Sensory-Feedback Exoskeletal Arm Controller

Science.gov (United States)

An, Bin; Massie, Thomas H.; Vayner, Vladimir

2004-01-01

An electromechanical exoskeletal arm apparatus has been designed for use in controlling a remote robotic manipulator arm. The apparatus, called a force-feedback exoskeleton arm master (F-EAM) is comfortable to wear and easy to don and doff. It provides control signals from the wearer s arm to a robot arm or a computer simulator (e.g., a virtual-reality system); it also provides force and torque feedback from sensors on the robot arm or from the computer simulator to the wearer s arm. The F-EAM enables the wearer to make the robot arm gently touch objects and finely manipulate them without exerting excessive forces. The F-EAM features a lightweight design in which the motors and gear heads that generate force and torque feedback are made smaller than they ordinarily would be: this is achieved by driving the motors to power levels greater than would ordinarily be used in order to obtain higher torques, and by providing active liquid cooling of the motors to prevent overheating at the high drive levels. The F-EAM (see figure) includes an assembly that resembles a backpack and is worn like a backpack, plus an exoskeletal arm mechanism. The FEAM has five degrees of freedom (DOFs) that correspond to those of the human arm: 1. The first DOF is that of the side-to-side rotation of the upper arm about the shoulder (rotation about axis 1). The reflected torque for this DOF is provided by motor 1 via drum 1 and a planar four-bar linkage. 2. The second DOF is that of the up-and-down rotation of the arm about the shoulder. The reflected torque for this DOF is provided by motor 2 via drum 2. 3. The third DOF is that of twisting of the upper arm about its longitudinal axis. This DOF is implemented in a cable remote-center mechanism (CRCM). The reflected torque for this DOF is provided by motor 3, which drives the upper-arm cuff and the mechanism below it. A bladder inflatable by gas or liquid is placed between the cuff and the wearer s upper arm to compensate for misalignment

Ground reaction forces produced by two different hockey skating arm swing techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayward-Ellis, Julie; Alexander, Marion J L; Glazebrook, Cheryl M; Leiter, Jeff

2017-10-01

The arm swing in hockey skating can have a positive effect on the forces produced by each skate, and the resulting velocity from each push off. The main purpose of this study was to measure the differences in ground reaction forces (GRFs) produced from an anteroposterior versus a mediolateral style hockey skating arm swing. Twenty-four elite-level female hockey players performed each technique while standing on a ground-mounted force platform, and all trials were filmed using two video cameras. Force data was assessed for peak scaled GRFs in the frontal and sagittal planes, and resultant GRF magnitude and direction. Upper limb kinematics were assessed from the video using Dartfish video analysis software, confirming that the subjects successfully performed two distinct arm swing techniques. The mediolateral arm swing used a mean of 18.38° of glenohumeral flexion/extension and 183.68° of glenohumeral abduction/adduction while the anteroposterior technique used 214.17° and 28.97° respectively. The results of this study confirmed that the mediolateral arm swing produced 37% greater frontal plane and 33% less sagittal plane GRFs than the anteroposterior arm swing. The magnitudes of the resultant GRFs were not significantly different between the two techniques; however, the mediolateral technique produced a resultant GRF with a significantly larger angle from the direction of travel (44.44°) as compared to the anteroposterior technique (31.60°). The results of this study suggest that the direction of GRFs produced by the mediolateral arm swing more closely mimic the direction of lower limb propulsion during the skating stride.

Drug Exposure Opportunities and Use Patterns among College Students: Results of a Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study

Science.gov (United States)

Arria, Amelia M.; Caldeira, Kimberly M.; O'Grady, Kevin E.; Vincent, Kathryn B.; Fitzelle, Dawn B.; Johnson, Erin P.; Wish, Eric D.

2008-01-01

Underage drinking and drug use among college students are major public health concerns, yet few studies have examined these behaviors and their associated risk factors and consequences prospectively. This paper describes the sampling and recruitment methods of a longitudinal study of 1253 college students at a large, mid-Atlantic university.…

Streptococcal Upper Respiratory Tract Infections and Exacerbations of Tic and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms: A Prospective Longitudinal Study

Science.gov (United States)

Leckman, James F.; King, Robert A.; Gilbert, Donald L.; Coffey, Barbara J.; Singer, Harvey S.; Dure, Leon S., IV; Grantz, Heidi; Katsovich, Liliya; Lin, Haiqun; Lombroso, Paul J.; Kawikova, Ivana; Johnson, Dwight R.; Kurlan, Roger M.; Kaplan, Edward L.

2011-01-01

Objective: The objective of this blinded, prospective, longitudinal study was to determine whether new group A beta hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infections are temporally associated with exacerbations of tic or obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms in children who met published criteria for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders…

''VECTON-1'' two-arm spectrometer for rho--meson photoproduction study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anokhin, M.V.; Kanetsyan, A.R.; Kukarev, V.M.

1977-01-01

A two-arm spectrometer for registering p - mesons according to a charged pion and one of the neutral pion disintegration photons has been designed. The spectrometer arm which registers charged pion comprises a deflecting magnet, dual wide-gap spark chambers and dual scintillation counters. The spectrometer arm for registering the disintegration photon comprises a scintillation counter, a dual wide-gap spark chamber and a shower detector. The principal characteristics of the spectrometer components are listed. The functional diagram of the useful events selection unit is discussed. It is shown that the experimental results obtained with the aid of the ''VEKTON-1'' set-up are in good agreement with the earlier results: P - meson rest energy is 731+-30 MeV, the resonant range width is 195+-58 MeV

Defining and comparing learning actions in two simulation modalities: students training on a latex arm and each other's arms.

Science.gov (United States)

Ravik, Monika; Havnes, Anton; Bjørk, Ida Torunn

2017-12-01

To explore, describe and compare learning actions that nursing students used during peripheral vein cannulation training on a latex arm or each other's arms in a clinical skills centre. Simulation-based training is thought to enhance learning and transfer of learning from simulation to the clinical setting and is commonly recommended in nursing education. What students actually are doing during simulation-based training is, however, less explored. The analysis of learning actions used during simulation-based training could contribute to development and improvement of simulation as a learning strategy in nursing education. A qualitative explorative and descriptive research design, involving content analysis of video recordings, was used. Video-supported observation of nine nursing students practicing vein cannulation was conducted in a clinical skills centre in late 2012. The students engaged in various learning actions. Students training on a latex arm used a considerably higher number of learning actions relative to those training on each other's arms. In both groups, students' learning actions consisted mainly of seeking and giving support. The teacher provided students training on each other's arms with detailed feedback regarding insertion of the cannula into the vein, while those training on a latex arm received sparse feedback from the teacher and fellow students. The teacher played an important role in facilitating nursing students' practical skill learning during simulation. The provision of support from both teachers and students should be emphasised to ensure that nursing students' learning needs are met. This study suggest that student nurses may be differently and inadequately prepared in peripheral vein cannulation in two simulation modalities used in the academic setting; training on a latex arm and on each other's arms. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Two novel blood-based biomarker candidates measuring degradation of tau are associated with dementia: A prospective study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Neergaard, Jesper Skov; Dragsbæk, Katrine; Christiansen, Claus

2018-01-01

fragments were detected in serum of 5,309 women from the Prospective Epidemiological Risk Factor study. The study was an observational, prospective study of Danish postmenopausal women. Subjects were followed with registry-linkage for up to 15 years (median follow-up time 13.7 years). Cox regression......Truncated tau appears to be specifically related to disease pathology and recent studies have shown the presence and elevation of several truncated tau species in Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, the relevance of truncated Tau measurements in blood...... is still being studied. The aim of the current study was to assess the longitudinal associations between baseline levels of two novel blood biomarker candidates measuring truncated tau, Tau-A and Tau-C, and the risk of incident dementia and AD in elderly women. Using solid phase competitive ELISA, two tau...

Psychosocial predictors of the onset of anxiety disorders in women: Results from a prospective 3-year longitudinal study

Science.gov (United States)

Calkins, Amanda W.; Otto, Michael W.; Cohen, Lee S.; Soares, Claudio N.; Vitonis, Alison F.; Hearon, Bridget A.; Harlow, Bernard L.

2009-01-01

In a prospective, longitudinal, population-based study of 643 women participating in the Harvard Study of Moods and Cycles we examined whether psychosocial variables predicted a new or recurrent onset of an anxiety disorder. Presence of anxiety disorders was assessed every six months over three years via structured clinical interviews. Among individuals who had a new episode of anxiety, we confirmed previous findings that history of anxiety, increased anxiety sensitivity (the fear of anxiety related sensations), and increased neuroticism were significant predictors. We also found trend level support for assertiveness as a predictor of anxiety onset. However, of these variables, only history of anxiety and anxiety sensitivity provided unique prediction. We did not find evidence for negative life events as a predictor of onset of anxiety either alone or in interaction with other variables in a diathesis-stress model. These findings from a prospective longitudinal study are discussed in relation to the potential role of such predictors in primary or relapse prevention efforts. PMID:19699609

A two-input sliding-mode controller for a planar arm actuated by four pneumatic muscle groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Lilly, John H; Quesada, Peter M

2004-09-01

Multiple-input sliding-mode techniques are applied to a planar arm actuated by four groups of pneumatic muscle (PM) actuators in opposing pair configuration. The control objective is end-effector tracking of a desired path in Cartesian space. The inputs to the system are commanded input pressure differentials for the two opposing PM groups. An existing model for the muscle is incorporated into the arm equations of motion to arrive at a two-input, two-output nonlinear model of the planar arm that is affine in the input and, therefore, suitable for sliding-mode techniques. Relationships between static input pressures are derived for suitable arm behavior in the absence of a control signal. Simulation studies are reported.

The Relationship between Reduplicated Babble Onset and Laterality Biases in Infant Rhythmic Arm Movements

Science.gov (United States)

Iverson, Jana M.; Hall, Amanda J.; Nickel, Lindsay; Wozniak, Robert H.

2007-01-01

This study examined changes in rhythmic arm shaking and laterality biases in infants observed longitudinally at three points: just prior to, at, and just following reduplicated babble onset. Infants (ranging in age from 4 to 9 months at babble onset) were videotaped at home as they played with two visually identical audible and silent rattles…

Rumination mediates the prospective effect of low self-esteem on depression: a five-wave longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuster, Farah; Orth, Ulrich; Meier, Laurenz L

2012-06-01

Previous research supports the vulnerability model of low self-esteem and depression, which states that low self-esteem operates as a prospective risk factor for depression. However, it is unclear which processes mediate the effect of low self-esteem. To test for the mediating effect of rumination, the authors used longitudinal mediation models, which included exclusively prospective effects and controlled for autoregressive effects of the constructs. Data came from 663 individuals (aged 16 to 62 years), who were assessed 5 times over an 8-month period. The results indicated that low self-esteem predicted subsequent rumination, which in turn predicted subsequent depression, and that rumination partially mediated the prospective effect of low self-esteem on depression. These findings held for both men and women, and for both affective-cognitive and somatic symptoms of depression. Future studies should test for the mediating effects of additional intrapersonal and interpersonal processes.

Tools and methods for experimental in-vivo measurement and biomechanical characterization of an Octopus vulgaris arm.

Science.gov (United States)

Margheri, Laura; Mazzolai, Barbara; Cianchetti, Matteo; Dario, Paolo; Laschi, Cecilia

2009-01-01

This work illustrates new tools and methods for an in vivo and direct, but non-invasive, measurement of an octopus arm mechanical properties. The active elongation (longitudinal stretch) and the pulling force capability are measured on a specimen of Octopus vulgaris in order to quantitatively characterize the parameters describing the arm mechanics, for biomimetic design purposes. The novel approach consists of observing and measuring a living octopus with minimally invasive methods, which allow the animal to move with its complete ability. All tools are conceived in order to create a collaborative interaction with the animal for the acquisition of active measures. The data analysis is executed taking into account the presence of an intrinsic error due to the mobility of the subject and the aquatic environment. Using a system of two synchronized high-speed high-resolution cameras and purpose-made instruments, the maximum elongation of an arm and its rest length (when all muscles fibres are relaxed during propulsion movement) are measured and compared to define the longitudinal stretch, with the impressive average result of 194%. With a similar setup integrated with a force sensor, the pulling force capability is measured as a function of grasp point position along the arm. The measured parameters are used as real specifications for the design of an octopus-like arm with a biomimetic approach.

3-year results of transvaginal cystocele repair with transobturator four-arm mesh: A prospective study of 105 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Kdous, Moez; Zhioua, Fethi

2014-12-01

To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of transobturator four-arm mesh for treating cystoceles. In this prospective study, 105 patients had a cystocele corrected between January 2004 and December 2008. All patients had a symptomatic cystocele of stage ⩾2 according to the Baden-Walker halfway stratification. We used only the transobturator four-arm mesh kit (Surgimesh®, Aspide Medical, France). All surgical procedures were carried out by the same experienced surgeon. The patients' characteristics and surgical variables were recorded prospectively. The anatomical outcome, as measured by a physical examination and postoperative stratification of prolapse, and functional outcome, as assessed by a questionnaire derived from the French equivalents of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory, Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire and the Pelvic Organ Prolapse-Urinary Incontinence-Sexual Questionnaire, were considered as the primary outcome measures. Peri- and postoperative complications constituted the secondary outcome measures. At 36 months after surgery the anatomical success rate (stage 0 or 1) was 93%. On a functional level, all the scores of quality of life and sexuality were improved. The overall satisfaction score (visual analogue scale) was 71.4%. There were no perioperative adverse events. Mesh erosion was reported in 7.6% and mesh retraction in 5.7% of the patients. If the guidelines and precautions are followed, vaginal prosthetic surgery for genitourinary prolapse has shown long-term benefits. It provides excellent results both anatomically and functionally. However, complications are not negligible and some are specific to prosthetic surgery.

A Comparison between Two Force-Position Controllers with Gravity Compensation Simulated on a Humanoid Arm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovanni Gerardo Muscolo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The authors propose a comparison between two force-position controllers with gravity compensation simulated on the DEXTER bioinspired robotic arm. The two controllers are both constituted by an internal proportional-derivative (PD closed-loop for the position control. The force control of the two systems is composed of an external proportional (P closed-loop for one system (P system and an external proportional-integrative (PI closed-loop for the other system (PI system. The simulation tests performed with the two systems on a planar representation of the DEXTER, an eight-DOF bioinspired arm, showed that by varying the stiffness of the environment, with a correct setting of parameters, both systems ensure the achievement of the desired force regime and with great precision the desired position. The two controllers do not have large differences in performance when interacting with a lower stiffness environment. In case of an environment with greater rigidity, the PI system is more stable. The subsequent implementation of these control systems on the DEXTER robotic bioinspired arm gives guidance on the design and control optimisation of the arms of the humanoid robot named SABIAN.

[The current state and prospectives of military endocrinology].

Science.gov (United States)

Nagibovich, O A; Golota, A S; Krassiĭ, A B

2014-10-01

The article is dedicated to the current state and prospectives of military endocrinology demonstrated on the examples of the endocrinology services of armed forces of Serbia, Poland, France, and USA. It is shown that this branch of military healthcare receives much attention abroad. The prospectives of military endocrinology are demonstrated in the context of two nosological forms which dominate in this section of military medicine, namely, primary hypothyroidism an diabetes mellitus.

US-Russian relations: the arms control agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potter, W.

2001-01-01

At a time when US-Russian relations are widely regarded to be in a state of flux, it is appropriate to examine the degree of continuity and change in the sphere of nuclear arms control. More specifically, this brief essay identifies a number of propositions about nuclear weapons, arms control, and nonproliferation that increasingly reflect the conventional wisdom in Washington, although these propositions may be neither true nor wise; and assesses the prospects for arms control progress in the areas of strategic and non-strategic nuclear weapons and nonproliferation in light of these prevailing views. (author)

US-Russian relations: the arms control agenda

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Potter, W

2001-07-01

At a time when US-Russian relations are widely regarded to be in a state of flux, it is appropriate to examine the degree of continuity and change in the sphere of nuclear arms control. More specifically, this brief essay identifies a number of propositions about nuclear weapons, arms control, and nonproliferation that increasingly reflect the conventional wisdom in Washington, although these propositions may be neither true nor wise; and assesses the prospects for arms control progress in the areas of strategic and non-strategic nuclear weapons and nonproliferation in light of these prevailing views. (author)

Estimation of Human Arm Joints Using Two Wireless Sensors in Robotic Rehabilitation Tasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arturo Bertomeu-Motos

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a novel kinematic reconstruction of the human arm chain with five degrees of freedom and the estimation of the shoulder location during rehabilitation therapy assisted by end-effector robotic devices. This algorithm is based on the pseudoinverse of the Jacobian through the acceleration of the upper arm, measured using an accelerometer, and the orientation of the shoulder, estimated with a magnetic angular rate and gravity (MARG device. The results show a high accuracy in terms of arm joints and shoulder movement with respect to the real arm measured through an optoelectronic system. Furthermore, the range of motion (ROM of 50 healthy subjects is studied from two different trials, one trying to avoid shoulder movements and the second one forcing them. Moreover, the shoulder movement in the second trial is also estimated accurately. Besides the fact that the posture of the patient can be corrected during the exercise, the therapist could use the presented algorithm as an objective assessment tool. In conclusion, the joints’ estimation enables a better adjustment of the therapy, taking into account the needs of the patient, and consequently, the arm motion improves faster.

[Measuring the blood pressure in both arms is of little use; longitudinal study into blood pressure differences between both arms and its reproducibility in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2].

Science.gov (United States)

Kleefstra, N; Houweling, S T; Meyboom-de Jong, B; Bilo, H J G

2007-07-07

To determine the prevalence of inter-arm blood pressure differences > 10 mmHg in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) and to determine whether these differences are consistent over time. Descriptive. In an evaluation study of 169 DM2 patients from 5 general practices in 2003 and 2004, different methods of oscillatory measurement were used to investigate inter-arm blood pressure differences > 10 mmHg systolic or diastolic. These methods were: one measurement in each arm non-simultaneously (method A), one measurement simultaneously (B) and the mean of two simultaneous measurements (C). With method A an inter-arm blood pressure difference was found in 33% of patients. This percentage diminished to 9 with method C. In 44% (n = 7) of the patients in whom method C detected a relevant blood pressure difference, this difference was not found with method A. In 79% of patients the inter-arm blood pressure difference was not reproduced after one year. In daily practice, one non-simultaneous blood pressure measurement in each arm (method A) was of little value for identification of patients with inter-arm blood pressure differences. The reproducibility was poor one year later. Bilateral blood pressure measurement is therefore of little value.

The spiral arms of the Milky Way: The relative location of each different arm tracer within a typical spiral arm width

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vallée, Jacques P., E-mail: jacques.vallee@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca [National Research Council Canada, National Science Infrastructure portfolio, Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, B.C., V9E 2E7 (Canada)

2014-07-01

From the Sun's location in the Galactic disk, different arm tracers (CO, H I, hot dust, etc.) have been employed to locate a tangent to each spiral arm. Using all various and different observed spiral arm tracers (as published elsewhere), we embark on a new goal, namely the statistical analysis of these published data (data mining) to statistically compute the mean location of each spiral arm tracer. We show for a typical arm cross-cut, a separation of 400 pc between the mid-arm and the dust lane (at the inner edge of the arm, toward the Galactic center). Are some arms major and others minor? Separating arms into two sets, as suggested by some, we find the same arm widths between the two sets. Our interpretation is that we live in a multiple (four-arm) spiral (logarithmic) pattern (around a pitch angle of 12°) for the stars and gas in the Milky Way, with a sizable interarm separation (around 3 kpc) at the Sun's location and the same arm width for each arm (near 400 pc from mid-arm to dust lane).

The spiral arms of the Milky Way: The relative location of each different arm tracer within a typical spiral arm width

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vallée, Jacques P.

2014-01-01

From the Sun's location in the Galactic disk, different arm tracers (CO, H I, hot dust, etc.) have been employed to locate a tangent to each spiral arm. Using all various and different observed spiral arm tracers (as published elsewhere), we embark on a new goal, namely the statistical analysis of these published data (data mining) to statistically compute the mean location of each spiral arm tracer. We show for a typical arm cross-cut, a separation of 400 pc between the mid-arm and the dust lane (at the inner edge of the arm, toward the Galactic center). Are some arms major and others minor? Separating arms into two sets, as suggested by some, we find the same arm widths between the two sets. Our interpretation is that we live in a multiple (four-arm) spiral (logarithmic) pattern (around a pitch angle of 12°) for the stars and gas in the Milky Way, with a sizable interarm separation (around 3 kpc) at the Sun's location and the same arm width for each arm (near 400 pc from mid-arm to dust lane).

Maternal anxiety disorders predict excessive infant crying: a prospective longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Petzoldt, Johanna; Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich; Wittich, Julia; Einsle, Franziska; Höfler, Michael; Martini, Julia

2014-09-01

To prospectively examine relations between maternal DSM-IV-TR anxiety and depressive disorders and excessive infant crying. Based on the prospective longitudinal Maternal Anxiety in Relation to Infant Development Study, n=306 expectant mothers were enrolled during early pregnancy and repeatedly interviewed until 16 months post partum. Lifetime and prospective information on maternal anxiety and depressive disorders was assessed via standardised diagnostic interviews (Composite International Diagnostic Interview for Women). Excessive crying (crying for ≥3 h per day on ≥3 days per week for ≥3 weeks) was assessed via Baby-DIPS. During the first 16 months after delivery, n=286 mother-infant dyads were available and included in the analyses. Excessive crying was reported by n=29 mothers (10.1%). Infants of mothers with anxiety disorders prior to pregnancy were at higher risk for excessive crying than infants of mothers without any anxiety disorder prior to pregnancy (OR=2.54, 95% CI 1.11 to 5.78, p=0.027). Risk was even increased when considering additionally incident anxiety disorders until delivery (OR=3.02, 95% CI 1.25 to 7.32, p=0.014) and until 16 months post partum (OR=2.87, 95% CI 1.13 to 7.28, p=0.027). Associations remained stable when adjusting for sociodemographic and perinatal covariates. Maternal depressive disorders prior to pregnancy were not significantly associated with excessive crying in this sample. Maternal lifetime and incident anxiety disorders revealed to be a robust predictor for excessive crying. Thus, early identification and monitoring of women with anxiety disorders is important to identify mother-infant dyads at risk for excessive crying. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Prospective, Multi-Centre, Single-Arm Study of Mechanical Thrombectomy using Solitaire FR in Acute Ischemic Stroke-STAR

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Vitor M; Gralla, Jan; Davalos, Antoni; Bonafé, Alain; Castaño, Carlos; Chapot, Rene; Liebeskind, David S; Nogueira, Raul G; Arnold, Marcel; Sztajzel, Roman; Liebig, Thomas; Goyal, Mayank; Besselmann, Michael; Moreno, Alfredo; Schroth, Gerhard

2013-01-01

Background and Purpose Mechanical thrombectomy using stent retriever devices have been advocated to increase revascularization in intracranial vessel occlusion. We present the results of a large prospective study on the use of the Solitaire FR in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods STAR was an international, multicenter, prospective, single-arm study of Solitaire FR thrombectomy in patients with large vessel anterior circulation strokes treated within 8 hours of symptom onset. Strict criteria for site selection were applied. The primary endpoint was the revascularization rate (3TICI 2b) of the occluded vessel as determined by an independent core lab. The secondary endpoint was the rate of good functional outcome (defined as 90-day modified Rankin scale (mRS) 0–2). Results A total of 202 patients were enrolled across 14 comprehensive stroke centers in Europe, Canada and Australia. The median age was 72 years, 60% were female patients. The median National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was 17. Most proximal intracranial occlusion was the internal carotid artery in 18%, the middle cerebral artery in 82%. Successful revascularization was achieved in 79.2% of patients. Device and/or procedure related severe adverse events were found in 7.4%. Favorable neurological outcome was found in 57.9%. The mortality rate was 6.9%. Any intracranial hemorrhagic transformation was found in 18.8% of patients, 1.5% were symptomatic. Conclusions In this single arm study, treatment with the Solitaire™ FR device in intracranial anterior circulation occlusions results in high rates of revascularization, low risk of clinically relevant procedural complications, and good clinical outcomes in combination with low mortality at 90 days. Clinical Trial Registration This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01327989. PMID:23908066

Development program of two-arm bilateral servomanipulator system for nuclear fuel cycle facilities in PNC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashihara, H.; Igarashi, M.; Maeda, M.; Nomizu, T.; Uematsu, K.

1984-01-01

PNC started the development program of a two-arm bilateral servomanipulator to improve remote maintenance in the planning of pilot plants for HLLW vitrification and FBR fuel reprocessing. In this paper, the development program of two-arm bilateral servomanipulators, signal and power transmissions, high performance viewing system, man-machine interface, and transporter system for manipulators will be presented. Also radiation tests for all components used in a hot cell are being performed to aid remote system design

Unsteady analysis on the instantaneous forces and moment arms acting on a novel Savonius-style wind turbine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roy, Sukanta; Ducoin, Antoine

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Two-dimensional unsteady simulations on a novel Savonius-style wind turbine. • Instantaneous behavior of drag and lift coefficients, and corresponding moment arms. • Effect of tip speed ratio on the instantaneous force coefficients and moments arms. • Effect of force coefficients and moment arms on the instantaneous moment and power. • Analysis of power and moment coefficients at different tip speed ratios. - Abstract: This paper aims to present a transient analysis on the forces acting on a novel two-bladed Savonius-style wind turbine. Two-dimensional unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes equations are solved using shear stress transport k–ω turbulence model at a Reynolds number of 1.23 × 10"5. The instantaneous longitudinal drag and lateral lift forces acting on each of the blades and their acting points are calculated. The corresponding moment arms responsible for the torque generation are obtained. Further, the effect of tip speed ratio on the force coefficients, moment arms and overall turbine performances are observed. Throughout the paper, the obtained results for the new design are discussed with reference to conventional semi-circular design of Savonius turbines. A significant performance improvement is achieved with the new design due to its increased lift and moment arm contribution as compared to the conventional design. More interestingly, the present study sets a platform for future aerodynamic research and improvements for Savonius-style wind turbines.

Unequal-Arms Michelson Interferometers

Science.gov (United States)

Tinto, Massimo; Armstrong, J. W.

2000-01-01

Michelson interferometers allow phase measurements many orders of magnitude below the phase stability of the laser light injected into their two almost equal-length arms. If, however, the two arms are unequal, the laser fluctuations can not be removed by simply recombining the two beams. This is because the laser jitters experience different time delays in the two arms, and therefore can not cancel at the photo detector. We present here a method for achieving exact laser noise cancellation, even in an unequal-arm interferometer. The method presented in this paper requires a separate readout of the relative phase in each arm, made by interfering the returning beam in each arm with a fraction of the outgoing beam. By linearly combining the two data sets with themselves, after they have been properly time shifted, we show that it is possible to construct a new data set that is free of laser fluctuations. An application of this technique to future planned space-based laser interferometer detector3 of gravitational radiation is discussed.

Stereotypical reaching movements of the octopus involve both bend propagation and arm elongation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanassy, S; Botvinnik, A; Flash, T; Hochner, B

2015-05-13

The bend propagation involved in the stereotypical reaching movement of the octopus arm has been extensively studied. While these studies have analyzed the kinematics of bend propagation along the arm during its extension, possible length changes have been ignored. Here, the elongation profiles of the reaching movements of Octopus vulgaris were assessed using three-dimensional reconstructions. The analysis revealed that, in addition to bend propagation, arm extension movements involve elongation of the proximal part of the arm, i.e., the section from the base of the arm to the propagating bend. The elongations are quite substantial and highly variable, ranging from an average strain along the arm of -0.12 (i.e. shortening) up to 1.8 at the end of the movement (0.57 ± 0.41, n = 64 movements, four animals). Less variability was discovered in an additional set of experiments on reaching movements (0.64 ± 0.28, n = 30 movements, two animals), where target and octopus positions were kept more stationary. Visual observation and subsequent kinematic analysis suggest that the reaching movements can be broadly segregated into two groups. The first group involves bend propagation beginning at the base of the arm and propagating towards the arm tip. In the second, the bend is formed or present more distally and reaching is achieved mainly by elongation and straightening of the segment proximal to the bend. Only in the second type of movements is elongation significantly positively correlated with the distance of the bend from the target. We suggest that reaching towards a target is generated by a combination of both propagation of a bend along the arm and arm elongation. These two motor primitives may be combined to create a broad spectrum of reaching movements. The dynamical model, which recapitulates the biomechanics of the octopus muscular hydrostatic arm, suggests that achieving the observed elongation requires an extremely low ratio of longitudinal to transverse muscle

Cooperative Mmonitoring Center Occasional Paper/5: Propspects of Conventional Arms Control in South Asia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gupta, Amit; Kamal, Nazir

1998-11-01

The intensely adversarial relationship between India and Pakistan is marked by military rivalry, mutual distrust, and suspicion. The most dividing disagreement has been over the Kashmir region. An inability to discuss the Kashmir issue has prevented discussion on other important issues. Since there is little prospect of detente, at least in the near-term, the question is whether this rivalry can be contained by other means, such as arms control approaches. Conventional arms control has been applied flexibly and successfully in some regions to reduce threat-perceptions and achieve reassuring military stability. Some lessons from other international models might be applied to the India/Pakistan context. This paper discusses the status of conventional arms control in South Asia, the dominant Indian and Pakistani perceptions about arms control, the benefits that could be derived from arms control, as well as the problems and prospects of arms control. It also discusses existing conventional arms control agreements at the regional and global levels as well as the potential role of cooperative monitoring technology.

Changes in arm-hand function and arm-hand skill performance in patients after stroke during and after rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Franck, Johan Anton; Smeets, Rob Johannes Elise Marie; Seelen, Henk Alexander Maria

2017-01-01

Arm-hand rehabilitation programs applied in stroke rehabilitation frequently target specific populations and thus are less applicable in heterogeneous patient populations. Besides, changes in arm-hand function (AHF) and arm-hand skill performance (AHSP) during and after a specific and well-described rehabilitation treatment are often not well evaluated. This single-armed prospective cohort study featured three subgroups of stroke patients with either a severely, moderately or mildly impaired AHF. Rehabilitation treatment consisted of a Concise_Arm_and_hand_ Rehabilitation_Approach_in_Stroke (CARAS). Measurements at function and activity level were performed at admission, clinical discharge, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after clinical discharge. Eighty-nine stroke patients (M/F:63/23; mean age:57.6yr (+/-10.6); post-stroke time:29.8 days (+/-20.1)) participated. All patients improved on AHF and arm-hand capacity during and after rehabilitation, except on grip strength in the severely affected subgroup. Largest gains occurred in patients with a moderately affected AHF. As to self-perceived AHSP, on average, all subgroups improved over time. A small percentage of patients declined regarding self-perceived AHSP post-rehabilitation. A majority of stroke patients across the whole arm-hand impairment severity spectrum significantly improved on AHF, arm-hand capacity and self-perceived AHSP. These were maintained up to one year post-rehabilitation. Results may serve as a control condition in future studies.

Isometric arm strength and subjective rating of upper limb fatigue in two-handed carrying tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kai Way; Chiu, Wen-Sheng

2015-01-01

Sustained carrying could result in muscular fatigue of the upper limb. Ten male and ten female subjects were recruited for measurements of isometric arm strength before and during carrying a load for a period of 4 minutes. Two levels of load of carrying were tested for each of the male and female subjects. Exponential function based predictive equations for the isometric arm strength were established. The mean absolute deviations of these models in predicting the isometric arm strength were in the range of 3.24 to 17.34 N. Regression analyses between the subjective ratings of upper limb fatigue and force change index (FCI) for the carrying were also performed. The results indicated that the subjective rating of muscular fatigue may be estimated by multiplying the FCI with a constant. The FCI may, therefore, be adopted as an index to assess muscular fatigue for two-handed carrying tasks.

Factor structure and longitudinal measurement invariance of PHQ-9 for specialist mental health care patients with persistent major depressive disorder: Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Boliang; Kaylor-Hughes, Catherine; Garland, Anne; Nixon, Neil; Sweeney, Tim; Simpson, Sandra; Dalgleish, Tim; Ramana, Rajini; Yang, Min; Morriss, Richard

2017-09-01

The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is a widely used instrument for measuring levels of depression in patients in clinical practice and academic research; its factor structure has been investigated in various samples, with limited evidence of measurement equivalence/invariance (ME/I) but not in patients with more severe depression of long duration. This study aims to explore the factor structure of the PHQ-9 and the ME/I between treatment groups over time for these patients. 187 secondary care patients with persistent major depressive disorder (PMDD) were recruited to a randomised controlled trial (RCT) with allocation to either a specialist depression team arm or a general mental health arm; their PHQ-9 score was measured at baseline, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Exploratory Structural Equational Modelling (ESEM) was performed to examine the factor structure for this specific patient group. ME/I between treatment arm at and across follow-up time were further explored by means of multiple-group ESEM approach using the best-fitted factor structure. A two-factor structure was evidenced (somatic and affective factor). This two-factor structure had strong factorial invariance between the treatment groups at and across follow up times. Participants were largely white British in a RCT with 40% attrition potentially limiting the study's generalisability. Not all two-factor modelling criteria were met at every time-point. PHQ-9 has a two-factor structure for PMDD patients, with strong measurement invariance between treatment groups at and across follow-up time, demonstrating its validity for RCTs and prospective longitudinal studies in chronic moderate to severe depression. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Mild traumatic brain injury and fatigue: a prospective longitudinal study.

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Norrie, Joan; Heitger, Marcus; Leathem, Janet; Anderson, Tim; Jones, Richard; Flett, Ross

2010-01-01

To examine fatigue prevalence, severity, predictors and co-variates over 6 months post-mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Longitudinal prospective study including 263 adults with MTBI. Participants completed the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Rivermead Post-concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPSQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Short Form 36 Health Survey-Version 2 (SF-36v2). Complete data were available for 159 participants. Key measures; prevalence--RPSQ Item 6: severity--FSS. The effect of time on fatigue prevalence and severity was examined using ANOVA. Multiple regression analysis identified statistically significant covariates. Post-MTBI fatigue prevalence was 68%, 38% and 34% at 1 week, 3 and 6 months, respectively. There was a strong effect for time over the first 3 months and moderate-to-high correlations between fatigue prevalence and severity. Early fatigue strongly predicted later fatigue; depression, but not anxiety was a predictor. Fatigue was seen as laziness by family or friends in 30% of cases. Post-MTBI fatigue is a persistent post-concussion symptom, exacerbated by depression but not anxiety. It diminishes in the first 3 months and then becomes relatively stable, suggesting the optimum intervention placement is at 3 months or more post-MTBI.

Soft robotic arm inspired by the octopus: I. From biological functions to artificial requirements.

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Margheri, L; Laschi, C; Mazzolai, B

2012-06-01

Octopuses are molluscs that belong to the group Cephalopoda. They lack joints and rigid links, and as a result, their arms possess virtually limitless freedom of movement. These flexible appendages exhibit peculiar biomechanical features such as stiffness control, compliance, and high flexibility and dexterity. Studying the capabilities of the octopus arm is a complex task that presents a challenge for both biologists and roboticists, the latter of whom draw inspiration from the octopus in designing novel technologies within soft robotics. With this idea in mind, in this study, we used new, purposively developed methods of analysing the octopus arm in vivo to create new biologically inspired design concepts. Our measurements showed that the octopus arm can elongate by 70% in tandem with a 23% diameter reduction and exhibits an average pulling force of 40 N. The arm also exhibited a 20% mean shortening at a rate of 17.1 mm s(-1) and a longitudinal stiffening rate as high as 2 N (mm s)(-1). Using histology and ultrasounds, we investigated the functional morphology of the internal tissues, including the sinusoidal arrangement of the nerve cord and the local insertion points of the longitudinal and transverse muscle fibres. The resulting information was used to create novel design principles and specifications that can in turn be used in developing a new soft robotic arm.

Soft robotic arm inspired by the octopus: I. From biological functions to artificial requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Margheri, L; Laschi, C; Mazzolai, B

2012-01-01

Octopuses are molluscs that belong to the group Cephalopoda. They lack joints and rigid links, and as a result, their arms possess virtually limitless freedom of movement. These flexible appendages exhibit peculiar biomechanical features such as stiffness control, compliance, and high flexibility and dexterity. Studying the capabilities of the octopus arm is a complex task that presents a challenge for both biologists and roboticists, the latter of whom draw inspiration from the octopus in designing novel technologies within soft robotics. With this idea in mind, in this study, we used new, purposively developed methods of analysing the octopus arm in vivo to create new biologically inspired design concepts. Our measurements showed that the octopus arm can elongate by 70% in tandem with a 23% diameter reduction and exhibits an average pulling force of 40 N. The arm also exhibited a 20% mean shortening at a rate of 17.1 mm s −1 and a longitudinal stiffening rate as high as 2 N (mm s) −1 . Using histology and ultrasounds, we investigated the functional morphology of the internal tissues, including the sinusoidal arrangement of the nerve cord and the local insertion points of the longitudinal and transverse muscle fibres. The resulting information was used to create novel design principles and specifications that can in turn be used in developing a new soft robotic arm. (paper)

The musculature of coleoid cephalopod arms and tentacles

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William McKee Kier

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The regeneration of coleoid cephalopod arms and tentacles is a common occurrence, recognized since Aristotle. The complexity of the arrangement of the muscle and connective tissues of these appendages make them of great interest for research on regeneration. They lack rigid skeletal elements and consist of a three-dimensional array of muscle fibers, relying on a type of skeletal support system called a muscular hydrostat. Support and movement in the arms and tentacles depends on the fact that muscle tissue resists volume change. The basic principle of function is straightforward; because the volume of the appendage is essentially constant, a decrease in one dimension must result in an increase in another dimension. Since the muscle fibers are arranged in three mutually perpendicular directions, all three dimensions can be actively controlled and thus a remarkable diversity of movements and deformations can be produced. In the arms and tentacles of coleoids, three main muscle orientations are observed: 1 transverse muscle fibers arranged in planes perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; 2 longitudinal muscle fibers typically arranged in bundles parallel to the longitudinal axis; and 3 helical or obliquely arranged layers of muscle fibers, arranged in both right- and left-handed helixes. By selective activation of these muscle groups, elongation, shortening, bending, torsion and stiffening of the appendage can be produced. The predominant muscle fiber type is obliquely striated. Cross-striated fibers are found only in the transverse muscle mass of the prey capture tentacles of squid and cuttlefish. These fibers have unusually short myofilaments and sarcomeres, generating the high shortening velocity required for rapid elongation of the tentacles. It is likely that coleoid cephalopods use ultrastructural modifications rather than tissue-specific myosin isoforms to tune contraction velocities.

The gearing function of running shoe longitudinal bending stiffness.

Science.gov (United States)

Willwacher, Steffen; König, Manuel; Braunstein, Björn; Goldmann, Jan-Peter; Brüggemann, Gert-Peter

2014-07-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether altered longitudinal bending stiffness (LBS) levels of the midsole of a running shoe lead to a systematic change in lower extremity joint lever arms of the ground reaction force (GRF). Joint moments and GRF lever arms in the sagittal plane were determined from 19 male subjects running at 3.5 m/s using inverse dynamics procedures. LBS was manipulated using carbon fiber insoles of 1.9 mm and 3.2 mm thickness. Increasing LBS led to a significant shift of joint lever arms to a more anterior position. Effects were more pronounced at distal joints. Ankle joint moments were not significantly increased in the presence of higher GRF lever arms when averaged over all subjects. Still, two individual strategies (1: increase ankle joint moments while keeping push-off times almost constant, 2: decrease ankle joint moments and increase push-off times) could be identified in response to increased ankle joint lever arms that might reflect individual differences between subjects with respect to strength capacities or anthropometric characteristics. The results of the present study indicate that LBS systematically influences GRF lever arms of lower extremity joints during the push-off phase in running. Further, individual responses to altered LBS levels could be identified that could aid in finding optimum LBS values for a given individual. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Delamination technique together with longitudinal incisions for treatment of Chiari I/syringomyelia complex: a prospective clinical study

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Savas Yildiray

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Treatment modalities in Chiari malformation type 1(CMI accompanied by syringomyelia have not yet been standardized. Pathologies such as a small posterior fossa and thickened dura mater have been discussed previously. Various techniques have been explored to enlarge the foramen magnum and to expand the dura. The aim of this clinical study was to explore a new technique of excision of the external dura accompanied by widening the cisterna magna and making longitudinal incisions in the internal dura, without disturbing the arachnoid. Methods Ten patients with CMI and syringomyelia, operated between 2004 and 2006, formed this prospective series. All cases underwent foramen magnum decompression of 3 × 3 cm area with C1–C2 (partial laminectomy, resection of foramen magnum fibrous band, excision of external dura, delamination and widening of internal dura with longitudinal incisions. Results Patients were aged between 25 and 58 years and occipital headache was the most common complaint. The mean duration of preoperative symptoms was 4 years and the follow-up time was 25 months. Clinical progression was halted for all patients; eight patients completely recovered and two reported no change. In one patient, there was a transient cerebrospinal fluid (CSF fistula that was treated with tissue adhesive. While syringomyelia persisted radiologically with radiological stability in five patients; for three patients the syringomyelic cavity decreased in size, and for the remaining two it regressed completely. Conclusion Removal of the fibrous band and the outer dural layer, at level of foramen magnum, together with the incision of inner dural layer appears to be good technique in adult CMI patients. The advantages are short operation time, no need for duraplasty, sufficient posterior fossa decompression, absence of CSF fistulas as a result of extra arachnoidal surgery, and short duration of hospitalization. Hence this surgical technique has

Evaluation of patterns of liver toxicity in patients on antiretroviral and anti-tuberculosis drugs: a prospective four arm observational study in ethiopian patients.

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Getnet Yimer

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the incidence, type, severity and predictors of antiretroviral and/or anti-tuberculosis drugs induced liver injury (DILI. METHODS: A total of 1,060 treatment naive patients were prospectively enrolled into four treatment groups: HIV patients receiving efavirenz based HAART alone (Arm-1; TB-HIV co-infected patients with CD4≤200 cells/μL, receiving concomitant rifampicin based anti-TB and efavirenz based HAART (Arm-2; TB-HIV co-infected patients with CD4>200 cells/μL, receiving anti-TB alone (Arm-3; TB patients taking rifampicin based anti-TB alone (Arm-4. Liver enzyme levels were monitored at baseline, 1st, 2nd, 4th, 8th, 12th and 24th weeks during treatment. CD4 and HIV viral load was measured at baseline, 24th and 48th weeks. Data were analyzed using multivariate Cox Proportional Hazards Model. RESULTS: A total of 159 patients (15% developed DILI with severity grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 of 53.5%, 32.7%, 11.3% and 2.5% respectively. The incidence of cholestatic, hepatocellular or mixed pattern was 61%, 15% and 24%, respectively. Incidence of DILI was highest in Arm-2 (24.2%>Arm-3 (10.8%>Arm-1 (8.8%>Arm-4 (2.9%. Concomitant anti-TB-HIV therapy increased the risk of DILI by 10-fold than anti-TB alone (p<0.0001. HIV co-infection increased the risk of anti-TB DILI by 4-fold (p = 0.004. HAART associated DILI was 3-fold higher than anti-TB alone, (p = 0.02. HAART was associated with cholestatic and grade 1 DILI whereas anti-TB therapy was associated with hepatocellular and grade ≥ 2. Treatment type, lower CD4, platelet, hemoglobin, higher serum AST and direct bilirubin levels at baseline were significant DILI predictors. There was no effect of DILI on immunologic recovery or virologic suppression rate of HAART. CONCLUSION: HAART associated DILI is mainly cholestatic and mild whereas hepatocellular or mixed pattern with high severity grade is more common in anti-tuberculosis DILI. TB-HIV co-infection, disease severity

Prospective, longitudinal, multi-modal functional imaging for radical chemo-IMRT treatment of locally advanced head and neck cancer: the INSIGHT study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welsh, Liam; Panek, Rafal; McQuaid, Dualta; Dunlop, Alex; Schmidt, Maria; Riddell, Angela; Koh, Dow-Mu; Doran, Simon; Murray, Iain; Du, Yong; Chua, Sue; Hansen, Vibeke; Wong, Kee H.; Dean, Jamie; Gulliford, Sarah; Bhide, Shreerang; Leach, Martin O.; Nutting, Christopher; Harrington, Kevin; Newbold, Kate

2015-01-01

Radical chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) is an effective organ-sparing treatment option for patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer (LAHNC). Despite advances in treatment for LAHNC, a significant minority of these patients continue to fail to achieve complete response with standard CRT. By constructing a multi-modality functional imaging (FI) predictive biomarker for CRT outcome for patients with LAHNC we hope to be able to reliably identify those patients at high risk of failing standard CRT. Such a biomarker would in future enable CRT to be tailored to the specific biological characteristics of each patients’ tumour, potentially leading to improved treatment outcomes. The INSIGHT study is a single-centre, prospective, longitudinal multi-modality imaging study using functional MRI and FDG-PET/CT for patients with LAHNC squamous cell carcinomas receiving radical CRT. Two cohorts of patients are being recruited: one treated with, and another treated without, induction chemotherapy. All patients receive radical intensity modulated radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy. Patients undergo functional imaging before, during and 3 months after completion of radiotherapy, as well as at the time of relapse, should that occur within the first two years after treatment. Serum samples are collected from patients at the same time points as the FI scans for analysis of a panel of serum markers of tumour hypoxia. The primary aim of the INSIGHT study is to acquire a prospective multi-parametric longitudinal data set comprising functional MRI, FDG PET/CT, and serum biomarker data from patients with LAHNC undergoing primary radical CRT. This data set will be used to construct a predictive imaging biomarker for outcome after CRT for LAHNC. This predictive imaging biomarker will be used in future studies of functional imaging based treatment stratification for patients with LAHNC. Additional objectives are: defining the reproducibility of FI parameters; determining robust

A model of psychological resilience for the Netherlands Armed Forces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kamphuis, W.; Venrooij, W.; Berg, C. van den

2012-01-01

In the current study, a model of psychological resilience was developed for the Netherlands Armed Forces and a number of important relations were tested using a longitudinal design. The model of resilience was based on a systematic literature review of resilience in high-risk professions and

Estimation of Height from Arm Span in 6-11 Years Children in Odisha, India

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Snigdha Prava Mishra

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Standing height is an important anthropometric parameter to track longitudinal growth, to estimate body fatness and to calculate energy requirement. Measurement of height may be difficult in children who cannot stand. Aim: To establish regression equation for estimation of height from arm span in children. To check comparative relevancy of this equation with fixed height-to-arm span ratio (HAR for estimation of height. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 6-11 years school children (n=1465, Boys=774, Girls=691 in state of Odisha, India. Height was measured by portable stadiometer and arm span was measured by fiberglass measuring tape to nearest 0.1 cm. Pearson correlation and regression analysis was carried out between height and arm span data. p<0.05 (two tail was considered statistically significant. Results: Mean height and arm span in boys (124.16±8.74 cm and 125.57±10.43 cm respectively was significantly more (p<0.001 than height and arm span in girls (121.18±10.37 cm and 121.50±11.68 cm respectively. Mean HAR was 0.9942±0.0279. Correlation between height and arm span in boys was r = 0.94 (p<0.001 and in girls was r = 0.96 (p<0.001. Overall correlation coefficient was r = 0.95 (p<0.001. Regression equation for estimation of height from arm span was established: Height (cm = 0.8192 * arm span (cm + 21.46. Conclusion: Height in children of 6-11 years showed strong positive correlation with arm span. Regression equation established from this study can be used to estimate height from arm span. This estimation is more reliable than estimation of height from HAR.

Prospective longitudinal evaluation of lung function during the first year of life after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hofhuis, Ward; Hanekamp, Manon N; Ijsselstijn, Hanneke; Nieuwhof, Eveline M; Hop, Wim C J; Tibboel, Dick; de Jongste, Johan C; Merkus, Peter J F M

2011-03-01

To collect longitudinal data on lung function in the first year of life after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and to evaluate relationships between lung function and perinatal factors. Longitudinal data on lung function in the first year of life after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are lacking. Prospective longitudinal cohort study. Outpatient clinic of a tertiary level pediatric hospital. The cohort consisted of 64 infants; 33 received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for meconium aspiration syndrome, 14 for congenital diaphragmatic hernia, four for sepsis, six for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the neonate, and seven for respiratory distress syndrome of infancy. Evaluation was at 6 mos and 12 mos; 39 infants were evaluated at both time points . None. Functional residual capacity and forced expiratory flow at functional residual capacity were measured and expressed as z score. Mean (sem) functional residual capacities in z score were 0.0 (0.2) and 0.2 (0.2) at 6 mos and 12 mos, respectively. Mean (sem) forced expiratory flow was significantly below average (z score = 0) (p capacity significantly above normal: mean (sem) z score = 1.2 (0.5). Infants treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation have normal lung volumes and stable forced expiratory flows within normal range, although below average, within the first year of life. There is reason to believe, therefore, that extracorporeal membrane oxygenation either ameliorates the harmful effects of mechanical ventilation or somehow preserves lung function in the very ill neonate.

Impact of xerostomia on dysphagia after chemotherapy-intensity-modulated radiotherapy for oropharyngeal cancer: Prospective longitudinal study.

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Vainshtein, Jeffrey M; Samuels, Stuart; Tao, Yebin; Lyden, Teresa; Haxer, Marc; Spector, Matthew; Schipper, Matthew; Eisbruch, Avraham

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study was to assess how xerostomia affects dysphagia. Prospective longitudinal studies of 93 patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated with definitive chemotherapy-intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Observer-rated dysphagia (ORD), patient-reported dysphagia (PRD), and patient-reported xerostomia (PRX) assessment of the swallowing mechanics by videofluoroscopy (videofluoroscopy score), and salivary flow rates, were prospectively assessed from pretherapy through 2 years. ORD grades ≥2 were rare and therefore not modeled. Of patients with no/mild videofluoroscopy abnormalities, a substantial proportion had PRD that peaked 3 months posttherapy and subsequently improved. Through 2 years, highly significant correlations were observed between PRX and PRD scores for all patients, including those with no/mild videofluoroscopy abnormalities. Both PRX and videofluoroscopy scores were highly significantly associated with PRD. On multivariate analysis, PRX score was a stronger predictor of PRD than the videofluoroscopy score. Xerostomia contributes significantly to PRD. Efforts to further decrease xerostomia, in addition to sparing parotid glands, may translate into improvements in PRD. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E1605-E1612, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Two-dimensional myoelectric control of a robotic arm for upper limb amputees

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez Celani, Natalia M; Soria, Carlos M; Orosco, Eugenio C; Di Sciascio, Fernando A; Valentinuzzi, Max E

2007-01-01

Rehabilitation engineering and medicine have become integral and significant parts of health care services, particularly and unfortunately in the last three or four decades, because of wars, terrorism and large number of car accidents. Amputees show a high rate of rejection to wear prosthetic devices, often because of lack of an adequate period of adaptation. A robotic arm may appear as a good preliminary stage. To test the hypothesis, myoelectric signals from two upper limb amputees and from four normal volunteers were fed, via adequate electronic conditioning and using MATLAB, to an industrial robotic arm. Proportional strength control was used for two degrees of freedom (x-y plane) by means of eight signal features of control (four traditional statistics plus energy, integral of the absolute value, Willison's amplitude, waveform length and envelope) for comparison purposes, and selecting the best of them as final reference. Patients easily accepted the system and learned in short time how to operate it. Results were encouraging so that valuable training, before prosthesis is implanted, appears as good feedback; besides, these patients can be hired as specialized operators in semi-automatized industry

Two-dimensional myoelectric control of a robotic arm for upper limb amputees

Science.gov (United States)

López Celani, Natalia M.; Soria, Carlos M.; Orosco, Eugenio C.; di Sciascio, Fernando A.; Valentinuzzi, Max E.

2007-11-01

Rehabilitation engineering and medicine have become integral and significant parts of health care services, particularly and unfortunately in the last three or four decades, because of wars, terrorism and large number of car accidents. Amputees show a high rate of rejection to wear prosthetic devices, often because of lack of an adequate period of adaptation. A robotic arm may appear as a good preliminary stage. To test the hypothesis, myoelectric signals from two upper limb amputees and from four normal volunteers were fed, via adequate electronic conditioning and using MATLAB, to an industrial robotic arm. Proportional strength control was used for two degrees of freedom (x-y plane) by means of eight signal features of control (four traditional statistics plus energy, integral of the absolute value, Willison's amplitude, waveform length and envelope) for comparison purposes, and selecting the best of them as final reference. Patients easily accepted the system and learned in short time how to operate it. Results were encouraging so that valuable training, before prosthesis is implanted, appears as good feedback; besides, these patients can be hired as specialized operators in semi-automatized industry.

The status of two-arm bilateral servomanipulator system development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawatsuma, S.; Fujita, Y.; Maeda, M.; Hayashi, S.; Sasao, N.; Kashihara, H.

1987-01-01

A bilateral servo-manipulator (BSM) has been developed to meet requirements for the new remote maintenance technologies. It will be applied to the Vitrification Plant (V.P.) of high-level liquid waste and FBR Fuel Recycle Pilot Plant (F.R.P.P.). Above mentioned new remote technologies are to perform the maintenance task of all equipments and machines which are installed in the large hot cell, and have several developing items such as BSM, rack, wall-through plug, remote connector and so on. Prototype II model of BSM has been designed and manufactured, adopting some new technologies to concentrate on operability, reliability and maintenability. This paper presents the status of two-arm bilateral servomanipulator system development

Plantar fascia thickness is longitudinally associated with retinopathy and renal dysfunction: a prospective study from adolescence to adulthood.

Science.gov (United States)

Benitez-Aguirre, Paul Z; Craig, Maria E; Jenkins, Alicia J; Gallego, Patricia H; Cusumano, Janine; Duffin, Anthony C; Hing, Stephen; Donaghue, Kim C

2012-03-01

The aim was to study the longitudinal relationship between plantar fascia thickness (PFT) as a measure of tissue glycation and microvascular (MV) complications in young persons with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). We conducted a prospective longitudinal cohort study of 152 (69 male) adolescents with T1DM who underwent repeated MV complications assessments and ultrasound measurements of PFT from baseline (1997-2002) until 2008. Retinopathy was assessed by 7-field stereoscopic fundal photography and nephropathy by albumin excretion rate (AER) from three timed overnight urine specimens. Longitudinal analysis was performed using generalized estimating equations (GEE). Median (interquartile range) age at baseline was 15.1 (13.4-16.8) years, and median follow-up was 8.3 (7.0-9.5) years, with 4 (3-6) visits per patient. Glycemic control improved from baseline to final visit [glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) 8.5% to 8.0%, respectively; p = .004]. Prevalence of retinopathy increased from 20% to 51% (p 7.5 μg/min) increased from 26% to 29% (p = .2). A greater increase in PFT (mm/year) was associated with retinopathy at the final assessment (ΔPFT 1st vs. 2nd-4th quartiles, χ(2) = 9.87, p = .02). In multivariate GEE, greater PFT was longitudinally associated with retinopathy [odds ratio (OR) 4.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0-10.3] and early renal dysfunction (OR 3.2, CI 1.3-8.0) after adjusting for gender, blood pressure standard deviation scores, HbA1c, and total cholesterol. In young people with T1DM, PFT was longitudinally associated with retinopathy and early renal dysfunction, highlighting the importance of early glycemic control and supporting the role of metabolic memory in MV complications. Measurement of PFT by ultrasound offers a noninvasive estimate of glycemic burden and tissue glycation. © 2012 Diabetes Technology Society.

Massive Weight Loss Obtained by Bariatric Surgery Affects Semen Quality in Morbid Male Obesity: a Preliminary Prospective Double-Armed Study.

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Samavat, Jinous; Cantini, Giulia; Lotti, Francesco; Di Franco, Alessandra; Tamburrino, Lara; Degl'Innocenti, Selene; Maseroli, Elisa; Filimberti, Erminio; Facchiano, Enrico; Lucchese, Marcello; Muratori, Monica; Forti, Gianni; Baldi, Elisabetta; Maggi, Mario; Luconi, Michaela

2018-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of massive weight loss on the seminal parameters at 6 months from bariatric surgery. Two-armed prospective study performed in 31 morbidly obese men, undergoing laparoscopic roux-en-Y-gastric bypass (n = 23) or non-operated (n = 8), assessing sex hormones, conventional (sperm motility, morphology, number, semen volume), and non-conventional (DNA fragmentation and seminal interleukin-8), semen parameters, at baseline and after 6 months from surgery or patients' recruitment. In operated patients only, a statistically significant improvement in the sex hormones was confirmed. Similarly, a positive trend in the progressive/total sperm motility and number was observed, though only the increase in semen volume and viability was statistically significant (Δ = 0.6 ml and 10%, P semen volume (r = 0.618, P = 0.015). The massive weight loss obtained with bariatric surgery was associated with an improvement in some semen parameters. The correlations found between weight loss and semen parameter variations after surgery suggest that these might occur early downstream of the testis and more slowly than the changes in the sex hormones.

Management of outpatients in France with stable coronary artery disease. Findings from the prospeCtive observational LongitudinAl RegIstry oF patients with stable coronary arterY disease (CLARIFY) registry.

