed, characterised and used in the FIB 4400. [German] Aufgabe des Projektes war die Entwicklung einer neuen Technologie zur Probenpraeparation fuer die Transmissions-Elektronenmikroskopie (TEM) auf der Basis der Ionenfeinstrahlbearbeitung. Dazu wurden Prozesse der ionenstrahlgestuetzten Abtragung (Sputtern), der Abscheidung, des Probenhandling, des ionenstrahlgestuetzten chemischen Aetzens sowie systemeigener Komponenten untersucht. Als Alternative zur Ga-Quelle wurde eine Fluessigmetall-Ionenquelle auf der Basis einer AuGeSi ...
Aim: The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the value of immunoscintigraphy (ISG) with anti-225.28S in clinically suspected ocular melanoma. Methods: For this purpose standardized ISG was performed in 36 patients using both planar acquisition and emission computed tomography (ECT). Ocular melanoma was present in 31 patients. In 21 patients therapy was enucleation of the eye. These specimens were evaluated by histology and immunohistochemistry in 11 of 21 patients. Results: Regarding the clinical diagnosis, ISG was positive only in 15 of 31 patients with ocular melanoma, regarding histology in 11 of 21 and regarding immunohistochemistry in 5 of 6 patients with a positive immunoreaction. 5 patients showed no immunoreactivity, their ISG was negative. Conclusion: Thus a good correlation between ISG and immunohistochemistry was observed. However ISG using the cutaneous melanoma antibody 225.28S cannot be recommended for the diagnostic work-up of an ocular melanoma considering ...
The study evaluates 160 cases of positive spermioculture taken from 522 sterile individuals examined by the authors at the Couple Sterility Outpatient unit in Department A of the Institute of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Turin University during the period between January 1984 and December 1993. The germs responsible for infection were assayed in order to evaluate the strains which showed the highest incidence every year. Whereas there was no significant change in the absolute number of cases of sterility over the period, the number of cases caused by infection increased significantly during the second five-year period. It was found that the germs predominantly implicated in the genesis of male sterility formed part of the so-called mixed flora group, responsible in women for syndromes of often asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis which are not identified and consequently not treated. PMID:8559444
Radioimmunochemical assay was used to study the hypophyseal and peripheral hormones activity in 60 patients with chronic alcoholism, stage II. A correlation has been established between the patient's age and prolactin and FSH concentrations, as well as between the duration of the recent hard drinking and the concentrations of prolactin, testosterone, FSH and interstitial cell stimulating hormone. It has been shown that the manifestation of the alcoholic abstinent syndrome depended on the prolactin concentration. The test sensitivity estimated by the prolactin level rise and the testosterone level reduction reached 92.3%. The specificity of the changes detected comprised 25%. A conclusion has been made that the disorders noted in the patients with chronic alcoholic intoxication can be used as an objective test in the alcoholism diagnosis. PMID:3936321
Clinical and hormonal indices of androgenic activity were compared in 118 males chronically intoxicated with alcohol. The population was divided into two groups with respect to their clinical and hormonal androgenic indices: 76 patients with (Group 1), and 46 patients without (Group 2) androgenic insufficiency. Distinct signs and syndromes of alcohol addiction were shown to correlate with the extent of cross-regulation impairment within hypothalamo-hypophyseo-gonadal system. This was particularly derived from comparison of clinical picture of chronic alcohol intoxication and hormone activity in the groups. Conventional therapy failed to restore the neuroendocrine indices that was apparently due to inhibition of cross-regulation links in the hypothalamo-hypophyseo-gonadal system at several stages of alcohol addiction. PMID:3223149
Radiation doses to workers at the Manhattan Engineer District (MED) and US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) sites due to external irradiation during 1940--1960 are reviewed. Categorized radiation dose data were available from AEC annual reports for some years. Annual individual radiation dose data for ten MED/AEC sites for all years were available from the US Department of Energy`s (DOE) Comprehensive Epidemiologic Data Resource (CEDR). These data are combined to produce an estimate of external collective dose equivalent to 172,000 person-rems (1720 person-Sv) for 1940--1960. During this period there were 41 overexposures, 19 criticality incidents, and 3 deaths due to acute radiation syndrome among several hundred thousand workers.
Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and diabetes mellitus, as well as patients admitted with elevated blood glucose without known diabetes, have impaired outcome. Therefore intensive glucose-lowering therapy with insulin (IGL) has been proposed in diabetic or hyperglycaemic patients and has been shown to improve survival and reduce incidence of adverse events. The current manuscript provides an overview of randomised controlled trials investigating the effect of IGL. Furthermore, systematic glucose?insulin?potassium infusion (GIK) has been studied to improve outcome after AMI. In spite of positive findings in some early studies, GIK did not show any beneficial effects in recent clinical trials and thus this concept has been abandoned. While IGL targeted to achieve normoglycaemi...
Background The 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) infected over 8000 people and killed 774. Transmission of SARS occurred through direct and indirect contact and large droplet nuclei. The World Health Organization recommended the use of household disinfectants, which have not been previously tested against SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), to disinfect potentially contaminated environmental surfaces. There is a need for a surrogate test system given the limited availability of the SARS-CoV for testing and biosafety requirements necessary to safely handle it. In this study, the antiviral activity of standard household products was assayed against murine hepatitis virus (MHV), as a potential surrogate for SARS-CoV. Methods A surface test method, which involves drying an amo...
An uncomfortable thermal climate, draft complaints and a bad airquality are often related to the climate installation. To avoid badfunctioning of the system a number of preconditions has to be fulfilledwith regard to design, planning and execution, adjustments, completion,control, maintenance and management of the installations. First threetypes of health problems in buildings are shortly discussed: buildingrelated illness, sick building syndrome and building or installationrelated complaints. Then some functions of the climate installationsare described: air filtration, filter classes and filter quality, aswell as investment costs for better filters. Next the causes for thecomplaints are dealt with: air conditioning, ventilation, air quality,and temperatures. Subsequently health affecting aspects in relation tothe climate systems are discussed: outdoor air pollution,microorganisms, bacteria (legionella pneumophila), allergies, ionneutralization and performance of ...
AbstractBackground: The aim of this study was to review an experience with retroperitoneal endoscopic adrenalectomy (REA). This is the procedure of choice for adrenal tumours at this institution. Methods: Between 1997 and 2008, 112 REAs were performed in a single university centre. Data were retrieved retrospectively from a prospectively collected database, including information on patient demographics, surgical procedure, complications and hospital stay. Results: One hundred and twelve REAs were carried out successfully in 105 patients, including seven bilateral adrenalectomies. Thirty nine patients with unilateral adrenal disease had a phaeochromocytoma, of whom 16 had multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, 21 patients had Cushing's disease and 20 had Conn's disease. Median body m...
The authors have performed I-123 IMP single- photon emission CT (SPECT) brain imaging on seven mildly demented patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and on seven normal subjects. Pixel-intensity histograms have been analyzed for the fraction of pixels in the lowest quartile of the intensity range. This fraction (F) averaged 17.7% (standard deviation [SD] = 4.3) in the AIDS group and 12.6 (SD = 4.7) in the normal group (P <.05). Regression analysis of neuropsychological testing (NPT) scores vs F yielded a correlation coefficient of.71. The presence or degree of atrophy did not correlate with F or NPT scores.
For a soft-contact-lens (SCL) wearer, corneal health and comfort are strongly influenced by water transport through the polymeric materials used in lens fabrication. In particular, evaporative water loss at the anterior lens surface is a potential cause of contact-lens dehydration and of post-lens tear-film depletion, which in turn, may lead to discomfort, dryness syndrome, and/or lens adhesion.We present a solution-diffusion model for transport of water through soft-contact-lens materials to mimic evaporative dehydration from a contact lens during blinking and to access possible SCL adhesion to the corneal surface under a variety of environmental conditions (e.g., wind speed and relative humidity). To describe the water-transport process, we use an extended version of the Maxwell-Stefan m...
Between 1983 and 1986, 35 of 90 patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) had double-contrast esophagograms to rule out opportunistic esophagitis. The radiographs were reviewed without knowledge of the clinical or endoscopic findings. Candida esophagitis was diagnosed radiographically in 17 patients who had varying degrees of plaque formation and viral esophagitis in three who had discrete ulcers without plaques. All three patients with viral esophagitis (herpes in 2 and cytomegalo virus in one) and 15 of 17 with Candida esophagitis had endoscopic and/or clinical corroboration of the radiographic diagnosis. Thus, the authors' experience suggests that fungal and viral esophagitis can often be differentiated on double-contrast esophagography, so that appropriate antifungal or antiviral therapy can be instituted without need for endoscopic intervention.
