Five methods of personality assessment are evaluated to provide guidance for the psychological treatment of patients with chronic back pain. Patient pain drawings, pentothal pain studies, stress score...Full Text Available
IntroductionChest pain with ST-segment elevation is a rare clinical problem during dobutamine stress testing. Although beta-agonists treatment prior to dobutamine stress testing...Full Text Available
Background and aims. The multiplicity of vaccine injections during childhood leads to iterative painful and stressful experiences which may lead in turn to anticipated pain and then possibly to a true needle phobia. We aimed at evaluating a multifactorial strategy of pain management combining pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches during vaccination, as compared to usual care, in 4- to 12-year-old children. Methods. In all, 239 children were enroled by 25 family practitioners in an open-label study. After a pseudo-randomization, usual pain management (n = 132) was compared to a multifactorial strategy (n = 107) associating preliminary application of an anesthesic patch, preferential use of specified vaccines, child education by the parents and the doctor, parental accompaniment...
Psychological distress and postamputation pain were investigated in a sample of 582 males with long-term limb amputations (mean time since amputation 639.3 months, standard deviation 166.1; range 240-784 months). Prevalence of significant depressive symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]-D score?8) was 32.0%, and 34.0% of respondents met the screening criterion for clinical anxiety (HADS-A score?8). Nearly one quarter (24.6%) of respondents reported significant post-traumatic psychological stress symptoms (Impact of Event Scale scores?35). In total, 87.8% experienced either phantom or residual limb pain. Affective distress scores differed according to the respondents' type of pain experience. Respondents who experienced residual limb pain reported significantly hig...
... The following report, filed by the Labor Inspector of the local Employment Security Office, cites S3 me of "the harsh disciplinary methods used by the ...
Two experiments used the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) to examine the affective dimension of pain in patients whose pain was secondary to malignancy. In experiment I, segregating groups of cancer patients on the basis of extreme scores (high versus low) on the MPQ failed to produce segregation on independent measures of affect and infirmity. This outcome contrasts with earlier work with chronic benign pain patients. Experiment II compared cancer pain patients matched with benign pain patients on intensity of pain report on the affective dimension of the MPQ. Cancer pain patients reported a reliably higher affective loading to their pain. These data suggest that cancer pain patients employ different criteria than benign pain patients in selecting affective ...
Studies on the determinants of pain-related support are needed to enhance couples-based treatments for pain. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which pain catastrophizing...Full Text Available
Although previous research suggests that preamputation pain is a risk factor for pain after amputation, little is known about the association between acute postsurgical pain and chronic amputation-related pain. The current prospective study examined the associations of preamputation pain and acute postamputation pain with chronic amputation-related pain. The sample consisted of patients with lower limb amputation (N = 57) who provided both preamputation and postamputation data during a 2-year study period. Preamputation pain intensity and duration were assessed before amputation; acute phantom limb pain (PLP) and residual limb pain (RLP) intensity were assessed on postsurgical days 4 and 5. Acute PLP intensity was the only significant independent predictor of chronic PLP ...
Abstract Introduction.- Sling erosion/extrusion is a complication after suburethral sling insertion for female stress urinary incontinence that occurs in approximately 6% of patients. Symptoms may include vaginal discharge, infections, postcoital bleeding, and alterations of the sexual function. Little is known about the effect of sling erosion on the sexual function of the male partner. Aim.- The aim of this study was to determine male sexual function in partners of women who had undergone sling insertion for stress urinary incontinence and who developed sling erosion postoperatively. Main Outcome Measures.- Main outcome measures were the Brief Male Sexual Function Inventory (BMSFI) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores. Methods.- Male partners of patients who presented with sling erosion ...
IntroductionShoulder pain covers a wide range of problems and affects up to 20% of the population. It is not a specific diagnosis. Shoulder pain can be caused by problems with the...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND:In adults, it is well known that high levels of pain catastrophizing are related to increased pain and disability as well as to heightened anxiety and depression. However,...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND:Despite increasing attention to the epidemiology of pain, relatively little is known about the association between pain and health in children. In particular, no studies...Full Text Available
Stabbing paroxysmal pain due to neurological disease can often be controlled by anticonvulsants, whereas steady burning pain is often responsive to tricyclic antidepressants, and to neuroleptics. Overuse...Full Text Available
Despite the existence of effective analgesic drugs, many cancer patients live and die with ineffective pain control. The control of cancer pain is largely achievable with the appropriate use of available...Full Text Available
BackgroundAdequate pain assessment is critical for evaluating the efficacy of analgesic treatment in clinical practice and during the development of new therapies. Yet the currently...Full Text Available
How does complex social behavior evolve? What are the developmental building blocks of division of labor and specialization, the hallmarks of insect societies? Studies have revealed the developmental...Full Text Available
Spontaneous rupture of membranes (ROM) is a normal component of labor and delivery. Premature ROM (PROM) refers to rupture of the fetal membranes prior to the onset of labor irrespective of gestational...Full Text Available
BackgroundPregnancy is accompanied by several hemodynamic, biochemical and hematological changes which revert to normal values after labor. The mean values of these parameters have...Full Text Available
Little is known about how sociodemographic factors relate to children’s chronic pain. This paper describes the pain, health, and sociodemographic characteristics of a cohort of children...Full Text Available
Pain and pain-related interference with physical function have not been thoroughly studied in individuals who have undergone knee-disarticulation amputations. The principal aim of this study...Full Text Available
Opioids have been regarded for millennia as among the most effective drugs for the treatment of pain. Their use in the management of acute severe pain and chronic pain related to advanced medical...Full Text Available
The aim of the study was to determine whether children with chronic benign pain are in contact with their general practitioner (GP) more frequently than those without chronic benign pain. A random sample...Full Text Available
With more women entering the labor market, concern about adverse effects of occupational exposure on reproductive health has been increasing. Of special importance are those agents which might cause...Full Text Available
Pain is necessary for survival but chronic pain is disabling and causes significant health and economic problems. This study provides an understanding of the future for spinal cord stimulation. Stimulation by means of chronically implanted electrodes, was carried out in 200 patients with pain of varied benign organic etiology. In 177 of them, pain was confined to the failed back syndrome. Most patients were referred by a Pain Management Service. 226 epidural implants were used: 80 unipolar, 59 Resume, 12 bipolar, and 75 quadripolar. Patients were followed for periods of 6 months to 12 years, with a mean follow-up of 44 months. 84 patients (42%) were able to control their pain by stimulation alone, 22 patients (11%) needed occasional analgesic supplements along with their stimulation program. Pain secondary to failed back syndrome, multiple ...
The University of North Carolina Comprehensive Pain Center, which has been in existence since 1972, is a pain evaluation, treatment and research program based upon individual diagnosis, comprehensive...Full Text Available
Chronic pain patients who show aberrant drug-related behavior often are discontinued from treatment when they are noncompliant with their use of opioids for pain. The purpose of this study was...Full Text Available
While research has shown that patients’ beliefs about their pain are related to pain adjustment and treatment outcomes, little is known about the beliefs of their significant others....Full Text Available
Pain caused by chronic pancreatitis is medically intractable and resistant to conventional interventional or surgical treatment. We report a case of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for intractable pain...Full Text Available
Sex differences in pain are frequently reported in the literature. However, less is known about possible sex differences in the experience of pain secondary to a disability. The current study...Full Text Available
In all mammals, tissue inflammation leads to pain and behavioral sensitization to thermal and mechanical stimuli called hyperalgesia. We studied pain mechanisms in the African naked mole-rat, an unusual...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND:Canadian chronic pain prevalence estimates range from 11% to 66%, are affected by sampling and measurement bias, and largely represent urban settings.OBJECTIVES:To...Full Text Available
Chronic neurogenous pain is often an extremely difficult condition to manage. In the orofacial region, trauma from injury or dental procedures may lead to the development of severe neuralgic pains and...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND:Reports indicate that characteristics of older adults with chronic pain may be different than those of younger persons.OBJECTIVE:To study...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo examine the longitudinal relationship between depressive symptoms at study entry (T1) on pain intensity (PI) and functional disability over a 1-year period...Full Text Available
Even clinicians who keep up with the research literature on pain mechanisms may find themselves uncertain when trying to bring these new theories down to practical application for a patient with pain....Full Text Available
Idiopathic or functional abdominal pain (FAP) is common in school-age children and typically reflects a functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID). FGIDs in adults have been distinguished by...Full Text Available
Objective:To assess the efficacy of facet joint infiltrations for pain relief in 44 selected patients with chronic nonradicular low back pain (LBP).Materials...Full Text Available
Psychological illness influences the experience and expression of pain and disability. We tested three null hypotheses: (1) patients with nonspecific pain (medically unexplained and idiopathic) and...Full Text Available
Post amputation pain can be debilitating for patients and families. Chronic pain is a common phenomenon after lower extremity amputation, occurring in up to 80% of this population. The purpose of this...Full Text Available
ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to identify the factors affecting the failure of trials (<50% pain reduction in pain for trial period) to improve success rate of spinal...Full Text Available
Assessment of the results of laminectomy for lumbar disc lesions is unsatisfactory, but it seems that some degree of recurrent pain is virtually inevitable. The clinical features and incidence of the...Full Text Available
BackgroundLow back pain (LBP) is the most prevalent musculoskeletal condition and one the most common causes of disability in the developed nations. Anecdotally, there is a general...Full Text Available
BackgroundNonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used to treat postoperative and chronic pain. Animal studies suggest these drugs act in part by blocking...Full Text Available
The treatment of chronic pain conditions continue to present a challenge to the medical field. Physical therapy treatment needs to approach the management of chronic pain differently than the approach used to resolve acute pain. Patients with chronic pain often have many factors that have perpetuated the pain condition. These factors, as well as pain itself, influence their ability to reactivate and perform functional daily activities. Physical therapists can begin to address some of the factors, including fear and deconditioning, by building confidence and body awareness in a self-care model including a slow graduated reactivation program. There is evidence that patients with chronic pain conditions have altered motor control that may be influencing reoccurrences and possible flares of pa...
Interest and research into the mechanisms and treatment of neuropathic pain have increased during recent years, but current treatment is still far from satisfactory (Dworkin...Full Text Available
BackgroundStump and phantom pains are debilitating sequelae of amputations that are often resistant to treatment. The efficacy of pharmacologic therapies, including...Full Text Available
The family physician dealing with gynecologic pelvic pain (acute or chronic) enters at the beginning of the problem as diagnostician, refers the patient to a specialist in the interim, and resumes...Full Text Available
Cryoanalgesia, the local application of extreme cold to nerves to produce analgesia, has been used to treat patients with intractable perineal pain. The cryoprobe was inserted percutaneously through...Full Text Available
ObjectiveTo describe the prevalence, intensity, and functional impact of the following types of pain associated with upper-limb loss: phantom limb, residual limb,...Full Text Available
The aim of the study was to determine whether children with chronic benign pain are in contact with their general practitioner (GP) more frequently than those without chronic benign pain. A random sample of children and adolescents aged between 0 and 18 years of age was drawn from the records of ten general practices. According to their responses to a pain questionnaire, subjects were assigned to the chronic benign pain group (n = 95) if they had pain of more than three months' duration, or to the control group (n = 105) if they had pain of less than three months' duration or no pain at all. All the subjects had an average GP consultation rate of 2.6 contacts per year. No significant age and sex differences were found. Chronic benign pain in childhood and adolescence is not related to increased use of healthcare ...
A detailed definitive cost estimate is given for an ethanol/gasohol storage and blending terminal serving a planned distillery at a Louisiana sugar factory. Included are an analysis of the accuracy of the estimate, labor rates efficiency, materials and labor escalation, as well as detailed calculations for each account of the project. (LEW)
A sodium-water reaction drove from the single tube break in steam generator of FBR might overheat labor tubes rapidly under internal pressure loadings. If the temperature of tube wall becomes too high, it has to be evaluated that the stress of tube does not exceed the material strength limit to prevent the propagation of tube rupture. This study clarified the tensile and creep properties of Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel at ultra-high temperature which will be used in evaluation of the tube burst by sodium-water reaction. The strain rates for tensile test are from 10%/min to 10%/sec, and creep-rupture time is maximum 277sec. The range of test temperature is 700degC to 1300degC. The main results obtained were as follows; (1) The evaluation data on the relationship between tensile strength and strain rate and creep-rupture strength in shorter time on Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel were acquired. (2) Short-term mechanical properties of Mod.9Cr-1Mo steel were evaluated ...
Sex differences in pain are frequently reported in the literature. However, less is known about possible sex differences in the experience of pain secondary to a disability. The current study explored these issues in persons with limb loss (n = 335, 72% men) who were recruited as part of a postal survey. Participants provided ratings of phantom limb pain (PLP), residual limb pain (RLP), and general pain intensity. Participants also completed measures of pain-related interference, catastrophizing, coping, and beliefs. Results indicated that a greater proportion of males than females (86% vs 77%, respectively) reported the presence of PLP; however, this difference was no longer prominent when cause of limb loss was controlled. No sex differences were found in the presence of RLP, or in avera...
Construction is one of the important industries employing a large number of people on its workforce. A wide range of activities are involved in it. Due to the advent of industrialization and recent developments, this industry is taking a pivotal role for construction of buildings, roads, bridges, and so forth. The workers engaged in this industry are victims of different occupational disorders and psychosocial stresses. In India, they belong to the organized and unorganized sectors. However, data in respect to occupational health and psychosocial stress are scanty in our country. It is true that a sizable number of the workforce is from the unorganized sectors - the working hours are more than the stipulated hours of work - the work place is not proper - the working conditions are non-congenial in most of the cases and involve risk factors. Their wages are also not adequate, making it difficult for them to run their families. The hazards ...
The language used by chronic benign pain patients to characterize their pain complaint was analyzed to determine the best predictor of psychiatric disturbance. Using the 78 adjectives provided by the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the number of affective descriptors used was the best predictor of psychiatric disturbance. Addition of sensory descriptors either to augment the total number of descriptors used (magnitude) or as a pattern of sensory greater than affective or sensory less than affective failed to increase predictive strength. PMID:6877847
In response to an earlier published paper by Fordyce, some assumptions underlying the behavior management paradigm of chronic pain are critically discussed. While operant treatment has proved successful, the conclusion that operant factors play an important role in the development and maintenance of chronic benign pain is debated. Some empirical studies, regularly used to demonstrate this role, are re-evaluated. An alternative theory is proposed for chronic pain behavior, in which the role of a lower tolerance to proprioceptive stimuli, which may include more than just pain stimuli, is emphasized. PMID:3313200
Over the years, nurses, doctors and scientists have sought ways of assessing the impact of pain on patients. While many of the instruments devised have been extremely useful in identifying the nature and intensity of pain, defining the effect it has on people's lives and perceptions has proved much more problematic. Based on the work she carried out with patients suffering from chronic benign pain, Karen Rose explores one aspect of these effects--the feeling of isolation. By using a four-step anthropological approach to identify the impact of pain, she argues, nurses can arrive at a realistic and accurate assessment of how patients are coping. PMID:7947167
Forty-one patients were treated with epidural neurolysis using 50 % ethyl alcohol 2 ml. Thirty eight patients were suffering from cancer pain and three patients were complaining of chronic benign pain. Alcohol block was repeated 2.3 times (mean) in the same patient. Thirty patients were followed after the treatment. Forty-seven percent of the patients reported 70 % or greater pain relief and 20 % of the patients reported about 50 % pain relief. Duration of pain relief was from 9 days to 203 days with a mean duration of 54 days. Adverse effects were reported 43 % of the patients. There is no miserable adverse effect. Adverse effect reported most was pain with epidural injection of drugs after the alcohol block had been performed. PMID:8544293
"Pillar pain" is a relatively frequent complication after surgical release of the median nerve at the wrist. Its etiology still remains unknown although several studies highlight a neurogenic inflammation as a possible cause. Pillar pain treatment usually includes rest, bracing and physiotherapy, although a significant number of patients still complain of painful symptoms two or even three years after surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of low-energy, flux density-focused extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) in the treatment of pillar pain. We treated 40 consecutive patients with ESWT who had pillar pain for at least six months after carpal tunnel release surgery, and to our knowledge, this is the first study that describes the use of ESWT for treating this c...
Throughout most of the 1980s, both private organizations and government agencies were concerned about the availability of an adequate supply of qualified nuclear engineers. This concern was primarily the result of a number of nuclear engineering academic programs being eliminated coupled with a continuous decline in graduate and undergraduate enrollments and degrees. By the early 1990s, the number of degrees and available supply had declined to new lows, but cutbacks in funding for the nuclear weapons program and nuclear energy R&D, and in hiring by the electric utility industry, offset in large measure the declining supply. Recently, concerns about environment and waste management and about nuclear safety have again generated questions about the adequacy of supply of qualified personnel for nuclear energy activities. This report briefly examines the nuclear engineering labor market. Trends in employment, new graduates, job openings, and salaries are reviewed ...
The actual cost of constructing the LNG facility was about $589 million, an increase of approximately 258% over the $164 million cost estimate approved by the Federal Power Commission (FPC) in 1977. According to reports submitted by Trunkline LNG, the reasons for the increases included extensive modifications to plant design to ensure safe and reliable construction and greater operating efficiency and compliance with state and federal regulations. Also, extension beyond the original estimated completion date, various labor problems, and general inflation resulted in increased labor and interest costs.
Presented here is a case of a young woman, with an undiagnosed osteoid osteoma of the spine, which presented with painful scoliosis in adolescence and was treated by bracing until her accession to adulthood....Full Text Available
ObjectivesUse of prescription opioids for chronic pain is increasing, as is abuse of these medications, though the nature of the link between these trends is unclear....Full Text Available
BackgroundAnterior knee pain (AKP) is a common musculoskeletal complaint. It has been suggested that one factor that may contribute to the presence of AKP is a delay in the recruitment...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe objective of this study was to develop and validate a daily electronic Endometriosis Pain and Bleeding Diary (EPBD) for assessing treatment-related changes in endometriosis...Full Text Available
Shoulder pain is a common orthopedic condition seen by physical therapists, with many potential contributing factors and proposed treatments. Although manual physical therapy interventions for the cervicothoracic...Full Text Available
A retrospective study is presented of 83 athletes with tendo Achillis pain (TAP) treated conservatively over a 12-year period from 1976 to 1988. Local steroid injections did not contribute to an earlier...Full Text Available
BackgroundPatients’ general tendency to adhere to health care provider-recommended treatments is associated with a number of health outcomes, but whether it influences pain...Full Text Available
This article reports on an exploratory study of hospice social workers’ assessment and collaborative practices related to pain management; especially caregiver concerns about patient...Full Text Available
Sex-related influences on pain and analgesia have become a topic of tremendous scientific and clinical interest, especially in the last 10 to 15 years. Members of our research group published...Full Text Available
The development of central neuropathic pain varies among patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). The factors contributing to the development and perpetuation of segmental pain (at-level allodynia)...Full Text Available
BackgroundSeverely disabling chronic pain in the adult population is strongly associated with a range of negative health consequences for individuals and high health care costs,...Full Text Available
Previous studies in several different trigeminal nerve injury/inflammation models indicated that the hyperexcitability of primary afferent neurons contributes to the pain pathway underlying mechanical...Full Text Available
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pregabalin in painful cervical or lumbosacral radiculopathy treated in Primary Care settings under routine clinical practice. An observational,...Full Text Available
Racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare persist in the U.S. Although pain is one of the most prevalent and disabling symptoms of disease, only a few studies have assessed disparities in...Full Text Available
BackgroundControversy exists about how to effectively measure patient reported outcomes in IBS clinical trials. Pain numeric rating scales (NRS) are widely used in...Full Text Available
The frozen shoulder is a common cause of shoulder pain and disability. Most patients slowly improve over 12 to 24 months. Some have prolonged loss of movement, pain, and associated disability. Treatments...Full Text Available
Lumbar epidural anesthesia is useful in a variety of chronic benign pain syndromes, including lumbar radiculopathy, low back pain syndrome, spinal stenosis, and vertebral compression fractures. Given...Full Text Available
Objectives. To assess the feasibility of treating musculoskeletal pain in the lower back and/or lower extremities in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD) with cranial electrotherapy...Full Text Available
Inclusion of family members in the assessment of patients with chronic pain can improve outcomes. Family functioning can be assessed in four basic areas: boundaries, power, communication, and intimacy....Full Text Available
BackgroundNeuropathic pain (NP) is partially mediated by neuroinflammatory mechanisms, and also modulates local neurogenic inflammation. Dietary lipids, in particular the total amount...Full Text Available
Patients with adhesive capsulitis were clinically evaluated to establish whether pain elicited by pressure on the coracoid area may be considered a pathognomonic sign of this condition. The study group...Full Text Available
... Search Help? Coping with Test Pain, Discomfort, and Anxiety Introduction | Be Prepared | Know Your Tests | Relax | Conclusion ... though they may feel some embarrassment, discomfort, or anxiety at the outset. If undergoing medical tests makes ...
BackgroundThe purpose of our study was to evaluate the clinical value of hybrid SPECT/CT for the assessment of patients with painful total knee arthroplasty (TKA).MethodsTwenty-three...Full Text Available
BackgroundUntil now only limited research has been done on the prevalence of chronic pain in primary care. The aim of this investigation was to study the health care utilisation...Full Text Available
ObjectivePersons with chronic or recurrent pain frequently visit the emergency department (ED), yet little research examines this experience. We conducted this national survey to...Full Text Available
Approximately 20% to 30% of patients who undergo coronary arteriography for the evaluation of chest pain are found to have normal coronary arteries. These patients have a survival rate comparable to...Full Text Available
BackgroundChronic non-specific musculoskeletal pain (CNSMSP) may develop in childhood and adolescence, leading to disability and reduced quality of life that continues into adulthood....Full Text Available
Functional imaging has revolutionized the neurosciences. In the pain field it has dramatically altered our understanding of how the brain undergoes significant functional, anatomical and chemical changes...Full Text Available
Behavioural assessment methods have been used to signal the need for intervention and to evaluate treatment effectiveness. Direct observation and rating scales have been used to assess pain and distress...Full Text Available
The aim of this study was to investigate whether astroglia in the medullary dorsal horn (trigeminal spinal subnucleus caudalis; Vc) may be involved in orofacial neuropathic pain following trigeminal...Full Text Available
ContextWhile opioids are increasingly used for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP), we know little about opioid dosing patterns among individuals with CNCP in usual care...Full Text Available
In the last 40 years, significant advances have been made in the understanding of the neurophysiologic processes involved in the experience of trauma and pain. This knowledge, together with the rapid growth and understanding in the behavioral health sciences, has expanded to include a much better appreciation of how these fields are converging and contribute to a process called neuroplasticity. These basic mechanisms common to all patients have important implications for clinical outcome and for improving clinical practice. This article is written for clinicians who manage patients with sacroiliac joint dysfunction, a specific type of nonspecific low back pain.
