Equilibrium distribution of water in the two-phase system supercritical carbon dioxide–textile

When natural fibres are dyed in supercritical carbon dioxide, the addition of a small amount of water increases coloration. For a process design it is important to know how much water has to be added to obtain a desired humidity of both textile and carbon dioxide. In this work a thermodynamic model is proposed to calculate the distribution of water over the textile phase and the supercritical phase as a function of pressure and temperature. The phase equilibrium is described with Raoult's law for non-ideal fluids. The absorbed water in the textile is a condensed phase and is modelled here as a non-ideal liquid, using the NRTL-equation. The non-ideality of the supercritical phase is described by a solubility enhancement factor, a new equation derived from statistical thermodynamics. Although the model is applied to cotton, viscose, silk and wool, it can be used for all water absorbing textiles.     

Clinical psychologists in the primary health care system in the Netherlands.

Discusses the Dutch health system, focusing on the increasing number of clinical psychologists who are offering their services to the public as private practitioners. This move toward primary health care given by the "first-line psychologist" results from a generalistic frame of reference in which a wide range of psychic, psychosocial, and psychosomatic difficulties are treated with a time-limited framework. In this way, the clinical psychologist contributes to changing the habits and lifestyles of a broad population. Responses to the system are encouraging, and the government has begun to respond positively to the system. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

alpha B-crystallin and hsp25 in neonatal cardiac cells--differences in cellular localization under stress conditions

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine (a) whether delay in femur fracture stabilization beyond twenty-four hours in patients with head injury increased the risk of pulmonary complications and (b) whether immediate (up to twenty-four hours) femur fracture stabilization increased the risk of central nervous system (CNS) complications. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two patients with femur fracture and head injury were identified. Fourteen underwent immediate stabilization of their fractures, and eighteen underwent delayed (four-teen patients) or no (four patients) stabilization of their fractures. RESULTS: In the immediate stabilization group, five patients had severe head injuries [Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) < or = 8] and nine had mild head injuries (GCS > 8). In the mild head injury group, no patient had a pulmonary complication and one had a CNS complication. In the severely head-injured group, one patient had a pulmonary complication and no patient had a CNS complication. In the delayed stabilization group, six patients had mild head injuries (GCS > 8) and twelve had severe head injuries (GCS < or = 8). In the mildly head injured group, one patient had a pulmonary complication, two patients had CNS complications, and one patient died. In the severely head injured group, nine patients had pulmonary complications, three patients had CNS complications, and one patient died. Logistic regression identified delay in femur stabilization as the strongest predictor of pulmonary complication (p = 0.0042), followed by severity of chest Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS; p = 0.0057) and head AIS (p = 0.0133). Delaying fracture stabilization made pulmonary complications forty-five times more likely. Each point increase in the chest AIS and head/neck AIS increased the risk of pulmonary complication by 300 percent and 500 percent, respectively. A statistically significant predictor of CNS complications could not be identified by using logistic regression. CONCLUSION: Delay in stabilization of femur fracture in head-injured patients appears to increase the risk of pulmonary complications. However, due to selection bias in this patient sample, this question cannot be definitively answered. Early fracture stabilization did not increase the prevalence of CNS complications.     

Parallelism in ILU-preconditioned GMRES

A parallel implementation of the preconditioned GMRES method is described. The method is used to solve the discretized incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. A parallel implementation of the inner product is given, which appears to be scalable on a massively parallel computer. The most difficult part to parallelize is the ILU-preconditioner. We parallelize the preconditioner using ideas proposed by Bastian and Horton (P. Bastian, G. Horton, SIAM. J. Stat. Comput. 12 (1991) 1457–1470). Contrary to some other parallel methods, the required number of iterations is independent of the number of processors used. A model is presented to predict the efficiency of the method. Experiments are done on the Cray T3D, computing the solution of a two-dimensional incompressible flow. Predictions of computing time show good correspondence with measurements.     

Structure of d(GT)n.d(GA)n sequences: formation of parallel stranded duplex DNA

Alternating polypurine sequences exhibit remarkable polymorphism. In this study, we report that dGA.dGT sequences form parallel stranded duplex DNA at neutral pH. Using two model hairpins, 3'-d(GT)3-5'5'-T4(AG)3-3' (I) and 3'-d(GT)4-5'5'-T4(AG)4-3' (II), containing 5'5' linkages which direct parallel strand formation, we systematically explored the spectroscopic and thermodynamic properties of parallel stranded d(GA)n.d(GT)n. The parallel stranded hairpins are remarkably stable structures with TM's of 41.5 and 47.5 degreesC (in 0.4 M NaCl) for the shorter and longer hairpins, respectively. The van't Hoff enthalpies of 80.7 and 114 kJ mol-1 are relatively low but are comparable to a parallel stranded d(GA)n duplex. On the basis of the spectroscopic and electrophoretic characteristics, we conclude that parallel strand formation is not restricted to hairpin systems, but also readily occurs in unconstrained dimeric duplexes with the appropriate sequence homologies. Both melting curves and electrophoretic analyses of parallel stranded heteroduplexes in which the sequence enforces specific base pairing demonstrate that G-G and A-T base pairs are formed in d(GA)n.d(GT)n segments.     

