The Eastern Europe Britain Wanted: Serbian Independence as recorded in British Newspapers, 1867

This is a study of Victorian British foreign policy reflected in newspapers. The study focuses on data obtained from the British response to Serbian independence in 1867. The Conservatives focused on ways to keep the balance of power in Europe. The Liberals were guided by their belief in progress and debated amongst themselves if the Balkan countries were ready to be independent nations. However, neither group knew much about Serbia or what was happening there. The newspapers reflected that Britain had little interest in what Serbia wanted but rather reflected what Britain wanted Europe to look like and how Serbia fit into that picture

Pralidoxime in Acute Organophosphorus Insecticide Poisoning-A Randomised Controlled Trial

Background: Poisoning with organophosphorus (OP) insecticides is a major global public health problem, causing an estimated 200,000 deaths each year. Although the World Health Organization recommends use of pralidoxime, this antidote's effectiveness remains unclear. We aimed to determine whether the addition of pralidoxime chloride to atropine and supportive care offers benefit. Methods and Findings: We performed a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial of pralidoxime chloride (2 g loading dose over 20 min, followed by a constant infusion of 0.5 g/h for up to 7 d) versus saline in patients with organophosphorus insecticide self-poisoning. Mortality was the primary outcome; secondary outcomes included intubation, duration of intubation, and time to death. We measured baseline markers of exposure and pharmacodynamic markers of response to aid interpretation of clinical outcomes. Two hundred thirty-five patients were randomised to receive pralidoxime (121) or saline placebo (114). Pralidoxime produced substantial and moderate red cell acetylcholinesterase reactivation in patients poisoned by diethyl and dimethyl compounds, respectively. Mortality was nonsignificantly higher in patients receiving pralidoxime: 30/121 (24.8%) receiving pralidoxime died, compared with 18/114 (15.8%) receiving placebo (adjusted hazard ratio HR] 1.69, 95% confidence interval CI] 0.88-3.26, p = 0.12). Incorporating the baseline amount of acetylcholinesterase already aged and plasma OP concentration into the analysis increased the HR for patients receiving pralidoxime compared to placebo, further decreasing the likelihood that pralidoxime is beneficial. The need for intubation was similar in both groups (pralidoxime 26/121 21.5%], placebo 24/114 21.1%], adjusted HR 1.27 95% CI 0.71-2.29]). To reduce confounding due to ingestion of different insecticides, we further analysed patients with confirmed chlorpyrifos or dimethoate poisoning alone, finding no evidence of benefit. Conclusions: Despite clear reactivation of red cell acetylcholinesterase in diethyl organophosphorus pesticide poisoned patients, we found no evidence that this regimen improves survival or reduces need for intubation in patients with organophosphorus insecticide poisoning. The reason for this failure to benefit patients was not apparent. Further studies of different dose regimens or different oximes are required

Neuronal Intermediate Filaments in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Neuronal intermediate filaments (NIFs) are the most abundant cytoskeletal element in mature neurons. They are composed of different protein subunits encoded by separate genes such as neurofilament light chain (NFL), neurofilament medium chain (NFM), neurofilament heavy chain (NFH), ɑ‐internexin and peripherin. NIFs are dynamic structures playing important functions in cell architecture and differentiation, interactions between proteins or subcellular organelles, and in axonal calibre determination and myelination. Consequently, their presence modulates electrophysiological properties of axons. NIFs have long been assigned a role in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Indeed, accumulation and abnormal phosphorylation of NIF subunits in motor neuron are one of the major pathological features in both sporadic and familial forms of the disease. Moreover, mutations in the NFH and peripherin genes and elevated cerebrospinal fluid NIF levels reported in ALS cases, associated with studies in transgenic mice, provided the evidence that primary defects in NIFs could be causative for motor neuron disease. However, the processes leading to the NIF abnormalities and the links to the pathogenesis of ALS remain unclear, leaving a challenging open field for further investigations in this highly disabilitating disease. Here, we review the main characteristics of these NIFs and their involvement in the pathomechanisms of ALS

Defining and distinguishing infant behavioral states using acoustic cry analysis: is colic painful?

