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Purpose Bone marrow-derived, allogeneic, multipotent adult progenitor cells demonstrated safety and efficacy in preclinical models of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Methods This phase 1/2 trial evaluated the safety and tolerability of intravenous multipotent adult progenitor cells in patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS in 12 UK and USA centres. Cohorts 1 and 2 were open-label, evaluating acute safety in three subjects receiving 300 or 900 million cells, respectively. Cohort 3 was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial infusing 900 million cells (n = 20) or placebo (n = 10) within 96 h of ARDS diagnosis. Primary outcomes were safety and tolerability. Secondary endpoints included clinical outcomes, quality of life (QoL) and plasma biomarkers. Results No allergic or serious adverse reactions were associated with cell therapy in any cohort. At baseline, the cohort 3 cell group had less severe hypoxia. For cohort 3, 28-day mortality was 25% for cell vs. 45% for placebo recipients. Median 28-day free from intensive care unit (ICU) and ventilator-free days in the cell vs. placebo group were 12.5 (IQR 0,18.5) vs. 4.5 (IQR 0,16.8) and 18.5 (IQR 0,22) vs. 6.5 (IQR 0,18.3), respectively. A prospectively defined severe ARDS subpopulation (PaO.sub.2/FiO.sub.2 < 150 mmHg (20 kPa); n = 16) showed similar trends in mortality, ICU-free days and ventilator-free days favouring cell therapy. Cell recipients showed greater recovery of QoL through Day 365. Conclusions Multipotent adult progenitor cells were safe and well tolerated in ARDS. The clinical outcomes warrant larger trials to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and optimal patient population., Author(s): G. Bellingan [sup.1], F. Jacono [sup.2], J. Bannard-Smith [sup.3], D. Brealey [sup.1], N. Meyer [sup.4], D. Thickett [sup.5], D. Young [sup.6], A. Bentley [sup.7], B. J. McVerry [sup.8], R. [...]

Author(s): S. J. Smartt (corresponding author) [1]; T.-W. Chen [2]; A. Jerkstrand [3]; M. Coughlin [4]; E. Kankare [1]; S. A. Sim [1]; M. Fraser [5]; C. Inserra [6]; K. [...]

We investigated the changes in stand structure, species composition, and soil characteristics of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) disjunct stands on the southern shore of Lake Michigan in North America. Our NMS (Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling) ordination revealed a chronosequence of the succession from jack pine stand to black oak (Quercus velutina Lam.) woodland. A majority of jack pine seedlings appeared to be recruited near wet pannes (shallow intradunal ponds with standing water) where the water table was relatively high, expanded in dry pannes, and followed by invasions of black oak and other upland tree species on dune ridges. Expansion of canopy cover, along with dominance of black oak, have likely led to a major reduction in herbaceous cover and a shift in the composition of the understory species. Species richness and diversity have increased. However, much of the increase was attributed to species that were not native to the Lake Michigan sand dunes. Soil pH and nitrogen concentration changed significantly from the younger wet panne to the older dune ridge plots, but other measures of soil fertility did not differ among the plots. The reduction in soil pH in the older plots was likely due to the neutralization of calcareous soil by carbonic acid leached from accreted sands and organic acids produced by litter decomposition. Nitrogen accumulation in the soil is expected to continue beyond the equilibrium values predicted from mature oak woodland soil. Jack pine seedlings have been documented to be tolerant of xeric conditions. However, we found that seedling survival was over five times higher in moist soil near the wet pannes. In this respect, failure in formation of new pannes may reduce the size of the region's jack pine population in the foreseeable future., INTRODUCTION Jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) is widely distributed in fire-prone boreal forest in the northern latitudes of North America (Schoenike, 1962; Rudolph and Laidly, 1990; Asselin et al., 2003). [...]