A 38 year old male dentist developed an oligodendroglioma of the left medial temporal lobe and parasellar region 12 years after radiotherapy with 6600 rads for acromegaly. The 30 cases of radiation-induced gliomas reported in the English literature are reviewed and analysed. The criteria for defining radiation-induced tumours of the central nervous system are proposed as follows: the tumour has a long quiescent ''latency period'', a location in the previously irradiated field, a verified histological difference from a primary condition, and does not arise from a primary condition associated with a genetic syndrome such as neurofibromatosis or tuberous sclerosis. The reported case fulfilled these criteria but appears to be the only reported radiation-induced oligodendroglioma.
Toxigenic Clostridium sordellii strains are increasingly recognized to cause highly lethal infections in humans that are typified by a toxic shock syndrome (TSS). Two glucosylating toxins, lethal toxin (TcsL) and hemorrhagic toxin (TcsH) are believed to be important in the pathogenesis of TSS. While non-toxigenic strains of C. sordellii demonstrate reduced cytotoxicity in vitro and lower virulence in animal models of infection, there are few data regarding their behavior in humans. Here we report a non-TSS C. sordellii infection in the context of a polymicrobial bacterial cholangitis. The C. sordellii strain associated with this infection did not carry either the TcsL-encoding tcsL gene or the tcsH gene for TcsH. In addition, the strain was neither cytotoxic in vitro nor lethal in a murine...
Bariatric surgical procedures have become important therapeutic options for treatment of morbid obesity in both adults and adolescents co-morbidities of obesity such as glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes (T2DM), metabolic syndrome, steatohepatitis, hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease. These co-morbidities of obesity have significant impacts on the overall quality of life of the individual and our society at large. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and the relatively newer procedures of gastric banding (GB) and vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) have proven to be efficacious in achieving rapid weight loss and reversing the comorbidities of obesity. Unfortunately, bariatric procedures are not without risks including micronutrient deficiency, failure to maintain lost weight, and mortalit...
Background: Intestinal failure (IF) is the dependence upon parenteral nutrition to maintain minimal energy requirements for growth and development. It may occur secondary to a loss of bowel length, disorders of motility, or both. Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a malabsorptive state resulting from surgical resection, congenital defect, or diseases associated with loss of absorptive surface area. A particularly vexing problem is associated with whole bowel and/or segmental intestinal dysmotility. Motility disorders within the context of SBS and IF may relate to rapid intestinal transit secondary to loss of intestinal length, dysmotility associated with loss or poor antegrade peristalsis, or gastroparesis. Therapy may be classified into medical (prokinetic and antidiarrheal agents) and surgica...
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...
Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling has been shown to regulate lung epithelial development but its influence on mesenchymal differentiation has been poorly investigated. To study the role of mesenchymal FGF signaling in the differentiation of the mesenchyme and its impact on epithelial morphogenesis, we took advantage of Fgfr2c+/? mice, which due to a splicing switch express Fgfr2b in mesenchymal tissues and manifest Apert syndrome-like phenotypes. Using a set of in vivo and in vitro studies, we show that an autocrine FGF10?FGFR2b signaling loop is established in the mutant lung mesenchyme, which has several consequences. It prevents the entry of the smooth muscle progenitors into the smooth muscle cell (SMC) lineage and results in reduced fibronectin and elastin deposition. Levels of...
Background The Norwood procedure consists of three palliative operations, performed in neonates with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Especially the first stage (Norwood I) is associated with the highest mortality rates in paediatric cardiac surgery (up to 25%). During surgery, the aorta is reconstructed and a systemic-to-pulmonary shunt is applied. Originally the modified Blalock-Taussig shunt was used, but recently the right-ventricle-to-pulmonary-artery shunt is increasingly being employed. We reviewed the results of our operative strategy, where an individualised choice of shunt is made. Furthermore, attempts to reduce interstage mortality (between Norwood I and II) were assessed. Methods All neonates who underwent Norwood stage I palliation from August 2004 until November 2010 were in...
The results of nine years of study of the 237 patients who suffered from acute radiation syndrome (ARS) as a consequence of the Chernobyl accident are reported. Thirty-eight of these patients have died, 28 in the acute period in 1986, 5 in 1987-90 and 5 in 1992-93. The reasons for death show no clear tendencies. They include: gangrene of the lung, organic disease of the brain and spinal chord, hypoplasia of haematopoeisis, coronary heart disease, sarcoma and an automobile accident. Investigations have been carried out on an annual obligatory basis of the patients` haemopoietic, immune, nervous and endocrine systems. An analysis of the data is presented. Histograms are included showing the incidence of digestive tract, nervous system, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders, the frequency and degree of disablement and serum prolactin concentration. The types of skin damage sustained by 39 of the patients are listed. (6 figures, 3 tables). (UK).