Science.gov (United States)

Danchin, Nicolas; Ferrieres, Jean; Guenoun, Maxime; Cattan, Simon; Rushton-Smith, Sophie K; Greenlaw, Nicola; Ferrari, Roberto; Steg, Philippe Gabriel

2014-01-01

Improvements in the treatment of coronary artery disease mean that an increasing number of patients survive acute cardiovascular events and live as outpatients with or without anginal symptoms. To determine the characteristics and management of contemporary outpatients with stable coronary artery disease in Western Europe, and to compare France with the other Western European countries. CLARIFY (prospeCtive observational LongitudinAl RegIstry oF patients with stable coronary arterY disease) is an international, prospective, observational, longitudinal study. Between November 2009 and July 2010, 32,954 adult outpatients with stable coronary artery disease (defined as a history of documented myocardial infarction [of >3 months], prior coronary revascularization, chest pain with myocardial ischaemia, or coronary stenosis of>50% proven by angiography) were enrolled in 45 countries. The demographics and management of CLARIFY patients enrolled in France were compared with those enrolled in other Western European countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK). Of the 14,726 patients enrolled in Western Europe (mean age 66.2 [10.2] years; 79.6% male), 2432 (16.5%) were from France. The use of aspirin was lower in France than in other Western European countries (74.5% vs. 86.9%, respectively), whereas use of thienopyridines (48.5% vs. 21.7%), oral anticoagulants (12.3% vs. 9.0%) and lipid-lowering drugs (95.8% vs. 92.5%) was higher. Beta-blockers were used in 73% of both groups. Angina was less prevalent in France (6.3% vs. 15.5%) and French patients showed higher levels of physical activity than their counterparts in Western Europe. The management of patients with stable CAD in France appears favourable, with good adherence to guideline-based therapies, but there remains room for improvement in terms of symptom and risk factor control. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Conventional arms control negotiations in Europe (CFE, March 1989-April 1990)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buerstedde, L.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that for those of us who labored in the salt mines of arms control talks on Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions (MBFR), it is truly an invigorating experience to have been reincarnated as conventional arms controllers at the Negotiations on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), in session in Vienna since March 1989, against the background of the breathtaking and unprecedented changes sweeping across Eastern Europe. The negotiations have made remarkable progress, proceeding to a point where a treaty drastically cutting the level of conventional armaments in Europe is not just a possibility but actually in prospect

Prenatal stress perception and coping strategies: Insights from a longitudinal prospective pregnancy cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Goletzke, J; Kocalevent, R-D; Hansen, G; Rose, M; Becher, H; Hecher, K; Arck, P C; Diemert, A

2017-11-01

Prenatal distress has been linked to pregnancy complications and poor offspring's health, despite the fact that longitudinal assessments of various stress dimensions are still lacking. Hence, we aimed to assess perceived stress over the course of pregnancy. Moreover, we examined whether social support and coping styles are linked to prenatal stress trajectories. Data from 543 women participating in the PRINCE (Prenatal Identification of Children Health) study, a prospective population-based cohort study, was used for the present analyses. Once per trimester the women completed questionnaires regarding different psychometric measures, including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Linear mixed regression models were used to examine perceived stress development longitudinally and to relate social support and coping styles to stress trajectories during pregnancy. A significant decrease of perceived stress was observed over the course of pregnancy. Stratifying the study sample according to parity, women delivering their first child had continuously lower perceived stress scores compared to women having already one or more children, and a significant decrease during pregnancy was exclusively observed in primiparous women. Both, positive coping strategies and higher perceived and received social support were independently associated with lower perceived stress, while evasive coping strategies were associated with higher levels of perceived stress. Our study reveals stress perception trajectories during pregnancies in primi- and multiparous women. Our findings underscore the need for intervention strategies aiming to improve social support and positive coping strategies especially in multiparous women in order to reduce the risks for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Longitudinal changes in the antecedent and early manifest course of bipolar disorder-A narrative review of prospective studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfennig, Andrea; Leopold, Karolina; Ritter, Philipp; Böhme, Anne; Severus, Emanuel; Bauer, Michael

2017-05-01

Prospective study designs ideally allow patients to be followed from the first manifestations of the illness or even from an at-risk stage. It can thus provide data on the predictive value of changes in clinical symptomatology, cognition or further biological markers to broaden our understanding of the etiopathology and symptomatic trajectory of bipolar disorders. The scope of this narrative review is to summarize evidence from prospectively collected data on psychopathological and other clinical and biological changes in the early developmental course of bipolar disorders. The narrative review was based on a literature search conducted in February 2016 within the PubMed library for prospective study data of persons in antecedent and early manifest stages of manifest bipolar disorder published within the last 15 years. A total of 19 prospective studies were included. Regarding psychopathological features; personality, temperament and character traits as well as changes in sleep and circadian rhythm, the evidence suggests that risk factors for the development of bipolar disorder can already be described and should be studied further to understand their interaction, mediation with other factors and timing in the developmental process of bipolar disorder. Apart from the positive family history, childhood anxiety, sleep problems, subthreshold (hypo)manic symptoms and certain character traits/emotionality should be identified and monitored already in clinical practice as their presence likely increases risk of bipolar disorder. Up to date no substantiated evidence was found from prospective studies addressing cognitive features, life events, immunological parameters and morphological central nervous system changes as potential risk factors for bipolar disorder. For an improved understanding of episodic disorders, longitudinal data collection is essential. Since the etiology of bipolar disorders is complex, a number of potential risk factors have been proposed

The Sports-Related Injuries and Illnesses in Paralympic Sport Study (SRIIPSS): a study protocol for a prospective longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fagher, Kristina; Jacobsson, Jenny; Timpka, Toomas; Dahlström, Örjan; Lexell, Jan

2016-01-01

Paralympic sport provides sporting opportunities for athletes with a disability, with the Paralympic Games as the main event. Participation in sport is, however, associated with a significant risk for sustaining injuries and illnesses. Our knowledge of sports-related injuries and illnesses in Paralympic sport is very limited and there are no large-scale epidemiological cohort studies. The purpose here is to present a protocol for a prospective longitudinal study: The Sports-Related Injuries and Illnesses in Paralympic Sport Study (SRIIPSS). An argument-based method for investigation of design problems was used to structure the study protocol. The primary requirement of the protocol is to allow prospective studies over time and include exposure to both training and competition. To reflect the complexity of Paralympic sport with athletes' pre-existing impairments, use of assistive equipment, pain and other and medical issues, it is required that the data collection system is specifically adapted to Paralympic sport. To allow the collection of data, at the same time as there is limited access to coaches and medical personnel, it is advantageous that data can be collected online directly from the athletes. Based on this a self-report athlete monitoring system will be developed, where the athletes can enter data weekly via their mobile phones or lap-tops. Data will be collected from around 100 Swedish Paralympic athletes for approximately 1 year, which will allow us to i) prospectively estimate the annual incidence of sports-related injuries and illnesses and ii) explore risk factors and mechanisms for sustaining sports-related injuries and illnesses based on athlete exposure and training loads. For effective implementation of injury and illness prevention measures, comprehensive epidemiological knowledge is required. This study will be the first prospective longitudinal self-report study of sports-related injuries and illnesses in Paralympic sport over a longer period

Immunohistochemical localization of two types of choline acetyltransferase in neurons and sensory cells of the octopus arm.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakaue, Yuko; Bellier, Jean-Pierre; Kimura, Shin; D'Este, Loredana; Takeuchi, Yoshihiro; Kimura, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

Cholinergic structures in the arm of the cephalopod Octopus vulgaris were studied by immunohistochemistry using specific antisera for two types (common and peripheral) of acetylcholine synthetic enzyme choline acetyltransferase (ChAT): antiserum raised against the rat common type ChAT (cChAT), which is cross-reactive with molluscan cChAT, and antiserum raised against the rat peripheral type ChAT (pChAT), which has been used to delineate peripheral cholinergic structures in vertebrates, but not previously in invertebrates. Western blot analysis of octopus extracts revealed a single pChAT-positive band, suggesting that pChAT antiserum is cross-reactive with an octopus counterpart of rat pChAT. In immunohistochemistry, only neuronal structures of the octopus arm were stained by cChAT and pChAT antisera, although the pattern of distribution clearly differed between the two antisera. cChAT-positive varicose nerve fibers were observed in both the cerebrobrachial tract and neuropil of the axial nerve cord, while pChAT-positive varicose fibers were detected only in the neuropil of the axial nerve cord. After epitope retrieval, pChAT-positive neuronal cells and their processes became visible in all ganglia of the arm, including the axial and intramuscular nerve cords, and in ganglia of suckers. Moreover, pChAT-positive structures also became detectable in nerve fibers connecting the different ganglia, in smooth nerve fibers among muscle layers and dermal connective tissues, and in sensory cells of the suckers. These results suggest that the octopus arm has two types of cholinergic nerves: cChAT-positive nerves from brain ganglia and pChAT-positive nerves that are intrinsic to the arm.

Longitudinal On-Column Thermal Modulation for Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Creese, Mari E; Creese, Mathew J; Foley, Joe P; Cortes, Hernan J; Hilder, Emily F; Shellie, Robert A; Breadmore, Michael C

2017-01-17

Longitudinal on-column thermal modulation for comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography is introduced. Modulation optimization involved a systematic investigation of heat transfer, analyte retention, and migration velocity at a range of temperatures. Longitudinal on-column thermal modulation was realized using a set of alkylphenones and compared to a conventional valve-modulator employing sample loops. The thermal modulator showed a reduced modulation-induced pressure impact than valve modulation, resulting in reduced baseline perturbation by a factor of 6; yielding a 6-14-fold improvement in signal-to-noise. A red wine sample was analyzed to demonstrate the potential of the longitudinal on-column thermal modulator for separation of a complex sample. Discrete peaks in the second dimension using the thermal modulator were 30-55% narrower than with the valve modulator. The results shown herein demonstrate the benefits of an active focusing modulator, such as reduced detection limits and increased total peak capacity.

Joint two-part Tobit models for longitudinal and time-to-event data.

Science.gov (United States)

Dagne, Getachew A

2017-11-20

In this article, we show how Tobit models can address problems of identifying characteristics of subjects having left-censored outcomes in the context of developing a method for jointly analyzing time-to-event and longitudinal data. There are some methods for handling these types of data separately, but they may not be appropriate when time to event is dependent on the longitudinal outcome, and a substantial portion of values are reported to be below the limits of detection. An alternative approach is to develop a joint model for the time-to-event outcome and a two-part longitudinal outcome, linking them through random effects. This proposed approach is implemented to assess the association between the risk of decline of CD4/CD8 ratio and rates of change in viral load, along with discriminating between patients who are potentially progressors to AIDS from patients who do not. We develop a fully Bayesian approach for fitting joint two-part Tobit models and illustrate the proposed methods on simulated and real data from an AIDS clinical study. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Extended Kalman filtering applied to a two-axis robotic arm with flexible links

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lertpiriyasuwat, V.; Berg, M.C.; Buffinton, K.W.

2000-03-01

An industrial robot today uses measurements of its joint positions and models of its kinematics and dynamics to estimate and control its end-effector position. Substantially better end-effector position estimation and control performance would be obtainable if direct measurements of its end-effector position were also used. The subject of this paper is extended Kalman filtering for precise estimation of the position of the end-effector of a robot using, in addition to the usual measurements of the joint positions, direct measurements of the end-effector position. The estimation performances of extended Kalman filters are compared in applications to a planar two-axis robotic arm with very flexible links. The comparisons shed new light on the dependence of extended Kalman filter estimation performance on the quality of the model of the arm dynamics that the extended Kalman filter operates with.

ARM Airborne Carbon Measurements VI (ARM-ACME VI) Field Campaign Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biraud, Sebastien [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2017-05-01

From October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016, AAF deployed a Cessna 206 aircraft over the Southern Great Plains, collecting observations of trace gas mixing ratios over the ARM/SGP Central Facility. The aircraft payload included two Atmospheric Observing Systems (AOS Inc.) analyzers for continuous measurements of CO2, and a 12-flask sampler for analysis of carbon cycle gases (CO2, CO, CH4, N2O, 13CO2). The aircraft payload also includes solar/infrared radiation measurements. This research (supported by DOE ARM and TES programs) builds upon previous ARM-ACME missions. The goal of these measurements is to improve understanding of: (a) the carbon exchange of the ARM region; (b) how CO2 and associated water and energy fluxes influence radiative forcing, convective processes, and CO2 concentrations over the ARM region, and (c) how greenhouse gases are transported on continental scales.

Physical activity as a determinant of change in mobility performance : the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Visser, Marjolein; Pluijm, Saskia M F; Stel, Vianda S; Bosscher, Ruud J; Deeg, Dorly J H

2002-01-01

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association of (change in) physical activity and decline in mobility performance in older men and women. DESIGN: A 3-year prospective study using data of the Longitudinal Aging Study. SETTING: Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand one hundred nine men and women

CyARM: Haptic Sensing Device for Spatial Localization on Basis of Exploration by Arms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junichi Akita

2009-01-01

Full Text Available We introduce a new type of perception aid device based on user's exploration action, which is named as CyARM (acronym of “Cyber Arm”. The user holds this device in her/his arm, the extension of the arm is controlled by tension in wires, which are attached to her/his body according to the distance to the object. This user interface has unique characteristics that give users the illusion of an imaginary arm that extends to existing objects. The implementations of CyARM and our two experiments to investigate the efficiency and effectiveness of CyARM are described. The results show that we could confirm that CyARM can be used to recognize the presence of an object in front of the user and to measure the relative distance to the object.

Early sexual intercourse: Prospective associations with adolescents physical activity and screen time

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Avelar e Silva, R.N. (Raquel Nogueira); A.I. Wijtzes (Anne); Van De Bongardt, D. (Daphne); P.M. van de Looij-Jansen (Petra); R. Bannink (Rienke); H. Raat (Hein)

2016-01-01

textabstractObjectives: To assess the prospective associations of physical activity behaviors and screen time with early sexual intercourse initiation (i.e., before 15 years) in a large sample of adolescents. Methods: We used two waves of data from the Rotterdam Youth Monitor, a longitudinal study

Isolated effects of peripheral arm and central body cooling on arm performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Giesbrecht, G G; Wu, M P; White, M D; Johnston, C E; Bristow, G K

1995-10-01

Whole body cooling impairs manual arm performance. The independent contributions of local (peripheral) and/or whole body (central) cooling are not known. Therefore, a protocol was developed in which the arm and the rest of the body could be independently cooled. Biceps temperature (Tmus), at a depth of 20 mm, and esophageal temperature (Tes) were measured. Six subjects were immersed to the clavicles in a tank (body tank) of water under 3 conditions: 1) cold body-cold arm (CB-CA); 2) warm body-cold arm (WB-CA); and 3) cold body-warm arm (CB-WA). In the latter two conditions, subjects placed their dominant arm in a separate (arm) tank. Water temperature (Tw) in each tank was independently controlled. In conditions requiring cold body and/or cold arm, Tw in the appropriate tanks was 8 degrees C. In conditions requiring warm body and/or warm arm, Tw in the appropriate tanks was adjusted between 29 and 38 degrees C to maintain body/arm temperature at baseline values. A battery of 6 tests, requiring fine or gross motor movements, were performed immediately before immersion and after 15, 45, and 70 minutes of immersion. In CB-CA, Tes decreased from an average of 37.2 to 35.6 degrees C and Tmus decreased from 34.6 to 22.0 degrees C. In WB-CA, Tmus decreased to 18.1 degrees C (Tes = 37.1 degrees C), and in CB-WA, Tes decreased to 35.8 degrees C (Tmus = 34.5 degrees C). By the end of immersion, there were significant decrements (43-85%) in the performance of all tests in CB-CA and WB-CA (p body and/or the arm elicits large decrements in finger, hand and arm performance. The decrements are due almost entirely to the local effects of arm tissue cooling.

A Prospective Observational Comparison Between Arm and Wrist Blood Pressure During Scheduled Cesarean Delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Sebbag, Ilana; Massey, Simon R; Albert, Arianne Y K; Dube, Alison; Gunka, Vit; Douglas, M Joanne

2015-09-01

Shivering is common during cesarean delivery (CD) under neuraxial anesthesia and may disrupt the measurement of noninvasive blood pressure (BP). BP measured at the wrist may be less affected by shivering. There have been no studies comparing trends in BP measured on the upper arm and wrist. We hypothesized that wrist systolic blood pressure (sBP) would accurately trend with upper arm sBP measurements (agree within a limit of ±10%) in parturients undergoing elective CD under spinal anesthesia or combined spinal-epidural anesthesia. After initiation of spinal anesthesia, BP measurements were obtained simultaneously from the upper arm and wrist on opposite arms. The interval between measurements was 1 to 2 minutes, and data were collected for 20 minutes or until delivery. The primary outcome was agreement in dynamic changes in sBP measurements between the upper arm and the wrist. Bland-Altman plots indicating the levels of agreement between the methods were drawn for baseline measurements, over multiple measurements, and over multiple measurements on percentage change from baseline. Forty-nine patients were recruited and completed the study. The wrist sBP tended to overestimate the upper sBP for both baseline data (sBP bias = 13.4 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval = +10.4 to +16.4 mm Hg) and data obtained over multiple measurements (sBP bias = 12.8 mm Hg; 95% confidence interval = +9.3 to +16.3 mm Hg). For change in sBP from baseline over multiple measurements, the mean difference between the wrist and the arm sBP was -0.2 percentage points (99% limits of agreement -25 to +25 percentage points). The wrist measurement overestimated the reading relative to the upper arm measurement for multiple measurements over time. However, when the time series for each subject was examined for percentage change from baseline, the 2 methods mirrored each other in most cases. Nevertheless, our hypothesis was rejected as the limits of agreement were higher than ±10%. This finding

Human arm stiffness and equilibrium-point trajectory during multi-joint movement.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomi, H; Kawato, M

1997-03-01

By using a newly designed high-performance manipulandum and a new estimation algorithm, we measured human multi-joint arm stiffness parameters during multi-joint point-to-point movements on a horizontal plane. This manipulandum allows us to apply a sufficient perturbation to subject's arm within a brief period during movement. Arm stiffness parameters were reliably estimated using a new algorithm, in which all unknown structural parameters could be estimated independent of arm posture (i.e., constant values under any arm posture). Arm stiffness during transverse movement was considerably greater than that during corresponding posture, but not during a longitudinal movement. Although the ratios of elbow, shoulder, and double-joint stiffness were varied in time, the orientation of stiffness ellipses during the movement did not change much. Equilibrium-point trajectories that were predicted from measured stiffness parameters and actual trajectories were slightly sinusoidally curved in Cartesian space and their velocity profiles were quite different from the velocity profiles of actual hand trajectories. This result contradicts the hypothesis that the brain does not take the dynamics into account in movement control depending on the neuromuscular servo mechanism; rather, it implies that the brain needs to acquire some internal models of controlled objects.

Early Sexual Intercourse : Prospective Associations with Adolescents Physical Activity and Screen Time

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nogueira Avelar e Silva, R.; Wijtzes, A.; van de Bongardt, D.; van de Looij-Jansen, P.; Bannink, R.; Raat, H.

2016-01-01

Objectives: To assess the prospective associations of physical activity behaviors and screen time with early sexual intercourse initiation (i.e., before 15 years) in a large sample of adolescents. Methods: We used two waves of data from the Rotterdam Youth Monitor, a longitudinal study conducted in

Longitudinal study of body composition in spinal cord injury patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roop Singh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Bone mass loss and muscle atrophy are the frequent complications occurring after spinal cord injury (SCI. The potential risks involved with these changes in the body composition have implications for the health of the SCI individual. Thus, there is a need to quantitate and monitor body composition changes accurately in an individual with SCI. Very few longitudinal studies have been reported in the literature to assess body composition and most include relatively small number of patients. The present prospective study aimed to evaluate the body composition changes longitudinally by DEXA in patients with acute SCI. Materials and Methods: Ninety five patients with acute SCI with neurological deficits were evaluated for bone mineral content (BMC, body composition [lean body mass (LBM and fat mass] by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry during the first year of SCI. Results: There was a significant decrease in BMC ( P < 0.05 and LBM ( P < 0.05 and increase in total body fat mass (TBFM and percentage fat at infra-lesional sites. The average decrease was 14.5% in BMC in lower extremities, 20.5% loss of LBM in legs and 15.1% loss of LBM in trunk, and increase of 0.2% in fat mass in legs and 17.3% increased fat in the lower limbs at 1 year. The tetraplegic patients had significant decrease in arm BMC ( P < 0.001, arm LBM ( P < 0.01 and fat percentage ( P < 0.01 compared to paraplegics. Patients with complete motor injury had higher values of TBFM and fat percentage, but comparable values of BMC and LBM to patients with incomplete motor injury. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that there is a marked decrease in BMC and LBM with increase in adiposity during the first year of SCI. Although these changes depend on the level and initial severity of lesions, they are also influenced by the neurological recovery after SCI.

Genetic Contributions to Continuity and Change in Attachment Security: A Prospective, Longitudinal Investigation from Infancy to Young Adulthood

Science.gov (United States)

Raby, K. Lee; Cicchetti, Dante; Carlson, Elizabeth A.; Egeland, Byron; Collins, W. Andrew

2013-01-01

Background Longitudinal research has demonstrated that individual differences in attachment security show only modest continuity from infancy to adulthood. Recent findings based on retrospective reports suggest that individuals’ genetic variation may moderate the developmental associations between early attachment-relevant relationship experiences and adult attachment security. The purpose of this study was to use a prospective, longitudinal design to investigate genetic contributions to continuity and changes in attachment security from infancy to young adulthood in a higher risk sample. Methods Infant attachment security was assessed using the Strange Situation Procedure at 12 and 18 months. Adults’ general attachment representations were assessed using the Adult Attachment Interview at age 19 and age 26. Romantic attachment representations were assessed with the Current Relationship Interview at ages 20–21 and ages 26–28. Individuals were genotyped for variants within the oxytocin receptor (OXTR), dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4), and serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR). Results The continuity of attachment security from infancy into young adulthood was consistently moderated by OXTR genetic variation. Infant attachment security predicted the security of adults’ general and romantic attachment representations only for individuals with the OXTR G/G genotype. This interaction was significant when predicting adult attachment security as measured by the Adult Attachment Interview at age 19 and 26 and the Current Relationship Interview at ages 26–28. DRD4 and 5-HTTLPR genetic variation did not consistently moderate the longitudinal associations between attachment security during infancy and adulthood. Conclusions This study provides initial longitudinal evidence for genetic contributions to continuity and change in attachment security from infancy to young adulthood. Genetic variation related to the oxytocin system may moderate the

Subclavian Vein Versus Arm Vein for Totally Implantable Central Venous Port for Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: A Retrospective Comparative Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akahane, Akio; Sone, Miyuki; Ehara, Shigeru; Kato, Kenichi; Tanaka, Ryoichi; Nakasato, Tatsuhiko

2011-01-01

Purpose: This study was designed to compare central venous ports (CVP) from two different routes of venous access―the subclavian vein and arm vein―in terms of safety for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). Methods: Patients with HNC who underwent image-guided implantations of CVPs were retrospectively evaluated. All CVPs were implanted under local anesthesia. Primary outcome measurements were rates and types of adverse events (AEs). Secondary outcomes included technical success and rate and reason of CVP removal. Results: A total of 162 patients (subclavian port group, 47; arm port group, 115) were included in this study. Technical success was achieved in all patients. The median follow-up period was 94 (range, 1–891) days. Two patients in the subclavian port group experienced periprocedural complications. Postprocedural AEs were observed in 8.5 and 22.6% of the subclavian port and arm port group patients, respectively (P = 0.044). Phlebitis and system occlusions were observed only in the arm port group. The rate of infection was not significantly different between the two groups. The CVP was removed in 34 and 39.1% of the subclavian port and arm port patients, respectively. Conclusions: Both subclavian and arm CVPs are feasible in patients with HNC. AEs were more frequent in the arm port group; thus, the arm port is not recommended as the first choice for patients with HNC. However, further experience is needed to improve the placement technique and the maintenance of CVPs and a prospective analysis is warranted.

Longitudinal associations of lifestyle factors and weight status with insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in preadolescent children: the large prospective cohort study IDEFICS.

Science.gov (United States)

Peplies, Jenny; Börnhorst, Claudia; Günther, Kathrin; Fraterman, Arno; Russo, Paola; Veidebaum, Toomas; Tornaritis, Michael; De Henauw, Stefaan; Marild, Staffan; Molnar, Dénes; Moreno, Luis A; Ahrens, Wolfgang

2016-09-02

This study investigates prospective associations of anthropometrical and lifestyle indices with insulin resistance (IR) in European children from the IDEFICS cohort. Insulin resistance (IR) is a growing concern in childhood obesity and a central aspect of the metabolic syndrome (MS). It most likely represents the link between obesity and type 2 diabetes. This longitudinal study included 3348 preadolescent children aged 3 to 10.9 years from 8 European countries who were observed from 2007/2008 to 2009/2010. The main outcome measure in the present analysis is HOMA-IR (homeostasis model assessment as a common proxy indicator to quantify IR) at follow-up and in its longitudinal development. Anthropometrical measures and lifestyle indices, including objectively determined physical activity, were considered, among others factors, as determinants of IR. Prospective associations between IR at follow-up and anthropometrical and lifestyle indices were estimated by logistic regression models. Country-specific prevalence rates of IR in the IDEFICS cohort of European children showed a positive trend with weight category. Prospective multivariate analyses showed the strongest positive associations of IR with BMI z-score (OR = 2.6 for unit change from the mean, 95 % CI 2.1-3.1) and z-score of waist circumference (OR = 2.2 for unit change from the mean, 95 % CI 1.9-2.6), which were analysed in separate models, but also for sex (OR = 2.2 for girls vs. boys, 95 % CI 1.5-3.1 up to OR 2.5, 95 % CI 1.8-3.6 depending on the model), audio-visual media time (OR = 1.2 for an additional hour per day, 95 % CI 1.0-1.4 in both models) and an inverse association of objectively determined physical activity (OR = 0.5 for 3(rd) compared to 1(st) quartile, 95 % CI 0.3-0.9 in both models). A longitudinal reduction of HOMA-IR was accompanied with a parallel decline in BMI. This study is, to our knowledge, the first prospective study on IR in a preadolescent children

Clinical effectiveness of decongestive treatments on excess arm volume and patient-centered outcomes in women with early breast cancer-related arm lymphedema: a systematic review

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffs, Eunice; Ream, Emma; Taylor, Cath; Bick, Debra

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: To identify the effect of decongestive lymphedema treatment on excess arm volume or patient-centered outcomes in women presenting within either 12 months or a mean nine months of developing arm lymphedema following breast cancer treatment. Introduction: Lymphedema is a common consequence of breast cancer treatment requiring life-long treatment to reduce symptoms and prevent complications. Currently, evidence to inform the optimal decongestive lymphedema treatment package is lacking. Inclusion criteria: The review included studies on women who received lymphedema treatment within either 12 months or a mean of nine months of developing unilateral breast cancer-related arm lymphedema. The intervention was any decongestive lymphedema treatment delivered with the purpose of reducing arm lymphedema, compared to another form of lymphedema treatment (whether self or practitioner-administered), placebo or no treatment. The clinical outcome was excess arm volume; patient-centered outcomes were health-related quality of life, arm heaviness, arm function, patient-perceived benefit and satisfaction with treatment. Experimental study designs were eligible, including randomized and non-randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, prospective and retrospective before and after studies were considered. Methods: A three-step search strategy was utilized to find published and unpublished studies. The search identified studies published from the inception of each database to July 6, 2016. Reference lists were scanned to identify further eligible studies. Studies were critically appraised using appropriate standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Details describing each study and treatment results regarding outcomes of interest were extracted from papers included in the review using appropriate standardized data extraction tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Due to heterogeneity in included studies, results for similar

Nature of galaxy spiral arms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Efremov, Yu.N.

1984-01-01

The nature of galaxy spiral arms is discussed in a popular form. Two approaches in the theory of spiral arms are considered; they are related to the problem of differential galaxy rotation and the spiral structure wave theory. The example of Galaxy M31 is considered to compare the structural peculiarity of its spiral arms with the wave theory predictions. The situation in the central and south-eastern part of arm S4 in Galaxy M31 noted to be completely explained by the wave theory and modern concepts on the origin of massive stars

Arms limitation and disarmament in the United Nations: Perspectives and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akashi, Yasushi.

1991-01-01

In this paper, the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs of the United Nations presented the main activities and achievements of the UN in the field of multilateral disarmament as well as the next steps to be undertaken by UN and Member States for disarmament and arms limitation

High precision detector robot arm system

Science.gov (United States)

Shu, Deming; Chu, Yong

2017-01-31

A method and high precision robot arm system are provided, for example, for X-ray nanodiffraction with an X-ray nanoprobe. The robot arm system includes duo-vertical-stages and a kinematic linkage system. A two-dimensional (2D) vertical plane ultra-precision robot arm supporting an X-ray detector provides positioning and manipulating of the X-ray detector. A vertical support for the 2D vertical plane robot arm includes spaced apart rails respectively engaging a first bearing structure and a second bearing structure carried by the 2D vertical plane robot arm.

MEASUREMENT OF GALACTIC LOGARITHMIC SPIRAL ARM PITCH ANGLE USING TWO-DIMENSIONAL FAST FOURIER TRANSFORM DECOMPOSITION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, Benjamin L.; Berrier, Joel C.; Shields, Douglas W.; Kennefick, Julia; Kennefick, Daniel; Seigar, Marc S.; Lacy, Claud H. S.; Puerari, Ivânio

2012-01-01

A logarithmic spiral is a prominent feature appearing in a majority of observed galaxies. This feature has long been associated with the traditional Hubble classification scheme, but historical quotes of pitch angle of spiral galaxies have been almost exclusively qualitative. We have developed a methodology, utilizing two-dimensional fast Fourier transformations of images of spiral galaxies, in order to isolate and measure the pitch angles of their spiral arms. Our technique provides a quantitative way to measure this morphological feature. This will allow comparison of spiral galaxy pitch angle to other galactic parameters and test spiral arm genesis theories. In this work, we detail our image processing and analysis of spiral galaxy images and discuss the robustness of our analysis techniques.

Measurement of Galactic Logarithmic Spiral Arm Pitch Angle Using Two-dimensional Fast Fourier Transform Decomposition

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Benjamin L.; Berrier, Joel C.; Shields, Douglas W.; Kennefick, Julia; Kennefick, Daniel; Seigar, Marc S.; Lacy, Claud H. S.; Puerari, Ivânio

2012-04-01

A logarithmic spiral is a prominent feature appearing in a majority of observed galaxies. This feature has long been associated with the traditional Hubble classification scheme, but historical quotes of pitch angle of spiral galaxies have been almost exclusively qualitative. We have developed a methodology, utilizing two-dimensional fast Fourier transformations of images of spiral galaxies, in order to isolate and measure the pitch angles of their spiral arms. Our technique provides a quantitative way to measure this morphological feature. This will allow comparison of spiral galaxy pitch angle to other galactic parameters and test spiral arm genesis theories. In this work, we detail our image processing and analysis of spiral galaxy images and discuss the robustness of our analysis techniques.

MEASUREMENT OF GALACTIC LOGARITHMIC SPIRAL ARM PITCH ANGLE USING TWO-DIMENSIONAL FAST FOURIER TRANSFORM DECOMPOSITION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davis, Benjamin L.; Berrier, Joel C.; Shields, Douglas W.; Kennefick, Julia; Kennefick, Daniel; Seigar, Marc S.; Lacy, Claud H. S. [Arkansas Center for Space and Planetary Sciences, 202 Field House, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701 (United States); Puerari, Ivanio [Instituto Nacional de Astrofisica, Optica y Electronica, Calle Luis Enrique Erro 1, 72840 Santa Maria Tonantzintla, Puebla (Mexico)

2012-04-01

A logarithmic spiral is a prominent feature appearing in a majority of observed galaxies. This feature has long been associated with the traditional Hubble classification scheme, but historical quotes of pitch angle of spiral galaxies have been almost exclusively qualitative. We have developed a methodology, utilizing two-dimensional fast Fourier transformations of images of spiral galaxies, in order to isolate and measure the pitch angles of their spiral arms. Our technique provides a quantitative way to measure this morphological feature. This will allow comparison of spiral galaxy pitch angle to other galactic parameters and test spiral arm genesis theories. In this work, we detail our image processing and analysis of spiral galaxy images and discuss the robustness of our analysis techniques.

Future research: a prospective longitudinal study of elder self-neglect.

Science.gov (United States)

Dyer, Carmel Bitondo; Franzini, Luisa; Watson, Mary; Sanchez, Luis; Prati, Laura; Mitchell, Stacy; Wallace, Robert; Pickens, Sabrina

2008-11-01

In almost every U.S. jurisdiction, elder self-neglect is the most common allegation addressed by Adult Protective Service (APS) agencies. Not only is self-neglect common, but this form of mistreatment is an independent risk factor for death. A lack of understanding of the precipitating factors and root causes and of the effect on social and medical systems persists in this field. Research in this area has been limited, because the needs of these vulnerable elderly people are complex and diverse. Moreover, these factors encompass interrelated medical, psychiatric, economic, social, and functional problems. In 2004, the National Institutes of Health Interdisciplinary Roadmap Initiative provided the means for preliminary exploration of elder self-neglect through the formation of the Consortium for Research in Elder Self-neglect of Texas (CREST). The goals of CREST include to conduct pilot studies, form interdisciplinary working groups, convene a national research conference, and appoint a national external advisory board. CREST orchestrated the work of 35 interdisciplinary investigators to achieve these goals. CREST researchers have begun to characterize the population of vulnerable elderly people who were reported to APS for neglecting themselves. The pilot studies provided a snapshot of 100 elderly people who had neglected themselves. A proposed next phase could involve a prospective longitudinal study of elderly people with severe self-neglect. This study of the clinical course, the death rate, the causes of death, the occurrence of acute and chronic medical or mental illness, and the costs to the healthcare and social systems would greatly inform the field of elder mistreatment.

Maternal Health Factors as Risks for Postnatal Depression: A Prospective Longitudinal Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine L Chojenta

Full Text Available While previous studies have identified a range of potential risk factors for postnatal depression (PND, none have examined a comprehensive set of risk factors at a population-level using data collected prospectively. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between a range of factors and PND and to construct a model of the predictors of PND.Data came from 5219 women who completed Survey 5 of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health in 2009 and reported giving birth to a child.Over 15% of women reported experiencing PND with at least one of their children. The strongest positive associations were for postnatal anxiety (OR = 13.79,95%CI = 10.48,18.13 and antenatal depression (OR = 9.23,95%CI = 6.10,13.97. Positive associations were also found for history of depression and PND, low SF-36 Mental Health Index, emotional distress during labour, and breastfeeding for less than six months.Results indicate that understanding a woman's mental health history plays an important role in the detection of those who are most vulnerable to PND. Treatment and management of depression and anxiety earlier in life and during pregnancy may have a positive impact on the incidence of PND.

The Influence of Preoperative and Postoperative Psychological Symptoms on Clinical Outcome after Shoulder Surgery: A Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Koorevaar, Rinco C T; van 't Riet, Esther; Gerritsen, Marleen J J; Madden, Kim; Bulstra, Sjoerd K

2016-01-01

Psychological symptoms are highly prevalent in patients with shoulder complaints. Psychological symptoms in patients with shoulder complaints might play a role in the aetiology, perceived disability and pain and clinical outcome of treatment. The aim of this study was to assess whether preoperative symptoms of distress, depression, anxiety and somatisation were associated with a change in function after shoulder surgery and postoperative patient perceived improvement of pain and function. In addition, the change of psychological symptoms after shoulder surgery was analyzed and the influence of postoperative symptoms of psychological disorders after surgery on the change in function after shoulder surgery and perceived postoperative improvement of pain and function. A prospective longitudinal cohort study was performed in a general teaching hospital. 315 consecutive patients planned for elective shoulder surgery were included. Outcome measures included change of Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score and anchor questions about improvement in pain and function after surgery. Psychological symptoms were identified before and 12 months after surgery with the validated Four-Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire (4DSQ). Psychological symptoms were encountered in all the various shoulder diagnoses. Preoperative symptoms of psychological disorders persisted after surgery in 56% of patients, 10% of patients with no symptoms of psychological disorders before surgery developed new psychological symptoms. Preoperative symptoms of psychological disorders were not associated with the change of DASH score and perceived improvement of pain and function after shoulder surgery. Patients with symptoms of psychological disorders after surgery were less likely to improve on the DASH score. Postoperative symptoms of distress and depression were associated with worse perceived improvement of pain. Postoperative symptoms of distress, depression and somatisation were

Risk and Protective Factors for Intimate Partner Violence Against Women: Systematic Review and Meta-analyses of Prospective-Longitudinal Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Yakubovich, Alexa R; Stöckl, Heidi; Murray, Joseph; Melendez-Torres, G J; Steinert, Janina I; Glavin, Calla E Y; Humphreys, David K

2018-07-01

The estimated lifetime prevalence of physical or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) is 30% among women worldwide. Understanding risk and protective factors is essential for designing effective prevention strategies. To quantify the associations between prospective-longitudinal risk and protective factors and IPV and identify evidence gaps. We conducted systematic searches in 16 databases including MEDLINE and PsycINFO from inception to June 2016. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42016039213). We included published and unpublished studies available in English that prospectively analyzed any risk or protective factor(s) for self-reported IPV victimization among women and controlled for at least 1 other variable. Three reviewers were involved in study screening. One reviewer extracted estimates of association and study characteristics from each study and 2 reviewers independently checked a random subset of extractions. We assessed study quality with the Cambridge Quality Checklists. When studies investigated the same risk or protective factor using similar measures, we computed pooled odds ratios (ORs) by using random-effects meta-analyses. We summarized heterogeneity with I 2 and τ 2 . We synthesized all estimates of association, including those not meta-analyzed, by using harvest plots to illustrate evidence gaps and trends toward negative or positive associations. Of 18 608 studies identified, 60 were included and 35 meta-analyzed. Most studies were based in the United States. The strongest evidence for modifiable risk factors for IPV against women were unplanned pregnancy (OR = 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20, 1.31) and having parents with less than a high-school education (OR = 1.55; 95% CI = 1.10, 2.17). Being older (OR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.93, 0.98) or married (OR = 0.93; 95% CI = 0.87, 0.99) were protective. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic, meta-analytic review of all risk and

Difference in blood pressure measurements between arms: methodological and clinical implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Christopher E

2015-01-01

Differences in blood pressure measurements between arms are commonly encountered in clinical practice. If such differences are not excluded they can delay the diagnosis of hypertension and can lead to poorer control of blood pressure levels. Differences in blood pressure measurements between arms are associated cross sectionally with other signs of vascular disease such as peripheral arterial disease or cerebrovascular disease. Differences are also associated prospectively with increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity and all cause mortality. Numbers of publications on inter-arm difference are rising year on year, indicating a growing interest in the phenomenon. The prevalence of an inter-arm difference varies widely between reports, and is correlated with the underlying cardiovascular risk of the population studied. Prevalence is also sensitive to the method of measurement used. This review discusses the prevalence of an inter-arm difference in different populations and addresses current best practice for the detection and the measurement of a difference. The evidence for clinical and for vascular associations of an inter-arm difference is presented in considering the emerging role of an inter-arm blood pressure difference as a novel risk factor for increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Competing aetiological explanations for an inter-arm difference are explored, and gaps in our current understanding of this sign, along with areas in need of further research, are considered.

Level of consciousness in dying patients. The role of palliative sedation: a longitudinal prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Claessens, Patricia; Menten, Johan; Schotsmans, Paul; Broeckaert, Bert

2012-05-01

Patients suffering from a terminal illness often are confronted with severe symptoms during the last phase of their lives. Palliative sedation, although one of the options of last resort, remains a much debated and controversial issue and is often referred to as a form of slow euthanasia or euthanasia in disguise. A prospective longitudinal and descriptive design was used. Each patient admitted in one of the 8 participating units was included if they met the inclusion criteria and gave written informed consent. 266 patients were included. The incidence of palliative sedation was 7;5%. For the group of sedated patients results show that 90% entered the palliative care unit being fully conscious. Two patients were comatose upon arrival. 90% of the patients remained fully conscious up to the day palliative sedation was started. When looking at the effect of palliative sedation on the level of consciousness the analysis strongly suggest that the palliative sedation - as expected- has an impact on the GCS score. Irrespective of the dichotomization of the score the probability of having a lower GCS increases substantially once sedation is initiated. Additionally, results show that once palliative sedation is administered, the level of consciousness gradually goes down up until the day of death. Palliative sedation is nor slow euthanasia nor an ambivalent practice. It is an intentional medical treatment which is administered in a proportional way when refractory suffering occurs. It occurs in extraordinary situations and at the very end of the dying process.

A reliability study on brain activation during active and passive arm movements supported by an MRI-compatible robot.

Science.gov (United States)

Estévez, Natalia; Yu, Ningbo; Brügger, Mike; Villiger, Michael; Hepp-Reymond, Marie-Claude; Riener, Robert; Kollias, Spyros

2014-11-01

In neurorehabilitation, longitudinal assessment of arm movement related brain function in patients with motor disability is challenging due to variability in task performance. MRI-compatible robots monitor and control task performance, yielding more reliable evaluation of brain function over time. The main goals of the present study were first to define the brain network activated while performing active and passive elbow movements with an MRI-compatible arm robot (MaRIA) in healthy subjects, and second to test the reproducibility of this activation over time. For the fMRI analysis two models were compared. In model 1 movement onset and duration were included, whereas in model 2 force and range of motion were added to the analysis. Reliability of brain activation was tested with several statistical approaches applied on individual and group activation maps and on summary statistics. The activated network included mainly the primary motor cortex, primary and secondary somatosensory cortex, superior and inferior parietal cortex, medial and lateral premotor regions, and subcortical structures. Reliability analyses revealed robust activation for active movements with both fMRI models and all the statistical methods used. Imposed passive movements also elicited mainly robust brain activation for individual and group activation maps, and reliability was improved by including additional force and range of motion using model 2. These findings demonstrate that the use of robotic devices, such as MaRIA, can be useful to reliably assess arm movement related brain activation in longitudinal studies and may contribute in studies evaluating therapies and brain plasticity following injury in the nervous system.

Performance of arm locking in LISA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKenzie, Kirk; Spero, Robert E.; Shaddock, Daniel A.

2009-01-01

For the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) to reach its design sensitivity, the coupling of the free-running laser frequency noise to the signal readout must be reduced by more than 14 orders of magnitude. One technique employed to reduce the laser frequency noise will be arm locking, where the laser frequency is locked to the LISA arm length. In this paper we detail an implementation of arm locking. We investigate orbital effects (changing arm lengths and Doppler frequencies), the impact of errors in the Doppler knowledge that can cause pulling of the laser frequency, and the noise limit of arm locking. Laser frequency pulling is examined in two regimes: at lock acquisition and in steady state. The noise performance of arm locking is calculated with the inclusion of the dominant expected noise sources: ultrastable oscillator (clock) noise, spacecraft motion, and shot noise. We find that clock noise and spacecraft motion limit the performance of dual arm locking in the LISA science band. Studying these issues reveals that although dual arm locking [A. Sutton and D. A. Shaddock, Phys. Rev. D 78, 082001 (2008)] has advantages over single (or common) arm locking in terms of allowing high gain, it has disadvantages in both laser frequency pulling and noise performance. We address this by proposing a modification to the dual arm-locking sensor, a hybrid of common and dual arm-locking sensors. This modified dual arm-locking sensor has the laser frequency pulling characteristics and low-frequency noise coupling of common arm locking, but retains the control system advantages of dual arm locking. We present a detailed design of an arm-locking controller and perform an analysis of the expected performance when used with and without laser prestabilization. We observe that the sensor phase changes beneficially near unity-gain frequencies of the arm-locking controller, allowing a factor of 10 more gain than previously believed, without degrading stability. With a time

Arm-in-Arm Response Regulator Dimers Promote Intermolecular Signal Transduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baker, Anna W.; Satyshur, Kenneth A.; Morales, Neydis Moreno; Forest, Katrina T. (UW)

2016-02-01

Bacteriophytochrome photoreceptors (BphPs) and their cognate response regulators make up two-component signal transduction systems which direct bacteria to mount phenotypic responses to changes in environmental light quality. Most of these systems utilize single-domain response regulators to transduce signals through unknown pathways and mechanisms. Here we describe the photocycle and autophosphorylation kinetics of RtBphP1, a red light-regulated histidine kinase from the desert bacteriumRamlibacter tataouinensis. RtBphP1 undergoes red to far-red photoconversion with rapid thermal reversion to the dark state. RtBphP1 is autophosphorylated in the dark; this activity is inhibited under red light. The RtBphP1 cognate response regulator, theR. tataouinensisbacteriophytochrome response regulator (RtBRR), and a homolog, AtBRR fromAgrobacterium tumefaciens, crystallize unexpectedly as arm-in-arm dimers, reliant on a conserved hydrophobic motif, hFWAhL (where h is a hydrophobic M, V, L, or I residue). RtBRR and AtBRR dimerize distinctly from four structurally characterized phytochrome response regulators found in photosynthetic organisms and from all other receiver domain homodimers in the Protein Data Bank. A unique cacodylate-zinc-histidine tag metal organic framework yielded single-wavelength anomalous diffraction phases and may be of general interest. Examination of the effect of the BRR stoichiometry on signal transduction showed that phosphorylated RtBRR is accumulated more efficiently than the engineered monomeric RtBRR (RtBRR_mon) in phosphotransfer reactions. Thus, we conclude that arm-in-arm dimers are a relevant signaling intermediate in this class of two-component regulatory systems.

Evidenced Formal Coverage Index and universal healthcare enactment: A prospective longitudinal study of economic, social, and political predictors of 194 countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Feigl, Andrea B; Ding, Eric L

2013-11-01

Determinants of universal healthcare (UHC) are poorly empirically understood. We undertook a comprehensive study of UHC development using a novel Evidenced Formal Coverage (EFC) index that combines three key UHC elements: legal framework, population coverage, and accessibility. Applying the EFC index measures (legislation, ≥90% skilled birth attendance, ≥85% formal coverage) to 194 countries, aggregating time-varying data from 1880-2008, this study investigates which macro-economic, political, and social indicators are major longitudinal predictors of developing EFC globally, and in middle-income countries. Overall, 75 of 194 countries implemented legal-text UHC legislation, of which 51 achieved EFC. In a country-year prospective longitudinal analysis of EFC prediction, higher GDP-per-capita (per GDP-per-capita doubling, relative risk [RR]=1.77, 95% CI: 1.49-2.10), higher primary school completion (per +20% completion, RR=2.30, 1.65-3.21), and higher adult literacy were significantly associated with achieving EFC. Results also identify a GDP-per-capita of I$5000 as a minimum level for development of EFC. GDP-per-capita and education were each robust predictors in middle-income countries, and education remained significant even controlling for time-varying GDP growth. For income-inequality, the GINI coefficient was suggestive in its role in predicting EFC (p=0.024). For social and political indicators, a greater degree of ethnic fractionalization (per +25%, RR=0.51, 0.38-0.70), proportional electoral system (RR=2.80, 1.22-6.40), and dictatorships (RR=0.10, 0.05-0.27) were further associated with EFC. The novel EFC index and this longitudinal prospective study together indicate that investment in both economic growth and education should be seen of equal importance for development of UHC. Our findings help in understanding the social and political drivers of universal healthcare, especially for transitioning countries. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All

Clinical and Biological Insights from the University of California San Francisco Prospective and Longitudinal Cohort.

Science.gov (United States)

Benn, Bryan S; Lehman, Zoe; Kidd, Sharon A; Ho, Melissa; Sun, Sara; Ramstein, Joris; Arger, Nicholas K; Nguyen, Christine P; Su, Robert; Gomez, Antonio; Gelfand, Jeffrey M; Koth, Laura L

2017-10-01

Sarcoidosis is a systemic inflammatory disease characterized by non-necrotizing granulomas in involved organs, most commonly the lung. Description of patient characteristics in the Western United States is limited. Furthermore, blood-based measures that relate to clinical sarcoidosis phenotypes are lacking. We present an analysis of a prospective, longitudinal sarcoidosis cohort at a Northern Californian academic medical center. We enrolled 126 sarcoidosis subjects and 64 healthy controls and recorded baseline demographic and clinical characteristics. We used regression models to identify factors independently associated with pulmonary physiology. We tested whether blood transcript levels at study entry could relate to longitudinal changes in pulmonary physiology. White, non-Hispanics composed ~70% of subjects. Hispanics and Blacks had a diagnostic biopsy at an age ~7 years younger than whites. Obstructive, but not restrictive, physiology characterized Scadding Stage IV patients. Subjects reporting use of immunosuppression had worse FEV1%p, FVC%p, and DLCO%p compared to subjects never treated, regardless of Scadding stage. We defined sarcoidosis disease activity by a drop in pulmonary function over 36 months and found that subjects meeting this definition had significant repression of blood gene transcripts related to T cell receptor signaling pathways, referred to as the "TCR factor." Obstructive pulmonary physiology defined Stage IV patients which were mostly white, non-Hispanics. Genes comprising the composite gene expression score, TCR factor, may represent a blood-derived measure of T-cell activity and an indirect measure of active sarcoidosis inflammation. Validation of this measure could translate into individualized treatment for sarcoidosis patients.

Arm-to-arm variation when evaluating neuromuscular block: an analysis of the precision and the bias and agreement between arms when using mechanomyography or acceleromyography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Claudius, C; Skovgaard, L T; Viby-Mogensen, J

2010-01-01

Studies comparing acceleromyography and mechanomyography indicate that the two methods cannot be used interchangeably. However, it is uncertain to what extent differences in precision between the methods and the naturally occurring arm-to-arm variation have influenced the results of these studies...

Laser-assisted lipolysis for arm contouring in Teimourian grades I and II: a prospective study of 45 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Leclère, Franck Marie; Alcolea, Justo M; Vogt, Peter; Moreno-Moraga, Javier; Mordon, Serge; Casoli, Vincent; Trelles, Mario A

2015-04-01

Upper arm deformities secondary to weight loss or senile elastosis have led to an increased demand for aesthetic contouring procedures. We conducted this study to objectively assess if, in Teimourian low-grade upper arm remodelling, one session of laser-assisted lypolisis (LAL) could result in full patient satisfaction. Between 2011 and 2013, 45 patients were treated for unsightly fat arm Teimourian grade I (15 patients), grade IIa (15 patients) and grade IIb (15 patients) with one session of LAL. The laser used in this study was a 1470-nm diode laser (Alma Lasers, Cesarea, Israel) with the following parameters: continuous mode, 15 W power and transmission through a 600-μm optical fibre. Previous mathematical modelling suggested that 0.1 kJ was required in order to destroy 1 ml of fat. Treatment parameters and adverse effects were recorded.The arm circumference and skin pinch measurements were assessed pre and postoperatively. Patients were asked to file a satisfaction questionnaire. Pain during the anaesthesia and discomfort after the procedure were minimal. Complications included prolonged oedema in 11 patients. The average arm circumference decreased by 4.9 ± 0.4 cm in the right arm (p < 0.01) and 4.7 ± 0.5 cm in the left arm (p < 0.01) in grade I patients, 5.5 ± 0.6 cm in the right arm (p < 0.01) and 5.2 ± 0.5 cm in the left arm (p < 0.01) in grade IIa patients and 5.4 ± 0.5 cm in the right arm (p < 0.01) and 5.3 ± 0.5 cm in the left arm (p < 0.01) in grade IIB patients. The skin tightening effect was confirmed by the reduction of the skin calliper measurements in all three groups. Overall mean opinion of treatment was high for both patients and investigators. Of the 45 patients, all but one would recommend this treatment. A single session of LAL in upper arm remodelling for Teimourian grades I to IIb is a safe and reproducible technique. The procedure allows reduction in the amount of adipose deposits

Exclusive breastfeeding-Does it make a difference? : A longitudinal, prospective study of daily feeding practices, health and growth in a sample of Swedish infants

OpenAIRE

Aarts, Clara

2001-01-01

The concept of exclusive breastfeeding in relation to daily feeding practices and to health and growth of infants in an affluent society was examined. In a descriptive longitudinal prospective study 506 mother-infant pairs were followed from birth through the greater part of the first year. Feeding was recorded daily, and health and growth were recorded fortnightly. Large individual variations were seen in breastfeeding patterns. A wide discrepancy between the exclusive breastfeeding rates o...

Impaired arm development after Blalock-Taussig shunts in adults with repaired tetralogy of Fallot.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Gloan, Laurianne; Marcotte, François; Leduc, Hugues; Mercier, Lise-Andrée; Dore, Annie; Mongeon, François-Pierre; Ibrahim, Reda; Miro, Joaquim; Asgar, Anita; Poirier, Nancy; Khairy, Paul

2013-09-30

Many adults with repaired tetralogy of Fallot have had prior Blalock-Taussig shunts. These shunts may theoretically hinder growth and development of the ipsilateral arm. We prospectively enrolled consecutive patients with tetralogy of Fallot in a cross-sectional study to measure arm length and assess handgrip strength. Bilateral handgrip strength was quantified by a dynamometer in a standing position after instructing patients to clench each hand tightly in succession. The maximum force achieved, in kilograms, was measured. A total of 80 consecutive adults with tetralogy of Fallot, aged 36.0 ± 12.5 years, 49% female, were prospectively enrolled. Thirty-eight (47.5%) patients had prior Blalock-Taussig shunts at a median age of 1.0 year. Twenty-one (55.3%) were left-sided and 23 (60.5%) were classic shunts. All but six patients with right-sided shunts and one without a prior shunt were right-handed. The shunts were present for a median of 4.0 years prior to takedown during corrective surgery. The arm ipsilateral to the shunt was significantly shorter than the contralateral arm (71.5 ± 6.1 versus 73.6 ± 5.6 cm, Ptetralogy of Fallot, Blalock-Taussig shunts may impair normal development of the ipsilateral arm with repercussions in adulthood that include shorter limb length and reduced handgrip strength. These changes are most pronounced in patients with classic end-to-side anastomoses. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prospective, longitudinal study of tic, obsessive-compulsive, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders in an epidemiological sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, B S; Pine, D S; Cohen, P; Brook, J S

2001-06-01

Understanding the interrelatedness of tics, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been complicated by studying only cross-sectional samples of clinically referred subjects. The authors report the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of these disorders in an epidemiological sample of children followed prospectively into early adulthood. Structured diagnostic interview information was acquired on 976 children, aged 1 to 10 years, who were randomly selected from families living in upstate New York in 1975. Reassessments were acquired in 776 of these subjects 8, 10, and 15 years later. Diagnostic prevalences were estimated at each time point. The associations among tics, OCD, and ADHD were assessed within and across time points, as were their associations with comorbid illnesses and demographic risk factors. In temporal cross-section, tics and ADHD symptoms were associated with OCD symptoms in late adolescence and early adulthood after demographic features and comorbid psychiatric symptoms were controlled. In prospective analyses, tics in childhood and early adolescence predicted an increase in OCD symptoms in late adolescence and early adulthood. ADHD symptoms in adolescence predicted more OCD symptoms in early adulthood, and OCD in adolescence predicted more ADHD symptoms in adulthood. The associations of tics with ADHD were unimpressive in temporal cross-section and were not significant in prospective analyses. Tics, OCD, and ADHD shared numerous complex associations with demographic and psychopathological risk factors. ADHD was associated with lower IQ and lower social status, whereas OCD was associated with higher IQ. Tics and OCD were significantly associated in this sample, as were OCD and ADHD. These findings are in general consistent with those from family studies, and they help to define the natural history, comorbid illnesses, and interrelatedness of these conditions.

Prospective associations between loneliness and emotional intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Wols, A; Scholte, R H J; Qualter, P

2015-02-01

Loneliness has been linked cross-sectionally to emotional skill deficits (e.g., Zysberg, 2012), but missing from the literature is a longitudinal examination of these relationships. The present study fills that gap by examining the prospective relationships between loneliness and emotional functioning in young adolescents in England. One hundred and ninety-six adolescents aged 11-13 years (90 females) took part in the study and completed the youth version of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT-YV) and the peer-related subscale of the Loneliness and Aloneness Scale for Children and Adolescents (LACA) at two time points, which were 10 months apart. Prospective associations were obtained for male and female adolescents separately using cross-lagged statistical techniques. Our results showed prospective links between understanding and managing emotions and loneliness for both females and males. Perceiving and using emotions were prospectively linked to loneliness in males only. Possible explanations and directions for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2014 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An arms race is coming to the Asia-Pacific region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shu Yuan Hsieh

1997-01-01

After nearly half a century of the Cold War, the USA and Russia have finally come to carrying out their arms control agreements, drastically cutting their nuclear and conventional weapons as well as military personnel. One would imagine that the world would gradually cease to manufacture and sell weapons. The reality has seen quite the opposite. The Asia-Pacific region needs to establish urgently a forum for dialogue in security and cooperation negotiations in order to resolve peacefully outstanding territorial and political disputes. Certain arms control measures should be initiated by the Asia-Pacific nations, otherwise they will face the 21st century with the prospect of many military confrontations

Electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training for improving activities of daily living, arm function, and arm muscle strength after stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehrholz, Jan; Pohl, Marcus; Platz, Thomas; Kugler, Joachim; Elsner, Bernhard

2015-11-07

Electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training devices are used in rehabilitation, and may help to improve arm function after stroke. To assess the effectiveness of electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training for improving activities of daily living, arm function, and arm muscle strength in people after stroke. We also assessed the acceptability and safety of the therapy. We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group's Trials Register (last searched February 2015), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (the Cochrane Library 2015, Issue 3), MEDLINE (1950 to March 2015), EMBASE (1980 to March 2015), CINAHL (1982 to March 2015), AMED (1985 to March 2015), SPORTDiscus (1949 to March 2015), PEDro (searched April 2015), Compendex (1972 to March 2015), and Inspec (1969 to March 2015). We also handsearched relevant conference proceedings, searched trials and research registers, checked reference lists, and contacted trialists, experts, and researchers in our field, as well as manufacturers of commercial devices. Randomised controlled trials comparing electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training for recovery of arm function with other rehabilitation or placebo interventions, or no treatment, for people after stroke. Two review authors independently selected trials for inclusion, assessed trial quality and risk of bias, and extracted data. We contacted trialists for additional information. We analysed the results as standardised mean differences (SMDs) for continuous variables and risk differences (RDs) for dichotomous variables. We included 34 trials (involving 1160 participants) in this update of our review. Electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training improved activities of daily living scores (SMD 0.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.11 to 0.64, P = 0.005, I² = 62%), arm function (SMD 0.35, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.51, P arm muscle strength (SMD 0.36, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.70, P = 0.04, I² = 72%), but the quality of the evidence was low to very low

Arm morbidity following sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection: a study from the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Husted, Madsen A.; Haugaard, K.; Soerensen, J.

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND: Sentinel lymph node biopsy was implemented in the treatment of early breast cancer with the aim of reducing shoulder and arm morbidity. Relatively few prospective studies have been published where the morbidity was assessed by clinical examination. Very few studies have examined...... lymph node biopsy with node negative patients having a lymph node dissection of levels I and II of the axilla, we found significant increase in arm volume among the patients who had an axillary dissection. Only minor, but significant, differences in shoulder mobility were observed comparing the two...... groups of node negative patients. Highly significant difference was found comparing sensibility. Comparing the morbidity in node positive patients who had a one-step axillary dissection with patients having a two-step procedure (sentinel lymph node biopsy followed by delayed axillary dissection) revealed...

Antiaging therapy: a prospective hypothesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahidi Bonjar MR

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Mohammad Rashid Shahidi Bonjar,1 Leyla Shahidi Bonjar2 1School of Dentistry, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman Iran; 2Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran Abstract: This hypothesis proposes a new prospective approach to slow the aging process in older humans. The hypothesis could lead to developing new treatments for age-related illnesses and help humans to live longer. This hypothesis has no previous documentation in scientific media and has no protocol. Scientists have presented evidence that systemic aging is influenced by peculiar molecules in the blood. Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, and Harvard University in Cambridge discovered elevated titer of aging-related molecules (ARMs in blood, which trigger cascade of aging process in mice; they also indicated that the process can be reduced or even reversed. By inhibiting the production of ARMs, they could reduce age-related cognitive and physical declines. The present hypothesis offers a new approach to translate these findings into medical treatment: extracorporeal adjustment of ARMs would lead to slower rates of aging. A prospective “antiaging blood filtration column” (AABFC is a nanotechnological device that would fulfill the central role in this approach. An AABFC would set a near-youth homeostatic titer of ARMs in the blood. In this regard, the AABFC immobilizes ARMs from the blood while blood passes through the column. The AABFC harbors antibodies against ARMs. ARM antibodies would be conjugated irreversibly to ARMs on contact surfaces of the reaction platforms inside the AABFC till near-youth homeostasis is attained. The treatment is performed with the aid of a blood-circulating pump. Similar to a renal dialysis machine, blood would circulate from the body to the AABFC and from there back to the body in a closed circuit until ARMs were sufficiently depleted from the blood. The

TOWARDS UNIFORM RULES FOR ARMED CONFLICTS Pieter ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

the two Additional Protocols that followed in 1977, divide armed conflict into two legal categories: ... Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea. Third Convention ... Nationalist China; ibid 116. ... 17 Pictet op cit 43; Junod, S 'Additional Protocol II: History and Scope' (1983) 33 The. American ...

Brain-Machine Interface Enables Bimanual Arm Movements in Monkeys

Science.gov (United States)

Ifft, Peter J.; Shokur, Solaiman; Li, Zheng; Lebedev, Mikhail A.; Nicolelis, Miguel A. L.

2014-01-01

Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) are artificial systems that aim to restore sensation and movement to severely paralyzed patients. However, previous BMIs enabled only single arm functionality, and control of bimanual movements was a major challenge. Here, we developed and tested a bimanual BMI that enabled rhesus monkeys to control two avatar arms simultaneously. The bimanual BMI was based on the extracellular activity of 374–497 neurons recorded from several frontal and parietal cortical areas of both cerebral hemispheres. Cortical activity was transformed into movements of the two arms with a decoding algorithm called a 5th order unscented Kalman filter (UKF). The UKF is well-suited for BMI decoding because it accounts for both characteristics of reaching movements and their representation by cortical neurons. The UKF was trained either during a manual task performed with two joysticks or by having the monkeys passively observe the movements of avatar arms. Most cortical neurons changed their modulation patterns when both arms were engaged simultaneously. Representing the two arms jointly in a single UKF decoder resulted in improved decoding performance compared with using separate decoders for each arm. As the animals’ performance in bimanual BMI control improved over time, we observed widespread plasticity in frontal and parietal cortical areas. Neuronal representation of the avatar and reach targets was enhanced with learning, whereas pairwise correlations between neurons initially increased and then decreased. These results suggest that cortical networks may assimilate the two avatar arms through BMI control. PMID:24197735

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, aspirin, and cognitive function in the Baltimore longitudinal study of aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Waldstein, Shari R; Wendell, Carrington Rice; Seliger, Stephen L; Ferrucci, Luigi; Metter, E Jeffrey; Zonderman, Alan B

2010-01-01

To examine the relations between the use of nonaspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and aspirin and age-related change in multiple domains of cognitive function in community-dwelling individuals without dementia. Longitudinal, with measures obtained on one to 18 occasions over up to 45 years. General community. A volunteer sample of up to 2,300 participants from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging free of diagnosed dementia. At each visit, reported NSAID or aspirin use (yes/no) and tests of verbal and visual memory, attention, perceptuo-motor speed, confrontation naming, executive function, and mental status. Mixed-effects regression models revealed that NSAID use was associated with less prospective decline on the Blessed Information-Memory-Concentration (I-M-C) Test, a mental status test weighted for memory and concentration (Prelated to greater prospective decline on the Blessed I-M-C Test (Pfunction, but on only two cognitive measures. In contrast, aspirin use was associated with greater prospective cognitive decline on select measures, potentially reflecting its common use for vascular disease prophylaxis. Effect sizes were small, calling into question clinical significance, although overall public health significance may be meaningful.

