Technical aspects of neurostimulation: Focus on equipment, electric field modeling, and stimulation protocols.

PubMed

Klooster, D C W; de Louw, A J A; Aldenkamp, A P; Besseling, R M H; Mestrom, R M C; Carrette, S; Zinger, S; Bergmans, J W M; Mess, W H; Vonck, K; Carrette, E; Breuer, L E M; Bernas, A; Tijhuis, A G; Boon, P

2016-06-01

Neuromodulation is a field of science, medicine, and bioengineering that encompasses implantable and non-implantable technologies for the purpose of improving quality of life and functioning of humans. Brain neuromodulation involves different neurostimulation techniques: transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), and deep brain stimulation (DBS), which are being used both to study their effects on cognitive brain functions and to treat neuropsychiatric disorders. The mechanisms of action of neurostimulation remain incompletely understood. Insight into the technical basis of neurostimulation might be a first step towards a more profound understanding of these mechanisms, which might lead to improved clinical outcome and therapeutic potential. This review provides an overview of the technical basis of neurostimulation focusing on the equipment, the present understanding of induced electric fields, and the stimulation protocols. The review is written from a technical perspective aimed at supporting the use of neurostimulation in clinical practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neurostimulation for Treatment of Migraine and Cluster Headache

PubMed Central

Schwedt, Todd J.; Vargas, Bert

2015-01-01

Objective The objective of this narrative review was to summarize the current state of neurostimulation therapies for the treatment of migraine and/or cluster. Methods For this narrative review, publications were identified by searching PubMed using the search terms “migraine” or “cluster” combined with “vagal nerve stimulation”, “transcranial magnetic stimulation”, “supraorbital nerve stimulation”, “sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation”, “occipital nerve stimulation”, “deep brain stimulation”, “neurostimulation”, or “neuromodulation”. Publications were chosen based upon the quality of data that were provided and their relevance to the chosen topics of interest for this review. Reference lists of chosen articles and the authors own files were used to identify additional publications. Current clinical trials were identified by searching clinicaltrials.org. Results and Conclusions Neurostimulation of the vagal nerve, supraorbital nerve, occipital nerve and sphenopalatine ganglion, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and deep brain stimulation have been investigated for the treatment of migraine and/or cluster. Whereas invasive methods of neurostimulation would be reserved for patients with very severe and treatment refractory migraine or cluster, non-invasive methods of stimulation might serve as useful adjuncts to more conventional therapies. Currently, transcutaneous supraorbital nerve stimulation is FDA approved and commercially available for migraine prevention and transcranial magnetic stimulation is FDA approved for the treatment of migraine with aura. The potential utility of each type of neurostimulation has yet to be completely defined. PMID:26177612

Long-Term Experience with First-Generation Implantable Neurostimulation Device in Central Sleep Apnea Treatment.

PubMed

Fox, Henrik; Bitter, Thomas; Horstkotte, Dieter; Oldenburg, Olaf; Gutleben, Klaus-Jürgen

2017-05-01

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR) are associated with shorter survival in patients with heart failure. A novel treatment method for this patient group is unilateral phrenic nerve stimulation by the remedē® system (Respicardia Inc., Minnetonka, MN, USA), a transvenously implantable neurostimulation device, which has recently been studied in a large randomized, controlled trial. Previous literature has shown efficacy and safety of the treatment with this first-generation device, but hardly any data are available on long-term clinical parameters, the remedē® device's battery lifetime, device exchangeability, lead position stability, surgical accessibility, and manageability. We performed remedē® device replacements in consecutive patients for battery depletion, and documented clinical parameters, longevity, operation procedure, complications, and difficulties. All patients were on neurostimulation treatment by phrenic nerve neurostimulation when device replacement became necessary. Apnea-hypopnea index (from 45 ± 4/h to 9 ± 4/h), oxygen-desaturation index (from 35 ± 7/h to 7 ± 6/h), and time spent with oxygen saturation of <90% (T < 90% from 5 ± 7% to 0 ± 0%) were improved and improvements remained constant throughout the 4-year follow-up. Mean battery life was 4.2 ± 0.2 years and mean replacement procedure time was 25 ± 5.1 minutes. Apart from conventional X-ray documentation of stable lead positions in a long-term setting, no radiation or contrast dye usage was needed and no major complications occurred. In addition, clinical exercise capacity and sleepiness symptoms improved. Novel remedē® device shows sustained therapy efficacy and safety in terms of stable lead positions over 4 years. Long-term phrenic nerve neurostimulation therapy for central SDB/CSR appears feasible in a clinical routine setting. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Transcutaneous sacral neurostimulation for irritative voiding dysfunction.

PubMed

Walsh, I K; Johnston, R S; Keane, P F

1999-01-01

Patients with irritative voiding dysfunction are often unresponsive to standard clinical treatment. We evaluated the response of such individuals to transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the third sacral nerve. 32 patients with refractory irritative voiding dysfunction (31 female and 1 male; mean age 47 years) were recruited to the study. Ambulatory transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation was applied bilaterally to the third sacral dermatomes for 1 week. Symptoms of frequency, nocturia, urgency, and bladder pain were scored by each patient throughout and up to 6 months following treatment. The mean daytime frequency was reduced from 11.3 to 7.96 (p = 0.01). Nocturia episodes were reduced from a mean of 2.6 to 1.8 (p = 0.01). Urgency and bladder pain mean symptom scores were reduced from 5.97 to 4.89 and from 1.48 to 0.64, respectively. After stopping therapy, symptoms returned to pretreatment levels within 2 weeks in 40% of the patients and within 6 months in 100%. Three patients who continued with neurostimulation remained satisfied with this treatment modality at 6 months. Transcutaneous third sacral nerve stimulation may be an effective and noninvasive ambulatory technique for the treatment of patients with refractory irritative voiding dysfunction. Following an initial response, patients may successfully apply this treatment themselves to ensure long-term relief.

Sphenopalatine ganglion: block, radiofrequency ablation and neurostimulation - a systematic review.

PubMed

Ho, Kwo Wei David; Przkora, Rene; Kumar, Sanjeev

2017-12-28

Sphenopalatine ganglion is the largest collection of neurons in the calvarium outside of the brain. Over the past century, it has been a target for interventional treatment of head and facial pain due to its ease of access. Block, radiofrequency ablation, and neurostimulation have all been applied to treat a myriad of painful syndromes. Despite the routine use of these interventions, the literature supporting their use has not been systematically summarized. This systematic review aims to collect and summarize the level of evidence supporting the use of sphenopalatine ganglion block, radiofrequency ablation and neurostimulation. Medline, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were reviewed for studies on sphenopalatine ganglion block, radiofrequency ablation and neurostimulation. Studies included in this review were compiled and analyzed for their treated medical conditions, study design, outcomes and procedural details. Studies were graded using Oxford Center for Evidence-Based Medicine for level of evidence. Based on the level of evidence, grades of recommendations are provided for each intervention and its associated medical conditions. Eighty-three publications were included in this review, of which 60 were studies on sphenopalatine ganglion block, 15 were on radiofrequency ablation, and 8 were on neurostimulation. Of all the studies, 23 have evidence level above case series. Of the 23 studies, 19 were on sphenopalatine ganglion block, 1 study on radiofrequency ablation, and 3 studies on neurostimulation. The rest of the available literature was case reports and case series. The strongest evidence lies in using sphenopalatine ganglion block, radiofrequency ablation and neurostimulation for cluster headache. Sphenopalatine ganglion block also has evidence in treating trigeminal neuralgia, migraines, reducing the needs of analgesics after endoscopic sinus surgery and reducing pain associated with nasal packing

A Portable Ultrasound System for Non-Invasive Ultrasonic Neuro-Stimulation.

PubMed

Qiu, Weibao; Zhou, Juan; Chen, Yan; Su, Min; Li, Guofeng; Zhao, Huixia; Gu, Xianyi; Meng, De; Wang, Congzhi; Xiao, Yang; Lam, Kwok Ho; Dai, Jiyan; Zheng, Hairong

2017-12-01

Fundamental insights into the function of the neural circuits often follows from the advances in methodologies and tools for neuroscience. Electrode- and optical- based stimulation methods have been used widely for neuro-modulation with high resolution. However, they are suffering from inherent invasive surgical procedure. Ultrasound has been proved as a promising technology for neuro-stimulation in a non-invasive manner. However, no portable ultrasound system has been developed particularly for neuro-stimulation. The utilities used currently are assembled by traditional functional generator, power amplifier, and general transducer, therefore, resulting in lack of flexibility. This paper presents a portable system to achieve ultrasonic neuro-stimulation to satisfy various studies. The system incorporated a high voltage waveform generator and a matching circuit that were optimized for neuro-stimulation. A new switching mode power amplifier was designed and fabricated. The noise generated by the power amplifier was reduced (about 30 dB), and the size and weight were smaller in contrast with commercial equipment. In addition, a miniaturized ultrasound transducer was fabricated using Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT) 1-3 composite single crystal for the improved ultrasonic performance. The spatial peak temporal average pressure was higher than 250 kPa in the range of 0.5-5 MHz. In vitro and in vivo studies were conducted to show the performance of the system.

Nociceptive flexion reflexes during analgesic neurostimulation in man.

PubMed

García-Larrea, L; Sindou, M; Mauguière, F

1989-11-01

Nociceptive flexion reflexes of the lower limbs (RIII responses) have been studied in 21 patients undergoing either epidural (DCS, n = 16) or transcutaneous (TENS, n = 5) analgesic neurostimulation (AN) for chronic intractable pain. Flexion reflex RIII was depressed or suppressed by AN in 11 patients (52.4%), while no modification was observed in 9 cases and a paradoxical increase during AN was evidenced in 1 case. In all but 2 patients, RIII changes were rapidly reversible after AN interruption. RIII depression was significantly associated with subjective pain relief, as assessed by conventional self-rating; moreover, in 2 patients it was possible to ameliorate the pain-suppressing effects of AN by selecting those stimulation parameters (intensity and frequency) that maximally depressed nociceptive reflex RIII. We recorded 2 cases of RIII attenuation after contralateral neurostimulation. AN appeared to affect nociceptive reflexes rather selectively, with no or very little effect on other cutaneous, non-nociceptive responses. Recording of RIII reflexes is relatively simple to implement as a routine paraclinical procedure. It facilitates the objective assessment of AN efficacy and may help to choose the most appropriate parameters of neurostimulation. In addition, RIII behavior in patients could be relevant to the understanding of some of the mechanisms involved in AN-induced pain relief.

Concordant Occipital and Supraorbital Neurostimulation Therapy for Hemiplegic Migraine; Initial Experience; A Case Series

PubMed Central

Will, Kelly R.; Conidi, Frank; Bulger, Robert

2015-01-01

Introduction Hemiplegic migraine is a particularly severe form of the disease that often evolves to a debilitating chronic illness that is resistant to commonly available therapies. Peripheral neurostimulation has been found to be a beneficial therapy for some patients among several diagnostic classes of migraine, but its potential has not been specifically evaluated for hemiplegic migraine. Materials and Methods Four patients with hemiplegic migraine were treated with concordant, combined occipital and supraorbital neurostimulation over periods ranging 6–92 months. The clinical indicators followed included assessments of headache frequency and severity, frequency of hemiplegic episodes, functional impairment, medication usage, and patient satisfaction. Results All reported a positive therapeutic response, as their average headache frequency decreased by 92% (30 to 2.5 headache days/month); Visual Analog Score by 44% (9.5 to 5.3); frequency of hemiplegic episodes by 96% (7.5 to 0.25 hemiplegic episodes/month); headache medication usage by 96% (6 to 0.25 daily medications); and Migraine Disability Assessment score by 98% (249 to 6). All were satisfied and would recommend the therapy, and all preferred combined occipital–supraorbital neurostimulation to occipital neurostimulation alone. Conclusions Concordant combined occipital and supraorbital neurostimulation may provide effective therapy for both the pain and motor aura in some patients with hemiplegic migraine. PMID:25688595

Computational modeling of neurostimulation in brain diseases.

PubMed

Wang, Yujiang; Hutchings, Frances; Kaiser, Marcus

2015-01-01

Neurostimulation as a therapeutic tool has been developed and used for a range of different diseases such as Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and migraine. However, it is not known why the efficacy of the stimulation varies dramatically across patients or why some patients suffer from severe side effects. This is largely due to the lack of mechanistic understanding of neurostimulation. Hence, theoretical computational approaches to address this issue are in demand. This chapter provides a review of mechanistic computational modeling of brain stimulation. In particular, we will focus on brain diseases, where mechanistic models (e.g., neural population models or detailed neuronal models) have been used to bridge the gap between cellular-level processes of affected neural circuits and the symptomatic expression of disease dynamics. We show how such models have been, and can be, used to investigate the effects of neurostimulation in the diseased brain. We argue that these models are crucial for the mechanistic understanding of the effect of stimulation, allowing for a rational design of stimulation protocols. Based on mechanistic models, we argue that the development of closed-loop stimulation is essential in order to avoid inference with healthy ongoing brain activity. Furthermore, patient-specific data, such as neuroanatomic information and connectivity profiles obtainable from neuroimaging, can be readily incorporated to address the clinical issue of variability in efficacy between subjects. We conclude that mechanistic computational models can and should play a key role in the rational design of effective, fully integrated, patient-specific therapeutic brain stimulation. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pre-frontal control of closed-loop limbic neurostimulation by rodents using a brain-computer interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widge, Alik S.; Moritz, Chet T.

2014-04-01

Objective. There is great interest in closed-loop neurostimulators that sense and respond to a patient's brain state. Such systems may have value for neurological and psychiatric illnesses where symptoms have high intraday variability. Animal models of closed-loop stimulators would aid preclinical testing. We therefore sought to demonstrate that rodents can directly control a closed-loop limbic neurostimulator via a brain-computer interface (BCI). Approach. We trained rats to use an auditory BCI controlled by single units in prefrontal cortex (PFC). The BCI controlled electrical stimulation in the medial forebrain bundle, a limbic structure involved in reward-seeking. Rigorous offline analyses were performed to confirm volitional control of the neurostimulator. Main results. All animals successfully learned to use the BCI and neurostimulator, with closed-loop control of this challenging task demonstrated at 80% of PFC recording locations. Analysis across sessions and animals confirmed statistically robust BCI control and specific, rapid modulation of PFC activity. Significance. Our results provide a preliminary demonstration of a method for emotion-regulating closed-loop neurostimulation. They further suggest that activity in PFC can be used to control a BCI without pre-training on a predicate task. This offers the potential for BCI-based treatments in refractory neurological and mental illness.

Characterizing the mechanisms of central and peripheral forms of neurostimulation in chronic dysphagic stroke patients.

PubMed

Michou, Emilia; Mistry, Satish; Jefferson, Samantha; Tyrrell, Pippa; Hamdy, Shaheen

2014-01-01

Swallowing problems following stroke may result in increased risk of aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, and dehydration. Our hypothesis was that three neurostimulation techniques would produce beneficial effects on chronic dysphagia following stroke through a common brain mechanism that would predict behavioral response. In 18 dysphagic stroke patients (mean age: 66 ± 3 years, 3 female, time-post-stroke: 63 ± 15 weeks [±SD]), pharyngeal electromyographic responses were recorded after single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the pharyngeal motor cortex, to measure corticobulbar excitability before, immediately, and 30 min, after real and sham applications of neurostimulation. Patients were randomized to a single session of either: pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES), paired associative stimulation (PAS) or repetitive TMS (rTMS). Penetration-aspiration scores and bolus transfer timings were assessed before and after both real and sham interventions using videofluoroscopy. Corticobulbar excitability of pharyngeal motor cortex was beneficially modulated by PES, PAS and to a lesser extent by rTMS, with functionally relevant changes in the unaffected hemisphere. Following combining the results of real neurostimulation, an overall increase in corticobulbar excitability in the unaffected hemisphere (P = .005, F1,17 = 10.6, ANOVA) with an associated 15% reduction in aspiration (P = .005, z = -2.79) was observed compared to sham. In this mechanistic study, an increase in corticobulbar excitability the unaffected projection was correlated with the improvement in swallowing safety (P = .001, rho = -.732), but modality-specific differences were observed. Paradigms providing peripheral input favored change in neurophysiological and behavioral outcome measures in chronic dysphagia patients. Further larger cohort studies of neurostimulation in chronic dysphagic stroke are imperative. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

Characterizing the Mechanisms of Central and Peripheral Forms of Neurostimulation in Chronic Dysphagic Stroke Patients☆

PubMed Central

Michou, Emilia; Mistry, Satish; Jefferson, Samantha; Tyrrell, Pippa; Hamdy, Shaheen

2014-01-01

Background Swallowing problems following stroke may result in increased risk of aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, and dehydration. Objective/hypothesis Our hypothesis was that three neurostimulation techniques would produce beneficial effects on chronic dysphagia following stroke through a common brain mechanism that would predict behavioral response. Methods In 18 dysphagic stroke patients (mean age: 66 ± 3 years, 3 female, time-post-stroke: 63 ± 15 weeks [±SD]), pharyngeal electromyographic responses were recorded after single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the pharyngeal motor cortex, to measure corticobulbar excitability before, immediately, and 30 min, after real and sham applications of neurostimulation. Patients were randomized to a single session of either: pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES), paired associative stimulation (PAS) or repetitive TMS (rTMS). Penetration-aspiration scores and bolus transfer timings were assessed before and after both real and sham interventions using videofluoroscopy. Results Corticobulbar excitability of pharyngeal motor cortex was beneficially modulated by PES, PAS and to a lesser extent by rTMS, with functionally relevant changes in the unaffected hemisphere. Following combining the results of real neurostimulation, an overall increase in corticobulbar excitability in the unaffected hemisphere (P = .005, F1,17 = 10.6, ANOVA) with an associated 15% reduction in aspiration (P = .005, z = −2.79) was observed compared to sham. Conclusions In this mechanistic study, an increase in corticobulbar excitability the unaffected projection was correlated with the improvement in swallowing safety (P = .001, rho = −.732), but modality-specific differences were observed. Paradigms providing peripheral input favored change in neurophysiological and behavioral outcome measures in chronic dysphagia patients. Further larger cohort studies of neurostimulation in chronic dysphagic stroke are

Improved Anatomical Specificity of Non-invasive Neuro-stimulation by High Frequency (5 MHz) Ultrasound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Guo-Feng; Zhao, Hui-Xia; Zhou, Hui; Yan, Fei; Wang, Jing-Yao; Xu, Chang-Xi; Wang, Cong-Zhi; Niu, Li-Li; Meng, Long; Wu, Song; Zhang, Huai-Ling; Qiu, Wei-Bao; Zheng, Hai-Rong

2016-04-01

Low frequency ultrasound (<1 MHz) has been demonstrated to be a promising approach for non-invasive neuro-stimulation. However, the focal width is limited to be half centimeter scale. Minimizing the stimulation region with higher frequency ultrasound will provide a great opportunity to expand its application. This study first time examines the feasibility of using high frequency (5 MHz) ultrasound to achieve neuro-stimulation in brain, and verifies the anatomical specificity of neuro-stimulation in vivo. 1 MHz and 5 MHz ultrasound stimulation were evaluated in the same group of mice. Electromyography (EMG) collected from tail muscles together with the motion response videos were analyzed for evaluating the stimulation effects. Our results indicate that 5 MHz ultrasound can successfully achieve neuro-stimulation. The equivalent diameter (ED) of the stimulation region with 5 MHz ultrasound (0.29 ± 0.08 mm) is significantly smaller than that with 1 MHz (0.83 ± 0.11 mm). The response latency of 5 MHz ultrasound (45 ± 31 ms) is also shorter than that of 1 MHz ultrasound (208 ± 111 ms). Consequently, high frequency (5 MHz) ultrasound can successfully activate the brain circuits in mice. It provides a smaller stimulation region, which offers improved anatomical specificity for neuro-stimulation in a non-invasive manner.

Current views on neurostimulation in the treatment of cardiac ischemic syndromes.

PubMed

Jessurun, G A; DeJongste, M J; Blanksma, P K

1996-08-01

Most clinicians are still unacquainted with the beneficial effects of neurostimulation as an additional therapeutic strategy for severe angina pectoris. Patients with therapeutically refractory angina pectoris suffer from chest discomfort during minimal exercise, despite maximal tolerated antianginal drug therapy (at least 2 out of a beta-blocker, calcium-antagonist or long-acting nitrate). In these patients, revascularization procedures, such as a percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery, are often technically impossible because of diffuse coronary artery disease or should be withheld as a consequence of absolute contraindications such as severe left ventricular dysfunction. All patients have inoperable multivessel disease, experienced one or more myocardial infarctions, and were treated by earlier invasive interventions. This group of patients are severely physically and psychologically disabled by their intractable angina pectoris. Available published data and the neurostimulation experience of the authors are reviewed in relation to the treatment of cardiac ischemic syndromes. We conclude that neurostimulation is an effective therapeutic adjuvant for patients with severe angina pectoris unresponsive to standard treatment. This treatment modality appears to be safe, and a promising tool for other ischemic cardiac syndromes.

Transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation in musculoskeletal pain of acute spinal cord injuries.

PubMed

Richardson, R R; Meyer, P R; Cerullo, L J

1980-01-01

Cervical, thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbar fractures associated with physiologic complete or incomplete spinal cord injuries frequently have severe soft-tissue injury as well as severe pain associated with the site or area of injury. Transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation has proved effective in the treatment of various causes of severe acute and chronic intractable pains. We applied this modality to a group of 20 patients who had acute spinal cord injuries and pain associated with severe, extensive soft-tissue injury. Its advantages include ease of application, lack of major complications, increased intestinal peristalsis, and avoidance of narcotic analgesic medications. It also produced significant (greater than 50%) pain relief in 75% of patients treated by transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation.

[Non-invasive neurostimulation in the treatment of child and adolescent psychiatry].

PubMed

van der Meersche, S; Lemmens, G; Matton, C; Baeken, C

Neurostimulation is a potentially interesting treatment option for children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders.
AIM: To review the efficacy of two non-invasive neurostimulation techniques, namely repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rtms) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tdcs), in the treatment of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders.
METHOD: We searched the literature research using PubMed.
RESULTS: There is some evidence that rtms is being used to treat unipolar depression, psychosis, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and tic disorder. So far, however, very little research has been done on tdcs.
CONCLUSION: Further research is vitally important in order to ensure the safety and efficacy of rtms and tdcs.

Restoration of bladder function in spastic neuropathic bladder using sacral deafferentation and different techniques of neurostimulation.

PubMed

Schumacher, S; Bross, S; Scheepe, J R; Alken, P; Jünemann, K P

1999-01-01

Conventional sacral anterior root stimulation (SARS) results in simultaneous activation of both the detrusor muscle and the external urethral sphincter. We evaluated the possibilities of different neurostimulation techniques to overcome stimulation induced detrusor-sphincter-dyssynergia and to achieve a physiological voiding. The literature was reviewed on different techniques of sacral anterior root stimulation of the bladder and the significance of posterior rhizotomy in patients with supraconal spinal cord injury suffering from the loss of voluntary bladder control, detrusor hyperreflexia and sphincter spasm. The achievement of selective detrusor activation would improve current sacral neurostimulation of the bladder, including the principle of "poststimulus voiding". This is possible with the application of selective neurostimulation in techniques of anodal block, high frequency block, depolarizing prepulses and cold block. Nowadays, sacral deafferentation is a standard therapy in combination with neurostimulation of the bladder because in conclusion advantages of complete rhizotomy predominate. The combination of sacral anterior root stimulation and sacral deafferentation is a successful procedure for restoration of bladder function in patients with supraconal spinal cord injury. Anodal block technique and cryotechnique are excellent methods for selective bladder activation to avoid detrusor-sphincter-dyssynergia and thus improve stimulation induced voiding.

Sacral neurostimulation for urinary retention: 10-year experience from one UK centre.

PubMed

Datta, Soumendra N; Chaliha, Charlotte; Singh, Anubha; Gonzales, Gwen; Mishra, Vibhash C; Kavia, Rajesh B C; Kitchen, Neil; Fowler, Clare J; Elneil, Sohier

2008-01-01

To report our 10-year experience of sacral neurostimulation (SNS) for women in urinary retention, comparing the original one-stage with the newer two-stage technique, as SNS therapy is a well-established treatment for urinary retention secondary to urethral sphincter overactivity (Fowler's syndrome). Between 1996 and 2006, 60 patients with urinary retention had a SNS device inserted; their case records were reviewed and data on efficacy, follow-up, need for continued clean intermittent self-catheterization (CISC), complications and operative revision rate were assessed. Overall, 43 of 60 (72%) women were voiding spontaneously, with a mean postvoid residual volume of 100 mL; 30 (50%) no longer needed to use CISC. During a total of 2878 months of SNS experience, adverse event episodes included lead migration in 20, 'box-site' pain in 19, leg pain/numbness in 18 and loss of response/failure in 18 patients; 53% of the women required a surgical revision related to their implanted stimulator. The efficacy of the two-stage was similar to that of the one-stage procedure (73% vs 70%). Women with a normal urethral sphincter electromyogram had worse outcomes than women with an abnormal test (43% vs 76%). Although the efficacy was no different in those taking analgesia/antidepressant medication, this group of women had a higher surgical revision rate. Failure and complications for the one-stage procedure were not restricted to the early follow-up period. The mean battery life of the implant was 7.31 years. SNS has sustained long-term efficacy but the procedure has a significant complication rate. At present, the two-stage technique has comparable efficacy to the one-stage technique but a longer-term follow-up is required. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence recommended the use of SNS in women with urinary incontinence who fail to respond adequately to anticholinergic therapy, but patients choosing this treatment should be made aware of the high complication rate

Toward a fully integrated neurostimulator with inductive power recovery front-end.

PubMed

Mounaïm, Fayçal; Sawan, Mohamad

2012-08-01

In order to investigate new neurostimulation strategies for micturition recovery in spinal cord injured patients, custom implantable stimulators are required to carry-on chronic animal experiments. However, higher integration of the neurostimulator becomes increasingly necessary for miniaturization purposes, power consumption reduction, and for increasing the number of stimulation channels. As a first step towards total integration, we present in this paper the design of a highly-integrated neurostimulator that can be assembled on a 21-mm diameter printed circuit board. The prototype is based on three custom integrated circuits fabricated in High-Voltage (HV) CMOS technology, and a low-power small-scale commercially available FPGA. Using a step-down approach where the inductive voltage is left free up to 20 V, the inductive power and data recovery front-end is fully integrated. In particular, the front-end includes a bridge rectifier, a 20-V voltage limiter, an adjustable series regulator (5 to 12 V), a switched-capacitor step-down DC/DC converter (1:3, 1:2, or 2:3 ratio), as well as data recovery. Measurements show that the DC/DC converter achieves more than 86% power efficiency while providing around 3.9-V from a 12-V input at 1-mA load, 1:3 conversion ratio, and 50-kHz switching frequency. With such efficiency, the proposed step-down inductive power recovery topology is more advantageous than its conventional step-up counterpart. Experimental results confirm good overall functionality of the system.

A forty-year history of fiber optic smart structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Udd, Eric; Scheel, Ingrid U.

2017-04-01

In 1977 McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company began a project on using fiber optic sensors to support the Delta Rocket program. This resulted in a series of fiber sensors to support the measurement of rotation, acoustics, vibration, strain, and temperature for a variety of applications and early work on fiber optic smart structures. The work on fiber optic smart structures transitioned in part to Blue Road Research in 1993 and continued in 2006 to the present at Columbia Gorge Research. This paper summarizes some of the efforts made by these companies to implement fiber optic smart structures over this forty year period.

Neurostimulation in clinical and sub-clinical eating disorders: a systematic update of the literature.

PubMed

Dalton, Bethan; Bartholdy, Savani; Campbell, Iain C; Schmidt, Ulrike

2018-01-07

Whilst psychological therapies are the main approach to treatment of eating disorders (EDs), advances in aetiological research suggest the need for the development of more targeted, brain-focused treatments. A range of neurostimulation approaches, most prominently repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS), are rapidly emerging as potential novel interventions. We have previously reviewed these techniques as potential treatments of EDs. To provide an update of the literature examining the effects of DBS, rTMS and tDCS on eating behaviours, body weight and associated symptoms in people with EDs and relevant analogue populations. Using PRISMA guidelines, we reviewed articles in PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycINFO from 1st January 2013 until 14th August 2017, to update our earlier search. Studies assessing the effects of neurostimulation techniques on eating and weight-related outcomes in people with EDs and relevant analogue populations were included. Data from both searches were combined. We included a total of 32 studies (526 participants); of these, 18 were newly identified by our update search. Whilst findings are somewhat mixed for bulimia nervosa, neurostimulation techniques have shown potential in the treatment of other EDs, in terms of reduction of ED and associated symptoms. Studies exploring cognitive, neural, and hormonal correlates of these techniques are also beginning to appear. Neurostimulation approaches show promise as treatments for EDs. As yet, large well-conducted randomised controlled trials are lacking. More information is needed about treatment targets, stimulation parameters and mechanisms of action. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Transcutaneous supraorbital neurostimulation for the prevention of chronic migraine: a prospective, open-label preliminary trial.

PubMed

Di Fiore, Paola; Bussone, Gennaro; Galli, Alberto; Didier, Henri; Peccarisi, Cesare; D'Amico, Domenico; Frediani, Fabio

2017-05-01

Since chronic migraine is difficult to treat and often associated with medication overuse, non-invasive neurostimulation approaches are worth investigating. Transcutaneous supraorbital neurostimulation using the Cefaly ® device is promising as a non-invasive preventive treatment for episodic migraine, but no data are available for chronic migraine. Our aim was to perform a preliminary evaluation of the efficacy of the Cefaly ® device for the prophylaxis of chronic migraine with or without medication overuse. Primary endpoints were 50% reduction in monthly migraine days and 50% reduction in monthly medication use over 4 months. In an open-label study, twenty-three consecutive headache center patients with chronic migraine, diagnosed according to International Headache Society criteria, were recruited prospectively. After informed consent, patients were trained to use Cefaly ® and instructed to use it for 20 min daily over 4 months. All patients received active neurostimulation. Thirty-five percent of the patients enrolled in the study achieved the study endpoints. Over half the patients had a greater than 50% reduction in acute medication consumption.

Electrochemical Evaluations of Fractal Microelectrodes for Energy Efficient Neurostimulation.

PubMed

Park, Hyunsu; Takmakov, Pavel; Lee, Hyowon

2018-03-12

Advancements in microfabrication has enabled manufacturing of microscopic neurostimulation electrodes with smaller footprint than ever possible. The smaller electrodes can potentially reduce tissue damage and allow better spatial resolution for neural stimulation. Although electrodes of any shape can easily be fabricated, substantial effort have been focused on identification and characterization of new materials and surface morphology for efficient charge injection, while maintaining simple circular or rectangular Euclidean electrode geometries. In this work we provide a systematic electrochemical evaluation of charge injection capacities of serpentine and fractal-shaped platinum microelectrodes and compare their performance with traditional circular microelectrodes. Our findings indicate that the increase in electrode perimeter leads to an increase in maximum charge injection capacity. Furthermore, we found that the electrode geometry can have even more significant impact on electrode performance than having a larger perimeter for a given surface area. The fractal-shaped microelectrodes, despite having smaller perimeter than other designs, demonstrated superior charge injection capacity. Our results suggest that electrode design can significantly affect both Faradaic and non-Faradaic electrochemical processes, which may be optimized to enable a more energy efficient design for neurostimulation.

Learning from the Tragedy at Kent State: Forty Years after May 4

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eckert, Erica

2010-01-01

In this article, the author reflects on the learning opportunities provided by the tragedy at Kent State University forty years ago for educators and learners. Four students were slain and nine students were wounded by the bullets of National Guardsmen who had been sent to quell anti-war demonstrations and vandalism. The events of May 4, 1970,…

Brain-responsive neurostimulation in patients with medically intractable mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

PubMed

Geller, Eric B; Skarpaas, Tara L; Gross, Robert E; Goodman, Robert R; Barkley, Gregory L; Bazil, Carl W; Berg, Michael J; Bergey, Gregory K; Cash, Sydney S; Cole, Andrew J; Duckrow, Robert B; Edwards, Jonathan C; Eisenschenk, Stephan; Fessler, James; Fountain, Nathan B; Goldman, Alicia M; Gwinn, Ryder P; Heck, Christianne; Herekar, Aamar; Hirsch, Lawrence J; Jobst, Barbara C; King-Stephens, David; Labar, Douglas R; Leiphart, James W; Marsh, W Richard; Meador, Kimford J; Mizrahi, Eli M; Murro, Anthony M; Nair, Dileep R; Noe, Katherine H; Park, Yong D; Rutecki, Paul A; Salanova, Vicenta; Sheth, Raj D; Shields, Donald C; Skidmore, Christopher; Smith, Michael C; Spencer, David C; Srinivasan, Shraddha; Tatum, William; Van Ness, Paul C; Vossler, David G; Wharen, Robert E; Worrell, Gregory A; Yoshor, Daniel; Zimmerman, Richard S; Cicora, Kathy; Sun, Felice T; Morrell, Martha J

2017-06-01

Evaluate the seizure-reduction response and safety of mesial temporal lobe (MTL) brain-responsive stimulation in adults with medically intractable partial-onset seizures of mesial temporal lobe origin. Subjects with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) were identified from prospective clinical trials of a brain-responsive neurostimulator (RNS System, NeuroPace). The seizure reduction over years 2-6 postimplantation was calculated by assessing the seizure frequency compared to a preimplantation baseline. Safety was assessed based on reported adverse events. There were 111 subjects with MTLE; 72% of subjects had bilateral MTL onsets and 28% had unilateral onsets. Subjects had one to four leads placed; only two leads could be connected to the device. Seventy-six subjects had depth leads only, 29 had both depth and strip leads, and 6 had only strip leads. The mean follow-up was 6.1 ± (standard deviation) 2.2 years. The median percent seizure reduction was 70% (last observation carried forward). Twenty-nine percent of subjects experienced at least one seizure-free period of 6 months or longer, and 15% experienced at least one seizure-free period of 1 year or longer. There was no difference in seizure reduction in subjects with and without mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS), bilateral MTL onsets, prior resection, prior intracranial monitoring, and prior vagus nerve stimulation. In addition, seizure reduction was not dependent on the location of depth leads relative to the hippocampus. The most frequent serious device-related adverse event was soft tissue implant-site infection (overall rate, including events categorized as device-related, uncertain, or not device-related: 0.03 per implant year, which is not greater than with other neurostimulation devices). Brain-responsive stimulation represents a safe and effective treatment option for patients with medically intractable epilepsy, including patients with unilateral or bilateral MTLE who are not candidates for

Still "Unfinished Education": Latino Students Forty Years after the Mexican American Education Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madrigal-Gonzalez, Lizely

2012-01-01

The onus of this dissertation was to evaluate the educational conditions of Mexican American students forty years after the "Mexican American Education Study" published a six-volume study detailing the findings of the "Mexican American Education Study" (1970-1974). The "MAES" study focused on five southwest states…

[Interscalene block for total shoulder arthroplasty: comparative study (ultrasound vs. neurostimulation)].

PubMed

Mejía-Terrazas, Gabriel Enrique; Ruiz-Suárez, Michell; Gaspar-Carrillo, Sandra Patricia; Valero-González, Fernando; Unzueta-Navarro, David; Encalada-Díaz, Iván

2014-01-01

Modern anesthesiology has integrated the use of ultrasonography as a tool that has displaced neurostimulation as a technique for locating peripheral nerves. The aim of this study was to determine which procedure is more effective for guiding interscalene block for total shoulder arthroplasty. We carried out a comparative, prospective non-randomized study comprised of the group guided by neurostimulation interscalene block and the group guided by ultrasound. All patients in both groups were scheduled for total shoulder arthroplasty. Latency, degree of sensory and motor block, success rate, postoperative pain intensity at 6, 12, and 24 h, patient satisfaction and complications were measured. We included 110 patients, 55 per group. Patients were placed in beach chair position and the deltopectoral approach was used. There were no differences in demographic characteristics. Results for neurostimulation vs. ultrasound group: latency 19.11 ± 2.27 vs. 17.24 ± 1.42 min, p= 0.23. Block sensitivity in both groups was grade 0 motor block grade 0 in 76.4% and grade 1 in 23.6% vs. grade 0 to 100%. There was 100% success rate for both groups. Postoperative pain at 6 h was 0.13 ± 0.54 vs. 0.11 ± 0.13 p= 0.90, at 12 h 1.67 ± 1.15 vs. 1.65 ± 0.59 p= 0.89 and at 24 h 3.15 ± 1.66 vs. 2.99 ± 1.15 p= 0.78. Satisfaction 54.5% very satisfied and 45.5% satisfied 96.36% vs 3.6% very satisfied and satisfied. Complications 18.18% vs. 3.6% p= 0.023. Ultrasound-guided interscalene nerve block is the technique of choice in elective total shoulder arthroplasty.

The appropriate use of neurostimulation of the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system for the treatment of chronic pain and ischemic diseases: the Neuromodulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee.

PubMed

Deer, Timothy R; Mekhail, Nagy; Provenzano, David; Pope, Jason; Krames, Elliot; Leong, Michael; Levy, Robert M; Abejon, David; Buchser, Eric; Burton, Allen; Buvanendran, Asokumar; Candido, Kenneth; Caraway, David; Cousins, Michael; DeJongste, Michael; Diwan, Sudhir; Eldabe, Sam; Gatzinsky, Kliment; Foreman, Robert D; Hayek, Salim; Kim, Philip; Kinfe, Thomas; Kloth, David; Kumar, Krishna; Rizvi, Syed; Lad, Shivanand P; Liem, Liong; Linderoth, Bengt; Mackey, Sean; McDowell, Gladstone; McRoberts, Porter; Poree, Lawrence; Prager, Joshua; Raso, Lou; Rauck, Richard; Russo, Marc; Simpson, Brian; Slavin, Konstantin; Staats, Peter; Stanton-Hicks, Michael; Verrills, Paul; Wellington, Joshua; Williams, Kayode; North, Richard

2014-08-01

The Neuromodulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee (NACC) of the International Neuromodulation Society (INS) evaluated evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of neurostimulation to treat chronic pain, chronic critical limb ischemia, and refractory angina and recommended appropriate clinical applications. The NACC used literature reviews, expert opinion, clinical experience, and individual research. Authors consulted the Practice Parameters for the Use of Spinal Cord Stimulation in the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain (2006), systematic reviews (1984 to 2013), and prospective and randomized controlled trials (2005 to 2013) identified through PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar. Neurostimulation is relatively safe because of its minimally invasive and reversible characteristics. Comparison with medical management is difficult, as patients considered for neurostimulation have failed conservative management. Unlike alternative therapies, neurostimulation is not associated with medication-related side effects and has enduring effect. Device-related complications are not uncommon; however, the incidence is becoming less frequent as technology progresses and surgical skills improve. Randomized controlled studies support the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation in treating failed back surgery syndrome and complex regional pain syndrome. Similar studies of neurostimulation for peripheral neuropathic pain, postamputation pain, postherpetic neuralgia, and other causes of nerve injury are needed. International guidelines recommend spinal cord stimulation to treat refractory angina; other indications, such as congestive heart failure, are being investigated. Appropriate neurostimulation is safe and effective in some chronic pain conditions. Technological refinements and clinical evidence will continue to expand its use. The NACC seeks to facilitate the efficacy and safety of neurostimulation. © 2014 International Neuromodulation Society.

[Medical and economic reflections on Restore and Itrel neurostimulation systems for neuropathic pain treatment].

PubMed

Simonneau, A; d'Houtaud, S; Djabarouti, M; Giot, J-P; Magnam, J; Bataille, B; Lapierre, F; Rigoard, P

2009-03-01

In 2007, four patients where implanted with the Restore neurostimulation system for intractable chronic leg pain at the Poitiers Hospital. The potential for improving the patients' quality of life and medical-economic concerns motivated this choice for these highly selected patients. In this paper, we propose brief clinical case reports and discuss the reasons for choosing this new rechargeable system, even though it was initially more expensive than the standard neurostimulation system (Itrel 3). All patients receiving implants declared that they were very satisfied with the quality of stimulation provided by Restore and noted a significant improvement in their quality of life. If this solution becomes advantageous from an economic point of view, clinical data should lend support to the utility of this technological innovation for patients who have hitherto been in treatment failure.

New Therapy for Refractory Chronic Mechanical Low Back Pain—Restorative Neurostimulation to Activate the Lumbar Multifidus: One Year Results of a Prospective Multicenter Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

De Smedt, Kris; Mitchell, Bruce; Vivian, David; Russo, Marc; Georgius, Peter; Green, Matthew; Vieceli, John; Eldabe, Sam; Gulve, Ashish; van Buyten, Jean‐Pierre; Smet, Iris; Mehta, Vivek; Ramaswamy, Shankar; Baranidharan, Ganesan; Sullivan, Richard; Gassin, Robert; Rathmell, James; Gilligan, Chris

2017-01-01

Objectives The purpose of the international multicenter prospective single arm clinical trial was to evaluate restorative neurostimulation eliciting episodic contraction of the lumbar multifidus for treatment of chronic mechanical low back pain (CMLBP) in patients who have failed conventional therapy and are not candidates for surgery or spinal cord stimulation (SCS). Materials and Methods Fifty‐three subjects were implanted with a neurostimulator (ReActiv8, Mainstay Medical Limited, Dublin, Ireland). Leads were positioned bilaterally with electrodes close to the medial branch of the L2 dorsal ramus nerve. The primary outcome measure was low back pain evaluated on a 10‐Point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). Responders were defined as subjects with an improvement of at least the Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) of ≥2‐point in low back pain NRS without a clinically meaningful increase in LBP medications at 90 days. Secondary outcome measures included Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Quality of Life (QoL; EQ‐5D). Results For 53 subjects with an average duration of CLBP of 14 years and average NRS of 7 and for whom no other therapies had provided satisfactory pain relief, the responder rate was 58%. The percentage of subjects at 90 days, six months, and one year with ≥MCID improvement in single day NRS was 63%, 61%, and 57%, respectively. Percentage of subjects with ≥MCID improvement in ODI was 52%, 57%, and 60% while those with ≥MCID improvement in EQ‐5D was 88%, 82%, and 81%. There were no unanticipated adverse events (AEs) or serious AEs related to the device, procedure, or therapy. The initial surgical approach led to a risk of lead fracture, which was mitigated by a modification to the surgical approach. Conclusions Electrical stimulation to elicit episodic lumbar multifidus contraction is a new treatment option for CMLBP. Results demonstrate clinically important, statistically significant, and lasting improvement in pain

Auto-Targeted Neurostimulation Is Not Superior to Placebo in Chronic Low Back Pain: A Fourfold Blind Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Aguilar Ferrándiz, Maria Encarnación; Nijs, Jo; Gidron, Yori; Roussel, Nathalie; Vanderstraeten, Rob; Van Dyck, Dries; Huysmans, Eva; De Kooning, Margot

2016-07-01

Myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) are common in people with musculoskeletal pain and may play a role in chronic nonspecific low back pain (CLBP). One of the potential treatments of MTrPs is the Nervomatrix Soleve® auto-targeted neurostimulation device, providing targeted transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to MTrPs in the lower back muscles. To date, no controlled studies have evaluated the effectiveness of this device for the pain management of this population. To examine whether the Nervomatrix Soleve® auto-targeted neurostimulation device is superior over placebo for the treatment of CLBP. A fourfold-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted. Brussels University Hospital, health care centers and pharmacies around Belgium. Participants with CLBP for at least 3 months were randomly assigned to the experimental (the Nervomatrix Soleve® auto-targeted neurostimulation device providing TENS-stimulation and mechanical pressure) or placebo group (the Nervomatrix Soleve® auto-targeted neurostimulation device providing mechanical pressure alone without current). The treatment protocol in both groups consisted of 6 treatment sessions per patient. Participants were evaluated at baseline prior to the intervention, immediately following treatment, and at one month follow-up. Pain and pain behavior (steps climbed) were assessed as primary outcome measures. Secondary outcome measures were pain functioning, health beliefs, symptoms of central sensitization, pain catastrophizing, and kinesiophobia. In total, 39 participants were included in the study. Participants in both groups improved significantly for pain and functioning, but no significant differences were observed between groups. These improvements were not clinically meaningful for any of the reported measures. The health beliefs changed significantly in both groups (P < 0.05), with superior results at follow-up in the placebo group. The follow-up period is limited to one month. Treatment of MTr

Neurosurgical interventions in the treatment of idiopathic Parkinson disease: neurostimulation and neural implantation.

PubMed

Kupsch, A; Earl, C

1999-01-01

With the exception of thalamotomy for drug-refractory tremor, surgical therapy for Parkinson's disease has been almost abandoned as treatment for Parkinsonian symptoms between 1965 and 1985. Reasons for this development relate to inconsistent postoperative results, complications associated with stereotactic surgical techniques and, most importantly, the advent of levodopa, which is still considered to be the gold standard in pharmacotherapy for Parkinson's disease. However, both, the long-term experience with L-DOPA therapy on the one hand and the progress of advanced stereotactic techniques and fetal graft research on the other hand have lead to reconsideration of surgical therapy in Parkinson's disease for patients, who can not be treated satisfactorily with medication. Both lesions (via thermocoagulation) and/or neurostimulation (via chronic intracerebral implantation of electrodes) in thalamic nuclei (nucleus ventralis oralis posterior/intermedialis thalami; VOP/VIM) may alleviate rest tremor in PD patients. In principle neurostimulation has the significant advantage of reversibility with regard to side effects in comparison to lesion surgery. Furthermore ventro-posterior pallidotomy or chronic stimulation in this structures may ameliorate bradykinesia and levodopa-induced dyskinesias. Additionally, "switching-off" the subthalamic nucleus by neurostimulation has been reported to reduce rigidity, bradykinesia and levodopa-induced ON-OFF-fluctuations. On the other hand, neuronal transplantation of fetal nigral dopamine precursor cells aims at restoring the striatal dopamine deficit. Both animal and clinical experiments have shown that fetal grafts survive intrastriatal transplantation and may ensue moderate to satisfactory improvements, especially in regard to bradykinesia and ON-OFF-fluctuations. Further progress in the field of neuronal transplantation will largely depend on the development of alternative cell resources.