BackgroundAδ and C fibers are the major pain-conducting nerve fibers, activate only partly the same brain areas, and are differently involved in pain syndromes....Full Text Available
The utilization of health care services in children and adolescents with chronic benign pain was studied in a Dutch population sample of 254 chronic pain sufferers aged 0-18 years. Children and adolescents who had reported chronic pain (continuous or recurrent pain >3 months) in our previous prevalence study were asked to keep a 3-week diary on their pain and to fill out questionnaires on background factors, health care use and the impact of pain. Parent ratings were used for children aged 0-11 years, self-report was used in adolescents (12-18 years). In a 3-month period, in 53.4% of the cases medication was used for pain, and general practitioners and specialists were consulted for pain in 31.1% and 13.9% of subjects, respectively. Physiotherapists, psychologists and alternative health providers were visited by 11.5, ...
Study Design Best evidence synthesis. Objective To undertake a best evidence synthesis of the published evidence on the burden and determinants of neck pain and its associated disorders in the general population. Summary of Background Data The evidence on burden and determinants of neck has not previously been summarized. Methods The Bone and Joint Decade 2000?2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders performed a systematic search and critical review of literature published between 1980 and 2006 to assemble the best evidence on neck pain. Studies meeting criteria for scientific validity were included in a best evidence synthesis. Results We identified 469 studies on burden and determinants of neck pain, and judged 249 to be scientifically admissible; 101 articles related to...
The subjective experience of one's environment is constructed by interactions among sensory, cognitive, and affective processes. For centuries, meditation has been thought to influence such processes by enabling a nonevaluative representation of sensory events. To better understand how meditation influences the sensory experience, we used arterial spin labeling functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess the neural mechanisms by which mindfulness meditation influences pain in healthy human participants. After 4 d of mindfulness meditation training, meditating in the presence of noxious stimulation significantly reduced pain unpleasantness by 57% and pain intensity ratings by 40% when compared to rest. A two-factor repeated-measures ANOVA was used to identify interactions between meditation and pain-related brain activation. Meditation reduced pain-related activation of the ...
Available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: The uncertainties of decommissioning costs increase high due to several conditions. Decommissioning cost estimation depends on the complexity of nuclear installations, its site-specific physical and radiological inventories. Therefore, the decommissioning costs of nuclear research facilities must be estimated in accordance with the detailed sub-tasks and resources by the tasks of decommissioning activities. By selecting the classified activities and resources, costs are calculated by the items and then the total costs of all decommissioning activities are reshuffled to match with its usage and objectives. And the decommissioning cost of nuclear research facilities is calculated by applying a unit cost factor method on which classification of decommissioning works fitted with the features and specifications of decommissioning objects and establishment of composition factors are based. Decommissioning costs of nuclear ...
A large proportion of patients may develop chronic pain following cancer treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. These patients can experience significant levels of physical and psychological morbidity. Our aim was to investigate a cognitive-behavioral pain management program (PMP) for cancer patients with chronic treatment-related pain. Thirteen patients (1 man, 12 women; mean age 52 yrs) completed the study, 9 of whom had a history of breast cancer and had received extensive medical treatment, including surgery. A combination of physical and psychological techniques were adapted from previous work in chronic benign pain and implemented by two therapists. Interventions included education, relaxation, exercise training, and goal setting. A variety of outcomes were examined to assess general fitness, psychological distress, coping success, activities of daily living, and ...
This paper describes construction procedures to be employed at the Kansk-Achinsk Fuel and Power Generation Complex, where over 8,000 people are employed, and particularly at the Beresovskii-1 surface mine with a planned annual output of 55 million t of coal. Roads are to be built of reinforced concrete slabs, reducing labor consumption by 1.5-2 times, while the use of pile foundations for buildings will reduce the consumption of monolithic reinforced concrete by 2.5 times and labor by 20,000 man days. Similar economies may be achieved by the use of light metal structures. Details are given of the erection of coal storage silos 68 m high using sliding forms. The 15 km transport gallery from the mine to the Beresovskii GREhS-1 power station will be constructed using a conveyor method with units weighing up to 50 t, saving up to 25% on labor. Total savings on metal for the Berezovskii-1 mine as a whole will be 2,200 t, ...
Abstract The aim of this paper is to provide an explanation to why the degree of informal employment may vary substantially between different regions within a country. In Brazil, 45% of workers in the urban labor force are employed informally. The degree of informal employment, however, varies substantially across regions, with some cities having 20% and others having 80% or more of their labor force in the informal sector. The hypothesis assessed here is that the quality of local governance-or government effectiveness-affects the decisions of workers and businesses as to whether to participate in the formal or the informal sector. The empirical analysis, based on data from 5500 Brazilian municipalities, shows that informal employment is lower in regions with better governance, higher aver...
Using a sample of Uruguayan manufacturing establishments we analyze employment, capital, and productivity dynamics over a period of currency appreciation; changes in trade policy; and changes in the institutional setting of wage negotiations. As the relative capital-labor price ratio fell, capital intensity increased. At the same time, there was an increase in labor and total factor productivity. Creation and destruction rates were relatively high and pervasive over time, sectors, establishment size, and establishment age, with exits explaining a sizeable part of destruction rates. Most of the excess reallocation was due to movements -within- rather than -between- sectors. Thus, high reallocation rates were linked to establishment-level heterogeneity rather than aggregate shocks.
Postamputation pain (PAP) affects over 60% of major limb amputees. One of the main challenges in treating PAP is the difficulty involved in identifying pain mechanism(s), which pertains to both residual limb pain (RLP) and phantom limb pain (PLP). In this study, sympathetic blocks were performed on 17 major limb amputees refractory to treatment, including 2 placebo-controlled blocks done for bilateral amputations. One hour postinjection, mean RLP scores at rest declined from 5.2 (SD 2.8) to 2.8 (SD 2.6) (P = .0002), and PLP decreased from 5.3 (SD 3.1) to 2.3 (SD 2.1) (P = .0009). By 1 week, mean pain scores for RLP and PLP were 4.3 (SD 2.9) and 4.2 (SD 3.0), respectively. Overall, 8 of 16 (50%) patients experienced ?50% reduction in RLP 1-hour postinjection, with the beneficial effects ...
The utilization of nuclear medicine bone scanning examinations early in the diagnostic process allows physicians to render prompt and correct treatment in urgent or difficult athletic cases. Bone scanning should be performed for athletic injuries whenever (1) x-rays are normal but bone or joint pain persists; (2) x-rays are positive but it cannot be determined if the findings are acute or chronic; (3) soft-tissue injuries present and x-rays are not useful; and (4) bone pain or joint impairment present without a history of trauma.89 references.
Objective: The aim of this study was to obtain an overview of the methodological quality of studies on the measurement properties of neck pain and disability questionnaires and to describe how well various aspects of the design and statistical analyses of studies on measurement properties are performed. Methods: A systematic review was performed of published studies on the measurement properties of neck pain and disability questionnaires. Two reviewers independently rated the quality of the studies using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. This checklist was developed in an international Delphi consensus study. Results: A total of 47 articles were included on the measurement properties of 8 different questionnaires. The meth...
Chronic benign pain is commonly associated with chronic fatigue and depression. Depression and chronic fatigue syndrome are also associated with each other and often include pain. Psychologic factors are prominent in these conditions, and they may share neurobiologic factors as well. Management requires separately addressing each component of patients' distress and usually includes physical rehabilitation, education, administration of nonhabituating medications and often counseling. Depression may be a favorable prognostic sign, as it suggests a treatable condition and provides incentive for recovery. PMID:1876618
Back pain from osteoporosis is commonly related to compression fractures. The patient with vertebral compression fractures additionally suffers from an ongoing risk of recurrent fractures and postural abnormalities that can result in impaired respiratory function, leading to increased risk of morbidity. Weakened back muscles, especially the back extensor group, are felt to contribute significantly to this risk. The combination of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions, through physical activity, exercise, and modalities, are potential interventions that could be used to help reduce the pain of osteoporotic compression fractures as well as potentially reducing recurrent fracture rates.
A new method of administration of an opioid was recently registered: fentanyl transdermal (brand name: Durogesic), intended particularly for the indication range 'pain in cancer'. Fentanyl is lipid-soluble so that deposition in the skin takes place and the biological half-life is approximately 20 hours after removal of the plaster. It is safe to start on a basis of an equianalgesic conversion of 100:1 in relation to oral morphine, although this may entail some risk of fentanyl under dosage. The dose adjustment time is 12-24 hours before a constant fentanyl level is reached; therefore, after attaching the first sticking plaster, the original morphine dose should be continued for another 12 hours. In addition, the patient may, if necessary, be given supplementary morphine preferably as a short-acting drug. There seems to be no clear indication for transdermal fentanyl either in neuropathic pain or in chronic benign pain. ...
Dengue, a major public health problem throughout subtropical and tropical regions, is an acute infectious disease characterized by biphasic fever, headache, pain in various parts of the body, prostration,...Full Text Available
Abstract Residual limb pain (RLP) and phantom limb pain (PLP) can be debilitating and can prevent functional gains following amputation. High correlations have been reported between RLP and the stump neuromas following amputation. Many treatment methods including physical therapy, medications, and interventions, have been used with limited success. Pulsed radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) has shown promise in treating neuropathic pain because of the inhibition of evoked synaptic activity. We present 4 amputees who were treated with PRFA after failing conservative management for their RLP and PLP. All 4 patients underwent PRFA and demonstrated at least 80% relief of RLP for over 6 months. One patient reported a complete resolution of phantom sensation while another patient had significantly de...
ObjectiveNeuralgic amyotrophy (NA) is a distinct clinical syndrome that is characterized by the acute onset of shoulder and arm pain, weakness, and sensory loss. The purpose of this...Full Text Available
The physical demands of performing on musical instruments can cause pain, sensory loss, and lack of coordination. Five cases illustrate common problems. Knowledge of the interaction between the technique...Full Text Available
Cutaneous scarring can cause patients symptoms ranging from the psychological to physical pain. Although the process of normal scarring is well described the ultimate cause of pathological scarring...Full Text Available
Opinion statementCritical limb ischemia (CLI), defined as chronic ischemic rest pain, ulcers, or gangrene attributable to objectively proven arterial occlusive disease, is the most advanced...Full Text Available
The antinociceptive effects of honokiol and magnolol, two major bioactive constituents of the bark of Magnolia officinalis, were investigated on animal paw licking responses and thermal...Full Text Available
Senescence is regarded as a physiological response of cells to stress, including telomere dysfunction, aberrant oncogenic activation, DNA damage, and oxidative stress. This stress response has an antagonistically...Full Text Available
The paper brings forth the information related to the youth organizations acting at the factory, their policies, provisions of youth incentives, intake of employees to the company, labor motivation. There is also the information on the events, which take place on site, on the arrangements of the young employees' leisure, as well as on the creative and productive potential of the factory. (author)
Describes general trends in the quality of rural education: equivalent rural and urban performance on national standardized tests and high school graduation rates but continuing rural deficits in college attendance and teacher qualifications. Discusses the below-average performance of southern rural schools, factors affecting rural students' college attendance, and the influence of changing labor markets. (SV)
... (restricted)] 98-118 Oil prices and competitiveness: time series evidence from six oil-producing countries by Mohammad R. Jahan-Parvar & Hassan Mohammadi [Downloadable! (restricted)] 2008, Volume 35, Issue 6 444-485 The S-shaped labor supply schedule: evidence from industrialized countries by Maryke ...
Two separate studies address the major issues of deforestation in developing countries, namely, Does deforestation seriously impair the soil-plant system. and How can a steady supply of wood fuels be guaranteed with diminishing natural forest. In Chapter 1, twenty-six cross-sectional and time series studies of soil properties in the US and ten countries between the tropics were examined to determine the changes associated with deforestation in soil organic C, total N, exchangeable Ca, Mg, and K, cation exchange capacity, available P, bulk density, and pH. Deforestation was associated with significant changes in these soil properties. Only bulk density and avaiable P showed any tendency to return to pre-clearing levels. Differences in soil response to deforestation according to climate and age of parent material were related to temperature, rainfall, vegetation, soil acidity, and organic matter production and decomposition on each site. In Chapter 2, a multiobjective linear program ...
Abstract Der folgende Artikel setzt die Reihe unserer ChiuZ-Beitrge zur Chemi- und Biolumineszenz mit einer interessanten und neuen experimentellen Arbeit zum -kalten Licht- spezieller ungesttigter Verbindungen fort, deren Anwendung auch in der modernen Zeit der Nanotechnologie im biochemischen bzw. medizinisch-chemischen Labor vllig neue Akzente gesetzt hat.
The purpose of the invention is to simplify assembly and to reduce labor intensity. This is achieved by the fact that the assembly shaft is positioned in a hawser, while its wall which is turned towards the body of the installation is combined with the hawser wall, where a U shaped opening is made in the wall of the assembly shaft, along the edges of which there is a hermetically sealing device, while the bottom of the body of the offshore drilling rig is equipped with a rigid insert attached with the capability of adjoining it with the hermetically sealing device.
BackgroundGeneralized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most frequent anxiety disorder in primary care patients. It is known that painful physical symptoms (PPS) are associated with...Full Text Available
1. Ro 15-8081 (Hoffmann-La Roche, Basle, Switzerland) is a novel mixed 5-HT/noradrenaline uptake inhibitor producing potent antinociceptive effects in animal pain models. 2. In healthy man, two models...Full Text Available
Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) remains an enigmatic medical condition. Creation of the (NIH) Chronic Prostatitis Collaborative Research Network (CPCRN) funded by...Full Text Available
The oxidative stress theory of aging predicts that manipulations that alter oxidative stress/damage will alter aging. The gold standard for determining whether aging is altered is lifespan,...Full Text Available
Morphine sulfate (MS Contin), a proven analgesic in the treatment of cancer pain and chronic benign pain, seems to be a good analgesic for the treatment of burn pain. MS Contin is morphine sulfate incorporated in a wax cellulose matrix delivery system. This wax cellulose delivery system gives MS Contin its duration of action. Ten patients were enrolled in an open-labeled, nonrandomized study. The study was designed to examine the analgesic efficacy of MS Contin in the burn population. Each patient remained in the study for 6 days. The efficacy of the analgesic regimen was subjectively measured by the visual pain scale. The MS Contin group was retrospectively compared with a group of patients who were given continuous intravenous infusions of morphine. The two groups were matched according to age, burn size, surgical procedures, and hospital stay. The analgesic qualities of MS Contin were comparable to ...
Purpose. To evaluate injection-associated pain, safety, and efficacy with the isotonic contrast medium iodixanol (Visipaque 270 mg I/ml) compared with iopromide (Ultravist 300 mg I/ml) in femoral arteriography. Methods. A multicenter, double-blind, randomized, parallel-group clinical investigation was carried out in 54 hospitals in Europe. Of the patients evaluated, 1225 received iodixanol and 1227 iopromide in conventional and/or digital subtraction angiography. Results. The iodixanol group reported statistically significantly less injection-associated pain (0.9%) than the iopromide group (9.5%) (p<0.001). Further, 4.1% in the iodixanol group experienced pain and/or severe heat sensation vs 19.8% in the iopromide group (p<0.001). In the iodixanol group, 1.8% of the patients experienced contrast-related adverse events vs 2.4% in the iopromide group (p=NS). Overall diagnostic information was optimal for 94.1% in the ...
Studies of the effectiveness of operant, relaxation, cognitive, and multimodal behavioural approaches to the treatment of chronic benign pain other than headache were evaluated. In general, the quality of the studies was poor, and most investigations lacked appropriate and adequate control conditions, outcome measures, and/or follow-ups. While outcome reports for all four behavioural treatments have been mainly positive, few data were found which conclusively demonstrate that any of the approaches are effective or that they are the treatment of choice. The data do, however, imply that behavioural approaches may help patients lead more normal and productive lives. Specifically, the literature suggests that: (1) the operant method leads to increased activity levels and decreased pain and drug intake, (2) the relaxation approach results in decreased EMG levels and some pain reductions, (3) the cognitive techniques are ...
Sep 16, 2010 ... Taking military operations as an example, there is evidence that stress-related behavioral disorders and mental conditions such as anxiety, ...
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disorder and a major cause of pain and disability. The hypothesis tested in this study was that the passion fruit peel extract (PFP), a flavonoid-rich dietary supplement, would reduce symptoms due to knee OA. Thirty-three OA patients were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with parallel-group design. Patients received either placebo or PFP pills (150 mg, daily) in a double-blinded fashion for 2 months. The OA clinical symptoms were evaluated monthly with Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) Osteoarthritis Index. In the PFP group, there was a significant improvement in total WOMAC score and WOMAC subscale score of physical function after 30 days and pain after 60 days. At 60 days, reductions o...
The aim of this review is to evaluate the role of inflammatory spine disease in patients with chronic back pain. The contribution of imaging modalities for the diagnostic evaluation of back pain is discussed. A systematic literature search based on the classification of seronegative spondyloarthropathies and rheumatoid arthritis was performed. The results of this search and the experiences in a large collective of rheumatological patients are analyzed. The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (1-2%) is comparable to that of spondyloarthropathies (1.9%). The etiology of these entities is not fully elucidated. Magnetic resonance imaging is increasingly used for early detection and surveillance of therapy with TNF-#alpha# antagonists. Bone marrow edema, which is only detectable with MRI, represents an early sign of inflammation. Therapy with TNF-#alpha# antagonists is based on clinical and laboratory criteria, and signs of inflammation in MRI. MRI ...
Connective tissue in biopsy specimens taken from the lower part of the uterine cervix in 40 pregnant women at various gestational ages was compared to that in similar biopsy specimens from 15 nonpregnant women. The concentrations of collagen, sulfated glycosaminoglycans, and hyaluronic acid decreased during pregnancy. At the gestational age of 10 weeks, the collagen concentration was 70%, and at term 30%, of that in the nonpregnant cervix. After delivery, no further decrease was observed. The extractability of collagen increased during pregnancy, as well as during labor. Also, the water concentration increased. An increase in the collagenolytic activity was observed with advancing gestational age. The 2,4-dinitrophenyl-Pro-Gln-Gly-Ile-Ala-Gly-Gin-D-Arg hydrolytic activity (collagenase) and the concentration of leukocyte elastase increased gradually by a factor of 10. The physiologic importance of the collagen was also demonstrated, since the cervical dilatation ...
An analysis of the current state of track-laying operations in open-cut mines is given and their labor intensive nature is noted. The lag in the technological development of mechanization equipment for track laying and repair operations is noted. Results are given from developments by the Scientific Research Institute of Open-Pit Mining Operations in the field of mobile transportation technology and promising modular route design. Also examined are the problems of improving the routing bases in the industry. The absence of factories for manufacturing transportation technology and equipment is reflected most evidently in the technical and cost characteristics of coal production by an open-cut method and requires immediate solution.
The purpose of the invention is to reduce the labor intensity of assembly and disassembly of a drilling rig with a large unit transport method. To achieve the cited goal, in the base of the drilling rig unit, which contains uprights with hinges, installed between the frame and the foundation support, where each of the hinges is linked by a flexible element with the frame, the frame and the foundation support are equipped with encircling elements installed with the capability of interacting with the flexible element, where the uprights are linked with the frame by means of hinges with the capability of locking and the uprights by means of the encircling and flexible elements are connected in pairs.
An instrument has been constructed for the measurement of residual stress in steel. If necessary, large objects can be examined in situ. An account is given of the principles and construction. A special stressing frame provides for calibration. An application to residual stress in gear blanks has established a systematic variation of surface stress with nickel content and confirmed the overall effect of the surface hardening treatment.
Osteoporotic vertebral fractures often lead to pain and disability. They can be successfully treated, and possibly prevented, by injecting cement into the vertebral body, a procedure known as vertebroplasty....Full Text Available
Femur fractures typically affect elderly patients with multiple co-morbidities. Pain control can be difficult, requiring intensive nursing and physician care as elderly patients may manifest cardiovascular...Full Text Available
Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is a common, painful and disabling condition which is typically slow to resolve. Patients with this condition will be seen in every musculoskeletal practitioner’s...Full Text Available
In recent years RNA interference (RNAi) has rapidly become the most widely used tool for gene knockdown due to its high specificity and potency. RNAi is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism...Full Text Available
According to the International Headache Society, idiopathic stabbing headache (ISH), an indomethacin-responsive headache syndrome, is a paroxysmal disorder of short duration manifested as head pain...Full Text Available
Cryoanalgesia (the use of cold to provide anesthesia or analgesia) is the oldest anesthetic and analgesic still in current clinical use. Its intraoperative use in providing postoperative analgesia for...Full Text Available
We describe a case of sacral perineural cyst presenting with complaints of low back pain with neurological claudication. The patient was treated by laminectomy and excision of the cyst. Tarlov cysts...Full Text Available
When attempting to feed on their hosts, ticks face the problem of host hemostasis (the vertebrate mechanisms that prevent blood loss), inflammation (that can produce itching or pain and thus...Full Text Available
BackgroundAdhesive capsulitis is a common, painful, and disabling condition that has been managed with corticosteroid injections for over 50 years. There is debate over the use of...Full Text Available
BackgroundDistraction osteogenesis is the standard treatment for the management of lower limb length discrepancy of more than 3 cm and bone loss secondary to congenital anomalies,...Full Text Available
ObjectivesThe updated Rome III criteria for pediatric functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) include new FGID categories and changes to the Rome II criteria...Full Text Available
This paper discusses the clinical application and main objective of testicular imaging. The authors present cases that represent a spectrum of the abnormalities which might be detected by testicular imaging, with special attention given to testicular torsion and the acute diseases which may mimic it clinically. Accuracy of the test is noted.
