Search

Objectives The objective of this study was to compare hospitalisation duration, survival times, adverse events and cost of therapy in dogs with presumptive primary immune-mediated thrombocytopenia undergoing therapy with mycophenolate mofetil and corticosteroids versus cyclosporine and corticosteroids. Methods A retrospective study of medical case records of dogs with presumed primary immune-mediated thrombocytopenia was conducted. Data collected included signalment, presenting complaints, haematologic and biochemical profiles, vector-borne disease testing, thoracic and abdominal radiographs, abdominal ultrasound, medications administered, duration of hospitalisation, 30- and 60-day survival, adverse events and cost of therapy. Variables were compared between dogs treated solely with mycophenolate mofetil and corticosteroids or cyclosporine and corticosteroids. Results A total of 55 dogs with primary immune-mediated thrombocytopenia were identified. Eighteen were excluded because multiple immunosuppressive medications were used during treatment. Hospitalisation times, 30-day survival and 60-day survival times were similar between both groups. Dogs in the mycophenolate mofetil/corticosteroid group experienced fewer adverse events than the cyclosporine/corticosteroid group. Therapy with mycophenolate mofetil was less expensive than that with cyclosporine. Clinical Significance These results suggest that using the combination of mycophenolate mofetil and corticosteroids appears to be as effective as cyclosporine and corticosteroids in the treatment of presumed primary immune-mediated thrombocytopenia in dogs. Adverse events were less common and cost of therapy was lower in the mycophenolate mofetil group. Additional larger prospective, controlled, double-masked, outcome-based, multi-institutional studies are required to substantiate these preliminary findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which investigated the patterns of cigarette purchase in four nations and its association with smoke cessation using the results from the International Tobacco Control Four Country Survey (ITC-4). It reveals that smokers who bought from a low/untaxed source on their recent purchase have lesser chance to have tried to cease smoking. It notes that smoke cessation attempts are lower among purchasers of low/untaxed cigarettes than those buyers of full-priced cigarettes. INSET: What this paper adds.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has constructed a new 1280-MHz radar wind profiler. Key features include a state-of-the-art digital transceiver system and modern peak detection algorithms for obtaining high quality wind estimates, even in the presence of clutter. The design of the radar is described in detail, and the performance of the radar in its current configuration and some examples of the data are given. The paper concludes with the planned upgrades to the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One hundred seventy elderly women with stage II breast cancer, stratified on the basis of the number of positive axillary nodes and estrogen receptor status, were randomly assigned to receive tamoxifen or placebo for 24 months in a prospective, double-blind, adjuvant trial. The median age was 71 years with a range from 65 to 84 years. The overall percentage of patients disease-free at 4 years was 76% for those given tamoxifen and 52% for those given placebo (p = 0.0004). Benefit was seen in all subgroups of patients treated with tamoxifen. Two years of tamoxifen therapy represents an effective postoperative adjuvant treatment for elderly women with stage II breast cancer, resulting in improved time to relapse, statistically fewer distant first recurrences, and minimal toxicity. No improvement in overall survival has been seen yet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the first Australian C-band polarimetric/Doppler meteorological radar system (C-POL) is described. Motivated by the need to obtain improved rainfall estimation and the vertical profile of hydrometeors, C-POL was developed jointly by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation of Australia, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. C-POL is based on a standard operational C-band radar employed by the BOM but modified to be capable of transmitting linear horizontal and vertical polarizations and receiving the co- and cross polarizations on a pulse-to-pulse basis. Standard variables extracted include horizontal reflectivity (Z[subHH] ), radial velocity (V[subr]), spectral width (sigma[subv]), differential reflectivity (Z[subDR]), differential phase shift (phi[subDP]), and zero lag correlation coefficient [ rho[subHV](0)]. With the addition of a second receiver chain, the linear depolarization ratio will soon be available. Initial results with the radar are discussed to give examples of the data quality, as well as some of the problems inherent in using a C-band radar in the Tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Il Nuovo Cimento della Societa Italiana di Fisica: B is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A twelve month retrospective case note audit of the management of 35 episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis revealed deficiencies in the delivery of intravenous fluid and potassium chloride administration and in the rate of nasogastric intubation. These defects were addressed in a structured education programme for junior medical staff. A subsequent twelve month case note audit of 30 cases of diabetic ketoacidosis was conducted to evaluate changes in