Comparison of Video Laryngoscopy Technologies

Indirect laryngoscopy allows practitioners to “see around the corner” of a patient’s airway during intubation. Inadequate airway management is a major contributor to patient injury, morbidity and mortality. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the video quality of commercially available video laryngoscopy systems. A team of four investigators at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Peter Kiewit Institute performed intubation simulations using a number of video laryngoscopy systems. Testing was done with a Laerdal Difficult Airway Manikin (Laerdal Medical Corp., Wappingers Falls, NY) in a setting that simulated difficult airways, adverse lighting conditions and various system configurations (e.g., maximizing screen contrast, minimizing screen brightness, maximizing screen color hue, etc.).

Working Experience and Librarians' Knowledge of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Nigerian University Libraries

This paper discuses the influence of librarians' years of working experience and sources of acquisition of ICTs' knowledge and skills. The study is based on 169 librarians working in thirteen university libraries in the universities of six states located in the South-South zone of Nigeria. The purpose of the paper is to find out if years of working experience has an effect on librarians' sources/means of acquisition of ICT knowledge and skills. The questionnaires used were answered by two categories of librarians. Those with longer years of experience – 16 years and above and those with fewer years of working experience. It was concluded that librarians with fewer years of working experience explore means of acquiring ICTs knowledge and skills more than librarians with more years of working experience. It was recommended that librarians with longer years of working experience develop more interest in sources through which they can acquire ICT knowledge and skills.

INFLUENCE OF TYPE 2 BOVINE VIRAL DIARRHEA VIRUS NPRO ON ENHANCEMENT OF BOVINE RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS REPLICATION MEDIATED BY ANTAGONISM OF HOST CELL INTERFERON TYPE I RESPONSES

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a member of the genus Pestivirus, Family Flaviviridae. The virus can infect many species of animals of the order Artiodactyla. The BVDV genome encodes an auto protease, Npro, that degrades interferon regulatory factor-3 (IRF-3) reducing type I interferon (IFN-I) production from host cells. Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) is a member of the genus Pneumovirus, Family Paramyxoviridae. Concurrent infection with BVDV and BRSV causes more severe respiratory and enteric disease than infection with either virus alone. Our hypothesis was that Npro modulates the innate immune responses to BVDV infection and enhances replication of BVDV or BRSV co-infection. The noncytopathic BVDV2 viruses NY93/c N- Npro 18 EGFP (a mutant with modified Npro fused with enhanced green fluorescent protein), NY93 infectious clone (NY93/c), wild-type NY93-BVDV2 (NY93-wt), and BRSV were evaluated in this study. The objectives of this study were: (1) to characterize the replication kinetics and IFN-I induction in Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells following infection with each of the BVDV isolates, and (2) to characterize the influence of BVDV-mediated IFN-I antagonism on enhancement of BRSV replication in bovine turbinate (BT) cells. NY93/c N- Npro 18 EGFP replicated 0.4 – 1.6 TCID50 logs lower than NY93-wt in MDBK cells. NY93/c N- Npro 18 EGFP-infected MDBK cells synthesized IFN-I significantly higher than NY93/c- and NY93-wt-infected MDBK cells. BT cells co-infected with NY93/c N- Npro 18 EGFP/BRSV or NY93-wt/BRSV were evaluated to determine the effects of co-infection on BRSV replication and IFN-I induction in BT cells. BRSV RNA levels in NY93-wt/BRSV co-infected BT cells were 2.49, 2.79, and 2.89 copy number logs significantly greater than in NY93/c N- Npro 18 EGFP/BRSV co-infected BT cells on days 5, 7, and 9 post-infection, respectively. BVDV RNA levels in NY93/c N- Npro 18 EGFP-infected BT cells were 1.64 – 4.38 copy number logs lower than in NY93-wt-infected BT cells. NY93/c N- Npro 18 EGFP single and co-infected BT cells synthesized IFN-I significantly higher than NY93-wt single and co-infected BT cells. In summary, these findings suggest: (1) NY93/c N- Npro 18 EGFP BVDV2 induced higher levels of IFN-I than BVDV2-wt and may be useful as a safer, replicating BVDV vaccine, and (2) Enhancement of BRSV infection by BVDV co-infection is mediated by antagonism of IFN-I.