... Previous Topic Pain Next Topic Scars and wounds Prostheses Prostheses (pross-THEE-sees) are man-made substitutes ... covered by medical insurance (this includes wigs). Breast prostheses: Contact your local chapter of the American Cancer ...
Indomethacin, a potent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, has been used in the treatment of various kinds of pains, inflammation and arthritis. However, oral administration of indomethacin produces...Full Text Available
Osteoid osteoma of the spine is a relatively rare bone-forming tumor. Pain that is worse at night and relieved by aspirin and muscle contracture are the most characteristic symptoms of spinal osteoid...Full Text Available
Antagonists for kainate receptors (KARs), a family of glutamate-gated ion channels, are efficacious in a number of animal models of neuropathologies, including epilepsy, migraine pain, and anxiety....Full Text Available
The inflammatory process has direct effects on normal and abnormal wound healing. Hypertrophic scar formation is an aberrant form of wound healing and is an indication of an exaggerated function of...Full Text Available
A 63-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of right lateroabdominal pain. He was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer, and then developed multiple brain embolic infarctions 7...Full Text Available
Posterior spinal ligament pathology is becoming increasingly recognized as a significant cause of low back pain. Despite the growing clinical importance of interspinous ligament degeneration in low...Full Text Available
Pericardial fat necrosis is an infrequent cause of acute chest pain and this can mimic acute myocardial infarction and acute pericarditis. We describe here a patient with the magnetic resonance imaging...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe analgesic effect of perioperative low doses intravenous lidocaine has been demonstrated after abdominal surgery. This study aimed to evaluate whether...Full Text Available
The somatic sensory system responds to stimuli of distinct modalities, including touch, pain, itch, and temperature sensitivity. In the past century, great progress has been made in understanding the...Full Text Available
BackgroundWe have recently reported successful treatment of patients with chronic pain syndromes using human pooled intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in a prospective, open-label...Full Text Available
Local anesthetics are able to induce pain relief by binding to the sodium channels of excitable membranes, blocking the influx of sodium ions and the propagation of the nervous impulse. Ropivacaine...Full Text Available
The indications, contra-indications and technique of caudal epidural injections in the treatment of low back pain and sciatica are described. Of 201 patients treated by epidural injection, about 56%...Full Text Available
The first case of human sparganosis in Canada is reported in a 23-year-old woman who emigrated from Greece in 1969. Examination of a ribbon-like worm removed from a painful swelling in the neighbourhood...Full Text Available
The purpose of this investigation was to determine the association between gender and the prevalence and incidence of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). One thousand five hundred and twenty-five participants from the United States Naval Academy (USNA) were followed for up to 2.5 years for the development of PFPS. Physicians and certified athletic trainers documented the cases of PFPS. PFPS was defined as retropatellar pain during at least two of the following activities: ascending/descending stairs, hopping/jogging, prolonged sitting, kneeling, and squatting, negative findings on examination of knee ligament, menisci, bursa, and synovial plica, and pain on palpation of either the patellar facets or femoral condyles. Poisson and logistic regressions were performed to determine the association between gender and the incidence and prevalence of PFPS, respectively. The incidence rate for PFPS was 22/1000 person-years. Females ...
Background & objectives:Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a painful and vision-threatening ocular infection. The differentiation of Acanthamoeba...Full Text Available
BackgroundLeukotrienes (LTs) belong to the large family of lipid mediators implicated in various inflammatory conditions such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Four distinct types...Full Text Available
This case describes a 10-year-old girl who developed a Ewing's sarcoma in her proximal fibula. The radiologic features mimicked those of a unicameral bone cyst. The presence of pain and the atypical location led to a prompt biopsy and the correct diagnosis. The mechanism of this unusual radiographic presentation is discussed. (orig.)
Examination of a painful hip is fairly concise and reliable at detecting the presence of a hip joint problem. Hip joint disorders often go undetected, leading to the development of secondary disorders....Full Text Available
Low back pain is common during pregnancy. However, the prevalence of symtomatic lumbar disc herniation is rare, and cauda equina syndrome due to disc herniation during pregnancy is even rarer. We report...Full Text Available
BackgroundChronic rotator cuff pathology (CRCP) is a common shoulder condition causing pain and disability. Physiotherapy is often the first line of management for CRCP yet there...Full Text Available
Multiple disease-specific systematic reviews on the effectiveness of physical therapy intervention for shoulder dysfunction have been inconclusive. To date, there have been two systematic reviews that...Full Text Available
Biliary obstructions are rarely caused by a foreign body and have received sparse attention. We present an unusual case with pruritis and abdominal pain caused by impacted full length surgical gauze...Full Text Available
A 23-year-old woman presented to our hospital with nonspecific pain in the abdomen. She underwent radiological investigations, which revealed a solid and cystic mass in the tail end of the pancreas....Full Text Available
BackgroundBlood sampling through heel lancing is the most common invasive painful procedure performed on newborn infants.Case PresentationWe report...Full Text Available
BackgroundAcute low back pain is a very common symptom and reason for many medical consultations. In some unusual circumstances it could be linked to a rare aetiology.Case...Full Text Available
Seventy seven patients with soft tissue shoulder lesions including adhesive capsulitis and disorders of the rotator cuff and acromioclavicular joint were admitted to a trial comparing two different...Full Text Available
The overarching goal of medical training is to nurture the growth of knowledgeable, caring and insightful clinicians guided by the ideals of medical professionalism. Recent definitions of professional...Full Text Available
Snapping or grating scapula is a condition of the shoulder girdle in which the patient complains of pain and an audible snapping sound which may be associated with pain. We evaluated the diagnostic value of the computed tomography (CT) scans using the clinical diagnosis of a grating scapula as the gold standard. This retrospective study reports the sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio and receiver operator characteristic curve for the CT scans and the k value as a measure of the interobserver agreement. None of the parameters validated the examination. We therefore concluded that CT scans are inappropriate for differentiation between a grating scapula and a normally functioning shoulder except in cases where bony abnormalities are present. (orig.)
Lumbar epidural anesthesia is useful in a variety of chronic benign pain syndromes, including lumbar radiculopathy, low back pain syndrome, spinal stenosis, and vertebral compression fractures. Given the increased number of epidural nerve blocks being performed, some have reported unexplained complications of a transient or permanent nature and with varying degrees of severity. However, no case has been reported of a broken epidural needle tip retained in the lumbar facet joint area. This represents the first reported case presentation of foraminal stenosis developing in a patient after a retained epidural needle tip. PMID:21286465
Stress has been reported to be a causative factor for male infertility. Withania somnifera has been documented in Ayurveda and Unani medicine system for its stress-combating properties....Full Text Available
Destress blasting is commonly used as a stress control technique at the Galena Mine, Wallace, Idaho, where the U.S. Bureau of Mines maintains a cooperative research program with the mine operators (ASARCO). A digital seismic array and an array of borehole...
Rate of dehydration greatly affects desiccation tolerance of recalcitrant seeds. This effect is presumably related to two different stress vectors: direct mechanical or physical stress because of the...Full Text Available
Background. The Free Radical Theory of Aging mechanistically links oxidative stress to aging. Okinawa has among the world's longest-lived populations but oxidative stress in this...Full Text Available
Plant roots exhibit remarkable developmental plasticity in response to local soil conditions. It is shown here that mild salt stress stimulates a stress-induced morphogenic response (SIMR) in Arabidopsis...Full Text Available
The alternative sigma factor ςB of Bacillus subtilis is required for the induction of approximately 100 genes after the imposition of a whole range of stresses and...Full Text Available
BackgroundIt is known that diabetes and stress are directly or indirectly related, and that it is important to evaluate stress in patients with diabetes. The relationship between...Full Text Available
Social stress is prevalent in many facets of modern society. Epidemiological data suggest that stress is linked to the development of overweight, obesity and metabolic disease. Although there...Full Text Available
Residual stresses are present in engineering components as an unintended consequence of manufacturing processes, but they are also deliberately introduced to beneficial effect during surface engineering procedures. Plasma nitriding is a process of particular importance for forming tools and dies, giving significant advantages in wear, and fatigue resistance through the generation of near-surface compressive residual stresses. A precise knowledge of the level and distribution of residual stresses that exist in engineering components is necessary for an accurate design and prediction of a component's fatigue resistance. However, measurement of residual stresses is not always possible, which is especially true for forming tools. Therefore, other methods for residual stress evaluation and pred...
A plane stress constitutive relation is developed for laminate composites undergoing matrix cracking and therefore displaying significant nonlinear stress-strain behavior. The constitutive relation is similar in some respects to a phenomenological theory of plasticity in that it is fit to data from uniaxial tests. The constitutive equations are specialized to brittle matrix composites (especially CMCs) in the form of cross-piles and quasi-isotropic laminates. Several problems involving stress redistribution at holes and notches due to nonlinear stress-strain behavior are investigated with the aid of the constitutive law.
It is shown that the method used for comparing theoretical and experimental results is erroneous and the values of the couple stress parameters obtained for blood flow are incorrect. A method for determining the couple stress parameters is presented. The computational work in the improved method is considerably less. It is observed that both the couple stress parameters are functions of concentration. An empirical relation between concentration and the stress parameters is obtained. The shear viscosity and non-dimensional axial velocity are functions of concentration. Some uses of determining the values of the couple stress parameters are suggested.
... Mirrors (Preprint) Ryan Conk et al. 15 September 2006 ... 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Stress Coatings for Large Scale Membrane Mirrors (Preprint) 5a. ...
Like few other organs, the skin is continuously exposed to multiple exogenous and endogenous stressors. Superimposed on this is the impact of psychological stress on skin physiology and pathology....Full Text Available
We explored transcriptional responses of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe to various environmental stresses. DNA microarrays were used to characterize changes in expression...Full Text Available
The threshold stress itensities for stress corrosion crack propagation in beta titanium alloy 38-6-44, Ti-3Al-8V-6Cr-4Mo-4Zr, has been determined in salt water and methanolic solutions. The alloy was immune to stress corrosion cracking in aqueous sodium c...
A numerical package called RESID has been assembled to calculate the residual stresses in VAWT blades induced during cold forming. Using a strength of materials - elementary beam theory approach, RESID models the material response with a bilinear stress-strain curve, and the cross-sectional geometry with an array of area increments. Through an iterative solution procedure residual stresses are predicted for a specified final radius of curvature or applied bending moment. RESID results are compared to theoretical solutions for simple geometries and with MARC Finite element results for VAWT blade geometries. Calculating residual stress levels, determining acceptable residual stress levels, and a method of reducing residual stresses are discussed. A complete listing and sample run are included in the appendicies.
The macroscopic stress distribution across an annealed Zircaloy-4 gas tungsten arc weld was measured by neutron time-of-flight diffraction at the SMARTS diffractometer at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The stresses after annealing are about 40% lower than those in the same weld prior to heat treatment. The intergranular strains in the reference coupons, which give the macroscopic stress free lattice spacings, are consistent with the difference in cooling the strongly textured plate and the weakly textured weld.
The shot peening of the outer surface of Alloy 800 is proposed by the steam generator supplier in order to increase the stress corrosion cracking resistance of the tubes. The benefits and drawbacks of such a treatment are evaluated, focusing on the main concern i.e. a possible enhanced tendency of stress corrosion cracking at the transition of the expanded tube-to-tubesheet joint. Stress corrosion tests as well as residual stresses measurements demonstrate no significant difference between peened and unpeened tubes at that location. The other concerns such as stability of the compressive stresses, increased risk of pitting or intergranular attack and pollution of the secondary circuit by fragmented beads appear the as minor concerns.
In this project the influence of residual compression stresses on the stress corrosion cracking behaviour of the turbine disc steel 26 NiCrMoV 14 5 (Rp(sub 0.2) = 850 N/mm(sup 2)) was investigated. The residual compression stresses were produced by shot p...
In the United States, approximately 20% of all workers who died on the job in 2007 were foreign-born. The objective of this study was to describe trends in occupational fatalities among foreign-born workers. An analysis of fatal injuries among foreign-born workers in the US occurring from 1992 through 2007 was conducted using the Bureau of Labor Statistics? Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. Individual characteristics, employment characteristics, injury events and industry employment were summarized and evaluated for trends. Both the number and proportion of foreign-born workers who died from a traumatic work-related injury increased substantially over the time period studied. The proportion who were men, aged 25?44?years, Hispanic, non self-employed, employed by business establishment...
Classical methods for the study of complex fluid phase behavior include static and dynamic equilibrium cells that usually require vapor and liquid recirculation. These are sophisticated, costly apparatus that require highly trained operators, usually months of labor-intensive work per mixture, and the data analysis is also rather complex. Simpler approaches to the fundamental study of azeotropes are highly desirable, even if they provide only selected cuts through the phase diagram. Recently, we introduced an advanced distillation curve measurement method featuring: (1) a composition explicit data channel for each distillate fraction (for both qualitative and quantitative analysis), (2) temperature measurements that are true thermodynamic state points that can be modeled with an equation o...
This article presents an unsupervised algorithm for semantic annotation of morphological descriptions of whole organisms. The algorithm is able to annotate plain text descriptions with high accuracy at the clause level by exploiting the corpus itself. In other words, the algorithm does not need lexicons, syntactic parsers, training examples, or annotation templates. The evaluation on two real-life description collections in botany and paleontology shows that the algorithm has the following desirable features: (a) reduces/eliminates manual labor required to compile dictionaries and prepare source documents; (b) improves annotation coverage: the algorithm annotates what appears in documents and is not limited by predefined and often incomplete templates; (c) learns clean and reusable concept...
High angle conveyor (HAC) systems in open pit mining offer many advantages over the traditional, truck only, haulage systems, including: (1) superior energy efficiency, (2) less dependency on petroleum products, (3) less sensitivity to inflation, (4) less labor, (5) less excavation for the amount of ore recovered, and (6) less ramp construction and maintenance costs. Previous studies have revealed the technical and economic feasibility of high angle conveyors. The present paper introduces the Continental Conveyor sandwich belt HAC as the vital link to optimization of in-pit conveying systems. A test and demonstration unit, has been built and demonstrated. Discussion continues with the HAC systems to suit the various open pit mining operations and the corresponding characteristics of the system components, particularly the high angle conveyor. The range of HAC systems is discussed. (11 refs.)
Manual drilling in titanium structures is a tedious and labor-intensive work. To reduce man-hour requirements while concurrently improving hole quality, we developed a robotic drilling system for this application. The lean system contains the product holding fixture, the industrial robot, the end effector, the control and sensor system, and the offline programming. The system functions include locating workpiece with a calibration stick or the vision system, weld mark inspection, one-sided clamping, drilling and reaming hole in material stack combinations of titanium and aluminum, and real-time thrust force feedback. The positional accuracy and the repeatability of the system have successfully been placed within the specification?s 0.3?mm tolerance and 0.2?mm tolerance, respectively. The d...
Our study evaluates the impact of forecast errors on organizational cost by simulating a labor-intensive warehouse environment using realistic cost data from a case study. Unlike past studies that measure forecast error in terms of forecast standard deviation, our study also considers the impact of forecast bias, and the complex interaction between these variables. Two cases of organizational cost curves are considered, with differing and asymmetric structures. Results find forecast bias to have a considerably greater impact on organizational cost than forecast standard deviation. Particularly damaging is a high bias in the presence of high forecast standard deviation. Although biasing the forecast in the least costly direction is shown to yield lower costs, sensitivity analysis shows that...
Purpose - This paper aims to discuss the procedures and methods developed at Washington State University to digitize and make accessible historic moving images. Design/methodology/approach - The paper describes the selection and the use of low-cost technologies to transfer analog film to digital formats. Issues related to the conversion, description, and online hosting of digital films are also addressed. Findings - Though the steps involved in digitizing film are not trivial, the benefits of access both for the public and archives staff outweigh the expense and labor involved. The procedures described in this paper involve low upfront costs and are sustained through cost recovery fees. Research limitations/implications - The focus of this paper is on managing, describing, and providing on...
Implementing any new business software can be an intimidating prospect and this paper is intended to offer some insight in to how to approach this challenge with some fundamental rules for success. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) had undergone an original ERP implementation of HRMS, Oracle Advanced Benefits, Worker Self Service, Manager Self Service, Project Accounting, Financials and PO, and recently completed a project to implement Oracle Payroll, Time and Labor and Accrual Plans. This paper will describe some of the important lessons that can be applied to any implementation as a whole, and then specifically how this knowledge was applied to the design and deployment of Oracle Accrual Plans for LANL. Finally, detail on the functionality available in Oracle Accrual Plans will be described, as well as the detailed setups.that were utilized at LANL.
RHIC 8 cm aperture dipole magnets and quadrupole cold masses are being built for Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) by Northrop Grumman Corporation at a production rate of one dipole magnet and two quadrupole cold masses per day. This work was preceded by a lengthy Technology Transfer effort which is described elsewhere. This paper describes the tooling which is being used for the construction effort, the production operations at each workstation, and also the use of trend plots of critical construction parameters as a tool for monitoring performance in production. A report on the improvements to production labor since the start of the programs is also provided. The magnet and cold mass designs, and magnetic test results are described in more detail in a separate paper.
This paper discusses the link between R&D and productivity across the European industrial and service sectors. The empirical analysis is based on both the European sectoral OECD data and on a unique micro-longitudinal database consisting of 532 top European R&D investors. The main conclusions are as follows. First, the R&D stock has a significant positive impact on labor productivity; this general result is largely consistent with previous literature in terms of the sign, the significance, and the magnitude of the estimated coefficients. More interestingly, both at sectoral and firm levels the R&D coefficient increases monotonically (both in significance and magnitude) when we move from the low-tech to the medium- and high-tech sectors. This outcome means that corporate R&D investment is m...
Genetic mapping is approached using the techniques of high resolution fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). This technology and the results of its application are designed to rapidly generate whole genome as tool box of expressed sequence to speed the identification of human disease genes. The results of this study are intended to dovetail with and to link the results of existing technologies for creating backbone YAC and genetic maps. In the first eight months, this approach generated 60--80% of the expressed sequence map, the remainder expected to be derived through more long-term, labor-intensive, regional chromosomal gene searches or sequencing. The laboratory has made significant progress in the set-up phase, in mapping fetal and adult brain and other cDNAs, in testing a model system for directly linking genetic and physical maps using FISH with small fragments, in setting up a database, and in establishing the validity and throughput of the system.
UO/sub 2/ definitely leaked past the O-ring in three of the tests confirming the major results of the previous work. Continuous leakage at these levels may require additional precautions under present regulatory policies. The mechanism and the time and particle size dependence for the leakage are not known, but there is some indication leakage is more likely at low temperatures. It is possible leakage is due to movement of the O-ring during temperature or pressure cycling at the beginning or end of a test. The radiotracer method involves less labor and is much less susceptible to contamination than the previous method. Future work will investigate leakage past lubricated O-rings and time dependence of leakage. 1 reference, 1 table.
The foundation of a drill unit for cluster drilling of wells is proposed, which includes support, intermediate, and primary girders, forward and rear carts attached to them, railways and traction units. In order to improve operating reliability of the device during unloading on the cart during drilling and placement of the elevator and movement of the foundation within the area of the cluster of boreholes, it is equipped with controllable rods for connecting the carts to one another with the power component. Each of the power components is attached by hinges to a cart and intermediate girder, while the railways with parts are located on supporting girders. The forward carts are connected to the traction units. In order to reduce labor in moving the foundation to a new borehole of the cluster the foundation has brackets and temporary support. The power components have braces which are connected by hinges to them in the intermediate girders.
Industrial effects have long been significant factors in wage inequality. Previous research indicates that wage differentials across industries were increasing through the mid 1980s. Using more recent data, however, we find that the level of inter-industry wage dispersion declined by 36% from 1986 to 2002 despite the continued trend towards increasing inequality in the labor force. This decline in inter-industry wage dispersion is evident across gender and educational groups. Using multilevel growth curve models, our multivariate results indicate that the decline is only weakly related to industrial changes in education, occupation or even productivity despite the fact that the latter variable had been a critical factor in the prior period. Indicators of globalization and downsizing also d...
As the number of devices is increasing in centralized monitoring and control rooms, Ashibetsu Mine of Mitsui Coal Mining Co. has carried out a study on the installation of a computer system for labor savings in the analysis and judgment of operators and for quick and accurate response for emergency in 1984. The target of the first stage was set to centralized monitoring of analog and on-off data using computers. The development plan included: the development of the first stage system of their mine based on the (A/D) 104 connected points and review of problems in 1985: and extension of equipment and revision of the entire system in 1986. The most favorable effect of the system installation is that effective monitoring is possible with display and that the data stored in the computer can be used later. (8 figs, 1 ref)
Bone metastases at the thoracic and lumbar segment of the spine are usually presented with painful sensation and medullar compression. The treatment is based on the clinical and neurological conditions of the patient and the degree of tumor invasion. In the present study, 32 patients with spinal metastasis of thoracic and lumbar segment were prospectively analyzed. These patients were treated by decompression and internal stabilization followed by radiotherapy or irradiation with external immobilization. The election of the groups was in accordance with the tumor radiotherapy sensitivity, clinical conditions, spinal stability, medullar or nerve compression and patient's decision. The Frankel scale and pain visual test were applied at the moment of diagnosis and after 1 and 6 months. The surgical group had better results with preserving the ambulation longer and significant reduction of pain.(author)
We aimed to investigate the effects of local anesthetics soaked in Merocel nasal packs on hemorrhage and pain after septoplasty. The methodology includes a prospective double-blind study that was conducted in patients undergoing septoplasty because of nasal septal deviation. The study included 143 patients. The patients were divided into four groups. Each group received 1% lidocaine?+?0.000625% adrenalin, 0.375% ropivacaine, 0.25% bupivacaine as study groups or 0.9% sodium chloride as a control group in their Merocel packs postoperatively. The local anesthetics or sodium chloride were reapplied at the eighth postoperative hour. Each patient was given a questionnaire where verbal analog score and amount of postoperative hemorrhage was noted. The statistical analysis was performed using two ...
