Evaluation of the SPARTACUS-Urban Radiation Model for Vertically Resolved Shortwave Radiation in Urban Areas.

Unlabelled: The heterogenous structure of urban environments impacts interactions with radiation, and the intensity of urban-atmosphere exchanges. Numerical weather prediction (NWP) often characterizes the urban structure with an infinite street canyon, which does not capture the three-dimensional urban morphology realistically. Here, the SPARTACUS (Speedy Algorithm for Radiative Transfer through Cloud Sides) approach to urban radiation (SPARTACUS-Urban), a multi-layer radiative transfer model designed to capture three-dimensional urban geometry for NWP, is evaluated with respect to the explicit Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) model.

Economic costs of dysphagia among hospitalized patients.

Objectives/hypothesis: Difficulties swallowing may lead to aspiration pneumonia and death. In a hospital setting where patients are admitted for other causes, we hypothesized that the additional burden of a swallow problem would increase length of stay, rate of pneumonia, cost, readmissions, and morbidity compared to those without dysphagia.

Study Design: Retrospective parallel cohort study.

How effective is the plain packaging of tobacco policy on rates of intention to quit smoking and changing attitudes to smoking?

Background: The aim of this study is to critically appraise the evidence for the effectiveness of the plain packaging of tobacco products policy.

Methods: A systematic approach to a literature review was undertaken using five databases: PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Global Health and Legacy Tobacco Documents Library. Quantitative and qualitative studies that evaluate attitudes towards smoking, starting smoking and quitting intentions when plain packaging use is compared with standard cigarette packaging use were included.

A booklet on participants' rights to improve consent for clinical research: a randomized trial.

Objective: Information on the rights of subjects in clinical trials has become increasingly complex and difficult to understand. This study evaluates whether a simple booklet which is relevant to all research studies improves the understanding of rights needed for subjects to provide informed consent.

Methods: 21 currently used informed consent forms (ICF) from international clinical trials were separated into information related to the specific research study, and general information on participants' rights.

Infant botulism in Australia: availability of human botulinum antitoxin for treatment.

We report the first Australian case of treatment of infant botulism with a human botulinum antitoxin developed in the United States by the California Department of Public Health. Our patient's clinical improvement was rapid, and although the product is expensive, cost-analysis supports the economical viability of its use. In future cases of suspected infant botulism, we recommend that Australian clinicians promptly obtain and administer this antitoxin to their patient.

Assessment of pulmonary function in the early phase of ARDS in pediatric patients.

Scant data are available on lung function in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in pediatric patients. We measured respiratory mechanics by single-breath occlusion and maximum expiratory flow-volume curves by forced deflation in ten critically ill infants with clinical ARDS. Ten mechanically ventilated infants without lung disease served as the control group.

Cuffed endotracheal tubes in pediatric intensive care.

We prospectively studied 282 consecutive tracheal intubations (243 patients) in a pediatric intensive care unit during a 7-month period to compare cuffed and uncuffed endotracheal tube (ETT) utilization and outcome. The incidence of postextubation stridor in each ETT group was the major outcome measure after controlling for various patient risk factors. Patients whose ETTs were inserted in the operating room, who were less than 1 year of age, or who had ETTs in place for less than 72 hours were more likely to have had insertion of an uncuffed ETT.

Intensive care course and outcome of patients infected with respiratory syncytial virus.

PICU admissions of 97 children positive for respiratory syncytial virus on fluorescent antibody screening were reviewed; 68% of 44 patients without history of preceding disease (Group I) and 79% of 53 patients with preceding pulmonary, cardiac, or other disease (Group II) required ventilation. In Group I ventilated children weighted significantly less (P = 0.001) and were of lower chronological (P = 0.

Varying tracheal cross-sectional area during respiration in infants and children with suspected upper airway obstruction by computed cinetomography scanning.

An ultrafast cinetomography computed tomographic scanner (cine-CT) was used to evaluate infants and children (n = 15) with suspected obstruction of the larynx or trachea. One scan sequence provided a single image at each of eight cross-sectional levels (volume-mode study). Each study, lasting 224 ms, covered the distance between the supraglottic area and the carina.

Cell-mediated immunity in hepatic amoebiasis.

Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) was measured by blastic transformation of peripheral blood lymphocytes in 26 patients with amoebic liver abscess (ALA) and matched control subjects with no demonstrable clinical amoebiasis. During active disease, the mean mitogenic response, measured by the stimulation index of the patients' lymphocytes to Entamoeba histolytica antigen, was increased (mean +/- SD: 25.98 +/- 46.

The phytohaemagglutinin response and lymphocyte subpopulations in young Blacks and Indians with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

The lymphocyte transformation response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and the relative numbers of T, B and null lymphocytes were studied in 32 insulin-dependent diabetics and 32 healthy matched controls. The mean stimulation index (Sl) of the 18 patients with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus was significantly lower than that of controls. No difference was seen in the mean Sl values of well-controlled diabetics compared with controls.