Microbiological quality of recreational waters in Araraquara, SP, Brazil

This replication of Ott's study [Ott, B. (1986). An Ethical Problem Facing Nurses: The Support of Patient Autonomy in the Do Not Resuscitate Decision. University Microfilms International, Dissertation, Texas Women's University] and McLaughlin et al.'s study [McLaughlin, T., Brown, O. and Herman, J. (1988). Nurses' Perception of the Support of Patient Autonomy in Do Not Resuscitate Situations. Unpublished Research Report] explored hospital staff nurses' perceptions of their role in supporting patient autonomy in the do-not-resuscitate (DNR) decision. One-hundred and sixty-five registered nurses (RNs) participated: 93 from the Veterans Administration Medical Center and 72 from a private non-profit hospital. Ott's questionnaire had four hypothetical cases in which a DNR decision would probably be made with three questions about whose opinion would most support patient autonomy and whose opinion would actually be regarded as the most appropriate for making the DNR decision. Seventy per cent of perceptions of the person whose decision would be best able to support the patient's autonomy in the DNR decision and 51% of the people perceived to actually be deemed most appropriate to make the DNR decision were consistent with Ott's DNR Decision Model.     

Proposal of electrically tunable external-cavity laser diode

We propose and demonstrate a novel tunable external-cavity laser diode that simultaneously achieves rapid tuning rate and wide tuning range by electrical control. This contains new-type integrated laser diode, collimating lens, and diffraction grating mirror. The integrated laser diode consists of Fabry-Pe/spl acute/rot laser diode and waveguide-type deflector, which can deflect the beam passing through the waveguide. By control of the current in the deflector region, maximum wavelength variation of 8.6 nm and sidemode suppression ratio of >35 dB were obtained.     

Polyprotein processing in African swine fever virus: a novel gene expression strategy for a DNA virus

This report shows that African swine fever virus (ASFV)--a large DNA-containing virus--synthesizes a polyprotein to produce several of its structural proteins. By immunoprecipitation analysis, we have found that ASFV polyprotein is a 220 kDa myristoylated polypeptide (pp220) which, after proteolytic processing, gives rise to four major structural proteins: p150, p37, p34 and p14. Processing of the ASFV polyprotein takes place at the consensus sequence Gly-Gly-X and occurs through an ordered cascade of proteolytic cleavages. So far, polyprotein processing as a mechanism of gene expression had been found only in positive-strand RNA viruses and retroviruses. According to the results presented here, ASFV is the first example of a DNA virus that synthesizes a polyprotein as a strategy of gene expression.     

Morphometric features of ruptured congenital sinus of Valsalva aneurysm: implication for surgical treatment

Five hearts with ruptured congenital sinus of Valsalva aneurysm were studied. In 3 hearts of Caucasian patients, the sinus of Valsalva aneurysms were located in the immediate vicinity of the commissure between the noncoronary and right aortic cusps with rupture from the noncoronary sinus to the right atrium (n = 2) and from the right sinus to the right ventricle (n = 1). In 2 hearts of indigenous North Americans, the defects were sited in the immediate vicinity of the commissure between right and left aortic cusps with rupture into the right ventricle; both patients had an associated conal septal hypoplasia ventricular septal defect and aortic insufficiency. The diameters of the rupture holes at the base of the sinus of Valsalva aneurysms in the five hearts ranged from 0.4 to 1.1 cm (mean 0.7 cm). Histologic examination of longitudinal sections through the ruptured sinus of Valsalva showed 0.8 to 1.7 cm (mean 1.1 cm) wide areas in which there was lack of continuity between the aortic media and the aortic annulus. Conclusions. This study shows that the site of congenital weakness in sinus of Valsalva aneurysm in indigenous North American patients may be similar to that in Oriental patients, whereas the site tends to be different in Occidental patients. It also emphasizes the importance of patch closure rather than suture closure of ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysms.     

Load Frequency Control via Constant Limited-State Feedback

The design of area controllers for load frequency control is considered. Unlike previous methods where either an optimal state feedback law or a state estimator is used, the technique proposed here uses only the directly measurable system state variables. Therefore the structure of the controllers considered in this paper is much simpler and can be more readily implemented. The performance of the new control scheme is also compared with that obtained via the optimal state feedback law.     