Obesity is associated with increased susceptibility to dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and hypertension, a combination of traits that comprise the traditional definition of the metabolic syndrome. Recent evidence suggests that obesity is also associated with the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Despite the high prevalence of obesity and its related conditions, their etiologies and pathophysiology remains unknown. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of obesity and NAFLD. Previous genetic analysis of high-fat, diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6J (B6) and A/J male mice using a panel of B6-ChrA/J/NaJ chromosome substitution strains (CSSs) demonstrated that 17 CSSs conferred resistance to high-fat, diet-induced obesity. One of these CSS st...
Objectives To investigate the feasibility and reproducibility of measurements of nasal bone length using a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound in the first trimester. Methods In a prospective study, 118 consecutive pregnant women attending for Down syndrome screening at 11-13 + 6 weeks were recruited. They had successful fetal nasal bone measurement by two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound by four operators. Three-dimensional volumes were recorded in the mid-sagittal plane of fetal profile by the fifth operator and examined using multiplanar techniques. Another independent investigator randomly compared his measurements with one of the four operators. Results In the subsequent 3D examination, the nasal bone length could be examined in 94 cases (79.7%). The mean difference between the 2D and 3D mea...
Introduction: The orofacial clefts include 30 variant according to Tessier classification: the number 30 contain mandibular arc damage isolated or associated with damage of surrounding soft tissue. Case report: Our patient was a newborn with median mandibular cleft associated with ankyloglossia, bifid tongue and a top cervical fistula. We have not found polymalformative syndrome. The early surgical management included one time and after-effect were simple within 11months. Discussion: We point up difficulties for antenatal diagnosis and controversy about appropriate time for management of bone defect. The last physiopathologic hypotheses were explicated.
Delayed endolymphatic hydrops (DEH) is a unique disorder characterized by fluctuating otologic symptoms in the setting of preexisting unilateral deafness. The symptoms include aural fullness, fluctuating hearing, and/or episodes of vertigo similar to those observed in Meniere disease and may occur ipsilateral or contralateral to the previously deafened ear. In most reported cases, the unilateral deafness has been a profound sensorineural hearing loss with a sudden onset that has been variously attributed to bacterial or viral labyrinthitis, acoustic or cranial trauma, otosclerosis, and congenital CMV infection. Familial occurrence of the syndrome has not previously been reported in the literature. In this report, we describe two possible familial instances of delayed DEH. These patients ra...
The authors have evaluated bone mineral content in the vertebral spongiosa by means of Computed Tomography. The method proposed by Genant and Cann [17, 18] has been applied to examine 164 healthy volunteers and 108 patients. Both healthy males and females showed a progressive bone mineral loss increasing with age; the bone mineral loss was most severe in females during the 4th and 5th decade of life. Pathology included patients with osteoporotic fractures (vertebral and femural neck), patients with partial gastrectomy, renal failure, primary hyperparathyroidism, Cushing syndrome, corticosteroid therapy. Bone mineral values were significantly lower in most pathologic groups. Computed Tomography proves thus to be a valuable method to assess bone mineral content and to identify patients at risk for fractures.
Background/Purpose: Congenital esophageal stenosis (CES) is a rare malformation. Endoscopic dilations represent a therapeutic option. This study retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of a conservative treatment of CES. Patients and Methods: Patients diagnosed with CES since 1980 by a barium study or endoscopy were reviewed. Endoscopic ultrasonography (Olympus UM-3R-20-MHz radial miniprobe, Olympus Corporation, Tokyo, Japan), available from 2001, allowed for the differential diagnosis of tracheobronchial remnants (TBR) and fibromuscular hypertrophy (FMH) CES. All children underwent conservative treatment by endoscopic dilations (hydrostatic and Savary). Results: Forty-seven patients (20 men) had CES. Fifteen were associated with esophageal atresia; and 8, with Down syndrome. Mea...
