'Better off thrown behind a ditch': Enniskillen Workhouse during the Great Famine

Famine, Poor Relief, Welfare

The PHENIX Experiment at RHIC

The physics emphases of the PHENIX collaboration and the design and current status of the PHENIX detector are discussed. The plan of the collaboration for making the most effective use of the available luminosity in the first years of RHIC operation is also presented.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure. Further details of the PHENIX physics program available at http://www.rhic.bnl.gov/phenix

‘Better off thrown behind a ditch’ Enniskillen Workhouse during the Great Famine

Not applicable2014-09-18 JG: Record reinstated from backup after damaged text_valu

Agency and famine relief : Enniskillen workhouse during the Great Irish Famine

2014-09-18 JG: Record reinstated from backup after damaged text_valu

Agency and famine relief : Enniskillen workhouse during the Great Irish Famine

2014-09-18 JG: Record reinstated from backup after damaged text_valu

Longitudinal assessment of von Willebrand factor antigen and von Willebrand factor propeptide in response to alteration of antiplatelet therapy after TIA or ischaemic stroke.

The impact of commencing or changing antiplatelet therapy on von Willebrand factor antigen (VWF:Ag) and von Willebrand factor propeptide (VWF:Ag II) levels has not been comprehensively assessed following TIA or ischaemic stroke. In this pilot, longitudinal, observational analytical study, VWF:Ag and VWF:Ag II levels were simultaneously quantified in platelet poor plasma by ELISA in patients within 4 weeks of TIA or ischaemic stroke (baseline), and then 14 days (14d) and >90 days (90d) after altering antiplatelet therapy. Ninety-one patients were recruited. Eighteen were initially assessed on no antiplatelet therapy, and then after 14d (N = 17) and 90d (N = 8) on aspirin monotherapy; 21 patients were assessed on aspirin and after 14d and 90d on clopidogrel; 52 were assessed on aspirin monotherapy, and after 14d and 90d on aspirin and dipyridamole combination therapy. VWF:Ag, VWF:Ag II levels and VWF:Ag/VWF:Ag II ratio were unchanged at 14d and 90d in the overall study population (p ? 0.1). VWF:Ag and VWF:Ag II levels remained stable at 14d and 90d after commencing aspirin (p ? 0.054), and after changing from aspirin to clopidogrel (p ? 0.2). Following the addition of dipyridamole MR to aspirin, there was a significant reduction in VWF:Ag levels at 14d (p = 0.03) and 90d (p = 0.005), but not in VWF:Ag II levels (p ? 0.3). The addition of dipyridamole to aspirin led to a persistent reduction in VWF:Ag but not in VWF:Ag II levels, suggesting that dipyridamole may inhibit release of platelet-derived VWF:Ag following TIA or ischaemic stroke

Increased endothelial activation in recently symptomatic versus asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis and in cerebral microembolic-signal-negative patient subgroups.

von Willebrand factor propeptide (VWF:Ag II) is potentially a more sensitive marker of acute endothelial activation than von Willebrand factor antigen (VWF:Ag). These biomarkers have not been simultaneously assessed in asymptomatic versus symptomatic carotid stenosis patients. The relationship between endothelial activation and cerebral microembolic signals (MESs) detected on transcranial Doppler ultrasound is unknown.In this multicentre observational analytical study, plasma VWF:Ag and VWF:Ag II levels in patients with ?50% asymptomatic carotid stenosis were compared with those from patients with ?50% symptomatic carotid stenosis in the \u27early\u27 (?4 weeks) and \u27late\u27 (?3 months) phases after transient ischaemic attack or ischaemic stroke. Endothelial activation was also longitudinally assessed in symptomatic patients during follow-up. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound monitoring classified patients as MES-positive or MES-negative.Data from 31 asymptomatic patients were compared with those from 46 early symptomatic and 35 late phase symptomatic carotid stenosis patients, 23 of whom had undergone carotid intervention. VWF:Ag II levels were higher in early (12.8 ?g/ml; P < 0.001), late (10.6 ?g/ml; P = 0.01) and late post-intervention (10.6 ?g/ml; P = 0.038) symptomatic patients than asymptomatic patients (8.9 ?g/ml). VWF:Ag levels decreased in symptomatic patients followed up from the early to late phase after symptom onset (P = 0.048). Early symptomatic MES-negative patients had higher VWF: Ag II levels (13.3 vs. 9.0 ?g/ml; P < 0.001) than asymptomatic MES-negative patients.Endothelial activation is enhanced in symptomatic versus asymptomatic carotid stenosis patients, in early symptomatic versus asymptomatic MES-negative patients, and decreases over time in symptomatic patients. VWF:Ag II levels are a more sensitive marker of endothelial activation than VWF:Ag levels in carotid stenosis. The potential value of endothelial biomarkers and concurrent cerebral MES detection at predicting stroke risk in carotid stenosis warrants further study