Longitudinal Relations between Perceived Autonomy Support and Basic Need Satisfaction in Two Student Cohorts

Science.gov (United States)

Diseth, Åge; Breidablik, Hans Johan; Meland, Eivind

2018-01-01

The relation between autonomy support and basic need satisfaction was investigated by applying a longitudinal design at a time interval of two years, and by comparing two different grade level cohorts of students. Participants comprised 1.225 Norwegian students divided by two subsamples (6th and 8th grade level/8th and 10th grade level). The…

Comparing young people's experience of technology-delivered v. face-to-face mindfulness and relaxation: two-armed qualitative focus group study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tunney, Conall; Cooney, Patricia; Coyle, David; O'Reilly, Gary

2017-04-01

Background The current popularity of mindfulness-based practices has coincided with the increase in access to mobile technology. This has led to many mindfulness apps and programs becoming available, some specifically for children. However, little is known about the experience of engaging with mindfulness through these mediums. Aims To explore children's experience of mindfulness delivered both face-to-face and through a computer game to highlight any differences or similarities. Method A two-armed qualitative focus groups design was used to explore children's experiences. The first arm offered mindfulness exercises in a traditional face-to-face setting with guided meditations. The second arm offered mindfulness exercises through a computer game avatar. Results Themes of relaxation, engagement, awareness, thinking, practice and directing attention emerged from both arms of focus groups. Subthematic codes highlight key differences as well as similarities in the experience of mindfulness. Conclusions These results indicate that mindfulness delivered via technology can offer a rich experience. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2017.

Prospective longitudinal cohort study on cumulative 5-year delivery and adoption rates among 1338 couples initiating infertility treatment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pinborg, A; Hougaard, C O; Andersen, A Nyboe

2009-01-01

occurred for 5.9% (48/817) of the women. Positive prognostic factors for delivery were male infertility, female age infertility and less than three previous treatment cycles. CONCLUSIONS A crude delivery rate of 69.4% in the total population 5 years after referral to tertiary......BACKGROUND The objective was to assess crude 5-year delivery rates after assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment, intrauterine inseminations (IUI), spontaneous conceptions (SC) and adoptions in a large infertile cohort. METHODS A prospective longitudinal survey comprised 1338 infertile...... couples starting public infertility programmes offering IUIs and three free ART cycles during 2000-2001. The cohort was cross-linked with the National Medical Birth Register to obtain delivery rates for all 1338 couples. More detailed data were available from 817 women responding to a 5-year follow...

Causal mediation analysis for longitudinal data with exogenous exposure

OpenAIRE

Bind, M.-A. C.; Vanderweele, T. J.; Coull, B. A.; Schwartz, J. D.

2015-01-01

Mediation analysis is a valuable approach to examine pathways in epidemiological research. Prospective cohort studies are often conducted to study biological mechanisms and often collect longitudinal measurements on each participant. Mediation formulae for longitudinal data have been developed. Here, we formalize the natural direct and indirect effects using a causal framework with potential outcomes that allows for an interaction between the exposure and the mediator. To allow different type...

C-arm CT for chemo-embolization of liver tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huppert, P.E.; Firlbeck, G.; Meissner, O.A.; Wietholtz, H.

2009-01-01

Local efficacy of transarterial chemo-embolization (TACE) is enhanced if selective treatment is performed. Selectivity of TACE mainly depends on vascular anatomy but also on the identification and catheterization of tumor feeding arteries. Correlation of vascular territories and target tumor volume in angiographic projection images is more difficult if tumors are not hypervascularized and contrast of liver parenchyma is inhomogeneous. C-arm CT offers the option of selective perfusion imaging via tumor-feeding arteries. This allows the comparison of perfusion images and baseline cross-sectional imaging to evaluate if tumors are covered completely by local treatment and to change the catheter position if necessary. Furthermore the uptake of embolization material, such as lipiodol can be checked by C-arm CT. In a prospective study of 75 TACE of liver tumors and liver metastases we evaluated the appropriateness of 85 catheter positions ready for delivery by perfusion C-arm CT and compared the diagnostic confidence of angiography and perfusion C-arm CT in terms of judgment of correct catheter position for the planned treatment. Diagnostic confidence was improved by perfusion C-arm CT in 55% of cases and in 11 cases (13%) catheter positions were inappropriate and had to be corrected. The reasons for catheter repositioning were incomplete coverage of the target tumor by perfusion volume (mismatch) in 6 cases, inappropriate perfusion of adjacent liver parenchyma in 2 cases and non-selective tumor perfusion via collateral arteries in 3 cases. C-arm CT allowed sufficient visualization of uptake of lipiodol in all cases evaluated. The diagnostic benefit of C-arm CT increases if tumors are treated more selectively, are not strongly hypervascular, are located centrally and if the enhancement of liver parenchyma is inhomogeneous. C-arm CT causes additional working time and contrast load, which is relatively low compared to angiography. Radiation exposure of 151 μGy per C-arm

Driving pockels cells in multi-arm lasers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carder, B.M.

1978-01-01

This paper describes the method used to drive Pockels cells on the 20-arm Shiva laser for inertial confinement fusion research at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Shiva became operational last fall, and has just completed a series of 20-arm target shots. It uses two pockels cell gates in each laser arm for suppression of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) that can damage or destroy the target before the main pulse arrives. Two additional Pockels cells are used in the preamplification stages, so that a total of 42 cells must be driven by the pulser system

The BAMSE project: presentation of a prospective longitudinal birth cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wickman, Magnus; Kull, Inger; Pershagen, Göran; Nordvall, S Lennart

2002-01-01

The aims of this prospective and longitudinal project are to establish crucial risk factors for asthma and other allergic diseases in childhood, and to study factors of importance for prognosis at already established allergic disease. Socio-economic factors, such as inequality in health, are also to be addressed. The project started in February 1994. To reach sufficient power, 4,000 children had to be included. In November 1996, this number was reached (4,093). Inclusion in the study was made at 3-4 months of age. At that time, and before induction of allergic disease/ asthma of the child, a questionnaire focused on exposure, genetics and socio-economic factors was answered. Settled dust was sampled for later analysis of furred animal and mite allergens. When the children were aged both 1 and 2 years, their parents were asked to fill in new questionnaires focusing on respiratory and allergic (skin, gastrointestinal) symptoms, but also key variables of exposure. Cases with asthma are identified and, for every case, two matched controls drawn. During the following winter, the homes of cases and controls were investigated and the temperature, indoor humidity, air change rate and NO2 measured. Two hundred cases (5%) were expected to be identified during the first 2 years of the children's lives. Some 479 homes have now been investigated and 97.7% of the original 4,093 children still remain in the cohort. The 2-year symptom follow-up ended in November 1998. The 4-year follow-up started on 1 September 1998 and was planned to be finished in June 2000. Questionnaires (allergic and respiratory symptoms, key variables of exposure at home and day care) are sent out to all 4,093 families. All children are invited for examination, lung function tests (PEF, flow-volume, MVV and oxygen clearance) and physical performance. Blood is taken from all children (20 ml). Allergy screening is performed and specific IgE examined. Blood cells will be frozen to allow for later DNA extraction

Dynamic model of the octopus arm. I. Biomechanics of the octopus reaching movement.

Science.gov (United States)

Yekutieli, Yoram; Sagiv-Zohar, Roni; Aharonov, Ranit; Engel, Yaakov; Hochner, Binyamin; Flash, Tamar

2005-08-01

The octopus arm requires special motor control schemes because it consists almost entirely of muscles and lacks a rigid skeletal support. Here we present a 2D dynamic model of the octopus arm to explore possible strategies of movement control in this muscular hydrostat. The arm is modeled as a multisegment structure, each segment containing longitudinal and transverse muscles and maintaining a constant volume, a prominent feature of muscular hydrostats. The input to the model is the degree of activation of each of its muscles. The model includes the external forces of gravity, buoyancy, and water drag forces (experimentally estimated here). It also includes the internal forces generated by the arm muscles and the forces responsible for maintaining a constant volume. Using this dynamic model to investigate the octopus reaching movement and to explore the mechanisms of bend propagation that characterize this movement, we found the following. 1) A simple command producing a wave of muscle activation moving at a constant velocity is sufficient to replicate the natural reaching movements with similar kinematic features. 2) The biomechanical mechanism that produces the reaching movement is a stiffening wave of muscle contraction that pushes a bend forward along the arm. 3) The perpendicular drag coefficient for an octopus arm is nearly 50 times larger than the tangential drag coefficient. During a reaching movement, only a small portion of the arm is oriented perpendicular to the direction of movement, thus minimizing the drag force.

Wind-tunnel investigation of an armed mini remotely piloted vehicle. [conducted in Langley V/STOL tunnel

Science.gov (United States)

Phelps, A. E., III

1979-01-01

A wind tunnel investigation of a full scale remotely piloted vehicle (RPV) armed with rocket launchers was conducted. The model had unacceptable longitudinal stability characteristics at negative angles of attack in the original design configuration. The addition of a pair of fins mounted in a V arrangement on the propeller shroud resulted in a configuration with acceptable longitudinal stability characteristics. The addition of wing mounted external stores to the modified configuration resulted in a slight reduction in the longitudinal stability. The lateral directional characteristics of the model were generally good, but the model had low directional stability at low angles of attack. Aerodynamic control power was very strong around all three axes.

Risk factors of Internet addiction and the health effect of internet addiction on adolescents: a systematic review of longitudinal and prospective studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Lam, Lawrence T

2014-11-01

Internet gaming addiction was included in the latest version of the DSM-V as a possible disorder recently, while debate is still on-going as to whether the condition called "Internet Addiction" (IA) could be fully recognised as an established disorder. The major contention is how well IA could fulfil the validation criteria as a psychiatric disorder as in other well-established behavioural addictions. In addition to various proposed validation criteria, evidence of risk and protective factors as well as development of outcomes from longitudinal and prospective studies are suggested as important. A systematic review of available longitudinal and prospective studies was conducted to gather epidemiological evidence on risk and protective factors of IA and the health effect of IA on adolescents. Nine articles were identified after an extensive search of the literature in accordance to the PRISMA guidelines. Of these, eight provided data on risk or protective factors of IA and one focused solely on the effects of IA on mental health. Information was extracted and analysed systematically from each study and tabulated. Many exposure variables were studied and could be broadly classified into three main categories: psychopathologies of the participants, family and parenting factors, and others such as Internet usage, motivation, and academic performance. Some were found to be potential risk or protective factors of IA. It was also found that exposure to IA had a detrimental effect on the mental health of young people. These results were discussed in light of their implications to the fulfilment of the validation criteria.

Association between intramuscular fat in the arm following arm training and INSIG2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Popadic Gacesa, J Z; Secher, N H; Momcilovic, M

2014-01-01

) ; mean ± standard deviation) carried out a 12-week two-arm elbow extensor training (10 maximal extensions with 1 min recovery between bouts) five times per day, five times per week. For 17 volunteers, upper arm muscle and adipose tissue [subcutaneous (SCAT) and intramuscular (IMAT)] volumes were.......0 ± 0.9%; GC/CC: %IMAT 0.6 ± 0.5% (P > 0.05). However, in the year following the training, accumulation of upper arm IMAT was twice as large in participants homozygous for the G allele (GG: Δ%IMAT +2.5 ± 0.8%; GC/CC: Δ%IMAT +1.1 ± 0.7%; P 

U.S. – Russia Relations And Arms Control: Breating The Clinch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. I. Bubnova

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article examines the new U.S. administration’s outlook on arms control, analyses the existing problems in this field and possible ways for their resolution, compares Donald Trump’s statements on military and political issues with the president’s first steps in this area, and offers forecasts and recommendations on the prospects for U.S.-Russia cooperation in arms limitations and reductions. The author proceeds from the assumption that arms control is a key component in measures to ensure international security. Even if the current tense U.S.- Russian relations provide little room for maneuver and the internal political struggle in DC sets limits on the possible bilateral measures, Moscow should nevertheless take initiative in putting forward a set of proposals to reduce weapons, especially in the very sensitive and risk-prone nuclear field. This will allow in future negotiations to proceed from options that will take into account Russian interests and the specifics of Russia’s weapons systems, while at the same time showing the resolve of the nuclear superpowers to reduce existing threats through negotiations and leading the way for other countries to join. Taking into account the importance of arms control, all efforts should be made to enforce the existing treaties, consolidate the current international treaty-based legal system, and work further on new arms control and arms reduction agreements.

Changes in hospital competitive strategy: a new medical arms race?

Science.gov (United States)

Devers, Kelly J; Brewster, Linda R; Casalino, Lawrence P

2003-02-01

To describe changes in hospitals' competitive strategies, specifically the relative emphasis placed on strategies for competing along price and nonprice (i.e., service, amenities, perceived quality) dimensions, and the reasons for any observed shifts. This study uses data gathered through the Community Tracking Study site visits, a longitudinal study of a nationally representative sample of 12 U.S. communities. Research teams visited each of these communities every two years since 1996 and conducted between 50 to 90 semistructured interviews. Additional information on hospital competition and strategy was gathered from secondary data. We found that hospitals' strategic emphasis changed significantly between 1996-1997 and 2000-2001. In the mid-1990s, hospitals primarily competed on price through "wholesale" strategies (i.e., providing services attractive to managed care plans). By 2000-2001, nonprice competition was becoming increasingly important and hospitals were reviving "retail" strategies (i.e., providing services attractive to individual physicians and the patients they serve). Three major factors explain this shift in hospital strategy: less than anticipated selective contracting and capitated payment; the freeing up of hospital resources previously devoted to horizontal and vertical integration strategies; and, the emergence and growth of new competitors. Renewed emphasis on nonprice competition and retail strategies, and the service mimicking and one-upmanship that result, suggest that a new medical arms race is emerging. However, there are important differences between the medical arms race today and the one that occurred in the 1970s and early 1980s: the hospital market is more concentrated and price competition remains relatively important. The development of a new medical arms race has significant research and policy implications.

Transforaminal lumbar interbody graft placement using an articulating delivery arm facilitates increased segmental lordosis with superior anterior and midline graft placement.

Science.gov (United States)

Shau, David N; Parker, Scott L; Mendenhall, Stephen K; Zuckerman, Scott L; Godil, Saniya S; Devin, Clinton J; McGirt, Matthew J

2015-05-01

Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is a frequently performed method of lumbar arthrodesis in patients failing medical management of back and leg pain. Accurate placement of the interbody graft and restoration of lordosis has been shown to be crucial when performing lumbar fusion procedures. We performed a single-surgeon, prospective, randomized study to determine whether a novel articulating versus traditional straight graft delivery arm system allows for superior graft placement and increased lordosis for single-level TLIF. Thirty consecutive patients undergoing single-level TLIF were included and prospectively randomized to one of the 2 groups (articulated vs. straight delivery arm system). Three radiographic characteristics were evaluated at 6-week follow-up: (1) degree of segmental lumbar lordosis at the fused level; (2) the percent anterior location of the interbody graft in disk space; and (3) the distance (mm) off midline of the interbody graft placement. Randomization yielded 16 patients in the articulated delivery arm cohort and 14 in the straight delivery arm cohort. The articulating delivery arm system yielded an average of 14.7-degree segmental lordosis at fused level, 35% anterior location, and 3.6 mm off midline. The straight delivery arm system yielded an average of 10.7-degree segmental lordosis at fused level, 46% anterior location, and 7.0 mm off midline. All 3 comparisons were statistically significant (Plordosis compared with a traditional straight delivery arm system.

Two-dimensional orthonormal trend surfaces for prospecting

Science.gov (United States)

Sarma, D. D.; Selvaraj, J. B.

Orthonormal polynomials have distinct advantages over conventional polynomials: the equations for evaluating trend coefficients are not ill-conditioned and the convergence power of this method is greater compared to the least-squares approximation and therefore the approach by orthonormal functions provides a powerful alternative to the least-squares method. In this paper, orthonormal polynomials in two dimensions are obtained using the Gram-Schmidt method for a polynomial series of the type: Z = 1 + x + y + x2 + xy + y2 + … + yn, where x and y are the locational coordinates and Z is the value of the variable under consideration. Trend-surface analysis, which has wide applications in prospecting, has been carried out using the orthonormal polynomial approach for two sample sets of data from India concerned with gold accumulation from the Kolar Gold Field, and gravity data. A comparison of the orthonormal polynomial trend surfaces with those obtained by the classical least-squares method has been made for the two data sets. In both the situations, the orthonormal polynomial surfaces gave an improved fit to the data. A flowchart and a FORTRAN-IV computer program for deriving orthonormal polynomials of any order and for using them to fit trend surfaces is included. The program has provision for logarithmic transformation of the Z variable. If log-transformation is performed the predicted Z values are reconverted to the original units and the trend-surface map generated for use. The illustration of gold assay data related to the Champion lode system of Kolar Gold Fields, for which a 9th-degree orthonormal trend surface was fit, could be used for further prospecting the area.

The Supraspinatus and the Deltoid - Not just two arm elevators

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Witte, P.; Werner, S.; ter Braak, L.M.; Veeger, H.E.J.; Nelissen, R.G.H.H.; de Groot, J.H.

2014-01-01

Background: The debate on the clinical and functional role of the Supraspinatus in relation to the Deltoid necessitates experimental assessment of their contributions to arm elevation. Our goal was to evaluate the responses of both muscles to increased elevation moment loading. Methods: Twenty-three

Data from three prospective longitudinal human cohorts of prenatal marijuana exposure and offspring outcomes from the fetal period through young adulthood

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabrielle L. McLemore

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This article includes data from three prospective longitudinal human cohorts of prenatal marijuana exposure (PME and offspring outcomes from the fetal period through young adulthood. The table herein contains an overview of the major adverse effects associated with PME from the following human cohorts: (1 The Ottawa Prenatal Prospective Study (OPPS; (2 The Maternal Health Practices and Child Development Study (MHPCD; and (3 The Generation R Study (Gen R. In the OPPS, fetal gestational age was measured and age-appropriate standardized neuropsychological instruments were used to assess neonatal responses, and infant–child and adolescent–young adult cognitive and behavioral skills. In the MHPCD, birth length and weight, neonatal body length, and infant–child sleep, cognition, and behavioral parameters were measured. In the Gen R, birth weight and growth were measured, as were infant–child attention and aggression. The data in this article are in support of our report entitled “Prenatal Cannabis Exposure - The "First Hit" to the Endocannabinoid System” (K.A. Richardson, A.K. Hester, G.L. McLemore, 2016 [13].

Searching for non-genetic molecular and imaging PTSD risk and resilience markers: Systematic review of literature and design of the German Armed Forces PTSD biomarker study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Ulrike; Willmund, Gerd-Dieter; Holsboer, Florian; Wotjak, Carsten T; Gallinat, Jürgen; Kowalski, Jens T; Zimmermann, Peter

2015-01-01

Biomarkers allowing the identification of individuals with an above average vulnerability or resilience for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) would especially serve populations at high risk for trauma exposure like firefighters, police officers and combat soldiers. Aiming to identify the most promising putative PTSD vulnerability markers, we conducted the first systematic review on potential imaging and non-genetic molecular markers for PTSD risk and resilience. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we systematically screened the PubMed database for prospective longitudinal clinical studies and twin studies reporting on pre-trauma and post-trauma PTSD risk and resilience biomarkers. Using 25 different combinations of search terms, we retrieved 8151 articles of which we finally included and evaluated 9 imaging and 27 molecular studies. In addition, we briefly illustrate the design of the ongoing prospective German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) PTSD biomarker study (Bw-BioPTSD) which not only aims to validate these previous findings but also to identify novel and clinically applicable molecular, psychological and imaging risk, resilience and disease markers for deployment-related psychopathology in a cohort of German soldiers who served in Afghanistan. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organization of octopus arm movements: a model system for studying the control of flexible arms.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutfreund, Y; Flash, T; Yarom, Y; Fiorito, G; Segev, I; Hochner, B

1996-11-15

Octopus arm movements provide an extreme example of controlled movements of a flexible arm with virtually unlimited degrees of freedom. This study aims to identify general principles in the organization of these movements. Video records of the movements of Octopus vulgaris performing the task of reaching toward a target were studied. The octopus extends its arm toward the target by a wave-like propagation of a bend that travels from the base of the arm toward the tip. Similar bend propagation is seen in other octopus arm movements, such as locomotion and searching. The kinematics (position and velocity) of the midpoint of the bend in three-dimensional space were extracted using the direct linear transformation algorithm. This showed that the bend tends to move within a single linear plane in a simple, slightly curved path connecting the center of the animal's body with the target location. Approximately 70% of the reaching movements demonstrated a stereotyped tangential velocity profile. An invariant profile was observed when movements were normalized for velocity and distance. Two arms, extended together in the same behavioral context, demonstrated identical velocity profiles. The stereotyped features of the movements were also observed in spontaneous arm extensions (not toward an external target). The simple and stereotypic appearance of the bend trajectory suggests that the position of the bend in space and time is the controlled variable. We propose that this strategy reduces the immense redundancy of the octopus arm movements and hence simplifies motor control.

Arms Races and Negotiations

OpenAIRE

Sandeep Baliga; Tomas Sjostrom

2003-01-01

Two players simultaneously decide whether or not to acquire new weapons in an arms race game. Each player's type determines his propensity to arm. Types are private information, and are independently drawn from a continuous distribution. With probability close to one, the best outcome for each player is for neither to acquire new weapons (although each prefers to acquire new weapons if he thinks the opponent will). There is a small probability that a player is a dominant strategy type who alw...

Women's preferences and received pain relief in childbirth - A prospective longitudinal study in a northern region of Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindholm, Annika; Hildingsson, Ingegerd

2015-06-01

A range of alternatives in pain management during childbirth are available in the western countries. Women's preferences for and use of pain relief methods during labour is not fully investigated. The aim of this study was to describe what pain relief methods pregnant women preferred when asked in late pregnancy and to identify factors associated with preferred and received pain relief methods. A prospective longitudinal study in a northern region of Sweden (n = 936). Data were collected by three questionnaires. Odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval were calculated between preferred and received pain relief methods for several explanatory variables. The most preferred pain relief methods were also the most common received pain relief methods; nitrous oxide, bathing, breathing techniques, epidural analgesia and massage. The strongest factors for using different pain relief methods were primiparity and preferences. Women who used epidural analgesia, regardless of preference, were two to four times more likely to have a less positive birth experience. Women's preferences for a certain pain relief method were largely met. Greater differences were seen between background factors and preferences than the received pain relief methods. Preferences and primiparity were the most important factors for actually using pain relief. Epidural analgesia was associated with a less positive birth experience. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurement of Galactic Logarithmic Spiral Arm Pitch Angle Using Two-Dimensional Fast Fourier Transform Decomposition

OpenAIRE

Davis, Benjamin L.; Berrier, Joel C.; Shields, Douglas W.; Kennefick, Julia; Kennefick, Daniel; Seigar, Marc S.; Lacy, Claud H. S.; Puerari, Ivânio

2012-01-01

A logarithmic spiral is a prominent feature appearing in a majority of observed galaxies. This feature has long been associated with the traditional Hubble classification scheme, but historical quotes of pitch angle of spiral galaxies have been almost exclusively qualitative. We have developed a methodology, utilizing two-dimensional fast Fourier transformations of images of spiral galaxies, in order to isolate and measure the pitch angles of their spiral arms. Our technique provides a quanti...

Robotic arm

Science.gov (United States)

Kwech, Horst

1989-04-18

A robotic arm positionable within a nuclear vessel by access through a small diameter opening and having a mounting tube supported within the vessel and mounting a plurality of arm sections for movement lengthwise of the mounting tube as well as for movement out of a window provided in the wall of the mounting tube. An end effector, such as a grinding head or welding element, at an operating end of the robotic arm, can be located and operated within the nuclear vessel through movement derived from six different axes of motion provided by mounting and drive connections between arm sections of the robotic arm. The movements are achieved by operation of remotely-controllable servo motors, all of which are mounted at a control end of the robotic arm to be outside the nuclear vessel.

The prediction of in-hospital mortality by mid-upper arm circumference

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Opio, Martin Otyek; Namujwiga, Teopista; Nakitende, Imaculate

2018-01-01

There are few reports of the association of nutritional status with in-hospital mortality of acutely ill medical patients in sub-Saharan Africa. This is a prospective observational study comparing the predictive value of mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) of 899 acutely ill medical patients...... patients in a resource-poor hospital in sub-Saharan Africa....... admitted to a resource-poor sub-Saharan hospital with mental alertness, mobility and vital signs. Mid-upper arm circumference ranged from 15 cm to 42 cm, and 12 (24%) of the 50 patients with a MUAC less than 20 cm died (OR 4.84, 95% CI 2.23-10.37). Of the 237 patients with a MUAC more than 28 cm only six...

Assessing the playing field: a prospective longitudinal study of internet sports gambling behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

LaBrie, Richard A; LaPlante, Debi A; Nelson, Sarah E; Schumann, Anja; Shaffer, Howard J

2007-09-01

Internet gambling is growing rapidly, as is concern about its possible effect on the public's health. This paper reports the results of the first prospective longitudinal study of actual Internet sports gambling behavior during eight study months. Data include recorded fixed-odds bets on the outcome of sporting contests and live-action bets on the outcome of events within contests for 40,499 Internet sports gambling service subscribers who enrolled during February 2005. We tracked the following primary gambling behaviors: daily totals of the number of bets made, money bet, and money won. We transformed these variables into measures of gambling involvement. We analyzed behavior for both fixed-odds and live-action bets. The median betting behavior of the 39,719 fixed-odds bettors was to place 2.5 bets of 4 euro (approximately $5.3 US) every fourth day during the median 4 months from first to last bet. This typical pattern incurred a loss of 29% of the amount wagered. The median betting behavior of the 24,794 live-action bettors was to place 2.8 wagers of 4 euro every fourth day during the median duration of 6 weeks at a loss of 18% of the amount wagered. We also examined the behavior of empirically determined groups of heavily involved bettors whose activity exceeded that of 99% of the sample.

Planet-driven Spiral Arms in Protoplanetary Disks. II. Implications

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Jaehan; Zhu, Zhaohuan

2018-06-01

We examine whether various characteristics of planet-driven spiral arms can be used to constrain the masses of unseen planets and their positions within their disks. By carrying out two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations varying planet mass and disk gas temperature, we find that a larger number of spiral arms form with a smaller planet mass and a lower disk temperature. A planet excites two or more spiral arms interior to its orbit for a range of disk temperatures characterized by the disk aspect ratio 0.04≤slant {(h/r)}p≤slant 0.15, whereas exterior to a planet’s orbit multiple spiral arms can form only in cold disks with {(h/r)}p≲ 0.06. Constraining the planet mass with the pitch angle of spiral arms requires accurate disk temperature measurements that might be challenging even with ALMA. However, the property that the pitch angle of planet-driven spiral arms decreases away from the planet can be a powerful diagnostic to determine whether the planet is located interior or exterior to the observed spirals. The arm-to-arm separations increase as a function of planet mass, consistent with previous studies; however, the exact slope depends on disk temperature as well as the radial location where the arm-to-arm separations are measured. We apply these diagnostics to the spiral arms seen in MWC 758 and Elias 2–27. As shown in Bae et al., planet-driven spiral arms can create concentric rings and gaps, which can produce a more dominant observable signature than spiral arms under certain circumstances. We discuss the observability of planet-driven spiral arms versus rings and gaps.

Inconsistency between simultaneous blood pressure measurements in the arm, forearm, and leg in anesthetized children.

Science.gov (United States)

Keidan, Ilan; Sidi, Avner; Ben-Menachem, Erez; Tene, Yael; Berkenstadt, Haim

2014-02-01

To determine the accuracy and precision of simultaneous noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) measurement in the arm, forearm, and ankle in anesthetized children. Prospective, randomized study. University medical center. 101 ASA physical status 1 and 2 children (aged 1-8 yrs) scheduled for elective surgery with general anesthesia. Simultaneous NIBP measurements were recorded at the arm, forearm, and ankle at 5-minute intervals. The systolic blood pressure difference between the arm-forearm or the arm-ankle was within the ± 10% range in 63% and 29% of measurements, and within the ± 20% range in 85% and 67% of measurements, respectively. The diastolic blood pressure difference between the arm-forearm or the arm-ankle was within the ± 10% range in 42% and 44% and within the ± 20% range in 67% and 74% of measurements, respectively. In patients in whom the initial three NIBP measurements were within the ± 20% range between the forearm and arm, 86% of the subsequent measurements were also within that limit. Forearm and ankle NIBP measurements are unreliable and inconsistent with NIBP measured in the arm of anesthetized children. These alternative BP measurement sites are not reliable in accuracy (comparison with reference "gold" standard) and precision (reproducibility). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Associations Between Statin Use and Physical Function in Older Adults from The Netherlands and Australia: Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam and Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.

Science.gov (United States)

van Boheemen, Laurette; Tett, Susan E; Sohl, Evelien; Hugtenburg, Jacqueline G; van Schoor, Natasja M; Peeters, G M E E

2016-06-01

Statin therapy may cause myopathy, but long-term effects on physical function are unclear. We investigated whether statin use is associated with poorer physical function in two population-based cohorts of older adults. Data were from 691 men and women (aged 69-102 years in 2005/2006) in the LASA (Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam) and 5912 women (aged 79-84 years in 2005) in the ALSWH (Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health). Statin use and dose were sourced from containers (LASA) and administrative databases (ALSWH). Physical function was assessed using performance tests, questionnaires on functional limitations and the SF-12 (LASA) and SF-36 (ALSWH) questionnaires. Cross-sectional (both studies) and 3-year prospective associations (ALSWH) were analysed for different statin dosage using linear and logistic regression. In total, 25 % of participants in LASA and 61 % in ALSWH used statins. In the cross-sectional models in LASA, statin users were less likely to have functional limitations (percentage of subjects with at least 1 limitation 63.9 vs. 64.2; odds ratio [OR] 0.6; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.3-0.9) and had better SF-12 physical component scores (mean [adjusted] 47.3 vs. 44.5; beta [B] = 2.8; 95 % CI 1.1-4.5); in ALSWH, statin users had better SF-36 physical component scores (mean [adjusted] 37.4 vs. 36.5; B = 0.9; 95 % CI 0.3-1.5) and physical functioning subscale scores (mean [adjusted] 55.1 vs. 52.6; B = 2.4; 95 % CI 1.1-3.8) than non-users. Similar associations were found for low- and high-dose users and in the prospective models. In contrast, no significant associations were found with performance tests. Two databases from longitudinal population studies in older adults gave comparable results, even though different outcome measures were used. In these two large cohorts, statin use was associated with better self-perceived physical function.

Habitual chocolate intake and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study: (1975-2010): Prospective observations.

Science.gov (United States)

Crichton, Georgina E; Elias, Merrill F; Dearborn, Peter; Robbins, Michael

2017-01-01

Compounds in cocoa and chocolate have established cardiovascular benefits, including beneficial effects on insulin resistance, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aims of this study was to investigate relations between habitual chocolate intakes and diabetes mellitus. Cross-sectional and prospective analyses were undertaken on 953 community-dwelling participants (mean age 62 years, 59% women) from the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study (MSLS). Habitual chocolate intakes, measured using a food frequency questionnaire, were related to prevalence of diabetes mellitus (cross-sectionally) and with risk of diabetes measured approximately five years later (prospectively). We also examined the relation between diabetes (the predictor) and chocolate consumption (the outcome) up to 30 years later. Chocolate intake was inversely associated with type 2 diabetes. Compared to participants who consumed chocolate more than once per week, those who never or rarely ate chocolate exhibited a significantly higher odds of having type 2 diabetes 5 years later (OR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.03, 3.55, p = 0.04), after adjustment for cardiovascular, lifestyle and dietary factors including other polyphenol-rich beverages. However, individuals diagnosed with diabetes prior to the nutritional assessment consumed lower amounts of chocolate at the time of the dietary assessment. Our findings suggest that relations between chocolate and type 2 diabetes may be bi-directional. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Arms races between and within species.

Science.gov (United States)

Dawkins, R; Krebs, J R

1979-09-21

An adaptation in one lineage (e.g. predators) may change the selection pressure on another lineage (e.g. prey), giving rise to a counter-adaptation. If this occurs reciprocally, an unstable runaway escalation or 'arms race' may result. We discuss various factors which might give one side an advantage in an arms race. For example, a lineage under strong selection may out-evolve a weakly selected one (' the life-dinner principle'). We then classify arms races in two independent ways. They may be symmetric or asymmetric, and they may be interspecific or intraspecific. Our example of an asymmetric interspecific arms race is that between brood parasites and their hosts. The arms race concept may help to reduce the mystery of why cuckoo hosts are so good at detecting cuckoo eggs, but so bad at detecting cuckoo nestlings. The evolutionary contest between queen and worker ants over relative parental investment is a good example of an intraspecific asymmetric arms race. Such cases raise special problems because the participants share the same gene pool. Interspecific symmetric arms races are unlikely to be important, because competitors tend to diverge rather than escalate competitive adaptations. Intraspecific symmetric arms races, exemplified by adaptations for male-male competition, may underlie Cope's Rule and even the extinction of lineages. Finally we consider ways in which arms races can end. One lineage may drive the other to extinction; one may reach an optimum, thereby preventing the other from doing so; a particularly interesting possibility, exemplified by flower-bee coevolution, is that both sides may reach a mutual local optimum; lastly, arms races may have no stable and but may cycle continuously. We do not wish necessarily to suggest that all, or even most, evolutionary change results from arms races, but we do suggest that the arms race concept may help to resolve three long-standing questions in evolutionary theory.

Measuring longitudinal wave speed in solids: two methods and a half

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fazio, C; Guastella, I; Sperandeo-Mineo, R M; Tarantino, G

2006-01-01

Three methods to analyse longitudinal wave propagation in metallic rods are discussed. Two of these methods also prove to be useful for measuring the sound propagation speed. The experimental results, as well as some interpretative models built in the context of a workshop on mechanical waves at the Graduate School for Pre-Service Physics Teacher Education, Palermo University, are described. Some considerations about observed modifications in trainee teachers' attitudes to utilizing physics experiments to build pedagogical activities are discussed

Robotic arm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwech, H.

1989-01-01

A robotic arm positionable within a nuclear vessel by access through a small diameter opening and having a mounting tube supported within the vessel and mounting a plurality of arm sections for movement lengthwise of the mounting tube as well as for movement out of a window provided in the wall of the mounting tube is disclosed. An end effector, such as a grinding head or welding element, at an operating end of the robotic arm, can be located and operated within the nuclear vessel through movement derived from six different axes of motion provided by mounting and drive connections between arm sections of the robotic arm. The movements are achieved by operation of remotely-controllable servo motors, all of which are mounted at a control end of the robotic arm to be outside the nuclear vessel. 23 figs

Robust coordinated control of a dual-arm space robot

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Lingling; Kayastha, Sharmila; Katupitiya, Jay

2017-09-01

Dual-arm space robots are more capable of implementing complex space tasks compared with single arm space robots. However, the dynamic coupling between the arms and the base will have a serious impact on the spacecraft attitude and the hand motion of each arm. Instead of considering one arm as the mission arm and the other as the balance arm, in this work two arms of the space robot perform as mission arms aimed at accomplishing secure capture of a floating target. The paper investigates coordinated control of the base's attitude and the arms' motion in the task space in the presence of system uncertainties. Two types of controllers, i.e. a Sliding Mode Controller (SMC) and a nonlinear Model Predictive Controller (MPC) are verified and compared with a conventional Computed-Torque Controller (CTC) through numerical simulations in terms of control accuracy and system robustness. Both controllers eliminate the need to linearly parameterize the dynamic equations. The MPC has been shown to achieve performance with higher accuracy than CTC and SMC in the absence of system uncertainties under the condition that they consume comparable energy. When the system uncertainties are included, SMC and CTC present advantageous robustness than MPC. Specifically, in a case where system inertia increases, SMC delivers higher accuracy than CTC and costs the least amount of energy.

Factors contributing to the longitudinal development of social participation in individuals with cerebral palsy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tan, Siok Swan; van der Slot, Wilma M A; Ketelaar, Marjolijn; Becher, Jules G.; Dallmeijer, Annet J.; Smits, Dirk Wouter; Roebroeck, Marij E.

2016-01-01

Aims We aimed to determine factors associated with the longitudinal development of social participation in a Dutch population of individuals with Cerebral Palsy (CP) aged 1–24 years. Methods and procedures For this multicentre prospective longitudinal study, 424 individuals with CP aged 1–24 years

Women's experiences of participating in a prospective, longitudinal postpartum depression study: insights for perinatal mental health researchers.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrighetti, Heather J; Semaka, Alicia; Austin, Jehannine C

2017-08-01

Barriers to recruitment for research on mental illness include participant distrust of researchers and social stigma. Though these issues may be acutely important in perinatal mental health research, they remain unexplored in this context. In order to inform strategies to more fully engage women in perinatal mental health research, we explored the motivations and experiences of women with a history of major depressive disorder who participated in a prospective longitudinal research study on postpartum depression (PPD). Sixteen women with a history of depression who had either completed or recently made a decision about participation in a longitudinal research study about PPD were interviewed by telephone. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews explored participants' decision-making about, and experiences of, participation. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and qualitatively analyzed using elements of grounded theory methodology. Follow-up interviews were conducted with four participants to refine and clarify preliminary results. Foundational elements necessary for women to consider participating in PPD research included personal acceptance of illness and trust in the research team/institution. Other main motivators included perceived personal relevance, anticipated benefits (including access to support/resources, learning opportunities, and improved self-worth), altruism, and accessible study procedures. Our data suggest that participating in perinatal mental health research may help women make meaning of their mental illness experience and is perceived as providing support. The findings-particularly around the importance of participant-researcher rapport and accessibility of study design-may inform strategies that improve participation rates, decrease attrition, and maximize participant benefits in perinatal mental health research.

Simple model of the arms race

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zane, L.I.

1982-01-01

A simple model of a two-party arms race is developed based on the principle that the race will continue so long as either side can unleash an effective first strike against the other side. The model is used to examine how secrecy, the ABM, MIRV-ing, and an MX system affect the arms race

Impact of aminoglycoside cycling in six tertiary intensive care units: prospective longitudinal interventional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Francetić, Igor; Kalenić, Smilja; Huić, Mirjana; Mercep, Iveta; Makar-Ausperger, Ksenija; Likić, Robert; Erdeljić, Viktorija; Tripković, Vesna; Simić, Petra

2008-04-01

To determine the effect of aminoglycoside cycling in six tertiary intensive care units (ICU) on the rates of sepsis, aminoglycoside resistance patterns, antibiotic consumption, and costs. This was a prospective longitudinal interventional study that measured the effect of change from first-line gentamicin usage (February 2002-February 2003) to amikacin usage (February 2003-February 2004) on the aminoglycoside resistance patterns, number of patients with gram-negative bacteremia, consumption of antibiotics, and the cost of antimicrobial drugs in 6 tertiary care ICUs in Zagreb, Croatia. The change from first-line gentamicin to amikacin usage led to a decrease in the overall gentamicin resistance of gram-negative bacteria (GNB) from 42% to 26% (PAcinetobacter baumanni (P=0.014). Sepsis rate in ICUs was reduced from 3.6% to 2.2% (P<0.001; chi(2) test), with a decline in the number of nosocomial bloodstream infections from 55/100 patient-days to 26/100 patient-days (P=0.001, chi(2) test). Furthermore, amikacin use led to a 16% decrease in the overall antibiotic consumption and 0.1 euro/patient/d cost reduction. Exclusive use of amikacin significantly reduced the resistance of GNB isolates to gentamicin and netilmicin, the number of GNB nosocomial bacteremias, and the cost of total antibiotic usage in ICUs.

Kinematic feedback control laws for generating natural arm movements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Donghyun; Jang, Cheongjae; Park, Frank C

2014-01-01

We propose a stochastic optimal feedback control law for generating natural robot arm motions. Our approach, inspired by the minimum variance principle of Harris and Wolpert (1998 Nature 394 780–4) and the optimal feedback control principles put forth by Todorov and Jordan (2002 Nature Neurosci. 5 1226–35) for explaining human movements, differs in two crucial respects: (i) the endpoint variance is minimized in joint space rather than Cartesian hand space, and (ii) we ignore the dynamics and instead consider only the second-order differential kinematics. The feedback control law generating the motions can be straightforwardly obtained by backward integration of a set of ordinary differential equations; these equations are obtained exactly, without any linear–quadratic approximations. The only parameters to be determined a priori are the variance scale factors, and for both the two-DOF planar arm and the seven-DOF spatial arm, a table of values is constructed based on the given initial and final arm configurations; these values are determined via an optimal fitting procedure, and consistent with existing findings about neuromuscular motor noise levels of human arm muscles. Experiments conducted with a two-link planar arm and a seven-DOF spatial arm verify that the trajectories generated by our feedback control law closely resemble human arm motions, in the sense of producing nearly straight-line hand trajectories, having bell-shaped velocity profiles, and satisfying Fitts Law. (paper)

Rural habitat as risk factor for hepatitis E virus seroconversion in HIV-infected patients: A prospective longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivero-Juarez, A; Cuenca-Lopez, F; Martinez-Peinado, A; Camacho, A; Real, L M; Frias, M; Gordon, A; Cantisán, S; Torre-Cisneros, J; Pineda, J A; Rivero, A

2017-11-01

Our objective was to determine the incidence and clinical manifestations of acute hepatitis E virus (HEV) in HIV-infected patients. A prospective longitudinal study including HIV-infected HEV-seronegative patients was conducted; HEV seroconversion (to IgG and/or IgM) was the main outcome variable. All patients were tested for HEV antibodies every 3-6 months. For patients who developed HEV seroconversion, a data collection protocol was followed to identify associated clinical manifestations and analytical alterations. A total of 627 patients (89.9%) were followed during a median of 11.96 months (IQR: 8.52-14.52 months) and formed the study population. Forty-one patients developed detectable anti-HEV antibodies (7.2 cases per 100 patients/year). Our study found a high incidence of HEV in HIV-infected patients in southern Spain strongly associated with a rural habitat. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Octopus-inspired multi-arm robotic swimming.

Science.gov (United States)

Sfakiotakis, M; Kazakidi, A; Tsakiris, D P

2015-05-13

The outstanding locomotor and manipulation characteristics of the octopus have recently inspired the development, by our group, of multi-functional robotic swimmers, featuring both manipulation and locomotion capabilities, which could be of significant engineering interest in underwater applications. During its little-studied arm-swimming behavior, as opposed to the better known jetting via the siphon, the animal appears to generate considerable propulsive thrust and rapid acceleration, predominantly employing movements of its arms. In this work, we capture the fundamental characteristics of the corresponding complex pattern of arm motion by a sculling profile, involving a fast power stroke and a slow recovery stroke. We investigate the propulsive capabilities of a multi-arm robotic system under various swimming gaits, namely patterns of arm coordination, which achieve the generation of forward, as well as backward, propulsion and turning. A lumped-element model of the robotic swimmer, which considers arm compliance and the interaction with the aquatic environment, was used to study the characteristics of these gaits, the effect of various kinematic parameters on propulsion, and the generation of complex trajectories. This investigation focuses on relatively high-stiffness arms. Experiments employing a compliant-body robotic prototype swimmer with eight compliant arms, all made of polyurethane, inside a water tank, successfully demonstrated this novel mode of underwater propulsion. Speeds of up to 0.26 body lengths per second (approximately 100 mm s(-1)), and propulsive forces of up to 3.5 N were achieved, with a non-dimensional cost of transport of 1.42 with all eight arms and of 0.9 with only two active arms. The experiments confirmed the computational results and verified the multi-arm maneuverability and simultaneous object grasping capability of such systems.

Technology and the arms race

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacKenzie, D.

1988-01-01

This article makes a review of the book Innovation and the Arms Race: How the United States and the Soviet Union Develop New Military Technologies written by Matthew Evangelista. For at least the last two decades, scholars have struggled to come to grips with the role of technological change in the arms race. Possible relationships between theories on technology and politics are examined. The contrasts between U.S. and Soviet approaches are highlighted

Star distribution in the Orion spiral arm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basharina, T.S.; Pavlovskaya, E.D.; Filippova, A.A.

1985-01-01

The structure of the Orion spiral arm is studied by numerical experiments, assuming that in each direction considered the star distribution along the line of sight is a combination of two Gaussian laws. The corresponding parameters are evaluated for four Milky Way fields; the bimodal laws now fit the observations by the chi 2 criterion. In the Orion arm the line-of-sight star densities follow asymmetric curves, steeper at the outer edge of the arm

Prospective effects of social support on internalized homonegativity and sexual identity concealment among middle-aged and older gay men: a longitudinal cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Anthony; Pepping, Christopher A

2017-09-01

Middle-aged and older gay men experience higher rates of depression and anxiety compared to their heterosexual counterparts, with internalized homonegativity and sexual identity concealment known to be major stress-related contributors. This study examined the prospective effect of different types and sources of social support on internalized homonegativity and sexual identity concealment experienced among middle-aged and older gay men. A longitudinal survey involving two waves of data collection separated by 12 months was conducted among a cohort of 186 gay-identified men aged 40 years and older. Two types of social support were found to be important. Greater baseline tangible or practical support independently predicted lower internalized homonegativity at 12-month follow-up, while greater baseline emotional or psychological support independently predicted a lower tendency toward sexual identity concealment at 12-month follow-up. Greater baseline support from community or government agencies, such as health services and support organizations, predicted higher internalized homonegativity at 12-month follow-up. These findings suggest that tangible and emotional support may be beneficial in reducing internalized homonegativity and sexual identity concealment among middle-aged and older gay men. Ensuring that services provide environments that do not compound the stressful impact of stigma also appears to be important.

A prospective, longitudinal study of growth, nutrition and sedentary behaviour in young children with cerebral palsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Kristie L; Boyd, Roslyn N; Tweedy, Sean M; Weir, Kelly A; Stevenson, Richard D; Davies, Peter S W

2010-04-06

Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of physical disability in childhood, occurring in one in 500 children. It is caused by a static brain lesion in the neonatal period leading to a range of activity limitations. Oral motor and swallowing dysfunction, poor nutritional status and poor growth are reported frequently in young children with cerebral palsy and may impact detrimentally on physical and cognitive development, health care utilisation, participation and quality of life in later childhood. The impact of modifiable factors (dietary intake and physical activity) on growth, nutritional status, and body composition (taking into account motor severity) in this population is poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the relationship between a range of factors - linear growth, body composition, oral motor and feeding dysfunction, dietary intake, and time spent sedentary (adjusting for motor severity) - and health outcomes, health care utilisation, participation and quality of life in young children with cerebral palsy (from corrected age of 18 months to 5 years). This prospective, longitudinal, population-based study aims to recruit a total of 240 young children with cerebral palsy born in Queensland, Australia between 1st September 2006 and 31st December 2009 (80 from each birth year). Data collection will occur at three time points for each child: 17 - 25 months corrected age, 36 +/- 1 months and 60 +/- 1 months. Outcomes to be assessed include linear growth, body weight, body composition, dietary intake, oral motor function and feeding ability, time spent sedentary, participation, medical resource use and quality of life. This protocol describes a study that will provide the first longitudinal description of the relationship between functional attainment and modifiable lifestyle factors (dietary intake and habitual time spent sedentary) and their impact on the growth, body composition and nutritional status of young children with cerebral palsy across

Physical Frailty Is Associated with Longitudinal Decline in Global Cognitive Function in Non-Demented Older Adults: A Prospective Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, S; Honda, T; Narazaki, K; Chen, T; Kishimoto, H; Haeuchi, Y; Kumagai, S

2018-01-01

To assess the relationship between physical frailty and subsequent decline in global cognitive function in the non-demented elderly. A prospective population-based study in a west Japanese suburban town, with two-year follow-up. Community-dwellers aged 65 and older without placement in long-term care, and not having a history of dementia, Parkinson's disease and depression at baseline, who participated in the cohort of the Sasaguri Genkimon Study and underwent follow-up assessments two years later (N = 1,045). Global cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Physical frailty was identified according to the following five components: weight loss, low grip strength, exhaustion, slow gait speed and low physical activities. Linear regression models were used to examine associations between baseline frailty status and the MoCA scores at follow-up. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the risk of cognitive decline (defined as at least two points decrease of MoCA score) according to baseline frailty status. Seven hundred and eight non-demented older adults were included in the final analyses (mean age: 72.6 ± 5.5 years, male 40.3%); 5.8% were frail, and 40.8% were prefrail at baseline. One hundred and fifty nine (22.5%) participants experienced cognitive decline over two years. After adjustment for baseline MoCA scores and all confounders, being frail at baseline was significantly associated with a decline of 1.48 points (95% confidence interval [CI], -2.37 to -0.59) in MoCA scores, as compared with non-frailty. Frail persons were over two times more likely to experience cognitive decline (adjusted odds ratio 2.28; 95% CI, 1.02 to 5.08), compared to non-frail persons. Physical frailty is associated with longitudinal decline in global cognitive function in the non-demented older adults over a period of two years. Physically frail older community-dwellers should be closely monitored for cognitive decline that can be

The impact of daytime sleepiness on the school performance of college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a prospective longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Langberg, Joshua M; Dvorsky, Melissa R; Becker, Stephen P; Molitor, Stephen J

2014-06-01

This prospective longitudinal study evaluated the impact of daytime sleepiness on the school performance of 62 college students diagnosed comprehensively with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The primary goal of the study was to determine if self-reported daytime sleepiness rated at the beginning of the academic year could predict academic and overall functioning at the end of the academic year while also considering potentially important covariates, including symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, medication status and whether or not students lived at home or on-campus. Self-reported daytime sleepiness predicted longitudinally school maladjustment, overall functional impairment and the number of D and F grades (i.e. poor and failing) students received in courses above and beyond both self- and parent-report of symptoms, but did not predict overall grade point average. Living at home served as a protective factor and was associated with less school maladjustment and overall impairment. Gender was the only significant predictor in the overall grade point average model, with female gender associated with higher overall grades. The implications of these findings for monitoring and treatment of sleep disturbances in college students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are discussed. © 2013 European Sleep Research Society.

Prospective Predictors of Mental Health after the Development of Breast Cancer in Middle-Aged Women

Science.gov (United States)

Wade, Tracey D.; Lee, Christina

2005-01-01

This paper investigated the prospective predictors of mental health after breast cancer diagnosis among mid-aged Australian women (initially aged 45-50 years). Two waves of data collected 2 years apart from a longitudinal population-based survey of 12,177 women identified a group of 63 women who reported onset of BC between T1 (T1) and Time 2…

Prospects in coincidence experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laget, J.M.

1984-01-01

The sensitivity of virtual photons to the local variations of the charge and magnetization densities is exploited to study the short-range part of the nucleon-nucleon interaction inside the nucleus. The possibility of varying energy, squared mass and longitudinal polarization of the photons independently enables us to disentangle the mechanisms related to the internal structure of the nucleon (e.g. quark interchange) and the contribution due to meson exchange. Coincidence experiments of the type (e,e'N) and (e,e'NN) are performed to suppress the meson contribution to the longitudinal part of the quasi-elastic peak. Four typical examples of coincidence experiments induced by virtual photons are discussed: experiments (1) on the spectroscopic structure of the quasi-elastic peak and the problem of deep lying hole states; (2) on the structure of the continuum; (3) on the low energy side of the quasi-elastic peak; and finally a three-arm coincidence experiment. (Auth.)

Longitudinal course of disaster-related PTSD among a prospective sample of adult Chilean natural disaster survivors.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez, Cristina A; Vicente, Benjamin; Marshall, Brandon Dl; Koenen, Karestan C; Arheart, Kristopher L; Kohn, Robert; Saldivia, Sandra; Buka, Stephen L

2017-04-01

With an increasing number of individuals surviving natural disasters, it is crucial to understand who is most at risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The objective of this study was to prospectively examine the role that pre-existing psychopathology plays in developing PTSD after a disaster. This study uses data from a prospective 5-wave longitudinal cohort (years 2003-11) of Chilean adults from 10 health centres ( N  = 1708). At baseline, participants completed the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), a comprehensive psychiatric diagnostic instrument. In 2010, the sixth most powerful earthquake on record struck Chile. One year later, a modified version of the PTSD module of the CIDI was administered. Marginal structural logistic regressions with inverse probability censoring weights were constructed to identify pre-disaster psychiatric predictors of post-disaster PTSD. The majority of participants were female (75.9%) and had a high-school/college education (66.9%). After controlling for pre-disaster PTSD, pre-existing dysthymia [odds ratio (OR) = 2.21; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.39-3.52], brief psychotic disorder (OR = 2.67; 95% CI = 1.21-5.90), anxiety disorders (not including PTSD; OR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.27-1.76), panic disorder (OR = 2.46; 95% CI = 1.37-4.42), agoraphobia (OR = 2.23; 95% CI = 1.22-4.10), social phobia (OR = 1.86; 95% CI = 1.06-3.29), specific phobia (OR = 2.07; 95% CI = 1.50-2.86) and hypochondriasis (OR = 2.10; 95% CI = 1.05-4.18) were predictors of post-disaster PTSD. After controlling for pre-disaster anxiety disorders, dysthymia, and non-affective psychotic disorders, individuals with pre-disaster PTSD (vs those without pre-disaster PTSD) had higher odds of developing post-disaster PTSD (OR = 2.53; 95% CI = 1.37-4.65). This is the first Chilean study to demonstrate prospectively that pre-disaster psychiatric disorders

Exploring Longitudinal Risk-return Relationships

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Torben J.; Bettis, Richard A.

2015-01-01

We study a longitudinal fit model of adaptation and its association with the longitudinal risk-return relationship. The model allows the firm to adjust its position in response to partial learning about a changing environment characterized by two path-dependent processes—a random walk and a stoch......We study a longitudinal fit model of adaptation and its association with the longitudinal risk-return relationship. The model allows the firm to adjust its position in response to partial learning about a changing environment characterized by two path-dependent processes—a random walk...... can lead to the inverse longitudinal risk-return relationships observed empirically. We discuss this apparent paradox and the possible resolution between mindless and conscious behavior as plausible causes of the longitudinal Bowman Paradox....

The Addition of SPECT/CT Lymphoscintigraphy to Breast Cancer Radiation Planning Spares Lymph Nodes Critical for Arm Drainage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheville, Andrea L., E-mail: Cheville.andrea@mayo.edu [Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Brinkmann, Debra H.; Ward, Shelly B. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Durski, Jolanta [Department of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Laack, Nadia N.; Yan, Elizabeth; Schomberg, Paula J.; Garces, Yolanda I. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Suman, Vera J. [Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Petersen, Ivy A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States)

2013-03-15

Background: This prospective cohort study was designed to determine whether the amount of radiation delivered to the nonpathological lymph nodes (LNs) that drain the arm can be significantly reduced by integrating single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) scans into radiation treatment planning. Methods: SPECT-CT scans were acquired for the 28 patients with stage I or II breast cancer and fused with the routinely obtained radiation oncology planning CT scans. Arm-draining LNs were contoured with 0.5-cm margins automatically using a threshold of 50% maximum intensity. Two treatment plans were generated: 1 per routine clinical practice (standard; STD) and the second (modified; MOD) with treatment fields modified to minimize dose to the arm-draining LNs visible on SPECT/CT images without interfering with the dosage delivered to target tissues. Participants were treated per the MOD plans. Arm volumes were measured prior to radiation and thereafter at least three subsequent 6-month intervals. Results: Sixty-eight level I-III arm-draining LNs were identified, 57% of which were inside the STD plan fields but could be blocked in the MOD plan fields. Sixty-five percent of arm-draining LNs in the STD versus 16% in the MOD plans received a mean of ≥10 Gy, and 26% in the STD versus 4% in the MOD plans received a mean of ≥40 Gy. Mean LN radiation exposure was 23.6 Gy (standard deviation 18.2) with the STD and 7.7 Gy (standard deviation 11.3) with the MOD plans (P<.001). No participant developed lymphedema. Conclusions: The integration of SPECT/CT scans into breast cancer radiation treatment planning reduces unnecessary arm-draining LN radiation exposure and may lessen the risk of lymphedema.

The addition of SPECT/CT lymphoscintigraphy to breast cancer radiation planning spares lymph nodes critical for arm drainage.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheville, Andrea L; Brinkmann, Debra H; Ward, Shelly B; Durski, Jolanta; Laack, Nadia N; Yan, Elizabeth; Schomberg, Paula J; Garces, Yolanda I; Suman, Vera J; Petersen, Ivy A

2013-03-15

This prospective cohort study was designed to determine whether the amount of radiation delivered to the nonpathological lymph nodes (LNs) that drain the arm can be significantly reduced by integrating single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) scans into radiation treatment planning. SPECT-CT scans were acquired for the 28 patients with stage I or II breast cancer and fused with the routinely obtained radiation oncology planning CT scans. Arm-draining LNs were contoured with 0.5-cm margins automatically using a threshold of 50% maximum intensity. Two treatment plans were generated: 1 per routine clinical practice (standard; STD) and the second (modified; MOD) with treatment fields modified to minimize dose to the arm-draining LNs visible on SPECT/CT images without interfering with the dosage delivered to target tissues. Participants were treated per the MOD plans. Arm volumes were measured prior to radiation and thereafter at least three subsequent 6-month intervals. Sixty-eight level I-III arm-draining LNs were identified, 57% of which were inside the STD plan fields but could be blocked in the MOD plan fields. Sixty-five percent of arm-draining LNs in the STD versus 16% in the MOD plans received a mean of ≥10 Gy, and 26% in the STD versus 4% in the MOD plans received a mean of ≥40 Gy. Mean LN radiation exposure was 23.6 Gy (standard deviation 18.2) with the STD and 7.7 Gy (standard deviation 11.3) with the MOD plans (P<.001). No participant developed lymphedema. The integration of SPECT/CT scans into breast cancer radiation treatment planning reduces unnecessary arm-draining LN radiation exposure and may lessen the risk of lymphedema. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Imprisonment length and post-prison employment prospects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ramakers, Anke; Apel, Robert; Nieuwbeerta, Paul; Dirkzwager, Anja; Van Wilsem, Johan

2014-01-01

This study considers the relationship between imprisonment length and employment outcomes. The data are a unique prospective, longitudinal study of Dutch pretrial detainees (N = 702). All subjects thus experience prison confinement of varying lengths, although the durations are relatively short

Prospective associations between loneliness and emotional intelligence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wols, A.C.; Scholte, R.H.J.; Qualter, P.

2015-01-01

Loneliness has been linked cross-sectionally to emotional skill deficits (e.g., Zysberg, 2012), but missing from the literature is a longitudinal examination of these relationships. The present study fills that gap by examining the prospective relationships between loneliness and emotional

Changing patterns of arms transfers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wulf, H.

1998-01-01

Three factors in the international system have been of importance for the trade of arms: the role of the main actors on the supply side and since 1970 on the demand side, the permanently increasing importance of economics, and the balance trade, industrial capacity and jobs in supplier countries and purchasing power of potential importers. Two political events in 1991 had lasting effect on the development of the trade in arms: the dissolution of Soviet Union and the Gulf War

Evolution of robotic arms.

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, Michael E

2007-01-01

The foundation of surgical robotics is in the development of the robotic arm. This is a thorough review of the literature on the nature and development of this device with emphasis on surgical applications. We have reviewed the published literature and classified robotic arms by their application: show, industrial application, medical application, etc. There is a definite trend in the manufacture of robotic arms toward more dextrous devices, more degrees-of-freedom, and capabilities beyond the human arm. da Vinci designed the first sophisticated robotic arm in 1495 with four degrees-of-freedom and an analog on-board controller supplying power and programmability. von Kemplen's chess-playing automaton left arm was quite sophisticated. Unimate introduced the first industrial robotic arm in 1961, it has subsequently evolved into the PUMA arm. In 1963 the Rancho arm was designed; Minsky's Tentacle arm appeared in 1968, Scheinman's Stanford arm in 1969, and MIT's Silver arm in 1974. Aird became the first cyborg human with a robotic arm in 1993. In 2000 Miguel Nicolalis redefined possible man-machine capacity in his work on cerebral implantation in owl-monkeys directly interfacing with robotic arms both locally and at a distance. The robotic arm is the end-effector of robotic systems and currently is the hallmark feature of the da Vinci Surgical System making its entrance into surgical application. But, despite the potential advantages of this computer-controlled master-slave system, robotic arms have definite limitations. Ongoing work in robotics has many potential solutions to the drawbacks of current robotic surgical systems.

Laparoscopic Surgical Treatment of Severe Obesity Combined with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Pilot Randomized Two-Arm Controlled Clinical Study

Science.gov (United States)

Ospanov, Oral B.; Orekeshova, Akzhunis M.; Fursov, Roman A.; Yelemesov, Aset A.

2016-01-01

Obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are serious medical, social, and economic problems of modern society. A pilot randomized two-arm controlled clinical study was conducted to compare laparoscopic plication of the greater gastric curvature combined with Nissen fundoplication (LFN+LGP) versus only Nissen fundoplication (LFN). The…

Understanding the Influence of Two Mathematics Textbooks on Prospective Secondary Teachers' Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Jon D.

