Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury: What the Allied Health Professional Needs to Know about this Life -Threatening Hazard of Blood Transfusion

Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI) is a rare, life-threatening hazard of blood transfusion. In the intensive care unit, 37% to 44% of admitted patients are transfused with at least one blood component. The opportunity for health professionals and students from nursing, respiratory care, and clinical laboratory science to interact directly with patients receiving a blood transfusion is likely to present itself on a daily basis. It is imperative for those caring for critically ill patients to be fully aware of the clinical signs of TRALI and have knowledge in the prevention and treatment of this clinical syndrome. Common clinical signs of TRALI include cough, fever, and dyspnea. Treatment has been mostly supportive and aimed at reversing acute respiratory distress through oxygen therapy or mechanical ventilation. In 2004, a consensus panel and the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) working group characterized TRALI as new-onset acute lung injury (ALI) occurring within six hours of transfusion in patients without preexisting ALI. Although the condition is uncommon, knowledge of this clinical syndrome may help identify those patients at risk and may prevent lung injury and possible death due to this rarely encountered hazard of blood transfusion

Performance of Surface-Mount Ceramic and Solid Tantalum Capacitors for Cryogenic Applications

Low temperature electronics are of great interest for space exploration programs. These include missions to the outer planets, earth-orbiting and deep-space probes, remote-sensing and communication satellites. Terrestrial applications would also benefit from the availability of low temperature electronics. Power components capable of low temperature operation would, thus, enhance the technologies needed for the development of advanced power systems suitable for use in harsh environments. In this work, ceramic and solid tantalum capacitors were evaluated in terms of their dielectric properties as a function of temperature and at various frequencies. The surface-mount devices were characterized in terms of their capacitance stability and dissipation factor in the frequency range of 50 Hz to 100 kHz at temperatures ranging from room temperature (20 deg. C) to about liquid nitrogen temperature (-190 deg. C). The results are discussed and conclusions made concerning the suitability of the capacitors investigated for low temperature applications

Cancer-related pain in head and neck cancer survivors: longitudinal findings from the Head and Neck 5000 clinical cohort

\ua9 The Author(s) 2024.Purpose: Reports suggest pain is common in head and neck cancer (HNC). However, past studies are limited by small sample sizes and design and measurement heterogeneity. Using data from the Head and Neck 5000 longitudinal cohort, we investigated pain over a year post-diagnosis. We assessed: temporal trends; compared pain across HNC treatments, stages, sites and by HPV status; and identified subgroups of patients at increased risk of pain. Methods: Sociodemographic and clinical data and patient-reported pain (measured by EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35) were collected at baseline (pre-treatment), 4- and 12- months. Using mixed effects multivariable regression, we investigated time trends and identified associations between (i) clinically-important general pain and (ii) HN-specific pain and clinical, socio-economic, and demographic variables. Results: 2,870 patients were included. At baseline, 40.9% had clinically-important general pain, rising to 47.6% at 4-months and declining to 35.5% at 12-months. HN-specific pain followed a similar pattern (mean score (sd): baseline 26.4 (25.10); 4-months. 28.9 (26.55); 12-months, 17.2 (19.83)). Across time, general and HN-specific pain levels were increased in: younger patients, smokers, and those with depression and comorbidities at baseline, and more advanced, oral cavity and HPV negative cancers. Conclusions: There is high prevalence of general pain in people living with HNC. We identified subgroups more often reporting general and HN-specific pain towards whom interventions could be targeted. Implications for cancer survivors: Greater emphasis should be placed on identifying and treating pain in HNC. Systematic pain screening could help identify those who could benefit from an early pain management plan

Boundary Conformal Field Theories, Limit Sets of Kleinian Groups and Holography

In this paper,based on the available mathematical works on geometry and topology of hyperbolic manifolds and discrete groups, some results of Freedman et al (hep-th/9804058) are reproduced and broadly generalized. Among many new results the possibility of extension of work of Belavin, Polyakov and Zamolodchikov to higher dimensions is investigated. Known in physical literature objections against such extension are removed and the possibility of an extension is convincingly demonstrated.Comment: 62 pages, 5 figure

