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H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses circulate in people as seasonal influenza viruses. Data on influenza infection rates and circulation in demographic subpopulations in Egypt are limited. In this study, we aimed to determine the incidence and seroprevalence of seasonal influenza A virus infections in a cohort of rural Egyptians between 2017 and 2020.A total of 2383 subjects were enrolled from 390 households in five study sites in Northern Egypt. Informed consents were obtained. Sera were collected from participants on an annual basis (Baseline: 2016-2017, Follow up 1: 2017-2018, Follow up 2: 2018-2019, and Follow up 3: 2019-2020) to determine seroprevalence of antibodies against H1N1 and H3N2 viruses by hemagglutination inhibition assay and to estimate incidence based on seroconversion.Seropositivity against H1N1 was over 40% and over 60% against H3N2. The high seroprevalence was due to natural infection because participants were mostly unvaccinated. Seropositive participants were younger than seronegative participants indicating that the infection rate is higher in children. Incidence of both viruses ranged from 4% to 28% depending on study year. The incidence and seroprevalence of H3N2 and H1N1 infections at Follow up 1, 2, and 3 showed an increase at Follow up 2 observed for all age categories corresponding to season 2018-2019, at which the vaccine efficacy was the lowest worldwide compared with preceding and following seasons.This cohort study provided estimates of influenza A infection rates among rural Egyptians. We recommend updating influenza vaccination programs to focus on such populations.

Background The Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) is present throughout the world, and outbreaks in Egypt caused serious economic losses in the poultry industry. Actinobacteria are a phylum of bacteria known for their potential in producing structurally diversified natural products which promising natural compounds used to combat viruses are presented and evaluated. Streptomyces Misakimycin isolated from Egyptian soil, and evaluated for their efficacy in controlling NDV. On the basis of the biochemical characteristics S. Misakimycin metabolites, identified by infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Results In this investigation, NDV was found to have been isolated in February from a chicken farm in the Dakahlia Governorate of Egypt by the Animal Health Research Institute in Dokki, Giza. Diethylpthalate (DEP), a secondary metabolite of S. misakimycin, completely inhibited the hemagglutination (HI) activity of the NDV strain (MN635617) at log107 infectivity titers (EID50/mL). With 0.5 percent and 0.75 percent of chicken RBCs, the HA of the NDV strain was 2 log2 and 5 log2, respectively. In the treated group that received DEP and NDV inoculations, chorioallantoic-membranes (CAM) structures were preserved along with dilated capillary networks. Histological changes in SPF-ECE liver were examined after inoculation in ova to further characterize the DEP effect. Diethylpthalate and NDV mixture inoculated group showed preserved cytoarchitecture of hepatocytes with the presence of perivascular foci of lymphocytes. The group that was inoculated with telomycin alone showed normal histology of hepatic acini, central veins, and portal triads. Conclusion A potentially bioactive substance called diethylpthalate has the potential to be a biological weapon against a fatal chicken NDV that quickly increase cost losses for farmers.

Background: Up till now, there is no standardized tech-nique for performing Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). Aim of Study: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of LSG by means of three port technique and reporting short term results. Patients and Methods: This was a prospective study donefrom February to December 2019. Twenty-eight morbidly obese patients (18 females and 10 males) were included. Mean age of 31.03±8.89 years, mean preoperative body mass index of 44.38±5.32kg/m2. This study discussed the patients' demo-graphics, operative technique, operative records, post-operative outcomes concerning excess weight loss, comorbiditiesreso-lution, complication rates, pain assessment and patients' scars satisfaction. Follow-up was done at 10 day, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. Results: All procedures were completed laparoscopically. Mean operative time was 58.46±18.61 minutes. The mean hospital stay was 1.25±0.75 day. The %EWL was 23.91%, 40.22%, 55.69%, and 69.65% at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Within a 6 to 12 month postoperatively, 50% of patients with hypertension (AHT) presented with significant improvement, all diabetic patients described resolution or significant improvement and 62.5% of patients with arthralgia had improved. Conclusions: Three ports LSG is feasible without need for liver retractor port insertion, safe, effective, with short hospital stay and good cosmetic results.