We developed mice with germline endogenous expression of oncogenic Hras to study effects on development and mechanisms of tumor initiation. They had high perinatal mortality, abnormal cranial dimensions, defective dental ameloblasts, and nasal septal deviation, consistent with some of the features of human Costello syndrome. These mice developed papillomas and angiosarcomas, which were associated with Hras(G12V) allelic imbalance and augmented Hras signaling. Endogenous expression of Hras(G12V) was also associated with a higher mutation rate in vivo. Tumor initiation by Hras(G12V) likely requires augmentation of signal output, which in papillomas and angiosarcomas is achieved via increased Hras-gene copy number, which may be favored by a higher mutation frequency in cells expressing the oncoprotein. PMID:19416908
Abstract Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a highly prevalent condition, is independently associated with increased risks of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and metabolic syndrome. It is unclear, however, if the severity of OSA has any impact on glycemic control among patients with T2D. We therefore aimed to determine the independent association between OSA severity and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in patients with T2D. Methods: This was an observational cross-sectional study of 52 consecutive patients attending the diabetes obesity clinic between January 2008 to February 2010 with risk factors for sleep apnea and who underwent polysomnography study. Clinical, demographic, and lifestyle data were recorded using a questionnaire. Results: Prevalence of OSA in this clini...
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...
In 15 patients (16 hip joints) we found the clinical and radiological signs of BMOS. On T1-weighted MRI images areas of low signal intensity could be observed in the head, neck and the intertrochanteric region of the femur in various extensions. These areas showed a significant increase in signal intensity on the T2-weighted images. Because pain was resistant to conservative therapy all these patients were treated by core decompression of the femoral head in a prospective study. Bone cores were evaluated histologically using undecalcified sections and quantitative microradiography. The existence of intramedullary oedema in exactly the regions exhibiting the MRI pattern of bone marrow oedema was verified histologically; however, bone and marrow changes similar to those of early avascular necrosis (AVN) were also visible. (orig.)
The stages of processes leading to radiation damage are studied, as well as, the direct and indirect mechanics of its production. The radiation effects on nucleic acid and protein macro moleculas are treated. The physical and chemical factors that modify radiosensibility are analysed, in particular the oxygen effects, the sensibilization by analogues of nitrogen bases, post-effects, chemical protection and inherent cell factors. Consideration is given to restoration processes by excision of injured fragments, the bloching of the excision restoration processes, the restoration of lesions caused by ionizing radiations and to the restoration by genetic recombination. Referring to somatic effects of radiation, the early ones and the acute syndrome of radiation are discussed. The difference of radiosensibility observed in mammalian cells and main observable alterations in tissues and organs are commented. Referring to delayed radiation effects, carcinogeneses, ...
Abstract Alcohol drinking is highly prevalent in many cultures and contributes to the global burden of disease. In fact, it was shown that alcohol constitutes 3.2% of all worldwide deaths in the year 2006 and is linked to more than 60 diseases, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, liver cirrhosis, neuropsychiatric disorders, injuries and foetal alcohol syndrome. Alcoholism, which has been proven to have a high genetic load, is one potentially fatal consequence of chronic heavy alcohol consumption, and may be regarded as one of the most prevalent neuropsychiatric diseases afflicting our society today. The aim of the integrated genome research network -Genetics of Alcohol Addiction--which is a German inter-/trans-disciplinary life science consortium consisting of molecular biologists,...
Amphiphysin is a protein concentrated in neuronal synapses and peripherally associated with neurotransmitter vesicles. It is expressed in many neurons of the central and peripheral nervous systems, in the adrenal medulla, in the anterior and posterior pituitary, in cell lines of the endocrine pancreas, and in spermatocytes. Its subcellular localization and tissue distribution indicate a potential involvement in mechanisms of regulated exocytosis. A role in the dynamic organization of the membrane-associated cytoskeleton is suggested by structural homology to the products of two yeast genes, RVS161 and RVS167, whose mutation results in an abnormal actin distribution, disturbs budding morphology, and impairs cell entry into stationary phase. Limited stretches of sequence similarity, including an SH3 domain, are also shared with other actin-binding proteins. Amphiphysin is the dominant autoantigen in paraneoplastic Stiff-Man syndrome, a neurological autoimmune ...
