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Vital signs such as respiration and pulse and electrocardiography are crucial for monitoring disease and promoting health in the age of ubiquitous cloud computing. However, systems and devices that sense, process and analyse vital signs suffer from a lack of interoperability caused by differences in the platforms, devices and data formats used. Consequently, a particular vendor can provide a limited number of services, but users are not able to access more shared services. To counter these problems, this study proposes a service-oriented architecture for healthcare systems utilising vital signs. The proposed structure differs from the one used to handle business logics in general, because vital signs data are distinct from the types of data used in other enterprises. In this study, these data are expressed as the Health Level Seven standard schema, and the structure uses Object Constraint Language (OCL), a platform-independent specification language, to access the vital signs data and evaluate the state of health. In particular, the use of OCL enables a fast response to changes in service content and reduces maintenance costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrokinetic flows through hydrophobic microchannels experience velocity slip at the microchannel wall, which affects volumetric flow rate and solute retention time. The usual method of predicting the volumetric flow rate and velocity profile for hydrophobic microchannels is to solve the Navier-Stokes equation and the Poisson-Boltzmann equation for the electric potential with the boundary condition of velocity slip expressed by the Navier slip coefficient, which is computationally demanding and defies analytic solutions. In the present investigation, we have devised a simple method of predicting the velocity profiles and volumetric flow rates of electrokinetic flows by extending the concept of the Helmholtz-Smoluchowski velocity to microchannels with Navier slip. The extended Helmholtz-Smoluchowski velocity is simple to use and yields accurate results as compared to the exact solutions. Employing the extended Helmholtz-Smoluchowski velocity, the analytical expressions for volumetric flow rate and velocity profile for electrokinetic flows through rectangular microchannels with Navier slip have been obtained at high values of zeta potential. The range of validity of the extended Helmholtz-Smoluchowski velocity is also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A report is prsented on recessed QW In0.7Ga0.3As MOS-HEMTs with excellent subthreshold characteristics that combine an ALD-grown 3 nmAl2O3 and an MBE-grown 10 nm In0.52Al0.48As barrier as a composite gate insulator. In particular, an Lg = 150 nm In0.7Ga0.3As MOSHEMT exhibits VT = 20.3 V, gm_max = 0.68 S/mm, DIBL = 35 mV/V and S = 70 mV/decade at VDS = 0.5 V. To the knowledge of the authors, the subthreshold characteristics demonstrated are the best ever reported for any planar III-V MOSFET with similar values of Lg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune responses from Au/Ni nanorods prepared by electrochemical deposition in alumina templates are evaluated in C57BL/6 mice. When the nanorods are bombarded into skin, they generate a strong CD8 T-cell and antibody response. When pcDNA3 is bound to the Ni segment of the nanorod, it provides a strong immunostimulatory adjuvant effect to the antigen bound on the Au segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study design:Case report.Objectives:To report an unusual case of Brown-Sequard syndrome (BSS) associated with idiopathic transverse myelitis (TM).Setting:Department of Neurosurgery, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, South KoreaMethods:A 38-year-old man presented with left leg weakness and right-sided decrease in sensation at the T11 level below. Magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the thoracic spine showed diffuse swelling of the spinal cord spanning the fifth to the eighth thoracic vertebra. The lesion had high signal intensity on T2-weighted images. Eccentric nodular enhancement within the left anterolateral aspect of the spinal cord was appreciated with gadolinium administration.Results:The patient was treated with pulsed methylprednisone and showed marked improvement in neurological function within 3 days. An MRI at 5-month follow-up demonstrated complete resolution of the abnormalities.Conclusion:This case illustrates a rare case of BSS caused by idiopathic TM of the thoracic spinal cord. TM should be considered in the differential diagnosis of BSS.Spinal Cord (2009) 47, 176–178; doi:10.1038/sc.2008.23; published online 11 March 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Only a few clinical trials have been conducted in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer after failure of first-line gemcitabine-based chemotherapy. Therefore, there is no current consensus on the treatment of these patients. We conducted a randomised phase II study of the modified FOLFIRI.3 (mFOLFIRI.3; a regimen combining 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), folinic acid, and irinotecan) and modified FOLFOX (mFOLFOX; a regimen combining folinic acid, 5-FU, and oxaliplatin) regimens as second-line treatments in patients with gemcitabine-refractory pancreatic cancer.Methods: The primary end point was the 6-month overall survival rate. The mFOlFIRI.3 regimen consisted of irinotecan (70 mg m(-2); days 1 and 3), leucovorin (400 mg m(-2); day 1), and 5-FU (2000 mg m(-2); days 1 and 2) every 2 weeks. The mFOLFOX regimen was composed of oxaliplatin (85 mg m(-2); day 1), leucovorin (400 mg m(-2); day 1), and 5-FU (2000 mg m(-2); days 1 and 2) every 2 weeks.Results: Sixty-one patients were randomised to mFOLFIRI.3 (n=31) or mFOLFOX (n=30) regimen. The six-month survival rates were 27% (95% confidence interval (CI)=13-46%) and 30% (95% CI=15-49%), respectively. The median overall survival periods were 16.6 and 14.9 weeks, respectively. Disease control was achieved in 23% (95% CI=10-42%) and 17% patients (95% CI=6-35%), respectively. The number of patients with at least one grade 3/4 toxicity was identical (11 patients, 38%) in both groups: neutropenia (7 patients under mFOLFIRI.3 regimen vs 6 patients under mFOLFOX regimen), asthaenia (1 vs 4), vomiting (3 in both), diarrhoea (2 vs 0), and mucositis (1 vs 2).Conclusion: Both mFOLFIRI.3 and mFOLFOX regimens were tolerated with manageable toxicity, offering modest activities as second-line treatments for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, previously treated with gemcitabine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A periodic nano-island array of [?]7 nm diameter Zn single crystals embedded in an amorphous Zn2xSi1[?]xO2 layer was created by using rapid electron beam irradiation for 50 s. A sequential process of 900 °C thermal annealing followed by electron beam irradiation induces the formation of an amorphous Zn2xSi1[?]xO2 layer containing periodic Zn nanocrystals. It is shown that the periodic Zn crystal array can be produced with good control of their size and spacing. Possible formation mechanisms for the Zn crystal nano-islands are described on the basis of the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]