Neurostimulation systems for deep brain stimulation: in vitro evaluation of magnetic resonance imaging-related heating at 1.5 tesla.

PubMed

Rezai, Ali R; Finelli, Daniel; Nyenhuis, John A; Hrdlicka, Greg; Tkach, Jean; Sharan, Ashwini; Rugieri, Paul; Stypulkowski, Paul H; Shellock, Frank G

2002-03-01

To assess magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-related heating for a neurostimulation system (Activa Tremor Control System, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) used for chronic deep brain stimulation (DBS). Different configurations were evaluated for bilateral neurostimulators (Soletra Model 7426), extensions, and leads to assess worst-case and clinically relevant positioning scenarios. In vitro testing was performed using a 1.5-T/64-MHz MR system and a gel-filled phantom designed to approximate the head and upper torso of a human subject. MRI was conducted using the transmit/receive body and transmit/receive head radio frequency (RF) coils. Various levels of RF energy were applied with the transmit/receive body (whole-body averaged specific absorption rate (SAR); range, 0.98-3.90 W/kg) and transmit/receive head (whole-body averaged SAR; range, 0.07-0.24 W/kg) coils. A fluoroptic thermometry system was used to record temperatures at multiple locations before (1 minute) and during (15 minutes) MRI. Using the body RF coil, the highest temperature changes ranged from 2.5 degrees-25.3 degrees C. Using the head RF coil, the highest temperature changes ranged from 2.3 degrees-7.1 degrees C.Thus, these findings indicated that substantial heating occurs under certain conditions, while others produce relatively minor, physiologically inconsequential temperature increases. The temperature increases were dependent on the type of RF coil, level of SAR used, and how the lead wires were positioned. Notably, the use of clinically relevant positioning techniques for the neurostimulation system and low SARs commonly used for imaging the brain generated little heating. Based on this information, MR safety guidelines are provided. These observations are restricted to the tested neurostimulation system.

Neurostimulation of the Lacrimal Nerve for Enhanced Tear Production

PubMed Central

Kossler, Andrea L.; Wang, Jianhua; Feuer, William; Tse, David T.

2014-01-01

Purpose To design a proof-of-concept study to assess the effect of lacrimal nerve stimulation (LNS) with an implantable pulse generator (IPG) to increase aqueous tear production. Methods Experimental animal study design of six Dutch Belted rabbits. Ultra high-resolution optical coherence tomography (UHR-OCT) quantified tear production by measuring the baseline tear volume of each rabbit’s right and left eye. A neurostimulator was implanted adjacent to the right lacrimal nerve. After two minutes of LNS (100 μs, 1.6 mAmp, 20 Hz, 5–8 volts), the tear volumes were measured with UHR-OCT. The change in tear volume was quantified and compared to the non-stimulated left eye. Three rabbits underwent chronic LNS (100 μS, 1.6 mAmp, 10 Hz, 2 volts) and their lacrimal glands were harvested for histopathologic analysis. Results UHR-OCT imaging of the right eyes tear volume showed a 441% average increase in tear production after LNS as a percent of baseline. After stimulation, right eyes had statistically significant greater increase in tear volumes than left eyes (p=0.028, Wilcoxon test). Post-stimulation right eye tear volumes were significantly greater compared to baseline (p=0.028, Wilcoxon test). Histopathologic examination of the lacrimal glands showed no discernible tissue damage from chronic neurostimulation. Additionally, there were no gross adverse effects on the general well-beings of the animals due to chronic stimulation. Conclusions Lacrimal nerve stimulation with an implantable pulse generator appears to increase aqueous tear production. Chronic LNS showed no histopathologic lacrimal gland damage. This study suggests LNS is a promising new treatment strategy to increase aqueous tear production. PMID:25126767

Neurostimulation of the Cholinergic Anti-Inflammatory Pathway Ameliorates Disease in Rat Collagen-Induced Arthritis

PubMed Central

Levine, Yaakov A.; Koopman, Frieda A.; Faltys, Michael; Caravaca, April; Bendele, Alison; Zitnik, Ralph; Vervoordeldonk, Margriet J.; Tak, Paul Peter

2014-01-01

Introduction The inflammatory reflex is a physiological mechanism through which the nervous system maintains immunologic homeostasis by modulating innate and adaptive immunity. We postulated that the reflex might be harnessed therapeutically to reduce pathological levels of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis by activating its prototypical efferent arm, termed the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. To explore this, we determined whether electrical neurostimulation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway reduced disease severity in the collagen-induced arthritis model. Methods Rats implanted with vagus nerve cuff electrodes had collagen-induced arthritis induced and were followed for 15 days. Animals underwent active or sham electrical stimulation once daily from day 9 through the conclusion of the study. Joint swelling, histology, and levels of cytokines and bone metabolism mediators were assessed. Results Compared with sham treatment, active neurostimulation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway resulted in a 52% reduction in ankle diameter (p = 0.02), a 57% reduction in ankle diameter (area under curve; p = 0.02) and 46% reduction overall histological arthritis score (p = 0.01) with significant improvements in inflammation, pannus formation, cartilage destruction, and bone erosion (p = 0.02), accompanied by numerical reductions in systemic cytokine levels, not reaching statistical significance. Bone erosion improvement was associated with a decrease in serum levels of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) from 132±13 to 6±2 pg/mL (mean±SEM, p = 0.01). Conclusions The severity of collagen-induced arthritis is reduced by neurostimulation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway delivered using an implanted electrical vagus nerve stimulation cuff electrode, and supports the rationale for testing this approach in human inflammatory disorders. PMID:25110981

Angina pectoris refractory for conventional therapy--is neurostimulation a possible alternative treatment?

PubMed

Hautvast, R W; DeJongste, M J; ter Horst, G J; Blanksma, P K; Lie, K I

1996-07-01

The treatment of angina pectoris as a symptom of coronary artery disease usually is focused on restoring the balance between oxygen demand and supply of the myocardium by administration of drugs interfering in heart rate, cardiac pre- and afterload, and coronary vascular tone. For nonresponders to drug therapy or for those with jeopardized myocardium, revascularization procedures such as coronary bypass surgery and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty are at hand. However, the atherosclerotic process is not stopped by these therapies and, at longer terms, angina may recur. It is not always possible to revascularize all the patients who do not positively react to medical treatment. Those with angina, not responding to adequate medication and who are not suitable anymore for revascularization, are considered to suffer from refractory angina pectoris. This group of patients has a poor quality of life, for their exercise tolerance is severely afflicted. For these patients, neurostimulation has been described repeatedly as an effective and safe therapy. The mechanism of action of neurostimulation is not completely known, but recent studies suggest an anti-ischemic effect, exerted through changes in myocardial blood flow. As soon as its safety is sufficiently established, it may become a useful alternative in the treatment of refractory angina pectoris.

Ultrasound with neurostimulation compared with ultrasound guidance alone for lumbar plexus block: A randomised single blinded equivalence trial.

PubMed

Arnuntasupakul, Vanlapa; Chalachewa, Theerawat; Leurcharusmee, Prangmalee; Tiyaprasertkul, Worakamol; Finlayson, Roderick J; Tran, De Q

2018-03-01

Ultrasound-guided lumbar plexus blocks usually require confirmatory neurostimulation. A simpler alternative is to inject local anaesthetic inside the posteromedial quadrant of the psoas muscle under ultrasound guidance. We hypothesised that both techniques would result in similar total anaesthesia time, defined as the sum of performance and onset time. A randomised, observer-blinded, equivalence trial. Ramathibodi Hospital and Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital (Thailand) from 12 May 2016 to 10 January 2017. A total of 110 patients undergoing total hip or knee arthroplasty, who required lumbar plexus block for postoperative analgesia. In the combined ultrasonography-neurostimulation group, quadriceps-evoked motor response was sought at a current between 0.2 and 0.8 mA prior to local anaesthetic injection (30 ml of lidocaine 1% and levobupivacaine 0.25% with epinephrine 5 μg ml and 5 mg of dexamethasone). In the ultrasound guidance alone group, local anaesthetic was simply injected inside the posteromedial quadrant of the psoas muscle. We measured the total anaesthesia time, the success rate (at 30 min), the number of needle passes, block-related pain, cumulative opioid consumption (at 24 h) and adverse events (vascular puncture, paraesthesia, local anaesthetic spread to the epidural space). The equivalence margin was 7.4 min. Compared with ultrasound guidance alone, combined ultrasonography-neurostimulation resulted in decreased mean (±SD) total anaesthesia time [15.3 (±6.5) vs. 20.1 (±9.0) min; mean difference, -4.8; 95% confidence interval, -8.1 to -1.9; P = 0.005] and mean (±SD) onset time [10.2 (±5.6) vs. 15.5 (±9.0) min; P = 0.004). No inter-group differences were observed in terms of success rate, performance time, number of needle passes, block-related pain, opioid consumption or adverse events. Although the ultrasonography-neurostimulation technique results in a shorter total anaesthesia time compared with ultrasound

Divorce and Death: Forty Years of the Charleston Heart Study

PubMed Central

Nietert, Paul J.

2010-01-01

Forty years of follow-up data from the Charleston Heart Study (CHS) were used to examine the risk for early mortality associated with marital separation or divorce in a sample of over 1,300 adults assessed on several occasions between 1960 and 2000. Participants who were separated or divorced at study inception evidenced significantly higher rates of early mortality, and these results held after adjusting for baseline health status and other demographic variables. Being separated or divorced throughout the CHS follow-up window was one of the strongest predictors of early mortality. However, the excess mortality risk associated with remaining separated/divorced was completely eliminated when participants were re-classified as having ever experienced a marital separation or divorce. These findings suggest a key determinant of early death is the amount of time people live as separated or divorced and/or dimensions of personality that predict divorce as well as a decreased likelihood of future remarriage. PMID:19076315

Pallidal deep brain stimulation in patients with primary generalised or segmental dystonia: 5-year follow-up of a randomised trial.

PubMed

Volkmann, Jens; Wolters, Alexander; Kupsch, Andreas; Müller, Jörg; Kühn, Andrea A; Schneider, Gerd-Helge; Poewe, Werner; Hering, Sascha; Eisner, Wilhelm; Müller, Jan-Uwe; Deuschl, Günther; Pinsker, Marcus O; Skogseid, Inger-Marie; Roeste, Geir Ketil; Krause, Martin; Tronnier, Volker; Schnitzler, Alfons; Voges, Jürgen; Nikkhah, Guido; Vesper, Jan; Classen, Joseph; Naumann, Markus; Benecke, Reiner

2012-12-01

Severe forms of primary dystonia are difficult to manage medically. We assessed the safety and efficacy of pallidal neurostimulation in patients with primary generalised or segmental dystonia prospectively followed up for 5 years in a controlled multicentre trial. In the parent trial, 40 patients were randomly assigned to either sham neurostimulation or neurostimulation of the internal globus pallidus for a period of 3 months and thereafter all patients completed 6 months of active neurostimulation. 38 patients agreed to be followed up annually after the activation of neurostimulation, including assessments of dystonia severity, pain, disability, and quality of life. The primary endpoint of the 5-year follow-up study extension was the change in dystonia severity at 3 years and 5 years as assessed by open-label ratings of the Burke-Fahn-Marsden dystonia rating scale (BFMDRS) motor score compared with the preoperative baseline and the 6-month visit. The primary endpoint was analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. The original trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00142259). An intention-to-treat analysis including all patients from the parent trial showed significant improvements in dystonia severity at 3 years and 5 years compared with baseline, which corresponded to -20·8 points (SD 17·1; -47·9%; n=40) at 6 months; -26·5 points (19·7; -61·1%; n=31) at 3 years; and -25·1 points (21·3; -57·8%; n=32). The improvement from 6 months to 3 years (-5·7 points [SD 8·4]; -34%) was significant and sustained at the 5-year follow-up (-4·3 [10·4]). 49 new adverse events occurred between 6 months and 5 years. Dysarthria and transient worsening of dystonia were the most common non-serious adverse events. 21 adverse events were rated serious and were almost exclusively device related. One patient attempted suicide shortly after the 6-month visit during a depressive episode. All serious adverse events resolved without permanent sequelae. 3 years and 5 years

Selective local anesthetic placement using ultrasound guidance and neurostimulation for infraclavicular brachial plexus block.

PubMed

Bowens, Clifford; Gupta, Rajnish K; O'Byrne, William T; Schildcrout, Jonathan S; Shi, Yaping; Hawkins, Jermel J; Michaels, Damon R; Berry, James M

2010-05-01

In this study, we performed the infraclavicular block with combined ultrasound guidance and neurostimulation to selectively target cords to compare the success rates of placing a single injection of local anesthetic either in a central or peripheral location. Two hundred eighteen patients were enrolled in a consecutive, prospective study. Patients were randomized to injection of local anesthetic either centrally (posterior cord) or peripherally (medial or lateral cord) using ultrasound guidance and neurostimulation. Supervised senior anesthesiology residents or attending anesthesiologists performed the blocks. Both intent-to-treat and treatment-received analyses were used to compare central and peripheral placement efficacy. The overall success rate was significantly higher for the central placements than peripheral placements (96% vs 85%, P = 0.004). Individual cord success rates were as follows: posterior 99%, lateral 92%, and medial 84% (P = 0.001). The central group required attending physician intervention more frequently (27% vs 6%, P < 0.001). Postoperative pain scores of < or =3 were more likely with central placement (100% vs 94%, P = 0.012). Central placement of a single injection of local anesthetic targeted at the posterior cord resulted in a higher success rate for infraclavicular block.

Divorce and death: forty years of the Charleston Heart Study.

PubMed

Sbarra, David A; Nietert, Paul J

2009-01-01

Forty years of follow-up data from the Charleston Heart Study (CHS) were used to examine the risk for early mortality associated with marital separation or divorce in a sample of more than 1,300 adults assessed on several occasions between 1960 and 2000. Participants who were separated or divorced at the start of the study evidenced significantly elevated rates of early mortality, and these results held after adjusting for baseline health status and other demographic variables. Being separated or divorced throughout the CHS follow-up window was one of the strongest predictors of early mortality. However, the excess mortality risk associated with separation or divorce was completely eliminated when participants who had ever experienced a marital separation or divorce during the study were compared with all other participants. These findings suggest that a key predictor of early death is the amount of time people live as separated or divorced. It is possible that the mortality risk conferred by marital dissolution is due to dimensions of personality that predict divorce as well as a decreased likelihood of future remarriage.

A case study of systemic curricular reform: A forty-year history

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laubach, Timothy Alan

What follows is a description of the development of a particular inquiry-based elementary school science curriculum program and how its theoretical underpinnings positively influenced a school district's (K-12) science program and also impacted district- and state-wide curriculum reform initiatives. The district's science program has evolved since the inception of the inquiry-based elementary school science curriculum reform forty years ago. Therefore, a historical case study, which incorporated grounded theory methodology, was used to convey the forty-year development of a science curriculum reform effort and its systemic influences. Data for this study were collected primarily through artifacts, such as technical and non-technical documents, and supported and augmented with interviews. Fifteen people comprised the interview consortium with professional responsibilities including (a) administrative roles, such as superintendents, assistant superintendents, principals, and curriculum consultants/coordinators; (b) classroom roles, such as elementary and secondary school teachers who taught science; (c) partnership roles, such as university faculty who collaborated with those in administrative and classroom positions within the district; and (d) the co-director of SCIS who worked with the SCIS trial center director. Data were analyzed and coded using the constant comparative method. The analysis of data uncovered five categories or levels in which the curriculum reform evolved throughout its duration. These themes are Initiation, Education, Implementation, Confirmation, and Continuation. These five categories lead to several working hypotheses that supported the sustaining and continuing of a K-12 science curriculum reform effort. These components are a committed visionary; a theory base of education; forums promoting the education of the theory base components; shared-decision making; a university-school partnership; a core group of committed educators and teachers

Toward a Symptom-Guided Neurostimulation for Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome

PubMed Central

Pedroarena-Leal, Nicole; Ruge, Diane

2017-01-01

Therapy resistance of approximately one-third of patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) requires consideration of alternative therapeutic interventions. This article provides a condensed review of the invasive and non-invasive stimulation techniques that have been applied, to date, for treatment and investigation of GTS. Through this perspective and short review, the article discusses potential novel applications for neurostimulation techniques based on a symptom-guided approach. The concept of considering the physiological basis of specific symptoms when using stimulation techniques will provide a platform for more effective non-pharmacological neuromodulation of symptoms in GTS. PMID:28289393

Neurostimulation for the treatment of axial back pain: a review of mechanisms, techniques, outcomes, and future advances.

PubMed

Deer, Timothy; Pope, Jason; Hayek, Salim; Narouze, Samer; Patil, Parag; Foreman, Robert; Sharan, Ashwini; Levy, Robert

2014-10-01

The use of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is well established in the treatment of neuropathic pain. This procedure has been approved in the United States for neuropathic pain of the trunk and limbs from various conditions. International use is variable based on governmental policy. Most studies showing efficacy have focused on pain primarily in the limbs for such conditions as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), sciatica, radiculitis, ischemic limb pain, and peripheral neuropathy. Data on success in neuropathic pain of the trunk and particularly of the axial back are limited. New understanding about the targets of neuromodulation and their treatment with novel neurostimulation approaches has led to a new dawn of enthusiasm for spinal cord stimulation for axial low back pain. The authors review mechanisms, current and future targets, techniques, and their outcomes for treating axial back pain with neurostimulation. The paper discusses many newer methods and targets that may substantially improve results for the treatment of this patient group. The continuing evolution of technology and new data may well change these recommendations over time and regular updates of this manuscript will be critical moving forward. Improved technology and a better understanding of the goals of stimulation have led to a new ability to stimulate the axial low back and increase the effectiveness of these therapies to reduce pain. New paddle lead constructs, percutaneous paddle lead introduction, and other new technologies have led to an increased number of potential candidates for spinal cord stimulation. Optimizing the application of neurostimulation for chronic axial back pain will depend upon answering questions relating to patient selection, implantation technique, and stimulation parameters. © 2014 International Neuromodulation Society.

My Forty-Year Adventure in the Wonderful World of Fiber Optics!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodara, Henri

2016-11-01

In the first part of this presentation, I review the key technology developments of the last century up to the present. These developments are what led us to the communication and information revolution. This is followed by a discussion of how the use of optical fibers brought about the fusion of these two elements and the resultant proliferation of smart phones and social networks. In the second part, I recollect some of my work in fiber optics over a period of forty years in the context of those key developments. In particular, I stress what it takes for a company small in comparison to the giants in the field to capture niche markets. I also discuss the criteria that are needed to justify the application of a new technology like optical fibers to existing communication and sensing systems, and make it cost effective. I end this presentation with a few personal considerations regarding technology developments and innovation.

[Current status of neurostimulation and neuromodulation for vesicourethral dysfunction].

PubMed

González-Chamorro, F; Verdú Tartajo, F; Hernández Fernández, C

1997-01-01

To describe the current indications, techniques and results of sacral root stimulation in patients with spinal cord lesions as a treatment for patients with high pressure bladders and/or urinary incontinence despite conservative management, as well as sacral root neuromodulation with permanent stimulators for complex bladder dysfunction: vesical instability, sensory urgency, chronic pelvic pain and chronic voiding dysfunction. The literature is reviewed, both techniques are described and the results of the most significant series are discussed, with special reference to the first groups that utilized these techniques. There is ample experience in the application of sacral root electrical stimulation. The reported results are comparable with those achieved by other treatments, such as augmentation cystoplasty. Neurostimulation and neuromodulation techniques are simple, the complications are minimal and they do not prelude the use of other therapies.

Auditory verbal hallucinations as atypical inner speech monitoring, and the potential of neurostimulation as a treatment option☆

PubMed Central

Moseley, Peter; Fernyhough, Charles; Ellison, Amanda

2013-01-01

Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are the experience of hearing voices in the absence of any speaker, often associated with a schizophrenia diagnosis. Prominent cognitive models of AVHs suggest they may be the result of inner speech being misattributed to an external or non-self source, due to atypical self- or reality monitoring. These arguments are supported by studies showing that people experiencing AVHs often show an externalising bias during monitoring tasks, and neuroimaging evidence which implicates superior temporal brain regions, both during AVHs and during tasks that measure verbal self-monitoring performance. Recently, efficacy of noninvasive neurostimulation techniques as a treatment option for AVHs has been tested. Meta-analyses show a moderate effect size in reduction of AVH frequency, but there has been little attempt to explain the therapeutic effect of neurostimulation in relation to existing cognitive models. This article reviews inner speech models of AVHs, and argues that a possible explanation for reduction in frequency following treatment may be modulation of activity in the brain regions involving the monitoring of inner speech. PMID:24125858

Can Nanofluidic Chemical Release Enable Fast, High Resolution Neurotransmitter-Based Neurostimulation?

PubMed

Jones, Peter D; Stelzle, Martin

2016-01-01

Artificial chemical stimulation could provide improvements over electrical neurostimulation. Physiological neurotransmission between neurons relies on the nanoscale release and propagation of specific chemical signals to spatially-localized receptors. Current knowledge of nanoscale fluid dynamics and nanofluidic technology allows us to envision artificial mechanisms to achieve fast, high resolution neurotransmitter release. Substantial technological development is required to reach this goal. Nanofluidic technology-rather than microfluidic-will be necessary; this should come as no surprise given the nanofluidic nature of neurotransmission. This perspective reviews the state of the art of high resolution electrical neuroprostheses and their anticipated limitations. Chemical release rates from nanopores are compared to rates achieved at synapses and with iontophoresis. A review of microfluidic technology justifies the analysis that microfluidic control of chemical release would be insufficient. Novel nanofluidic mechanisms are discussed, and we propose that hydrophobic gating may allow control of chemical release suitable for mimicking neurotransmission. The limited understanding of hydrophobic gating in artificial nanopores and the challenges of fabrication and large-scale integration of nanofluidic components are emphasized. Development of suitable nanofluidic technology will require dedicated, long-term efforts over many years.

Smooth muscle fatigue due to repeated urinary bladder neurostimulation: an in vivo study.

PubMed

Bross, S; Schumacher, S; Scheepe, J R; Seif, C; Jünemann, K P; Alken, P

1999-01-01

The presented study investigates the influence of different pause lengths between two consecutive stimulations of the S3 roots on intravesical pressure during bladder neurostimulation. In eight male foxhounds (aged 7-18 months), laminectomy and placement of a modified Brindley electrode were performed. In four series with different pause lengths between two consecutive stimulations (1, 3, 5, and 15 min), the maximum intravesical pressure was measured during stimulation. The changes in intravesical pressure were registered in these four series, each series with six stimulations. A 15-min interval elapsed before the commencement of each series. In the series with a pause length of 15 min, the consecutive stimulations did not result in significant changes in maximum intravesical pressure. In the 5-min series, a significant decrease in intravesical pressure was not observed after the third stimulation. In the 3-min series, a significant decrease was seen at almost every stimulation (average decrease of 3.8% per stimulation) and in the 1-min series, a significant decrease was also observed at almost every stimulation (average decrease of 5.9% per stimulation). The results of repeated bladder neurostimulation demonstrate that the maximum intravesical pressure is dependent on the pause length between two consecutive stimulations. The detrusor muscle showed reversible and short-lived signs of fatigue. This implies the importance of a minimum 5-min interval between two subsequent stimulations. A pause length <5 min leads to a falsification of the results and thus to lower validity of the investigation.

Ipsi- and Contralateral Motor Response Using Ultrasound-induced Neurostimulation in Deeply Anesthetized Mice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamimura, Hermes; Wang, Shutao; Chen, Hong; Wang, Qi; Aurup, Christian; Fan, Kathtleen; Carneiro, Antonio; Konofagou, Elisa

Ultrasound neurostimulation has been proven capable of eliciting motor responses. However, the studies in sedated rodents presented problems with target specificity due to the use of low ultrasound frequencies (<700 kHz). Here, we show that focused ultrasound (FUS) in mega-Hz range was able to evoke motor responses in mice under deep anesthesia. Contralateral movements of the hind limbs were observed when sonications were carried out at +2 mm of Lambda and ±2 mm lateral of midline in three mice. Moreover, stimulating other regions of the somatosensory and cerebellum induced trunk and ipsilateral limb movements in all six mice.

Fabrication of FORTIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCandliss, Stephan R.; Fleming, Brian; Kaiser, Mary Elizabeth; Kruk, Jeffrey; Feldman, Paul D.; Kutyrev, Alexander S.; Li, Mary J.; Goodwin, Phillip A.; Rapchun, David; Lyness, Eric; Brown, Ari D.; Moseley, Harvey; Siegmund, Oswald; Vallerga, John

2010-07-01

The Johns Hopkins University sounding rocket group is building the Far-ultraviolet Off Rowland-circle Telescope for Imaging and Spectroscopy (FORTIS), which is a Gregorian telescope with rulings on the secondary mirror. FORTIS will be launched on a sounding rocket from White Sand Missile Range to study the relationship between Lyman alpha escape and the local gas-to-dust ratio in star forming galaxies with non-zero redshifts. It is designed to acquire images of a 30' x 30' field and provide fully redundant "on-the-fly" spectral acquisition of 43 separate targets in the field with a bandpass of 900 - 1800 Angstroms. FORTIS is an enabling scientific and technical activity for future cutting edge far- and near-uv survey missions seeking to: search for Lyman continuum radiation leaking from star forming galaxies, determine the epoch of He II reionization and characterize baryon acoustic oscillations using the Lyman forest. In addition to the high efficiency "two bounce" dual-order spectro-telescope design, FORTIS incorporates a number of innovative technologies including: an image dissecting microshutter array developed by GSFC; a large area (~ 45 mm x 170 mm) microchannel plate detector with central imaging and "outrigger" spectral channels provided by Sensor Sciences; and an autonomous targeting microprocessor incorporating commercially available field programable gate arrays. We discuss progress to date in developing our pathfinder instrument.

Neurostimulation and neuromodulation: a guide to selecting the right urologic patient.

PubMed

Schmidt, R A; Doggweiler, R

1998-01-01

Sensory input has an important influence on the integrity of neural circuitry. Central nervous system circuitry is programmed and reinforced by everyday experience. Even the simplest of behaviors participate in this process. A balance between inhibition and facilitation must be maintained for the CNS to function normally. For example, the bladder stores urine because of the inhibition from a closed sphincter, and relaxation of the sphincter disinhibits the bladder to permit voiding. This synergistic 'seesaw' in reflex neural activity preserves the functional and anatomical integrity of the lower urinary tract. Dysfunction and anatomical change results when an unnatural bias develops between inhibitory and facilitatory neural activity. Neurostimulation has an inherent conditioning effect on neural excitability and can restore the neural equilibrium. Voiding diaries are very useful in documenting these changes.

Neurostimulation in ultrasound-guided infraclavicular block: a prospective randomized trial.

PubMed

Dingemans, Emmanuel; Williams, Stephan R; Arcand, Geneviève; Chouinard, Philippe; Harris, Patrick; Ruel, Monique; Girard, François

2007-05-01

Ultrasound guidance (USG) for infraclavicular blocks provides real time visualization of the advancing needle and local anesthetic distribution. Whether visualization of local anesthetic spread can supplant neurostimulation as the end point for local anesthetic injection during USG block has never been formally evaluated. Therefore, for this prospective randomized study, we recruited 72 patients scheduled for hand or forearm surgery and compared the speed of execution and quality of USG infraclavicular block with either USG alone (Group U) or USG combined with neurostimulation (Group S). In Group U, local anesthetic was deposited in a U-shaped distribution posterior and to each side of the axillary artery using as few injections as possible (1, 2, and 3 injections in 29, 6, and 3 patients, respectively). In Group S, a single injection was made after obtaining a distal motor response with a stimulating current between 0.3 and 0.6 mA. The anesthetic solution consisted of 0.5 mL/kg of lidocaine 1.5%, bupivacaine 0.125%, and epinephrine 1:200 000 (final concentrations). Procedure times were significantly shorter in Group U compared with Group S (3.1 +/- 1.6 min and 5.2 +/- 4.7 min, respectively; P = 0.006). In Group S, anesthetic spread was mainly anterior to the axillary artery in 37% of patients and mainly posterior in 63% of patients. Thirty minutes after the injection, 86% of patients in Group U had complete sensory block in the musculocutaneous, median, radial, and ulnar nerve territories compared with 57% in Group S (P = 0.007). Patients blocked in Group U with a single injection had the same rate of complete block (86%) as those blocked with more than one injection (86%). Block supplementation rates were 8% in Group U versus 26% in Group S (P = 0.049). Block failure occurred in one patient in Group S because of an inability to obtain a distal stimulation after 20 min. We conclude that USG infraclavicular block is more rapidly performed and yields a higher

[Efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided or neurostimulator-guided bilateral axillary brachial plexus block].

PubMed

Xu, C S; Zhao, X L; Zhou, H B; Qu, Z J; Yang, Q G; Wang, H J; Wang, G

2017-10-17

Objective: To explore the efficacy and safety of bilateral axillary brachial plexus block under the guidance of ultrasound or neurostimulator. Methods: From February 2012 to April 2014, 120 patients undergoing bilateral hand/forearm surgery in Beijing Jishuitan Hospital were enrolled and anaesthetized with bilateral axillary brachial plexus block. All patients were divided into two groups randomly using random number table: the ultrasound-guided group (group U, n =60) and the neurostimulator-guidedgroup (group N, n =60). The block was performed with 0.5% ropivacaine. Patients' age, sex and operation duration were recorded. Moreover, success rate, performance time, onset of sensor and motor block, performance pain, patient satisfaction degree and the incidence of related complications were also documented. Venous samples were collected at selected time points and the total and the plasma concentrations of ropivacaine were analyzed with HPLC. Results: The performance time, the onset of sensor block and the onset of motor block of group U were (8.2±1.5), (14.2± 2.2)and (24.0±3.5)min respectively, which were markedly shorter than those in group N( (14.6±3.9), (19.9±3.8), (28.8±4.2)min, respectively), and the differences were statistically significant( t =11.74, 10.09, 6.73, respectively, all P <0.01). The performance pain score of group N was (25.5± 13.2), which was obviously more serious than group U (31.7± 11.2) and a significant statistical difference was detected ( t =2.856, P <0.05). The patient satisfaction degree of group U was 95.0%, which was significantly higher than group N (83.3%) and a markedly statistical difference was detected (χ(2)=4.227, P <0.05). Fifty min after performance, the total plasma concentration of ropivacaine of group U was(1.76±0.48)mg/L, which was significantly lower than group N (1.88±0.53)mg/L and a significant statistical difference was detected ( t =2.43, P <0.05), while no significant differences were detected at the

Electrical neurostimulation with imbalanced waveform mitigates dissolution of platinum electrodes

PubMed Central

Kumsa, Doe; Hudak, Eric M; Montague, Fred W; Kelley, Shawn C; Untereker, Darrel F; Hahn, Benjamin P; Condit, Chris; Cholette, Martin; Lee, Hyowon; Bardot, Dawn; Takmakov, Pavel

2017-01-01

Objective Electrical neurostimulation has traditionally been limited to the use of charge-balanced waveforms. Charge-imbalanced and monophasic waveforms are not used to deliver clinical therapy, because it is believed that these stimulation paradigms may generate noxious electrochemical species that cause tissue damage. Approach In this study, we investigated the dissolution of platinum as one of such irreversible reactions over a range of charge densities up to 160 µC cm−2 with current-controlled first phase, capacitive discharge second phase waveforms of both cathodic-first and anodic-first polarity. We monitored the concentration of platinum in solution under different stimulation delivery conditions including charge-balanced, charge-imbalanced, and monophasic pulses. Main results We observed that platinum dissolution decreased during charge-imbalanced and monophasic stimulation when compared to charge-balanced waveforms. Significance This observation provides an opportunity to re-evaluate the charge-balanced waveform as the primary option for sustainable neural stimulation. PMID:27650936

Building on and Honoring Forty Years of PBL Scholarship from Howard Barrows: A Scientometric, Large-Scale Data, and Visualization-Based Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xian, Hanjun; Madhavan, Krishna

2013-01-01

Over the past forty years, Howard Barrows' contributions to PBL research have influenced and guided educational research and practice in a diversity of domains. It is necessary to make visible to all PBL scholars what has been accomplished, what is perceived as significant, and what is the scope of applicability for Barrows' groundbreaking…

An Arbitrary Waveform Wearable Neuro-stimulator System for Neurophysiology Research on Freely Behaving Animals.

PubMed

Samani, Mohsen Mosayebi; Mahnam, Amin; Hosseini, Nasrin

2014-04-01

Portable wireless neuro-stimulators have been developed to facilitate long-term cognitive and behavioral studies on the central nervous system in freely moving animals. These stimulators can provide precisely controllable input(s) to the nervous system, without distracting the animal attention with cables connected to its body. In this study, a low power backpack neuro-stimulator was developed for animal brain researches that can provides arbitrary stimulus waveforms for the stimulation, while it is small and light weight to be used for small animals including rats. The system consists of a controller that uses an RF link to program and activate a small and light microprocessor-based stimulator. A Howland current source was implemented to produce precise current controlled arbitrary waveform stimulations. The system was optimized for ultra-low power consumption and small size. The stimulator was first tested for its electrical specifications. Then its performance was evaluated in a rat experiment when electrical stimulation of medial longitudinal fasciculus induced circling behavior. The stimulator is capable of delivering programmed stimulations up to ± 2 mA with adjusting steps of 1 μA, accuracy of 0.7% and compliance of 6 V. The stimulator is 15 mm × 20 mm × 40 mm in size, weights 13.5 g without battery and consumes a total power of only 5.l mW. In the experiment, the rat could easily carry the stimulator and demonstrated the circling behavior for 0.1 ms current pulses of above 400 μA. The developed system has a competitive size and weight, whereas providing a wide range of operation and the flexibility of generating arbitrary stimulation patterns ideal for long-term experiments in the field of cognitive and neuroscience research.

Treatment of Chronic Plantar Fasciitis with Noninvasive Interactive Neurostimulation: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

PubMed

Razzano, Cristina; Carbone, Stefano; Mangone, Massimiliano; Iannotta, M Raffaella; Battaglia, Alessandro; Santilli, Valter

The initial treatment of plantar fasciitis should be conservative, with most cases responding to standard physiotherapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), heel pads, and stretching. In cases of chronic refractory symptoms, more invasive treatment could be necessary. Noninvasive interactive neurostimulation (NIN) is a form of electric therapy that works by locating areas of lower skin impedance. The objective of the present prospective randomized controlled study was to evaluate whether the use of NIN for chronic plantar fasciitis could result in greater improvement in a foot functional score, lower levels of reported pain, reduced patient consumption of NSAIDs, and greater patient satisfaction compared with electric shockwave therapy in patients without a response to standard conservative treatment. The patients were randomized using random blocks to the NIN program (group 1) or electric shockwave therapy (group 2). The outcome measurements were the pain subscale of the validated Foot Function Index (PS-FFI), patient-reported subjective assessment of the level of pain using a standard visual analog scale, and daily intake of NSAID tablets (etoricoxib 60 mg). The study group was evaluated at baseline (time 0), week 4 (time 1), and week 12 (final follow-up point). Group 1 (55 patients) experienced significantly better results compared with group 2 (49 patients) in term of the PS-FFI score, visual analog scale score, and daily intake of etoricoxib 60 mg. NIN was an effective treatment of chronic resistant plantar fasciitis, with full patient satisfaction in >90% of cases. The present prospective randomized controlled study showed superior results for noninvasive neurostimulation compared with electric shockwave therapy, in terms of the functional score, pain improvement, and use of NSAIDs. Copyright © 2017 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Forty years of progress.

PubMed

Löe, H

1989-05-01

The celebration of the 40th anniversary of the National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR) provides an opportunity for reviewing the growth of dental research over the decades. The Institute owes its origin to public and professional concern over the dental health of Americans and the prospect that a Federal investment in dental research could pay off. The early years of the Institute were devoted to studies of fluoride and dental caries, with notable achievements in clinical trials of water fluoridation and caries microbiology. During the 1960s came the discovery that the periodontal diseases, like dental caries, were bacterial infections that could be prevented. Basic and clinical research expanded, and the research manpower pool grew with the addition of microbiologists, immunologists, salivary gland investigators, and other basic biomedical and behavioral scientists. The Institute created special broad-based Dental Research Institutes and Centers to foster interdisciplinary research, and continued to expand its research base. A national survey undertaken by NIDR in the late 1970s showed major declines in caries prevalence in schoolchildren. Recent NIDR surveys of adults and older Americans as well as a second children's survey have demonstrated overall improvements in oral health and a continued decline in childhood caries.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Forty years of friendship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mermet, J. M.

2014-10-01

As far as I can remember, I met Nicoló for the first time during the 17th CSI held in Firenze (Italy) in 1973. Nicoló came back from a post doctorate stay in J.D. Winefordner 's lab. He strongly recommended me to spend a similar stay in Jim's lab, which I did in 1977. Although we were not there at the same time, we published together a paper in Applied Optics [1] with other Jim' s coworkers, including H. Haraguchi who was staying in the lab at the same time. It was the beginning of a long friendship with Nicoló, starting with the journal Applied Spectroscopy and IUPAC. During the 1986-1993 period, Nicoló has served as European Editor for Atomic Spectroscopy of Applied Spectroscopy, and he asked me to be Assistant European Editor, and then to take over his Editor position when he moved to SAB. It was, then, the time (1994) when Spectrochimica Acta Reviews (formerly Progress in Analytical Atomic Spectroscopy) merged with SAB with Ralph Sturgeon and me as Editors. In 2010, Greet and Nicoló kindly invited me to be Chairman of the SAB Editorial Advisory Board, from which I resigned last year, ending a long involvement with SAB, including phone calls from Nicoló about some difficult/challenging papers submitted to SAB! (See photograph 1, and photograph 4.)

Neurostimulation options for failed back surgery syndrome: The need for rational and objective measurements. Proposal of an international clinical network using an integrated database and health economic analysis: the PROBACK network.

PubMed

Rigoard, P; Slavin, K

2015-03-01

In the context of failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) treatment, the current practice in neurostimulation varies from center-to-center and most clinical decisions are based on an individual diagnosis. Neurostimulation evaluation tools and pain relief assessment are of major concern, as they now constitute one of the main biases of clinical trials. Moreover, the proliferation of technological devices, in a fertile and unsatisfied market, fosters and only furthers the confusion. There are three options available to apply scientific debates to our daily neurostimulation practice: intentional ignorance, standardized evidence-based practice or alternative data mining approach. In view of the impossibility of conducting multiple randomized clinical trials comparing various devices, one by one, the proposed concept would be to redefine the indications and the respective roles of the various spinal cord and peripheral nerve stimulation devices with large-scale computational modeling/data mining approach, by conducting a multicenter prospective database registry, supported by a clinician's global network called "PROBACK". We chose to specifically analyze 6 parameters: device coverage performance/coverage selectivity/persistence of the long-term electrical response (technical criteria) and comparative mapping of patient pain relief/persistence of the long-term clinical response/safety and complications occurrence (clinical criteria). Two types of analysis will be performed: immediate analysis (including cost analysis) and computational analysis, i.e. demonstration of the robustness of certain correlations of variables, in order to extract response predictors. By creating an international prospective database, the purpose of the PROBACK project was to set up a process of extraction and comparative analysis of data derived from the selection, implantation and follow-up of FBSS patients candidates for implanted neurostimulation. This evaluation strategy should help to change

[Acute myocardial infarction among Icelanders forty years old and younger 2005-2009. Comparison with a study carried out 1980-1984].

PubMed

Magnusson, Bjorn Jakob; Agnarsson, Uggi; Guðnason, Thorarinn; Þorgeirsson, Gudmundur

2017-01-01

While acute myocardial infarction  (AMI) mostly is a disease of the elderly it also affects younger individuals, often with serious consequenses. In 1980-1984 a study was carried out on the incidence, risk factors, infarct location and distribution of atherosclerosis among Icelanders forty years and younger with AMI. Here we present the results of a similar study carried out for the five year period 2005-2009. Medical and autopsy records of all individuals, forty years and younger, diagnosed with AMI (I21 in ICD-10) at Landspitali, National University Hospital 2005-2009, or suffering sudden cardiac death in Iceland during the same period were reviewed. Blood tests, electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, coronary angiograms and autopsy results were reviewed with respect to AMI-criteria. Statistical comparisons of ratios and means were carried out using Chi-square test and T-test, respectively. 38 individuals 40 years and younger, 32 males and 6 females, fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of AMI. Calculated incidence for the population at risk was 10/100.000/year (14/100.000/year in 1980-1984) and the mean age ±S.D. was 36.7±3.9. Three (7.9%) died suddenly before reaching hospital but of the 35 hospitalised patients 30 day mortality was zero, compared to nine (23.7%) pre-hospital deaths and two (6.9%) hospital deaths in 1980-1984. Thus, combined pre-hospital and in-hospital (30 day) mortality was 28.9% and 7.9% in the previous and recent time periods, respectively (p=0.02). In 2005-2009, 77.1% had a smoking history and 31.4% were hypertensive compared to 97% and 6.9% in 1980-85 (p=0.026 and p=0.015, respectively). Body mass index (BMI) was higher in the later period, 28.6±4,8 kg/m2 compared to 26.1±3.6 (mean±S.D.; p=0.04) but s-cholesterol was lower, 5.1±1.4 mmol/L compared to 6.3±1.16 ( mean±S.D.; p<0.01). In both studies single coronary artery disease was the most common angiographic pattern and the left anterior descending artery most often

A microscale photovoltaic neurostimulator for fiber optic delivery of functional electrical stimulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Yoon-Kyu; Stein, John; Patterson, William R.; Bull, Christopher W.; Davitt, Kristina M.; Serruya, Mijail D.; Zhang, Jiayi; Nurmikko, Arto V.; Donoghue, John P.

2007-09-01

Recent advances in functional electrical stimulation (FES) show significant promise for restoring voluntary movement in patients with paralysis or other severe motor impairments. Current approaches for implantable FES systems involve multisite stimulation, posing research issues related to their physical size, power and signal delivery, surgical and safety challenges. To explore a different means for delivering the stimulus to a distant muscle nerve site, we have elicited in vitro FES response using a high efficiency microcrystal photovoltaic device as a neurostimulator, integrated with a biocompatible glass optical fiber which forms a lossless, interference-free lightwave conduit for signal and energy transport. As a proof of concept demonstration, a sciatic nerve of a frog is stimulated by the microcrystal device connected to a multimode optical fiber (core diameter of 62.5 µm), which converts optical activation pulses (~100 µs) from an infrared semiconductor laser source (at 852 nm wavelength) into an FES signal.

Thinking Small: Progress on Microscale Neurostimulation Technology.

PubMed

Pancrazio, Joseph J; Deku, Felix; Ghazavi, Atefeh; Stiller, Allison M; Rihani, Rashed; Frewin, Christopher L; Varner, Victor D; Gardner, Timothy J; Cogan, Stuart F

2017-12-01

Neural stimulation is well-accepted as an effective therapy for a wide range of neurological disorders. While the scale of clinical devices is relatively large, translational, and pilot clinical applications are underway for microelectrode-based systems. Microelectrodes have the advantage of stimulating a relatively small tissue volume which may improve selectivity of therapeutic stimuli. Current microelectrode technology is associated with chronic tissue response which limits utility of these devices for neural recording and stimulation. One approach for addressing the tissue response problem may be to reduce physical dimensions of the device. "Thinking small" is a trend for the electronics industry, and for implantable neural interfaces, the result may be a device that can evade the foreign body response. This review paper surveys our current understanding pertaining to the relationship between implant size and tissue response and the state-of-the-art in ultrasmall microelectrodes. A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed, Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics), and Google Scholar. The literature review shows recent efforts to create microelectrodes that are extremely thin appear to reduce or even eliminate the chronic tissue response. With high charge capacity coatings, ultramicroelectrodes fabricated from emerging polymers, and amorphous silicon carbide appear promising for neurostimulation applications. We envision the emergence of robust and manufacturable ultramicroelectrodes that leverage advanced materials where the small cross-sectional geometry enables compliance within tissue. Nevertheless, future testing under in vivo conditions is particularly important for assessing the stability of thin film devices under chronic stimulation. © 2017 International Neuromodulation Society.