BackgroundTo characterize acoustic features of an infant's cry and use machine learning to provide an objective measurement of behavioral state in a cry-translator. To apply the cry-translation algorithm to colic hypothesizing that these cries sound painful.MethodsAssessment of 1000 cries in a mobile app (ChatterBabyTM). Training a cry-translation algorithm by evaluating >6000 acoustic features to predict whether infant cry was due to a pain (vaccinations, ear-piercings), fussy, or hunger states. Using the algorithm to predict the behavioral state of infants with reported colic.ResultsThe cry-translation algorithm was 90.7% accurate for identifying pain cries, and achieved 71.5% accuracy in discriminating cries from fussiness, hunger, or pain. The ChatterBaby cry-translation algorithm overwhelmingly predicted that colic cries were most likely from pain, compared to fussy and hungry states. Colic cries had average pain ratings of 73%, significantly greater than the pain measurements found in fussiness and hunger (p < 0.001, 2-sample t test). Colic cries outranked pain cries by measures of acoustic intensity, including energy, length of voiced periods, and fundamental frequency/pitch, while fussy and hungry cries showed reduced intensity measures compared to pain and colic.ConclusionsAcoustic features of cries are consistent across a diverse infant population and can be utilized as objective markers of pain, hunger, and fussiness. The ChatterBaby algorithm detected significant acoustic similarities between colic and painful cries, suggesting that they may share a neuronal pathway

Report on the Negro in Portland : a progress report, 1945-1957

Running title: Portland City Club bulletin; Page 371 is blank

Poisoning with the S-Alkyl organophosphorus insecticides profenofos and prothiofos

Background: Many organophosphorus (OP) insecticides have either two O-methyl or two O-ethyl groups attached to the phosphorus atom. This chemical structure affects their responsiveness to oxime-induced acetylcholinesterase (AChE) reactivation after poisoning. However, several OP insecticides are atypical and do not have these structures

Acetilkolinesteraza u eritrocitima i butirilkolinesteraza u plazmi - Važni pokazatelji za liječenje osoba otrovanih organofosfornim spojevima

Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is regarded as the primary toxic mechanism of organophosphorus compounds (OP). Therapeutic strategies are directed to antagonise overstimulation of muscarinic receptors with atropine and to reactivate inhibited AChE with oximes. Reactivation is crucial within the neuromuscular synapse, where atropine is ineffective, since peripheral neuromuscular block eventually leads to respiratory failure. Patients with OP intoxication have to be identified as early as possible. During an international NBC-defence exercise anesthetised pigs were poisoned with sarin, followed by treatment with atropine and oxime. Blood samples were drawn and red blood cell (RBC)-AChE activity determined with a fielded test system on-site. Within a few minutes the poisoning was verified. After administration of HI-6, RBC-AChE activity increased rapidly. Blood samples were reanalysed in our laboratory in Munich. Almost identical course of the AChE activities was recorded by both systems. The more comprehensive cholinesterase status was determined in Munich. Oxime administration can be stopped when AChE is aged completely, but has to be continued as long as poison is present in the body and reactivation is possible. To aid the on-site physician in optimising diagnosis and treatment, a fielded test system should be available to allow rapid determination of the complete cholinesterase status.Inhibicija acetilkolinesteraze (AChE) smatra se primarnim mehanizmom toksičnoga djelovanja organofosfornih spojeva (OP). Strategije liječenja idu za zaustavljanjem prekomjerne stimulacije muskarinskih receptora atropinom i reaktiviranjem inhibiranog AChE oksimima. Ključna je reaktivacija u neuromuskularnoj sinapsi, u kojoj atropin nije djelotvoran, budući da neuromuskularna blokada u konačnici vodi do prestanka disanja. Važno je što ranije prepoznati otrovanje organofosfornim spojem. U jednoj međunarodnoj vježbi zaštite od nuklearnog, biološkog i kemijskog napada svinje pod anestezijom otrovane su sarinom te liječene atropinom i oksimom. Uzeti su im uzorci krvi te s pomoću terenskoga testa na licu mjesta određena aktivnost AChE u eritrocitima. Otrovanje je potvrđeno za nekoliko minuta. Nakon primjene HI-6, aktivnost AChE brzo je porasla. Isti su uzorci krvi ponovno analizirani u našem laboratoriju u Münchenu. Oba su testa zabilježila gotovo istovjetan tijek aktivnosti AChE. U Münchenu je međutim napravljen potpuniji nalaz kolinesteraza. Liječenje oksimima može se prekinuti kada AChE potpuno “ostari” (tj. dealkilira), ali ga valja nastaviti dokle god je otrov u tijelu, a reaktivacija moguća. Liječnici na terenu trebali bi raspolagati terenskim testovima radi brzoga i potpunog utvrđivanja statusa kolinesteraza, a time i kvalitetnije dijagnoze

Variable stars across the observational HR diagram

An overview of pulsating variable stars across the observational Hertzprung-Russel (HR) diagram is presented, together with a summary of their global properties. The HR diagram is presented with a third colour-coded dimension, visualizing the fraction of variable, the amplitude of variability or the period of variability. The distribution of variable stars in the other observational diagrams, such as the Period-Amplitude diagram, is also presented. Some of the progresses performed in the field of variable stars during the last decade are briefly summarized, and future projects that will improve our knowledge of variable stars are mentioned.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figure