Attempted suicide among adolescents: A stepwise discriminant analysis.

A sample of 40 adolescents (aged 13–17 yrs), some of whom had attempted suicide (n?=?20) and some who had not (n?=?20), were compared on a number of life history and psychological variables (affective and cognitive). Stepwise discriminant analyses produced 1 discriminant function (the lack of emotional significant other) that differentiated between the groups. This single discriminant function accounted for 77% of the variance in the data. These results are interpreted within the context of the early loss hypothesis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Phototoxicity and fluorotoxicity combine to alter the behavior of neutrophils in fluorescence microscopy based flow adhesion assays

The use of fluorescent probes that allow visualization of leukocyte-endothelial cell (EC) interactions has greatly informed our understanding of leukocyte recruitment. However, effects of these agents on the biological functions of leukocytes are poorly described, leading to concerns about the interpretation of such data. Here we used two flow-based neutrophil adhesion assays to compare the effects of phase contrast illumination (PCI) with high intensity illumination (HII) used for fluorescent microscopy, in the presence or absence of five commonly used fluorochromes. Isolated neutrophils were either (1) perfused across P-selectin to establish a population of rolling cells, which were subsequently activated with fMLP; or (2) perfused across EC activated with TNF-alpha. In the absence of fluorescent dyes, HII did not affect levels of leukocyte adhesion; however, subsequent neutrophil behavior was dramatically altered when compared with cells under PCI, for example, dramatically reducing their migration velocities. In the presence of fluorescent dyes, the effects of HII were exacerbated, although the precise nature of the biological effects of these probes was agent specific. Thus, for the first time, our experiments describe the effects of fluorescent microscopy on the separate stages of the neutrophil recruitment process and reveal a previously unsuspected effect of HII on neutrophil migration.     

Intelligent association selection of embedded agents in intelligent inhabited environments

Recent advances in technology and manufacturing have resulted in more powerful and smaller processors to be embedded in the various artefacts within smart environments. Most of these artefacts are network enabled and thanks to pervasive networking such artefacts can communicate and collaborate together to support our daily lives. Furthermore, these artefacts can also be equipped with embedded agents to provide intelligent reasoning, planning and learning capabilities. However, the multitude of interconnected devices and artefacts can result in major network and processing delays as well as creating inherent complexities in programming and configuring smart environments to personalise themselves to suit the individual needs. Hence, a major challenge to the design and use of smart environments involves finding the best set of device associations and interconnections that are most suitable to the environment and user needs. In this paper, we will present a novel intelligent method for reducing the number of associations and interconnections between the various devices and artefacts within smart environments to minimise the network and processing overheads while reducing the cognitive load associated with configuring and programming smart environments.     

Quadrupole lenses on the basis of permanent magnets for a PRIOR proton microscope prototype

Four quadrupole lenses based on permanent magnets of the NdFeB material (PMQ) were developed for the imaging section for forming images of the ion-optical system of the PRIOR proton microscope prototype: the effective length of two of them is 144 mm, and the other two are 288 mm long. The field induction at the radius of the lens aperture is 1.77 Т, and the aperture is 30 mm in size. The modular design of the PMQ makes it possible to vary the length of the lenses, compensate for the offset of the magnetic axis from the ion optical axis of the microscope channel, and decrease the variation of the angular position of the magnetic medians. The PMQ magnetic field was adjusted, scanned, and its main characteristics were determined. The 3D mathematical models of the magnetic-field distribution that are obtained as a result of PMQ measurements are intended for the use in calculations of the beam dynamics during adjustment of the ion-optical system of the proton microscope and for attaining the highest spatial resolution. The developed lenses were used in the first experiments on the PRIOR facility.     

Should laparoscopic appendectomy be avoided for complicated appendicitis in children?

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Laparoscopic appendectomy is becoming the preferred technique for treating acute appendicitis. However, recent literature on adults suggests that laparoscopic appendectomy may increase the risk for postoperative infectious complications in complicated (gangrenous or perforated) cases. This study was undertaken to compare the results of open versus laparoscopic appendectomy for complicated appendicitis in children. METHODS: A retrospective review from two institutions was performed for all children treated operatively for complicated appendicitis from January 1994 through November 1996. RESULTS: Fifty-six cases were identified. Twenty-seven children underwent laparoscopic appendectomy, whereas 22 underwent open appendectomy. Seven children underwent conversion from laparoscopic to open surgery. Operating times and length of hospital stay did not differ significantly between the laparoscopic and open groups. Postoperative complications developed in 24 children (42.8%). Complications were more frequent after laparoscopic appendectomy compared with open appendectomy (56% v 18%, P = .002). A postoperative intraabdominal abscess (IAA) developed in 14 children (25%). An IAA occurred in two children after open appendectomy compared with 11 children after laparoscopic appendectomy (9% v 41%, P = .01). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that laparoscopic appendectomy should be avoided in children who have complicated appendicitis because of the increased risk for postoperative intraabdominal abscesses. The authors propose a prospective, randomized trial to verify this finding.