Synthesis of perbromates

Salts of heptavalent bromine were synthesized by a hot atom process, the beta decay of radioactive selenium-83 incorporated into a selenate. Formation of an unreactive perbromate ion led to preparation of macro amounts of perborate. A rubidium salt was isolated

Pre-clearing vegetation of the coastal lowlands of the Wet Tropics Bioregion, North Queensland

A pre-clearing vegetation map and digital coverage at approximately 1:50 000 scale for the coastal lowlands (up to about 200 m elevation) of the Wet Tropics Bioregion, North Queensland is presented. The study area covers about 508 000 ha from Cooktown, 420 km south almost to Townsville (latitude 15° 30’–18° 20’ longitude 144° 50’–146° 40’). Data sources included historical aerial photography, early surveyors’ plans, explorers’ journals, previous vegetation maps, and maps of soils and geology. The pre-clearing mapping was built around the remnant vegetation mapping of Stanton & Stanton (2005), and the vegetation classification of this latter work was adopted. Vegetation units were further classified into regional ecosystems compatible with the standard State-wide system used by Queensland government. The digital coverage is part of the current Queensland Herbarium regional ecosystem coverage (Queensland Herbarium and Wet Tropics Management Authority 2005). Coloured maps (1:100 000 scale) of the pre-clearing vegetation of the Herbert, Tully, Innisfail and Macalister/Daintree subregions are on an accompanying CD-ROM. An evaluation of vegetation loss through clearing on the coastal lowlands of the Wet Tropics revealed several nearextinct vegetation communities and regional ecosystems, and many others that are drastically reduced in area. Even ecosystems occurring on poorly drained lands have suffered a surprisingly high level of loss due to the effectiveness of drainage operations. Grassland ecosystems were found to be widespread on the Herbert and Tully floodplains, but are now close to extinction. The lowlands vegetation of the Wet Tropics that remains today continues to be fragmented and degraded despite the introduction of State-wide broad-scale tree-clearing laws in 1999, and the cessation of broadscale tree-clearing in December 2006

Sofosbuvir and Daclatasvir Combination Therapy in a Liver Transplant Recipient With Severe Recurrent Cholestatic Hepatitis C

Recurrent HCV infection following liver transplantation can lead to accelerated allograft injury that is difficult to treat with interferon. The aim of this study is to describe the first ever use of an interferon‐free, all oral regimen in a liver transplant recipient with severe recurrent HCV. A 54‐year‐old male with HCV genotype 1b developed severe cholestatic HCV at 6 months posttransplant with ascites, AST 503 IU/mL, alkaline phosphatase of 298 IU/mL, HCV RNA of 12 000 000 IU/mL, and histological cholestasis with pericellular fibrosis. Sofosbuvir, an HCV polymerase inhibitor (400 mg/day), and daclatasvir, an HCV NS5A replication complex inhibitor (60 mg/day), were co‐administered for 24 weeks. Within 4 weeks of initiating treatment, serum HCV RNA levels became undetectable and liver biochemistries normalized with concomitant resolution of ascites. The patient achieved a sustained virological response with undetectable HCV RNA at 9 months posttreatment. During and following treatment, the daily dose and blood level of tacrolimus remained stable and unchanged. The rapid and sustained suppression of HCV replication in this liver transplant recipient provides great promise for the use of combination oral antiviral regimens in other immunosuppressed and interferon refractory HCV patients. A patient with severe cholestatic hepatitis C virus genotype 1b infection at nine months after liver transplantation was successfully treated with a six‐month course of oral sofosbuvir in combination with daclatasvir and remains HCV RNA negative during posttreatment follow‐up with improved liver biochemistries and health.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98302/1/ajt12209.pd

Prospective evaluation of multidimensional health-related quality of life after endoscopic endonasal surgery for pituitary adenomas using the endoscopic endonasal sinus and skull base surgery questionnaire

Objective: Social functioning is an important factor in the evaluation of postoperative health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for pituitary adenoma patients. In a prospective cohort study multidimensional HRQoL of non-functioning (NFA) and functioning (FA) pituitary adenoma patients were evaluated following endoscopic endonasal surgery using the endoscopic endonasal sinus and skull base surgery questionnaire (EES-Q). Methods: Prospectively, 101 patients were included. The EES-Q was completed preoperatively and postoperatively (2 weeks, 3 months, 1 year). Sinonasal complaints were completed daily during the first week postoperatively. Preoperative and postoperative scores were compared. A generalized estimating equation (uni- and multivariate) analysis was performed to identify significant HRQoL changes related to selected covariates. Results: Two weeks postoperatively, physical (p &lt;.05) and social (p &lt;.05) HRQoL are worse and psychological (p &lt;.05) HRQoL improved compared with preoperatively. Three months postoperatively, psychological HRQoL (p =.01) trended back to baseline and no differences in physical or social HRQoL were reported. One year postoperatively, psychological (p =.02) and social (p =.04) HRQoL improved while physical HRQoL remained stable. FA patients report a worse HRQoL preoperatively (social, p &lt;.05) and 3 months postoperatively (social, p &lt;.02 and psychological, p &lt;.02). Sinonasal complaints peak in the first days postoperatively and gradually return to presurgical levels 3 months postoperatively. Conclusions: The EES-Q provides meaningful information on multidimensional HRQoL to improve patient-centred health care. Social functioning remains the most difficult area in which to achieve improvements. Despite the relatively modest sample size, there is some indication that the FA group continues to show a downward trend (and thus improvement) even after 3 months, when most other parameters reach stability. Level of evidence: Level II—B.</p

Prospective evaluation of multidimensional health-related quality of life after endoscopic endonasal surgery for pituitary adenomas using the endoscopic endonasal sinus and skull base surgery questionnaire

Objective: Social functioning is an important factor in the evaluation of postoperative health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for pituitary adenoma patients. In a prospective cohort study multidimensional HRQoL of non-functioning (NFA) and functioning (FA) pituitary adenoma patients were evaluated following endoscopic endonasal surgery using the endoscopic endonasal sinus and skull base surgery questionnaire (EES-Q). Methods: Prospectively, 101 patients were included. The EES-Q was completed preoperatively and postoperatively (2 weeks, 3 months, 1 year). Sinonasal complaints were completed daily during the first week postoperatively. Preoperative and postoperative scores were compared. A generalized estimating equation (uni- and multivariate) analysis was performed to identify significant HRQoL changes related to selected covariates. Results: Two weeks postoperatively, physical (p &lt;.05) and social (p &lt;.05) HRQoL are worse and psychological (p &lt;.05) HRQoL improved compared with preoperatively. Three months postoperatively, psychological HRQoL (p =.01) trended back to baseline and no differences in physical or social HRQoL were reported. One year postoperatively, psychological (p =.02) and social (p =.04) HRQoL improved while physical HRQoL remained stable. FA patients report a worse HRQoL preoperatively (social, p &lt;.05) and 3 months postoperatively (social, p &lt;.02 and psychological, p &lt;.02). Sinonasal complaints peak in the first days postoperatively and gradually return to presurgical levels 3 months postoperatively. Conclusions: The EES-Q provides meaningful information on multidimensional HRQoL to improve patient-centred health care. Social functioning remains the most difficult area in which to achieve improvements. Despite the relatively modest sample size, there is some indication that the FA group continues to show a downward trend (and thus improvement) even after 3 months, when most other parameters reach stability. Level of evidence: Level II—B.</p