Author(s): A. Pastorello (corresponding author) [1]; S. J. Smartt [1]; S. Mattila [1]; J. J. Eldridge [1]; D. Young [1]; K. Itagaki [2]; H. Yamaoka [3]; H. Navasardyan [4]; S. [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.01.014 Byline: D. Dunt (a), G. Elsworth (b), D. Southern (c), C. Harris (d), M. Potiriadis (c), D. Young (c) Keywords: Integration; General practice; Psychometrics; Scale development; Australia Abstract: The further integration of primary care within the wider health system is an imperative for reform in all countries. The aim of this paper is to determine the factors associated with general practitioner (GP) integration using the GP Integration Index which has been recently developed and is demonstrating good reliability. The analysis is based on a database derived from an Australia-wide mail questionnaire survey of 1874 GPs drawn from a 20% stratified random sample of 123 Divisions of General Practice (47.8% adjusted response rate). The GP Integration Index measures the level of GPs' integration with the health care system based upon a description of their own behaviour. It consists of nine GP integration factors, and their two associated higher-order factors -- Primary Care Management (PCM) and Community Health Role (CHR) -- as well as five GP integration enabling factors. A multivariate multilevel analysis was undertaken. An explanatory model for both PCM and CHR was tested based on the GP integration factors as well as general practice, GP and regional characteristics. CHR and PCM were most strongly associated with GP integration enabling factors (mainly at the individual-level) and, for CHR only, with urban-rural location (mainly at the area-level). The most important single explanatory variable for both PCM and CHR was the GP integration enabling factor, 'Knowledge of local resources.' The important explanatory variables were those reflecting the way GPs work, rather than their broad 'classification' within individual or GP-setting groupings. Based on these results, some revision to the proposed model was necessary. We conclude that processes of care factors (as compared to structure of care factors) are more important in relation to GP integration than previously recognised. Future policy initiatives to promote GP integration should focus on programs to improve GP's knowledge of local resources. Author Affiliation: (a) Program Evaluation Unit, Department of Public Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia (b) Collaborative Institute for Research, Consulting and Learning in Evaluation, RMIT University, Australia, Level C Building 1 City Campus, GPO Box 2476V, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia (c) Department of General Practice, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia (d) Centre for Clinical Effectiveness, Monash Institute of Health Services Research, Level 1 Block E Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Victoria 3168 Australia

The further integration of primary care within the wider health system is an imperative for reform in all countries. The aim of this paper is to determine the factors associated with general practitioner (GP) integration using the GP Integration Index which has been recently developed and is demonstrating good reliability. The analysis is based on a database derived from an Australia-wide mail questionnaire survey of 1874 GPs drawn from a 20% stratified random sample of 123 Divisions of General Practice (47.8% adjusted response rate). The GP Integration Index measures the level of GPs' integration with the health care system based upon a description of their own behaviour. It consists of nine GP integration factors, and their two associated higher-order factors--Primary Care Management (PCM) and Community Health Role (CHR)--as well as five GP integration enabling factors. A multivariate multilevel analysis was undertaken. An explanatory model for both PCM and CHR was tested based on the GP integration factors as well as general practice, GP and regional characteristics. CHR and PCM were most strongly associated with GP integration enabling factors (mainly at the individual-level) and, for CHR only, with urban-rural location (mainly at the area-level). The most important single explanatory variable for both PCM and CHR was the GP integration enabling factor, 'Knowledge of local resources.' The important explanatory variables were those reflecting the way GPs work, rather than their broad 'classification' within individual or GP-setting groupings. Based on these results, some revision to the proposed model was necessary. We conclude that processes of care factors (as compared to structure of care factors) are more important in relation to GP integration than previously recognised. Future policy initiatives to promote GP integration should focus on programs to improve GP's knowledge of local resources. Keywords: Integration; General practice; Psychometrics; Scale development; Australia

Byline: L. C. Steven (1), G. Gavel (1), D. Young (1), R. Carachi (1) Keywords: Immunoreactive trypsin; Cystic fibrosis; Meconium ileus Abstract: Serum immunoreactive trypsin (IRT) is used as a screening test for cystic fibrosis (CF) in neonates in many countries. Variations in IRT levels are observed in healthy and cystic neonates within the first few weeks of life. Fifteen percentage of CF neonates present with meconium ileus (MI). We hypothesised that there may be differences in serum IRT levels in cystic babies with simple and complicated MI. The aim of this study was to investigate the serum levels of IRT in neonates with CF presenting with MI. IRT levels were sequentially measured in neonates (n=29) with CF with intestinal obstruction due to simple or complicated MI. These were compared to levels obtained from non-cystic neonates/controls admitted with a variety of other intra-abdominal pathologies (n=49) IRT levels were significantly higher in the CF--MI group than the non-cystic controls (P Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Surgical Paediatrics and Department of Statistics, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Dalnair Street, G3 8SJ, Glasgow, Scotland Article History: Registration Date: 28/11/2005 Accepted Date: 24/11/2005 Online Date: 03/01/2006

