The Magellanic Stream (MS) is a massive and extended tail of multi-phase gas stripped out of the Magellanic Clouds and interacting with the Galactic halo. In this first paper of an ongoing program to study the Stream in absorption, we present a chemical abundance analysis based on HST /COS and VLT/UVES spectra of four AGN (RBS 144, NGC 7714, PHL 2525, and HE 0056-3622) lying behind the MS. Two of these sightlines yield good MS metallicity measurements: toward RBS 144 we measure a low MS metallicity of [S/H]=[S II/H I]=−1.13±0.16 while toward NGC 7714 we measure [O/H]=[O I/H I]=−1.24±0.20. Taken together with the published MS metallicity toward NGC 7469, these measurements indicate a uniform abundance of ≈0.1 solar along the main body of the Stream. This provides strong support to a scenario in which most of the Stream was tidally stripped from the SMC ≈1.5-2.5 Gyr ago (a time at which the SMC had a metallicity of ≈0.1 solar), as predicted by several N-body simulations. However, in Paper II of this series (Richter et al. 2013), we report a much higher metallicity (S/H=0.5 solar) in the inner Stream toward Fairall 9, a direction sampling a filament of the MS that Nidever et al. (2008) claim can be traced kinematically to the LMC, not the SMC. This shows that the bifurcation of the Stream is evident in its metal enrichment. Finally we measure a similar low metallicity [O/H]=[O I/H I]=−1.03±0.18 in the v LSR =150 km s −1 cloud toward HE 0056-3622, which belongs to a population of anomalous velocity clouds near the South GalacticPole. This suggests these clouds are associated with the Stream or more distant structures (possibly the Sculptor Group, which lies in this direction at the same velocity), rather than tracing foreground Galactic material.

Introduction Hip fracture in geriatric patients has a substantial economic impact and represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality in this population. At our institution, a regional anesthesia program was instituted for patients undergoing surgery for hip fracture. This retrospective cohort review examines the effects of regional anesthesia (from mainly after July 2007) versus general anesthesia (mainly prior to July 2007) on morbidity, mortality and hospitalization costs. Methods This retrospective cohort study involved data collection from electronic and paper charts of 308 patients who underwent surgery for hip fracture from September 2006 to December 2008. Data on postoperative morbidity, in-patient mortality, and cost of hospitalization (as estimated from data on hospital charges) were collected and analyzed. Seventy-three patients received regional anesthesia and 235 patients received general anesthesia. During July 2007, approximately halfway through the study period, a regional anesthesia and analgesia program was introduced. Results The average cost of hospitalization in patients who receive surgery for hip fracture was no different between patients who receive regional or general anesthesia ($16,789 + 631 v. $16,815 + 643, respectively, p = 0.9557). Delay in surgery and intensive care unit admission resulted in significantly higher hospitalization costs. Age, male gender, African-American race and intensive care unit admission were associated with increased in-hospital mortality. In-hospital mortality and rates of readmission are not statistically different between the two anesthesia groups. Conclusions There is no difference in postoperative morbidity, rates of re-hospitalization, in-patient mortality or hospitalization costs in geriatric patients undergoing regional or general anesthesia for repair of hip fracture. Delay in surgery beyond 3 days and intensive care unit admission both increase cost of hospitalization.

Our results demonstrated sustained increases in tissue rSO(2) values following peripheral nerve block placement, in addition to higher initial rSO(2) values in operative limbs prior to block placement. Further investigations are necessary to define the expected baseline rSO(2) values in operative and control limbs. Future efforts utilizing NIRS-based detection of tissue ischemia should consider the small but significant changes in rSO(2) resulting from a successful nerve block.

Subtle changes in cycloplegic refraction exist across the horizontal central 10 degrees of the retina. The results indicate the need for correct alignment when measuring objective refraction.