Detection of HIV-1 infection in dried blood spots from a 12-year-old ABO bedside test card

Background and Objectives: We tested dried blood from an ABO bedside test card which had been stored at room temperature for 12 years, to prove that a patient with HIV-1 infection had been infected by blood transfusion. Materials and Methods: Immunoblots for HIV-1 antibodies and threefold PCRs with half-nested primers for the HIV-1 integrase gene were done with eluates from the dried blood spots. Results: HIV-1 antibodies and HIV-1 DNA could be detected in the sample from one unit of blood, but not from the two other units or from the recipient before transfusion. Conclusion: Further studies should be done on the validity of stored dried blood as an alternative to the storage of frozen donor serum for several years for `look-back' studies

Will Pharmacy find Herself?

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BIOMECHANICS OF NORMAL AND ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT DEFICIENT GAIT UNDER BRACED AND UNBRACED CONDITIONS

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) performs an important role in stabilizing the knee joint during gait. However, little research has examined the effect of ACLdeficiency on gait mechanics. Furthermore, the mechanics of braced ACL-deficient gait remain unclear. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the running mechanics of normal and ACL-deficient individuals, and secondly, to investigate the running mechanics of normal and ACL-deficient Individuals while wearing a derotation knee brace. Seven ACL-deficient individuals (X age = 25 +I- 5 yrs, X height = 1.80 +I- .07 m, X mass = 85.0 +/ 16 kg) and seven uninjured males (X age = 24 +I- 2 yrs, X height = 1.80 +/- .05 m, X mass = 86.0 +I- 5 kg) participated. Subjects were filmed during braced and unbraced straight-lie running across a force platform (cadence = 77 cycles-perminute). One acceptable trial was recorded for each subject under braced and unbraced conditions. Running velocities were 3.24 m/s and 3.50 m/s for normal and ACL-deficient subjects, respectively. Selected kinematic and kinetic parameters were calculated to quantify the differences between normal and ACL-deficient individuals, and the effect of bracing the knee. A 2 X 2 repeated measures analysis of variance revealed no statistically significant difference on any dependent variable (a = .05). It appears that ACL-deficiency may not alter the running mechanics of wellrehabilitated individuals during a low-risk, non-fatigued running task. Bracing the knee seemed to have no effect on the gait mechanics of normal or ACL-deficient individuals. The assessment of ACL-deficiency and bracing may require more demanding experimental protocol and/or newlyinjured/less-rehabilitated subjects. Future studies may benefit from an examination of the muscle moments at the occurrence of specific events during the support period

Untersuchungen zum Sorptions- und Quellungsverhalten von thermisch behandeltem Holz

Zusammenfassung: Proben aus Radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don), Douglasie (Pseudotsuga menziesii Franco), Laurel (Laurelia sempervirens (R. et Pav.)Tul), Edelkastanie (Castanea sativa Mill.) und Eiche (Quercus robur L.) wurden im belüfteten Trockenschrank jeweils 24h bei 100°C, 150°C bzw. 200°C) wärmebehandelt. Danach wurden das Sorptionsverhalten bei variabler Luftfeuchte und die Quellung in radialer und tangentialer Richtung bestimmt. Als Bezugsbasis dienten unbehandelte Proben. Je Variante wurden zehn Proben verwendet. Das Sorptionsverhalten wurde basierend auf den gemessenen Werten mit dem Hailwood-Horrobin-Modell berechnet. Je nach Holzart kam es bereits ab 100°C teilweise zu einer merklichen Reduzierung der Gleichgewichtsfeuchte. Bei 150°C und insbesondere bei 200°C war eine deutliche Reduzierung der Gleichgewichtsfeuchte und Quellung vorhanden. Mit dem HH-Modell konnte nachgewiesen werden, dass es dabei sowohl zu Änderungen der Porenstruktur als auch der Chemisorption kommt. Auch die Verkettung der Cellulosemoleküle ändert sich. Der Unterschied zwischen tangentialer und radialen differentialer Quellung steigt in der Reihenfolge Pinus radiata, P. menziesii, C. sativa, L. sempervirens und Q. robur. Die tangentiale differentielle Quellung ist allgemein empfindlicher auf die Wärmebehandlung als die radiale. Was die tangentiale differentielle Quellung anbelangt setzt sich Q. robur von den übrigen untersuchten Holzarten in den absoluten Werten deutlich ab. Mit Ausnahme von Pinus radiata tendiert der Anisotropie-Koeffizient bei 200°C dazu, leicht abzunehmen. Die Dichte sank bei allen Holzarten durch die Behandlung a