These three separate pamphlets provide background information, brief discussions of research findings, and guidelines and recommendations concerning selected aspects of diet. The first pamphlet discusses food additives and hyperactivity, focusing on both the Feingold theory and controlled experiments which do not support Feingold's clinical observations and case reports. (The Feingold theory claims that artificial food flavors and colors and antioxidant preservatives cause hyperactivity in genetically predisposed individuals.) The second pamphlet discusses fast food and the American diet as they are related to sound nutritional principles. The third pamphlet, focusing on alcohol use during pregnancy, lists principles and associated features of the fetal alcohol syndrome and presents research findings and recommendations concerning alcohol use during pregnancy. (RH)
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a major health problem as it afflicts an increasing number of patients worldwide. Albeit most of the risk factors for HCC are known, this is a deadly syndrome with a life expectancy at the time of diagnosis of less than 1?year. Definition of the molecular principles governing the neoplastic transformation of the liver is an urgent need to facilitate the clinical management of patients, based on innovative methods to detect the disease in its early stages and on more efficient therapies. In the present study, we have combined the analysis of a murine model and human samples of HCC to identify genes differentially expressed early in the process of hepatocarcinogenesis, using a microarray-based approach. Expression of 190 genes was impaired in murine ...
Both the nature of international climate policy architectures and the development and diffusion of new energy technologies could dramatically influence future costs of reducing global emissions of greenhouse gases. This paper explores the implications of interactions between technology availability and performance and international policy architectures for technology choice and the social cost of limiting atmospheric CO2 concentrations to 500 ppm by the year 2095. Key issues explored in the paper include the role of bioenergy production with CO2 capture and storage (CCS), overshoot concentration pathways, and the sensitivity of mitigation costs to policy and technology.
This probably is a suitable moment for work to begin on an international Convention in this area, although it is a difficult task. Generally speaking, the RADWASS (Radioactive Waste Safety Standards) Programme has achieved sufficient consensus, and might serve as an important basis for work in relation to the Convention. The Convention should not go into highly technical details since consensus at this level is more difficult at the present moment, although this will undoubtedly be achieved in the medium term. An important element of the Convention should be the regulation of movements of radioactive wastes at international level. (orig./HP)
This volume contains the papers presented at the 1st International Workshop on "Decentralized Coordination of Distributed Processes", DCDP 2010, held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on June 10th, 2010 in conjunction with the 5th International Federated Conferences on Distributed Computing Techniques, DisCoTec 2010. The central theme of the workshop is the decentralized coordination of distributed processes. Decentralized: there is no single authority in the network that everything is vulnerable to. Coordinated: processes need to cooperate to achieve meaningful results, potentially in the face of mutual suspicion. Distributed: processes are separated by a potentially unreliable network.
Theoretical analysis of the electric field bifurcation is made for the LHD plasma. For given shapes of plasma profiles, a region of bifurcation is obtained in a space of the plasma parameters. In this region of plasma parameters, the electric field domain interface is predicted to appear in the plasma column. The reduction of turbulent transport is expected to occur in the vicinity of the interface, inducing a internal transport barrier. Within this simple model, the plasma with internal barriers is predicted to be realized for the parameters of T{sub e}(0) {approx} 2 keV and n(0) {approx_equal} 10{sup 18} m{sup -3}. (author)
The great uranium debate throughout the industrialised world has intensified awareness of the biological hazards from ionizing radiation. It is therefore appropriate to use this awareness to draw attention to medical X-Radiation which today represents the most significant risk to future generations. There is ample legislation to control proliferation of nuclear development but in diagnostic radiology proliferation is unlimited; most international surveys indicate an unchecked annual growth rate of 15%. The article looks at risk hypotheses, dose measurements and the responsibilities of practising radiographers, and also reviews the international situation as reported at the 1977 world congress of radiation protection.
In this handbook, technical reports on a number of hydro plants under construction are provided. In addition tables of compiled data are presented on a world-wide basis for the following: turbine and hydro generator contracts; hydropower resource potential and development; pumped storage plants; the major dams and hydro plants; roller compacted concrete dams and concrete faced rockfill dams; small hydropower. An address database of international organizations of relevance to hydropower development, national power authorities and nation committees of the International Commission an Large Dams is included. A final and major section of the handbook is a buyer's guide providing extensive company data and information on products and services. (UK)
Numerical solutions for fully developed laminar flow in internally finned tubes with trapezoidal and triangular fin profiles were given with Finite Element Method (FEM): The heat transfer characteristics were obtained and compared under the boundary conditions of uniform heat flux, uniform wall temperature, and the third boundary condition with finite wall thermal conductivity considered. The numerical results show that boundary conditions have pronounced effects on the temperature field. Furthermore, a new mechanism on the heat transfer augmentation of internally finned tubes is proposed.
