627 research outputs found
Outcomes and costs of blunt trauma in England and Wales
Background Trauma represents an important public health
concern in the United Kingdom, yet the acute costs of blunt
trauma injury have not been documented and analysed in detail.
Knowledge of the overall costs of trauma care, and the drivers
of these costs, is a prerequisite for a cost-conscious approach
to improvement in standards of trauma care, including evaluation
of the cost-effectiveness of new healthcare technologies.
Methods Using the Trauma Audit Research Network database,
we examined patient records for persons aged 18 years and
older hospitalised for blunt trauma between January 2000 and
December 2005. Patients were stratified by the Injury Severity
Score (ISS).
Results A total of 35,564 patients were identified; 60% with an
ISS of 0 to 9, 17% with an ISS of 10 to 16, 12% with an ISS of
17 to 25, and 11% with an ISS of 26 to 75. The median age was
46 years and 63% of patients were men. Falls were the most
common cause of injury (50%), followed by road traffic
collisions (33%). Twenty-nine percent of patients were admitted
to critical care for a median length of stay of 4 days. The median
total hospital length of stay was 9 days, and 69% of patients
underwent at least one surgical procedure. Seven percent of the
patients died before discharge, with the highest proportion of
deaths among those in the ISS 26–75 group (32%). The mean
hospital cost per person was £9,530 (± 11,872). Costs varied
significantly by Glasgow Coma Score, ISS, age, cause of injury,
type of injury, hospital mortality, grade and specialty of doctor
seen in the accident and emergency department, and year of
admission.
Conclusion The acute treatment costs of blunt trauma in
England and Wales vary significantly by injury severity and
survival, and public health initiatives that aim to reduce both the
incidence and severity of blunt trauma are likely to produce
significant savings in acute trauma care. The largest component
of acute hospital cost is determined by the length of stay, and
measures designed to reduce length of admissions are likely to
be the most effective in reducing the costs of blunt trauma care
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Electromagnetic Actuated stirring in Microbioreactors enabling easier multiplexing & flexible device design
This paper was presented at the 4th Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2014), which was held at University College, London, UK. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Italian Union of Thermofluiddynamics, IPEM, the Process Intensification Network, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Heat Transfer Society, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group, and the Energy Institute, ASME Press, LCN London Centre for Nanotechnology, UCL University College London, UCL Engineering, the International NanoScience Community, www.nanopaprika.eu.The development of a novel electromagnetically (EM) actuated stirring method, for use in
microbioreactors, is reported. Mixing in microbioreactors is critical to ensure even distribution of nutrients to
microorganisms and cells. Magnetically driven stirrer bars or peristaltic mixing are the most commonly
utilised mixing methods employed in completely liquid-filled microbioreactors. However the circular reactor
shape required for mixing with a stirrer bar and frequently used for peristaltically mixed microbioreactors
presents difficulties for bubble-free priming in a microfluidic bioreactor. Moreover the circular shape and the
hardware required for both types of mixing reduces the potential packing density of multiplexed reactors. We
present a new method of mixing, displaying design flexibility by demonstrating mixing in circular and
diamond-shaped reactors and a duplex diamond reactor and fermentation of the gram-positive bacteria S.
carnosus in a diamond-shaped microbioreactor system. The results of the optimisation of this mixing
method for performing fermentations alongside both batch and continuous culture fermentations are
presented
Kohlenwasserstoffverbrückte Komplexe, XXV
Hydrocarbon-Bridged Complexes, XXV. - C-C Coupling of Anionic Tricarbonyl Manganese Complexes of Cyclic Polyenes with Cationic Tropylium Metal Compounds; Preparation and Structure of (OC)3Mn(-5:6-C7H8-C7H7)M(CO)3, (OC)3Mn(-5:6-C8H10-C7H7)M(CO)3, and (OC)3Mn(-5:5-C8H8-C7H7)M(CO)3 (M = Cr, Mo, W)[Note ]
The addition of the anionic complexes [(4-C7H8)Mn(CO)3]-, [(4-C8H10)Mn(CO)3]- and [(4-C8H8)Mn(CO)3]- to the cations [(7-C7H7)M(CO)3]+ (M = Cr, Mo, W) gives the hydrocarbon-bridged complexes (OC)3Mn(-5:6-C7H8-C7H7)M(CO)3, (OC)3Mn(-5:6-C8H10-C7H7)M(CO)3, and (OC)3Mn(-5:6-C8H8-C7H7)M(CO)3 (M = Cr, Mo, W). The structures of 4b and 6a have been determined by X-ray diffraction
Succinct Data Structures for Families of Interval Graphs
We consider the problem of designing succinct data structures for interval
graphs with vertices while supporting degree, adjacency, neighborhood and
shortest path queries in optimal time in the -bit word RAM
model. The degree query reports the number of incident edges to a given vertex
in constant time, the adjacency query returns true if there is an edge between
two vertices in constant time, the neighborhood query reports the set of all
adjacent vertices in time proportional to the degree of the queried vertex, and
the shortest path query returns a shortest path in time proportional to its
length, thus the running times of these queries are optimal. Towards showing
succinctness, we first show that at least bits
are necessary to represent any unlabeled interval graph with vertices,
answering an open problem of Yang and Pippenger [Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 2017].
