A Hydrazine Polyuranate - Preparation and X-Ray Diffraction Data

The formation of a yellow precipitate upon addition of 500/o hydrazinewater solution to a diluted solution of uranyl nitrate in water was observed by R. Salvadori back in 19121• Author reported that the precipitate obtained from slightly alkaline solutions contains uranium in 6 + valence state and gave the formula of precipitate as (N2H5) 20 · 5 U03 • 8 H20

Thorium Transition Metals Ternary Germanides

New ternary germanides of the general compo sition ThM2Ge2 were found to exist in the systems Th-Cr-Ge, Th-Mn-Ge, Th-Fe -Ge, Th-Co- Ge, Th-Ni- Ge and Th- Cu-Ge. The crystal structure analysis by means of the x - ray powder diffraction method showed that these compounds are isostructural with the compounds ThM2Si2 (M = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu), discdvered in this labo.ratory,, The tetragonal unit cell contains two formula units. Space group is !4/mmm. The atomic positions of thorium and the transition metal are defined by special position 2(a) and 4(d), respectively, while the variabl e 2arameter z determining the position 4(e) of the germanium atoms was obtained by computing the ele ctroi;i. density distribution along the c-axis

The Preparation and Crystal Structure of Some Ternary Silicides Containing Uranium and Transition Metals

The crystal structure of some new ternary silicides of the general composition U 4M 5Si3 (M = Cr, Mn, Fe) h as been determined by means of the x-ray powder diffraction method. The structure which belongs to the C14 (MgZn2) type is characterized by a statistical distributio\u27n of both kinds of smaller atoms. The chemical composition of the monophase specimens is probably temperature dependent. At lower temperatures it may aproach the formula U2M 3Si. In some of these systems ternary compounds UM2Si2 were also identified. They were found to be isostructural with the previously reported ThM2Si2 compounds. A novel method for the preparation of uranium alloys with the use of the electron beam melting is described

The Floating-Zone Refining of Silicon by Electron Beam Heating

The contamination o.f a melt c aused by the material of the container is completely avoided by the float ing zoine method. For this reason the\u27 method, firstly realized by P. H. Keck and M. J. Golay1, is nowadays u sed very oft~n for obtaining various materials of extremely high purity. The method is especially valuable in the case of chemically active melts and certainly it is the best way for obtaining single c rystals when extreme purity is primarily required. Zone melting can be achieved by different heating techniques, high frequency being used mostly. Electron beam heating wais introduced by A. Calverley et al.2 Ln the case o f ma•terials with very high melting point it has the advantage over high frequency heating. In the present article an improvement of this method as well as details of the equipment and floating zone refining of silicon are described

Functional outcomes from a head-to-head, randomized, double-blind trial of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate and atomoxetine in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and an inadequate response to methylphenidate

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with functional impairments in multiple domains of patients' lives. A secondary objective of this randomized, active-controlled, head-to-head, double-blind, dose-optimized clinical trial was to compare the effects of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) and atomoxetine (ATX) on functional impairment in children and adolescents with ADHD. Patients aged 6-17 years with an ADHD Rating Scale IV total score ≥ 28 and an inadequate response to methylphenidate treatment (judged by investigators) were randomized (1:1) to once-daily LDX or ATX for 9 weeks. Parents/guardians completed the Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale-Parent Report (WFIRS-P) at baseline and at week 9 or early termination. p values were nominal and not corrected for multiple comparisons. Of 267 randomized patients, 200 completed the study (LDX 99, ATX 101). At baseline, mean WFIRS-P total score in the LDX group was 0.95 [standard deviation (SD) 0.474; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.87, 1.03] and in the ATX group was 0.91 (0.513; 0.82, 1.00). Scores in all WFIRS-P domains improved from baseline to endpoint in both groups, with least-squares mean changes in total score of -0.35 (95% CI -0.42, -0.29) for LDX and -0.27 (-0.33, -0.20) for ATX. The difference between LDX and ATX was statistically significant (p < 0.05) for the Learning and School (effect size of LDX vs ATX, 0.43) and Social Activities (0.34) domains and for total score (0.27). Both treatments reduced functional impairment in children and adolescents with ADHD; LDX was statistically significantly more effective than ATX in two of six domains and in total score

Factors associated with caregiver burden among pharmacotherapy-treated children/adolescents with ADHD in the Caregiver Perspective on Pediatric ADHD survey in Europe