2009-01-01

This study examines the influence of reading and planning from two differently organized mathematics textbooks on prospective high school mathematics teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and content knowledge of exponential functions. The teachers completed a pretest and two posttests. On the pretest, the teachers possessed an incomplete…

Identification of the predictors of cognitive impairment in patients with cancer in palliative care: a prospective longitudinal analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurita, Geana Paula; Benthien, Kirstine Skov; Sjøgren, Per; Kaasa, Stein; Hjermstad, Marianne Jensen

2017-03-01

Studies with neuropsychological assessments in patients with cancer are sparse, and the evidence is very limited regarding their status of cognitive function over time. This study aimed at assessing the prevalence and predictors of cognitive impairment in patients with cancer in palliative care. Prospective longitudinal investigation derived from the European Palliative Care Cancer Symptom study (2011-2013) including patients with cancer in palliative care, ≥18 years, and with at least one assessment post-inclusion. For cognitive assessment, a 4-item version of the Mini Mental State Examination was applied at inclusion and after 4 to 16 weeks. Logistic regression model with multiple imputations was applied. The sample consisted of 1568 patients (50% male, mean age 65.5, 42% with 10-12 years schooling, mean Karnofsky Performance Status-KPS 68%). Longitudinal analysis of the patients with complete MMSE at both assessments (n = 801) showed that 64.5% were not impaired, 12.5% remained cognitively impaired, 11.4% developed impairment, and 11.6% improved. Those who improved cognitively also reported reduced pain intensity and increased appetite. The predictive model (n = 1351) showed that those with low KPS (OR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.0-2.5) most often developed cognitive impairment, while patients with breast cancer (OR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.7) had lower odds for impairment. During palliative care, a substantial number of patients remained cognitively impaired or developed cognitive impairment; however, it is noteworthy that improvement was also observed. Physical performance and cancer type may predict cognitive impairment.

A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Seasonality in African Students Living in the Greater Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alvaro Guzman

2007-01-01

Full Text Available We conducted a prospective, longitudinal study of seasonality in a vulnerable population, i.e., African students who migrated to a temperate climate. Consistent with previous cross-sectional studies, we hypothesized lower mood and energy, and higher appetite and weight, in fall/winter than in spring/summer. Four cohorts of African students attending a year-long nursing school program without vacation in Washington, D.C., were assessed monthly for 1 year. Forty-three subjects (mean age = 33.46 ± 6.25, consisting of predominantly females (76.7%, completed the study. The cohorts began their academic program in different seasons (one each in winter, spring, summer, and fall, inherently minimizing confounding influences on seasonality, such as academic and immigration stress, as well as allowing adjustment for an order effect. At each assessment, students completed three 100-mm visual analog scales for mood, energy, and appetite, and were weighed on a digital scale. For each standardized dependent variable, a repeated measure ANOVA was used and, if a significant effect of month was identified, averages for spring/summer and fall/winter were compared using paired ttests. In addition, a mixed model for repeated measures was applied to raw (nonstandardized data. Body weight was significantly higher in fall/winter than in spring/summer (p < 0.01. No seasonal differences in mood, energy, or appetite were found. Benefiting from certain unique features of our cohorts allowing adjustment for order effects, this is the first study to identify a seasonal variation in body weight with a peak in winter using longitudinal monthly measurements.

The impact of arm position on the measurement of orthostatic blood pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Guss, David A; Abdelnur, Diego; Hemingway, Thomas J

2008-05-01

Blood pressure is a standard vital sign in patients evaluated in an Emergency Department. The American Heart Association has recommended a preferred position of the arm and cuff when measuring blood pressure. There is no formal recommendation for arm position when measuring orthostatic blood pressure. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of different arm positions on the measurement of postural changes in blood pressure. This was a prospective, unblinded, convenience study involving Emergency Department patients with complaints unrelated to cardiovascular instability. Repeated blood pressure measurements were obtained using an automatic non-invasive device with each subject in a supine and standing position and with the arm parallel and perpendicular to the torso. Orthostatic hypotension was defined as a difference of >or= 20 mm Hg systolic or >or= 10 mm Hg diastolic when subtracting standing from supine measurements. There were four comparisons made: group W, arm perpendicular supine and standing; group X, arm parallel supine and standing; group Y, arm parallel supine and perpendicular standing; and group Z, arm perpendicular supine and parallel standing. There were 100 patients enrolled, 55 men, mean age 44 years. Four blood pressure measurements were obtained on each patient. The percentage of patients meeting orthostatic hypotension criteria in each group was: W systolic 6% (95% CI 1%, 11%), diastolic 4% (95% CI 0%, 8%), X systolic 8% (95% CI 3%, 13%), diastolic 9% (95% CI 3%, 13%), Y systolic 19% (95% CI 11%, 27%), diastolic 30% (95% CI 21%, 39%), Z systolic 2% (95% CI 0%, 5%), diastolic 2% (95% CI 0%, 5%). Comparison of Group Y vs. X, Z, and W was statistically significant (p postural changes in blood pressure. The combination of the arm parallel when supine and perpendicular when standing may significantly overestimate the orthostatic change. Arm position should be held constant in supine and standing positions when assessing for orthostatic

Assessment of pathologic increase in liver stiffness enables earlier diagnosis of CFLD: Results from a prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victoria Klotter

Full Text Available About 30% of patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF develop CF-associated liver disease (CFLD. Recent studies have shown that transient elastography (TE, as a method to quantify liver stiffness, allows non-invasive diagnosis of CFLD in adults and children with CF. Within this study we aimed to prospectively identify patients at risk for development of CFLD by longitudinal analysis of liver stiffness and fibrosis scores in a 5-year follow-up. 36 pediatric and 16 adult patients with initial liver stiffness below the cut-off value indicative of CFLD (6.3 kPa were examined by transient elastography for 4-5 years. TE, APRI-, and FIB-4-scores were assessed and compared by Kruskal-Wallis test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC-analysis. Frequencies were compared by Chi2-test. Among the 36 patients participating in this study, a subgroup of 9 patients developed liver stiffness >6.3 kPa after 4-5 years with an increase of ΔTE >0.38 kPa/a (the group with increasing liver stiffness was labelled TEinc. APRI- and FIB-4 scores confirmed the rationale for grouping. The frequency of CFLD assessed by conventional diagnosis was significantly higher in TEinc-group compared to the control group (TEnorm. None of the adult CF patients matched criteria for TEinc-group. For the first time it was shown that the non-invasive longitudinal assessment of TE allows identification of patients with progression of CFLD in a subgroup of juvenile but not in adult CF patients. Comparing TE to conventional fibrosis-scores underlined the strength of the continuous assessment of liver stiffness for the exact diagnosis of progressive CFLD. The newly described cut-off for pathologic increase of liver stiffness, ΔTEcutoff = 0.38kPa/a, might enable to detect developing CFLD using consequent follow up TE measurements before reaching the level of stiffness indicating established CFLD. Nevertheless, the limited size of the analyzed cohort should encourage a prospective, multi

How does a planet excite multiple spiral arms?

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Jaehan; Zhu, Zhaohuan

2018-01-01

Protoplanetary disk simulations show that a single planet excites multiple spiral arms in the background disk, potentially supported by the multi-armed spirals revealed with recent high-resolution observations in some disks. The existence of multiple spiral arms is of importance in many aspects. It is empirically found that the arm-to-arm separation increases as a function of the planetary mass, so one can use the morphology of observed spiral arms to infer the mass of unseen planets. In addition, a spiral arm opens a radial gap as it steepens into a shock, so when a planet excites multiple spiral arms it can open multiple gaps in the disk. Despite the important implications, however, the formation mechanism of multiple spiral arms has not been fully understood by far.In this talk, we explain how a planet excites multiple spiral arms. The gravitational potential of a planet can be decomposed into a Fourier series, a sum of individual azimuthal modes having different azimuthal wavenumbers. Using a linear wave theory, we first demonstrate that appropriate sets of Fourier decomposed waves can be in phase, raising a possibility that constructive interference among the waves can produce coherent structures - spiral arms. More than one spiral arm can form since such constructive interference can occur at different positions in the disk for different sets of waves. We then verify this hypothesis using a suite of two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. Finally, we present non-linear behavior in the formation of multiple spiral arms.

Arm reduced robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy with transvaginal cuff closure.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodur, Serkan; Dede, Murat; Fidan, Ulas; Firatligil, Burcin F; Ulubay, Mustafa; Ozturk, Mustafa; Yenen, Mufit C

2017-09-01

The use of robotics for benign etiology in gynecology has not proven to be more beneficial when compared to traditional laparoscopy. The major concern regarding robotic hysterectomy stems from its high cost. To evaluate the clinical utility and effectiveness of one-arm reduced robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy as a cost-effective surgical option for total robotic hysterectomy. A sample population of 54 women who underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery for benign gynecologic indications was evaluated, and two groups were identified: (1) the two-armed robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery group (n = 38 patients), and (2) the three-armed robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery group (n = 16 patients). An increased cost was observed when three-armed robotic surgery was employed for benign gynecologic surgery (p < 0.001). The cost reduction observed in the study group was primarily derived from one robotic arm reduction and vaginal closure of the cuff. This cost reduction was achieved without an increase in complication rates or undesirable postoperative outcomes. An estimated profit between $399.5 and $421.5 was made for each patient depending on the suture material chosen for cuff closure. Two-armed surgery resulted in an 18.6% reduction in procedure-specific costs for robotic hysterectomy. Two-armed robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy appears to be a cost-effective solution for robotic gynecologic surgery. This surgical solution can be performed as effectively as classical three-armed robotic hysterectomies for benign indications without the risk of increased surgical-related morbidities. This approach has the potential to be a widely preferred surgical approach in medical communities where cost reduction is one of the primary determinants of surgery type.

The elimination half-life of benzodiazepines and fall risk: two prospective observational studies.

Science.gov (United States)

de Vries, Oscar J; Peeters, Geeske; Elders, Petra; Sonnenberg, Caroline; Muller, Majon; Deeg, Dorly J H; Lips, Paul

2013-11-01

the STOPP criteria advise against the use of long-acting benzodiazepines (LBs). to study whether LBs are associated with a higher fall risk than short-acting benzodiazepines (SBs) (elimination half-life ≤ 10 h). we used base-line data and prospective fall follow-up from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, a longitudinal cohort study including 1,509 community-dwelling older persons (Study 1) and from a separate fall prevention study with 564 older persons after a fall (Study 2). Time to the first fall after inclusion and number of falls in the first year after inclusion were the primary endpoints. both in Study 1 and Study 2 the use of SBs was associated with time to the first fall, hazard ratio (HR) 1.62 (95% CI: 1.03-2.56) and HR 1.64 (95% CI: 1.19-2.26),respectively. LBs were not significantly associated with time to first fall, HR 1.40 (0.85-2.31) and HR 1.08 (0.72-1.62). In both studies, the use of SBs was also associated with number of falls, odds ratio (OR) 1.28 (95% CI: 1.01-1.61) and OR 1.37 (95% CI: 1.10-1.70). LBs were not significantly associated with number of falls, OR 1.23 (0.96-1.57) and 1.10 (0.82-1.48). the use of SBs is not associated with a lower fall risk compared with LBs. The use of both SBs and LBs by old persons should be strongly discouraged.

Monitoring of fetuses with intrauterine growth restriction: a longitudinal study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hecher, K.; Bilardo, C. M.; Stigter, R. H.; Ville, Y.; Hackelöer, B. J.; Kok, H. J.; Senat, M. V.; Visser, G. H.

2001-01-01

To describe the time sequence of changes in fetal monitoring variables in intrauterine growth restriction and to correlate these findings with fetal outcome at delivery. This was a prospective longitudinal observational multicenter study on 110 singleton pregnancies with growth-restricted fetuses

Quality of life among prostate cancer patients: A prospective longitudinal population-based study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaake, Wouter; Groot, Martijn de; Krijnen, Wim P.; Langendijk, Johannes A.; Bergh, Alfons C.M. van den

2013-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the course of quality of life (QoL) among prostate cancer patients treated with external beam radiotherapy and to compare the results with QoL of a normal age-matched reference population. Patients and methods: The study population was composed of 227 prostate cancer patients, treated with radiotherapy. The EORTC QLQ-C30 was used to assess QoL before radiotherapy and six months, one year, two years and three years after completion of radiotherapy. Mixed model analyses were used to investigate longitudinal changes in QoL. QoL of prostate cancer patients was compared to that of a normative cohort using a multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: A significant decline in QoL was observed after radiotherapy (p < 0.001). The addition of hormonal therapy to radiotherapy was associated with a lower level of role functioning. Patients with coronary heart disease and or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma had a significantly worse course in QoL. Although statistically significant, all differences were classified as small or trivial. Conclusion: Prostate cancer patients experience a small worsening of QoL as compared with baseline and as compared with a normal reference population. As co-morbidity modulates patients’ post-treatment QoL, a proper assessment of co-morbidity should be included in future longitudinal analyses on QoL

Influence of a combined CT/C-arm system on periprocedural workflow and procedure times in mechanical thrombectomy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pfaff, Johannes; Herweh, Christian; Pham, Mirko; Heiland, Sabine; Bendszus, Martin; Moehlenbruch, Markus Alfred [University of Heidelberg, Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg (Germany); Schoenenberger, Silvia; Nagel, Simon; Ringleb, Peter Arthur [University of Heidelberg, Department of Neurology, Heidelberg (Germany)

2017-09-15

To achieve the fastest possible workflow in ischaemic stroke, we developed a CT/C-arm system, which allows imaging and endovascular treatment on the same patient table. This prospective, monocentric trial was conducted between October 2014 and August 2016. Patients received stroke imaging and mechanical thrombectomy under general anaesthesia (GA) or conscious sedation (CS) using our combined setup comprising a CT-scanner and a mobile C-arm X-ray device. Primary endpoint was time between stroke imaging and groin puncture. We compared periprocedural workflow and procedure times with the literature and a matched patient cohort treated with a biplane angiographic system before installation of the CT/C-arm system. In 50 patients with acute ischaemic stroke due to large-vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation, comparable recanalization rates were achieved by using the CT/C-arm setup (TICI2b-3:CT/C-arm-GA: 85.7%; CT/C-arm-CS: 90.9%; Angiosuite: 78.6%; p = 0.269) without increasing periprocedural complications. Elimination of patient transport resulted in a significant reduction of the time between stroke imaging and groin puncture: median, min (IQR): CT/C-arm-GA: 43 (35-52); CT/C-arm-CS: 39 (28-49); Angiosuite: 64 (48-74); p < 0.0001. The combined CT/C-arm system allows comparable recanalization rates as a biplane angiographic system and accelerates the start of the endovascular stroke treatment. (orig.)

Influence of a combined CT/C-arm system on periprocedural workflow and procedure times in mechanical thrombectomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pfaff, Johannes; Herweh, Christian; Pham, Mirko; Heiland, Sabine; Bendszus, Martin; Moehlenbruch, Markus Alfred; Schoenenberger, Silvia; Nagel, Simon; Ringleb, Peter Arthur

2017-01-01

To achieve the fastest possible workflow in ischaemic stroke, we developed a CT/C-arm system, which allows imaging and endovascular treatment on the same patient table. This prospective, monocentric trial was conducted between October 2014 and August 2016. Patients received stroke imaging and mechanical thrombectomy under general anaesthesia (GA) or conscious sedation (CS) using our combined setup comprising a CT-scanner and a mobile C-arm X-ray device. Primary endpoint was time between stroke imaging and groin puncture. We compared periprocedural workflow and procedure times with the literature and a matched patient cohort treated with a biplane angiographic system before installation of the CT/C-arm system. In 50 patients with acute ischaemic stroke due to large-vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation, comparable recanalization rates were achieved by using the CT/C-arm setup (TICI2b-3:CT/C-arm-GA: 85.7%; CT/C-arm-CS: 90.9%; Angiosuite: 78.6%; p = 0.269) without increasing periprocedural complications. Elimination of patient transport resulted in a significant reduction of the time between stroke imaging and groin puncture: median, min (IQR): CT/C-arm-GA: 43 (35-52); CT/C-arm-CS: 39 (28-49); Angiosuite: 64 (48-74); p < 0.0001. The combined CT/C-arm system allows comparable recanalization rates as a biplane angiographic system and accelerates the start of the endovascular stroke treatment. (orig.)

Regional hyperthermia combined with radiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancers. A multi-institutional prospective randomized trial of the International Atomic Energy Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitsumori, Michihide; Hiraoka, Masahiro; Zeng Zhifan; Oliynychenko, P.; Park, Jeong-Ho; Choi, Ihl-Bohng; Tatsuzaki, Hideo; Tanaka, Yoshiaki

2007-01-01

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-sponsored, multi-institutional prospective randomized trial was conducted to clarify whether the combination of hyperthermia and radiotherapy improves the local response rate of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared with that obtained by radiotherapy alone. Between October 1998 and April 2002, 80 patients with locally advanced NSCLC were randomized to receive either standard radiation therapy alone (RT) or radiation therapy combined with hyperthermia (RT+HT). The primary endpoint was the local response rate. The secondary endpoints were local progression-free survival and overall survival. The median follow-up period was 204 days for all patients and 450 days for surviving patients. There were no significant differences between the two arms with regard to local response rate (P=0.49) or overall survival rate (P=0.868). However, local progression-free survival was significantly better in the RT+HT arm (P=0.036). Toxicity was generally mild and no grade 3 late toxicity was observed in either arm. Although improvement of local progression-free survival was observed in the RT+HT arm, this prospective randomized study failed to show any substantial benefit from the addition of hyperthermia to radiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced NSCLC. (author)

Optimal scheme of postoperative chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer: phase III prospective randomized trial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young Seok; Kim, Jong Hoon; Choi, Eun Kyung

2002-01-01

To determine the optimal scheme of postoperative chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer by comparing survival, patterns of failure, toxicities in early and late radiotherapy groups using a phase III randomized prospective clinical trial. From January 1996 to March 1999, 307 patients with curatively resected AJCC stage II and III rectal cancer were assigned randomly to an 'early (151 patients, arm I)' or a 'late (156 patients, arm II)' and were administered combined chemotherapy (5-FU 375 mg/m 2 /day, leucovorin 20 mg/m 2 , IV bolus daily, for 3 days with RT, 5 days without RT, 8 cycles with 4 weeks interval) and radiation therapy (whole pelvis with 45 Gy/25 fractions/5 weeks). Patients of arm I received radiation therapy from day 1 of the first cycle of chemotherapy and those of arm II from day 57 with a third cycle of chemotherapy. The median follow-up period of living patients was 40 months. Of the 307 patients enrolled, fifty patients did not receive scheduled radiation therapy or chemotherapy. The overall survival rate and disease free survival rate at 5 years were 78.3% and 68.7% in arm I, and 78.4% and 67.5% in arm II. The local recurrence rate was 6.6% and 6.4% (ρ = 0.46) in arms I and II, respectively, no significant difference was observed between the distant metastasis rates of the two arms (23.8% and 29.5%, ρ = 0.16). During radiation therapy, grade 3 diarrhea or more, by the NCI common toxicity criteria, was observed in 63.0% and 58.2% of the respective arms (ρ = N.S.), but most were controlled with supportive care. Hematologic toxicity (leukopenia) greater than RTOG grade 2 was found in only 1.3% and 2.6% of patients in each respective arm. There was no significant difference in survival, patterns of failure or toxicities between the early and late radiation therapy arms. Postoperative adjuvant chemoradiation was found to be a relatively safe treatment but higher compliance is needed

Effect of prospective reimbursement on nursing home costs.

OpenAIRE

Coburn, A F; Fortinsky, R; McGuire, C; McDonald, T P

1993-01-01

OBJECTIVE. This study evaluates the effect of Maine's Medicaid nursing home prospective payment system on nursing home costs and access to care for public patients. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING. The implementation of a facility-specific prospective payment system for nursing homes provided the opportunity for longitudinal study of the effect of that system. Data sources included audited Medicaid nursing home cost reports, quality-of-care data from state facility survey and licensure files, and ...

Long-term effect of coffee consumption on autosomal dominant polycystic kidneys disease progression: results from the Suisse ADPKD, a Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Girardat-Rotar, Laura; Puhan, Milo A; Braun, Julia; Serra, Andreas L

2018-02-01

Previous in vitro experiments of human polycystic kidney disease (PKD) cells reported that caffeine is a risk factor for the promotion of cyst enlargement in patients with autosomal dominant PKD (ADPKD). The relentless progression of ADPKD inclines the majority of physicians to advocate minimization of caffeine consumption despite the absence of clinical data supporting such a recommendation so far. This is the first clinical study to assess prospectively the association between coffee consumption and disease progression in a longitudinal ADPKD cohort. Information on coffee consumption and disease progression was collected at each follow-up visit using standardized measurement methods. The main model for the outcomes, kidney size (height-adjusted total kidney volume, htTKV) and kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate, eGFR), was a linear mixed model. Patients entered the on-going Swiss ADPKD study between 2006 and June 2014 and had at least 1 visit every year. The sample size of the study population was 151 with a median follow-up of 4 visits per patient and a median follow-up time of 4.38 years. After multivariate adjustment for age, smoking, hypertension, sex, body mass index and an interaction term (coffee*visit), coffee drinkers did not have a statistically significantly different kidney size compared to non-coffee drinkers (difference of -33.03 cm 3 height adjusted TKV, 95% confidence interval (CI) from -72.41 to 6.34, p = 0.10). After the same adjustment, there was no statistically significant difference in eGFR between coffee and non-coffee drinkers (2.03 ml/min/1.73 m 2 , 95% CI from -0.31 to 4.31, p = 0.089). Data derived from our prospective longitudinal study do not confirm that drinking coffee is a risk factor for ADPKD progression.

Benefits and Burdens of Participation in a Longitudinal Clinical Trial

Science.gov (United States)

Lazovski, Jaime; Losso, Marcelo; Krohmal, Benjamin; Emanuel, Ezekiel J.; Grady, Christine; Wendler, David

2010-01-01

systematic data on the impact that longitudinal clinical trials have on patient participants are needed to ensure that all the risks and potential benefits of participating in clinical research are properly evaluated and disclosed. Recognizing the lack of systematic data on this topic, we surveyed 582 individuals from Argentina, Brazil, and Thailand who were participating in the ESPRIT study, a Phase III randomized trial of interleukin-2 in HIV disease. Respondents were asked about the benefits and burdens of participating in ESPRIT using a self-administered survey. We found that 91% of respondents in the IL-2 treatment arm and 79% in the no IL-2 control arm reported medical benefits from their participation. In addition, 68% in the IL-2 treatment arm and 60% of the no IL-2 controls reported non-medical benefits. Thirteen percent of the IL-2 respondents and 5% of the non-IL2 respondents reported problems with their jobs due to study participation. Given that respondents, including those in the control arm, reported medical and non-medical benefits and burdens from their research participation, investigators and review committees should be aware of and respond to the potential for research participants to experience benefits and burdens that are unrelated to the intervention being tested. PMID:19754238

Accuracy of x-ray image-based 3D localization from two C-arm views: a comparison between an ideal system and a real device

Science.gov (United States)

Brost, Alexander; Strobel, Norbert; Yatziv, Liron; Gilson, Wesley; Meyer, Bernhard; Hornegger, Joachim; Lewin, Jonathan; Wacker, Frank

2009-02-01

arm X-ray imaging devices are commonly used for minimally invasive cardiovascular or other interventional procedures. Calibrated state-of-the-art systems can, however, not only be used for 2D imaging but also for three-dimensional reconstruction either using tomographic techniques or even stereotactic approaches. To evaluate the accuracy of X-ray object localization from two views, a simulation study assuming an ideal imaging geometry was carried out first. This was backed up with a phantom experiment involving a real C-arm angiography system. Both studies were based on a phantom comprising five point objects. These point objects were projected onto a flat-panel detector under different C-arm view positions. The resulting 2D positions were perturbed by adding Gaussian noise to simulate 2D point localization errors. In the next step, 3D point positions were triangulated from two views. A 3D error was computed by taking differences between the reconstructed 3D positions using the perturbed 2D positions and the initial 3D positions of the five points. This experiment was repeated for various C-arm angulations involving angular differences ranging from 15° to 165°. The smallest 3D reconstruction error was achieved, as expected, by views that were 90° degrees apart. In this case, the simulation study yielded a 3D error of 0.82 mm +/- 0.24 mm (mean +/- standard deviation) for 2D noise with a standard deviation of 1.232 mm (4 detector pixels). The experimental result for this view configuration obtained on an AXIOM Artis C-arm (Siemens AG, Healthcare Sector, Forchheim, Germany) system was 0.98 mm +/- 0.29 mm, respectively. These results show that state-of-the-art C-arm systems can localize instruments with millimeter accuracy, and that they can accomplish this almost as well as an idealized theoretical counterpart. High stereotactic localization accuracy, good patient access, and CT-like 3D imaging capabilities render state-of-the-art C-arm systems ideal devices for X

Use it and improve it or lose it: interactions between arm function and use in humans post-stroke.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yukikazu Hidaka

2012-02-01

Full Text Available "Use it and improve it, or lose it" is one of the axioms of motor therapy after stroke. There is, however, little understanding of the interactions between arm function and use in humans post-stroke. Here, we explored putative non-linear interactions between upper extremity function and use by developing a first-order dynamical model of stroke recovery with longitudinal data from participants receiving constraint induced movement therapy (CIMT in the EXCITE clinical trial. Using a Bayesian regression framework, we systematically compared this model with competitive models that included, or not, interactions between function and use. Model comparisons showed that the model with the predicted interactions between arm function and use was the best fitting model. Furthermore, by comparing the model parameters before and after CIMT intervention in participants receiving the intervention one year after randomization, we found that therapy increased the parameter that controls the effect of arm function on arm use. Increase in this parameter, which can be thought of as the confidence to use the arm for a given level of function, lead to increase in spontaneous use after therapy compared to before therapy.

Inside the virtual casino: a prospective longitudinal study of actual Internet casino gambling.

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Labrie, Richard A; Kaplan, Sara A; Laplante, Debi A; Nelson, Sarah E; Shaffer, Howard J

2008-08-01

Participation in Internet gambling is growing rapidly, as is concern about its possible effects on the public's health. This article reports the results of the first prospective longitudinal study of actual Internet casino gambling behaviour. Data include 2 years of recorded Internet betting activity by a cohort of gamblers who subscribed to an Internet gambling service during February 2005. We examined computer records of each transaction and transformed them into measures of gambling involvement. The sample included 4222 gamblers who played casino games. The median betting behaviour was to play casino games once every 2 weeks during a period of 9 months. Subscribers placed a median of 49 bets of euro4 each playing day. Subscribers lost a median of 5.5% of total monies wagered. We determined a group of heavily involved bettors whose activity exceeded that of 95% of the sample; these players bet every fifth day during 17.5 months. On each playing day, these most involved bettors placed a median of 188 bets of euro25. Their median percent of wagers lost, 2.5%, was smaller than that lost by the total sample. Our findings suggest that Internet casino betting behaviour results in modest costs for most players, while some, roughly 5%, have larger losses. The findings also show the need to consider time spent as a marker of disordered gambling. These findings provide the evidence to steer public health debates away from speculation and toward the creation of empirically-based strategies to protect the public health.

Prospective association of TV viewing with acute phase reactants and coagulation markers: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

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Hamer, Mark; Smith, Lee; Stamatakis, Emmanuel

2015-04-01

Inflammatory processes are putative mechanisms underlying the detrimental health effects of sedentary behaviour but no long-term prospective data are available. We examined the longitudinal association between TV viewing, physical activity and inflammatory markers over a 4-year follow-up period. Participants were 3612 men and women (mean age 64.1 ± 8.2 years) from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Self-reported daily TV viewing was measured at baseline and 2 years follow up. Inflammatory markers (serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [CRP], white blood cell count [WBC], and fibrinogen) were measured at baseline (2008/09) and 4 years follow-up (2012/13). On average, participants viewed TV for 5.1 ± 4.0 h/d, and there was an increase of 1.9 h/wk TV viewing over 2 years. In linear models adjusted for covariates including physical activity, TV viewing was not associated with logeCRP at follow-up (B = 0.004, 95% CI, -0.001, 0.009, p = 0.09) but was associated with WBC (B = 0.018, 95% CI, 0.005, 0.031, p = 0.006), and fibrinogen (B = 0.004, 95% CI, 0.00, 0.008, p = 0.035). In contrast, physical activity was inversely associated with CRP (p = 0.047) and WBC (p = 0.026), but not fibrinogen (p = 0.22). An increase in TV viewing (of at least 1 h/d) was associated with higher concentrations of CRP (p = 0.015) and WBC (p = 0.05) at follow up after adjustment for covariates and baseline TV viewing. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour have contrasting associations with markers of low grade inflammation over 4 years of follow-up. These behaviours may be important in influencing the pro-inflammatory state seen with ageing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Palliative sedation, not slow euthanasia: a prospective, longitudinal study of sedation in Flemish palliative care units.

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Claessens, Patricia; Menten, Johan; Schotsmans, Paul; Broeckaert, Bert

2011-01-01

Palliative sedation remains a much debated and controversial issue. The limited literature on the topic often fails to answer ethical questions concerning this practice. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of patients who are being sedated for refractory symptoms in palliative care units (PCUs) from the time of admission until the day of death. A prospective, longitudinal, descriptive design was used to assess data in eight PCUs. The total sample consisted of 266 patients. Information on demographics, medication, food and fluid intake, decision making, level of consciousness, and symptom experience were gathered by nurses and researchers three times a week. If patients received palliative sedation, extra information was gathered. Of all included patients (n=266), 7.5% received palliative sedation. Sedation started, on average, 2.5 days before death and for half of these patients, the form of sedation changed over time. At the start of sedation, patients were in the end stage of their illness and needed total care. Patients were fully conscious and had very limited oral food or fluid intake. Only three patients received artificial fluids at the start of sedation. Patients reported, on average, two refractory symptoms, the most important ones being pain, fatigue, depression, drowsiness, and loss of feeling of well-being. In all cases, the patient gave consent to start palliative sedation because of increased suffering. This study revealed that palliative sedation is only administered in exceptional cases where refractory suffering is evident and for those patients who are close to the ends of their lives. Moreover, this study supports the argument that palliative sedation has no life-shortening effect. Copyright © 2011 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficacy and safety of two different n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylates for the embolization of varicoceles: a prospective, randomized, blinded study.

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Vanlangenhove, Peter; De Keukeleire, Katrien; Everaert, Karel; Van Maele, Georges; Defreyne, Luc

2012-06-01

This was a prospective, randomized, blinded comparative study of the efficacy and safety of two different n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylates (NBCAs) for embolization of varicoceles. A total of 112 insufficient spermatic veins (left-sided, n=84; right-sided, n=28) that were diagnosed in 83 adult males were prospectively randomized for blinded embolization with NBCA (n=54; Histoacryl, Braun, Germany) or NBCA-MS (n=58; Glubran2, General Enterprise Marketing, Viareggio, Lucca, Italy). Handling, embolic efficacy, and safety of both NBCAs were compared according the fulfillment of a standardized embolization plan, the occlusive effect on the spermatic vein, and the sticking to the microcatheter. Statistical analysis was performed with the Mann-Whitney U test and the Fisher's exact test. Patients of both study arms were comparable for age and clinical indication. Spermatic vein characteristics were comparable for varicocele classification and embolization side. Both NBCAs were equally efficient in occluding the spermatic vein and blocking reflux (NBCA, n=54/54, 100% vs. NBCA-MS, n=54/57, 94.7%; P=0.244). The embolization plan could be accomplished in an equal number of veins for both groups (NBCA, n=45/54, 83.3% vs. NBCA-MS, n=41/58, 70.7%; P=0.124). Adhesiveness of the glue to the microcatheter was the same in both NBCA groups (NBCA, n=25/54, 46.3% vs. NBCA-MS, n=29/58, 50%; P=0.71). No glue-related complications were noted. NBCA and NBCA-MS are equally efficient and safe glues for embolization of varicoceles.

Influence of Age on Clinical Performance of Mandibular Two-Implant Overdentures : A 10-Year Prospective Comparative Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoeksema, Arie R.; Visser, Anita; Raghoebar, Gerry M.; Vissink, Arjan; Meijer, Henny J. A.

Purpose: The aim of this prospective comparative study was to assess whether age has influence on peri-implant health in patients treated with mandibular two-implant overdentures during a 10-year evaluation period. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was carried out with two groups of

Three-dimensional reconstruction of axonemal outer dynein arms in situ by electron tomography.

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Lupetti, Pietro; Lanzavecchia, Salvatore; Mercati, David; Cantele, Francesca; Dallai, Romano; Mencarelli, Caterina

2005-10-01

We present here for the first time a 3D reconstruction of in situ axonemal outer dynein arms. This reconstruction has been obtained by electron tomography applied to a series of tilted images collected from metal replicas of rapidly frozen, cryofractured, and metal-replicated sperm axonemes of the cecidomid dipteran Monarthropalpus flavus. This peculiar axonemal model consists of several microtubular laminae that proved to be particularly suitable for this type of analysis. These laminae are sufficiently planar to allow the visualization of many dynein molecules within the same fracture face, allowing us to recover a significant number of equivalent objects and to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the reconstruction by applying advanced averaging protocols. The 3D model we obtained showed the following interesting structural features: First, each dynein arm has two head domains that are almost parallel and are obliquely oriented with respect to the longitudinal axis of microtubules. The two heads are therefore positioned at different distances from the surface of the A-tubule. Second, each head domain consists of a series of globular subdomains that are positioned on the same plane. Third, a stalk domain originates as a conical region from the proximal head and ends with a small globular domain that contacts the B-tubule. Fourth, the stem region comprises several globular subdomains and presents two distinct points of anchorage to the surface of the A-tubule. Finally, and most importantly, contrary to what has been observed in isolated dynein molecules adsorbed to flat surfaces, the stalk and the stem domains are not in the same plane as the head.

Have Third-World Arms Industries Reduced Arms Imports?

OpenAIRE

Looney, R.E.

1989-01-01

Current Research on Peace and Violence, no. 1, 1989. Refereed Journal Article In 1945 only Argentina, Brazil, India and South Africa in the Third World possessed domestic arms industries which produced weapons systems other than small arms and ammunition (SIPRI, 1987, 76).

SmartPill® as an objective parameter for determination of severity and duration of postoperative ileus: study protocol of a prospective, two-arm, open-label trial (the PIDuSA study).

Science.gov (United States)

Vilz, Tim O; Pantelis, Dimitrios; Lingohr, Philipp; Fimmers, Rolf; Esmann, Anke; Randau, Thomas; Kalff, Jörg C; Coenen, Martin; Wehner, Sven

2016-07-08

Postoperative ileus (POI) is a frequent complication after abdominal surgery (AS). Until today, neither a prophylaxis nor an evidence-based therapy exists. This originates from the absence of objective parameters evaluating the severity and duration of POI resulting in clinical trials of modest quality. The SmartPill(®), a capsule which frequently measures pH value, temperature and intraluminal pressure after swallowing, offers an elegant option for analysing gastrointestinal (GI) transit times and smooth muscle activity in vivo. As the use in patients in the first months after AS is not covered by the marketing authorisation, we aim to investigate the safety and feasibility of the SmartPill(®) immediately after surgery. Additionally, we analyse the influence of prokinetics and laxatives as well as standardised physiotherapy on postoperative bowel contractility, as scientific evidence of its effects is still lacking. The PIDuSA study is a prospective, single-centre, two-arm, open-label trial. The SmartPill(®) will be applied to 55 patients undergoing AS having a high risk for POI and 10 patients undergoing extra-abdominal surgery rarely developing POI. The primary objective is the safety of the SmartPill(®) in patients after surgery on the basis of adverse device effects/serious adverse device effects (ADE/SADE). The sample size suggests that events with a probability of 3% could be seen with a certainty of 80% for at least once in the sample. Secondary objective is the analysis of postoperative intestinal activity in the GI tract in both groups. Furthermore, clinical signs of bowel motility disorders will be correlated to the data measured by the SmartPill(®) to evaluate its significance as an objective parameter for assessing POI severity. Additionally, effects of prokinetics, laxatives and physiotherapy on postoperative peristaltic activity recorded by the SmartPill(®) will be analysed. The protocol was approved by the federal authority (94

The longitudinal optical conductivity in bilayer graphene and other two-dimensional systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, C.H., E-mail: chyang@nuist.edu.cn [School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044 (China); Ao, Z.M., E-mail: zhimin.ao@uts.edu.au [Centre for Clean Energy Technology, School of Chemistry and Forensic Science, University of Technology, Sydney ,PO Box 123, Broadway, Sydney, NSW 2007 (Australia); Wei, X.F. [West Anhui University, Luan 237012 (China); Jiang, J.J. [Department of Physics, Sanjing College, Nanjing 210012 (China)

2015-01-15

The longitudinal optical conductivity in bilayer graphene is calculated using the dielectric function by defining the density operator theoretically, while the effect of the broadening width determined by the scattering sources on the optical conductivity is also investigated. Some features, such as chirality, energy dispersion and density of state (DOS) in bilayer graphene, are similar to those in monolayer graphene and a traditional two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). Therefore, in this paper, the bilayer graphene optical conductivity is compared with the results in these two systems. The analytical and numerical results show that the optical conductivity per graphene layer is almost a constant and close to e{sup 2}/(4ℏ), which agrees with the experimental results.

Arm Pain

Science.gov (United States)

... be a sign of a heart attack. Seek emergency treatment if you have: Arm, shoulder or back ... http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/arm-pain/basics/definition/SYM-20050870 . Mayo Clinic Footer Legal Conditions and ...

Adding a PECS II block for proximal arm arteriovenous access - a randomised study.

Science.gov (United States)

Quek, K H; Low, E Y; Tan, Y R; Ong, A S C; Tang, T Y; Kam, J W; Kiew, A S C

2018-05-01

Brachial plexus block is often utilised for proximal arm arteriovenous access creation. However, the medial upper arm and axilla are often inadequately anaesthetised, requiring repeated, intraoperative local anaesthetic supplementation, or conversion into general anaesthesia. We hypothesised that the addition of a PECS II block would improve anaesthesia and analgesia for proximal arm arteriovenous access surgery. In this prospective, double-blinded, randomised proof-of-concept study, 36 consenting adults with end-stage renal disease aged between 21 and 90 years received either a combined supraclavicular and PECS II block (Group PECS, n = 18), or combined supraclavicular and sham block (Group SCB, n = 18) for proximal arm arteriovenous access surgery. Primary outcome was whether patients required intraoperative local anaesthetic supplementation by the surgeon. In Group PECS, 33.3% (6/18) needed local anaesthetic supplementation vs. 100% (18/18) in Group SCB. Group SCB had three times (RR 3.0, 95% CI 1.6-5.8; P PECS required lower volume of supplemental local anaesthetic compared to Group SCB (0.0 ml, IQR 0.0-6.3 ml vs. 15.0 ml, IQR 7.4-17.8 ml; P PECS II block to a supraclavicular block improves regional anaesthesia for patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing proximal arm arteriovenous access surgery. © 2018 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A prospective longitudinal cohort study: evolution of GERD symptoms during the course of pregnancy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fill Malfertheiner Sara

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Symptoms of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD in pregnancy are reported with a prevalence of 30–80%. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and severity of GERD symptoms during the course of pregnancy. Furthermore current practice in medical care for GERD during pregnancy was assessed. Methods We performed a prospective longitudinal cohort study on 510 pregnant women (mean age 28.12, SD 5.3. Investigations for reflux symptoms where based on the use of validated reflux-disease questionnaire (RDQ. Additional information was collected about the therapy. A group of non-pregnant women (mean age 24.56, SD 5.7 was included as controls. Frequency and severity of reflux symptoms were recorded in each trimester of pregnancy. Results The prevalence of GERD symptoms in pregnant women increased from the first trimester with 26.1 to 36.1% in the second trimester and to 51.2% in the third trimester of pregnancy. The prevalence of GERD symptoms in the control group was 9.3%. Pregnant women received medication for their GERD symptoms in 12.8% during the first, 9.1% during the second and 15.7% during the third trimester. Medications used >90% antacids, 0% PPI. Conclusion GERD symptoms occur more often in pregnant women than in non-pregnant and the frequency rises in the course of pregnancy. Medical therapy is used in a minority of cases and often with no adequate symptom relief.

Inconsistent diagnosis of acute malnutrition by weight-for-height and mid-upper arm circumference: contributors in 16 cross-sectional surveys from South Sudan, the Philippines, Chad, and Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberfroid, Dominique; Huybregts, Lieven; Lachat, Carl; Vrijens, France; Kolsteren, Patrick; Guesdon, Benjamin

2015-08-25

The two anthropometric indicators of acute malnutrition in children under 5 years, i.e. a Mid-Upper Arm Circumference malnutrition given its strong association with age, sex and stunting, and its low sensitivity to detect slim children. Having 'longer legs' moderately increases the diagnosis of acute malnutrition by WHZ-2. Prospective studies are urgently needed to elucidate the clinical and physiological outcomes of the various anthropometric indicators of malnutrition.

Two-year longitudinal health-related fitness, anthropometry and body composition status amongst adolescents in Tlokwe Municipality: The PAHL Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oluwatoyi O. Toriola

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Aim: To evaluate a two-year longitudinal development of health-related fitness, anthropometry and body composition status amongst adolescents in Tlokwe Municipality, Potchefstroom, South Africa. Setting: A total of 283 high-school learners (111 boys and 172 girls of ages 14 and 15 years who were part of the ongoing Physical Activity and Health Longitudinal Study (PAHLS participated in the study. For the purpose of the present study, data collected for 2011 and 2012 for anthropometric, body composition and health-related physical fitness were used. Results: Body mass index (BMI classification of boys and girls for 2011 and 2012 showed that 24.3% of them were underweight compared with 21% in 2012. In 2011, 50% of boys and girls had normal bodyweight compared with 52% in 2012, whilst 25.5% of the total group of participants were overweight compared with 27% in 2012. Both boys and girls showed significant increases of 5.9% in body fat (BF and 3.2 kg in body weight over two years’ measurements, respectively. Regarding health-related fitness (i.e BAH, boys showed an increase of 14.8 seconds whilst girls gained 9.6 seconds. Significant decreases were found for sit-ups in both boys and girls. A significant VO2max increase of 2.9 mL/kg/min. was found in boys over the time period. A non-significant decrease of -0.5 mL/kg/min. was observed in girls. Regression coefficients showed that changes in BMI were inversely associated with those in health-related physical fitness. The changes in percentage BF were negatively associated with standing broad jump (SBJ, bent arm hang (BAH and VO2 max in both boys and girls. A low significant positive association was found between changes in waist-to-height ratio (WHtR and SBJ in both genders, whilst inverse low associations were found between WHtR and BAH in girls and for VO2max in both genders. Conclusion: Changes in BMI, %BF and WHtR were negatively associated with strength and running performances in the

Industrial dual arm robot manipulator for precise assembly of mechanical parts

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Chanhun; Kim, Doohyung; Park, Kyoungtaik; Choi, Youngjin

2007-12-01

A new structure of dual arm robot manipulator which consists of two industrial 6-DOF arms and one 2-DOF Torso is introduced. Each industrial 6-DOF arm is able to be used as a stand-alone industrial 6-DOF robot manipulator and as a part of dual arm manipulator at the same time. These structures help the robot maker which is willing to succeed in the emerging dual arm robot market in order to have high competition for the current industrial robot market at same time. Self-collision detection algorithm for multi-arm robot and kinematics algorithms for the developed dual arm robot manipulator which are implemented in our controller are introduced.

A prospective, longitudinal study of growth, nutrition and sedentary behaviour in young children with cerebral palsy

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Weir Kelly A

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of physical disability in childhood, occurring in one in 500 children. It is caused by a static brain lesion in the neonatal period leading to a range of activity limitations. Oral motor and swallowing dysfunction, poor nutritional status and poor growth are reported frequently in young children with cerebral palsy and may impact detrimentally on physical and cognitive development, health care utilisation, participation and quality of life in later childhood. The impact of modifiable factors (dietary intake and physical activity on growth, nutritional status, and body composition (taking into account motor severity in this population is poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the relationship between a range of factors - linear growth, body composition, oral motor and feeding dysfunction, dietary intake, and time spent sedentary (adjusting for motor severity - and health outcomes, health care utilisation, participation and quality of life in young children with cerebral palsy (from corrected age of 18 months to 5 years. Design/Methods This prospective, longitudinal, population-based study aims to recruit a total of 240 young children with cerebral palsy born in Queensland, Australia between 1st September 2006 and 31st December 2009 (80 from each birth year. Data collection will occur at three time points for each child: 17 - 25 months corrected age, 36 ± 1 months and 60 ± 1 months. Outcomes to be assessed include linear growth, body weight, body composition, dietary intake, oral motor function and feeding ability, time spent sedentary, participation, medical resource use and quality of life. Discussion This protocol describes a study that will provide the first longitudinal description of the relationship between functional attainment and modifiable lifestyle factors (dietary intake and habitual time spent sedentary and their impact on the growth, body composition and

Incidence of Raynaud's phenomenon in relation to hand-arm vibration exposure among male workers at an engineering plant a cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lundström Ronnie

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The objective of this study was to assess the incidence of Raynaud's phenomenon in relation to hand-arm vibration exposure in a cohort consisting of male office and manual workers. Methods The baseline population consisted of 94 office and 147 manual workers at an engineering plant. Raynaud's phenomenon (RP was assessed at baseline and at follow up (at 5, 10 and 15 years. A retrospective and a prospective cohort analysis of data were done. Hand-arm vibration exposure dose was defined as the product of exposure duration and the weighted hand-arm vibration exposure value according to ISO 5349-1. Results The retrospective/prospective incidence of Raynaud's phenomenon was 16/14 per 1000 exposure years among exposed and 2.4/5.0 per 1000 years among the not exposed. The retrospective dose response curve based on 4 dose classes showed that class 2, 3 and 4 had similar response and showed higher incidence than the not-exposed. The dose with RP response to hand-arm vibration corresponded to a 10 year A(8 value between 0.4–1.0 m/s2. Conclusion The results indicate that the EU directive on an action value for hand-arm vibration of 2.5 m/s2 is not too low. Rather, it suggests that employers should take on actions even at exposure values of 1 m/s2A(8.

Effect of prospective reimbursement on nursing home costs.

Science.gov (United States)

Coburn, A F; Fortinsky, R; McGuire, C; McDonald, T P

1993-04-01

This study evaluates the effect of Maine's Medicaid nursing home prospective payment system on nursing home costs and access to care for public patients. The implementation of a facility-specific prospective payment system for nursing homes provided the opportunity for longitudinal study of the effect of that system. Data sources included audited Medicaid nursing home cost reports, quality-of-care data from state facility survey and licensure files, and facility case-mix information from random, stratified samples of homes and residents. Data were obtained for six years (1979-1985) covering the three-year period before and after implementation of the prospective payment system. This study used a pre-post, longitudinal analytical design in which interrupted, time-series regression models were estimated to test the effects of prospective payment and other factors, e.g., facility characteristics, nursing home market factors, facility case mix, and quality of care, on nursing home costs. Prospective payment contributed to an estimated $3.03 decrease in total variable costs in the third year from what would have been expected under the previous retrospective cost-based payment system. Responsiveness to payment system efficiency incentives declined over the study period, however, indicating a growing problem in achieving further cost reductions. Some evidence suggested that cost reductions might have reduced access for public patients. Study findings are consistent with the results of other studies that have demonstrated the effectiveness of prospective payment systems in restraining nursing home costs. Potential policy trade-offs among cost containment, access, and quality assurance deserve further consideration, particularly by researchers and policymakers designing the new generation of case mix-based and other nursing home payment systems.

A Longitudinal Analysis of the Criminal Careers of Intimate Partner Violence Offender Subtypes: Results From a Prospective Survey of Males.

Science.gov (United States)

Theobald, Delphine; Farrington, David P; Coid, Jeremy W; Piquero, Alex R

2016-12-01

Using data from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, a prospective longitudinal survey of more than 400 males in the United Kingdom followed from age 8 years to age 48 years, we investigated the role of Cluster B personality traits and the association with violent offending groups based on a typology theory of male intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetrators: those who committed family-only violence and the generally violent offender. We also considered whether offending/violent groups could be predicted using risk factors measured in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Our findings suggest that those men who are violent both within and outside the home (the generally violent men) are distinguished from those who are involved in IPV within the home only. The differences appear to be more in degree than in kind. We discuss these findings in relation to the idea of specific interventions and policy.

Cloud properties derived from two lidars over the ARM SGP site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dupont, Jean-Charles; Haeffelin, Martial; Morille, Y.; Comstock, Jennifer M.; Flynn, Connor J.; Long, Charles N.; Sivaraman, Chitra; Newsom, Rob K.

2011-02-16

[1] Active remote sensors such as lidars or radars can be used with other data to quantify the cloud properties at regional scale and at global scale (Dupont et al., 2009). Relative to radar, lidar remote sensing is sensitive to very thin and high clouds but has a significant limitation due to signal attenuation in the ability to precisely quantify the properties of clouds with a 20 cloud optical thickness larger than 3. In this study, 10-years of backscatter lidar signal data are analysed by a unique algorithm called STRucture of ATmosphere (STRAT, Morille et al., 2007). We apply the STRAT algorithm to data from both the collocated Micropulse lidar (MPL) and a Raman lidar (RL) at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) site between 1998 and 2009. Raw backscatter lidar signal is processed and 25 corrections for detector deadtime, afterpulse, and overlap are applied. (Campbell et al.) The cloud properties for all levels of clouds are derived and distributions of cloud base height (CBH), top height (CTH), physical cloud thickness (CT), and optical thickness (COT) from local statistics are compared. The goal of this study is (1) to establish a climatology of macrophysical and optical properties for all levels of clouds observed over the ARM SGP site 30 and (2) to estimate the discrepancies induced by the two remote sensing systems (pulse energy, sampling, resolution, etc.). Our first results tend to show that the MPLs, which are the primary ARM lidars, have a distinctly limited range where all of these cloud properties are detectable, especially cloud top and cloud thickness, but even actual cloud base especially during summer daytime period. According to the comparisons between RL and MPL, almost 50% of situations show a signal to noise ratio too low (smaller than 3) for the MPL in order to detect clouds higher than 7km during daytime period in summer. Consequently, the MPLderived annual cycle of cirrus cloud base (top) altitude is

The inter-arm diastolic blood pressure difference induced by one arm ischemia: a new approach to assess vascular endothelia function.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Weitong; Li, Juxiang; Su, Hai; Wang, Jiwei; Xu, Jinsong; Liu, Yanna; Huang, Ming; Cheng, Xiaoshu

2014-01-01

To evaluate whether inter-arm diastolic blood pressure difference (DBPl-r) induced by one arm ischemia correlates with flow-mediated dilatation (FMD). Bilateral arm BPs were simultaneously measured with two automatic devices and right brachial artery diameter (D) was measured by ultrasound technique in 108 subjects (56 hypertensives and 52 normotensives). Following baseline diameter (D0) and BP measurement, right brachial artery was occluded for 5 minutes. The diameter was measured at 1, 1.5 and 2 min, and bilateral BPs measured at 3, 4 and 5 min after occlusion release. Their averages were recorded as post-D and post-BP, respectively. The difference between post-D and D0 (ΔD) was calculated as the percentage increase of artery diameter (ΔD/D0). The BP difference between left and right arms was calculated as BPl-r, and the difference of post- BPl-r and baseline BPl-r was recorded as the net change of BPl-r (ΔBPl-r). At baseline, bilateral SBPs and DBPs were similar. Right arm ischemia induced significant DBP decline only in the right arm (68.8±12.7 vs 72.6±12.0 mmHg, Parm DBP difference induced by one arm ischemia may be a potential index for clinical evaluation of vascular endothelial function.

Prospects for stability in a nuclear subcontinent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajagopal, S; Chari, Sridhar K.

2003-01-01

This book explore the prospects for stability in a nuclear sub-continent. The nonproliferation regimes and nuclear threat reduction, nonproliferation regimes and south asia - is there a meeting point?; maintaining a threshold of strategic autonomy at least cost: continuity in the evolution of India's nuclear policies; role of nuclear doctrines and the state of the armed forces in South Asia; nuclear weapons, deterrence and stability in the international system: South Asian dynamics; assessing China's Asian role and security policies; Kargil war to current threat of war: prospects for stability; discussion; international terrorism and its impact on South Asian stability; a view from Bangladesh etc. are some of the topics covered

Burnout during nursing education predicts lower occupational preparedness and future clinical performance: a longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudman, Ann; Gustavsson, J Petter

2012-08-01

Early-career burnout among nurses can influence health and professional development, as well as quality of care. However, the prospective occupational consequences of study burnout have not previously been investigated in a national sample using a longitudinal design. To prospectively monitor study burnout for a national sample of nursing students during their years in higher education and at follow-up 1 year post graduation. Further, to relate the possible development of study burnout to prospective health and life outcomes, as well as student and occupational outcomes. A longitudinal cohort of Swedish nursing students (within the population-based LANE (Longitudinal Analysis of Nursing Education/Entry) study) from all sites of education in Sweden was surveyed annually. Data were collected at four points in time over 4 years: three times during higher education and 1 year post graduation. : A longitudinal sample of 1702 respondents was prospectively followed from late autumn 2002 to spring 2006. Mean level changes of study burnout (as measured by the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, i.e. the Exhaustion and Disengagement subscales) across time, as well as prospective effects of baseline study burnout and changes in study burnout levels, were estimated using Latent Growth Curve Modeling. An increase in study burnout (from 30% to 41%) across 3 years in higher education was found, and levels of both Exhaustion and Disengagement increased significantly across the years in education (pdevelopment of study burnout, predicted lower levels of in-class learner engagement and occupational preparedness in the final year. At follow-up 1 year post graduation, earlier development of study burnout was related to lower mastery of occupational tasks, less research utilization in everyday clinical practice and higher turnover intentions. The results suggest that study burnout may have interfered with learning and psychological well-being. Aspects related to work skills and intention to

Influence of a combined CT/C-arm system on periprocedural workflow and procedure times in mechanical thrombectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfaff, Johannes; Schönenberger, Silvia; Herweh, Christian; Pham, Mirko; Nagel, Simon; Ringleb, Peter Arthur; Heiland, Sabine; Bendszus, Martin; Möhlenbruch, Markus Alfred

2017-09-01

To achieve the fastest possible workflow in ischaemic stroke, we developed a CT/C-arm system, which allows imaging and endovascular treatment on the same patient table. This prospective, monocentric trial was conducted between October 2014 and August 2016. Patients received stroke imaging and mechanical thrombectomy under general anaesthesia (GA) or conscious sedation (CS) using our combined setup comprising a CT-scanner and a mobile C-arm X-ray device. Primary endpoint was time between stroke imaging and groin puncture. We compared periprocedural workflow and procedure times with the literature and a matched patient cohort treated with a biplane angiographic system before installation of the CT/C-arm system. In 50 patients with acute ischaemic stroke due to large-vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation, comparable recanalization rates were achieved by using the CT/C-arm setup (TICI2b-3:CT/C-arm-GA: 85.7%; CT/C-arm-CS: 90.9%; Angiosuite: 78.6%; p = 0.269) without increasing periprocedural complications. Elimination of patient transport resulted in a significant reduction of the time between stroke imaging and groin puncture: median, min (IQR): CT/C-arm-GA: 43 (35-52); CT/C-arm-CS: 39 (28-49); Angiosuite: 64 (48-74); p < 0.0001. The combined CT/C-arm system allows comparable recanalization rates as a biplane angiographic system and accelerates the start of the endovascular stroke treatment. • The CT/C-arm setup reduces median time from stroke imaging to groin puncture. • Mechanical thrombectomy using a C-arm device is feasible without increasing peri-interventional complications. • The CT/C-arm setup might be a valuable fallback solution for emergency procedures. • The CT/C-arm setup allows immediate control CT images during and after treatment.

Physical Activity Patterns During Pregnancy in a Sample of Portuguese Women: A Longitudinal Prospective Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Paula Clara; Abreu, Sandra; Moreira, Carla; Santos, Rute; Ferreira, Margarida; Alves, Odete; Moreira, Pedro; Mota, Jorge

2016-03-01

Physical activity (PA) patterns during pregnancy have not been explored in depth and most previous studies lack assessment of variables such as type, frequency, duration and intensity of activity. This study had two goals: 1) to analyze PA patterns during pregnancy according to weekly time spent on different types of activity; and 2) to determine women's perception about health care providers regarding PA advisement during pregnancy. A longitudinal prospective study was carried out with a 118-pregnant women cohort. Participants were evaluated during all trimesters. Self-reported questionnaires were used to collect personal and obstetric data. Type, duration and frequency of PA were evaluated using the pregnancy physical activity questionnaire (PPAQ) and intensity levels were calculated. Repeated measure analysis of variance was performed to determine differences between trimesters, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed when appropriate. A decrease in values of self-reported PA (MET.h.wk(-1)) was found from the first to the second and the first to the third trimester of pregnancy, respectively; total (270.91 vs 220.54 vs 210.35; P pregnancy. Women spent most of their weekly time during the entire pregnancy on household and caregiving activities, occupational activities and leisure, except sport activities. Swimming was the most reported organized PA, reaching its highest proportion (12.7%) in the second trimester. Prenatal exercise classes were reported by 39.8% of women during the 3rd trimester. Pregnant women reported that PA was recommended by health professionals: 53.9% in the 1st trimester, 70.4% in the 2nd trimester and 56.8% in the 3rd trimester. Self-reported PA decreased, especially from the first to the second trimester, in total, light and moderate intensity. Women spent most of their weekly time on domestic, occupational and leisure activities, except sport activities. There are some health care providers that do not recommend physical activity

The Relationships of Expectancies With E-cigarette Use Among Hospitalized Smokers: A Prospective Longitudinal Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendricks, Peter S; Thorne, Christopher B; Lappan, Sara N; Sweat, Noah W; Cheong, JeeWon; Ramachandran, Rekha; Kohler, Connie L; Bailey, William C; Harrington, Kathleen F

2018-01-05

Expectancies demonstrate cross-sectional associations with e-cigarette use, but the prospective relationships between expectancies and e-cigarette use are unknown. This study examined the longitudinal associations of expectancies with e-cigarette use among hospitalized tobacco cigarette smokers. E-cigarette expectancies (e-cigarette-specific Brief Smoking Consequences Questionnaire-Adult [BSCQ-A]), tobacco cigarette expectancies (tobacco-specific BSCQ-A), and number of days used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days were assessed at baseline hospitalization, 6-months post-hospitalization, and 12-months post-hospitalization among 978 hospitalized tobacco cigarette smokers. Expectancy difference scores (e-cigarette-specific expectancies minus tobacco-specific expectancies) were computed for each of the 10 BSCQ-A scales. Cross-lagged panel models tested the relationships between expectancy difference scores and number of days used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days for each of the 10 BSCQ-A scales. Though some models revealed partial associations between expectancies and e-cigarette use, only one yielded results consistent with hypotheses. Greater e-cigarette use at baseline predicted greater expectancies that e-cigarettes taste pleasant as compared to tobacco cigarettes at 6 months, which then predicted greater e-cigarette use at 12 months. To a lesser degree greater expectancies that e-cigarettes taste pleasant as compared to tobacco cigarettes at baseline predicted greater e-cigarette use at 6 months, which then predicted greater expectancies that e-cigarettes taste pleasant as compared to tobacco cigarettes at 12 months. Expectancies that e-cigarettes provide similar or more pleasant taste sensations as compared to tobacco cigarettes may be both a cause and consequence of e-cigarette use. Focusing on the taste experience may prove most effective in modifying e-cigarette use behavior. The current study offers the first longitudinal examination of expectancies and e

Sasang constitutional types for the risk prediction of metabolic syndrome: a 14-year longitudinal prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sunghee; Lee, Seung Ku; Kim, Jong Yeol; Cho, Namhan; Shin, Chol

2017-09-02

To examine whether the use of Sasang constitutional (SC) types, such as Tae-yang (TY), Tae-eum (TE), So-yang (SY), and So-eum (SE) types, increases the accuracy of risk prediction for metabolic syndrome. From 2001 to 2014, 3529 individuals aged 40 to 69 years participated in a longitudinal prospective cohort. The Cox proportional hazard model was utilized to predict the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. During the 14 year follow-up, 1591 incident events of metabolic syndrome were observed. Individuals with TE type had higher body mass indexes and waist circumferences than individuals with SY and SE types. The risk of developing metabolic syndrome was the highest among individuals with the TE type, followed by the SY type and the SE type. When the prediction risk models for incident metabolic syndrome were compared, the area under the curve for the model using SC types was significantly increased to 0.8173. Significant predictors for incident metabolic syndrome were different according to the SC types. For individuals with the TE type, the significant predictors were age, sex, body mass index (BMI), education, smoking, drinking, fasting glucose level, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and triglyceride level. For Individuals with the SE type, the predictors were sex, smoking, fasting glucose, HDL cholesterol level, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and triglyceride level, while the predictors in individuals with the SY type were age, sex, BMI, smoking, drinking, total cholesterol level, fasting glucose level, HDL cholesterol level, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and triglyceride level. In this prospective cohort study among 3529 individuals, we observed that utilizing the SC types significantly increased the accuracy of the risk prediction for the development of metabolic syndrome.