The main purpose of the present paper is to provide practical and numerical implementations of the method of fundamental solutions for three-dimensional exterior Stokes problems with quiet far-field condition and discuss the issues therein. The solutions of the steady Stokes problems are obtained by utilizing the boundary collocation method as well as the expansion of Stokeslets, which are the fundamental solutions of the steady Stokes equations. To validate the proposed model, numerical results of a lid-driven cavity flow, uniform flow passing a sphere, and a rotating dumbbell-shaped body show good agreement with the numerical and analytical solutions available in the literature. Also, a hypothetical problem with both vorticity and velocity boundary conditions is solved and compared with the analytical solution. The proposed model is then properly exploited to obtain the flow results of uniform flow passing a pair of vertical spheres in tandem and uniform flow passing a pair of horizontal spheres in tandem. Furthermore, the accuracy of the present numerical scheme is addressed and the detail flow characteristics, such as pressure distribution, streamline contour, velocity field, and vorticity fields are sketched. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9399(2006)132:3(317) CE Database subject headings: Numerical models: Hydrodynamics: Particles; Boundaries; Uniform flow; Velocity.

We investigated the processes of oak-savanna redevelopment in an abandoned sand mine site in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Our Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) revealed a divergence of vegetation between the prairie and the woodland portions of the study area. Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) and black oak (Quercus velutina) dominated the woodland canopy. The shallow water table (0.90-1.35 m below ground surface) appeared to support the formation of tree canopy. The prairie, with deeper water table (2.09-2.62 m), was sparsely vegetated by shrubs; mostly choke cherry (Prunus virginiana), sand cherry (P. pumila) and fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) without apparent tree canopy. Development of woody vegetation, black oak overstory and sassafras (Sassafras albidum) understory was initiated with the colonization of cottonwoods. No evidence was found to support the 'facilitation effect' of cottonwoods for black oak seedling recruitment, survival or growth. The tree canopy formation, promoted by water table depth, appeared to be the major factor for divergence in herbaceous vegetation and soil characteristics. The herbaceous vegetation was dominated by C4 and CAM species (e.g., little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium and prickly pear cactus Opuntia humifusa) in the prairie, whereas horsetails (Equisetum arvense), asters (Asterspp.) and other [C.sub.3] forbs were the dominants in the woodland. Our curve-linear regressions revealed that the cover and diversity of herbaceous species reached their peaks at about 40% tree canopy. The regression analysis also showed strong correlations between the tree canopy and soil organic matter, cation exchange capacity, nitrogen, phosphorus and pH. The 70-y old woodland site had accumulated 1.4% organic carbon and 820 ppm of nitrogen, similar to the 'mature' soil of oak-savanna/ woodlands near our study site. This suggests a rapid accumulation of major nutrients during the early vegetation development. Nitrogen would likely continue to accumulate beyond the 'mature' level. The nitrogen enrichment, particularly under the changing climate, adds uncertainty to the future trajectory of vegetation in the oak-savanna on the Lake Michigan sand dunes.