Urologists with a migration background currently provide patient care in German hospitals. Study results on job satisfaction and burnout of this important professional group have not been available so far.Between August and October 2020, a questionnaire (SurveyMonkey® with 101 items) was conducted among urologists with migration background working in German hospitals regarding professional satisfaction and a validated survey of burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), among others. The subject of this work was the association of job satisfaction with the critical thresholds of burnout in the domains of emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and low personal accomplishment (PA).For this work, 68 questionnaires could be completely analyzed. Study participants were dominantly male (90%), between 30 and 39 years of age (69%), married (72%), and working full-time (94%). Above critical thresholds of high burnout in the EE, DP, and PA domains were 27.9% (n = 19), 35.3% (n = 24), and 73.5% (n = 50) of study participants. A sum score was formed from five of a total of 39 satisfaction items, which independently predicted the EE and DP endpoints and a combined EE and DP endpoint in well-adjusted regression models. For each individual score of the sum score (range 5-25 points), the probability of a critical burnout is reduced by a relative 57% (EE), 25% (DP), and 34% (combined endpoint). In contrast, permanent employment contract, the clinic position as senior physician or chief physician, working full-time, and a married marital status significantly reduced the critical PA domain.Several dimensions of professional satisfaction were identified, the improvement of which could contribute to a decrease in burnout among urologists with a migrant background. Future intervention studies aimed at improving job satisfaction must follow.EINLEITUNG: Urolog*innen mit Migrationshintergrund garantieren gegenwärtig die Sicherstellung der Patientenversorgung an deutschen Kliniken. Studienergebnisse zur beruflichen Zufriedenheit und zum Burnout dieser wichtigen Berufsgruppe waren bisher nicht verfügbar.Zwischen August und Oktober 2020 wurde eine Umfrage (Survey-Monkey® mit 101 Items) an Urolog*innen deutscher Kliniken mit Migrationshintergrund u. a. zur beruflichen Zufriedenheit und zur validierten Erhebung des Burnouts („Maslach Burnout Inventory“) durchgeführt. Gegenstand dieser Arbeit war die Assoziation der beruflichen Zufriedenheit mit den kritischen Grenzwerten des Burnouts in den Dimensionen emotionale Erschöpfung (EE), Depersonalisierung (DP) und Verringerung der Leistungseinschätzung (VL).Für diese Arbeit konnten 68 Fragebögen komplett analysiert werden. Die Studienteilnehmer*innen waren überwiegend männlichen Geschlechts (90 %), im Altersbereich 30 bis 39 Jahre (69 %), verheiratet (72 %) und arbeiteten in Vollzeit (94 %). Oberhalb der kritischen Grenzwerte hohen Burnouts in den Dimensionen EE, DP und VL lagen 27,9 % (n = 19), 35,3 % (n = 24) und 73,5 % (n = 50) der Studienteilnehmer*innen. Aus 5 von insgesamt 39 Zufriedenheitsitems wurde ein Summenscore gebildet, der in gut adjustierten Regressionsmodellen unabhängig die Endpunkte EE und DP sowie einen kombinierten Endpunkt aus EE und DP prädizierte. Je einzelnen Punktwert des Summenscores (Range: 5–25 Punkte) wird die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines kritischen Burnouts um relative 57 % (EE), 25 % (DP) sowie 34 % (kombinierter Endpunkt) reduziert. Ein unbefristeter Arbeitsvertrag, die Klinikposition als Oberärzt*in bzw. Chefärzt*in, das Arbeiten in Vollzeit und ein verheirateter Familienstand verringerten hingegen signifikant die kritische VL-Dimension.Es wurden verschiedene Dimensionen beruflicher Zufriedenheit identifiziert, deren Verbesserung zu einer Abnahme des Burnouts bei Urolog*innen mit Migrationshintergrund beitragen könnte. Zukünftige Interventionsstudien müssen den Erfolg von hier ansetzenden Maßnahmen prüfen.

The contaminant transport of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) through the base of a municipal solid waste landfill lined by a single composite liner comprised of a geomembrane over a geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) and a 3.75 m-thick attenuation layer underlain by an aquifer is examined. Both pure diffusive transport and advective transport through holed wrinkles are modelled. The peak concentrations of PFOS predicted for the aquifer beneath the landfill are compared to the maximum allowable PFOS concentration established by Australia, Canada, Europe, and various US states. The results show that (a) in most cases with zero leakage and pure diffusive transport, regulatory limits are met; however, (b) if there are holed wrinkles in the geomembrane, the impact is highly dependent on the length of holed wrinkle per hectare, the geomembrane-GCL interface transmissivity, and the GCL hydraulic conductivity. Factors affecting the length of holed wrinkles are discussed. In many of the cases examined, the peak concentrations of PFOS in the aquifer exceed the limits set by the different jurisdictions, indicating that a single composite liner may not be sufficient to contain PFOS acceptable level and recommends that realistic contaminant impact calculations be performed in each specific case.