Background: Ecchymosis, oedema, haematoma and pain after SMAS-based facelift surgery are all the direct result of the physical trauma of surgery and subsequent inflammatory response. Hilotherapy is a novel form of cryotherapy that purports to minimise these events through single-use face masks circulating cooled, sterile water. This study was performed to assess the validity of Hilotherapy in this population of patients. Methods: Over 14 weeks fifty consecutive patients were randomised to post-operative facial cooling with Hilotherapy or management with standard dressings alone, while fifteen subsequent, consecutive patients were randomised to cooling of one side of the face but not the other. Assessment of ecchymosis, oedema, haematoma and pain was performed independently by clinical staf...
Objectives Vietnamese patients? views on healthcare are changing as surgical interventions become more commonplace, but their views on perioperative care have remained largely unstudied during this period of rapid change. This study assesses Vietnamese patients? impression of anesthesia safety and postoperative pain in relation to clinical outcomes with the aim of improving patient-centered perioperative care. Methods The study cohort consisted of 180 hospitalized patients who were followed for 24?h following abdominal surgery. The assessments of these patients on the use of anesthesia and postoperative pain were measured by means of a 5-point Likert scale survey. Perioperative events were recorded on standardized forms by medical staff. The relationship between relevant factors affecting ...
Abstract Introduction: Transduodenal ampullectomy (TDA) can be performed for benign and premalignant tumors of the ampulla of Vater (AOV) as an alternative to pancreaticoduodenectomy. However, the laparoscopic approach has rarely been attempted. In this report 2 cases of benign ampullary tumor that were treated by totally laparoscopic TDA. Patients and Methods: Case 1 was of a 75-year-old female who was admitted with left knee pain and underwent arthroscopic debridement. On postoperative day 6, she showed elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase, aspirate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, without any other laboratory test abnormality. She had no complaint of abdominal pain, and physical examinations were unremarkable. Computed tomography (CT), magnet...
Background: This study was conducted to examine the effects of prophylactic misoprostol prior to intrauterine device (IUD) placement in nulliparous women. Study Design: Nulliparous, reproductive-aged women desiring an IUD for contraception were randomized to receive 400 mcg of buccal misoprostol or placebo 90 min prior to IUD insertion. Subjects completed a series of 100-mm visual analogue scales (VAS, anchors: 0=none, 100 mm=worst imaginable) to measure their perceived pain at several times points (anticipated pain, leg positioning, speculum placement, tenaculum placement, IUD insertion, equipment removal and 5 min postinsertion). Secondary outcomes included provider ''ease of placement'' (100-mm VAS, anchors: 0=easy, 100 mm=extremely difficult), side effects and retention of the IUD afte...
SummaryBackground Persistent Lyme Disease Symptoms (PLDS) have included fatigue, headaches, poor concentration and memory, lightheadedness, joint pain, and mood disturbances. Evidence-based guidelines committees disagree over the severity of PLDS. The 2004 International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) concluded that PLDS are severe. The 2006 Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) guidelines committee concluded that PLDS are nothing more than the "aches and pains of daily living" and an ad hoc International Lyme group concluded that PLDS are "symptoms common in persons who have never had Lyme disease." Hypothesis Clinical trials validate the severity of persistent Lyme disease symptoms. Evaluation of the Hypothesis There are 22 standardized instruments used to measure the...
The interscalenic block technique is widely used for ambulatory shoulder surgery despite a substantial number of failures and adverse effects. We prospectively evaluated satisfaction in 40 consecutive patients who underwent open Bankart repair under a single general anesthesic performed in an ambulatory care unit. The mean age of the patients was 23 years. There were 29 men and 11 women. Patients were evaluated postoperatively with a visual analog scale of pain (in the recovery room, at the time of discharge, and the day after and 1 week after surgery) via a home assessment questionnaire that included the following: effectiveness of oral pain medication, ability to perform activities of daily life, and overall satisfaction. One patient failed to be discharged because of a feeling of faintn...
Pyogenic sacroiliitis is a rare entity in children. Diagnosis is often delayed because of its variable clinical presentation, low suspicion by the examining physician, and rare findings on radiographs. Delayed diagnosis, however, results in complications such as iliopsoas abscess. We report the case of a 12-year-old girl hospitalized with a 21-day history of fever, pain in the left iliac fossa, and flexion contracture of the hip. On examination, she had fever (38.9 ^oC), psoitis, localized tenderness at the left sacroiliac joint, and pain elicited by lateral compression of the pelvis. The abdominal examination was normal. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 130mm in the first hour, C-reactive protein was 186mg/l, and the white blood cell count was 18,400/mm^3, with 79% neutrophils. Urin...
Anisotropy finite element analysis was performed to study stresses associated with the tetragonal precipitates and the tetragonal to monoclinic transformation in MgO partially stabilized zirconia. Stresses were assumed to be caused by the lattice misfits between the product phase and the parent phase. In the finite element calculations, the tetragonal and monoclinic precipitates were assumed to be lenticular in shape, and the anisotropic elastic constants of the cubic, tetragonal and monoclinic phases were considered. The purpose of this paper is to obtain some knowledge about how stresses respond when the microstructure is changed, and how stress fields affect microstructure development. The finite element results show that increasing a{sub t}/a{sub c} and decreasing c{sub t}/a{sub c} can create a favorable stress field to reduce the growth rate of tetragonal precipitates during ...
Today`s nuclear power plants are marked by increasing needs for non-destructive inspection techniques in preventive maintenance programs. Additionally, it is becoming more important to evaluate residual stress which may be a key parameter for crack propagations in welded pipings. The authors have developed an ultrasonic velocity measurement method which obtains ultrasonic velocity changes by residual stress with a high accuracy. The ultrasonic velocity measurement is composed of three procedures. They are as follows. (1) Highly accurate propagation time measurements; (2) Pipe thickness correction; (3) Residual stress evaluation. The ultrasonic velocity measurements have been applied to the residual stress evaluation of carbon steel welded pipings. Destructive testing using stress strain gauges was done after the ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation of the residual ...
Natural fractures and in situ stresses commonly dictate subsurface reservoir permeability and permeability anisotropy, as well as the effectiveness of stimulation techniques in low-permeability, natural gas reservoirs. This paper offers an initial prediction for the orientations of the fracture and stress systems in the tight gas reservoirs of the Frontier Formation, in the Green River basin of southwestern Wyoming. It builds on a previous report that addressed fractures and stresses in the western part of the basin and on ideas developed for the rest of the basin, using the principle that thrust faults are capable of affecting the stress magnitudes and orientations in little-deformed strata several hundreds of kilometers in front of a thrust. The prediction of subsurface stresses and natural fracture orientations is an undertaking that requires the willingness to revise models as ...
This paper studies the electrical characteristics of hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin-film transistors (a-Si:H TFTs) under flat and bending situations after AC/DC stress at different temperatures. Stress temperature was varied from 77K to 400K, and threshold voltage shifts were extracted to analyze degradation mechanisms. It was found that high temperature and mechanical bending played important roles under AC stress, with an enhanced stress effect resulting in a more serious degradation. This study also discusses the dependence between the accumulated sum of bias rising and falling time and the threshold voltage shifts under AC stress.
Approximately 95% of the world`s integrated chips are packaged using a hot, high pressure transfer molding process. The stress created by the flow of silica powder loaded epoxy can displace the fine bonding wires and can even distort the metalization patterns under the protective chip passivation layer. In this study the authors developed a technique to measure the mechanical stress over the surface of an integrated circuit during the molding process. A CMOS test chip with 25 diffused resistor stress sensors was applied to a commercial lead frame. Both compression and shear stresses were measured at all 25 locations on the surface of the chip every 50 milliseconds during molding. These measurements have a fine time and stress resolution which should allow comparison with computer simulation of the molding process, thus allowing optimization of both the manufacturing process and mold ...
Non-design-basis transition changes in the level fluctuations in the surrounds of a hot steam generator collector for a WWER-440 reactor and the corresponding responses of the temperature fields, strains and stresses are examined. A new approach to the thermal calculation of the horizontal steam generator, which is rapid and affords accurate results, is suggested. An important result of the calculation is the shape of the transition region level and the corresponding distribution of the heat transfer coefficient values. This was used for the calculation of the temperature fields, strain and stress of the hot collector. The stress values obtained were deeply below the yield point of the hot collector material but they get superimposed on the stress from overpressure in the primary and secondary circuits. The obtained fluctuations of the secondary medium level in the surrounds of the hot collector give ...
The aim of this study is to develop the methodology which enables to identify the mechanical properties of element such as stress intensity factor by using the AE parameters. Considering the multivariate and nonlinear properties of AE parameters such as ringdown count, rise time, energy, event duration and peak amplitude from fatigue cracks of machine element the principal component regression(PCR) and artificial neural network(ANN) models for the estimation of stress intensity factor were developed and validated. The AE parameters were found to be very significant to estimate the stress intensity factor. Since the statistical values including correlation coefficients, standard mr of calibration, standard error of prediction and bias were stable, the PCR and ANN models for stress intensity factor were very robust. The performance of ANN model for unknown data of stress intensity ...
This paper builds upon previous work [Sprigg and Ehlen, 2004] by introducing a bond market into a model of production and employment. The previous paper described an economy in which households choose whether to enter the labor and product markets based on wages and prices. Firms experiment with prices and employment levels to maximize their profits. We developed agent-based simulations using Aspen, a powerful economic modeling tool developed at Sandia, to demonstrate that multiple-firm economies converge toward the competitive equilibria typified by lower prices and higher output and employment, but also suffer from market noise stemming from consumer churn. In this paper we introduce a bond market as a mechanism for household savings. We simulate an economy of continuous overlapping generations in which each household grows older in the course of the simulation and continually revises its target level of savings according to a life-cycle hypothesis. Households ...
Canadian railway traffic is delayed until lines are plowed of snow following heavy snowfalls. A modification that would permit higher plowing speeds and fewer delays could realize significant benefits in addition to direct fuel and labor savings. The objective of this project was to carry out a cost benefit analysis on a low-friction coating applied to a mainline railway snow plow. The assessment was carried out using old Canadian National Railway snow plows for test purposes. An analytical model was developed to estimate the importance of friction reduction to fuel consumption and power requirements. The sensitivity analysis revealed a bump or discontinuity in the power vs speed profile, corresponding to the minimum plow speed at which the snow will cease to flow over the plow. Reducing the coefficient of friction reduces this minimum plowing speed. This could mean the difference between success and failure in plowing some tight, heavily laden snow drifts. The ...
At the request of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Pacific Northwest Laboratory estimated the material, labor, and operating costs for ventilation equipment needed for compliance with HUD`s proposed revision to the ventilation standard for manufactured housing. This was intended to bound the financial impacts of the ventilation standard revision. Researchers evaluated five possible prototype ventilation systems that met the proposed ventilation requirements. Of those five, two systems were determined to be the most likely used by housing manufacturers: System 1 combines a fresh air duct with the existing central forced-air system to supply and circulate fresh air to conditioned spaces. System 2 uses a separate exhaust fan to remove air from the manufactured home. The estimated material and labor costs for these two systems range from $200 to $300 per home. Annual operating costs for the two ventilation systems were ...
The cost of liquid fuels from coal is a complex function of many factors, such as capital investment, cost of coal and labor cost. Furthermore, the cost will depend on geographical position, the size of the operation and the efficiency of the process. There is no single answer and case studies will have to be made to establish economics at different locations. In the following, the 1980 order-of-magnitude investment costs and operating costs for a coal liquefaction plant are estimated. For a Sasol II type of plant with the product output indicated earlier, the total capital cost is estimated at $4 billion in 1980 dollars. Capital cost accounts for approximately 50%, utilities and materials for 30%, and labor for 20% of the total cost. Given the market value of by-product ethylene ($175/t), tar products ($300/t), chemicals ($300/t), ammonia ($200/t) and sulfur ($25/t), the credit for by-products is $146 million per year. The cost of motor fuel ...
BackgroundHamstring injuries are the most common injury in Australian Rules football. It was the aims to investigate whether a sports chiropractic manual therapy intervention protocol...Full Text Available
AbstractIn a previous study using male rats, a correlation was found between the development of “at-level” allodynia in T6-7 dermatomes following severe T8 spinal contusion...Full Text Available
During their life, intervertebral discs undergo degenerative changes which need not necessarily become lesions. Conventional X-rays do not provide information on the condition of the intervertebral discs, so MRT or CT are recommended as primary techniques as they are non-invasive. Invasive methods like myelography and especially discography should not be used unless a case is highly problematic. In infants with pains in the back, MRT should be carried out as early as possible as there is nearly always an organic cause. (orig.)
... 03/08/2011 Professor named Chair at Epworth Hospital Professor Nilmini Wickramasinghe from the College of Business at RMIT University has been named Epworth Chair, Health Information Management , by Epworth HealthCare. 26/07/2011 Study investigates drug-free relief for tension headaches As Australia marks its first National Pain Week ...
An 8-year-old child presented with severe chest pain and respiratory distress after he accidentally bit an automobile tyre tube which burst into his mouth. The chest radiograph revealed left-sided pneumothorax....Full Text Available
BackgroundPostherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is a painful and difficult to treat complication of acute herpes zoster. Current treatment options provide only partial relief and are often...Full Text Available
Primary peritoneal malignant mixed mullerian tumors are very rare. We report the case of a patient presenting with pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen and in whom the physical examination demonstrated a peritoneal mass. Computed tomography (CT) confirmed the presence of a mass, with invasion of adjacent organs.
Vulnerability to xylem embolism by freeze-thaw cycles and water stress was quantified in ring-porous (Quercus gambelii Nutt.), diffuse-porous (Populus tremuloides Michx.,...Full Text Available
BackgroundSelection programs for growth and stress traits in cultured fish are fundamental to the improvement of aquaculture production. The gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata)...Full Text Available
The temperature dependence of the dislocation mobility threshold is investigated on the basis of a dislocation model suggested by Frenkel-Kontorova. The critical value is obtained for the stress/temperature, corresponding to the dislocation depinning from its equilibrium position. The universal behaviour of a barrier height at finite stress and temperature is revealed and investigated.
PurposeHeavy metals and other forms of oxidative stress have been implicated as key factors in the formation of age-related cataract in humans. Metallothioneins are...Full Text Available
Stress strongly inhibits proliferation of granule cell precursors in the dentate gyrus, while voluntary running has the opposite effect. Few studies, however, have examined the possible effects...Full Text Available
p53 plays a critical role in tumor suppression. As a transcription factor, in response to stress signals, p53 regulates its target genes and initiates stress responses, including cell cycle arrest,...Full Text Available
The RNA-binding protein Hfq is recognized as an important regulatory factor in a variety of cellular processes, including stress resistance and pathogenesis. Hfq has been shown in several bacteria to...Full Text Available
The ability to respond to stress is at the core of an organism's survival. The hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine play a central role in stress responses in mammals, which require the synchronized...Full Text Available
Research highlights: ? Correlations between microstructure and internal stress during Ti anodising are established. ? Large internal compressive stresses are accumulated in the film during anodising upto 12 V. ?A transition from compressive to tensile stress is observed when the cell voltage exceeds 12 V. ? At 40 V, the oxide films consist of two regions with different compositions and microstructures. Crystallisation of amorphous to anatase TiO2 contributes to the compressive stress relaxation. - Abstract: The relationship between the microstructural and internal stress evolution during Ti anodising is discussed. Samples anodised galvanostatically to 12 V and 40 V, corresponding to different stages of the internal stress evolution, were examined by in-plane and cross-section transmission electron microscopy. Electron diffraction patterns have been complemented ...
Oysters are permanently exposed to various microbes, and their defense system is continuously solicited to prevent accumulation of invading and pathogenic organisms. Therefore, impairment of the animal's...Full Text Available
A barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) mutant (Az34) has been identified with low basal levels of abscisic acid (ABA) and with reduced capacity for producing ABA in response to water stress....Full Text Available
BackgroundThe aim of this double-blind randomized study is to test the efficacy of a radio electric stimulator device using an auricular reflex therapy protocol for stress-related...Full Text Available
The widely accepted oxidative stress theory of aging postulates that aging results from accumulation of oxidative damage. Surprisingly, data from the longest-living rodent known, naked mole-rats [MRs;...Full Text Available
The osmoprotectant Pro betaine is the main betaine identified in alfalfa (Medicago sativa). We have investigated the long-term responses of nodulated alfalfa plants to salt stress,...Full Text Available
BackgroundAn earlier study showed that a week of yoga practice was useful in stress management after a natural calamity. Due to heavy rain and a rift on the banks of the Kosi river,...Full Text Available
... Austrian Environment Minister Nikolaus Berlakovich called for such stress tests on Sunday (13 March) to make sure that nuclear power stations were quake-proof following Japan's massive earthquake and tsunami. Austria, a mountainous country rich in geothermal energy, has no NPPs and no plans to develop ...
The effect of water stress on patterns of nitrate reductase activity in the leaves and nodules and on nitrogen fixation were investigated in Medicago sativa L. plants watered 1 week...Full Text Available
Mitochondrial heat shock protein 70 (mtHSP70) is found to play a primary role in cellular defense against physiological stress like exposure to environmental contaminants and helpful in the maintenance...Full Text Available
A discussion of how stress and strain affect the quantities which can be measured in an NQR experiment shows that, for stresses of the magnitude to be expected at depths up to about 10,000 feet, quadrupole coupling constants will fall in the range of 1 to 10 kHz for both the sodium and chloride ions in NaCl. The most promising system involves pulsed nuclear double resonance detection; and alterative is to observe the quadrupolar splitting of the NMR signal. Choices to be made in the measurement and mapping techniques are discussed. The well-known perturbation of the homogenous stress field in the neighborhood of a borehole is shown to be advantageous from the point of view of obtaining directional information on the stress. Construction and operation of a borehole stress sensor are considered. The NQR technique seems feasible for measuring the magnitude and direction of underground ...
The problems of the thermal stress in concrete structures are roughly divided into the initial stress due to setting heat and the stress due to external temperature after hardening. The initial stress exists in every concrete structure, and it is usually neglected in beams and columns, but it must be taken into account in case of the foundation mat structures in nuclear power stations, for example. In this paper, (1) the results of measurement of temperature, strain and stress in each lift at the time of and after placing concrete in the foundation mat of a nuclear power station and the comparison of them with the results of analysis, (2) the results of measurement of the temperature and stress in a foundation mat, which was carried out to rationalize the design method for the raft type foundation mats in thermal power stations, and (3) the results of ...
This report is a continuation of the former efforts to elucidate the behavior of ferrocement concrete in static and dynamic stress fields. The influence of various reinforcements on pre and post cracking of thin sections forms the main topic of this repor...
SummaryMycobacterium tuberculosis has 10 universal stress proteins, whose function is unknown. However, proteomic and transcriptomic analyses have shown that a number...Full Text Available
Oxidative stress has been implicated in the etiology of age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia). However, the underlying mechanisms by which oxidative stress contributes to sarcopenia have not been thoroughly...Full Text Available
BackgroundClinical studies suggest that local wall shear stress (WSS) patterns modulate the site and the progression of atherosclerotic lesions. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)...Full Text Available
Accumulation of molecular damage and increased molecular heterogeneity are hallmarks of cellular aging. Mild stress-induced hormesis can be an effective way for reducing the accumulation of molecular...Full Text Available
Gene arrays containing all currently known open reading frames of Bacillus subtilis were used to examine the general stress response of Bacillus. By proteomics, transcriptional...Full Text Available
Neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region are particularly sensitive to oxidative stress (OS), whereas those in CA3 are resistant. To uncover mechanisms for selective CA1 vulnerability to OS, we...Full Text Available
BackgroundStress fractures are a significant problem among athletes and soldiers and may result in devastating complications or even permanent handicap. Genetic factors may increase...Full Text Available
BackgroundA strong association between stress resistance and longevity in multicellular organisms has been established as many mutations that extend lifespan also show increased...Full Text Available
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) has been widely used as a stress-related phenotypic marker of developmental instability. However, previous studies relating FA to various stressful conditions have produced...Full Text Available
BackgroundClara cell protein (CC16), the main secretory product of bronchiolar Clara cells, plays an important protective role in the respiratory tract against oxidative stress and...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe motivation for this study was to investigate how role stress among nurses could affect their job satisfaction and organizational commitment, and whether the job rotation...Full Text Available
BackgroundTrichloroethylene (TCE) may induce oxidative stress which generates free radicals and alters antioxidants or oxygen-free radical scavenging enzymes.MethodsTwenty...Full Text Available
AIMS:This study aimed to determine the effect of 50 days of forced swimming stress on fertilization capacity of rat and subsequent offspring quality.SETTING...Full Text Available
Small RAC/ROP-family G proteins regulate development and stress responses in plants. Transient overexpression and RNA interference experiments suggested that the barley (Hordeum vulgare)...Full Text Available
The sirtuin Sirt6 is a NAD-dependent histone deacetylase that is implicated in gene regulation and lifespan control. Sirt6 can interact with the stress-responsive transcription factor NF-κB...Full Text Available
Iron undergoes a polymorphic phase transformation from alpha phase (bcc) to the epsilon phase (hcp) when compressed to stresses exceeding 13 CPa. Bccause the epsilon phase is denser than the alpha phase, a single shock wave is unstable and breaks up into an elastic wave, a plastic wave, and a phase transition wave. Examination of this structured wave coupled with various phase transformation models has been used to indirectly examine the transition kinetics. Recently, multimillion atom simulations (molecular dynamics) have been used to examine the shock-induced transition in single crystal iron illustrating an orientation dependence of the transition stress, mechanisms, and kinetics. The objective of the current work was to perform plate impact experiments to examine the shock-response of polycrystalline and single crystal iron with nanosecond resolution for impact stresses spanning the {alpha} - {epsilon} transition. The ...
