Amino Acids in the Haemolymph of Smaller European Elm Bark Beetle Larvae, Scolytus Multistriatus (Marsham) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

Author Institution: Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, Forest Service, U. S. Dept. Agriculture, Delaware, Ohio 43015Nineteen amino acids and two amides were detected in the haemolymph of last-instar Scolytus multistriatus larvae by thin-layer chromatography. Glycine, arginine, glutamine, lysine, ornithine, histidine, asparagine, glutamic acid, serine, proline, alanine, valine, isoleucine, and leucine were readily detected. Taurine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, a- and B- amino butyric acid, and aspartic acid were less readily detected on some chromatograms, and at times were apparently absent in the haemolymph extract. Cysteine, cystine, and cysteic acid were not adequately separated by any of the methods tried, but their presence was confirmed through co-chromatography

Cryptococcal aortitis presenting as a ruptured mycotic abdominal aortic aneurysm

AbstractMycotic processes occasionally complicate atherosclerotic aortic disease and usually require aggressive surgical therapy to control sepsis and prevent arterial rupture. Rarely, fungal organisms are responsible for primary infection of the abdominal aorta. We report the first case of Cryptococcal aortitis presenting as a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. The surgical, pathologic, and microbiologic aspects of fungal aortitis are discussed. (J Vasc Surg 1999;30:189-92.

Computational environment for modeling and enhancing community resilience: Introducing the center for risk-based community resilience planning

The resilience of a community is defined as its ability to prepare for, withstand, recover from and adapt to the effects of natural or human-caused disasters, and depends on the performance of the built environment and on supporting social, economic and public institutions that are essential for immediate response and long-term recovery and adaptation. The performance of the built environment generally is governed by codes, standards, and regulations, which are applicable to individual facilities and residences, are based on different performance criteria, and do not account for the interdependence of buildings, transportation, utilities and other infrastructure sectors. The National Institute of Standards and Technology recently awarded a new Center of Excellence (NIST-CoE) for Risk-Based Community Resilience Planning, which is headquartered at Colorado State University and involves nine additional universities. Research in this Center is focusing on three major research thrusts: (1) developing the NIST-Community Resilience Modeling Environment known as NIST-CORE, thereby enabling alternative strategies to enhance community resilience to be measured quantitatively; (2) developing a standardized data ontology, robust data architecture and data management tools in support of NIST-CORE; and (3) performing a comprehensive set of hindcasts on disasters to validate the data architecture and NIST-CORE

N-Terminal Pro–B-Type Natriuretic Peptide in the Emergency Department: The ICON-RELOADED Study

Background Contemporary reconsideration of diagnostic N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) cutoffs for diagnosis of heart failure (HF) is needed. Objectives This study sought to evaluate the diagnostic performance of NT-proBNP for acute HF in patients with dyspnea in the emergency department (ED) setting. Methods Dyspneic patients presenting to 19 EDs in North America were enrolled and had blood drawn for subsequent NT-proBNP measurement. Primary endpoints were positive predictive values of age-stratified cutoffs (450, 900, and 1,800 pg/ml) for diagnosis of acute HF and negative predictive value of the rule-out cutoff to exclude acute HF. Secondary endpoints included sensitivity, specificity, and positive (+) and negative (−) likelihood ratios (LRs) for acute HF. Results Of 1,461 subjects, 277 (19%) were adjudicated as having acute HF. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve for diagnosis of acute HF was 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90 to 0.93; p < 0.001). Sensitivity for age stratified cutoffs of 450, 900, and 1,800 pg/ml was 85.7%, 79.3%, and 75.9%, respectively; specificity was 93.9%, 84.0%, and 75.0%, respectively. Positive predictive values were 53.6%, 58.4%, and 62.0%, respectively. Overall LR+ across age-dependent cutoffs was 5.99 (95% CI: 5.05 to 6.93); individual LR+ for age-dependent cutoffs was 14.08, 4.95, and 3.03, respectively. The sensitivity and negative predictive value for the rule-out cutoff of 300 pg/ml were 93.9% and 98.0%, respectively; LR− was 0.09 (95% CI: 0.05 to 0.13). Conclusions In acutely dyspneic patients seen in the ED setting, age-stratified NT-proBNP cutpoints may aid in the diagnosis of acute HF. An NT-proBNP <300 pg/ml strongly excludes the presence of acute HF

All-fibre heterogeneously-integrated frequency comb generation using silicon core fibre.

