Active and passive fields in turbulent transport: the role of statistically preserved structures.

We have recently proposed that the statistics of active fields (which affect the velocity field itself) in well-developed turbulence are also dominated by the statistically preserved structures of auxiliary passive fields which are advected by the same velocity field. The statistically preserved structures are eigenmodes of eigenvalue 1 of an appropriate propagator of the decaying (unforced) passive field, or equivalently, the zero modes of a related operator. In this paper we investigate further this surprising finding via two examples of shell models, one akin to turbulent convection in which the temperature is the active scalar, and the other akin to magnetohydrodynamics in which the magnetic field is the active vector.

Exploring the dynamics of power: a Foucauldian analysis of care planning in learning disabilities services.

This paper draws upon a study completed in 2000 that focused upon health and welfare provision for people with learning disabilities in one English county. This study drew upon the theoretical insights of Michel Foucault to provide an analysis of the micro politics of care planning. This involved the analysis of text from two sources: the academic literature and interview material gained from a number of professionals working in health and welfare services for people with learning disabilities.

Quadricuspid aortic valves.

Quadricuspid aortic valves (QAV) are a rare but well recognized cause of significant aortic regurgitation. The first case was found reported in 1862. Since then there have been 110 reported cases of QAV and we report 4 more.

Cell orientation determines the alignment of cell-produced collagenous matrix.

In healing ligaments and tendons, the cells are not aligned and collagen matrix is not organized as in normal tissues. In addition, the mechanical properties of the tissues are abnormal. We hypothesized that the lack of alignment of the collagen matrix results from random orientation of the cells seen in the healing area.

IL-28, IL-29 and their class II cytokine receptor IL-28R.

Cytokines play a critical role in modulating the innate and adaptive immune systems. Here, we have identified from the human genomic sequence a family of three cytokines, designated interleukin 28A (IL-28A), IL-28B and IL-29, that are distantly related to type I interferons (IFNs) and the IL-10 family. We found that like type I IFNs, IL-28 and IL-29 were induced by viral infection and showed antiviral activity.

Nonheparinized partial cardiopulmonary bypass for repair of traumatic aortic rupture.

Traumatic aortic rupture requires rapid, definitive repair for optimal outcome, particularly with respect to distal neurologic function. Over the past 10 years, the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center of the University of Maryland has used partial cardiopulmonary bypass without systemic heparization exclusively for all repairs of the descending aorta. A heparin-bonded circuit allows for controlled distal perfusion and obviates the need for heparinization.

Vitamin A and kidney development.

Recent advances in developmental nephrology have provided new evidence that retinoids, vitamin A and its active metabolites such as all-trans retinoic acid, profoundly influence renal organogenesis. Retinoids are acknowledged as potent nephron mass regulators. They regulate embryonic kidney patterning through control of Ret expression in a dose-dependent manner, which modulates ureteric bud branching morphogenesis.

Cold agglutinins complicating repair of aortic dissection using cardiopulmonary bypass and hypothermic circulatory arrest: case report and review.

Cold agglutinins (CAs) are autoantibodies that react reversibly with red blood cells (RBCs) at temperatures of, or below, the thermal amplitude for agglutination. This results in increased blood viscosity and sludging of RBC, and may impair perfusion to various organ systems. Although this phenomenon appears rarely in the clinical arena, the incidence of CA is increased substantially in cardiac surgery due to the routine use of hypothermia for organ preservation and systemic metabolic reduction.

Entropy production of diffusion in spatially periodic deterministic systems.

This paper presents an ab initio derivation of the expression given by irreversible thermodynamics for the rate of entropy production for different classes of diffusive processes. The first class is Lorentz gases, where noninteracting particles move on a spatially periodic lattice, and collide elastically with fixed scatterers. The second class is periodic systems, where N particles interact with each other, and one of them is a tracer particle that diffuses among the cells of the lattice.

The spiritual art of working with dreams.

As a holistic nurse, the author uses the concepts and processes of exploring clients' dreams to provoke in them an understanding of life's issues, including illness and injury. Dreams hold information about spiritual realities, self-development, mythological archetypal themes, and the health of mind and body. Dream research and contemporary techniques for remembering and analyzing dreams guide the author in the work necessary to help her clients achieve health and wholeness through a deeper understanding of themselves through dreams.

Conventional anticonvulsant drugs in the guinea pig kindling model of partial seizures: effects of acute phenobarbital, valproate, and ethosuximide.

This study addressed the anticonvulsant effects of phenobarbital, valproate, and ethosuximide in the amygdala of kindled guinea pigs to further validate this model for the screening of anticonvulsant drugs. Behavioral toxic effects were assessed at 30 min following drug administration using quantitative locomotor tests, as well as scores on a sedation and muscle relaxation rating index. The anticonvulsant efficacy of the drugs were evaluated from measurements of afterdischarge threshold (ADT), afterdischarge duration (ADD), and behavioral seizure severity (SS) during early and late phases of kindling acquisition, and in kindled guinea pigs.

Inverse cascade regime in shell models of two-dimensional turbulence.