Methylmercury Exposure and Incident Diabetes in U.S. Men and Women in Two Prospective Cohorts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mozaffarian, Dariush; Shi, Peilin; Morris, J Steven

2013-01-01

compared, and in analyses stratified by fish or omega-3 consumption, BMI, and age.CONCLUSIONSThese findings from two separate large prospective cohorts do not support adverse effects of methylmercury on development of diabetes in men or women at usual levels of exposure seen in these populations.......OBJECTIVEEmerging in vitro and animal evidence suggests that methylmercury could increase type 2 diabetes, but little evidence exists in humans. We aimed to prospectively determine associations of mercury exposure, as assessed by biomarker measurement, with incident diabetes.RESEARCH DESIGN...... AND METHODSWe used neutron activation analysis to measure toenail mercury, an objective biomarker of methylmercury exposure, in 9,267 adults free of diabetes at baseline in two separate U.S. prospective cohorts. Incident diabetes was identified from biennial questionnaires and confirmed by validated...

Predicting two-year longitudinal MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory outcomes after intensity modulated radiotherapy for locoregionally advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Goepfert, Ryan P; Lewin, Jan S; Barrow, Martha P; Fuller, C David; Lai, Stephen Y; Song, Juhee; Hobbs, Brian P; Gunn, G Brandon; Beadle, Beth M; Rosenthal, David I; Garden, Adam S; Kies, Merrill S; Papadimitrakopoulou, Vali A; Schwartz, David L; Hutcheson, Katherine A

2017-04-01

To determine the factors associated with longitudinal patient-reported dysphagia as measured by the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) in locoregionally advanced oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC) survivors treated with split-field intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Retrospective patient analysis. A retrospective analysis combined data from three single-institution clinical trials for stage III/IV head and neck carcinoma. According to trial protocols, patients had prospectively collected MDADI at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment. OPC patients with baseline and at least one post-treatment MDADI were included. Longitudinal analysis was completed with multivariate linear mixed effects modeling. There were 116 patients who met inclusion criteria. Mean baseline MDADI composite was 88.3, dropping to 73.8 at 6 months, and rising to 78.6 and 83.3 by 12 and 24 months, respectively (compared to baseline, all P dysphagia early after split-field IMRT for locoregionally advanced OPC that remains apparent 6 months after treatment. MDADI scores recover slowly thereafter, but remain depressed at 24 months compared to baseline. Higher tumor stage and smoking status are important markers of patient-reported function through the course of treatment, suggesting these are important groups for heightened surveillance and more intensive interventions to optimize swallowing outcomes. 4 Laryngoscope, 127:842-848, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Long-Term Changes of Subcutaneous Fat Mass in HIV-Infected Children on Antiretroviral Therapy: A Retrospective Analysis of Longitudinal Data from Two Pediatric HIV-Cohorts.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Sophie; Innes, Steve; Geelen, Sibyl P M; Wells, Jonathan C K; Smit, Colette; Wolfs, Tom F W; van Eck-Smit, Berthe L F; Kuijpers, Taco W; Reiss, Peter; Scherpbier, Henriette J; Pajkrt, Dasja; Bunders, Madeleine J

2015-01-01

Longitudinal studies objectively evaluating changes in regional fat distribution of HIV-infected children assessed by whole body dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) are scarce, whilst this long-term effect of HIV and antiretroviral therapy (cART) is an important issue in infected children in need for lifelong treatment. We assessed regional fat distribution over time, measured with sequential DEXA-scans in HIV-infected children on cART in cohorts from South Africa (SA) and the Netherlands (NL), and in healthy controls (SA). Limb and trunk fat Z-scores were calculated with the lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) method. Multivariable linear regression models with mixed effects were used to investigate the effect of cART compounds on body fat distribution over time. In total, 218 children underwent 445 DEXA assessments with a median follow-up of 3.5 years. Fat mass in all limbs was decreased in HIV-infected children compared to controls (arm fat Z-score: coefficient -0.4813; P = 0.006, leg fat Z-score: coefficient -0.4345; P = 0.013). In the HIV-infected group, stavudine treatment was associated with lower subcutaneous fat mass (arm fat Z-score: coefficient -0.5838; P = 0.001), with an additional cumulative exposure effect (arm fat Z-score: coefficient -0.0867; P = 0.003). Our study shows that subcutaneous fat loss is still prevalent in HIV-infected children on cART, and is strongly associated with cumulative stavudine exposure. These results underline the need for early detection of subcutaneous fat loss and alternative treatment options for HIV-infected children globally.

Hand and Wrist Injuries in Elite Boxing: A Longitudinal Prospective Study (2005-2012) of the Great Britain Olympic Boxing Squad.

Science.gov (United States)

Loosemore, Michael; Lightfoot, Joseph; Gatt, Ian; Hayton, Mike; Beardsley, Chris

2017-03-01

Background: The purpose of this investigation was to explore prospectively the nature and duration of hand and wrist injuries in training and competition in the Great Britain (GB) amateur boxing squad between 2005 and 2012. Methods: Longitudinal prospective injury surveillance of the GB boxing squad was performed from 2005 to 2012. The location, region affected, description, and the duration of each injury were recorded by the team doctor and team physiotherapist. We recorded whether the injury occurred during competition or training and also whether it was a new or a recurrent injury. The injury rate during competition was calculated as the number of injuries per 1000 hours. Results: Finger carpometacarpal instability and finger metacarpophalangeal joint extensor hood and capsule sprain also known as "boxer's knuckle" injuries were significantly more common than other injury diagnoses. The number of injuries during training or competition was similar, which is remarkable given the far greater number of training hours than competition hours performed. Injury rate for hand and wrist injuries in competition was 347 injuries per 1000 hours, while the estimated injury rate in training was <0.5 injuries per 1000 hours. Conclusion: Carpometacarpal instability and boxer's knuckle were more common than any other kind of hand and wrist injury in this cohort of elite amateur boxers. The rate of hand and wrist injuries was higher in competition than in training. Our study highlights the importance of hand and wrist injury prevention in the competition environment.

ARM Airborne Carbon Measurements (ARM-ACME) and ARM-ACME 2.5 Final Campaign Reports

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biraud, S. C. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Tom, M. S. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sweeney, C. [NOAA Earth Systems Research Lab., Boulder, CO (United States)

2016-01-01

We report on a 5-year multi-institution and multi-agency airborne study of atmospheric composition and carbon cycling at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility’s Southern Great Plains (SGP) site, with scientific objectives that are central to the carbon-cycle and radiative-forcing goals of the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the North American Carbon Program (NACP). The goal of these measurements is to improve understanding of 1) the carbon exchange of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) SGP region; 2) how CO₂ and associated water and energy fluxes influence radiative-forcing, convective processes, and CO₂ concentrations over the ARM SGP region, and 3) how greenhouse gases are transported on continental scales.

Sleep was associated with depression and anxiety status during pregnancy: a prospective longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yunxian; Li, Minchao; Pu, Liuyan; Wang, Shuojia; Wu, Jinhua; Ruan, Lingli; Jiang, Shuying; Wang, Zhaopin; Jiang, Wen

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study was to reveal the cross-sectional and longitudinal association of sleep with depression and anxiety among Chinese pregnant women. Pregnant women were recruited in Zhoushan Pregnant Women Cohort at Zhoushan Maternal and Child Care Hospital from 2011 to 2015. Self-rating depression scales (SDS) and self-rating anxiety scales (SAS) were used for evaluating depression and anxiety status at each trimester; corresponding sleep quality and duration were reported by pregnant women. Ordinary or multilevel linear and logistic regression model were used to estimate the cross-sectional or longitudinal association of sleep with depression and anxiety. The prevalence rates were 35.64, 24.23, and 26.24% for depression and 22.57, 17.41, and 21.04% for anxiety at 1st (T1), 2nd (T2), and 3rd trimester (T3), respectively. Controlling for potential confounders, it revealed significant cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of sleep with depression and anxiety status. In cross-sectional analysis, women who slept less than 8 h/day had higher risk of depression (T1: OR (95%CI) = 1.75 (1.39, 2.20); T2: 1.52 (1.26, 2.05); T3: 1.60 (1.18, 2.05)) and anxiety (T1: 2.00 (1.57, 2.55); T2: 1.86 (1.37, 2.54); T3: 1.33 (0.99, 1.79)). In the longitudinal analysis, multilevel model revealed that women with subjective "fair" or "bad" sleep quality had elevated risk of depression (OR ranging from 1.54 to 3.71) and anxiety (2.38 to 7.53) during pregnancy. Prenatal depression and anxiety status were prevalent in pregnant women. Sleep quality was associated with depression and anxiety status in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, implying that improving sleep quality should benefit for mental health of pregnant women.

Reciprocal relations between workplace bullying, anxiety, and vigor: a two-wave longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Muñoz, Alfredo; Moreno-Jiménez, Bernardo; Sanz-Vergel, Ana Isabel

2015-01-01

Workplace bullying has been classified as an extreme social stressor in work contexts and has been repeatedly linked to several negative consequences. However, little research has examined reversed or reciprocal relations of bullying and outcomes. We conducted a two-wave longitudinal study with a time lag of six months. The study sample consisted of 348 employees of the Spanish workforce. The present study examined longitudinal relationships between workplace bullying, psychological health, and well-being. On the basis of conservation of resources theory, we hypothesized that we would find reciprocal relations among study variables over time. Results of cross-lagged structural equation modeling analyses supported our hypotheses. Specifically, it was found that Time 1 (T1) workplace bullying was negatively related to Time 2 (T2) vigor and positively related to T2 anxiety. Additionally, T1 anxiety and vigor had an effect on T2 workplace bullying. Overall, these findings support the validity of the theoretical models postulating a reciprocal bullying-outcome relationship, rather than simple one-way causal pathways approaches.

Perspective-taking deficits in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a prospective investigation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schiffman, Jason; Lam, Cecilia W; Jiwatram, Tina

2004-01-01

BACKGROUND: This study examined data from a Danish prospective longitudinal project in attempt to address the state/trait controversy regarding theory of mind deficits in schizophrenia. Deficits in perspective-taking--a component of theory of mind--were investigated prospectively among children who......-psychotic disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Deficits in perspective-taking among children who later developed schizophrenia spectrum disorders suggest that a facet of theory of mind is impaired prior to development of schizophrenia. Our findings lend support to the hypothesis that theory of mind deficits in schizophrenia...... developed schizophrenia spectrum disorders as adults in comparison to children who did not develop schizophrenia spectrum disorders. METHOD: A total of 265 high risk and control subjects were studied in 1972. At the time of initial assessment, the Role-Taking Task (RTT) was administered. Two hundred...

75 FR 60424 - 36(b)(1) Arms Sales Notifications

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-30

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary [Transmittal Nos. 10-28 and 10-30] 36(b)(1) Arms Sales Notifications AGENCY: Defense Security Cooperation Agency, DoD. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Department of Defense is publishing the unclassified text of two section 36(b)(1) arms sales notifications to...

Optimal C-arm angulation during transcatheter aortic valve replacement: Accuracy of a rotational C-arm computed tomography based three dimensional heart model.

Science.gov (United States)

Veulemans, Verena; Mollus, Sabine; Saalbach, Axel; Pietsch, Max; Hellhammer, Katharina; Zeus, Tobias; Westenfeld, Ralf; Weese, Jürgen; Kelm, Malte; Balzer, Jan

2016-10-26

To investigate the accuracy of a rotational C-arm CT-based 3D heart model to predict an optimal C-arm configuration during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Rotational C-arm CT (RCT) under rapid ventricular pacing was performed in 57 consecutive patients with severe aortic stenosis as part of the pre-procedural cardiac catheterization. With prototype software each RCT data set was segmented using a 3D heart model. From that the line of perpendicularity curve was obtained that generates a perpendicular view of the aortic annulus according to the right-cusp rule. To evaluate the accuracy of a model-based overlay we compared model- and expert-derived aortic root diameters. For all 57 patients in the RCT cohort diameter measurements were obtained from two independent operators and were compared to the model-based measurements. The inter-observer variability was measured to be in the range of 0°-12.96° of angular C-arm displacement for two independent operators. The model-to-operator agreement was 0°-13.82°. The model-based and expert measurements of aortic root diameters evaluated at the aortic annulus ( r = 0.79, P optimal C-arm configuration, potentially simplifying current clinical workflows before and during TAVR.

Time-dependent efficacy of longitudinal biomarker for clinical endpoint.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolamunnage-Dona, Ruwanthi; Williamson, Paula R

2018-06-01

Joint modelling of longitudinal biomarker and event-time processes has gained its popularity in recent years as they yield more accurate and precise estimates. Considering this modelling framework, a new methodology for evaluating the time-dependent efficacy of a longitudinal biomarker for clinical endpoint is proposed in this article. In particular, the proposed model assesses how well longitudinally repeated measurements of a biomarker over various time periods (0,t) distinguish between individuals who developed the disease by time t and individuals who remain disease-free beyond time t. The receiver operating characteristic curve is used to provide the corresponding efficacy summaries at various t based on the association between longitudinal biomarker trajectory and risk of clinical endpoint prior to each time point. The model also allows detecting the time period over which a biomarker should be monitored for its best discriminatory value. The proposed approach is evaluated through simulation and illustrated on the motivating dataset from a prospective observational study of biomarkers to diagnose the onset of sepsis.

Piezoelectric micromotor based on the structure of serial bending arms.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Jianhua; Cui, Tianhong; Shao, Peige; Wang, Liding

2003-09-01

This paper presents a new piezoelectric micromotor based on the structure of serial bending arms. Serial bending arms are composed of two piezoelectric bimorphs with one end fixed and the other end free, driven by two signals of a biased square wave with a phase difference of pi/2. The free end of a cantilever arm will move along an elliptic orbit so that the cantilever is used to drive a cylinder rotor. The rotor's end surface contacts the free end of the cantilever, resulting in the rotor's rotation. There are six serial bending arms anchored on the base. The driving mechanism of the micromotor is proposed and analyzed. A new micromotor prototype, 5 mm in diameter, has been fabricated and characterized. The maximum rotational speed reaches 325 rpm, and the output torque is about 36.5 microNm.

Planet-driven Spiral Arms in Protoplanetary Disks. I. Formation Mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Jaehan; Zhu, Zhaohuan

2018-06-01

Protoplanetary disk simulations show that a single planet can excite more than one spiral arm, possibly explaining the recent observations of multiple spiral arms in some systems. In this paper, we explain the mechanism by which a planet excites multiple spiral arms in a protoplanetary disk. Contrary to previous speculations, the formation of both primary and additional arms can be understood as a linear process when the planet mass is sufficiently small. A planet resonantly interacts with epicyclic oscillations in the disk, launching spiral wave modes around the Lindblad resonances. When a set of wave modes is in phase, they can constructively interfere with each other and create a spiral arm. More than one spiral arm can form because such constructive interference can occur for different sets of wave modes, with the exact number and launching position of the spiral arms being dependent on the planet mass as well as the disk temperature profile. Nonlinear effects become increasingly important as the planet mass increases, resulting in spiral arms with stronger shocks and thus larger pitch angles. This is found to be common for both primary and additional arms. When a planet has a sufficiently large mass (≳3 thermal masses for (h/r) p = 0.1), only two spiral arms form interior to its orbit. The wave modes that would form a tertiary arm for smaller mass planets merge with the primary arm. Improvements in our understanding of the formation of spiral arms can provide crucial insights into the origin of observed spiral arms in protoplanetary disks.

Stellar complexes in spiral arms of galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Efremov, Yu. N.

The history of the introduction and development of the star complexes conception is briefly described. These large groups of stars were picked out and named as such ones in our Galaxy with argumentation and evidence for their physical unity (using the Cepheid variables the distances and ages of which are easy determined from their periods); anyway earlier the complexes were noted along the spiral arms of the Andromeda galaxy, but were not recognized as a new kind of star group. The chains of complexes along the spiral arms are observed quite rarely; their origin is explained by magneto- gravitational or purely gravitational instability developing along the arm. It is not clear why these chains are quite a rare phenomenon - and more so why sometimes the regular chain of complexes are observed in one arm only. Probably intergalactic magnetic field participated in formation of such chains. Apart from the complexes located along the arms, there are isolated giant complexes known (up to 700 pc in diameter) which look like super-gigantic but rather rarefied globular clusters. Until now only two of these formations are studied, in NGC 6946 and M51.

Powered manipulator control arm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Mouee, Theodore; Vertut, Jean; Marchal, Paul; Germon, J.C.; Petit, Michel

1975-01-01

A remote operated control arm for powered manipulators is described. It includes an assembly allowing several movements with position sensors for each movement. The number of possible arm movements equals the number of possible manipulator movements. The control systems may be interrupted as required. One part of the arm is fitted with a system to lock it with respect to another part of the arm without affecting the other movements, so long as the positions of the manipulator and the arm have not been brought into complete coincidence. With this system the locking can be ended when complete concordance is achieved [fr

Prospective assessment of positioning-related pain in robotic urologic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Ginsburg, Kevin B; Pape, Kelsey; Heilbronn, Chase; Levin, Michael; Cher, Michael L

2018-03-01

This was a prospective study to assess positioning-related pain in 20 awake volunteers in the dorsal lithotomy (DL) and lateral decubitus (LD) positions. Each volunteer was put through the series of discrete, sequential steps used to achieve a final position; each step had two options. The Wong-Baker scale (WB) was used to rate pain for each option and the preferred option and ad lib comments were recorded. We found that awake volunteers could clearly and immediately distinguish differences in pain levels between position options. For the DL position, volunteers favored having the arms slightly flexed and pronated as opposed to being straight and supinated reflected by statistically less painful WB scores and option preference. Volunteers preferred having the neck flexed as opposed to being flat. For the LD position, volunteers reported statistically lower pain scores and preference for a foam roll for axilla support as opposed to a rolled blanket, the table flexed without the kidney rest as opposed to a raised kidney rest, and the over arm board as oppose to stacked blankets for contralateral arm support. Ad lib comments from the volunteers supported the above findings. To our knowledge, ours is the first study to demonstrate objective preferences for variations in surgical positioning using awake volunteers. This exercise with awake volunteers resulted in immediate changes in positioning for real robotic surgery patients in our practice.

Bilateral movements increase sustained extensor force in the paretic arm.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Nyeonju; Cauraugh, James H

2018-04-01

Muscle weakness in the extensors poststroke is a common motor impairment. Unfortunately, research is unclear on whether bilateral movements increase extensor force production in the paretic arm. This study investigated sustained force production while stroke individuals maximally extended their wrist and fingers on their paretic arm. Specifically, we determined isometric force production in three conditions: (a) unilateral paretic arm, (b) unilateral nonparetic arm, and (c) bilateral (both arms executing the same movement simultaneously). Seventeen chronic stroke patients produced isometric sustained force by executing wrist and fingers extension in unilateral and bilateral contraction conditions. Mean force, force variability (coefficient of variation), and signal-to-noise ratio were calculated for each contraction condition. Analysis of two-way (Arm × Type of Condition: 2 × 2; Paretic or Nonparetic Arm × Unilateral or Bilateral Conditions) within-subjects ANOVAs revealed that the bilateral condition increased sustained force in the paretic arm, but reduced sustained force in the nonparetic arm. Further, although the paretic arm exhibited more force variability and less signal-to-noise ratio than the nonparetic arm during a unilateral condition, there were no differences when participants simultaneously executed isometric contractions with both arms. Our unique findings indicate that bilateral contractions transiently increased extensor force in the paretic arm. Implications for Rehabilitation Bilateral movements increased isometric wrsit extensor force in paretic arms and redcued force in nonparetic arms versus unilateral movements. Both paretic and nonparetic arms produced similar force variability and signal-to-noise ratio during bilateral movements. Increased sustained force in the paretic arm during the bilateral condition indicates that rehabilitation protocols based on bilateral movements may be beneficial for functional recovery.

Admittance Control of a Multi-Finger Arm Based on Manipulability of Fingers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Huang

2011-09-01

Full Text Available In the previous studies, admittance control and impedance control for a finger-arm robot using the manipulability of the finger were studied and methods of realizing the controls have been proposed. In this study, two 3-DOF fingers are attached to the end-effector of a 6-DOF arm to configure a multi-finger arm robot. Based on the previous methods, the authors have proposed an admittance control for a multi-finger arm robot using the manipulability of the fingers in this study. Algorithms of the averaging method and the mini-max method were introduced to establish a manipulability criterion of the two fingers in order to generate a cooperative movement of the arm. Comparison of the admittance controls combined with the top search method and local optimization method for the multi-finger arm robot was made and features of the control methods were also discussed. The stiffness control and damping control were experimentally evaluated to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Molecular clouds in the Carina arm - the largest objects, associated regions of star formation, and the Carina arm in the Galaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grabelsky, D.A.; Cohen, R.S.; Bronfman, L.; Thaddeus, P.

1988-01-01

The Columbia CO survey of the southern Galactic plane is used to identify giant molecular clouds and cloud complexes in the Vela-Carina-Centaurus section of the Galaxy. Twenty-seven giant molecular clouds between l = 270 and 300 deg are catalogued and their heliocentric distances given. In addition, 16 clouds at l greater than 300 deg beyond the solar circle extend the catalog to include the very distant portion of the Carina arm. The most massive clouds in the catalog trace the Carina arm over 23 kpc in the plane of the Galaxy. The average mass of these objects is 1.4 x 10 to the 6th solar, and their average spacing along the arm is 700 pc. The composite distribution projected onto the Galactic plane of the largest molecular clouds in the Carina arm and of similarly massive clouds in the first and second quadrants strongly suggests that the Carina and Sagittarius arms form a single spiral arm about 40 kpc in length wrapping two-thirds of the way around the Galaxy. Descriptions of each cloud, including identification of associated star-forming regions, are presented in an appendix. 76 references

Transition from Ambrisentan to Bosentan in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Single-Center Prospective Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Su-Gang Gong

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background and objective: Two endothelin receptor antagonists (ETRAs, bosentan and ambrisentan, are approved for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH. However, there is little information about the transition strategy between these two ETRAs. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy from ambrisentan to bosentan. Methods: Twenty PAH patients were enrolled into the single-center, open-labelled prospective study. Echocardiogram, WHO functional class (WHO-FC, 6-minute walking distance (6MWD, right heart catheterization, and hemotology were collected. After receiving oral 5 mg ambrisentan daily initially for one year, the patients were divided into two arms: eight patients switched to bosentan, while the remaining 12 patients continued ambrisentan. Characteristics at baseline, 1-and 2-year follow-up points were compared. Results: There were no significant differences in echocardiogram, WHO-FC, hemodynamics, demographics and liver function at baseline, 1-and 2-year points in both arms. 6MWD in bosentan group was significantly shorter at baseline. But there were no significant differences of 6MWD at 1- and 2-year points. Conclusions: It is safe for stable PAH patients to transition from ambrisentan to bosentan without hemodynamic or hematologic deterioration.

ARM Mentor Selection Process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sisterson, D. L. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

2015-10-01

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program was created in 1989 with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop several highly instrumented ground stations to study cloud formation processes and their influence on radiative transfer. In 2003, the ARM Program became a national scientific user facility, known as the ARM Climate Research Facility. This scientific infrastructure provides for fixed sites, mobile facilities, an aerial facility, and a data archive available for use by scientists worldwide through the ARM Climate Research Facility—a scientific user facility. The ARM Climate Research Facility currently operates more than 300 instrument systems that provide ground-based observations of the atmospheric column. To keep ARM at the forefront of climate observations, the ARM infrastructure depends heavily on instrument scientists and engineers, also known as lead mentors. Lead mentors must have an excellent understanding of in situ and remote-sensing instrumentation theory and operation and have comprehensive knowledge of critical scale-dependent atmospheric processes. They must also possess the technical and analytical skills to develop new data retrievals that provide innovative approaches for creating research-quality data sets. The ARM Climate Research Facility is seeking the best overall qualified candidate who can fulfill lead mentor requirements in a timely manner.

A longitudinal study of risk and protective factors associated with successful transition to secondary school in youth with ADHD: prospective cohort study protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Zendarski, Nardia; Sciberras, Emma; Mensah, Fiona; Hiscock, Harriet

2016-01-28

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has a significant impact on child and adolescent development, especially in relation to school functioning and academic outcomes. Despite the transition to high school being a potentially critical period for children with ADHD, most research in this period has focused on academic outcomes. This study aims to extend previous research by describing academic, school engagement, behaviour and social-emotional outcomes for young people with ADHD in the first and third years of high school and to identify risk and protective factors predictive of differing outcomes across these four domains. The Moving Up study is a longitudinal, prospective cohort study of children with ADHD as they transition and adjust to high school (age 12-15 years). Data are collected through direct assessment and child, parent and teacher surveys. The primary outcome is academic achievement, obtained by linking to standardised test results. Secondary outcomes include measures of behaviour, ADHD symptoms, school engagement (attitudes and attendance), and social and emotional functioning, including depressive symptoms. The mean performance of the study cohort on each outcome measure will be compared to the population mean for same aged children, using t-tests. Risk and protective factors to be examined using multiple regression include a child, family and school factors know to impact academic and school functioning. The Moving up study is the first Australian study prospectively designed to measure a broad range of student outcomes for children with ADHD during the high school transition period. Examining both current (cross sectional) and earlier childhood (longitudinal) factors gives us the potential to learn more about risk and protective factors associated with school functioning in young people with ADHD. The richness and depth of this information could lead to more targeted and effective interventions that may alter academic and wellbeing

Treatment of the calcific tendinopathy of the rotator cuff by ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle lavage. Two years prospective study

Science.gov (United States)

Castillo-González, Federico Del; Ramos-Álvarez, Juan José; Rodríguez-Fabián, Guillermo; González-Pérez, José; Calderón-Montero, Javier

2014-01-01

Summary Background: to evaluate the short and long term effectiveness of ultrasonography (US)-guided percutaneous needle lavage in calcific tendinopathy of the rotator cuff. To study the evolution of the size of calcifications and pain in the two years after treatment. Methods: study design: A 2 year longitudinal prospective study is carried out after applying the UGPL technique on a number of patients diagnosed with calcific tendinitis of the rotator cuff. Clinical, ultrasound and radiology follow-up controls were performed, 3 months, 6 months, one year and two years after the treatment. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to assess the pain. The degree and point of pain is selected on a 10 cm line, arranged horizontally or vertically. The “0” represents no pain and “10” represents worst pain. The population studied was made up of 121 patients that required our service as a result of suffering from a painful shoulder. Results: the pain (VAS) and the size of the calcification significantly decreased with the application of the technique (ptendinitis of the shoulder. The intervention is simple, cost-effective, does not require hospitalization, involves no complications, rehabilitation treatment is not required and it shows very few side effects without sequelae, significantly reducing the size of the calcification and pain in the majority of patients. PMID:25332939

The arms race control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemo, J.

2010-01-01

Written in 1961, this paper presents the content of a book entitled 'The arms race control' where the author outlined the difference between disarmament and arms control, described the economic and moral role of arms race, the importance of force balance for international security. He wandered whether arms control could ensure this balance and whether nuclear balance meant force balance. Force balance then appears to be a precarious and unsteady component of international security. He commented the challenges of disarmament, recalled some arguments for a nuclear disarmament. Then he discussed what would be an arms control with or without disarmament (either nuclear or conventional)

Bidirectional Prospective Associations between Cardiac Autonomic Activity and Inflammatory Markers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hu, Mandy X; Lamers, Femke; Neijts, Melanie; Willemsen, Gonneke; de Geus, Eco J C; Penninx, Brenda W J H

2018-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Autonomic nervous system (ANS) imbalance has been cross-sectionally associated with inflammatory processes. Longitudinal studies are needed to shed light on the nature of this relationship. We examined cross-sectional and bidirectional prospective associations between cardiac autonomic

LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSAL PLASMA WAVE INSTABILITIES IN TWO COUNTERSTREAMING PLASMAS WITHOUT EXTERNAL FIELDS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buenemann, D

1963-03-15

Some aspects of the theory of longitudinal and transversal waves in a collisionless nonrelativistic plasma are treated. A dispersion relation for multicomponent plasmas is derived from the linearized Boltzmann-Vlasov equation using the full set of Maxwell's equations without an external field. The velocity distributions of the plasma streams are assumed to be Maxwellian. For the particular case of two counterstreaming plasmas it is shown that there exists transversal instabilities for all counterstreaming velocities whereas the well known two stream instabilities only exist for velocities greater than a critical velocity. Exact solutions for the onset of the instabilities can be given. This kind of instability may occur for any nonisotropic velocity distribution in a collisionless plasma. (auth)

A Decade of MWC 758 Disk Images: Where Are the Spiral-arm-driving Planets?

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Bin; Dong, Ruobing; Esposito, Thomas M.; Pueyo, Laurent; Debes, John H.; Poteet, Charles A.; Choquet, Élodie; Benisty, Myriam; Chiang, Eugene; Grady, Carol A.; Hines, Dean C.; Schneider, Glenn; Soummer, Rémi

2018-04-01

Large-scale spiral arms have been revealed in scattered light images of a few protoplanetary disks. Theoretical models suggest that such arms may be driven by and corotate with giant planets, which has called for remarkable observational efforts to look for them. By examining the rotation of the spiral arms for the MWC 758 system over a 10 year timescale, we are able to provide dynamical constraints on the locations of their perturbers. We present reprocessed Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/NICMOS F110W observations of the target in 2005, and the new Keck/NIRC2 L‧-band observations in 2017. MWC 758's two well-known spiral arms are revealed in the NICMOS archive at the earliest observational epoch. With additional Very Large Telescope (VLT)/SPHERE data, our joint analysis leads to a pattern speed of 0\\buildrel{\\circ}\\over{.} {6}-0\\buildrel{\\circ\\over{.} 6}+3\\buildrel{\\circ\\over{.} 3} {yr}}-1 at 3σ for the two major spiral arms. If the two arms are induced by a perturber on a near-circular orbit, its best-fit orbit is at 89 au (0.″59), with a 3σ lower limit of 30 au (0.″20). This finding is consistent with the simulation prediction of the location of an arm-driving planet for the two major arms in the system.

How do octopuses use their arms?

Science.gov (United States)

Mather, J A

1998-09-01

A taxonomy of the movement patterns of the 8 flexible arms of octopuses is constructed. Components consist of movements of the arm itself, the ventral suckers and their stalks, as well as the relative position of arms and the skin web between them. Within 1 arm, combinations of components result in a variety of behaviors. At the level of all arms, 1 group of behaviors is described as postures, on the basis of the spread of all arms and the web to make a 2-dimensional surface whose position differs in the 3rd dimension. Another group of arm behaviors is actions, more or less coordinated and involving several to all arms. Arm control appears to be based on radial symmetry, relative equipotentiality of all arms, relative independence of each arm, and separability of components within the arm. The types and coordination of arm behaviors are discussed with relationship to biomechanical limits, muscle structures, and neuronal programming.

Prospective longitudinal evaluation of lung function during the first year of life after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hofhuis, W.; Hanekamp, M.N.; Ijsselstijn, H.; Nieuwhof, E.M.; Hop, W.C.J.; Tibboel, D.; Jongste, J.C. de; Merkus, P.J.F.M.

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To collect longitudinal data on lung function in the first year of life after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and to evaluate relationships between lung function and perinatal factors. Longitudinal data on lung function in the first year of life after extracorporeal membrane

Supramolecular Properties of Triazole-containing Two Armed Peptidomimetics: From Organogelators to Nucleotide-binding Tweezers

Science.gov (United States)

Chui, Tin Ki

This thesis described the development of a new type of branched peptidomimetics using a class of previously reported triazole-containing peptidomimetics as the structural motif. The propensity of these new branched peptiomimetics in being an organogelator, forming supramolecular assemblies and recognizing anions and biomolecules was investigated. The quest began with the preparation of two different series of branched peptidomimetics, namely 69-K-aa3 (aa = V or L) and 70-B-aa3. The former series made use of the flexible L-lysine (K) as the branching unit while the latter series was composed of the relatively rigid 3,5-diminobenzoate (B). In each series, the peptidomimetic arms were composed of solely valine (V) or leucine (L). The effects of the identity of the amino acids and the branching units on the gelation and self-assembling properties of these branched bis(tripeptidomimetic)s were investigated. The 69-K-aa3 series was found to exhibit poor solubility in common organic solvents yet it was able to form strong and stable gels in aromatic solvents. The 70-B-aa3 series, on the other hand, was a poor organogelator despite its excellent solubility. Morphological studies using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the ability of the former to form a hyperbranched 3D network whereas the latter was only capable of forming isolated spherical lumps. Nevertheless, the latter displayed the ability in forming supramolecular polymers as shown from viscometric studies. Solution-to-gel transition temperature measurement of the gels formed by the 69-K-aa3 series and association constants determination by 1H NMR titration experiments for the supramolecular polymerization of the 70-B-aa3 series both suggested that peptidomimetic arms comprised of valine performed better than those made up of leucine in terms of association strength, and such a difference was attributed to the bulkier nature of the leucine side chain. In order to

Relapse to opioid use in opioid-dependent individuals released from compulsory drug detention centres compared with those from voluntary methadone treatment centres in Malaysia: a two-arm, prospective observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wegman, Martin P; Altice, Frederick L; Kaur, Sangeeth; Rajandaran, Vanesa; Osornprasop, Sutayut; Wilson, David; Wilson, David P; Kamarulzaman, Adeeba

2017-02-01

Detention of people who use drugs into compulsory drug detention centres (CDDCs) is common throughout East and Southeast Asia. Evidence-based pharmacological therapies for treating substance use disorders, such as opioid agonist treatments with methadone, are generally unavailable in these settings. We used a unique opportunity where CDDCs coexisted with voluntary drug treatment centres (VTCs) providing methadone in Malaysia to compare the timing and occurrence of opioid relapse (measured using urine drug testing) in individuals transitioning from CDDCs versus methadone maintenance in VTCs. We did a parallel, two-arm, prospective observational study of opioid-dependent individuals aged 18 years and older who were treated in Malaysia in the Klang Valley in two settings: CDDCs and VTCs. We used sequential sampling to recruit individuals. Assessed individuals in CDDCs were required to participate in services such as counselling sessions and manual labour. Assessed individuals in VTCs could voluntarily access many of the components available in CDDCs, in addition to methadone therapy. We undertook urinary drug tests and behavioural interviews to assess individuals at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-release. The primary outcome was time to opioid relapse post-release in the community confirmed by urinary drug testing in individuals who had undergone baseline interviewing and at least one urine drug test (our analytic sample). Relapse rates between the groups were compared using time-to-event methods. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02698098). Between July 17, 2012, and August 21, 2014, we screened 168 CDDC attendees and 113 VTC inpatients; of these, 89 from CDDCs and 95 from VTCs were included in our analytic sample. The baseline characteristics of the two groups were similar. In unadjusted analyses, CDDC participants had significantly more rapid relapse to opioid use post-release compared with VTC participants (median time to relapse

Prognostic factors for work ability in women with chronic low back pain consulting primary health care: a 2-year prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordeman, Lena; Gunnarsson, Ronny; Mannerkorpi, Kaisa

2014-05-01

To investigate prognostic factors for future work ability in women with chronic low back pain (CLBP) consulting primary health care. A 2-year prospective longitudinal cohort study of female patients with CLBP within the primary health care was conducted. Patients were assessed at the first assessment and after 2 years. Prognostic factors for work ability (yes/no) were analyzed by multivariate regression. A total of 130 patients were included at first assessment. After 2 years, 123 patients (95%) were followed up. The 6-minute walk test, depression, and earlier work ability predicted work ability at the 2-year follow-up. A nomogram was constructed to assess the probability of future work ability. The 6-minute walk test, work ability, and depression predicted work ability for women with CLBP after 2 years.

Effects of arm elevation on radial artery pressure: a new method to distinguish hypovolemic shock and septic shock from hypotension.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Zhiyi; Zhang, Zhenyu; Xu, Yuan; Zhou, Hua; Wu, Sheng; Wang, Zhong

2018-06-01

In this prospective observational study, we investigated the variability in radial artery invasive blood pressure associated with arm elevation in patients with different hemodynamic types. We carried out a prospective observational study using data from 73 general anesthesia hepatobiliary postoperative adult patients admitted to an ICU over a 1-year period. A standard procedure was used for the arm elevation test. The value of invasive radial arterial pressure was recorded at baseline, and 30 and 60 s after the arm had been raised from 0° to 90°. We compared the blood pressure before versus after arm elevation, and between hemodynamically stable, hypovolemic shock, and septic shock patient groups. In all 73 patients, systolic arterial pressure (SAP) decreased, diastolic arterial pressure (DAP) increased, and pulse pressure (PP) decreased at 30 and 60 s after arm elevation (Ppressure (MAP) was unchanged (P>0.05). On comparing 30 and 60 s, there was no significant difference in SAP, DAP, PP, or MAP (P>0.05). In 40 hemodynamically stable patients, SAP and PP decreased, and DAP and MAP increased significantly at 30 and 60 s after arm elevation compared with baseline (P0.05). In 17 patients with septic shock, SAP, PP, and MAP decreased significantly versus baseline at 30 and 60 s (P0.05). Comparison of the absolute value of pressure change of septic shock patients at 30 s after raising the arm showed that SAP, DAP, and MAP changes were significantly lower compared with those in hypovolemic shock and hemodynamically stable patients (Parm elevation of SAP. The best cut-off point for the SAP change value was -5 mmHg or less, with a sensitivity of 94.12%, a specificity of 80.36%, a positive likelihood ratio of 4.79 (95% CI: 2.8-8.2), and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.073 (95% CI: 0.01-0.5). Our study shows that hypovolemic shock and septic shock patients have significantly different radial artery invasive blood pressure changes in an arm elevation test

Chaotic evolution of arms races

Science.gov (United States)

Tomochi, Masaki; Kono, Mitsuo

1998-12-01

A new set of model equations is proposed to describe the evolution of the arms race, by extending Richardson's model with special emphases that (1) power dependent defensive reaction or historical enmity could be a motive force to promote armaments, (2) a deterrent would suppress the growth of armaments, and (3) the defense reaction of one nation against the other nation depends nonlinearly on the difference in armaments between two. The set of equations is numerically solved to exhibit stationary, periodic, and chaotic behavior depending on the combinations of parameters involved. The chaotic evolution is realized when the economic situation of each country involved in the arms race is quite different, which is often observed in the real world.

Rock Moved by Mars Lander Arm

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

The robotic arm on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander slid a rock out of the way during the mission's 117th Martian day (Sept. 22, 2008) to gain access to soil that had been underneath the rock.The lander's Surface Stereo Imager took the two images for this stereo view later the same day, showing the rock, called 'Headless,' after the arm pushed it about 40 centimeters (16 inches) from its previous location. 'The rock ended up exactly where we intended it to,' said Matt Robinson of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, robotic arm flight software lead for the Phoenix team. The arm had enlarged the trench near Headless two days earlier in preparation for sliding the rock into the trench. The trench was dug to about 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) deep. The ground surface between the rock's prior position and the lip of the trench had a slope of about 3 degrees downward toward the trench. Headless is about the size and shape of a VHS videotape. The Phoenix science team sought to move the rock in order to study the soil and the depth to subsurface ice underneath where the rock had been. This image was taken at about 12:30 p.m., local solar time on Mars. The view is to the north northeast of the lander. The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by JPL, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development was by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Flail arm-like syndrome associated with HIV-1 infection

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Nalini A

2009-01-01

Full Text Available During the last 20 years at least 23 cases of motor neuron disease have been reported in HIV-1 seropositive patients. In this report we describe the clinical picture of a young man with HIV-1 clade C infection and flail arm-like syndrome, who we were able to follow-up for a long period. We investigated and prospectively monitored a 34-year-old man with features of flail arm syndrome, who developed the weakness and wasting 1 year after being diagnosed with HIV-1 infection after a routine blood test. He presented in 2003 with progressive, symmetrical wasting and weakness of the proximal muscles of the upper limb of 2 years′ duration. He had severe wasting and weakness of the shoulder and arm muscles. There were no pyramidal signs. He has been on HAART for the last 4 years and the weakness or wasting has not worsened. At the last follow-up in July 2007, the patient had the same neurological deficit and no other symptoms or signs of HIV-1 infection. MRI of the spinal cord in 2007 showed characteristic T2 hyperintense signals in the central part of the spinal cord, corresponding to the central gray matter. Thus, our patient had HIV-1 clade C infection associated with a ′flail arm-like syndrome.′ The causal relationship between HIV-1 infection and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS-like syndrome is still uncertain. The syndrome usually manifests as a lower motor neuron syndrome, as was seen in our young patient. It is known that treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART stabilizes/improves the condition. In our patient the weakness and atrophy remained stable over a period of 3.5 years after commencing HAART regimen.

Upper-extremity phocomelia reexamined: a longitudinal dysplasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldfarb, Charles A; Manske, Paul R; Busa, Riccardo; Mills, Janith; Carter, Peter; Ezaki, Marybeth

2005-12-01

In contrast to longitudinal deficiencies, phocomelia is considered a transverse, intercalated segmental dysplasia. Most patients demonstrate severe, but not otherwise classifiable, upper-extremity deformities, which usually cannot be placed into one of three previously described phocomelia groups. Additionally, these phocomelic extremities do not demonstrate true segmental deficits; the limb is also abnormal proximal and distal to the segmental defect. The purpose of this investigation was to present evidence that upper-extremity abnormalities in patients previously diagnosed as having phocomelia in fact represent a proximal continuum of radial or ulnar longitudinal dysplasia. The charts and radiographs of forty-one patients (sixty extremities) diagnosed as having upper-extremity phocomelia were reviewed retrospectively. On the basis of the findings on the radiographs, the disorders were categorized into three groups: (1) proximal radial longitudinal dysplasia, which was characterized by an absent proximal part of the humerus, a nearly normal distal part of the humerus, a completely absent radius, and a radial-sided hand dysplasia; (2) proximal ulnar longitudinal dysplasia, characterized by a short one-bone upper extremity that bifurcated distally and by severe hand abnormalities compatible with ulnar dysplasia; and (3) severe combined dysplasia, with type A characterized by an absence of the forearm segment (i.e., the radius and ulna) and type B characterized by absence of the arm and forearm (i.e., the hand attached to the thorax). Twenty-nine limbs in sixteen patients could be classified as having proximal radial longitudinal dysplasia. Systemic medical conditions such as thrombocytopenia-absent radius syndrome were common in those patients, but additional musculoskeletal conditions were rare. Twenty limbs in seventeen patients could be classified as having proximal ulnar longitudinal dysplasia. Associated musculoskeletal abnormalities, such as proximal femoral

The association of age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) and complement factor H (CFH) variants with two angiographic subtypes of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Miki, Akiko; Honda, Shigeru; Kondo, Naoshi; Negi, Akira

2013-09-01

To compare the association of age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) and complement factor H (CFH) variants between two different angiographic phenotypes of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). We included 175 Japanese patients with PCV and 150 age- and sex-matched controls. PCV was classified into two phenotypes (Type 1 and Type 2) according to the presence or absence of the feeding vessels found in indocyanine-green angiography. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at rs10490924 (A69S) in ARMS2 and rs800292 (I62V), rs1061170 (Y402H) in the CFH region were genotyped using the TaqMan assay. The minor allele frequency (MAF) of rs10490924 was significantly different between Type 1 PCV (n = 81) and control (p < 0.0001), while no difference was found between Type 2 PCV (n = 94) and control (p = 0.20). The MAF of rs800292 was significantly different between each type of PCV and control (p < 0.0001 and 0.0001 for Type 1 versus control and Type 2 versus control, respectively). The MAF of rs1061170 was not significantly different between either type of PCV and control (p = 0.084 and 0.15, respectively). There may be significantly different associations in the genetic variants of ARMS2 between two angiographic phenotypes of PCV.

Blood pressure measurements in the ankle are not equivalent to blood pressure measurements in the arm.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldstein, Lara Nicole; Wells, Mike; Sliwa, Karen

2014-07-25

Blood pressure (BP) is often measured on the ankle in the emergency department (ED), but this has never been shown to be an acceptable alternative to measurements performed on the arm. To establish whether the differences between arm and ankle non-invasive BP measurements were clinically relevant (i.e. a difference of ≥10 mmHg). This was a prospective cross-sectional study in an urban ED making use of a convenience sample of 201 patients (18 - 50 years of age) who were not in need of emergency medical treatment. BP was measured in the supine position on both arms and ankles with the correct size cuff according to the manufacturer's guidelines. The arm and ankle BP measurements were compared. There was a clinically and statistically significant difference between arm and ankle systolic BP (SBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (-13 mmHg, 95% confidence interval (CI) -28 - 1 mmHg and -5 mmHg, 95% CI -13 - 4 mmHg, respectively), with less difference in diastolic BP (DBP) (2 mmHg, 95% CI -7 - 10 mmHg). Only 37% of SBP measurements and 83% of MAP measurements were within an error range of 10 mmHg, while 95% of DBP measurements agreed within 10 mmHg. While the average differences (or the bias) were generally not large, large variations in individual patients (indicating poor precision) made the prediction of arm BP from ankle measurements unreliable. Ankle BP cannot be used as a substitute for arm BP in the ED.

Adolescent Fathers Who Are Incarcerated Juvenile Offenders: Explanatory Study of the Co-Occurrence of Two Problem Behaviors

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Unruh, Deanne; Bullis, Michael; Yovanoff, Paul

2004-01-01

We identify explanatory risk variables associated with the co-occurrence of two problem behaviors: juvenile offending and adolescent fatherhood. Data were gathered from a 5-year prospective, longitudinal study of 531 incarcerated juvenile offenders as they transitioned from youth correction facilities back into the community. Of the total sample,…

Granger Causality Testing with Intensive Longitudinal Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Molenaar, Peter C M

2018-06-01

The availability of intensive longitudinal data obtained by means of ambulatory assessment opens up new prospects for prevention research in that it allows the derivation of subject-specific dynamic networks of interacting variables by means of vector autoregressive (VAR) modeling. The dynamic networks thus obtained can be subjected to Granger causality testing in order to identify causal relations among the observed time-dependent variables. VARs have two equivalent representations: standard and structural. Results obtained with Granger causality testing depend upon which representation is chosen, yet no criteria exist on which this important choice can be based. A new equivalent representation is introduced called hybrid VARs with which the best representation can be chosen in a data-driven way. Partial directed coherence, a frequency-domain statistic for Granger causality testing, is shown to perform optimally when based on hybrid VARs. An application to real data is provided.

Experimental investigation of the longitudinal beam dynamics in a photoinjector using a two-macroparticle bunch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Piot

2006-05-01

Full Text Available We have developed a two-macroparticle bunch to explore the longitudinal beam dynamics through various components of the Fermilab/NICADD photoinjector. Such a two-macroparticle bunch is generated by splitting the ultraviolet pulse from the photocathode drive laser. The presented method allows the exploration of radio-frequency-induced compression in the 1.625 cell radio frequency gun and the booster cavity. It also allows a direct measurement of the momentum compaction of the magnetic bunch compressor. The measurements are compared with analytical and numerical models.

Admittance Control of a Multi-Finger Arm Based on Manipulability of Fingers

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Takayuki Hori

2011-09-01

Full Text Available In the previous studies, admittance control and impedance control for a finger‐arm robot using the manipulability of the finger were studied and methods of realizing the controls have been proposed. In this study, two 3‐DOF fingers are attached to the end‐effector of a 6‐DOF arm to configure a multi‐finger arm robot. Based on the previous methods, the authors have proposed an admittance control for a multi‐finger arm robot using the manipulability of the fingers in this study. Algorithms of the averaging method and the mini‐max method were introduced to establish a manipulability criterion of the two fingers in order to generate a cooperative movement of the arm. Comparison of the admittance controls combined with the top search method and local optimization method for the multi‐finger arm robot was made and features of the control methods were also discussed. The stiffness control and damping control were experimentally evaluated to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Assessment of exposure to hand-arm vibration and its related health effects in workers employed in stone cutting workshops of Hamadan city

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roya Bayat

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The workers employed in stone cutting workplace are exposed to hand-arm vibration and its complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the exposure to hand-arm vibration and its health effects on workers in the stone cutting workshops. Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, 40 workers of Hamadan city stone cutting who worked with stone cutting machines were examined. Measuring exposure to hand-arm vibration was performed by standard methods ISO 5349. Symptoms related hand-arm vibration syndrome using a questionnaire construction was studied. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: Results showed that 8-hour equivalent acceleration of hand-arm vibration exposure in stonecuttingworkers was exceeds the permissible exposure levels of country (Pv<0.05. Most average hand and arm vibration acceleration was measured in the Z axis. The average vibration acceleration hand-arm and cutting transverse and longitudinal cutting significant difference was observed (Pv<0.05. Conclusion: In regard to exposure level of stone cutting workers compared with the national exposure limit, the training of health care, non-smoking, and use of anti-vibration gloves, work rotations canthe effective in reducing the risk of health effects. Furthermore, it seems essential to track the health effects associated with human vibration by use of screening tests in the work place seem.

Vascular permeability and iron deposition biomarkers in longitudinal follow-up of cerebral cavernous malformations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Girard, Romuald; Fam, Maged D; Zeineddine, Hussein A

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE Vascular permeability and iron leakage are central features of cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM) pathogenesis. The authors aimed to correlate prospective clinical behavior of CCM lesions with longitudinal changes in biomarkers of dynamic contrast-enhanced quantitative permeability (...

Changes in the bilateral pulse transit time difference with a moving arm.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Xinge; Wei, Shoushui; Zheng, Dingchang; Huang, Peng; Liu, Chengyu

2018-04-20

Changes of pulse transit time (PTT) induced by arm position were studied for unilateral arm. However, consistency of the PTT changes was not validated for both arm sides. We aimed to quantify the PTT changes between horizontal and non-horizontal positions from right arm and left arm in order to explore the consistency of both arms. Twenty-four normal subjects aged between 21 and 50 (14 male and 10 female) years were enrolled. Left and right radial artery pulses were synchronously recorded from 24 healthy subjects with one arm (left or right) at five angles (90∘, 45∘, 0∘, -45∘ and -90∘) and the other arm at the horizontal level (0∘) for reference. The overall mean PTT changes at the five angles (from 90∘ to -90∘) in the left arm (right as reference) were 16.1, 12.3, -0.5, -2.5 and -2.6 ms, respectively, and in the right arm (left as reference) were 18.0, 12.6, 1.6, -1.6 and -2.0 ms, respectively. Obvious differences were not found in the PTT changes between the two arms (left arm moving or right arm moving) under each of the five different positions (all P> 0.05).

Safe RESIDential Environments? A longitudinal analysis of the influence of crime-related safety on walking

OpenAIRE

Foster, Sarah; Hooper, Paula; Knuiman, Matthew; Christian, Hayley; Bull, Fiona; Giles-Corti, Billie

2016-01-01

Background Numerous cross-sectional studies have investigated the premise that the perception of crime will cause residents to constrain their walking; however the findings to date are inconclusive. In contrast, few longitudinal or prospective studies have examined the impact of crime-related safety on residents walking behaviours. This study used longitudinal data to test whether there is a causal relationship between crime-related safety and walking in the local neighbourhood. Methods Parti...

Kootenay Lake Fertilization Experiment, Year 15 (North Arm) and Year 3 (South Arm) (2006) Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schindler, E.U.; Sebastian, D.; Andrusak, G.F. [Fish and Wildlife Science and Allocation, Ministry of Environment, Province of British Columbia

2009-07-01

This report summarizes results from the fifteenth year (2006) of nutrient additions to the North Arm of Kootenay Lake and three years of nutrient additions to the South Arm. Experimental fertilization of the lake has been conducted using an adaptive management approach in an effort to restore lake productivity lost as a result of nutrient uptake in upstream reservoirs. The primary objective of the experiment is to restore kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) populations, which are the main food source for Gerrard rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus). The quantity of agricultural grade liquid fertilizer (10-34-0, ammonium polyphosphate and 28-0-0, urea ammonium nitrate) added to the North Arm in 2006 was 44.7 tonnes of P and 248.4 tonnes of N. The total fertilizer load added to the South Arm was 257 tonnes of nitrogen; no P was added. Kootenay Lake has an area of 395 km{sup 2}, a maximum depth of 150 m, a mean depth of 94 m, and a water renewal time of approximately two years. Kootenay Lake is a monomictic lake, generally mixing from late fall to early spring and stratifying during the summer. Surface water temperatures generally exceed 20 C for only a few weeks in July. Results of oxygen profiles were similar to previous years with the lake being well oxygenated from the surface to the bottom depths at all stations. Similar to past years, Secchi disc measurements at all stations in 2006 indicate a typical seasonal pattern of decreasing depths associated with the spring phytoplankton bloom, followed by increasing depths as the bloom gradually decreases by the late summer and fall. Total phosphorus (TP) ranged from 2-7 {micro}g/L and tended to decrease as summer advanced. Over the sampling season dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations decreased, with the decline corresponding to nitrate (the dominant component of DIN) being utilized by phytoplankton during summer stratification. Owing to the importance of epilimnetic nitrate

Armed conflict and child health.

Science.gov (United States)

Rieder, Michael; Choonara, Imti

2012-01-01

Armed conflict has a major impact on child health throughout the world. One in six children worldwide lives in an area of armed conflict and civilians are more likely to die than soldiers as a result of the conflict. In stark contrast to the effect on children, the international arms trade results in huge profits for the large corporations involved in producing arms, weapons and munitions. Armed conflict is not inevitable but is an important health issue that should be prevented.

Development of a Multi-Arm Mobile Robot for Nuclear Decommissioning Tasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed J. Bakari

2008-11-01

Full Text Available This paper concerns the design of a two-arm mobile delivery platform for application within nuclear decommissioning tasks. The adoption of the human arm as a model of manoeuvrability, scale and dexterity is the starting point for operation of two seven-function arms within the context of nuclear decommissioning tasks, the selection of hardware and its integration, and the development of suitable control methods. The forward and inverse kinematics for the manipulators are derived and the proposed software architecture identified to control the movements of the arm joints and the performance of selected decommissioning tasks. We discuss the adoption of a BROKK demolition machine as a mobile platform and the integration with its hydraulic system to operate the two seven-function manipulators separately. The paper examines the modelling and development of a real-time control method using Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID and Proportional-Integral-Plus (PIP control algorithms in the host computer with National Instruments functions and tools to control the manipulators and obtain feedback through wireless communication. Finally we consider the application of a third party device, such as a personal mobile phone, and its interface with LabVIEW software in order to operate the robot arms remotely.

On the infrared sensitivity of the longitudinal cross section in e+e- annihilation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beneke, M.

1996-09-01

The authors have calculated the contributions proportional to β 0 n α s n+1 to the longitudinal fragmentation function in e + e - annihilation to all orders of perturbation theory. They use this result to estimate higher-order perturbative corrections and nonperturbative corrections to the longitudinal cross section σ L and discuss the prospects of determining α s from σ L . The structure of infrared renormalons in the perturbative expansion suggests that the longitudinal cross section for hadron production with fixed momentum fraction x receives nonperturbative contributions of order 1/(x 2 Q 2 ), whereas the total cross section has a larger, 1/Q correction. This correction arises from very large longitudinal distances and is related to the behavior of the Borel integral for the cross section with fixed x at large values of the Borel parameter

Prevalence and predictors of anxiety and depression after completion of chemotherapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A prospective longitudinal study

Science.gov (United States)

Kunin-Batson, Alicia S.; Lu, Xiaomin; Balsamo, Lyn; Graber, Kelsey; Devidas, Meenakshi; Hunger, Stephen P.; Carroll, William L.; Winick, Naomi J.; Mattano, Leonard A.; Maloney, Kelly W.; Kadan-Lottick, Nina S.

2016-01-01

Background The months immediately following completion of treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are often regarded as a stressful time for children and families. In this prospective, longitudinal study, the prevalence and predictors of anxiety and depressive symptoms after completion of treatment were examined. Methods Participants included 160 children (ages 2-9 years) with standard-risk ALL enrolled on Children's Oncology Group protocol AALL0331. Parents completed standardized rating scales of children's emotional-behavioral functioning, and measures of coping and family functioning at ∼1, 6, and 12 months after diagnosis, and again 3 months following completion of chemotherapy. Results Three months off-therapy, 24% of survivors had at-risk/clinically elevated anxiety scores and 28% had elevated depression scores, significantly higher than the expected 15% in the general population (p=0.028 and 0.001, respectively). Patients with elevated anxiety one-month post-diagnosis were at greater risk for off–therapy anxiety (OR=4.1; 95% CI, 1.31-12.73, p=0.022), and those with elevated depressive symptoms 6-months post-diagnosis were at greater risk for off-therapy depression (OR=7.88, 95% CI, 2.61-23.81, p=0.0002). In adjusted longitudinal analyses, unhealthy family functioning (p=0.008), and less reliance on social support coping (p=0.009) were associated with risk for emotional distress. Children from Spanish-speaking families (p=0.05) were also at greater risk for distress. Conclusions A significant proportion of children experience emotional distress during and after therapy for ALL. These data provide a compelling rationale for targeted early screening, and psychosocial interventions to support family functioning and coping skills. PMID:27028090

Systems Approach to Arms Control Verification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allen, K; Neimeyer, I; Listner, C; Stein, G; Chen, C; Dreicer, M

2015-05-15

Using the decades of experience of developing concepts and technologies for verifying bilateral and multilateral arms control agreements, a broad conceptual systems approach is being developed that takes into account varying levels of information and risk. The IAEA has already demonstrated the applicability of a systems approach by implementing safeguards at the State level, with acquisition path analysis as the key element. In order to test whether such an approach could also be implemented for arms control verification, an exercise was conducted in November 2014 at the JRC ITU Ispra. Based on the scenario of a hypothetical treaty between two model nuclear weapons states aimed at capping their nuclear arsenals at existing levels, the goal of this exercise was to explore how to use acquisition path analysis in an arms control context. Our contribution will present the scenario, objectives and results of this exercise, and attempt to define future workshops aimed at further developing verification measures that will deter or detect treaty violations.

Assessment of psychological distress among Asian adolescents and young adults (AYA) cancer patients using the distress thermometer: a prospective, longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Alexandre; Poon, Eileen; Goh, Wei Lin; Gan, Yanxiang; Tan, Chia Jie; Yeo, Kelvin; Chua, Annabelle; Chee, Magdalene; Law, Yi Chye; Somasundaram, Nagavalli; Kanesvaran, Ravindran; Ng, Quan Sing; Tham, Chee Kian; Toh, Chee Keong; Lim, Soon Thye; Tao, Miriam; Tang, Tiffany; Quek, Richard; Farid, Mohamad

2018-04-11

Since few studies have investigated whether the Distress Thermometer (DT) in Asian adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients (between 15 and 39 years), we investigated the appropriateness of the DT as a screening tool for psychological symptom burden in these AYA patients and to evaluate AYA patients' distress across a trajectory of three time points longitudinally over a 6-month period. This was a prospective, longitudinal study. Recruited Asian AYA patients were diagnosed with lymphomas, sarcomas, primary brain malignancies, or germ cell tumors. Patients completed the DT, PedsQL Generic Core Scales, and the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist. Data were analyzed using STATA version 15. Approximately half of the patients experienced clinically significant DT distress (distress score ≥ 4) early in their cancer journey with 43.1% patients presenting with distress at time of diagnosis and 47.7% patients 1 month after diagnosis. Among AYA patients > 24 years old, worry (68.3%), insurance/financial issues (61%), treatment decisions (43.9%), work/school issues (41.5%), nervousness (41.5%), and sadness (41.5%) were the top five identified problems. On the other hand, the top five identified problems among AYA ≤ 24 years were worry (54.2%), nervousness (41.7%), bathing/dressing problems (37.5%), work/school issues (33.3%), and fatigue (33.3%). DT scores were significantly associated with certain psychological symptom burden items such as worry (p psychological distress in AYA cancer patients with clinically significant distress being identified in the early phases of the cancer journey.

Hello to Arms

Science.gov (United States)

2005-01-01

This image highlights the hidden spiral arms (blue) that were discovered around the nearby galaxy NGC 4625 by the ultraviolet eyes of NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer. The image is composed of ultraviolet and visible-light data, from the Galaxy Evolution Explorer and the California Institute of Technology's Digitized Sky Survey, respectively. Near-ultraviolet light is colored green; far-ultraviolet light is colored blue; and optical light is colored red. As the image demonstrates, the lengthy spiral arms are nearly invisible when viewed in optical light while bright in ultraviolet. This is because they are bustling with hot, newborn stars that radiate primarily ultraviolet light. The youthful arms are also very long, stretching out to a distance four times the size of the galaxy's core. They are part of the largest ultraviolet galactic disk discovered so far. Located 31 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, NGC 4625 is the closest galaxy ever seen with such a young halo of arms. It is slightly smaller than our Milky Way, both in size and mass. However, the fact that this galaxy's disk is forming stars very actively suggests that it might evolve into a more massive and mature galaxy resembling our own. The armless companion galaxy seen below NGC 4625 is called NGC 4618. Astronomers do not know why it lacks arms but speculate that it may have triggered the development of arms in NGC 4625.

