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New surgical procedures can expose patients to harm and should be carefully evaluated before widespread use. The InSpace balloon (Stryker, USA) is an innovative surgical device used to treat people with rotator cuff tears that cannot be repaired. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of the InSpace balloon for people with irreparable rotator cuff tears.We conducted a double-blind, group-sequential, adaptive randomised controlled trial in 24 hospitals in the UK, comparing arthroscopic debridement of the subacromial space with biceps tenotomy (debridement only group) with the same procedure but including insertion of the InSpace balloon (debridement with device group). Participants had an irreparable rotator cuff tear, which had not resolved with conservative treatment, and they had symptoms warranting surgery. Eligibility was confirmed intraoperatively before randomly assigning (1:1) participants to a treatment group using a remote computer system. Participants and assessors were masked to group assignment. Masking was achieved by using identical incisions for both procedures, blinding the operation note, and a consistent rehabilitation programme was offered regardless of group allocation. The primary outcome was the Oxford Shoulder Score at 12 months. Pre-trial simulations using data from early and late timepoints informed stopping boundaries for two interim analyses. The primary analysis was on a modified intention-to-treat basis, adjusted for the planned interim analysis. The trial was registered with ISRCTN, ISRCTN17825590.Between June 1, 2018, and July 30, 2020, we assessed 385 people for eligibility, of which 317 were eligible. 249 (79%) people consented for inclusion in the study. 117 participants were randomly allocated to a treatment group, 61 participants to the debridement only group and 56 to the debridement with device group. A predefined stopping boundary was met at the first interim analysis and recruitment stopped with 117 participants randomised. 43% of participants were female, 57% were male. We obtained primary outcome data for 114 (97%) participants. The mean Oxford Shoulder Score at 12 months was 34·3 (SD 11·1) in the debridement only group and 30·3 (10·9) in the debridement with device group (mean difference adjusted for adaptive design -4·2 [95% CI -8·2 to -0·26];p=0·037) favouring control. There was no difference in adverse events between the two groups.In an efficient, adaptive trial design, our results favoured the debridement only group. We do not recommend the InSpace balloon for the treatment of irreparable rotator cuff tears.Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Programme, a Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health and Care Research partnership.

We had shown Nw-hydroxy-l-arginine (NOHA) as a promising blood-based biomarker for estrogen-receptor-negative (ER−) breast cancer (BC) that differentiates ER− BC based on grade and molecular phenotype. In this in vitro study, we assessed the metabolic relevance for ER− BC-specific NOHA modulation and correlated them with NOHA regulatory responses. This study aids future NOHA clinical utility in ER− BC diagnosis and therapy management and would prove useful for potential drug discovery and development process.

In our prior study we identified N w-hydroxy-l-arginine (NOHA) as a simple, yet sensitive indicator for estrogen negative (ER−) breast cancer early-prognosis, but not estrogen positive (ER+), and to offer ethnic selectivity for ER− detection. However, the ability of NOHA to assess ER− breast tumor based on disease progression, and tumor severity needs further delineation. Also, the overall NOHA storage stability needs to be validated. To assess the NOHA predictive capability based on disease progression, ER−/ER+ 3D-spheroids (from breast tumor cell lines of human origin) were cultured for 10 weeks. We found only ER− 3D-spheroid cultured for 10 weeks to show a gradual reduction in NOHA (both in culture medium and 3D-spheroid lysates) that correlated with a progressive increase in cellular NOS2 expression and NOS2 activity (measured as total nitrites). We additionally identified the NOHA-NOS2 correlation to be ethnically selective between ER− African American versus ER− Caucasian groups. Interestingly, such NOHA reduction was observed earlier in ER− culture medium (viz., after week 1) than from ER− 3D-spheroids lysates (viz., at the end of 3 weeks). When categorized based on 3D-spheroid grade, we found a ≥ 68% NOHA reduction in ER− spheroids that were ≤ 3 weeks old, that was categorized as “low-grade” (based on tumor size ≤ 250 µm, and with cellular characteristics identical to healthy cells). A substantial reduction in NOHA of ≥ 87% occurred with ER− 3D-spheroids grown for 6 weeks, which were categorized as “intermediate-grade” (with tumor size of ≥ 400 µm, and with less characteristic similarity to control spheroids). These in vitro findings thus suggest a distinct correlation between NOHA reduction and ER− tumor grade. Such distinctive correlation between NOHA and ER− tumor grade was additionally observed in de-identified clinical samples where a onefold higher reduction in NOHA occurred in grade-2 than with grade-1 de-identified patient plasma (when compared with control), and such correlation offered ethnic selectivity between ER− African American and ER− Caucasian groups. Of additional interest, when NOHA overall storage stability was assessed by incubating patient plasma and culture medium spiked with 75 pg/ml NOHA at multiple incubation temperatures and time-points, we found NOHA to maintain its stability for up to 6 weeks in culture medium and for 7 days in plasma at 4 °C and below. These results thus provide the first evidence of NOHA as a stable indicator to monitor ER− disease progression and tumor severity in ethnically distinctive populations.

We found a unit error with our LC-MS lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) measurement in the Amino Acids Journal.

Common approaches to mapping green infrastructure in urbanised landscapes invariably focus on measures of land use or land cover and associated functional or physical traits. However, such one-dimensional perspectives do not accurately capture the character and complexity of the landscapes in which urban inhabitants live. The new approach presented in this paper demonstrates how open-source, high spatial and temporal resolution data with global coverage can be used to measure and represent the landscape qualities of urban environments. Through going beyond simple metrics of quantity, such as percentage green and blue cover, it is now possible to explore the extent to which landscape quality helps to unpick the mixed evidence presented in the literature on the benefits of urban nature to human well-being. Here we present a landscape approach, employing remote sensing, GIS and data reduction techniques to map urban green infrastructure elements in a large U.K. city region. Comparison with existing urban datasets demonstrates considerable improvement in terms of coverage and thematic detail. The characterisation of landscapes, using census tracts as spatial units, and subsequent exploration of associations with social–ecological attributes highlights the further detail that can be uncovered by the approach. For example, eight urban landscape types identified for the case study city exhibited associations with distinct socioeconomic conditions accountable not only to quantities but also qualities of green and blue space. The identification of individual landscape features through simultaneous measures of land use and land cover demonstrated unique and significant associations between the former and indicators of human health and ecological condition. The approach may therefore provide a promising basis for developing further insight into processes and characteristics that affect human health and well-being in urban areas, both in the United Kingdom and beyond.

In our prior study we identified N

In this paper, we estimate separate UK money demand functions for the household and corporate sectors; and calculate estimates of the welfare cost of inflation. We find that the household sector bears most of the welfare burden which is in sharp contrast to previous (US) evidence. Also, we find aggregate welfare cost estimates that are much smaller than previous (largely US) estimates—sufficiently smaller as to challenge the oft-quoted Lucas finding that shoe leather costs are by no means trivial. For the UK, we find welfare costs no greater than one tenth of a per cent of real income.

Enadenotucirev (EnAd) is a chimeric group B adenovirus isolated by bioselection from a library of adenovirus serotypes. It replicates selectively in and kills a diverse range of carcinoma cells, shows effective anticancer activity in preclinical systems, and is currently undergoing phase I/II clinical trials. EnAd kills cells more quickly than type 5 adenovirus, and speed of cytotoxicity is dose dependent. The EnAd death pathway does not involve p53, is predominantly caspase independent, and appears to involve a rapid fall in cellular ATP. Infected cells show early loss of membrane integrity; increased exposure of calreticulin; extracellular release of ATP, HSP70, and HMGB1; and influx of calcium. The virus also causes an obvious single membrane blister reminiscent of ischemic cell death by oncosis. In human tumor biopsies maintained in ex vivo culture, EnAd mediated release of pro-inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α, IL-6, and HMGB1. In accordance with this, EnAd-infected tumor cells showed potent stimulation of dendritic cells and CD4(+) T cells in a mixed tumor-leukocyte reaction in vitro. Whereas many viruses have evolved for efficient propagation with minimal inflammation, bioselection of EnAd for rapid killing has yielded a virus with a short life cycle that combines potent cytotoxicity with a proinflammatory mechanism of cell death.

This paper empirically examines the contribution of structural reforms to reducing inflation using a panel data-set of 25 transition economies. Two econometric methodologies are applied. First, the Blundell and Bond (1998) estimator for panel data incorporating lags of the dependent variable. Second, a panel logit estimator is employed to consider the likelihood of achieving low inflation. Results highlight the importance of price and trade liberalization and the reform of credit allocation for reducing inflation, the latter being especially important for bringing inflation below 10%.

The relationship from inflation and the real exchange rate to the rate of depreciation of the exchange rate for Hungary is investigated over 1991m6–2002m2. Evidence is found that prior to the adoption of the pre-announced crawl in 1995 depreciation responded to inflation. After the adoption of the crawl inflation is dominated by a trend that indicates the rate of depreciation to be diminishing over time. This trend is interpreted as being deterministic, as a consequence of the gradual reductions in the rate of official devaluations. In both periods depreciation was found to respond to the real exchange rate in ways that limited real appreciations of the currency.

Parmar and colleagues ask an important question about research on the health impact of the 2008 financial crisis in Europe and in answering have devised a new assessment tool for observational studies.1 They spend time on seven aspects of bias: among the 41 studies included (from an original 5670), risk of bias was deemed high in 30, moderate in nine, and low in two. These values do not reflect well on …

Introduction Locked knee caused by inferior patellar dislocation is considered rare in elderly patients. It was originally thought that, in the osteoarthritic knee, osteophytes on the pole of the patella become entrapped in the inter-condylar notch, which is managed by performing closed reduction and immobilization in a knee splint for three to four weeks. We present an unusual case of a locked knee with an impaction fracture. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no previous reports of such impaction fractures managed with arthroscopy. Case presentation We present an unusual case of an 88-year-old Caucasian woman with moderate arthritis who had a locked knee caused by an impaction fracture of the patella into the lateral femoral condyle. In this case report, we describe the need for arthroscopic surgery to prevent relocking of the knee in these patients. Conclusions This case report emphasizes the need for careful assessment of locked knees in elderly patients. Impaction fractures should be considered in all rare cases of patellar dislocation, and we advocate arthroscopic assessment of the articular cartilage in these patients. This is an important consideration, as the population demographics change and such impaction fractures may become more common in patients with degeneration in the knees.

Parameters of ciliary beating and water propulsion can be studied in a unique fashion in ctenophores because the beat frequency can be controlled. Pleurobrachia pileus comb plates were driven at frequencies between 2 and 25Hz and at temperatures between 10 and 25°C. As frequency is increased from 5 to 25Hz, the rest period between beats is first shortened and then disappears: the duration of the effective stroke is reduced because the angular velocity (which is directly proportional to the sliding velocity of the microtubules) and the tip speed of each plate increase whilst the amplitude of the beat remains unchanged. The recovery stroke is shortened because the recovery bend is propagated more quickly to the tip of the plate. The phase difference between adjacent plates in the metachronal wave (expressed as a percentage of the cycle) is increased in spite of a sharp decrease in the time delay between adjacent plates, a reduction in the number of plates per wave and an increase in the metachronal wave velocity. The water flow speed becomes more continuous and increases in approximate proportion to the tip speed whilst the estimated power output of a metachronal wave increases exponentially, from 10−10W at a tip speed of about 20 mm s−1 to 10−8 W at a tip speed of about 75 mms−1. When comb plates are driven to beat at 10 Hz and the temperature is raised from 10°C towards 20°C, the duration of the effective stroke is reduced and the comb plates have a somewhat higher angular velocity and tip speed; the duration of the recovery stroke is reduced with a faster propagation of the recovery bend; a rest phase first appears between successive beats and then becomes longer. The phase difference between adjacent plates in a metachronal wave (expressed as a percentage of the cycle time) is decreased, as is the time delay between successive plates in a metachronal wave, so that the number of plates per wave and the wave velocity are increased. The water flow speed and power output are increased by a modest amount (a rise in temperature from 10 to 20°C produces changes equivalent to those produced by a 5Hz increase in frequency at 20°C). The cooperation between adjacent plates in the antiplectic metachronal wave makes a major contribution to the dramatic increase in power output of each metachronal wave that is seen as the beat frequency is increased.

Chlamydia trachomatisis a major cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections worldwide. In 2006, a new variant ofC. trachomatis(nvCT), carrying a 377 bp deletion within the plasmid, was reported in Sweden. This deletion included the targets used by the commercial diagnostic systems from Roche and Abbott. The nvCT is clonal (serovar/genovar E) and it spread rapidly in Sweden, undiagnosed by these systems. The degree of spread may also indicate an increased biological fitness of nvCT. The aims of this study were to describe the genome of nvCT, to compare the nvCT genome to all availableC. trachomatisgenome sequences and to investigate the biological properties of nvCT. An early nvCT isolate (Sweden2) was analysed by genome sequencing, growth kinetics, microscopy, cell tropism assay and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. It was compared with relevantC. trachomatisisolates, including a similar serovar EC. trachomatiswild-type strain that circulated in Sweden prior to the initially undetected expansion of nvCT. The nvCT genome does not contain any major genetic polymorphisms – the genes for central metabolism, development cycle and virulence are conserved – or phenotypic characteristics that indicate any altered biological fitness. This is supported by the observations that the nvCT and wild-typeC. trachomatisinfections are very similar in terms of epidemiological distribution, and that differences in clinical signs are only described, in one study, in women. In conclusion, the nvCT does not appear to have any altered biological fitness. Therefore, the rapid transmission of nvCT in Sweden was due to the strong diagnostic selective advantage and its introduction into a high-frequency transmitting population.

Endometriosis is the presence of endometrial glands or stroma in sites other than the uterine cavity. It is variable in both its surgical appearance and clinical manifestation, often with poor correlation between the two. Surgical treatment of endometriosis aims to remove visible areas of endometriosis and restore anatomy by the division of adhesions.To assess the efficacy of laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of subfertility associated with endometriosis. The review aims to compare outcomes of laparoscopic surgical interventions compared to no treatment or medical treatment with regard to improved fertility.We searched the Cochrane Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility Group Specialised Register of trials (June 2009), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library 2009, Issue 2), MEDLINE (1966 to June 2009), EMBASE (1980 to June 2009), and reference lists of articles.Trials were selected if they were randomised and compared the effectiveness of laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of subfertility associated with endometriosis versus other treatment modalities or placebo.Two studies were eligible for inclusion within the review. Both studies compared laparoscopic surgical treatment of minimal and mild endometriosis compared with diagnostic laparoscopy only. The recorded outcomes included live birth, pregnancy, fetal losses, and complications of surgery.When combining live birth rate and ongoing pregnancy after 20 weeks, meta-analysis demonstrated an advantage of laparoscopic surgery when compared to diagnostic laparoscopy only. The odds ratio (OR) was 1.64 (95% confidence interval (Cl) 1.05 to 2.57) in favour of laparoscopic surgery. Meta-analysis also demonstrated an advantage of laparoscopic surgery when compared to diagnostic laparoscopy only in terms of clinical pregnancy rates, with an OR of 1.66 (95% Cl 1.09 to 2.51) favouring laparoscopic surgery. The results still need to be interpreted with caution as Marcoux 1997 reported a large positive effect of surgery whereas Gruppo Italiano reported a small negative effect. When considering fetal losses, meta-analysis did not demonstrate an effect of laparoscopic surgery when compared to diagnostic laparoscopy only. The OR was 1.33 (95% Cl 0.60 to 2.94) favouring diagnostic laparoscopy only.The use of laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of subfertility related to minimal and mild endometriosis may improve future fertility.

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis is a major human pathogen with a unique obligate intracellular developmental cycle that takes place inside a modified cytoplasmic structure known as an inclusion. Following entry into a cell, the infectious elementary body (EB) differentiates into a non - infectious replicative form known as a reticulate body (RB). RBs divide by binary fission and at the end of the cycle they redifferentiate into EBs. Treatment of C.trachomatis with penicillin prevents maturation of RBs which survive and enlarge to become aberrant RBs within the inclusion in a non - infective persistent state. Persistently infected individuals may be a reservoir for chlamydial infection. The C.trachomatis genome encodes the enzymes for peptidoglycan (PG) biosynthesis but a PG sacculus has never been detected. This coupled to the action of penicillin is known as the chlamydial anomaly. We have applied video microscopy and quantitative DNA assays to the chlamydial developmental cycle to assess the effects of penicillin treatment and establish a framework for investigating penicillin induced chlamydial persistence. Principal Findings: Addition of penicillin at the time of cell infection does not prevent uptake and the establishment of an inclusion. EB to RB transition occurs but bacterial cytokinesis is arrested by the second binary fission. RBs continue to enlarge but not divide in the presence of penicillin. The normal developmental cycle can be recovered by the removal of penicillin although the large, aberrant RBs do not revert to the normal smaller size but remain present to the completion of the developmental cycle. Chromosomal and plasmid DNA replication is unaffected by the addition of penicillin but the arrest of bacterial cytokinesis under these conditions results in RBs accumulating multiple copies of the genome. Conclusions: We have applied video time lapse microscopy to the study of the chlamydial developmental cycle. Linked with accurate measures of genome replication this provides a defined framework to analyse the developmental cycle and to investigate and provide new insights into the effects of antibiotic treatments. Removal of penicillin allows recovery of the normal developmental cycle by 10–20 hrs and the process occurs by budding from aberrant RBs.

