High-velocity gas towards the LMC resides in the Milky Way halo

To explore the origin of high-velocity gas in the direction of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) we analyze absorption lines in the ultraviolet spectrum of a Galactic halo star that is located in front of the LMC at d=9.2 kpc distance. We study the velocity-component structure of low and intermediate metal ions in the spectrum of RXJ0439.8-6809, as obtained with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) onboard HST, and measure equivalent widths and column densities for these ions. We supplement our COS data with a Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer spectrum of the nearby LMC star Sk-69 59 and with HI 21cm data from the Leiden-Argentina-Bonn (LAB) survey. Metal absorption towards RXJ0439.8-6809 is unambiguously detected in three different velocity components near v_LSR=0,+60, and +150 km/s. The presence of absorption proves that all three gas components are situated in front of the star, thus being located in the disk and inner halo of the Milky Way. For the high-velocity cloud (HVC) at v_LSR=+150 km/s we derive an oxygen abundance of [O/H]=-0.63 (~0.2 solar) from the neighbouring Sk-69 59 sightline, in accordance with previous abundance measurements for this HVC. From the observed kinematics we infer that the HVC hardly participates in the Galactic rotation. Our study shows that the HVC towards the LMC represents a Milky Way halo cloud that traces low-column density gas with relatively low metallicity. It rules out scenarios in which the HVC represents material close to the LMC that stems from a LMC outflow.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; submitted to A&A Letter

Economic Allocation in LCA: A Case Study About Aluminium Window Frames

A traditional problem in LCA is how to deal with processes where recycled material is used as an input or where the output of a process is further used as raw material in another product system (open-loop recycling). Allocation is needed to partition the responsibility for the environmental impacts caused by the raw material extraction, the recycling and the final disposal of a material over different product systems in some proportional shares. The norm ISO/DIS 14'04T. 1998 now explicitly allows the use of an economic value as a basis for the allocation of open-loop product systems, where material is recycled into other product systems while undergoing a change in its inherent properties. In a case study for aluminium window frames, an economic allocation procedure for aluminium is developed based on different market prices for secondary materials with different alloy content. Market prices are assumed to reflect the functionality of a material quality within a techno-economic system. Therefore, market prices permit the qualitative description of the degradation of a material over a product system. Based on this qualitative degradation, a ‘relative resource consumption' can be defined. This relative resource consumption is used to allocate the environmental impacts related to recycled material entering or leaving the product system under study. The results of the new allocation principle are compared to results of a former study on window frames out of various materials, elaborated by EMPA in 1996. The conclusions underline the importance of the recycling of aluminium with a high quality and give some criteria for a more ecological design of aluminium windows. Finally, methodological advantages and obstacles of the presented economic allocation procedure are pointed ou

Cytoplasmic islet cell antibodies recognize distinct islet antigens in IDDM but not in stiff man syndrome

Cytoplasmic islet cell antibodies are well-established predictive markers of IDDM. Although target molecules of ICA have been suggested to be gangliosides, human monoclonal ICA of the immunoglobulin G class (MICA 1-6) produced from a patient with newly diagnosed IDDM recognized glutamate decarboxylase as a target antigen. Here we analyzed the possible heterogeneity of target antigens of ICA by subtracting the GAD-specific ICA staining from total ICA staining of sera. This was achieved 1) by preabsorption of ICA+ sera with recombinant GAD65 and/or GAD67 expressed in a baculovirus system and 2) by ICA analysis of sera on mouse pancreas, as GAD antibodies do not stain mouse islets in the immunofluorescence test. We show that 24 of 25 sera from newly diagnosed patients with IDDM recognize islet antigens besides GAD. In contrast, GAD was the only islet antigen recognized by ICA from 7 sera from patients with stiff man syndrome. Two of these sera, however, recognized antigens besides GAD in Purkinje cells. In patients with IDDM, non-GAD ICA were diverse. One group, found in 64% of the sera, stained human and mouse islets, whereas the other group of non-GAD ICA was human specific. Therefore, mouse islets distinguish two groups of non-GAD ICA and lack additional target epitopes of ICA besides GAD. Longitudinal analysis of 6 sera from nondiabetic ICA+ individuals revealed that mouse-reactive ICA may appear closer to clinical onset of IDDM in some individuals

Application of Lifetime Electronic Health Records: Are we ready yet?

