Gauging the utility of ambient displays by measuring cognitive load

Cognition, Technology & Work - Ambient Displays, a sub-class of ubiquitous computing, aim to present non-critical information using peripheral visualisation with minimal distraction. The...     

MRI of lymphomas of the orbits and the paranasal sinuses

Examined the validity of adolescents' reports of their mother's age. Most research on the validity of self-report focuses on personal behaviors such as alcohol and substance use, or response bias due to social desirability. Few studies investigate the validity of adolescents reporting of nonsensitive information. Data from 80 mother-adolescent pairs were collected. The sample included 9th graders from four high school English classes, equal numbers of males and females, and 15% African Americans. The correlation between mothers' reports and youths' reports of mother's age was .99, and 95% of the youth were within a year of their mother's correct age. No race or gender differences were found. These results allow researchers to examine adolescent outcomes for youth born to teen mothers without the expense of also collecting data from their mothers. Results also suggest that adolescents' self-reports of other nonsensitive familial data may also be valid.     

Evaluation of β-diketone-containing Polymeric Coupling Agents for Enhancing the Adhesion of Epoxy to Aluminum

β-diketone-containing polymeric coupling agents (PCA) were evaluated as potential adhesion enhancers for an epoxy/aluminum bond system. Torsional shear joint measurements revealed that the β-diketone-containing PCA did not influence the joint strength and durability, positively or negatively, as compared with untreated controls. Grazing angle infrared spectroscopy revealed that despite reactivity of the β-diketone-containing monomer with aluminum substrates, no reactivity of the β-diketone was observed once the monomer was incorporated into the polymer. Deposition studies showed that the resulting PCA coating thickness following treatment and solvent rinsing was not a function of solvent solubility parameter, solution concentration, or immersion time. It was hypothesized that preferential physisorption of the phenyl and/or epoxy functionalities in the PCA inhibited reactivity of the β-diketone functionality.     

Giant sertoli cell adenoma in testicular feminization syndrome

An extremely large Sertoli cell adenoma discovered incidentally in an elderly phenotypically femal patient with testicular feminization syndrome is reported. The patient is alive 3 years following removal of the tumor.     

The laryngeal mask airway: a new standard for airway evaluation in thoracic surgery

BACKGROUND: Thoracic surgeons typically perform fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) before thoracotomy, usually on the day of the operation after intubation with a single-lumen endotracheal tube (ETT) and before insertion of a double-lumen ETT. This routine requires two laryngoscopies and two intubations. The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) is an airway device developed in England and approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1991 for clinical use in the United States. It requires neither mask ventilation nor laryngoscopy and allows FOB visualization of the epiglottis, larynx, and entire trachea. We assessed the LMA as an alternative to a single-lumen ETT for FOB before thoracotomy. METHODS: Through prospective assessment, 50 patients underwent FOB after insertion of an LMA before thoracotomy. Pulse rate, blood pressure, ease of insertion of the LMA, quality of FOB, and complications of LMA insertion were assessed. RESULTS: During LMA insertion, blood pressure and pulse rate increased less than 5% from baseline in all patients. The LMA was inserted successfully in all patients within 10 seconds. No complications occurred as a result of LMA insertion. CONCLUSIONS: Insertion of the LMA causes minimal hemodynamic response. From the time of induction of general anesthesia, insertion of the LMA is quick, simple, and safe and eliminates the need for endotracheal intubation with a single-lumen ETT before double-lumen tube insertion. The LMA, in contrast to the ETT, allows a complete survey of the larynx and trachea. The LMA is autoclavable, reusable, and cost effective. Therefore, in patients who require FOB immediately before thoracotomy, LMA use should be the standard for airway evaluation.     

Evaluation of A High-Speed Pelletization Process and Equipment

A single step high-speed centrifugal pelletization procedure is described. Pellets of three model drugs of varying solubilities were prepared and characterized. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the external layer which is composed of binder and drug is very porous relative to the nonpareil seed core material. Bulk density measurements also confirmed the loose structural makeup of the drug layer. Preparation of pellets from small non-pareil seeds provided particles that have high drug content and are amenable to high dose formulations. Common wet granulation binders such as polyvinylpyrrolidone, sodium carboxymethylcellulose and gelatin exhibited good binding capacities and generated excellent pellets.     

A model of the world oil market with an OPEC cartel

A world oil market model (WOM) with OPEC treated as a Stackelberg cartel has been developed within the framework of the Generalized Equilibrium Modeling System (GEMS) that is available from Decision Focus, Inc. The U.S. sector of the model is represented by a Liquid Fuels Supply model that was presented previously. The WOM model is described and results obtained with the model for the period 1980–2040 are presented. For comparative purposes, results obtained with the model when OPEC is treated as a competitive producer are also presented. By comparing the world oil price as a function of time from the two calculations, the influence that OPEC may have on the oil market by exploiting all of its market power is quantified. The world oil price as obtained with the WOM model is also compared with world oil price projections from a variety of sources.