bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Influence of Upper-Tropospheric Troughs on Tropical Cyclone Intensification Rates after Genesis
Authors: Fischer Michael S. , Tang Brian H. , Corbosiero Kristen L. 
Published: January 2017

Abstract
The role of upper-tropospheric troughs on the intensification rate of newly formed tropical cyclones (TCs) is analyzed. This study focuses on TCs forming in the presence of upper-tropospheric troughs in the North Atlantic basin between 1980 and 2014. TCs were binned into three groups based upon the 24-h intensification rate starting at the time of genesis: rapid TC genesis (RTCG), slow TC genesis (STCG), and neutral TC genesis (NTCG). Composite analysis shows RTCG events are characterized by amplified upper-tropospheric flow with the largest upshear displacement between the TC and trough of the three groups. RTCG events are associated with greater quasigeostrophic (QG) ascent in upshear quadrants of the TC, forced by differential vorticity advection by the thermal wind, especially around the time of genesis. This pattern of QG ascent closely matches the RTCG composite of infrared brightness temperatures.
Conversely, NTCG events are associated with an upper-tropospheric trough that is closest to the TC center. The distribution of QG ascent in NTCG events becomes increasingly asymmetric around the time of genesis, with a maximum that shifts downshear of the TC center, consistent with infrared brightness temperatures. It is hypothesized that the TC intensification rate after tropical cyclogenesis, in environments of upper-tropospheric troughs, is closely linked to the structure and temporal evolution of the upper-level trough. The TC–trough configurations that provide greater QG ascent to the left of, and upshear of, the TC center feature more symmetric convection and faster TC intensification rates.
A practical tool for monitoring the performance of measuring systems in a laboratory network: report of an ACB Working Group
Authors: Ayling Pete , Hill Robert , Jassam Nuthar , Kallner Anders , Khatami Zahra 
Published: January 2017

Background A logical consequence of the introduction of robotics and high-capacity analysers has seen a consolidation to larger units. This requires new structures and quality systems to ensure that laboratories deliver consistent and comparable results. Methods A spreadsheet program was designed to accommodate results from up to 12 different instruments/laboratories and present IQC data, i.e. Levey-Jennings and Youden plots and comprehensive numerical tables of the performance of each item. Input of data was made possible by a ‘data loader’ by which IQC data from the individual instruments could be transferred to the spreadsheet program on line. Results A set of real data from laboratories is used to populate the data loader and the networking software program. Examples are present from the analysis of variance components, the Levey-Jennings and Youden plots. Conclusions This report presents a software package that allows the simultaneous management and detailed monitoring of the performance of up to 12 different instruments/laboratories in a fully interactive mode. The system allows a quality manager of networked laboratories to have a continuous updated overview of the performance. This software package has been made available at the ACB website.
The Sensitivity of Response Measures of Alphanumeric Legibility to Variations in Dot Matrix Display Parameters
Authors: SNYDER HARRY L. 
Published: January 2017

This research evaluated the sensitivity of four observer response measures to variations in the character size and dot luminance of a dot matrix display. Specifically, the research determined the sensitivity of recognition accuracy, response time, tachistoscopic recognition accuracy, and threshold visibility. Alphanumeric characters were presented to six subjects in noncontextual form on a variable-parameter CRT display programmed and driven by a minicomputer. Recognition accuracy (percent correct response) was found to be the response measure that is most sensitive to the display parameters of character size and dot luminance. Character size, dot luminance, and viewing distance proved to have consistent and significant effects at viewing distances greater than 1.52 m. At lesser viewing distances, these parameters had little effect. The results suggest that there is no major difference between the display requirements for computer-generated dot matrix displays versus those for conventional CRT displays.
Plasma Radioactivity following Oral Administration of 57Co-Labelled Vitamin B12
Authors: Finney R. D. , Payne R. W. 
Published: January 2017