Endometriosis is the presence of endometrial glands or stroma in sites other than the uterine cavity. It is variable in both its surgical appearance and clinical manifestation often with poor correlation between the two. Surgical treatment of endometriosis aims to remove visible areas of endometriosis and restore anatomy by division of adhesions and relieve painful symptoms.To assess the efficacy of laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of pelvic pain associated with endometriosis.For the update in July 2009 we searched the Cochrane Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility Group's specialised register of trials (searched July 2009), the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (The Cochrane Library, Issue 2, 2009), MEDLINE (1966 July 2009), EMBASE (1980 July 2009), and reference lists of articles.Randomised controlled trials were selected comparing the effectiveness of laparoscopic surgery used to treat pelvic pain associated with endometriosis, with other treatment modalities or diagnostic laparoscopy only.Assessment of trial quality and extraction of relevant data was performed independently by two reviewers.Five studies were included in the meta-analysis, including three full papers and two conference reports. All the randomised controlled trials with the exception of Lalchandani 2003 compared different laparoscopic surgical techniques with diagnotic laparoscopy only. Lalchandani 2003 compared laparoscopic coagulation therapy with diagnostic laparoscopy and medical treatment. Three studies (Abbott 2004; Sutton 1994; Tutunaru 2006) reported the pain scores six months post operatively. Meta-analysis demonstrated an advantage of laparoscopic surgery when compared to diagnostic laparoscopy only (OR of 5.72 95%Cl 3.09 to 10.60 ; 171 participants, three trials, Analysis 1.1). A single study (Tutunaru 2006) reported pain scores twelve months after the procedure. Analysis demonstrated an advantage of laparoscopic surgery when compared to diagnostic laparoscopy only (OR of 7.72 95%Cl 2.97 to 20.06 ; 33 participants, one trial, Analysis 1.1).Laparoscopic surgery results in improved pain outcomes when compared to diagnostic laparoscopy alone. There were few women diagnosed with severe endometriosis included in the meta-analysis and therefore any conclusions from this meta-analysis regarding treatment of severe endometriosis should be made with caution. It is not possible to draw conclusions from the meta-analysis which specific laparoscopic surgical intervention is most effective.

The authors examine the importance of a disequilibrium real balance effect on non-durable consumers' expenditure in the U.K. Using cointegration techniques and the Johansen procedure they first establish a desired long-run demand function for liquid assets depending on income, wealth and a set of interest rates. Deviations of liquidity from this desired level cause changes in consumption via intertemporal substitution but via its effect on disequilibrium liquidity. Consumption is modeled in an error-correction framework and is also found to depend on income and financial wealth. Both the disequilibrium liquidity and wealth terms may be picking up the effects of financial liberalization (e.g. "mortgage leak") on consumption as funds released will be temporarily held in financial assets. They also find some evidence that changes in the distribution of income have an independent effect on aggregate consumption. Copyright 1991 by MIT Press.

