The impact on obstetric outcomes following complete amputation of the cervix uteri in fertility preservation surgery for cervical neoplasm.

Objectives: Radical trachelectomy is offered to women with early-stage cervical neoplasia who desire fertility. The presence of isthmic glands within histological specimens suggests complete cervical amputation and as such, we examined if the presence of these glands in surgical specimens adversely affects obstetric outcomes.

Study Design: The study cohort comprises 43 consecutive cases of early-stage cervical neoplasia.

Alternative radiopacifiers for polymethyl methacrylate bone cements: Silane-treated anatase titanium dioxide and yttria-stabilised zirconium dioxide.

Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) bone cement is widely used for anchoring joint arthroplasties. In cement brands approved for these procedures, micron-sized particles (usually barium sulphate, BaSO) act as the radiopacifier. It has been postulated that these particles act as sites for crack initiation and subsequently cement fatigue.

An evaluation of community-based cognitive stimulation therapy: a pilot study with an Irish population of people with dementia.

Objectives: Research shows that cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) improves cognitive function, quality of life, and well-being of people with mild-moderate dementia. Despite consistent evidence and recommendations, CST is not routinely available in Ireland post-diagnosis. The aim of the current research was to develop and evaluate community-based CST for people with mild-moderate dementia, run by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland across four pilot sites in Ireland.

Leadership in nursing: The importance of recognising inherent values and attributes to secure a positive future for the profession.

Nursing is a dynamic and challenging profession requiring engaging and inspiring role models and leaders. In today's ever changing and demanding healthcare environment, identifying and developing nurse leaders is one of the greatest challenges faced by the nursing profession. The concept of leadership is a complex and multi-dimensional phenomenon; research conducted for over a century concludes that although it is one of the most observed concepts, no universally accepted definition or theory of leadership actually exists.

On-line application of near-infrared spectroscopy for monitoring water levels in parts per million in a manufacturing-scale distillation process.

An on-line analytical method based on transmission near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for the quantitative determination of water concentrations (in parts per million) was developed and applied to the manufacture of a pharmaceutical intermediate. Calibration models for water analysis, built at the development site and applied at the manufacturing site, were successfully demonstrated during six manufacturing runs at a 250-gallon scale. The water measurements will be used as a forward-processing control point following distillation of a toluene product solution prior to use in a Grignard reaction.

The theory-practice gap and skill acquisition: an issue for nursing education.

Matching textbook descriptions of clinical situations with the reality of practice is an ongoing problem faced by members of the nursing profession and is commonly referred to as the "theory-practice gap". This ubiquitous gap is inevitably encountered by all nurses at various times; yet it is widely agreed that it is student nurses--given their novice, rule governed status--who find themselves in the midst of the theory-practice void. This paper will discuss the nature of the theory-practice gap and skill acquisition, in relation to a personal experience of mine as an undergraduate nursing student, and its significance in relation to student anxiety levels, nurse education (specifically the roles of the classroom teacher and clinical educators), teaching methods and the responsibility of the student to become accountable for their own education.

Silica hydride intermediate for octadecylsilica and phenyl bonded phase preparation via heterogeneous hydrosilation in supercritical carbon dioxide.

Investigations into the preparation of silica hydride intermediate in supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO(2)) that avoids the use of organic solvents such as toluene or dioxane are described. The effects of reaction temperature, pressure and time on the surface coverage of the supercritical fluid generated silica hydride intermediate were studied. Under optimised supercritical conditions of 120°C, 483 bar and 3 h reaction time, silica hydride (Si-H) conversion efficiencies of ca.

Use of cyclodextrin-modified gold nanoparticles for enantioseparations of drugs and amino acids based on pseudostationary phase-capillary electrochromatography.

The application of chemical-modified gold nanoparticles (GNPs) as chiral selector for the enantioseparation based on pseudostationary phase-CEC (PSP-CEC) is presented. GNPs modified by thiolated beta-CD were characterized by NMR and FT-IR. The nanoparticle size was determined to be of 9.

Synthesis, characterisation and chromatographic evaluation of polyether dendrimer stationary phases.