Dwindling sources of traditional aggregates, ever increasing haulage distance, and diminishing landfills are the primary factors that favor the reuse of construction-quality waste materials in highway pavements. Although numerous studies have been conducted on the performance of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash (MSWI-BA) in cement concrete, little is known about its characteristics in bituminous concrete pavements, especially in Superpave design hot mix asphalt (HMA). By comparing the air voids and voids filled with asphalt of 20% MSWI-BA HMA samples aged for 2 and 4 h for a trial mix, all the blends prepared for this research were aged for 4 h prior to compaction. Varying the slope/curvature, and the proportions of stone sand and stone dust in trial mixes showed that slope/ curvature is more significant than aggregate type in increasing voids in mineral aggregates (VMA). The design binder contents in mixes were found to increase from 6.2% for 0% BA content to 7.4% for 20% BA. a difference of 1.2% (a 19% increase). Also, as bottom ash content is increased to 20%, the effective asphalt decreases from 5.1 to 4.4%. while the absorbed asphalt increases from 1.3 to 3.2%. These findings are consistent with the high absorptivities (i.e., 9.2% water) found for the bottom ash and its high internal porosity resulting in total surface area increase of aggregate structures containing MSWI-BA. Although the 13.0% minimum VMA specified by Superpave was met for all MSWI-BA contents of the design mix used for this study, a marked decrease from 15.3% VMA for 0% BA to 13.4% VMA for 20% BA was measured. Results of the %[G.sub.mm] at [N.sub.initial] for 0-20% MSWI-BA HMA are essentially the same, falling between 85 and 86% compaction. Based solely on the results of the Superpave densification values (%[G.sub.mm] at [N.sub.initial] and [N.sub.max]) for this study, substitution of up to 20% MSWI-BA for virgin aggregates yield mixes having aggregates structures that are well developed to resist compaction, rutting, and tenderness in agreement with the findings of Wang et el. in 2000. Obviously, rutting potential, fatigue characteristics, resilient modulus, and field studies should be evaluated to thoroughly investigate the performance of MSWI-BA amended HMA. CE Database subject headings: Recycling; Bottom ash; Asphaltic concrete; Pavement: Aggregates; Bitumen; Mixtures.

The dynamic model for the sheath of an RF-biased electronegative plasma is developed. The low-pressure high-density plasma conditions are assumed and considered as an electric-field-free boundary. The Bohm criterion for collisionless sheath is assumed to be valid and the presheath region is separately considered in calculating the sheath properties. The electron density [n.sub.e] and the electronegativity [alpha] [equivalent to] [n.sub._]/[n.sub.e] are taken to be determined independently of the sheath dynamics. The time-resolved wave forms of the sheath potential and thickness are obtained. The characteristics for the RF power dissipation mechanisms are also investigated. The RF bias power is assumed to be dissipated through two power loss channels--the first is due to ion acceleration in the sheath and the second is due to the electron heating at the plasma-sheath boundary. From the power loss point of view, the equivalent circuit model is developed and the sheath impedance is calculated. The electronegativity, as well as the current and RF bias frequency, is found to be an important factor in determining the electrical characteristics for the RF-biased electronegative plasma sheath. Index Terms--Bohm criterion, electronegative plasma, electronegativity, RF-biased sheath, RF power dissipation.

Author(s): G. R. Gladstone (corresponding author) [1]; J. H. Waite, Jr [2]; D. Grodent [2]; W. S. Lewis [1]; F. J. Crary [2]; R. F. Elsner [3]; M. C. Weisskopf [...]

Byline: D. Young (1), J. L. Hopper (1), R. J. Macinnis (2), C. A. Nowson (2), N. H. Hoang (2), J. D. Wark (2) Keywords: Key words:Adolescent, Anthropometry -- Bone mass -- Female -- Longitudinal -- Twin study Abstract: Between 1990 and 1998, we conducted a longitudinal study of 286 female twins aged 8 to 25 years at baseline (60 monozygotic (MZ) pairs, 44 dizygotic (DZ) pairs and 78 unpaired twins), measured on average 2.4 times (range 2--6) with an average of 1.8 years between measurements (range 0.7--6.7 years). Areal bone mineral density (ABMD) at the lumbar spine, total hip and femoral neck, total body bone mineral content (BMC), total body soft tissue composition (lean mass and fat mass) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and height and menarchial status were also recorded. Median annual changes in height were negligible at 4 years post-menarche. During the 'linear growth' period up to 4 years post-menarche, ABMD at the lumbar spine, total hip and femoral neck increased with annual change in lean mass by 1.7 (S.E.0.1), 1.4 (0.1) and 1.0 (0.1) percent per kilogram per year, respectively (all p&lt 0.001), independently of changes in fat mass or height. During the 'post-linear growth' period, ABMD at the total hip and femoral neck increased with annual change in fat mass by 0.3 (0.1) and 0.5 (0.1) percent per kilogram per year (all p&lt 0.01), independent of change in lean mass. Annual changes in total body BMC were associated with annual changes in lean mass (1.9 (0.2) percent per kilogram), in fat mass (1.3 (0.2) percent per kilogram) and in height (0.7) (0.2) percent per centimeter) during linear growth, and in fat mass (1.0 (0.1)) and lean mass (0.6 (0.1)) percent per kilogram post-linear growth (all p&lt 0.001). We conclude that changes in bone mineral measures are strongly associated with changes in lean mass during linear growth, while post-linear growth, changes in fat mass are the predominant, although weaker, predictor. These findings suggest that the strong cross-sectional association between bone mineral measures and lean mass is established during growth and development, and that fat mass emerges as a more powerful determinant of bone change in healthy adult females. Author Affiliation: (1) The University of Melbourne, Department of General Practice and Public Health, Carlton, AU (2) Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), Parkville, Victoria, Australia, AU Article note: Received: 11 May 2000 / Accepted: 13 February 2001