Instrumented helmets have been used to estimate impact acceleration imparted to the head during helmet impacts. These instrumented helmets may not accurately measure the actual amount of acceleration experienced by the head due to factors such as helmet-to-head fit.To determine if an accelerometer attached to a mouthpiece (MP) provides a more accurate representation of headform center of gravity (HFCOG) acceleration during impact than does an accelerometer attached to a helmet fitted on the headform.Single-factor research design in which the independent variable was accelerometer position (HFCOG, helmet, MP) and the dependent variables were g and Severity Index (SI).Independent impact research laboratory.The helmeted headform was dropped (n = 168) using a National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) drop system from the standard heights and impact sites according to NOCSAE test standards. Peak g and SI were measured for each accelerometer position during impact.Upon impact, the peak g and SI were recorded for each accelerometer location.Strong relationships were noted for HFCOG and MP measures, and significant differences were seen between HFCOG and helmet g measures and HFCOG and helmet SI measures. No statistically significant differences were noted between HFCOG and MP g and SI measures. Regression analyses showed a significant relationship between HFCOG and MP measures but not between HFCOG and helmet measures.Upon impact, MP acceleration (g) and SI measurements were closely related to and more accurate in measuring HFCOG g and SI than helmet measurements. The MP accelerometer is a valid method for measuring head acceleration.

Epidemiologic studies link Kaposi's sarcoma with a sexually transmitted agent. Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is likely to be that agent, but routes of transmission are poorly described. A seroepidemiologic study was conducted to determine whether HHV-8 is transmitted sexually between heterosexuals. Sera from 2718 patients attending a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic were tested for antibodies to HHV-8 and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Information on sex partners in the previous 12 months and past STDs were obtained by questionnaire. Relationships between possible risk factors and HHV-8 infection were assessed by logistic regression. Overall, seroprevalence of HHV-8 was 7.3%. Independent risk factors for HHV-8 in the whole group were homo/bisexuality and birth in Africa and, among homo/bisexual men, a history of syphilis and HSV-2 and human immunodeficiency virus seropositivity. Among heterosexuals there was no evidence for sexual transmission; the only independent risk factor for HHV-8 seropositivity was birth in Africa.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the degree of sexual mixing in a sexually transmitted disease clinic population stratified by country of birth. DESIGN: Prospective linked HIV serosurvey incorporating demographic and sexual risk data gathered by a doctor-administered questionnaire. SETTING: The Department of Genitourinary Medicine at St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK. SUBJECTS: Fifteen thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight heterosexuals who attended between April 1992 and February 1995. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The degree of assortative (like-with-like) mixing, after stratification of the population by country of birth, of index patients, their parents and their sexual partners. RESULTS: Sexual mixing in this population of sexually transmitted disease clinic attenders is highly assortative when the CoB of parents (family origin) of index patients is taken into account. CONCLUSION: Our findings help to explain the low spread of heterosexual HIV infection in the UK to date, and may help future projections, and health targeting of those at risk. This model can be applied to other mixed population.

The study aimed to identify families with endometriosis and to document disease severity within the families and the clinical characteristics of the affected women.Two hundred and thirty women with surgically confirmed endometriosis in 100 families were identified. The families consisted of 19 mother-daughter pairs, 1 set of cousins and 56 sister pairs. There were 5 families with 3 affected sisters, 1 family with 5 affected sisters, and 18 families withor = 3 affected members in more than one generation. The mean age at the onset of symptoms and the mean age at surgical diagnosis was 22.1 +/- 8.8 SD (range 10-46) and 31.8 +/- 7.9 SD (range 15-56) years respectively. Seventy-nine women (34.3%) had revised AFS Stage I-II disease, and 151 (65.7%) had revised AFS Stage III-IV disease.The study confirms a familial tendency for endometriosis and supports the hypothesis that endometriosis has a genetic basis.

The City of Poughkeepsie, in southeast New York State, was founded in 1799 and, like many other older cities, it is largely served by a combined sewer system. …

The analysis by Sarah Giles and Sarah Shea of head injuries in nursery rhymes, which appeared in the “Findings” section of the 2003 Holiday Review, caught the attention of not only our regular readers, but also the lay media and general public. Many people, it seems, have an interest in nursery

Photograph by David Barlow This picture was taken in the left ventricle of a human heart, preserved by fixing in formalin under pressure. This …

New orbital elements for the giant primary components of 105 Herculis and Pi Cephei A are derived using radial velocities from Dominion Astrophysical Observatory coude plates. These data are combined with those of Harper (1925) in order to estimate the velocity amplitude of Pi Cephei A in the visual orbit of this triple system. Two models of this system are developed. In the first model, the unseen spectroscopic secondary component is a single main-sequence star, although this seems unlikely, while in the alternative model the unseen secondary component is itself double.