Effect of levofloxacin coadministration on the international normalized ratios during warfarin therapy.

Study Objective: To evaluate the effect of levofloxacin coadministration on the international normalized ratio (INR) in patients receiving warfarin therapy.

Design: Prospective analysis.

Setting: Outpatient clinic at a Veterans Affairs medical center.

Community cooperatives combat sexual assault and domestic violence.

The effectiveness of the SANE program is borne out by the following testimonies: "The emotional support required by these victims is best rendered by a SANE. This frees the ED nurse to care for other patients, while sexual assault victims receive a high level of care," says Nancy Donel, RN manager at St. Thomas Hospital ED.

The N-terminal non-RGS domain of human regulator of G-protein signalling 1 contributes to its ability to inhibit pheromone receptor signalling in yeast.

Regulators of G-protein signalling (RGS) are a family of proteins that interact with G-proteins to regulate negatively G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signalling. In addition to a conserved core domain that is necessary and sufficient for their GTPase activating protein (GAP) like activity, RGSs possess N- and C-terminal motifs that confer distinct functional differences. In order to identify the role of the non-RGS region of human RGS1, we have characterized a series of fusions between RGS1 and GFP in a yeast mutant lacking the RGS containing SST2 gene.

Successful treatment of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor with malignant transformation by surgical resection and chemotherapy.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a tumor composed of myofibroblasts and a mixed inflammatory infiltrate that rarely undergoes malignant transformation. The authors present the case of a 7-year-old boy with an abdominal mass diagnosed as IMT with malignant transformation. The tumor recurred twice after attempts at resection and was initially treated with vincristine and etoposide.

Alteration of pregnancy related hormones and fetal survival in F-344 rats exposed by inhalation to benzo(a)pyrene.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of subacute exposure to inhaled benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) on fetal survival and luteal maintenance using timed-pregnant Fisher 344 rats. Prior to assignment of pregnant rats to treatment and control groups, numbers of implantation sites were determined on gestation day (GD) 8 via midventral laparotomy. Subsequently, animals were assigned randomly to three treatment groups and two control groups.

Blood pressure measuring equipment in the dental surgery: use or ornament?

Objective: To survey the attitudes, knowledge and practice of general dental practitioners (GDPs) with regard to hypertension in dental patients and to assess opinion with regard to the concept of screening.

Setting: General dental practice.

Subjects And Methods: GDPs via a postal survey.

The effects of perceptions of hazardous waste on migration: a laboratory experimental approach.

"This study develops a methodology that allows migration decision-making to be studied in a laboratory experimental setting. Moreover, this methodology permits an examination of the importance of natural and man-made hazards in migration decisions--factors that have not been extensively studied as determinants of migration. The specific application is to the location of the U.

Host location, survival and fecundity of the Oriental rat flea Xenopsylla cheopis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) in relation to black rat Rattus rattus (Rodentia: Muridae) host age and sex.

Host choice and fecundity are two factors that may contribute to the variation in flea counts observed when assessing the potential risk of flea-borne transmission of pathogens from rodents to humans. Using the black rat, Rattus rattus Linnaeus, as host the effects of age and sex on host choice and fecundity of the Oriental rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis Rothschild, were examined experimentally at 25 degrees C and 80% rh. During the first two days of emergence from cocoons, female fleas dominated the sex ratio by 4:1 but from the third day onwards this switched to a male-dominated sex ratio of 4:1.

Measurement of viscosity and shear wave velocity of a liquid or slurry for on-line process control.

An on-line sensor to measure the density of a liquid or slurry, based on longitudinal wave reflection at the solid-fluid interface, has been developed by the staff at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The objective of this research is to employ shear wave reflection at the solid-fluid interface to provide an on-line measurement of viscosity as well. Both measurements are of great interest for process control in many industries.

Effects of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation during resistance training on body composition, bone density, strength, and selected hematological markers.

Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) are essential fatty acids that have been reported in animal studies to decrease catabolism, promote fat loss, increase bone density, enhance immunity, and serve as an antiatherogenic and anticarcinogenic agent. For this reason, CLA has been marketed as a supplement to promote weight loss and general health. CLA has also been heavily marketed to resistance-trained athletes as a supplement that may help lessen catabolism, decrease body fat, and promote greater gains in strength and muscle mass during training.

Ultrasonic sensor to measure the density of a liquid or slurry during pipeline transport.

This paper describes the design and testing of a computer-controlled sensor for the real-time measurement of the density of a liquid or slurry. It is to be deployed at the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Richland, WA, to monitor slurry properties during radioactive waste transfers. To demonstrate the sensor performance, tests were carried out using non-radioactive waste simulants and the results will be presented.