Integrated care concepts can help to diminish demographic challenges. Therefore, the use of eHealth solutions is recognised as an efficient approach. Lifetime electronic health records (LEHRs) are expected to increase continuity, effectiveness, efficiency and thus quality of the care process. With respect to these benefits, an overarching implementation of LEHRs is desirable but non-existent. Hence, the aim of the article is to analyse the current LEHR implementation readiness of EU member states to derive implications for further LEHR research and development. Therefore, a case study on Denmark, Germany and Italy was conducted. The analysis shows that all countries fulfil the technical requirements but Denmark has great experiences and willingness to implement advanced eHealth measures like LEHRs. First Italian pilot projects are quite promising as well. The article paves the way for LEHR implementation and there with for integrated care

Exophytic benign mixed epithelial stromal tumour of the kidney: case report of a rare tumour entity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mixed epithelial and stromal tumour (MEST) represents a recently described benign composite neoplasm of the kidney, which predominantly affects perimenopausal females. Most tumours are benign, although rare malignant cases have been observed.</p> <p>Case report</p> <p>A 47-year-old postmenopausal female presented to the urologist with flank pain. A CT scan of the abdomen showed a 30-mm-in-diameter uniform mass adjacent to the pelvis of the left kidney. Surgical exploration showed a tumour arising from the lower anterior hilus of the left kidney. The tumour could be excised by preserving the kidney. By intraoperative frozen section the tumour showed characteristic features of MEST with epithelial-covered cysts embedded in an "ovarian-like" stroma. Additional immunohistochemistry investigations showed expression for hormone receptors by the stromal component of the tumour.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>MEST typically presents in perimenopausal women as a primarily cystic mass. Commonly, the tumour arises from the renal parenchyma or pelvis. The tumour is composed of an admixture of cystic and sometimes more solid areas. The stromal cells typically demonstrate an ovarian-type stroma showing expression for the estrogen and progesterone receptors.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>MEST represents a distinctive benign tumour entity of the kidney, which affects perimenopausal woman. The tumour should be distinguished from other cystic renal neoplasms. By imaging studies it is difficult to distinguish between a benign or malignant nature of the tumour. Thus, intraoperative frozen section is necessary for conservative surgery, since the overall prognosis is favourable and renal function can be preserved in most cases.</p

Indomethacin decreases viscosity of gallbladder bile in patients with cholesterol gallstone disease

There is experimental evidence that inhibition of cyclooxygenase with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may decrease cholesterol gall-stone formation and mitigate biliary pain in gall-stone patients. The mechanisms by which NSAIDs exert these effect are unclear. In a prospective, controlled clinical trial we examined the effects of oral indomethacin on the composition of human gall-bladder bile. The study included 28 patients with symptomatic cholesterol or mixed gallstones. Of these, 8 were treated with 3 × 25 mg indomethacin daily for 7 days prior to elective cholecystectomy while 20 received no treatment and served as controls. Bile and tissue samples from the gallbladder were obtained during cholecystectomy. Indomethacin tissue levels in the gallbladder mucosa, as assessed by HPLC, were 1.05±0.4 ng/mg wet weight, a concentration known to inhibit effectively cyclooxygenase activity. Nevertheless, no differences between the treated and untreated groups were found in the concentrations of biliary mucus glycoprotein (0.94±0.27 versus 0.93±0.32 mg/ml) or total protein (5.8±0.9 versus 6.4±1.3 mg/ml), cholesterol saturation (1.3±0.2 versus 1.5±0.2), or nucleation time (2.0±3.0 versus 1.5±2.0 days). However, biliary viscosity, measured using a low-shear rotation viscosimeter, was significantly lower in patients receiving indomethacin treatment (2.9±0.6 versus 5.6±1.2 mPa.s; P < 0.02). In conclusion, in man oral indomethacin decreases bile viscosity without alteration of bile lithogenicity or biliary mucus glycoprotein content. Since mucus glycoproteins are major determinants of bile viscosity, an alteration in mucin macromolecular composition may conceivably cause the indomethacin-induced decrease in biliary viscosity and explain the beneficial effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in gallstone disease