Photoluminescence was used to investigate Cu electronic states in CdTe.

ABSTRACT Northwestern Indiana supports unusually diverse floras. However, rapid industrialization and urbanization since the late 19th Century have changed much of the natural character of the wetlands along Grand Calumet [...]

The DNA sequences of three medieval bone samples with osteological evidence of tuberculosis infection were found to be similar to those found in present-day Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This was gleaned from a series of polymerase chain reaction analyses of the medieval bone samples in which infection with a bacterium belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex was identified. Spoligotyping provided further evidence of similarity between Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates and the infective strain from the bone samples.

Author(s): M. Nicholl (corresponding author); S. J. Smartt; A. Jerkstrand; C. Inserra; M. McCrum; R. Kotak; M. Fraser; D. Wright; T.-W. Chen; K. Smith; D. R. Young; S. A. Sim; [...]

The nonlinear propagation properties of magnetostatic surface waves (MSSWs) with carrier frequencies from 0.5 to 7.0 GHz and magnetostatic forward volume waves (MSFVWs) with carrier frequencies from 0.5 to 5.0 GHz in yttrium iron garnet-gadolinium gallium garnet waveguides were obtained. A delay line configuration was employed using both microwave and guided-wave magnetooptic techniques. Theoretical computations were in close agreement with the experimental data.

Byline: B. E. Burke (1), J. A. Gregory (1), R.W. Mountain (1), B. B. Kosicki (1), E. D. Savoye (1), P. J. Daniels (1), V. S. Dolat (1), T. L. Lind (1), A. H. Loomis (1), D. J. Young (1), G. A. Luppino (2), J. L. Tonry (2) Abstract: We describe recent work in the area of large, back-illuminated CCD imagers at M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory as well as new technology applicable to astronomy. We completed in 1995 the development of a 2560 x 1960-pixel frame-transfer imager that filled a 100-mm wafer and several back-illuminated versions of this device were completed. More recently we have begun the development, in collaboration with the U. of Hawaii, of a three-side abuttable 2k x 4k CCD for a multi-chip focal plane. In the unused chord area of the wafer layout, we added test imagers as development vehicles for blooming control and for the demonstration of a CCD that is capable of charge transfer in all four directions. We expect the latter to find application as an electronic means of performing tip-tilt correction to compensate for atmospheric turbulence. Author Affiliation: (1) Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 244 Wood Street, Lexington, MA, 02173-9108 (2) Institute for Astronomy, U. of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI, 96822 Article History: Registration Date: 04/10/2004

The influence of glial-cell-line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) on the nigrostriatal dopamine system in C57 Bl mice is determined by using dopaminergic neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine. The GDNF is a transforming growth factor-beta superfamily and enhances the cultured fetal mesencephalic dopamine neurons survival. The GDNF protects the dopamine system when injected into the body by restoring the fiber densities.

The ultra-high strength/modulus, extended chain polyethylene fiber (Spectra(R) fiber) composite has shown great potential as a lightweight armor material with its extraordinary capability of absorbing the kinetic energy of projectiles. But the relatively low melting point of this fiber (approximately 145 degrees C) has caused concerns regarding the effect of temperature rise during the impact/penetration process on the performance as armor material. In this article, an analysis of temperature rise in projectile and the fiber composite during the impact/penetration process is described. Combining the simulation of impact deformation by finite element analysis and the simulation of temperature rise by a finite difference approximation of the related dynamic equations, the temperature rise caused by the projectile/composite interaction was estimated. Results show that there is a significant temperature rise at the projectile/composite interface due to the friction but that the short length of time involved in the process and the low thermal conductivity of Spectra fiber composite keep the temperature rise in a very small region (in the order of 0.001 cm) around the interface during the impact/penetration process. Consequently, the volume that is affected by the temperature rise is very small, in the order of total 0.001 cm cubed around the projectile, and this is too small to generate any detectable effect on the armor performance. After the projectile is stopped, however, substantial heating of fiber composite can occur under specific conditions as the result of heat flow from the hot projectile embedded in the composite. This heating of fibers, however, is a postmortem effect and hence inconsequential to the ballistic performance of the composite armor.