Allelotype analysis of uterine leiomyoma: localization of a potential tumor suppressor gene to a 4-cM region of chromosome 7q

The degree and nature of patient involvement in consultations with health professionals influences problem and needs recognition and management, and public accountability. This paper suggests a framework for understanding the scope for patient involvement in such consultations. Patients are defined as co-producers of formal health services, whose potential for involvement in consultations depends on their personal rights, responsibilities and preferences. Patients' rights in consultations are poorly defined and, in the National Health Service (NHS), not legally enforceable. The responsibilities of patients are also undefined. I suggest that these are not to deny, of their own volition, the rights of others, which in consultations necessitate mutuality of involvement through information-exchange and shared decision-making. Preferences should be met insofar as they do not militate against responsibilities and rights.     

Fifteen years experience with finger arterial pressure monitoring: assessment of the technology

We review the Finapres technology, embodied in several TNO-prototypes and in the Ohmeda 2300 and 2300e Finapres NIBP. Finapres is an acronym for FINger Arterial PRESsure, the device delivers a continuous finger arterial pressure waveform. Many papers report on the accuracy of the device in comparison with intra-arterial or with noninvasive but intermittent blood pressure measurements. We compiled the results of 43 such papers and found systolic, diastolic and mean accuracies, in this order, ranging from -48 to 30 mmHg, from -20 to 18 mmHg, and from -13 to 25 mmHg. Weighted for the number of subjects included pooled accuracies were -0.8 (SD 11.9), -1.6 (8.3) and -1.6 (7.6) mmHg respectively. Subdividing the pooled group according to criteria such as reference blood pressure, place of application, and prototype or commercial device we found no significant differences in mean differences or SD. Measurement at the finger allows uninterrupted recordings of long duration. The transmission of the pressure pulse along the arm arteries, however, causes distortion of the pulse waveform and depression of the mean blood pressure level. These effects can be reduced by appropriate filtering, and upper arm 'return-to-flow' calibration to bring accuracy and precision within AAMI limits. For the assessment of beat-to-beat changes in blood pressure and assessment of blood pressure variability Finapres proved a reliable alternative for invasive measurements when mean and diastolic pressures are concerned. Differences in systolic pressure are larger and reach statistical significance but are not of clinical relevance. Finger arteries are affected by contraction and dilatation in relation to psychological and physical (heat, cold, blood loss, orthostasis) stress. Effects of these phenomena are reduced by the built-in Physiocal algorithm. However, full smooth muscle contraction should be avoided in the awake patient by comforting the patient, and covering the hand. Arterial state can be monitored by observing the behaviour of the Physiocal algorithm. We conclude that Finapres accuracy and precision usually suffice for reliable tracking of changes in blood pressure. Diagnostic accuracy may be achieved with future application of corrective measures.     

The role of type III collagen in spontaneous cervical arterial dissections

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of lymphadenectomy after nephroureterectomy in patients with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the upper urinary tract. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 1986 and December 1995, 72 patients (mean age 67 years, range 45-82) underwent nephroureterectomy for primary TCC of the upper urinary tract. In 35 patients, a lymphadenectomy was also performed. The clinicopathological data were analysed retrospectively, focusing on the significance of lymphadenectomy. RESULTS: Lymph vessel invasion was found in 28 patients and its incidence was closely correlated with both tumour grade and pathological stage. Of the 35 patients who underwent lymphadenectomy, lymph node metastases were found in 13 patients, all of whom had lymph vessel invasion. There was no significant difference in the survival rate between patients with and without lymphadenectomy; however, among the 44 patients with no lymph vessel invasion, the survival rate of those with lymphadenectomy was significantly higher than in those without (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Lymphadenectomy may provide a therapeutic advantage in patients with upper urinary tract TCC and no lymph vessel invasion. However, patients with lymph vessel invasion seem to have systemic disease; therefore, aggressive systemic adjuvant therapies rather than regional lymphadenectomy should be applied in these patients.