Assay of aminoglycosides is influenced by tissue homogenization technique

Recovery of neomycin from tissue homogenates was lower when glass/glass homogenizers were used due to the abrasion of glass which will bind to the drug. Glass homogenizers should be avoided for the determination of aminoglycoside levels in tissues.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/42733/1/18_2005_Article_BF01948411.pd

Safety and tolerability of NXY-059 for acute intracerebral hemorrhage: the CHANT trial

<p><b>Background and Purpose:</b> NXY-059 is a free radical-trapping neuroprotectant developed for use in acute ischemic stroke. To facilitate prompt administration of treatment, potentially before neuroimaging, we investigated the safety of NXY-059 in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).</p> <p><b>Methods:</b> We randomized 607 patients within 6 hours of acute ICH to receive 2270 mg intravenous NXY-059 over 1 hour and then up to 960 mg/h over 71 hours, or matching placebo, in addition to standard care. The primary outcome was safety: the mortality and the frequency of adverse events, and the change from baseline for a variety of serum, imaging, and electrophysiological measurements. We also studied the overall distribution of disability scores on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and the Barthel index.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> We treated 300 patients with NXY-059 and 303 with placebo. Treatment groups were well matched for prognostic variables including Glasgow Coma Scale, risk factors, and age. The mean National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score on admission was 14 in both groups. The baseline hemorrhage volume was 22.4±20.1 mL in the NXY-059 group and 23.3±22.8 mL in the placebo group (mean±SD). Most hemorrhages were related to hypertension or anticoagulant use. Mortality was similar in both groups: 20.3% for NXY-059 and 19.8% for placebo-treated patients. The proportion of patients who experienced an adverse event was the same for both groups, whereas for serious adverse events the proportion was slightly higher in the NXY-059 group. However, no pattern emerged to indicate a safety concern. Serum potassium fell transiently in both groups, lower in the NXY-059 group. There were no differences in 3-month function, disability, or neurological deficit scores. The odds ratio for an improved outcome in 3-month mRS scores in the NXY-059 group was 1.01 (95% CI 0.75, 1.35).</p> <p><b>Conclusions:</b> NXY-059 given within 6 hours of acute ICH has a good safety and tolerability profile, with no adverse effect on important clinical outcomes.</p&gt

Network Landscape from a Brownian Particle's Perspective

Given a complex biological or social network, how many clusters should it be decomposed into? We define the distance $d_{i,j}$ from node $i$ to node $j$ as the average number of steps a Brownian particle takes to reach $j$ from $i$. Node $j$ is a global attractor of $i$ if $d_{i,j}\leq d_{i,k}$ for any $k$ of the graph; it is a local attractor of $i$, if $j\in E_i$ (the set of nearest-neighbors of $i$) and $d_{i,j}\leq d_{i,l}$ for any $l\in E_i$. Based on the intuition that each node should have a high probability to be in the same community as its global (local) attractor on the global (local) scale, we present a simple method to uncover a network's community structure. This method is applied to several real networks and some discussion on its possible extensions is made.Comment: 5 pages, 4 color-figures. REVTeX 4 format. To appear in PR

Systematic review of economic evaluations and cost analyses of guideline implementation strategies

Objectives To appraise the quality of economic studies undertaken as part of evaluations of guideline implementation strategies; determine their resources use; and recommend methods to improve future studies. Methods Systematic review of economic studies undertaken alongside robust study designs of clinical guideline implementation strategies published (1966-1998). Studies assessed against the BMJ economic evaluations guidelines for each stage of the guideline process (guideline development, implementation and treatment). Results 235 studies were identified, 63 reported some information on cost. Only 3 studies provided evidence that their guideline was effective and efficient. 38 reported the treatment costs only, 12 implementation and treatment costs, 11 implementation costs alone, and two guideline development, implementation and treatment costs. No study gave reasonably complete information on costs. Conclusions Very few satisfactory economic evaluations of guideline implementation strategies have been performed. Current evaluations have numerous methodological defects and rarely consider all relevant costs and benefits. Future evaluations should focus on evaluating the implementation of evidence based guidelines. Keywords: Cost-effectiveness analysis, physician (or health care professional) behaviour, practice guidelines, quality improvement, systematic review.Peer reviewedAuthor versio