The influences of compressive stress on the dielectric properties of (1 - x)Pb(In{sub 1/2}Nb{sub 1/2})O{sub 3}-xPbTiO{sub 3} (x = 0.1-0.5) ceramics was investigated in this study. The dielectric properties were measured under compressive stress applied parallel and perpendicular to electric field. The results clearly showed that the superimposed compression stress had pronounced effects on the dielectric properties of PIN-PT ceramics. In general, with increasing compressive stress the dielectric constant of the ceramics increased and decreased when the stress was applied parallel and perpendicular, respectively, to the electric field direction. The dielectric loss tangent, however, decreased in both stress cases. The observations were mainly interpreted in terms of competing influences of the domain switching through non-180 deg. domain walls, clamping of domain ...
BackgroundBallet Dancers have been shown to have a relatively high incidence of stress fractures of the foot and ankle. It was our objective to examine MR imaging patterns of bone...Full Text Available
BackgroundArsenic (As) exposure during pregnancy induces oxidative stress and increases the risk of fetal loss and low birth weight.ObjectivesIn...Full Text Available
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ameliorative potential of quercetin (QC) against paracetamol (PCM)-induced oxidative stress and biochemical alterations in mice blood. A total of 36...Full Text Available
The cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) has emerged as a key regulator of metabolism, stress resistance and longevity. Apart from its role as ...Full Text Available
Biological membranes are lamellar structures composed of two leaflets capable of supporting different mechanical stresses. Stress differences between leaflets were generated during micromechanical experiments...Full Text Available
We report a case of stress fracture of the clavicle associated with sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis. A 60-year-old man sustained a stress fracture of the right clavicle with no history of trauma. On radiography, hyperostosis of the anterior chest wall and ankylosis of the sternoclavicular joint were evident in addition to the fracture. Fracture healing was uneventful after 2.5 months. Ankylosis of the sternoclavicular joint may have caused increased stress at the midshaft of the clavicle by daily activity or minor trauma. Such a fracture is a rare complication of sternocostoclavicular hyperostosis. (orig.)
The threshold stress intensities for stress corrosion crack propagation in beta titanium alloy 38-6-44, Ti3Al-8V-6Cr-4Mo-4Zr, has been determined in salt water and methanolic solutions. The alloy was immune to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in aqueous sodium chloride solutions (marine atmosphere). However, in methanolic solutions, the alloy was very susceptible to SCC. This marked susceptibility in methanolic solutions can be mitigated by the addition of an inhibitor: sodium nitrate. Crack extension in the alloy was transgranular and failure occurred by brittle quasi-cleavage in methanolic solutions.
Results of investigation of stress corrosion cracking of steam turbine materials in nuclear, fossil and geothermal power plants have been analysed. The role of factors that cause damage to rotor discs, mono block and welding rotors of steam turbines has been shown. These are yield stress and steel composition, stress intensity coefficient and crack growth rate, composition and temperature of the condensed steam and water, electrochemical conditions. The conclusion has been made about the state of stress corrosion cracking of the rotors materials, and main investigation trends which are necessary to solve this problem have been listed.
Significant temperature differences occur between the internal structure and the outer skin of the Space Shuttle Orbiter as it returns from space. These temperature differences cause important thermal stresses. A finite element model containing thousands of degrees of freedom is used to predict these stresses. A ground test was performed to verify the prediction method. The analysis and test results compare favorably. (orig.).
Stress relaxation was studied at 408 K on AZ31 reinforced by ceramic foam produced by in situ foaming of filler loaded preceramic polymer melt. Reinforcement causes significant enhancement of the resistance against stress relaxation compared to AZ91. It is correlated with hardening by the ceramic skeleton as well as ceramic particles formed in the AZ31-matrix. (orig.)
SummaryExposure to stress during prenatal or early postnatal life can dramatically impact adult behavior and neuroendocrine function. We recently began to selectively breed Sprague-Dawley...Full Text Available
Stress exposure increases the risk of addictive drug use in human and animal models of drug addiction by mechanisms that are not completely understood. Mice subjected to repeated forced swim stress...Full Text Available
The dominant fracture parameters used in fracture mechanics analyses of pipelines are related to the asymptotic crack-tip stress and strain fields at the crack tip. This paper reviewed new developments in constraint-sensitive fracture mechanics for the assessment of pipeline girth weld integrity. Constraint theories and experimental studies were evaluated. Constraint models included brittle fracture models and ductile fracture models. Constraint models for brittle fracture are based on weakest link statistics and Weibull distribution. Specifically designed experimental tests are often necessary to derive the damage parameters of ductile fracture models. Experimental test data must then be calibrated with finite element analyses (FEA) to ensure that the correct damage parameters are chosen. The effects of specimen geometry and loading condition are characterized by the T stress, while Q stress is the hydrostatic ...
During the erection of the Sandia 34-Meter VAWT Test Bed, the induced gravitational stress state in the turbine blades and their associated deflections were measured. This manuscript details the measurements that were taken on the Test Bed blades during erection and compares them to the stresses and deflections predicted by the NASTRAN finite element code.
In order to perform the structural analysis and stress evaluation for frame structures in the nuclear power plants, ADAMS (AIJ Design Analysis and Modules System) has been developed by the addition of the following functions to the ICES-STRUDL system. 1. Load combination and stress evaluation on the basis of specifications for designing steel structure (issued by the Architecture Institute of Japan). 2. Combination of load and stress evaluation of piping support on the basis of the regulations of Ministry of International Trade and Industry. 3. Addition of other functions than that described above. ADAMS enables structural analysis and stress evaluation exactly and efficiently not only for a large scale structure such as the pipe whip protection structure installed inside of the primary containment vessel for many loading cases but also for a large number of structures such as piping support. This ...
The constituent phases and associated deformed microstructure of the quenched Ti-xNb-(0.5-1.5) at.% Si alloy consisting of non-cytotoxicity elements, where x = 24-30 at.%, were investigated to provide pseudoelasticity for biomedical and sensor applications. Optical microscopy revealed that stress-induced martensitic transformation takes place during the deformation in the present alloys. It is confirmed from the X-ray diffraction results of the deformed specimens that the crystal structure of the stress-induced martensite phase is the orthorhombic so-called #alpha#'' structure. Within the alloys having #beta#(bcc) phase studied Nb-poor region appeared to exhibit a dominant behavior for stress-induced martensitic transformation than Nb-rich region. This result suggests that metastable #beta# phase is superior to stable #beta# phase for the occurrence of stress-induced martensitic transformation in the ...
A kind of metastable beta titanium alloy, i.e. Ti-10Mo-8V-1Fe-3.5Al, was aged under elastic compressive stress. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations revealed that, in the stress-aged samples, precipitated alpha plates were parallel to each other. However, in the conventionally aged samples, alpha plates intersected each other. In other words, variant of alpha plate was selected in the stress-aged samples. Tensile tests showed that, at equivalent tensile strength, the stress-aged samples exhibited higher ductility, compared to the conventionally aged ones.
Harvested plant organs such as heads of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) experience a range of stresses that can lead to premature reduction in quality and eventual senescence. Understanding plant responses to stress may open up novel opportunities to extend postharvest life. One of the first stresses experienced by harvested organs is likely to be water deficit stress since severance of the vascular system halts the normal flux of water into the tissue. For broccoli branchlets with their cut ends held in water, transcriptome analysis based on hybridization of broccoli floret mRNA to a heterologous Arabidopsis microarray revealed that the transcript abundance of 431 genes reliably changed within 48h of harvest. Of these, transcripts of 146 genes increased and 34 genes decreased...
Maternal stress during pregnancy, particularly that combined with low socioeconomic status (SES), has been linked to an increased risk for impaired behavioural and emotional development and affective disorders in children. In animal models, acute periods of prenatal stress have profound effects on hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function and behaviour. However, few studies have determined the impact of chronic exposure to stress in animal models. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of chronic maternal stress (CMS) during the 2nd half of pregnancy and nursing on growth, locomotor behaviour and HPA axis function in juvenile guinea pig offspring. Pregnant guinea pigs were exposed to a random combination of variable stressors every other day over the 2nd half of gestat...
The accurate measurement of a stress level is one of the most important issues in a stress diagnosis and its measurement could be of great value in clinical medicine. Stress has a potent effect on the spirit and physical condition of an individual. There are various methods available for its measurement. Some of the commonly used techniques for the diagnosis of a stress level include analysis of the body fluids, questionnaire assessments, psychophysiological evaluations and by determining heart rate variability (HRV) of subjects. However, the existing diagnostic methods have several defects like, a low sensitivity, inaccuracy and long of operation time. In this report, we present a diagnostic technology to detect a stress level which is the origin of various diseases. This method can be of great help in providing an early diagnosis through a biosensor and might play a vital role in ...
A numerical study of a natural convection in a rectangular cavity with the low-Reynolds-number differential stress and flux model is presented. The primary emphasis of the study is placed on the investigation of the accuracy and numerical stability of the low-Reynolds-number differential stress and flux model for a natural convection problem. The turbulence model considered in the study is that developed by Peeters and Henkes (1992) and further refined by Dol and Hanjalic (2001), and this model is applied to the prediction of a natural convection in a rectangular cavity together with the two-layer model, the shear stress transport model and the time-scale bound #upsilon#"2-f model, all with an algebraic heat flux model. The computed results are compared with the experimental data commonly used for the validation of the turbulence models. It is shown that the low-Reynolds-number differential stress and ...
Much research has been done to estimate the residual stress on a dissimilar metal weld. There are many methods to estimate the weld residual stress and FEM (Finite Element Method) is generally used due to the advantage of the parametric study. And the X-ray method and a Hole Drilling technique for an experimental method are also usually used. The aim of this paper is to develop the appropriate FEM model to estimate the residual stresses of the dissimilar overlay weld pipe. For this, firstly, the specimen of the dissimilar overlay weld pipe was manufactured. The SA 508 Gr3 nozzle, the SA 182 safe end and SA376 pipe were welded by the Alloy 182. And the overlay weld by the Alloy 52M was performed. The residual stress of this specimen was measured by using the Neutron Diffraction device in the HANARO (High-flux Advanced Neutron Application ReactOr) research reactor, KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research ...
The combined effects of environment, yield strength and stress state on the cracking susceptibility of beta-extruded Ti-6Al-6V-2Sn have been examined. At a constant yield strength and under plane strain conditions, the stress intensity required for slow crack propagation decreased as the severity of the environment increased, i.e., from laboratory air to 3.5% NaCl. Furthermore, the crack propagation rates were a function of both stress intensity, and environmental severity. Although the fracture toughness and threshold stress intensities for slow crack growth generally decreased with increasing yield strength, aging, which resulted in the precipitation of ordered Ti3Al particles in the primary alpha phase, tended to accentuate the susceptibility of this alloy to sustained load/stress corrosion cracking. Finally, at constant yield strength, the sustained load cracking threshold ...
Internal pressure creep tests as well as uniaxial creep tests were conducted on 9Cr and 12Cr steels welded joints in order to evaluate creep strength of the high chromium steels welded parts under multiaxial stress conditions, where a welding direction of the internal pressure specimen was longitudinal one. Except under high stress conditions, cracks occurred at fine grained HAZ region for both materials, i.e., the type IV mode fracture. Regarding creep voids distribution along thickness direction of the internal pressure specimens, the creep voids were predominantly observed in the middle of the thickness at the HAZ region while they might be negligible in outer and inner surface of the specimen. Finite element analysis which considers HAZ and weld metal properties revealed that the principal stress (hoop stress) and the stress multiaxiality are the largest in the middle of the ...
The code of ASME Sec. III prescribes the general rules upon the design of a NSSS (nuclear steam supply system). The code provides further flexibility to the design of the nuclear structures by introducing a design by analysis concept. But it still preserves the conservatisms in design works by imposing strict failure mechanism and controlling material properties in use. A designer should prove the integrity of a structure under consideration by comparing the stress intensity, which was driven from the linearization of stress at concerning section, with the prescribed one. The recent development in computing system has enabled the commercial finite element programs to be a prevailing way to structural analysis field. But only few programs provide the procedure for stress linearization through the post-processing stage. Therefore, the simplified method which uses nodal stresses over the concerning section ...
The main purpose of this paper is to explore a numerical algorithm for determining the contact stress when a circular crowned roller is compressed between two plates. To start with, the deformation curve on a plate surface will be derived by using the contact mechanical model. Then, the contact stress distribution along the roller which occurs on the plate surface is divided into three parts: from the center of contact to the edge, the edge and apart from the contact line. The first part is calculated by the elastic contact theorem for the contact subjected to nominal stress between non-crowned parts of roller and plates, the second part is obtained by the classical Hertzian contact solution for the contact between crowned parts of roller and plates, and the third part is simulated as exponential decay. In order to overcome the defect of the half space theorem, in which a plate with infinite thickness is assumed initially, ...
The overall goal of this work is to design and optimize a biodiesel production process from soybean oil. To achieve this goal, several inter-connected activities were undertaken. First, an initial flowsheet for the process was synthesized. The performance of this flowsheet along with the key design and operating criteria were identified by conducting computer-aided simulation using ASPEN Plus. Various scenarios were simulated to provide sufficient understanding and insights and to select a base-case flowsheet. Next, mass and energy integration studies were performed to reduce the consumption of material and energy utilities, improve environmental impact, and enhance profitability. Capital cost estimation was carried out using the ICARUS Process Evaluator computer-aided tool linked to the results of the ASPEN Plus simulation. The operating cost of the process was estimated using the key information on process operation such as raw materials, utilities, and labor. A ...
Government agencies responsible for protecting the public from the adverse effects of toxic chemicals must set priorities for research, regulatory action, protocol testing, and monitoring due to the vast number of toxic chemicals and the limited resources available to these agencies. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) must set priorities for research on hazards encountered in the workplace. Priorities are also utilized by NIOSH in preparing criteria for recommended occupational standards which are forwarded to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, for possible promulgation. For various reasons, including rapidly changing conditions in the American workplace, NIOSH has instituted a revised priorities program. In the future, NIOSH research and recommended standards activities will focus not only on individual chemicals, but also on industries, occupations, chemical classes, and general ...
Fact sheet on an analysis system for dyebath processes in the carpet manufacturing industry written for the NICE3 Program. The Georgia Institute of Technology (G.I.T.) has developed an effective automated dyebath analysis and reuse system that improves the energy, environmental, and economic performance of dyehouse batch operations. The new system enables dyeing solutions to be accurately monitored and adjusted for reuse. According to industry estimates, 160 pounds of water are used to produce each pound of textile product. The current wasteful batch dyeing process requires all water and residual chemicals, as well as the energy required to heat the mixture for dyeing, to be dumped after one application. Spent dyebaths can only be reused after they are sampled, analyzed, and reconstituted, a process requiring labor and expertise that are unavailable in the dyehouses. Therefore, successful commercial reuse depends on an automated analysis system that precisely ...
The effect of fetal distress on the neonatal brain was investigated by neonatal CT brain scan, FHR monitoring and mode of delivery. This study involved 11 cases of full term vertex delivery in which FHR was recorded by fetal direct ECG during the second stage labor. All infants weighed 2,500 g or more. FHR monitoring was evaluated by Hon's classification. Neonatal brain edema was evaluated by cranial CT histgraphic analysis (Nakada's method). 1) Subdural hemorrhage was noted in 6 of 7 infants delivered by vacuum extraction or fundal pressure (Kristeller's method). 2) Intracranial hemorrhage was demonstrated in all of 3 infants with 5-min. Apgar score 7 or less. 3) Two cases with prolonged bradycardia and no variability had intraventricular or intracerebral hemorrhage which resulted in severe central nervous system damage. 4) The degree of neonatal brain edema correlated with 5-min. Apgar score. 5) One case with prolonged bradycardia and ...
The effect of fetal distress on the neonatal brain was investigated by neonatal CT brain scan, FHR monitoring and mode of delivery. This study involved 11 cases of full term vertex delivery in which FHR was recorded by fetal direct ECG during the second stage labor. All infants weighed 2,500 g or more. FHR monitoring was evaluated by Hon's classification. Neonatal brain edema was evaluated by cranial CT histgraphic analysis (Nakada's method). 1) Subdural hemorrhage was noted in 6 of 7 infants delivered by vacuum extraction or fundal pressure (Kristeller's method). 2) Intracranial hemorrhage was demonstrated in all of 3 infants with 5-min. Apgar score 7 or less. 3) Two cases with prolonged bradycardia and no variability had intraventricular or intracerebral hemorrhage which resulted in severe central nervous system damage. 4) The degree of neonatal brain edema correlated with 5-min. Apgar score. 5) One case with prolonged bradycardia and no variability resulted in ...
The U.S. Department of Energy`s (DOE) Environmental Management Office of Science and Technology (EM-50) authorized studies on alternative systems for treating contact-handled DOE mixed low-level radioactive waste (MLLW). The on-going Integrated Thermal Treatment Systems` (ITTS) and the Integrated Nonthermal Treatment Systems` (INTS) studies satisfy this request. EM-50 further authorized supporting studies including this technology and subsystem cost sensitivity analysis. This analysis identifies areas where technology development could have the greatest impact on total life cycle system costs. These areas are determined by evaluating the sensitivity of system life cycle costs relative to changes in life cycle component or phase costs, subsystem costs, contingency allowance, facility capacity, operating life, and disposal costs. For all treatment systems, the most cost sensitive life cycle phase is the operations and maintenance phase and the most cost sensitive subsystem is the ...
Genetic mapping is approached using the techniques of high resolution fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). This technology and the results of its application are designed to rapidly generate whole genome as tool box of expressed sequence to speed the identification of human disease genes. The results of this study are intended to dovetail with and to link the results of existing technologies for creating backbone YAC and genetic maps. In the first eight months, this approach generated 60--80% of the expressed sequence map, the remainder expected to be derived through more long-term, labor-intensive, regional chromosomal gene searches or sequencing. The laboratory has made significant progress in the set-up phase, in mapping fetal and adult brain and other cDNAs, in testing a model system for directly linking genetic and physical maps using FISH with small fragments, in setting up a database, and in establishing the validity and throughput of the system.
Designed primarily for Missouri vocational agricultural instructors participating in the Farm Business Management Analysis Program, this instructor's guide, consisting of 10 lessons, deals with adjusting a farm business to increase profits. The following topics are covered in the individual lessons: law and the farm family, planning income tax management, closing the record book and planning cash flow, evaluating family living expenses, determining the most profitable livestock enterprise, determining the most profitable cropping system, planning the farm marketing program, adjusting capital investments to increase net profit, planning for efficient labor use, and controlling costs. Included in each section are suggestions for a review of previous materials covered, an objective, motivational techniques, key points to be addressed in the lesson, information to be introduced during the lesson, guidelines for holding a group discussion, conclusions, end-of-class ...
This report documents a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the economy of Haiti, emphasizing energy use in agriculture. CGE models compare favorably with econometric models for developing countries in terms of their ability to take advantage of available data. The model of Haiti contains ten production sectors: manufacturing, services, transportation, electricity, rice, coffee, sugar cane, sugar refining, general agriculture, and fuelwood and charcoal. All production functions use functional forms which permit factor substitution. Consumption is specified for three income categories of consumers and a government sector with a linear expenditure system (LES) of demand equations. The economy exports four categories of products and imports six. Balanced trade and capital accounts are required for equilibrium. Total sectoral allocations of land, labor and capital are constrained to equal the quantities of these inputs in the Haitian economy as of the early ...
External inefficiency in education--inequity between the characteristics of graduates and the job market--is a problem in Indonesia and many other countries. Job markets at the junior secondary level are very tight in Indonesia with low levels of unemployment at all ages, short job-search times, and high real rates of return. Unemployment, however, among the senior secondary vocational and senior secondary general school graduates is high, even though the real rates of return are also high. The same is true for college and university graduates. Rates decrease, however, as years pass after graduation. There are several reasons for this external inefficiency: underinvestment in secondary education, increased use of market signals for planning and annual budgeting decisions, excess"social demand" for higher education and insufficient resource recovery, inaccurate selection criteria, and inadequate educational financing methods. Several policy options could be implemented. The importance ...
When postpartum cervical biopsy specimens were compared with biopsy specimens from nonpregnant women, they revealed a 12-fold decrease in mechanical strength, a 50% reduction in the concentrations of collagen and sulfated glycosaminoglycans, a 35% reduction in hyaluronic acid, an increase in collagen extractability, and a fivefold increase in collagenolytic activity. Primiparas with relatively high concentrations of collagen and hyaluronic acid had relatively long cervical dilatation times during established labor, suggesting a physiologic importance to these variables. This correlation was not found in multiparas, even though the mean values of the biochemical parameters tested were similar to those in primiparas. Second-trimester biopsy specimens taken from patients with cervical incompetence contained normal collagen concentrations, but relatively high collagen extractabilities and collagenolytic activities, exceeding normal postpartum values. A biopsy specimen ...
Claims of property value loss are commonly raised by homeowners when noxious facilities are sited or when new information about the hazards of existing facilities is made public. While the capitalization of externalities into land values is consistent with economic theory, empirical measurement of impacts has not generated consistent results. This is true both for hedonic measurements as well as other types of econometric analyses. While it is well established that job and site risks have similar impacts on regional labor markets, there are no studies relating the presence of a broad range of noxious facilities to local wage premiums. In contrast, this study employs an interregional framework in a hedonic analysis of both wage and property markets and considers eight different facility classifications. This paper discusses the development of the hedonic model employed in this study. It develops more fully the theoretical advantages of the intercity model and ...