Forty years of TTG research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moyen, Jean-François; Martin, Hervé

2012-09-01

TTGs (tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite) are one of the archetypical lithologies of Archaean cratons. Since their original description in the 1970s, they have been the subject of many studies and discussions relating to Archaean geology. In this paper, we review the ideas, concepts and arguments brought forward in these 40 years, and try to address some open questions — both old and new. The late 1960s and the 1970s mark the appearance of "grey gneisses" (TTG) in the scientific literature. During this period, most work was focused on the identification and description of this suite, and the recognition that it is a typical Archaean lithology. TTGs were already recognised as generated by melting of mafic rocks. This was corroborated during the next decade, when detailed geochemical TTG studies allowed us to constrain their petrogenesis (melting of garnet-bearing metamafic rocks), and to conclude that they must have been generated by Archaean geodynamic processes distinct from their modern counterparts. However, the geodynamic debate raged for the following 30 years, as many distinct tectonic scenarios can be imagined, all resulting in the melting of mafic rocks in the garnet stability field. The 1990s were dominated by experimental petrology work. A wealth of independent studies demonstrated that melting of amphibolites as well as of mafic eclogites can give rise to TTG liquids; whether amphibolitic or eclogitic conditions are more likely is still an ongoing debate. From 1990s onwards, one of the key questions became the comparison with modern adakites. As originally defined these arc lavas are reasonably close equivalents to Archaean TTGs. Pending issues largely revolve around definitions, as the name TTG has now been applied to most Archaean plutonic rocks, whether sodic or potassic, irrespective of their HREE contents. This leads to a large range of petrogenetic and tectonic scenarios; a fair number of which may well have operated concurrently, but are

The peripatetic cultural psychiatrist: reflections on a forty-five year longitudinal study of a South India village.

PubMed

Ullrich, Helen E

2011-04-01

This article presents one woman's odyssey, which began with a career in linguistics and later incorporated cultural psychiatry. While engaged in fieldwork as a linguist, studying the syntactic structure of Havyaka Kannada and dialectal accommodation among the castes in a South India village, I developed language skills and rapport with the village residents. Then I transferred my community-wide rapport to research on depression as a cultural psychiatrist. The articles I wrote on depression and its relationship to socialized passivity and endorsed assertiveness in progressive generations of South Indian women, illustrate the impact of change on mental health. The cultural background from my community-based longitudinal study of more than forty-five years has contributed to my understanding disorders in Indian patients living in a globalized world.

Neurostimulation for bladder evacuation: is sacral root stimulation a substitute for microstimulation?

PubMed

Probst, M; Piechota, H J; Hohenfellner, M; Gleason, C A; Tanagho, E A

1997-04-01

To determine by anatomical and functional studies whether stimulation of sacral rootlets might permit selective stimulation of autonomic fibres, thus avoiding the detrusor/sphincter dyssynergia characteristic of current techniques of neurostimulation for bladder evacuation. In 10 male mongrel dogs, the S2 root was isolated and its constituent rootlets followed from their origin in the spinal cord to the point of exit from the dura. The entire root and the individual rootlets were then stimulated, including intra- and extra-dural stimulation and at proximal, mid and distal levels. Neuroanatomical and histological findings showed that rootlets of ventral S2 maintain their identity throughout their intradural course; some carry predominantly autonomic fibres, some predominantly somatic and some a mixture of the two. It appears surgically feasible to identify, isolate and sever the predominantly somatic rootlets intradurally, sparing the predominantly autonomic rootlets for inclusion in extradural electrode placement around the entire sacral root, thus eliminating sphincteric interference with detrusor contraction for voiding at low pressure.

Forty Years Tomorrow: A Teacher Looks Back.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stern, Adele

1980-01-01

Reviews experiences during the author's 40 years as a teacher. Indicates changes that have occurred over the years but notes one constant: special teachers who are proud of what they do know how important they are and accept their mission with stamina and enthusiasm. (TJ)

Forty-Five Years of Civil Litigation Against Canadian Psychiatrists: An Empirical Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Luther, Glen; Gutheil, Thomas G.

2016-01-01

Objectives: To extract the themes pertaining to prudent psychiatric practice from written court judgments in Canada. Methods: We searched the medical and legal literature for cases involving civil litigation against Canadian psychiatrist and reviewed all available written judgments. We completed a thematic analysis of the civil actions against psychiatrists as conveyed by those written court judgments. We classified the cases according to the disposal status and the essential lessons from the decisions on standard of care and practice by Canadian psychiatrists. Results: Forty such cases were identified as involving psychiatrists over a 45-year period. A subgroup included those dealing with limitation periods and disclosure applications. Thirty of the 40 cases (75%) were decided in favour of the defendant psychiatrists, including 2 dismissed for running over the limitation period. The cases that actually went to trial suggest that documentation and obtaining second opinions are protective against claims of negligence. Inpatient cases resulting in successful litigation against psychiatrists involved fatal outcomes, but not all fatal outcomes led to successful litigation. Conclusions: The key lessons from these cases are the importance and relevance of regular best clinical practices, such as documentation, obtaining second opinions, following guidelines, and balancing competencies in the expert and manager or advocate roles. Incorporating these practices should allay concerns about litigation against psychiatrists. PMID:27253702

Forty-Five Years of Civil Litigation Against Canadian Psychiatrists: An Empirical Pilot Study.

PubMed

Mela, Mansfield; Luther, Glen; Gutheil, Thomas G

2016-02-01

To extract the themes pertaining to prudent psychiatric practice from written court judgments in Canada. We searched the medical and legal literature for cases involving civil litigation against Canadian psychiatrist and reviewed all available written judgments. We completed a thematic analysis of the civil actions against psychiatrists as conveyed by those written court judgments. We classified the cases according to the disposal status and the essential lessons from the decisions on standard of care and practice by Canadian psychiatrists. Forty such cases were identified as involving psychiatrists over a 45-year period. A subgroup included those dealing with limitation periods and disclosure applications. Thirty of the 40 cases (75%) were decided in favour of the defendant psychiatrists, including 2 dismissed for running over the limitation period. The cases that actually went to trial suggest that documentation and obtaining second opinions are protective against claims of negligence. Inpatient cases resulting in successful litigation against psychiatrists involved fatal outcomes, but not all fatal outcomes led to successful litigation. The key lessons from these cases are the importance and relevance of regular best clinical practices, such as documentation, obtaining second opinions, following guidelines, and balancing competencies in the expert and manager or advocate roles. Incorporating these practices should allay concerns about litigation against psychiatrists. © The Author(s) 2015.

Neurostimulation to improve level of consciousness in patients with epilepsy.

PubMed

Gummadavelli, Abhijeet; Kundishora, Adam J; Willie, Jon T; Andrews, John P; Gerrard, Jason L; Spencer, Dennis D; Blumenfeld, Hal

2015-06-01

When drug-resistant epilepsy is poorly localized or surgical resection is contraindicated, current neurostimulation strategies such as deep brain stimulation and vagal nerve stimulation can palliate the frequency or severity of seizures. However, despite medical and neuromodulatory therapy, a significant proportion of patients continue to experience disabling seizures that impair awareness, causing disability and risking injury or sudden unexplained death. We propose a novel strategy in which neuromodulation is used not only to reduce seizures but also to ameliorate impaired consciousness when the patient is in the ictal and postictal states. Improving or preventing alterations in level of consciousness may have an effect on morbidity (e.g., accidents, drownings, falls), risk for death, and quality of life. Recent studies may have elucidated underlying networks and mechanisms of impaired consciousness and yield potential novel targets for neuromodulation. The feasibility, benefits, and pitfalls of potential deep brain stimulation targets are illustrated in human and animal studies involving minimally conscious/vegetative states, movement disorders, depth of anesthesia, sleep-wake regulation, and epilepsy. We review evidence that viable therapeutic targets for impaired consciousness associated with seizures may be provided by key nodes of the consciousness system in the brainstem reticular activating system, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, thalamus, and basal forebrain.

David Blackwell’s Forty Years in the Idaho Desert, The Foundation for 21st Century Geothermal Research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McLing, Travis; McCurry, Mike; Cannon, Cody

Dr. David Blackwell has had a profound influence on geo-thermal exploration and R&D in Idaho. Forty years have elapsed since the first Southern Methodist University (SMU) temperature logging truck rolled onto the high desert in Southern Idaho, yet even after so much time has elapsed, most recent and ongoing geothermal R&D can trace its roots to the foundational temperature studies led by Dr. Blackwell. We believe that the best way to honor any scientist is to see their work carried forward by others. As this paper demonstrates, it has been an easy task to find a host of Idaho researchersmore » and students eager to contribute to this tribute paper. We organize this paper by ongoing or recent projects that continue to benefit left to Idaho by Dr. David Blackwell.« less

Thinking Small – Progress on Microscale Neurostimulation Technology

PubMed Central

Pancrazio, Joseph J.; Deku, Felix; Ghazavi, Atefeh; Stiller, Allison M.; Rihani, Rashed; Frewin, Christopher L.; Varner, Victor D.; Gardner, Timothy J.; Cogan, Stuart F.

2017-01-01

Objectives Neural stimulation is well-accepted as an effective therapy for a wide range of neurological disorders. While the scale of clinical devices is relatively large, translational and pilot clinical applications are underway for microelectrode-based systems. Microelectrodes have the advantage of stimulating a relatively small tissue volume which may improve selectivity of therapeutic stimuli. Current microelectrode technology is associated with chronic tissue response which limits utility of these devices for neural recording and stimulation. One approach for addressing the tissue response problem may be to reduce physical dimensions of the device. “Thinking small” is a trend for the electronics industry, and for implantable neural interfaces, the result may be a device that can evade the foreign body response. Materials and Methods This review paper surveys our current understanding pertaining to the relationship between implant size and tissue response and the state-of-the-art in ultra-small microelectrodes. A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed, Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics), and Google Scholar. Results The literature review shows recent efforts to create microelectrodes that are extremely thin appear to reduce or even eliminate the chronic tissue response. With high charge capacity coatings, ultra-microelectrodes fabricated from emerging polymers and amorphous silicon carbide appear promising for neurostimulation applications. Conclusion We envision the emergence of robust and manufacturable ultra-microelectrodes that leverage advanced materials where the small cross-sectional geometry enables compliance within tissue. Nevertheless, future testing under in vivo conditions is particularly important for assessing the stability of thin film devices under chronic stimulation. PMID:29076214

Fabrication and Calibration of FORTIS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fleming, Brian T.; McCandliss, Stephan R.; Kaiser, Mary Elizabeth; Kruk, Jeffery; Feldman, Paul D.; Kutyrev, Alexander S.; Li, Mary J.; Rapchun, David A.; Lyness, Eric; Moseley, S. H.;

Fabrication and calibration of FORTIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleming, Brian T.; McCandliss, Stephan R.; Kaiser, Mary Elizabeth; Kruk, Jeffery; Feldman, Paul D.; Kutyrev, Alexander S.; Li, Mary J.; Rapchun, David A.; Lyness, Eric; Moseley, S. H.; Siegmund, Oswald; Vallerga, John; Martin, Adrian

2011-09-01

The Johns Hopkins University sounding rocket group is entering the final fabrication phase of the Far-ultraviolet Off Rowland-circle Telescope for Imaging and Spectroscopy (FORTIS); a sounding rocket borne multi-object spectro-telescope designed to provide spectral coverage of 43 separate targets in the 900 - 1800 Angstrom bandpass over a 30' x 30' field-of- view. Using "on-the-fly" target acquisition and spectral multiplexing enabled by a GSFC microshutter array, FORTIS will be capable of observing the brightest regions in the far-UV of nearby low redshift (z ~ 0.002 - 0.02) star forming galaxies to search for Lyman alpha escape, and to measure the local gas-to-dust ratio. A large area (~ 45 mm x 170 mm) microchannel plate detector built by Sensor Sciences provides an imaging channel for targeting flanked by two redundant spectral outrigger channels. The grating is ruled directly onto the secondary mirror to increase efficiency. In this paper, we discuss the recent progress made in the development and fabrication of FORTIS, as well as the results of early calibration and characterization of our hardware, including mirror/grating measurements, detector performance, and early operational tests of the microshutter arrays.

Frontal Non-Invasive Neurostimulation Modulates Antisaccade Preparation in Non-Human Primates

PubMed Central

Valero-Cabre, Antoni; Wattiez, Nicolas; Monfort, Morgane; François, Chantal; Rivaud-Péchoux, Sophie; Gaymard, Bertrand; Pouget, Pierre

2012-01-01

A combination of oculometric measurements, invasive electrophysiological recordings and microstimulation have proven instrumental to study the role of the Frontal Eye Field (FEF) in saccadic activity. We hereby gauged the ability of a non-invasive neurostimulation technology, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), to causally interfere with frontal activity in two macaque rhesus monkeys trained to perform a saccadic antisaccade task. We show that online single pulse TMS significantly modulated antisaccade latencies. Such effects proved dependent on TMS site (effects on FEF but not on an actively stimulated control site), TMS modality (present under active but not sham TMS on the FEF area), TMS intensity (intensities of at least 40% of the TMS machine maximal output required), TMS timing (more robust for pulses delivered at 150 ms than at 100 post target onset) and visual hemifield (relative latency decreases mainly for ipsilateral AS). Our results demonstrate the feasibility of using TMS to causally modulate antisaccade-associated computations in the non-human primate brain and support the use of this approach in monkeys to study brain function and its non-invasive neuromodulation for exploratory and therapeutic purposes. PMID:22701691

Calibration and flight qualification of FORTIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleming, Brian T.; McCandliss, Stephan R.; Redwine, Keith; Kaiser, Mary Elizabeth; Kruk, Jeffery; Feldman, Paul D.; Kutyrev, Alexander S.; Li, Mary J.; Moseley, S. H.; Siegmund, Oswald; Vallerga, John; Martin, Adrian

2013-09-01

The Johns Hopkins University sounding rocket group has completed the assembly and calibration of the Far-ultraviolet Off Rowland-circle Telescope for Imaging and Spectroscopy (FORTIS); a sounding rocket borne multi-object spectro-telescope designed to provide spectral coverage of up to 43 separate targets in the 900 - 1800 Angstrom bandpass over a 30' x 30' field-of-view. FORTIS is capable of selecting the far-UV brightest regions of the target area by utilizing an autonomous targeting system. Medium resolution (R ~ 400) spectra are recorded in redundant dual-order spectroscopic channels with ~40 cm2 of effective area at 1216 Å. The maiden launch of FORTIS occurred on May 10, 2013 out of the White Sands Missile Range, targeting the extended spiral galaxy M61 and nearby companion NGC 4301. We report on the final flight calibrations of the instrument, as well as the flight results.

Forty Years with Emerging Viruses.

PubMed

Peters, C J

2014-11-01

I was raised in a middle-class family in West Texas and was lucky in my preparation through high school faculty, short government programs arising from the politics of Sputnik, inspiring high school mentors, and university training at a first-rate institution. My educational background led me to apply to medical school. With some financial aid, I managed to graduate and then obtain a first-class internal medicine residency at Parkland Hospital, where I acquired skills in discerning evaluation and treatment of patients with complicated diseases. In spite of a liking for and ability in clinical medicine, I entered the Public Health Service and worked for 5 years at the National Institutes of Health laboratory in Panama; there, I began to see the fascination of ecological impacts on virus transmission in nature and its spillover into human populations. I shifted my interests to these themes and their interaction with viral pathogenesis. At each stage of my career, I picked an institution to work where there were strong leaders and other inspiring scientists. I think the young scientist should choose the best available institution and one that offers a career direction that leads to a life where he or she awakens and cannot wait to arrive at his or her job-regardless of the details of each choice, the outcome will be a satisfied person who will contribute greatly to his or her chosen field.

Forty-five year follow-up after uninephrectomy.

PubMed

Narkun-Burgess, D M; Nolan, C R; Norman, J E; Page, W F; Miller, P L; Meyer, T W

1993-05-01

This study examined the consequences of nephrectomy in United States Army personnel who lost a kidney due to trauma during World War II (WWII). Records of 62 servicemen who underwent nephrectomy at an average age of 25 years were obtained. Mortality was compared with that of WWII servicemen of the same age. Medical records of 28 deceased subjects were reviewed for evidence of kidney disease. Medical histories were obtained and blood pressure and kidney function were assessed in 28 living subjects. Two subjects could not be located, and four subjects declined to participate. Mortality at 45 years was not increased in nephrectomized subjects. Kidney disease present in six of 28 deceased subjects was attributable to causes other than prior nephrectomy. Glomerular sclerosis was not increased in 10 subjects who had autopsy examinations. The prevalence of hypertension was not increased in living subjects. Five of 28 living subjects had abnormal renal function manifested by proteinuria greater than 250 mg/day in four cases (range: 377 to 535 mg/day) and serum creatinine levels greater than 1.5 mg/dl in three cases (range: 1.7 to 1.9 mg/dl). Conditions other than nephrectomy could have contributed to impairment of renal function in each of these subjects. These findings suggest that uninephrectomy in young adults has few major adverse consequences over 45 years.

Four Day, Forty Hour Week

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackin, Jeanne A.; Cutler, Mary

1978-01-01

Managers of the Ithaca College Bookstore have been able to improve service, profit and employee morale by experimenting with a four day, forty hour week. Initial problems in employee adjustment were offset by favorable student response. (JMD)

Autonomic Evaluation of Patients With Gastroparesis and Neurostimulation: Comparisons of Direct/Systemic and Indirect/Cardiac Measures

PubMed Central

Stocker, Abigail; Abell, Thomas L.; Rashed, Hani; Kedar, Archana; Boatright, Ben; Chen, Jiande

2016-01-01

Background Disorders of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and related problems often are manifestations of gastrointestinal, neuromuscular, and/or autonomic dysfunction. Many of these patients respond to neurostimulation, either gastric electrical stimulation or electroacupuncture. Both of these therapeutic techniques appear to influence the autonomic nervous system which can be evaluated directly by traditional testing and indirectly by heart rate variability. Methods We studied patients undergoing gastric neuromodulation by both systemic autonomic testing (39 patients, six males and 33 females, mean age 38 years) and systemic autonomic testing and heart rate variability (35 patients, seven males and 28 females, mean age 37 years) testing before and after gastric neuromodulation. We also performed a pilot study using both systemic autonomic testing and heart rate variability in a small number of patients (five patients, all females, mean age 48.6 years) with diabetic gastroparesis at baseline to compare the two techniques at baseline. Systemic autonomic testing and heart rate variability were performed with standardized techniques and gastric electrical stimulation was performed as previously described with electrodes implanted serosally in the myenteric plexus. Results Both systemic autonomic testing and heart rate variability measures were often abnormal at baseline and showed changes after gastric neuromodulation therapy in two groups of symptomatic patients. Pilot data on a small group of similar patients with systemic automatic nervous measures and heart rate variability showed good concordance between the two techniques. Conclusions Both traditional direct autonomic measures and indirect measures such as heart rate variability were evaluated, including a pilot study of both methods in the same patient group. Both appear to be useful in evaluation of patients at baseline and after stimulation therapies; however, a future full head-to-head comparison is

Reconstructing Forty Years of Landsat Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, D. J.; Dwyer, J. L.; Steinwand, D.

2013-12-01

In July 1972, NASA launched the Earth Resource Technology Satellite (ERTS), the first of what was to be the series of Earth-observing satellites we now know as the Landsat system. This system, originally conceived in the 1960's within the US Department of the Interior and US Geological Survey (USGS), has continued with little interruption for over 40 years, creating the longest record of satellite-based global land observations. The current USGS archive of Landsat images exceeds 4 million scenes, and the recently launched Landsat 8 platform will extend that archive to nearly 50 years of observations. Clearly, these observations are critical to the study of Earth system processes, and the interaction between these processes and human activities. However, the seven successful Landsat missions represent more of an ad hoc program than a long-term record of consistent observations, due largely to changing Federal policies and challenges finding an operational home for the program. Technologically, these systems evolved from the original Multispectral Scanning System (MSS) through the Thematic Mapper and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) systems, to the current Observational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) systems. Landsat data were collected globally by a network of international cooperators having diverse data management policies. Much of the oldest data were stored on archaic media that could not be retrieved using modern media readers. Collecting these data from various sensors and sources, and reconstructing them into coherent Earth observation records, posed numerous challenges. We present here a brief overview of work done to overcome these challenges and create a consistent, long-term Landsat observation record. Much of the current archive was 'repatriated' from international cooperators and often required the reconstruction of (sometimes absent) metadata for geo-location and radiometric calibration. The older MSS data, some of which had

Toward a comprehensive hybrid physical-virtual reality simulator of peripheral anesthesia with ultrasound and neurostimulator guidance.

PubMed

Samosky, Joseph T; Allen, Pete; Boronyak, Steve; Branstetter, Barton; Hein, Steven; Juhas, Mark; Nelson, Douglas A; Orebaugh, Steven; Pinto, Rohan; Smelko, Adam; Thompson, Mitch; Weaver, Robert A

2011-01-01

We are developing a simulator of peripheral nerve block utilizing a mixed-reality approach: the combination of a physical model, an MRI-derived virtual model, mechatronics and spatial tracking. Our design uses tangible (physical) interfaces to simulate surface anatomy, haptic feedback during needle insertion, mechatronic display of muscle twitch corresponding to the specific nerve stimulated, and visual and haptic feedback for the injection syringe. The twitch response is calculated incorporating the sensed output of a real neurostimulator. The virtual model is isomorphic with the physical model and is derived from segmented MRI data. This model provides the subsurface anatomy and, combined with electromagnetic tracking of a sham ultrasound probe and a standard nerve block needle, supports simulated ultrasound display and measurement of needle location and proximity to nerves and vessels. The needle tracking and virtual model also support objective performance metrics of needle targeting technique.

Reconsidering Sputnik: Forty Years Since the Soviet Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Launius, Roger D. (Editor)

1997-01-01

This collection of essays explore several broad themes: the Soviet Union and Sputnik, space and the international Geophysical Year, the immediate ramifications of Sputnik in the United States, and the significance of Sputnik throughout the world.

Selected topics from forty years of natural products research: betalains to flavonoids, antiviral proteins, and neurotoxic nonprotein amino acids.

PubMed

Mabry, T J

2001-12-01

The elucidation by NMR and chemical methods of the unique structure of betanidin, the aglycon of the red-violet beet pigment betanin, forty years ago at the University of Zürich, Switzerland, was the beginning of my plant chemistry research program. Many of the same chemical and spectral techniques developed in Zürich have been used at The University of Texas at Austin for the structure analysis of members of many other classes of natural products including especially flavonoids, terpenoids, and alkaloids. Investigations at UT-Austin have concerned many topics such as biochemical and molecular systematics, biosynthetic pathways, structure-activity relationships, and the medicinal importance of natural products and included studies of antiviral proteins in the genus Phytolacca and neurotoxic nonprotein amino acids from cycads and other sources. Following the betalain story and an account of the early development of my UT-Austin biochemical systematic program, the Phytolacca and neurotoxin investigations are discussed herein.

Natural Marine and Synthetic Xenobiotics Get on Nematode's Nerves: Neuro-Stimulating and Neurotoxic Findings in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Lieke, Thora; Steinberg, Christian E W; Ju, Jingjuan; Saul, Nadine

2015-05-06

Marine algae release a plethora of organic halogenated compounds, many of them with unknown ecological impact if environmentally realistic concentrations are applied. One major compound is dibromoacetic acid (DBAA) which was tested for neurotoxicity in the invertebrate model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). This natural compound was compared with the widespread synthetic xenobiotic tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBP-A) found in marine sediments and mussels. We found a neuro-stimulating effect for DBAA; this is contradictory to existing toxicological reports of mammals that applied comparatively high dosages. For TBBP-A, we found a hormetic concentration-effect relationship. As chemicals rarely occur isolated in the environment, a combination of both organobromines was also examined. Surprisingly, the presence of DBAA increased the toxicity of TBBP-A. Our results demonstrated that organohalogens have the potential to affect single organisms especially by altering the neurological processes, even with promoting effects on exposed organisms.

Diablo Valley College: The First Forty Years, 1949-1989.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahan, Don; And Others

An overview is provided of the 40-year history of Diablo Valley College (DVC), examining the educational ideals of the founders of the college and the changes in the goals of community college education in Central Contra Costa County, California. Part 1 sets the historical scene for the establishment of public two-year colleges nationally, in…

Prominent ears and their correction: a forty-year experience.

PubMed

Georgiade, G S; Riefkohl, R; Georgiade, N G

1995-01-01

The technique described in this article correcting the protruding ear deformity has evolved over 40 years. The original procedures and our subsequent modifications are described, including 20-year followup results. The possible pitfalls in carrying out this procedure and how to avoid them are also described. A relatively standardized short procedure with minimal morbidity and maximum long-term results yields an aesthetically satisfactory looking ear.

SEMPRE: Forty Years on

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Gordon; Crickmore, Leon; Plummeridge, Charles; Sergeant, Desmond

2012-01-01

This historical account traces the beginnings of the Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research (SEMPRE) to the founding of the Society for Research in Psychology of Music and Music Education (SRPMME) in 1972, which in turn had evolved from Arnold Bentley's Research in Music Education conferences instituted in 1966. The paper charts the…

Forty Years and Counting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarris, Greg

2011-01-01

In this article, the author aims to answer three questions that Ken Lincoln asked in the introduction to his book. Where have Indians come? What have they learned? And what lies ahead? The author argues that many Indian tribes have power now with their business opportunities. Things are changing in many ways for them. They can say what they want…

Natural Marine and Synthetic Xenobiotics Get on Nematode’s Nerves: Neuro-Stimulating and Neurotoxic Findings in Caenorhabditis elegans

PubMed Central

Lieke, Thora; Steinberg, Christian E. W.; Ju, Jingjuan; Saul, Nadine

2015-01-01

Marine algae release a plethora of organic halogenated compounds, many of them with unknown ecological impact if environmentally realistic concentrations are applied. One major compound is dibromoacetic acid (DBAA) which was tested for neurotoxicity in the invertebrate model organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). This natural compound was compared with the widespread synthetic xenobiotic tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBP-A) found in marine sediments and mussels. We found a neuro-stimulating effect for DBAA; this is contradictory to existing toxicological reports of mammals that applied comparatively high dosages. For TBBP-A, we found a hormetic concentration-effect relationship. As chemicals rarely occur isolated in the environment, a combination of both organobromines was also examined. Surprisingly, the presence of DBAA increased the toxicity of TBBP-A. Our results demonstrated that organohalogens have the potential to affect single organisms especially by altering the neurological processes, even with promoting effects on exposed organisms. PMID:25955755

Forty years of Clar's aromatic π-sextet rule

PubMed Central

Solà, Miquel

2013-01-01

In 1972 Erich Clar formulated his aromatic π-sextet rule that allows discussing qualitatively the aromatic character of benzenoid species. Now, 40 years later, Clar's aromatic π-sextet rule is still a source of inspiration for many chemists. This simple rule has been validated both experimentally and theoretically. In this review, we select some particular examples to highlight the achievement of Clar's aromatic π-sextet rule in many situations and we discuss two recent successful cases of its application. PMID:24790950

Discovery of a novel dominant mutation in the REN gene after forty years of renal disease: a case report.

PubMed

Clissold, Rhian L; Clarke, Helen C; Spasic-Boskovic, Olivera; Brugger, Kim; Abbs, Stephen; Bingham, Coralie; Shaw-Smith, Charles

2017-07-12

Heterozygous mutations in the gene encoding renin (REN) cause autosomal dominant tubulointerstitial kidney disease (ADTKD), early-onset anaemia and hyperuricaemia; only four different mutations have been described in the published literature to date. We report a novel dominant REN mutation discovered in an individual after forty years of renal disease. A 57 year old Caucasian woman with chronic kidney disease stage five was reviewed in a regional joint renal genetics clinic. She had initially been diagnosed with chronic pyelonephritis in adolescence, around the same time that she was investigated for anaemia out of keeping with her degree of renal impairment. Hyperuricaemia was identified in her twenties following an episode of gout. A diagnosis of ADTKD was not made until the age of 37 years, when her mother was also found to have kidney disease and commenced haemodialysis. The patient's renal function continued to slowly deteriorate and, twenty years later, her sister was worked up as a potential donor for kidney transplantation. Revisiting the maternal family history during the transplant work up prompted a referral to clinical genetics and urgent REN genetic testing was requested for the patient, leading to discovery of a heterozygous mutation in the REN gene: c.49 T > C, p.(Trp17Arg). This variant was not identified in her otherwise healthy sister, allowing pre-emptive live renal transplantation to take place shortly afterwards. In an era where genetic testing is becoming much more readily available, this case highlights the importance of considering a genetic aetiology in all patients with long-standing renal disease and a relevant family history. Establishing a genetic diagnosis of ADTKD-REN in this individual with chronic anaemia, hyperuricaemia and slowly progressive renal impairment helped to identify a suitable live kidney donor and allowed successful pre-emptive transplantation to take place.

Forty Projects by Groups of Kids.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Commission on Resources for Youth, Inc., New York, NY.

Ways in which young people have delivered needed services to their communities and have improved on previously established systems for delivering these services are described. The forty projects suggest some of the ways to provide teenagers with learning experiences that meet their own particular needs and, at the same time, offer a genuine and…

Forty years of temporal analysis of products

DOE PAGES

Morgan, K.; Maguire, N.; Fushimi, R.; ...

2017-05-16

Detailed understanding of mechanisms and reaction kinetics are required in order to develop and optimize catalysts and catalytic processes. While steady state investigations are known to give a global view of the catalytic system, transient studies are invaluable since they can provide more detailed insight into elementary steps. For almost thirty years temporal analysis of products (TAP) has been successfully utilized for transient studies of gas phase heterogeneous catalysis, and there have been a number of advances in instrumentation and numerical modeling methods in that time. In the current work, the range of available TAP apparatus will be discussed whilemore » detailed explanations of the types of TAP experiment, the information that can be determined from these experiments and the analysis methods are also included. TAP is a complex methodology and is often viewed as a niche specialty. Here, part of the intention of this work is to highlight the significant contributions TAP can make to catalytic research, while also discussing the issues which will make TAP more relevant and approachable to a wider segment of the catalytic research community. With this in mind, an outlook is also disclosed for the technique in terms of what is needed to revitalize the field and make it more applicable to the recent advances in catalyst characterization (e.g. operando modes).« less

Forty years of temporal analysis of products

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morgan, K.; Maguire, N.; Fushimi, R.

Detailed understanding of mechanisms and reaction kinetics are required in order to develop and optimize catalysts and catalytic processes. While steady state investigations are known to give a global view of the catalytic system, transient studies are invaluable since they can provide more detailed insight into elementary steps. For almost thirty years temporal analysis of products (TAP) has been successfully utilized for transient studies of gas phase heterogeneous catalysis, and there have been a number of advances in instrumentation and numerical modeling methods in that time. In the current work, the range of available TAP apparatus will be discussed whilemore » detailed explanations of the types of TAP experiment, the information that can be determined from these experiments and the analysis methods are also included. TAP is a complex methodology and is often viewed as a niche specialty. Here, part of the intention of this work is to highlight the significant contributions TAP can make to catalytic research, while also discussing the issues which will make TAP more relevant and approachable to a wider segment of the catalytic research community. With this in mind, an outlook is also disclosed for the technique in terms of what is needed to revitalize the field and make it more applicable to the recent advances in catalyst characterization (e.g. operando modes).« less

Forty years of furosine - forty years of using Maillard reaction products as indicators of the nutritional quality of foods.

PubMed

Erbersdobler, Helmut F; Somoza, Veronika

2007-04-01

The Maillard reaction products (MRPs) most widely used as markers of the nutritional quality of foods are furosine, N(epsilon)-carboxymethyllysine (CML), hydroxymethylfurfural, pyrraline, pentosidine and pronyl-lysine. One of the MRPs identified first was furosine, which was quantified in foods 40 years ago as a chemical indicator of the Amadori compound N(epsilon)-fructoselysine. Since then, furosine has gained broad attention by food chemists and biomedical researchers, as its formation upon heat treatment is well characterised. Moreover, it represents the Amadori products from early Maillard reactions in which amino acids react with reducing carbohydrates, resulting in a loss of their availability. This is of importance for the essential amino acid lysine, which is also the limiting amino acid in many proteins. In order to evaluate the nutritional quality of a protein, the concomitant analysis of free - and nutritionally available - lysine and the amount of lysine reacted to form the respective MRP is essential, even for mildly processed foods. The other chemical markers of heat treatment such as CML, pyrraline, pentosidine or pronyl-lysine seem to be useful markers of the advanced stages of Maillard reactions. Compared to the conditions in which furosine is formed, these compounds are generated under more severe conditions of heat treatment. However, the concentrations analysed are significantly lower than those of furosine. Therefore, the nutritional evaluation of a food protein should include not only furosine, but also other chemical markers of heat treatment such as, for example, CML, pyrraline and pentosidine.

A Forty Year Odyssey in Metallo-Organic Chemistry.

PubMed

Nicholas, Kenneth M

2015-07-17

In this invited Perspective, I provide a personal account highlighting several of my group's research contributions in metallo-organic chemistry over the past 40 years. Our early work focused primarily in stoichiometric structure/reactivity of transition metal-organic compounds and their use in organic synthesis. More recent efforts have centered on the discovery and development of new metal-catalyzed organic reactions via reactive metal-organic intermediates. The major research findings that are described here include (1) propargyl-cobalt complexes as electrophilic agents for C-C and C-Nu coupling; (2) the activation of carbon dioxide by metal complexes; (3) metal-promoted C-H nitrogenation reactions; (4) oxo-metal catalyzed deoxygenation reactions; and (5) catalyst discovery via dynamic templating with substrate- and transition-state analogues.

[Infertility over forty: Pros and cons of IVF].

PubMed

Belaisch-Allart, J; Maget, V; Mayenga, J-M; Grefenstette, I; Chouraqui, A; Belaid, Y; Kulski, O

2015-09-01

The population attempting pregnancy and having babies is ageing. The declining fertility potential and the late age of motherhood are increasing significantly the number of patients over forty consulting infertility specialists. Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) cannot compensate the natural decline in fertility with age. In France, in public hospital, ART is free of charge for women until 43 years, over 43, social insurance does not reimburse ART. Hence, 43 years is the usual limit, but between 40 and 42 is ART useful? The answer varies according to physicians, couples or society. On medical level, the etiology of the infertility must be taken into account. If there is an explanation to infertility (male or tubal infertility) ART is better than abstention. If the infertility is only due to age the question is raised. In France, the reimbursement by the society of a technique with very low results is discussed. However efficacy is not absolutely compulsory in Medicine. On the opposite to give false hopes may be discussed too. To obtain a reasonable consensus is rather difficult. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Maxillary distraction osteogenesis at Le Fort-I level induces bone apposition at infraorbital rim.

PubMed

Rattan, Vidya; Jena, Ashok Kumar; Singh, Satinder Pal; Utreja, Ashok Kumar

2014-09-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate whether there is any remodeling of bone at infraorbital rim following maxillary distraction osteogenesis (DO) at Le Fort-I level. Twelve adult subjects in the age range of 17-21 years with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate underwent advancement of the maxilla by DO. The effect of maxillary DO on the infraorbital rim remodeling was evaluated from lateral cephalograms recorded prior to the DO (T0), at the end of DO (T1), and at least 2-years after the DO (T2) by Walker's analysis. The ANOVA and two-tailed t test were used and probability value (P value) 0.05 was considered as statistically significant level. There was anterior movement of maxilla by 9.22 ± 3.27 mm and 7.67 ± 3.99 mm at the end of immediate (T1) and long-term (T2) follow-up of maxillary DO, respectively. The Walker's analysis showed 1.49 ± 1.22 mm and 2.31 ± 1.81 mm anterior movement of the infraorbital margin (Orbitale point) at the end of T1 and T2, respectively (P < 0.01). This apposition of bone at the infraorbital rim region further improved the facial profile of these patients. The advancement of maxilla by distraction osteogenesis at Le Fort-I level induced significant bone apposition at infraorbital rim. Patients with mild midface hypoplasia who would otherwise may be candidates for osteotomy at Le Fort-II or Le Fort-III level may benefit from maxillary distraction at Le Fort-I level.

Forty Years at ESO - Bernard Delabre and Optical Designs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Zeeuw, T.; Lévêque, S.; Pasquini, L.; Péron, M.; Spyromilio, J.

2017-09-01

The optical designer Bernard Delabre has retired from ESO after 40 years at the forefront of telescope and instrument optics. A short overview of his achievements and his legacy of astronomical telescopes and instrumenta-tion is presented. Bernard Delabre was awarded the 2017 Tycho Brahe Prize by the European Astronomical Society.

Brain Science and Teaching: A Forty-Year Personal History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirby, Linda Faye

2016-01-01

This paper is the sharing of a record, the personal history of an educator pursuing an interest in knowledge of the brain. Over the years, this fascination sparked the idea to create a course for teachers based on brain science, with a twist. Certain course assignments would require teachers to interpret knowledge of the brain in the context of…

Reflections on Finally Becoming a Professor after Forty Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, J. Foster

2016-01-01

I wrote this reflective piece in 1999 as I was assuming my first full-time position as a professor with limited administrative responsibilities at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). After 30-plus years in administrative roles in higher education that provided the opportunity to teach on a part-time basis only, I quickly became aware of…

Cost profiles and budget impact of rechargeable versus non-rechargeable sacral neuromodulation devices in the treatment of overactive bladder syndrome.

PubMed

Noblett, Karen L; Dmochowski, Roger R; Vasavada, Sandip P; Garner, Abigail M; Liu, Shan; Pietzsch, Jan B

2017-03-01

Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is a guideline-recommended third-line treatment option for managing overactive bladder. Current SNM devices are not rechargeable, and require neurostimulator replacement every 3-6 years. Our study objective was to assess potential cost effects to payers of adopting a rechargeable SNM neurostimulator device. We constructed a cost-consequence model to estimate the costs of long-term SNM-treatment with a rechargeable versus non-rechargeable device. Costs were considered from the payer perspective at 2015 reimbursement levels. Adverse events, therapy discontinuation, and programming rates were based on the latest published data. Neurostimulator longevity was assumed to be 4.4 and 10.0 years for non-rechargeable and rechargeable devices, respectively. A 15-year horizon was modeled, with costs discounted at 3% per year. Total budget impact to the United States healthcare system was estimated based on the computed per-patient cost findings. Over the 15-year horizon, per-patient cost of treatment with a non-rechargeable device was $64,111 versus $36,990 with a rechargeable device, resulting in estimated payer cost savings of $27,121. These cost savings were found to be robust across a wide range of scenarios. Longer analysis horizon, younger patient age, and longer rechargeable neurostimulator lifetime were associated with increased cost savings. Over a 15-year horizon, adoption of a rechargeable device strategy was projected to save the United States healthcare system up to $12 billion. At current reimbursement rates, our analysis suggests that rechargeable neurostimulator SNM technology for managing overactive bladder syndrome may deliver significant cost savings to payers over the course of treatment. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:727-733, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Forty Years on: Touchstones Now

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benton, Michael; Benton, Peter

2008-01-01

The "Touchstones" series of poetry anthologies was first published in the UK between 1968 and 1972 in five volumes. Over a million copies and three revisions later, "Touchstones Now 11-14" appeared in the summer of 2008. Few, if any, books for the classroom can claim such longevity. In this article, the compilers of the…

Effects of Microtus fortis lymphocytes on Schistosoma japonicum in a bone marrow transplantation model.

PubMed

Hu, Yuan; Xu, Yuxin; Lu, Weiyuan; Quan, Hong; Shen, Yujuan; Yuan, Zhongying; Zhang, Jing; Zang, Wei; He, Yongkang; Cao, Jianping

2014-07-01

Microtus fortis is a non-permissive host for Schistosoma japonicum. While M. fortis lymphocytes are known to provide natural resistance against S. japonicum, the specific mechanism remains unclear. A bone marrow transplantation (BMT) model was established using immunodeficient mice, either nude (experiment 1) or V(D)J recombination activation gene deficient mice (RAG-1(-/-)) (experiment 2) as recipients and M. fortis or C57BL/6 mice as donors. The growth and development of S. japonicum were evaluated in each group to assess the role of M. fortis lymphocytes in the response to infection. Lymphocyte ratios and S. japonicum-specific antibody production in transplanted groups increased significantly compared to those in non-transplanted group. Spleen indices and density of splenic lymphocytes in transplanted RAG-1(-/-) mice were higher than those in non-transplanted RAG-1(-/-) mice. No difference in the worm burden was observed among group A (transplants derived from M. fortis), B (transplants derived from C57BL/6 mouse) and C (non-transplanted mice), although worms in group A were shorter than those in other groups, except non-transplanted RAG-1(-/-) mice. Reproductive systems of worms in mice (nude or RAG-1(-/-)) transplanted from M. fortis were not as mature as those in mice (nude or RAG-1(-/-)) transplanted from C57BL/6 mouse and non-transplanted nude mice, but they were more mature than worms in non-transplanted RAG-1(-/-) mice. Therefore, the transplantation model using nude and RAG-1(-/-) mice was successfully established. The M. fortis lymphocytes did not appear to affect the S. japonicum worm burden, but they led to schistosome shortening and a significant reduction in parasite spawning. Thus, M. fortis cellular and humoral immunity provides a defense against schistosomes by negatively impacting the parasite growth and reproductive development. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Forty Years of Psychological and Psychiatric Selection of NASA Astronauts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holland, Albert W.

2000-01-01

The purpose of this presentation is to chronicle the history and development of the psychological selection process for NASA astronauts. For over 40 years, astronaut applicants have undergone rigorous medical testing to qualify for candidacy. Psychological selection has an equally long history, dating back to 1958, when psychological requirements were established for astronauts during the Mercury program. However, for many years, psychological selection consisted of psychiatric screening for psychopathology. As we approach the day in which the first ISS crew will live and work in space for months at a time, it becomes clear that both the psychological criteria and the selection system to detect said criteria have changed. This presentation discusses the events that led to the current, dual-phase selection system that is used to select individuals into the astronaut corps. Future directions for psychological selection will also be addressed.

The Aged Samaritan: Heroes of the Holocaust Forty Years Later.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Midlarsky, Elizabeth; Oliner, Samuel P.

Recent research indicates that helping others is associated with competence, personal control, and a sense of well-being and that the elderly often express altruistic attitudes and help others. The current period, 40 years after the termination of World War II, presents a final opportunity to study those individuals who had engaged in extreme…

Forty-Six Years of IRE: A Statistical and Documentary Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwippert, Knut

2002-03-01

This paper surveys the articles published in IRE between 1955and 2000, analysing and comparing a range of data. Variables analysedinclude the gender and nationality of the authors, the countries andsubjects dealt with, the research methodologies used, and the way inwhich the articles reflect political ideological and social changes.This exercise, which has never before been undertaken in IRE,provides a detailed documentation of significant trends and developmentsin the journal over 46 years.

Programming settings and recharge interval in a prospective study of a rechargeable sacral neuromodulation system for the treatment of overactive bladder.

PubMed

Blok, Bertil; Van Kerrebroeck, Philip; de Wachter, Stefan; Ruffion, Alain; Van der Aa, Frank; Jairam, Ranjana; Perrouin-Verbe, Marie; Elneil, Sohier

2018-02-01

The RELAX-OAB study is designed to confirm the safety, efficacy, and technical performance of the Axonics r-SNM System, a miniaturized, rechargeable SNM system approved in Europe and Canada for the treatment of bladder and bowel dysfunction. The purpose of this article is to describe study subjects' ability to charge the rechargeable neurostimulator and to document their neurostimulator program settings and recharge interval over time. Fifty-one OAB patients were implanted in a single-stage procedure. These results represent the 3-month charging experience for 48 subjects who completed the 3-month follow-up. Recharge intervals were estimated using therapy stimulation settings and subject experience was evaluated using questionnaires. Forty-seven of forty-eight (98%) subjects were able to successfully charge their device prior to follow-up within 1-month post-implant. At 3-month post-implant, 98% of subjects were able to charge prior to their follow-up visit. Average stimulation amplitude across all subjects was 1.8 mA (±1.1 mA). A total of 69% of subjects had ≥14-day recharge intervals (time between charging) and 98% of subjects had ≥7-day recharge interval. No charging related adverse events occurred. Study subjects were able to charge the Axonics r-SNM System and stimulation settings provided 2 weeks of therapy between recharging for most subjects. Subject satisfaction indicates that subjects are satisfied with rechargeable SNM therapy. © 2018 The Authors. Neurourology and Urodynamics Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

26 CFR 7.48-2 - Election of forty-percent method of determining investment credit for movie and television films...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... investment credit for movie and television films placed in service in a taxable year beginning before January... Election of forty-percent method of determining investment credit for movie and television films placed in... the Tax Reform Act of 1976 (90 Stat. 1595), taxpayers who placed movie or television films (here...

26 CFR 7.48-2 - Election of forty-percent method of determining investment credit for movie and television films...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... investment credit for movie and television films placed in service in a taxable year beginning before January... Election of forty-percent method of determining investment credit for movie and television films placed in... the Tax Reform Act of 1976 (90 Stat. 1595), taxpayers who placed movie or television films (here...

26 CFR 7.48-2 - Election of forty-percent method of determining investment credit for movie and television films...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... investment credit for movie and television films placed in service in a taxable year beginning before January... Election of forty-percent method of determining investment credit for movie and television films placed in... the Tax Reform Act of 1976 (90 Stat. 1595), taxpayers who placed movie or television films (here...

26 CFR 7.48-2 - Election of forty-percent method of determining investment credit for movie and television films...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... investment credit for movie and television films placed in service in a taxable year beginning before January... Election of forty-percent method of determining investment credit for movie and television films placed in... the Tax Reform Act of 1976 (90 Stat. 1595), taxpayers who placed movie or television films (here...

26 CFR 7.48-2 - Election of forty-percent method of determining investment credit for movie and television films...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... investment credit for movie and television films placed in service in a taxable year beginning before January... Election of forty-percent method of determining investment credit for movie and television films placed in... the Tax Reform Act of 1976 (90 Stat. 1595), taxpayers who placed movie or television films (here...

Ten Years, Forty Decision Aids, And Thousands Of Patient Uses: Shared Decision Making At Massachusetts General Hospital.