We present an initial study of the influence of the growth parameters on the surface morphology and on the interface quality of homoepitaxial GaP(1 1 1) and heteroepitaxial GaP/AlGaP(1 1 1) grown on GaP(1 1 1)B substrates using Gas-Source Molecular Beam Epitaxy (GSMBE). Three different surface reconstructions are identified in the RHEED patterns during the growth runs. The Root Mean Square (RMS) surface roughness measured post-growth by AFM ranges from 3 to 10 nm over 10 × 10 µm 2 areas, for a film thickness of 100–600 nm. The results of 2θ-ω XRD scans on (1 1 1) and (3 1 1) planes reveal a stacking disorder in the AlGaP layer and further XRD phi-scan measurements on GaP (3 1 1) show strong peaks with 3-fold rotational symmetry and additional of 3-fold weak peaks indicating only a negligible fraction of the twinned crystal orientation in the substrate. TEM images of these samples show a smooth interface between the AlGaP layer and GaP substrate, and reveal the presence of a high density of extended defects such as stacking faults, twinning and dislocations lines in AlGaP layer whereas the GaP layer appears as pure Zinc-Blende. Further TEM analysis reveals composition and local strain variations for GaP/AlGaP samples associated with an undulated surface.

Introduction: Dual-mobility cups (DMC) are currently used in patients having risk factors of instability. Most of the studies report the use of DMC in patients having a single high-risk variable. The aim of the study was to analyse a continuous series of patients treated with primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) and DMC with different high risk for dislocation. Methods: This is a retrospective study analysing the outcomes of primary THA with DMC in patients at high-risk of dislocation. The sample consisted of 215 patients having 1 of 3 aetiologies or risk factors: (1) young subjects (Results: With a mean follow-up duration of 70 ± 24.7 months, the findings showed the following: 2 patients had dislocated their hip following motor vehicle accidents; 1 patient had a traumatic femoral peri-prosthetic fracture; and 1 patient had an acute infection. No intra-prosthetic dislocation or aseptic loosening were encountered. No radiolucent lines were observed on the acetabular side. The mean modified Hip Harris Score was 96.6 ± 7.4%. Out of 186 patients, 170 (90.1%) would label their operated hip as a “forgotten hip”. 78 out of the 84 patients (92.8%) who used to practice oriental sitting and/or ablution for prayers were able to return to their usual daily activities of extreme hip position and 74 out of the 84 patients (88%) described their operated hip as “a forgotten hip”. No correlation was found between any of the studied variables. Discussion: The findings of this series of patients at high risk of dislocation showed excellent clinical and radiological results with very few complications. The use of DMC seems to counteract the impact of some aetiologies/risk factors that could lead to higher instability. Most patients practising extreme hip positions resumed their usual practices.

Dexmedetomidine provides smooth and hemodynamically stable emergence at the expense of hypotension, delayed recovery, and sedation. We investigated the optimal dose of dexmedetomidine for prevention of cough, agitation, hypertension, tachycardia, and shivering, with minimal side effects.In this prospective, randomized, double-blind trial, 216 adult patients were randomly assigned to dexmedetomidine 1 µg/kg (D 1), 0.5 µg/kg (D 0.5), 0.25 µg/kg (D 0.25), or control (C). During emergence, cough, agitation, hemodynamic parameters, shivering, time to extubation, and sedation scores were recorded.A total of 190 patients were analyzed. The respective incidences for the groups D 1, D 0.5, and D 0.25 versus group C were 48%, 64%, and 64% vs 84% for cough-corrected P.003 between groups D 1 and C; 33%, 34%, and 33% vs 72% for agitation-corrected P.003 between group C and each of the study groups; and 4%, 2%, and 7% vs 22% for shivering-corrected P = .03 and corrected P = .009 between groups D 1 and D 0.5 versus group C, respectively. The percent increase from baseline blood pressure on extubation for the 3 treatment groups was significantly lower than group C. Percent increase in heart rate was lower than control in groups D 1 and D 0.5 but not in group D 0.25. Time to extubation and sedation scores were comparable. However, more hypotension was recorded during the emergence phase in the 3 treatment groups versus group C.D 1 at the end of surgery provides the best quality of emergence from general anesthesia including the control of cough, agitation, hypertension, tachycardia, and shivering. D 0.5 also controls emergence phenomena but is less effective in controlling cough. The 3 doses do not delay extubation. However, they cause dose-dependent hypotension.

Background The dual mobility cups (DMCs) were shown to reduce dislocation rate following total hip arthroplasty for any etiology, including femoral neck fractures. No reported studies evaluating DMC results for femoral neck fracture in a Middle Eastern population were found in the literature. Methods This study aims to look for mortality rate, clinical, and functional outcomes in a population having specific rituals involving extreme hip positions as part of their daily activities. Results Of an initial sample of 174 patients (177 operated hips), 18 (10.3%) patients (20 hips) died after a mean of 39.6 ± 13.8 months (ranging from 2 to 49 months) with only 3 (1.7%) during the first post-operative year. Twelve patients (13 hips) were lost to follow-up and 19 patients (19 hips) had their radiological data incomplete. In the final sample of 125 patients (125 hips), no dislocation, aseptic loosening, or infection was encountered. The mean modified Hip Harris Score was of 94.8 ± 8.4. The mean modified Hip Harris Score of 40 patients who used to practice regularly oriental sitting position or prayers was 94.1 ± 3.1. After surgery, 36 of these 40 patients (90%) described their hip as “a forgotten hip.” Multivariate analyses found correlation only between mortality and cardiovascular co-morbidities. Conclusion DMC implants showed excellent clinical and functional results. The majority of patients having rituals and customs involving extreme hip positions were able to resume their daily activities. The observed low mortality rate should incite future research to investigate its correlation with the use of DMCs.