Originally developed for metrology, optical frequency combs are becoming increasingly pervasive in a wider range of research topics including optical communications, spectroscopy, and radio or microwave signal processing. However, application demands in these fields can be more challenging as they require compact sources with a high tolerance to temperature variations that are capable of delivering flat comb spectra, high power per tone, narrow linewidth and high optical signal-to-noise ratio. This work reports the generation of a flat, high power frequency comb in the telecom band using a 17 mm fully-integrated silicon core fibre as a parametric mixer. Our all-fibre, cavity-free source combines the material benefits of planar waveguide structures with the advantageous properties of fibre platforms to achieve a 30 nm bandwidth comb source containing 143 tones with 30 dB OSNR over the entire spectral region

Indications and practical approach to non-invasive ventilation in acute heart failure

In acute heart failure (AHF) syndromes significant respiratory failure (RF) is essentially seen in patients with acute cardiogenic pulmonary oedema (ACPE) or cardiogenic shock (CS). Non-invasive ventilation (NIV), the application of positive intrathoracic pressure through an interface, has shown to be useful in the treatment of moderate to severe RF in several scenarios. There are two main modalities of NIV: continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and pressure support ventilation (NIPSV) with positive end expiratory pressure. Appropriate equipment and experience is needed for NIPSV, whereas CPAP may be administered without a ventilator, not requiring special training. Both modalities have shown to be effective in ACPE, by a reduction of respiratory distress and the endotracheal intubation rate compared to conventional oxygen therapy, but the impact on mortality is less conclusive. Non-invasive ventilation is also indicated in patients with AHF associated to pulmonary disease and may be considered, after haemodynamic stabilization, in some patients with CS. There are no differences in the outcomes in the studies comparing both techniques, but CPAP is a simpler technique that may be preferred in low-equipped areas like the pre-hospital setting, while NIPSV may be preferable in patients with significant hypercapnia. The new modality 'high-flow nasal cannula' seems promising in cases of AHF with less severe RF. The correct selection of patients and interfaces, early application of the technique, the achievement of a good synchrony between patients and the ventilator avoiding excessive leakage, close monitoring, proactive management, and in some cases mild sedation, may warrant the success of the technique

Projection, Spatial Correlations, and Anisotropies in a Large and Complete Sample of Abell Clusters

An analysis of R >= 1 Abell clusters is presented for samples containing recent redshifts from the MX Northern Abell Cluster Survey. The newly obtained redshifts from the MX Survey as well as those from the ESO Nearby Abell Cluster Survey (ENACS) provide the necessary data for the largest magnitude-limited correlation analysis of rich clusters in the entire sky (excluding the galactic plane) to date. We find 19.4 <= r_0 <= 23.3 h^-1Mpc, -1.92 <= gamma <= -1.83 for four different subsets of Abell/ACO clusters, including a large sample (N=104) of cD clusters. We have used this dataset to look for line-of-sight anisotropies within the Abell/ACO catalogs. We show that the strong anisotropies present in previously studied Abell cluster datasets are not present in our R >= 1 samples. There are, however, indications of residual anisotropies which we show are the result of two elongated superclusters, Ursa Majoris and Corona Borealis, whose axes lie near the line-of-sight. After rotating these superclusters so that their semi-major axes are prependicular to the line-of-sight, we find no anisotropies as indicated by the correlation function. The amplitude and slope of the two-point correlation function remain the same before and after these rotations. We also remove a subset of R = 1 Abell/ACO clusters that show sizable foreground/background galaxy contamination and again find no change in the amplitude or slope of the correlation function. We conclude that the correlation length of R >= 1 Abell clusters is not artificially enhanced by line-of-sight anisotropies.Comment: 37 pages, 8 figures, AASTeX Accepted for publication in Ap

Children's Medicines in Tanzania: A National Survey of Administration Practices and Preferences.

The dearth of age-appropriate formulations of many medicines for children poses a major challenge to pediatric therapeutic practice, adherence, and health care delivery worldwide. We provide information on current administration practices of pediatric medicines and describe key stakeholder preferences for new formulation characteristics. We surveyed children aged 6-12 years, parents/caregivers over age 18 with children under age 12, and healthcare workers in 10 regions of Tanzania to determine current pediatric medicine prescription and administration practices as well as preferences for new formulations. Analyses were stratified by setting, pediatric age group, parent/caregiver education, and healthcare worker cadre. Complete data were available for 206 children, 202 parents/caregivers, and 202 healthcare workers. Swallowing oral solid dosage forms whole or crushing/dissolving them and mixing with water were the two most frequently reported methods of administration. Children frequently reported disliking medication taste, and many had vomited doses. Healthcare workers reported medicine availability most significantly influences prescribing practices. Most parents/caregivers and children prefer sweet-tasting medicine. Parents/caregivers and healthcare workers prefer oral liquid dosage forms for young children, and had similar thresholds for the maximum number of oral solid dosage forms children at different ages can take. There are many impediments to acceptable and accurate administration of medicines to children. Current practices are associated with poor tolerability and the potential for under- or over-dosing. Children, parents/caregivers, and healthcare workers in Tanzania have clear preferences for tastes and formulations, which should inform the development, manufacturing, and marketing of pediatric medications for resource-limited settings