PubMed

Sepucha, Karen R; Simmons, Leigh H; Barry, Michael J; Edgman-Levitan, Susan; Licurse, Adam M; Chaguturu, Sreekanth K

2016-04-01

Shared decision making is a core component of population health strategies aimed at improving patient engagement. Massachusetts General Hospital's integration of shared decision making into practice has focused on the following three elements: developing a culture receptive to, and health care providers skilled in, shared decision making conversations; using patient decision aids to help inform and engage patients; and providing infrastructure and resources to support the implementation of shared decision making in practice. In the period 2005-15, more than 900 clinicians and other staff members were trained in shared decision making, and more than 28,000 orders for one of about forty patient decision aids were placed to support informed patient-centered decisions. We profile two different implementation initiatives that increased the use of patient decision aids at the hospital's eighteen adult primary care practices, and we summarize key elements of the shared decision making program. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Apoptosis Governs the Elimination of Schistosoma japonicum from the Non-Permissive Host Microtus fortis

PubMed Central

Peng, Jinbiao; Gobert, Geoffrey N.; Hong, Yang; Jiang, Weibin; Han, Hongxiao; McManus, Donald P.; Wang, Xinzhi; Liu, Jinming; Fu, Zhiqiang; Shi, Yaojun; Lin, Jiaojiao

2011-01-01

The reed vole, Microtus fortis, is the only known mammalian host in which schistosomes of Schistosoma japonicum are unable to mature and cause significant pathogenesis. However, little is known about how Schistosoma japonicum maturation (and, therefore, the development of schistosomiasis) is prevented in M. fortis. In the present study, the ultrastructure of 10 days post infection schistosomula from BALB/c mice and M. fortis were first compared using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Electron microscopic investigations showed growth retardation and ultrastructural differences in the tegument and sub-tegumental tissues as well as in the parenchymal cells of schistosomula from M. fortis compared with those in BALB/c mice. Then, microarray analysis revealed significant differential expression between the schistosomula from the two rodents, with 3,293 down-regulated (by ≥2-fold) and 71 up-regulated (≥2 fold) genes in schistosomula from the former. The up-regulated genes included a proliferation-related gene encoding granulin (Grn) and tropomyosin. Genes that were down-regulated in schistosomula from M. fortis included apoptosis-inhibited genes encoding a baculoviral IAP repeat-containing protein (SjIAP) and cytokine-induced apoptosis inhibitor (SjCIAP), genes encoding molecules involved in insulin metabolism, long-chain fatty acid metabolism, signal transduction, the transforming growth factor (TGF) pathway, the Wnt pathway and in development. TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling) and PI/Annexin V-FITC assays, caspase 3/7 activity analysis, and flow cytometry revealed that the percentages of early apoptotic and late apoptotic and/or necrotic cells, as well as the level of caspase activity, in schistosomula from M. fortis were all significantly higher than in those from BALB/c mice. PMID:21731652

Scattered light characterization of FORTIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCandliss, Stephan R.; Carter, Anna; Redwine, Keith; Teste, Stephane; Pelton, Russell; Hagopian, John; Kutyrev, Alexander; Li, Mary J.; Moseley, S. Harvey

2017-08-01

We describe our efforts to build a Wide-Field Lyman alpha Geocoronal simulator (WFLaGs) for characterizing the end-to-end sensitivity of FORTIS (Far-UV Off Rowland-circle Telescope for Imaging and Spectroscopy) to scattered Lyman α emission from outside of the nominal (1/2 degree)2 field-of-view. WFLaGs is a 50 mm diameter F/1 aluminum parabolic collimator fed by a hollow cathode discharge lamp with a 80 mm clear MgF2 window housed in a vacuum skin. It creates emission over a 10 degree FOV. WFLaGS will allow us to validate and refine a recently developed scattered light model and verify our scatter light mitigation strategies, which will incorporate low scatter baffle materials, and possibly 3-d printed light traps, covering exposed scatter centers. We present measurements of scattering intensity of Lyman alpha as a function of angle with respect to the specular reflectance direction for several candidate baffle materials. Initial testing of WFLaGs will be described.

Forty years of collaborative computational crystallography.

PubMed

Agirre, Jon; Dodson, Eleanor

2018-01-01

A brief overview is provided of the history of collaborative computational crystallography, with an emphasis on the Collaborative Computational Project No. 4. The key steps in its development are outlined, with consideration also given to the underlying reasons which contributed, and ultimately led to, the unprecedented success of this venture. © 2017 The Protein Society.

Ethics and Education Forty Years Later

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warnick, Bryan R.

2007-01-01

R.S. Peters's 1966 book "Ethics and Education" is one of the most significant works in twentieth-century philosophy of education. At least in the United States, however, it is now rarely read or discussed. In this essay, Bryan Warnick looks at the virtues and vices of "Ethics and Education," examining some major criticisms of the book in light of…

"Forty Acres and a Mule" as a Pedagogical Motif

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burch, Kerry

2008-01-01

This essay revisits an iconic yet now languishing phrase in United States political culture--"Forty Acres and a Mule"--to clarify the meaning of freedom and to assess the contemporary meaning of its betrayal by the U.S. government immediately after the Civil War. Among the few citizens for whom the phrase still retains a semblance of…

Target of Opportunity - Far-UV Observations of Comet ISON with FORTIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCandliss, Stephan

The goal of this one year program is to acquire spectra and imagery of the sungrazing Oort cloud comet known as ISON in the far-UV bandpass between 800 -- 1950 Angstroms over a 1/2 degree field-of-view (FOV), during its ingress and egress from the sun. This bandpass and FOV provides access to a particularly rich set of spectral diagnostics for determining the volatile production rates of CO, H, C, C+, O and S, and to search for previously undetected atomic and molecular species such as Ar, N, N+, N2, O+ and O5+. We are particularly interested in searching for compositional changes associated with the intense heating episode at the comet's perihelion to address an outstanding question in cometary research; do Oort cloud comets carry a chemical composition similar to the proto-stellar molecular cloud from which the Solar System formed? Sounding rockets are uniquely suited to observing cometary emissions in the far-UV as they can point to within 25 degrees of the sun, whereas HST is limited to observations at angles greater than 50 degrees. The projected ephemeris of this comet shows that on ingress it is expected to reach ~ +4 mag at 25 degrees from the sun on 21 November 2013 and, should it survive its trip to within 2.7 Rsun from the sun, it is expected to reach a similar magnitude during egress at 25 degrees on 08 December 2013. This will be a reflight of the JHU sounding rocket borne spectro-telescope called FORTIS, currently scheduled to fly in May of 2013 on NASA sounding rocket 36.268 UG. The instrumental configuration of FORTIS is uniquely suited to accomplishing the goals of this task.

Forty-year (1971-2010) semiquantitative observations of visibility-cloud-precipitation in Korea and its implication for aerosol effects on regional climate.

PubMed

Lee, Hyo-Jung; Kang, Jeong-Eon; Kim, Cheol-Hee

2015-07-01

Forty-year (1971-2010) observations of cloud cover and types have been analyzed, and implications on the effects of aerosol-cloud feedback were explored. Cloud cover and types have been observed over Korea on the basis of visible (human-eye) attributes without any change in official observing instructions. Visibility has been used as an ongoing proxy measure of aerosol concentrations, and observed meteorological variables such as sunshine duration and precipitation have been employed to analyze aerosol causes and implications for urban and regional climate. The analysis revealed persistent decade-long patterns in Korea: steadily reduced visibility (-0.37 km/yr), consistently decreasing sunshine duration (-0.06 %/hr), and declining occurrence of light precipitation. Spatial distributions of sunshine duration and visibility exhibited more localized variations in the early period (1971-1990), and tended to be more uniform throughout Korea over more recent years (1991-2010), implying the recent regional-scale impact of cloud change over northeast Asia. Cloud analysis results showed that the five most common types were stratocumulus (Sc), cirrus (Ci), altostratus (As), stratus (St), and nimbostratus (Ns), with occurrences of 33%, 17%, 17%, 9%, and 8%, respectively. Occurrence of rarely precipitating or nonprecipitating low-level Sc clouds showed an increasing (+0.34%/yr), but no (or only minor) effects of aerosols on heavy precipitation such as cumulus cloud types were found. Cloud cover in the range of 6/10 to 8/10 units has increased by 31.5±6.5%, and occurrences of both cloud-free (~2/10 units) and overcast (~8/10 units) conditions have decreased. Aerosol-cloud-precipitations interaction is highly nonlinear due to feedback mechanisms. One reason for our poor understanding of the aerosol-cloud feedback study is the variety of cloud types with their complicated responses to variations of the aerosol. Our study on the response of precipitation-cloud to long

32 CFR 169a.13 - CAs involving forty-five or fewer DoD civilian employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false CAs involving forty-five or fewer DoD civilian employees. 169a.13 Section 169a.13 National Defense Department of Defense OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DEFENSE CONTRACTING COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES PROGRAM PROCEDURES Procedures § 169a.13 CAs involving forty-five...

32 CFR 169a.13 - CAs involving forty-five or fewer DoD civilian employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 32 National Defense 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false CAs involving forty-five or fewer DoD civilian employees. 169a.13 Section 169a.13 National Defense Department of Defense OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DEFENSE CONTRACTING COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES PROGRAM PROCEDURES Procedures § 169a.13 CAs involving forty-five...

32 CFR 169a.13 - CAs involving forty-five or fewer DoD civilian employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false CAs involving forty-five or fewer DoD civilian employees. 169a.13 Section 169a.13 National Defense Department of Defense OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DEFENSE CONTRACTING COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES PROGRAM PROCEDURES Procedures § 169a.13 CAs involving forty-five...

Forty years of vegetation change on the Missouri River floodplain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, W. Carter; Dixon, Mark D.; Scott, Michael L.; Rabbe, Lisa; Larson, Gary; Volke, Malia; Werner, Brett

2012-01-01

Comparative inventories in 1969 and 1970 and in 2008 of vegetation from 30 forest stands downstream of Garrison Dam on the Missouri River in central North Dakota showed (a) a sharp decline in Cottonwood regeneration; (b) a strong compositional shift toward dominance by green ash; and (c) large increases in invasive understory species, such as smooth brome, reed canary grass, and Canada thistle. These changes, and others discovered during remeasurement, have been caused by a complex of factors, some related to damming (altered hydrologic and sediment regimes, delta formation, and associated wet-dry cycles) and some not (diseases and expansion of invasive plants). Dominance of green ash, however, may be short lived, given the likelihood that the emerald ash borer will arrive in the Dakotas in 5-10 years, with potentially devastating effects. The prospects for recovery of this valuable ecosystem, rich in ecosystem goods and services and in American history, are daunting.

Forty years of vegetation change on the Missouri River Floodplain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, W.C.; Dixon, M.D.; Scott, M.L.; Rabbe, L.; Larson, G.; Volke, M.; Werner, B.

2012-01-01

Comparative inventories in 1969 and 1970 and in 2008 of vegetation from 30 forest stands downstream of Garrison Dam on the Missouri River in central North Dakota showed (a) a sharp decline in Cottonwood regeneration; (b) a strong compositional shift toward dominance by green ash; and (c) large increases in invasive understory species, such as smooth brome, reed canary grass, and Canada thistle. These changes, and others discovered during remeasurement, have been caused by a complex of factors, some related to damming (altered hydrologic and sediment regimes, delta formation, and associated wetdry cycles) and some not (diseases and expansion of invasive plants). Dominance of green ash, however, may be short lived, given the likelihood that the emerald ash borer will arrive in the Dakotas in 510 years, with potentially devastating effects. The prospects for recovery of this valuable ecosystem, rich in ecosystem goods and services and in American history, are daunting. ?? 2012 by American Institute of Biological Sciences. All rights reserved.

77 FR 54930 - Carlyle Plastics and Resins, Formerly Known as Fortis Plastics, A Subsidiary of Plastics...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-06

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-81,655] Carlyle Plastics and Resins, Formerly Known as Fortis Plastics, A Subsidiary of Plastics Acquisitions Inc., Including On-Site... to workers and former workers of workers of Fortis Plastics, a subsidiary of Plastics Acquisitions...

Antiviral screening of forty-two Egyptian medicinal plants.

PubMed

Soltan, Maha Mohamed; Zaki, Adel Kamal

2009-10-29

Egyptian medicinal plants are well known by their diverse uses in traditional folk medicine to cure various ailments including infectious diseases. Forty-two Egyptian medicinal plant species were selected from local market and were subjected to antiviral screening bioassay to investigate and to evaluate their biological activities. Hydro-alcoholic extracts of each species were separately prepared and tested against three viruses: herpes simplex-1 virus (HSV), poliomyelitis-1 virus (POLIO) and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). The antiviral activity were determined by means of the end point titration technique (EPTT) that depends on the ability of plant extract dilutions to inhibit the produced cytopathogenic effect (CPE) and expressed as reduction factor (Rf) of the viral titer. Achillea fragrantissima, Jasonia montana and Globularia arabica are found to have antiviral activity against POLIO in a concentration dependent manner at complete non-toxic concentration range 10-100 microg/ml (Rf 10(6)), 10-100 microg/ml (Rf 10(5)) and 50-100 microg/ml (Rf 10(4)), respectively while Tanacetum sinaicum are found to have moderate antiviral activity against POLIO at concentration of 50-100 microg/ml (Rf 10(2)). Ephedra alata and Moringa peregrina are found to have antiviral activity against HSV (Rf 10(4)). Also, the results revealed that Capparis sinaica, Tamarix nilotica and Cyperus rotundus are found to have virucidal effect against HSV. All the forty-two plant species are found to have no reliable antiviral activity against VSV. The specific indications claimed by the traditional healers are confirmed by antiviral test.

Changing patterns of traumatic bile duct injuries: a review of forty years experience

PubMed Central

Huang, Zhi-Qiang; Huang, Xiao-Qiang

2002-01-01

AIM: To summarize the experiences of treating bile duct injuries in 40 years of clinical practice. MATHODS: Based on the experience of more than 40 years of clinical work, 122 cases including a series of 61 bile duct injuries of the Southwest Hospital, Chongqing, and 42 cases (1989-1997) and 19 cases (1998-2001) of the General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, were reviewed with special reference to the pattern of injury. A series of cases of the liver and the biliary tract injuries following interventional therapy for hepatic tumors, most often hemangioma of the liver, were collected. Chinese medical literature from 1995 to 1999 dealing with 2742 traumatic bile duct strictures were reviewed. RESULTS: There was a changing pattern of the bile duct injury. Although most of the cases of bile duct injuries resulted from open cholecystectomy. Other types of trauma such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and hepatic surgery were increased in recent years. Moreover, serious hepato-biliary injuries following HAE using sclerotic agents such as sodium morrhuate and absolute ethanol for the treatment of hepatic hemangiomas were encountered in recent years. Experiences in how to avoid bile duct injury and to treat traumatic biliary strictures were presented. CONCLUSION: Traumatic bile duct stricture is one of the serious complications of hepato-biliary surgery, its prevalence seemed to be increased in recent years. The pattern of bile duct injury was also changed and has become more complicated. Interventional therapy with sclerosing agents may cause serious hepatobiliary complications and should be avoided. PMID:11833062

Neutron capture therapy: Years of experimentation---Years of reflection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farr, L.E.

1991-12-16

This report describes early research on neutron capture therapy over a number of years, beginning in 1950, speaking briefly of patient treatments but dwelling mostly on interpretations of our animal experiments. This work carried out over eighteen years, beginning over forty years ago. Yet, it is only fitting to start by relating how neutron capture therapy became part of Brookhaven`s Medical Research Center program.

Neutron capture therapy: Years of experimentation---Years of reflection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farr, L.E.

1991-12-16

This report describes early research on neutron capture therapy over a number of years, beginning in 1950, speaking briefly of patient treatments but dwelling mostly on interpretations of our animal experiments. This work carried out over eighteen years, beginning over forty years ago. Yet, it is only fitting to start by relating how neutron capture therapy became part of Brookhaven's Medical Research Center program.

Forty-five years of cell-cycle genetics

PubMed Central

Reid, Brian J.; Culotti, Joseph G.; Nash, Robert S.; Pringle, John R.

2015-01-01

In the early 1970s, studies in Leland Hartwell’s laboratory at the University of Washington launched the genetic analysis of the eukaryotic cell cycle and set the path that has led to our modern understanding of this centrally important process. This 45th-anniversary Retrospective reviews the steps by which the project took shape, the atmosphere in which this happened, and the possible morals for modern times. It also provides an up-to-date look at the 35 original CDC genes and their human homologues. PMID:26628751

Forty Years Later: Updating the Fossilization Hypothesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, ZhaoHong

2013-01-01

A founding concept in second language acquisition (SLA) research, fossilization has been fundamental to understanding second language (L2) development. The Fossilization Hypothesis, introduced in Selinker's seminal text (1972), has thus been one of the most influential theories, guiding a significant bulk of SLA research for four decades; 2012…

Forty-Five Years of Marburg Virus Research

PubMed Central

Brauburger, Kristina; Hume, Adam J.; Mühlberger, Elke; Olejnik, Judith

2012-01-01

In 1967, the first reported filovirus hemorrhagic fever outbreak took place in Germany and the former Yugoslavia. The causative agent that was identified during this outbreak, Marburg virus, is one of the most deadly human pathogens. This article provides a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge about Marburg virus disease ranging from ecology to pathogenesis and molecular biology. PMID:23202446

Forty-five years of Marburg virus research.

PubMed

Brauburger, Kristina; Hume, Adam J; Mühlberger, Elke; Olejnik, Judith

2012-10-01

In 1967, the first reported filovirus hemorrhagic fever outbreak took place in Germany and the former Yugoslavia. The causative agent that was identified during this outbreak, Marburg virus, is one of the most deadly human pathogens. This article provides a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge about Marburg virus disease ranging from ecology to pathogenesis and molecular biology.

Ocean Drilling: Forty Years of International Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Deborah K.; Exon, Neville; Barriga, Fernando J. A. S.; Tatsumi, Yoshiyuki

2010-10-01

International cooperation is an essential component of modern scientific research and societal advancement [see Ismail-Zadeh and Beer, 2009], and scientific ocean drilling represents one of Earth science's longest-running and most successful international collaborations. The strength of this collaboration and its continued success result from the realization that scientific ocean drilling provides a unique and powerful tool to study the critical processes of both short-term change and the long-term evolution of Earth systems. A record of Earth's changing tectonics, climate, ocean circulation, and biota is preserved in marine sedimentary deposits and the underlying basement rocks. And because the ocean floor is the natural site for accumulation and preservation of geological materials, it may preserve a continuous record of these processes.

FIBER OPTICS: Fibre optics: Forty years later

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dianov, Evgenii M.

2010-01-01

This paper presents a brief overview of the state of the art in fibre optics and its main applications: optical fibre communications, fibre lasers and fibre sensors for various physical property measurements. The future of fibre optics and the status of this important area of the modern technology in Russia are discussed.

Reunification of Korea: A Forty Year Stalemate,

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-04-07

TASK AREA & WORK UNIT NUMBERS U.S. Army War College Carlisle Barracks, PA 17013 I. CONTROLLING OFFICE NAME AND ADDRESS 12. REPORT DATE 7 April 1986 SAME...South Korea, the north have proposed that they co-h.’,cst these games. This cannot work as South Korca i:: not th: hcst of the 1988 Olympic Games--the...events is enormous. The President of the International Olympic Committee must work very closely with all countries in an attempt to gain maximum

Cholinesterase Confabs and Cousins: Approaching Forty Years

PubMed Central

Taylor, Palmer; De Jaco, Antonella; Comoletti, Davide; Miller, Meghan; Camp, Shelley

2013-01-01

In the past four decades of cholinesterase (ChE) research, we have seen substantive evolution of the field from one centered around substrate and inhibitor kinetic profiles and compound characterizations to the analysis of ChE structure, first through the gene families and then by x-ray crystallographic determinations of the free enzymes and their complexes and conjugates. Indeed, these endeavors have been facilitated by recombinant DNA technologies, structure determinations and parallel studies in related proteins in the α/β-hydrolase fold family. This approach has not only contributed to a fundamental understanding of structure and function of a large family of hydrolase-like proteins possessing functions other than catalysis, but also has been used to develop new practical strategies for scavenging and antidotal activity in cases of organophosphate insecticide or nerve agent exposure. PMID:23085121

Potential impact of thermal effects during ultrasonic neurostimulation: retrospective numerical estimation of temperature elevation in seven rodent setups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Constans, Charlotte; Mateo, Philippe; Tanter, Mickaël; Aubry, Jean-François

2018-01-01

In the past decade, a handful but growing number of groups have reported worldwide successful low intensity focused ultrasound induced neurostimulation trials on rodents. Its effects range from movement elicitations to reduction of anesthesia time or reduction of the duration of drug induced seizures. The mechanisms underlying ultrasonic neuromodulation are still not fully understood. Given the low intensities used in most of the studies, a mechanical effect is more likely to be responsible for the neuromodulation effect, but a clear description of the thermal and mechanical effects is necessary to optimize clinical applications. Based on five studies settings, we calculated the temperature rise and thermal doses in order to evaluate its implication in the neuromodulation phenomenon. Our retrospective analysis shows thermal rise ranging from 0.002 °C to 0.8 °C in the brain for all setups, except for one setup for which the temperature increase is estimated to be as high as 7 °C. We estimate that in the latter case, temperature rise cannot be neglected as a possible cause of neuromodulation. Simulations results were supported by temperature measurements on a mouse with two different sets of parameters. Although the calculated temperature is compatible with the absence of visible thermal lesions on the skin, it is high enough to impact brain circuits. Our study highlights the usefulness of performing thermal simulations prior to experiment in order to fully take into account not only the impact of the peak intensity but also pulse duration and pulse repetition.

Hardware-related infections after deep brain stimulation surgery: review of incidence, severity and management in 212 single-center procedures in the first year after implantation.

PubMed

Piacentino, Massimo; Pilleri, Manuela; Bartolomei, Luigi

2011-12-01

Device-related infection is a common occurrence after deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, and may result in additional interventions and a loss of efficacy of therapy. This retrospective review aimed to evaluate the incidence, severity and management of device-related infections in 212 DBS procedures performed in our institute. Data on 106 patients, in whom 212 DBS procedures were performed between 2001 and 2011 at our institute by a single neurosurgeon (M.P.), were reviewed to assess the incidence, severity, management and clinical characteristics of infections in the first year after the implantation of a DBS system. Infections occurred in 8.5% of patients and 4.2% of procedures. Of the nine infections, eight involved the neurostimulator and extensions, and one the whole system. The infections occurred 30.7 days after implantation: 7 within 30 days and 2 within 6 months. Infected and uninfected patients were comparable in terms of age, sex, indication for DBS implantation and neurostimulator location. In eight cases, the system components involved were removed and re-implanted after 3 months, while in one case the complete hardware was removed and not re-implanted. The overall incidence of postoperative infections after DBS system implantation was 4.2%; this rate decreased over time. All infections required further surgery. Correct and timely management of partial infections may result in successful salvage of part of the system.

Platinum nanowire microelectrode arrays for neurostimulation applications: Fabrication, characterization, and in-vitro retinal cell stimulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whalen, John J., III

Implantable electrical neurostimulating devices are being developed for a number of applications, including artificial vision through retinal stimulation. The epiretinal prosthesis will use a two-dimensional array microelectrodes to address individual cells of the retina. MEMS fabrication processes can produce arrays of microelectrodes with these dimensions, but there are two critical issues that they cannot satisfy. One, the stimulating electrodes are the only part of the implanted electrical device that penetrate through the water impermeable package, and must do so without sacrificing hermeticity. Two, As electrode size decreases, the current density (A cm-2 ) increases, due to increased electrochemical impedance. This reduces the amount of charge that can be safely injected into the tissue. To date, MEMS processing method, cannot produce electrode arrays with good, prolonged hermetic properties. Similarly, MEMS approaches do not account for the increased impedance caused by decreased surface area. For these reasons there is a strong motivation for the development of a water-impermeable, substrate-penetrating electrode array with low electrochemical impedance. This thesis presents a stimulating electrode array fabricated from platinum nanowires using a modified electrochemical template synthesis approach. Nanowires are electrochemically deposited from ammonium hexachloroplatinate solution into lithographically patterned nanoporous anodic alumina templates to produce microarrays of platinum nanowires. The platinum nanowires penetrating through the ceramic aluminum oxide template serve as parallel electrical conduits through the water impermeable, electrically insulating substrate. Electrode impedance can be adjusted by either controlling the nanowire hydrous platinum oxide content or by partially etching the alumina template to expose additional surface area. A stepwise approach to this project was taken. First, the electrochemistry of ammonium

Effects of neurostimulation for advanced Parkinson’s disease patients on motor symptoms: A multiple-treatments meta-analysas of randomized controlled trials

PubMed Central

Xie, Cheng-Long; Shao, Bei; Chen, Jie; Zhou, Yi; Lin, Shi-Yi; Wang, Wen-Wen

2016-01-01

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the surgical procedure of choice for patients with advanced Parkinson disease (PD). We aim to evaluate the efficacy of GPi (globus pallidus internus), STN (subthalamic nucleus)-DBS and medical therapy for PD. We conducted a systematic review and multiple-treatments meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy of neurostimulation and medical therapy for PD patients. Sixteen eligible studies were included in this analysis. We pooled the whole data and found obvious difference between GPi-DBS versus medical therapy and STN-DBS versus medical therapy in terms of UPDRS scores (Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale). Meanwhile, we found GPi-DBS had the similar efficacy on the UPDRS scores when compared with STN-DBS. What is more, quality of life, measured by PDQ-39 (Parkinson’s disease Questionnaire) showed greater improvement after GPi-DBS than STN-DBS. Five studies showed STN-DBS was more effective for reduction in medication than GPi-DBS. Overall, either GPi-DBS or STN-DBS was an effective technique to control PD patients’ symptoms and improved their functionality and quality of life. Meanwhile, the UPDRS scores measuring parkinsonian symptoms revealed no significant difference between GPi-DBS and STN-DBS. STN-DBS was more effective for reduction in medication than GPi-DBS. Alternatively, GPi-DBS was more effective for improving the PDQ-39 score than STN-DBS. PMID:27142183

Swallowing Dysfunction and Quality of Life in Adults With Surgically Corrected Esophageal Atresia/Tracheoesophageal Fistula as Infants: Forty Years of Follow-up.

PubMed

Gibreel, Waleed; Zendejas, Benjamin; Antiel, Ryan M; Fasen, Geoffrey; Moir, Christopher R; Zarroug, Abdalla E

2017-08-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate and study the full spectrum of swallowing dysfunction and long-term disease-specific outcomes in adults with surgically corrected esophageal atresia/tracheaesophageal fistula (EA/TEF). Long-term outcomes for adults who underwent EA/TEF repair because infants are lacking. We developed a disease-specific swallowing dysfunction questionnaire (SDQ) to assess swallowing dysfunction and quality of life (QOL) of adult patients with surgically corrected EA/TEF. Patients were surveyed with the newly developed SDQ and with a generic QOL tool (36-Item Short Form Health Survey). Ninety-seven patients underwent EA/TEF repair at our institution from 1950 to 1997. Forty-six (61%) patients completed the survey. Median follow-up was 40 years (range 18-63). Results suggest that some degree of swallowing dysfunction is common (82%), worse with hard consistencies (70%), and is associated with frequently needing sips of liquids to facilitate swallowing (75%). The presence of swallowing dysfunction was, however, often mild and did not seem to affect patients' food choices, or their day-to-day activities. QOL did not differ from that of the general population, regardless of the presence or absence of swallowing dysfunction. The presence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (26%), esophageal stricture (39%), or both (15%) does not account for all situations of swallowing dysfunction, nor does it significantly impact QOL. Swallowing dysfunction is common in adults who underwent EA/TEF repair as infants; however, patients reported minimal effect on QOL or day-to-day activities. The SDQ is a valid and reliable tool to measure the full spectrum of swallowing dysfunction in the EA/TEF repair population.

Elevated Hippocampal Cholinergic Neurostimulating Peptide precursor protein (HCNP-pp) mRNA in the amygdala in major depression.

PubMed

Bassi, Sabrina; Seney, Marianne L; Argibay, Pablo; Sibille, Etienne

2015-04-01

The amygdala is innervated by the cholinergic system and is involved in major depressive disorder (MDD). Evidence suggests a hyper-activate cholinergic system in MDD. Hippocampal Cholinergic Neurostimulating Peptide (HCNP) regulates acetylcholine synthesis. The aim of the present work was to investigate expression levels of HCNP-precursor protein (HCNP-pp) mRNA and other cholinergic-related genes in the postmortem amygdala of MDD patients and matched controls (females: N = 16 pairs; males: N = 12 pairs), and in the mouse unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) model that induced elevated anxiety-/depressive-like behaviors (females: N = 6 pairs; males: N = 6 pairs). Results indicate an up-regulation of HCNP-pp mRNA in the amygdala of women with MDD (p < 0.0001), but not males, and of UCMS-exposed mice (males and females; p = 0.037). HCNP-pp protein levels were investigated in the human female cohort, but no difference was found. There were no differences in gene expression of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), muscarinic (mAChRs) or nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) between MDD subjects and controls or UCMS and control mice, except for an up-regulation of AChE in UCMS-exposed mice (males and females; p = 0.044). Exploratory analyses revealed a baseline expression difference of cholinergic signaling-related genes between women and men (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, elevated amygdala HCNP-pp expression may contribute to mechanisms of MDD in women, potentially independently from regulating the cholinergic system. The differential expression of genes between women and men could also contribute to the increased vulnerability of females to develop MDD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential growth forms of the sponge Biemna fortis govern the abundance of its associated brittle star Ophiactis modesta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahihande, Azraj S.; Thakur, Narsinh L.

2017-08-01

Marine intertidal regions are physically stressful habitats. In such an environment, facilitator species and positive interactions mitigate unfavorable conditions to the benefit of less tolerant organisms. In sponge-brittle star association, sponges effectively shelter brittle stars from biotic and abiotic stresses. The sponge, Biemna fortis (Topsent, 1897) was examined from two intertidal regions Anjuna and Mhapan along the Central West Coast of India for associated brittle star Ophiactis modesta (Brock, 1888) during 2013-2014. The study sites varied in suspended particulate matter (SPM). B. fortis at the high SPM habitat (Anjuna) had partially buried growth form and at the low SPM habitat (Mhapan) had massive growth form. O. modesta was abundantly associated with the massive growth form (50-259 individuals per 500 ml sponge) but rarely occurred in association with partially buried growth form (6-16 individuals per 500 ml sponge). In laboratory choice assay O. modesta showed equal preference to the chemical cues from both the growth forms of B. fortis. In addition, O. modesta showed significant preference to B. fortis compared to other sympatric sponges. These observations highlight the involvement of chemical cues in host recognition by O. modesta. Massive growth forms transplanted to the high SPM habitat were unable to survive but partially buried growth forms transplanted to the low SPM habitat were able to survive. Differential growth forms of the host sponge B. fortis at different abiotic stresses affect the abundance of the associated brittle star O. modesta.

FORTY YEARS OF SCHOOL PLANT DISSERTATIONS. A REVIEW WITH SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CLASEN, ROBERT E.

A BIBLIOGRAPHIC REVIEW OF PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED DISSERTATIONS RELATED TO SCHOOL PLANTS IS COMPILED BY YEARS BEGINNING WITH STUDIES PRODUCED IN 1921 AND IS CROSS INDEXED BY TOPIC. IT REVIEWS THE SCHOOL PLANT PROBLEMS MOST INVESTIGATED BY STUDENTS. A BRIEF HISTORY OF SCHOOL BUILDING DEVELOPMENT IS PRESENTED IN LIGHT OF CORRESPONDING ECONOMIC AND…

The first nest records of the sooty antbird (Myrmeciza fortis) with notes on eggs and nestling development

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilkinson, F.A.; Smith, U.R.

1997-01-01

Two Myrmeciza fortis nests were discovered in a lowland floodplain forest of Manu National Park, Peru. Both nests were embedded in leaf litter on the ground and were oven-shaped with a an entrance and an inner chamber concealing two eggs. Unlike the known nests of other Myrmeciza spp., the nests of Myrmeciza fortis closely resembled nests of other species in the Thamnophilidae. This discovery suggests that the genus Myrmeciza is polyphyletic

Forty-Year Anniversary of Louisiana's Medical Malpractice Act, Act 817 of 1975.

PubMed

Palmisano, Donald J

2015-01-01

Here we are at the 40th anniversary of the passage of the 1975 Medical Malpractice Act, Act 817.2 How time flies! Act 817 of 1975 lives and the Louisiana State Supreme Court has ruled the current law, a total cap on all damages with its 1984 amendment for unlimited future medical payments as incurred (La. Act 435 of 19843), constitutional in the Butler case previously cited in the 20-year anniversary article (reprinted in this issue of the Journal). Louisiana's law was voted into law prior to California's famous medical liability law.4 For another great triumph, see Texas and its success in 2003.5 Three different laws; three proven long-term successes.

Commercialization of Seizure Prediction Technology Promises and Pitfalls of Biosignal Analysis: Seizure Prediction and Management (A case study);

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-25

control system depicted in Fig. 1. It consists of an implantable neurostimulator (INS) containing electronics, a communication antenna and circuitry... Neurostimulation Business, Medtronic, Inc. Minneapolis, MN 55421 Report Documentation Page Report Date 25 Oct 2001 Report Type N/A Dates Covered (from... to...Organization Name(s) and Address(es) Technical Fellow, Neurostimulation Business, Medtronic, Inc Minneapolis, MN 55421 Performing Organization Report

Forty-five Years of e{sup +}e{sup -} Annihilation Physics: 1956 to 2001

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Richter, B.

1984-08-01

The history of e{sup +}e{sup -} physics in the 1950's and 1960's is reviewed, followed by some highlights of the spectacular discoveries in e{sup +}e{sup -} annihilation made during the 1970's. The consolidation of knowledge during the last few years is summarized. Some predictions are made for the field of e{sup +}e{sup -} physics for the next decade and beyond. (LEW)

Who Produces Ianthelline? The Arctic Sponge Stryphnus fortis or its Sponge Epibiont Hexadella dedritifera: a Probable Case of Sponge-Sponge Contamination.

PubMed

Cárdenas, Paco

2016-04-01

The bromotyrosine derivative ianthelline was isolated recently from the Atlantic boreo-arctic deep-sea sponge Stryphnus fortis, and shown to have clear antitumor and antifouling effects. However, chemosystematics, field observations, and targeted metabolic analyses (using UPLC-MS) suggest that ianthelline is not produced by S. fortis but by Hexadella dedritifera, a sponge that commonly grows on S. fortis. This case highlights the importance of combining taxonomic and ecological knowledge to the field of sponge natural products research.

Past, Present and Future: Forty Years of Revista Mexicana de Astronomia y Astrofisica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Christine; Torres-Peimbert, Silvia

2015-08-01

We cast a retrospective view on 40 years of publishing the Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica, founded in 1974. The journal is peer-reviewed, has appeared regularly since its foundation, and continues to attract original research papers, mostly by Mexican and Latin American authors. We share some musings about the future of our journal, in view of recent developments in the scientific publishing field.

Forty years of medical education through the eyes of Medical Teacher: From chrysalis to butterfly.

PubMed

Harden, Ronald M; Lilley, Pat; McLaughlin, Jake

2018-04-01

To mark the 40th Anniversary of Medical Teacher, issues this year will document changes in medical education that have taken place over the past 40 years in undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education with regard to curriculum themes and approaches, teaching and learning methods, assessment techniques and management issues. Trends such as adaptive learning will be highlighted and one issue will look at the medical school of the future. An analysis of papers published in the journal has identified four general trends in medical education - increased collaboration, greater international interest, student engagement with the education process and a move to a more evidence-informed approach to medical education. These changes over the years have been dramatic.

Forty years of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a review of the Basel experience.

PubMed

O'Meara, Alix; Holbro, Andreas; Meyer, Sara; Martinez, Maria; Medinger, Michael; Buser, Andreas; Halter, Jörg; Heim, Dominik; Gerull, Sabine; Bucher, Christoph; Rovo, Alicia; Kühne, Thomas; Tichelli, André; Gratwohl, Alois; Stern, Martin; Passweg, Jakob R

2014-02-24

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) characteristics and outcome in our combined paediatric and adult programme over the past four decades, since its implementation in 1973. The total number of transplant procedures rose from 109 in the first decade (1973-82) to 939 in the last decade (2003-12). Transplant characteristics changed significantly over time: patient age increased, peripheral blood largely replaced bone marrow as stem cell source, unrelated donors became an alternative to matched siblings, and patients are increasingly transplanted in more advanced disease stages. Advances such as improved supportive care and histocompatibility typing resulted in a steady decrease of transplant-related mortality after allogeneic HSCT (43% in the first decade, 22% in the last decade). Despite this, unadjusted survival rates were stable in the last three decades for allogeneic HSCT (approximately 50% 5-year survival) and in the last two decades for autologous HSCT (approximately 60% 5-year survival). After adjustment for covariates such as donor type, age and stage, the relative risk of treatment failure continuously dropped (for allogeneic HSCT: first decade 1.0, second decade 0.58, third decade 0.51, last decade 0.41). Collectively, these data suggest that improvements in peri- and post-transplant care have allowed considerable extension of transplant indications without having a negative impact on outcome.

Is the introduction of another variable to the strength-duration curve necessary in neurostimulation?

PubMed

Abejón, David; Rueda, Pablo; del Saz, Javier; Arango, Sara; Monzón, Eva; Gilsanz, Fernando

2015-04-01

Neurostimulation is the process and technology derived from the application of electricity with different parameters to activate or inhibit nerve pathways. Pulse width (Pw) is the duration of each electrical impulse and, along with amplitude (I), determines the total energy charge of the stimulation. The aim of the study was to test Pw values to find the most adequate pulse widths in rechargeable systems to obtain the largest coverage of the painful area, the most comfortable paresthesia, and the greatest patient satisfaction. A study of the parameters was performed, varying Pw while maintaining a fixed frequency at 50 Hz. Data on perception threshold (Tp ), discomfort threshold (Td ), and therapeutic threshold (Tt ) were recorded, applying 14 increasing Pw values ranging from 50 µsec to 1000 µsec. Lastly, the behavior of the therapeutic range (TR), the coverage of the painful area, the subjective patient perception of paresthesia, and the degree of patient satisfaction were assessed. The findings after analyzing the different thresholds were as follows: When varying the Pw, the differences obtained at each threshold (Tp , Tt , and Td ) were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The differences among the resulting Tp values and among the resulting Tt values were statistically significant when varying Pw from 50 up to 600 µsec (p < 0.05). For Pw levels 600 µsec and up, no differences were observed in these thresholds. In the case of Td , significant differences existed as Pw increased from 50 to 700 µsec (p ≤ 0.05). The coverage increased in a statistically significant way (p < 0.05) from Pw values of 50 µsec to 300 µsec. Good or very good subjective perception was shown at about Pw 300 µsec. The patient paresthesia coverage was introduced as an extra variable in the chronaxie-rheobase curve, allowing the adjustment of Pw values for optimal programming. The coverage of the patient against the current chronaxie-rheobase formula will be

[Revista de Saúde Pública: forty years of Brazilian scientific production].

PubMed

Pereira, Júlio Cesar Rodrigues

2006-08-01

To recognize the characteristics and path taken by the through analysis of the scientific production it has published over the period from 1967 to 2005. Scientometric methods were used to analyze reference data on the articles published in the Revista, retrieved from the databases ISI/Thomson Scientific (Web of Science), National Library of Medicine (PubMed) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). The Revista is the only Brazilian publication in the field of public health that is indexed by ISI/Thomson Scientific. It is prominent as a medium for publishing Brazilian scientific production in public health and is displaying a geometric increase in publication and citation, with annual rates of 4.4% and 12.7%, respectively. The mean number of authors per paper has risen from 2 to 3.5 over recent years. Although original research articles predominate, the numbers of reviews, multicenter studies, clinical trials and validation studies have been increasing. The number of articles published in foreign languages has also increased, accounting for 13% of the total, and the leading countries originating these are the UK, USA, Argentina and Mexico. The number and diversity of journals citing the Journal has been increasing, many of which are non-Brazilian. Authorship per author shows good fit to Lotka's Law, but the parameters suggest greater concentration and less dispersion than would be expected. Among the fields of interest of published papers, the following topics account for more than 50% of the total volume: infectious-parasitic diseases and vectors; health promotion, policies and administration; and epidemiology, surveillance and disease control. The Revista shows great dynamism, without signs of abating or reaching a plateau any time soon. There are signs of progressively increasing complexity in the studies published, and more multidisciplinary work. The Revista seems to be widening its outreach and recognition, while remaining faithful to the field of

Forty-Year "Drift" and Change of the SAA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stassinopoulos, Epaminondas G,; Xapsos, Michael A.; Stauffer, Craig A.

2015-01-01

A comprehensive study was conducted to evaluate the change in the location and size of the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) as a function of time, primarily in relation to trapped Van Allen Belt proton populations. The study was limited to one altitude only (800 km), which is still within the Earth's atmosphere but is removed from the atmospheric cut-off level located at about 100-200 km.

Habitat evaluation for outbreak of Yangtze voles (Microtus fortis) and management implications.

PubMed

Xu, Zhenggang; Zhao, Yunlin; Li, Bo; Zhang, Meiwen; Shen, Guo; Wang, Yong

2015-05-01

Rodent pests severely damage agricultural crops. Outbreak risk models of rodent pests often do not include sufficient information regarding geographic variation. Habitat plays an important role in rodent-pest outbreak risk, and more information about the relationship between habitat and crop protection is urgently needed. The goal of the present study was to provide an outbreak risk map for the Dongting Lake region and to understand the relationship between rodent-pest outbreak variation and habitat distribution. The main rodent pests in the Dongting Lake region are Yangtze voles (Microtus fortis). These pests cause massive damage in outbreak years, most notably in 2007. Habitat evaluation and ecological details were obtained by analyzing the correlation between habitat suitability and outbreak risk, as indicated by population density and historical events. For the source-sink population, 96.18% of Yangtze vole disaster regions were covered by a 10-km buffer zone of suitable habitat in 2007. Historical outbreak frequency and peak population density were significantly correlated with the proportion of land covered by suitable habitat (r = 0.68, P = 0.04 and r = 0.76, P = 0.03, respectively). The Yangtze vole population tends to migrate approximately 10 km in outbreak years. Here, we propose a practical method for habitat evaluation that can be used to create integrated pest management plans for rodent pests when combined with basic information on the biology, ecology and behavior of the target species. © 2014 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

A Simple Constant-Current Neural Stimulator With Accurate Pulse-Amplitude Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-25

STIMULATOR The block diagram of the proposed neurostimulator is displayed in Figure 1. It consists of a pair of transformers followed by full-bridge...to 6%. Pulse-repetition ranges from 1Hz to 10Hz. Figure 1. Block diagram of the neurostimulator Voltage Regulator T 1 Astable T 2 V/I...discrete transistors. For explanatory reasons, the neurostimulator schematic is split into three main elements: the oscillator, the output V/I converter

Systematic review of the safety and effectiveness of peripheral neurostimulation of the sphenopalatine ganglion for the treatment of refractory chronic cluster headache.

PubMed

Sánchez-Gómez, L M; Polo-deSantos, M; Pinel-González, A; Oreja-Guevara, C; Luengo-Matos, S

2018-01-12

This study aimed to assess the safety and effectiveness of peripheral neurostimulation of the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) in the treatment of refractory chronic cluster headache. Various medical databases were used to perform a systematic review of the scientific literature. The search for articles continued until 31 October 2016, and included clinical trials, systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses, health technology assessment reports, and clinical practice guidelines that included measurements of efficiency/effectiveness or adverse effects associated with the treatment. The review excluded cohort studies, case-control studies, case series, literature reviews, letters to the editor, opinion pieces, editorials, and studies that had been duplicated or outdated by later publications from the same institution. Regarding effectiveness, we found that SPG stimulation had positive results for pain relief, attack frequency, medication use, and patients' quality of life. In the results regarding safety, we found a significant number of adverse events in the first 30 days following the intervention. Removal of the device was necessary in some patients. Little follow-up data, and no long-term data, is available. These results are promising, despite the limited evidence available. We consider it essential for research to continue into the safety and efficacy of SPG stimulation for patients with refractory chronic cluster headache. In cases where this intervention may be indicated, treatment should be closely monitored. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Ontogeny of the cranial skeleton in a Darwin's finch (Geospiza fortis)

PubMed Central

Genbrugge, Annelies; Heyde, Anne-Sophie; Adriaens, Dominique; Boone, Matthieu; Van Hoorebeke, Luc; Dirckx, Joris; Aerts, Peter; Podos, Jeffrey; Herrel, Anthony

2011-01-01

Darwin's finches are a model system in ecological and evolutionary research, but surprisingly little is known about their skull morphology and development. Indeed, only the early beak development and external variation in adult beak shape has been studied. Understanding the development of the skull from embryo up to the adult is important to gain insights into how selection acts upon, and drives, variation in beak shape. Here, we provide a detailed description of the skeletal development of the skull in the medium ground finch (Geospiza fortis). Although the ossification sequence of the cranial elements is broadly similar to that observed for other birds, some differences can be observed. Unexpectedly, our data show that large changes in skull shape take place between the nestling and the juvenile phases. The reorientation of the beak, the orbit and the formation of well-developed processes and cristae suggest that these changes are likely related to the use of the beak after leaving the nest. This suggests that the active use of the jaw muscles during seed cracking plays an important role in shaping the adult skull morphology and may be driving some of the intra-specific variation observed in species such as G. fortis. Investigating the development of the jaw muscles and their interaction with the observed ossification and formation of the skull and lower jaw would allow further insights into the ecology and evolution of beak morphology in Darwin's finches. PMID:21599660

Percutaneous electric neurostimulation of dermatome T7 improves glycemic profile in obese and type 2 diabetic patients. A randomized clinical study.

PubMed

Ruiz-Tovar, Jaime; Llavero, Carolina; Ortega, Irene; Diez, María; Zubiaga, Lorea; Calpena, Rafael

2015-01-01

Endocrine pancreatic segregation is regulated by the autonomic nervous system. The parasympathetic system stimulates insulin production by the beta cells and inhibits the adrenergic discharge by the sympathetic nervous system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of percutaneous neurostimulation (PENS) of dermatome T7, generating a somato-autonomic reflex, whose efferent pathway are the vagal branches that specifically stimulate the pancreas. The effect of this treatment on glycemia, insulin secretion and insulin resistance was investigated. A prospective randomized clinical trial was performed. Patients with Body Mass Index>30kg/m(2) and diagnosis of diabetes mellitus treated with Metformin were included. Patients were divided into 2 groups: Patients undergoing PENS of dermatome T7 (12 sessions of 30minutes weekly) associated with a 1,200 Kcal/day diet (Group 1) and patients following only a 1,200Kcal/day diet (Group 2). All the patients underwent a blood sample extraction before the treatment and 7 days after finishing it. 60 patients were included: 30 in each group. After finishing the treatment, in Group 1 a significant decrease in glycemia (Mean decrease of 62,1mg/dl; P=.024) and HOMA (Mean decrease 1.37; P=.014) was observed. In Group 2, no significant differences between pre and post-treatment values were observed. PENS of dermatome T7 associated with a 1,200Kcal/day diet achieves a greater reduction in glycemia and insulin resistance than with diet exclusively after 3 months of treatment. Copyright © 2014 AEC. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Changes in Perceptions of Studying for the GCSE among Year 10 and Year 11 Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Lynne; Hallam, Susan

2010-01-01

This research aimed to explore whether pupils' perceptions of studying for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) altered during the two-year period of study of this qualification. Six hundred and forty four pupils from eight schools in outer London completed a self-report questionnaire on two occasions, once in Year 10 and once in…

Forty Years Of Prescribed Burning On The Santee Fire Plots: Effects On Understory Vegetation

Treesearch

David L. White; Thomas A. Waldrop; Steven M. Jones

1990-01-01

The effects of 43 years of repeated prescribed burning on crown cover, species composition, species richness, and diversity in the lower understory strata of the Santee Fire Plots were examined. Five study treatments, installed in 1946, include an unburned control, periodic winter and summer bums, and annual winter and summer bums. Understory cover has not changed in...

Aging and creating families: Never-married heterosexual women over forty.

PubMed

McDill, Tandace; Hall, Sharon K; Turell, Susan C

2006-01-01

An examination of women over age forty who had never married was conducted. The women completed a structured questionnaire about their aging and their self-esteem was assessed with a standard measure. The participants were women from across the United States. Descriptive analyses of the data were ordered with ecological systems theory and findings revealed that the women are self-satisfied, socially productive and well adjusted with their single status and that singleness runs in their families. These women have defined what family means for them as they age-family of origin and close friendships. This description may be helpful in understanding this group as a social force and as role models for young women as they age.

Essential Tremor

MedlinePlus

... individuals. Deep brain stimulation uses a surgically implanted, battery-operated medical device called a neurostimulator to delivery ... individuals. Deep brain stimulation uses a surgically implanted, battery-operated medical device called a neurostimulator to delivery ...

The International Student Question: 45 Years Later

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aw, Fanta

2012-01-01

Since the publication of Dremuk's article 45 years ago, the landscape of international educational exchange has changed significantly. Some of the most notable trends distinguishing the past from the present are highlighted. Forty-five years ago, Dremuk's article emphasized the importance of institutional commitment to international educational…

Identification of forty cases with alkaptonuria in one village in Jordan.

PubMed

Al-Sbou, Mohammed; Mwafi, Nesrin; Lubad, Mohammad Abu

2012-12-01

Alkaptonuria (AKU) is one of the four initially identified inborn errors of metabolism. The prevalence of AKU is unknown in Jordan. Therefore, a research project was started in April 2009 at the Faculty of Medicine/Mutah University in southern Jordan. The aims of the project were to identify people with AKU, to screen all family members with history of AKU, and to increase the awareness about the disease among health care professionals and the community in southern Jordan. Targeted family screening method was used to identify patients with AKU. In this paper, we present preliminary results of screening 17 families with history of AKU in a single village in southern region of Jordan. Forty cases with AKU were identified in this village (age range, 1-60 years). Early cases with AKU were diagnosed through out this study, two-third of patients (n = 28) were under the age of thirty. Interestingly, nine cases with AKU were identified in one family. Our experience suggests that for the identification of cases with AKU where consanguinity is common, the focus for screening should be extended to all family members. The prevalence of AKU among Jordanian is likely to be greater than the prevalence rates worldwide due to high rates of consanguineous marriages. Further studies and effective screening programs are needed to detect undiagnosed cases of AKU, to provide genetic counseling, and ultimately to prevent the occurrence of new cases of AKU in Jordan.

Firearm-related mortality: a review of four hundred-forty four deaths in Diyarbakir, Turkey between 1996 and 2001.

PubMed

Goren, Suleyman; Subasi, Mehmet; Tirasci, Yasar; Kemaloglu, Serdar

2003-11-01

The current study is based on a retrospective investigation of firearm deaths in Diyarbakir, which were autopsied by the Diyarbakir Branch of the Council of Forensic Medicine during the 6- year period. Four hundred-forty four deaths were investigated from January 1996 through December 2001, including homicide (296 cases, 66.7%), suicide (120 cases, 27%) and accidental shootings (28 cases, 6.3%). The age range of all firearm deaths in the study period was 5 to 75 years with a median age of 29.8 years. The majority were in the groups aged 16-25 years (38.7%). In the homicide group, 248 subjects (83.8%) were male, and 48 (16.2%) were female. The 31.1% of the homicide victims were in the group aged at 20-30 years. Of the 120 suicide victims, 56 (46.7%) were in the group aged 16-20 years. The head was by far the favoured site, accounting for 82 (68.3%) deaths: entry wounds in the right temple accounted for 72 of these. Twenty-eight cases were accidental shootings and 18 of them were male (64.3%). Twelve of the 28 accidental victims (42.9%) were in the group aged 0-10 years. The eight cases were due to their own accidental shootings, and the remaining 20 cases were shot by others. Our findings show that the contributing factors for increasing death by firearm are terrorists' activities, traditional habits of obtaining and using guns and blood feuds.

The forty-day rest period and infant feeding practices among Negev Bedouin Arab women in Israel.

PubMed

Forman, M R; Hundt, G L; Towne, D; Graubard, B; Sullivan, B; Berendes, H W; Sarov, B; Naggan, L

1990-03-01

Four hundred and twelve Bedouin Arab women were interviewed within 48 hours of delivering a newborn in 1982 and two months later to examine the effect of social support during the forty-day postpartum rest period on the incidence of exclusive breast feeding at two months. Whereas the distribution of infant feeding practices at two months did not differ among women with and without support during the "forty days," the number of days of help during the "forty days" was significantly associated with type of feeding at two months. The longer the duration of help, the greater were the odds of maintaining exclusive breast feeding after adjustment for covariates by multinomial logistic regression analysis. The association between duration of help and infant feeding practices at two months was modified by the interview month and the feeding practices of the respondents' primary social supports. More respondents with infants who reached two months of age in May and June were exclusively breast feeding than respondents with infants who reached two months in the hot, dry months of July and August. Also, respondents with sisters-in-law who breast fed alone or in combination with the bottle were feeding their infants in the same way after adjustment for covariates. Given the beneficial effects of breast feeding on infant health and development, these findings identify potential avenues of intervention for programs promoting breast feeding.

Essential Tremor (ET): Surgical Options

MedlinePlus

... in the brain is connected to a neurostimulator (battery) which provides the appropriate amount of electrical stimulation ... day or about a week later, the neurostimulator (battery) is placed, typically in the individual’s chest, and ...

Epidemiologic trends in chronic renal replacement therapy over forty years: a Swiss dialysis experience.

PubMed

Lehmann, Petra Rhyn; Ambühl, Manon; Corleto, Domenica; Klaghofer, Richard; Ambühl, Patrice M

2012-07-02

Long term longitudinal data are scarce on epidemiological characteristics and patient outcomes in patients on maintenance dialysis, especially in Switzerland. We examined changes in epidemiology of patients undergoing renal replacement therapy by either hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis over four decades. Single center retrospective study including all patients which initiated dialysis treatment for ESRD between 1970 and 2008. Analyses were performed for subgroups according to dialysis vintage, based on stratification into quartiles of date of first treatment. A multivariate model predicting death and survival time, using time-dependent Cox regression, was developed. 964 patients were investigated. Incident mean age progressively increased from 48 ± 14 to 64 ± 15 years from 1st to 4th quartile (p < 0.001), with a concomitant decrease in 3- and 5-year survival from 72.2 to 67.7%, and 64.1 to 54.8%, respectively. Nevertheless, live span continuously increased from 57 ± 13 to 74 ± 11 years (p < 0.001). Patients transplanted at least once were significantly younger at dialysis initiation, with significantly better survival, however, shortened live span vs. individuals remaining on dialysis. Among age at time of initiating dialysis therapy, sex, dialysis modality and transplant status, only transplant status is a significant independent covariate predicting death (HR: 0.10 for transplanted vs. non-transplanted patients, p = 0.001). Dialysis vintage was associated with better survival during the second vs. the first quartile (p = 0.026). We document an increase of a predominantly elderly incident and prevalent dialysis population, with progressively shortened survival after initiation of renal replacement over four decades, and, nevertheless, a prolonged lifespan. Analysis of the data is limited by lack of information on comorbidity in the study population. Survival in patients on renal replacement therapy seems to be affected not

Epidemiologic trends in chronic renal replacement therapy over forty years: A Swiss dialysis experience

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Long term longitudinal data are scarce on epidemiological characteristics and patient outcomes in patients on maintenance dialysis, especially in Switzerland. We examined changes in epidemiology of patients undergoing renal replacement therapy by either hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis over four decades. Methods Single center retrospective study including all patients which initiated dialysis treatment for ESRD between 1970 and 2008. Analyses were performed for subgroups according to dialysis vintage, based on stratification into quartiles of date of first treatment. A multivariate model predicting death and survival time, using time-dependent Cox regression, was developed. Results 964 patients were investigated. Incident mean age progressively increased from 48 ± 14 to 64 ± 15 years from 1st to 4th quartile (p < 0.001), with a concomitant decrease in 3- and 5-year survival from 72.2 to 67.7%, and 64.1 to 54.8%, respectively. Nevertheless, live span continuously increased from 57 ± 13 to 74 ± 11 years (p < 0.001). Patients transplanted at least once were significantly younger at dialysis initiation, with significantly better survival, however, shortened live span vs. individuals remaining on dialysis. Among age at time of initiating dialysis therapy, sex, dialysis modality and transplant status, only transplant status is a significant independent covariate predicting death (HR: 0.10 for transplanted vs. non-transplanted patients, p = 0.001). Dialysis vintage was associated with better survival during the second vs. the first quartile (p = 0.026). Discussion We document an increase of a predominantly elderly incident and prevalent dialysis population, with progressively shortened survival after initiation of renal replacement over four decades, and, nevertheless, a prolonged lifespan. Analysis of the data is limited by lack of information on comorbidity in the study population. Conclusions Survival in patients on

Forty-Year Calibrated Record of Earth-Surface Reflected Radiance from Landsat: A Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markham, Brian; Helder, Dennis

2011-01-01

Sensors on Landsat satellites have been collecting images of the Earth's surface for nearly 40 years. These images have been invaluable for characterizing and detecting changes in the land cover and land use of the world. Although initially conceived as primarily picture generating sensors, even the early sensors were radiometrically calibrated and spectrally characterized prior to launch and incorporated some capabilities to monitor their radiometric calibration once on orbit. Recently, as the focus of studies has shifted to monitoring Earth surface parameters over significant periods of time, serious attention has been focused toward bringing the data from all these sensors onto a common radiometric scale over this 40-year period. This effort started with the most recent systems and then was extended back in time. Landsat-7 ETM+, the best-characterized sensor of the series prior to launch and once on orbit, and the most stable system to date, was chosen to serve as the reference. The Landsat-7 project was the first of the series to build an image assessment system into its ground system, allowing systematic characterization of its sensors and data. Second, the Landsat-5 TM (still operating at the time of the Landsat-7 launch and continues to operate) calibration history was reconstructed based on its internal calibrator, vicarious calibrations, pseudo-invariant sites and a tie to Landsat-7 ETM+ at the time of the commissioning of Landsat-7. This process was performed in two iterations: the earlier one relied primarily on the TM internal calibrator. When this was found to have some deficiencies, a revised calibration was based more on pseudo-invariant sites, though the internal calibrator was still used to establish the short-term variations in response due to icing build up on the cold focal plane. As time progressed, a capability to monitor the Landsat-5 TM was added to the image assessment system. The Landsat-4 TM, which operated from 1982-1992, was the third

Neuropeptides in the desert ant Cataglyphis fortis: Mass spectrometric analysis, localization, and age-related changes.

PubMed

Schmitt, Franziska; Vanselow, Jens T; Schlosser, Andreas; Wegener, Christian; Rössler, Wolfgang

2017-03-01

Cataglyphis desert ants exhibit an age-related polyethism, with ants performing tasks in the dark nest for the first ∼4 weeks of their adult life before they switch to visually based long-distance navigation to forage. Although behavioral and sensory aspects of this transition have been studied, the internal factors triggering the behavioral changes are largely unknown. We suggest the neuropeptide families allatostatin A (AstA), allatotropin (AT), short neuropeptide F (sNPF), and tachykinin (TK) as potential candidates. Based on a neuropeptidomic analysis in Camponotus floridanus, nano-LC-ESI MS/MS was used to identify these neuropeptides biochemically in Cataglyphis fortis. Furthermore, we show that all identified peptide families are present in the central brain and ventral ganglia of C. fortis whereas in the retrocerebral complex only sNPF could be detected. Immunofluorescence staining against AstA, AT, and TK in the brain revealed arborizations of AstA- and TK-positive neurons in primary sensory processing centers and higher order integration centers, whereas AT immunoreactivity was restricted to the central complex, the antennal mechanosensory and motor center, and the protocerebrum. For artificially dark-kept ants, we found that TK distribution changed markedly in the central complex from days 1 and 7 to day 14 after eclosion. Based on functional studies in Drosophila, this age-related variation of TK is suggestive of a modulatory role in locomotion behavior in C. fortis. We conclude that the general distribution and age-related changes in neuropeptides indicate a modulatory role in sensory input regions and higher order processing centers in the desert ant brain. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:901-918, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

SPECT and fMRI Analysis of Motor and Cognitive Indices of Early Parkinson’s Disease: The Relationship of Striatal Dopamine and Cortical Function

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-09-01

MC. Predicting white matter targets for direct neurostimulation therapy. Epilepsy Research 2010;PMID:20728313. Shukla D, Kaiser CC, Stebbins GT...Predicting white matter targets for direct neurostimulation therapy. Epilepsy Research 2010;PMID:20728313. Shukla D, Kaiser CC, Stebbins GT, Feinstein

Effect on neurostimulation of injectates used for perineural space expansion before placement of a stimulating catheter: normal saline versus dextrose 5% in water.

PubMed

Pham Dang, Charles; Lelong, Aurélie; Guilley, Jérôme; Nguyen, Jean Michel; Volteau, Christelle; Venet, Guillaume; Perrier, Cyril; Lejus, Corinne; Blanloeil, Yvonnick

2009-01-01

We clinically assessed the electrophysiologic effect of dextrose 5% in water (D5W) and of normal saline (NS) used for expansion of the perineural space before placing a stimulating catheter. We questioned if higher current was required with NS but not with D5W, as has been observed experimentally. This was a prospective randomized double-blind study of ASA I to II patients scheduled for total knee replacement. Patients from 2 hospitals were randomly assigned to receive unidentified injectate D5W (n = 25) or NS (n = 25). The primary outcome was the minimal intensity of stimulation (MIS) recorded before and after 2 and 5 mL of study injectates were flushed through the needle before placing a stimulating catheter for continuous femoral and sciatic nerve blocks. Secondary outcomes included, among other parameters, MIS recorded during placement of stimulating catheters. No difference between groups was found with MIS before injection. However, MIS recorded during neurostimulation via the needle in all blocks was significantly higher after 2 and 5 mL of NS than after D5W. In femoral blocks, MIS recorded during placement of catheters was higher during insertion after NS than after D5W but was not different after reaching the final site, regardless of injectate used. In sciatic blocks, MIS was not different during insertion regardless of injectate but was higher after NS than after D5W after reaching the final site. The current needed to electrostimulate the femoral or sciatic nerve was higher after injection of NS than after D5W.

Mammography Decision Aid Reduces Decisional Conflict for Women in Their Forties Considering Screening.

PubMed

Eden, Karen B; Scariati, Paula; Klein, Krystal; Watson, Lindsey; Remiker, Mark; Hribar, Michelle; Forro, Vanessa; Michaels, LeAnn; Nelson, Heidi D

2015-12-01

Clinical guidelines recommend a personalized approach to mammography screening for women in their forties; however, methods to do so are lacking. An evidence-based mammography screening decision aid was developed as an electronic mobile application and evaluated in a before-after study. The decision aid (Mammopad) included modules on breast cancer, mammography, risk assessment, and priority setting about screening. Women aged 40-49 years who were patients of rural primary care clinics, had no major risk factors for breast cancer, and no mammography during the previous year were invited to use the decision aid. Twenty women participated in pretesting of the decision aid and 75 additional women completed the before-after study. The primary outcome was decisional conflict measured before and after using Mammopad. Secondary outcomes included decision self-efficacy and intention to begin or continue mammography screening. Differences comparing measures before versus after use were determined using Wilcoxon signed rank tests. After using Mammopad, women reported reduced decisional conflict based on mean Decisional Conflict Scale scores overall (46.33 versus 8.33; Z = -7.225; p < 0.001) and on all subscales (p < 0.001). Women also reported increased mean Decision Self-Efficacy Scale scores (79.67 versus 95.73; Z = 6.816, p < 0.001). Although 19% of women changed their screening intentions, this was not statistically significant. Women reported less conflict about their decisions for mammography screening, and felt more confident to make decisions after using Mammopad. This approach may help guide women through the decision making process to determine personalized screening choices that are appropriate for them.

What is muscular dystrophy? Forty years of progressive ignorance.

PubMed

Dubowitz, V

2000-01-01

This lecture traces recent advances in knowledge of the muscular dystrophies, as well as their increasing complexity. They are described through the eyes of the author from his first exposure to and complete ignorance of the disease in the late 1950s, through the advent of modern techniques, to the molecular genetic revolution, with the recognition of individual genes and proteins for disorders within the muscular dystrophy umbrella. There initially seemed to be a logical sequence of linked membrane proteins from dystrophin in Duchenne and Becker dystrophy, through the dystrophin-associated glycoproteins (sarcoglycans) in some of the limb girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMD), to the extracellular matrix protein merosin (alpha-2 laminin) in congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD). The first spoke in the wheel came with the discovery of a calcium activated protease enzyme, calpain 3, in one form of LGMD, and subsequently another novel non-membrane protein, dysferlin, in another. There are currently at least eight distinct genetic forms of LGMD alone, and another eight separate genetic entities in the CMD group. This has highlighted our ignorance of the pathogenesis of the muscular dystrophies in relation to a diverse array of protein deficiencies. To compound things further, the X-linked and dominant forms of Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy have recently been linked to emerin and lamin A/C, respectively, two proteins of the nuclear membrane, opening up yet another new ballpark of discovery.

Forty Years of Teacher Education in Australia: 1974-2014

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Diane

2014-01-01

In this paper, I analyse the history of teacher education in Australia from 1974 to the current policy moment in which questions are increasingly being asked about the quality of teaching and teacher education. Teacher education is, and has been, a highly scrutinised domain in Australia. Since the 1970s, we have seen more than 100 reviews of…

Forty-Year-Old Foam Springs Back With New Benefits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

The most recognized and widely used NASA spinoff is at it again. Temper foam, whose origins date back to 1966 when it was developed to absorb shock and, thus, offer improved protection and comfort in NASA s airplane seats, has paid its dividends to Earth repeatedly, and in many different ways. It has padded the helmets of the Dallas Cowboys throughout the 1970s and 1980s, protected bedridden patients from bedsores, and comforted the feet of thousands wearing stylish shoes that incorporate the cushioning material in their insoles. Four decades later, the world has come to realize that there are no bounds to temper foam s benefits. Though the rights to the technology have been shared amongst various manufacturers, the original product maker is still going strong, pushing temper foam into new arenas, including automotives, amusement parks, prosthetics, and modern art.

Changes in Patterns of Health Care: Plus Forty Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sofalvi, Alan J.

2010-01-01

In this article, the author presents an update of Herman's article ["Changes in Patterns of Health Care," "School Health Review," 1(9-14)1969] that focuses on the changes in patterns of health care. He discusses the poverty, insurance, and access to medical care as well as the quality of medical care for adults and minors. He stresses that…

Forty years of land use and land ownership change in central Sierra Nevada oak woodlands

Treesearch

Matt Wacker; David Saah; Louise Fortmann

2002-01-01

The vast majority of California’s oak woodlands are privately owned, and, therefore, highly susceptible to changes in land use and ownership as well as land fragmentation. This is particularly true in the Central Sierra Nevada, where significant changes in land use have occurred during the past 40 years. Perhaps no location illustrates this trend better than the...

Long-term outcome of deep brain stimulation in fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome.

PubMed

Weiss, Daniel; Mielke, Carina; Wächter, Tobias; Bender, Benjamin; Liscic, Rajka M; Scholten, Marlieke; Naros, Georgios; Plewnia, Christian; Gharabaghi, Alireza; Krüger, Rejko

2015-03-01

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) presents as complex movement disorder including tremor and cerebellar ataxia. The efficacy and safety of deep brain stimulation of the nucleus ventralis intermedius of the thalamus in atypical tremor syndromes like FXTAS remains to be determined. Here, we report the long-term outcome of three male genetically confirmed FXTAS patients treated with bilateral neurostimulation of the nucleus ventralis intermedius for up to four years. All patients demonstrated sustained improvement of both tremor and ataxia - the latter included improvement of intention tremor and axial tremor. Kinematic gait analyses further demonstrated a regularization of the gait cycle. Initial improvements of hand functional disability were not sustained and reached the preoperative level of impairment within one to two years from surgery. Our data on patients with a genetic cause of tremor show favorable outcome and may contribute to improved patient stratification for neurostimulation therapy in the future. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Forty-year trends in the flux and concentration of phosphorus in British rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Civan, Aylin; Worrall, Fred; Jarvie, Helen P.; Howden, Nicholas J. K.; Burt, Tim P.

2018-03-01

Given the importance of phosphorus (P) in the eutrophication of natural waters, this study considered the long-term time series of total phosphorus (TP) and total reactive phosphorus (TRP) in British rivers from 1974 to 2012. The approach included not only trend analysis of fluxes and concentrations but also change point analysis. TP and TRP concentrations and fluxes in British rivers have declined since the mid-1980s. Over the last decade of the record the majority of individual sites did show significant downward trends in TP and TRP concentrations but, in 28% of cases for TRP concentration and 14% of cases for TP concentration, the decadal trend was a significant increase. Out of 230 sites, 136 showed a significant step decrease in TRP concentration; no sites showed a significant step increase. The modal year for the step changes for both TRP concentration and flux was 1997. Step changes are likely associated with improvements made at sewage treatment works to comply with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC). The decrease in TRP concentration due to the step change were in the range of 0.68% and 89% with a geometric mean of 22%, with the rest of the decrease accounted by long-term, persistent downward trend.

The Use of Lithium Batteries in Biomedical Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-15

bone growth stimulator (12) implantable sensor (6) drug infusion system (13) neurostimulator (7) gait assist device (14) pain suppressor The preferred...1000-2000 defibrillator 10-80 2000 neurostimulator 10-20 1-5 drug pump 20-50 1-2 tachyarrythmia control 20-100 2 dual cliamber paceinaker 20-100 single

Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial Comparing the Impact of Sham or Intranasal Tear Neurostimulation on Conjunctival Goblet Cell Degranulation.

PubMed

Gumus, Koray; Schuetzle, Karri L; Pflugfelder, Stephen C

2017-05-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of the Allergan Intranasal Tear Neurostimulator (ITN) on conjunctival goblet cell (GC) degranulation. A randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled crossover trial. A total of 15 subjects (5 normal and 10 dry eye) were enrolled in a 3-visit study consisting of 1 screening and 2 separate randomized-masked ITN treatments (sham extranasal or intranasal). Tear meniscus height (TMH) was measured by anterior segment optical coherence tomography before and after applications. Impression cytology (IC) was taken from the bulbar conjunctiva of the right eye for periodic acid-Schiff staining and from the left eye for MUC5AC mucin immunostaining at baseline and after each treatment. The ratio of degranulated to nondegranulated GCs was measured as a marker of secretion. In all participants, both inferior bulbar (IB) and temporal bulbar (TB) cytology specimens stained for MUC5AC revealed a significantly higher ratio of degranulated to nondegranulated GCs after the ITN (IB: 2.28 ± 1.27 and TB: 1.81 ± 1.01) compared to baseline (IB: 0.56 ± 0.55, P = .015) (TB: 0.56 ± 0.32, P = .003) and extranasal sham application (IB: 0.37 ± 0.29, P = .001) (TB: 0.39 ± 0.33, P = .001). When the same analysis was repeated in the dry eye or control groups, the ratio was significantly higher after ITN than the baseline ratio and ratio after extranasal application in both groups (P < .05). Moreover, although control subjects had a higher ratio of degranulated to nondegranulated GCs at baseline (0.75 ± 0.52) compared with the dry eye group (0.41 ± 0.27), the ratio became slightly higher in dry eye (2.04 ± 1.12 vs 1.99 ± 1.21 in control) after the ITN application. There was no significant difference between the IB or TB conjunctiva locations in terms of the effectiveness of the ITN application on conjunctival goblet cell secretory response. These preliminary results document that the Allergan ITN can stimulate degranulation of goblet

Getting the Lead Out of Bermuda; The Legacy of a Forty Year Record in the North Atlantic Using a Transient Experiment in the Atmosphere and Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Church, T. M.; Alleman, L. Y.; Veron, A. J. J.; Boyle, E. A.; Zurbrick, C.; Patterson, C. C.; Flegal, A. R., Jr.

2015-12-01

Some forty years ago, Schaule and Patterson established the first accurate profile of lead in waters off Bermuda. In evidence was a massive environmental insult from lead emissions being carried seaward by the atmosphere over the Sargasso Sea. Further documentation was possible using contiguous time series in the atmosphere on Bermuda, surface sea water nearby and recorded in local corals. Lead had then an overwhelming source from the combustion of gasoline, primarily in the USA and secondarily in Europe. These were carried to Bermuda on seasonally alternating temperate and trade winds from the west and east, respectively. The anthropogenic sources were well distinguished based on the unique radiogenic nature of stable lead isotopes in the gasoline being used by these countries. Subsequently, decreasing use in the west (USA) followed by that in the east (Europe) was isotopically evident. As such, the two signatures were subjected to transient mixing in the atmosphere and subsequently with depth in ocean. A transient experiment uses data during 1996-1998, a period of transition in leaded gasoline use in the USA and Europe. Here are complimentary records of lead concentration and stable isotopes in atmospheric deposition and surface waters. The results allow an isotopic mass balance, indicating much of the lead in Bermuda surface water at that time may not have been deposited locally. As such, it may be presumed to reflect easterly advection of some lead at the surface under limited scavenging via the prevailing subtropical gyre circulation. These annual circulation periods are consistent with both physical data and another lead isotopic mass balance in the east. Going forward, Bermuda time series of trace elements and isotopes such as lead could continue to record climatological (e.g. NAO) transients in atmospheric scavenging, potential impact on surface ecosystems, and changes in mixing into deeper waters of the Sargasso Sea and points further afield.

"Fortis/Lenis" Revisited One More Time: The Aerodynamics of Some Oral Stop Contrasts in Three Continents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butcher, Andrew

2004-01-01

The terms "fortis" and "lenis" are variously regarded as having one single underlying phonetic correlate or many. An exploratory analysis of acoustic and aerodynamic data on contrasting stop series in a number of European and non-European languages confirms that a significant variation in peak intra-oral pressure and in articulatory stricture…

Summative Evaluation of the "Fitness over Forty" Course. Evaluation & Project Research Report No. 15--1988-89.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ontario Educational Communications Authority, Toronto.

"Fitness over Forty" is a 17-week multimedia course designed to lead to improved physical fitness for adults in the 40 to 60 age bracket who are of average health but have not been consistent in their physical activity. Course components include seven 30-minute television programs, a guidebook, and a fitness diary (including fitness…

The ODAS Italia 1 buoy: More than forty years of activity in the Ligurian Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canepa, Elisa; Pensieri, Sara; Bozzano, Roberto; Faimali, Marco; Traverso, Pierluigi; Cavaleri, Luigi

2015-06-01

The Ligurian Sea plays a relevant role in driving both the circulation of the Western Mediterranean Sea and the weather and climate of the area. In order to better understand the peculiarities of this basin, the Oceanographic Data Acquisition System (ODAS) Italia 1 buoy was developed and deployed in the early '70s. Throughout the years, the buoy has been fitted with updated measuring and data acquiring systems. Since 2003 the buoy has been part of the Mediterranean Moored Multi-sensor Array network of fixed open ocean observatories with the W1-M3A identifier and presently constitutes one of the Mediterranean sites of the European FixO3 network. Recently, a deep-ocean sub-surface mooring line was, and is, deployed close to it in relation to specific projects. This multidisciplinary observing system is able to perform both long-term operational and ad-hoc monitoring from the lower atmosphere to the deep ocean. It is used for analysis of air-sea interaction processes, study of the physical proprieties of the water column, bio-geo-chemical monitoring of the sea, meteorological and oceanographic model evaluation, calibration of remotely sensed measurements, and development of innovative marine monitoring technologies. After reporting some historical notes and the description of the observing system, this paper summarises and reviews the main oceanographic and atmospheric studies performed during the last 15 years using the data acquired on board.

Dreams, Hopes, Realities: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, the First Forty Years

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallace, Lane E.

1999-01-01

Throughout history, the great achievements of civilizations and cultures have been recorded in lists of dates and events. But to look only at the machinery, discoveries, or milestones is to miss the value of these achievements. Each goal achieved or discovery or made represents a supreme effort on the part of individual people who came and worked together for a purpose greater than themselves. Driven by an innate curiosity of the spirit, we have built civilizations and discovered new worlds, always reaching out beyond what we knew or thought was possible. These efforts may have used ships or machinery, but the achievement was that of the humans who made those machines possible- remarkable people willing to endure discomfort, frustration, fatigue, and the risk of failure in the hope of finding out something new. This is the case with the history of the Goddard Space Flight Center. This publication traces the legacy of successes, risks, disappointments and internationally recognized triumphs of the Center's first 40 years. It is a story of technological achievement and scientific discovery; of reaching back to the dawn of time and opening up a new set of eyes on our own planet Earth. In the end, it is not a story about machinery or discoveries, but a story about ourselves. If we were able to step off our planet, and if we continue to discover new mysteries and better technology, it is because the people who work at Goddard always had a passion for exploration and the dedication to make it happen. The text that follows is a testimony to the challenges people at the Goddard Space Flight Center have faced and overcome over almost half a century. Today, we stand on the threshold of a new and equally challenging era. It will once again test our ingenuity, skills, and flexibility as we find new ways of working with our colleagues in industry, government, and academia. Doing more with less is every bit as ambitious as designing the first science instrument to study the

Combination Effects of Forty Carcinogens Administered at Low Doses to Male Rats

PubMed Central

Takayama, Shozo; Hasegawa, Hirokazu; Ohgaki, Hiroko

1989-01-01

An investigation was conducted to determine whether a mixture of low doses of forty carcinogens that target different organs, including the liver, intestine, thyroid, urinary bladder, and skin, is effective for tumor induction in F344/DuCrj rats. The dose of each carcinogen in the diet was 1/50 of the TD50 value, treatment being continued for 102 weeks. Significant numbers of neoplastic nodules of the liver and follicular cell tumors of the thyroid developed in the animals exposed to the carcinogen mixture, although the question of whether the observed carcinogenic effects were synergistic or additive could not be answered. The results serve to evaluate carcinogenic risk in the search for causes of human cancer. PMID:2511179

[Glenohumeral instability in patients over 40 years-old: injuries, treatment and complications].

PubMed

López-Hualda, A; Marín-Aguado, M A; Valencia-García, H; López-González, D; Gavín-González, C

2014-01-01

Recurrent shoulder dislocation is infrequent after forty years and presents different injuries than younger patients. To compare injuries and complications after surgery between one group older than forty years of age and another younger group. A review was made o all patients who had undergone arthroscopic surgery due to glenohumeral instability from 1999 until 2011. The mean follow-up was 64 months. The case group consisted of all patients older than 40 years at the time of the surgery (n=21), which was compared with a similar sized control group of randomly selected younger patients (n=27). The mean age in the older group was 54 years (SD 11.86), while it was 26 years (SD 5.80) in the younger group. No differences were founded between both groups in labrum injury, Hill-Sachs injury, and bone Bankart lesion (P>.05). Rotator cuff tears were 7.3 times (95% CI; 2.5-21.6) more frequent in the older group (81%) compared to the younger group (P<.05). However, neurological injuries after dislocation were not more frequent in this group. There was no significant difference between the complications after surgery and the age according to the design (P>.05). Anterior recurrent dislocation after forty years of age is usually associated with rotator cuff tears. Arthroscopic treatment of instability was effective with no more postoperative complications. Copyright © 2013 SECOT. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Ocean Hill-Brownsville, 40 Years Later

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahlenberg, Richard D.

2008-01-01

Forty years ago--on May 9, 1968--the local school board in Brooklyn's black ghetto of Ocean Hill-Brownsville sent telegrams to 19 unionized educators, informing them that their employment in the district was terminated. Eighteen were white. One black teacher was mistakenly included on the list, but reinstated almost immediately after the error was…

Over forty years of bladder cancer glycobiology: Where do glycans stand facing precision oncology?

PubMed Central

Azevedo, Rita; Peixoto, Andreia; Gaiteiro, Cristiana; Fernandes, Elisabete; Neves, Manuel; Lima, Luís; Santos, Lúcio Lara; Ferreira, José Alexandre

2017-01-01

The high molecular heterogeneity of bladder tumours is responsible for significant variations in disease course, as well as elevated recurrence and progression rates, thereby hampering the introduction of more effective targeted therapeutics. The implementation of precision oncology settings supported by robust molecular models for individualization of patient management is warranted. This effort requires a comprehensive integration of large sets of panomics data that is yet to be fully achieved. Contributing to this goal, over 40 years of bladder cancer glycobiology have disclosed a plethora of cancer-specific glycans and glycoconjugates (glycoproteins, glycolipids, proteoglycans) accompanying disease progressions and dissemination. This review comprehensively addresses the main structural findings in the field and consequent biological and clinical implications. Given the cell surface and secreted nature of these molecules, we further discuss their potential for non-invasive detection and therapeutic development. Moreover, we highlight novel mass-spectrometry-based high-throughput analytical and bioinformatics tools to interrogate the glycome in the postgenomic era. Ultimately, we outline a roadmap to guide future developments in glycomics envisaging clinical implementation. PMID:29207682

Effect of population density on reproduction in Microtus fortis under laboratory conditions.

PubMed

Han, Qunhua; Zhang, Meiwen; Guo, Cong; Shen, Guo; Wang, Yong; Li, Bo; Xu, Zhenggang

2014-06-01

Between December 2011 and March 2012, the reproductive characteristics of Microtus fortis reared in the laboratory at different population densities were assessed. In all, 258 male and female voles were randomly divided into 4 groups and reared at densities of 2, 4, 6, and 8 animals per cage (sex ratio: 1:1). The results showed that the pregnancy rate (χ2 = 21.671, df = 3, P < 0.001) and first farrowing interval (F = 12.355, df = 3, P < 0.001) were significantly different among the different population density groups, but the mean litter size (mean ± SD) was not (F = 2.669, df = 3, P > 0.05). In particular, the reproductive index and sex hormone levels showed a significant difference among the different density groups studied.

Enzymatic degradation of hybrid iota-/nu-carrageenan by Alteromonas fortis iota-carrageenase.

PubMed

Jouanneau, Diane; Boulenguer, Patrick; Mazoyer, Jacques; Helbert, William

2010-05-07

Hybrid iota-/nu-carrageenan was water-extracted from Eucheuma denticulatum and incubated with Alteromonas fortis iota-carrageenase. The degradation products were then separated by anion-exchange chromatography. The three most abundant fractions of hybrid iota-/nu-carrageenan oligosaccharides were purified and their structures were analyzed by NMR. The smallest hybrid was an octasaccharide with a iota-iota-nu-iota structure. The second fraction was composed of two decasaccharides with iota-iota-iota-nu-iota and iota-[iota/nu]-iota-iota structures. The third fraction was a mixture of dodecasaccharides which contained at least a iota-iota-iota-iota-nu-iota oligosaccharide. The carbon and proton NMR spectra of the octasaccharides were completely assigned, thereby completely attributing the nu-carrabiose moiety for the first time.

Academic health sciences library Website navigation: an analysis of forty-one Websites and their navigation tools.

PubMed

Brower, Stewart M

2004-10-01

The analysis included forty-one academic health sciences library (HSL) Websites as captured in the first two weeks of January 2001. Home pages and persistent navigational tools (PNTs) were analyzed for layout, technology, and links, and other general site metrics were taken. Websites were selected based on rank in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, with regional and resource libraries given preference on the basis that these libraries are recognized as leaders in their regions and would be the most reasonable source of standards for best practice. A three-page evaluation tool was developed based on previous similar studies. All forty-one sites were evaluated in four specific areas: library general information, Website aids and tools, library services, and electronic resources. Metrics taken for electronic resources included orientation of bibliographic databases alphabetically by title or by subject area and with links to specifically named databases. Based on the results, a formula for determining obligatory links was developed, listing items that should appear on all academic HSL Web home pages and PNTs. These obligatory links demonstrate a series of best practices that may be followed in the design and construction of academic HSL Websites.

Forty-Year Follow-up of Full-Thickness Skin Graft After Thermal Burn Injury to the Volar Hand.

PubMed

Weeks, Dexter; Kasdan, Morton L; Wilhelmi, Bradon J

2016-01-01

The hands are commonly affected in severe thermal burn injuries. Resulting contractures lead to significant loss of function. Burn contracture release and skin grafting are necessary to restore hand function. We report a case in which surgical reconstruction of a volar hand burn was performed with full-thickness skin grafting. The patient had a 40-year follow-up to assess the function and cosmesis of the repaired hand. We report a case in which a 15-month-old boy presented after receiving third-degree burns to the left volar hand, including the flexural aspects of the index, long, and ring fingers by placing it on a hot kitchen stove burner. The patient subsequently underwent scar contracture release and full-thickness skin grafting. Eleven years after reconstruction, further contractures developed associated with the patient's growth, which were reconstructed with repeat full-thickness skin graft from the inguinal region. No recurrence was witnessed afterward and 40 years after initial injury, the patient maintains full activities of daily living and use of his hand in his occupation. There is debate regarding the superiority of split-thickness versus full-thickness grafts during reconstruction. Our case strengthens the argument for durability of a full-thickness skin graft following thermal burn injury.

Forty years of referrals and outcomes to a UK Child Development Centre (CDC): Has demand plateaued?

PubMed

Williams, A N; Mold, B; Kilbey, L; Naganna, P

2018-05-01

To explore 40 years of Child Development Centre (CDC) activity and outcomes at Northampton General Hospital 1974-2014. The study comprises 3 data sets: a published report from 1974 to 1999, an internal audit from 2001 to 2004, and more recent data collected from 2005 to 2014. The medical notes of all children who were assessed by the CDC in 2014 were reviewed, along with referral data collected by the CDC manager from this year and the preceding 10 years. From January 1, 1974 to December 31, 2014, 3,786 children were assessed. The male to female ratio is 2.8:1 from 2005 to 2014. Referrals for behavioural difficulties increased from 10% (10/100 referrals) in 1999-2004 to 17.8% (18/101 referrals) in 2014. Similarly, referrals for social and communication problems, "interaction" increased two and a half fold from 10% (10/100 referrals) in 1999-2004 to 26.7% (27/101 referrals) in 2014. Between 2004 and 2014, numbers of referrals for "developmental delay" halved (22.2% to 12%). We are aware of no other comparable extant UK CDC database. Services should plan for a referral rate of 6.5 per 1,000 preschool children. Between 1974 and 2014, there has clearly been a change in recorded assessment outcomes. From the mid-1980s, this reflects the change to a preschool assessment role and a shift away from purely educational outcome to include medical conditions. Covering 1974-2014, we demonstrate a clear increase in the number of referrals together with an increasing demand for assessments for social interaction and behavioural difficulties. This reflects the increased awareness of these neurodevelopmental difficulties and the changing diagnostic criteria which will now more likely result in an Autistic Spectrum Disorder diagnosis than previously. Together, these two features are most likely to have considerable implications for service development within Child Development Centres (CDCs) and Child Development Teams (CDTs). © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

40 years of neutrino physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reines, Frederick

Wolfgang Pauli and Enrico Fermi pioneered the hypothesis and characteristics of the weak interaction and the elementary particle called the neutrino. Since its discovery some forty years ago the neutrino has been shown to be a fundamental constituent of matter with a surprisingly rich, and in very many ways unexpected, set of characteristics ranging from basic roles in the generation of energy in the sun to supernovæ.

Magic Memories: Young Children's Verbal Recall after a 6-Year Delay

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jack, Fiona; Simcock, Gabrielle; Hayne, Harlene

2012-01-01

This report describes the first prospective study specifically designed to assess children's verbal memory for a unique event 6 years after it occurred. Forty-six 27- to 51-month-old children took part in a unique event and were interviewed about it twice, after 24-hr and 6-year delays. During the 6-year interview, 9 children verbally recalled the…

Forty more years of ramifications: Spectral asymptotics and its applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fulling, S.A.; Narcowhich, F.J.

1992-01-01

In writing this book, the editors commissioned eight experts in the field of Spectral Asymptotics to each contribute an article in their particular field of expertise. The written version of Hermann Weyl's famous Gibbs Lecture of 1948 is reprinted, as is the lecture given by Bryce DeWitt upon his acceptance of the Dirac Medal in 1987 for his view on Curved-Spacetime Propagators. The compilation is an interesting historical document as well as an invaluable resource for individuals seeking information on a specific subject.

Reflections on forty years of rendering medical care to women.

PubMed Central

Stuermer, V. M.

1995-01-01

This paper provides a brief account of events leading to the establishment of the constitutional right to privacy in the case known as Griswold vs. State of Connecticut. It also discusses changes in the training of residents in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine and the evolving role of women in the residency program. It concludes with reflections and speculations about new directions in medical care for women. PMID:8903042

Closing the Gap: Forty Years of Economic Progress for Blacks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, James P.; Welch, Finis R.

This report presents the findings on the long-term economic progress of American blacks. The report consists of seven sections. The first is a general introduction. Section 2 describes major changes in the racial wage gap for males from 1940 to 1980 and identifies the distribution of wage gains among important subgroups in the black population.…

Abregrams or deleweds: A forty-year view of acronyms. [Abbreviations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bowden, D.D.

New concepts often call for new words and abbreviated forms in the language. Not linguists, but persons who first envision, describe, and use new ideas are the ones who rearrange existing word combinations or create new terminology. Professional communicators do not prescribe usage, but can influence the selection of new words and especially acronyms. A practical knowledge of etymology, usage, and trends will help communicators make more discriminating choices.

[Finite element study of maxillary Le Fort-I osteotomy with rigid internal fixation].

PubMed

Zhou, Jian; Sun, Geng-Lin; Wu, Wei; Xu, Chong-Tao; Wang, Peng-Lin

2010-05-01

To study the biomechanical characteristic of maxillary Le fort- I osteotomy with rigid internal fixation (RIF) , so as to choose best fixation method. The 3-dimensional finite element models of maxillary Le Fort-I osteotomy with 9 kinds of RIF methods were established. Then the models were divided into three groups to calculate the stress distribution of the maxilla and the displacement of bone segment under 3 kinds of occlusion condition. The fixation stability of the different RIF methods was evaluated. Under the incisor occlusion condition, the stress of the cranio maxillary complex transmits mainly along the nasal-maxillary buttress. Under the premolar and molar occlusion condition, the stress transmits along the alveolar process first, then turns to the nasal-maxillary and zygomatic-maxillary buttress. The focused stress position of the internal fixation system is at the connection between the screws and the plate and at the plate near the osteotomy line. Under the premolar occlusion condition, the displacement of bone segment with different RIF methods was (in a decreasing order) 0.396509 mm (with bio-absorbable plate), 0.148393 mm (with micro-plate ), 0.078436 mm (with mini-plate) in group 1; 0.188791 mm (fixing at the nasal-maxillary buttress), 0.121718 mm (fixing at the zygomatic-maxillary buttress), 0.078436 mm (fixing at the both buttress) in group 2; 0.091023 mm (with straight plate), 0.078436 mm (with L shape plate), 0.072450 mm (with Y shape plate), 0.065617 mm (with T shape plate) in group 3. The fixation stability of using the bio-absorbable plate in Le Fort-I osteotomy is less stable than using the titanium plate. Fixing at the zygomatic-maxillary buttress is more stable than at the naso-maxillary buttress. The fixation stability is different by using different shapes of plates.