...Development of an Agroforestry Sequestration Project in Khammam District of India | International Energy Studies International Energy Studies News | Researchers | Publications ...Technologies Division Industrial Innovations Industrial Energy Analysis Copyright &1692006 Disclaimer Development of an Agroforestry Sequestration Project in Khammam District of India Authors:P. Sudha; V.... Vasistha 2006-10-10 0 Development of an Agroforestry Sequestration Project in Khammam District of India P. Sudha, V. Ramprasad, M.D.V. Nagendra,...
Past airfoil configurations have been used to improve aerodynamic performance and engine efficiencies. The present airfoil configuration further increases component life and reduces maintenance by reducing internal stress within the airfoil itself. The airfoil includes a chord and a span. Each of the chord and the span has a bow being summed to form a generally "C" configuration of the airfoil. The generally "C" configuration includes a compound bow in which internal stresses resulting from a thermal temperature gradient are reduced. The structural configuration reduces internal stresses resulting from thermal expansion.
... 14. Pfeifer, HJ, (1986), "Correlation and Spectral Density Measurements by LDA," Proceedings of the 5th International Congress on Applications of ...
The authors emphasize the importance of stability in biological standards and discuss the steps taken to ensure the stability of International Standards and the theoretical basis of the various stability...Full Text Available
Background:To encourage evidence-based practice, an Annals of Internal Medicine editorial called for a new professional on clinical teams: an informationist trained...Full Text Available
German translation of the publication 'The evaluation of risks from radiation' published in 1965 by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. In a survey, genetic and somatic risks from radiation are presented and explained. (HP).
The book tries about the International and national aspects, natural gas situation, production, consumption, prices, demand projection, energetic plans, norms and laws of the natural gas in Colombia
Background:Spina bifida presents a significant cause of childhood morbidity in lower- and middle-income nations. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of literature examining...Full Text Available
The 10th International Neurotrauma Symposium was held in Shanghai, China, on 27-???30 April 2011. This meeting marked the 20th anniversary of International Neurotrauma Symposia. The vision of the International Neurotrauma Society is to unite clinicians and scientists to discuss and present the latest in translational clinical and basic science research related to neurotrauma. The Shanghai meeting brought together 1000 delegates from over 70 countries. Key areas discussed included current guidelines of neurotrauma management, the latest advances in neuroimaging, the latest concepts in cell death mechanisms after neurotrauma, the role of decompressive techniques for cranial and spinal neurotrauma, advances in biomarkers for CNS injury, and the future of clinical management and research in ne...
Safety in general and harmonization of International Maritime Organization rules on mobile offshore drilling rig operation in particular are discussed. The improvement of the industry's safety record is also discussed.
Recent Reviews in Carcinogenesis is a service of the International Cancer Research Data Bank (ICRDB) Program of the National Cancer Institute, intended to facilitate and promote the exchange of information between cancer scientists. It contains abstracts ...
This invention is an improved solar energy cavity receiver for exposing materials and components to high temperatures. The receiver includes a housing having an internal reflective surface defining a cavity and having an inlet for admitting solar radiation thereto. A photothermal absorber is positioned in the cavity to receive radiation from the inlet. A reflective baffle is positioned between the absorber and the inlet to severely restrict the re-radiation of energy through the inlet. The front surface of the baffle defines a narrow annulus with the internal reflective surface of the housing. The front surface of the baffle is contoured to reflect incoming radiation onto the internal surface of the housing, from which it is reflected through the annulus and onto the front surface of the absorber. The back surface of the baffle intercepts infrared radiation from the front of the absorber. With this arrangement, a high ...
This invention is an improved solar energy cavity receiver for exposing materials and components to high temperatures. The receiver includes a housing having an internal reflective surface defining a cavity and having an inlet for admitting solar radiation thereto. A photothermal absorber is positioned in the cavity to receive radiation from the inlet. A reflective baffle is positioned between the absorber and the inlet to severely restrict the re-radiation of energy through the inlet. The front surface of the baffle defines a narrow annulus with the internal reflective surface of the housing. The front surface of the baffle is contoured to reflect incoming radiation onto the internal surface of the housing, from which it is reflected through the annulus and onto the front surface of the absorber. The back surface of the baffle intercepts infrared radiation from the front of the absorber. With this arrangement, a high ...
