A survey of adult respiratory and sleep services in Aotearoa New Zealand: inequities in the provision of adult respiratory and sleep services.

Aims: The New Zealand "Standards for Adult Respiratory and Sleep Services" were published by the Ministry of Health in 2004. A 2006 survey demonstrated major gaps in the staffing and service provision and significant variation between district health boards (DHBs). We repeated this survey in 2019/20 in order to highlight issues which should be addressed as part of health service reforms.

A case of extensive cutaneous Mycobacterium marinum infection in a Pacific Islander living in New Zealand.

Mycobacterium marinum is a rare cause of cutaneous infection. The typical clinical picture consists of one or more discrete well circumscribed lesions affecting the upper limbs. However, a more exuberant form has been described in the South Pacific, where it is sometimes entitled 'Spam disease' given the infected skin's similar appearance to the canned food.

The sensory dorsal organs of crustaceans.

The cuticle of crustaceans bears numerous organs, of which the functions of many are unknown. One of these, the sensory dorsal organ (SDO), is present in a wide diversity of taxa. Here we critically review the variability, ultrastructure, distribution, and possible function of this enigmatic cuticular organ.

Phase-dependent lateral diffusion of α-tocopherol in DPPC liposomes monitored by fluorescence quenching.

The temperature-dependent fluorescence quenching of an amphiphilic palmitoyl derivative of 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene (Fluorazophore-L) by α-tocopherol (α-Toc) has been determined in liposomes composed of a saturated lipid, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC).

Effect of bridgehead substitution on the fluorescence quenching of 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-enes by solvents and antioxidants.

Azoalkanes of the 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]-oct-2-ene type have been introduced as probes for antioxidants in homogeneous solution as well as in liposomes and micelles.

Characterizing sources of nitrate leaching from an irrigated dairy farm in Merced County, California.

Dairy farms comprise a complex landscape of groundwater pollution sources. The objective of our work is to develop a method to quantify nitrate leaching to shallow groundwater from different management units at dairy farms. Total nitrate loads are determined by the sequential calibration of a sub-regional scale and a farm-scale three-dimensional groundwater flow and transport model using observations at different spatial scales.

Tetrahydro-1,8-naphthyridinol analogues of alpha-tocopherol as antioxidants in lipid membranes and low-density lipoproteins.

Recently we demonstrated that the C(7)-unsubstituted tetrahydro-1,8-naphthyridin-3-ol has more than an order of magnitude better peroxyl radical trapping activity than alpha-tocopherol (alpha-TOH) in inhibited autoxidations in benzene. In order to prepare analogues more structurally related to alpha-TOH for further studies in vitro and in vivo, we developed synthetic approaches to C(7)-monoalkyl and C(7)-dialkyl analogues using a sequence involving (1) AgNO3-mediated hydroxymethyl radical addition to 1,8-naphthyridine, (2) regioselective alkyllithium addition by cyclic chelation in a nonpolar solvent, (3) iodination of the naphthyridine at C(3), and (4) CuI-medidated benzyloxylation of the aryl iodide followed by catalytic hydrogenolysis. An alpha-TOH isostere was prepared by a Wittig coupling of a C16 side chain identical to that of alpha-TOH to the naphthyridinols.

Isoflurane is associated with a similar incidence of emergence agitation/delirium as sevoflurane in young children--a randomized controlled study.

Background: Children may be agitated or even delirious especially when recovering from general anesthesia using volatile anesthetics. Many trials have focused on the newer agents sevoflurane and desflurane but for the widely used isoflurane little is known about its potential to generate agitation. We investigated the emergence characteristics of small children after sevoflurane or isoflurane with caudal anesthesia for postoperative pain control.

Management of the paediatric airway: new developments.

During the last 2 years, some interesting new devices have been made available to improve airway management in children and infants, and several studies have advanced our understanding concerning risks and benefits of the current practice in the field. Certain risk factors for airway related problems during anaesthesia in children having a cold have been identified, and new aspects of the controversy concerning the use of cuffed endotracheal tubes in children presented. Novel video-assisted systems have been introduced for the management of the difficult airway in paediatric patients, and new applications for well known devices have been suggested, such as the laryngeal mask airway serving as guidance for fibreoptic intubation.

Shallow groundwater quality on dairy farms with irrigated forage crops.

California's dairies are the largest confined animal industry in the state. A major portion of these dairies, which have an average herd size of nearly 1000 animal units, are located in low-relief valleys and basins. Large amounts of liquid manure are generated and stored in these dairies.