V348 Puppis: a new SW Sex star in the period gap

We present time-resolved optical spectroscopy and photometry of the nova-like cataclysmic variable V348 Puppis. The system displays the same spectroscopic behaviour as SW Sex stars, so we classify V348 Pup as a new member of the class. V348 Pup is the second SW Sex system (the first is V795 Herculis) which lies in the period gap. The spectra exhibit enhanced HeII 4686 emission, reminiscent of magnetic cataclysmic variables. The study of this emission line gives a primary velocity semi-amplitude of K1 ~= 100 km/s. We have also derived the system parameters, obtaining: M1 ~= 0.65 Msun, M2 ~= 0.20 Msun (q ~= 0.31), i ~= 80 deg and K2 ~= 323 km/s. The spectroscopic behaviour of V348 Pup is very similar to that of V795 Her, with the exception that V348 Pup shows deep eclipses. We have computed the ``0.5-absorption'' spectrum of both systems, obtaining spectra which resemble the absorption spectrum of a B0 V star. We propose that absorption in SW Sex systems can be produced by a vertically extended atmosphere which forms where the gas stream re-impacts the system, either at the accretion disc or at the white dwarf's magnetosphere (assuming a magnetic scenario).Comment: 6 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

The course and correlates of everyday functioning in schizophrenia

AbstractPreviously institutionalized older patients with schizophrenia show changes in cognitive and functional capacity over time. This study examined changes in real-world functioning in a sample of people with schizophrenia who varied in their history of long-term institutionalization and related changes in real world functioning to changes in cognition and functional capacity over the follow-up period.Older patients with schizophrenia (n=111) were examined with assessments of cognitive functioning, functional capacity, clinical symptoms, and everyday functioning. They were then followed up to 45 months and examined up to two times. Mixed-model regression was used to examine changes in real-world functioning in social, everyday living, and vocational domains over the follow-up period and identify potential predictors of change.Everyday functioning worsened over time in all three domains. Although length of longest hospitalization predicted worsening, this influence was eliminated when the course of functional capacity was used to predict the course of everyday functioning. For both vocational and everyday living domains, as well as the composite score on functional status, worsening in performance based measures of everyday functioning and social competence predicted worsening in real world functioning. Changes in negative symptoms further predicted worsening in the everyday living domain.Worsening in everyday functioning is found in people with schizophrenia and those with a history of greater chronicity and severity of illness seem more affected. These influences seem to be expressed through worsening in the ability to perform everyday functional skills. Potential causes of these changes and implications for reducing these impairments are discussed

Factors associated with drug-related harms related to policing in Tijuana, Mexico

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objective</p> <p>To assess factors associated with drug-related harms related to policing among injection drug users (IDUs) in Tijuana, Mexico.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>IDUs who were over 18 years old and had injected drugs within the last six months were recruited via respondent-driven sampling and underwent questionnaires and testing for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), syphilis and TB (tuberculosis). Random effects logistic regression was used to simultaneously model factors associated with five drug-related harms related to policing practices in the prior six months (i.e., police led them to rush injections; affected where they bought drugs; affected locations where they used drugs; feared that police will interfere with their drug use; receptive syringe sharing).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 727 IDUs, 85% were male; median age was 38 years. Within the last 6 months, 231 (32%) of IDUs reported that police had led them to rush injections, affected where they bought or used drugs or were very afraid police would interfere with their drug use, or shared syringes. Factors independently associated with drug-related harms related to policing within the last six months included: recent arrest, homelessness, higher frequencies of drug injection, use of methamphetamine, using the local needle exchange program and perceiving a decrease in the purity of at least one drug.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>IDUs who experienced drug-related harms related to policing were those who were most affected by other micro and macro influences in the physical risk environment. Police education programs are needed to ensure that policing practices do not exacerbate risky behaviors or discourage protective behaviors such as needle exchange program use, which undermines the right to health for people who inject drugs.</p