Untersuchungen zu Diffusionsvorgängen in mehrschichtigen Massivholzplatten

Zusammenfassung: An mehrschichtigen Massivholzplatten mit unterschiedlichem Aufbau und verschiedener Verleimungsart wurde die Wasserdampfdiffusion in einem Feuchtklima (zwischen 100% und 65% rel. Luftfeuchte bei 20°C) und einem Trockenklima (zwischen 0% und 65% rel. Luftfeuchte bei 20°C) geprüft. Die Ergebnisse lassen sich wie folgt zusammenfassen: Der Wasserdampf-Diffusionsdurchlasswiderstand im Trockenbereich ist im Vergleich zum Nassbereich deutlich höher. Der Wasserdampf-Diffusionsdurchlasswiderstand wird stärker durch die Anzahl der Leimfugen pro cm Plattendicke als durch die Klebstoffart bestimmt. Zieht man den durchschnittlichen Feuchtegehalt der Platten im Nassbereich von etwa 20% in Betracht, so ist bei einer Fasersättigungsfeuchte von 28% (erreicht an der dem Wasser zugewandten Seite der Probe) und einer Ausgleichsfeuchte von 12% auf der dem Normalklima zugewandten Seite auf eine lineare Feuchteverteilung innerhalb der Versuchsplatten nach dem Erreichen der Gleichgewichtskonstanz zu schliessen. Der durchschnittliche Feuchtegehalt der Platten im Trockenbereich betrug etwa 11,3%. Dieser Wassergehalt entspricht der Gleichgewichtsfeuchtigkeit des Fichtenholzes beim Normalklima (rel. Luftfeuchtigkeit von 65% bei 20°C). Dies bedeutet, dass das Partialdruckgefälle nach dem Erreichen des Gleichgewichts ein vollkommenes Durchfeuchten der Platte mit der Normalfeuchte des Fichtenholzes verursach

Prediction of Post-Weaning Fibrinogen Status during Cardiopulmonary Bypass: An Observational Study in 110 Patients.

BACKGROUND: After cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), acquired coagulopathy often leads to post-CPB bleeding. Though multifactorial in origin, this coagulopathy is often aggravated by deficient fibrinogen levels. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether laboratory and thrombelastometric testing on CPB can predict plasma fibrinogen immediately after CPB weaning. PATIENTS / METHODS: This prospective study in 110 patients undergoing major cardiovascular surgery at risk of post-CPB bleeding compares fibrinogen level (Clauss method) and function (fibrin-specific thrombelastometry) in order to study the predictability of their course early after termination of CPB. Linear regression analysis and receiver operating characteristics were used to determine correlations and predictive accuracy. RESULTS: Quantitative estimation of post-CPB Clauss fibrinogen from on-CPB fibrinogen was feasible with small bias (+0.19 g/l), but with poor precision and a percentage of error >30%. A clinically useful alternative approach was developed by using on-CPB A10 to predict a Clauss fibrinogen range of interest instead of a discrete level. An on-CPB A10 ≤10 mm identified patients with a post-CPB Clauss fibrinogen of ≤1.5 g/l with a sensitivity of 0.99 and a positive predictive value of 0.60; it also identified those without a post-CPB Clauss fibrinogen <2.0 g/l with a specificity of 0.83. CONCLUSIONS: When measured on CPB prior to weaning, a FIBTEM A10 ≤10 mm is an early alert for post-CPB fibrinogen levels below or within the substitution range (1.5-2.0 g/l) recommended in case of post-CPB coagulopathic bleeding. This helps to minimize the delay to data-based hemostatic management after weaning from CPB

An ‘Ethical Black Box’, Learning From Disagreement in Shared Control Systems

Shared control, where a human user cooperates with an algorithm to operate a device, has the potential to greatly expand access to powered mobility, but also raises unique ethical challenges. A shared-control wheelchair may perform actions that do not reflect its user’s intent in order to protect their safety, causing frustration or distrust in the process. Unlike physical accidents there is currently no framework for investigating or adjudicating these events, leading to a reduced capability to improve the shared control algorithm’s user experience. In this paper we suggest a system based on the idea of an ‘ethical black box’ that records the sensor context of sub-critical disagreements and collision risks in order to allow human investigators to examine them in retrospect and assess whether the algorithm has taken control from the user without justification

Quantum Enhancement of the Zero-Area Sagnac Interferometer Topology for Gravitational Wave Detection

Only a few years ago, it was realized that the zero-area Sagnac interferometer topology is able to perform quantum nondemolition measurements of position changes of a mechanical oscillator. Here, we experimentally show that such an interferometer can also be efficiently enhanced by squeezed light. We achieved a nonclassical sensitivity improvement of up to 8.2 dB, limited by optical loss inside our interferometer. Measurements performed directly on our squeezed-light laser output revealed squeezing of 12.7 dB. We show that the sensitivity of a squeezed-light enhanced Sagnac interferometer can surpass the standard quantum limit for a broad spectrum of signal frequencies without the need for filter cavities as required for Michelson interferometers. The Sagnac topology is therefore a powerful option for future gravitational-wave detectors, such as the Einstein Telescope, whose design is currently being studied.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure