An improved study of HCO+ and He system: Interaction potential, collisional relaxation, and pressure broadening.

In light of its ubiquitous presence in the interstellar gas, the chemistry and reactivity of the HCO+ ion requires special attention. The availability of up-to-date collisional data between this ion and the most abundant perturbing species in the interstellar medium is a critical resource in order to derive reliable values of its molecular abundance from astronomical observations. This work intends to provide improved scattering parameters for the HCO+ and He collisional system. We have tested the accuracy of explicitly correlated coupled-cluster methods for mapping the short- and long-range multi-dimensional potential energy surface of atom-ion systems. A validation of the methodology employed for the calculation of the potential well has been obtained from the comparison with experimentally derived bound-state spectroscopic parameters. Finally, by solving the close-coupling scattering equations, we have derived the pressure broadening and shift coefficients for the first six rotational transitions of HCO+ as well as inelastic state-to-state transition rates up to j = 5 in the 5-100 K temperature interval.

The psychological impact of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis on patients' lives: a Critically Appraised Topic.

CLINICAL SCENARIO: A 65-year-old man presented with a 12-h history of deteriorating rash. Two weeks previously he had completed a course of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for ductal carcinoma of the breast. On examination there were bullae, widespread atypical targetoid lesions and 15% epidermal detachment. There was no mucosal involvement on presentation, but subsequently it did evolve. Skin biopsy showed subepidermal blistering with epidermal necrosis. This confirmed our clinical diagnosis of overlap Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). On transfer to intensive care he was anxious and fearful. MANAGEMENT QUESTION: What are the psychological impacts of SJS/TEN on this man's life? BACKGROUND: SJS and TEN have devastating outcomes for those affected. OBJECTIVES: To conduct a Critically Appraised Topic to (i) analyse existing research related to the psychological impact of SJS and TEN and (ii) apply the results to the clinical scenario. METHODS: Seven electronic databases were searched for publications focusing on the psychological impact of SJS/TEN on adults over 18 years of age. RESULTS: Six studies met the inclusion criteria. Healthcare practitioners' (HCPs') lack of information around the disorder was highlighted. Patients experienced undue stress and fear. Some patients had symptoms aligned to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The evidence suggests that SJS and TEN impact psychologically on patients' lives. Education of HCPs, to address their lack of awareness and information on SJS/TEN, should facilitate their capacity to provide information and support to patients, thereby reducing patient anxiety. On discharge, a follow-up appointment with relevant HCPs to reduce the possibility of PTSD occurring should be considered.

Laboratory measurements and astronomical search for cyanomethanimine.

CONTEXT: C-cyanomethanimine (HNCHCN), existing in the two Z and E isomeric forms, is a key prebiotic molecule, but, so far, only the E isomer has been detected toward the massive star-forming region. Sagittarius B2(N) using transitions in the radio wavelength domain. AIMS: With the aim of detecting HNCHCN in Sun-like-star forming regions, the laboratory investigation of its rotational spectrum has been extended to the millimeter-/submillimeter-wave (mm-/submm-) spectral window in which several unbiased spectral surveys have been already carried out. METHODS: High-resolution laboratory measurements of the rotational spectrum of C-cyanomethanimine were carried out in the 100-420 GHz range using a frequency-modulation absorption spectrometer. We then searched for the C-cyanomethanimine spectral features in the mm-wave range using the high-sensitivity and unbiased spectral surveys obtained with the IRAM 30-m antenna in the ASAI context, the earliest stages of star formation from starless to evolved Class I objects being sampled. RESULTS: For both the Z and E isomers, the spectroscopic work has led to an improved and extended knowledge of the spectroscopic parameters, thus providing accurate predictions of the rotational signatures up to ~700 GHz. So far, no C-cyanomethanimine emission has been detected toward the ASAI targets, and upper limits of the column density of ~ 1011-1012 cm-2 could only be derived. Consequently, the C-cyanomethanimine abundances have to be less than a few 10-10 for starless and hot-corinos. A less stringent constraint, ≤ 10-9, is obtained for shocks sites. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of the upper limits of the abundances of C-cyanomethanimine together with accurate laboratory frequencies up to ~ 700 GHz poses the basis for future higher sensitivity searches around Sun-like-star forming regions. For compact (typically less than 1″) and chemically enriched sources such as hot-corinos, the use of interferometers as NOEMA and ALMA in their extended configurations are clearly needed.

The high-resolution infrared spectrum of DC4H from 450 to 1100 cm-1: overtone, combination, and hot bands.

The high-resolution infrared spectrum of monodeuterated diacetylene has been recorded in the 450-1100 cm(-1) spectral region by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Seven new bands have been identified: the ν3 fundamental (C-C stretch), and the ν8 + ν9, ν7 + ν8, 2ν7, 2ν8, ν8 + ν9 - ν9, and ν6 + ν9 - ν9 combination, overtone, and hot bands. The assigned transitions, together with those previously reported for the fundamental bands [F. Tamassia, L. Bizzocchi, C. Degli Esposti, L. Dore, M. Di Lauro, L. Fusina, M. Villa, and E. Canè, Astron. Astrophys. 549, A38 (2013)], form a comprehensive data set which comprises more than 2500 ro-vibrational transitions, and involves all singly and most doubly excited vibrational states of DC4H lying below 1000 cm(-1). Rotational and vibrational l-type resonance effects among the sub-levels of excited bending states were considered in the analysis, which also included a careful treatment of the various anharmonic interactions coupling many vibrational states lying above 600 cm(-1). Reliable and unambiguous spectroscopic parameters were obtained for each investigated state, including the rotational and centrifugal distortion constants Bv and Dv, the l-type doubling parameter qt, the anharmonicity constants xL(89), xL(69), and the vibrational l-type terms r89, r69 for the v8 = v9 = 1 and v6 = v9 = 1 bend-bend combination states.

Millimeter-Wave Spectroscopy of HCCCP in Excited Vibrational States.

The rotational spectra of the unstable HCCCP molecule have been investigated in the millimeter-wave region for the main excited vibrational states which lie below 1000 cm(-1), namely nu(4) (C&bond;C stretch), nu(5) (HCC bend), nu(6) (CCC bend), nu(7) (CCP bend), 2nu(6), 2nu(7), 3nu(7), 4nu(7), nu(5) + nu(7), and nu(6) + nu(7). l-type resonance effects have been taken into account in the analysis of the spectra, so that the values of the anharmonicity constants x(L(66)), x(L(77)), x(L(57)), and x(L(67)) could be determined. The anharmonic interactions which couple the nu(4) state with nu(6) + nu(7), 2nu(6), and 4nu(7) have been also considered, yielding the unperturbed value of the alpha(4) vibration-rotation coupling constant. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Nuclear Quadrupole Tensors for (35)Cl and (37)Cl in cis-1-chloro-2-fluoroethylene Obtained by Detection of Perturbation-Allowed DeltaJ = 2 and DeltaJ = 3 Transitions.

The nuclear quadrupole hyperfine structure in rotational transitions of cis-1-chloro-2-fluoroethylene was measured for both (35)Cl and (37)Cl containing isotopomers in the millimeter-wave region. Near degeneracies of the 9(3,7) and 10(2,9) levels of (35)ClHC&dbond;CFH and of the 19(9,10/11) and 17(10,7/8) levels of (37)ClHC&dbond;CFH cause strong perturbations of the hyperfine patterns and give rise to perturbation-allowed DeltaJ = 2 and DeltaJ = 3 transitions. Lamb-dip measurements of such perturbed hyperfine patterns and of forbidden DeltaJ = +2 and perturbation-enhanced DeltaJ = 0 transitions of (35)ClHC&dbond;CFH provided an accurate determination of chi(ab), the off-diagonal element of the inertial nuclear quadrupole tensor. For (37)ClHC&dbond;CFH, chi(ab) was determined for the first time thanks to the observation of perturbed hyperfine patterns and of forbidden DeltaJ = +3 and DeltaJ = -2 transitions. Additional measurements of hyperfine structures led to improved values for the diagonal elements of the chi tensor of both (35)Cl and (37)Cl. Moreover, the complete inertial nuclear quadrupole tensor was evaluated from the field gradient at the chlorine nucleus computed by using the Multi-Configuration Self-Consistent Field (MCSCF) approach and employing basis sets of triple-zeta quality: very good agreement with the experiment was obtained. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Lamb-Dip Millimeter-Wave and High-Resolution Far Infrared Spectra of HCCF.

The ground state rotational spectrum of fluoroacetylene was measured in the millimeter-wave and FIR regions up to 1280 GHz and J = 65. Very accurate values of the rotational and centrifugal distortion constants were determined and in particular a more reliable value of H0 = 2.0 10(-4) Hz has been obtained compared to that previously determined of -0.30 Hz. HCCF was prepared in a dc glow discharge in presence of 1,3,5-trifluorobenzene. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Nuclear Quadrupole Coupling in 1,1,1-Trichloroethane: Inertial and Principal Tensors for 35Cl and 37Cl.

The hyperfine structure in the J = 1 <-- 0 and J = 2 <-- 1 transitions of 35Cl3CCH3 and 35Cl237ClCCH3 was resolved by utilizing the sub-Doppler resolution of a pulsed supersonic beam, cavity Fourier transform microwave (FTMW) spectrometer. The complete inertial and principal quadrupole tensors of the chlorine nuclei are determined. The symmetric top treatment for 35Cl3CCH3 and the asymmetric top treatment for 35Cl237ClCCH3 are found to yield identical results for the principal tensor components of the 35Cl nucleus. The quadrupole asymmetry parameter eta for the chlorine nuclei in 1,1,1-trichloroethane is small, which indicates nearly cylindrical symmetry of the field gradient. Nevertheless, there is evidence for some deviation of the z symmetry axis of the field gradient from the direction of the C-Cl bond. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Centrifugal Distortion Analysis of the Millimeter-Wave Spectrum of 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane

Copyright

An object oriented computer-based patient record reference model.

In the context of health care information systems based on client/server architecture, we address the problem of a common Computer-based Patient Record (CPR). We define it as a collection of faithful observations about patients care, with respect to the free expression of physicians. This CPR model supports several views of the medical data, in order to provide applications with a comprehensive and standardized access to distributed patient data. Finally, we validated our CPR approach as a primary data model server for an application for hypertensive patient management.

A development environment to create medical applications.

This paper describes a Development Environment for medical applications developers coupling Reuse and Object-Oriented technologies. It presents the two main phases of the reuse process, the reusable component creation and the reusable component use, and stresses on the very nature of reusable development components. We provide both a classification model for those reusable components that is a support for an efficient and simple retrieval mechanism, and a reusable component model that considers the same way components of large and low-granularity levels (e.g., application frameworks and methods of a given class). The reusable component model is based on the underlying idea that development components are not operational components since they do not have the same purpose. This model first represents each component as an aggregation of other sub-components, together with all information needed for its retrieval (e.g., classification and facets), its understanding (e.g., informal functional description), and its dependencies with other development components, in particular the applications in which it occurs, since applications are considered here as abstract development components.

Analysing and developing object-oriented medical applications with HELIOS.

The HELIOS project promotes systematic reuse of existing software in a valuable methodological context. In order to reach this goal, the Analysis and Design Development Environment (ADDE) has been realized as a HELIOS component. This component includes the Analysis and Design sub-component (ADT), which supports the Rumbaugh's object-oriented methodology and the Insertion Retrieval Tool (IRT), which implements the reuse. The ADT sub-component enhances the quality of software development permitting a correct analysis, and design and a satisfactory documentation. The IRT Tool is dedicated to reuse by retrieving parts of existing applications (retrieve) and by qualifying elements just created or updated (insertion). A faceted system adapted to the medical domain allows an efficient search among the object database. Both tools contribute to reducing the cost of software development. This paper presents the design and the implementation of these tools in the HELIOS framework.

A reuse oriented Development Database: the HELIOS Object Information System.

This paper describes the Development Database of a Software Engineering Environment (SEE), that couples reuse and object-oriented technologies. We propose a classification model for the repository of reusable components that is a support for an efficient retrieval mechanism, and a reusable component model that considers components of large and low-granularity levels (e.g., application frameworks and methods of a given class). The reusable component model is based on the underlying idea that development components are not operational components since they do not have the same purpose. This model first represents each component as an aggregation of other sub-components, together with all information needed for its retrieval (e.g., classification and facets), its under-standing (e.g., informal functional description) and its dependencies with other development components, in particular the applications in which it occurs, since applications are considered also as abstract development components. This approach was tested thanks to an existing application which was loaded into the SEE. From that moment, it was possible to regenerate a new application in a reasonably short time. Moreover, the existence of a retrieval tool permits to validate the development components classification, but also put forward the importance of the qualification step. In particular, the versioning should be carefully processed. Furthermore the fact that all the development objects are built on an homogeneous model allows easier tools management and interapplication reusability.

Reduction in the incidence of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in an acute care hospital and a skilled nursing facility following replacement of electronic thermometers with single-use disposables.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the spread of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea is related to the use of electronic thermometers in an acute hospital and a chronic healthcare facility. DESIGN: After finding that a significant percentage (20.8%) of electronic rectal thermometer handles were contaminated with C difficile, all electronic thermometers were replaced with disposables. A before/after trial was conducted to determine if the change to disposable thermometers would reduce the incidence of C difficile-associated diarrhea. SETTING: The study took place in a 343-bed acute hospital and a 538-bed skilled nursing facility. PATIENTS: All patients who underwent routine microbiological evaluation for nosocomially acquired diarrhea over a 1-year period were included in the study. Nosocomial diarrhea was defined as 3 or more loose stools per day for 2 consecutive days and/or abdominal findings such as pain, distension, and ileus occurring 3 or more days after admission. RESULTS: During the 6-month postintervention period, the incidence of C difficile-associated diarrhea was reduced from 2.71/1,000 patient days to 1.76/1,000 patient days in the acute hospital and from 0.41/1,000 patient days to 0.11/1,000 patient days in the skilled nursing facility. The protective effect of the intervention was statistically significant for both facilities. CONCLUSIONS: Replacement of electronic thermometers with single-use disposables significantly reduced the incidence of C difficile-associated diarrhea in both acute care and skilled nursing care facilities. Data suggest that the rectal route may be important in the transmission of C difficile in these settings.

Organization and postnatal development of zebrin II antigenic compartmentation in the cerebellar vermis of the grey opossum, Monodelphis domestica.

The mammalian cerebellar cortex consists of a number of parasagittal Purkinje cell compartments that can be demonstrated cytochemically. The afferent inputs to the cerebellum are also compartmentalized, and a complex but reproducible relationship exists between the afferents and the intrinsic maps. Developmental studies in the rat have shown that many of the main features of compartmentation are already established at birth, and are therefore not easily manipulated experimentally. The compartmentation antigen zebrin II is expressed selectively by Purkinje cell subsets in a range of species, including fish and primates. In this study, zebrin II immunoreactivity has been studied in the grey opossum, Monodelphis domestica, in order to develop a marsupial model of compartment formation in which the early developmental events are more readily accessible. A monoclonal antibody to zebrin II from the weakly electric fish Apteronotus recognizes a 36 kD polypeptide in homogenates of Monodelphis cerebellum that appears to be identical to the antigen in the rat. Immunocytochemistry reveals that zebrin II in adult Monodelphis is confined exclusively to the cerebellum, where it is expressed by a subset of Purkinje cells. All regions of the cell, except the nucleus, are stained. The zebrin II+ Purkinje cells are arranged in a set of parasagittal compartments interposed by similar zebrin II- compartments. In each hemicerebellum there is one zebrin II+ band abutting the midline (P1+), and two others laterally in the vermis (P2+, P3+). A fourth zebrin II+ compartment straddles the paravermian region (P4+). Three other compartments have been identified in the hemisphere (P5+, P6+, P7+). This arrangement is very similar to that found in the rat. During postnatal development, zebrin II is first expressed between P14 and P21 in Purkinje cells of the posterior lobe vermis, and spreads throughout the cerebellar cortex by P28. As in rat, there is a stage at which all Purkinje cells are zebrin II+, including those destined to be zebrin II- in the adult. The mature pattern of expression emerges after P35 as immunoreactivity gradually disappears from the cells destined to become zebrin II-. The adult appearance is attained only after P56. The developmental timetable is therefore similar to that in rat, but is rather more protracted. Monodelphis should prove to be a valuable experimental model in which to study the early events leading to the formation of cerebellar compartments.

The compartmentalization of the monkey and rat cerebellar cortex: zebrin I and cytochrome oxidase.

The cerebellar cortex of mammals is composed of parasagittal zones that encompass the afferent inputs, the efferent corticonuclear and corticovestibular projections, and a number of intrinsic molecular markers. One such marker is the polypeptide antigen zebrin I that is recognized by monoclonal antibody (mab) Q113. In rodents, zebrin I immunocytochemistry reveals an array of parasagittal Purkinje cell compartments. In the present study, zebrin I has been used to reveal the molecular heterogeneity of the cerebellar cortex in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus). As in rodents, zebrin I is Purkinje cell specific in the primate cerebellum and not all Purkinje cells are immunoreactive. Immunocytochemistry on frontal or horizontal sections reveals a system of bands of zebrin I+ cells extending through the vermis of both anterior and posterior lobes. A midline (P1+) band and two more lateral bands (P2+ and P3+) are found in all lobules. The situation in the paravermis and hemispheres is similar, with alternating zebrin I+ and zebrin I- compartments, but the complex lobulation obscures the precise band pattern: it seems probable that 4 additional bands are present in the hemispheres, as in rodents. Comparison of rat and monkey cerebellums suggests that the cortex has expanded in primates by the growth of the same individual bands found in rats rather than by the addition of supplementary compartments. The zebrin I compartmentalization revealed by using mab Q113 is reproducible from individual and thus provides a stable frame of reference that has been used to compare the different chemoarchitectonic patterns found in the cerebellar cortex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)