Levels of plasma radioactivity were measured 8 1/2 hours after an oral dose of 1 μg of 57Co-labelled vitamin B12. The oral test dose was followed after 2 hours by a large parenteral dose (1,000 μg) of non-radioactive vitamin B12. The results of this test have been compared with the results of the urinary excretion (Schilling test) in 14 normal subjects and in 14 patients suffering from pernicious anaemia (in 10 of whom the test was later repeated with added hog intrinsic factor). Very low levels of plasma radioactivity were found in patients suffering from pernicious anaemia (less than 0.21% of the administered dose per litre of plasma); much higher levels of radioactivity (more than 0.95% of administered radioactivity per litre of plasma) were found in normal subjects. Levels of plasma radioactivity approaching but not quite reaching the normal range were found in patients with pernicious anaemia when the test was repeated with the addition of hog intrinsic factor. It is concluded that this test provides a simple, rapid, semi-quantitative method of assessing the absorption of vitamin B12 from the gastro-intestinal tract. In our view, it is likely to supplant the Schilling test for routine use in a busy general hospital.
The Use of Computers in Assessment of Medical Students
Authors: Lennox B. , Wallace Agnes A. C. 
Published: January 2017

The principal use of computing in medical examinations is in the marking of MCQ papers. The computing problems in this are relatively straightforward, and the major difficulty lies in producing answer sheets in machine-readable form. The three main systems, hole-poking card, mark-sense cards and mark-sense sheets are discussed and compared in some detail. The possible establishment of a central service which will undertake computer marking for Britain is discussed briefly. A short account is given of a marking system recently introduced in Glasgow.
Amplification Systems in Immunity
Authors: Weir D. M. 
Published: January 2017

The role of chemical messengers is considered in relation to the initiation and amplification of the immune response. The roles of pre-existing tissue factors of the complement, clotting and Kinin systems, are considered and the additional effects of the chemical mediators produced by activated lymphocytes and tissue breakdown products are described. The final expression of the immune response appears to depend on complex inter-relationships between these factors and the cells of the lymphoid tissues. Understanding of their actions might be expected to be of value in manipulating the cell-mediated immune response in various disease states.
Septicaemia
Authors: McAllister T. A. 
Published: January 2017

Septicaemia still presents a major diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the clinician. Most cases are hospital-acquired and the reasons for their increasing prevalence are discussed, with reference to predisposing factors and opportunistic infections. The pathology and bacteriology of proven cases (positive blood cultures) in 1974 in a modern children's and maternity hospital complex are presented. Gram-positive and Gram-negative varieties are compared and the molecular biology and mechanisms of endo- and exotoxaemia described. Successful therapy demands correct choice of antibiotic and the development of shock requires skilled supportive measures. For the former a rational scheme is outlined and a plea is made for collection of data for this purpose. Polypharmacy is deprecated and either an aminoglycoside or a cephalosporin forms the mainstay of therapy. The emergence of Bacteroides sp. in cases of abdominal and puerperal sepsis necessitates addition of a lincomycin or metronidazole. Superinfection with systemic candidiasis requires 5-fluorocytosine.
The Bramwells and Neurology in Edinburgh
Authors: Ashworth B. 
Published: January 2017

An account is given of the life and work of Sir Byrom Bramwell (1847–1931), and his son Professor Edwin Bramwell (1873–1952). They were outstanding as clinical observers and teachers. Byrom Bramwell began his professional work in his father's practice in North Shields. After a brief period of hospital work in Newcastle he moved to Edinburgh. His early struggles in consulting practice were combined with prolific writing of papers and books. He became the leading physician in Scotland. Edwin Bramwell received extensive postgraduate training as a neurologist and returned to practise in Edinburgh. He became Moncrieff-Amott Professor of Medicine, and was widely known as a clinician, lecturer, and writer on medical subjects. He was particularly active in postgraduate teaching. Both of the Bramwells became, in their turn, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Edwin Bramwell was also President of the Association of British Neurologists. They shared an interest in angling which was their principal recreation. Their work is reviewed and considered in its historical perspective.
The Assessment of Diabetic Control in Insulin-Independent Patients
Authors: Harrower A.D.B. , Gilmour G. A. 
Published: January 2017