Academic health sciences library Website navigation: an analysis of forty-one Websites and their navigation tools

PubMed Central

Brower, Stewart M.

2004-01-01

Background: The analysis included forty-one academic health sciences library (HSL) Websites as captured in the first two weeks of January 2001. Home pages and persistent navigational tools (PNTs) were analyzed for layout, technology, and links, and other general site metrics were taken. Methods: Websites were selected based on rank in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, with regional and resource libraries given preference on the basis that these libraries are recognized as leaders in their regions and would be the most reasonable source of standards for best practice. A three-page evaluation tool was developed based on previous similar studies. All forty-one sites were evaluated in four specific areas: library general information, Website aids and tools, library services, and electronic resources. Metrics taken for electronic resources included orientation of bibliographic databases alphabetically by title or by subject area and with links to specifically named databases. Results: Based on the results, a formula for determining obligatory links was developed, listing items that should appear on all academic HSL Web home pages and PNTs. Conclusions: These obligatory links demonstrate a series of best practices that may be followed in the design and construction of academic HSL Websites. PMID:15494756

New Stimulation Strategy to Improve the Bladder Function in Paraplegics: Chronic Experiments in Dogs

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-25

urinary system [4]. More recently, neurostimulation and neuromodulation of the sacral nerve root seems to be one of the most promising options to enhance...day. Expelled and residual urine volumes were measured. Also the applied parameters for the continuous low frequency / low amplitude neuromodulation ...VCUG) with neurostimulation was carried out after IVU study. Low-frequency only stimulation During the 7th month, daily stimulations were performed

"Storm Alley" on Saturn and "Roaring Forties" on Earth: two bright phenomena of the same origin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kochemasov, G. G.

2009-04-01

"Storm Alley" on Saturn and "Roaring Forties' on Earth: two bright phenomena of the same origin. G. Kochemasov IGEM of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, kochem.36@mail.ru Persisting swirling storms around 35 parallel of the southern latitude in the Saturnian atmosphere and famous "Roaring Forties" of the terrestrial hydro- and atmosphere are two bright phenomena that should be explained by the same physical law. The saturnian "Storm Alley" (as it is called by the Cassini scientists) is a stable feature observed also by "Voyager". The Earth's "Roaring Forties" are well known to navigators from very remote times. The wave planetology [1-3 & others] explains this similarity by a fact that both atmospheres belong to rotating globular planets. This means that the tropic and extra-tropic belts of these bodies have differing angular momenta. Belonging to one body these belts, naturally, tend to equilibrate their angular momenta mainly by redistribution of masses and densities [4]. But a perfect equilibration is impossible as long as a rotating body (Saturn or Earth or any other) keeps its globular shape due to mighty gravity. So, a contradiction of tropics and extra-tropics will be forever and the zone mainly between 30 to 50 degrees in both hemispheres always will be a zone of friction, turbulence and strong winds. Some echoes of these events will be felt farther poleward up to 70 degrees. On Earth the Roaring Forties (40˚-50˚) have a continuation in Furious Fifties (50˚-60˚) and Shrieking (Screaming) Sixties (below 60˚, close to Antarctica). Below are some examples of excited atmosphere of Saturn imaged by Cassini. PIA09734 - storms within 46˚ south; PIA09778 - monitoring the Maelstrom, 44˚ north; PIA09787 - northern storms, 59˚ north; PIA09796 - cloud details, 44˚ north; PIA10413 - storms of the high north, 70˚ north; PIA10411 - swirling storms, "Storm Alley", 35˚ south; PIA10457 - keep it rolling, "Storm Alley", 35˚ south; PIA10439 - dance

[The development of Rein van Bemmelens (1904-1983) undation theory: forty years of Dutch geology].

PubMed

Barzilay, Willemjan

2009-01-01

The Dutch geologist Rein van Bemmelen was the greatest opponent of plate tectonics in The Netherlands. He lived and worked during an important period in the history of earth sciences. He had studied geology when Wegeners theory was introduced and enthusiastically received in the Netherlands and he worked as a geologists during the period in which, after Wegeners theory was rejected in The Netherlands, several Dutch geologists came with their own theories to explain the origin of continents and oceans and in which plate tectonics was introduced in The Netherlands. He had proposed his own theory, the undation theory, at the beginning of the 1930s and kept on developing it during the following years. He continued to do so until his death in 1983. The history of the undation theory thus sheds light on the history of geology in The Netherlands. I will trace the history of geology in The Netherlands using Rein van Bemmelen and his undation theory as a lens.

A novel, objective, quantitative method of evaluation of the back pain component using comparative computerized multi-parametric tactile mapping before/after spinal cord stimulation and database analysis: the "Neuro-Pain't" software.

PubMed

Rigoard, P; Nivole, K; Blouin, P; Monlezun, O; Roulaud, M; Lorgeoux, B; Bataille, B; Guetarni, F

2015-03-01

One of the major challenges of neurostimulation is actually to address the back pain component in patients suffering from refractory chronic back and leg pain. Facing a tremendous expansion of neurostimulation techniques and available devices, implanters and patients can still remain confused as they need to select the right tool for the right indication. To be able to evaluate and compare objectively patient outcomes, depending on therapeutical strategies, it appears essential to develop a rational and quantitative approach to pain assessment for those who undergo neurostimulation implantation. We developed a touch screen interface, in Poitiers University Hospital and N(3)Lab, called the "Neuro-Pain'T", to detect, record and quantify the painful area surface and intensity changes in an implanted patient within time. The second aim of this software is to analyse the link between a paraesthesia coverage generated by a type of neurostimulation and a potential analgesic effect, measured by pain surface reduction, pain intensity reduction within the painful surface and local change in pain characteristics distribution. The third aim of Neuro-Pain'T is to correlate these clinical parameters to global patient data and functional outcome analysis, via a network database (Neuro-Database), to be able to provide a concise but objective approach of the neurostimulation efficacy, summarized by an index called "RFG Index". This software has been used in more than 190 patients since 2012, leading us to define three clinical parameters grouped as a clinical component of the RFG Index, which might be helpful to assess neurostimulation efficacy and compare implanted devices. The Neuro-Pain'T is an original software designed to objectively and quantitatively characterize reduction of a painful area in a given individual, in terms of intensity, surface and pain typology, in response to a treatment strategy or implantation of an analgesic device. Because pain is a physical sensation

Renal function replacement by hemodialysis: forty-year anniversary and a glimpse into the future at hand.

PubMed

Catapano, Gerardo; Buscaroli, Andrea

2017-07-05

From its introduction in 1943 and until the late 1970s, hemodialysis (HD) has been a lengthy and cumbersome treatment administered by a few skilled physicians and technicians to a very limited number of terminal kidney patients. The technological innovations introduced over the years made HD a treatment administered and supervised by nursing personnel to a very large numbers of kidney patients, hopefully until recovery of kidney functions or kidney transplantation. In 2013, it is estimated that 2.250.00 kidney patients were treated worldwide, and their number is steadily increasing. Shortage of transplant kidneys and quality of current treatments has contributed to increasing the survival of HD patients. Today, it is not unusual to find patients who have been on HD for longer than twenty years. All this generated the feeling that performance of membranes and dialysis technology has reached its limit. Recently, the increasing economic burden of healthcare caused by people ageing and the increasing incidence of degenerative diseases (e.g. diabetes and cardiovascular diseases), and the economic crisis has pushed many governments and health insurances to cut resources for healthcare. The main consequence is that investments in research and development in HD have been significantly reduced. The question is whether there is indeed no need for innovation in HD.In this paper, it is discussed how the paradigm of HD has changed and what possibly are now the drivers for innovation in HD. A few ideas are proposed that could be developed by adapting existing technologies to the future needs of HD.

Impaired IQ and Academic Skills in Adults Who Experienced Moderate to Severe Infantile Malnutrition: A Forty-Year Study

PubMed Central

Waber, Deborah P.; Bryce, Cyralene P.; Girard, Jonathan M.; Zichlin, Miriam; Fitzmaurice, Garrett M.; Galler, Janina R.

2013-01-01

Objectives To evaluate IQ and academic skills in adults who experienced an episode of moderate to severe infantile malnutrition and a healthy control group, all followed since childhood in the Barbados Nutrition Study. Methods IQ and academic skills were assessed in 77 previously malnourished adults (mean age=38.4 years; 53% male) and 59 controls (mean age=38.1 years; 54% male). Group comparisons were carried out by multiple regression and logistic regression, adjusted for childhood socioeconomic factors. Results The previously malnourished group showed substantial deficits on all outcomes relative to healthy controls (p<0.0001). IQ scores in the Intellectual Disability range (< 70) were 9 times more prevalent in the previously malnourished group (OR=9.18; 95% CI=3.50-24.13). Group differences in IQ of approximately one standard deviation were stable from adolescence through mid-life. Discussion Moderate to severe malnutrition during infancy is associated with a significantly elevated incidence of impaired IQ in adulthood, even when physical growth is completely rehabilitated. An episode of malnutrition during the first year of life carries risk for significant lifelong functional morbidity. PMID:23484464

Forty years of spruce–fir stand development following herbicide application and precommercial thinning in central Maine, USA

Treesearch

Matthew G. Olson; Robert G. Wagner; John C. Brissette

2012-01-01

We examined the development of a 33-year experiment in spruce–fir stands that received nine herbicide treatments (applied aerially in 1977), with and without precommercial thinning (PCT) (applied in 1986). We tested two commonly held assumptions about the long-term effects of herbicide and PCT in mixedwood stands managed for softwoods: (i) herbicide release produces...

Frederick National Laboratory Celebrates 40 Years | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Ashley DeVine, Staff Writer Forty years ago, what we now call the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research was born. Here are some highlights in the facility’s history. October 19, 1971 – President Richard Nixon announced that Fort Detrick would be converted from a biological warfare facility to a cancer research center (Covert, Norman M., Cutting Edge: A History

Forty-two years of change in an old-growth and second-growth beech-maple forest of north central Ohio

Treesearch

Natalie R. Pinheiro; P. Charles Goebel; David M. Hix

2008-01-01

Using data collected in 1964 and 2006, we examined changes in the composition and structure of a second-growth and old-growth beech-maple forest of Crall Woods, located in Ashland County of north central Ohio. Over the 42 years, the old-growth forest (estimated to be at least 250 years old) experienced a significant shift in species composition as American beech,...

Forty years of improvements in European air quality: regional policy-industry interactions with global impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crippa, Monica; Janssens-Maenhout, Greet; Dentener, Frank; Guizzardi, Diego; Sindelarova, Katerina; Muntean, Marilena; Van Dingenen, Rita; Granier, Claire

2016-03-01

The EDGARv4.3.1 (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) global anthropogenic emissions inventory of gaseous (SO2, NOx, CO, non-methane volatile organic compounds and NH3) and particulate (PM10, PM2.5, black and organic carbon) air pollutants for the period 1970-2010 is used to develop retrospective air pollution emissions scenarios to quantify the roles and contributions of changes in energy consumption and efficiency, technology progress and end-of-pipe emission reduction measures and their resulting impact on health and crop yields at European and global scale. The reference EDGARv4.3.1 emissions include observed and reported changes in activity data, fuel consumption and air pollution abatement technologies over the past 4 decades, combined with Tier 1 and region-specific Tier 2 emission factors. Two further retrospective scenarios assess the interplay of policy and industry. The highest emission STAG_TECH scenario assesses the impact of the technology and end-of-pipe reduction measures in the European Union, by considering historical fuel consumption, along with a stagnation of technology with constant emission factors since 1970, and assuming no further abatement measures and improvement imposed by European emission standards. The lowest emission STAG_ENERGY scenario evaluates the impact of increased fuel consumption by considering unchanged energy consumption since the year 1970, but assuming the technological development, end-of-pipe reductions, fuel mix and energy efficiency of 2010. Our scenario analysis focuses on the three most important and most regulated sectors (power generation, manufacturing industry and road transport), which are subject to multi-pollutant European Union Air Quality regulations. Stagnation of technology and air pollution reduction measures at 1970 levels would have led to 129 % (or factor 2.3) higher SO2, 71 % higher NOx and 69 % higher PM2.5 emissions in Europe (EU27), demonstrating the large role that technology has

FNL: Marking the First 40 Years | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Carolynne Keenan, Guest Writer Forty years ago, a single act by former President Richard Nixon created what we now know as the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNL) at Fort Detrick. What began as a small facility with a staff of about 20 people in the early 1970s grew into the multi-facility, nationally distinguished laboratory for cancer research that it

FNL: Marking the First 40 Years | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Carolynne Keenan, Guest Writer Forty years ago, a single act by former President Richard Nixon created what we now know as the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNL) at Fort Detrick. What began as a small facility with a staff of about 20 people in the early 1970s grew into the multi-facility, nationally distinguished laboratory for cancer research that it is today.

17 CFR 240.15a-4 - Forty-five day exemption from registration for certain members of national securities exchanges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Forty-five day exemption from registration for certain members of national securities exchanges. 240.15a-4 Section 240.15a-4 Commodity and... national securities exchanges. (a) A natural person who is a member of a national securities exchange shall...

Growth and Decline in Language and Phonological Memory over Two Years among Adolescents with Down Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conners, Frances A.; Tungate, Andrew S.; Abbeduto, Leonard; Merrill, Edward C.; Faught, Gayle G.

2018-01-01

Forty-two adolescents with Down syndrome (DS) ages 10 to 21 years completed a battery of language and phonological memory measures twice, 2 years apart. Individual differences were highly stable across two years. Receptive vocabulary scores improved, there was no change in receptive or expressive grammar scores, and nonword repetition scores…

Cost analysis of awake versus asleep deep brain stimulation: a single academic health center experience.

PubMed

Jacob, R Lorie; Geddes, Jonah; McCartney, Shirley; Burchiel, Kim J

2016-05-01

OBJECT The objective of this study was to compare the cost of deep brain stimulation (DBS) performed awake versus asleep at a single US academic health center and to compare costs across the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) Clinical Database. METHODS Inpatient and outpatient demographic and hospital financial data for patients receiving a neurostimulator lead implant (from the first quarter of 2009 to the second quarter of 2014) were collected and analyzed. Inpatient charges included those associated with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) procedure code 0293 (implantation or replacement of intracranial neurostimulator lead). Outpatient charges included all preoperative charges ≤ 30 days prior to implant and all postoperative charges ≤ 30 days after implant. The cost of care based on reported charges and a cost-to-charge ratio was estimated. The UHC database was queried (January 2011 to March 2014) with the same ICD-9 code. Procedure cost data across like hospitals (27 UHC hospitals) conducting similar DBS procedures were compared. RESULTS Two hundred eleven DBS procedures (53 awake and 158 asleep) were performed at a single US academic health center during the study period. The average patient age ( ± SD) was 65 ± 9 years old and 39% of patients were female. The most common primary diagnosis was Parkinson's disease (61.1%) followed by essential and other forms of tremor (36%). Overall average DBS procedure cost was $39,152 ± $5340. Asleep DBS cost $38,850 ± $4830, which was not significantly different than the awake DBS cost of $40,052 ± $6604. The standard deviation for asleep DBS was significantly lower (p ≤ 0.05). In 2013, the median cost for a neurostimulator implant lead was $34,052 at UHC-affiliated hospitals that performed at least 5 procedures a year. At Oregon Health & Science University, the median cost was $17,150 and the observed single academic health center cost for a neurostimulator lead implant was

Forty-five degree cutting septoplasty.

PubMed

Hsiao, Yen-Chang; Chang, Chun-Shin; Chuang, Shiow-Shuh; Kolios, Georgios; Abdelrahman, Mohamed

2016-01-01

The crooked nose represents a challenge for rhinoplasty surgeons, and many methods have been proposed for management; however, there is no ideal method for treatment. Accordingly, the 45° cutting septoplasty technique, which involves a 45° cut at the junction of the L-shaped strut and repositioning it to achieve a straight septum is proposed. From October 2010 to September 2014, 43 patients underwent the 45° cutting septoplasty technique. There were 28 men and 15 women, with ages ranging from 20 to 58 years (mean, 33 years). Standardized photographs were obtained at every visit. Established photogrammetric parameters were used to describe the degree of correction: Correction rate = (preoperative total deviation - postoperative residual deviation)/preoperative total deviation × 100% was proposed. The mean follow-up period for all patients was 12.3 months. The mean preoperative deviation was 64.3° and the mean postoperative deviation was 2.7°; the overall correction rate was 95.8%. One patient experienced composite implant deviation two weeks postoperatively and underwent revision rhinoplasty. There were no infections, hematomas or postoperative bleeding. Based on the clinical observation of all patients during the follow-up period, the 45° cutting septoplasty technique was shown to be effective for the treatment of crooked nose.

In-Vivo Animation of Auditory-Language-Induced Gamma-Oscillations in Children with Intractable Focal Epilepsy

PubMed Central

Brown, Erik C.; Rothermel, Robert; Nishida, Masaaki; Juhász, Csaba; Muzik, Otto; Hoechstetter, Karsten; Sood, Sandeep; Chugani, Harry T.; Asano, Eishi

2008-01-01

We determined if high-frequency gamma-oscillations (50- to 150-Hz) were induced by simple auditory communication over the language network areas in children with focal epilepsy. Four children (ages: 7, 9, 10 and 16 years) with intractable left-hemispheric focal epilepsy underwent extraoperative electrocorticography (ECoG) as well as language mapping using neurostimulation and auditory-language-induced gamma-oscillations on ECoG. The audible communication was recorded concurrently and integrated with ECoG recording to allow for accurate time-lock upon ECoG analysis. In three children, who successfully completed the auditory-language task, high-frequency gamma-augmentation sequentially involved: i) the posterior superior temporal gyrus when listening to the question, ii) the posterior lateral temporal region and the posterior frontal region in the time interval between question completion and the patient’s vocalization, and iii) the pre- and post-central gyri immediately preceding and during the patient’s vocalization. The youngest child, with attention deficits, failed to cooperate during the auditory-language task, and high-frequency gamma-augmentation was noted only in the posterior superior temporal gyrus when audible questions were given. The size of language areas suggested by statistically-significant high-frequency gamma-augmentation was larger than that defined by neurostimulation. The present method can provide in-vivo imaging of electrophysiological activities over the language network areas during language processes. Further studies are warranted to determine whether recording of language-induced gamma-oscillations can supplement language mapping using neurostimulation in presurgical evaluation of children with focal epilepsy. PMID:18455440

A digital wireless system for closed-loop inhibition of nociceptive signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuo, Chao; Yang, Xiaofei; Wang, Yang; Hagains, Christopher E.; Li, Ai-Ling; Peng, Yuan B.; Chiao, J.-C.

2012-10-01

Neurostimulation of the spinal cord or brain has been used to inhibit nociceptive signals in pain management applications. Nevertheless, most of the current neurostimulation models are based on open-loop system designs. There is a lack of closed-loop systems for neurostimulation in research with small freely-moving animals and in future clinical applications. Based on our previously developed analog wireless system for closed-loop neurostimulation, a digital wireless system with real-time feedback between recorder and stimulator modules has been developed to achieve multi-channel communication. The wireless system includes a wearable recording module, a wearable stimulation module and a transceiver connected to a computer for real-time and off-line data processing, display and storage. To validate our system, wide dynamic range neurons in the spinal cord dorsal horn have been recorded from anesthetized rats in response to graded mechanical stimuli (brush, pressure and pinch) applied in the hind paw. The identified nociceptive signals were used to automatically trigger electrical stimulation at the periaqueductal gray in real time to inhibit their own activities by the closed-loop design. Our digital wireless closed-loop system has provided a simplified and efficient method for further study of pain processing in freely-moving animals and potential clinical application in patients. Groups 1, 2 and 3 contributed equally to this project.

Forty-five years after Broadbent (1958): still no identification without attention

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lachter, Joel; Forster, Kenneth I.; Ruthruff, Eric

2004-01-01

According to D. E. Broadbent's (1958) selective filter theory, people do not process unattended stimuli beyond the analysis of basic physical properties. This theory was later rejected on the basis of numerous findings that people identify irrelevant (and supposedly unattended) stimuli. A careful review of this evidence, however, reveals strong reasons to doubt that these irrelevant stimuli were in fact unattended. This review exposed a clear need for new experiments with tight control over the locus of attention. The authors present 5 such experiments using a priming paradigm. When steps were taken to ensure that irrelevant stimuli were not attended, these stimuli produced no priming effects. Hence, the authors found no evidence that unattended stimuli can be identified. The results support a modern version of Broadbent's selective theory, updated to reflect recent research advances. 2004 APA.

Is Medicaid sustainable? Spending projections for the program's second forty years.

PubMed

Kronick, Richard; Rousseau, David

2007-01-01

We constructed long-term projections of Medicaid spending and compared projected growth in spending with that of state and federal revenues. Notwithstanding the anticipated decline in employer-sponsored insurance and the long-term care needs of the baby boomers, we project that Medicaid spending as a share of national health spending will average 16.6 percent from 2006 to 2025--roughly unchanged from 16.5 percent in 2005--and then increase slowly to 19.0 percent by 2045. Growth in government revenues is projected to be large enough to sustain both Medicaid spending increases and substantial real growth in spending for other services.

Forty years later at Taylor Woods: Merging the old and new

Treesearch

John D. Bailey

2008-01-01

The Taylor Woods "Levels-of-Growing-Stock" study was established in 1962 to create a replicated ponderosa pine density experiment for the Southwest, making a valuable addition to research in the Fort Valley Experimental Forest. Basal area treatments ranged from 5-20 m2/ha (19-80 ft2/ac) when installed, designed as...

Forensic testing of prestress concrete girders after forty years of service.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-09-01

This report describes an investigation to quantify the behavior of precast, prestressed concrete : bridge girders made with high-strength concrete. As part of the investigation, four bridge : girders that were made with 77.2 MPs (11.2 ksi) concrete w...

Forty years of Fanger's model of thermal comfort: comfort for all?

PubMed

van Hoof, J

2008-06-01

The predicted mean vote (PMV) model of thermal comfort, created by Fanger in the late 1960s, is used worldwide to assess thermal comfort. Fanger based his model on college-aged students for use in invariant environmental conditions in air-conditioned buildings in moderate thermal climate zones. Environmental engineering practice calls for a predictive method that is applicable to all types of people in any kind of building in every climate zone. In this publication, existing support and criticism, as well as modifications to the PMV model are discussed in light of the requirements by environmental engineering practice in the 21st century in order to move from a predicted mean vote to comfort for all. Improved prediction of thermal comfort can be achieved through improving the validity of the PMV model, better specification of the model's input parameters, and accounting for outdoor thermal conditions and special groups. The application range of the PMV model can be enlarged, for instance, by using the model to assess the effects of the thermal environment on productivity and behavior, and interactions with other indoor environmental parameters, and the use of information and communication technologies. Even with such modifications to thermal comfort evaluation, thermal comfort for all can only be achieved when occupants have effective control over their own thermal environment. The paper treats the assessment of thermal comfort using the PMV model of Fanger, and deals with the strengths and limitations of this model. Readers are made familiar to some opportunities for use in the 21st-century information society.

Modes of failure of Osteonics constrained tripolar implants: a retrospective analysis of forty-three failed implants.

PubMed

Guyen, Olivier; Lewallen, David G; Cabanela, Miguel E

2008-07-01

The Osteonics constrained tripolar implant has been one of the most commonly used options to manage recurrent instability after total hip arthroplasty. Mechanical failures were expected and have been reported. The purpose of this retrospective review was to identify the observed modes of failure of this device. Forty-three failed Osteonics constrained tripolar implants were revised at our institution between September 1997 and April 2005. All revisions related to the constrained acetabular component only were considered as failures. All of the devices had been inserted for recurrent or intraoperative instability during revision procedures. Seven different methods of implantation were used. Operative reports and radiographs were reviewed to identify the modes of failure. The average time to failure of the forty-three implants was 28.4 months. A total of five modes of failure were observed: failure at the bone-implant interface (type I), which occurred in eleven hips; failure at the mechanisms holding the constrained liner to the metal shell (type II), in six hips; failure of the retaining mechanism of the bipolar component (type III), in ten hips; dislocation of the prosthetic head at the inner bearing of the bipolar component (type IV), in three hips; and infection (type V), in twelve hips. The mode of failure remained unknown in one hip that had been revised at another institution. The Osteonics constrained tripolar total hip arthroplasty implant is a complex device involving many parts. We showed that failure of this device can occur at most of its interfaces. It would therefore appear logical to limit its application to salvage situations.

Partnering To Build a Quality Workforce: Critical Issues in Environmental Technology Education at Two-Year Colleges. A Report of the National Forum on Critical Issues in Environmental Technology Education at Two-Year Colleges (Washington, D.C., March 2-4, 1995).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kabat, Ellen J.; Friedel, Janice Nahra; Senew, Mike

The National Forum on Critical Issues in Environmental Technology Education at Two-Year Colleges addressed critical issues relevant to environmental technology education in the United States. Forty-three participants from across the country who attended the 1995 Forum represented business and industry, two-year colleges, four-year colleges and…

Commitment to the Core: A Longitudinal Analysis of Humanities Degree Production in Four-Year Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hearn, James C.; Belasco, Andrew S.

2015-01-01

As many national commissions and observers have noted, the past forty years have brought unprecedented declines in humanities enrollments and programs in U.S. higher education. These changes are particularly striking in the iconic academic heart of the enterprise, the four-year college sector, where many institutions have diversified curricular…

Frederick National Laboratory Celebrates 40 Years | Poster

Cancer.gov

By Ashley DeVine, Staff Writer Forty years ago, what we now call the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research was born. Here are some highlights in the facility’s history. October 19, 1971 – President Richard Nixon announced that Fort Detrick would be converted from a biological warfare facility to a cancer research center (Covert, Norman M., Cutting Edge: A History of Fort Detrick, Maryland, 1943–1993, pp. 85–87).

Forty to fifty-five-year-old women and iron deficiency: clinical considerations and quality of life.

PubMed

Firquet, Anne; Kirschner, Wolf; Bitzer, Johannes

2017-07-01

Between the age of 40 and 55 years, women experience important changes in their lives. This period, which corresponds to the perimenopause for most women, is associated with the risk of iron deficiency anemia (IDA). The clinical presentation of anemia can be misleading, and the underlying cause, particularly bleeding, is frequently treated without concomitant iron prescription. Iron deficiency (ID) remains a social and economic burden in European countries. Underdiagnosed and undertreated, this problem has a strong negative impact on women's quality of life. The risk factors for ID are well known. The physician's role is essential in recognizing the symptoms, identifying the risk factors, detecting IDA by testing hemoglobin, and evaluating the degree of ID by measuring serum ferritin (SF). Iron therapy treats the anemia and restores iron stores, thus decreasing symptoms such as fatigue and restoring quality of life. Among the available forms of iron, evidence is in favor of ferrous sulfate in a slow release formulation, which is well-tolerated and results in good adherence, a key factor for efficacious supplementation.

State of the art in PEGylation: the great versatility achieved after forty years of research.

PubMed

Pasut, Gianfranco; Veronese, Francesco M

2012-07-20

In the recent years, protein PEGylation has become an established and highly refined technology by moving forward from initial simple random coupling approaches based on conjugation at the level of lysine ε-amino group. Nevertheless, amino PEGylation is still yielding important conjugates, currently in clinical practice, where the degree of homogeneity was improved by optimizing the reaction conditions and implementing the purification processes. However, the current research is mainly focused on methods of site-selective PEGylation that allow the obtainment of a single isomer, thus highly increasing the degree of homogeneity and the preservation of bioactivity. Protein N-terminus and free cysteines were the first sites exploited for selective PEGylation but currently further positions can be addressed thanks to approaches like bridging PEGylation (disulphide bridges), enzymatic PEGylation (glutamines and C-terminus) and glycoPEGylation (sites of O- and N-glycosylation or the glycans of a glycoprotein). Furthermore, by combining the tools of genetic engineering with specific PEGylation approaches, the polymer can be basically coupled at any position on the protein surface, owing to the substitution of a properly chosen amino acid in the sequence with a natural or unnatural amino acid bearing an orthogonal reactive group. On the other hand, PEGylation has not achieved the same success in the delivery of small drugs, despite the large interest and several studies in this field. Targeted conjugates and PEGs for combination therapy might represent the promising answers for the so far unmet needs of PEG as carrier of small drugs. This review presents a thorough panorama of recent advances in the field of PEGylation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wide Field Lyman alpha Geocoronal Simulator (WFLaGS) for the Far-uv Off Rowland-circle Telescope for Imaging and Spectroscopy (FORTIS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, Anna; McCandliss, Stephan R.; Redwine, Keith; Pelton, Russell

2017-01-01

At 23:52 on 17 December 2015 FORTIS (36.312 UG) was launched from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on a mission to observe hydrogen emission and absorption features superimposed on the stellar continua of hot star formation regions in the spiral galaxy NGC 1365. Unfortunately scattered geocoronal Lyα from well outside our nominal (1/2 degree)2 field-of-view (FOV) overwhelmed the signal from the target. Post-flight analysis of the observed scattered light levels, in comparison to a wide-FOV model of the light scattered from various surfaces in the optical train, produced good agreement. Suppression of this scatter is the highest priority for the FORTIS return to flight effort. Our analysis pointed to the need for development of a Wide Field Lyα Geocoronal Simulator (WFLaGS) with a 10○ FOV to fully characterize the end-to-end response of FORTIS to off-axis illumination. Previous end-to-end testing was performed with a vacuum UV collimator with only a limited FOV, ≈ 100”. The development of WFLaGS will allow us to validate our scattered light model and verify our mitigation strategies, which will incorporate low scatter materials, and possibly 3-d printed light traps, covering exposed scatter centers. The design of WFLaGs, consisting of a 50mm diameter F/1 aluminum parabolic collimator and a hydrogen discharge lamp with an ~ 80mm clear MgF2 window is described, along with our initial turn-on tests. This work is supported by NASA grants to John Hopkins University, NNX11AG54G and NNX14AI78G.

4R Water Quality Impacts: An Assessment and Synthesis of Forty Years of Drainage Nitrogen Losses.

PubMed

Christianson, L E; Harmel, R D

2015-11-01

The intersection of agricultural drainage and nutrient mobility in the environment has led to multiscale water quality concerns. This work reviewed and quantitatively analyzed nearly 1,000 site-years of subsurface tile drainage nitrogen (N) load data to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the impacts of 4R practices (application of the right source of nutrients, at the right rate and time, and in the right place) within drained landscapes across North America. Using drainage data newly compiled in the "Measured Annual Nutrient loads from AGricultural Environments" (MANAGE) database, relationships were developed across N application rates for nitrate N drainage loads and corn ( L.) yields. The lack of significant differences between N application timing or application method was inconsistent with the current emphasis placed on application timing, in particular, as a water quality improvement strategy ( = 0.934 and 0.916, respectively). Broad-scale analyses such as this can help identify major trends for water quality, but accurate implementation of the 4R approach will require site-specific knowledge to balance agronomic and environmental goals. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Thirty years of management on a small longleaf pine forest

Treesearch

William D. Boyer

1981-01-01

Results from 30 years of management of this demonstration farm forty should interest any landowner with a small tract of longleaf pine forest.In this case, the starting point for management was a poorly-stocked stand of second-growth longleaf pine on an average Coastal Plain site.Despite no capital outlays and relativcly small expenses, principally for prescribed...

IR Laboratory Astrophysics at Forty: Some Highlights and a Look to the Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allamandola, Louis John

2016-06-01

Space was thought to be chemically barren until about forty years ago. Astrochemistry was in its infancy, the composition of interstellar dust was largely guessed at, the presence of mixed molecular ices in dense molecular clouds was not taken seriously, and the notion of large, gas phase, carbon-rich molecules (PAHs) abundant and widespread throughout the interstellar medium (ISM) was inconceivable. The rapid development of infrared astronomy between 1970 and 1985, especially observations made by the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO) and the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS), which made it possible to measure mid-infrared spectra between 2.5 to 14 µm, changed all that. Since then observations made from ground-based, airborne and orbiting IR telescopes, together with radio and submm observations, have revealed that we live in a Universe that is not a hydrogen-dominated, physicist's paradise, but in a molecular Universe with complex molecules directly interwoven into its fabric. Today we recognize that molecules are an abundant and important component of astronomical objects at all stages of their evolution and that they play important roles in many processes that contribute to the structure and evolution of galaxies. Furthermore, many of these organic molecules are thought to be delivered to habitable planets such as Earth, and their composition may be related to the origin of life. Laboratory astrophysics has been key to making this great progress; progress which has only been made possible thanks to the close collaboration of laboratory experimentalists with astronomers and theoreticians. These collaborations are essential to meet the growing interdisciplinary challenges posed by astrophysics. This talk will touch on some of the milestones that have been reached in IR astrospectroscopy over the past four decades, focusing on the experimental work that revealed the widespread presence of interstellar PAHs and the composition of interstellar/precometary ices

Adult Learner Perceptions: Perspectives from Beginning Musicians (Ages 60-86 Years)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bugos, Jennifer A.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this project was to examine adult learning perceptions of a model music program with group piano instruction and group percussion ensemble for beginning-level musicians (ages 60-86 years). Participants were matched by age and education to two 16-week music programs. Forty participants completed a post-training questionnaire related…

Dynamic relationship between neurostimulation and N-acetylaspartate metabolism in the human visual cortex: evidence that NAA functions as a molecular water pump during visual stimulation.

PubMed

Baslow, Morris H; Hrabe, Jan; Guilfoyle, David N

2007-01-01

N-acetyl-l-aspartic acid (NAA), an amino acid synthesized and stored primarily in neurons in the brain, has been proposed to be a molecular water pump (MWP) whose function is to rapidly remove water from neurons against a water gradient. In this communication, we describe the results of a functional (1)H proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS) study, and provide evidence that in the human visual cortex, over a 10-min period of visual stimulation, there are stimulation-induced graded changes in the NAA MRS signal from that of a preceding 10-min baseline period with a decline in the NAA signal of 13.1% by the end of the 10-min stimulation period. Upon cessation of visual stimulation, the NAA signal gradually increases during a 10-min recovery period and once again approaches the baseline level. Because the NAA MRS signal reflects the NAA concentration, these changes indicate rapid focal changes in its concentration, and transient changes in its intercompartmental metabolism. These include its rates of synthesis and efflux from neurons and its hydrolysis by oligodendrocytes. During stimulation, the apparent rate of NAA efflux and hydrolysis increased 14.2 times, from 0.55 to 7.8 micromol g(-1) h(-1). During recovery, the apparent rate of synthesis increased 13.3 times, from 0.55 to 7.3 micromol g(-1) h(-1). The decline in the NAA signal during stimulation suggests that a rapid increase in the rate of NAA-obligated water release to extracellular fluid (ECF) is the initial and seminal event in response to neurostimulation. It is concluded that the NAA metabolic cycle in the visual cortex is intimately linked to rates of neuronal signaling, and that the functional cycle of NAA is associated with its release to ECF, thus supporting the hypothesis that an important function of the NAA metabolic cycle is that of an efflux MWP.

Forty-Year Trends in Cholangiocarcinoma Incidence in the U.S.: Intrahepatic Disease on the Rise.

PubMed

Saha, Supriya K; Zhu, Andrew X; Fuchs, Charles S; Brooks, Gabriel A

2016-05-01

Challenges in the diagnosis and classification of cholangiocarcinoma have made it difficult to quantify the true incidence of this highly aggressive malignancy. We analyzed the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results data to assess long-term trends in the age-standardized incidence of intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma between 1973 and 2012, correcting for systematic coding errors. Because intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) may frequently be misdiagnosed as cancer of unknown primary (CUP), we also analyzed trends in the incidence of CUP. Between 1973 and 2012, the reported U.S. incidence of ICC increased from 0.44 to 1.18 cases per 100,000, representing an annual percentage change (APC) of 2.30%; this trend has accelerated during the past decade to an APC of 4.36%. The incidence of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma increased modestly from 0.95 to 1.02 per 100,000 during the 40-year period (APC, 0.14%). The incidence of CUP with histologic features potentially consistent with cholangiocarcinoma decreased by 51% between 1973 and 2012 (APC, -1.87%), whereas the incidence of CUP with squamous or nonepithelial histologic features increased modestly (APC, 0.42%). The recognized incidence of ICC in the U.S. continues to rise, whereas the incidence of ECC is stable. The incidence of CUP has fallen dramatically during the same time period. Clinical distinctions between cholangiocarcinoma (particularly intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma [ICC]) and cancer of unknown primary (CUP) can be challenging. Recent discoveries have identified recurrent and potentially targetable genomic abnormalities in ICC, highlighting the importance of improving diagnosis. This study demonstrates that the incidence of ICC is increasing in the U.S., whereas the incidence of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is stable. Concomitantly, the incidence of CUP has declined dramatically, suggesting that improved distinction between ICC and CUP may be a major driver of the increasing recognized

Forty-five years of keratoprosthesis study and application at the Filatov Institute: a retrospective analysis of 1 060 cases

PubMed Central

Iakymenko, Stanislav

2013-01-01

AIM To present results of the keratoprosthesis method used at The Filatov Institute of Eye Diseases and Tissue Therapy. METHODS A retrospective case series analysis was used to describe the development of new types of keratoprostheses and methods of implantation as well as different ways of leukoma strengthening. RESULTS Keratoprosthesis was performed in 1 060 eyes of 1 040 patients with leukomas of different etiology: burns, 725 eyes (68.4%); trauma, 120 eyes (11.3%); keratitis and ocular pemphigoid, 108 eyes (10.2%); and bullous keratopathy, 107 eyes (10.1%). Visual acuity before keratoprosthesis consisted of light perception in 962 eyes (92%), and 98 eyes (8%) had minimal visual acuity (1/200-1/50). Both eyes were blind (visual acuity less than 1/200) in 955 patients (91.8%). The period of blindness varied from 1 to 52 years. As a result of keratoprosthesis, visual acuity of ≥1/200 was restored in 1 023 of 1 060 eyes (96.5%). Visual acuity of 20/200-20/20 was achieved in 716 eyes (67.5%). At the last follow-up visit visual acuity of ≥1/200 was preserved in 806 eyes (76%), visual acuity of 20/200-20/20 was measured in 583 of 1 060 eyes (55%) and good keratoprosthesis fixation in the cornea was achieved in 986 of 1 060 eyes (93%). The minimal follow-up was 12 months (range, 12 months to 37 years, median 5 years). CONCLUSION Our techniques of keratoprosthesis effectively restore vision in patients with leukomas that cannot be treated by optical corneal grafting. PMID:23826536

Forty-Fourth Annual Report of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics Administrative Report Including Technical Reports Nos. 1342 to 1392

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1959-01-01

In accordance with act of Congress, approved March 3, 1915, as amended (U.S.C., title 50, .sw 151), which established the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the Committee submits its Forty-fourth Annual Report for the fiscal year 1958. This is the Committee's final report to the Congress. The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (Public Law 85-568) provides in section 301 that the NACA "shall cease to exist" and "all functions, powers, duties, and obligations, and all real and personal property, personnel (other than members of the Committee), funds, and records of the NACA shall be transferred to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The aforesaid act provides that "this section shall take effect 90 days after the date of the enactment of this act, or on any earlier date on which the Administrator shall determining and announce by proclamation published in the Federal Register, that the Administration has been organized and is prepared to discharge the duties and exercise the power conferred upon it by this act." The Administrator, Hon. T. Keith Glennan has advised the Committee of his intention to issue such proclamation, effective October 1,1958.

The Effect of Priming on Referential Communication in Four Year Olds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foorman, Barbara R.

A study was conducted in light of a neo-Piagetian theory of cognitive development to interpret the effect of priming executive schemes for describing relevant features in a referential communication task. Forty-eight 4-year-old children were divided into primed and nonprimed groups and were asked to describe in isolation a black and white…

Medical Nemesis 40 years on: the enduring legacy of Ivan Illich.

PubMed

O'Mahony, S

2016-06-01

Ivan Illich's attack on modern medicine, Medical Nemesis, appeared in 1974. The book famously opened with the statement: 'The medical establishment has become a major threat to health.' Forty years after its publication, this paper examines the major themes of the book, and asks whether events since its publication have added weight to Illich's thesis.

Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) 2016 Clinical Guidelines for the Management of Adults with Major Depressive Disorder

PubMed Central

Giacobbe, Peter; Kennedy, Sidney H.; Blumberger, Daniel M.; Daskalakis, Zafiris J.; Downar, Jonathan; Modirrousta, Mandana; Patry, Simon; Vila-Rodriguez, Fidel; Lam, Raymond W.; MacQueen, Glenda M.; Parikh, Sagar V.; Ravindran, Arun V.

2016-01-01

Background: The Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments (CANMAT) conducted a revision of the 2009 guidelines by updating the evidence and recommendations. The scope of the 2016 guidelines remains the management of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults, with a target audience of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. Methods: Using the question-answer format, we conducted a systematic literature search focusing on systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Evidence was graded using CANMAT-defined criteria for level of evidence. Recommendations for lines of treatment were based on the quality of evidence and clinical expert consensus. “Neurostimulation Treatments” is the fourth of six sections of the 2016 guidelines. Results: Evidence-informed responses were developed for 31 questions for 6 neurostimulation modalities: 1) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), 2) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), 3) electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), 4) magnetic seizure therapy (MST), 5) vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), and 6) deep brain stimulation (DBS). Most of the neurostimulation treatments have been investigated in patients with varying degrees of treatment resistance. Conclusions: There is increasing evidence for efficacy, tolerability, and safety of neurostimulation treatments. rTMS is now a first-line recommendation for patients with MDD who have failed at least 1 antidepressant. ECT remains a second-line treatment for patients with treatment-resistant depression, although in some situations, it may be considered first line. Third-line recommendations include tDCS and VNS. MST and DBS are still considered investigational treatments. PMID:27486154

Alienation and First-Year Student Retention. Professional File. Number 116, Spring 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Richard

2010-01-01

Since Summerskill's study on college attrition forty years ago, the interest in this topic has never waned. This study was particularly interested in the relationship of race to retention. Various theoretical frames of references have been proposed: Price's organization theory, Durkheim's Suicide, and Marx's Alienation have been used to guide…

Forty years of the Law 180: the aspirations of a great reform, its successes and continuing need.

PubMed

Mezzina, R

2018-03-06

Italy pioneered deinstitutionalisation over the past 60 years and enforced a famous mental health (MH) reform law in 1978. Deinstitutionalisation has been completed with the very closure of all psychiatric hospitals over two decades. After 40 years of implementation, this article presents the main achievements and challenges of the Italian MH reform law, including its long-term effect and impact in Italy and abroad. The Legislation of 1978 was based on the discovery of rights as a key tool in mental healthcare. At the climax of crisis of psychiatric hospitals as total institutions in this country, through the new community-based system of care, it has fostered the lowest rate of involuntary care and gave back the full citizenship to people with MH disorders. This act was also part of a social movement for expanding civil and social rights, and a promise of a true paradigm shift not only in psychiatry, but also in the way of providing an adequate welfare community for all citizens. According to the WHO, the Italian city of Trieste, together with its region, is a practical example of how the Italian movement achieved deinstitutionalisation, intended as a complex process resulting in the gradual relocation of the economic and human resources and subsequent creation of 24 h services together with the development of social inclusion programmes. Even if the great principles of the Italian reform law were anticipatory (e.g., the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities - CRPD), the law application has been poorly provided with resources and did not follow those avant-garde experiences as models. Limitations are evident today especially at the organisational levels, such as services capable to take up the challenge and transforming the field, left free from the imprint of total institutions. These endemic critical aspects concerning to implementation policies, together with the financial crisis of the Italian healthcare system, must be taken into consideration

Multifunctional System for Observing, Measuring and Analyzing Stimulation-Evoked Neurochemical Signaling

PubMed Central

Kimble, Christopher J.; Boesche, Joshua B.; Eaker, Diane R.; Kressin, Kenneth R.; Trevathan, James K.; Paek, Seungleal; Asp, Anders J.; McIntosh, Malcolm B.; Lujan, J. Luis

2017-01-01

The ability to measure neurotransmitter activity using implanted electrochemical sensors offers researchers a potent technique for analyzing neural activity across specific neural circuitry. We have developed a wirelessly controlled device, WINCS Harmoni, to observe and measure neurotransmitter dynamics at up to four separate sensors, with high temporal and spatial resolution. WINCS Harmoni also incorporates a versatile neurostimulator that can be synchronized with electrochemical recording. The WINCS Harmoni platform is thus optimally suited for probing the neurochemical effects of neurostimulation, and may in turn enable the development of personalized therapies for multiple brain disorders. PMID:29202131

Forty years of quality-of-life research in congenital heart disease: Temporal trends in conceptual and methodological rigor.

