Publications by authors named "JA Barker"

Article Synopsis
  • - Tranexamic acid (TXA) is beneficial in reducing blood loss and the need for blood transfusions in patients undergoing elective abdominal and pelvic cancer surgeries.
  • - A systematic review of 12 studies showed that those receiving TXA had significantly lower blood loss and were less likely to require red blood cell transfusions compared to those who didn't receive TXA.
  • - The use of TXA did not increase the risk of venous thromboembolism, but more research is needed to understand its effectiveness across different types of cancer surgeries.
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A new single well injection withdrawal (SWIW) test was trialled at four landfills using the tracers lithium and deuterium, and by injecting clean water and measuring electrical conductivity. The aim of the research was to develop a practical test for measuring lateral contaminant transport to aid in the design of landfill flushing. Borehole dilution tests using dyes were undertaken prior to each SWIW test to determine background flow velocities.

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(NH ) [Zn (O PCH CH COO) ]⋅5 H O (BIRM-1) is a new metal phosphonate material, synthesized through a simple hydrothermal reaction between zinc nitrate and 3-phosphonopropionic acid, using urea and tetraethylammonium bromide as the reaction medium. In common with other metal-organic framework materials, BIRM-1 has a large three-dimensional porous structure providing potential access to a high internal surface area. Unlike most others, it has the advantage of containing ammonium cations within the pores and has the ability to undergo cation exchange.

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To trace the origin of time-reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB) in Re-based superconductors, we performed comparative muon-spin rotation and relaxation (μSR) studies of superconducting noncentrosymmetric Re_{0.82}Nb_{0.18} (T_{c}=8.

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Introduction: Hypertension is a longstanding problem in Zambia, yet little is known about its prevalence and risk factors, particularly in rural and urban settings. Identifying geographical variations in hypertension is important to enhance the health of adult Zambians regardless of where they live. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of hypertension and related risk factors between rural (n = 130) and urban (n = 131) communities in Western Province, Zambia.

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We report the single-crystal synthesis and detailed investigations of the cage-type superconductor ScRuSn, using powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), magnetization, specific-heat and muon-spin relaxation (µSR) measurements. ScRuSn crystallizes in a tetragonal structure (space group I4/acd) with lattice parameters a  =  1.387(3) nm and c  =  2.

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The properties of the noncentrosymmetric superconductor (α-[Formula: see text] structure) NbOs have been investigated using resistivity, magnetization, specific heat, and muon spin relaxation and rotation (μSR) measurements. These measurements suggest that NbOs is a weakly coupled ([Formula: see text]) type-II superconductor ([Formula: see text]), having a bulk superconducting transition temperature T   =  3.07 K.

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This paper describes a programme of research investigating horizontal fluid flow and solute transport through saturated municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill. The purpose is to inform engineering strategies for future contaminant flushing. Solute transport between injection/abstraction well pairs (doublets) is investigated using three tracers over five separate tests at well separations between 5m and 20m.

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Acute myeloid leukemia is a hematologic malignancy characterized by the clonal expansion of myeloid blasts in the peripheral blood, bone marrow, and other tissues. Prognosis is poor with 5-year survival rates ranging from 5-65% depending on demographic and clinical features. Outcomes are worse for patients that have an antecedent myeloproliferative neoplasm that evolves to acute myeloid leukemia, with a survival rate of <10%.

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The superconductivity of the noncentrosymmetric compound La(7)Ir(3) is investigated using muon spin rotation and relaxation. Zero-field measurements reveal the presence of spontaneous static or quasistatic magnetic fields below the superconducting transition temperature T(c)=2.25  K-a clear indication that the superconducting state breaks time-reversal symmetry.

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A performance improvement project was instituted at our facility to standardize pediatric inpatient asthma care by instituting an asthma clinical pathway (ACP). Formal asthma education and standardized postdischarge follow-up plans for all asthma inpatients were initiated. Patients treated by following the ACP were compared against historically similar patients from the previous 4 years.

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Purpose: Prone cylindrical abdominoperineal resection (APR) leads to reduced circumferential resection margin (CRM) involvement but is associated with a large perineal deficit. A rectus abdominis myocutaneous (RAM) flap can reduce the morbidity associated with the perineal wound. This is often performed in coordination with a plastic surgeon.

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Negative pressure pulmonary hemorrhage (NPPH) is a rare, life-threatening complication that develops after an acute upper airway obstruction. A 26 year old, healthy African-American man with no underlying lung disease developed negative pressure pulmonary edema and subsequently NPPH during recovery from general anesthesia for elective spine surgery. Diagnostic bronchoscopy confirmed an alveolar source of the bleeding.