All diabetics are at risk from the development of the specific and non-specific complications of the disorder. While good control with relative normoglyacemia may be beneficial, most of the emphasis on maintaining stricter blood glucose control has been aimed at the insulin-dependent diabetic. Seventy-four sylphonylurea-treated diabetics were observed for a year and their degree of control assessed and compared using simple clinical criteria, plasma glucose levels and haemoglobin A1cconcentrations. Control was considered good in 55.4 per cent, 16.2 per cent and 14.9 per cent using each criterion respectively. Simple clinical assessment of control is therefore unlikely to achieve normoglycaemia in the majority of such patients. A more wide ranging assessment and a more aggressive approach to therapy may be desirable if better blood glucose control can be shown to produce a reduction in the significant morbidity and mortality in these patients.
Beta-Adrenoceptor Blockade and Intrinsic Sympathomimetic Activity — Relevance in the Treatment of Ischaemic Heart Disease
Authors: Northcote R.J. , Ballantyne D. 
Published: January 2017

Beta adrenoceptor blockade has become one of the major therapeutic interventions in the medical management of ischaemic heart disease over the last 15 years. A number of beta adrenóceptor blockers have been developed with differing pharmacological properties including cardioselectivity and intrinsic sympathomimetic activity (ISA). The relevance of this latter property has been in some doubt. A number of reports suggest that ISA confers haemodynamic benefits although there does not appear to be any clear therapeutic advantage. In addition it would appear that patients with severe or rest angina might benefit more from a pure beta antagonist rather than one with ISA when the beta blocker is used as monotherapy, but this situation rarely arises. This paper reviews and assesses the value of treatment of ischaemic heart disease with beta blockers possessing intrinsic sympathomimetic activity.
Drug Abuse in Body Builders in the West of Scotland
Authors: McKillop G. 
Published: January 2017

Forty one amateur body builders in a West of Scotland gymnasium were questioned about body building drug usage during the period January 1984 to January 1985. Eight out of 41 (19.5%) had used drugs to enhance their physique and performance. Anabolic and androgenic agents were mainly used but diuretics, thyroxine and human chorionic gonadotrophin were also used. Those who took drugs, in all cases, took combinations of drugs. Drug dosage was generally much in excess of that normally recommended, though there were no serious side effects at the time of the study. If this experience was typical nationwide it would represent a significant number of body builders abusing drugs. In no case was there any medical supervision.
A Local Review of Domiciliary Consultations
Authors: Mackay K. 
Published: January 2017

This report examines the trends and patterns of domiciliary consultations within Lothian Health Board area. Lothian Health Board is the second largest health board in Scotland. It is a teaching board with a mixed urban and rural population of 750,000. This is a retrospective study of data on domiciliary consultations from the Information and Statistic Division of the Common Services agency for the years 1986 to 1991. Comparison of total figures nationally and locally and an examination of numbers of visits among specialties within the health board area. Between 1986 and 1991 the total number of domiciliary consultations in Scotland dropped by 27%. During the same period the average rate for three of the four Scottish teaching boards fell by 32% while for Lothian it fell by 20%. Average teaching board figures dropped consistently each year but Lothian figures showed more fluctuation, in particular, a drop of 20% between 1990 and 1991. The large drop in domiciliary visits was reflected in two of the three main specialties for the same period.
Reaudit of Acute Asthma Admissions Using a Severity Marker Stamp and Determinants of an Outcome Measure
Authors: Mathur R. , Clark R.A. , Dhillon D.P. , Winter J.H. , Lipworth B.J. 
Published: January 2017