PubMed

Bratt, Ewa-Lena; Moons, Philip

2015-09-15

The first study on quality of life (QoL) in patients with congenital heart disease was published 40 years ago. Since then, the number of QoL articles on these patients has grown exponentially. We conducted a systematic literature review of all empirical studies on QoL in patients with congenital heart disease published since 1974, with the aim of determining the range of conceptual and methodological rigor of studies and identifying temporal trends in these parameters. PubMed, Embase, and Cinahl were searched for empirical studies addressing QoL in children, adolescents, or adults with congenital heart disease, published between January 1, 1974, and December 31, 2014. We applied 10 review criteria that were previously developed by Gill and Feinstein in 1994 and further refined by Moons et al. in 2004. Overall, 234 articles were reviewed. We found slight but non-significant temporal improvements in conceptual and methodological rigor and in use of assessment methods. This indicates a trend toward a more professional and exacting approach in QoL assessments. However, the majority of articles still had substantial conceptual and methodological deficits. Furthermore, we observed that citation of the publications of Gill and Feinstein and Moons et al. in published QoL research is associated with higher quality scores, suggesting that these articles have a positive impact on conceptual and methodological caliber. Despite 40 years of QoL research in this field, this review shows that major weaknesses in methodological rigor remain highly prevalent, which may make QoL studies inconclusive. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Normative Data for the Words-in-Noise Test for 6- to 12-Year-Old Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Richard H.; Farmer, Nicole M.; Gandhi, Avni; Shelburne, Emily; Weaver, Jamie

2010-01-01

Purpose: To establish normative data for children on the Words-in-Noise Test (WIN; R. H. Wilson, 2003; R. H. Wilson & R. McArdle, 2007). Method: Forty-two children in each of 7 age groups, ranging in age from 6 to 12 years (n = 294), and 24 young adults (age range: 18-27 years) with normal hearing for pure tones participated. All listeners…

The subthalamic microlesion story in Parkinson's disease: electrode insertion-related motor improvement with relative cortico-subcortical hypoactivation in fMRI.

PubMed

Jech, Robert; Mueller, Karsten; Urgošík, Dušan; Sieger, Tomáš; Holiga, Štefan; Růžička, Filip; Dušek, Petr; Havránková, Petra; Vymazal, Josef; Růžička, Evžen

2012-01-01

Electrode implantation into the subthalamic nucleus for deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with a temporary motor improvement occurring prior to neurostimulation. We studied this phenomenon by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) when considering the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-III) and collateral oedema. Twelve patients with PD (age 55.9± (SD)6.8 years, PD duration 9-15 years) underwent bilateral electrode implantation into the subthalamic nucleus. The fMRI was carried out after an overnight withdrawal of levodopa (OFF condition): (i) before and (ii) within three days after surgery in absence of neurostimulation. The motor task involved visually triggered finger tapping. The OFF/UPDRS-III score dropped from 33.8±8.7 before to 23.3±4.8 after the surgery (p<0.001), correlating with the postoperative oedema score (p<0.05). During the motor task, bilateral activation of the thalamus and basal ganglia, motor cortex and insula were preoperatively higher than after surgery (p<0.001). The results became more enhanced after compensation for the oedema and UPDRS-III scores. In addition, the rigidity and axial symptoms score correlated inversely with activation of the putamen and globus pallidus (p<0.0001). One month later, the OFF/UPDRS-III score had returned to the preoperative level (35.8±7.0, p = 0.4).In conclusion, motor improvement induced by insertion of an inactive electrode into the subthalamic nucleus caused an acute microlesion which was at least partially related to the collateral oedema and associated with extensive impact on the motor network. This was postoperatively manifested as lowered movement-related activation at the cortical and subcortical levels and differed from the known effects of neurostimulation or levodopa. The motor system finally adapted to the microlesion within one month as suggested by loss of motor improvement and good efficacy of deep brain stimulation.

The Subthalamic Microlesion Story in Parkinson's Disease: Electrode Insertion-Related Motor Improvement with Relative Cortico-Subcortical Hypoactivation in fMRI

PubMed Central

Urgošík, Dušan; Sieger, Tomáš; Holiga, Štefan; Růžička, Filip; Dušek, Petr; Havránková, Petra; Vymazal, Josef; Růžička, Evžen

2012-01-01

Electrode implantation into the subthalamic nucleus for deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with a temporary motor improvement occurring prior to neurostimulation. We studied this phenomenon by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) when considering the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-III) and collateral oedema. Twelve patients with PD (age 55.9± (SD)6.8 years, PD duration 9–15 years) underwent bilateral electrode implantation into the subthalamic nucleus. The fMRI was carried out after an overnight withdrawal of levodopa (OFF condition): (i) before and (ii) within three days after surgery in absence of neurostimulation. The motor task involved visually triggered finger tapping. The OFF/UPDRS-III score dropped from 33.8±8.7 before to 23.3±4.8 after the surgery (p<0.001), correlating with the postoperative oedema score (p<0.05). During the motor task, bilateral activation of the thalamus and basal ganglia, motor cortex and insula were preoperatively higher than after surgery (p<0.001). The results became more enhanced after compensation for the oedema and UPDRS-III scores. In addition, the rigidity and axial symptoms score correlated inversely with activation of the putamen and globus pallidus (p<0.0001). One month later, the OFF/UPDRS-III score had returned to the preoperative level (35.8±7.0, p = 0.4). In conclusion, motor improvement induced by insertion of an inactive electrode into the subthalamic nucleus caused an acute microlesion which was at least partially related to the collateral oedema and associated with extensive impact on the motor network. This was postoperatively manifested as lowered movement-related activation at the cortical and subcortical levels and differed from the known effects of neurostimulation or levodopa. The motor system finally adapted to the microlesion within one month as suggested by loss of motor improvement and good efficacy of deep brain stimulation. PMID:23145068

Peripheral neurostimulation for control of intractable occipital neuralgia.

PubMed

Weiner, R L; Reed, K L

1999-07-01

Objective. To present a novel approach for treatment of intractable occipital neuralgia using percutaneous peripheral nerve electrostimulation techniques. Methods. Thirteen patients underwent 17 implant procedures for medically refractory occipital neuralgia. A subcutaneous electrode placed transversely at the level of C1 across the base of the occipital nerve trunk produced paresthesias and pain relief covering the regions of occipital nerve pain Results. With follow-up ranging from 1-½ to 6 years, 12 patients continue to report good to excellent response with greater than 50% pain control and requiring little or no additional medications. The 13th patient (first in the series) was subsequently explanted following symptom resolution. Conclusions. In patients with medically intractable occipital neuralgia, peripheral nerve electrostimulation subcutaneously at the level of C1 appears to be a reasonable alternative to more invasive surgical procedures following failure of more conservative therapies.

Forty years of faster decline in cigarette smoking in California explains current lower lung cancer rates.

PubMed

Pierce, John P; Messer, Karen; White, Martha M; Kealey, Sheila; Cowling, David W

2010-11-01

Declining lung cancer rates in California have been attributed to the California Tobacco Control Program, but may reflect earlier declines in smoking. Using state-taxed sales and three survey series, we assessed trends in smoking behavior for California and the rest of the nation from 1960 to 2008 and compared these with lung cancer mortality rates. We tested the validity of recent trends in state-taxed sales by projecting results from a model of the 1960 to 2002 data. From 1960 to 2002, the state-taxed sales and survey data are consistent. Californians initially smoked more than the rest of the nation, but cigarette consumption declined earlier, dropping lower in 1971 with an ever widening gap over time. Lung cancer mortality follows a similar pattern, after a lag of 16 years. Introduction of the California Tobacco Control Program doubled the rate of decline in cigarette consumption. From 2002 to 2008, differences in enforcement and tax evasion may compromise the validity of the taxed sales data. In 2010, smoking prevalence is estimated to be 9.3% in California and 17.8% in the rest of the nation. However, in 2008, for the first time, both cigarette price and tobacco control expenditures were lower in California than the rest of the nation, suggesting that the gap in smoking behavior will start to narrow. An effective Tobacco Control Program means that California will have faster declines in lung cancer than the rest of the nation for the next 2 decades, but possibly not beyond. Tobacco control interventions need further dissemination. ©2010 AACR.

Genetic variation in rootability of cuttings from one-year-old western hemlock seedlings.

Treesearch

Frank C. Sorensen; Robert K. Campbell

1980-01-01

One-year-old western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) seedlings from three open-pollination families from eight locations in the Washington and Oregon Coast Ranges were cultured under accelerated growth conditions in a glasshouse. Forty cuttings from each of five seedlings (open-pollination siblings) per family were then placed in a...

A Century of Change: The History of Two-Year Education in the State of Alabama, 1866-1963

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Dustin P.

2012-01-01

Much has been written about two-year education in Alabama during the governorships of George C. Wallace, but little about two-year education prior to his first inauguration in 1963. Yet nearly a third of the forty-three junior, technical, and community college institutions that eventually formed the Alabama Community College System had been…

Forty Years on: The Issue of Breadth in the Post-16 Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pound, Tim

1998-01-01

Discusses the reform efforts in England for restructuring the post-16 curriculum. Relates the history of the Crowther Committee's agenda for specialization within the curriculum and addresses the two proposals by A. D. C. Peterson and B. W. M Young who each provided alternatives for broadening the curriculum in order to combat the proposal for…

From Precaution to Peril: Public Relations Across Forty Years of Genetic Engineering.

PubMed

Hogan, Andrew J

2016-12-01

The Asilomar conference on genetic engineering in 1975 has long been pointed to by scientists as a model for internal regulation and public engagement. In 2015, the organizers of the International Summit on Human Gene Editing in Washington, DC looked to Asilomar as they sought to address the implications of the new CRISPR gene editing technique. Like at Asilomar, the conveners chose to limit the discussion to a narrow set of potential CRISPR applications, involving inheritable human genome editing. The adoption by scientists in 2015 of an Asilomar-like script for discussing genetic engineering offers historians the opportunity to analyze the adjustments that have been made since 1975, and to identify the blind spots that remain in public engagement. Scientists did take important lessons from the fallout of their limited engagement with public concerns at Asilomar. Nonetheless, the scientific community has continued to overlook some of the longstanding public concerns about genetic engineering, in particular the broad and often covert genetic modification of food products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Forty years of USAID health cooperation in Bolivia. A lose-lose game?

PubMed

Tejerina, Herland; Closon, Marie-Christine; Paepe, Pierre De; Darras, Christian; Dessel, Patrick Van; Unger, Jean-Pierre

2014-01-01

The present article proposes an analysis of the USA-Bolivia relationships in the health sector between 1971 and 2010 based on a grey and scientific literature review and on interviews. We examined United States Agency for International Development (USAID) interventions, objectives, consistency with Bolivian needs, and impact on health system integration. USAID operational objectives--decentralization, fertility and disease control, and maternal and child health--may have worked against each other while competing for limited Ministry of Health resources. They largely contributed to the segmentation and fragmentation of the Bolivian health system. US cooperation in health did not significantly improve health status while the USAID failed to properly tackle anti-drugs, political, and economic US interests in Bolivia. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Forty Years of Doing Second Language Testing, Curriculum, and Research: So What?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, James Dean

2017-01-01

I started out as a budding English as a second language (ESL) teacher in 1976 at UCLA where I went through the M.A. TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) and Applied Linguistics Ph.D. programs. Sadly, those two programs were "disestablished" in 2014, which provides a stark lesson to any departments that think they are hot stuff…

Forty Years after the Bay of Pigs: Resources for Social Studies Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Contreras, Gloria

2001-01-01

Reflects on the experience of visiting Cuba through the People to People Ambassador Program, founded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to promote international understanding and cooperation. Includes a list of suggested readings for social studies teachers and a list of organizations focusing on Cuba. (CMK)

Forty years of secondhand smoke research: the gap between discovery and delivery.

PubMed

Harris, Jenine K; Luke, Douglas A; Zuckerman, Rachael B; Shelton, Sarah C

2009-06-01

Public health initiatives often focus on the discovery of risk factors associated with disease and death. Although this is an important step in protecting public health, recently the field has recognized that it is critical to move along the continuum from discovery of risk factors to delivery of interventions, and to improve the quality and speed of translating scientific discoveries into practice. To understand how public health problems move from discovery to delivery, citation network analysis was used to examine 1877 articles on secondhand smoke (SHS) published between 1965 and 2005. Data were collected and analyzed in 2006-2007. Citation patterns showed discovery and delivery to be distinct areas of SHS research. There was little cross-citation between discovery and delivery research, including only nine citation connections between the main paths. A discovery article was 83.5% less likely to cite a delivery article than to cite another discovery article (OR=0.165 [95% CI=0.139, 0.197]), and a delivery article was 64.3% less likely (OR=0.357 [95% CI=0.330, 0.386]) to cite a discovery article than to cite another delivery article. Research summaries, such as Surgeon General reports, were cited frequently and appear to bridge the discovery-delivery gap. There was a lack of cross-citation between discovery and delivery, even though they share the goal of understanding and reducing the impact of SHS. Reliance on research summaries, although they provide an important bridge between discovery and delivery, may slow the development of a field.

Trajectories of Marijuana Use from Adolescence to Adulthood as Predictors of Unemployment Status in the Early Forties

PubMed Central

Zhang, Chenshu; Brook, Judith S.; Leukefeld, Carl G.; Brook, David W.

2016-01-01

Objectives To study the degree to which individuals in different trajectories of marijuana use are similar or different in terms of unemployment status at mean age 43. Methods We gathered longitudinal data on a prospective cohort taken from a community sample (N = 548). Forty nine percent of the original participants were females. Over 90% of the participants were white. The participants were followed from adolescence to early midlife. The mean ages of participants at the follow-up interviews were 14.1, 16.3, 22.3, 27.0, 31.9, 36.6, and 43.0, respectively. We used the growth mixture modeling (GMM) approach to identify the trajectories of marijuana use over a 29 year period. Results Five trajectories of marijuana use were identified: chronic users/decreasers (8.3%), quitters (18.6%), increasing users (7.3%), chronic occasional users (25.6%), and nonusers/experimenters (40.2%). Compared with nonusers/experimenters, chronic users/decreasers had a significantly higher likelihood of unemployment at mean age 43 (Adjusted Odds Ratio =3.51, 95% Confidence Interval = 1.13 – 10.91), even after controlling for the covariates. Conclusions and Scientific Significance The results of the associations between the distinct trajectories of marijuana use and unemployment in early midlife indicate that it is important to develop intervention programs targeting chronic marijuana use as well as unemployment in individuals at this stage of development. Results from this study should encourage clinicians, teachers, and parents to assess and treat chronic marijuana use in adolescents. PMID:26991779

Forty Years of "Pastoral Care": An Appraisal of Michael Marland's Seminal Book and Its Significance for Pastoral Care in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Best, Ron

2014-01-01

Michael Marland's seminal book: "Pastoral Care" was published 40 years ago this year. The thesis of the book--that pastoral care is the central task of the school, and must be planned and institutionalized through pastoral roles and structures--is explored against the background of the social, cultural and educational developments…

A femoral component inserted without cement in total hip arthroplasty. A study of the Tri-Lock component with an average ten-year duration of follow-up.

PubMed

Burt, C F; Garvin, K L; Otterberg, E T; Jardon, O M

1998-07-01

Seventy-four total hip arthroplasties in sixty-six patients were performed, between 1983 and 1986, with use of a Tri-Lock femoral component inserted without cement. This tapered cobalt-chromium component has a fixed head and a circumferential proximal porous coating. Follow-up was conducted with use of a questionnaire, physical examination, and radiographic analysis. At the time of the latest follow-up, fifteen patients (eighteen hips) had died, three patients (four hips) had been lost to follow-up, and one patient (one hip) had refused to participate in the follow-up study; however, the status of fifteen hips at the time of death could be verified. Thus, clinical follow-up data were available for sixty-six of the original seventy-four hips. The average age at the time of the operation was sixty-two years (range, seventeen to eighty-four years), and the average interval between the operation and the latest follow-up evaluation was 10.0 years (range, 8.3 to 11.6 years). The Harris hip score was determined for forty-three hips (forty-one patients) in which the prosthesis was in situ at the time of the latest follow-up. The score was good for thirteen hips and excellent for twenty-eight, so the rate of clinical success was 95 per cent. Two patients had a fair result. One of them had persistent pain and the other had limited motion, but neither had radiographic evidence of loosening of the femoral or acetabular component. All forty-one patients were satisfied with the result. The probability (with standard error) of survival of the femoral component at ten years, with revision as the end point, was 0.95 +/- 0.03. The rate of revision of the femoral component because of aseptic loosening was one (2 per cent) of sixty-six. The overall rate of aseptic loosening of the femoral component in the hips that were followed radiographically was two (4 per cent) of forty-seven. Only one (2 per cent) of the forty-seven acetabular cups had evidence of aseptic loosening. There was no

Integrating Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing for Technical Workforce Training at Two-Year Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council for Geographic Education (NJ1), 2006

2006-01-01

This report examines the outcomes of a workshop held at the National Science Foundation on August 15-16, 2005. Forty-six participants, representing academia, industry, government agencies, professional associations, and special projects met to: (1) discuss how geospatial technology training at two-year colleges can address workforce needs; and…

A Study of First-Year Chemistry Students' Understanding of Solution Concentration at the Tertiary Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Berg, Kevin

2012-01-01

This paper reports on students' understanding of sugar concentration in aqueous solutions presented in two different modes: a visual submicroscopic mode for particles and a verbal mode referring to macroscopic amounts of sugar. One hundred and forty-five tertiary college students studying some form of first-year chemistry participated in the…

Dropped into the Deep End: A Study of Personal Journals in First-Year Composition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wester, Jason Michael

2012-01-01

This study investigated the lived experiences of first-year college students who kept personal and private journals in an English composition course. The purpose of this study was to provide a description of the lived experiences of keeping those journals from the point-of-view of the journal writers themselves. Forty-eight students were involved…

Simulation Study of an Ultrasound Retinal Prosthesis With a Novel Contact-Lens Array for Noninvasive Retinal Stimulation.

PubMed

Gao, Mengdi; Yu, Yanyan; Zhao, Huixia; Li, Guofeng; Jiang, Hongyang; Wang, Congzhi; Cai, Feiyan; Chan, Leanne Lai-Hang; Chiu, Bernard; Qian, Wei; Qiu, Weibao; Zheng, Hairong

2017-09-01

Millions of people around the world suffer from varying degrees of vision loss (including complete blindness) because of retinal degenerative diseases. Artificial retinal prosthesis, which is usually based on electrical neurostimulation, is the most advanced technology for different types of retinal degeneration. However, this technology involves placing a device into the eyeball, and such a highly invasive procedure is inevitably highly risk and expensive. Ultrasound has been demonstrated to be a promising technology for noninvasive neurostimulation, making it possible to stimulate the retina and induce action potentials similar to those elicited by light stimulation. However, the technology of ultrasound retinal stimulation still requires considerable developments before it could be applied clinically. This paper proposes a novel contact-lens array transducer for use in an ultrasound retinal prosthesis (USRP). The transducer was designed in the shape of a contact lens so as to facilitate acoustic coupling with the eye liquid. The key parameters of the ultrasound transducer were simulated, and results are presented that indicate the achievement of 2-D pattern generation and that the proposed contact-lens array is suitable for multiple-focus neurostimulation, and can be used in a USRP.

Volumes and bulk densities of forty asteroids from ADAM shape modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanuš, J.; Viikinkoski, M.; Marchis, F.; Ďurech, J.; Kaasalainen, M.; Delbo', M.; Herald, D.; Frappa, E.; Hayamizu, T.; Kerr, S.; Preston, S.; Timerson, B.; Dunham, D.; Talbot, J.

2017-05-01

Context. Disk-integrated photometric data of asteroids do not contain accurate information on shape details or size scale. Additional data such as disk-resolved images or stellar occultation measurements further constrain asteroid shapes and allow size estimates. Aims: We aim to use all the available disk-resolved images of approximately forty asteroids obtained by the Near-InfraRed Camera (Nirc2) mounted on the W.M. Keck II telescope together with the disk-integrated photometry and stellar occultation measurements to determine their volumes. We can then use the volume, in combination with the known mass, to derive the bulk density. Methods: We downloaded and processed all the asteroid disk-resolved images obtained by the Nirc2 that are available in the Keck Observatory Archive (KOA). We combined optical disk-integrated data and stellar occultation profiles with the disk-resolved images and use the All-Data Asteroid Modeling (ADAM) algorithm for the shape and size modeling. Our approach provides constraints on the expected uncertainty in the volume and size as well. Results: We present shape models and volume for 41 asteroids. For 35 of these asteroids, the knowledge of their mass estimates from the literature allowed us to derive their bulk densities. We see a clear trend of lower bulk densities for primitive objects (C-complex) and higher bulk densities for S-complex asteroids. The range of densities in the X-complex is large, suggesting various compositions. We also identified a few objects with rather peculiar bulk densities, which is likely a hint of their poor mass estimates. Asteroid masses determined from the Gaia astrometric observations should further refine most of the density estimates.

Digital Archives - Thomas M. Bown's Bighorn Basin Maps: The Suite of Forty-Four Office Master Copies

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKinney, Kevin C.

2001-01-01

This CD-ROM is a digitally scanned suite of master 'locality' maps produced by Dr. Thomas M. Bown. The maps are archived in the US Geological Survey Field Records. The maps feature annual compilations of newly established fossil (nineteen 7.5 degree maps) of central basin data collections. This master suite of forty-four maps represents a considerably broader geographic range within the basin. Additionally, three field seasons of data were compiled into the master suite of maps after the final editing of the Professional Paper. These maps are the culmination of Dr. Bown's Bighorn Basin research as a vertebrate paleontologist for the USGS. Data include Yale, Wyoming, Duke, Michigan and USGS localities. Practical topographic features are also indicated, such as jeep=trail access, new reservoirs, rerouted roadbeds, measured sections, fossil reconnaissance evaluations (G=good, NG=no good and H=hideous), faults, palcosol stages, and occasionally 'camp' vernacular for locality names.

A Clinical Assessment Tool for Advanced Theory of Mind Performance in 5 to 12 Year Olds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Hare, Anne E.; Bremner, Lynne; Nash, Marysia; Happe, Francesca; Pettigrew, Luisa M.

2009-01-01

One hundred forty typically developing 5- to 12-year-old children were assessed with a test of advanced theory of mind employing Happe's strange stories. There was no significant difference in performance between boys and girls. The stories discriminated performance across the different ages with the lowest performance being in the younger…

Spinal posture and pelvic position in three hundred forty-five elementary school children: a rasterstereographic pilot study.

PubMed

Furian, Thimm Christoph; Rapp, Walter; Eckert, Stefanie; Wild, Michael; Betsch, Marcel

2013-02-22

Children's posture has been of growing concern due to observations that it seems to be impaired compared to previous generations. So far there is no reference data for spinal posture and pelvic position in healthy children available. Purpose of this pilot study was to determine rasterstereographic posture values in children during their second growth phase. Three hundred and forty-five pupils were measured with a rasterstereographic device in a neutral standing position with hanging arms. To further analyse for changes in spinal posture during growth, the children were divided into 12-month age clusters. A mean kyphotic angle of 47.1°±7.5 and a mean lordotic angle of 42.1°±9.9 were measured. Trunk imbalance in girls (5.85 mm±0.74) and boys (7.48 mm± 0.83) varied only little between the age groups, with boys showing slightly higher values than girls. The trunk inclination did not show any significant differences between the age groups in boys or girls. Girls' inclination was 2.53°±1.96 with a tendency to decreasing angles by age, therefore slightly smaller compared to boys (2.98°±2.18). Lateral deviation (4.8 mm) and pelvic position (tilt: 2.75 mm; torsion: 1.53°; inclination: 19.8°±19.8) were comparable for all age groups and genders. This study provides the first systematic rasterstereographic analysis of spinal posture in children between 6 and 11 years. With the method of rasterstereography a reliable three-dimensional analysis of spinal posture and pelvic position is possible. Spinal posture and pelvic position does not change significantly with increasing age in this collective of children during the second growth phase.

The sensitivity of motor response to needle nerve stimulation during ultrasound guided interscalene catheter placement.

PubMed

Fredrickson, Michael J

2008-01-01

Neurostimulation during single shot interscalene block has a significant false negative motor response rate. Compared with tangential needle approaches for single shot block, interscalene catheter (ISC) placement commonly involves Tuohy needles inserted longitudinally to the brachial plexus. This study aimed to determine the sensitivity of neurostimulation during ultrasound-guided ISC needle placement, and the feasibility of an ultrasound-guided ISC needle endpoint. One hundred fifty-five consecutive nonstimulating ISCs were placed with the needle tip position confirmed by the sonographic spread of 5 mL dextrose 5%. Catheter advancement was then blind 2 to 3 cm past the needle tip. A 0.8 mA electrical stimulus at 2 Hz was applied throughout. When a satisfactory image was obtained, neurostimulation was ignored and the minimum motor response amplitude noted. If imaging was equivocal, a brief appropriate motor response at 0.8 mA was sought. A sustained response at <0.5 mA was only sought if imaging was suboptimal. Prior to surgery conducted under general anesthesia, 30 mL ropivacaine 0.5% was administered through the ISC. Catheter success was defined as a recovery room numerical rating pain score of neurostimulation endpoint.

[Building and validation of a test evaluating verbal recognition memory: The Forty test (f40)].

PubMed

Marqué, A; Hommet, C; Constans, T; Perrier, D; Bardet, F; Chaput, M; Mondon, K

2011-04-01

Neuropsychologic evaluation is a primordial diagnostic tool. Numerous tests explore episodic memory but few tests exist to assess incidental verbal episodic memory or verbal recognition memory. This memory is however impaired early in certain neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Our objective was to create a test sensitive and specific to this cognitive dysfunction. Our test was performed by 33 healthy volunteers and 51 patients (19 with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, 16 with Alzheimer's disease at the prodromal stage and 16 with Alzheimer's disease). Independently of age, education level and global cognitive impairment, the young and old healthy volunteers and the patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease displayed results significantly better than the group of Alzheimer's disease at the prodromal stage and Alzheimer's disease patients. Our test appears to be sensitive to dysfunction of verbal recognition memory. A score of 30/40 or less on the Forty test discriminates 91% of subjects with a cortical pattern of memory. This test could be recommended for clinical neuropsychological practice. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Forty-two years of Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica: Some history and musings on the future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, C.; Torres-Peimbert, S.

2017-07-01

After 42 years of continuously publishing the Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica, we cast a short retrospective view on its history and we share our plans for the future. RMxAA was founded in 1974. Founding editors were P. Pishmish, E. Mendoza and S. Torres-Peimbert. RMxAA has published original research papers in all areas of astronomy, astrophysics and related fields. Until 1994 RMxAA also published the proceedings of astronomical conferences held in México and Latin America. Since 1995 a Series devoted exclusively to such proceedings was founded, RMxAC, Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica (Serie de Conferencias). All papers submitted to RMxAA are sent to internationally recognized experts to be strictly refereed. RMxAA is included in Current Contents, Science Citation Index and other relevant international indexes. Both publications are fully integrated into the ADS. Their contents have always been freely available to the general public. All this ensures a wide international visibility, comparable to that of the best astronomical journals. The impact factor of RMxAA has varied over the years, mostly as a consequence of small number statistics. The average impact factor is about 2.4, far larger than that of all but a few Latin American scientific journals. The editorial independence of RMxAA, the fact that there are no page charges for authors, and that the printed version is distributed free of charge to astronomical libraries all over the world motivate us to look forward with optimism to many more years of publication. In view of recent developments in the scientific publishing field, we have applied to obtain the DOI for the published papers, and are in the process of becoming an all-electronic publication.

Transitions in a Life-World: Looking Backward and Forward after Forty-Five Years of Social Pedagogical Research and Teaching in Leuven

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wildemeersch, Danny

2013-01-01

The paper presents the author's reflection on research and teaching over a period of 45 years in a social pedagogy program in the Leuven University (Belgium). While the case is interesting in its own right, it holds broader significance for its contribution to understanding developments in education, adult and community education and social work…

Periacetabular osteotomy and combined femoral head-neck junction osteochondroplasty: a minimum two-year follow-up cohort study.

PubMed

Nassif, Nader A; Schoenecker, Perry L; Thorsness, Robert; Clohisy, John C

2012-11-07

Proximal femoral deformities and overcorrection of the acetabulum both can result in secondary femoroacetabular impingement and suboptimal clinical results after periacetabular osteotomy. The purpose of the present study was to determine the rate of complications, the need for reoperations, radiographic correction, and hip function among patients who underwent periacetabular osteotomy and combined femoral head-neck osteochondroplasty as compared with those who underwent periacetabular osteotomy alone. Patients who underwent periacetabular osteotomy with or without osteochondroplasty of the femoral head-neck junction were evaluated retrospectively after a minimum duration of follow-up of two years. We compared the two groups with regard to the modified Harris hip score, radiographic correction, complications, and reoperations. Forty patients (forty hips) who underwent periacetabular osteotomy in conjunction with a femoral head-neck osteochondroplasty were compared with forty-eight patients (forty-eight hips) who underwent an isolated periacetabular osteotomy. Patients were evaluated after a mean duration of follow-up of 3.4 years (range, 2.0 to 9.7 years). Preoperatively, the modified Harris hip score (and standard deviation) was 64.3 ± 13.2 for the study group and 63.2 ± 13.4 for the comparison group. At the time of the latest follow-up, the modified Harris hip score was not significantly different between the study group and the comparison group (p = 0.17). Patients demonstrated equivalent preoperative deformities and postoperative acetabular radiographic parameters. There was a significant decrease in the alpha angle and improvement in head-neck offset in the study group. There was one reoperation for secondary impingement and/or labral pathology in the study group, compared with four reoperations in the comparison group. There were no adhesions requiring surgery, femoral neck fractures, instances of osteonecrosis, or increases in heterotopic ossification in

Forty years of change: a northern Alaskan seabird's response to a warming Arctic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Divoky, G.; Suydam, R.

2012-12-01

While recent decadal-scale decreases in the snow and ice habitats of the Arctic are well documented, there are few concurrent long-term biological data sets, especially for species dependent on the cryopelagic ecosystem associated with arctic sea ice. The Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle mandti), a marine apex predator specializing on prey associated with arctic pack ice has been studied annually since 1975 at a colony on Cooper Island, 35 km east of Point Barrow, Alaska. Over the last four decades critical components of the species' life history have been found to be sensitive to a number of physical and biological effects associated with the region's increasing atmospheric temperatures. Black Guillemots first colonized northern Alaska in the late 1960s and early 1970s as the annual snow-free period increased sufficiently to allow access to nesting cavities for the 80 days required to successfully raise young. At the Cooper Island colony abundance increased during the 1970s and 1980s as summer length continued to increase and wooden nest cavities were provided to increase sample size for monitoring. During this time breeding success was high as summer sea ice remained in the 30-km foraging range of guillemot parents, providing Arctic Cod (Boreogadus saida), the principal forage fish associated with sea ice and the preferred prey of Black Guillemots. Decreasing summer sea ice extent in the 1990s that accelerated in the last decade reduced the guillemots' access to cryopelagic prey during the critical period when parents are provisioning nestlings. Distance from the colony to the pack ice on 15 August averaged <25 km from 1975-2002 but increased to an average of >100 km from 2003-2011. This ice retreat had a major affect on Arctic Cod availability, causing parent guillemots to shift to lower quality benthic fish resulting in decreases in nestling quality and breeding success when sea ice had retreated and SST was > 4o C. Increasing loss of summer ice in the last decade also facilitated changes in the distribution of a guillemot nest competitor and nest predator resulting in major losses of eggs and young. Horned Puffins (Fratercula corniculata) recently expanded their breeding range from the subarctic to northern Alaska and regularly disrupt guillemot nesting by displacing eggs and killing guillemot nestlings while prospecting for nest sites. Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus), rare on Cooper Island until 2002 are now seen regularly in August as they seek refuge on land and prey on guillemot young. While the loss of cryopelagic prey led to reductions in the guillemot population, the loss of eggs and nestlings to puffins and bears was severe enough to threaten the existence of the colony. In 2011 all nest sites at the colony were replaced with plastic nest cases that eliminate disturbance by bears and puffins. Upper trophic level predators are recognized as important indicators of variation in and perturbations to marine ecosystems and in the near future the waters of the western Arctic will be experiencing a range of alterations due to both atmospheric warming and industrial development. The ongoing research at the Cooper Island Black Guillemot colony, combined with its historic database. will allow assessment of those changes.

The prejudiced personality, racism, and anti-Semitism: the PR scale forty years later.

PubMed

Dunbar, E

1995-10-01

The relationship of prejudiced personality traits with racism and anti-Semitism was examined with 150 Asian American and White university students. The Prejudice (PR) scale, composed of 32 items from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, was administered along with the McConahay racism scale and the Selznick and Steinberg Anti-Semitism scale. Results indicated that for Whites, the PR scale was significantly correlated with old-fashioned and modern racism and anti-Semitism, replicating Gough's 1951 study (Gough, 1951b) with the PR scale. However, no such relationship was observed for the Asian American group. This suggests that personality traits of prejudicial attitudes may be relatively stable for Whites but may not be related to outgroup bias for other racial or ethnic groups.

Thinning of the ice sheet in northwest Greenland over the past forty years.

PubMed

Paterson, W S; Reeh, N

2001-11-01

Thermal expansion of the oceans, as well as melting of glaciers, ice sheets and ice caps have been the main contributors to global sea level rise over the past century. The greatest uncertainty in predicting future sea level changes lies with our estimates of the mass balance of the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. Satellite measurements have been used to determine changes in these ice sheets on short timescales, demonstrating that surface-elevation changes on timescales of decades or less result mainly from variations in snow accumulation. Here we present direct measurements of the changes in surface elevation between 1954 and 1995 on a traverse across the north Greenland ice sheet. Measurements over a time interval of this length should reflect changes in ice flow-the important quantity for predicting changes in sea level-relatively unperturbed by short-term fluctuations in snow accumulation. We find only small changes in the eastern part of the transect, except for some thickening of the north ice stream. On the west side, however, the thinning rates of the ice sheet are significantly higher and thinning extends to higher elevations than had been anticipated from previous studies.

Forty years of research concerning children and youth in Greenland: a mapping review

PubMed Central

Glendøs, Mia; Berliner, Peter

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: This study undertakes a mapping review of mainly concerning children and youth in Greenland in the period 1976–2016 and reflects on how the research has been conducted and knowledge thereby created about children and youth in Greenland, as well as how the research has been developed over time. Design: 16 online databases; five journals; publication lists originating from seven organisations and ten prominent researchers; and local network and references were used in the search and subsequently screened through the scoping criteria. 342 publications were included, encompassing knowledge based on empirical research on children and youth in Greenland within the broader field of psychology. Results: The majority of studies, 71%, were conducted through quantitative methods. The qualitative research is represented in 22% of the studies and participatory and action-orientated research is represented in 7% of the studies. The most prominent themes in research concerning children and youth in Greenland were physical problems, which were found in 38% of the studies. Conclusions: The result reflects a consistent objectivity and quantitative methodology in health research in Greenland since 1991.The health research thus represents a united research community with a shared methodological research approach, while the local participatory action research projects all appear differentiated. While health research covers a spectrum of psychology related objectives, the methodology traditions reveal a specific kind of knowledge, which has come to determine how the mental health of the Greenlandic children is perceived. We believe that more qualitative and locally grounded approaches need to be organised in order to produce a more nuanced knowledge of the Greenlandic children and youth. PMID:28661236

The Changing Frontiers of Comparative Education: A Forty-Year Retrospective on "European Education"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silova, Iveta

2009-01-01

"European Education" (originally known as "Western European Education") may no longer be directly associated with the field of comparative and international education, yet its establishment in 1969 was an attempt to make a direct contribution to the academic debates about the future of comparative education. The journal emerged…

Forty years later at Taylor Woods: Merging the old and new (P-53)

Treesearch

John D. Bailey

2008-01-01

The Taylor Woods "Levels-of-Growing-Stock" study was established in 1962 to create a replicated ponderosa pine density experiment for the Southwest, making a valuable addition to research in the Fort Valley Experimental Forest. Basal area treatments ranged from 5-20 m2/ha (19-80 ft2/ac) when installed, designed as growing stock levels 30/40, 60, 80, 100, 120...

Biomedical optics centers: forty years of multidisciplinary clinical translation for improving human health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tromberg, Bruce J.; Anderson, R. Rox; Birngruber, Reginald; Brinkmann, Ralf; Berns, Michael W.; Parrish, John A.; Apiou-Sbirlea, Gabriela

2016-12-01

Despite widespread government and public interest, there are significant barriers to translating basic science discoveries into clinical practice. Biophotonics and biomedical optics technologies can be used to overcome many of these hurdles, due, in part, to offering new portable, bedside, and accessible devices. The current JBO special issue highlights promising activities and examples of translational biophotonics from leading laboratories around the world. We identify common essential features of successful clinical translation by examining the origins and activities of three major international academic affiliated centers with beginnings traceable to the mid-late 1970s: The Wellman Center for Photomedicine (Mass General Hospital, USA), the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic (University of California, Irvine, USA), and the Medical Laser Center Lübeck at the University of Lübeck, Germany. Major factors driving the success of these programs include visionary founders and leadership, multidisciplinary research and training activities in light-based therapies and diagnostics, diverse funding portfolios, and a thriving entrepreneurial culture that tolerates risk. We provide a brief review of how these three programs emerged and highlight critical phases and lessons learned. Based on these observations, we identify pathways for encouraging the growth and formation of similar programs in order to more rapidly and effectively expand the impact of biophotonics and biomedical optics on human health.

Forty Years of Struggle and Still No Right to Inuit Education in Nunavut

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasmussen, Derek

2011-01-01

In this article issues related to policy and education in the Canadian Arctic are critically put to question. The focus is on the struggle for Inuit education, language issues, and supporting minority rights, with pragmatic solutions proposed to the problems confronting Nunavut.

Forty Years On: Norbert Elias and the Young Worker Project. CLMS Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, John; O'Connor, Henrietta

A study performed in 1962 by Norbert Elias on the adjustment of young people to the transition from school to work had five areas of inquiry; adjustment to relationships with older workers and supervisors; adjustment to job problems; adjustment to role as workers; adjustment to role as money-earner in home relations; and adjustment to role as…

Quantitative Trait Inheritance in a Forty-Year-Old Longleaf Pine Partial Diallel Test

Treesearch

Michael Stine; Jim Roberds; C. Dana Nelson; David P. Gwaze; Todd Shupe; Les Groom

2002-01-01

A longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) 13 parent partial diallel field experiment was established at two locations on the Harrison Experimental Forest in 1960. Parent trees were randomly selected from a natural population growing on the Harrison Experimental Forest, near Gulfport, Miss. Distance between trees chosen as parents ranged from 13 to 357...

Forty Years in the Union: Incubating, Supporting, and Catalyzing Socially Just Educational Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rottmann, Cindy

2012-01-01

North American teacher unions' positive contributions to educational change have historically flown under the radar of educational policy makers, a situation that has been reified by recent attacks on public sector unions. In this article, I draw on social movement theory and an institutional case study of a self described social justice union to…

Biomedical optics centers: forty years of multidisciplinary clinical translation for improving human health.

PubMed

Tromberg, Bruce J; Anderson, R Rox; Birngruber, Reginald; Brinkmann, Ralf; Berns, Michael W; Parrish, John A; Apiou-Sbirlea, Gabriela

2016-12-01

Despite widespread government and public interest, there are significant barriers to translating basic science discoveries into clinical practice. Biophotonics and biomedical optics technologies can be used to overcome many of these hurdles, due, in part, to offering new portable, bedside, and accessible devices. The current JBO special issue highlights promising activities and examples of translational biophotonics from leading laboratories around the world. We identify common essential features of successful clinical translation by examining the origins and activities of three major international academic affiliated centers with beginnings traceable to the mid-late 1970s: The Wellman Center for Photomedicine (Mass General Hospital, USA), the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic (University of California, Irvine, USA), and the Medical Laser Center Lübeck at the University of Lübeck, Germany. Major factors driving the success of these programs include visionary founders and leadership, multidisciplinary research and training activities in light-based therapies and diagnostics, diverse funding portfolios, and a thriving entrepreneurial culture that tolerates risk. We provide a brief review of how these three programs emerged and highlight critical phases and lessons learned. Based on these observations, we identify pathways for encouraging the growth and formation of similar programs in order to more rapidly and effectively expand the impact of biophotonics and biomedical optics on human health.

Trace elements in unconventional animals: A 40-year experience.

PubMed

Carpenè, Emilio; Andreani, Giulia; Isani, Gloria

2017-09-01

The role of trace elements in animal health has attracted increasing interest in recent years. The essentiality and toxicity of these elements have been extensively investigated in humans, laboratory animal models and partially in domestic animals, whereas little is known about trace element metabolism in most living organisms. Forty years ago our research started on Cd metabolism in molluscs, thereafter expanding to Zn, Cu, and Fe metabolism in many unconventional animal species of veterinary interest. This review summarizes the main results obtained over this long period of time: some of the findings are original and have not been published to date. They are discussed in more detail and compared with data obtained in conventional animals, including man. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Cost-effectiveness of neurostimulation in Parkinson's disease with early motor complications.

PubMed

Dams, Judith; Balzer-Geldsetzer, Monika; Siebert, Uwe; Deuschl, Günther; Schuepbach, W M Michael; Krack, Paul; Timmermann, Lars; Schnitzler, Alfons; Reese, Jens-Peter; Dodel, Richard

2016-08-01

Recent research efforts have focused on the effects of deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN DBS) for selected patients with mild-to-moderate PD experiencing motor complications. We assessed the cost utility of subthalamic DBS compared with the best medical treatment for German patients below the age of 61 with early motor complications of PD. We applied a previously published Markov model that integrated health utilities based on EuroQoL and direct costs over patients' lifetime adjusted to the German health care payer perspective (year of costing: 2013). Effectiveness was evaluated using the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire 39 summary index. We performed sensitivity analyses to assess uncertainty. In the base-case analysis, the incremental cost-utility ratio for STN DBS compared to best medical treatment was 22,700 Euros per quality-adjusted life year gained. The time to, and costs for, battery exchange had a major effect on the incremental cost-utility ratios, but never exceeded a threshold of 50,000 Euros per quality-adjusted life year. Our decision analysis supports the fact that STN DBS at earlier stages of the disease is cost-effective in patients below the age of 61 when compared with the best medical treatment in the German health care system. This finding was supported by detailed sensitivity analyses reporting robust results. Whereas the EARLYSTIM study has shown STN DBS to be superior to medical therapy with respect to quality of life for patients with early motor complications, this further analysis has shown its cost-effectiveness. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Dramatic Changes in Health Care Professions in the Past 40 Years.

PubMed

Goldfield, Norbert

During the forty-year life of the Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, revolutionary transformations have occurred in the roles of existing health professions, as has the emergence of new categories of health professionals. This paper specifies the reasons for these dramatic changes, the new types of health care professions that have emerged, changes in existing professions, and suggestions of future directions. Many of these changes will be impacted by what occurs in Washington, DC in the debate over the Accountable Care Act.

Six-Degree Head-Down Tilt Bed Rest: Forty Years of Development as a Physiological Analog for Weightlessness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Jeffrey D.; Cromwell, Ronita L.; Kundrot, Craig E.; Charles, John B.

2011-01-01

-degrees HDT model must continue to be scrutinized, re-examined, validated and compared to other analog environments whenever possible. Only by understanding the strengths and limits of this model, will it continue to serve as a critical physiological analog to spaceflight for many more years to come.

Learning, Engagement, and Technology: Middle School Students' Three-Year Experience in Pervasive Technology Environments in South Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hur, Jung Won; Oh, Jaekyeon

2012-01-01

This study explored an initiative that created a pervasive learning environment in a middle school in South Korea and examined its impact on student academic achievement and learning engagement. Forty students received a laptop to use for class projects, online collaboration, and lesson reviews over a 3-year period. To measure the effect of laptop…

77 FR 74197 - Neurological Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-13

... section entitled ``Agenda'', the product name ``NeuroPace Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) System'' is corrected to read ``NeuroPace RNS System''. Dated: December 7, 2012. Jill Hartzler Warner, Acting Associate...

A Forty-Year Follow-Up of the Dallas Bed Rest and Training Study: The Effect of Age on the Cardiovascular Response to Exercise in Men

PubMed Central

McGavock, Jonathan M.; Hastings, Jeffrey L.; Snell, Peter G.; McGuire, Darren K.; Pacini, Eric L.; Mitchell, Jere H.

2009-01-01

Background In 1966, five 20-year-old men underwent a comprehensive physiological evaluation of the capacity for adaptation of the cardiovascular system in response to 3 weeks of bed rest and 8 weeks of heavy endurance training; these same participants were reevaluated before and after training at the age of 50. The aim of the present study was to reexamine these same men 40 years following the original assessments. Methods and Results In all three studies, minute ventilation and expired gases were analyzed during exercise testing with Douglas bag collection. Cardiac output (CO) was determined using the acetylene rebreathing technique. Compared with the original 30-year interval, the decline in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) (−11% vs −25%), maximal CO (+6% vs −11%), and maximal stroke volume (+10% vs −10%) were greater between 50 and 60 years of age. The annualized decline in VO2max (55 mL/min/y) between ages 50 and 60 was approximately fourfold higher than the decline between 20 and 50 years (12 mL/min/y). Conclusions In the original five participants of the Dallas Bed Rest and Training Study, VO2max declined after 40 years of living due to a balanced decrease in central and peripheral determinants of oxygen uptake. The rate of decline in VO2max and its components accelerated after the age of 50 years secondary to age and clinical comorbidities. The net proportional decline in VO2max for a period of 40 years of life was comparable with that experienced after 3 weeks of strict bed rest at the age of 20 (27% vs 26%, respectively). PMID:19196908

Huygens Identifies Rings Around Saturn : 350 Years Later

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deau, Estelle; Fulchignoni, M.

2006-09-01

On March 6, 1656, nearly forty years after Galileo discovered a strange object around Saturn and remained enigmatic until this time, a young unknown dutch of the name of Christiaan Huygens published a surprising article entitled "De Saturni luna observatio nova” in which he makes share to the erudite world of the first discovered satellite around Saturn. It finishes this article of only three pages by a logogriph which announces another discovery of which he hopes to be the first author while launching a call to all the astronomers of Europe. This second discovery much more resounding than the first ensured a world fame thereafter to him. We return here on this famous discovery: the identification of the Saturn's rings by the phyical explanation of its changing appearance. 350 years later, the physical assumptions of Huygens are used to understand ring's geometry.