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Background: As an alternative to more radical abdominal surgery, transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) offers a minimally invasive solution for the excision of certain rectal polyps and early-stage rectal tumours. The patient benefits of TEM as compared to radical abdominal surgery are clear; nevertheless, some drawback is possible. The aim of our study was to determine the risk factors, treatment and outcomes of rectal stenosis following TEM.

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Article Synopsis
  • CD44 is a transmembrane protein that plays a role in cancer and inflammation by facilitating cell adhesion with the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan (HA) through different binding affinities.
  • The study uses molecular dynamics simulations to analyze how the CD44 binding domain interacts with two forms of HA, the "A-form" (no close contact with arginine) and the "B-form" (direct contact with arginine).
  • Results indicate that while the conformational flexibility of hyaluronan remains largely unchanged during binding, a key transition from the A-form to the B-form is influenced by a tyrosine residue, acting as a molecular switch to toggle the affinity between the two forms.
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A woman in her 70s was referred for the management of complex intestinal fistulation, which had developed as a postoperative complication of laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication. Surgical treatment of a jejunocolocutaneous fistula and formation of a double-barrelled ileocolostomy was undertaken uneventfully. Routine postoperative nasogastric intubation was not undertaken.

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Identifying flows into, out of, and across boreholes is important for characterizing aquifers, determining the depth at which water enters boreholes, and determining the locations and rates of outflow. This study demonstrates how Single Borehole Dilution Tests (SBDTs) carried out under natural head conditions provide a simple and cheap method of identifying vertical flow within boreholes and determining the location of in-flowing, out-flowing, and cross-flowing fractures. Computer simulations were used to investigate the patterns in tracer profiles that arise from different combinations of flows.

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Aim: Perianal Mycobacterium tuberculosis is rare, but tuberculosis (TB) is now endemic in many areas of the world. It is essential to recognize TB to institute appropriate management. We report three cases of TB presenting with supralevator abscess.

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Blastomycosis is a chronic fungal infection often diagnosed in the south-central and midwestern United States. Lungs are primarily involved, with lymphatic or hematogenous spread to other organs. Bronchoscopy is considered when the noninvasive tests fail to establish the diagnosis.

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Coexistence of pulmonary actinomycosis with tuberculosis has rarely been reported. The presence of Actinomyces in sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage is inadequate for diagnosis, as it may represent mere colonization. Traditionally, excisional biopsy is considered to be the gold standard for histologic diagnosis.

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Motivated by studies of comblike structures, we present a generalization of the classical diffusion equation to model anisotropic, anomalous diffusion. We assume that the diffusive flux is given by a diffusion tensor acting on the gradient of the probability density, where each component of the diffusion tensor can have its own scaling law. We also assume scaling laws that have an explicit power-law dependence on space and time.

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Large seasonal fluctuations of the water table are characteristic of aquifers with a low specific yield, including those fractured, double-porosity aquifers that have significant matrix porosity containing virtually immobile porewater, such as the Chalk of northern Europe. Where these aquifers are contaminated, a strong relationship between water table elevation and contaminant concentration in groundwater is commonly observed, of significance to the assessment, monitoring, and remediation of contaminated groundwater. To examine the processes governing contaminant redistribution by a fluctuating water table within the 'seasonally unsaturated zone', or SUZ, profiles of porewater solute concentrations have been established at a contaminated site in southern England.

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A model of porosity development has been developed to investigate general relationships between simple fracture aperture growth laws and fracture porosity in evolved fracture arrays in aquifers. The growth of fracture apertures in two-dimensional orthogonal arrays with initially spatially uncorrelated lognormal aperture distributions has been studied, where aperture growth rate is proportional to an exponent of the flow rate through each fracture. The evolved arrays show geometrical phase changes as a function of the aperture growth rate exponent, e, and the standard deviation of the initial aperture distribution, sigma(z).

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Splenic rupture is a very rare event in adult homozygous sickle cell patients. The authors describe a 19-year-old patient with homozygous sickle cell disease who experienced an acute splenic rupture crisis requiring emergent splenectomy. He had been receiving chronic blood transfusions regularly for 7 years secondary to a previous stroke.

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Motivation: Structural templates consisting of a few atoms in a specific geometric conformation provide a powerful tool for studying the relationship between protein structure and function. Current methods for template searching constrain template syntax and semantics by their design. Hence there is a need for a more flexible core algorithm upon which to build more sophisticated tools.

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