Bullied by Peers in Childhood and Borderline Personality Symptoms at 11-Years of Age: A Prospective Study

Science.gov (United States)

Wolke, Dieter; Schreier, Andrea; Zanarini, Mary C.; Winsper, Catherine

2012-01-01

Background: Abuse by adults has been reported as a potent predictor of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Unclear is whether victimisation by peers increases the risk of borderline personality symptoms. Method: The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) prospective, longitudinal observation study of 6050 mothers and their…

Visual Display of 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA Expression with a Mobile Application.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Chao-Yu; Kuo, Wei-Ting; Chiu, Chien-Yuan; Lin, Wen-Chang

2017-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in human cancers. In previous studies, we have demonstrated that both 5p-arm and 3p-arm of mature miRNAs could be expressed from the same precursor and we further interrogated the 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA expression with a comprehensive arm feature annotation list. To assist biologists to visualize the differential 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA expression patterns, we utilized a user-friendly mobile App to display. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) miRNA-Seq expression information. We have collected over 4,500 miRNA-Seq datasets from 15 TCGA cancer types and further processed them with the 5p-arm and 3p-arm annotation analysis pipeline. In order to be displayed with the RNA-Seq Viewer App, annotated 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA expression information and miRNA gene loci information were converted into SQLite tables. In this distinct application, for any given miRNA gene, 5p-arm miRNA is illustrated on the top of chromosome ideogram and 3p-arm miRNA is illustrated on the bottom of chromosome ideogram. Users can then easily interrogate the differentially 5p-arm/3p-arm expressed miRNAs with their mobile devices. This study demonstrates the feasibility and utility of RNA-Seq Viewer App in addition to mRNA-Seq data visualization.

Visual Display of 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA Expression with a Mobile Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chao-Yu Pan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs (miRNAs play important roles in human cancers. In previous studies, we have demonstrated that both 5p-arm and 3p-arm of mature miRNAs could be expressed from the same precursor and we further interrogated the 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA expression with a comprehensive arm feature annotation list. To assist biologists to visualize the differential 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA expression patterns, we utilized a user-friendly mobile App to display. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA miRNA-Seq expression information. We have collected over 4,500 miRNA-Seq datasets from 15 TCGA cancer types and further processed them with the 5p-arm and 3p-arm annotation analysis pipeline. In order to be displayed with the RNA-Seq Viewer App, annotated 5p-arm and 3p-arm miRNA expression information and miRNA gene loci information were converted into SQLite tables. In this distinct application, for any given miRNA gene, 5p-arm miRNA is illustrated on the top of chromosome ideogram and 3p-arm miRNA is illustrated on the bottom of chromosome ideogram. Users can then easily interrogate the differentially 5p-arm/3p-arm expressed miRNAs with their mobile devices. This study demonstrates the feasibility and utility of RNA-Seq Viewer App in addition to mRNA-Seq data visualization.

Longitudinal categorical data analysis

CERN Document Server

Sutradhar, Brajendra C

2014-01-01

This is the first book in longitudinal categorical data analysis with parametric correlation models developed based on dynamic relationships among repeated categorical responses. This book is a natural generalization of the longitudinal binary data analysis to the multinomial data setup with more than two categories. Thus, unlike the existing books on cross-sectional categorical data analysis using log linear models, this book uses multinomial probability models both in cross-sectional and longitudinal setups. A theoretical foundation is provided for the analysis of univariate multinomial responses, by developing models systematically for the cases with no covariates as well as categorical covariates, both in cross-sectional and longitudinal setups. In the longitudinal setup, both stationary and non-stationary covariates are considered. These models have also been extended to the bivariate multinomial setup along with suitable covariates. For the inferences, the book uses the generalized quasi-likelihood as w...

COBE AND THE GALACTIC INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM: GEOMETRY OF THE SPIRAL ARMS FROM FIR COOLING LINES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steiman-Cameron, Thomas Y.; Wolfire, Mark; Hollenbach, David

2010-01-01

We present a new model for the spiral structure of the Milky Way based upon the essentially all-sky intensity maps of the [C II] 158 μm and [N II] 205 μm lines of the interstellar medium (ISM) obtained by the FIRAS instrument of the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE), with ancillary data from the Balloon-borne Infrared Carbon Explorer, and Infrared Space Observatory. These lines are important coolants of the ISM and strong tracers of the spiral structure. The model provides the volume emissivity of these species as a function of position within the Galaxy. Two-, three-, and four-arm models are examined, using a number of spiral functional forms. Two-arm models are found to be inconsistent with the COBE/FIRAS data. A three-arm model can be constructed that reproduces the [C II] and [N II] intensity profiles along the Galactic plane. This model, however, is discounted by historical observations of the Perseus and Cygnus ( O uter ) arms. A four-arm model, with arms defined by logarithmic spiral forms, reproduce the observations extremely well. Models of the Milky Way's spiral geometry proposed from ∼1980 to the present are examined in light of the COBE data and compared with the model presented herein. The preponderance of the evidence supports the existence of four well-defined logarithmic spiral arms in the gaseous component of the ISM. We note that essentially all two-arm models proposed since the mid-1980s are based upon observations of older evolved stars. We address the question of why studies based upon observations of stellar densities yield two-arm models while models based upon observations of more traditional tracers of spiral arms, i.e., enhanced gas and dust densities, star formation, and young stellar populations, yield four-arm models.

EU Armed Forces’ Use of Social Media in Areas of Deployment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Hellman

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The advent of social media can be seen both as a risk and an opportunity by armed forces. Previous research has primarily examined whether or not the use of social media endangers or strengthens armed forces’ strategic narrative. We examine armed forces’ perceptions of risks and opportunities on a broad basis, with a particular focus on areas of deployment. The article is based on a survey of perceptions of social media amongst the armed forces of EU member states, thus adding to previous research through its comparative perspective. Whereas previous research has mainly focused on larger powers, such as the US and the UK, this article includes the views of the armed forces of 26 EU states, including several smaller nations. In analyzing the results we asked whether or not risk and opportunity perceptions were related to national ICT maturity and the existence of a social media strategy. The analysis shows that perceptions of opportunities outweigh perceptions of risks, with marketing and two-way communication as the two most prominent opportunities offered by the use of social media. Also, armed forces in countries with a moderate to high ICT maturity emphasize social media as a good way for marketing purposes.

Decoupling Identification for Serial Two-Link Two-Inertia System

Science.gov (United States)

Oaki, Junji; Adachi, Shuichi

The purpose of our study is to develop a precise model by applying the technique of system identification for the model-based control of a nonlinear robot arm, under taking joint-elasticity into consideration. We previously proposed a systematic identification method, called “decoupling identification,” for a “SCARA-type” planar two-link robot arm with elastic joints caused by the Harmonic-drive® reduction gears. The proposed method serves as an extension of the conventional rigid-joint-model-based identification. The robot arm is treated as a serial two-link two-inertia system with nonlinearity. The decoupling identification method using link-accelerometer signals enables the serial two-link two-inertia system to be divided into two linear one-link two-inertia systems. The MATLAB®'s commands for state-space model estimation are utilized in the proposed method. Physical parameters such as motor inertias, link inertias, joint-friction coefficients, and joint-spring coefficients are estimated through the identified one-link two-inertia systems using a gray-box approach. This paper describes accuracy evaluations using the two-link arm for the decoupling identification method under introducing closed-loop-controlled elements and varying amplitude-setup of identification-input. Experimental results show that the identification method also works with closed-loop-controlled elements. Therefore, the identification method is applicable to a “PUMA-type” vertical robot arm under gravity.

Effect of standard cuff on blood pressure readings in patients with obese arms. How frequent are arms of a 'large circumference'?

Science.gov (United States)

Fonseca-Reyes, Salvador; de Alba-García, Javier García; Parra-Carrillo, José Z; Paczka-Zapata, José Antonio

2003-06-01

To measure the effect on blood pressure readings when a standard cuff is used on patients with arms of a large circumference, and to determine the frequency of arms of a large circumference. Blood pressures were taken in 120 subjects with an arm circumference greater than 33 cm. Also, the arm circumference was determined in 244 patients from a family health unit, and in 216 patients from a hypertension clinic. A mercury sphygmomanometer and two different cuff sizes were used in a random sequence; therefore, 60 patients' blood pressure were first measured with a large cuff, followed by a standard cuff; the opposite sequence was then applied for another 60 patients. With the obtained values and using a regression analysis, the difference in blood pressure overestimation was calculated. Arm circumference measurement percentages were used to determine the frequency of arms of a large circumference. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly greater when the standard cuff was used. For every 5 cm increase in arm circumference, starting at 35 cm, a 2-5 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure, and a 1-3 mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure was observed. The prevalence of arms with a large circumference in the family medicine unit and hypertension clinic was 42% and 41.8%, respectively. There is an overestimation of blood pressure when a standard cuff is used in obese subjects. The high prevalence of these individuals in our environment, both in the hypertensive and normotensive population, makes it necessary to have on hand different sizes of cuffs for taking blood pressure in order to avoid incorrect decisions.

Armed conflict and child health

OpenAIRE

Rieder, Michael; Choonara, Imti

2012-01-01

Armed conflict has a major impact on child health\\ud throughout the world. One in six children worldwide lives\\ud in an area of armed conflict and civilians are more likely\\ud to die than soldiers as a result of the conflict. In stark\\ud contrast to the effect on children, the international arms\\ud trade results in huge profits for the large corporations\\ud involved in producing arms, weapons and munitions.\\ud Armed conflict is not inevitable but is an important\\ud health issue that should be...

Galaxy Zoo: constraining the origin of spiral arms

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Ross E.; Bamford, Steven P.; Keel, William C.; Kruk, Sandor J.; Masters, Karen L.; Simmons, Brooke D.; Smethurst, Rebecca J.

2018-05-01

Since the discovery that the majority of low-redshift galaxies exhibit some level of spiral structure, a number of theories have been proposed as to why these patterns exist. A popular explanation is a process known as swing amplification, yet there is no observational evidence to prove that such a mechanism is at play. By using a number of measured properties of galaxies, and scaling relations where there are no direct measurements, we model samples of SDSS and S4G spiral galaxies in terms of their relative halo, bulge and disc mass and size. Using these models, we test predictions of swing amplification theory with respect to directly measured spiral arm numbers from Galaxy Zoo 2. We find that neither a universal cored or cuspy inner dark matter profile can correctly predict observed numbers of arms in galaxies. However, by invoking a halo contraction/expansion model, a clear bimodality in the spiral galaxy population emerges. Approximately 40 per cent of unbarred spiral galaxies at z ≲ 0.1 and M* ≳ 1010M⊙ have spiral arms that can be modelled by swing amplification. This population display a significant correlation between predicted and observed spiral arm numbers, evidence that they are swing amplified modes. The remainder are dominated by two-arm systems for which the model predicts significantly higher arm numbers. These are likely driven by tidal interactions or other mechanisms.

Localization Performance of Multiple Vibrotactile Cues on Both Arms.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dangxiao; Peng, Cong; Afzal, Naqash; Li, Weiang; Wu, Dong; Zhang, Yuru

2018-01-01

To present information using vibrotactile stimuli in wearable devices, it is fundamental to understand human performance of localizing vibrotactile cues across the skin surface. In this paper, we studied human ability to identify locations of multiple vibrotactile cues activated simultaneously on both arms. Two haptic bands were mounted in proximity to the elbow and shoulder joints on each arm, and two vibrotactile motors were mounted on each band to provide vibration cues to the dorsal and palmar side of the arm. The localization performance under four conditions were compared, with the number of the simultaneously activated cues varying from one to four in each condition. Experimental results illustrate that the rate of correct localization decreases linearly with the increase in the number of activated cues. It was 27.8 percent for three activated cues, and became even lower for four activated cues. An analysis of the correct rate and error patterns show that the layout of vibrotactile cues can have significant effects on the localization performance of multiple vibrotactile cues. These findings might provide guidelines for using vibrotactile cues to guide the simultaneous motion of multiple joints on both arms.

Two-arm semiconductor spectrometer for charged particles for the investigation of absorption by nuclei of stopped negative pions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gornov, M.G.; Gurov, Yu.B.; Lukin, A.S.; Morokhov, P.V.; Pechkurov, V.A.; Pichugin, A.P.; Saveliev, V.I.; Shafigullin, R.R.; Sergeev, F.M.; Khomutov, A.A.; Oganesian, K.O.; Osipenko, B.P.; Sandukovsky, V.G.

1984-01-01

A two-arm semiconductor spectrometer for the detection of secondary charged particles, such as p, d, t, 3 He, 4 He and of their correlations in the process of stopped pion absorption by nuclei is described. The spectrometer consists of two telescopes of Si-detectors with a sensitive surface of 800 mm 2 , two semiconductor detectors as monitors and the 'live' target, a silicon surface barrier detector. The number of semiconductor detectors is 19. A technique for pion stop selection in thin targets is described. The problem of particle identification and of measurements of their energy with the help of a multicrystal semiconductor telescope is discussed. The technique provides an absolute normalization of spectra. The 'alive' target helps to obtain more information on the process of pion absorption by Si-nuclei. (orig.)

Depression and blood pressure in high-risk children and adolescents: an investigation using two longitudinal cohorts

Science.gov (United States)

Hammerton, Gemma; Harold, Gordon; Thapar, Anita; Thapar, Ajay

2013-01-01

Objective To examine the relationship between blood pressure and depressive disorder in children and adolescents at high risk for depression. Design Multisample longitudinal design including a prospective longitudinal three-wave high-risk study of offspring of parents with recurrent depression and an on-going birth cohort for replication. Setting Community-based studies. Participants High-risk sample includes 281 families where children were aged 9–17 years at baseline and 10–19 years at the final data point. Replication cohort includes 4830 families where children were aged 11–14 years at baseline and 14–17 years at follow-up and a high-risk subsample of 612 offspring with mothers that had reported recurrent depression. Main outcome measures The new-onset of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, fourth edition defined depressive disorder in the offspring using established research diagnostic assessments—the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment in the high-risk sample and the Development and Wellbeing Assessment in the replication sample. Results Blood pressure was standardised for age and gender to create SD scores and child's weight was statistically controlled in all analyses. In the high-risk sample, lower systolic blood pressure at wave 1 significantly predicted new-onset depressive disorder in children (OR=0.65, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.96; p=0.029) but diastolic blood pressure did not. Depressive disorder at wave 1 did not predict systolic blood pressure at wave 3. A significant association between lower systolic blood pressure and future depression was also found in the replication cohort in the second subset of high-risk children whose mothers had experienced recurrent depression in the past. Conclusions Lower systolic blood pressure predicts new-onset depressive disorder in the offspring of parents with depression. Further studies are needed to investigate how this association arises. PMID:24071459

Risk and protective factors, longitudinal research, and bullying prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Ttofi, Maria M; Farrington, David P

2012-01-01

This chapter presents the results from two systematic/meta-analytic reviews of longitudinal studies on the association of school bullying (perpetration and victimization) with adverse health and criminal outcomes later in life. Significant associations between the two predictors and the outcomes are found even after controlling for other major childhood risk factors that are measured before school bullying. The results indicate that effective antibullying programs should be encouraged. They could be viewed as a form of early crime prevention as well as an early form of public health promotion. The findings from a systematic/meta-analytic review on the effectiveness of antibullying programs are also presented. Overall, school-based antibullying programs are effective, leading to an average decrease in bullying of 20 to 23 percent and in victimization of 17 to 20 percent. The chapter emphasizes the lack of prospective longitudinal research in the area of school bullying, which does not allow examination of whether any given factor (individual, family,. or social) is a correlate, a predictor, or a possible cause for bullying. This has important implications for future antibullying initiatives, as well as implications for the refinement of theories of school bullying. It is necessary to extend the framework of the traditional risk-focused approach by incorporating the notion of resiliency and investigating possible protective factors against school bullying and its negative consequences. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Attention Problems in Very Preterm Children from Childhood to Adulthood: The Bavarian Longitudinal Study

Science.gov (United States)

Breeman, Linda D.; Jaekel, Julia; Baumann, Nicole; Bartmann, Peter; Wolke, Dieter

2016-01-01

Background: Very preterm (VP; gestational age attention problems in childhood and adulthood. The stability of these problems into adulthood is not known. Methods: The Bavarian Longitudinal Study is a prospective cohort study that followed 260 VP/VLBW and 229 term-born…

Effects of age, sex and arm on the precision of arm position sense—left-arm superiority in healthy right-handers

OpenAIRE

Schmidt, Lena; Depper, Lena; Kerkhoff, Georg

2013-01-01

Position sense is an important proprioceptive ability. Disorders of arm position sense (APS) often occur after unilateral stroke, and are associated with a negative functional outcome. In the present study we assessed horizontal APS by measuring angular deviations from a visually defined target separately for each arm in a large group of healthy subjects. We analyzed the accuracy and instability of horizontal APS as a function of age, sex and arm. Subjects were required to specify verbally th...

Design of a multi-arm randomized clinical trial with no control arm.

Science.gov (United States)

Magaret, Amalia; Angus, Derek C; Adhikari, Neill K J; Banura, Patrick; Kissoon, Niranjan; Lawler, James V; Jacob, Shevin T

2016-01-01

Clinical trial designs that include multiple treatments are currently limited to those that perform pairwise comparisons of each investigational treatment to a single control. However, there are settings, such as the recent Ebola outbreak, in which no treatment has been demonstrated to be effective; and therefore, no standard of care exists which would serve as an appropriate control. For illustrative purposes, we focused on the care of patients presenting in austere settings with critically ill 'sepsis-like' syndromes. Our approach involves a novel algorithm for comparing mortality among arms without requiring a single fixed control. The algorithm allows poorly-performing arms to be dropped during interim analyses. Consequently, the study may be completed earlier than planned. We used simulation to determine operating characteristics for the trial and to estimate the required sample size. We present a potential study design targeting a minimal effect size of a 23% relative reduction in mortality between any pair of arms. Using estimated power and spurious significance rates from the simulated scenarios, we show that such a trial would require 2550 participants. Over a range of scenarios, our study has 80 to 99% power to select the optimal treatment. Using a fixed control design, if the control arm is least efficacious, 640 subjects would be enrolled into the least efficacious arm, while our algorithm would enroll between 170 and 430. This simulation method can be easily extended to other settings or other binary outcomes. Early dropping of arms is efficient and ethical when conducting clinical trials with multiple arms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hopefulness predicts resilience after hereditary colorectal cancer genetic testing: a prospective outcome trajectories study

OpenAIRE

Chu Annie TW; Bonanno George A; Ho Judy WC; Ho Samuel MY; Chan Emily MS

2010-01-01

Abstract Background - Genetic testing for hereditary colorectal cancer (HCRC) had significant psychological consequences for test recipients. This prospective longitudinal study investigated the factors that predict psychological resilience in adults undergoing genetic testing for HCRC. Methods - A longitudinal study was carried out from April 2003 to August 2006 on Hong Kong Chinese HCRC family members who were recruited and offered genetic testing by the Hereditary Gastrointestinal Cancer R...

Reassignment of Drosophila willistoni Genome Scaffolds to Chromosome II Arms.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Carolina; Delprat, Alejandra; Ruiz, Alfredo; Valente, Vera L S

2015-10-04

Drosophila willistoni is a geographically widespread Neotropical species. The genome of strain Gd-H4-1 from Guadeloupe Island (Caribbean) was sequenced in 2007 as part of the 12 Drosophila Genomes Project. The assembled scaffolds were joined based on conserved linkage and assigned to polytene chromosomes based on a handful of genetic and physical markers. This paucity of markers was particularly striking in the metacentric chromosome II, comprised two similarly sized arms, IIL and IIR, traditionally considered homologous to Muller elements C and B, respectively. In this paper we present the cytological mapping of 22 new gene markers to increase the number of markers mapped by in situ hybridization and to test the assignment of scaffolds to the polytene chromosome II arms. For this purpose, we generated, by polymerase chain reaction amplification, one or two gene probes from each scaffold assigned to the chromosome II arms and mapped these probes to the Gd-H4-1 strain's polytene chromosomes by nonfluorescent in situ hybridization. Our findings show that chromosome arms IIL and IIR correspond to Muller elements B and C, respectively, directly contrasting the current homology assignments in D. willistoni and constituting a major reassignment of the scaffolds to chromosome II arms. Copyright © 2015 Garcia et al.

Cryo-scanning electron microscopy investigation of the Octopus Vulgaris arm structures for the design of an octopus-like arm artefact.

Science.gov (United States)

Minnocci, Antonio; Cianchetti, Matteo; Mazzolai, Barbara; Sebastiani, Luca; Laschi, Cecilia

2015-12-01

Octopus vulgaris is a cephalopod of the Octopodidae family. It has four pairs of arms and two rows of suckers which perform many functions, including bending and elongation. For this reason the octopus was chosen as model to develop a new generation of soft-body robots. In order to explain some of the fine structures of the octopus arm in relation to its specific ability, we examined the external and internal structures of O. vulgaris arms in a frozen-hydrated state using cryo-scanning electron microscopy. The arms showed skin with a very complex design that is useful to elongation, and a pore pattern distribution on their surface which is functional to cutaneous oxygen uptake. The analysis of freeze-fractured frozen-hydrated arm samples allowed us to describe the developmental differences in the relative proportion of the areas of axial nerve cord, intrinsic and extrinsic musculature, in relation to the growth of the arms and of the increase in functional capability. In the suckers, we analyzed the shedding mechanisms in the outer part of the infundibulum and described the outer and inner characteristics of the denticles, showing in detail their pore system, which is fundamental for their ability to explore the environment. These results are discussed by considering their possible application in the design of new octopus-like artefacts, which will be able to take advantage of some of these ultrastructure characteristics and achieve advanced bioinspired functionalities. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparison of torsional and longitudinal modes using phacoemulsification parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Rekas, Marek; Montés-Micó, Robert; Krix-Jachym, Karolina; Kluś, Adam; Stankiewicz, Andrzej; Ferrer-Blasco, Teresa

2009-10-01

To compare phacoemulsification parameters of torsional and longitudinal ultrasound modes. Ophthalmology Department, Military Health Service Institute, Warsaw, Poland. This prospective study evaluated eyes 1, 7, and 30 days after phacoemulsification with an Infiniti Vision System using the torsional or longitudinal ultrasound (US) mode. Cataract classification was according to the Lens Opacities Classification System II. Nucleus fragmentation was by the phaco-chop and quick-chop methods. Primary outcome measures were phaco time, mean phaco power, mean torsional amplitude, and aspiration time. Total energy, defined as cumulative dissipated energy (CDE) x aspiration time, and the effective coefficient, defined as aspiration time/phaco time, were also calculated. Four hundred eyes were evaluated. The CDE was statistically significantly lower in the torsional mode for nucleus grades I, II, and III (P.05). Aspiration time was statistically significantly shorter in the torsional mode than in the longitudinal mode for nucleus grades III and IV (P<.05). Total energy was significantly lower in the torsional mode for all nucleus densities (P<.05). The effective coefficient was significantly lower in the longitudinal mode except for nucleus grade I (P<.05). Torsional phacoemulsification was more effective than longitudinal phacoemulsification in the amount of applied fluid and the quantity of US energy expended. With the torsional method, it was possible to maintain a constant ratio of amount of fluid flow to quantity of US energy used, regardless of nucleus density.

A prospective randomized controlled trial comparing early postoperative complications in patients undergoing loop colostomy with and without a stoma rod.

Science.gov (United States)

Franklyn, J; Varghese, G; Mittal, R; Rebekah, G; Jesudason, M R; Perakath, B

2017-07-01

A stoma rod or bridge has been traditionally placed under the bowel loop while constructing a loop colostomy. This is believed to prevent stomal retraction and provide better faecal diversion. However, the rod can cause complications such as mucosal congestion, oedema and necrosis. This single-centre prospective randomized controlled trial compared outcomes after creation of loop colostomy with and without a supporting stoma rod. The primary outcome studied was stoma retraction rate; other stoma-related complications were studied as secondary outcomes. One hundred and fifty-one patients were randomly allotted to one of two arms, colostomy with or without a supporting rod. Postoperative complications such as retraction, mucocutaneous separation, congestion and re-exploration for stoma-related complications were recorded. There was no difference in the stoma retraction rate between the two arms (8.1% in the rod arm and 6.6% in the no-rod arm; P = 0.719). Stomal necrosis (10.7% vs 1.3%; P = 0.018), oedema (23% vs 3.9%; P = 0.001), congestion (20.3% vs 2.6%; P = 0.001) and re-admission rates (8.5% vs 0%; P = 0.027) were significantly increased in the arm randomized to the rod. The stoma rod does not prevent stomal retraction. However, complication rates are significantly higher when a stoma rod is used. Routine use of a stoma rod for construction of loop colostomy can be avoided. Colorectal Disease © 2017 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

Effect of thread embedding acupuncture for facial wrinkles and laxity: a single-arm, prospective, open-label study

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Younghee Yun

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background: There is a growing trend for patients to seek the least invasive treatments with less risk of complications and downtime for facial rejuvenation. Thread embedding acupuncture has become popular as a minimally invasive treatment. However, there is little clinical evidence in the literature regarding its effects. Methods: This single-arm, prospective, open-label study recruited participants who were women aged 40–59 years, with Glogau photoaging scale III–IV. Fourteen participants received thread embedding acupuncture one time and were measured before and after 1 week from the procedure. The primary outcome was a jowl to subnasale vertical distance. The secondary outcomes were facial wrinkle distances, global esthetic improvement scale, Alexiades–Armenakas laxity scale, and patient-oriented self-assessment scale. Results: Fourteen participants underwent thread embedding acupuncture alone, and 12 participants revisited for follow-up outcome measures. For the primary outcome measure, both jowls were elevated in vertical height by 1.87 mm (left and 1.43 mm (right. Distances of both melolabial and nasolabial folds showed significant improvement. In the Alexiades–Armenakas laxity scale, each evaluator evaluated for four and nine participants by 0.5 grades improved. In the global aesthetic improvement scale, improvement was graded as 1 and 2 in nine and five cases, respectively. The most common adverse events were mild bruising, swelling, and pain. However, adverse events occurred, although mostly minor and of short duration. Conclusion: In this study, thread embedding acupuncture showed clinical potential for facial wrinkles and laxity. However, further large-scale trials with a controlled design and objective measurements are needed. Keywords: polydioxanone, rejuvenation, rhytidoplasty, skin aging, thread embedding acupuncture

Self reported stressful life events and exacerbations in multiple sclerosis: prospective study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D. Buljevac (Dragan); W.C.J. Hop (Wim); W. Reedeker; A.C.J.W. Janssens (Cécile); F.G.A. van der Meché (Frans); P.A. van Doorn (Pieter); R.Q. Hintzen (Rogier)

2003-01-01

textabstractOBJECTIVE: To study the relation between self reported stressful life events not related to multiple sclerosis and the occurrence of exacerbations in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. DESIGN: Longitudinal, prospective cohort study. SETTING: Outpatient clinic of

Nonspecific Arm Pain

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Ali Moradi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Nonspecific activity-related arm pain is characterized by an absence of objective physical findings and symptoms that do not correspond with objective pathophysiology. Arm pain without strict diagnosis is often related to activity, work-related activity in particular, and is often seen in patients with physically demanding work. Psychological factors such as catastrophic thinking, symptoms of depression, and heightened illness concern determine a substantial percentage of the disability associated with puzzling hand and arm pains. Ergonomic modifications can help to control symptoms, but optimal health may require collaborative management incorporating psychosocial and psychological elements of illness.

Nonspecific Arm Pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Moradi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available   Nonspecific activity-related arm pain is characterized by an absence of objective physical findings and symptoms that do not correspond with objective pathophysiology. Arm pain without strict diagnosis is often related to activity, work-related activity in particular, and is often seen in patients with physically demanding work. Psychological factors such as catastrophic thinking, symptoms of depression, and heightened illness concern determine a substantial percentage of the disability associated with puzzling hand and arm pains. Ergonomic modifications can help to control symptoms, but optimal health may require collaborative management incorporating psychosocial and psychological elements of illness.

Effects of age, sex and arm on the precision of arm position sense-left-arm superiority in healthy right-handers.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Lena; Depper, Lena; Kerkhoff, Georg

2013-01-01

Position sense is an important proprioceptive ability. Disorders of arm position sense (APS) often occur after unilateral stroke, and are associated with a negative functional outcome. In the present study we assessed horizontal APS by measuring angular deviations from a visually defined target separately for each arm in a large group of healthy subjects. We analyzed the accuracy and instability of horizontal APS as a function of age, sex and arm. Subjects were required to specify verbally the position of their unseen arm on a 0-90° circuit by comparing the current position with the target position indicated by a LED lamp, while the arm was passively moved by the examiner. Eighty-seven healthy subjects participated in the study, ranging from 20 to 77 years, subdivided into three age groups. The results revealed that APS was not a function of age or sex, but was significantly better in the non-dominant (left) arm in absolute errors (AE) but not in constant errors (CE) across all age groups of right-handed healthy subjects. This indicates a right-hemisphere superiority for left APS in right-handers and neatly fits to the more frequent and more severe left-sided body-related deficits in patients with unilateral stroke (i.e. impaired APS in left spatial neglect, somatoparaphrenia) or in individuals with abnormalities of the right cerebral hemisphere. These clinical issues will be discussed.

Arms control and disarmament

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acton, P.

1992-01-01

Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty commits each party to work towards nuclear disarmament and to negotiations to stop the nuclear arms race. All parties to the Treaty are included and a wide range of arms control and disarmament issues are covered. However the main focus at Treaty review conferences has been on nuclear disarmament by the nuclear weapon states which are party to the Treaty. This has led to bilateral United States - Soviet Union negotiations resulting in the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty in December 1987 and the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in July followed by unilateral arms control measures in September and October 1991. (UK)

Detecting elementary arm movements by tracking upper limb joint angles with MARG sensors

OpenAIRE

Mazomenos, Evangelos B.; Biswas, Dwaipayan; Cranny, Andy; Rajan, Amal; Maharatna, Koushik; Achner, Josy; Klemke, Jasmin; Jobges, Michael; Ortmann, Steffen; Langendorfer, Peter

2015-01-01

This paper reports an algorithm for the detection of three elementary upper limb movements, i.e., reach and retrieve, bend the arm at the elbow and rotation of the arm about the long axis. We employ two MARG sensors, attached at the elbow and wrist, from which the kinematic properties (joint angles, position) of the upper arm and forearm are calculated through data fusion using a quaternion-based gradient-descent method and a two-link model of the upper limb. By studying the kinematic pattern...

Improvements in Neck and Arm Pain Following an Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Massel, Dustin H; Mayo, Benjamin C; Bohl, Daniel D; Narain, Ankur S; Hijji, Fady Y; Fineberg, Steven J; Louie, Philip K; Basques, Bryce A; Long, William W; Modi, Krishna D; Singh, Kern

2017-07-15

A retrospective analysis. The aim of this study was to quantify improvements in Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) neck and arm pain, Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Short Form-12 (SF-12) Mental (MCS) and Physical (PCS) Composite scores following an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). ACDF is evaluated with patient-reported outcomes. However, the extent to which these outcomes improve following ACDF remains poorly defined. A surgical registry of patients who underwent primary, one- or two-level ACDF during 2013 to 2015 was reviewed. Comparisons of VAS neck and arm, NDI, and SF-12 MCS and PCS scores were performed using paired t tests from preoperative to each postoperative time point. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to estimate the reduction in neck and arm pain over the first postoperative year. Subgroup analyses were performed for patients with predominant neck (pNP) or arm (pAP) pain, as well as for one- versus two-level ACDF. Eighty-nine patients were identified. VAS neck and arm, NDI, and SF-12 PCS improved from preoperative scores at all postoperative time points (P pain (P pain over the first 6 months and 12 weeks postoperatively, respectively (P pain and 55.1% reduction in arm pain over the first postoperative year (P pain following ACDF regardless of presenting symptom. In addition, patients undergoing one-level ACDF report greater reductions in neck and arm pain than patients undergoing two-level fusion. 4.

Antecedents, Consequences, and Mechanisms: On the Longitudinal Interplay Between Academic Self-Enhancement and Psychological Adjustment.

Science.gov (United States)

Dufner, Michael; Reitz, Anne K; Zander, Lysann

2015-10-01

We investigated the reciprocal associations between academic self-enhancement and key indicators of intra- and interpersonal adjustment as well as the role of self-esteem as a mediator. This longitudinal study involved three assessments in a sample of 709 German children and adolescents (Mage  = 11.83; 54% female) over the course of one academic year. We assessed self-reported subjective well-being as an indicator of intrapersonal adjustment and peer-reported popularity as an indicator of interpersonal adjustment. We computed cross-lagged and longitudinal mediational analyses. Academic self-enhancement prospectively predicted high subsequent well-being and popularity. Vice versa, well-being and popularity prospectively predicted high subsequent levels of self-enhancement. High self-esteem mediated the longitudinal associations between self-enhancement and well-being in both directions, but not the links between self-enhancement and popularity. Self-enhancement and adjustment are bidirectionally linked: Self-enhancement entails intrapersonal and interpersonal benefits; at the same time, adjustment in both domains fosters self-enhancement. In terms of intrapersonal, but not interpersonal adjustment, self-esteem seems to serve as a linchpin, accounting for all longitudinal associations. Furthermore, we present evidence indicating that self-enhancement indicators that are based on difference scores (instead of residuals) are problematic and might have led to negatively biased results in the literature. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of Aromatherapy Massage on Pregnant Women's Stress and Immune Function: A Longitudinal, Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Pao-Ju; Chou, Cheng-Chen; Yang, Luke; Tsai, Yu-Lun; Chang, Yue-Cune; Liaw, Jen-Jiuan

2017-10-01

This study's aims are to examine the effects of aromatherapy massage on women's stress and immune function during pregnancy. This longitudinal, prospective, randomized controlled trial recruited 52 healthy pregnant women from a prenatal clinic in Taipei using convenience sampling. The participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 24) or control (n = 28) group using Clinstat block randomization. The intervention group received 70 min of aromatherapy massage with 2% lavender essential oil every other week (10 times in total) for 20 weeks; the control group received only routine prenatal care. In both groups, participants' salivary cortisol and immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels were collected before and after the intervention group received aromatherapy massage (every month from 16 to 36 weeks gestation) and were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The pregnant women in the intervention group had lower salivary cortisol (p aromatherapy massage than those in the control group, which did not receive massage treatment. Comparing the long-term effects of aromatherapy massage on salivary IgA levels between groups at different times, the study found that the pretest salivary IgA levels at 32 (p = 0.002) and 36 (p aromatherapy massage could significantly decrease stress and enhance immune function in pregnant women. The findings can guide clinicians or midwives in providing aromatherapy massage to women throughout the pregnancy.

Synthesis of Mikto-Arm Star Peptide Conjugates.

Science.gov (United States)

Koo, Jin Mo; Su, Hao; Lin, Yi-An; Cui, Honggang

2018-01-01

Mikto-arm star peptide conjugates are an emerging class of self-assembling peptide-based structural units that contain three or more auxiliary segments of different chemical compositions and/or functionalities. This group of molecules exhibit interesting self-assembly behavior in solution due to their chemically asymmetric topology. Here we describe the detailed procedure for synthesis of an ABC Mikto-arm star peptide conjugate in which two immiscible entities (a saturated hydrocarbon and a hydrophobic and lipophobic fluorocarbon) are conjugated onto a short β-sheet forming peptide sequence, GNNQQNY, derived from the Sup35 prion, through a lysine junction. Automated and manual Fmoc-solid phase synthesis techniques are used to synthesize the Mikto-arm star peptide conjugates, followed by HPLC purification. We envision that this set of protocols can afford a versatile platform to synthesize a new class of peptidic building units for diverse applications.

A longitudinal study of shoulder and arm morbidity in breast cancer survivors 7 years after sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kootstra, J.J.; Dijkstra, P.U.; Rietman, Johan Swanik; de Vries, J.; Baas, P.C.; Geertzen, J.H.B.; Hoekstra, H.J.; Hoekstra-Weebers, J.E.

2013-01-01

Knowledge about long-term consequences of breast cancer treatment on shoulder and arm function and volume in stages I–II breast cancer survivors is limited. The effects of shoulder–arm function shortly after surgery on long-term function are unknown. One hundred and ninety-four women were examined

Advanced colorectal carcinoma. A prospective randomized trial of sequential methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin versus 5-fluorouracil alone.

Science.gov (United States)

Machiavelli, M; Leone, B A; Romero, A; Rabinovich, M G; Vallejo, C T; Bianco, A; Pérez, J E; Rodríguez, R; Cuevas, M A; Alvarez, L A

1991-06-01

One hundred and twenty-five previously untreated patients bearing metastatic or advanced recurrent (inoperable) colorectal carcinoma and measurable disease were prospectively randomized. Those in arm A received 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), 1,200 mg/m2 i.v. infusion over 2 h, while those in arm B received methotrexate (MTX), 200 mg/m2 i.v. (push injection), followed 20 h later by 5-FU, 1,200 mg/m2 i.v. infusion over 2 h, plus calcium leucovorin (LV), 25 mg i.m. every 6 h for eight doses beginning 24 h after MTX administration. Cycles were repeated every 15 days. All patients receiving treatment were evaluable for toxicity and survival, and 118 patients were evaluable for response. The objective regression rate (complete plus partial response) was 12% (7 of 58) in arm A and 28% (17 of 60) in arm B (p = 0.049). No change was observed in 24% (14 of 58) in arm A and in 35% (21 of 60) in arm B (p = 0.28), while progressive disease was registered in 64% (37 of 58) and 37% (22 of 60) in arms A and B, respectively (p = 0.006). Median duration of response was 3 months in arm A and 5 months in arm B (p = 0.39). The median survival was 8.3 months in arm A and 11.2 months in arm B (p = 0.25). No statistically significant differences were found when objective regression and survival were related to site of primary tumor, performance status, and number of involved organs. There were two drug-related deaths in arm B due to severe myelosuppression followed by mucositis and sepsis. Of nonhematologic toxicities, diarrhea was more frequently observed in arm B, as were mucositis and infectious complications. Our results indicate that the sequential schedule MTX-5-FU-LV with 20-h intervals between MTX and 5-FU is superior in terms of objective regression to 5-FU alone given at the dose and schedule used in the present study. However, MTX-5-FU-LV did not have a significant impact on survival.

The position of the arm during blood pressure measurement in sitting position.

Science.gov (United States)

Adiyaman, Ahmet; Verhoeff, Rutger; Lenders, Jacques W M; Deinum, Jaap; Thien, Theo

2006-12-01

Determining the influence of the position of the arm on blood pressure measurement in the sitting position. Blood pressure of 128 individuals (the majority being treated hypertensive patients) visiting the outpatient clinic was measured simultaneously on both arms with arms in two different positions. First, both arms were placed at the chair support level and blood pressure was measured three times on both arms after 10 min of rest. Subsequently, while still remaining in the same sitting position, five blood pressure measurements were made simultaneously at both arms with one arm placed on the desk and one arm placed and supported at heart level (mid-sternal). The arm placed at heart level served as the reference arm. The choice of which arm was placed at desk level and which arm was placed at heart level was randomized. Both at desk level and at chair support level, mean (+/-SD) systolic and diastolic blood pressures were higher than blood pressure at heart level by 6.1/5.7+/-4.6/3.1 and 9.3/9.4+/-5.4/3.4 mmHg, respectively. The effect of the height differences between the arm positions on the blood pressure readings was smaller than predicted (0.49 mmHg/cm systolic and 0.47 mmHg/cm diastolic). No significant correlation was found between blood pressure difference in the different arm positions (desk and heart level) and age, sex, weight or baseline blood pressure. Different arm positions below heart level have significant effects on blood pressure readings. The leading guidelines about arm position during blood pressure measurement are not in accordance with the arm position used in the Framingham study, the most frequently used study for risk estimations.

Radiotherapy in stage 3, unresectable, asymptomatic non-small cell lung cancer. Final results of a prospective randomized study of 240 patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reinfuss, M.; Glinski, B.; Kowalska, T.; Kulpa, J.; Zawila, K.; Reinfuss, K.; Dymek, P.; Herman, K.; Skolyszewski, J.

1999-01-01

Purpose: to report the results of a prospective randomized study concerning the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of stage III, unresectable, asymptomatic non-small cell lung cancer. Material and methods: between 1992 and 1996, 240 patients with stage III, unresectable, asymptomatic non-small cell lung cancer were enrolled in this study, and sequentially randomized to one of the three treatment arms: conventional irradiation, hypo-fractionated irradiation and control group. In the conventional irradiation arm (79 patients), a dose of 50 Gy in 25 fractions in five weeks was delivered to the primary tumor and the mediastinum. In the hypo-fractionated irradiation arm (81 patients), there were two courses of irradiation separated by an interval of four weeks. In each series, patients received 20 Gy in five fractions in five days, in the same treatment volume as the conventional irradiation group. in the control group arm, 80 patients initially did not receive radiotherapy and were only observed. Delayed palliative hypo-fractionated irradiation (20-25 Gy in four to five fractions in four to five days) was given to the primary tumor when major symptoms developed. Results: the two-year actuarial survival rates for patients in the conventional irradiation, hypo-fractionated irradiation and control group arms were 18%, 6% and 0%, with a median survival time of 12 months, nine months and six months respectively. The differences between survival rates were statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Conclusion: although irradiation provides good palliation the results are disappointing. The comparison of conventional and hypo-fractionated irradiation shows an advantage for conventional schedules. (author)

Some Technical Questions of Destruction of Chemical Artillery Arms for Object in Kizner (Udmurtia)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrov, V.

2007-01-01

On object in settlement Kizner (Udmurtia) contains more than 2 million of artillery shells with POS. The beginning of construction of object according to new variant of the Program of the CWD in the Russian Federation, accepted at the end of 2005, is supposed in 2007. The ending of works will be in 2012. The general approaches to neutralization of chemical artillery arms in the Russian technologies of the CWD are considered. The analysis of some problem technological moments is carried out. It is marked, that the technology includes 3 stages of processing of shells, that demands the control of safety of realization of operations at all stages, and also the control of quantity of process able arms. Prospective technology of neutralization of reactionary masses for object in Kizner causes the certain doubts since results in formation of a plenty of oxides of nitrogen. From the carried out analysis it is possible to make a conclusion, that some technical questions of destruction of chemical artillery arms can result to that works on the CWD in the Russian Federation can be not completed in 2012. (author)

Some Technical Questions of Destruction of Chemical Artillery Arms for Object in Kizner (Udmurtia)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petrov, V [Institute of Applied Mechanics UrB of the Russian Academy of Science, Izhevsk (Russian Federation)

2007-07-01

On object in settlement Kizner (Udmurtia) contains more than 2 million of artillery shells with POS. The beginning of construction of object according to new variant of the Program of the CWD in the Russian Federation, accepted at the end of 2005, is supposed in 2007. The ending of works will be in 2012. The general approaches to neutralization of chemical artillery arms in the Russian technologies of the CWD are considered. The analysis of some problem technological moments is carried out. It is marked, that the technology includes 3 stages of processing of shells, that demands the control of safety of realization of operations at all stages, and also the control of quantity of process able arms. Prospective technology of neutralization of reactionary masses for object in Kizner causes the certain doubts since results in formation of a plenty of oxides of nitrogen. From the carried out analysis it is possible to make a conclusion, that some technical questions of destruction of chemical artillery arms can result to that works on the CWD in the Russian Federation can be not completed in 2012. (author)

Binge Drinking and Rape: A Prospective Examination of College Women with a History of Previous Sexual Victimization

Science.gov (United States)

McCauley, Jenna L.; Calhoun, Karen S.; Gidycz, Christine A.

2010-01-01

The current study prospectively examined the longitudinal relationships between binge drinking behavior and rape experiences among a multisite sample of college women with a history of prior attempted or completed rape (N = 228). Rates of binge drinking among this high-risk sample were high. Prospective analyses indicated that binge drinking…

Understanding the conventional arms trade

Science.gov (United States)

Stohl, Rachel

2017-11-01

The global conventional arms trade is worth tens of billions of dollars every year and is engaged in by every country in the world. Yet, it is often difficult to control the legal trade in conventional arms and there is a thriving illicit market, willing to arm unscrupulous regimes and nefarious non-state actors. This chapter examines the international conventional arms trade, the range of tools that have been used to control it, and challenges to these international regimes.

Randomised study on single stage laparo-endoscopic rendezvous (intra-operative ERCP) procedure versus two stage approach (Pre-operative ERCP followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy) for the management of cholelithiasis with choledocholithiasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sahoo, Manash Ranjan; Kumar, Anil T; Patnaik, Aashish

2014-07-01

The 'Rendezvous' technique consists of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) standards with intra-operative cholangiography followed by endoscopic sphincterotomy. The sphincterotome is driven across the papilla through a guidewire inserted by the transcystic route. In this study, we intended to compare the two methods in a prospective randomised trial. From 2005 to 2012, we enrolled 83 patients with a diagnosis of cholecysto-choledocolithiasis. They were randomised into two groups. In 'group-A',41 patients were treated with two stages management, first by pre-operative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and common bile duct (CBD) clearance and second by LC. In 'group-B', 42 patients were treated with LC and intra-operative cholangiography; and when diagnosis of choledocholithiasis was confirmed, patients had undergone one stage management of by Laparo-endoscopic Rendezvous technique. In arm-A and arm-B groups, complete CBD clearance was achieved in 29 and 38 patients, respectively. Failure of the treatment in arm-A was 29% and in arm-B was 9.5%. In arm-A, selective CBD cannulation was achieved in 33 cases (80.5%) and in arm-B in 39 cases (93%). In arm-Agroup, post-ERCP hyperamylasia was presented in nine patients (22%) and severe pancreatitis in five patients (12%) versus none of the patients (0%) in arm-B group, respectively. Mean post-operative hospital stay in arm-A and arm-B groups are 10.9 and 6.8 days, respectively. One stage laparo-endoscopic rendezvous approach increases selective cannulation of CBD, reduces post-ERCP pancreatitis, reduces days of hospital stay, increases patient's compliance and prevents unnecessary intervention to CBD.

The inter-arm diastolic blood pressure difference induced by one arm ischemia: a new approach to assess vascular endothelia function.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weitong Hu

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether inter-arm diastolic blood pressure difference (DBPl-r induced by one arm ischemia correlates with flow-mediated dilatation (FMD. METHODS: Bilateral arm BPs were simultaneously measured with two automatic devices and right brachial artery diameter (D was measured by ultrasound technique in 108 subjects (56 hypertensives and 52 normotensives. Following baseline diameter (D0 and BP measurement, right brachial artery was occluded for 5 minutes. The diameter was measured at 1, 1.5 and 2 min, and bilateral BPs measured at 3, 4 and 5 min after occlusion release. Their averages were recorded as post-D and post-BP, respectively. The difference between post-D and D0 (ΔD was calculated as the percentage increase of artery diameter (ΔD/D0. The BP difference between left and right arms was calculated as BPl-r, and the difference of post- BPl-r and baseline BPl-r was recorded as the net change of BPl-r (ΔBPl-r. RESULTS: At baseline, bilateral SBPs and DBPs were similar. Right arm ischemia induced significant DBP decline only in the right arm (68.8±12.7 vs 72.6±12.0 mmHg, P<0.05, which led to an increase of ΔDBPl-r (4.00±3.75 vs 0.78±4.47 mmHg, P<0.05. A positive correlation was seen between ΔD/D0 and ΔDBPl-r (r = 0.744, p<0.001. Furthermore, the correlation between age and ΔDBPl-r (r = -0.358, P<0.01 was similar to that between age and D/D0 (r = -0.398, P<0.01. Meanwhile, both ΔDBPl-r and ΔD/D0 were significantly lower in hypertensive patients than in normotensive patients. CONCLUSION: The inter-arm DBP difference induced by one arm ischemia may be a potential index for clinical evaluation of vascular endothelial function.

Longitudinal Association Between Gross Motor Capacity and Neuromusculoskeletal Function in Children and Youth With Cerebral Palsy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vos, Rimke C.; Becher, Jules G.; Voorman, Jeanine M.; Gorter, Jan Willem; van Eck, Mirjam; van Meeteren, Jetty; Smits, Dirk Wouter; Twisk, Jos W.; Dallmeijer, Annet J.

Objective: To examine associations over longitudinal measurements between neuromusculoskeletal function and gross motor capacity in children and youth with cerebral palsy (CP). Design: A prospective cohort study. Setting: Rehabilitation departments of university medical centers and rehabilitations

Training Load, Immune Status, and Clinical Outcomes in Young Athletes: A Controlled, Prospective, Longitudinal Study

Science.gov (United States)

Blume, Katharina; Körber, Nina; Hoffmann, Dieter; Wolfarth, Bernd

2018-01-01

Introduction: Beside positive effects on athlete's health, competitive sport can be linked with an increased risk of illness and injury. Because of high relative increases in training, additional physical and psychological strains, and an earlier specialization and professionalization, adolescent athletes needs an increased attention. Training can alter the immune system by inducing a temporary immunosuppression, finally developing infection symptoms. Previous studies identified Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) as potential indicator for the immune status. In addition to the identification of triggering risk factors for recurrent infections, the aim was to determine the interaction between training load, stress sense, immunological parameters, and clinical symptoms. Methods: A controlled, prospective, longitudinal study on young athletes (n = 274, mean age: 13.8 ± 1.5 yrs) was conducted between 2010 and 2014. Also 285 controls (students, who did not perform competitive sports, mean age: 14.5 ± 1.9 yrs) were recruited. Athletes were examined 3 times each year to determine the effects of stress factors (training load: training hours per week [Th/w]) on selected outcome parameters (clinical [susceptibility to infection, WURSS-21: 21-item Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey], immunological, psychological end points). As part of each visit, EBV serostatus and EBV-specific IgG tiers were studied longitudinally as potential immune markers. Results: Athletes (A) trained 14.9 ± 5.6 h weekly. Controls (C) showed no lower stress levels compared to athletes (p = 0.387). Twelve percent of athletes reported recurrent infections (C: 8.5%, p = 0.153), the presence of an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) was achieved in 30.7%. EBV seroprevalence of athletes was 60.3% (C: 56.6%, p = 0.339). Mean EBV-specific IgG titer of athletes was 166 ± 115 U/ml (C: 137 ± 112 U/ml, p = 0.030). With increasing Th/w, higher stress levels were observed (p athletes showed no increased

Two-Year Diagnostic Stability in Early-Onset First-Episode Psychosis

Science.gov (United States)

Castro-Fornieles, Josefina; Baeza, Immaculada; de la Serna, Elena; Gonzalez-Pinto, Ana; Parellada, Mara; Graell, Montserrat; Moreno, Dolores; Otero, Soraya; Arango, Celso

2011-01-01

Background: Only one study has used a prospective method to analyze the diagnostic stability of first psychotic episodes in children and adolescents. The Child and Adolescent First-Episode Psychosis Study (CAFEPS) is a 2-year, prospective longitudinal study of early-onset first episodes of psychosis (EO-FEP). Aim: To describe diagnostic stability…

Searching for the Perseus arm in the anticenter direction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Figueras F.

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Here we propose a two step approach to provide new insights on the outer spiral arm pattern of the Milky Way: 1 a Strömgren photometric survey to map the stellar space density of moderate young type stars tracing the Perseus arm, and 2 a spectroscopic survey to determine the velocity perturbation due to the density wave through accurate Radial Velocity (RV, hereafter. First reduced preliminary data suggest an overdensity around 1.5–2 kpc, probably associated with the Perseus arm. Results from this project will present a significant step towards mapping the spiral structure between the second and the third galactic quadrant, where the determination of kinematic distances is not possible.

A prospective study of whether radiation pneumonitis is influenced by low-dose irradiated lung volume in primary lung cancer with chronic pulmonary disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niibe, Yuzuru; Hayakawa, Kazushige; Masuda, Noriyuki; Yoshimura, Hirokuni

2007-01-01

The current study prospectively investigated the optimal dose-volume condition in cases of lung cancer with chronic pulmonary disease compared to those without chronic pulmonary disease. Cases of primary lung cancer treated with intended curative radiation therapy were registered in the current study. Their fraction size was limited to 2-3 Gy, so-called standard fractionation. They were prescribed a total dose of 60 Gy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC; n=17) and a total dose of 54 Gy for small cell lung cancer (SCLC; n=4). Of the 21 patients enrolled in this study, 4 had chronic pulmonary disease (study arm), and the others had no chronic pulmonary disease (control arm). Seven received chemotherapy. Symptomatic radiation pneumonitis occurred in 5. Of the four patients in the study arm, two (50%) experienced symptomatic radiation pneumonitis; only 3 of the 17 patients in the control arm (17.6%) experienced symptomatic radiation pneumonitis. Furthermore, the median V 20 of patients who experienced symptomatic radiation pneumonitis in the study arm was 14%, which was higher than that of patients with no symptomatic radiation pneumonitis in the study arm, 5.8%. On the other hand, in the control arm, the median V 20 of patients with symptomatic radiation pneumonitis was 14.2%, about the same as that of patients with no symptomatic radiation pneumonitis in the control arm, 15.1%. The current study suggested that, as much as 15% of V 20 , might play an important role in cases of lung cancer with chronic pulmonary disease. (author)

Longitudinal Profiles of Adaptive Behavior in Fragile X Syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Quintin, Eve-Marie; Jo, Booil; Lightbody, Amy A.; Hazlett, Heather Cody; Piven, Joseph; Hall, Scott S.; Reiss, Allan L.

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To examine longitudinally the adaptive behavior patterns in fragile X syndrome. METHOD: Caregivers of 275 children and adolescents with fragile X syndrome and 225 typically developing children and adolescents (2–18 years) were interviewed with the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales every 2 to 4 years as part of a prospective longitudinal study. RESULTS: Standard scores of adaptive behavior in people with fragile X syndrome are marked by a significant decline over time in all domains for males and in communication for females. Socialization skills are a relative strength as compared with the other domains for males with fragile X syndrome. Females with fragile X syndrome did not show a discernible pattern of developmental strengths and weaknesses. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first large-scale longitudinal study to show that the acquisition of adaptive behavior slows as individuals with fragile X syndrome age. It is imperative to ensure that assessments of adaptive behavior skills are part of intervention programs focusing on childhood and adolescence in this condition. PMID:25070318

Evaluation of quality of life of patients with oral sqamous cell carcinoma. Comparison of two treatment protocols in a prospective study - first results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiltfang, J.; Bloch-Birkholz, A.; Neukam, F.W.; Kessler, P.; Grabenbauer, G.; Leher, A.

2003-01-01

Patients and Methods: This longitudinal study prospectively evaluates quality of life in two groups consisting of 53 neoadjuvant and primarily surgically treated patients with oral cancer, using the quality-of-life core questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and the head and neck cancer module (H and N 35) of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). Results: Postoperatively both groups showed a marked reduction in quality of life. 1 year later quality of life had equalized between the two groups to such an extent that the quality of life scores had almost reached the preoperative level. Both groups showed specific impairments in the symptom scales. In the neoadjuvant therapy group however, global health and the emotional status were reduced to a greater degree than in the other group. Conclusion: Temporary limitations in quality of life can be expected after tumor treatment of oral cancer as presented here. Neoadjuvant therapy concept is more aggressive and might result in a longer disease-free survival, but the restriction in quality of life is more severe. Primary goal is the eradication of the tumor. Nevertheless preservation or reconstruction of a maximum of function is essential for a high level of quality of life. (orig.) [de

Student measurement of blood pressure using a simulator arm compared with a live subject's arm.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jennifer J; Sobieraj, Diana M; Kuti, Effie L

2010-06-15

To compare accuracy of blood pressure measurements using a live subject and a simulator arm, and to determine students' preferences regarding measurement. This was a crossover study comparing blood pressure measurements from a live subject and a simulator arm. Students completed an anonymous survey instrument defining opinions on ease of measurement. Fifty-seven students completed blood pressure measurements on live subjects while 72 students completed blood pressure measurements using the simulator arm. There were no significant systematic differences between the 2 measurement techniques. Systolic blood pressure measurements from a live subject arm were less likely to be within 4 mm Hg compared with measurements of a simulator arm. Diastolic blood pressure measurements were not significantly different between the 2 techniques. Accuracy of student measurement of blood pressure using a simulator arm was similar to the accuracy with a live subject. There was no difference in students' preferences regarding measurement techniques.

Dual Arm Work Module Development and Appplications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noakes, M.W.

1999-04-25

The dual arm work module (DAWM) was developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) by the Robotics Technology Development Program (RTDP) as a development test bed to study issues related to dual arm manipulation, including platform cotilguration, controls, automation, operations, and tooling. The original platform was based on two Schilling Titan II manipulators mounted to a 5-degree-of- freedom (DOF) base fabricated by RedZone Robotics, Inc. The 5-DOF articulation provided a center torso rotation, linear actuation to change the separation between the arms, and arm base rotation joints to provide "elbows up," elbows down," or "elbows out" orientation. A series of tests were conducted on operations, tooling, and task space scene analysis (TSSA)-driven robotics for overhead transporter- mounted and crane hook-deployed scenarios. A concept was developed for DAWM deployment from a large remote work vehicle, but the project was redirected to support dismantlement of the Chicago Pile #5 (CP-5) reactor at Argonne National Laboratory in fiscal year (FY) 1997. Support of CP-5 required a change in focus of the dual arm technology from that of a development test bed to a system focussed for a specific end user. ORNL teamed with the Idaho National Environmental ,Engineering Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, and the Savannah River Technology Center to deliver a crane-deployed derivative of the DAWM, designated the dual arm work platform (DAWP). RTDP staff supported DAWP at CP-5 for one FY; Argonne staff continued operation through to dismantlement of the reactor internals. Lessons learned from this interaction were extensive. Beginning in FY 1999, dual arm development activities are again being pursued in the context of those lessons learned. This paper describes the progression of philosophy of the DAWM from initial test bed to lessons learned through interaction at CP-5 and to the present investigation of telerobotic assist of teleoperation and TSSA- driven robotics.

Borehole tool outrigger arm displacement control mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, A.G.

1985-01-01

As the outrigger arms of a borehole logging tool are flexed inwardly and outwardly according to the diameter of the borehole opening through which they pass, the corresponding axial displacements of the ends of the arms are controlled to determine the axial positions of the arms relative to the tool. Specifically, as the arm ends move, they are caused to rotate by a cam mechanism. The stiffness of the arms causes the arm ends to rotate in unison, and the exact positions of the arms on the tool are then controlled by the differential movements of the arm ends in the cams

Concluding a strategic arms reduction treaty: Prospects, obstacles, and implications for security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McFate, P.

1990-01-01

What are the prospects for START, given the various questions and obstacles? What will be the effect of this treaty on US-USSR relations, given the present dynamics political climate? And what are the national security implications associated with its completion and ratification? Is this an era of tremendous promise in which the US and the USSR can pursue mutual interests in the foreign policy area? These questions are addressed by the panelists

Personality factors and breast cancer development: a prospective longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bleiker, E M; van der Ploeg, H M; Hendriks, J H; Adèr, H J

1996-10-16

It has been estimated that approximately 25% of all breast cancers in women can be explained by currently recognized somatic (i.e., hereditary and physiologic) risk factors. It has also been hypothesized that psychological factors may play a role in the development of breast cancer. We investigated the extent to which personality factors, in addition to somatic risk factors, may be associated with the development of primary breast cancer. We employed a prospective, longitudinal study design. From 1989 through 1990, a personality questionnaire was sent to all female residents of the Dutch city of Nijmegen who were 43 years of age or older. This questionnaire was sent as part of an invitation to participate in a population-based breast cancer screening program. Women who developed breast cancer among those who returned completed questionnaires were compared with women without such a diagnosis in regard to somatic risk factors and personality traits, including anxiety, anger, depression, rationality, anti-emotionality (i.e., an absence of emotional behavior or a lack of trust in one's own feelings), understanding, optimism, social support, and the expression and control of emotions. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables that could best explain group membership (i.e., belonging to the case [breast cancer] or the control [without disease] group). Personality questionnaires were sent to 28 940 women, and 9705 (34%) were returned in such a way that they could be used for statistical analyses. Among the 9705 women who returned useable questionnaires, 131 were diagnosed with breast cancer during the period from 1989 through 1994. Seven hundred seventy-one age-matched control subjects (up to six per case patient) were selected for the analyses. Three variables were found to be statistically significantly associated with an increased risk of breast cancer: 1) having a first-degree family member with breast cancer (versus not having an

Negative perceptions of ageing predict the onset and persistence of depression and anxiety: Findings from a prospective analysis of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, Aislinné Theresa; Santini, Ziggi Ivan; Tyrovolas, Stefanos; Rummel-Kluge, Christine; Haro, Josep Maria; Koyanagi, Ai

2016-07-15

Although there is a growing literature on the adverse health outcomes related with negative ageing perceptions, studies on their association with mental disorders such as depression and anxiety are scarce. Thus, the aim of the current study was to prospectively assess the association between negative ageing perceptions and incident/persistent depression and anxiety using nationally representative data from Ireland. Data from two consecutive waves of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) were analysed. The analytical sample consisted of 6095 adults aged ≥50 years. Validated scales for negative ageing perceptions, depression, and anxiety were used. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between negative ageing perceptions at baseline and the onset and persistence of depression and anxiety at two-year follow up. After adjusting for potential confounders, negative ageing perceptions at baseline predicted the new onset of depression and anxiety at follow-up. Among those with depression or anxiety at baseline, negative ageing perceptions also predicted the persistence of these conditions at follow-up. Baseline data on negative ageing perceptions were used for the analysis and it is possible that scores could have changed over time. Addressing negative perceptions towards ageing by developing interventions that activate positive ageing perceptions, and target societal attitudes by means of policy change, public campaigns, and community education programmes, may shift social perceptions and reduce the burden of depression and anxiety among the elderly. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nonparetic arm force does not overinhibit the paretic arm in chronic poststroke hemiparesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dimyan, Michael A; Perez, Monica A; Auh, Sungyoung; Tarula, Erick; Wilson, Matthew; Cohen, Leonardo G

2014-05-01

To determine whether nonparetic arm force overinhibits the paretic arm in patients with chronic unilateral poststroke hemiparesis. Case-control neurophysiological and behavioral study of patients with chronic stroke. Research institution. Eighty-six referred patients were screened to enroll 9 participants (N=9) with a >6 month history of 1 unilateral ischemic infarct that resulted in arm hemiparesis with residual ability to produce 1Nm of wrist flexion torque and without contraindication to transcranial magnetic stimulation. Eight age- and handedness-matched healthy volunteers without neurologic diagnosis were studied for comparison. Not applicable. Change in interhemispheric inhibition targeting the ipsilesional primary motor cortex (M1) during nonparetic arm force. We hypothesized that interhemispheric inhibition would increase more in healthy controls than in patients with hemiparesis. Healthy age-matched controls had significantly greater increases in inhibition from their active to resting M1 than patients with stroke from their active contralesional to resting ipsilesional M1 in the same scenario (20%±7% vs -1%±4%, F1,12=6.61, P=.025). Patients with greater increases in contralesional to ipsilesional inhibition were better performers on the 9-hole peg test of paretic arm function. Our findings reveal that producing force with the nonparetic arm does not necessarily overinhibit the paretic arm. Though our study is limited in generalizability by the small sample size, we found that greater active contralesional to resting ipsilesional M1 inhibition was related with better recovery in this subset of patients with chronic poststroke. Copyright © 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Escherichia coli chromosome is organized with the left and right chromosome arms in separate cell halves

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Henrik Jørck; Ottesen, Jesper R.; Youngren, Brenda

2006-01-01

in one half of the cell and markers on the right arm of the chromosome lie in the opposite half. This is achieved by reorganizing the chromosome arms of the two nucleoids in pre-division cells relative to the cell quarters. The spatial reorganization of the chromosome arms ensures that the two...