Supercritical carbon dioxide has attracted attention as a potential replacement for traditional organic solvents due to its simplified workup procedures and reduced environmental impact--providing a green chemistry approach for organic solvent-free functionalisation. In addition to the environmental benefits, the enhanced diffusivity observed in supercritical solvents can often enhance reaction rates. We have applied these valuable features to the preparation of silica-bonded stationary phases and examined their potential in liquid chromatography.

The quality of optometrists' referral letters for glaucoma.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the quality of content of optometrist-initiated glaucoma referral letters arriving at the appointment booking centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital (MEH).

Methods: The minimum standard of information required for an ophthalmologist to determine the appropriateness and urgency of glaucoma suspect referral was determined, and criteria for three standards of referral letter formulated: 'Ideal', 'Acceptable' and 'Fail'. These standards were applied to a prospective review of all optometrist-derived referrals for glaucoma or suspected glaucoma cases arriving in the MEH booking centre over a 4-month period.

Effect of silane reagent functionality for fluorinated alkyl and phenyl silica bonded stationary phases prepared in supercritical carbon dioxide.

This research examines the effect of silane reagent functionality for the preparation of fluorinated alkyl silica-bonded stationary phases prepared using supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO(2)) as a bonding medium. We present results that demonstrate that alkyl (C(8) and C(10)) and phenyl (pentafluorophenylpropyl, PFPP) silica bonded stationary phases can be prepared under sc-CO(2) conditions of 100 degrees C, 414bar and 3h, with surface coverages comparable to those obtained using organic solvent based methods. Fluorinated alkyl silica bonded phase preparation with a trichloro silane generates high ligand densities and more chemically uniform silica surface species compared to phases prepared using a monochloro or alkoxy silanes, as evidenced by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and (29)Si cross polarisation magic angle spinning (CP-MAS) NMR spectroscopy.

A role for TonB1 in biofilm formation and quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

This study revealed that a Pseudomonas aeruginosa tonB1 mutant was unable to produce a mature biofilm and showed reduced swarming and twitching motilities compared with the parent strain. The tonB1 mutant was also found to produce significantly lower cell-free and cell-associated levels of the quorum sensing (QS) signal molecule 3-oxo-C12-AHL. Altered biofilm and motility phenotypes were restored to wildtype with the addition of exogenous N-acylhomoserine lactones.

Preparation of a mercaptopropyl bonded silica intermediate in supercritical carbon dioxide: synthesis, characterisation and chromatography of a quinine based chiral stationary phase.

This research examines the preparation of a mercaptopropyl bonded silica intermediate in supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO(2)) and the subsequent conversion in sc-CO(2) to a quinine derived chiral stationary phase (CSP). The effects of reaction temperature, pressure and time on the surface coverage of the silica intermediate were investigated when porous silica particles (Exsil-Avanti, 3microm) were reacted with 3-trimethoxymercaptopropylsilane in sc-CO(2). We present results which demonstrate that a stable mercaptopropyl bonded silica intermediate can be successfully prepared under supercritical conditions of 40 degrees C, 483bar, in a substantially reduced reaction time of 1h with superior surface coverages compared to organic solvent based methods.

Composition of a protein-like fluorophore of dissolved organic matter in coastal wetland and estuarine ecosystems.

This study demonstrates the compositional heterogeneity of a protein-like fluorescence emission signal (T-peak; excitation/emission maximum at 280/325 nm) of dissolved organic matter (DOM) samples collected from subtropical river and estuarine environments. Natural water samples were collected from the Florida Coastal Everglades ecosystem. The samples were ultrafiltered and excitation-emission fluorescence matrices were obtained.

Rapid analysis of atorvastatin calcium using capillary electrophoresis and microchip electrophoresis.

In this work, a capillary electrophoretic method for the rapid quantitation of atorvastatin (AT) in a lipitor tablet was investigated and developed. Method development included studies of the effect of applied potential, buffer concentration, buffer pH, and hydrodynamic injection time on the electrophoretic separation. The method was validated with regard to linearity, precision, specificity, LOD, and LOQ.

Photochemical effects on microbial activity in natural waters: the interaction of reactive oxygen species and dissolved organic matter.

