Mercury accumulation in freshwater and marine fish from the wild and from aquaculture ponds.

We analysed the total mercury (Hg) accumulation in bodies and gut contents of 13 species of marine wild fish, 7 species of wild freshwater fish and 4 species of farmed fish. In addition, metal concentrations were recorded in water, sediment, fish prey and fodder materials, to track the dynamics of bio-accumulation. Cultured freshwater fish were collected at four Austrian farms and compared with samples obtained from markets.

A team-taught interdisciplinary approach to engineering ethics.

This paper outlines the development and implementation of a new course in Engineering Ethics at the University of Tennessee. This is a three-semester-hour course and is jointly taught by an engineering professor and a philosophy professor. While traditional pedagogical techniques such as case studies, position papers, and classroom discussions are used, additional activities such as developing a code of ethics and student-developed scenarios are employed to encourage critical thinking.

Impedance-gradient electrode reduces skin irritation induced by transthoracic defibrillation.

A new type of disposable external defibrillation electrode has been developed to reduce the skin irritation commonly associated with defibrillation and synchronised cardioversion. This design employs an impedance gradient to reduce the proportion of current delivered to the electrode periphery. The temperature distribution under the new electrode was compared with that of four other types of commercially available electrodes after repeated high-energy biphasic defibrillation discharges to domestic swine.

Physician-pharmacist comanagement of hypertension: a randomized, comparative trial.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of an evidence-based, systematic approach to hypertension care involving comanagement of patients by primary care physicians and clinical pharmacists versus usual care in reducing blood pressure in patients with uncontrolled hypertension.

Methods: Patients in a staff model medical group with uncontrolled hypertension were randomized to either a usual care (UC) or a physician-pharmacist comanagement (PPCM) group. All physicians in the study received both group and individual education and participated in the development of an evidence-based hypertension treatment algorithm.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of in vivo Doppler signal enhancement of FS-069.

Rationale And Objectives: In vivo lifetime of ultrasound (US) contrast agents is still limited and thus a cause for ongoing investigations of new substances. The purpose of this study was to determine the time intensity changes of the Doppler signals obtained within the femoral vein after two different doses of a new microsphere-based ultrasound contrast agent.

Methods: Twenty-four healthy male volunteers (mean age, 29; average weight, 76 kg) were included in this study.

Developing a code of ethics for human cloning.

Under what conditions might the cloning of human beings constitute an ethical practice? A tendency exists to analyze human cloning merely as a technical procedure. As with all revolutionary technological developments, however, human cloning potentially exists in a broad social context that will both shape and be shaped by the biological techniques. Although human cloning must be subjected to technical analysis that addresses fundamental ethical questions such as its safety and efficacy, questions exist that focus our attention on broader issues.

Electrophysiological control of ventricular rate during atrial fibrillation.

Thirteen anesthetized canine subjects (17-29 kg) were used to demonstrate that mild cervical left vagal stimulation could control ventricular rate effectively during atrial fibrillation (AF). Two studies are presented. The first study used six subjects to demonstrate the inverse relationship between (manually applied) left vagal stimulation and ventricular excitation (R wave) rate during AF.

An adaptive noise reduction stethoscope for auscultation in high noise environments.

Auscultation of lung sounds in patient transport vehicles such as an ambulance or aircraft is unachievable because of high ambient noise levels. Aircraft noise levels of 90-100 dB SPL are common, while lung sounds have been measured in the 22-30 dB SPL range in free space and 65-70 dB SPL within a stethoscope coupler. Also, the bandwidth of lung sounds and vehicle noise typically has significant overlap, limiting the utility of traditional band-pass filtering.

Skin-temperature distribution under a new type of defibrillating electrode.

The temperature rises under a new type of x-ray-transparent, improved current-density-distribution defibrillation electrode applied to pig skin were measured at four sites with fiberoptic thermal probes. Three anesthetized pigs, ranging in weight from 79 to 92 lb, were used. Temperature-time curves were obtained and the maximum temperature was identified.