A Longitudinal Study on Mathematics Teaching Efficacy: Which Factors (Un)Support the Development?

Science.gov (United States)

Isiksal-Bostan, Mine

2016-01-01

The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine prospective teachers' mathematics teaching efficacy belief during their enrollment in teacher education program and at the end of their first year of teaching. In addition, the factors that enhance or inhibit participants' efficacy belief and how these factors affect their mathematics teaching…

Predictors of Changes in Weight Esteem among Mainland Chinese Adolescents: A Longitudinal Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Hong; Jackson, Todd

2009-01-01

Weight and body image concerns are prevalent among adolescents across cultures and pose significant threats to well-being, yet there is a paucity of longitudinal research on samples living in non-Western and developing countries. This prospective study assessed the extent to which select sociocultural, psychological, and biological risk factors…

Liposuction for Advanced Lymphedema: A Multidisciplinary Approach for Complete Reduction of Arm and Leg Swelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyages, John; Kastanias, Katrina; Koelmeyer, Louise A; Winch, Caleb J; Lam, Thomas C; Sherman, Kerry A; Munnoch, David Alex; Brorson, Håkan; Ngo, Quan D; Heydon-White, Asha; Magnussen, John S; Mackie, Helen

2015-12-01

This research describes and evaluates a liposuction surgery and multidisciplinary rehabilitation approach for advanced lymphedema of the upper and lower extremities. A prospective clinical study was conducted at an Advanced Lymphedema Assessment Clinic (ALAC) comprised of specialists in plastic surgery, rehabilitation, imaging, oncology, and allied health, at Macquarie University, Australia. Between May 2012 and 31 May 2014, a total of 104 patients attended the ALAC. Eligibility criteria for liposuction included (i) unilateral, non-pitting, International Society of Lymphology stage II/III lymphedema; (ii) limb volume difference greater than 25 %; and (iii) previously ineffective conservative therapies. Of 55 eligible patients, 21 underwent liposuction (15 arm, 6 leg) and had at least 3 months postsurgical follow-up (85.7 % cancer-related lymphedema). Liposuction was performed under general anesthesia using a published technique, and compression garments were applied intraoperatively and advised to be worn continuously thereafter. Limb volume differences, bioimpedance spectroscopy (L-Dex), and symptom and functional measurements (using the Patient-Specific Functional Scale) were taken presurgery and 4 weeks postsurgery, and then at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postsurgery. Mean presurgical limb volume difference was 45.1 % (arm 44.2 %; leg 47.3 %). This difference reduced to 3.8 % (arm 3.6 %; leg 4.3 %) by 6 months postsurgery, a mean percentage volume reduction of 89.6 % (arm 90.2 %; leg 88.2 %) [p multidisciplinary team is essential.

Reduced-dose C-arm computed tomography applications at a pediatric institution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Acord, Michael; Shellikeri, Sphoorti; Vatsky, Seth; Srinivasan, Abhay; Krishnamurthy, Ganesh; Keller, Marc S.; Cahill, Anne Marie [The Children' s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Radiology, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2017-12-15

Reduced-dose C-arm computed tomography (CT) uses flat-panel detectors to acquire real-time 3-D images in the interventional radiology suite to assist with anatomical localization and procedure planning. To describe dose-reduction techniques for C-arm CT at a pediatric institution and to provide guidance for implementation. We conducted a 5-year retrospective study on procedures using an institution-specific reduced-dose protocol: 5 or 8 s Dyna Rotation, 248/396 projection images/acquisition and 0.1-0.17 μGy/projection dose at the detector with 0.3/0.6/0.9-mm copper (Cu) filtration. We categorized cases by procedure type and average patient age and calculated C-arm CT and total dose area product (DAP). Two hundred twenty-two C-arm CT-guided procedures were performed with a dose-reduction protocol. The most common procedures were temporomandibular and sacroiliac joint injections (48.6%) and sclerotherapy (34.2%). C-arm CT was utilized in cases of difficult percutaneous access in less common applications such as cecostomy and gastrostomy placement, foreign body retrieval and thoracentesis. C-arm CT accounted for between 9.9% and 80.7% of the total procedural DAP. Dose-reducing techniques can preserve image quality for intervention while reducing radiation exposure to the child. This technology has multiple applications within pediatric interventional radiology and can be considered as an adjunctive imaging tool in a variety of procedures, particularly when percutaneous access is challenging despite routine fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance. (orig.)

Do you see my growth? : Two longitudinal studies on personality development from childhood to young adulthood from multiple perspectives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luan, Z.; Hutteman, R.; Denissen, J.J.A.; Asendorpf, J.B.; van Aken, M.A.G.

2017-01-01

Personality developmental studies typically rely on single reporter data, while multi-informant studies are rare. In two longitudinal studies, the present investigation examined inter-judge differences in the development of the Big Five personality traits from childhood to young adulthood. Study 1

Bayesian inference for two-part mixed-effects model using skew distributions, with application to longitudinal semicontinuous alcohol data.

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Dongyuan; Huang, Yangxin; Chen, Henian; Zhu, Yiliang; Dagne, Getachew A; Baldwin, Julie

2017-08-01

Semicontinuous data featured with an excessive proportion of zeros and right-skewed continuous positive values arise frequently in practice. One example would be the substance abuse/dependence symptoms data for which a substantial proportion of subjects investigated may report zero. Two-part mixed-effects models have been developed to analyze repeated measures of semicontinuous data from longitudinal studies. In this paper, we propose a flexible two-part mixed-effects model with skew distributions for correlated semicontinuous alcohol data under the framework of a Bayesian approach. The proposed model specification consists of two mixed-effects models linked by the correlated random effects: (i) a model on the occurrence of positive values using a generalized logistic mixed-effects model (Part I); and (ii) a model on the intensity of positive values using a linear mixed-effects model where the model errors follow skew distributions including skew- t and skew-normal distributions (Part II). The proposed method is illustrated with an alcohol abuse/dependence symptoms data from a longitudinal observational study, and the analytic results are reported by comparing potential models under different random-effects structures. Simulation studies are conducted to assess the performance of the proposed models and method.

Groundwater Prospecting in Luanda (Angola with the Application of Fuzzy Logics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moises Catanha

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This study is aimed at obtaining a map for groundwater prospecting in the province of Luanda (Angola applying fuzzy logic. A favorability map was generated by integrating six variables (longitudinal conductance, delta H, digital elevation model, geological map, static elevation and apparent resistivity and using ArcSDM extension of Sig ArcView with gamma operator and index ϒ=0,7. This map made it possible to classify the province into three areas: less favorable, favorable and very favorable for prospecting for underground aquifers.

A study of the HEB longitudinal dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, D.J.

1993-12-01

A study of the High Energy Booster (HEB) longitudinal dynamics is presented. Full derivations of ramp dependent longitudinal variables are given. The formulas assume that the input magnetic field and beam longitudinal emittance are known as a function of time, and that either the rf voltage or the rf bucket area are known as a function of time. Once these three inputs are specified, the formulas can be used to calculate values for all other longitudinal dynamics variables. The formulas have been incorporated into a single computer code named ELVIRA: Evaluation of Longitudinal Variables in Relativistic Accelerators. The ELVIRA code is documented here in detail. The ELVIRA code is used under two initial longitudinal emittance assumptions to plot ramp functions for the longitudinal dynamics design of the HEB as of May 5, 1992

JPRS Report Arms Control

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1993-01-01

Table of Contents: (1) COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES - (A) GENERAL Flaws in U.S.-Russian SSD Agreement Viewed, Khariton - Espionage Not Crucial in Soviet Nuclear Arms Development, Further on Espionage Role in Nuclear Arms Projects...

Revisiting the association of blood pressure with mortality in oldest old people in China: community based, longitudinal prospective study

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Yue-Bin; Gao, Xiang; Yin, Zhao-Xue; Chen, Hua-Shuai; Luo, Jie-Si; Brasher, Melanie Sereny; Kraus, Virginia Byers; Li, Tian-Tian; Zeng, Yi

2018-01-01

Abstract Objective To examine the associations of blood pressure with all cause mortality and cause specific mortality at three years among oldest old people in China. Design Community based, longitudinal prospective study. Setting 2011 and 2014 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, conducted in 22 Chinese provinces. Participants 4658 oldest old individuals (mean age 92.1 years). Main outcome measures All cause mortality and cause specific mortality assessed at three year follow-up. Results 1997 deaths were recorded at three year follow-up. U shaped associations of mortality with systolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, and pulse pressure were identified; values of 143.5 mm Hg, 101 mm Hg, and 66 mm Hg conferred the minimum mortality risk, respectively. After adjustment for covariates, the U shaped association remained only for systolic blood pressure (minimum mortality risk at 129 mm Hg). Compared with a systolic blood pressure value of 129 mm Hg, risk of all cause mortality decreased for values lower than 107 mm Hg (from 1.47 (95% confidence interval 1.01 to 2.17) to 1.08 (1.01 to 1.17)), and increased for values greater than 154 mm Hg (from 1.08 (1.01 to 1.17) to 1.27 (1.02 to 1.58)). In the cause specific analysis, compared with a middle range of systolic blood pressure (107-154 mm Hg), higher values (>154 mm Hg) were associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 1.51 (95% confidence interval 1.12 to 2.02)); lower values (blood pressure and all cause mortality at three years among oldest old people in China. This association could be explained by the finding that higher systolic blood pressure predicted a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and that lower systolic blood pressure predicted a higher risk of death from non-cardiovascular causes. These results emphasise the importance of revisiting blood pressure management or establishing specific guidelines for management among oldest

A prospective, single-arm study on the use of the da Vinci® Table Motion with the Trumpf TS7000dV operating table.

Science.gov (United States)

Morelli, Luca; Palmeri, Matteo; Simoncini, Tommaso; Cela, Vito; Perutelli, Alessandra; Selli, Cesare; Buccianti, Piero; Francesca, Francesco; Cecchi, Massimo; Zirafa, Cristina; Bastiani, Luca; Cuschieri, Alfred; Melfi, Franca

2018-03-30

The da Vinci® Table Motion (dVTM) comprises a combination of a unique operating table (Trumpf Medical™ TruSystem® 7000dV) capable of isocenter motion connected wirelessly with the da Vinci Xi® robotic platform, thereby enabling patients to be repositioned without removal of instruments and or undocking the robot. Between May 2015 to October 2015, the first human use of dVTM was carried out in this prospective, single-arm, post-market study in the EU, for which 40 patients from general surgery (GS), urology (U), or gynecology (G) were enrolled prospectively. Primary endpoints of the study were dVTM feasibility, efficacy, and safety. Surgeons from the three specialties obtained targeting success and the required table positioning in all cases. Table movement/repositioning was necessary to gain exposure of the operating field in 106/116 table moves (91.3%), change target in 2/116 table moves (1.7%), achieve hemodynamic relief in 4/116 table moves (3.5%), and improve external access for tumor removal in 4/116 table moves (3.5%). There was a significantly higher use of tilt and tilt plus Trendelenburg in GS group (GS vs. U p = 0.055 and GS vs. G p = 0.054). There were no dVTM safety-related or adverse events. The dVTM with TruSystem 7000dV operating table in wireless communication with the da Vinci Xi is a perfectly safe and effective synergistic combination, which allows repositioning of the patient whenever needed without imposing any delay in the execution of the operation. Moreover, it is helpful in avoiding extreme positions and enables the anesthesiologist to provide immediate and effective hemodynamic relief to the patient when needed.

Health status, resource consumption, and costs of dysthymia. A multi-center two-year longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbui, Corrado; Motterlini, Nicola; Garattini, Livio

2006-02-01

In this study we estimated the health status, resource consumption and costs of a large cohort of patients with early and late-onset dysthymia. The DYSCO (DYSthymia COsts) project is a multi-center observational study which prospectively followed for two years a randomly chosen sample of patients with dysthymia in the Italian primary health care system. A total of 501 patients were followed for two years; 81% had early-onset dysthymic disorder. During the study, improvement was seen in most domains of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaire. Comparison of the SF-36 scores for the two groups showed that only the physical health index significantly differed during the two years. The use of outpatient consultations, laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures was similar in the two groups, but patients with early-onset dysthymia were admitted significantly more than late-onset cases. Hospital admissions were almost entirely responsible for the higher total cost per patient per year of early-onset dysthymia. A first limitation of this study is that general practitioners were selected on the basis of their willingness to participate, not at random; secondly, no information was collected on concomitant psychiatric comorbidities. The present study provides the first prospective, long-term data on service use and costs in patients with dysthymia. Differently from patients with early-onset dysthymia, patients with late-onset dysthymia were admitted less and cost less.

Optimal Design of a 3-DOF Cable-Driven Upper Arm Exoskeleton

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Zhu-Feng Shao

2014-04-01

Full Text Available With outstanding advantages, such as large workspace, flexibility, and lightweight and low inertia, cable-driven parallel manipulator shows great potential for application as the exoskeleton rehabilitation robot. However, the optimal design is still a challenging problem to be solved. In this paper, the optimal design of a 3-DOF (3-degree-of-freedom cable-driven upper arm exoskeleton is accomplished considering the force exerted on the arm. After analysis of the working conditions, two promising configurations of the cable-driven upper arm exoskeleton are put forward and design parameters are simplified. Then, candidate ranges of two angle parameters are determined with the proposed main workspace requirement. Further, global force indices are defined to evaluate the force applied to the arm by the exoskeleton, in order to enhance the system safety and comfort. Finally, the optimal design of each configuration is obtained with proposed force indices. In addition, atlases and charts given in this paper well illustrate trends of workspace and force with different values of design parameters.

A prospective longitudinal study of the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from childbirth events.

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Alcorn, K L; O'Donovan, A; Patrick, J C; Creedy, D; Devilly, G J

2010-11-01

Childbirth has been linked to postpartum impairment. However, controversy exists regarding the onset and prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth, with seminal studies being limited by methodological issues. This longitudinal prospective study examined the prevalence of PTSD following childbirth in a large sample while controlling for pre-existing PTSD and affective symptomatology. Pregnant women in their third trimester were recruited over a 12-month period and interviewed to identify PTSD and anxiety and depressive symptoms during the last trimester of pregnancy, 4-6 weeks postpartum, 12 weeks postpartum and 24 weeks postpartum. Of the 1067 women approached, 933 were recruited into the study. In total, 866 (93%) were retained to 4-6 weeks, 826 (89%) were retained to 12 weeks and 776 (83%) were retained to 24 weeks. Results indicated that, uncontrolled, 3.6% of women met PTSD criteria at 4-6 weeks postpartum, 6.3% at 12 weeks postpartum and 5.8% at 24 weeks postpartum. When controlling for PTSD and partial PTSD due to previous traumatic events as well as clinically significant anxiety and depression during pregnancy, PTSD rates were less at 1.2% at 4-6 weeks, 3.1% at 12 weeks and 3.1% at 24 weeks postpartum. This is the first study to demonstrate the occurrence of full criteria PTSD resulting from childbirth after controlling for pre-existing PTSD and partial PTSD and clinically significant depression and anxiety in pregnancy. The findings indicate that PTSD can result from a traumatic birth experience, though this is not the normative response.

Active delivery of the anterior arm and incidence of second-degree perineal tears: a clinical practice evaluation.

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Mottet, Nicolas; Bonneaud, Marine; Eckman-Lacroix, Astrid; Ramanah, Rajeev; Riethmuller, Didier

2017-05-12

Evaluate the feasibility of active delivery of the anterior arm during spontaneous delivery. This maneuver could decrease incidence of second-degree perineal tears because it reduces fetal biacromial diameter. An observational comparative prospective study was conducted at our teaching maternity from July 2012 to March 2013. The study included 199 nulliparous women ≥18 years, who met the following criteria: singleton pregnancy, vaginal delivery with occiput anterior presentation, on epidural analgesia, from 37 weeks of gestation onward. The distribution of rate and type of perineal tears were compared between two groups: a non-exposed group and a group exposed to the maneuver. A total of 101 patients were exposed to Couder's maneuver (CM) and 98 patients were not exposed. In the intervention group, 3 failures of the maneuver were reported. The maneuver was considered easy in 80% of cases, moderately easy in 12% and difficult in 8% of cases. There was a significant difference (p = 0.03) in the distribution of perineal tears between the two groups. There was a significant reduction (p tears in the patients exposed to CM. There was no significant difference in the rate of anterior perineal trauma between the exposed and non-exposed arms. CM in primiparous women at term is feasible with a low failure rate and influences the distribution of perineal tears by lowering second-degree perineal tears in a highly significant manner (p <0.01).

The Prognostic Value of Left Atrial Peak Reservoir Strain in Acute Myocardial Infarction Is Dependent on Left Ventricular Longitudinal Function and Left Atrial Size

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ersbøll, Mads; Andersen, Mads J; Valeur, Nana

2013-01-01

of PALS and left ventricular longitudinal strain (global longitudinal strain) in large-scale populations in regard to prognosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: We prospectively included 843 patients (mean age 62.1+/-11.8; 74% male) with acute myocardial infarction and measured global longitudinal strain, left......BACKGROUND: Peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS) during the reservoir phase has been proposed as a measure of left atrium function in a range of cardiac conditions, with the potential for added pathophysiological insight and prognostic value. However, no studies have assessed the interrelation...

Disarmament and arms control in the policy of the two great powers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klein, J.

2010-01-01

This text was published in 1992. The author comments the results of the START agreement which specified a 30 per cent objective for strategic weapon reduction. He also comments the consequences and implication of the USSR splitting where some states possess nuclear arms and warheads, the cooperation for transportation, storage, security and destruction of chemical and nuclear weapons in USSR, and the perspectives of more ambitious disarmament propositions because of the USSR collapse and of the disappearance of its military threat on the USA

Algorithms for Unequal-Arm Michelson Interferometers

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Giampieri, Giacomo; Hellings, Ronald W.; Tinto, Massimo; Bender, Peter L.; Faller, James E.

1994-01-01

A method of data acquisition and data analysis is described in which the performance of Michelson-type interferometers with unequal arms can be made nearly the same as interferometers with equal arms. The method requires a separate readout of the relative phase in each arm, made by interfering the returning beam in each arm with a fraction of the outgoing beam.

Intra-operative adjustment of standard planes in C-arm CT image data.

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Brehler, Michael; Görres, Joseph; Franke, Jochen; Barth, Karl; Vetter, Sven Y; Grützner, Paul A; Meinzer, Hans-Peter; Wolf, Ivo; Nabers, Diana

2016-03-01

With the help of an intra-operative mobile C-arm CT, medical interventions can be verified and corrected, avoiding the need for a post-operative CT and a second intervention. An exact adjustment of standard plane positions is necessary for the best possible assessment of the anatomical regions of interest but the mobility of the C-arm causes the need for a time-consuming manual adjustment. In this article, we present an automatic plane adjustment at the example of calcaneal fractures. We developed two feature detection methods (2D and pseudo-3D) based on SURF key points and also transferred the SURF approach to 3D. Combined with an atlas-based registration, our algorithm adjusts the standard planes of the calcaneal C-arm images automatically. The robustness of the algorithms is evaluated using a clinical data set. Additionally, we tested the algorithm's performance for two registration approaches, two resolutions of C-arm images and two methods for metal artifact reduction. For the feature extraction, the novel 3D-SURF approach performs best. As expected, a higher resolution ([Formula: see text] voxel) leads also to more robust feature points and is therefore slightly better than the [Formula: see text] voxel images (standard setting of device). Our comparison of two different artifact reduction methods and the complete removal of metal in the images shows that our approach is highly robust against artifacts and the number and position of metal implants. By introducing our fast algorithmic processing pipeline, we developed the first steps for a fully automatic assistance system for the assessment of C-arm CT images.

Pbar Beam Stacking in the Recycler by Longitudinal Phase-space Coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhat, C. M. [Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)

2013-08-06

Barrier rf buckets have brought about new challenges in longitudinal beam dynamics of charged particle beams in synchrotrons and at the same time led to many new remarkable prospects in beam handling. In this paper, I describe a novel beam stacking scheme for synchrotrons using barrier buckets without any emittance dilution to the beam. First I discuss the general principle of the method, called longitudinal phase-space coating. Multi-particle beam dynamics simulations of the scheme applied to the Recycler, convincingly validates the concepts and feasibility of the method. Then I demonstrate the technique experimentally in the Recycler and also use it in operation. A spin-off of this scheme is its usefulness in mapping the incoherent synchrotron tune spectrum of the beam particles in barrier buckets and producing a clean hollow beam in longitudinal phase space. Both of which are described here in detail with illustrations. The beam stacking scheme presented here is the first of its kind.

Location-based prospective memory.

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O'Rear, Andrea E; Radvansky, Gabriel A

2018-02-01

This study explores location-based prospective memory. People often have to remember to do things when in a particular location, such as buying tissues the next time they are in the supermarket. For event cognition theory, location is important for structuring events. However, because event cognition has not been used to examine prospective memory, the question remains of how multiple events will influence prospective memory performance. In our experiments, people delivered messages from store to store in a virtual shopping mall as an ongoing task. The prospective tasks were to do certain activities in certain stores. For Experiment 1, each trial involved one prospective memory task to be done in a single location at one of three delays. The virtual environment and location cues were effective for prospective memory, and performance was unaffected by delay. For Experiment 2, each trial involved two prospective memory tasks, given in either one or two instruction locations, and to be done in either one or two store locations. There was improved performance when people received instructions from two locations and did both tasks in one location relative to other combinations. This demonstrates that location-based event structure influences how well people perform on prospective memory tasks.

Conduct Disorder and Initiation of Substance Use: A Prospective Longitudinal Study

Science.gov (United States)

Hopfer, Christian; Salomonsen-Sautel, Stacy; Mikulich-Gilbertson, Susan; Min, Sung-Joon; McQueen, Matt; Crowley, Thomas; Young, Susan; Corley, Robin; Sakai, Joseph; Thurstone, Christian; Hoffenberg, Analice; Hartman, Christie; Hewitt, John

2013-01-01

Objective: To examine the influence of conduct disorder (CD) on substance use initiation. Method: Community adolescents without CD (n = 1,165, mean baseline age = 14.6 years), with CD (n = 194, mean baseline age = 15.3 years), and youth with CD recruited from treatment (n = 268, mean baseline age = 15.7 years) were prospectively followed and…

FY1995 development of artificial arm 'SMART ARM' by spherical ultrasonic motor; 1995 nendo kyumen choonpa motor wo mochiita jinko gishu smart arm no kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-03-01

The project has an intention of development of new type artificial arm by spherical ultrasonic motor. We have succeeded in developing new type of spherical ultrasonic motor with three DOF. And we have succeeded in applying the motor to an artificial arm. This arm have advantages of small size, low weight torque comparing with conventional ones. We demonstrated them the new arm behaved well and it had good controlabilty. (NEDO)

Ozil IP torsional mode versus combined torsional/longitudinal microcoaxial phacoemulsification.

Science.gov (United States)

Helvacioglu, Firat; Tunc, Zeki; Yeter, Celal; Oguzhan, Hasan; Sencan, Sadik

2012-01-01

To compare the safety and efficacy of microcoaxial phacoemulsification surgeries performed with the Ozil Intelligent Phaco (IP) torsional mode and combined torsional/longitudinal ultrasound (US) mode using the Infiniti Vision System (Alcon Laboratories). In this prospective randomized comparative study, 60 eyes were assigned to 2.2-mm microcoaxial phacoemulsification using the Ozil IP torsional mode (group 1) or combined torsional/longitudinal US mode (group 2). The primary outcome measures were US time (UST), cumulative dissipated energy (CDE), longitudinal and torsional ultrasound amplitudes, mean operation time, mean volume of balanced salt solution (BSS) used, and surgical complications. Both groups included 30 eyes. Mean UST, CDE, and longitudinal and torsional ultrasound amplitudes in group 1 were 1 minute 15±34.33 seconds, 8.74±5.64, 0.43±0.74, and 25.56±8.56, respectively, and these parameters in group 2 were 1 minute 40±51.44 seconds, 9.28±5.99, 3.64±1.55, and 3.71±1.34, respectively. UST and longitudinal amplitudes were found to be significantly low in group 1 (p<0.001, p<0.001), whereas torsional amplitude was found to be significantly high in this group (p=0.001). Mean volumes of BSS used in groups 1 and 2 were 63.30±18.00 cc and 84.50±28.65 cc, respectively (p=0.001). The Ozil IP torsional mode may provide more effective lens removal than the combined torsional/longitudinal US mode with a lower UST and volume of BSS used.

Anterior six arms prolene mesh for high stage vaginal prolapse: five years follow-up

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Luis Gustavo M. de Toledo

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Introduction In high stage vaginal prolapse, recurrence risk patients, anterior and apical defects need to be addressed in the same procedure. The pre-molded commercial mesh kits are expensive and not always available. Alternative effective and safe treatment ways, with lower costs are desirable. Objective To present long term follow-up of patients treated with a homemade mesh shape to correct high stage prolapses. Materials and Methods We describe prospectively 18 patients with anterior and apical vaginal prolapses, stages III and IV, repaired using this specific design of mesh. All patients were submitted to pre-operative clinical evaluation and urodynamics. Prolapse was classified using the pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q. Intervention Prolapse surgery, using a six arms prolene mesh, through a single anterior vaginal incision. Outcome Measurements: POP-Q, patients satisfaction, descriptive statistical analysis. Results Between February 2009 and Oct 2010, 18 consecutive women underwent the above-mentioned surgery. Mean age was 68 years. At a mean follow-up of .,4 years (5 to 5.8 years, 16 (89% patients were continent, mean Ba point came from +4.7cm to - 2.5cm, mean C point from +2.8cm to -6.6cm and mean Bp point from +1.3 to -1.7cm. There were two (11% objective failures, but all the patients were considered success subjectively. There were two cases of mesh vaginal extrusion. Conclusions The homemade six arms prolene mesh allows concomitant correction of anterior and apical prolapses, through a single anterior vaginal incision, being an effective, safe and affordable treatment option when mesh is needed.

Randomised study on single stage laparo-endoscopic rendezvous (intra-operative ERCP procedure versus two stage approach (Pre-operative ERCP followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy for the management of cholelithiasis with choledocholithiasis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manash Ranjan Sahoo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction : The ′Rendezvous′ technique consists of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC standards with intra-operative cholangiography followed by endoscopic sphincterotomy. The sphincterotome is driven across the papilla through a guidewire inserted by the transcystic route. In this study, we intended to compare the two methods in a prospective randomised trial. Materials And Methods: From 2005 to 2012, we enrolled 83 patients with a diagnosis of cholecysto-choledocolithiasis. They were randomised into two groups. In ′group-A′,41 patients were treated with two stages management, first by pre-operative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP and common bile duct (CBD clearance and second by LC. In ′group-B′, 42 patients were treated with LC and intra-operative cholangiography; and when diagnosis of choledocholithiasis was confirmed, patients had undergone one stage management of by Laparo-endoscopic Rendezvous technique. Results: In arm-A and arm-B groups, complete CBD clearance was achieved in 29 and 38 patients, respectively. Failure of the treatment in arm-A was 29% and in arm-B was 9.5%. In arm-A, selective CBD cannulation was achieved in 33 cases (80.5% and in arm-B in 39 cases (93%. In arm-Agroup, post-ERCP hyperamylasia was presented in nine patients (22% and severe pancreatitis in five patients (12% versus none of the patients (0% in arm-B group, respectively. Mean post-operative hospital stay in arm-A and arm-B groups are 10.9 and 6.8 days, respectively. Conclusion: One stage laparo-endoscopic rendezvous approach increases selective cannulation of CBD, reduces post-ERCP pancreatitis, reduces days of hospital stay, increases patient′s compliance and prevents unnecessary intervention to CBD.

Pattern and Rate of Cognitive Decline in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: A Prospective Study.

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Andrew J Lawrence

Full Text Available Cognitive impairment, predominantly affecting processing speed and executive function, is an important consequence of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD. To date, few longitudinal studies of cognition in SVD have been conducted. We determined the pattern and rate of cognitive decline in SVD and used the results to determine sample size calculations for clinical trials of interventions reducing cognitive decline.121 patients with MRI confirmed lacunar stroke and leukoaraiosis were enrolled into the prospective St George's Cognition And Neuroimaging in Stroke (SCANS study. Patients attended one baseline and three annual cognitive assessments providing 36 month follow-up data. Neuropsychological assessment comprised a battery of tests assessing working memory, long-term (episodic memory, processing speed and executive function. We calculated annualized change in cognition for the 98 patients who completed at least two time-points.Task performance was heterogeneous, but significant cognitive decline was found for the executive function index (p<0.007. Working memory and processing speed decreased numerically, but not significantly. The executive function composite score would require the smallest samples sizes for a treatment trial with an aim of halting decline, but this would still require over 2,000 patients per arm to detect a 30% difference with power of 0.8 over a three year follow-up.The pattern of cognitive decline seen in SVD over three years is consistent with the pattern of impairments at baseline. Rates of decline were slow and sample sizes would need to be large for clinical trials aimed at halting decline beyond initial diagnosis using cognitive scores as an outcome measure. This emphasizes the importance of more sensitive surrogate markers in this disease.

Peptic ulcer bleeding patients with Rockall scores ≥6 are at risk of long-term ulcer rebleeding: A 3.5-year prospective longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Er-Hsiang; Cheng, Hsiu-Chi; Wu, Chung-Tai; Chen, Wei-Ying; Lin, Meng-Ying; Sheu, Bor-Shyang

2018-01-01

Patients with high Rockall scores have increased risk of rebleeding and mortality within 30 days after peptic ulcer bleeding, but long-term outcomes deserve follow-up after cessation of proton pump inhibitors. The paper aimed to validate whether patients with high Rockall scores have more recurrent ulcer bleeding in a 3.5-year longitudinal cohort. Between August 2011 and July 2014, 368 patients with peptic ulcer bleeding were prospectively enrolled after endoscopic hemostasis to receive proton pump inhibitors for at least 8 to 16 weeks. These subjects were categorized into either a Rockall scores ≥6 group (n = 257) or a Rockall scores ulcer bleeding. The proportion of patients with rebleeding during the 3.5-year follow-up was higher in patients with Rockall scores ≥6 than in those with scores ulcer (P = 0.04) were three additional independent factors found to increase rebleeding risk. The cumulative rebleeding rate was higher in patients with Rockall scores ≥6 with more than or equal to any two additional factors than in those with fewer than two additional factors (15.69 vs. 7.63 per 100 person-year, P = 0.012, log-rank test). Patients with Rockall scores ≥6 are at risk of long-term recurrent peptic ulcer bleeding. The risk can be independently increased by the presence of activated partial thromboplastin time prolonged ≥1.5-fold, American Society of Anesthesiologists class ≥III, and gastric ulcer in patients with Rockall scores ≥6. © 2017 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

In Silico Study of Spacer Arm Length Influence on Drug Vectorization by Fullerene C60

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Haifa Khemir

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This work studies theoretically the effect of spacer arm lengths on the characteristics of a fullerene C60-based nanovector. The spacer arm is constituted of a carbon chain including a variable number of methylene groups (n = 2–11. To improve the ability of the fullerene carriage, two arms are presented simultaneously through a malonyl bridge. Then the evolution of selected physicochemical parameters is monitored as a function of the spacer arm length and the angle between the two arms. We show here that while the studied characteristics are almost independent of the spacer arm length or vary monotonically with it, the dipole moment and its orientation vary periodically with the parity of the number of carbon atoms. This periodicity is related to both modules and orientations of dipole moments of the spacer arms. In the field of chemical synthesis, these results highlight the importance of theoretical calculations for the optimization of operating conditions. In the field of drug discovery, they show that theoretical calculations of the chemical properties of a drug candidate can help predict its in vivo behaviour, notably its bioavailability and biodistribution, which are known to be tightly dependent of its polarity.

Arm coordination in octopus crawling involves unique motor control strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, Guy; Flash, Tamar; Hochner, Binyamin

2015-05-04

To cope with the exceptional computational complexity that is involved in the control of its hyper-redundant arms [1], the octopus has adopted unique motor control strategies in which the central brain activates rather autonomous motor programs in the elaborated peripheral nervous system of the arms [2, 3]. How octopuses coordinate their eight long and flexible arms in locomotion is still unknown. Here, we present the first detailed kinematic analysis of octopus arm coordination in crawling. The results are surprising in several respects: (1) despite its bilaterally symmetrical body, the octopus can crawl in any direction relative to its body orientation; (2) body and crawling orientation are monotonically and independently controlled; and (3) contrasting known animal locomotion, octopus crawling lacks any apparent rhythmical patterns in limb coordination, suggesting a unique non-rhythmical output of the octopus central controller. We show that this uncommon maneuverability is derived from the radial symmetry of the arms around the body and the simple pushing-by-elongation mechanism by which the arms create the crawling thrust. These two together enable a mechanism whereby the central controller chooses in a moment-to-moment fashion which arms to recruit for pushing the body in an instantaneous direction. Our findings suggest that the soft molluscan body has affected in an embodied way [4, 5] the emergence of the adaptive motor behavior of the octopus. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantum theory of longitudinal dielectric response properties of a two-dimensional plasma in a magnetic field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horing, N.J.M.; Yildiz, M.M.

1976-01-01

An analysis of dynamic and nonlocal longitudinal dielectric response properties of a two-dimensional Landau-quantized plasma is carried out, using a thermodynamic Green's function formulation of the RPA with a two-dimensional thermal Green's function for electron propagation in a magnetic field developed in closed form. The longitudinal-electrostatic plasmon dispersion relation is discussed in the low wave-number regime with nonlocal corrections, and Bernstein mode structure is studied for arbitrary wavenumber. All regimes of magnetic field strength and statistics are investigated. The class of integrals treated here should have broad applicability in other two-dimensional and finite slab plasma studies.The two-dimensional static shielding law in a magnetic field is analyzed for low wavenumber, and for large distances we find V (r) approx. = Q/k 2 2 r 3 . The inverse screening length k 0 =2πe 2 partial rho/ partialxi (rho= density, xi= chemical potential) is evaluated in all regimes of magnetic field strength and all statistical regimes. k 0 exhibits violent DHVA oscillatory behavior in the degenerate zero-temperature case at higher field strengths, and the shielding is complete when xi =r'hω/subc/ but there is no shielding when xi does not = r'hω/subc/. A careful analysis confirms that there is no shielding at large distances in the degenerate quantum strong field limit h3π/subc/>xi. Since shielding does persist in the nondegenerate quantum strong field limit hω/subc/>KT, there should be a pronounced change in physical properties that depend on shielding if the system is driven through a high field statistical transition. Finally, we find that the zero field two-dimensional Friedel--Kohn ''wiggle'' static shielding phenomenon is destroyed by the dispersal of the zero field continuum of electron states into the discrete set of Landau-quantized orbitals due to the imposition of the magnetic field

A prospective association between quality of life and risk for cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Flensborg-Madsen, Trine; Johansen, Christoffer; Grønbæk, Morten

2011-01-01

The contributions of social and especially of psychological factors to cancer development have been questioned. The goal of this study was to investigate, in a longitudinal setting, the prospective associations between self-reported measures of social relations, subjective health (physical...... and mental) and quality of life and the risk for cancer....

What is the best position of the arms in mantle field for Hodgkin's disease?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pergolizzi, Stefano; Settineri, Nicola; Gaeta, Michele; Scribano, Emanuele; Santacaterina, Anna; Ascenti, Giorgio; Frosina, Pasquale; De Renzis, Costantino

2000-01-01

Purpose: To evaluate the best position of the arms in mantle field for Hodgkin's disease. Methods and Materials: In 12 patients, with surgical clips placed at the time of an axillary dissection for breast cancer, the radiological projection of the clips according to three arm positions was prospectively evaluated: akimbo (A), extended (E), and up over the head (U). The surgical clips were arbitrarily separated into two groups: lower and upper. In each patient, the distance between the surgical clips and chest wall was measured, and the possibility of shielding the lungs and humeral heads was evaluated. Results: The mean displacement of the lower clips away from the chest wall when the patients were in A, E, and U positions was 2.5, 3.0, and 4.6 cm, respectively. The upper group clips showed a lower difference in distance from chest wall. In the U position, there was always a clip of the lower group that projected over the humeral head, making it impossible to block this structure. Conclusion: In the A position, there is the possibility of blocking the humeral head, but it is necessary to irradiate more lung parenchyma. Type E treatment setup allows the shielding of both lung and humeral head, while maintaining adequate margins around the axillary nodes. In the U position, there is a greater possibility of shielding the lung parenchyma, but it is impossible to block the humeral heads

Prospective Randomized Trial of Prone Accelerated Intensity Modulated Breast Radiation Therapy With a Daily Versus Weekly Boost to the Tumor Bed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, Benjamin T.; Formenti-Ujlaki, George F.; Li, Xiaochun; Shin, Samuel M.; Fenton-Kerimian, Maria; Guth, Amber; Roses, Daniel F.; Hitchen, Christine J.; Rosenstein, Barry S.; Dewyngaert, J. Keith; Goldberg, Judith D.; Formenti, Silvia C.

2016-01-01

Purpose: To report the results of a prospective randomized trial comparing a daily versus weekly boost to the tumor cavity during the course of accelerated radiation to the breast with patients in the prone position. Methods and Materials: From 2009 to 2012, 400 patients with stage 0 to II breast cancer who had undergone segmental mastectomy participated in an institutional review board–approved trial testing prone breast radiation therapy to 40.5 Gy in 15 fractions 5 d/wk to the whole breast, after randomization to a concomitant daily boost to the tumor bed of 0.5 Gy, or a weekly boost of 2 Gy, on Friday. The present noninferiority trial tested the primary hypothesis that a weekly boost produced no more acute toxicity than did a daily boost. The recurrence-free survival was estimated for both treatment arms using the Kaplan-Meier method; the relative risk of recurrence or death was estimated, and the 2 arms were compared using the log-rank test. Results: At a median follow-up period of 45 months, no deaths related to breast cancer had occurred. The weekly boost regimen produced no more grade ≥2 acute toxicity than did the daily boost regimen (8.1% vs 10.4%; noninferiority Z = −2.52; P=.006). No statistically significant difference was found in the cumulative incidence of long-term fibrosis or telangiectasia of grade ≥2 between the 2 arms (log-rank P=.923). Two local and two distant recurrences developed in the daily treatment arm and three local and one distant developed in the weekly arm. The 4-year recurrence-free survival rate was not different between the 2 treatment arms (98% for both arms). Conclusions: A tumor bed boost delivered either daily or weekly was tolerated similarly during accelerated prone breast radiation therapy, with excellent control of disease and comparable cosmetic results.

Prospective Randomized Trial of Prone Accelerated Intensity Modulated Breast Radiation Therapy With a Daily Versus Weekly Boost to the Tumor Bed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cooper, Benjamin T.; Formenti-Ujlaki, George F. [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Li, Xiaochun [Division of Biostatistics, Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Shin, Samuel M.; Fenton-Kerimian, Maria [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Guth, Amber; Roses, Daniel F. [Department of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Hitchen, Christine J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Rosenstein, Barry S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (United States); Dewyngaert, J. Keith [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States); Goldberg, Judith D. [Division of Biostatistics, Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York (United States); Formenti, Silvia C., E-mail: formenti@med.cornell.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Langone Medical Center, New York, New York (United States)

2016-06-01

Purpose: To report the results of a prospective randomized trial comparing a daily versus weekly boost to the tumor cavity during the course of accelerated radiation to the breast with patients in the prone position. Methods and Materials: From 2009 to 2012, 400 patients with stage 0 to II breast cancer who had undergone segmental mastectomy participated in an institutional review board–approved trial testing prone breast radiation therapy to 40.5 Gy in 15 fractions 5 d/wk to the whole breast, after randomization to a concomitant daily boost to the tumor bed of 0.5 Gy, or a weekly boost of 2 Gy, on Friday. The present noninferiority trial tested the primary hypothesis that a weekly boost produced no more acute toxicity than did a daily boost. The recurrence-free survival was estimated for both treatment arms using the Kaplan-Meier method; the relative risk of recurrence or death was estimated, and the 2 arms were compared using the log-rank test. Results: At a median follow-up period of 45 months, no deaths related to breast cancer had occurred. The weekly boost regimen produced no more grade ≥2 acute toxicity than did the daily boost regimen (8.1% vs 10.4%; noninferiority Z = −2.52; P=.006). No statistically significant difference was found in the cumulative incidence of long-term fibrosis or telangiectasia of grade ≥2 between the 2 arms (log-rank P=.923). Two local and two distant recurrences developed in the daily treatment arm and three local and one distant developed in the weekly arm. The 4-year recurrence-free survival rate was not different between the 2 treatment arms (98% for both arms). Conclusions: A tumor bed boost delivered either daily or weekly was tolerated similarly during accelerated prone breast radiation therapy, with excellent control of disease and comparable cosmetic results.

Symptoms of anxiety and depression in childhood and use of MDMA: prospective, population based study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.C. Huizink (Anja); R.F. Ferdinand (Robert); J. van der Ende (Jan); F.C. Verhulst (Frank)

2006-01-01

textabstractOBJECTIVE: To investigate whether using ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) is preceded by symptoms of behavioural and emotional problems in childhood and early adolescence. DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal, population based study SETTING: The Dutch

Urine Albumin-Creatinine Ratio Versus Albumin Excretion for Albuminuria Staging: A Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Vart, Priya; Scheven, Lieneke; Lambers Heerspink, Hiddo J; de Jong, Paul E; de Zeeuw, Dick; Gansevoort, Ron T

2016-01-01

New guidelines advocate the use of albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) in a urine sample instead of 24-hour urinary albumin excretion (UAE) for staging albuminuria. Concern has been expressed that this may result in misclassification for reasons including interindividual differences in urinary creatinine excretion. Prospective longitudinal cohort study. We examined 7,623 participants of the PREVEND and RENAAL studies for reclassified when using ACR instead of 24-hour UAE, the characteristics of reclassified participants, and their outcomes. Albuminuria was categorized into 3 ACR and UAE categories: 300mg/g or mg/24 h, respectively. Baseline ACR and 24-hour UAE. Cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and all-cause mortality. When using ACR in the early morning void instead of 24-hour UAE, 88% of participants were classified in corresponding albuminuria categories. 307 (4.0%) participants were reclassified to a higher, and 603 (7.9%), to a lower category. Participants who were reclassified to a higher ACR category in general had a worse CV risk profile compared with nonreclassified participants, whereas the reverse was true for participants reclassified to a lower ACR category. Similarly, Cox proportional hazards regression analyses showed that reclassification to a higher ACR category was associated with a tendency for increased risk for CV morbidity and mortality and all-cause mortality, whereas reclassification to a lower ACR category was associated with a tendency for lower risk. Net reclassification improvement, adjusted for age, sex, and duration of follow-up, was 0.107 (P=0.002) for CV events and 0.089 (Phigh agreement between early morning void ACR and 24-hour UAE categories. Reclassification is therefore limited, but when present, is generally indicative of the presence of CV risk factors and prognosis. Copyright © 2016 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Arm circumference: its importance for dialysis patients in the obesity era.

Science.gov (United States)

Akpolat, Tekin; Kaya, Coşkun; Utaş, Cengiz; Arinsoy, Turgay; Taşkapan, Hülya; Erdem, Emre; Yilmaz, M Emin; Ataman, Rezzan; Bozfakioğlu, Semra; Özener, Çetin; Karayaylali, Ibrahim; Kazancioğlu, Rümeyza; Çamsari, Taner; Yavuz, Mahmut; Ersoy, Fevzi; Duman, Soner; Ateş, Kenan

2013-08-01

The purposes of this study were to investigate the association between arm circumference and body mass index (BMI) and to discuss problems, mainly arm circumference and cuff size mismatch, that could affect the reliability of home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) among peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients. 525 PD and 502 HD patients from 16 centers were included in the study. A two-part questionnaire was used to gather information from the participants. Arm circumferences were categorized into four groups according to the British Hypertension Society cuff size recommendations. Mean BMI and arm circumference of all participants were 25.0 kg/m(2) and 27.6 cm, respectively. There was a significant correlation between BMI and arm circumference. The mean BMI and arm circumference values were higher in PD patients than in HD patients. Requirement of a large-sized adult cuff was more common among PD patients compared to HD patients (14 % vs 8 %, p = 0.002). Since HBPM is a useful tool for clinicians to improve BP control, nephrologists should be aware of the problems related to HBPM in dialysis patients and take an active role to increase the reliability of HBPM.

A virtual reality system for arm and hand rehabilitation

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Zhiqiang; Lim, Chee Kian; Chen, I.-Ming; Yeo, Song Huat

2011-03-01

This paper presents a virtual reality (VR) system for upper limb rehabilitation. The system incorporates two motion track components, the Arm Suit and the Smart Glove which are composed of a range of the optical linear encoders (OLE) and the inertial measurement units (IMU), and two interactive practice applications designed for driving users to perform the required functional and non-functional motor recovery tasks. We describe the technique details about the two motion track components and the rational to design two practice applications. The experiment results show that, compared with the marker-based tracking system, the Arm Suit can accurately track the elbow and wrist positions. The repeatability of the Smart Glove on measuring the five fingers' movement can be satisfied. Given the low cost, high accuracy and easy installation, the system thus promises to be a valuable complement to conventional therapeutic programs offered in rehabilitation clinics and at home.

DDR and the Internal Organization of Non-State Armed Groups

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Brian McQuinn

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This paper argues that demobilization, disarmament and reintegration (DDR trajectories of non-state armed groups are shaped by a group’s internal organization. Extensive research by political scientists has demonstrated a correlation between internal features of armed groups and their behaviour (e.g. extent of violence used against local communities. I extend this analysis to DDR outcomes by illustrating how two features of an armed group’s internal organization – command profile and financing architecture – influence post-conflict DDR trajectories. To substantiate the theory, four case studies from Colombia, Nepal and Libya are reviewed. The article concludes with the limitations and opportunities of this approach, including the potential of predicting DDR challenges.

Training Load, Immune Status, and Clinical Outcomes in Young Athletes: A Controlled, Prospective, Longitudinal Study

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Katharina Blume

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Beside positive effects on athlete's health, competitive sport can be linked with an increased risk of illness and injury. Because of high relative increases in training, additional physical and psychological strains, and an earlier specialization and professionalization, adolescent athletes needs an increased attention. Training can alter the immune system by inducing a temporary immunosuppression, finally developing infection symptoms. Previous studies identified Epstein Barr Virus (EBV as potential indicator for the immune status. In addition to the identification of triggering risk factors for recurrent infections, the aim was to determine the interaction between training load, stress sense, immunological parameters, and clinical symptoms.Methods: A controlled, prospective, longitudinal study on young athletes (n = 274, mean age: 13.8 ± 1.5 yrs was conducted between 2010 and 2014. Also 285 controls (students, who did not perform competitive sports, mean age: 14.5 ± 1.9 yrs were recruited. Athletes were examined 3 times each year to determine the effects of stress factors (training load: training hours per week [Th/w] on selected outcome parameters (clinical [susceptibility to infection, WURSS-21: 21-item Wisconsin Upper Respiratory Symptom Survey], immunological, psychological end points. As part of each visit, EBV serostatus and EBV-specific IgG tiers were studied longitudinally as potential immune markers.Results: Athletes (A trained 14.9 ± 5.6 h weekly. Controls (C showed no lower stress levels compared to athletes (p = 0.387. Twelve percent of athletes reported recurrent infections (C: 8.5%, p = 0.153, the presence of an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI was achieved in 30.7%. EBV seroprevalence of athletes was 60.3% (C: 56.6%, p = 0.339. Mean EBV-specific IgG titer of athletes was 166 ± 115 U/ml (C: 137 ± 112 U/ml, p = 0.030. With increasing Th/w, higher stress levels were observed (p < 0.001. Analyzes of WURSS

Security and arms control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolodziej, E.A.; Morgan, P.M.

1989-01-01

This book attempts to clarify and define selected current issues and problems related to security and arms control from an international perspective. The chapters are organized under the following headings. Conflict and the international system, Nuclear deterrence, Conventional warfare, Subconventional conflict, Arms control and crisis management

Symptoms of anxiety and depression in childhood and use of MDMA: prospective, population based study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huizink, A.C.; Ferdinand, R.F.; Ende, J. van den; Verhulst, F.C.

2006-01-01

Objective To investigate whether using ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, MDMA) is preceded by symptoms of behavioural and emotional problems in childhood and early adolescence. Design Prospective, longitudinal, population based study. Setting The Dutch province of

Version of the galaxy spiral structure model with opposite-directed arms and inter-arm links

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dolidze, M V [AN Gruzinskoj SSR, Abastumani. Abastumanskaya Astrofizicheskaya Observatoriya

1963-05-01

An attempt is made to explain some peculiarities of the local spiral structure and large-scale distribution of HII regions in the Galaxy by coexistence of the trailing and leading arm systems of different power and development. The existence of opposite-directed arms and inter-arm links in the circular zone (5-15 kpc) is analysed from the point of view of different Galaxy models.

The effects of a home-based arm ergometry exercise programme on physical fitness, fatigue and activity in polio survivors: protocol for a randomised controlled trial

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Murray Deirdre

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many Polio survivors have reduced mobility, pain and fatigue, which make access to conventional forms of aerobic exercise difficult. Inactivity leads to increased risk of health problems, many of which are prevalent among Polio survivors. Aerobic exercise programmes in Polio survivors should utilise stable muscle groups and should be designed to minimise exacerbation of pain and fatigue. A home-based arm ergometry aerobic exercise programme may represent an affordable and accessible exercise modality, incorporating exercise prescription principles in this group. Methods/design This is a prospective, single blinded, randomised controlled trial. There are two arms; exercise intervention using arm ergometers and control. Polio survivors meeting eligibility criteria will be recruited and randomly allocated to intervention or control groups. Participants allocated to the intervention group will receive a small arm ergometer and a polar heart rate monitor. They will carry out a home-based moderate intensity (50-70% HRMax aerobic exercise programme for eight weeks, following instruction by the treating physiotherapist. Assessments will occur at baseline and after eight weeks and will include tests of physical fitness, activity, energy cost of walking, fatigue and quality of life. Clinically feasible assessment tools including the Six Minute Arm Test, the Physical Activity Scale for People with Physical Disabilities questionnaire, the Physiological Cost Index, Fatigue Severity Scale and the SF-36v2 will be utilised. Discussion The efficacy of a home-based arm ergometry programme in Polio survivors will be examined. No previous trial has examined such a programme using a wide range of outcome measures pertinent to Polio survivors. This study will provide new information on the impact of arm ergometry on physical fitness, activity, body composition, fatigue, pain, muscle strength, and health related quality of life. Also, the study

Spiral-arm instability: giant clump formation via fragmentation of a galactic spiral arm

Science.gov (United States)

Inoue, Shigeki; Yoshida, Naoki

2018-03-01

Fragmentation of a spiral arm is thought to drive the formation of giant clumps in galaxies. Using linear perturbation analysis for self-gravitating spiral arms, we derive an instability parameter and define the conditions for clump formation. We extend our analysis to multicomponent systems that consist of gas and stars in an external potential. We then perform numerical simulations of isolated disc galaxies with isothermal gas, and compare the results with the prediction of our analytic model. Our model describes accurately the evolution of the spiral arms in our simulations, even when spiral arms dynamically interact with one another. We show that most of the giant clumps formed in the simulated disc galaxies satisfy the instability condition. The clump masses predicted by our model are in agreement with the simulation results, but the growth time-scale of unstable perturbations is overestimated by a factor of a few. We also apply our instability analysis to derive scaling relations of clump properties. The expected scaling relation between the clump size, velocity dispersion, and circular velocity is slightly different from that given by the Toomre instability analyses, but neither is inconsistent with currently available observations. We argue that the spiral-arm instability is a viable formation mechanism of giant clumps in gas-rich disc galaxies.

Poly(glycolide multi-arm star polymers: Improved solubility via limited arm length

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Florian K. Wolf

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Due to the low solubility of poly(glycolic acid (PGA, its use is generally limited to the synthesis of random copolyesters with other hydroxy acids, such as lactic acid, or to applications that permit direct processing from the polymer melt. Insolubility is generally observed for PGA when the degree of polymerization exceeds 20. Here we present a strategy that allows the preparation of PGA-based multi-arm structures which significantly exceed the molecular weight of processable oligomeric linear PGA (<1000 g/mol. This was achieved by the use of a multifunctional hyperbranched polyglycerol (PG macroinitiator and the tin(II-2-ethylhexanoate catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of glycolide in the melt. With this strategy it is possible to combine high molecular weight with good molecular weight control (up to 16,000 g/mol, PDI = 1.4–1.7, resulting in PGA multi-arm star block copolymers containing more than 90 wt % GA. The successful linkage of PGA arms and PG core via this core first/grafting from strategy was confirmed by detailed NMR and SEC characterization. Various PG/glycolide ratios were employed to vary the length of the PGA arms. Besides fluorinated solvents, the materials were soluble in DMF and DMSO up to an average arm length of 12 glycolic acid units. Reduction in the Tg and the melting temperature compared to the homopolymer PGA should lead to simplified processing conditions. The findings contribute to broadening the range of biomedical applications of PGA.

One arm exercise induces significant interarm diastolic blood pressure difference.

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Dezhi; Wang, Jiwei; Su, Hai; Xu, Jingsong; Liu, Yanna; Peng, Qiang; Wang, Lijuan

2011-06-01

This study is designed to investigate the inducing effect of one arm exercise on interarm difference (IAD) in the blood pressure (BP). Fifty healthy young participants were included in the study. Three-minute exercises of the right arm elbow flexion and extension were performed. The bilateral brachial BP was simultaneously measured with two automatic BP measurement devices before (basic) and immediately 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 min after exercise. The absolute difference in the systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) between the left and right BP of at least 10 mmHg was recognized as sIAD and dIAD. The baseline data of the SBP and DBP in left and right arms revealed no significant difference (SBP: 110 ± 10 vs. 111 ± 11 mmHg; DBP: 66 ± 8 vs. 66 ± 9 mmHg, both not significant). The prevalence of dIAD was 2% at the baseline. However, this prevalence increased to 80% at 0 min, as right arm exercise induced the right DBP decrease and left DBP increase, and then the prevalence decreased gradually within a 30-min recovery period. The prevalence of sIAD was zero at the baseline and the maximal prevalence was 8% during the 20-min postexercise period. One arm exercise can lead to a significant IAD in DBP. Any arm exercise should be avoided before BP measurement.

Structural Studies of Three-Arm Star Block Copolymers Exposed to Extreme Stretch Suggests a Persistent Polymer Tube

Science.gov (United States)

Mortensen, Kell; Borger, Anine L.; Kirkensgaard, Jacob J. K.; Garvey, Christopher J.; Almdal, Kristoffer; Dorokhin, Andriy; Huang, Qian; Hassager, Ole

2018-05-01

We present structural small-angle neutron scattering studies of a three-armed polystyrene star polymer with short deuterated segments at the end of each arm. We show that the form factor of the three-armed star molecules in the relaxed state agrees with that of the random phase approximation of Gaussian chains. Upon exposure to large extensional flow conditions, the star polymers change conformation resulting in a highly stretched structure that mimics a fully extended three-armed tube model. All three arms are parallel to the flow, one arm being either in positive or negative stretching direction, while the two other arms are oriented parallel, right next to each other in the direction opposite to the first arm.

Causal mediation analysis for longitudinal data with exogenous exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Bind, M-A C; Vanderweele, T J; Coull, B A; Schwartz, J D

2016-01-01

Mediation analysis is a valuable approach to examine pathways in epidemiological research. Prospective cohort studies are often conducted to study biological mechanisms and often collect longitudinal measurements on each participant. Mediation formulae for longitudinal data have been developed. Here, we formalize the natural direct and indirect effects using a causal framework with potential outcomes that allows for an interaction between the exposure and the mediator. To allow different types of longitudinal measures of the mediator and outcome, we assume two generalized mixed-effects models for both the mediator and the outcome. The model for the mediator has subject-specific random intercepts and random exposure slopes for each cluster, and the outcome model has random intercepts and random slopes for the exposure, the mediator, and their interaction. We also expand our approach to settings with multiple mediators and derive the mediated effects, jointly through all mediators. Our method requires the absence of time-varying confounding with respect to the exposure and the mediator. This assumption is achieved in settings with exogenous exposure and mediator, especially when exposure and mediator are not affected by variables measured at earlier time points. We apply the methodology to data from the Normative Aging Study and estimate the direct and indirect effects, via DNA methylation, of air pollution, and temperature on intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) protein levels. Our results suggest that air pollution and temperature have a direct effect on ICAM-1 protein levels (i.e. not through a change in ICAM-1 DNA methylation) and that temperature has an indirect effect via a change in ICAM-1 DNA methylation. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Multi-armed spirals and multi-pairs antispirals in spatial rock–paper–scissors games

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Luo-Luo, E-mail: jiangluoluo@gmail.com [College of Physics and Electronic Information Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035 (China); College of Physics and Technology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi 541004 (China); Wang, Wen-Xu [School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 (United States); Department of Physics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 (China); Lai, Ying-Cheng [School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 (United States); Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 (United States); Ni, Xuan [School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287 (United States)

2012-07-09

We study the formation of multi-armed spirals and multi-pairs antispirals in spatial rock–paper–scissors games with mobile individuals. We discover a set of seed distributions of species, which is able to produce multi-armed spirals and multi-pairs antispirals with a finite number of arms and pairs based on stochastic processes. The joint spiral waves are also predicted by a theoretical model based on partial differential equations associated with specific initial conditions. The spatial entropy of patterns is introduced to differentiate the multi-armed spirals and multi-pairs antispirals. For the given mobility, the spatial entropy of multi-armed spirals is higher than that of single armed spirals. The stability of the waves is explored with respect to individual mobility. Particularly, we find that both two armed spirals and one pair antispirals transform to the single armed spirals. Furthermore, multi-armed spirals and multi-pairs antispirals are relatively stable for intermediate mobility. The joint spirals with lower numbers of arms and pairs are relatively more stable than those with higher numbers of arms and pairs. In addition, comparing to large amount of previous work, we employ the no flux boundary conditions which enables quantitative studies of pattern formation and stability in the system of stochastic interactions in the absence of excitable media. -- Highlights: ► Multi-armed spirals and multi-pairs antispirals are observed. ► Patterns are predicted by computer simulations and partial differential equations. ► The spatial entropy of patterns is introduced. ► Patterns are relatively stable for intermediate mobility. ► The joint spirals with lower numbers of arms and pairs are relatively more stable.