The 30 amstrong supercages in gallophosphate molecular sieve cloverite were studied with regard to their applicability to host-guest inclusion chemistry. A reaction mixture of cloverite was synthesized and characterized by adsorption measurements, electron microscopy and molecular spectroscopy. Results indicate that the unit cell of cloverite is capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 800 degree centigrade, making it highly suitable for advanced materials science applications.

When a picosecond light pulse is incident upon a turbid medium such as tissue, the temporal distribution of diffusely reflected and transmitted photons depends on the optical absorption and scattering properties of the medium. From diffusion theory it is possible to derive analytic expressions for the pulse shape in terms of the optical interaction coefficients of a homogeneous semi-infinite medium. Experimental tests of this simple model in tissue-simulating liquid phantoms of different geometries are presented here. The results of these tests show that, in a semi-infinite phantom, the application of the diffusion model provides estimates of the absorption and transport-scattering coefficients that are accurate to better than 10%. Comparable accuracy was also obtained with this simple model for finite slab, cylindrical, and spherical volumes as long as the objects were of sufficient size. For smaller volumes the absorption coefficient was overestimated because of the significant loss of photons at the boundaries of the object.

Author(s): J. L. Burch [1]; J. Goldstein [1]; W. S. Lewis (corresponding author) [1]; D. T. Young [1]; A. J. Coates [2]; M. K. Dougherty [3]; N. André [4] Rotating [...]

Author(s): F. J. Crary (corresponding author) [1]; J. T. Clarke [2]; M. K. Dougherty [3]; P. G. Hanlon [3]; K. C. Hansen [4]; J. T. Steinberg [5]; B. L. Barraclough [...]

Author(s): D. A. Gurnett (corresponding author) [1]; W. S. Kurth [1]; G. B. Hospodarsky [1]; A. M. Persoon [1]; P. Zarka [2]; A. Lecacheux [2]; S. J. Bolton [3]; M. [...]

Author(s): J. H. Waite, Jr (corresponding author) [1]; G. R. Gladstone [2]; W. S. Lewis [2]; R. Goldstein [2]; D. J. McComas [2]; P. Riley [3]; R. J. Walker [4]; [...]

Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the Glasgow Nutritional Screening Tool with the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) recently recommended for use by the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Design: Comparison-validation study. Setting: Four adult acute hospitals in Glasgow, UK. Subjects: All 242 in-patients from a variety of specialties. Methods: Two investigators independently interviewed 202 in-patients for the comparison-validation study. Each used a single tool with each patient, using each tool in turn. Investigators were not aware of each other&apos;s assessments. Forty other patients were interviewed by both raters separately using the local tool to evaluate inter-rater reliability. Results: When compared with MUST as a &apos;gold standard&apos;, the local tool had a sensitivity of 95.3% and a specificity of 64.9%, with moderate agreement between the two tools using kappa test ([kappa]=0.57). Agreement between the raters was substantial ([kappa]=0.69) with 85% of patients classified the same by both raters. Conclusion: The Glasgow Nutritional Screening Tool is a valid and reliable tool that can be used on admission for nutritional screening. Sponsorship: University of Glasgow, Greek State Scholarship Foundation. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2007) 61, 916-921; doi: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602593; published online 31 January 2007 Keywords: nutritional screening tool, malnutrition universal screening tool, glasgow nutritional screening tool, concurrent validity, reliability, Author(s): K Gerasimidis [1]; P Drongitis [1]; L Murray [2]; D Young [3]; R F McKee [4] Introduction Studies over the past decades have shown a high prevalence of undernutrition [...]

The new ternary intermetallic SmPd2Ga2 by metal flux techniques and its crystal structure are determined. It reveals that the crystal structure is composed of layers of isolated Sm atoms and layers of PdGa4 edge-sharing tetrahedra alternating along the c-axis.