Background Breaking bad news (BBN) to patients and their relatives is a complex and stressful task. The ideal structure, training methods and assessment instruments best used to teach and assess BBN for anesthesiology residents remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an education intervention for BBN based on immersive experiences with a high fidelity simulator and role-play with standardized patients (SPs). A secondary purpose is to gather validity evidence to support the use of a GRIEV_ING instrument to assess BBN skills. Methods The communication skills for BBN of 16 residents were assessed via videotaped SP encounters at baseline and immediately post-intervention. Residents’ perceptions about their ability and comfort for BBN were collected using pre and post workshop surveys. Results Posttest scores were significantly higher than the pretest scores for the GRIEV_ING checklist, as well as on the communication global rating. The GRIEV_ING checklist had acceptable inter-rater and internal-consistency reliabilities. Performance was not related to years of training, or previous BBN experience. Conclusion Anesthesiology residents’ communication skills when BBN in relation to a critical incident may be improved with educational interventions based on immersive experiences with a high fidelity simulator and role-play with SPs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12871-017-0374-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BACKGROUND Haloperidol is an antipsychotic. At low doses, it is a useful agent for the prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). However, its use for treating established PONV has not been well studied. METHODS This randomized double-blinded trial tested whether haloperidol is noninferior to ondansetron for the early treatment of established PONV in adult patients undergoing general anesthesia. The primary outcome is whether patients were PONV free during the first 4 hours. The noninferiority margin was set at 15%. One hundred twenty patients with PONV received either haloperidol 1 mg intravenously (n = 60) or ondansetron 4 mg intravenously (n = 60). RESULTS Data from 112 patients (59 in the haloperidol group and 53 in the ondansetron group) were analyzed. Thirty-five patients (52%) in the haloperidol group received 1 or 2 prophylactic antiemetics compared with 42 (79%) in the ondansetron group. Haloperidol was noninferior to ondansetron for the end point of complete response to treatment (defined as the rate of PONV-free patients) for the early (0-4 hour) and the 0- to 24-hour postoperative periods by both the per-protocol and intention-to-treat analyses. In the per-protocol analysis, complete responses in the early period were noted in 35 of 59 patients (59%) and 29 of 53 patients (55%) for the haloperidol and ondansetron groups, respectively (difference 5%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -13% to 22 %), and in the 0- to 24-hour period in 31 of 59 patients (53%) and 26 of 53 patients (49%) for the haloperidol and ondansetron groups, respectively (difference 4%; 95% CI of the difference: -15% to 21%). In the intention-to-treat analysis, complete responses in the early period were noted in 35 of 60 patients (58%) and 29 of 60 patients (48%) for the haloperidol and ondansetron groups, respectively (difference 10%; 95% CI of difference: -8% to 27%) and in the 0- to 24-hour period in 31 of 60 patients (52%) and 26 of 60 patients (43%) for the haloperidol and ondansetron groups, respectively (difference 8%; 95% CI of the difference: -9% to 25%). All other PONV secondary outcomes were comparable. Twenty-five percent of patients in the haloperidol group were sedated versus 2% in the ondansetron group (P < .001; difference 23%; 95% CI of the difference: 11%-36%). Pain, satisfaction scores, need for analgesics, and changes in QTc intervals were not different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS Haloperidol is at worst 13% and 8% less effective than ondansetron by per-protocol analysis and by intention-to-treat analysis, respectively. Thus, it is noninferior to ondansetron for the early treatment of established PONV, but is associated with sedation.

