Noniatrogenic esophageal trauma

Few guidelines are available with which to facilitate treatment in patients with noniatrogenic injuries of the esophagus. Early diagnosis and proper management are essential if a good outcome is to be expected. In an effort to define better the treatment of patients with penetrating and blunt injuries of the esophagus, we report our recent 5-year experience at an urban trauma center. From July 1988 to June 1993, nineteen patients with esophageal perforations from penetrating (18) and blunt (1) trauma were identified by our trauma registry. There was no mortality in this group of patients and morbidity was mostly due to associated injuries. Eleven cervical esophageal injuries were repaired. One cervical injury was treated by stopping oral intake and giving intravenous antibiotics. The neck was not drained in 10 of the surgical cases. In 1 patient a tracheoesophageal fistula developed, which later was repaired with a pectoralis muscle flap. Seven perforations were identified in the thoracic (2) and abdominal (5) portions of the esophagus. All were due to gunshot wounds. In 4 cases, a fundal wrap was used to reinforce the repairs. Postoperative contrast studies confirmed that all repairs were intact. We conclude that penetrating and blunt tears of the esophagus can be repaired safely with minimal mortality. Morbidity is usually from associated injuries such as to the spinal cord and trachea. When identified early, cervical esophageal injuries do not need to be drained routinely.     

Longitudinal outcomes in supported employment: A survival analysis.

Studied 90 consecutive job placements (46% minority) in a supported employment program for individuals with severe mental illness to examine employment longevity. Results indicate significant differences for long-term employment retention between minorities and nonminorities and among psychiatric diagnostic categories (i.e., schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders, affective disorders, other personality disorders). The advantages of survival analysis methodology for studying employment retention data are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Zero-Delay Wavenumber Spectrum Estimation for the Analysis of Array ECG Signals?An Alternative to Isopotential Mapping

The zero-delay wavenumber spectrum (ZDWS) estimation approach is proposed for the analysis of array ECG signals as an alternative to isopotential mapping (IM). The ZDWS approach is advantageous because the key parameters related to cardiac electrical activation can be easily identified in the frequency-wavenumber domain. The method explains the data as the sum of wide-band planewaves projected onto the array plane and provides an accurate estimate of their number and bearing. The slowness distribution of each of the planewaves is then obtained by estimating their temporal spectrum. Simulated data and experimental ECG data collected from a canine epicardial preparation during control and localized myocardial ischemic condition'are analyzed via the ZDWS and IM. It is demonstrated that the ZDWS methodology provides a means for an objective, robust, and repetitive characterization of the array data which can explain the modulation in the cardiac activation wavefront produced by an area of localized coronary artery occlusion.     

Dumbbells,Trikes and Quads: Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Nanoarchitectures Based on “Clicked” Gold Nanoparticles

The controlled assembly of gold nanoparticles in terms of the spatial arrangement and number of particles is essential for many future applications like electronic devices, sensors and labeling. Here an approach is presented to build up oligomers of mono functionalized gold nanoparticles by the use of 1,3‐bipolar azide alkyne cycloaddition click chemistry. The gold nanoparticles of 1.3 nm diameter are stabilized by one dendritic thioether ligand comprising an alkyne function. Together with di‐, tri‐ and tetra‐azide linker molecules the gold nanoparticle can be covalently coupled by a wet chemical protocol. The reaction is tracked with IR and UV–vis spectroscopy and the yielded organic‐inorganic hybrid structures are analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. To evaluate the success of this click chemistry reaction statistical analysis of the formed oligomers is performed. The geometric and spatial arrangements of the found oligomers match perfectly the calculated values for the used linker molecules. Dimers, trimers and tetramers could be identified after the reaction with the corresponding linker molecule. The results of this model reaction suggest that the used click chemistry protocol is working well with mono functionalized gold nanoparticles.     

Identifying latent dynamic components in biological systems

In computational systems biology, the general aim is to derive regulatory models from multivariate readouts, thereby generating predictions for novel experiments. In the past, many such models have been formulated for different biological applications. The authors consider the scenario where a given model fails to predict a set of observations with acceptable accuracy and ask the question whether this is because of the model lacking important external regulations. Real‐world examples for such entities range from microRNAs to metabolic fluxes. To improve the prediction, they propose an algorithm to systematically extend the network by an additional latent dynamic variable which has an exogenous effect on the considered network. This variable''s time course and influence on the other species is estimated in a two‐step procedure involving spline approximation, maximum‐likelihood estimation and model selection. Simulation studies show that such a hidden influence can successfully be inferred. The method is also applied to a signalling pathway model where they analyse real data and obtain promising results. Furthermore, the technique can be employed to detect incomplete network structures.Inspec keywords: biology computing, RNA, splines (mathematics), maximum likelihood estimation, approximation theory, biochemistryOther keywords: latent dynamic components, biological systems, computational system biology, regulatory models, multivariate readouts, biological applications, external regulations, real‐world examples, microRNA, metabolic fluxes, latent dynamic variables, variable time course, two‐step procedure, spline approximation, maximum‐likelihood estimation, model selection, signalling pathway model, real data, incomplete network structures     

Schichten über Schichten

Films over films: innovative coatings for complex applications Thin films and coatings have developed as a prerequisite for many technical applications. In this paper, some applications for electrical, electronic, biomedical and optical applications are presented. In this contribution, examples for coatings for conductive and transparent films in photovoltaics, films for biomedical electrodes, for semiconductor contacts and for high‐temperature contacts are presented and discussed. The films are prepared by magnetron‐sputtering and pulsed laser deposition. The influence of the processing parameters on the functional properties of the films is presented.     

Epitaxially grown crystalline silicon thin-film solar cells reaching 16.5% efficiency with basic cell process

We report about the current performance of crystalline silicon thin-film (cSiTF) solar cells that are a very attractive alternative to conventional wafer-based silicon solar cells if sufficiently high cell efficiencies are achieved at acceptable cost of production. Applying a standard cell process (diffused POCl₃ emitter, front contacts by photolithography, no surface texture) to thin-films deposited with a lab-type reactor, specifically designed for high-throughput photovoltaic applications, on highly-doped Cz substrates we routinely obtain efficiencies above 16%. On 1 Ω cm FZ material substrates we reach efficiencies up to 18.0%, which is among the highest thin-film efficiencies ever reported. Additionally, a comparison to microelectronic-grade epitaxially grown cSiTF material underlines the excellent electrical quality of the epitaxial layers deposited.