Bacterial utilization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in surface waters is closely linked to photochemical transformations of DOM. Photochemically produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a central role in many photochemical reactions, but the role of ROS for the photochemical facilitation of bacterial utilization of DOM is previously not known. We exposed lake water with high DOM concentrations to simulated sunlight, with and without the addition of ROS scavengers, and quantified the effect on the production of CO2, the loss of DOM absorbance, and bacterial growth.

Primary pulmonary meningioma: report of a case and review of the literature.

Ten cases of benign primary pulmonary meningioma have been reported in the English literature. We describe herein an additional case of a benign meningioma arising in the lung showing comparable histologic features of sheets and whorls of epithelioid and meningothelial cells with numerous psammoma bodies. Immunohistochemistry showed that the tumor expressed vimentin and epithelial membrane antigen and was negative for keratin, CD34, glial fibrillary acidic protein, CAM 5.

Absorption, pharmacokinetics and metabolism of 14C-sumatriptan following intranasal administration to the rat.

1. Studies have been carried out to investigate the absorption of sumatriptan after intranasal administration to rats. The pharmacokinetics, metabolism and excretion of 14C-sumatriptan were compared following intranasal and intravenous dosing to male and female albino rats using an aqueous buffered formulation at pH 5.

Kinetics and disposition of picumeterol in animals.

1. The pharmacokinetics and disposition of picumeterol, a novel beta 2 receptor agonist agent, have been studied in the rat and dog following administration by inhalation, intravenous and oral routes at various dose levels. 2.

Cell surface beta 1,4 galactosyltransferase on primary spermatocytes facilitates their initial adhesion to Sertoli cells in vitro.

The Sertoli cell maintains the cytoarchitecture of the seminiferous epithelium and provides support for the developing germ cells through specialized adhesive junctions. Despite the importance of this adhesive interaction, our understanding of germ cell-Sertoli cell interactions is limited. Previous studies have shown that beta 1,4 galactosyltransferase (GalTase) is present on the surface of mature sperm, where it mediates sperm binding to the egg zona pellucida.

Tests of sperm function for evaluation of the male: Penetrak and Tru-Trax.

Objective: To evaluate the Penetrak (Serono Laboratories, Norwell, MA) and Tru-Trax (Humagen, Charlottesville, VA) bovine cervical mucus (CM) penetration assays and to correlate results to parameters of semen analysis and male factor diagnosis.

Design: Prospective, nonrandomized, controlled study.

Participants: Two hundred thirty-six males undergoing evaluation for male factor infertility and 37 fertile semen donors.

Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography.

Intraoperative echocardiography in patients undergoing cardiac surgery was first described in 1972. Interest in intraoperative echocardiography has grown in recent years due to the extensive information provided by 2-dimensional (2-D) and color-flow Doppler imaging via the transesophageal approach. The value of this technique also has been verified in large clinical studies involving patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Less than lobar resections for bronchogenic carcinoma.

We performed less than lobar resections for peripheral clinical Stage I primary lung cancers on 170 patients treated between 1973 and 1987 at two university centers, one in Hawaii and one in Israel. Most patients were poor risks and several had FEV1 < 1 liter. There were 6 (3.

Coronary atherectomy: report of the first experience in Hawaii.

Since Andreas Gruentzig first introduced percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in 1977, the ability to revascularize occluded coronary vessels with a catheter has enjoyed an explosive and unimaginable growth. As the equipment and operator experience improved, the possibilities appeared boundless. However, balloon angioplasty is hampered by a significant restenosis rate in the dilated vessel (approximately 30%), which is higher in selected locations (up to 60% in the proximal left anterior descending artery), even in the best of hands.

Determination of ondansetron in plasma and its pharmacokinetics in the young and elderly.

Ondansetron is a 5-hydroxytryptamine3 receptor antagonist for the treatment of chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-induced nausea and emesis. A sensitive, accurate, and precise HPLC method for the determination of ondansetron in plasma is described. Samples are prepared by solid-phase extraction and, after chromatography of the extracts on a silica analytical column, ondansetron is detected by UV absorbance at 305 nm.