Background: In critically ill patients, the increase in metabolic demands overwhelms the compensatory mechanisms for tolerating anemia, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Objectives: Assess the effect of anemia on the outcome of elderly patients in ----------- intensive care unit (ICU) Methodology: prospective study, 100 critically ill eldery patients. They were subjected to comprehensive geriatric assessment, complete blood count , evaluation of Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation Score (APACHE II) on the first day of admission and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score (SOFA) score on admission and daily. Results: 61% anemic, no statistically significant difference between anemic and non anemic critically ill elderly as regards mortality, length of stay, complications and APACHE II score (P>0.05) while SOFA scores were significantly higher among anemics (P Conclusion: Anemia is considered an important parameter in critically ill elderly patients. Anemia affects the evaluation scoring of ICU patients and should be well considered in management and follow up. &nbsp

Amyloid A (SAA) and procalcitonin (PCT) have been reported as useful indicators of inflammation. Our aim was to assess the utility of SAA and PCT in establishing the severity of acute pancreatitis in comparison to C-reactive protein (CRP): Thirty-one patients with acute pancreatitis enrolled within 24 hr from the onset of pain and 31 healthy subjects were studied. Nineteen patients had mild acute pancreatitis, and 12 had severe pancreatitis. Serum SAA, PCT, and CRP were measured in all subjects at admission and, in acute pancreatitis patients, during the following five days. Patients with acute pancreatitis had serum concentrations of SAA, PCT, and CRP significantly higher (P < 0.001) than those of healthy subjects during the entire study period. Using cutoff values ranging from 240 to 250 mg/liter for SAA, from 0.252 to 0.255 ng/ml for PCT, and from 12.8 to 12.9 mg/dl for CRP, the sensitivity (calculated on patients with severe pancreatitis), the specificity (calculated on patients with mild pancreatitis), and the efficiency (calculated as the percentage of correct classifications) were 76.8%, 69.3%, and 72.4% for SAA; 21.7%, 83.2%, and 58.2% for PCT; and 60.9%, 89.1%, and 77.6% for CRP. In conclusion, the sensitivity of SAA is significantly higher than that of PCT and CRP in assessing the severity of pancreatitis, whereas PCT and CRP had a specificity significantly higher than SAA. The accuracy and efficiency were similar for SAA and CRP, and both these markers had an accuracy and efficiency significantly higher than those of PCT.

The parity violation parameters Ab and Ac of the Zb anti-b and Zc anti-c couplings have been measured directly, using the polar angle dependence of the Z0-pole polarized cross sections. Bottom and charmed hadrons were tagged via semileptonic decays. Both the muon and electron identification algorithms take advantage of new multivariate techniques, incorporating for the first time information from the SLD Cerenkov Ring Imaging Detector. Based on the 1993-95 SLD sample of 150,000 Z0 decays produced with highly polarized electron beams, we measure: Ab = 0.910 ± 0.068(stat) ± 0.037(syst) Ac = 0.642 ± 0.110(stat) ± 0.063(syst).

We present a direct measurement of the parity-violating asymmetry A{sub b} in the Z{sup 0} to b anti-b coupling using a new technique to distinguish the b and anti-b quarks using charged kaons from B decays. The Z{sup 0} bosons are produced in e{sup +}e{sup -} collisions at the SLC with longitudinally polarized electrons. b anti-b events are selected using a secondary vertex mass tag and A{sub b} is determined from the left-right forward-backward asymmetry. From the 1994-1995 data sample, selected from 100,000 hadronic Z{sup 0} decays, we obtain A{sub b} = 0.855 {+-} 0. 088{sub stat} {+-} 0.102{sub sys}.

We present a direct measurement of the parity-violation parameter ${A}_{b}$ using a self-calibrating track-charge technique. In the SLAC Linear Collider Large Detector (SLD) experiment we observe hadronic decays of ${Z}^{0}$ bosons produced in collisions between longitudinally polarized electrons and unpolarized positrons at the SLAC Linear Collider. A sample of $b\overline{b}$ events is selected using the topologically reconstructed mass of $B$ hadrons. From our 1993--1995 sample of approximately 150 000 hadronic ${Z}^{0}$ decays, we obtain ${A}_{b}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}0.911\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.045(\mathrm{stat})\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.045(\mathrm{syst})$.

We report a new measurement of Rb = Gamma(Z0->b-bbar) / Gamma(Z0->hadrons) using a double tag technique, where the b hemisphere selection is based on the reconstructed mass of the B hadron decay vertex. The measurement was performed using a sample of 130k hadronic Z0 events, collected with the SLD at the SLC. The method utilizes the 3-D vertexing abilities of the CCD pixel vertex detector and the small stable SLC beams to obtain a high b-tagging efficiency and purity. We obtain Rb=0.2142+/-0.0034(stat.)+/-0.0015(syst.)+/-0.0002(R_c)., 11 pages including 3 eps files

We describe the development of a new balloon-borne telescope known as MARGIE (Minute-of-Arc Resolution Gamma ray Imaging Experiment). It is a coded aperture telescope designed to image photons (in various configurations) over the 20–600 keV range with an angular resolution approaching 1′. MARGIE will use one (or both) of two different detection plane technologies. One such technology involves the use of Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) strip detectors, for which we have successfully demonstrated a spatial resolution of

We present a new measurement of the tau neutrino helicity, hnu and the tau Michel parameters rho, eta, xi and the product delta xi. The analysis exploits the highly polarized SLC electron beam to extract these quantities directly from a measurement of the tau decay spectra, using the 1993-1995 SLD data sample of 4328 e+e- --> Z0 --> tau+tau- events. From the decays tau --> pi nu(tau) and tau --> rho nu(tau) we obtain a combined value hnu=-0.93+/-0.10+/-0.04. The leptonic decay channels yield combined values of rho=0.72+/-0.09+/-0.03, xi=1.05+/-0.35+/-0.04 and delta xi=0.88+/-0.27+/-0.04.