Information and Communication Technologies for Educational Development: The Case of Cybercafés at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

This study examines the use of Cybercafés/Internet resources and the evaluation of their usefulness. About eight Cybercafés located in the university community were used in this study. Questionnaires, interviews with the Cybercafé owners, staff and users as well as personal observations made during inspection of these cafés were used in this study. The data were analysed according to the background of the Internet users. The richness and high speed, accuracy, and authority were used by users to judge the quality of the Internet. Information such as the establishment of the café's facilities, membership and the future of the Cybercafés were also looked into. Finally, one can clearly see that the dominating impact of digital technology has crossed the Rubicon of controversy. The result of the survey shows that forty percent of the users learnt to use the internet by self instruction, thirty five percent learnt from colleagues or friends. Those in the sciences use the internet the most, the channel mostly used in obtaining information is the search engines. A large number of students, faculties and researchers make use of the internet in obtaining information. Many of those of those users make use of the Cybercafés in the university community.

ENHANCEMENT OF THE FAA’s ON-LINE WILDLIFE AIRCRAFT STRIKE DATABASE WITH AN INTERACTIVE GRAPHICS CAPABILITY

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Prescott, AZ, USA) was awarded a grant from the William J. Hughes FAA Technical Center in October 1999 to develop and maintain a web site dealing with a wide variety of airport safety wildlife concerns. Initially, the web site enabled users to access related topics such as wildlife management (at/near airports), bird identification information, FAA wildlife management guidelines, education, pictures, current news, upcoming meetings and training, available jobs and discussion/forum sections. In April 2001, the web site was augmented with an on-line wildlife strike report (FAA Form 5200-7). Upon submittal on-line, “quick look” email notifications are sent to concerned government personnel. The distribution of these emails varies as to whether there was damage, human injuries/fatalities, and whether feather remains were collected and will be sent to the Smithsonian Institution for identification. In July 2002, a real-time on-line query system was incorporated to allow federal and local government agencies, airport and operator personnel, and USDA and airport wildlife biologists to access this database (which as of June 2005 contains 68,288 researched strike reports added to at a rate of approximately 500 strike reports/month) to formulate strategies to reduce the hazards wildlife present to aviation. To date (June 2005), over 15,000 on-line real-time queries were processed. In June 2004, ERAU was authorized to develop a graphical interface to this on-line query system. Current capabilities include mapping strikes (by species) on the US map, each of the contiguous 48 state maps (with AK and HI being added), and airport diagrams of the major metropolitan airports as well as the next 46 airports with the most reported strikes The latter capability depicts strikes by runway in plan as well as in elevation view. Currently under development is the ability to view time-sequenced strikes on the US map. This extensive graphical interface will give analysts the ability to view strike patterns with a wide variety of variables including species, seasons, migration patterns, etc. on US and state maps and airport diagrams.

Luminous efficiency enhancement of PVK based OLEDs with fac-[ClRe(CO)(3)(bpy)]

The luminous efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes based on poly(N-vinylcarbazole), PVK, was improved by adding fac-[ClRe(CO)(3)(bpy)], bpy = 2,2`-bipyridine, to PVK host. Emissive layers with various Re(I) complex/host ratio were employed and optoelectronic properties were compared with the single PVK device. The single PVK device exhibits a characteristic electroluminescence with blue emission, lambda(max) 420 nm, assigned to the PVK excimer. On the other hand, the intense and broad band at lambda(max) 580 nm of the Re(I) complex/PVK OLEDs is ascribed to the metal-to-ligand charge transfer excited state emission of fac-[ClRe(CO)(3)(bpy)]. At 30 V, the device luminous efficiency increased from 16 mcd/A for the single PVK device to 211 mcd/A for the 11% (w/w) Re(I) complex/PVK OLED, in which fac-[ClRe(CO)(3)(bpy)] acts as an electron-trap in PVK films. The device current is space-charge limited and exhibits typical emissive layer thickness dependence. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interface tailoring for adhesion enhancement of diamond-like carbon thin films

