Architecture of the Digital Realm: Experimentations by Peter Eisenman, Frank O. Gehry

Wissenschaftliches Kolloquium vom 19. bis 22. April 2007 in Weimar an der Bauhaus-Universität zum Thema: ‚Die Realität des Imaginären. Architektur und das digitale Bild

Case Report Subclavian Artery Pseudoaneurysm Formation 3 Months after a Game of Rugby Union

Pseudoaneurysms of the subclavian artery remain a rare complication after fracture of the clavicle. We report a case of delayed diagnosis of a subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm after a closed fracture of the clavicle in a 15-year-old patient, 3 months after the original injury while playing rugby union. Despite several attendances to the Emergency Department with vague symptoms, the final diagnosis was confirmed by duplex ultrasound and Computed Tomography of the thorax. Surgical repair was indicated due to acute limb ischaemia from distal embolisation from a large pseudoaneurysm, with the patient making a full recovery. This case highlights the need for clinical vigilance when assessing patients, particularly on repeated occasions when their recovery appears to be impaired. A thorough history and clinical examination can raise suspicion of even rare occurrences and aid prompt management. Case Report A 15-year-old boy attended the Emergency Department (ED) with a short history of a pale left arm. He denied pain but complained of some altered sensation throughout his left hand. He had a significant recent medical history, having suffered a fractured midshaft of his left clavicle (see Physical examination on his final visit revealed a warm but pale arm with no radial, ulnar, or brachial pulses palpable, but a normal capillary refill time of 2 seconds, and a reduced power in his intrinsic muscles of his left hand, but normal peripheral neurovascular examinations in remaining limbs and an electrocardiograph showing sinus rhythm. Chest Xray confirmed no cervical ribs. A duplex ultrasound scan showed a loss of flow in the brachial artery below the left elbow, with thrombus partially occluding the artery. Also noted was a 3 cm abnormality in the left subclavian artery that was thought to be a subclavian aneurysm that contained thrombus. Subsequent Computed Tomography (CT) of the thorax Transfer was arranged that day to the local acute vascular surgeon on call, where he underwent a subclavian-axillary bypass and brachial embolectomy. After 4 days of recovery as an inpatient including a heparin infusion he was discharged, symptom-free. Discussion The annual incidence rate of clavicular fractures is estimated to be between 30 and 60 cases per 100,000 peopl

Serum antioxidants as predictors of the adult respiratory distress syndrome in septic patients

Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) can develop as a complication of various disorders, including sepsis, but it has not been possible to identify which of the patients at risk will develop this serious disorder. We have investigated the ability of six markers, measured sequentially in blood, to predict development of ARDS in 26 patients with sepsis. At the initial diagnosis of sepsis (6-24 h before the development of ARDS), serum manganese superoxide dismutase concentration and catalase activity were higher in the 6 patients who subsequently developed ARDS than in 20 patients who did not develop ARDS. These changes in antioxidant enzymes predicted the development of ARDS in septic patients with the same sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency as simultaneous assessments of serum lactate dehydrogenase activity and factor VIII concentration. By contrast, serum glutathione peroxidase activity and α1Pi-elastase complex concentration did not differ at the initial diagnosis of sepsis between patients who did and did not subsequently develop ARDS, and were not as effective in predicting the development of ARDS. Measurement of manganese superoxide dismutase and catalase, in addition to the other markers, should facilitate identification of patients at highest risk of ARDS and allow prospective treatment

Software Transactional Memory, OpenMP and Pthread implementations of the Conjugate Gradients Method - a Preliminary Evaluation

This paper shows the runtime and cache-efficiency of parallel implementations of the Conjugate Gradients Method based on the three paradigms Software Transactional Memory (STM), OpenMP and Pthreads. While the two last named concepts are used to manage parallelization as well as synchronization, STM was designed to handle only the latter. In our work we disclose that an improved cache efficiency does not necessarily lead to a better execution time because the execution time is dominated by the thread wait time at the barriers

Substitution effects on the photophysical and photoredox properties of tetraaza[7]helicenes

A series of substituted derivatives of tetraaza[7]helicenes were synthesized and the influence of the substitution on their photophysical and photoredox-catalytic properties was studied. The combination of their high fluorescence quantum yields of up to 0.65 and their circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) activity results in CPL brightness values (BCPL) that are among the highest recorded for [7]helicenes so far. A sulfonylation/hetarylation reaction using cyanopyridines as substrates for photoinduced electron transfer (PET) from the excited helicenes was conducted to test for viability in photoredox catalysis. DFT calculations predict the introduction of electron withdrawing substituents to yield more oxidizing catalysts

Towards achieving circularity and sustainability in feeds for farmed blue foods

acceptedVersio

Code and its image: the functions of text and visualisation in a code-based design studio

Traditionally, design learning in the architecture studio has taken place through a combination of individual work and joint projects. The introduction of code-based design practices in the design studio has altered this balance, introducing new models of joint authorship and new ways for individuals to contribute to co-authored projects. This paper presents a case study describing four design studios in a higher education setting that used code as a tool for generating architectural geometry. The format of the studios encouraged the students to reflect critically on their role as authors and to creatively address the multiple opportunities for shared authorship available with code-based production. The research question addressed in this study involved the role of code-based practices in altering the model of architectural education in the design studio, in particular the role of visual representations of a code-based design process in the production of shared knowledge

CCC meets ICU: Redefining the role of critical care of cancer patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Currently the majority of cancer patients are considered ineligible for intensive care treatment and oncologists are struggling to get their patients admitted to intensive care units. Critical care and oncology are frequently two separate worlds that communicate rarely and thus do not share novel developments in their fields. However, cancer medicine is rapidly improving and cancer is eventually becoming a chronic disease. Oncology is therefore characterized by a growing number of older and medically unfit patients that receive numerous novel drug classes with unexpected side effects.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>All of these changes will generate more medically challenging patients in acute distress that need to be considered for intensive care. An intense exchange between intensivists, oncologists, psychologists and palliative care specialists is warranted to communicate the developments in each field in order to improve triage and patient treatment. Here, we argue that "critical care of cancer patients" needs to be recognized as a medical subspecialty and that there is an urgent need to develop it systematically.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>As prognosis of cancer improves, novel therapeutic concepts are being introduced and more and more older cancer patients receive full treatment the number of acutely ill patients is growing significantly. This development a major challenge to current concepts of intensive care and it needs to be redefined who of these patients should be treated, for how long and how intensively.</p

In situ measurement of bovine serum albumin interaction with gold nanospheres

Here we present in situ observations of adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on citratestabilized gold nanospheres. We implemented scattering correlation spectroscopy as a tool to quantify changes in the nanoparticle Brownian motion resulting from BSA adsorption onto the nanoparticle surface. Protein binding was observed as an increase in the nanoparticle hydrodynamic radius. Our results indicate the formation of a protein monolayer at similar albumin concentrations as those found in human blood. Additionally, by monitoring the frequency and intensity of individual scattering events caused by single gold nanoparticles passing the observation volume, we found that BSA did not induce colloidal aggregation, a relevant result from the toxicological viewpoint. Moreover, to elucidate the thermodynamics of the gold nanoparticle-BSA association, we measured an adsorption isotherm which was best described by an anti-cooperative binding model. The number of binding sites based on this model was consistent with a BSA monolayer in its native state. In contrast, experiments using poly-ethylene glycol capped gold nanoparticles revealed no evidence for adsorption of BSA