Keynote Address

Thank you, professor, for that introduction. It was quite the introduction. It is true my brother started a very successful online diaper company. It was mentioned that we do not have enough followers on our Twitter feed. My brother is a much more clever member of the family. My recollection is that when he started that company, he had a slogan—he and some folks came up with this slogan for the diaper company—which was—and it was emblazoned on a t-shirt which was one of the few perks of being related to somebody who started a company, and I from time to time proudly wear that t-shirt—and the slogan for his company was: “We are number one in number two.

On the Economics of Industrial Safety

Diabetic foot complications are associated with substantial costs and loss of quality of life. This article gives an overview of available and emerging devices for the monitoring of foot temperature as a means of early detection of foot disorders in diabetes. The aim is to describe the technologies and to summarize experiences from experimental use. Studies show that regular monitoring of foot temperature may limit the incidence of disabling conditions such as foot ulcers and lower-limb amputations. Infrared thermometry and liquid crystal thermography were identified as the leading technologies in use today. Both technologies are feasible for temperature monitoring of the feet and could be used as a complement to current practices for foot examinations in diabetes.Original Publication: Kerstin Roback, An overview of temperature monitoring devices for early detection of diabetic foot disorders, 2010, EXPERT REVIEW OF MEDICAL DEVICES, (7), 5, 711-718. http://dx.doi.org/10.1586/ERD.10.35 Copyright: Expert Reviews http://www.expert-reviews.com/</p

Cd(II)-, Pb(II)- AND Hg(II)-2-AMINOETHANETHIOLATES

This theses presents the synthesis and characterization of Cd(II)-, Pb(II)- and Hg(II)-aminoethanethiolates in aqueous media. 2-Aminoethanethiolate, a versatile sulfur andnitrogen (S/N) based ligand was used due to its resemblance to the naturally occurringamino acid, cysteine. The work is presented in four major parts: first, backgroundinformation on the versatile structural chemistry of Cd, Pb and Hg-thiolates with S/Ncontaining ligands; second, synthesis and characterization of Cd(II) with 2-aminoethanethiolates; third, synthesis and characterization and structural chemistry ofPb(II) with 2-aminoethanethiolates; and fourth, synthesis and characterization of Hg(II)-2-aminoethanethiolates in solution- and solid-state with emphasis on the mechanisticpathways for the formation of clusters.The compounds reported here are synthesized by direct addition of the metal saltsand the ligand in deionized water. For Cd(II)-thiolates, insoluble products (77 - 80 and 82- 84) due to the formation of oligomers and polymers were obtained. In Pb(II)-thiolates(85 - 89), the structural chemistry is variable due to the extensive array of coordinationenvironments Pb can acquire. This can be related to the stoichiometry of the reaction aswell as the reaction conditions. The structural trends in Cd(II)- and Pb(II)-thiolates arenot observed in the Hg(II)-thiolates. Rather the halide influences the formation ofmolecular as well as non-molecular structures. Systematic pathways for the formation ofthe compounds based on a variety of commonly observed structural \u27building blocks\u27 arepresented. For Cl, Br derivatives, a four-coordinate intermediate, [Hg(SR)2X2] (88 - 96)and for I derivatives three-coordinate intermediates, [HgI(SR)2] and [HgI2(SR)] (97 -100) can be considered as building units. The compounds were characterized withIR/Raman, NMR, MS, Uv-Vis and X-ray crystallography

Liquid crystal thermography in neuropathic assessment of the diabetic foot.

Primary aetiologic factors of diabetic foot disease include peripheral neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease. Assessment of circulation, neuropathy, and foot pressure is employed routinely to determine the risk of foot ulceration in the patient with diabetes mellitus. Routine neuropathic evaluation includes assessment of sensory loss in the plantar skin of the foot using both the Semmes Weinstein monofilament and the biothesiometer. Progressive degeneration of sensory nerve pathways is thought to affect thermoreceptors and mechanoreceptors. However, thermological measurements of the foot to assess responses to thermal stimuli and cutaneous thermal discrimination threshold are relatively uncommon. Recent improvements in liquid crystal technology (LCT) including insensitivity to pressure, faster response times, lower cost and fast image acquisition offer potential for routine thermographic assessment of the diabetic foot. The present study was designed to evaluate if an association exists between abnormal plantar thermal images and sensory loss under conditions of normal loading. The system comprises a robust measurement platform, thermochromic liquid crystal polyester sheet (TLC), instrumentation and analysis software. In vitro calibration was performed to characterise three physical forms of TLC on the basis of linearity, hysteresis, pressure sensitivity and response time. An in vivo pilot evaluation study of the system was performed using three sub-groups (i) neuropathic diabetic (n=30), (ii) non neuropathic diabetic (n=30) and (iii) a healthy control group (n=30). The principal results of this study indicate raised plantar temperatures for the diabetic groups at baseline and post stress relative to the control group. Furthermore, poor recovery response to thermal stimulus in the neuropathic diabetic group suggests degeneration of thermoreceptors. Thus by assessing the thermal parameters at the same sites as that of sensory testing, the new LCT based approach appears capable of providing an alternative confirmation of clinical neuropathy and offers potential as an improved method compared to existing techniques