We have explored the suitability and characteristics of interface tailoring as a tool for enhancing the adhesion of hydrogen-free diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin films to silicon substrates. DLC films were deposited on silicon with and without application of an initial high energy carbon ion bombardment phase that formed a broad Si-C interface of gradually changing Si:C composition. The interface depth profile was calculated using the TRIDYN simulation program, revealing a gradient of carbon concentration including a region with the stoichiometry of silicon carbide. DLC films on silicon, with and without interface tailoring, were characterized using Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and scratch tests. The Raman spectroscopy results indicated sp3-type carbon bonding content of up to 80%. Formation of a broadened Si:C interface as formed here significantly enhances the adhesion of DLC films to the underlying silicon substrate. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dissolution Enhancement and Characterization of Nimodipine Solid Dispersions with Poloxamer 407 or PEG 6000

The solid dispersion approach is an alternative to increase drug solubility. Many carriers have been studied, but there is few information about poloxamer 407 (P407). Consequently, the objective of this study was to evaluate P407 as a carrier for nimodipine solid dispersions and to compare its solubility and dissolution rates with those from polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000). The solid dispersions were prepared by the hot melting and solvent methods and they were characterized by FTIR, DSC, solubility, and dissolution tests. The results indicated a three-fold increase in solid dispersions solubility in the presence with P407 than those prepared with PEG.

Enhancement of Nematic Order and Global Phase Diagram of a Lattice Model for Coupled Nematic Systems

We use an infinite-range Maier-Saupe model, with two sets of local quadrupolar variables and restricted orientations, to investigate the global phase diagram of a coupled system of two nematic subsystems. The free energy and the equations of state are exactly calculated by standard techniques of statistical mechanics. The nematic-isotropic transition temperature of system A increases with both the interaction energy among mesogens of system B, and the two-subsystem coupling J. This enhancement of the nematic phase is manifested in a global phase diagram in terms of the interaction parameters and the temperature T. We make some comments on the connections of these results with experimental findings for a system of diluted ferroelectric nanoparticles embedded in a nematic liquid-crystalline environment.

Optical Excitations and Field Enhancement in Short Graphene Nanoribbons

The optical excitations of elongated graphene nanoflakes of finite length are investigated theoretically through quantum chemistry semiempirical approaches. The spectra and the resulting dipole fields are analyzed, accounting in full atomistic details for quantum confinement effects, which are crucial in the nanoscale regime. We find that the optical spectra of these nanostructures are dominated at low energy by excitations with strong intensity, comprised of characteristic coherent combinations of a few single-particle transitions with comparable weight. They give rise to stationary collective oscillations of the photoexcited carrier density extending throughout the flake and to a strong dipole and field enhancement. This behavior is robust with respect to width and length variations, thus ensuring tunability in a large frequency range. The implications for nanoantennas and other nanoplasmonic applications are discussed for realistic geometries.

Strangeness Enhancement in Cu-Cu and Au-Au Collisions at root s(NN)=200 GeV

We report new STAR measurements of midrapidity yields for the Lambda, (Lambda) over bar, K-S(0), Xi(-), (Xi) over bar (+), Omega(-), (Omega) over bar (+) particles in Cu + Cu collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV, and midrapidity yields for the Lambda, (Lambda) over bar, K-S(0) particles in Au + Au at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. We show that, at a given number of participating nucleons, the production of strange hadrons is higher in Cu + Cu collisions than in Au + Au collisions at the same center-of-mass energy. We find that aspects of the enhancement factors for all particles can be described by a parametrization based on the fraction of participants that undergo multiple collisions.