Subsequent to the implementation of a severity marker stamp in case notes, an audit was performed in 86 admissions with acute asthma to a specialist centre over a 12 month period. Compared to previous audit the documentation of severity markers was significantly better (PEFR: 52% vs 83%p=0.001, Respiratory rate: 44% vs 81%p=0.001, ABG: 72% vs 80%p=0.04, air entry: 58% vs 86%p=0.001, speech: 27% vs 86%p=0.001, exhaustion: 4% vs 86%p=0.001). In contrast to the previous audit where no patient received Fi02 >0.35, 66% of the cases in the repeat audit received Fi02 0.60 (p=0.001). The mean duration of admission was five days and showed highest partial correlation (r=0.6) to the time in hours for the pulse to fall to 80/min. Multiple linear regression showed that this was the only variable best predicting the duration of admission (R2=0.3). Admission pulse rate (p=0.04) andserum K+(p=0.04) best discriminated between patients admitted for over and under five days. Logistic regression identified only the admission pulse as significant in calculating the odds of the patient staying in the hospital for >5 days.
Who Will Make Room for the Intersexed?
Authors: Haas Kate 
Published: January 2017

Between 1.7 and 4% of the world population is born with intersex conditions, having primary and secondary sexual characteristics that are neither clearly male nor female. The current recommended treatment for an infant born with an intersex condition is genital reconstruction surgery to render the child as clearly sexed either male or female. Every day in the United States, five children are subjected to genital reconstruction surgery that may leave them with permanent physical and emotional scars. Despite efforts by intersexed people to educate the medical community about their rejection of infant genital reconstruction surgery, the American medical community has not yet accepted the fact that differences in genital size and shape do not necessarily require surgical correction.Genital reconstruction surgery may involve removing part or all of the penis and scrotum or clitoris and labia of a child, remodeling a penis or creating a vaginal opening. While the initial surgery is typically performed in the first month of a child's life, genital reconstruction surgery is not only performed on infants.
Ethos and Economics: Examining the Rationale Underlying Stem Cell and Cloning Research Policies in the United States, Germany, and Japan
Authors: Campbell Angela 
Published: January 2017

The governance of reproductive science is fraught with controversy in nearly every jurisdiction across the globe. Worldwide, legislators and policy makers have struggled to craft meaningful and ethical parameters for the regulation of this new and evolving area of biotechnology. In most countries, it is agreed that some form of regulatory oversight over reproductive technologies is necessary. There is far less consensus, however, as to the type of regulatory structure that should be established. Recent debates over reproductive science have focused on two of the most controversial practices in this area: embryonic stem cell research and cloning technology. Specifically, interested parties have struggled over whether these practices are so egregious that they should be altogether prohibited, or whether they ought to be permitted, but subject to particular legislative limits and regulatory oversight.The difficulties that most countries have experienced in devising legislation pertaining to embryonic stem cell and cloning research emanate from the moral ambiguity that characterizes this area of science.
Ethical and Legal Aspects of Using an Identical Twin as a Skin Transplant Donor for a Severely Burned Minor
Authors: Tilden Samuel J. 
Published: January 2017

On January 7, 2003, Sydney Cowan, a healthy six-year-old girl, underwent skin harvesting, specifically to be used for her badly burned identical twin sister, Jennifer. A day earlier, the Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama, after considering whether a healthy minor twin sibling could serve as a skin donor for her severely burned sister, authorized parental consent to the surgery. More accurately, the court addressed whether Sydney could undergo surgical procedures that provided her with no physical benefit, but, rather, resulted in harmful effects, such as acute postoperative pain, permanent residua, and potential long-term emotional and psychological dysfunction.Although the transplants were extraordinarily successful, and the newspaper article depicted Sydney's participation in heroic terms, the harvesting of Sydney's skin was ethically problematic. Specifically, I assert that the use of an incompetent minor as a skin transplant donor, even if an identical twin, is not justified unless the transplant will save the recipient's life.
The Vioxx Story: Would it Have Ended Differently in the European Union?
Authors: Thomas W. John 
Published: January 2017