Multi-armed spirals and multi-pairs antispirals in spatial rock–paper–scissors games

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Luo-Luo; Wang, Wen-Xu; Lai, Ying-Cheng; Ni, Xuan

2012-01-01

We study the formation of multi-armed spirals and multi-pairs antispirals in spatial rock–paper–scissors games with mobile individuals. We discover a set of seed distributions of species, which is able to produce multi-armed spirals and multi-pairs antispirals with a finite number of arms and pairs based on stochastic processes. The joint spiral waves are also predicted by a theoretical model based on partial differential equations associated with specific initial conditions. The spatial entropy of patterns is introduced to differentiate the multi-armed spirals and multi-pairs antispirals. For the given mobility, the spatial entropy of multi-armed spirals is higher than that of single armed spirals. The stability of the waves is explored with respect to individual mobility. Particularly, we find that both two armed spirals and one pair antispirals transform to the single armed spirals. Furthermore, multi-armed spirals and multi-pairs antispirals are relatively stable for intermediate mobility. The joint spirals with lower numbers of arms and pairs are relatively more stable than those with higher numbers of arms and pairs. In addition, comparing to large amount of previous work, we employ the no flux boundary conditions which enables quantitative studies of pattern formation and stability in the system of stochastic interactions in the absence of excitable media. -- Highlights: ► Multi-armed spirals and multi-pairs antispirals are observed. ► Patterns are predicted by computer simulations and partial differential equations. ► The spatial entropy of patterns is introduced. ► Patterns are relatively stable for intermediate mobility. ► The joint spirals with lower numbers of arms and pairs are relatively more stable.

Growing Up in Poverty, Growing Old in Infirmity: The Long Arm of Childhood Conditions in Great Britain.

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Gindo Tampubolon

Full Text Available The ageing population poses a tremendous challenge in understanding the sources of inequalities in health. Though they appear to be far removed, childhood conditions are known to be inextricably linked with adult health, and in turn on health in later life. The long arm of childhood conditions hypothesis is often tested using recollection of childhood circumstances, but such subjective recall can yield potentially inaccurate or possibly biased inferences. We tested the long arm hypothesis on three outcomes in later life, arrayed from objective to subjective health, namely: gait speed, episodic memory and mental health.We used the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing 2006 enriched with retrospective life history (N = 5,913. To deal with recall problems two solutions, covariate measurement and endogenous treatment models, were applied. Retrospective childhood material lack includes growing up without running hot or cold water, fixed bath, indoor lavatory and central heating. Adjustment is made for an extensive set of confounders including sex, age, adult health, wealth, education, occupation, social support, social connections, chronic conditions, smoking, drinking, and physical exercise. It is found that material poverty when growing up shows no association with health when growing old, assuming accurate recall. Once recall problems are controlled, we found that childhood material poverty changes inversely with later life health.A poorer childhood goes with slower gait, poorer memory and more depression in later life. This result provides a further impetus to eliminate child poverty.

Prospective evaluation of human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Post, M.J.D.; Berger, J.R.; Quencer, R.M.

1989-01-01

As part of a prospective longitudinal study of individuals who are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive, cranial MR imaging was performed on 89 HIV-seropositive patients and correlated with clinical data. MR results were asymptomatics: MR images normal-58, abnormal-16; myelopathics: normal-seven, abnormal-four; encephalopathics: normal-three, abnormal-two. In asymptomatics, neurologic examination was positive in all with positive MR results but positive in only some with negative MR results. The authors concluded that MR imaging can show indirect evidence of HIV infection early in the disease, but abnormalities will be minor and seen only in the minority (21%) of symptomatics; these minor abnormalities may antedate clinical symptoms but not signs; an increase in severity of clinical disease correlates with increasingly severe atrophy and demyelination; and in some seropositives, whether asymptomatic or symptomatic, MR results remain normal

Transcervical, intrauterine ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation of uterine fibroids with the VizAblate? System: three- and six-month endpoint results from the FAST-EU study

OpenAIRE

Bongers, Marlies; Br?lmann, Hans; Gupta, Janesh; Garza-Leal, Jos? Gerardo; Toub, David

2014-01-01

This was a prospective, longitudinal, multicenter, single-arm controlled trial, using independent core laboratory validation of MRI results, to establish the effectiveness and confirm the safety of the VizAblate? System in the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids. The VizAblate System is a transcervical device that ablates fibroids with radiofrequency energy, guided by a built-in intrauterine ultrasound probe. Fifty consecutive women with symptomatic uterine fibroids received treatment w...

Interface Based on Electrooculography for Velocity Control of a Robot Arm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Iáñez

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a technique based on electrooculography to control a robot arm. This technique detects the movement of the eyes, measuring the difference of potential between the cornea and the retina by placing electrodes around the ocular area. The processing algorithm developed to obtain the position of the eye at the blink of the user is explained. The output of the processing algorithm offers, apart from the direction, four different values (zero to three to control the velocity of the robot arm according to how much the user is looking in one direction. This allows controlling two degrees of freedom of a robot arm with the eyes movement. The blink has been used to mark some targets in tests. In this paper, the experimental results obtained with a real robot arm are shown.

Human-like behavior of robot arms: general considerations and the handwriting task-part II: The robot arm in handwriting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Potkonjak, V.; Kostic, D.; Tzafestas, S.; Popovic, M.; Lazarevic, M.; Djordjevic, G.

2001-01-01

This paper (Part II) investigates the motion of a redundant anthropomorphic arm during the writing task. Two approaches are applied. The first is based on the concept of distributed positioning which is suitable to model the "writing" task before the occurrence of fatigue symptoms. The second

Impact of early adolescent externalizing problem behaviors on identity development in middle to late adolescence: a prospective 7-year longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Crocetti, Elisabetta; Klimstra, Theo A; Hale, William W; Koot, Hans M; Meeus, Wim

2013-11-01

Adolescents at-risk for problem behaviors can have more difficulties in developing a firm sense of personal identity. Hence the purpose of this prospective longitudinal study was to scrutinize how externalizing problems in early adolescence impact identity development in middle to late adolescence. Participants were 443 (43.12% female) Dutch adolescents. Teachers rated their externalizing problem behaviors when participants were 11 or 12 years old and their identity formation was studied during five consecutive years (from 14 to 18 years of age). The sample was divided into four groups: boys and girls with a high versus a low-risk for externalizing problem behaviors. Participants completed a self-report measure of identity commitment, in-depth exploration, and reconsideration of commitment. Multi-group Latent Growth Curve and profile stability analyses were used to evaluate identity development across adolescence. Findings indicated that high-risk boys and girls reported a less structured identity, with lower levels of commitment and higher levels of reconsideration of commitment. Since externalizing problems behaviors and lack of a coherent sense of identity might reinforce each other, early intervention for high-risk adolescents might foster positive youth development.

Patient-Related Benefits for Adults with Cochlear Implantation: A Multicultural Longitudinal Observational Study

Science.gov (United States)

Lenarz, Thomas; Muller, Lida; Czerniejewska-Wolska, Hanna; Vallés Varela, Hector; Orús Dotú, César; Durko, Marcin; Huarte Irujo, Alicia; Piszczatowski, Bartosz; Zadrożniak, Marek; Irwin, Colin; Graham, Petra L.; Wyss, Josie

2017-01-01

Objectives To assess subjectively perceived, real-world benefits longitudinally for unilateral cochlear implant (CI) recipients in a multinational population treated routinely. To identify possible predictors of self-reported benefits. Design This was a prospective, multicenter, repeated-measures study. Self-assessment of performance at preimplantation and postimplantation at 1, 2, and 3 years using standardized, validated, local language versions of the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ), and the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3) was performed. Outcomes were analyzed using a longitudinal mixed-effects model incorporating country effect. Patient demographics were explored for associations with change over time. Subjects Two hundred ninety-one routinely treated, unilateral CI recipients, aged 137–81 years, from 9 clinics across 4 countries. Results Highly significant improvements were observed for all outcome measures (p < 0.0001). Postimplantation, mean outcome scores remained stable beyond 1 year, with notable individual variability. A significant association for one or more outcomes with preimplantation contralateral hearing aid use, telephone use, age at implantation, implantation side, preimplantation comorbidities, dizziness, and tinnitus was observed (p < 0.004). Conclusions Longitudinal benefits of CI treatment can be measured using clinically standardized self-assessment tools to provide a holistic view of patient-related benefits in routine clinical practice for aggregated data from multinational populations. Self-reported outcomes can provide medical-based evidence regarding CI treatment to support decision-making by health service providers. PMID:28719901

Influence of arm positioning on tomographic thallium-201 myocardial perfusion imaging and the effect of attenuation correction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prvulovich, E.M.; Jarritt, P.H.; Vorontsova, E.; Bomanji, J.B.; Ell, P.J.

2000-01-01

Lateral attenuation in single-photon emission tomography (SPET) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has been attributed to the left arm if it is held by the patient's side during data acquisition. As a result MPI data are conventionally acquired with the arms held above the head. The aims of this study were to determine the effect of imaging arms down on reconstructed tomographic images depicting regional myocardial thallium-201 distribution and to assess whether attenuation-corrected (AC) myocardial perfusion images acquired arms down could replace uncorrected (NC) images acquired arms up for routine clinical service. Twenty-eight patients referred for routine MPI underwent sequential 180 emission/transmission imaging for attenuation correction using an L-shaped dual-headed gamma camera (GE Optima) fitted with two gadolinium-153 scanning line sources. Delay data were acquired twice: once supine with the arms up and then supine with the arms down. Detector radius of rotation (ROR) for arms up and arms-down studies was recorded. For each data set, count density was measured in 17 segments of a polar plot and segmental uptake expressed relative to study maximum. Oblique images were assessed qualitatively by two observers blinded to study type for tracer distribution and overall quality. Transmission maps were assessed for truncation. Mean detector ROR was 190 mm for arms-up studies and 232 mm for arms-down studies (P 201 Tl distribution, particularly anterolaterally. There is lateral undercorrection in approximately 10% of AC arms-down studies, possibly because of attenuation map truncation. Image quality is reduced in about one-third of AC arms-down studies compared with NC arms-up studies. These data suggest that this attenuation correction method is not sufficiently robust to allow routine acquisition of MPI data with the arms down. (orig.)

Emergency disconnect means for the manipulator arm of a nuclear reactor vessel inspection apparatus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobs, F.; Morris, D.W.

1980-01-01

An emergency disconnect means is disclosed for uncoupling a portion of the linkage means which connects the several segments of an articulating manipulator arm employed in a nuclear reactor vessel inspection device. One of the motor housings included in the manipulator arm's segmented drive train is pivotably coupled between two segments thereof. In the event of power failure or the necessity of manual retraction of the manipulator arm from within the vessel, a lever is manually operated and moved from its normally locked position wherein the motor housing is positionally fixed to a release position wherein the motor housing and the remainder of the manipulator arm segments connected forwardly thereof are pivotally released to shorten the normal arm reach and alter the normal orientation of the manipulator arm to expedite removal without danger of collision. (auth)

Special Gripper for a Robotic Arm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel Angel SELLES

2012-12-01

Full Text Available New structures for gripping objects in robotic manipulation processes are oriented to the new arrangement of mechanical structures using new materials and processing technologies and innovative procedures for the implementation of contact gripping element links to an object with a high degree of adaptively of applications together with the ability to alter the structure of grip and limiting the intensity of the contact stiffness variation of snap elements custody and pliability. The application of elastomeric materials and surface finishes is important. This paper presents both a new gripper design for robot arms but also the search of the selected materials to make an experimental evaluation of technical parameters that are used to assess their application potential and suitability for the targeted applications. Also the results and conclusions for gripper testing in manipulation operations with two different robot arms are presented.

The Cybathlon BCI race: Successful longitudinal mutual learning with two tetraplegic users.

Science.gov (United States)

Perdikis, Serafeim; Tonin, Luca; Saeedi, Sareh; Schneider, Christoph; Millán, José Del R

2018-05-01

This work aims at corroborating the importance and efficacy of mutual learning in motor imagery (MI) brain-computer interface (BCI) by leveraging the insights obtained through our participation in the BCI race of the Cybathlon event. We hypothesized that, contrary to the popular trend of focusing mostly on the machine learning aspects of MI BCI training, a comprehensive mutual learning methodology that reinstates the three learning pillars (at the machine, subject, and application level) as equally significant could lead to a BCI-user symbiotic system able to succeed in real-world scenarios such as the Cybathlon event. Two severely impaired participants with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI), were trained following our mutual learning approach to control their avatar in a virtual BCI race game. The competition outcomes substantiate the effectiveness of this type of training. Most importantly, the present study is one among very few to provide multifaceted evidence on the efficacy of subject learning during BCI training. Learning correlates could be derived at all levels of the interface-application, BCI output, and electroencephalography (EEG) neuroimaging-with two end-users, sufficiently longitudinal evaluation, and, importantly, under real-world and even adverse conditions.

The Cybathlon BCI race: Successful longitudinal mutual learning with two tetraplegic users.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serafeim Perdikis

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This work aims at corroborating the importance and efficacy of mutual learning in motor imagery (MI brain-computer interface (BCI by leveraging the insights obtained through our participation in the BCI race of the Cybathlon event. We hypothesized that, contrary to the popular trend of focusing mostly on the machine learning aspects of MI BCI training, a comprehensive mutual learning methodology that reinstates the three learning pillars (at the machine, subject, and application level as equally significant could lead to a BCI-user symbiotic system able to succeed in real-world scenarios such as the Cybathlon event. Two severely impaired participants with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI, were trained following our mutual learning approach to control their avatar in a virtual BCI race game. The competition outcomes substantiate the effectiveness of this type of training. Most importantly, the present study is one among very few to provide multifaceted evidence on the efficacy of subject learning during BCI training. Learning correlates could be derived at all levels of the interface-application, BCI output, and electroencephalography (EEG neuroimaging-with two end-users, sufficiently longitudinal evaluation, and, importantly, under real-world and even adverse conditions.

Rock Moved by Mars Lander Arm, Stereo View

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

The robotic arm on NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander slid a rock out of the way during the mission's 117th Martian day (Sept. 22, 2008) to gain access to soil that had been underneath the rock.The lander's Surface Stereo Imager took the two images for this stereo view later the same day, showing the rock, called 'Headless,' after the arm pushed it about 40 centimeters (16 inches) from its previous location. 'The rock ended up exactly where we intended it to,' said Matt Robinson of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, robotic arm flight software lead for the Phoenix team. The arm had enlarged the trench near Headless two days earlier in preparation for sliding the rock into the trench. The trench was dug to about 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) deep. The ground surface between the rock's prior position and the lip of the trench had a slope of about 3 degrees downward toward the trench. Headless is about the size and shape of a VHS videotape. The Phoenix science team sought to move the rock in order to study the soil and the depth to subsurface ice underneath where the rock had been. This left-eye and right-eye images for this stereo view were taken at about 12:30 p.m., local solar time on Mars. The scene appears three-dimensional when seen through blue-red glasses.The view is to the north northeast of the lander. The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by JPL, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development was by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.

Nuclear proliferation: prospects, problems, and proposals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1977-01-01

This issue of the ANNALS addresses itself to three aspects of nuclear proliferation: the prospect that new nuclear powers will come on the scene, the problems that their arrival may create, and ways of coping with those problems. In an introductory paper, ''Quo Vadimus,'' Joseph I. Coffey investigates the pros and cons of proliferation, concluding that it is not a question of whether there will be nuclear proliferation, but in what countries. Part I, Where We Are, contains five papers preceded by introductory comments by Joseph I. Coffey. The papers and their authors are: Why States Go--and Don't Go--Nuclear, William Epstein; How States Can ''Go Nuclear,'' Frank C. Barnaby; What Happens If. . .Terrorists, Revolutionaries, and Nuclear Weapons, David Kreiger; Safeguards Against Diversion of Nuclear Material: An Overview, Ryukichi Imai; and Reducing the Incentives to Proliferation, George H. Quester. Part II, And Where We May Go, again includes some introductory remarks by Joseph I. Coffey. The seven succeeding papers are: Nth Powers of the Future, Ashok Kapur; Nuclear Proliferation and World Politics, Lewis A. Dunn; Arms Control in a Nuclear Armed World, Colin Gray; The United Nations, the Superpowers, and Proliferation, Abraham Bargman; Proliferation and the Future: Destruction or Transformation, Frederick C. Thayer; Decision Making in a Nuclear Armed World, Michael Brenner; and The United States in a World of Nuclear Powers, Michael Nacht. This special report is concluded with a glossary

Radial distributions of arm-gas offsets as an observational test of spiral theories

OpenAIRE

Baba, Junichi; Morokuma-Matsui, Kana; Egusa, Fumi

2015-01-01

Theories of stellar spiral arms in disk galaxies can be grouped into two classes based on the longevity of a spiral arm. Although the quasi-stationary density wave theory supposes that spirals are rigidly-rotating, long-lived patterns, the dynamic spiral theory predicts that spirals are differentially-rotating, transient, recurrent patterns. In order to distinguish between the two spiral models from observations, we performed hydrodynamic simulations with steady and dynamic spiral models. Hyd...

Externalizing behaviors and cigarette smoking as predictors for use of illicit drugs: a longitudinal study among Finnish adolescent twins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korhonen, T.; Levälahti, E.; Dick, D.M.; Pulkkinen, L.; Rose, R.J.; Kaprio, J.; Huizink, A.C.

2010-01-01

We examined whether externalizing problem behaviors (hyperactivity-impulsivity, aggressiveness, and inattention) predict illicit drug use independently, or whether their associations with drug use are mediated through cigarette smoking. We used a prospective longitudinal design within the

Externalizing Behaviors and Cigarette Smoking as Predictors for Use of Illicit Drugs: A Longitudinal Study Among Finnish Adolescent Twins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korhonen, T.; Levälahti, E.; Dick, D.M.; Pulkkinen, L.; Rose, R.J.; Kaprio, J.; Huizink, A.C.

2010-01-01

We examined whether externalizing problem behaviors (hyperactivity-impulsivity, aggressiveness, and inattention) predict illicit drug use independently, or whether their associations with drug use are mediated through cigarette smoking. We used a prospective longitudinal design within the

Arm Volumetry Versus Upper Extremity Lymphedema Index: Validity of Upper Extremity Lymphedema Index for Body-Type Corrected Arm Volume Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Nana; Yamamoto, Takumi; Hayashi, Nobuko; Hayashi, Akitatsu; Iida, Takuya; Koshima, Isao

2016-06-01

Volumetry, measurement of extremity volume, is a commonly used method for upper extremity lymphedema (UEL) evaluation. However, comparison between different patients with different physiques is difficult with volumetry, because body-type difference greatly affects arm volume. Seventy arms of 35 participants who had no history of arm edema or breast cancer were evaluated. Arm volume was calculated using a summed truncated cone model, and UEL index was calculated using circumferences and body mass index (BMI). Examinees' BMI was classified into 3 groups, namely, low BMI (BMI, 25 kg/m). Arm volume and UEL index were compared with corresponding BMI groups. Mean (SD) arm volume was 1090.9 (205.5) mL, and UEL index 96.9 (5.6). There were significant differences in arm volume between BMI groups [low BMI vs middle BMI vs high BMI, 945.2 (107.4) vs 1045.2 (87.5) vs 1443.1 (244.4) mL, P 0.5]. Arm volume significantly increased with increase of BMI, whereas UEL index stayed constant regardless of BMI. Upper extremity lymphedema index would allow better body-type corrected arm volume evaluation compared with arm volumetry.

Remarriage of women and men after divorce: the role of socioeconomic prospects.

Science.gov (United States)

Sweeney, M M

1997-09-01

"This analysis of remarriage among the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study's cohort of high school graduates investigates the relationship between socioeconomic prospects and remarriage after divorce. This article expands on previous efforts by including multiple measures of socioeconomic prospects and considering their importance over an extended time frame. In addition, a comparative approach is taken in this analysis, with the importance of socioeconomic prospects considered for the remarriage of both women and men. Several competing hypotheses are tested, with results indicating that, for women, the appropriate model of remarriage varies with age of separation from the first husband. With few exceptions, socioeconomic prospects are not found to be related to the remarriage of men. The implications of these findings for patterns of poverty among divorced women are considered." This paper was originally presented at the 1995 Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America. excerpt

Prevalence, course and determinants of carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms during pregnancy : A prospective study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meems, M.; Truijens, S. E. M.; Spek, V.; Visser, L. H.; Pop, V. J. M.

2015-01-01

Objective To investigate the prevalence, severity and relation to fluid retention of self-reported pregnancy-related carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) symptoms in a large sample of pregnant women. Design A prospective longitudinal cohort study. Setting Dutch women who became pregnant between January 2013

Disarmament and arms control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elzen, B.

1979-01-01

This report discusses how far science and technology can provide methods of making arms control and disarmament agreements more controlable in an objective way. Two case studies have been considered, the test ban treaty and the verification of the number of strategic nuclear weapons. These lead to the conclusion that both science and politics are closely interwoven and that within what appear to be scientific arguments, political positions are being defended. Consequently scientists and technologists and the contexts in which they work, play a prominent role. (C.F.)

Modernization of African Armed Forces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mandrup, Thomas

2015-01-01

Concept paper framing the debate at the Dakar Forum Workshop on Modernization of Armed forces in Africa.......Concept paper framing the debate at the Dakar Forum Workshop on Modernization of Armed forces in Africa....

Combining near-subject absolute and relative measures of longitudinal hydration in hemodialysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Cian; McIntyre, Christopher; Smith, David; Spanel, Patrik; Davies, Simon J

2009-11-01

The feasibility and additional value of combining bioimpedance analysis (BIA) with near-subject absolute measurement of total body water using deuterium dilution (TBW(D)) in determining longitudinal fluid status was investigated. Fifty-nine hemodialysis patients (17 female; age 58.4 +/- 16.1 yr; body mass index 27.0 +/- 5.4) were enrolled into a 12-mo, two-center, prospective cohort study. Deuterium concentration was measured in breath by flowing-afterglow mass spectrometry using a validated protocol ensuring full equilibration with the TBW; BIA was measured using a multifrequency, multisegmental device. Comorbidity was quantified by the Stoke score. Clinicians were blinded to body composition data. At baseline and 12 mo, there was an incremental discrepancy between TBW(BIA) and TBW(D) volumes such that greater comorbidity was associated with increasing overhydration. Forty-three patients who completed the study had no longitudinal differences in the prescribed or achieved postdialysis weights. In contrast, TBW(D) increased without a change in TBW(BIA) (mean difference -0.10 L). Changes in TBW and lean body mass differed according to baseline comorbidity; without comorbidity, BIA also identified an increase in TBW and lean body mass, whereas with increasing comorbid burden, BIA failed to demonstrate increases in tissue hydration identified by TBW(D). Combined near-patient measurements of absolute and BIA-estimated TBW are achievable in a dialysis facility by identifying changes in body composition not fully appreciated by routine assessment. BIA underestimates tissue overhydration that is associated with comorbidity, resulting in reduced sensitivity to longitudinal increases during a 12-mo period.

Visual Recognition and Its Application to Robot Arm Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jih-Gau Juang

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an application of optical word recognition and fuzzy control to a smartphone automatic test system. The system consists of a robot arm and two webcams. After the words from the control panel that represent commands are recognized by the robot system, the robot arm performs the corresponding actions to test the smartphone. One of the webcams is utilized to capture commands on the screen of the control panel, the other to recognize the words on the screen of the tested smartphone. The method of image processing is based on the Red-Green-Blue (RGB and Hue-Saturation-Luminance (HSL color spaces to reduce the influence of light. Fuzzy theory is used in the robot arm’s position control. The Optical Character Recognition (OCR technique is applied to the word recognition, and the recognition results are then checked by a dictionary process to increase the recognition accuracy. The camera which is used to recognize the tested smartphone also provides object coordinates to the fuzzy controller, then the robot arm moves to the desired positions and presses the desired buttons. The proposed control scheme allows the robot arm to perform different assigned test functions successfully.

21 CFR 890.3640 - Arm sling.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... arm sling is a device intended for medical purposes to immobilize the arm, by means of a fabric band... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Arm sling. 890.3640 Section 890.3640 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES...

Blood pressure measurement: one arm or both arm?

Science.gov (United States)

Kulkarni, Prasad K; Shekhar, Susheela; Reddy, B N; Nirmala, B C

2011-09-01

Guidelines for measuring blood pressure includes measurement of blood pressure on both arms but it is often ignored. Our case report aims at highlighting the need follow the guidelines. A 60 year old 59 kg weighing male asymptomatic patient without any comobidities was posted for bilateral inguinal hernia repair. The interarm blood pressure difference was discovered incidentally during his preanaesthetic evalution. On further evaluation patient was found to be having subclavian stenosis on left side which was asymptomatic. Intraoperative and post operative period was uneventful. Blood pressure measurement should be done in accordance with the stipulated guidelines. Inter arm blood pressure difference should be noted in all patients as not only for diagnosis and treatment of hypertension but also as a tool to diagnose asymptomatic peripheral vascular disesase.

ARM assembly language with hardware experiments

CERN Document Server

Elahi, Ata

2015-01-01

This book provides a hands-on approach to learning ARM assembly language with the use of a TI microcontroller. The book starts with an introduction to computer architecture and then discusses number systems and digital logic. The text covers ARM Assembly Language, ARM Cortex Architecture and its components, and Hardware Experiments using TILM3S1968. Written for those interested in learning embedded programming using an ARM Microcontroller. ·         Introduces number systems and signal transmission methods   ·         Reviews logic gates, registers, multiplexers, decoders and memory   ·         Provides an overview and examples of ARM instruction set   ·         Uses using Keil development tools for writing and debugging ARM assembly language Programs   ·         Hardware experiments using a Mbed NXP LPC1768 microcontroller; including General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) configuration, real time clock configuration, binary input to 7-segment display, creating ...

The prospect of conventional disarmament

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adeniji, O.

1989-01-01

The prospect of conventional disarmament in Europe holds out great consequences not only for the continent but also for the entire world. The arms race both in its nuclear and conventional aspects has been the single most important element of the destabilizing factors in international relations since 1945. Though initially borne out of the ideological division of Europe and the consequent quest for strategic military superiority, it soon developed a technological momentum of its own, becoming more the cause than the effect of the distrust in the relationship of the two alliances. The issue of conventional weapons was raised for negotiations side by side with that of nuclear weapons when the United Nations took up the question of disarmament in 1946. Due, however, to the unforeseen and most dangerous advance in nuclear weaponry, the fear engendered shifted all attention at the multilateral level to nuclear weapons. Except in Europe where the Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction Talks in Central Europe were initiated, conventional weapons disarmament did not attract multilateral attention again until the First Special Session of the United nations General Assembly Devoted to Disarmament in 1978. The Final Document of the Special Session did accord highest priority to negotiations on nuclear weapons. However, it also affirmed that side by side with negotiations on nuclear weapons, the limitation and gradual reduction of armed forces and conventional weapons should be resolutely pursued within the framework of general and complete disarmament. States with the largest military arsenals, it was stated, had a special responsibility in pursuing conventional armaments reduction. Underscoring the central role of Europe further, the Final Document postulated that the achievement of a more stable situation at a lower level of military potential would contribute toward strengthening of security in Europe and constitute a significant step toward international peace and security

Apparatus for adjusting the elevation of fuel rods in a nuclear reactor fuel assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hale, D.L.; Culbreth, T.F.

1988-01-01

A tool adapted for adjusting the level of a nuclear fuel rod in a fuel assembly is described comprising: an expander comprising two elongate generally parallel and laterally spaced apart arms extending in a longitudinal direction, an actuator operatively mounted to the expander so as to be disposed between the two arms and being movable with respect thereto, and cooperating surface means mounted to the arms and the actuator for laterally separating the free ends of the arms to a predetermined maximum distance upon movement of the actuator with respect to the arms

PHENIX Muon Arms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akikawa, H.; Al-Jamel, A.; Archuleta, J.B.; Archuleta, J.R.; Armendariz, R.; Armijo, V.; Awes, T.C.; Baldisseri, A.; Barker, A.B.; Barnes, P.D.; Bassalleck, B.; Batsouli, S.; Behrendt, J.; Bellaiche, F.G.; Bland, A.W.; Bobrek, M.; Boissevain, J.G.; Borel, H.; Brooks, M.L.; Brown, A.W.; Brown, D.S.; Bruner, N.; Cafferty, M.M.; Carey, T.A.; Chai, J.-S.; Chavez, L.L.; Chollet, S.; Choudhury, R.K.; Chung, M.S.; Cianciolo, V.; Clark, D.J.; Cobigo, Y.; Dabrowski, C.M.; Debraine, A.; DeMoss, J.; Dinesh, B.V.; Drachenberg, J.L.; Drapier, O.; Echave, M.A.; Efremenko, Y.V.; En'yo, H.; Fields, D.E.; Fleuret, F.; Fried, J.; Fujisawa, E.; Funahashi, H.; Gadrat, S.; Gastaldi, F.; Gee, T.F.; Glenn, A.; Gogiberidze, G.; Gonin, M.; Gosset, J.; Goto, Y.; Granier de Cassagnac, R.; Hance, R.H.; Hart, G.W.; Hayashi, N.; Held, S.; Hicks, J.S.; Hill, J.C.; Hoade, R.; Hong, B.; Hoover, A.; Horaguchi, T.; Hunter, C.T.; Hurst, D.E.; Ichihara, T.; Imai, K.; Isenhower, L.D.L. Davis; Isenhower, L.D.L. Donald; Ishihara, M.; Jang, W.Y.; Johnson, J.; Jouan, D.; Kamihara, N.; Kamyshkov, Y.; Kang, J.H.; Kapoor, S.S.; Kim, D.J.; Kim, D.-W.; Kim, G.-B.; Kinnison, W.W.; Klinksiek, S.; Kluberg, L.; Kobayashi, H.; Koehler, D.; Kotchenda, L.; Kuberg, C.H.; Kurita, K.; Kweon, M.J.; Kwon, Y.; Kyle, G.S.; LaBounty, J.J.; Lajoie, J.G.; Lee, D.M.; Lee, S.; Leitch, M.J.; Li, Z.; Liu, M.X.; Liu, X.; Liu, Y.; Lockner, E.; Lopez, J.D.; Mao, Y.; Martinez, X.B.; McCain, M.C.; McGaughey, P.L.; Mioduszewski, S.; Mischke, R.E.; Mohanty, A.K.; Montoya, B.C.; Moss, J.M.; Murata, J.; Murray, M.M.; Nagle, J.L.; Nakada, Y.; Newby, J.; Obenshain, F.; Palounek, A.P.T.; Papavassiliou, V.; Pate, S.F.; Plasil, F.; Pope, K.; Qualls, J.M.; Rao, G.; Read, K.F.; Robinson, S.H.; Roche, G.; Romana, A.; Rosnet, P.; Roth, R.; Saito, N.; Sakuma, T.; Sandhoff, W.F.; Sanfratello, L.; Sato, H.D.; Savino, R.; Sekimoto, M.; Shaw, M.R.; Shibata, T.-A.; Sim, K.S.; Skank, H.D.; Smith, D.E.; Smith, G.D.; Sondheim, W.E.; Sorensen, S.; Staley, F.; Stankus, P.W.; Steffens, S.; Stein, E.M.; Stepanov, M.; Stokes, W.; Sugioka, M.; Sun, Z.; Taketani, A.; Taniguchi, E.; Tepe, J.D.; Thornton, G.W.; Tian, W.; Tojo, J.; Torii, H.; Towell, R.S.; Tradeski, J.; Vassent, M.; Velissaris, C.; Villatte, L.; Wan, Y.; Watanabe, Y.; Watkins, L.C.; Whitus, B.R.; Williams, C.; Willis, P.S.; Wong-Swanson, B.G.; Yang, Y.; Yoneyama, S.; Young, G.R.; Zhou, S.

2003-01-01

The PHENIX Muon Arms detect muons at rapidities of |y|=(1.2-2.4) with full azimuthal acceptance. Each muon arm must track and identify muons and provide good rejection of pions and kaons (∼10 -3 ). In order to accomplish this we employ a radial field magnetic spectrometer with precision tracking (Muon Tracker) followed by a stack of absorber/low resolution tracking layers (Muon Identifier). The design, construction, testing and expected run parameters of both the muon tracker and the muon identifier are described

PHENIX Muon Arms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akikawa, H.; Al-Jamel, A.; Archuleta, J.B.; Archuleta, J.R.; Armendariz, R.; Armijo, V.; Awes, T.C.; Baldisseri, A.; Barker, A.B.; Barnes, P.D.; Bassalleck, B.; Batsouli, S.; Behrendt, J.; Bellaiche, F.G.; Bland, A.W.; Bobrek, M.; Boissevain, J.G.; Borel, H.; Brooks, M.L.; Brown, A.W.; Brown, D.S.; Bruner, N.; Cafferty, M.M.; Carey, T.A.; Chai, J.-S.; Chavez, L.L.; Chollet, S.; Choudhury, R.K.; Chung, M.S.; Cianciolo, V.; Clark, D.J.; Cobigo, Y.; Dabrowski, C.M.; Debraine, A.; DeMoss, J.; Dinesh, B.V.; Drachenberg, J.L.; Drapier, O.; Echave, M.A.; Efremenko, Y.V.; En' yo, H.; Fields, D.E.; Fleuret, F.; Fried, J.; Fujisawa, E.; Funahashi, H.; Gadrat, S.; Gastaldi, F.; Gee, T.F.; Glenn, A.; Gogiberidze, G.; Gonin, M.; Gosset, J.; Goto, Y.; Granier de Cassagnac, R.; Hance, R.H.; Hart, G.W.; Hayashi, N.; Held, S.; Hicks, J.S.; Hill, J.C.; Hoade, R.; Hong, B.; Hoover, A.; Horaguchi, T.; Hunter, C.T.; Hurst, D.E.; Ichihara, T.; Imai, K.; Isenhower, L.D.L. Davis; Isenhower, L.D.L. Donald; Ishihara, M.; Jang, W.Y.; Johnson, J.; Jouan, D.; Kamihara, N.; Kamyshkov, Y.; Kang, J.H.; Kapoor, S.S.; Kim, D.J.; Kim, D.-W.; Kim, G.-B.; Kinnison, W.W.; Klinksiek, S.; Kluberg, L.; Kobayashi, H.; Koehler, D.; Kotchenda, L.; Kuberg, C.H.; Kurita, K.; Kweon, M.J.; Kwon, Y.; Kyle, G.S.; LaBounty, J.J.; Lajoie, J.G.; Lee, D.M.; Lee, S.; Leitch, M.J.; Li, Z.; Liu, M.X.; Liu, X.; Liu, Y.; Lockner, E.; Lopez, J.D.; Mao, Y.; Martinez, X.B.; McCain, M.C.; McGaughey, P.L.; Mioduszewski, S.; Mischke, R.E.; Mohanty, A.K.; Montoya, B.C.; Moss, J.M.; Murata, J.; Murray, M.M.; Nagle, J.L.; Nakada, Y.; Newby, J.; Obenshain, F.; Palounek, A.P.T.; Papavassiliou, V.; Pate, S.F.; Plasil, F.; Pope, K.; Qualls, J.M.; Rao, G.; Read, K.F. E-mail: readkf@ornl.gov; Robinson, S.H.; Roche, G.; Romana, A.; Rosnet, P.; Roth, R.; Saito, N.; Sakuma, T.; Sandhoff, W.F.; Sanfratello, L.; Sato, H.D.; Savino, R.; Sekimoto, M.; Shaw, M.R.; Shibata, T.-A.; Sim, K.S.; Skank, H.D.; Smith, D.E.; Smith, G.D. [and others

2003-03-01

The PHENIX Muon Arms detect muons at rapidities of |y|=(1.2-2.4) with full azimuthal acceptance. Each muon arm must track and identify muons and provide good rejection of pions and kaons ({approx}10{sup -3}). In order to accomplish this we employ a radial field magnetic spectrometer with precision tracking (Muon Tracker) followed by a stack of absorber/low resolution tracking layers (Muon Identifier). The design, construction, testing and expected run parameters of both the muon tracker and the muon identifier are described.

Design of a biomimetic robotic octopus arm.

Science.gov (United States)

Laschi, C; Mazzolai, B; Mattoli, V; Cianchetti, M; Dario, P

2009-03-01

This paper reports the rationale and design of a robotic arm, as inspired by an octopus arm. The octopus arm shows peculiar features, such as the ability to bend in all directions, to produce fast elongations, and to vary its stiffness. The octopus achieves these unique motor skills, thanks to its peculiar muscular structure, named muscular hydrostat. Different muscles arranged on orthogonal planes generate an antagonistic action on each other in the muscular hydrostat, which does not change its volume during muscle contractions, and allow bending and elongation of the arm and stiffness variation. By drawing inspiration from natural skills of octopus, and by analysing the geometry and mechanics of the muscular structure of its arm, we propose the design of a robot arm consisting of an artificial muscular hydrostat structure, which is completely soft and compliant, but also able to stiffen. In this paper, we discuss the design criteria of the robotic arm and how this design and the special arrangement of its muscular structure may bring the building of a robotic arm into being, by showing the results obtained by mathematical models and prototypical mock-ups.

Design of a biomimetic robotic octopus arm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laschi, C; Cianchetti, M [Advanced Robotics Technology and Systems Laboratory, Scuola Superiore Sant' Anna, Pisa (Italy); Mazzolai, B; Dario, P [Italian Institute of Technology, Genova (Italy); Mattoli, V [Centre of Research in Microengineering Laboratory, Scuola Superiore Sant' Anna, Pisa (Italy)], E-mail: cecilia.laschi@sssup.it

2009-03-01

This paper reports the rationale and design of a robotic arm, as inspired by an octopus arm. The octopus arm shows peculiar features, such as the ability to bend in all directions, to produce fast elongations, and to vary its stiffness. The octopus achieves these unique motor skills, thanks to its peculiar muscular structure, named muscular hydrostat. Different muscles arranged on orthogonal planes generate an antagonistic action on each other in the muscular hydrostat, which does not change its volume during muscle contractions, and allow bending and elongation of the arm and stiffness variation. By drawing inspiration from natural skills of octopus, and by analysing the geometry and mechanics of the muscular structure of its arm, we propose the design of a robot arm consisting of an artificial muscular hydrostat structure, which is completely soft and compliant, but also able to stiffen. In this paper, we discuss the design criteria of the robotic arm and how this design and the special arrangement of its muscular structure may bring the building of a robotic arm into being, by showing the results obtained by mathematical models and prototypical mock-ups.

Design of a biomimetic robotic octopus arm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laschi, C; Cianchetti, M; Mazzolai, B; Dario, P; Mattoli, V

2009-01-01

This paper reports the rationale and design of a robotic arm, as inspired by an octopus arm. The octopus arm shows peculiar features, such as the ability to bend in all directions, to produce fast elongations, and to vary its stiffness. The octopus achieves these unique motor skills, thanks to its peculiar muscular structure, named muscular hydrostat. Different muscles arranged on orthogonal planes generate an antagonistic action on each other in the muscular hydrostat, which does not change its volume during muscle contractions, and allow bending and elongation of the arm and stiffness variation. By drawing inspiration from natural skills of octopus, and by analysing the geometry and mechanics of the muscular structure of its arm, we propose the design of a robot arm consisting of an artificial muscular hydrostat structure, which is completely soft and compliant, but also able to stiffen. In this paper, we discuss the design criteria of the robotic arm and how this design and the special arrangement of its muscular structure may bring the building of a robotic arm into being, by showing the results obtained by mathematical models and prototypical mock-ups

Position Control Method For Pick And Place Robot Arm For Object Sorting System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khin Moe Myint

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The more increase the number of industries in developing countries the more require labourers or workers in that. To reduce the cost of labour force and to increase the manufacturing capacity of industries the advanced robot arms are more needed. The aim of this journal is to eliminate the manual control for object sorting system.Robot arm design in this research uses two joints three links and servo motors to drive. Microcontroller is used to generate required PWM signal for servo motors. In this research the position control of robot arm was designed by using kinematic control methods. There are two types of kinematic control methods which are forward and reverse kinematic methods. In forward kinematic method the input parameters are the joint angles and link length of robot arm and then the output is the position at XYZ coordinate of tool or gripper. In inverse kinematic the input parameters are position at XYZ coordinate of gripper and the link length of robot arm and then the output parameters are the joint angles. So kinematic methods can explain the analytical description of the geometry motion of the manipulator with reference to a robot coordinate system fixed to a frame without consideration of the forces or the moments causing the movements. For sorting system Metal detector is used to detect the metal or non-metal. This position control of pick and place robot arm is fully tested and the result is obtained more precisely.

Hypofractionated radiation therapy in the treatment of epidemic Kaposi sarcoma - A prospective randomized trial

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Niveditha B.; Lakier, Roy H.; Donde, Bernard

2008-01-01

Purpose: To compare a conventional fractionation regimen with a hypofractionated regimen in the treatment of Epidemic Kaposi sarcoma with radiation therapy. Materials and methods: Sixty patients were randomized to receive a standard regimen of 24 Gy in 12 fractions (ARM A) or the study regimen of 20 Gy in five fractions (ARM B). Radiation technique was individualized. Treatment response, local control and toxicity were recorded. Results: Thirty five sites were treated in ARM A and 30 sites in ARM B. Treatment arms were similar for gender, ECOG performance score, treated site, antiretroviral therapy usage, T stage, I stage and S stage. The overall survival using the Kaplan Meier method was 37% at 1 year. Complete responses were recorded at 28 sites (13 Arm A, 15 Arm B), partial responses at 19 sites (8 Arm A, 11 Arm B) and stable disease at three sites (2 Arm A, 1 Arm B). The mean time to maximum objective response was 3 months (range: 1-14 months). Response rates and local control were equal in the two arms (p = 0.73 and 0.77, respectively, log rank test). Acute skin toxicity (p = 0.77) and late skin toxicity (p = 0.24) were equal in the two arms. Conclusion: The two treatment regimens produced equivalent results for treatment response, local recurrence-free survival and toxicity

Managing new arms races

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Segal, G.

1992-01-01

The management of new arms races in the region of Asia-Pacific includes considerations of weapons trade and transfer in the region, with an emphasis on nuclear weapons proliferation. It deals with the problem of controlling the arms trade and the efforts to control conventional weapons and underlines the possible role and influence of Conference on Cooperation and Security in Europe (CSCE)

Neonatal Predictors of Cognitive Ability in Adults Born Very Preterm : A Prospective Cohort Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Breeman, L.D.; Jaekel, Julia; Baumann, Nicole; Bartmann, Peter; Wolke, Dieter

Aim To identify neonatal predictors to allow a developmental prognosis of very preterm / very-low birthweight (VP/VLBW) survivors' cognitive abilities into adult life. Method The Bavarian Longitudinal Study is a prospective whole population study that followed 260 VP/VLBW infants from birth to

Localization of age-related macular degeneration-associated ARMS2 in cytosol, not mitochondria

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Gaofeng; Spencer, Kylee L.; Court, Brenda L.; Olson, Lana M.; Scott, William K.; Haines, Jonathan L.; Pericak-Vance, Margaret A.

2010-01-01

PURPOSE To analyze the relationship between ARMS2 and HTRA1 in the association with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in an independent case-control dataset, and to investigate the subcellular localization of the ARMS2 protein in an in vitro system. METHOD Two SNPs in ARMS2 and HTRA1 were genotyped in 685 cases and 269 controls by Taqman Assay. Allelic association was tested by a χ2 test. A likelihood ratio test (LRT) of full vs. reduced models was utilized to analyze the interaction between ARMS2 and smoking and HTRA1 and smoking, after adjusting for CFH and age. Immunofluorescence and immunoblot were applied to localize ARMS2 in retinal epithelial ARPE-19 cells and COS7 cell transfected by ARMS2 constructs. RESULT Both significantly associated SNP rs10490924 and rs11200638 (P<0.0001) are in strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) (D′=0.97, r2=0.93) that generates virtually identical association test and odds ratios. In separate logistic regression models the interaction effect for both smoking with ARMS2 and with HTRA1 was not statistically significant. Immunofluorescence and immunoblot show that both endogenous and exogenous ARMS2 are mainly distributed in the cytosol, not the mitochondria. Comparing to wild type, ARMS2 A69S is more likely to be associated with cytoskeleton in COS7 cells. CONCLUSIONS The significant associations in ARMS2 and HTRA1 are with polymorphisms in strong LD that confer virtually identical risks, preventing differentiation at the statistical level. We found that ARMS2 was mainly distributed in the cytosol, not in mitochondrial outer membrane as previously reported, suggesting that ARMS2 may not confer risk to AMD through the mitochondrial pathway. PMID:19255159

A Comparison of Image Quality and Radiation Exposure Between the Mini C-Arm and the Standard C-Arm.

Science.gov (United States)

van Rappard, Juliaan R M; Hummel, Willy A; de Jong, Tijmen; Mouës, Chantal M

2018-04-01

The use of intraoperative fluoroscopy has become mandatory in osseous hand surgery. Due to its overall practicality, the mini C-arm has gained popularity among hand surgeons over the standard C-arm. This study compares image quality and radiation exposure for patient and staff between the mini C-arm and the standard C-arm, both with flat panel technology. An observer-based subjective image quality study was performed using a contrast detail (CD) phantom. Five independent observers were asked to determine the smallest circles discernable to them. The results were plotted in a graph, forming a CD curve. From each curve, an image quality figure (IQF) was derived. A lower IQF equates to a better image quality. The patients' entrance skin dose was measured, and to obtain more information about the staff exposure dose, a perspex hand phantom was used. The scatter radiation was measured at various distances and angles relative to a central point on the detector. The IQF was significantly lower for the mini C-arm resulting in a better image quality. The patients' entrance dose was 10 times higher for the mini C-arm as compared with the standard C-arm, and the scatter radiation threefold. Due to its improved image quality and overall practicality, the mini C-arm is recommended for hand surgical procedures. To ensure that the surgeons' radiation exposure is not exceeding the safety limits, monitoring radiation exposure using mini C-arms with flat panel technology during surgery should be done in a future clinical study.

Inter-Arm Difference in Brachial Blood Pressure in the General Population of Koreans.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Bo Mi; Kim, Hyeon Chang; Shim, Jee-Seon; Lee, Myung Ha; Choi, Dong Phil

2016-05-01

We investigated the inter-arm difference in blood pressure of the general Korean population to identify associated factors. A total of 806 participants aged 30 to 64 years without history of major cardiovascular disease were analyzed in this cross-sectional study. They participated in the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Etiology Research Center cohort study that began in 2013. Brachial blood pressure was measured simultaneously for both arms using an automated oscillometric device equipped with two cuffs in seated position. After five minutes of rest, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured three times. The average of the three measurements was used for analysis. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with inter-arm differences in blood pressure. The mean inter-arm difference was 3.3 mmHg for SBP and 2.0 mmHg for DBP. Large inter-arm differences (≥10 mmHg) in SBP and in DBP were found in 3.7% and 0.9% of subjects, respectively. A large inter-arm difference in SBP was associated with mean SBP (p=0.002) and C-reactive protein (p=0.014) while a large inter-arm different in DBP was only associated with body mass index (p=0.015). Sex, age, and anti-hypertensive medication use were not associated with differences in inter-arm blood pressure. Large inter-arm difference in blood pressure is only present in a small portion of healthy Korean adults. Our findings suggest that high SBP, chronic inflammation, and obesity may be associated with larger difference in inter-arm blood pressure.

Effect of an armed conflict on relative socioeconomic position of rural households: case study from western Côte d'Ivoire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fürst Thomas

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Current conceptual frameworks on the interrelationship between armed conflict and poverty are based primarily on aggregated macro-level data and/or qualitative evidence and usually focus on adherents of warring factions. In contrast, there is a paucity of quantitative studies about the socioeconomic consequences of armed conflict at the micro-level, i.e., noncommitted local households and civilians. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of data pertaining to risk factors for malaria and neglected tropical diseases. Standardized questionnaires were administered to 182 households in a rural part of western Côte d'Ivoire in August 2002 and again in early 2004. Between the two surveys, the area was subject to intensive fighting in the Ivorian civil war. Principal component analysis was applied at the two time points for constructing an asset-based wealth-index and categorizing the households in wealth quintiles. Based on quintile changes, the households were labeled as 'worse-off', 'even' or 'better-off'. Statistical analysis tested for significant associations between the socioeconomic fates of households and head of household characteristics, household composition, village characteristics and self-reported events associated with the armed conflict. Most-poor/least-poor ratios and concentration indices were calculated to assess equity changes in households' asset possession. Results Of 203 households initially included in the first survey, 21 were lost to follow-up. The population in the remaining 182 households shrunk from 1,749 to 1,625 persons due to migration and natural population changes. However, only weak socioeconomic dynamics were observed; every seventh household was defined as 'worse-off' or 'better-off' despite the war-time circumstances. Analysis of other reported demographic and economic characteristics did not clearly identify more or less resilient households, and only subtle equity shifts were noted

Two-level mixed modeling of longitudinal pedigree data for genetic association analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tan, Q.

2013-01-01

of follow-up. Approaches have been proposed to integrate kinship correlation into the mixed effect models to explicitly model the genetic relationship which have been proven as an efficient way for dealing with sample clustering in pedigree data. Although useful for adjusting relatedness in the mixed...... assess the genetic associations with the mean level and the rate of change in a phenotype both with kinship correlation integrated in the mixed effect models. We apply our method to longitudinal pedigree data to estimate the genetic effects on systolic blood pressure measured over time in large pedigrees......Genetic association analysis on complex phenotypes under a longitudinal design involving pedigrees encounters the problem of correlation within pedigrees which could affect statistical assessment of the genetic effects on both the mean level of the phenotype and its rate of change over the time...

The importance of domestic law to international arms control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lehman, R.F. II.

1993-11-01

Studies of arms control and disarmament tend to focus on political, military, and diplomatic processes. Recently, in the context of the conversion of defense activities to civilian use, the economic aspects of arms control have also received renewed interest. The legal dimension, however, is in need of fresh examination. Both international and domestic law are sailing increasingly in uncharted waters. Recent arms control agreements and related developments in international peacekeeping have expanded the scope of international law and altered how one perceives certain fundamentals, including the principle of national sovereignty. Still, the nation state is largely unchallenged as the primary actor in international affairs. National governments retain near absolute sovereign rights and responsibilities even in an age of trans-national economic integration and codified international norms for human rights, freedom of the press, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. Indeed, the role of domestic law in arms control and disarmament may be more significant now than ever before. A brief review of relationships between arms control and domestic law should illustrate ways in which ones thinking has been underestimating the importance of domestic law. Hopefully, this survey will set the stage properly for the excellent, more detailed case studies by Elinor Hammarskjold and Alan Crawford. Toward that end, this paper will highlight a number of more general, and sometimes provocative, themes. These themes should be kept in mind when those two complementary presentations are considered

The importance of domestic law to international arms control

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lehman, R.F. II

1993-11-01

Studies of arms control and disarmament tend to focus on political, military, and diplomatic processes. Recently, in the context of the conversion of defense activities to civilian use, the economic aspects of arms control have also received renewed interest. The legal dimension, however, is in need of fresh examination. Both international and domestic law are sailing increasingly in uncharted waters. Recent arms control agreements and related developments in international peacekeeping have expanded the scope of international law and altered how one perceives certain fundamentals, including the principle of national sovereignty. Still, the nation state is largely unchallenged as the primary actor in international affairs. National governments retain near absolute sovereign rights and responsibilities even in an age of trans-national economic integration and codified international norms for human rights, freedom of the press, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. Indeed, the role of domestic law in arms control and disarmament may be more significant now than ever before. A brief review of relationships between arms control and domestic law should illustrate ways in which ones thinking has been underestimating the importance of domestic law. Hopefully, this survey will set the stage properly for the excellent, more detailed case studies by Elinor Hammarskjold and Alan Crawford. Toward that end, this paper will highlight a number of more general, and sometimes provocative, themes. These themes should be kept in mind when those two complementary presentations are considered.

Individual finger synchronized robot-assisted hand rehabilitation in subacute to chronic stroke: a prospective randomized clinical trial of efficacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Chang Ho; Seong, Jin Wan; Son, Dae-Sik

2012-08-01

To evaluate individual finger synchronized robot-assisted hand rehabilitation in stroke patients. Prospective parallel group randomized controlled clinical trial. The study recruited patients who were ≥18 years old, more than three months post stroke, showed limited index finger movement and had weakened and impaired hand function. Patients with severe sensory loss, spasticity, apraxia, aphasia, disabling hand disease, impaired consciousness or depression were excluded. Patients received either four weeks (20 sessions) of active robot-assisted intervention (the FTI (full-term intervention) group, 9 patients) or two weeks (10 sessions) of early passive therapy followed by two weeks (10 sessions) of active robot-assisted intervention (the HTI (half-term intervention) group, 8 patients). Patients underwent arm function assessments prior to therapy (baseline), and at 2, 4 and 8 weeks after starting therapy. Compared to baseline, both the FTI and HTI groups showed improved results for the Jebsen Taylor test, the wrist and hand subportion of the Fugl-Meyer arm motor scale, active movement of the 2nd metacarpophalangeal joint, grasping, and pinching power (P vs. 46.4 ± 37.4) and wrist and hand subportion of the Fugl-Meyer arm motor scale (4.3 ± 1.9 vs. 3.4 ± 2.5) after eight weeks. A four-week rehabilitation using a novel robot that provides individual finger synchronization resulted in a dose-dependent improvement in hand function in subacute to chronic stroke patients.

Day-to-day variations in health behaviors and daily functioning: two intensive longitudinal studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Flueckiger, Lavinia; Lieb, Roselind; Meyer, Andrea H; Witthauer, Cornelia; Mata, Jutta

2017-04-01

In two intensive longitudinal studies we examined the daily dynamics in health behaviors and their associations with two important indicators of young adults' daily functioning, namely, affect and academic performance. Over a period of 8 months, university students (Study 1: N = 292; Study 2: N = 304) reported sleep, physical activity, snacking, positive and negative affect, and learning goal achievement. A subsample wore an actigraph to provide an additional measurement of sleep and physical activity and participated in a controlled laboratory snacking situation. Multilevel structural equation models showed that better day-to-day sleep quality or more physical activity than usual, but not snacking, were associated with improved daily functioning, namely, affect and learning goal achievement. Importantly, self-report measurements of health behaviors correlated with behavioral measurements. These findings have the potential to inform health promotion programs aimed at supporting young adults in their daily functioning in good physical and mental health.

The Benefits and Burdens of Cancer: A Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study of Adolescents and Young Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Straehla, Joelle P; Barton, Krysta S; Yi-Frazier, Joyce P; Wharton, Claire; Baker, Kevin Scott; Bona, Kira; Wolfe, Joanne; Rosenberg, Abby R

2017-05-01

Adolescents and early young adults (AYAs) with cancer are at high risk for poor outcomes. Positive psychological responses such as benefit-finding may buffer the negative impacts of cancer but are poorly understood in this population. We aimed to prospectively describe the content and trajectory of benefit- and burden-finding among AYAs to develop potential targets for future intervention. One-on-one semistructured interviews were conducted with English-speaking AYA patients (aged 14-25 years) within 60 days of diagnosis of a noncentral nervous system malignancy requiring chemotherapy, 6-12 and 12-18 months later. Interviews were coded using directed content analyses with a priori schema defined by existing theoretical frameworks, including changed sense of self, relationships, philosophy of life, and physical well-being. We compared the content, raw counts, and ratios of benefit-to-burden by patient and by time point. Seventeen participants at one tertiary academic medical center (mean age 17.1 years, SD = 2.7) with sarcoma (n = 8), acute leukemia (n = 6), and lymphoma (n = 3) completed 44 interviews with >100 hours of transcript-data. Average benefit counts were higher than average burden counts at each time point; 68% of interviews had a benefit-to-burden ratio >1. Positive changed sense-of-self was the most common benefit across all time points (44% of all reported benefits); reports of physical distress were the most common burden (32%). Longitudinal analyses suggested perceptions evolved; participants tended to focus less on physical manifestations and more on personal strengths and life purpose. AYAs with cancer identify more benefits than burdens throughout cancer treatment and demonstrate rapid maturation of perspectives. These findings not only inform communication practices with AYAs but also suggest opportunities for interventions to potentially improve outcomes.

The impact of nutritional status and longitudinal recovery of motor and cognitive milestones in internationally adopted children.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hyun; Bothe, Denise; Holsinger, Eva; Kirchner, H Lester; Olness, Karen; Mandalakas, Anna

2011-01-01

Internationally adopted children often arrive from institutional settings where they have experienced medical, nutritional and psychosocial deprivation. This study uses a validated research assessment tool to prospectively assess the impact of baseline (immediately post adoption) nutritional status on fifty-eight children as measured by weight-for-age, height-for-age, weight-for-height and head circumference-for-age z scores, as a determinant of cognitive (MDI) and psychomotor development (PDI) scores longitudinally. A statistical model was developed to allow for different ages at time of initial assessment as well as variable intervals between follow up visits. The study results show that both acute and chronic measures of malnutrition significantly affect baseline developmental status as well as the rate of improvement in both MDI and PDI scores. This study contributes to the body of literature with its prospective nature, unique statistical model for longitudinal evaluation, and use of a validated assessment tool to assess outcomes.

MAGIC: Marine ARM GPCI Investigation of Clouds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lewis, ER; Wiscombe, WJ; Albrecht, BA; Bland, GL; Flagg, CN; Klein, SA; Kollias, P; Mace, G; Reynolds, RM; Schwartz, SE; Siebesma, AP; Teixeira, J; Wood, R; Zhang, M

2012-10-03

The second Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mobile Facility (AMF2) will be deployed aboard the Horizon Lines cargo container ship merchant vessel (M/V) Spirit for MAGIC, the Marine ARM GPCI1 Investigation of Clouds. The Spirit will traverse the route between Los Angeles, California, and Honolulu, Hawaii, from October 2012 through September 2013 (except for a few months in the middle of this time period when the ship will be in dry dock). During this field campaign, AMF2 will observe and characterize the properties of clouds and precipitation, aerosols, and atmospheric radiation; standard meteorological and oceanographic variables; and atmospheric structure. There will also be two intensive observational periods (IOPs), one in January 2013 and one in July 2013, during which more detailed measurements of the atmospheric structure will be made.

The injured mind in the UK Armed Forces

Science.gov (United States)

Greenberg, N.; Jones, E.; Jones, N.; Fear, N. T.; Wessely, S.

2011-01-01

The mental health of the UK Armed Forces is a topic much debated by healthcare professionals, politicians and the media. While the current operations in Afghanistan, and the recent conflict in Iraq, are relevant to this debate, much of what is known about the effects of war upon the psyche still derives from the two World Wars. This paper will examine the historical and contemporary evidence about why it is that some Service personnel suffer psychological injuries during their military service and others do not. The paper will also consider some of the strategies that today's Armed Forces have put in place to mitigate the effects of sending military personnel into danger. PMID:21149361

Longitudinal motivational predictors of dietary self-care and diabetes control in adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nouwen, A.; Ford, T.; Balan, A.T.; Twisk, J.W.; Ruggiero, L.; White, D.

2011-01-01

Objective: This prospective study examined relationships between constructs from social-cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986) and self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985; Deci & Ryan, 1991) and the diabetes outcomes of dietary self-care and diabetes control. Method: Longitudinal data were collected

Involved-Field Radiotherapy versus Elective Nodal Irradiation in Combination with Concurrent Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Prospective Randomized Study

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ming; Bao, Yong; Ma, Hong-Lian; Wang, Jin; Wang, Yan; Peng, Fang; Zhou, Qi-Chao; Xie, Cong-Hua

2013-01-01

This prospective randomized study is to evaluate the locoregional failure and its impact on survival by comparing involved field radiotherapy (IFRT) with elective nodal irradiation (ENI) in combination with concurrent chemotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. It appears that higher dose could be delivered in IFRT arm than that in ENI arm, and IFRT did not increase the risk of initially uninvolved or isolated nodal failures. Both a tendency of improved locoregional progression-free survival and a significant increased overall survival rate are in favor of IFRT arm in this study. PMID:23762840

Predictors and health-related outcomes of positive body image in adolescent girls: A prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrew, Rachel; Tiggemann, Marika; Clark, Levina

2016-03-01

This study aimed to investigate prospective predictors and health-related outcomes of positive body image in adolescent girls. In so doing, the modified acceptance model of intuitive eating was also examined longitudinally. A sample of 298 girls aged 12 to 16 years completed a questionnaire containing measures of body appreciation, potential predictors, and a range of health outcomes, at 2 time points separated by 1 year. Longitudinal change regression models showed that perceived body acceptance by others (positively), self-objectification and social comparison (negatively), and body appreciation (positively) prospectively predicted intuitive eating 1 year later, consistent with the acceptance model of intuitive eating. Perceived body acceptance by others was the only proposed predictor to prospectively predict an increase in body appreciation over time. Time 1 body appreciation prospectively predicted a decrease in dieting, alcohol, and cigarette use, and an increase in physical activity 1 year later. In particular, girls with low body appreciation were more likely than girls with high body appreciation to take up alcohol and cigarette use between time points. The results highlight body appreciation as an important target for interventions designed to prevent or delay the uptake of alcohol and cigarette consumption among girls. More broadly, they suggest that a positive body image can confer considerable benefit for adolescent girls. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Exact positioning of the robotic arm end effector