Tamoxifen Subcellular Localization; Observation of Cell-Specific Cytotoxicity Enhancement by Inhibition of Mitochondrial ETC Complexes I and III

Recently, a nongenomic cytotoxic component of the chemotherapeutic agent tamoxifen (TAM) has been identified that predominantly triggers mitochondrial events. The present study delineates the intracellular fate of TAM and studies its interaction with a spectrum of cell homeostasis modulators primarily relevant to mitochondria. The subcellular localization of TAM was assessed by confocal fluorescence microscopy. The effect of the modulators on TAM cytotoxicity was assessed by standard MTT assays. Our findings show that in estrogen receptor positive MCF7 breast adenocarcinoma cells and DU145 human prostate cancer cells, TAM largely accumulates in the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, but not lysosomes. Our results further demonstrate that in MCF7, but not in DU145 cells, mitochondrial electron transport chain complex I and III inhibitors exacerbate TAM toxicity with an order of potency of myxothiazol = stigmatellin > rotenone > antimycin A, suggesting a cell-specific cytotoxic interplay between mitochondrial complex I and III function and TAM action.

Enhancement of the Nonlinear Optical Absorption of the E7 Liquid Crystal at the Nematic-Isotropic Transition

We present an experimental study of the nonlinear optical absorption of the eutectic mixture E7 at the nematic-isotropic phase transition by the Z-scan technique, under continuous-wave excitation at 532 nm. In the nematic region, the effective nonlinear optical coefficient beta, which vanishes in the isotropic phase, is negative for the extraordinary beam and positive for an ordinary beam. The parameter , whose definition in terms of the nonlinear absorption coefficient follows the definition of the optical-order parameter in terms of the linear dichroic ratio, behaves like an order parameter with critical exponent 0.22 +/- 0.05, in good agreement with the tricritical hypothesis for the nematic-isotropic transition.

DETERMINATION OF CHLORFENVINPHOS, FIPRONIL, AND CYPERMETHRIN RESIDUES IN MEAT AND BOVINE FAT USING QUECHERS METHOD AND GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETRY

Analytic methods were applied and validated to measure residues of chlorfenvinphos, fipronil, and cypermethrin in meat and bovine fat, using the QuEChERS method and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. For the meat, 2 g of sample, 4mL of acetonitrile, 1.6 g of MgSO4, and 0.4 g of NaCl were used in the liquid-liquid partition, while 80 mg of C18, 80 mg of primary and secondary amine and 150 mg of MgSO4 were employed in the dispersive solid-phase extraction. For the fat, 1 g of sample, 5 mL of hexane, 10 mL of water, 10 mL of acetonitrile, 4 g of MgSO4, and 0.5 g of NaCl were used in the liquid-liquid partition and 50 mg of primary and secondary amine and 150 mg of MgSO4 were used in the dispersive solid-phase extraction. The recovery percentages obtained for the pesticides in meat at different concentrations ranged from 81 to 129% with relative standard deviation below 27%. The corresponding results from the fat ranged from 70 to 123% with relative standard deviation below 25%. The methods showed sensitivity, precision, and accuracy according to EPA standards and quantification limits below the maximum residue limit established by European Union, except for chlorfenvinphos in the fat.

Complete fusion enhancement and suppression of weakly bound nuclei at near barrier energies

We consider the influence of breakup channels on the complete fusion of weakly bound systems in terms of dynamic polarization potentials. It is argued that the enhancement of the cross section at sub-barrier energies may be consistent with recent experimental observations that nucleon transfer, often leading to breakup, is dominant compared to direct breakup. The main trends of the experimental complete fusion cross sections are analyzed in the framework of the DPP approach. The qualitative conclusions are supported by CDCC calculations including a sequential breakup channel, the one neutron stripping of Li-7 followed by the breakup of Li-6.