practice. Following introduction of the treatment protocol and education programme, patients were treated with larger volumes of intravenous fluid (median 5.8 v 3.6 litres, p=0.0001) and potassium chloride (150 v 60 mmol, p=0.0001), were more likely to have nasogastric intubation where clinically indicated (68% v 0%, p<0.001) and were less likely to become hypokalaemic (13% v 63%, p=0.001). Patients were returned more rapidly to subcutaneous insulin (20 v 29 hours, p=0.0005), though duration of hospital stay and complication rates were unchanged. Management of diabetic ketoacidosis can be successfully changed after introduction of an integrated postgraduate education programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gas-detecting ability of nanostructured ZnO has led to significant attention being paid to the development of a unique and effective approach to its synthesis. However, its poor sensitivity, cross-sensitivity to humidity, long response/recovery times and poor selectivity hinder its practical use in environmental and health monitoring. In this context, the addition of noble metals, as dopants or catalysts to modify the ZnO surface has been examined to enhance its sensing performance. Herein, we report preparation of Pd-loaded ZnO nanoparticles via a chemical precipitation approach. Various Pd loadings were employed to produce surface-modified ZnO nanostructure sensors, and their resulting NH3 sensing capabilities both in dry and humid environments were investigated. Through a comparative gas sensing study between the pure and Pd-loaded ZnO sensors upon exposure to NH3 at an optimal operating temperature of 350 °C, the Pd-loaded ZnO sensors were found to exhibit enhanced sensor responses and fast response/recovery times. The influence of Pd loading and its successful incorporation into ZnO nanostructure was examined by X-ray diffraction, high resolution-transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. XPS studies demonstrated that in all samples, Pd existed in two chemical states, namely Pd° and Pd2+. The possible sensing mechanism related to NH3 gas is also discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article notes the error in the neutron fluence for neutrons with energies between 9 and 10 Million electron Volts (MeV) for the tabulated deuterium oxide (D2O)-moderated continuous flow (252Cf) source in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 8529-1. It compared the moderated 252Cf neutron spectrum from ISO 8529-1 with the bare 252Cf spectrum in ISO 8529-1. It also computed the normalized dose conversion coefficient for each of the spectra.

Introduction Approximately 2.4–7.5% of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) may also be diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). The risk of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) or dysplasia (CRD) has been reported to be fourfold higher in patients with PSC and UC compared to UC alone. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of undiagnosed PSC in UC patients with CRC or CRD. Methods 19 patients with histologically confirmed UC and CRC or CRD, with normal liver function and no prior imaging suggestive of PSC were identified. Patients had a magnetic resonance cholangiogram (MRC) and blood tests taken for pANCA, ANA, IgG and subclasses and HLA typing. Medical case notes, laboratory data and endoscopic records were reviewed retrospectively. MRCs were obtained from 21 healthy volunteers and 22 patients with established PSC to act as negative and positive controls, respectively. The Student's t test and χ test were used for analysis where appropriate. Results 26 patients met the inclusion criteria, of which 19 patients were recruited. The median age was 67 years (range 52–87) with a male predominance (74%). 15 patients (79%) had extensive and 4 (21%) left-sided colitis. Two patients (10%) had CRC, 6 (32%) high-grade and 11 (58%) low-grade CRD. 17 patients (89%) had CRC or CRD in the left colon. Two out of 19 patients (10%) had biliary abnormalities consistent with PSC on MRC. All 21 healthy volunteers had no evidence of PSC on MRC. All 22 PSC patients had characteristics of PSC on MRC. Both patients with evidence of PSC had a quiescent pancolitis and a mild disease course, with no acute admissions, immunosuppressive or biological therapy for colitis. One patient had high-grade CRD and the other CRC in the left colon. Neither patient had a positive pANCA or ANA. One had HLA haplotypes known to be associated with PSC as well as a raised IgG and IgG4. There was no difference between the median ages, duration of IBD, family history or presence of extra-intestinal manifestations of the two groups. No patient has had a liver biopsy. Conclusion This small study of patients with UC and CRC or CRD and normal liver function has demonstrated unsuspected biliary abnormalities consistent with PSC on MRC, in 2 of 19 patients. Previous work in our group has suggested a comparable prevalence of PSC in patients with extensive UC and normal LFTs. Larger studies are required to explore the relationship between possible undiagnosed PSC and the development of CRC/CRD in IBD patients. This may help to stratify screening strategies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Water quenching of unmilled Ti compact has yielded martensitic-type laths and fishbone-type twinned microstructures, with α', α'' and FCC phases induced. Upon quenching 30 h milled and (0+30) h mixed powders at 1200 °C, α', FCC, tetragonal and BCC phases were detected using XRD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]