Imaging of two-dimensional unsaturated moisture flows in uncracked and cracked cement-based materials using electrical capacitance tomography

The development of visualizing tools to monitor unsaturated moisture flow in cement-based materials is of great importance, as most degradation processes in cement-based materials are connected to and take place in the presence moisture. This paper investigates the ability of electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) to image two-dimensional (2D) unsaturated moisture flow in cement-based materials. In ECT, the electrical permittivity distribution within an object is reconstructed based on measured capacitances between electrodes attached on the object’s surface. In a series of experiments, mortar specimens with and without discrete cracks were imaged with ECT during a 2D moisture ingress. The results show that ECT is able to monitor the evolution of the moisture flow, and to approximate the shape and position of the moisture front. These findings indicate that ECT is a viable method for monitoring and visualizing 2D unsaturated moisture flow in cement-based materials in the presence and absence of discrete cracks.     

A cost comparison of balloon angioplasty and stenting versus endarterectomy for the treatment of carotid artery stenosis

PURPOSE: Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with stenting (PTAS) of the carotid artery has been advocated as an alternative treatment for high-grade stenosis. Rationale for this approach includes less morbidity, shorter recovery, and lower cost when compared with carotid endarterectomy (CEA). METHODS: The clinical results and hospital charges of patients who underwent elective treatment for carotid stenosis were reviewed. During a concurrent 14-month period, 218 patients were admitted 229 times for 234 procedures for the treatment of 239 carotid bifurcation stenoses, 109 by PTAS and 130 by CEA. Hospital charges were reviewed for each hospitalization and were categorized according to radiology, operating room, cardiac catheterization laboratory, and all other hospital charges. RESULTS: The combined incidence of postprocedure strokes and deaths were: PTAS, eight strokes (7.7%) and one death (0.9%); CEA, two strokes (1.5%) and two deaths (1.5%). Total hospital charges per admission for the two groups were $30,140 for PTAS and $21,670 for CEA. The average postprocedure length of stay for PTAS was 2.9 days (median, 2 days) and for CEA was 3.1 days (median, 3 days). Cardiac catheterization laboratory charges for the PTAS group were $12,968, whereas the operating room charges for the CEA group were $4263. When hospitalizations that were extended by complications were excluded, the average total charges for the PTAS group (n = 84) dropped to $24,848 (mean length of stay, 1.9 days) and for the CEA group (n = 111) to $19,247 (mean length of stay, 2.6 days). CONCLUSIONS: After evaluating hospital charges, PTAS for the treatment of carotid stenosis cannot currently be justified on the basis of reduced costs alone. With future cost-containing measures, total hospital charges can be reduced in both groups.     

Lorazepam-valproate interaction: studies in normal subjects and isolated perfused rat liver

Valproate (VPA) has been shown to interact with all the major antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) through two mechanisms of action: displacement from albumin binding sites and inhibition of drug metabolism. More recently, evidence showed that VPA inhibits the elimination of drugs metabolized by glucuronide conjugation. Lorazepam (LZP), which is primarily eliminated by conjugation with glucuronic acid, is administered concurrently with VPA both in treatment of epilepsy and in patients treated with VPA for psychiatric disorders. Therefore, a significant drug interaction is likely. We investigated such interaction both in in vitro isolated perfused rat liver (IPRL) and in normal subjects. LZP [2 mg, intravenous (i.v.) bolus] was administered to 8 normal volunteers before and after chronic dosing with VPA. In 6 of 8 subjects, VPA significantly decreased LZP plasma clearance by an average of 40% (p < 0.05) and increased LZP concentrations by decreasing formation clearance of the LZP glucuronide. In the IPRL studies, VPA also significantly decreased formation of LZP glucuronide (from 0.72 +/- 0.14 to 0.22 +/- 0.15 ml/h/kg, p < 0.05), indicating that IPRL is a useful tool for evaluation of the effect of VPA on drugs eliminated by glucuronide conjugation.     

Wooden sticks as the source of a pseudoepidemic of infection with Rhizopus microsporus var. rhizopodiformis among immunocompromised patients

Wooden sticks used to suspend feces obtained for surveillance cultures were found to be the source of Rhizopus microsporus var. rhizopodiformis causing a pseudo-outbreak among 17 immunocompromised patients cared for in three different wards. Nonsterile wooden products should therefore not be used for collecting, handling, and processing specimens for microbiological examination.     