We present a new measurement of the left-right cross section asymmetry (ALR) for Z boson production by e+e- collisions. The measurement was performed at a center-of-mass energy of 91.28 GeV with the SLD detector at the SLAC Linear Collider (SLC). The luminosity-weighted average polarization of the SLC electron beam was (77.23+-0.52)%. Using a sample of 93,644 Z decays, we measure the pole-value of the asymmetry, ALR0, to be 0.1512+-0.0042(stat.)+-0.0011(syst.) which is equivalent to an effective weak mixing angle of sin**2(theta_eff)=0.23100+-0.00054(stat.)+-0.00014(syst.).

We have measured the distributions of the jet energies in {ital e{sup +}e{sup {minus}}{r_arrow}q{bar q}g} events, and of the three orientation angles of the event plane, using hadronic {ital Z{sup 0}} decays collected in the SLD experiment at SLAC. We find that the data are well described by perturbative QCD incorporating vector gluons. We have also studied models of scalar and tensor gluon production and find them to be incompatible with our data. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

We present the first measurement of the left-right charge asymmetry ${A}_{Q}^{\mathrm{obs}}$ in hadronic $Z$ boson decays. This was performed at ${E}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}91.27\mathrm{GeV}$ with the SLD at the SLAC Linear Collider with a polarized electron beam. Using 89 838 events we obtain ${A}_{Q}^{\mathrm{obs}}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}0.225\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.056\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.019$, which leads to a measurement of the electron left-right asymmetry parameter, ${A}_{e}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}0.162\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.041\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.014$, and ${sin}^{2}{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{W}^{\mathrm{eff}}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}0.2297\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0052\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0018$. Also, the ${A}_{Q}^{\mathrm{obs}}$ measurement combined with the left-right cross section asymmetry determines ${A}_{e}$ independent of the value of the electron-beam polarization.

Introduction Low birthweight is a major determinant of infant mortality, as well as a contributor to infant and childhood morbidity. A key issue is how to reduce the incidence of low birthweight in the United States. One emerging factor is exposure to psychosocial stressors. In this research, we evaluated the association between exposure to psychosocial stressors and low birthweight in a population of urban, low-income pregnant women. Methods Over 2,000 pregnant women 18 years of age and older were enrolled in this prospective study and recruited at their first prenatal care visit. We obtained information on maternal exposure to stressors. After the pregnancy, we abstracted clinical records of each woman enrolled in the study. Logistic regression was used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio for the association between stressor group membership and low birthweight, controlling for the effects of confounding factors. Results In logistic regression analyses stratified by race, for African-American women, the following variables were significantly associated with low birthweight: smoking, hypertension, low prepregnancy weight, hospitalization during pregnancy, previous preterm birth, and exposure to stressors. For Caucasian women, significant predictors were: smoking, drug use, hospitalization during pregnancy, hypertension, and previous preterm birth. Exposure to stressors was also significantly associated with many clinical and behavioral risks for low birthweight. Conclusion Our results suggest two potential mechanisms for an association between stressors and low birthweight. Exposure to stressors may be indirectly associated with low birthweight through a relationship with clinical and behavioral risks for low birthweight. Exposure to psychosocial stressors may also be directly associated with risk of low birthweight among African-American women.

