Computer program samples digital data for CRT display

High volume, multichannel data reduction computer program permits selection of the rates at which digital data is sampled. The program, written in FORTRAN 4 source language, also permits accessibility to the original mass of data

Electrode for biological recording

Electrochemically reversible silver-silver chloride electrode for detecting bioelectric potential differences generated by human muscles and organ

The communications technology satellite and the associated ground terminals for experiments

General spacecraft operational characteristics of the Communications Technology Satellite are discussed with particular emphasis on communication system parameters. Associated used ground terminals are reviewed. Wideband communications are also discussed

Validity and repeatability of a simple index derived from the short physical activity questionnaire used in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study

Original article can be found at: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=PHN Copyright The Authors. DOI: 10.1079/PHN2002439Peer reviewe

Electrospray synthesis of PLGA TIPS microspheres

We successfully demonstrate the synthesis of polymer microspheres using a single electrospray source, and show their physical characterisation. Electrospray has proven to be a versatile method to manufacture particles, giving tight control over size with quasi-monodisperse size distributions. It is a liquid atomisation technique that generates a monodisperse population of highly charged liquid droplets over a broad size range (nanometres to tens of microns). The droplets contain liquid precursors for the in-flight synthesis of particles, and control over the trajectory of these droplets can be precisely manipulated with the use of electric fields to drive them to a grounded substrate. This study reports a method to synthesize poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) microspheres using the electrospray and thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) techniques, followed by subsequent freeze-drying, for particle production. These microspheres are of interest as vehicles for controlled drug release systems

Competitive Activation of a Methyl C−H Bond of Dimethylformamide at an Iridium Center

During the synthesis of [AsPh_4][Ir(CO)_2I_3Me] by refluxing IrCl_3·3H_2O in DMF (DMF = dimethylformamide) in the presence of aqueous HCl, followed by sequential treatment with [AsPh_4]Cl, NaI, and methyl iodide and finally recrystallization from methylene chloride/pentane, three crystalline byproducts were obtained: [AsPh4]_2[Ir(CO)I_5], [AsPh_4]_2[trans-Ir(CO)I_4Cl], and [AsPh_4][Ir(CO)(κ^2O,C-CH_2NMeCHO)Cl_2I]. The last of these, whose structure (along with the others) was determined by X-ray diffraction, results from activation of a methyl C−H bond of dimethylformamide, rather than the normally much more reactive aldehydic C−H bond

Derivation and Performance of Standardized Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) Test Thresholds for the Detection and Prognosis of Liver Fibrosis

INTRODUCTION: Noninvasive tests are increasingly used to assess liver fibrosis and determine prognosis but suggested test thresholds vary. We describe the selection of standardized thresholds for the Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) test for the detection of liver fibrosis and for prognostication in chronic liver disease. METHODS: A Delphi method was used to identify thresholds for the ELF test to predict histological liver fibrosis stages, including cirrhosis, using data derived from 921 patients in the EUROGOLF cohort. These thresholds were then used to determine the prognostic performance of ELF in a subset of 457 patients followed for a mean of 5 years. RESULTS: The Delphi panel selected sensitivity of 85% for the detection of fibrosis and >95% specificity for cirrhosis. The corresponding thresholds were 7.7, 9.8, and 11.3. Eighty-five percent of patients with mild or worse fibrosis had an ELF score ≥7.7. The sensitivity for cirrhosis of ELF ≥9.8 was 76%. ELF ≥11.3 was 97% specific for cirrhosis. ELF scores show a near-linear relationship with Ishak fibrosis stages. Relative to the <7.7 group, the hazard ratios for a liver-related outcome at 5 years were 21.00 (95% CI, 2.68-164.65) and 71.04 (95% CI, 9.4-536.7) in the 9.8 to <11.3 and ≥11.3 subgroups, respectively. CONCLUSION: The selection of standard thresholds for detection and prognosis of liver fibrosis is described and their performance reported. These thresholds should prove useful in both interpreting and explaining test results and when considering the relationship of ELF score to Ishak stage in the context of monitoring