Underrecognition of cervical Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis infections in the emergency department

OBJECTIVES: 1) To quantify the frequency of underrecognized Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis cervical infections in women tested in the ED, 2) to describe and compare the characteristics of those treated and not treated during the initial visit, and 3) to quantify the delay interval until treatment was provided. METHODS: A 2-year, retrospective consecutive case series was performed from June 1, 1992, to May 31, 1994. There were 148 women with > or = 1 discrete occurrence of culture-proven cervical N. gonorrhoeae or C. trachomatis infection studied. All the patients were evaluated in a university-affiliated, tertiary care hospital-based ED with a large rural referral area. The main outcome measures were the proportions of patients with positive cultures both treated and not treated in the ED, the clinical characteristics of each group, and the proportion remaining untreated or experiencing treatment delays of > 2 weeks after attempted phone, mail, and public health follow-up. RESULTS: Of 157 occurrences of positive cultures for N. gonorrhoeae or C. trachomatis, 86 (53%) were treated with a regimen suggested by the CDC prior to ED release. The proportion of women with isolated C. trachomatis infections that were underrecognized and untreated initially was larger than the proportions with isolated N. gonorrhoeae or combined infections (79% vs 27% and 53%, respectively, p < 0.0001). Women with findings suggestive of advanced disease (history of fever or chills, or examination evidence of temperature > 38 degrees C, purulent vaginal discharge, or any uterine/salpinx/ovarian tenderness) were more often recognized and treated with appropriate antibiotics initially (p = 0.02 to < 0.00001 for all). After phone, mail, and public health follow-up, treatment could not be documented for 25% of the occurrences, in all cases due to an inability to locate the patient. An additional 20% of the women did not receive treatment for 14-60 days. CONCLUSIONS: In this population, both N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis cervical infections are frequently underrecognized in the ED, with isolated C. trachomatis infections associated with significantly higher proportions of underrecognition. Many affected women remain untreated for extended intervals, creating public and individual health risks. Improved point of contact detection, follow-up, and treatment policies are needed to limit these risks.     

Outcomes related to burn-related child abuse: a case series

Nationally, approximately 10% of child abuse cases involve burning, and up to 20% of pediatric burn admissions involve abuse or neglect. Historically, these cases have been more difficult to prosecute than nonburn cases for multiple reasons. Between 1995 and 1999, there were 285 pediatric (under 18) patients admitted to the Spectrum Health Regional Burn Center. Of these cases, 18 of the alleged perpetrators were legally investigated for suspicion of child abuse, and 7 received punitive sentences. We found that men tended to be prosecuted and convicted more often than women and that cases involving multiple instances of injury tended to be prosecuted more frequently. Similarly, we found that cases involving more severe injuries tended to be prosecuted more successfully. There are many psychological and social factors involved in handling burn abuse cases. However, by successful prosecution of these crimes, victims tend to fare better both socially and psychologically.     

Comparison of production of choriogonadotropin inhibitory protein, prolactin and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 by human decidua in vitro

BACKGROUND: Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is elevated in cancer patients and is thought to promote tumor angiogenesis by facilitating endothelial cell migration through plasmin-mediated degradation of extracellular matrix. Due to the presence of an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-finger domain in the tPA A-chain and the existence of an endothelial cell (EC) receptor that binds this domain, it was hypothesized that tPA has a direct receptor-mediated effect on EC proliferation, independent of plasmin. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using cultured canine ECs, tPA (7.25 microg/ml, approximately 107 nM) increased proliferation as much as 50 and 170% in the absence and presence of growth factors, respectively. tPA-induced increases in EC proliferation occurred independent of plasmin generation, as the plasmin inhibitor, aprotinin (10 microg/ml) did not inhibit tPA-induced proliferation. However, tPA-induced proliferation was inhibited dose-dependently to a maximum of 78% using a monoclonal antibody against the tPA EGF-finger domain. This antibody, known to inhibit tPA binding to its receptor, did not inhibit tPA-induced plasmin generation. To investigate the role of potential signal transduction pathways, ECs were exposed to lavendustin A, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, at 33.5 microM (IC50 for basic fibroblast growth factor). Lavendustin A did not inhibit tPA-induced EC proliferation. However, Rp-cAMP, an inhibitor of cAMP-dependent kinases, specifically inhibited tPA-induced EC proliferation in a dose-dependent manner (IC50 = 50.5 microM). Pertussis toxin at maximal concentrations for this system (0.5 ng/ml) did not inhibit tPA-induced EC proliferation. CONCLUSION: These results lend support to the hypothesis that tPA may have a direct receptor-mediated effect on EC proliferation and that this effect occurs independent of plasmin and may be dependent upon protein kinase A activity.