The role of emotion, values, and beliefs in the construction of innovative work realities

Traditional approaches to requirements elicitation stress systematic and rational analysis and representation of organizational context and system requirements. This paper argues that (1) for an organization, a software system implements a shared vision of a future work reality and that (2) understanding the emotions, feelings, values, beliefs, and interests that drive organizational human action is needed in order to invent the requirements of such a software system. This paper debunks some myths about how organizations transform themselves through the adoption of Information and Communication Technology; describes the concepts of emotion, feeling, value, and belief; and presents some constructionist guidelines for the process of eliciting requirements for a software system that helps an organization to fundamentally change its work patterns.(undefined

Pattern formation in directional solidification under shear flow. I: Linear stability analysis and basic patterns

An asymptotic interface equation for directional solidification near the absolute stabiliy limit is extended by a nonlocal term describing a shear flow parallel to the interface. In the long-wave limit considered, the flow acts destabilizing on a planar interface. Moreover, linear stability analysis suggests that the morphology diagram is modified by the flow near the onset of the Mullins-Sekerka instability. Via numerical analysis, the bifurcation structure of the system is shown to change. Besides the known hexagonal cells, structures consisting of stripes arise. Due to its symmetry-breaking properties, the flow term induces a lateral drift of the whole pattern, once the instability has become active. The drift velocity is measured numerically and described analytically in the framework of a linear analysis. At large flow strength, the linear description breaks down, which is accompanied by a transition to flow-dominated morphologies, described in a companion paper. Small and intermediate flows lead to increased order in the lattice structure of the pattern, facilitating the elimination of defects. Locally oscillating structures appear closer to the instability threshold with flow than without.Comment: 20 pages, Latex, accepted for Physical Review

Coherent matter wave inertial sensors for precision measurements in space

We analyze the advantages of using ultra-cold coherent sources of atoms for matter-wave interferometry in space. We present a proof-of-principle experiment that is based on an analysis of the results previously published in [Richard et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 91, 010405 (2003)] from which we extract the ratio h/m for 87Rb. This measurement shows that a limitation in accuracy arises due to atomic interactions within the Bose-Einstein condensate

'To live and die [for] Dixie': Irish civilians and the Confederate States of America

Around 20,000 Irishmen served in the Confederate army in the Civil War. As a result, they left behind, in various Southern towns and cities, large numbers of friends, family, and community leaders. As with native-born Confederates, Irish civilian support was crucial to Irish participation in the Confederate military effort. Also, Irish civilians served in various supporting roles: in factories and hospitals, on railroads and diplomatic missions, and as boosters for the cause. They also, however, suffered in bombardments, sieges, and the blockade. Usually poorer than their native neighbours, they could not afford to become 'refugees' and move away from the centres of conflict. This essay, based on research from manuscript collections, contemporary newspapers, British Consular records, and Federal military records, will examine the role of Irish civilians in the Confederacy, and assess the role this activity had on their integration into Southern communities. It will also look at Irish civilians in the defeat of the Confederacy, particularly when they came under Union occupation. Initial research shows that Irish civilians were not as upset as other whites in the South about Union victory. They welcomed a return to normalcy, and often 'collaborated' with Union authorities. Also, Irish desertion rates in the Confederate army were particularly high, and I will attempt to gauge whether Irish civilians played a role in this. All of the research in this paper will thus be put in the context of the Drew Gilpin Faust/Gary Gallagher debate on the influence of the Confederate homefront on military performance. By studying the Irish civilian experience one can assess how strong the Confederate national experiment was. Was it a nation without a nationalism