Epidemiology of Hepatitis A: Past and Current Trends

Hepatitis A virus is a common infectious etiology of acute hepatitis worldwide. It was not until World War II (1973) when hepatitis A virus was first identified by an American virologist, Stephen Mark Feinstone. The virus is most commonly transmitted through contaminated food, water, or sexual contact (oral-anal sex). The discovery of hepatitis A virus vaccine is considered a milestone in the history of acute viral hepatitis. Hepatitis A occurs worldwide and frequent outbreaks have been reported over the years. Major geographic differences have existed in endemicity of the disease depending primarily upon hygiene and sanitation practices. Some countries have experienced shifting of endemicity due to improvement of environmental hygiene, swelled International travel and national recommendations for hepatitis A vaccination. The age of acquiring hepatitis A virus is also shifting toward adolescents and adults. This has led to a more symptomatic disease, since hepatitis A infection among children is usually asymptomatic; this is known as the paradox of Hepatitis A epidemiology

Di-μ-chlorido-bis­[(2-{(E)-[(2,3-dihy­droxy­prop­yl)imino]­meth­yl}phenolato)copper(II)] methanol monosolvate

In the title compound, [Cu2Cl2(C10H12NO3)2]·CH3OH, each of the two CuII atoms is bound to two O and one N atoms of the bis-chelating monoanionic Schiff base and two bridging chloride ligands. The metal atoms each show a distorted square-pyramidal coordination geometry. Intra­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds occur. In the crystal, O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds join the components into a chain extending along the a axis

Intravenous Vitamin C Administered as Adjunctive Therapy for Recurrent Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

This case report summarizes the first use of intravenous vitamin C employed as an adjunctive interventional agent in the therapy of recurrent acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The two episodes of ARDS occurred in a young female patient with Cronkhite-Canada syndrome, a rare, sporadically occurring, noninherited disorder that is characterized by extensive gastrointestinal polyposis and malabsorption. Prior to the episodes of sepsis, the patient was receiving nutrition via chronic hyperalimentation administered through a long-standing central venous catheter. The patient became recurrently septic with Gram positive cocci which led to two instances of ARDS. This report describes the broad-based general critical care of a septic patient with acute respiratory failure that includes fluid resuscitation, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and vasopressor support. Intravenous vitamin C infused at 50 mg per kilogram body weight every 6 hours for 96 hours was incorporated as an adjunctive agent in the care of this patient. Vitamin C when used as a parenteral agent in high doses acts “pleiotropically” to attenuate proinflammatory mediator expression, to improve alveolar fluid clearance, and to act as an antioxidant

A prototype analysis of New Zealand adolescents’ conceptualizations of wellbeing

This research investigated New Zealand adolescents’ (aged 11 to 13, N = 361) perceptions of wellbeing from a prototype perspective. Specifically, three studies examined what constitutes and promotes wellbeing, whether adolescents’ perspectives are aligned with adults’ conceptualizations and academic models of wellbeing, whether socioeconomic status influences adolescents’ conceptualization, and whether wellbeing is prototypically organized. Results showed that wellbeing is prototypically organized as some components are more central to the concept of wellbeing and others more peripheral. Contrary to lay adults’ conceptualizations and popular wellbeing models, adolescents consider enjoyment/having fun, feeling safe, and being kind/helpful as central components of wellbeing, and sense of satisfaction as a peripheral component of wellbeing. Furthermore, low socio-economic status adolescents consider comfort/being wealthy, being focused, good physical health, good values, and success/achievements as more central for wellbeing than high-socioeconomic status adolescents. Consistent with the current literature, positive family relationships, positive friendships, and physical activity/sport were the most frequently reported pathways to wellbeing among adolescents. Overall, researchers and practitioners should consider adolescents’ understanding of wellbeing in the development of wellbeing assessments and interventions