The rise and fall of the pain-killer Vioxx is one of the most remarkable marketing stories in pharmaceutical history. A true riches to rags tale, its events unfolded with lightning speed in an industry defined by lethargy.On May 20, 1999, the Merck Company secured FDA approval of Vioxx for the management of acute pain in adults and for relief of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis. From that date through August 2004, 105 million Vioxx prescriptions were filled in the US and an undetermined number were filled outside the US. In 2003 alone, Merck's worldwide Vioxx sales totaled $2.5 billion.The fall happened even more quickly than the rise. In March 2000, Merck published a study raising the specter of cardiovascular problems associated with taking Vioxx. In November 2000, The New England Journal of Medicine published a study raising similar concerns. In February 2001, an FDA advisory panel became sufficiently concerned about the association of Vioxx and cardiovascular events that it advised the FDA to require a label warning about the possible link.
Objective Assessment of Skin Changes in Lower Limb Venous Disease Using a Tissue Tonometer
Authors: Farrah J. , Saharay M. , Smith P. D. Coleridge 
Published: January 2017

Background: Chronic venous disease (CVD) of the lower limbs is a major problem in the western world with 1% of the adult population estimated to be affected at any one time. No objective method is currently available to assess the skin changes of chronic venous disease. We have devised a tissue tonometer to compare skin compliance in patients with venous disease with that in control subjects. Method: Eighty-six limbs of 69 patients (34 men, 35 women; mean age 62 years, range 28-90 years) with venous disease confirmed by duplex ultrasonography and 42 limbs of 37 normal controls (23 men, 14 women; mean age 42 years, range 20-90 years) were studied. Patients were assigned to one of three clinical groups based on the Clinical, (a) Etiological, Anatomical and Pathophysiological (CEAP) method of classification and grading of chronic venous disease in the lower limbs: C3, oedema; C4a, pigmentation alone; C4b, lipodermato-sclerosis (LDS). Normal controls were assigned C0. A 4 mm diameter plunger loaded with a 30 g weight was applied to the skin 5 cm proximal to the medial malleolus or over the most severe region of skin change. The movement of the plunger was measured for 5 min using a linear variable differential transformer position detector. The initial displacement of the plunger (within 1 s) reflects the compliance of the skin. Results: In C4b patients with LDS, skin compliance is substantially reduced (median plunger displacement in 1 s = 0.81 mm, interquartile range (IQR) 0.67–1.18) compared with C0 control subjects (2.85 mm, IQR 2.39–3.22) (p<0.0005, Mann-Whitney), C4a patients with pigmentation alone without LDS (2.35 mm, IQR 2.04–2.91) (p<0.0005, Mann-Whitney) or C3 patients with venous disease (2.49 mm, IQR 1.58–3.13) (p<0.0005, Mann-Whitney). There were no statistically significant differences between the C0, C3 and C4a groups. Conclusion: Tissue tonometry provides an objective means of assessing skin changes in patients with lower limb chronic venous disease. This may be a useful method of measuring skin compliance as a research tool but will have limited clinical application.
Patient Profile of the French Active Population Treated by Phlebotropic Drugs Dispensed on Prescription
Authors: Levy E. , Levy P. , Los F. , Chevalier H. 
Published: January 2017

Objective: To determine the socioeconomic profile of French active purchasers versus active non-purchasers of prescription phlebotropics. Methods: A survey of the French adult population from December 1998 to February 1999 profiled active purchasers versus active non-purchasers of prescription phlebotropics in the previous 12 months. Results: The overall prevalence of symptomatic lower limb venous disease was 47.4%. Of the general population 26.8% took treatment, including 21.5% with prescription phlebotropics (‘purchasers’). In the active population, purchasers (17.5%) were aged 41.3 years on average and were mostly female (73% vs 44% non-purchasers; p < 0.01), lower paid and less skilled than non-purchasers (office workers: 44% vs 30%; manage-rial/professional: 10% vs 17%), worked in poorer conditions (standing for 4.2 vs 3.1 hours/day) (all p < 0.01), but had better health insurance cover (91% including complementary insurance vs 83% in the overall population). Health status and medical history were worse in purchasers than in non-purchasers. Conclusions: Prescription phlebotropic purchasers - a substantial, underprivileged and largely female fraction of the working population - have access to treatment in correlation with an adequate health insurance cover.