The author investigates whether the international law regime so far has developed any legal principles dealing with the problem of the dumping of radioactive waste in the sub-seabed, and whether any of such provisions available adequately tackle the problem in the light of the gravity of danger emanating from radioactive waste. The study covers over 30 different texts of international treaties and protocols. Points of main interest are the London Dumping Convention and the Montego Bay Convention on the Law of the Sea. The author concludes that the disposal of radioactive waste into the seabed belongs to the permissible, although not specially allowed activities within the framework of the freedom of the high seas, and therefore urgently calls for establishing an international regulatory system pertaining to the planning and accomplishment of such activities. An outline legal concept of a regulatory system is explained. ...
... of Award Costs (Schedule A), are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a ... support costs, materials and supplies, and the indirect costs. We found two material internal ...
Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) has just ... initiated a program for glaciological activities. This is aimed at establishing infra structure and ...
This invention is an improved solar energy cavity receiver for exposing materials and components to high temperatures. The receiver includes a housing having an internal reflective surface defining a cavity and having an inlet for admitting solar radiation thereto. A photothermal absorber is positiond in the cavity to receive radiation from the inlet. A reflective baffle is positioned between the absorber and the inlet to severely restrict the re-radiation of energy through the inlet. The front surface of the baffle defines a narrow annulus with the internal reflective surface of the housing. The front surface of the baffle is contoured to reflect incoming radiation onto the internal surface of the housing, from which it is reflected through the annulus and onto the front surface of the absorber. The back surface of the baffle intercepts radiation from the front of the absorber. With this arrangement, a high percentage of ...
The need for material standards in the field of clinical immunology, together with the mode of operation of the combined World Health Organization/International Union of Immunological Societies programme...Full Text Available
Proceedings of the 11th IWGS Proceedings of the 8th IOC TREP, Release 10 Barley QTL Community Curation Workbook CIMMYT International Nursery Data Brachypodium website Rye...
... s guides and "how-to" videos and other materials, and 7. Receive continuing support from GLOBE's ... and educational materials that result from international proposals in its materials and support ...
... six major international terrorist attacks are considered ... Tanzania and Kenya), the USS COLE bombing of ... the September 11th terrorist attack on the ...
The information given in the present report about the Chernobyl accident and its radiological consequences indicates a serious crisis of the international radiation community. The following signs of this crises can be discerned: The international radiation community did not recognize the real reasons of the accident for a long time. It could not make a correct assessment of the damage to the thyroid of the affected populations of Belarus, Russia and the Ukraine. Up to present time it rejects the reliable data on hereditary malformations. It is not able to accept reliable data on the increase in the incidence in all categories of people affected by the Chernobyl accident. The international radiation community supported the Soviet authorities in their attempts to play down the radiological consequences of the Chernobyl accident for a long time. (author)
Cancer, by definition, is a proliferative disease. The fundamental scientific issue explored at the international symposium "Cell Proliferation and Chemical Carcinogenesis" was the impact of chemically...Full Text Available
We identify new organelles associated with the vacuolar system in plant cells. These organelles are defined biochemically by their internal content of three integral membrane proteins: a chimeric reporter...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE: To review the body of international literature regarding lung surfactant supplements in order to determine: 1) the current knowledge of the antenatal routes of administration of surfactant...Full Text Available
Inferring cluster structure in microarray datasets is a fundamental task for the -omic sciences. A fundamental question in Statistics, Data Analysis and Classification, is the prediction of the number of clusters in a dataset, usually established via internal validation measures. Despite the wealth of internal measures available in the literature, new ones have been recently proposed, some of them specifically for microarray data. In this dissertation, a study of internal validation measures is given, paying particular attention to the stability based ones. Indeed, this class of measures is particularly prominent and promising in order to have a reliable estimate the number of clusters in a dataset. For those measures, a new general algorithmic paradigm is proposed here that highlights the richness of measures in this class and accounts for the ones already available in the literature. Moreover, some of the most ...
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade services designed to assist businesses to effectively operate in global markets, were described. The goal of the Department is to give strategic targeted information that extends beyond export opportunities to include market access, investment, strategic alliances, technology transfer and competitiveness issues. These services constitute the Department`s Trade Commissioner Service, a network of 600 officers, deployed in 128 embassies and consulates worldwide to support Canadian business development initiatives across 16 sectors of the government`s International Trade Business Plan (ITBP). The Trade Commissioner Service programs include the WIN exporters database, a trade inquiries sourcing team, International Financial Institutions (IFI) projects, and the Program for Export Market Development (PEMD). A series of Sectoral Advisory Groups on ...
Gaseous Nitrogen Dewar apparatus developed by Dr. Alex McPherson of the University of California, Irvine for use aboard Mir and the International Space ...