K. Abe,20 K. Abe,30 I. Abt,14 T. Akagi,28 N. J. Allen,4 W. W. Ash,28,* D. Aston,28 K. G. Baird,25 C. Baltay,34 H. R. Band,33 M. B. Barakat,34 G. Baranko,10 O. Bardon,16 T. Barklow,28 G. L. Bashindzhagyan,19 A. O. Bazarko,11 R. Ben-David,34 A. C. Benvenuti,2 G. M. Bilei,23 D. Bisello,22 G. Blaylock,7 J. R. Bogart,28 T. Bolton,11 G. R. Bower,28 J. E. Brau,21 M. Breidenbach,28 W. M. Bugg,29 D. Burke,28 T. H. Burnett,32 P. N. Burrows,16 W. Busza,16 A. Calcaterra,13 D. O. Caldwell,6 D. Calloway,28 B. Camanzi,12 M. Carpinelli,24 R. Cassell,28 R. Castaldi,24,† A. Castro,22 M. Cavalli-Sforza,7 A. Chou,28 E. Church,32 H. O. Cohn,29 J. A. Coller,3 V. Cook,32 R. Cotton,4 R. F. Cowan,16 D. G. Coyne,7 G. Crawford,28 A. D’Oliveira,8 C. J. S. Damerell,26 M. Daoudi,28 R. De Sangro,13 P. De Simone,13 R. Dell’Orso,24 P. J. Dervan,4 M. Dima,9 D. N. Dong,16 P. Y. C. Du,29 R. Dubois,28 B. I. Eisenstein,14 R. Elia,28 E. Etzion,4 D. Falciai,23 C. Fan,10 M. J. Fero,16 R. Frey,21 K. Furuno,21 T. Gillman,26 G. Gladding,14 S. Gonzalez,16 G. D. Hallewell,28 E. L. Hart,29 A. Hasan,4 Y. Hasegawa,30 K. Hasuko,30 S. Hedges,3 S. S. Hertzbach,17 M. D. Hildreth,28 J. Huber,21 M. E. Huffer,28 E. W. Hughes,28 H. Hwang,21 Y. Iwasaki,30 D. J. Jackson,26 P. Jacques,25 J. Jaros,28 A. S. Johnson,3 J. R. Johnson,33 R. A. Johnson,8 T. Junk,28 R. Kajikawa,20 M. Kalelkar,25 H. J. Kang,27 I. Karliner,14 H. Kawahara,28 H. W. Kendall,16 Y. Kim,27 M. E. King,28 R. King,28 R. R. Kofler,17 N. M. Krishna,10 R. S. Kroeger,18 J. F. Labs,28 M. Langston,21 A. Lath,16 J. A. Lauber,10 D. W. G. S. Leith,28 V. Lia,16 M. X. Liu,34 X. Liu,7 M. Loreti,22 A. Lu,6 H. L. Lynch,28 J. Ma,32 G. Mancinelli,23 S. Manly,34 G. Mantovani,23 T. W. Markiewicz,28 T. Maruyama,28 R. Massetti,23 H. Masuda,28 E. Mazzucato,12 A. K. McKemey,4 B. T. Meadows,8 R. Messner,28 P. M. Mockett,32 K. C. Moffeit,28 B. Mours,28 D. Muller,28 T. Nagamine,28 S. Narita,30 U. Nauenberg,10 H. Neal,28 M. Nussbaum,8 Y. Ohnishi,20 L. S. Osborne,16 R. S. Panvini,31 H. Park,21 T. J. Pavel,28 I. Peruzzi,13,† M. Piccolo,13 L. Piemontese,12 E. Pieroni,24 K. T. Pitts,21 R. J. Plano,25 R. Prepost,33 C. Y. Prescott,28 G. D. Punkar,28 J. Quigley,16 B. N. Ratcliff,28 T. W. Reeves,31 J. Reidy,18 P. E. Rensing,28 L. S. Rochester,28 P. C. Rowson,11 J. J. Russell,28 O. H. Saxton,28 T. Schalk,7 R. H. Schindler,28 B. A. Schumm,15 S. Sen,34 V. V. Serbo,33 M. H. Shaevitz,11 J. T. Shank,3 G. Shapiro,15 D. J. Sherden,28 K. D. Shmakov,29 C. Simopoulos,28 N. B. Sinev,21 S. R. Smith,28 J. A. Snyder,34 P. Stamer,25 H. Steiner,15 R. Steiner,1 M. G. Strauss,17 D. Su,28 F. Suekane,30 A. Sugiyama,20 S. Suzuki,20 M. Swartz,28 A. Szumilo,32 T. Takahashi,28 F. E. Taylor,16 E. Torrence,16 A. I. Trandafir,17 J. D. Turk,34 T. Usher,28 J. Va’vra,28 C. Vannini,24 E. Vella,28 J. P. Venuti,31 R. Verdier,16 P. G. Verdini,24 S. R. Wagner,28 A. P. Waite,28 S. J. Watts,4 A. W. Weidemann,29 E. R. Weiss,32 J. S. Whitaker,3 S. L. White,29 F. J. Wickens,26 D. A. Williams,7 D. C. Williams,16 S. H. Williams,28 S. Willocq,34 R. J. Wilson,9 W. J. Wisniewski,28 M. Woods,28 G. B. Word,25 J. Wyss,22 R. K. Yamamoto,16 J. M. Yamartino,16 X. Yang,21 S. J. Yellin,6 C. C. Young,28 H. Yuta,30 G. Zapalac,33 R. W. Zdarko,28 C. Zeitlin,21 and J. Zhou21

