Macromolecular approaches to prevent thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia following percutaneous coronary intervention.

Cardiovascular disease remains one of the largest contributors to death worldwide. Improvements in cardiovascular technology leading to the current generation of drug-eluting stents, bioresorbable stents, and drug-eluting balloons, coupled with advances in antirestenotic therapeutics developed by pharmaceutical community, have had a profound impact on quality of life and longevity. However, these procedures and devices contribute to both short- and long-term complications. Thus, room for improvement and development of new, alternative strategies exists. Two major approaches have been investigated to improve outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention including perivascular delivery and luminal paving. For both approaches, polymers play a major role as controlled research vehicles, carriers for cells, and antithrombotic coatings. With improvements in catheter delivery devices and increases in our understanding of the biology of healthy and diseased vessels, the time is ripe for development of novel macromolecular coatings that can protect the vessel lumen following balloon angioplasty and promote healthy vascular healing

Risk factors for sporadic human infection with shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in South Australia

This paper reports the findings from a preliminary study seeking to identify risk factors for sporadic human infection with shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in South Australia. This phase of the study, conducted between February and September 2002, aimed to make recommendations regarding study methodology, and provided an opportunity to identify any potential risk factors for STEC infections in South Australia. The study design was a prospective age-matched case control study. A case was defined as a person with macroscopic or microscopic evidence of blood in a faecal specimen, and in which a gene associated with the production of shiga toxin (stx 1 or 2) was identified. Two community controls per case were randomly selected from the Social Environmental Risk Context Information System database. Eleven cases and 22 controls were enrolled in the pilot phase of the case control study. Cases were more likely than controls to have eaten berries, including strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries, in the 10 days preceding illness (Mantel Haenszel matched OR 11; 95 per cent CI 1.26-96.12). No other exposures were significantly associated with illness. Due to the small number of study participants, the power of the study was insufficient to expect any significant results. National participation will be vital to obtain sufficient cases in a realistic time, however this would necessitate more consistent ascertainment and reporting of STEC disease between the states and territories

Integrating Knowledge for River Basin Management: Progress in Thailand

Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Using an Ocean Shipping Game to Teach Transportation Fundamentals to Supply Chain Management Students

This article illustrates the benefits of off the shelf simulation software to increase learning for students in the classroom. Furthermore, the use of a computer game presents a unique opportunity for increased understanding of transportation fundamentals in a fun environment. Another benefit is that the use of the simulation helps Millennial learners to gain understanding beyond a basic lecture type environment by experiencing the problems, opportunities and solutions sets applied in a realistic transportation simulation. The overall effect is students appear to retain more about specific business practices through a game experience when compared to lecture formats of the same concepts. Finally, the paper demonstrates how to better position the simulation beyond just the game mechanics to ensure the students are learning key transportation fundamentals and overall business practices

Scheduling and Delivery Logistics of Bio-Perishable Goods: A Review Of Literature And Research Options

Logistics scheduling, specifically that of order and delivery schedules, is an essential part of a firm and the supply chain. The objective of this paper was to identify any gaps in academic and professional literature regarding the logistics scheduling of perishable biopharmaceuticals. A literature review of the logistics scheduling of general products, perishable medical supplies, and flu vaccines was conducted in order to verify any potential gaps in the literature. The approach used to study this issue was based on the grounded theory concept of qualitative research, and by then focusing on an extensive review of scheduling, ordering, and delivery in these industries. A gap in the literature was identified. The identification of this gap in academic and professional literature regarding logistics of perishable biopharmaceuticals provides a contribution to the body of knowledge. Suggested future research is identified. Finally, research propositions are included to begin to address the research gaps

The Deuterium to Hydrogen Abundance Ratio Towards the QSO SDSS1558-0031

We present a measurement of the D/H abundance ratio in a metal-poor damped Lyman alpha (DLA) system along the sightline of QSO SDSS1558-0031. The DLA system is at redshift z = 2.70262, has a neutral column density of log(NHI)=20.67+/-0.05 cm^2, and a gas-phase metallicity [O/H]= -1.49 which indicates that deuterium astration is negligible. Deuterium absorption is observed in multiple Lyman series with a column density of log(NDI)=16.19+/-0.04 cm^2, best constrained by the deuterium Lyman-11 line. We measure log(D/H) = -4.48+/-0.06, which when combined with previous measurements along QSO sightlines gives a best estimate of log(D/H) = -4.55+/-0.04, where the 1-sigma error estimate comes from a jackknife analysis of the weighted means. Using the framework of standard big bang nucleosynthesis, this value of D/H translates into a baryon density of Omega_b h^2 = 0.0213 +/- 0.0013 +/- 0.0004 where the error terms represent the 1-sigma errors from D/H and the uncertainties in the nuclear reaction rates respectively. Combining our new measurement with previous measurements of D/H, we no longer find compelling evidence for a trend of D/H with NHI.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal Letter