Alcohol availability and neighborhood characteristics in Los Angeles, California and southern Louisiana.

The objective of this study was to examine the associations between alcohol availability types and community characteristics in randomly selected census tracts in Southern California and Southeastern Louisiana. Outlet shelf space and price by beverage type was collected from all off-sale alcohol outlets in 189 census tracts by trained research personnel. Three aspects of alcohol availability at the census tract level were considered--outlets per roadway mile, shelf space, and least price by beverage type.

Pulmonary toxicity of Expancel microspheres in the rat.

Expancel microspheres are thermoplastic microspheres enclosing hydrocarbon. These microspheres expand when heated, producing many applications. Because they have unknown biological persistence and toxicity, we investigated the toxicity of two unexpanded (11.

Cell- and isoform-specific increases in arginase expression in acute silica-induced pulmonary inflammation.

Arginase induction was reported in several inflammatory lung diseases, suggesting that this may be a common feature underlying the pathophysiology of such diseases. As little is known regarding arginase expression in silicosis, the induction and cellular localization of arginase were elucidated in lungs of Sprague-Dawley rats 24 h following exposure to varying doses of silica by intratracheal instillation. Arginase expression was evaluated by activity assay, quantification of arginase I and arginase II mRNA levels using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and immunohistochemistry.

The Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) pilot study: methods and participant characteristics.

Purpose: The Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) study is one of the first population-based studies to integrate psychological, physiological, and subclinical measures of stress, disease, and mental dysfunction. This pilot study was undertaken to establish a methodology and descriptive results for a larger police study.

Methods: A stratified sample of 100 officers was randomly selected from the Buffalo, NY Police Department.

Current transfusion practices of members of the american society of anesthesiologists: a survey.

Background: The last published survey of transfusion practices among members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) was conducted in 1981. The ASA Committee on Transfusion Medicine conducted a new transfusion survey in 2002.

Methods: The survey was mailed to 2,500 randomly selected active ASA members.

A comparison of psoas compartment block and spinal and general anesthesia for outpatient knee arthroscopy.

Unlabelled: The optimal anesthetic technique for outpatient knee arthroscopy remains controversial. In this study, we evaluated surgical operating conditions, patient satisfaction, recovery times, and postoperative analgesic requirements associated with psoas compartment block, general anesthetic, or spinal anesthetic techniques. Sixty patients were randomized to receive a propofol/nitrous oxide/fentanyl general anesthetic, spinal anesthesia with 6 mg of bupivacaine and 15 micro g of fentanyl, or psoas compartment block with 40 mL of 1.

Predictors of survival following cardiac arrest in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery: a study of 518,294 patients at a tertiary referral center.

Background: The authors determined the incidence of cardiac arrest and predictors of survival following perioperative cardiac arrest in a large population of patients at a tertiary referral center.

Methods: Medical records of patients who experienced cardiac arrest in the perioperative period surrounding noncardiac surgery between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2000, were reviewed. Logistic regression identified characteristics associated with immediate (>or= 1 h) and hospital survival, with P View Article and Find Full Text PDF