BACKGROUND: Burden on caregivers of children/adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is multidimensional, but incompletely understood. OBJECTIVE: To analyze caregiver burden across the concepts of work, social/family life, and parental worry/stress, in relation to selected contributing factors. METHODS: The online Caregiver Perspective on Pediatric ADHD survey was fielded in ten European countries. Analysis included children/adolescents (6–17 years) who were receiving/had received ADHD pharmacotherapy in the previous 6 months. Caregivers recorded their child’s/adolescent’s symptoms “on”/“off” medication (ie, when the caregiver reported that the child/adolescent forgot/chose not to take medication, before the onset of medication effect, or medication worn off). Effects of ADHD severity, comorbidities, and medication adherence on each burden outcome were assessed (multiple regression models). RESULTS: In total, 2,326 caregivers were included (children/adolescents’ mean age: 11.5 years, 80% male). Caregivers reported missed/altered work, avoiding social activity, increased parental worry/stress, and strain on family life, despite using ADHD pharmacotherapy. Child/adolescent comorbidities and ADHD severity were significantly related to all burden concepts measured; the strongest comorbidity associations were with altered work (odds ratios [ORs] =1.68 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.33, 2.12], 1.87 [1.37, 2.54], 3.47 [2.51, 4.78] for 1, 2, 3+ comorbidities, respectively) and planning the day around the child/adolescent (OR =1.42 [95% CI 1.17, 1.72], 1.73 [1.33, 2.15], 2.65 [1.99, 3.53]); the strongest severity associations were: quitting a job (OR =1.41 [95% CI 1.26, 1.59]) and planning a day around the child/adolescent (OR =1.26 [95% CI 1.20, 1.32]). Increased medication adherence was most associated with reducing the caregiver burden for altered work (OR =0.57 [95% CI 0.45, 0.72]), worrying about how they are being perceived as a parent (OR =0.68 [0.56, 0.83]), and avoiding social activity (OR =0.56 [0.45, 0.68]), but not family or stress burden. CONCLUSION: Burdens related to work, social activity, family life, and parental worry/stress were experienced by the caregivers of children/adolescents with ADHD, despite using ADHD pharmacotherapy. Better understanding of clinical/treatment characteristics most associated with the components of caregiver burden may help improve ADHD management and may ease caregiver burden

Economic impact of childhood/adolescent ADHD in a European setting:the Netherlands as a reference case

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder in children/adolescents. This study reviews available European-based studies of ADHD-related costs and applies the findings to the Netherlands to estimate annual national costs for children/adolescents from a societal perspective. A systematic literature search was conducted for primary studies in Europe, published January 1, 1990 through April 23, 2013. Per-person cost estimates were converted to 2012 Euros and used to estimate annual national ADHD-related costs based on the Dutch 2011 census, ADHD prevalence rates, family composition, and employment rates. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. The average total ADHD-related costs ranged from a,not sign9,860 to a,not sign14,483 per patient and annual national costs were between a,not sign1,041 and a,not sign1,529 million (M). The largest cost category was education (a,not sign648 M), representing 62 and 42 % of the low- and high-value overall national estimates, respectively. By comparison, ADHD patient healthcare costs ranged between a,not sign84 M (8 %) and a,not sign377 M (25 %), and social services costs were a,not sign4.3 M (0.3-0.4 %). While the majority of the costs were incurred by ADHD patients themselves, a,not sign161 M (11-15 %) was healthcare costs to family members that were attributable to having an ADHD child/adolescent. In addition, productivity losses of family members were a,not sign143-a,not sign339 M (14-22 %). Despite uncertainties because of the small number of studies identified and the wide range in the national cost estimates, our results suggest that ADHD imposes a significant economic burden on multiple public sectors in Europe. The limited number of European-based studies examining the economic burden of ADHD highlights the need for more research in this area

A clinical pathway for community-acquired pneumonia: an observational cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Six hospitals instituted a voluntary, system-wide, pathway for community acquired pneumonia (CAP). We proposed this study to determine the impact of pathway antibiotics on patient survival, hospital length of stay (LOS), and total hospital cost.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data were collected for adults from six U.S. hospitals with a principal CAP discharge diagnosis code, a chest infiltrate, and medical notes indicative of CAP from 2005-2007. Pathway and non-pathway cohorts were assigned according to antibiotics received within 48 hours of admission. Pathway antibiotics included levofloxacin 750 mg monotherapy or ceftriaxone 1000 mg plus azithromycin 500 mg daily. Multivariable regression models assessed 90-day mortality, hospital LOS, total hospital cost, and total pharmacy cost.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall, 792 patients met study criteria. Of these, 505 (64%) received pathway antibiotics and 287 (36%) received non-pathway antibiotics. Adjusted means and p-values were derived from Least Squares regression models that included Pneumonia Severity Index risk class, patient age, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and admitting hospital as covariates. After adjustment, patients who received pathway antibiotics experienced lower adjusted 90-day mortality (<it>p </it>= 0.02), shorter mean hospital LOS (3.9 vs. 5.0 days, <it>p </it>< 0.01), lower mean hospital costs ($2,485 vs.$3,281, <it>p </it>= 0.02), and similar mean pharmacy costs ($356 vs.$442, <it>p </it>= 0.11).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Pathway antibiotics were associated with improved patient survival, hospital LOS, and total hospital cost for patients admitted to the hospital with CAP.</p