Responses of advanced directives by Jehovah\u27s Witnesses on a gynecologic oncology service

OBJECTIVES: To review the responses of advance directives signed by Jehovah\u27s Witness patients prior to undergoing surgery at a gynecologic oncology service. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective chart review of gynecologic oncology patients undergoing surgery at a bloodless surgery center from 1998-2007 was conducted. Demographic, pathologic, and clinical data were recorded. The proportion of patients who accepted and refused various blood-derived products was determined and was compared to previously published results from a similar study of labor and delivery unit patients. RESULTS: No gynecologic oncology patients agreed to accept transfusions of whole blood, red cells, white cells, platelets, or plasma under any circumstance, whereas 9.8% of pregnant patients accepted transfusion (P=0.0385). However, 98% of gynecologic oncology patients agreed to accept some blood products, including fractions such as albumin, immunoglobulins, and clotting factors, while only 39% of pregnant patients agreed (

Validation of X-ray fluorescence-measured Swine femur lead against atomic absorption spectrometry.

The aim of this study was to apply the technique of (109)Cd-based K-shell X-ray fluorescence (XRF) bone lead measurements to swine femurs and to validate the concentrations obtained therefrom against an independent chemical measurement of bone lead: atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The femurs ranged in lead concentration from 1.0 to 24.5 microg of lead per gram of ashed bone, as measured by AAS. On average, XRF overestimated AAS-measured femur lead by 2.6 microg/g [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1-4.0 microg/g], approximately 2 microg/g poorer than that observed in studies of human tibiae. Measurements of swine femur and, by extension, of nonhuman bones may require adjustment of the XRF spectrum peak extraction method

Discontinuous Molecular Dynamics for Semi-Flexible and Rigid Bodies

A general framework for performing event-driven simulations of systems with semi-flexible or rigid bodies interacting under impulsive torques and forces is outlined. Two different approaches are presented. In the first, the dynamics and interaction rules are derived from Lagrangian mechanics in the presence of constraints. This approach is most suitable when the body is composed of relatively few point masses or is semi-flexible. In the second method, the equations of rigid bodies are used to derive explicit analytical expressions for the free evolution of arbitrary rigid molecules and to construct a simple scheme for computing interaction rules. Efficient algorithms for the search for the times of interaction events are designed in this context, and the handling of missed interaction events is discussed.Comment: 16 pages, double column revte

Una combinación nueva en Erica (Ericaceae).

[EN] A new nomenclatural status and combination is proposed for Erica cinerea var. numidica. New data about the morphology, chorology and ecology of this taxon are given.[ES] Una combinación nueva en Erica (Ericaceae).- Se propone un nuevo estatus y combinación nomenclatural para Erica cinerea var. numidica. Se aportan nuevos datos sobre la morfología, corología y ecología de este taxón.This work has been supported by “Ajuts a grups de recerca consolidats: 2005SGR00344 and 2009SGR0439, Generalitat de Catalunya” and "Proyectos Intramurales de Incorporación del CSIC: 2009930I161".Peer reviewe

Dysregulation of lysosomal morphology by pathogenic LRRK2 is corrected by two-pore channel 2 inhibition

Two-pore channels (TPCs) are endo-lysosomal ion channels implicated in Ca2+ signalling from acidic organelles. The relevance of these ubiquitous proteins for human disease however is unclear. Here we report that lysosomes are enlarged and aggregated in fibroblasts from Parkinson disease patients with the common G2019S mutation in LRRK2. Defects were corrected by molecular silencing of TPC2, pharmacological inhibition of TPC regulators (Rab7, NAADP, PI(3,5)P2) and buffering local Ca2+ increases. NAADP-evoked Ca2+ signals were exaggerated in diseased cells. TPC2 is thus a potential druggable target within a pathogenic LRRK2 cascade that disrupts Ca2+-dependent trafficking in Parkinson disease

The complementary roles of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT for imaging of carotid atherosclerosis

Inflammation and neovascularization in vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques are key features for severe clinical events. Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI and FDG PET are two noninvasive imaging techniques capable of quantifying plaque neovascularization and inflammatory infiltrate, respectively. However, their mutual role in defining plaque vulnerability and their possible overlap has not been thoroughly investigated. We studied the relationship between DCE-MRI and [supersript 18]F-FDG PET data from the carotid arteries of 40 subjects with coronary heart disease (CHD) or CHD risk equivalent, as a substudy of the dal-PLAQUE trial (NCT00655473)

Gender and respiratory findings in workers occupationally exposed to organic aerosols: A meta analysis of 12 cross-sectional studies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gender related differences in respiratory disease have been documented. The aim of this study was to investigate gender related differences in respiratory findings by occupation. We analyzed data from 12 of our previously published studies.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Three thousand and eleven (3011) workers employed in "organic dust" industries (1379 female and 1632 male) were studied. A control group of 806 workers not exposed to any kind of dust were also investigated (male = 419, female = 387). Acute and chronic respiratory symptoms and lung function were measured. The weighted average method and the Mantel-Haentszel method were used to calculate the odds ratios of symptoms. Hedge's unbiased estimations were used to measure lung function differences between men and women.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were high prevalences of acute and chronic respiratory symptoms in all the "dusty" studied groups compared to controls. Significantly less chronic cough, chronic phlegm as well as chronic bronchitis were found among women than among men after the adjustments for smoking, age and duration of employment. Upper respiratory tract symptoms by contrast were more frequent in women than in men in these groups. Significant gender related lung function differences occurred in the textile industry but not in the food processing industry or among farmers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results of this study suggest that in industries processing organic compounds there are gender differences in respiratory symptoms and lung function in exposed workers. Whether these findings represent true physiologic gender differences, gender specific workplace exposures or other undefined gender variables not defined in this study cannot be determined. These data do not suggest that special limitations for women are warranted for respiratory health reasons in these industries, but the issue of upper respiratory irritation and disease warrants further study.</p

Communications Biophysics

Contains research objectives, summary of research and reports on three research projects.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 PO1 GM14940-06)National Institutes of Health (Grant 2 TOl GM01555-06)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 ROl NS10737-01)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NGL 22-009-304)Joint Services Electronics Programs (U. S. Army, U. S. Navy, and U. S. Air Force) under Contract DAAB07-71-C-0300B-D Electrodyne Division, Becton Dickinson and Company (Grant)Boston City Hospital Purchase Order 1176-21-33

Communications Biophysics

Contains research objectives, summary of research and reports on four research projects.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 P01 GM14940-05)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 TOl GM01555-05)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NGL 22-009-304)B-D ElectrodyneBoston City Hospital Purchase Order 1065