We present the first measurement of the correlation between the {ital Z}{sup 0} spin and the event-plane orientation in polarized {ital Z}{sup 0} decays into three jets in the SLAC Linear Collider Large Detector experiment at SLAC utilizing a longitudinally polarized electron beam. The {ital CP}-even and {ital T}-odd triple product {ital {rvec S}}{sub {ital Z}}{center_dot}({ital {rvec k}}{sub 1}{times}{ital {rvec k}}{sub 2}), formed from the two fastest jet momenta {ital {rvec k}}{sub 1} and {ital {rvec k}}{sub 2} and the {ital Z}{sup 0} polarization vector {ital {rvec S}}{sub {ital Z}}, is sensitive to physics beyond the standard model. We measure the expectation value of this quantity to be consistent with zero and set 95% C.L. limits of {minus}0.022{lt}{beta}{lt}0.039 on the correlation. {copyright} {ital 1995} {ital The} {ital American} {ital Physical} {ital Society}.

We have compared a new QCD calculation by Clay and Ellis of energy-energy correlations (EEC`s) and their asymmetry (AEEC`s) in {ital e}{sup +}{ital e}{sup {minus}} annihilation into hadrons with data collected by the SLD experiment at SLAC. From fits of the new calculation, complete at {ital O}({alpha}{sub {ital s}}{sup 2}), we obtained {alpha}{sub {ital s}}({ital M}{sub {ital Z}}{sup 2})=0.1184{plus_minus}0.0031(expt){plus_minus}0.0129(theory) (EEC) and {alpha}{sub {ital s}}({ital M}{sub {ital Z}}{sup 2})=0.1120{plus_minus}0.0034(expt){plus_minus}0.0036(theory) (AEEC). The EEC result is significantly lower than that obtained from comparable fits using the {ital O}({alpha}{sub {ital s}}{sup 2}) calculation of Kunszt and Nason.

Aim. To evaluate relapse of acute pancreatitis in patients with biliary pancreatitis in whom coexisting diseases or patient refusal have excluded cholecystectomy. Patients and methods. Forty-seven patients presenting a first episode of biliary acute pancreatitis underwent urgent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES). Results. ERCP with ES was successful in all but one patient (97.8%) who was then cholecystectomised. Complications related to the endoscopic procedure were reported in five patients (10.6%). During the follow-up period (median time 12 months; range 1–84 months), 10 patients (21%) suffered from biliary complications. Three patients (6.4%), all with lithiasis of the gallbladder, had relapses of acute pancreatitis, two of them within 2 months of the previous episode, and one about a year later after ingestion of a rich meal and alcoholic beverages. The first two were cholecystectomised. Two patients died during the follow-up period from unrelated diseases. Conclusions. In subjects who are at high risk for anaesthesia, endoscopic procedures may be utilised.

Thalassemia major is an inherited disorder particularly common in people of Mediterranean, African, and Southeast Asian ancestry. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is responsible for 80 - 90% of post transfusion hepatitis in beta-Thalassemic patients. Marked liver iron overload, which is often inevitable in patients on regular blood transfusion, and HCV infection have been shown to have a potentiating effect on hepatic fibrogenesis in thalassemic patients. This study aimed at investigating the impact of combined chronic hepatitis C and beta-Thalassemia on innate and adaptive immune responses. The study was conducted on 60 patients and 15 apparently healthy controls. Patients were dived into three groups: group 1: 35 patients with combined beta-thalassemia and chronic hepatitis C (CHC) (betaTH/CHC), group II: 15 beta-thalassemia patients without HCV infection (betaTH), group III: 10 patients with chronic hepatitis C infection (CHC). Assessment of the number of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ T cells, NK cells, and NKT cells was done by flowcytometry. Human IFN-delta and IL-15 levels were estimated by Enzyme -Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). betaTH/CHC patients had significantly reduced numbers of conventional T lymphocytes, NK, NKT, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells when compared to betaTH patients. Serum IFN-gamma levels were significantly reduced in betaTH/CHC patients (2.57 pg/ml) in comparison to CHC patients (6.89pg/ml) and normal controls (4.73 pg/ml). A significant elevation of serum IL-15 levels in betaTH/CHC patients (38.04pg/ml) was found when compared to betaTH patients (16.22 pg/ml). Splenectomized patients showed reduced numbers of NK cells, NK T cells and lower CD4:CD8 ratio in comparison to non-splenectomized ones among betaTH/CHC patients. In conclusion our data show an obvious defective cellular innate immunity (NKNKT cells) and cellular adaptive immunity (CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells,INF-gamma) in (betaTH/CHC) patients, in comparison to (betaTH) patients. This observation suggests a potentiating effect of both CHC and beta-thalassemia on depression of innate and adaptive immune status in these patients