Claims of property value loss are commonly raised by homeowners when noxious facilities are sited or when new information about the hazards of existing facilities is made public. While the capitalization of externalities into land values is consistent with economic theory, empirical measurement of impacts has not generated consistent results. This is true both for hedonic measurements as well as other types of econometric analyses. While it is well established that job and site risks have similar impacts on regional labor markets, there are no studies relating the presence of a broad range of noxious facilities to local wage premiums. In contrast, this study employs an interregional framework in a hedonic analysis of both wage and property markets and considers eight different facility classifications. This paper discusses the development of the hedonic model employed in this study. It develops more fully the theoretical advantages of the intercity model and ...
Biomass tensile and shear ultimate failure stresses were measured with the aim of identifying biomass 'weakest mode of failure' or 'natural fracture point' as a basis for future grinder designs. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) ultimate stresses were determined for Alamo and Kanlow varieties over ranges in maturity and moisture content. Alamo had greater ultimate tensile stress than Kanlow (P=0.0091), with mean values of 97.8 and 89.7MPa, respectively. Alamo had greater ultimate shear stress than Kanlow (P=0.0091), with mean values of 20.5 and 17.9MPa, respectively. Shear was the 'weakest mode of failure'. Grinders that use knives, shear bars, and mechanical pinch points that apply opposed-sliding actions are expected to be more energy efficient. Mean ultimate tensile stress and shear stress were ...
Correlation between mechanical stress and hydrogen effects on radiation damage in polycide-gate MOS capacitors was investigated as a function of gate-oxide thickness. The compressive stress magnitude was altered by varying the silicide (TiSi/sub 2/ or WSi/sub 2/) thickness in the polycide-gate electrode, and hydrogen introduction into gate-SiO/sub 2/ film was carried out by diffusion from plasma-deposited silicon-nitride passivation film (SiN-Cap). In a MOS capacitor without passivation film (No-Cap sample), it was found that compressive stress on gate-SiO/sub 2/ reduces both positive charge build-up (..delta..Qot) and interface-trap generation (..delta..Dit). Radiation induced shift, ..delta..Qot exhibits a smaller stress effect as compared with ..delta..Dit. As gate-SiO/sub 2/ thickness decreases, the stress effect on ..delta..Qot increases, while this effect on ..delta..Dit ...
According to the LeChatelier-Braun principle, when a closed quiescent system initially in an equilibrium or unstressed steady state is subjected to an externally imposed ``stress'' it responds in a manner tending to alleviate that stress. Use of this entropically based qualitative rule, in combination with the notion of Maxwell thermal stresses existing in nonisothermal gases and liquids, enables one to (i) derive Maxwell's thermal-creep boundary condition prevailing at the boundary between a solid and a fluid (either gas or liquid) and (ii) rationalize the phenomenon of thermophoresis in liquids, for which, in contrast with the case of gases, an elementary explanation is currently lacking. These two objectives are achieved by quantitatively interpreting the heretofore qualitative LeChatelier-Braun notion of stress in the present context as being the fluid's stress tensor, the ...
Nerve growth factor (NGF), a survival factor for neurons enforces pain by sensitizing nociceptors. Also in the pancreas, NGF was associated with pain and it can stimulate the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells. Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) respond to NGF with apoptosis. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-b, one of the strongest pro-fibrogenic activators of pancreatic stellate cells (PSC) induced NGF and its two receptors in an immortalized human cell line (ihPSC) and primary rat PSC (prPSC) as determined by RT-PCR, western blot, and immunofluorescence. In contrast to HSC, PSC expressed both NGF receptors, although p75NTR expression was weak in prPSC. In contrast to ihPSC TGF-b activated both Smad signaling cascades in prPSC. NGF secretion was diminished by the activin-like kinase (ALK)...
The E and P industry has high levels of uncertainty and risk, which oil companies attempt to quantify before embarking on each individual E and P project. However, the actual return on investment often falls well short of the hurdle rate. This discrepancy has been attributed to systemic limitations in decision analysis processes and workflow, which result in repeated underestimation of risk and overestimation of the predicted production of the project. Well designed decision analysis processes in association with clearly defined, multi-scenario analyses of significant technical uncertainties are required. However, simulation of these uncertainties is not realistic given the performance and infrastructure limitations of conventional technology (Begg et al., 2001; Floris and Peersmann, 2000). During the past five years, more than 20 companies have attempted to map the requirements of new technology that is needed to improve uncertainty assessment and decision analysis. ...
Uterus didelphys with obstructed hemivagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis is a rare entity, sometimes referred to as Herlyn-Werner-Wunderlich syndrome (HWW). It usually presents after menarche with progressive pelvic pain, sometimes with regular menses, and a palpable mass due to hemihaematocolpos. The diagnosis is generally made only if the suspicion of this genitourinary syndrome is raised. To highlight the imaging diagnostic clues in this rare condition. We report on 11 adolescents with this condition. Sonography mostly allowed the correct diagnosis by showing uterovaginal duplication, haematocolpos or haematometrocolpos, and the absence of the ipsilateral kidney. MRI provided more detailed information regarding uterine morphology, the continuity with each vaginal channel (obstructed and nonobstructed), and the bloody nature of the contents. Early and accurate diagnosis of this syndrome is important so that adequate and prompt surgical therapy (excision of the ...
Over 300 cases of femoral neck fractures following radiotherapy for intrapelvic malignant tumor have been reported in various countries since Baensch reported this disease in 1927. In Japan, 40 cases or so have been reported, and cases of bilateral femoral neck fractures have not reached to ten cases. The authors experienced a case of 75 year-old female who received radiotherapy for cancer of the uterus, and suffered from right femoral neck fracture 3 months after and left femoral neck fracture one year and half after. As clinical symptoms, she had not previous history of trauma in bilateral femurs, but she complained of a pain in a hip joint and of gait disturbance. The pain in left femoral neck continued for about one month before fracture was recognized with roentgenogram. As histopathological findings, increase of fat marrow, decrease of bone trabeculae, and its marked degeneration were recognized. Proliferation of some blood vessels was ...
The aortovenous fistulas are rare, most of them are aortocaval fistula. The non-caval communication of the fistula is sparse. Herein we report a 47-year-old female diagnosed as traumatic aorto-superior mesenteric vein (Ao-SMV) fistula. The abdominal pain, fullness, and frank bruit on abdominal auscultation suggested the diagnosis of an intra-abdominal arteriovenous fistula. The diagnosis of Ao-SMV was further confirmed by the computed tomography (CT) and aortography. The fistula was successfully treated with transcatheter coil embolization. This is the first case of Ao-SMV fistula. It provides an alternative option of treatment other than conventional surgery. PMID:19327940
DescriptionLameness, commonly referred to as the leg health, in the modern broiler chicken is an emotive issue and the debate surrounding this subject is not helped by the lack of agreement as to how leg health should be assessed. A commonly used tool for scoring leg health is the Bristol Gait Score, a technique used in the recently reported Defra project AW0230 (`Leg Health and Welfare in Commercial Broiler Production`). The authors of the final report for AW0230 noted that for the chickens gait scored [continued...
Fifty patients scheduled to undergo IVF received a standard anesthetic of fentanyl and propofol for induction, followed by propofol infusion, with Bispectral index values and modified Ramsey sedation scores recorded at 5-minute intervals for the duration of anesthesia care. Moderate sedation was found only transiently during the first 5-10 minutes of the oocyte retrieval, but thereafter the level of sedation increased, with deep sedation and general anesthesia measured in all patients as determined by both the Bispectral index scores and lack of response to painful stimulation.
Visceral hypersensitivity is currently considered a key pathophysiological mechanism involved in pain perception in large subgroups of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In IBS, visceral hypersensitivity has been described in 20%?90% of patients. The contribution of the central nervous system and psychological factors to visceral hypersensitivity in patients with IBS may be significant, although still debated. Peripheral factors have gained increasing attention following the recognition that infectious enteritis may trigger the development of persistent IBS symptoms, and the identification of mucosal immune, neural, endocrine, microbiological, and intestinal permeability abnormalities. Growing evidence suggests that these factors ...
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is frequently used for relief of chronic benign pain resistant to conservative therapies. Clinical practice suggests, at least in patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), the possibility that SCS significantly improves motor performances. We present here the case of a 41-years-old female patient with FBSS, who showed a clear improvement in muscle strength after SCS, persisting at 6-months follow-up. We speculate that the electrical stimulation of posterior columns could potentiate the caudal, segmental spinal reflexes resulting in a facilitation of motoneurons activation. PMID:16175150
A 60-year-old male was bitten by a venomous snake (Vipera ammodytes) and gradually developed signs of an allergic reaction including generalized itching, generalized rash, and chest discomfort. This was followed by severe retrosternal pain with electrocardiographic evidence of an inferior myocardial ischemia progressing to acute myocardial infarction. Cardiac enzymes and troponin, serum tryptase, and histamine were elevated. Coronary arteriography showed normal coronary arteries. This is a characteristic type I variant of Kounis syndrome, which is the concurrence of acute coronary syndromes with conditions associated with mast cell activation including allergic or hypersensitivity reactions as well as anaphylactic or anaphylactoid reactions. This is the first report to show that viper bite...
Periureteral or subtrigonal injection of dextranomer/hyaluronic acid (Dx/HA) copolymer (Deflux, Q-Med, Uppsala, Sweden) is an increasingly common endoscopic treatment for vesicoureteral reflux. We report a confusing radiographic finding of bilateral calcified Dx/HA injections initially thought to represent bilateral distal ureteral stones in a boy who presented with intermittent periumbilical pain. Urologists, radiologists, and emergency room physicians should be aware of the potential for calcification of ureteral implants of Dx/HA, and of the potentially confusing radiographic images that may result. (orig.)
Aim: To evaluate the role of computed tomography (CT) in needle placement for ganglion impar blocks, and to determine the efficacy of CT-guided ganglion impar blocks in the management of coccydynia. Materials and methods: The results of ganglion impar blockade in eight patients with coccydynia secondary to trauma or unknown cause were reviewed. The diagnosis of coccydynia was based on clinical history, location of pain, and response to previous diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The eight patients were treated with CT-guided ganglion impar blocks to manage their coccyx pain after conservative procedures, including oral medication and cushions, failed to provide relief. All patients were subjected to ganglion impar blocks under a thin-section CT-guided technique for needle placement, using a mixture of bupivacaine and triamcinolone. The patients were followed-up for a period of 6-months. Results: Eight patients were treated in this study ...
Botulinum neurotoxin is produced by the bacterium, Clostridium botulinum. The neurotoxin inhibits acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction, thus interfering with overall muscular contraction. Botulinum neurotoxin is commonly used for the following medical conditions: cervical dystonia, upper limb spasticity, blepharospasm, strabismus, and hyperhydrosis. However, the use of botulinum neurotoxin was recently approved for the prophylaxis of headaches in adults with chronic migraines. The proposed mechanism of botulinum neurotoxin is no longer solely limited to the inhibition of acetylcholine. There are new mechanisms emerging that involve inhibition of proinflammatory agents and neuropeptides involved in chronic pain. Consequently, there is a disruption of the overall sensory feedback loop...
We encountered a case of Ewing's sarcoma. The patient was a 19 year-old girl, who visited a local physician because of pain in the left scapular region, and was referred to us. Roentgenograms of her left scapula revealed an irregular moth-eaten shadow which was suspected to be a malignant bone tumor. The histological diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma was comfirmed by needle biopsy. The initial stage of treatment consisted of radiation therapy (6000 rads) and chemotherapy (VAC and ADR). At the end of the initial stage, the symptoms were improved, the size of the local lesion was reduced on the roentgenogram and there was no evidence of distant metastases. (author).
Computerized tomography-guided neurolytic splanchnic nerve block is a technique for relieving abdominal cancer pain; the goal is the alcoholic neurolytic interruption of the sensitive structures in retroperitoneal space. Computerized tomography yields accurate anatomical detailing and the course for needle placement and alcohol spread. January, 1993, to July, 1996, twenty-one bilateral splanchnic nerve blocks were performed through the posterior access. Forty-eight hours after alcoholism. 14 patients (66%) had complete pain regression; 52% of the patients needed no analgesics for 6 to 54 days and only 9 patients (42%) needed another low opioid therapy. Complications included hypotension and diarrhea in all cases. One had a cardiac arrest and diet 8 days after the procedure. There were no other complications. The whole procedure usually lasted 60 min (range: 45 to 90 min). Splanchnic nerve neurolysis is a useful treatment in the patients with ...
A set of equations describing a stress-mediated evolution of the nonequilibrium dopant-defect system has been derived and analyzed. Together with coupled diffusion of dopant atoms and point defects, we consider the drift of all mobile species in different charge states, namely vacancies, self-interstitials, and pairs 'dopant atom-point defect', in the field of stress. It has been shown that stresses may affect the diffusion of dopant atoms mainly in two ways: (1) directly, due to the drift of the pairs in the field of stress; (2) indirectly, by the formation of nonuniform defect distribution due to the drift of point defects. On this basis, various features of doping processes, such as phenomena of 'uphill' impurity diffusion near the surface (within the framework of the first or second mechanisms) and the peculiarities of high concentration phosphorus diffusion (due ...
A set of equations describing a stress-mediated evolution of the nonequilibrium dopant-defect system has been derived and analyzed. Together with coupled diffusion of dopant atoms and point defects, we consider the drift of all mobile species in different charge states, namely vacancies, self-interstitials, and pairs 'dopant atom-point defect', in the field of stress. It has been shown that stresses may affect the diffusion of dopant atoms mainly in two ways: (1) directly, due to the drift of the pairs in the field of stress; (2) indirectly, by the formation of nonuniform defect distribution due to the drift of point defects. On this basis, various features of doping processes, such as phenomena of 'uphill' impurity diffusion near the surface (within the framework of the first or second mechanisms) and the peculiarities of high concentration phosphorus diffusion (due to the second mechanism), can be ...
Complete text of publication follows. The stability regime of the incommensurate phase of quartz is influenced by uniaxial stress. Hence, the phase transition can be induced under isothermal conditions by the application of external mechanical forces. Using real-time neutron scattering the time evolution of structural changes is investigated id detail during stress variations. The time dependent behaviour of the satellite reflection is compared with that one of the fundamental Bragg reflection which - via primary extinction - gives information about the perfection of the crystal. On increasing stress the perfection of the lattice is destroyed immediately while the modulated structure is built up with a delay of about 1 s. Decreasing the stress leads to a reverse behaviour. Moreover, there is evidence that under periodical load residual non-relaxed strain fields survive leading to a different temperature ...
Machines and structures, such as automobiles are usually subjected to biaxial or three-axial stresses instead of uniaxial stress. However, research on a fatigue failure under multi-axial stress has not been fully presented because such experiments are difficult. To solve this problem, we developed the servo biaxial fatigue-testing machine. In this research, we performed the biaxial fatigue tests of a magnesium alloy in order to clarify the effects from different heat treatments. Magnesium alloy is the lightest in weight among metal materials for structural use. The fatigue characteristics of a magnesium alloy are indispensable in order to create the design which ensures the reliability and the safety of the vehicles especially in long-distance run. The main conclusions are summarized as follows; (1) The mechanical property of magnesium alloy AZ31B falls by heat treatment at low temperature. (2) The crack progress speed ...
All organisms, from bacteria and yeast to humans, respond to physical and chemical stressors by increasing the synthesis of a small group of cellular stress proteins.'' The authors have developed a simple in vitro system for quickly screening environmentally relevant stressors to detect stress-induced proteins that are good candidates for biomarkers. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to detect stressor-induced, concentration-dependent changes in cellular stress protein levels in two fish cell culture systems, whereas simultaneous in vitro neutral red uptake cytotoxicity assays measured the stressors effect on cellular physiology. There was a direct concentration-dependent relationship between sublethal cytotoxic effects and the increases in stress protein levels. Increases of 50 to 200% were detected in stress proteins from desert topminnow, Poeciliopsis ...
The effects of gate and drain bias stresses on thin film transistors fabricated in polysilicon films crystallized using the advanced sequential lateral solidification excimer laser annealing (SLS ELA) process, which yields very elongated polysilicon grains and allows the fabrication of TFTs without grain boundary barriers to current flow, are investigated as a function of the active layer thickness and of the TFT orientation relative to the grains. The application of hot carrier stress, with a condition of V{sub GS} = V{sub DS}/2, was determined to induce threshold voltage, subthreshold swing and transconductance degradation for TFTs in thicker polysilicon films and the associated stress-induced increase in the active layer trap density was evaluated. However, this device degradation was drastically reduced for TFTs fabricated in ultra-thin films. Furthermore, the application of the same stress ...
The effects of gate and drain bias stresses on thin film transistors fabricated in polysilicon films crystallized using the advanced sequential lateral solidification excimer laser annealing (SLS ELA) process, which yields very elongated polysilicon grains and allows the fabrication of TFTs without grain boundary barriers to current flow, are investigated as a function of the active layer thickness and of the TFT orientation relative to the grains. The application of hot carrier stress, with a condition of V_G_S = V_D_S/2, was determined to induce threshold voltage, subthreshold swing and transconductance degradation for TFTs in thicker polysilicon films and the associated stress-induced increase in the active layer trap density was evaluated. However, this device degradation was drastically reduced for TFTs fabricated in ultra-thin films. Furthermore, the application of the same stress condition to ...
The effect of mean stress, or the stress ratio (R), on the fatigue-crack growth (FCG) behavior of #alpha#-aged and #omega#-aged microstructures of the beta titanium alloy Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al was investigated. While the mean stress had a negligible effect on the FCG behavior of the #alpha#-aged microstructure, a strong effect was observed in the #omega#-aged microstructure. In particular, the values of the threshold stress-intensity range (#DELTA#K_t_h) exhibited a strong dependence on R in the #omega#-aged microstructure, while this dependence was weak in the #alpha#-aged microstructure. These effects seem to arise primarily from fracture-surface roughness-induced crack closure. The crack closure levels for the #alpha#-aged microstructure were found to be very low compared to those for the #omega#-aged microstructure. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy studies of ...
Aims: In this study we investigated whether attenuation of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) could protect HepG2 cells from free fatty acid (FFA)-induced apoptosis. Main methods: Human liver cell line HepG2 cells were exposed to Sodium Palmitate (Pa) or Sodium Oleate (Ol). Apoptosis and ER stress of HepG2 cells were analyzed with flow cytometry, real-time RT-PCR and Western Blotting. An expression plasmid encoding for the ER chaperone immunoglobulin heavy chain-binding protein (Bip) was transfected into HepG2 cells to attenuate ER stress. Small interfering RNA siCHOP was used to knockdown the expression of C/EBP Homologous Protein (CHOP) in HepG2. Key findings: Pa led to cytotoxicity and apoptosis in HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent pattern and also induced ER stress indicated by inc...
High strain fatigue problem in steam turbine. Cyclic stress strain hysteresis loops and stress relaxation behaviour in 16 h dwell period tests. Variation of stress and strain during tests under nominally strain controlled conditions. Definition of test conditions and of criteria for crack initiation and failure. Comparison of reverse bend and push pull failure data. (orig.) 891 RW/orig. 892 RKD.
Metallic multilayers offer a fantastic playground to investigate elastic stresses in films of nanometer thickness. We will present and discuss a few examples from our recent work on Au-Ni and Ag-Cu systems where we combined plate bending measurements and electron or X-ray diffraction to investigate stress buildup and interfacial mixing. Comparing these two cases we discuss the results with respect to basic parameters like the misfits in lattice parameters and in elastic moduli, the mixing enthalpies and the surface energies.
A study of stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of Zircaloy-4 in chloride-containing aqueous methanolic media is presented. The influence of water content is investigated in the 5-100 vol. % water range. The dependence of stress corrosion cracking on potential is evidenced. A close correlation is established with pitting susceptibility determined by a statistical analysis of induction times. A correlation with the repassivation potential is observed in the water-rich solutions. In the low water content solutions, two repassivation curves are determined according to the experimental technique. Pit morphology and fractography show a transition from aqueous to organic media. (author).
The authors report a two-temperature RF bias stress test on nominal 1.2 W 7.5 GHz GaAs/AlGaAs HBT unit cell amplifiers. MTTF`s of 2020 and 1340 hours were obtained at Tj = 218{degrees}C and 245{degrees}C, respectively, under nominal input bias. An activation energy of 0.42 eV is estimated, consistent with published results for similar devices under DC bias stress.
Bragg peaks obtained in X-ray stress analysis studies are often asymmetric. The use of K/sub ..beta../ rather than K/sub ..cap alpha../ radiation simplifies the problem of peak location, as only one Bragg peak needs to be analysed. It is shown, however, that the common practice of fitting a parabola to the top 15% of the data in a Bragg peak in order to determine the peak position, when the fitted region is asymmetric, can lead to large errors in the calculated stress. Asymmetric pseudo-Lorentzian functions have been found to provide the most satisfactory fits.
The problem of thermal instability of compressible, electrically conducting couple-stress fluids in the presence of a uniform magnetic field is considered. Following the linearized stability theory and normal mode analysis, the dispersion relation is obtained. For stationary convection, the compressibility, couple-stress, and magnetic field postpone the onset of convection. Graphs have been plotted by giving numerical values of the parameters to depict the stability characteristics. The principle of exchange of stabilities is found to be satisfied. The magnetic field introduces oscillatory modes in the system that were non-existent in its absence. The case of overstability is also studied wherein a sufficient condition for the non-existence of overstability is obtained. (orig.)
It has been found out that 30HGSNA steel undergo cracking under action of stresses in aqueous solutions containing oxygen, while it show high resistance in deoxidated solutions. The purpose of such phenomena is the existence of sulfur inclusions in steel which are a centers of denting corrosion. That points acting as a stresses concentrators where pH factor decreases including hydrogen formation and its absorption in the metal. That mechanism is the main purpose of brittle steel cracking observed in oxygen rich solutions. (author).
