386 research outputs found
George W. Bush, the American Press, and the Initial Framing of the War on Terror after 9/11
President George W. Bush\u27s speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations on November I 0, 200 I, marks an important moment in the history of the War on Terror. 1 It followed closely upon the joint U.S.-Northern Alliance military capture of Mazari Sarif, Afghanistan, which significantly disrupted the Taliban\u27s operations and arguably marked the official beginning of America\u27s War on Terror. As President Bush stated, The time for sympathy has now passed; the time for action has now arrived. 2 In some ways, the speech offered nothing new. It reiterated words and ideas that the president frequently used to label elements of the situation following the 9/11 attacks
A balloon-borne imaging gamma-ray telescope
A balloon-borne coded-aperture gamma-ray telescope for galactic and extragalactic astronomy observations is described. The instrument, called Gamma Ray Imaging Payload (GRIP), is designed for measurements in the energy range from 30 keV to 5 MeV with an angular resolution of 0.6 deg over a 20 deg field of view. Distinguishing characteristics of the telescope are a rotating hexagonal coded-aperture mask and a thick NaI scintillation camera. Rotating hexagonal coded-apertures and the development of thick scintillation cameras are discussed
Comprehensive analysis of preeclampsia-associated DNA methylation in the placenta
Background:A small number of recent reports have suggested that altered placental DNA methylation may be associated with early onset preeclampsia. It is important that further studies be undertaken to confirm and develop these findings. We therefore undertook a systematic analysis of DNA methylation patterns in placental tissue from 24 women with preeclampsia and 24 with uncomplicated pregnancy outcome
Low Soluble Syndecan-1 Precedes Preeclampsia
Introduction Syndecan-1 (Sdc1; CD138) is a major transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan expressed on the extracellular, luminal surface of epithelial cells and syncytiotrophoblast, thus comprising a major component of the glycocalyx of these cells. The "soluble" (shed) form of Sdc1 has paracrine and autocrine functions and is normally produced in a regulated fashion. We compared plasma soluble Sdc1 concentrations, in relation to placental Sdc1 expression, in uncomplicated (control) and preeclamptic pregnancies. Methods We evaluated soluble Sdc1 across uncomplicated pregnancy, and between preeclamptic, gestational hypertensive and control patients at mid-pregnancy (20 weeks) and 3rd trimester by ELISA. Placental expression level of Sdc1 was compared between groups in relation to pre-delivery plasma soluble Sdc1. Participants were recruited from Magee-Womens Hospital. Results In uncomplicated pregnancy, plasma soluble Sdc1 rose significantly in the 1st trimester, and reached an approximate 50-fold increase at term compared to post pregnancy levels. Soluble Sdc1 was lower at mid-pregnancy in women who later developed preeclampsia (P<0.05), but not gestational hypertension, compared to controls, and remained lower at late pregnancy in preeclampsia (P<0.01) compared to controls. Sdc1 was prominently expressed on syncytiotrophoblast of microvilli. Syncytiotrophoblast Sdc1 immunostaining intensities, and mRNA content in villous homogenates, were lower in preeclampsia vs. controls (P<0.05). Soluble Sdc1 and Sdc1 immunostaining scores were inversely associated with systolic blood pressures, and positively correlated with infant birth weight percentile
Mechanical circulatory support in acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock: Challenges and importance of randomized control trials
BACKGROUND: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.
METHODS: We provide an overview of previously conducted studies on the use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices in the treatment of AMI-CS and difficulties which may be encountered in conducting such trials in the United States.
RESULTS: Well powered randomized control trials are difficult to conduct in a critically ill patient population due to physician preferences, perceived lack of equipoise and challenges obtaining informed consent.
CONCLUSIONS: With growth in utilization of MCS devices in patients with AMI-CS, efforts to perform well-powered, randomized control trials must be undertaken
First Flight of a New Balloon-Borne Gamma-Ray Imaging Telescope
The first flight of a new balloon-borne gamma-ray imaging payload (GRIP)
occurred on Oct. 15 and 16, 1986 from Palestine, Texas. Observations included the
quasar 3C273, the galactic center, and the Crab and Cygnus regions. We discuss the
instrument performance and present images of the Crab and Cygnus regions with 0.6
degree resolution over a 20 degree field of view
Exploring short gamma-ray bursts as gravitational-wave standard sirens
Recent observations support the hypothesis that a large fraction of
"short-hard" gamma-ray bursts (SHBs) are associated with compact binary
inspiral. Since gravitational-wave (GW) measurements of well-localized
inspiraling binaries can measure absolute source distances, simultaneous
observation of a binary's GWs and SHB would allow us to independently determine
both its luminosity distance and redshift. Such a "standard siren" (the GW
analog of a standard candle) would provide an excellent probe of the relatively
nearby universe's expansion, complementing other standard candles. In this
paper, we examine binary measurement using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique
to build the probability distributions describing measured parameters. We
assume that each SHB observation gives both sky position and the time of
coalescence, and we take both binary neutron stars and black hole-neutron star
coalescences as plausible SHB progenitors. We examine how well parameters
particularly distance) can be measured from GW observations of SHBs by a range
of ground-based detector networks. We find that earlier estimates overstate how
well distances can be measured, even at fairly large signal-to-noise ratio. The
fundamental limitation to determining distance proves to be a degeneracy
between distance and source inclination. Overcoming this limitation requires
that we either break this degeneracy, or measure enough sources to broadly
sample the inclination distribution. (Abridged)Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ; this version
incorporates referee's comments and criticism
A survey of current and past Pediatric Infectious Diseases fellows regarding training
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The objectives of this study were to characterize the satisfaction of Pediatric Infectious Diseases fellows with their training and to understand how opinions about training have changed over time.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Anonymous survey studies were conducted with questions designed to include areas related to the 6 ACGME core competencies. Surveys for current fellows were distributed by fellowship directors, while surveys for graduates were mailed to all individuals with Pediatric Infectious Diseases certification.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Response rates for current fellows and graduates were 50% and 52%, respectively. Most fellows (98%) and graduates (92%) perceived their overall training favorably. Training in most clinical care areas was rated favorably, however both groups perceived relative deficiencies in several areas. Current fellows rated their training in other competency areas (e.g., systems-based practice, research, and ethics) more favorably when compared to past graduates. Recent graduates perceived their training more favorably in many of these areas compared to past graduates.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Pediatric Infectious Diseases fellowship training is well regarded by the majority of current and past trainees. Views of current fellows reflect improved satisfaction with training in a variety of competency areas. Persistent deficiencies in clinical training likely reflect active barriers to education. Additional study is warranted to validate perceived deficiencies and to establish consensus on the importance of these areas to infectious diseases training.</p
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