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Inserted in the context of an emerging theme in international relations, cyber conflicts, this article aims to show how the United States, in the Bush (son) and Barack Obama governments, have used the cyberpower, specifically "cyberwar" and cyber espionage, to achieve some goals of its foreign policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation and cytokine profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from microfilaraemic (Mf+) subjects infected by Loa loa in response to antigens of several parasitic stages were compared with those from amicrofilaraemic (Mf+) individuals. While a strong lymphoproliferative response and consistent levels of both Th1 (IL-2, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-5) type cytokines were observed in response to adult worm (AW) and microfilariae (Mf) antigen in Mf- individuals, Mf+ subjects were characterized by a T cell unresponsiveness. including proliferation. cytokine production and IL-2 mRNA expression. Conversely, T cell responsiveness to mitogens and non-specific antigen were similar in the two endemic populations. Depletion of lymphocyte subpopulations indicated that T CD4+ were mainly involved in the specific cellular response. In contrast to other cytokines, IL-10 was produced in response to all parasitic stages, in both Mf+ and Mf- patients. Neutralization of IL-10 did not restore cytokine production in Mf+ patients, while B7 mRNA expression was similar between Mf+ and Mf- subjects in response to Mf antigen, suggesting that IL-10 was not the only factor responsible for T cell unresponsiveness. Mf+ patients have lower Mf antigen-specific IgG levels compared with Mf- and there is a significant correlation between Mf antigen-specific antibodies and IL-5 responses. These findings suggest that Mf- status is correlated with T helper responsiveness, including proliferation and production of both Th1- and Th2-type cytokines, whereas Mf+ status is characterized by unresponsiveness of the same cell population, induced and or maintained by microfilariae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a study that was carried out at a North American nickel alloy production facility to compare the levels of personal exposures to inhalable and total nickel-containing aerosols. It is part of a large body of work aimed at assessing the impact of introducing new personal sampling instrumentation with performance consistent with the latest criteria proposed by the International Standards Organization (ISO), the Comite Européen Normalisation (CEN) and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Side-by-side sampling using the 37-mm filter holder (for total aerosol) and the so-called IOM inhalable aerosol sampler was conducted for the personal exposures of workers in a range of workplaces throughout the facility. The results showed that inhalable aerosol exposure levels—for both overall aerosol and for total nickel—were consistently and significantly higher than the corresponding total aerosol levels. Weighted least-squares linear regression yielded factors ranging from about 1.3 to 2.4 for overall dust and from about 1.5 to 3.5 for nickel. Inspection of the statistical distribution of the exposures for the whole plant suggested that it was log-normal. Copyright © 1996 British Occupational Hygiene Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: To describe the process and outcomes of withdrawing life-sustaining interventions in a medical intensive care unit (MICU).Design: Retrospective case series.Setting: Medical intensive care unit in a community teaching hospital.Patients: Consecutive series of 28 patients in whom mechanical ventilation, dialysis, and/or vasopressors were withdrawn. We distinguished physiological, neurological, and functional rationales for care withdrawal.Main Outcome Measures: Duration of discussions, MICU length of stay, and hospital survival.Results: Mean +/- SD Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) score was 27.1 +/- 7.3 on MICU admission, and average +/- SD predicted hospital mortality was 61% +/- 22%. Discussions leading to withdrawal of care occurred over an average +/- SD of 5.2 +/- 5.5 days, with decisions achieved soonest in cases with poor neurological prognosis. Average +/- SD MICU length of stay was 1.4 +/- 1.8 days following a decision to withdraw MICU care, and only four patients received more than 48 hours of additional MICU care. Four patients were discharged alive from the hospital.Conclusions: Patients and their surrogates willingly considered outcomes in addition to mortality when considering withdrawal of life-sustaining interventions. Finding an accommodation between physician judgments and patient preferences took time and effort but was an effective means of limiting ineffective life-sustaining efforts. Withdrawing futile or unwanted care was not always fatal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]