The design of High-Voltage, Direct-Current transmission cables insulated with oil-impregnated cellulose paper is constrained by the maximum temperature and the maximum steady-state and transient stresses (voltage gradients) that the cable insulation can reliably withstand over the desired operating lifetime. Because the electrical stresses in the insulation are related in a very complex fashion to temperature, applied voltage and cable geometry, iterative techniques are required to compute the values of these stresses. Digital computers are ideally suited for these iterative techniques. This paper presents the principal equations and logic needed to develop suitable computer programs.
Past airfoil configurations have been used to improve aerodynamic performance and engine efficiencies. The present airfoil configuration further increases component life and reduces maintenance by reducing internal stress within the airfoil itself. The airfoil includes a chord and a span. Each of the chord and the span has a bow being summed to form a generally "C" configuration of the airfoil. The generally "C" configuration includes a compound bow in which internal stresses resulting from a thermal temperature gradient are reduced. The structural configuration reduces internal stresses resulting from thermal expansion.
BackgroundOxidative stress has been proposed as a mechanism linking the poor placental perfusion characteristic of preeclampsia with the clinical manifestations of...Full Text Available
The double diffusive convection in a horizontal couple stress fluid saturated anisotropic porous layer, which is heated and salted from below, is studied analytically. The modified Darcy equation that includes the time derivative term is used to model the momentum equation. The critical Rayleigh number, wavenumber for stationary and oscillatory modes, and frequency of oscillations are obtained analytically using linear theory. The effect of anisotropy parameter, solute Rayleigh number, Lewis number, couple stress parameter, and Vadasz number on the stationary, oscillatory, and finite amplitude convection is shown graphically. It is found that the thermal anisotropy parameter, couple stress parameter, and solute Rayleigh number have stabilizing effect on the stationary, oscillatory, and fin...
In response to stress, cells start transcriptional and transcription-independent programs that can lead to adaptation or death. Here, we show that multiple inducers of autophagy, including nutrient...Full Text Available
In vulnerable individuals, exposure to stressors can result in chronic disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The extended amygdala is critically implicated in mediating acute and chronic stress responsivity and anxiety-like behaviors. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a subregion of the extended amygdala, serves as a relay of corticolimbic information to the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) to directly influence the stress response. To investigate the influence of the corticosteroid milieu and housing conditions on BNST function, adult C57Bl/6J were either acutely or chronically administered corticosterone (CORT, 25mg/kg in sesame oil) or vehicle (sesame oil) or were g...
Magnetron sputter deposition was used to fabricate body centered cubic (bcc) and A-15 crystal structure W thin films. Previous work demonstrated that the as-deposited crystal structure of the films was dependent on the deposition parameters and that the formation of a metastable A-15 structure was favored over the thermodynamically stable bcc phase when the films contained a few atomic percent oxygen. However, the A-15 phase was shown to irreversibly transform into the bcc phase between 500 C and 650 C and that a significant decrease in the resistivity of the metallic films was measured after the transformation. The current investigation of 150 nm thick, sputter deposited A-15 and bcc tungsten thin films on silicon wafers consisted of a series of experiments in which the stress, resistivity and crystal structure of the films was measured as a function of temperatures cycles in a Flexus 2900 thin film stress measurement system. The as-deposited ...
The in vivo photochemical activity of photosystem II was inferred from modulated chlorophyll fluorescence and photoacoustic measurements in intact leaves of several plant species (Lycopersicon...Full Text Available
ContextCorticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), through the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and other brain stress systems, is involved in the emotional dysregulation...Full Text Available
Low residual stress silicon oxynitride thin films are investigated for use as a replacement for silicon dioxide (SiO{sub 2}) as sacrificial layer in surface micromachined microelectrical-mechanical systems (MEMS). It is observed that the level of residual stress in oxynitrides is a function of the nitrogen content in the film. MEMS film stacks are prepared using both SiO{sub 2} and oxynitride sacrificial layers. Wafer bow measurements indicate that wafers processed with oxynitride release layers are significantly flatter. Polycrystalline Si (poly-Si) cantilevers fabricated under the same conditions are observed to be flatter when processed with oxynitride rather than SiO{sub 2} sacrificial layers. These results are attributed to the lower post-processing residual stress of oxynitride compared to SiO{sub 2} and reduced thermal mismatch to poly-Si.
Phospholemman (PLM), a member of the FXYD family of regulators of ion transport, is a major sarcolemmal substrate for protein kinases A and C in cardiac and skeletal muscle. In the heart, PLM...Full Text Available
Periventricular white matter injury (PWMI), is the leading cause of chronic neurologic injury among survivors of preterm birth. The hallmark of PWMI is hypomyelination and a lack of mature,...Full Text Available
Both the sign and magnitude of residual stress can vary with the thickness of sputter deposited films. The origins of this behavior are not well understood. In this work, the authors consider the correlation between the residual stress behavior and the depth dependence of impurities in thin (2.5 nm--150 nm) sputtered Mo and Ta films. They also consider the effects of phase transformations and microstructural changes on the stress behavior. Films were deposited onto Si substrates with native oxide. The residual stress observed in the Mo films varied from highly compressive at 2.5 nm film thickness to {approximately}0 at 10 nm thickness. Ta films also exhibited a high compressive stress, which relaxed from highly compressive to tensile between 10 nm and 50 nm film thickness. Impurities in the films may originate from the sputtering targets, the background gases, and the substrate ...
Obesity is characterized by the abnormal or excessive deposition of fat in the adipose tissue. Its consequences go far beyond adverse metabolic effects on health, causing an increase in oxidative stress,...Full Text Available
Weaning of beef calves is usually done abruptly and early compared to the natural weaning of the species, and is associated with simultaneous exposure of calves to a range of social and environmental...Full Text Available
alloy (Ti6242 or T i l 100) was utilized. Parametric studies were performed to investigate variations of displacements and stresses with sandwich and ...
A new test methodology is described which allows access to loading rates that lie between split Hopkinson bar and shock-loading techniques. Gas gun experiments combined with velocity interferometry techniques have been used to experimentally determine the intermediate strain-rate loading behavior of Coors AD995 alumina and Cercom silicon-carbide rods. Graded-density materials have been used as impactors; thereby eliminating the tension states generated by the radial stress components during the loading phase. Results of these experiments demonstrate that the time-dependent stress pulse generated during impact allows an efficient transition from the initial uniaxial strain loading to a uniaxial stress state as the stress pulse propagates through the rod. This allows access to intermediate loading rates over 5 x 10{sup 3}/s to a few times 10{sup 4}/s.
Tetragonal ferroelectric/ferroelectric \\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts}...Full Text Available
Chaperones (stress proteins) are essential proteins to help the formation and maintenance of the proper conformation of other proteins and to promote cell survival after a large variety of environmental...Full Text Available
We conduct the static and dynamic loading fracture experiments on magnesium alloy (AZ31B) under the equitable and inequitable biaxial stress. We process specimens as cross type with cracks. There are different kinds of cracks defined by their crack angles. By using a hydraulic high-speed biaxial experiment machine, we put the equitable and inequitable stresses on the specimen. We analyze results using the caustic method. The experiments reveal a few important results. There is negative correlation between the fracture toughness value and the plate thickness in the magnesium alloy sheet specimen. The fracture toughness value decrease in the case the crack has the angle different from the loading direction. The fracture toughness value decreases significantly under the inequitable biaxial stress. (orig.)
In this research, the interactive effect of grain and specimen sizes on the flow stress of sheet metal in microforming is investigated via the tensile test of pure copper and numerical modeling. Models based on different assumptions are proposed to analyze the size effect phenomenon. It is found that the flow stress decreases linearly with the decrease of the ratio of specimen to grain sizes. The grain boundary thickness decreases and its volume fraction increases with the decrease of grain size. The variation of grain boundary thickness is not proportional to the variation of grain size. Furthermore, the fraction of grain boundary increases with the strain and the ratio of specimen to grain sizes. Based on the FE simulation, it is found that the simulated flow stress, which is modeled bas...
This paper describes estimation of a stress field in the earth`s crust in the Kakkonda geothermal field. Formation micro imager (FMI) logging known as a crack detecting logging was performed in the well WD-1. This FMI logging has made observation possible on cracks along well axis thought to indicate size and direction of the crust stress, and drilling-induced tensile fractures (DTF). It was verified that these DTFs are generated initially in an azimuth determined by in-situ stress (an angle up to the DTF as measured counterclockwise with due north as a starting point, expressed in {theta}) in the well`s circumferential direction. It was also confirmed that a large number of cracks incline at a certain angle to the well axis (an angle made by the well axis and the DTF, expressed in {gamma}). The DTF is a crack initially generated on well walls as a result of such tensile stresses as mud pressure and ...
This paper is concerned with the study of the Electrorheological RayleighTaylor instability (ERTI) at the interface between a densely packed saturated poorly conducting couple stress porous layer accelerated by a lighter poorly conducting couple stress fluid in a thin shell in the presence of a transverse electric field and laser radiation. A simple theory based on fully developed flow approximations is used to derive the dispersion relation for the growth rate of ERTI. The cutoff and the maximum wave numbers and the corresponding maximum frequencies are obtained. It is shown that the effects of couple stress parameter and the electric field reduce the growth rate considerably compared to a non-conducting fluid in the absence of an electric field. These are favorable to control the surface...
Bent specimens of A533B steel (0.16wt% Cu) were irradiated at 290degreeC to 1dpa with 6.4MeV Fe3+ ions. Calculated tensile stresses at the irradiated surface were set to 0, 250, 500 and 750MPa. The specimens were subjected to hardness measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations and three-dimensional atom probe (3DAP) analysis. The radiation-induced hardening decreased with increasing stress to 500MPa which was near the yield strength. TEM and 3DAP results showed that well-defined dislocation loops and solute clusters were formed. The diameter of dislocation loops increased and the number density decreased when the stress was applied, whereas the diameter and number density of solute clusters decreased. The hardening was mainly attributed to solute cluster formation. A...
The effect of uniaxial tensile stress on intergranular corrosion (IGC) of AA2024-T3 was studied using the foil penetration technique. Standard ASTM G49 fixed-displacement jigs were modified to allow the use of sheet samples, which were then attached to an electrochemical cell as in the foil penetration setup. The time for IGC to penetrate samples of varying thickness was monitored. This method provides a new approach to bridge the gap between IGC and intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). Samples with various orientations relative to the rolling direction were studied in 1.0 M NaCl at controlled anodic potentials. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements indicated that the two breakdown potentials typically observed for AA2024-T3 were lower for stressed samples than for unstressed samples, and the current at a given potential was higher. The penetration rate depended on potential and was higher for ...
There are two types in quench distortion of steel parts: thermal distortion and transformation distortion. Quench distortion is caused mainly by uneven cooling rate of steel parts from Austenitising temperature. The rapid cooled side is lengthened (convex deformation); the slow cooled side is shortened (concave deformation). So, to control the quench distortion, it is necessary to regulate the cooling rate of steel parts during quenching. TWO COMPONENTS produce the quench distortion of steel parts: the thermal stress and transformation stress. Generally, the effect of the thermal stress on the quench distortion is stronger than the transformation stress. The quench distortion is caused by uneven cooling rate of the steel parts, from Austenitising temperature to Ms point and Ms-Mf range. So, to control the quench distortion, it is very important to regulate the cooling rate of the steel parts during ...
138 unselected head tomographies of children by computer are reported and analysed. The major aspect stressed by the authors is the excellent precision of this radiological technique.
Previous research with individuals undergoing surgery or diagnostic procedures provided a conceptual framework for analysis of radiation therapy, a common form of cancer treatment. The present...Full Text Available
The residing fracture system and the prevailing in situ stresses have a significant impact on fluid flow and heat transfer in crystalline rocks. The long term response of fracture systems to changes in effective stresses, in particular the long term geo-mechanical effects of thermal stresses on reservoir characteristics is of particular interest to the geothermal industry.In this paper, a geothermal reservoir model is presented, in which a thermo-poroelastic finite element module is coupled to a fracture geomechanical module. This describes fracture closure as a function of effective stress and the changes in parameters, such as effective permeability, porosity and discrete fracture apertures. The novelty of this approach lies in its dynamic treatment of the characteristic properties of in...
As part of a coordinated program, AECL is developing a set of tools to aid with the prediction and management of steam generator performance. Although stress corrosion cracking (of Alloy 800) has not been detected in any operating steam generator, for life management it is necessary to develop mechanistic models to predict the conditions under which stress corrosion cracking is plausible. Therefore, constant extension rate tests were carried out for Alloy 800 under various steam generator crevice chemistry conditions at applied potentials. These tests were designed to evaluate the stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of Alloy 800 under CANDU( steam generator operating conditions. Based on the experimental results, the recommended electrochemical corrosion potential/pH zone for Alloy 800 determined by electrochemical polarization measurements was verified with the respect of stress corrosion cracking ...
As part of a coordinated program, AECL is developing a set of tools to aid with the prediction and management of steam generator performance. Although stress corrosion cracking (of Alloy 800) has not been detected in any operating steam generator, for life management it is necessary to develop mechanistic models to predict the conditions under which stress corrosion cracking is plausible. Therefore, constant extension rate tests were carried out for Alloy 800 under various steam generator crevice chemistry conditions at applied potentials. These tests were designed to evaluate the stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of Alloy 800 under CANDU( steam generator operating conditions. Based on the experimental results, the recommended electrochemical corrosion potential/pH zone for Alloy 800 determined by electrochemical polarization measurements was verified with the respect of stress corrosion cracking ...
As part of a coordinated program, AECL is developing a set of tools to aid with the prediction and management of steam generator performance. Although stress corrosion cracking (of Alloy 800) has not been detected in any operating steam generator, for life management it is necessary to develop mechanistic models to predict the conditions under which stress corrosion cracking is plausible. Therefore, constant extension rate tests were carried out for Alloy 800 under various steam generator crevice chemistry conditions at applied potentials. These tests were designed to evaluate the stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of Alloy 800 under CANDU( steam generator operating conditions. Based on the experimental results, the recommended electrochemical corrosion potential/pH zone for Alloy 800 determined by electrochemical polarization measurements was verified with the respect of stress corrosion cracking ...
Hyperosmotic stress is known to significantly enhance net uptake of inorganic ions into plant cells. Direct evidence for cell turgor recovery via such a mechanism, however, is still lacking. In the...Full Text Available
The objectives of this project are to detect and characterize fractures in a naturally fractured tight gas reservoir, using surface seismic methods, borehole imaging logs, and in-situ stress field data. Further, the project aims to evaluate the various seismic methods as to their effectiveness in characterizing the fractures, and to formulate the optimum employment of the seismic methods as regards fracture characterization.
A variety of stress situations may affect the activity and survival of plant-beneficial pseudomonads added to soil to control root diseases. This study focused on the roles of the sigma factor AlgU...Full Text Available
The response of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (DvH),a sulphate-reducing bacterium, to nitrate stress was examined usingquantitative proteomic analysis. DvH was stressed with 105 m M sodiumnitrate(NaNO3), a level that caused a 50 percent inhibition in growth.The protein profile of stressed cells was compared with that of cellsgrown in the absence of nitrate using the iTRAQ peptide labellingstrategy and tandem liquid chromatography separation coupled with massspectrometry (quadrupoletime-of-flight) detection. A total of 737 uniqueproteins were identified by two or more peptides, representing 22 percentof the total DvH proteome and spanning every functional category. Theresults indicate that this was a mild stress, as proteins involved incentral metabolism and the sulphate reduction pathway were unperturbed.Proteins involved in the nitrate reduction pathway increased. Increasesseen in transport ...
In the past decade, a new technique has been developed for measuring tensile stresses in solids. This ultrasonic technique has been used thus far primarily for measuring fastener tension. The precision of measurement is routinely to 2-3% and, with special care, to approx. 1%. The method is insensitive to the frictional losses which plague tensioning by torque wrench. Though the approach is relatively new, it promises a wide range of applicability.
Alteration in carbon metabolism and carbohydrate partitioning occur in drought stressed plants. Some species accumulate large quantities of starch in the chloroplast, which may be used to support sucrose synthesis under conditions of limited carbon supply. The authors monitored chemical partitioning of carbon between sugars and starch and the activity of sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) and fructose 1,6 bisphosphatase (FBPase) in the source leaves of water stressed tomatoes. Plants were stressed by withdrawing water for 10 days and rewatered for recovery. Water potential dropped from {minus}0.8 to {minus}2.2MPA in 10 days, but recovered to control level 2 days after rewatering. Photosynthetic rates as measured by the activity of Rubisco followed similar patterns to those of water potential. After 10 days, leaf starch levels decreased to less than 50% of control. Sucrose levels did not increase significantly, but hexose ...
The initiation and progression of several forms of retinal degenerations involve excessive, repetitive, and/or sustained oxidative stress that, in turn, mediate photoreceptor cell damage and...Full Text Available
Long-term heat acclimation (AC, 30d/34°C) is a phenotypic adaptation leading to increased thermotolerance during heat stress (HS, 2 h 41°C). AC also renders protection against...Full Text Available
Investigated are the characteristics of high-temperature plastic deformation the velocity sensitivity of flow stresses, deformation curves, flow stresses, deformation before rupture - as well as the structure of beryllium alloys containing nickel (0.5-4 %), yttrium (0.5-2 %) and aluminium (38 %). The alloys containing nickel (2%) and yttrium (0.5 %) are superplastic, however, deformation before fracture of the alloys is lower than that of the unalloyed beryllium. The singularities of high-temperature plastic flow of the alloys and the causes of deterioration of their plasticity are determined.
Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts V79 cells were treated with heat stress for 4 weeks with short duration (15 min) heat shock every alternate day in culture. It was observed that Hsp...Full Text Available
Air Force Prototype Thermal Flash Protective Device (TFPD) Goggles were furnished to USAFSAM by the Life Support System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Division, for determination and evaluation of their eye-type goggles caused stressed areas. The bonding used in the production model eliminated the stressed areas, resulting in increased closed-state optical density, particularly in the upper nasal area of the lens.
Explicit analytical formulas are derived for the stress intensity factors at the tips of a main crack and of a microcrack for the two-dimensional case of a collinear microcrack. This configuration is used to derive an estimate of the toughness degradation due to microcracks linking up with an advancing main crack. The implications of this estimate for theoretical predictions of the toughening due to stress-induced microcracking are discussed.
Dynamic deformation and recovery responses of red blood cells (RBCs) to a cyclically reversing shear flow generated in a 30-μm clearance, with the peak shear stress of 53, 108,...Full Text Available
Dynamic recrystallization (DRX) is the main softening mechanism of magnesium alloy AZ31B in hot deformation. Theoretically, in the flow rule the atomic diffusibility and the driving force of dislocation migration are dependent on the temperature, and the dislocation density and the cumulation of grain boundary energy are dependent on the strain rate. The peak stress will appear when the flow driving force and resistance force reach a balance, after which the stress descending will take place due to recrystallization fraction. Since the DRX is a thermally activated process, the recrystallized volume fraction can be regarded as the function of strain through Avrami equation. Based on this idea, the paper proposes a new constitutive model characterizing dynamic recrystallization for magnesium alloy AZ31B. The model is described by a peak stress and a strain softening rate, in which the peak stress depends ...
An interfacial shear stress equation in the dispersed-annular two-phase flow regime has been developed, which is based on a three-fluid model consisting of a liquid film on a rod, vapor and entrained liquid associated with a vapor flow. It is an extension of J.G.M. Andersen's procedure that provides a two-fluid interfacial shear stress equation using the drift flux parameters C{sub 0} and V{sub gj}. This interfacial shear stress equation can take into account a phase and velocity distribution through an equivalence between the drift flux parameters and the interfacial shear stress. Using the three-fluid subchannel analysis code TEMPO with the three-fluid interfacial shear stress model the capability of a three-fluid calculation using the drift flux parameters C{sub 0} and V{sub gj} that reproduce a measured void fraction is demonstrated. A comparison was made with advanced ...
High salinity is one of the main factors limiting cotton growth and productivity. The genes that regulate salt stress in TM-1 upland cotton were monitored using microarray and real-time PCR (RT-PCR) with samples taken from roots. Microarray analysis showed that 1503 probe sets were up-regulated and 1490 probe sets were down-regulated in plants exposed for 3h to 100mM NaCl, and RT-PCR analysis validated 42 relevant/related genes. The distribution of enriched gene ontology terms showed such important processes as the response to water stress and pathways of hormone metabolism and signal transduction were induced by the NaCl treatment. Some key regulatory gene families involved in abiotic and biotic sources of stress such as WRKY, ERF, and JAZ were differentially expressed. Our transcriptome analysis might provide some useful insights into salt-mediated signal transduction pathways in cotton and offer a number of candidate ...
For quantitative acquisition of the influence of surface decarburizing phenomena on the failure of construction parts under cyclic stress different surface decarburization stages were generated in the steels 42CrMo4 and 100Cr6. After construction part-specific thermal treatment the generated states of residual stress were then determined and life span-oriented fatigue tests were conducted. The studies showed that already a small decarburization in martensitic material conditions of the steels 42CrMo4 and 100Cr6 led to a reduction of the alternating bending strength. The decrease of alternate strength can be associated with the micro-notch effects caused by the internal oxides formed by surface oxidation and/or the residual tension stress developed during the hardening in sub-surface sample areas. Decarburization degrees of more than 50% cause a noticeable decrease of surface stability, an increase of residual tension ...
In situ fracture studies on thin-film NiTi intermetallic compounds have been carried out in the high-voltage electron microscope at Argonne National Laboratory. Local stress-induced amorphization of regions directly in front of moving crack tips has been observed under tensile loading conditions. The stress-induced amorphization at crack tips exhibits a temperature dependence similar to that of ion-induced amorphization of NiTi. The upper limiting temperature for stress-induced amorphization is the same as that for ion-induced amorphization of crystalline NiTi and for amorphous phase formation during ion-beam mixing of Ni and Ti multilayer specimens. This upper limiting temperature of 600K is also the lowest temperature at which stress-induced amorphous phase crystallizes during isothermal annealing. This isothermal crystallization temperature is nearly 200K less than the kinetic crystallization ...
