Investigation of the medical applications of the unique biocarbons developed by NASA

Experience with 127 percutaneous implants in 43 patients and volunteers is discussed. Pure carbon has demonstrated the highest level of success. It is indicated that prolonged success of these implants can be expected if mechanical factors are reduced to a minimum

The use of pure carbon for permanent percutaneous electrical connector systems

Pure carbon was used as an electrode in the clinical application of long-term neuromuscular stimulation, as well as a connector for permanent neuroelectrodes. The history of this material and some examples of the material in use are presented

Prosthesis coupling

A coupling for use in an apparatus for connecting a prosthesis to the bone of a stump of an amputated limb is described which permits a bio-compatible carbon sleeve forming a part of the prosthesis connector to float so as to prevent disturbing the skin seal around the carbon sleeve. The coupling includes a flexible member interposed between a socket that is inserted within an intermedullary cavity of the bone and the sleeve. A lock pin is carried by the prosthesis and has a stem portion which is adapted to be coaxially disposed and slideably within the tubular female socket for securing the prosthesis to the stump. The skin around the percutaneous carbon sleeve is able to move as a result of the flexing coupling so as to reduce stresses caused by changes in the stump shape and/or movement between the bone and the flesh portion of the stump

Photoluminescence rings in Corbino disk at quantizing magnetic fields

Spatially resolved photoluminescence of modulation doped AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction was investigated in a sample of Corbino disk geometry subject to strong perpendicular magnetic fields. Significant spatial modulation of the photoluminescence was observed in form of one or more concentric rings which travelled across the sample when the magnetic field strength was varied. A topology of the observed structure excludes the possibility of being a trace of an external current. The effect is attributed to formation of compressible and incompressible stripes in a 2DEG density gradient across the sample.Comment: 5 two-column pages, 4 figures (one of them in color

The elemental mechanism of transcriptional pausing.

Transcriptional pausing underlies regulation of cellular RNA biogenesis. A consensus pause sequence that acts on RNA polymerases (RNAPs) from bacteria to mammals halts RNAP in an elemental paused state from which longer-lived pauses can arise. Although the structural foundations of pauses prolonged by backtracking or nascent RNA hairpins are recognized, the fundamental mechanism of the elemental pause is less well-defined. Here we report a mechanistic dissection that establishes the elemental pause signal (i) is multipartite; (ii) causes a modest conformational shift that puts γ-proteobacterial RNAP in an off-pathway state in which template base loading but not RNA translocation is inhibited; and (iii) allows RNAP to enter pretranslocated and one-base-pair backtracked states easily even though the half-translocated state observed in paused cryo-EM structures rate-limits pause escape. Our findings provide a mechanistic basis for the elemental pause and a framework to understand how pausing is modulated by sequence, cellular conditions, and regulators

Interferometric Mapping of Magnetic fields: NGC2071IR

We present polarization maps of NGC2071IR from thermal dust emission at 1.3 mm and from CO J=$2 \to 1$ line emission. The observations were obtained using the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association array in the period 2002-2004. We detected dust and line polarized emission from NGC2071IR that we used to constrain the morphology of the magnetic field. From CO J=$2 \to 1$ polarized emission we found evidence for a magnetic field in the powerful bipolar outflow present in this region. We calculated a visual extinction $A_{\rm{v}} \approx 26$ mag from our dust observations. This result, when compared with early single dish work, seems to show that dust grains emit polarized radiation efficiently at higher densities than previously thought. Mechanical alignment by the outflow is proposed to explain the polarization pattern observed in NGC2071IR, which is consistent with the observed flattening in this source.Comment: 17 pages, 4 Figures, Accepted for publication in Ap

Has the experience of Hepatitis C diagnosis improved over the last decade? An analysis of Canadian women's experiences of diagnosis

Background In Canada, incidents of new hepatitis C virus infections are rising among women aged 15–29 years and now comprise 60% of new infections among this age group. A negative diagnosis experience continues to be a problem affecting women living with hepatitis C virus. With new effective treatments, nurses will have more involvement in hepatitis C virus care and diagnosis, which is a critical time to facilitate appropriate education and management. Purpose This study explored Canadian women’s experience of hepatitis C virus diagnosis in order to develop recommendations to improve care at the point of diagnosis. Methods Purposive sampling was used to recruit and interview 25 women. Using narrative inquiry, we examined Canadian women’s experience of hepatitis C virus diagnosis. Results Women’s diagnosis experiences were shaped by the context of diagnosis, factors prompting the testing, the testing provider, and information/education received. The context of diagnosis foreshadowed how prepared women were for their results, and the absence of accurate information magnified the psychological distress that can follow an hepatitis C virus diagnosis. Conclusion Our findings provide a compelling case for a proactive nursing response, which will improve women’s experiences of hepatitis C virus diagnosis and, in turn, enhance women’s access to hepatitis C virus care and other healthcare services

Milestones: a mixed methods study of an educational intervention to improve care of the dying

Background: Approximately 460 000 people die annually in England. Three-quarters of these deaths are expected. Health Education England is prioritising upskilling of clinical staff in response to reports of poor care quality in the last days of life in acute hospitals, where almost half of all deaths occur. This study explores the impact of an end-of-life care (EoLC) educational intervention, Milestones, in acute hospital trusts in Greater London. Methods: This is a mixed methods study. Learners completed a questionnaire pre- (n=452), immediately post- (n=488) and 3 to 8 months post- (n=37) intervention. The questionnaire measured learner confidence in EoLC covering the National Health Service adopted ‘Priorities for the Care of the Dying Person’. Paired t-tests were used to determine statistically significant difference in learner confidence pre- and post-intervention. A convenience sample of learners (n=7) and educators (n=5) were recruited to qualitative semi-structured interviews that sought to understand if, how and why Milestones worked. Data were analysed using a thematic approach. Results: A statistically significant increase in learner confidence across all five priorities of care’ was sustained up to 8 months (p<0.001). Interviewees wanted to discuss wider challenges in EoLC related to the organisations and cultural contexts in which they worked. Concerns included balancing hope when decision-making, learning as a multidisciplinary team and emotional impact. Conclusion: The findings suggest that Milestones is a flexible, beneficial resource for teaching EoLC that facilitates enhanced learner engagement. Understanding generated about wider concerns can inform future educational material development, organisational process and research study design

Functional specialization of transcription elongation factors

Elongation factors NusG and RfaH evolved from a common ancestor and utilize the same binding site on RNA polymerase (RNAP) to modulate transcription. However, although NusG associates with RNAP transcribing most Escherichia coli genes, RfaH regulates just a few operons containing ops, a DNA sequence that mediates RfaH recruitment. Here, we describe the mechanism by which this specificity is maintained. We observe that RfaH action is indeed restricted to those several operons that are devoid of NusG in vivo. We also show that RfaH and NusG compete for their effects on transcript elongation and termination in vitro. Our data argue that RfaH recognizes its DNA target even in the presence of NusG. Once recruited, RfaH remains stably associated with RNAP, thereby precluding NusG binding. We envision a pathway by which a specialized regulator has evolved in the background of its ubiquitous paralogue. We propose that RfaH and NusG may have opposite regulatory functions: although NusG appears to function in concert with Rho, RfaH inhibits Rho action and activates the expression of poorly translated, frequently foreign genes