We consider shell models that display an inverse energy cascade similar to two-dimensional turbulence (together with a direct cascade of an enstrophylike invariant). Previous attempts to construct such models ended negatively, stating that shell models give rise to a "quasiequilibrium" situation with equipartition of the energy among the shells. We show analytically that the quasiequilibrium state predicts its own disappearance upon changing the model parameters in favor of the establishment of an inverse cascade regime with Kolmogorov scaling.

A randomized trial using computerized decision support to improve treatment of major depression in primary care.

Objective: To examine whether feedback and treatment advice for depression presented to primary care physicians (PCPs) via an electronic medical record (EMR) system can potentially improve clinical outcomes and care processes for patients with major depression.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Academically affiliated primary care practice in Pittsburgh, PA.

Feasibility of off-pump ASD closure using real-time 3-D echocardiography.

Background: If surgeons could "see " through blood and cardiac chamber walls, it would ultimately be unnecessary to open the heart or use cardiopulmonary bypass to perform procedures such as atrial septal defect (ASD) closure or mitral valve repair. Conventional echocardiography generates cross-sectional images that are not satisfactory as the only visualization for surgical procedures, and current 3-Dimensional (3-D) CT and echo systems take several minutes to compose and process a single still frame. Recently, however, the first system for real-time 3-D echocardiography has been developed.

Beating-heart mitral valve surgery: preliminary model and methodology.

Objective: It is our hypothesis that image-guided mitral valve repair can be performed on the beating heart without cardiopulmonary bypass. As a first phase, we tested the feasibility of suturing the anterior and posterior mitral valve leaflets under image guidance.

Methods: In a water bath model, imaging approaches and suturing techniques were developed.

Characterization of sorption sites on Pilayella littoralis and metal binding assessment using 113Cd and 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance.

Metal interactions with the cellular structures of the marine alga Pilayella littoralis have been investigated to better understand how biomaterials sorb dissolved metals. Algae metal binding capacity at pH 5.0 was 2000, 850, 430, and 560 micromol g(-1) of dried material for Al(III), Cu(II), Cd(II), and Co(II), respectively.

Christine: a case study of literacy acquisition by an adult with developmental disabilities.

Christine, an adult with developmental disabilities, had no history of education. A nonreader, she began to receive literacy tutoring at age 35. In 7 years she was educated through an eclectic approach that primarily entailed echo reading of brief passages, such as sentences and stories.

Cardiovascular responses to repetitive defibrillation during implantable cardioverter-defibrillator testing.

Objective: To study the effects of electrical applications and subsequent postshock hypotension on myocardial performance and vascular tone during implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) placement.

Design: Prospective, blinded, observational investigation.

Setting: Single, university-affiliated institution.

Statistically preserved structures in shell models of passive scalar advection.

It was conjectured recently that statiscally preserved structures underlie the statistical physics of turbulent transport processes. We analyze here in detail the time-dependent (noncompact) linear operator that governs the dynamics of correlation functions in the case of shell models of passive scalar advection. The problem is generic in the sense that the driving velocity field is neither Gaussian nor delta correlated in time.

Expression of IL-17B in neurons and evaluation of its possible role in the chromosome 5q-linked form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

IL-17B is a recently identified homolog of IL-17. Northern analysis revealed that IL-17B mRNA is expressed at very high levels in spinal cord and at much lower and more variable levels in trachea, prostate, lung, small intestine, testes, adrenal, and pancreas. In developing mouse embryos IL-17B expression was first detected at day 11 and appeared to peak at day 15.

Cardiac arrest from inadvertent overdose of lidocaine hydrochloride through an arterial pressure line flush apparatus.

An overdose of the antiarrhythmic drug, lidocaine hydrochloride, was inadvertently administered to a patient through an arterial pressure monitoring apparatus, resulting in cardiac asystole. This medication error demonstrates to all anesthesia care team members the importance of preventing similar occurrences.

Conventional anticonvulsant drugs in the guinea-pig kindling model of partial seizures: effects of acute carbamazepine.

This study addressed the anticonvulsant effect of carbamazepine (CBZ) in the guinea-pig kindling model to further test this model for the screening of anticonvulsant drugs. We analysed plasma concentrations of CBZ at various time intervals after intraperitoneal injection of either 10, 25 or 40 mg/kg CBZ. Behavioural toxicity was assessed at 0.

Conventional anticonvulsant drugs in the guinea-pig kindling model of partial seizures: effects of acute phenytoin.

This study addressed some of the controversial issues surrounding the anticonvulsant effect of phenytoin, and the predictive validity of the guinea-pig kindling model for the screening of anticonvulsant drugs. Following an intraperitoneal injection of either 50 or 75 mg/kg phenytoin, we analysed plasma concentrations of phenytoin at various time intervals. Behavioural toxicity was assessed at 0.

Use of bispectral electroencephalogram monitoring to assess neurologic status in unsedated, critically ill patients.

Objective: To test whether spectral indices derived from the electroencephalogram (EEG), and especially the bispectral index (BIS), can be used as measures of neurologic status in unsedated, critically ill patients.

Design: Prospective, observational study.

Setting: Medical intensive care unit (ICU) of a university-affiliated teaching hospital.