The influence of social programs in source countries on various classes of U.S. immigration.

"This article uses a unique set of pooled cross-sectional and time series data to examine the annual rate of U.S. immigration during 1972-1991 from 60 source countries.

Age- and size-related trends in woody plant shoot development: regulatory pathways and evidence for genetic control.

Woody plants exhibit significant and predictable patterns of change in morphology and physiology as they become older and larger. Four models of potential pathways controlling these changes are presented: a stimulus-response model in which fully developed organs respond to changes in environment (defined here as everything external to the organ); an extrinsic model in which the attributes of developing organs are determined by environmental factors; an intrinsic model in which changes are a result of programmed changes in gene expression; and an extrinsic-intrinsic model in which changes in gene expression are induced by environmental factors. We review evidence that a genetic component is involved in controlling age- and size-related changes in foliar morphology and physiology and discuss the possibility of complex interactions among model pathways.

Inhibition of somatostatin receptor 5-signaling by mammalian regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS) in yeast.

Regulators of G-protein signaling (RGSs) are negative regulators of G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR)-mediated signaling that function to limit the lifetime of receptor-activated G(alpha)-proteins. Here we show that four mammalian RGSs differentially inhibit the activation of a FUS1--LacZ reporter gene by the STE2 encoded GPCR in yeast. In order to examine the role of the GPCR in modulating RGS function, we functionally expressed the human somatostatin receptor 5 (SST(5)) in yeast.

Primary care clinicians' knowledge of oral cancer: a study of dentists and doctors in the North East of England.

Objective: To compare the knowledge of oral cancer and related issues of general dental and general medical practitioners (GDPs and GMPs).

Design: A questionnaire was sent to 420 primary care clinicians, half to dentists and half to doctors. Responses to the questionnaire were analysed using odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Age-related changes in foliar morphology and physiology in red spruce and their influence on declining photosynthetic rates and productivity with tree age.

The contribution of changes in meristem behavior to age-related decline in forest productivity is poorly understood. We studied age-related trends in needle morphology and gas exchange in a population of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) growing in a multi-cohort stand where trees ranged from first-year germinants to trees over 150 years old, as well as in grafted scions from these trees.

Exploring 'person-centredness': user perspectives on a model of social psychiatry.

This paper explores service users' experiences of a 'person-centred' mental health service. We describe the development of a model of social psychiatry that places the emphasis on the experiences of the person within social and political contexts. This establishes the foundations of a 'person-centred' approach, the values of which are described briefly.

Toxicokinetics of inhaled benzo[a]pyrene: plasma and lung bioavailability.

Bioavailability and toxicokinetic studies are essential in order to establish dose-response relationships of widely distributed environmental toxicants such as benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon. Fischer 344 rats were exposed for 4 h (via nose-only inhalation) to aerosol exposure concentrations of 0.1, 1.

Credentialling Australian critical care nurses: the pilot study.

In October 1998, the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses (ACCCN) launched a model to credential specialist level critical care nurses. This model was 'road tested' during a pilot study, when experienced critical care nurses were invited to apply to become the first Australian credentialled critical care nurses. The pilot study was designed to ensure all individuals taking part in the process were surveyed regarding adequacy of the credentialling package and the credentialling process.

Maturation, topophysis and other factors in relation to rooting in Larix.

We examined effects of mist quantity, topophysis (origin of cutting in the crown of 6-year-old trees), maturation state of the donor stock, and time of sticking on rooting and root system quality of cuttings representing five full-sib hybrid larch families obtained with Larix decidua Mill., L. laricina (du Roi) K.

Does the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire have potential as a monitoring tool for subjects with rheumatoid arthritis?

Objective: To assist in the interpretation of the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score changes for individual patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), by determining the minimum size of score change that can confidently be considered to reflect a significant change in disability from the patient's perspective.

Method: HAQ score changes were calculated for 40 clinic patients with RA who had reported no change to health in general over two months. These were considered to reflect both inconsistencies in questionnaire completion and any true but minor changes not considered significant enough by the patients to represent a change to their health in general.

Response to auxin changes during maturation-related loss of adventitious rooting competence in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) stem cuttings.

Hypocotyl cuttings (from 20- and 50-day-old Pinus taeda L. seedlings) rooted readily within 30 days in response to exogenous auxin, while epicotyl cuttings (from 50-day-old seedlings) rarely formed roots within 60 days. Responses to auxin during adventitious rooting included the induction of cell reorganization and cell division, followed by the organization of the root meristem.