This is augmented by a data structure of size bits while
supporting not only the aforementioned queries optimally but also capable of
executing various combinatorial algorithms (like proper coloring, maximum
independent set etc.) on the input interval graph efficiently. Finally, we
extend our ideas to other variants of interval graphs, for example, proper/unit
interval graphs, k-proper and k-improper interval graphs, and circular-arc
graphs, and design succinct/compact data structures for these graph classes as
well along with supporting queries on them efficiently
First report of the presence of hepatitis E virus in Scottish harvested shellfish purchased at retail level
The Energy Landscape, Folding Pathways and the Kinetics of a Knotted Protein
The folding pathway and rate coefficients of the folding of a knotted protein
are calculated for a potential energy function with minimal energetic
frustration. A kinetic transition network is constructed using the discrete
path sampling approach, and the resulting potential energy surface is
visualized by constructing disconnectivity graphs. Owing to topological
constraints, the low-lying portion of the landscape consists of three distinct
regions, corresponding to the native knotted state and to configurations where
either the N- or C-terminus is not yet folded into the knot. The fastest
folding pathways from denatured states exhibit early formation of the
N-terminus portion of the knot and a rate-determining step where the C-terminus
is incorporated. The low-lying minima with the N-terminus knotted and the
C-terminus free therefore constitute an off-pathway intermediate for this
model. The insertion of both the N- and C-termini into the knot occur late in
the folding process, creating large energy barriers that are the rate limiting
steps in the folding process. When compared to other protein folding proteins
of a similar length, this system folds over six orders of magnitude more
slowly.Comment: 19 page
A Conceptual Framework Based on Maturana’s Ontology of the Observer to Explore the Checkland’s Soft Systems Methodology
© 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. This paper explores Checkland’s Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) through the lenses of a theoretical framework that incorporates key concepts from Maturana’s Ontology of the Observer (OoO) with the view of complementing Checkland’s SSM application process. We outline and examine paradigmatic compatibility between: Checkland’s ontological position (reality is problematic/chaotic) together with his interpretivist epistemology (multiple perceptions enrich the ever-changing reality); and Maturana’s OoO (we are immersed in the praxis of living in an ontological multi-universe). We argue that OoO resonates with key SSM theoretical underpinnings. After establishing compatibility between these two influential systems thinkers, we advance a conceptual framework in which Checkland’s SSM learning process is re-visited through a the framework grounded on Maturana’s OoO. The proposed framework illustrates how key ideas drawn from Maturana’s OoO can shed light into the way in which some of the main SSM devices (i.e.: Root definitions, Conceptual model) are used in the SSM process. By doing that, SSM is enriched and becomes more flexible as the stakeholders involved are placed within the domain of constitutive ontologies from which, a deeper dialogue can be promoted in a domain of coexistence in mutual acceptance. We argue that this is a suitable way to have more flexible and holistic views for a SSM intervention in particular to promote the learning process and debating proposed changes amongst the stakeholders involved. The proposed framework, when applied, may enhance the power of SSM learning process and when adopted can have substantial implications to complement the SSM process
Synthesis of 1-Substituted Carbazolyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro- and Carbazolyl-3,4-dihydro-β-carboline Analogs as Potential Antitumor Agents
A series of 1-substituted carbazolyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro- and carbazolyl-3,4-dihydro-β-carboline analogs have been synthesized and evaluated for antitumor activity against human tumor cells including KB, DLD, NCI-H661, Hepa, and HepG2/A2 cell lines. Among these, compounds 2, 6, 7, and 9 exhibited the most potent and selective activity against the tested tumor cells. As for inhibition of topoisomerase II, compounds 1–14 and 18 showed better activity than etoposide. Among them, compounds 3, 4, 7, 9, and 10 exhibited potent activity. The structure and activity relationship (SAR) study revealed correlation between carbon numbers of the side chain and biological activities. The molecular complex with DNA for compound 2 was proposed
Protein Pattern Formation
Protein pattern formation is essential for the spatial organization of many
intracellular processes like cell division, flagellum positioning, and
chemotaxis. A prominent example of intracellular patterns are the oscillatory
pole-to-pole oscillations of Min proteins in \textit{E. coli} whose biological
function is to ensure precise cell division. Cell polarization, a prerequisite
for processes such as stem cell differentiation and cell polarity in yeast, is
also mediated by a diffusion-reaction process. More generally, these functional
modules of cells serve as model systems for self-organization, one of the core
principles of life. Under which conditions spatio-temporal patterns emerge, and
how these patterns are regulated by biochemical and geometrical factors are
major aspects of current research. Here we review recent theoretical and
experimental advances in the field of intracellular pattern formation, focusing
on general design principles and fundamental physical mechanisms.Comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, review articl
Maternal iron deficiency perturbs embryonic cardiovascular development in mice.
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common class of human birth defects, with a prevalence of 0.9% of births. However, two-thirds of cases have an unknown cause, and many of these are thought to be caused by in utero exposure to environmental teratogens. Here we identify a potential teratogen causing CHD in mice: maternal iron deficiency (ID). We show that maternal ID in mice causes severe cardiovascular defects in the offspring. These defects likely arise from increased retinoic acid signalling in ID embryos. The defects can be prevented by iron administration in early pregnancy. It has also been proposed that teratogen exposure may potentiate the effects of genetic predisposition to CHD through gene-environment interaction. Here we show that maternal ID increases the severity of heart and craniofacial defects in a mouse model of Down syndrome. It will be important to understand if the effects of maternal ID seen here in mice may have clinical implications for women
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