During the operation of a tokamak, the first wall elements suffer very high heat fluxes. Heat is removed by internal cooling by means of water, helium or fluid metal. The resulting inhomogeneous temperature field cause internal stresses which, due to the pulsed operation are of cyclic nature. Additional mechanical stresses in the first wall may be caused by disruptions or vertical plasma movements. During theses events high currents are induced in the metallic part of the first wall which by their interaction with the magnetic field of the tokamak lead to mechanical forces. These electromechanical stresses may lie beyond the yield stress of the structural material. From the interaction of thermal and mechanical forces, a complex stress state is achieved which under certain circumstances may lead to premature failure and/or to progressive plastic deformations (ratcheting). In order ...
Experimental observations related to the initiation of plastic deformation in metals and alloys irradiated with fission neutrons have been analyzed. The experimental results, showing irradiation-induced increase in the upper yield stress followed by a yield drop and plastic instability, cannot be explained in terms of conventional dispersed-barrier hardening because (a) the grown-in dislocations are not free, and (b) irradiation-induced defect clusters are not rigid indestructible Orowan obstacles. A new model called 'cascade-induced source hardening' is presented where glissile loops produced directly in cascades are envisaged to decorate the grown-in dislocations so that they cannot act as dislocation sources. The upper yield stress is related to the breakaway stress which is necessary to pull the dislocation away from the clusters/loops decorating it. The magnitude of the breakaway stress has been ...
The presence of residual stresses in engineering components can significantly affect their load carrying capacity and resistance to fracture. In order to quantify their effect it is necessary to know their magnitude and distribution. Neutron diffraction is the most suitable method of obtaining these stresses non-destructively in the interior of components. In this paper the principles of the technique are described. A monochromatic beam of neutrons, or time of flight measurements, can be employed. In each case, components of strain are determined directly from changes in the lattice spacings between crystals. Residual stresses can then be calculated from these strains. The experimental procedures for making the measurements are described and precautions for achieving reliable results discussed. These include choice of crystal planes on which to make measurements, extent of masking needed to identify a suitable sampling ...
It is well known that composite armors, consisting of glass elements confined with metallic tampers, are extraordinarily effective against shaped charge attack. Early experiments showed that jets fired against glass targets appeared to be bombarded by tiny fragments that destroyed alignment and reduced residual jet penetration. This result was attributed to an elastic rebound effect in which the outward radial motion of the target around the jet periphery was supposed to be arrested by tensile hoop stresses which developed behind the divergent shock front. Glass fragments were then accelerated radially inward and these destabilized the jet. To sustain the large tensile hoop stresses required, the glass must not have been fractured by the initial shock, behind which the stress state is typically well above the Hugoniot elastic limit. Modeling the penetration of a jet into glass requires not only determining the spall ...
The microstructural development inside the stress induced martensite (SIM) variants in Ti-Ni-Nb alloy with various degrees of deformation have been revealed by electron microscopic observations. The orientation relationship between the SIM and the parent phase has been found: [1{bar 1}0]{sub M}{parallel}[11{bar 1}]{sub B2}, (001){sub M} 5{degree} away from (101){sub B2}. The lattice invariant shear of the SIM variants at the slightly deformed stage is dominantly (11{bar 1}) Type I twin. Besides the ordinary slip, the adjustment and development of the internal secondary twinning from (11{bar 1}) Type I twin to {l_angle}011{r_angle} Type II/ or (011) Type I twin, (001)compound twin and (111) Type I twin happen concurrently or in combination inside the SIM variants with the further deformation. The corresponding deformation mechanisms include stress induced reorientation of SIM substructural bands by the most favorably oriented twin system, ...
The influence of some processing factors such as cold work and heat treatment on the susceptibility to caustic stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of modified alloy 800, referred to alloy 800 M, in a boiling solution of 50%NaOH + 0.3%SiO_2+0.3%Na_2S_2O_3 was investigated by means of microstructure examination, tensile test, stress analysis, SCC test of C-rings, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and corrosion mode. Cold work led to lengthening of grains, decrease in ductility, increase in strength, residential stress and susceptibility to SCC. With increasing temperature of heat treatment on alloy 800 M after cold work, grains became bigger, ductility increased but strength, residential stress and susceptibility to SCC decreased. SCC cracks on C-ring specimens initiated from pitting and propagated along grain boundaries. AES analysis indicates that the surface films on alloy 800M are enriched in nickel and ...
The cell is modeled as an ellipsoid with shell and the surface stress distribution calculated by means of the Maxwell Stress Tensor. The cell membrane is treated as incompressible material having both bending and shear energies of deformation. Employing the principle of virtual work, cell volume (and hence shape) is computed as a function of the external field strength and orientation with respect to the field. The following results were obtained: (1) The surface stresses that develop or the cell membrane are distributed having both normal and tangential components that act together to produce a rounding of the cell. (2) If the tangential component of the stress is ignored, then higher field strengths are needed to produce similar deformation (shape change) of cells. (3) The threshold value of the applied field, i.e, the field strength at which the volume (shape) of the cell changes abruptly, occurs at ...
The onset of double-diffusive convection in a couple-stress fluid-saturated horizontal porous layer is studied using linear and weak nonlinear stability analyses. The modified Darcy equation that includes the time derivative term and the inertia term is used to model the momentum equation. The expressions for stationary, oscillatory and finite-amplitude Rayleigh number are obtained as a function of the governing parameters. The effect of couple-stress parameter, solute Rayleigh number, Vadasz number and diffusivity ratio on stationary, oscillatory and finite-amplitude convection is shown graphically. It is found that the couple-stress parameter and the solute Rayleigh number have a stabilizing effect on stationary, oscillatory and finite-amplitude convection. The diffusivity ratio has a destabilizing effect in the case of stationary and finite-amplitude modes, with a dual effect in the case of oscillatory convection. The ...
The onset of double-diffusive convection in a couple-stress fluid-saturated horizontal porous layer is studied using linear and weak nonlinear stability analyses. The modified Darcy equation that includes the time derivative term and the inertia term is used to model the momentum equation. The expressions for stationary, oscillatory and finite-amplitude Rayleigh number are obtained as a function of the governing parameters. The effect of couple-stress parameter, solute Rayleigh number, Vadasz number and diffusivity ratio on stationary, oscillatory and finite-amplitude convection is shown graphically. It is found that the couple-stress parameter and the solute Rayleigh number have a stabilizing effect on stationary, oscillatory and finite-amplitude convection. The diffusivity ratio has a destabilizing effect in the case of stationary and finite-amplitude modes, with a dual effect in the case of oscillatory convection. The ...
The aim of this review is to evaluate the role of inflammatory spine disease in patients with chronic back pain. The contribution of imaging modalities for the diagnostic evaluation of back pain is discussed. A systematic literature search based on the classification of seronegative spondyloarthropathies and rheumatoid arthritis was performed. The results of this search and the experiences in a large collective of rheumatological patients are analyzed. The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (1-2%) is comparable to that of spondyloarthropathies (1.9%). The etiology of these entities is not fully elucidated. Magnetic resonance imaging is increasingly used for early detection and surveillance of therapy with TNF-{alpha} antagonists. Bone marrow edema, which is only detectable with MRI, represents an early sign of inflammation. Therapy with TNF-{alpha} antagonists is based on clinical and laboratory criteria, and signs of inflammation in MRI. MRI ...
Objective To investigate the impact on life quality of women with traumatic and non-traumatic origin fibromyalgia syndrome [FMS]. Method Women affected with FMS were selected and divided into two groups: those with traumatic origin FMS [Group 1] and those with non-traumatic origin FMS [Group 2]. A standard question form was used for the research, as well as the fibromyalgia impact questionnaire [FIQ] for evaluation of life quality. Results Seventy-two patients, 34 for Group 1 and 38 for Group 2 were analyzed. The main triggering symptoms were divorce [23.5 percent of cases] and death in the family [23.5 percent of cases]. In addition to diffuse pain, the main symptoms presented were poor sleep quality, weariness, and paresthesia, with no difference between the groups; migraine had a greate...
Summary Background Pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus are rare, potentially life-threatening, autoimmune disorders characterized by antibodies to epidermal adhesion molecules. Clinical characteristics are painful chronic erosions of mucous membranes and of the skin. There are only few published studies on the impact of the disease on the health status (HS) of patients with these conditions. Objectives To assess the impact of disease on the HS of patients with pemphigus. Methods Fifty-eight patients enrolled at the Bullous Skin Diseases Unit of IDI-IRCCS in the period January-June 2006 were assessed for their HS using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) questionnaire and for anxiety and depression using the Institute for Personality and Ability Testin...
Two cases of tetracycline ulcers of the oesophagus are reported and compared with thirteen other cases from the literature. In most cases, the patients had taken their capsules with little or no fluid just before going to bed. Some hours later they developed retrosternal pain that was intensified by swallowing. Endoscopy showed sharply demarcated greyish-white areas of mucosal damage which represented layers of stratified squamous cells, separated by oedema, and a dense neutrophilic infiltration of the lamina propria and the muscularis mucosa. Roentgenology was unsuitable to detect the lesions. They healed without complications within one to six weeks. Prolonged retention of the capsules in the oesophagus is thought to cause the mucosal damage. Patients on oral tetracycline or doxycycline treatment should therefore be instructed to take their capsules with a meal or with copious water and not just before going to bed.
The prevalence of hepatic cysts is 0.1% to 0.5% based on autopsy studies, and 2.5% based on US examinations. Percutaneous therapies are a new alternative to surgery. They include simple percutaneous aspiration, catheter drainage alone, and catheter drainage with sclerotherapy. We present an 11-year-old boy admitted to hospital because of abdominal pain. A diagnosis of simple hepatic cyst was made, which was treated with aspiration and tetracycline hydrochloride solution (5%) injection into the cystic cavity. Complete regression was seen on US and MRI examination at 3 months, with total collapse and deflation of the cyst. The cyst regressed totally, leaving a hyperechoic linear scar on US examination at 1 year. On the basis of the clinical and imaging results obtained, percutaneous sclerotherapy of hepatic cysts can be recommended as the treatment of choice and as a valid alternative to laparoscopy in children. (orig.)
Paraquat is a nonselective contact herbicide of great toxicological importance, being associated with high mortality rates, mainly due to respiratory failure. We report the case of a 22-year-old male admitted to the emergency room with a sore throat, dysphagia, hemoptysis, and retrosternal pain after the ingestion of 50 mL of a paraquat solution, four days prior to admission. Chest CT scans revealed pulmonary opacities, pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, and subcutaneous emphysema. The patient was submitted to two cycles of immunosuppressive therapy with cyclophosphamide, methylprednisolone, and dexamethasone. The pulmonary gas exchange parameters gradually improved, and the patient was discharged four weeks later. The clinical and tomographic follow-up evaluations performed at four months after discharge showed that there had been further clinical improvement. We also present a brief review of the literature, as well as a discussion of the therapeutic algorithm for ...
Paraquat is a nonselective contact herbicide of great toxicological importance, being associated with high mortality rates, mainly due to respiratory failure. We report the case of a 22-year-old male admitted to the emergency room with a sore throat, dysphagia, hemoptysis, and retrosternal pain after the ingestion of 50 mL of a paraquat solution, four days prior to admission. Chest CT scans revealed pulmonary opacities, pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, and subcutaneous emphysema. The patient was submitted to two cycles of immunosuppressive therapy with cyclophosphamide, methylprednisolone, and dexamethasone. The pulmonary gas exchange parameters gradually improved, and the patient was discharged four weeks later. The clinical and tomographic follow-up evaluations performed at four months after discharge showed that there had been further clinical improvement. We also present a brief review of the literature, as well as a discussion of the therapeutic algorithm for ...
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been used for relieving chronic pain in patients that have been through other existing options. The septum has been one of the targets for such treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine the inhibitory effect of electrical stimulation in the medial septum diagonal band of broca (MSDB) on neuronal activity in the spinal cord of rats anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital. While unilaterally stimulating the MSDB, wide dynamic range neurons in the lumbar region of the spinal cord were recorded in response to graded mechanical stimulation of the hind paws (brush, pressure, and pinch). Stimulation was at 1, 5, 10, and 20V, at 100Hz, and 0.1ms duration. Significant bilateral reduction was observed in response to pressure (ipsilaterally: 0.90+/-0.05, 0....
Purpose. To examine the impact of residual limb osteomyelitis (RLO) on the rehabilitation of lower limb amputees. Method. Retrospective review of the casenotes of patients with RLO. Information sought included details of amputation, clinical features of investigations for and management of RLO and its effect on rehabilitation. Results. There were seven transfemoral and three transtibial amputees. Indications for amputation were vascular disease in nine cases, trauma in one. In each case, delayed wound healing or residual limb pain prompted radiological, hematological and microbiological investigations. Average time between amputation and diagnosis was 187 days. One patient died before treatment commenced. Two transtibial amputees were treated with intravenous antibiotics while rehabilitati...
Abstract Introduction. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an effective procedure for the treatment of neuropathic extremity pain, with success rates approaching 70%. However, mechanical failures, including breakage and migration, can significantly limit the long-term effectiveness of SCS. A systematic analysis of surgical techniques was undertaken by a consensus group, coupled with extensive in vivo and in vitro biomechanical testing of system components. Methods. A computer model based on morphometric data was used to predict movement in a standard SCS system between an anchored lead and pulse generator placed in various locations. These displacements were then used to determine a realistic range of forces exerted on components of the SCS system. Laboratory fixtures were constructed to subj...
Abstract Recently, a study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis who developed herpes zoster while taking a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- inhibitor reported a decreased incidence of postherpetic neuralgia. The objective of this study was to investigate whether patients on TNF- inhibitors who developed herpes zoster have a lower incidence of subsequent development of postherpetic neuralgia. A retrospective review of herpes zoster patients on TNF- inhibitors (infliximab, etanercept, or adalimumab) was conducted in 12 dermatology clinics. Medical records of such patients were reviewed thoroughly to confirm herpes zoster and TNF- inhibitors and any subsequent development of postherpetic neuralgia (pain score -3 out of 10 after 90 days of shingles onset) was noted. A total of 206 cases were revi...
Glomangioma have many synonyms including: glomus tumors, tumors of neuromyoarterial glomi, angioneuromas, angioneuromyomas, neuromyoarterial glomi, painful subcutaneous tubercles, Popoff tumors or subcotaneous glomal tumors. They are common in humans, rare in nonhuman primates and to the best of our knowledge, have only been reported in irradiated rhesus. The neoplasms originate in arterial-venous shunts known as neuromyoarterial glomi which are commonly found beneath fingernails and fingertips, but have been reported in many locations both superficial and deep. The neoplasm can be confused with hemangiopericytomas, hemangiomas, paragangliomas, and leiomyomas, and must be definitely diagnosed ultrastructurally. A glomangioma at the 6-7 thoracic intervertebral space caused compression of the spinal cord with posterior paralysis in an irradiated 20-year-old female rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta).
Background: Measurements from pressure biofeedback units (PBUs) can be used to evaluate the activity of the transversus abdominis (TrA) muscle indirectly. These measurements can classify patients or monitor the progress of treatment programmes for people with low back pain. Objective: To systematically review studies on the measurement properties of PBUs for the assessment of TrA activity. Data sources: Eligible studies were identified through searches of PUBMED, CINAHL and BIREME (1990 to 2009). In addition, hand searches of journals and citation tracking were performed. Study selection: Full-text studies involving any type of clinimetric tests of PBU measurement for the assessment of TrA activity were selected. Data extraction: Two independent reviewers selected the studies, extracted th...
A rare case of primary splenic cyst is shown in a young woman who had a left subcostal abdominal pain. Abdominal echography and CT scan revealed a cyst of the anterior aspect of the spleen. A sorologic test for hidatic disease was negative. On the basis of a presumed diagnostic of nonparasitic cyst, the patient was referred to a laparoscopic decapsulation with excision of the cysts wall not covered by splenic tissue. The patient was discharged 24 hours later. Histological report revealed epidermoid cyst. The laparoscopic approach has being recently considered an effective and less invasive alternative in the treatment of splenic diseases. We demonstrated that it should be considered for the treatment of splenic cysts present in a superficial location, with the advantage of organ preservation. (author)
Perceptions of sensation and pain in healthy people are believed to be the net result of sensory input and descending modulation from brainstem and cortical regions depending on emotional and cognitive factors. Here, the influence of attention on neural activity in the spinal cord during thermal sensory stimulation of the hand was investigated with functional magnetic resonance imaging by systematically varying the participants' attention focus across and within repeated studies. Attention states included (1) attention to the stimulus by rating the sensation and (2) attention away from the stimulus by performing various mental tasks of watching a movie and identifying characters, detecting the direction of coherently moving dots within a randomly moving visual field and answering mentally-...
This study evaluated the clinical efficacy of treatment with oral risedronate (17.5?mg once daily) for 8?weeks in 11 Japanese patients with Paget?s disease of bone (PDB). Risedronate suppressed the excessive bone turnover associated with PDB and improved several biochemical markers, including serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), serum bone-specific ALP (BALP), urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD), and urinary cross-linked N-telopeptide of type 1 collagen (NTX). These markers began to decrease within about 2?weeks after the initiation of treatment in most patients, and the response persisted for up to 40?weeks after the cessation of treatment. Risedronate reduced pain by week 24 in most patients. According to quantitative bone scintigraphy, the lesion with the highest radioisotope (RI) uptake showe...
The objective of this study was to examine the effect of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) plaster for knee osteoarthritis among Japanese patients. An open-labeled, randomized, controlled, multiclinic trial was performed involving outpatient clinic groups. Two comparative groups?plaster NSAIDs and oral NSAIDs?were randomly allocated. The drugs used were limited to the current top three in both groups in Japan. Treatments were assessed after four?weeks and compared with the baseline scores. Outcomes were evaluated by two psychometric measures: Japanese knee osteoarthritis measure, and pain with the visual analogue scale. The total number of patients included in the final evaluation was 165 (87 for the plaster group and 78 for the oral group). Between these two groups there were ...
During sporting events, injured athletes often return to competition after icing because of the reduction in pain. Although some controversy exists, several studies suggest that cryotherapy causes a decrease in muscle activity, which may lead to a higher risk of injury upon return to play. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a 20-min knee joint cryotherapy application on the electromyographic activity of leg muscles during a single-leg drop jump in twenty healthy subjects, randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group. After the pre-tests, a crushed-ice bag was applied to the knee joint of the experimental group subjects for 20min, while the control group subjects rested for 20min. All subjects were retested immediately after this period and retested again...
There are no specific diagnostic tests or a gold standard method for measuring disease activity and outcome in spondyloarthropathies (SpA). Many different methods have been developed to assess the signs and symptoms in SpA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of scintigraphy, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and Bath Ankilosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) in the evaluation of disease activity in early axial SpA diagnosed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Thirty early MRI-positive axial SpA patients (23 males, 7 females) with a median age of 35 (18?55) years and a median duration of inflammatory low back pain of 24 (8?60) months were included in the study. In the patients with sacroiliitis, the sensitivity, specificity, and pos...
In 15 patients (16 hip joints) we found the clinical and radiological signs of BMOS. On T1-weighted MRI images areas of low signal intensity could be observed in the head, neck and the intertrochanteric region of the femur in various extensions. These areas showed a significant increase in signal intensity on the T2-weighted images. Because pain was resistant to conservative therapy all these patients were treated by core decompression of the femoral head in a prospective study. Bone cores were evaluated histologically using undecalcified sections and quantitative microradiography. The existence of intramedullary oedema in exactly the regions exhibiting the MRI pattern of bone marrow oedema was verified histologically; however, bone and marrow changes similar to those of early avascular necrosis (AVN) were also visible. (orig.)
Computed Tomography (CT) of the spine was performed on 17 patients with myeloma in order to assess the role of the technique in recognizing and evaluating the extent of the lesions. Myelomatous lesions followed two patterns at CT: first of all, multiple focal lesions, whose density is either solid, liquid, or fatty; second, an extensive pattern involving the spongiosa of the vertebra, including the posterior arch. CT detected more lesions than conventional radiology; furthermore, the extent of the lesions was much better demonstrated by CT. CT should thus be performed: a) in case of pain and/or neurological findings in negative radiological examinations; b) to evaluate the extent of myelomatous lesions (mainly in the spine); c) in solitary myeloma CT may be performed on different bone segments with clinical symptomatology but normal X-ray findings.
In recent years, Obesity (defined as Body Mass Index > 30 kg/m2) has increased its prevalence reaching epidemic levels in countries such as The United States where it has became a national health issue. In Colombia the Obesity prevalence is figured around 14%. Treatment options for Obesity include life style modifications, pharmacologist management and surgical approach (Bariatric Surgery). This article describes a patient with previous bariatric surgery, who presents abdominal pain and melena owed to isquemic process of the alimentary limb caused by an internal hernia which is a potentially lethal condition if it is not highly suspected allowing its early diagnosis and treatment
A recently-developed BMT method combines a ''Perfusion Method'' (PM) for collecting bone marrow cells (BMCs) with the Intra-Bone Marrow (IBM) injection of BMCs (IBM-BMT). As distinct from the conventional aspiration method (AM), the PM allows rapid (within 1 h) collection of BMCs without T cell contamination (T cells < 10%). Therefore, no GvHD occurs. Moreover, the burden on donors, such as back pain, bleeding and infection, can be reduced. Full chimerism can be achieved even with only mild conditioning regimens if IBM-BMT is carried out, since IBM-BMT replaces not only the recipient's hemopoietic stem cells (HSCs) but also mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with donor-derived HSCs and MSCs. Using this method, we show that most currently intractable diseases are HSC or MSC disorders, and that t...