Retention force changes in implant-supported titanium telescope crowns over long-term use in vitro.

Titanium is used to fabricate spherical and bar attachments for overdentures on osseointegrated implants. This in vitro study investigated the long-term effects of commercially pure titanium on the retention force of telescope crowns with conical interface. Combinations of various materials for the inner and outer crowns were tested.

The effect of elevated intracranial pressure on the vibrational response of the ovine head.

Although potentially fatal increases in intracranial pressure (ICP) can occur in a number of pathological conditions, there is no reliable and noninvasive procedure to detect ICP elevation and quantitatively monitor changes over time. In this experimental study, the relationships between ICP elevation and the vibrational response of the head were determined. An ovine animal model was employed in which incremental increases in ICP were elicited and directly measured through intraventricular cannulae.

A new concept of overdentures with telescope crowns on osseointegrated implants.

Primary splinting of fixtures with bar attachments has proven to be clinically effective for overdentures on osseointegrated implants in the edentulous mandible. However, in vitro investigations indicate that a more favorable force transfer to the individual fixtures can be attained by secondary splinting of four implants with tapered telescope crowns, compared to primary splinting with rigid or jointed bar attachments. Moreover, in contrast to jointed attachments, the telescope crowns ensure a stable denture position.

Allocation of critical care resources: entitlements, responsibilities, and benefits.

Determination of allocation of limited critical care resources appears to be an inevitable development. Criteria proposed to assign such limited resources among patients are not defined. It has been argued that allocation of critical care resources could be based on the principals of patient entitlements to health care, responsibilities of the physician to the critically ill patient, and beneficence.

The evaluation of five specialized support surfaces by use of a pressure-sensitive mat.

This study used two full-size pressure-sensitive mats to evaluate five patient support surfaces. The mats, containing 1,536 and 2,340 pressure measurement sites, respectively, made it possible to quantify the entire interface pressure distribution of each support surface. Measurements for groups of 64 and 32 subjects were obtained in supine positions of 0 degree, 30 degrees, at maximal head elevations (50 degrees-60 degrees), and at lateral recumbency.

Closed-chest cardiac stimulation with a pulsed magnetic field.

Magnetic stimulators, used medically, generate intense rapidly changing magnetic fields, capable of stimulating nerves. Advanced magnetic resonance imaging systems employ stronger and more rapidly changing gradient fields than those used previously. The risk of provoking cardiac arrhythmias by these new devices is of concern.

[Hybrid prosthetic implant supported suprastructures in edentulous mandible. Conus crowns and shell-pin-systems on HA-Ti-implants. 2. Prosthetic construction principles].

Dental literature covers a wide range of implant-based denture supports. Based on static/dynamic as well as preventive periodontal considerations, rigidly anchoring the removable superconstruction of hybrid dentures using secondary splinting of four implants with telescope crowns or readymade cap-andpost systems, is generally appropriate in cases where the lower jaw is toothless. This makes possible an impeccable bridge-shaped design for the main part of the dentures, with wide-open inter-implant rincing areas.

[Hybrid prosthesis implant-supported superstructures in edentulous jaw. 1. Case planning].

Dental literature covers a wide range of implant-based denture supports. Based on static/dynamic as well as preventive periodontal considerations, rigidly anchoring the removable superconstruction of hybrid dentures using secondary splinting of four implants with telescope crowns or readymade cap-andpost systems, is generally appropriate in cases where the lower jaw is toothless. This makes possible an impeccable bridgeshaped design for the main part of the dentures, with wide-open inter-implant rincing areas.

A pressure-sensitive mat for measuring contact pressure distributions of patients lying on hospital beds.

The authors describe a novel system for sensing and displaying the distribution of contact pressure caused by a patient's lying on a hospital bed. The system includes a flexible, pressure-sensitive mat, electronics to activate the mat, a small computer to process data, and a color video display. The present prototypes can sense pressure at 1,536 discrete locations in a rectangular grid of 24 x 64 nodes, each node representing an area of 4 cm2.