Comparative study of the efficacy and tolerance of 2 types of colon cleansing

OBJECTIVE: To examine if (hypothesis): orally administered colon cleansing with 3 liters of balanced electrolyte/polyethylene glycol solution is superior to the standard method of bowel preparation with senna laxatives and sodium phosphate enemas. Study factors: 1st) Quality of colon cleansing estimated by the attending endoscopist. 2nd) Patient tolerance. METHODS: DESIGN: prospective randomized trial, blind to the endoscopist, comparing two methods of bowel preparation: group A received 3 L of the balanced electrolyte/polyethylene glycol solution the night before the procedure and group B was instructed to ingest 75 ml of a senna laxative the day before the colonoscopy and sodium phosphate enemas per rectum b.i.d. starting 2 days before the examination and again the morning of the procedure. Assessing criteria: 1st) Questionnaire filled by the attending endoscopist immediately after the completion of the colonoscopy. 2nd) Questionnaire filled by the patient the day after the procedure. PATIENTS: Inclusion criteria: all the patients addressed to our Unit for colonoscopy (18 patients refused to participate). Exclusion criteria: severe cardiovascular disease, decompensated diabetes mellitus and severe disease or neurological derangement that prevented collaboration (35 patients). Two hundred and sixteen patients were initially included, 110 in group A and 106 in group B; in 39 patients (18 in group A and 21 in group B) colonoscopy could not be completed for causes others than bowel preparation and were excluded for further evaluation by the endoscopist, thus, quality of bowel preparation was evaluated in 92 patients in group A and in 85 patients in group B; 83 patients (43 in group A and 40 in group B) did not answer the questionnaire, or did it incorrectly, thus, tolerance was evaluated in 67 patients in group A and in 66 patients in group B. RESULTS: In 2 patients in group A (2.2%) and in 9 patients in group B (10.6%) colonoscopy could not be completed because of solid stool (p = 0.045). Mucosal visualization was better in group A than in group B (p = 0.0108). A total of 11.9% of the patients in group A and 25.8% of the patients in group B found the preparation hard or very hard to tolerate (p = 0.0001), patients in this latter group presented more frequently abdominal cramps (p = 0.0004), and distress (p < 0.00001), and dizziness (p = 0.0031). Bad tolerance in group B was primarily due to the rectal enemas (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Bowel preparation for colonoscopy with 3 L of orally administer balanced electrolyte/polyethylene glycol solution (PEG) results in a better colon cleansing and is better tolerated than the classical preparation consisting in oral purge and rectal enemas.     

Action of a cationic surfactant on the activity and removal of bacterial biofilms formed under different flow regimes

The action of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was investigated to control biofilms (aged 7d) formed by Pseudomonas fluorescens on stainless-steel slides, using flow cells reactors, under turbulent and laminar flow. The effect of CTAB was also investigated using planktonic cells in the presence and absence of BSA, by measuring the cellular respiratory activity and the ATP released. The action of CTAB on biofilms was assessed by means of cellular respiratory activity and variation of biofilm mass, immediately and 3, 7 and 12h after the application of CTAB. The physical stability of the biofilm was also assessed using a rotating device, where the effect of the surfactant on the biofilm stability was evaluated through the variation of the mass remaining on the surface. CTAB significantly reduced the activity of the planktonic cells probably due to the rupture of the cells. This effect was significantly reduced in the presence of BSA. Planktonic cells were more easily inactivated than bacteria in biofilms. Biofilms formed under laminar flow were more susceptible than those formed under turbulent flow, but in both cases total inactivation was not achieved. Biofilm recovery was observed, in terms of respiratory activity, in almost all the cases studied. CTAB application by itself did not promote the detachment of biofilms. The physical stability tests showed that the synergistic action of the surfactant and the application of high shear stress to the biofilm increase its detachment.     

Wet deposition of persistent organic pollutants to the global oceans

Wet deposition fluxes of polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans to the Atlantic Ocean have been estimated by combining meteorological satellite data and measured atmospheric field concentrations. They are then compared to other atmospheric depositional mechanisms on a global scale. Additional features not treated in traditional studies are addressed such as contaminant adsorption onto raindrops and enhancement of dry gaseous diffusive fluxes due to rain-induced turbulence. Wet deposition estimates show a high spatial and seasonal variability, with maxima located in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and in low-temperature regions. Seasonal variability reflects the northward shift of ITCZ in July. Average wet deposition fluxes estimated for the Atlantic Ocean in this study are 110 and 45 ng m(-2) yr(-1) for sigmaPCB and sigmaPCDD/Fs, respectively. Furthermore, the total wet deposition to the Atlantic results in 4100 kg yr(-1) (sigmaPCB) and 2500 kg yr(-1) (sigmaPCDD/Fs). Model validation shows good agreement with available coastal data measurements of wet deposition fluxes. When compared to other atmospheric depositional mechanisms and during precipitation events, wet deposition is found to be dominant. However, when raining events and non-raining time periods are integrated, air-water diffusive exchange fluxes acquire an important role, which can be dominant in some regions and for some POPs.