Comparison of Etest and National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards broth macrodilution method for azole antifungal susceptibility testing

The use of Etest strips for antimicrobial susceptibility testing is a new and promising method with broad applications in microbiology. Since these strips contain a predefined continuous gradient of a drug, it is possible to obtain a reproducible, quantitative MIC reading. We performed a prospective and double-blinded study to compare the Etest and National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (Villanova, Pa.) broth macrodilution methods for determining the MICs of fluconazole, itraconazole, and ketoconazole for 100 clinical isolates (25 Candida albicans, 25 Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans, 20 Torulopsis [Candida] glabrata, 15 Candida tropicalis, and 15 Candida parapsilosis). The Etest method was performed according to the manufacturer's instructions, and the reference method was performed according to National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards document M27-P guidelines. Despite differences between results for some species-drug combinations, Etest and macrobroth MICs were, in general, in good agreement. The MIC agreement rates for the two methods, within +/- 1 dilution, were 71% for ketoconazole, 80% for fluconazole, and 84% for itraconazole. According to our data, Etest has potential utility as an alternative method.     

Foreword: Hearsay testimony in trials involving child witnesses.

Allowing hearsay testimony in child abuse cases represents a dramatic and controversial change to the legal system, yet little scholarly and empirical work has been devoted to the topic. This special theme issue contains 12 articles written by psycholegal scholars from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. It is organized to address 3 basic issues that should be of interest to psycholegal. researchers, as well as police officers, judges, lawyers, and other members of the legal community. (a) How often is hearsay testimony used? How is it used in comparison to other innovations designed to protect the psychological welfare of the child witness? (b) How accurate is hearsay testimony? Is it as accurate as the child's own account? (c) Do jurors believe hearsay testimony? How much weight do or should jurors give to hearsay testimony? Two critical commentaries, one legal and one psychological, follow these articles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A time-space decomposition method for calculating the nearfield pressure generated by a pulsed circular piston

A time-space decomposition approach is derived for numerical calculations of the transient nearfield pressure generated by a circular piston. Time-space decomposition analytically separates the temporal and spatial components of a rapidly converging single integral expression, thereby converting transient nearfield pressure calculations into the superposition of a small number of fast-converging spatial integrals that are weighted by time-dependent factors. Results indicate that, for the same peak error value, time-space decomposition is at least one or two orders of magnitude faster than the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld integral, the Schoch integral, the Field II program, and the DREAM program. Time-space decomposition is also faster than methods that directly calculate the impulse response by at least a factor of 3 for a 10% peak error and by a factor of 17 for a 1% peak error. The results show that, for a specified maximum error value, time-space decomposition is significantly faster than the impulse response and other analytical integrals evaluated for computations of transient nearfield pressures generated by circular pistons.     

Virtual Urban

The bulk of this paper consists of an interview with the developers of a web site called Virtual Urban, one living in Ireland and the other in Slovenia. The concept behind the site is described and the interview reveals how the initial idea developed as 'surfers' made contributions. The resulting site, it is claimed, well represents the irregular aspects of cities.     

For the record: Videotaping investigative interviews.

The author considers the prospects for child witness interview videotaping in a post-Michaels (State of New Jersey v. Margaret Kelly Michaels) world. The importance of accurate accounts of pretrial interactions with children is discussed, and the constitutional duty (if any) for a prosecutor to preserve a record of interviews conducted or authorized by the prosecution is explored. On the basis of the current US Supreme Court approach, there may be no constitutional duty imposed by the federal Constitution; however, state legislatures may well decide to require videotaping of investigative interviews with children, notwithstanding the lack of a federal or state constitutional imperative. Videotaping initiatives are currently endorsed by some states. Professional fears about the potential abuse of videotaping protocols appear to be ill-founded in view of the success of the California pilot program. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physician-assisted suicide. Finding common ground

In Washington state, practicing physicians have been forced to confront the emotional, complex issue of physician-assisted suicide sooner than physicians elsewhere in the US. The Washington State Medical Association has struggled at length with the issue and ultimately delineated a policy on safeguards for physician-assisted suicide. The Washington experience may prove instructive to other professional physician organizations even before the US Supreme Court rules on the issue.     

Treatment planning for hyperthermia with ultrasound phased arrays

Treatment planning for ultrasound phased arrays suggests a strategy for hyperthermia therapy which satisfies therapeutic conditions at the target and spares other sensitive anatomical structures. To predict both desirable and harmful interactions between ultrasound and important structures such as the tumor, bones, and air pockets, a hyperthermia treatment planning system has been developed for ultrasound phased arrays. This collection of treatment planning routines consists of geometric and thermal optimization procedures specific to ultrasound phased arrays, where geometric treatment planning, combined with thermal treatment planning and three-dimensional visualization, provides essential information for the optimization of individual patient treatments. A patient image data set for cancer of the prostate, a difficult target situated in the midst of multiple pelvic bone obstructions, illustrates the geometric treatment planning algorithm and other tools for treatment analysis. The results indicate that the analysis of complex three-dimensional relationships between the applicator, anatomical structures, and incident fields provides an important means of predicting treatment limiting conditions, thereby allowing the hyperthermia applicator to electronically adapt to individual patients and specific sites     

Reducing sodium levels in frankfurters using naturally brewed soy sauce

Sodium chloride (NaCl; salt) serves important functions in processed meats, contributing to desirable quality and food safety characteristics; however, renewed interest exists in reducing sodium in the human diet despite sodium being a required component of the diet for physiological regulation. This study investigated consumer sensory and quality impacts from replacement of normally added NaCl (flake salt) with naturally brewed soy sauce (SS). Varying levels of SS were used with NaCl and/or potassium chloride (KCl) to comprise treatments (TRT) which investigated flake salt replacement (Phase I) and sodium reduction (Phases II and III). Phase I identified a 50% replacement of NaCl with SS as the baseline for subsequent phases. Phase II indicated that the inclusion of SS could allow for a 20% NaCl reduction without adverse effects on quality or sensory attributes. Phase III results demonstrated that it was feasible to reduce NaCl by 35% via the inclusion of KCl in SS containing frankfurters without major quality or sensory changes.