Association of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene I/D polymorphism with change in left ventricular mass in response to physical training

PURPOSE: To determine the radiologic characteristics of cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients with cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall and chronic pancreatitis underwent ultrasonography (US) (n = 10), computed tomography (CT) (n = 10), endoscopic US (n = 5), and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) (n = 9). Cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall was classified as either cystic or solid. The imaging findings were retrospectively analyzed and compared with findings at pancreatoduodenectomy (n = 10). RESULTS: The more frequent cystic type (n = 7) of cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall was characterized by the presence of easily recognizable cystic lesions (diameter, more than 1 cm), located within the thickened wall of the second portion of the duodenum. The solid type (n = 3) of cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall demonstrated fibrous thickening of the duodenal wall within which small cysts (diameter, less than 1 cm) were present. The intraduodenal cysts were usually elongated or bilobate with a thick wall. The thickening of the duodenal wall appeared as a solid layer between the duodenal lumen and the pancreas, hypoechoic at US, isoattenuating at unenhanced CT, and hypoattenuating in the early phase (after initiation of infusion of contrast material) and isoattenuating in the late phase (after completion of infusion) at contrast material-enhanced CT. Findings at retrospective analysis of CT and endoscopic US images were characteristic. CONCLUSION: Imaging modalities, notably CT and endoscopic US, helped establish the diagnosis of cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall.     

Does anticipation training affect drivers' risk taking?

Skill and risk taking are argued to be independent and to require different remedial programs. However, it is possible to contend that skill-based training could be associated with an increase, a decrease, or no change in risk-taking behavior. In 3 experiments, the authors examined the influence of a skill-based training program (hazard perception) on the risk-taking behavior of car drivers (using video-based driving simulations). Experiment 1 demonstrated a decrease in risk taking for novice drivers. In Experiment 2, the authors examined the possibilities that the skills training might operate through either a nonspecific reduction in risk taking or a specific improvement in hazard perception. Evidence supported the latter. These findings were replicated in a more ecological context in Experiment 3, which compared advanced and nonadvanced police drivers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Voluntarism: is it a useful concept for health education in the accident and emergency department?

As the year 2000 looms closer, the emphasis on health education as a means of attaining the 38 targets for 'Health for All' increases. Despite various initiatives, little, if any, progress has been made in narrowing the health divide. Currently, terms such as 'self-care', 'individual responsibility' and 'community empowerment' are often used with emphasis on individual freedom to choose. The author contends that to assume all individuals have that freedom and act voluntarily, is to deny the impact of social structure on health. Health education and the concept of voluntarism will be critically examined from the perspective of nursing in an accident and emergency department.     

PKI dies hard

Public Key Infrastructure is staging a comeback, according to new research from European IT user association EEMA.     

Cosleeping (bedsharing) among infants and toddlers

This study was designed to investigate the effect of retaining coronal tooth substance on the performance of post-retained core materials, and to compare the fracture resistance of the system with an intact tooth prepared to similar dimensions. Ten teeth restored with post-retained silver amalgam, and 10 teeth restored with silver-glass cermet, all with a retained single wall of coronal tooth substance, were compared with 10 unrestored teeth prepared to similar dimensions when subjected to a shearing load. The results showed no statistically significant difference between the unrestored teeth and those restored with a silver-glass cermet. Whilst the teeth restored with silver amalgam had a significantly higher fracture resistance (P > 0.01) there was greater tendency to root fracture.     

High solids content emulsions. III. Synthesis of concentrated latices by classic emulsion polymerization

Two different methods of producing bi‐ and trimodal latices of a mixture of methyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, and small amounts of acrylic acid were tested. It is shown that a combination of concentrating blends of seed particles by semibatch reaction, followed by a nucleation of small particles plus a second semibatch phase allowed us to obtain stable latices with solids contents over 65% and viscosities of below 2500 mPa s^?1 with little coagulum formation. The key parameter in determining latex stability, coagulum formation, and viscosity appears to be the the particle size distribution, and especially its modification attributed to secondary nucleation. Because it is not possible to eliminate water‐soluble monomers from the polymerization recipe, secondary (homogeneous) nucleation must be minimized by careful addition of the free‐radical initiator and choice of monomer feed flow rates. The nucleation of the third population in the trimodal latices is best accomplished with a mixed surfactant system because renucleation by anionic surfactant alone leads to detrimental changes in the particle size distribution (PSD) resulting from excessive flocculation of particles. In addition, it was found that the viscosity of the final products was not sensitive to small changes in the ionic strength of the latex, although neutralization to a pH of 6 effectively doubles the final latex viscosity. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 1916–1934, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10513     

High‐solid‐content emulsions. V. Applications of miniemulsions to high solids and viscosity control

The use of miniemulsions of styrene and butyl acrylate to make high‐solid‐content, low‐viscosity latices was investigated. Products were obtained with solid concentrations greater than 70 wt % and viscosities as low as 350 mPa s at shear rates of 20 s^?1. This was possible with monomodal and bimodal latices. In addition, the compartmentalization of the reactive species in the miniemulsion systems was exploited to produce latices with high solid concentrations, low viscosities, and bimodal molecular weight distributions. This demonstrated a potentially interesting application for this sort of material. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 745–752, 2005     

The time dependent strain potential function for a polymeric glass

Torsion and normal force measurements were made during single step stress relaxation experiments on a polymeric glass (PMMA). Isochronal data were analysed using an approach adapted from that developed by Penn and Kearsley¹ (for incompressible elastic materials) to determine the derivatives $\text{?W}\text{?I}{}_1$, and $\text{?W}\text{?I}{}_2$ of the time dependent strain potential function. $\text{?W}\text{?I}{}_1$ and $\text{?W}\text{?I}{}_2$ are determined from existing solution to the torsion of an incompressible cylinder. A special solution to the torsion of a compressible cylinder is presented and it is shown that the values of $\text{?W}\text{?I}{}_1$ and $\text{?W}\text{?I}{}_2$ obtained using this solution to analyse the data do not differ greatly from those obtained using the incompressible solution. It is found from both solutions that $\text{?W}\text{?I}{}_1$ is negative and increases towards zero with increasing time and deformation while $\text{?W}\text{?I}{}_2$ is positive, greater in magnitude than $\text{?W}\text{?I}{}_1$ and decreases towards zero with increasing time and deformation. These results were unexpected and a full understanding of their meaning has yet to be reached.