The Socio-Cultural and Leadership Experiences of Latina Four-Year College and University Presidents: A Traves de sus Voces (Through Their Voices)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maes, Johanna B.

2012-01-01

The Latina population in the United States is one of the largest of all racial and ethnic groups, and it is expected to grow exponentially within the next forty years. Despite these large numbers of Latinas in the U.S., there is a disparity with this population who are leading our nation's four-year colleges and universities. A reason for…

Forty years of economic growth and plummeting mortality: the mortality experience of the poorly educated in South Korea.

PubMed

Bahk, Jinwook; Lynch, John W; Khang, Young-Ho

2017-03-01

South Korea has experienced rapid economic development and a substantial increase in life expectancy in an extremely short period. Whether this rapid development has been able to adequately address inequalities in health in South Korea may have important policy implications. This paper explores long-term trends in inequalities in mortality related to education in South Korea between 1970 and 2010. We used secondary data on population size and deaths in 1970 and 1980 from a previously published study, and census and death certificate data from Statistics Korea from 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010. Trends in age-standardised mortality rates for men and women aged 25-64 according to education, as well as the rate ratio (RR), rate difference (RD), relative index of inequality (RII) and slope index of inequality (SII), were examined over the period 1970-2010. Despite overall mortality declines of 70-80% in the past 4 decades, educational inequalities have increased or been stagnant. There was minimal decline in mortality since 1970 in South Koreans with only a primary or lower level of education. The RR and RD between tertiary education and primary or lower education increased over the study period, while the RII and the SII in both genders remained stable. The South Korean experience over the past 40 years suggests that plummeting mortality rates and huge advances in education at the population level do not translate into reduced educational inequalities in mortality. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Nanoparticles: A Challenging Vehicle for Neural Stimulation

PubMed Central

Colombo, Elisabetta; Feyen, Paul; Antognazza, Maria Rosa; Lanzani, Guglielmo; Benfenati, Fabio

2016-01-01

Neurostimulation represents a powerful and well-established tool for the treatment of several diseases affecting the central nervous system. Although, effective in reducing the symptoms or the progression of brain disorders, the poor accessibility of the deepest areas of the brain currently hampers the possibility of a more specific and controlled therapeutic stimulation, depending on invasive surgical approaches and long-term stability, and biocompatibility issues. The massive research of the last decades on nanomaterials and nanoscale devices favored the development of new tools to address the limitations of the available neurostimulation approaches. This mini-review focuses on the employment of nanoparticles for the modulation of the electrophysiological activity of neuronal networks and the related transduction mechanisms underlying the nanostructure-neuron interfaces. PMID:27047327

Favorable Cardiovascular Health, Compression of Morbidity, and Healthcare Costs: Forty-Year Follow-Up of the CHA Study (Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry).

PubMed

Allen, Norrina B; Zhao, Lihui; Liu, Lei; Daviglus, Martha; Liu, Kiang; Fries, James; Shih, Ya-Chen Tina; Garside, Daniel; Vu, Thanh-Huyen; Stamler, Jeremiah; Lloyd-Jones, Donald M

2017-05-02

We examined the association of cardiovascular health at younger ages with the proportion of life lived free of morbidity, the cumulative burden of morbidity, and average healthcare costs at older ages. The CHA study (Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry) is a longitudinal cohort of employed men and women 18 to 74 years of age at baseline examination in 1967 to 1973. Baseline measurements included blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, body mass index, and smoking. Individuals were classified into 1 of 4 strata of cardiovascular health: favorable levels of all factors, 0 factors high but ≥1 elevated risk factors, 1 high risk factor, and ≥2 high risk factors. Linked Medicare and National Death Index data from 1984 to 2010 were used to determine morbidity in older age. An individual's all-cause morbidity score and cardiovascular morbidity score were calculated from International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision codes for each year of follow-up. We included 25 804 participants who became ≥65 years of age by 2010, representing 65% of all original CHA participants (43% female; 90% white; mean age, 44 years at baseline); 6% had favorable levels of all factors, 19% had ≥1 risk factors at elevated levels, 40% had 1 high risk factor, and 35% had ≥2 high risk factors. Favorable cardiovascular health at younger ages extended survival by almost 4 years and postponed the onset of all-cause and cardiovascular morbidity by 4.5 and 7 years, respectively, resulting in compression of morbidity in both absolute and relative terms. This translated to lower cumulative and annual healthcare costs for those in favorable cardiovascular health ( P <0.001) during Medicare eligibility. Individuals in favorable cardiovascular health in early middle age live a longer, healthier life free of all types of morbidity. These findings provide strong support for prevention efforts earlier in life aimed at preserving cardiovascular health and reducing

Cranial Ultrasound Lesions in the NICU Predict Cerebral Palsy at Age 2 Years in Children Born at Extremely Low Gestational Age

PubMed Central

Kuban, Karl C. K.; Allred, Elizabeth N.; O’Shea, T. Michael; Paneth, Nigel; Pagano, Marcello; Dammann, Olaf; Leviton, Alan; Du Plessis, Adré; Westra, Sjirk J.; Miller, Cindy R.; Bassan, Haim; Krishnamoorthy, Kalpathy; Junewick, Joseph; Olomu, Nicholas; Romano, Elaine; Seibert, Joanna; Engelke, Steve; Karna, Padmani; Batton, Daniel; O’Connor, Sunila E.; Keller, Cecelia E.

2009-01-01

Our prospective cohort study of extremely low gestational age newborns evaluated the association of neonatal head ultrasound abnormalities with cerebral palsy at age 2 years. Cranial ultrasounds in 1053 infants were read with respect to intraventricular hemorrhage, ventriculomegaly, and echolucency, by multiple sonologists. Standardized neurological examinations classified cerebral palsy, and functional impairment was assessed. Forty-four percent with ventriculomegaly and 52% with echolucency developed cerebral palsy. Compared with no ultrasound abnormalities, children with echolucency were 24 times more likely to have quadriparesis and 29 times more likely to have hemiparesis. Children with ventriculomegaly were 17 times more likely to have quadriparesis or hemiparesis. Forty-three percent of children with cerebral palsy had normal head ultrasound. Focal white matter damage (echolucency) and diffuse damage (late ventriculomegaly) are associated with a high probability of cerebral palsy, especially quadriparesis. Nearly half the cerebral palsy identified at 2 years is not preceded by a neonatal brain ultrasound abnormality. PMID:19168819

Optimizing utilization of kidneys from deceased donors over 60 years: five-year outcomes after implementation of a combined clinical and histological allocation algorithm.

PubMed

Pierobon, Elisa Sefora; Sefora, Pierobon Elisa; Sandrini, Silvio; Silvio, Sandrini; De Fazio, Nicola; Nicola, De Fazio; Rossini, Giuseppe; Giuseppe, Rossini; Fontana, Iris; Iris, Fontana; Boschiero, Luigino; Luigino, Boschiero; Gropuzzo, Maria; Maria, Gropuzzo; Gotti, Eliana; Eliana, Gotti; Donati, Donato; Donato, Donati; Minetti, Enrico; Enrico, Minetti; Gandolfo, Maria Teresa; Teresa, Gandolfo Maria; Brunello, Anna; Anna, Brunello; Libetta, Carmelo; Carmelo, Libetta; Secchi, Antonio; Antonio, Secchi; Chiaramonte, Stefano; Stefano, Chiaramonte; Rigotti, Paolo; Paolo, Rigotti

2013-08-01

This 5 year observational multicentre study conducted in the Nord Italian Transplant programme area evaluated outcomes in patients receiving kidneys from donors over 60 years allocated according to a combined clinical and histological algorithm. Low-risk donors 60-69 years without risk factors were allocated to single kidney transplant (LR-SKT) based on clinical criteria. Biopsy was performed in donors over 70 years or 60-69 years with risk factors, allocated to Single (HR-SKT) or Dual kidney transplant (HR-DKT) according to the severity of histological damage. Forty HR-DKTs, 41 HR-SKTs and 234 LR-SKTs were evaluated. Baseline differences generally reflected stratification and allocation criteria. Patient and graft (death censored) survival were 90% and 92% for HR-DKT, 85% and 89% for HR-SKT, 88% and 87% for LR-SKT. The algorithm appeared user-friendly in daily practice and was safe and efficient, as demonstrated by satisfactory outcomes in all groups at 5 years. Clinical criteria performed well in low-risk donors. The excellent outcomes observed in DKTs call for fine-tuning of cut-off scores for allocation to DKT or SKT in high-risk patients. © 2013 Steunstichting ESOT. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

77 FR 73034 - Neurological Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-07

... recommendations and vote on information regarding the premarket approval application (PMA) for the NeuroPace Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) System sponsored by NeuroPace, Inc. The RNS System is indicated for use as...

Irish Medical Students Understanding of the Intern Year.

PubMed

Gouda, P; Kitt, K; Evans, D S; Goggin, D; McGrath, D; Last, J; Hennessy, M; Arnett, R; O'Flynn, S; Dunne, F; O'Donovan, D

2016-04-11

Upon completion of medical school in Ireland, graduates must make the transition to becoming interns. The transition into the intern year may be described as challenging as graduates assume clinical responsibilities. Historically, a survey of interns in 1996 found that 91% felt unprepared for their role. However, recent surveys in 2012 have demonstrated that this is changing with preparedness rates reaching 52%. This can be partially explained by multiple initiatives at the local and national level. Our study aimed evaluate medical student understanding of the intern year and associated factors. An online, cross-sectional survey was sent out to all Irish medical students in 2013 and included questions regarding their understanding of the intern year. Two thousand, two hundred and forty-eight students responded, with 1,224 (55.4%) of students agreeing or strongly agreeing that they had a good understanding of what the intern year entails. This rose to 485 (73.7%) among senior medical students. Of junior medical students, 260 (42.8%) indicated they understood what the intern year, compared to 479 (48.7%) of intermediate medical students. Initiatives to continue improving preparedness for the intern year are essential in ensuring a smooth and less stressful transition into the medical workforce.

Changing Parent Attitudes and Improving Language and Intellectual Abilities of Culturally Disadvantaged Four-Year-Old Children Through Parent Involvement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Janet Lee Gorrell

The purposes of this study were to analyze parent involvement as it related to (1) the development of language abilities of culturally disadvantaged preschool children and (2) the intelligence test scores of these children and to analyze parent attitudes resulting from involvement. Nine hypotheses were tested. Forty-one 4-year-old Head Starters in…

The Academic Scholar Award of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons: the first 20 years.

PubMed

Sweeney, Walter M; Cederna, Paul S; Losee, Joseph E; Lee, W P Andrew; Katz, Adam J; Rubin, J Peter; Gosain, Arun K

2015-02-01

This study evaluated the 20-year history of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons Academic Scholar Award from 1992 through 2012, to assess the program's value and justify future investment. The curricula vitae of 18 Academic Scholars who completed their award by 2012 were analyzed. Data were compiled into 5-year blocks and reviewed. Award recipients has 589 grants, an average of 33 per recipient. Sixty-nine grants were active, and the recipient was the principal investigator in 61 of these grants. Active funding is $68 million. Recipients average 3.7 active grants per person, with a value of $3.8 million per grant. The average number of grants peaks at 5 to 10 years after award completion and then declines slightly to 42 at 10 to 15 years. During this time, total grant money increased from $956,667 to $8.1 million, suggesting that senior surgeons produce more money with fewer grants. Recipients produced 2378 peer-reviewed articles, and productivity was the highest 5 to 10 years after award completion. Three hundred forty-one individuals were mentored, and each recipient mentored an average of 18 individuals. Forty-two mentees entered academics, and 32 generated extramural funding. Scholars increased mentorship activity, as demonstrated by (1) increased grants as any role, (2) increased grant funding as any role, (3) increased median number of senior author publications, and (4) mentorship activities and accomplishments of mentees. The Academic Scholar program met its goals based on (1) Scholars' careers, (2) increased mentorship, and (3) cost-benefit ratio of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons investment. Every $1 invested produces $70, with a return that exceeds 1000 percent.

The special programme of research in human reproduction: forty years of activities to achieve reproductive health for all.

PubMed

Benagiano, Giuseppe; d'Arcangues, Catherine; Harris Requejo, Jennifer; Schafer, Alessandra; Say, Lale; Merialdi, Mario

2012-01-01

The Special Programme of Research in Human Reproduction (HRP), co-sponsored by the UNDP, UNFPA, WHO, and the World Bank, is celebrating 40 years of activities with an expansion of its mandate and new co-sponsors. When it began, in 1972, the main focus was on evaluating the acceptability, effectiveness, and safety of existing fertility-regulating methods, as well as developing new, improved modalities for family planning. In 1994, HRP not only made major contributions to the Plan of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD); it also broadened its scope of work to include other aspects of health dealing with sexuality and reproduction, adding a specific perspective on gender issues and human rights. In 2002, HRP's mandate was once again broadened to include sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS and in 2003 it was further expanded to research activities on preventing violence against women and its many dire health consequences. Today, the work of the Programme includes research on: the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents, women, and men; maternal and perinatal health; reproductive tract and sexually transmitted infections (including HIV/AIDS); family planning; infertility; unsafe abortion; sexual health; screening for cancer of the cervix in developing countries, and gender and reproductive rights. Additional activities by the Programme have included: fostering international cooperation in the field of human reproduction; the elaboration of WHO's first Global Reproductive Health Strategy; work leading to the inclusion of ICPD's goal 'reproductive health for all by 2015' into the Millennium Development Goal framework; the promotion of critical interagency statements on the public health, legal, and human rights implications of female genital mutilation and gender-biased sex selection. Finally, HRP has been involved in the creation of guidelines and tools, such as the 'Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use

Epilepsy in Adults with TSC

MedlinePlus

... brain. Devices to treat epilepsy include vagus nerve stimulation and responsive neurostimulation. Who Treats Epilepsy? A general ... Many men with epilepsy will experience changes in sexual drive and performance. For example, many men report ...

Forty years of research on xeroderma pigmentosum at the US National Institutes of Health.

PubMed

Kraemer, Kenneth H; DiGiovanna, John J

2015-01-01

In 1968, Dr. James Cleaver reported defective DNA repair in cultured cells from patients with xeroderma pigmentosum. This link between clinical disease and molecular pathophysiology has sparked interest in understanding not only the clinical characteristics of sun sensitivity, damage and cancer that occurred in XP patients but also the mechanisms underlying the damage and repair. While affected patients are rare, their exaggerated UV damage provides a window into the workings of DNA repair. These studies have clarified the importance of a functioning DNA repair system to the maintenance of skin and neurologic health in the general population. Understanding the role of damage in causing cancer, neurologic degeneration, hearing loss and internal cancers provides an opportunity for prevention and treatment. Characterizing complementation groups pointed to the importance of different underlying genes. Studying differences in cancer age of onset and underlying molecular signatures in cancers occurring either in XP patients or the general population has led to insights into differences in carcinogenic mechanisms. The accelerated development of cancers in XP has been used as a model to discover new cancer chemopreventive agents. An astute insight can be a "tipping point" triggering decades of productive inquiry. © 2015 The American Society of Photobiology.

Forty Years of Research on Xeroderma Pigmentosum at the US National Institutes of Health†

PubMed Central

Kraemer, Kenneth H.; DiGiovanna, John J.

2014-01-01

In 1968, Dr. James Cleaver reported defective DNA repair in cultured cells from patients with xeroderma pigmentosum. This link between clinical disease and molecular pathophysiology has sparked interest in understanding not only the clinical characteristics of sun sensitivity, damage and cancer that occurred in XP patients but also the mechanisms underlying the damage and repair. While affected patients are rare, their exaggerated UV damage provides a window into the workings of DNA repair. These studies have clarified the importance of a functioning DNA repair system to the maintenance of skin and neurologic health in the general population. Understanding the role of damage in causing cancer, neurologic degeneration, hearing loss and internal cancers provides an opportunity for prevention and treatment. Characterizing complementation groups pointed to the importance of different underlying genes. Studying differences in cancer age of onset and underlying molecular signatures in cancers occurring either in XP patients or the general population has led to insights into differences in carcinogenic mechanisms. The accelerated development of cancers in XP has been used as a model to discover new cancer chemopreventive agents. An astute insight can be a “tipping point” triggering decades of productive inquiry. PMID:25220021

Forty years experience in developing and using rainfall simulators under tropical and Mediterranean conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pla-Sentís, Ildefonso; Nacci, Silvana

2010-05-01

Rainfall simulation has been used as a practical tool for evaluating the interaction of falling water drops on the soil surface, to measure both stability of soil aggregates to drop impact and water infiltration rates. In both cases it is tried to simulate the effects of natural rainfall, which usually occurs at very different, variable and erratic rates and intensities. One of the main arguments against the use of rainfall simulators is the difficulty to reproduce the size, final velocity and kinetic energy of the drops in natural rainfall. Since the early 70´s we have been developing and using different kinds of rainfall simulators, both at laboratory and field levels, and under tropical and Mediterranean soil and climate conditions, in flat and sloping lands. They have been mainly used to evaluate the relative effects of different land use and management, including different cropping systems, tillage practices, surface soil conditioning, surface covers, etc. on soil water infiltration, on runoff and on erosion. Our experience is that in any case it is impossible to reproduce the variable size distribution and terminal velocity of raindrops, and the variable changes in intensity of natural storms, under a particular climate condition. In spite of this, with the use of rainfall simulators it is possible to obtain very good information, which if it is properly interpreted in relation to each particular condition (land and crop management, rainfall characteristics, measurement conditions, etc.) may be used as one of the parameters for deducing and modelling soil water balance and soil moisture regime under different land use and management and variable climate conditions. Due to the possibility for a better control of the intensity of simulated rainfall and of the size of water drops, and the possibility to make more repeated measurements under very variable soil and land conditions, both in the laboratory and specially in the field, the better results have been obtained with small size 500-1000 cm2, easily dismantled, drop former simulators, than with larger, nozzle, or more sophisticated equipments. In this contribution there are presented some of the rainfall simulators developed and used by the main author, and some of the results obtained in different studies of practical problems under tropical and Mediterranean conditions. References Pla, I.,G.Campero, y R.Useche.1974.Physical degradación of agricultural soils in the Western Plains of Venezuela. "Trans.10th Int.Cong.Soil.Sci.Soc". 1:231-240. .Moscú Pla, I. 1975.Effects of bitumen emulsion and polyacrilamide on some physical properties of Venezuelan soils. En "Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Special Publication"• 7. 35-46. Madison. Wisconsin . (USA). Pla, I. 1977.Aggregate size and erosion control on sloping land treated with hydrophobic bitumen emulsion."Soil Conservation and Management in the Humid Tropics".109-115. John Wiley & Sons. Pla, I.1981.Simuladores de lluvia para el estudio de relaciones suelo-agua bajo agricultura de secano en los trópicos. Rev. Fac. Agron. XII(1-2):81-93.Maracay (Venezuela) Pla, I. 1986.A routine laboratory index to predict the effects of soil sealing on soil and water conservation. En "Assesment of Soil Surface Sealing and Crusting". 154-162.State Univ. of Ghent.Gante (Bélgica Pla, I., M.C. Ramos, S. Nacci, F. Fonseca y X. Abreu. 2005. Soil moisture regime in dryland vineyards of Catalunya (Spain) as influenced by climate, soil and land management. "Integrated Soil and Water Management for Orchard Development". FAO Land and Water Bulletin 10. 41-49. Roma (Italia).

Education and Geopolitics in a Changing Europe: Forty Years of Scholarship in "European Education"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silova, Iveta; Brehm, William C.

2009-01-01

This article chronicles the history of the journal "European Education" since its establishment in 1969 by placing it within the larger context of geopolitical changes of the twentieth century and the historical debates on theory and method in the field of comparative education. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative content analysis of…

Complications and 2-year valve survival following Ahmed valve implantation during the first 2 years of life.

PubMed

Almobarak, F; Al-Mobarak, F; Khan, A O

2009-06-01

To report complications and 2-year valve survival following Ahmed valve implantation during the first 2 years of life. Retrospective institutional case series. Forty-two eyes of 36 patients with Ahmed valve implantation (without prior drainage device surgery) during the first 2 years of life and 2 years' postsurgical follow-up were identified. Most eyes had primary congenital glaucoma (28/42, 66.7%), aphakic glaucoma (5/42, 11.9%) or Peters anomaly (5/42, 11.9%). All but three eyes had prior ocular surgery. Surgery was at a mean age of 11.83 months (m) (SD 5.63). The most common significant postoperative complications were tube malpositioning requiring intervention (11/42, 26.2%), endophthalmitis (3/42, 7.1%; one with tube exposure) and retinal detachment (3/42, 7.1%). Thirty-six eyes (85.8%) required resumption of antiglaucoma medications to maintain intraocular pressure (IOP) < or =22 mm Hg a mean of 7.2 m (SD 6.8) postoperatively. Cumulative probabilities of valve survival (IOP< or =22 mm Hg with or without medication) by Kaplan-Meier analysis were 73.8% and 63.3% at 12 months and 24 months, respectively. Postoperative tube malpositioning that required surgical revision was common in this age group. Infectious endophthalmitis and retinal detachment are known potential complications following any incisional surgery for advanced buphthalmos; however, tube exposure is a unique potential problem following aqueous shunt implantation that can lead to intraocular infection. Cumulative valve survival 2 years following implantation was 63.3%.

The Relationship of Alcoholism and Alcohol Consumption to All-Cause Mortality in Forty-One-Year Follow-up of the Swedish REBUS Sample.

PubMed

Lundin, Andreas; Mortensen, Laust Hvas; Halldin, Jan; Theobald, Holger

2015-07-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of alcoholism, alcohol consumption amount, and alcohol consumption pattern on mortality in a general population sample. This study used a 1970 prospective population sample (double-phase random sample) of 2,300 individuals ages 18-65 years in Stockholm County, which was also linked to mortality registers. A total of 1,895 individuals participated in a semi-structured, baseline psychiatric interview with a psychiatrist and social worker. Alcoholism and other mental disorders were recorded according to the eighth revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-8). Information on the usual amount and frequency of alcohol consumption was collected at the psychiatric interview. Mortality up to year 2011 was assessed with Cox proportional hazard regression models. At baseline, there were 65 men and 21 women diagnosed with alcoholism. During followup, there were 873 deaths in the study population of 1,895. Alcoholism was associated with increased mortality rate. Former drinkers, but not never-drinkers, also had increased risk for mortality compared with moderate drinkers. We found no associations between heavy consumption and mortality. Frequent heavy episodic drinking was uncommon but related to mortality before, but not after, adjusting for an alcoholism diagnosis. Our results demonstrated that alcoholism—but not a reported high consumption of alcohol or frequent heavy episodic drinking—predicted a long-term risk of death.

Forty years of carabid beetle research in Europe - from taxonomy, biology, ecology and population studies to bioindication, habitat assessment and conservation.

PubMed

Kotze, D Johan; Brandmayr, Pietro; Casale, Achille; Dauffy-Richard, Emmanuelle; Dekoninck, Wouter; Koivula, Matti J; Lövei, Gábor L; Mossakowski, Dietrich; Noordijk, Jinze; Paarmann, Wilfried; Pizzolotto, Roberto; Saska, Pavel; Schwerk, Axel; Serrano, José; Szyszko, Jan; Taboada, Angela; Turin, Hans; Venn, Stephen; Vermeulen, Rikjan; Zetto, Tullia

2011-01-01

'Carabidologists do it all' (Niemelä 1996a) is a phrase with which most European carabidologists are familiar. Indeed, during the last half a century, professional and amateur entomologists have contributed enormously to our understanding of the basic biology of carabid beetles. The success of the field is in no small part due to regular European Carabidologists' Meetings, which started in 1969 in Wijster, the Netherlands, with the 14th meeting again held in the Netherlands in 2009, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first meeting and 50 years of long-term research in the Dwingelderveld. This paper offers a subjective summary of some of the major developments in carabidology since the 1960s. Taxonomy of the family Carabidae is now reasonably established, and the application of modern taxonomic tools has brought up several surprises like elsewhere in the animal kingdom. Progress has been made on the ultimate and proximate factors of seasonality and timing of reproduction, which only exceptionally show non-seasonality. Triggers can be linked to evolutionary events and plausibly explained by the "taxon cycle" theory. Fairly little is still known about certain feeding preferences, including granivory and ants, as well as unique life history strategies, such as ectoparasitism and predation on higher taxa. The study of carabids has been instrumental in developing metapopulation theory (even if it was termed differently). Dispersal is one of the areas intensively studied, and results show an intricate interaction between walking and flying as the major mechanisms. The ecological study of carabids is still hampered by some unresolved questions about sampling and data evaluation. It is recognised that knowledge is uneven, especially concerning larvae and species in tropical areas. By their abundance and wide distribution, carabid beetles can be useful in population studies, bioindication, conservation biology and landscape ecology. Indeed, 40 years of carabidological

Predicting Reading and Spelling Disorders: A 4-Year Prospective Cohort Study.

PubMed

Bigozzi, Lucia; Tarchi, Christian; Caudek, Corrado; Pinto, Giuliana

2016-01-01

In this 4-year prospective cohort study, children with a reading and spelling disorder, children with a spelling impairment, and children without a reading and/or spelling disorder (control group) in a transparent orthography were identified in third grade, and their emergent literacy performances in kindergarten compared retrospectively. Six hundred and forty-two Italian children participated. This cohort was followed from the last year of kindergarten to third grade. In kindergarten, the children were assessed in phonological awareness, conceptual knowledge of writing systems and textual competence. In third grade, 18 children with a reading and spelling impairment and 13 children with a spelling impairment were identified. Overall, conceptual knowledge of the writing system was the only statistically significant predictor of the clinical samples. No differences were found between the two clinical samples.

Predicting Reading and Spelling Disorders: A 4-Year Prospective Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Bigozzi, Lucia; Tarchi, Christian; Caudek, Corrado; Pinto, Giuliana

2016-01-01

In this 4-year prospective cohort study, children with a reading and spelling disorder, children with a spelling impairment, and children without a reading and/or spelling disorder (control group) in a transparent orthography were identified in third grade, and their emergent literacy performances in kindergarten compared retrospectively. Six hundred and forty-two Italian children participated. This cohort was followed from the last year of kindergarten to third grade. In kindergarten, the children were assessed in phonological awareness, conceptual knowledge of writing systems and textual competence. In third grade, 18 children with a reading and spelling impairment and 13 children with a spelling impairment were identified. Overall, conceptual knowledge of the writing system was the only statistically significant predictor of the clinical samples. No differences were found between the two clinical samples. PMID:27014145

A 4 year follow-up study of alveolar bone height influenced by two dissimilar Class II amalgam restorations.

PubMed

Fisher, D; Markitziu, A; Fishel, D; Brayer, L

1984-07-01

Fifty-four paired, approximal amalgam fillings, extended (E) versus unextended (NE) were placed in forty-three patients and followed up to 4 years. Yearly measurements between the alveolar crest and (a) the apical margin of the fillings (E, NE), and (b) the cemento-enamel junction of the control group, were performed using bite-wing radiographs joined to a translucent grid magnified ten-fold. The rate of alveolar crest resorption was similar for the control (C) and the unextended filling (NE) and reached 0.45 mm after 4 years of follow-up. The resorption of the alveolar crest under the extended (E) filling was significantly higher and reached 0.80 mm after 4 years (P less than 0.001).

Improved selectivity from a wavelength addressable device for wireless stimulation of neural tissue

PubMed Central

Seymour, Elif Ç.; Freedman, David S.; Gökkavas, Mutlu; Özbay, Ekmel; Sahin, Mesut; Ünlü, M. Selim

2014-01-01

Electrical neural stimulation with micro electrodes is a promising technique for restoring lost functions in the central nervous system as a result of injury or disease. One of the problems related to current neural stimulators is the tissue response due to the connecting wires and the presence of a rigid electrode inside soft neural tissue. We have developed a novel, optically activated, microscale photovoltaic neurostimulator based on a custom layered compound semiconductor heterostructure that is both wireless and has a comparatively small volume (<0.01 mm3). Optical activation provides a wireless means of energy transfer to the neurostimulator, eliminating wires and the associated complications. This neurostimulator was shown to evoke action potentials and a functional motor response in the rat spinal cord. In this work, we extend our design to include wavelength selectivity and thus allowing independent activation of devices. As a proof of concept, we fabricated two different microscale devices with different spectral responsivities in the near-infrared region. We assessed the improved addressability of individual devices via wavelength selectivity as compared to spatial selectivity alone through on-bench optical measurements of the devices in combination with an in vivo light intensity profile in the rat cortex obtained in a previous study. We show that wavelength selectivity improves the individual addressability of the floating stimulators, thus increasing the number of devices that can be implanted in close proximity to each other. PMID:24600390

Forty-five year trends in overweight and obesity in an indigenous arctic Inuit Society in transition and spatiotemporal trends.

PubMed

Andersen, Stig; Rex, Karsten Fleischer; Noahsen, Paneeraq; Sørensen, Hans Christian Florian; Larsen, Nicolai Hardenberg; Mulvad, Gert; Laurberg, Peter

2014-01-01

Overweight and obesity associate with increased morbidity and premature death. Westernization of societies heralds rising obesity rates. A steep increase in body mass index (BMI) and overweight in Greenland from 1963 to 1998 led us to follow-up on height, weight, BMI, and rates of overweight among populations in Greenland and assess time trends between different stages of transition. BMI was calculated from height and weight measured on Inuit and non-Inuit aged 50 through 69 years surveyed in 1963, 1998, and 2008 in Ammassalik district in East Greenland and in 1998 and 2008 in the capital Nuuk in West Greenland. A total of 1,186 were surveyed in 1963 (52 men/63 women), 1998 (309/226), and 2008 (297/239). BMI increased with time (P < 0.001; 1963/1998/2008 23.3/24.3/26.2 kg/m(2) ). In addition, BMI increased with urbanization in Inuit men (P = 0.001; settlements/town/city, in 1998, 23.9/24.9/25.5 kg/m(2) ; in 2008, 25.0/26.0/27.0 kg/m(2) ) while not in Inuit women (P = 0.18). The number of overweight Inuit (BMI >27 kg/m(2) ) increased with time in men (4.0/25.6/33.2% in 1963/1998/2008, P = 0.001) and in women (13.6/30.7/37.3%, P = 0.001). BMI was above 30 kg/m(2) in 2.0/10.8/17.5% of all Inuit men in 1963/1998/2008 (P = 0.003) and in 8.3%/23.0/24.5% of all Inuit women (P = 0.02) respectively. Overweight and obesity rates rise with time and with societal transition in Greenland. Settlements and town are catching up with the city where the rate of increase is diminishing, although there were gender differences. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Homicide in Tours (Indre-et-Loire, France): a four-year review.

PubMed

Saint-Martin, Pauline; Bouyssy, Marie; Bathellier, Stephane; Sarraj, Saad; O'Byrne, Patrick

2006-01-01

This retrospective study examined homicides in two French departments located in the West of France (Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher) for a four-year period from 2000 to 2003. During this period 63 homicidal deaths were investigated at the Institute of Forensic Science of Tours (Indre-et-Loire). There were 45 male and 18 female victims with an average homicide rate of 1.55 per 100,000 persons. The mean age of the victims was 42 years-old. Forty-five assailants were identified; their mean age was 38 years-old. The most common method of homicide was the use of firearms (40% of the cases), followed by blunt-force injury (36%) and sharp-force injury (16%). 51% of the victims knew their assailant, a family member in 26% of the cases. Spousal homicides occurred in 16% of the cases. Dyadic death occurred in six cases. A review of the literature compares these findings to other populations.

Looking Forward to the Year 2000: Public Policy and Philanthropy. Working Papers, Spring Research Forum (San Francisco, California, March 17-18, 1988).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Independent Sector, Washington, DC.

Forty-six working papers for presentation at a research forum on public policy and philanthropy are presented. Thirteen sections include the following topics: (1) looking forward to the year 2000: public policy and philanthropy (e.g. "Rationales for Tax Exemption," by Harvey P. Dale); (2) shifting boundaries among the sectors (e.g. "The Shifting…

Medicaid at Forty

PubMed Central

Rowland, Diane

2005-01-01

This article examines Medicaid's evolution over the last four decades in its role as a health insurer for low-income families, a source of health and long-term care (LTC) coverage for people with disabilities, and as the supplement to Medicare for low-income aged and disabled Medicare beneficiaries. Medicaid's role and impact on each of these beneficiary groups is assessed. PMID:17290638

How to find home backwards? Navigation during rearward homing of Cataglyphis fortis desert ants.

PubMed

Pfeffer, Sarah E; Wittlinger, Matthias

2016-07-15

Cataglyphis ants are renowned for their impressive navigation skills, which have been studied in numerous experiments during forward locomotion. However, the ants' navigational performance during backward homing when dragging large food loads has not been investigated until now. During backward locomotion, the odometer has to deal with unsteady motion and irregularities in inter-leg coordination. The legs' sensory feedback during backward walking is not just a simple reversal of the forward stepping movements: compared with forward homing, ants are facing towards the opposite direction during backward dragging. Hence, the compass system has to cope with a flipped celestial view (in terms of the polarization pattern and the position of the sun) and an inverted retinotopic image of the visual panorama and landmark environment. The same is true for wind and olfactory cues. In this study we analyze for the first time backward-homing ants and evaluate their navigational performance in channel and open field experiments. Backward-homing Cataglyphis fortis desert ants show remarkable similarities in the performance of homing compared with forward-walking ants. Despite the numerous challenges emerging for the navigational system during backward walking, we show that ants perform quite well in our experiments. Direction and distance gauging was comparable to that of the forward-walking control groups. Interestingly, we found that backward-homing ants often put down the food item and performed foodless search loops around the left food item. These search loops were mainly centred around the drop-off position (and not around the nest position), and increased in length the closer the ants came to their fictive nest site. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Auricular Neuromodulation: The Emerging Concept beyond the Stimulation of Vagus and Trigeminal Nerves

PubMed Central

Mercante, Beniamina; Rangon, Claire-Marie

2018-01-01

Neuromodulation, thanks to intrinsic and extrinsic brain feedback loops, seems to be the best way to exploit brain plasticity for therapeutic purposes. In the past years, there has been tremendous advances in the field of non-pharmacological modulation of brain activity. This review of different neurostimulation techniques will focus on sites and mechanisms of both transcutaneous vagus and trigeminal nerve stimulation. These methods are scientifically validated non-invasive bottom-up brain modulation techniques, easily implemented from the outer ear. In the light of this, auricles could transpire to be the most affordable target for non-invasive manipulation of central nervous system functions. PMID:29361732

Spatial analysis of longleaf pine stand dynamics after 60 years of management

Treesearch

John C. Gilbert; John S. Kush; Rebecca J. Barlow

2012-01-01

There are still many questions and misconceptions about the stand dynamics of naturally-regenerated longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.). Since 1948, the “Farm Forty,” a forty-acre tract located on the USDA Forest Service Escambia Experimental Forest near Brewton, Alabama, has been managed to create high quality wood products, to successfully...

The Forty-Eight-Hour Rule: Emotional Engagement and the Student Athlete

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mueller, Alan C. R.

2009-01-01

Several years ago, the author taught a course called First-Year experience. A student named Sean mentioned that he played "water pong." Sean, a high-achieving student who was also a member of the lacrosse team, explained that water pong was a game with the rules of beer pong, using water rather than beer. Sean volunteered an explanation of his…

Moderate effects of noninvasive brain stimulation of the frontal cortex for improving negative symptoms in schizophrenia: Meta-analysis of controlled trials.

PubMed

Aleman, André; Enriquez-Geppert, Stefanie; Knegtering, Henderikus; Dlabac-de Lange, Jozarni J

2018-06-01

Negative symptoms in schizophrenia concern a clinically relevant reduction of goal-directed behavior that strongly and negatively impacts daily functioning. Existing treatments are of marginal effect and novel approaches are needed. Noninvasive neurostimulation by means of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are novel approaches that may hold promise. To provide a quantitative integration of the published evidence regarding effects of rTMS and tDCS over the frontal cortex on negative symptoms, including an analysis of effects of sham stimulation. Meta-analysis was applied, using a random effects model, to calculate mean weighted effect sizes (Cohen's d). Heterogeneity was assessed by using Cochrans Q and I 2 tests. For rTMS treatment, the mean weighted effect size compared to sham stimulation was 0.64 (0.32-0.96; k = 22, total N = 827). Studies with younger participants showed stronger effects as compared to studies with older participants. For tDCS studies a mean weighted effect size of 0.50 (-0.07 to 1.07; k = 5, total N = 134) was found. For all frontal noninvasive neurostimulation studies together (i.e., TMS and tDCS studies combined) active stimulation was superior to sham, the mean weighted effect size was 0.61 (24 studies, 27 comparisons, 95% confidence interval 0.33-0.89; total N = 961). Sham rTMS (baseline - posttreatment comparison) showed a significant improvement of negative symptoms, d = 0.31 (0.09-0.52; k = 16, total N = 333). Whereas previous meta-analyses were underpowered, our meta-analysis had a power of 0.87 to detect a small effect. The available evidence indicates that noninvasive prefrontal neurostimulation can improve negative symptoms. This finding suggests a causal role for the lateral frontal cortex in self-initiated goal-directed behavior. The evidence is stronger for rTMS than for tDCS, although this may be due to the small number of

Travellers' profile, travel patterns and vaccine practices--a 10-year prospective study in a Swiss Travel Clinic.

PubMed

Boubaker, Rim; Meige, Pierrette; Mialet, Catherine; Buffat, Chantal Ngarambe; Uwanyiligira, Mediatrice; Widmer, Francine; Rochat, Jacynthe; Fossati, Annie Hérard; Souvannaraj-Blanchant, Manisinh; Payot, Sylvie; Rochat, Laurence; de Vallière, Serge; Genton, Blaise; D'Acremont, Valérie

2016-01-01

The travel clinic in Lausanne serves a catchment area of 700 000 of inhabitants and provides pre- and post-travel consultations. This study describes the profile of attendees before departure, their travel patterns and the travel clinic practices in terms of vaccination over time. We included all pre-travel first consultation data recorded between November 2002 and December 2012 by a custom-made program DIAMM/G. We analysed client profiles, travel characteristics and vaccinations prescribed over time. Sixty-five thousand and forty-six client-trips were recorded. Fifty-one percent clients were female. Mean age was 32 years. In total, 0.1% were aged <1 year and 0.2% ≥80 years. Forty-six percent of travellers had pre-existing medical conditions. Forty-six percent were travelling to Africa, 35% to Asia, 20% to Latin America and 1% (each) to Oceania and Europe; 19% visited more than one country. India was the most common destination (9.6% of travellers) followed by Thailand (8.6%) and Kenya (6.4%). Seventy-three percent of travellers were planning to travel for ≤ 4 weeks. The main reasons for travel were tourism (75%) and visiting friends and relatives (18%). Sixteen percent were backpackers. Pre-travel advice were sought a median of 29 days before departure. Ninety-nine percent received vaccine(s). The most frequently administered vaccines were hepatitis A (53%), tetanus-diphtheria (46%), yellow fever (39%), poliomyelitis (38%) and typhoid fever (30%). The profile of travel clinic attendees was younger than the general Swiss population. A significant proportion of travellers received vaccinations that are recommended in the routine national programme. These findings highlight the important role of travel clinics to (i) take care of an age group that has little contact with general practitioners and (ii) update vaccination status. The most commonly prescribed travel-related vaccines were for hepatitis A and yellow fever. The question remains to know whether

Immediate loading of tapered implants placed in postextraction sockets: retrospective analysis of the 5-year clinical outcome.

PubMed

Mura, Priamo

2012-08-01

The use of immediate implant loading protocols delivers obvious benefits to the patient. When applied in healed sites, this has not only been well documented in the totally edentolous mandible but has also been documented and reported to be predictable in the upper jaw, and in cases of partial edentoulism, as well. A further application of immediate loading protocol, although still controversial, especially when replacing single maxillary teeth in the anterior zone, is the immediate implant placement and provisionalization in postextractive sockets. In consideration of the oxidized surface promoting bone healing and the tapered shape of the implant body, the Replace Select Tapered TiUnite implants have been used for many years in our clinic when facing these clinical situations. This article will report about our long-term clinical experience with such implants and the relevant role of a correct surgical and prosthetic treatment planning. The aim of this retrospective study was to report on the 5-year clinical and radiologic outcome of patients treated with Replace Select Tapered TiUnite implants when used according to an immediate loading protocol in postextraction sites. In routine practice, 56 consecutive patients were treated with 79 implants. The patients, 23 males and 33 females, had a mean age of 50.9 years, range 21-76 years, at implant placement. Forty-seven implants were placed in the maxilla and 32 implants were placed in the mandible. All implants were placed in postextraction sites and were immediately loaded. Provisional restorations were delivered within 2 hours from surgery and all were in occlusion. Forty-three patients received a single implant while in the remaining 13 patients the implants were splinted. Definitive prosthetic restoration was delivered within 1 to 4 months following implant placement. Evaluations of soft tissue health and marginal bone remodeling were conducted. An independent radiologist performed the radiographic evaluation

Decrease in Work Ability Index and sickness absence during the following year: a two-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Ohta, Masanori; Higuchi, Yoshiyuki; Kumashiro, Masaharu; Yamato, Hiroshi; Sugimura, Hisamichi

2017-11-01

Using a 2-year follow-up design, we examined whether changes in work ability during 1 year predicted sickness absence in the following year. Workers (N = 1408) from the Japanese information technology sector each completed the Work Ability Index (WAI), the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) in 2011 and 2012. Absence data during 2013 was obtained from employees' computerized attendance records. We used psychological distress as evaluated by the GHQ; job stress and job support calculated using the BJSQ; and job title, sex, and age as potential confounding variables. Thirty-five employees had at least one sickness absence lasting more than seven consecutive days in 2013. Forty-nine percent of sickness absences were due to mental illness, and the others were due to orthopedic disease (20%), cancer (9%), and other illnesses (23%). Decrease in WAI scores from 2011 to 2012 predicted sickness absence in 2013 (Odds ratio (OR) 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-1.27). This association remained unaltered after adjusting for sex, age, job title, WAI score from the year before, job stress, job support, and GHQ score (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06-1.25). We analyzed this association separately by reason for absence: mental or other illness. WAI score decreases predicted sickness absence for both reasons (OR for mental illness 1.24, 95% CI 1.14-1.36; OR for other illnesses 1.14, 95% CI 1.04-1.24). Decrease in work ability during the year predicts sickness absence in the following year while predictive power was weak.

Comparison of developmental/intellectual changes between autistic disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified in preschool years.

PubMed

Takeda, Toshinobu; Koyama, Tomonori; Kurita, Hiroshi

2007-12-01

This study is the first to compare the change in developmental quotient (DQ) or IQ between autistic disorder (AD) and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDDNOS) in preschool years. Forty-nine AD children and 77 PDDNOS children were evaluated at age 2 and at age > or =5. The AD children were significantly lower in DQ/IQ at initial evaluation and outcome evaluation (also with initial DQ being controlled for) than the PDDNOS children.

Forty years of carabid beetle research in Europe – from taxonomy, biology, ecology and population studies to bioindication, habitat assessment and conservation

PubMed Central

Kotze, D. Johan; Brandmayr, Pietro; Casale, Achille; Dauffy-Richard, Emmanuelle; Dekoninck, Wouter; Koivula, Matti J.; Lövei, Gábor L.; Mossakowski, Dietrich; Noordijk, Jinze; Paarmann, Wilfried; Pizzolotto, Roberto; Saska, Pavel; Schwerk, Axel; Serrano, José; Szyszko, Jan; Taboada, Angela; Turin, Hans; Venn, Stephen; Vermeulen, Rikjan; Zetto, Tullia

2011-01-01

Abstract ‘Carabidologists do it all’ (Niemelä 1996a) is a phrase with which most European carabidologists are familiar. Indeed, during the last half a century, professional and amateur entomologists have contributed enormously to our understanding of the basic biology of carabid beetles. The success of the field is in no small part due to regular European Carabidologists’ Meetings, which started in 1969 in Wijster, the Netherlands, with the 14th meeting again held in the Netherlands in 2009, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first meeting and 50 years of long-term research in the Dwingelderveld. This paper offers a subjective summary of some of the major developments in carabidology since the 1960s. Taxonomy of the family Carabidae is now reasonably established, and the application of modern taxonomic tools has brought up several surprises like elsewhere in the animal kingdom. Progress has been made on the ultimate and proximate factors of seasonality and timing of reproduction, which only exceptionally show non-seasonality. Triggers can be linked to evolutionary events and plausibly explained by the “taxon cycle” theory. Fairly little is still known about certain feeding preferences, including granivory and ants, as well as unique life history strategies, such as ectoparasitism and predation on higher taxa. The study of carabids has been instrumental in developing metapopulation theory (even if it was termed differently). Dispersal is one of the areas intensively studied, and results show an intricate interaction between walking and flying as the major mechanisms. The ecological study of carabids is still hampered by some unresolved questions about sampling and data evaluation. It is recognised that knowledge is uneven, especially concerning larvae and species in tropical areas. By their abundance and wide distribution, carabid beetles can be useful in population studies, bioindication, conservation biology and landscape ecology. Indeed, 40 years

Neuroticism and Extraversion in Youth Predict Mental Wellbeing and Life Satisfaction 40 Years Later

PubMed Central

Gale, Catharine R; Booth, Tom; Mõttus, René; Kuh, Diana; Deary, Ian J

2014-01-01

Neuroticism and Extraversion are linked with current wellbeing, but it is unclear whether these traits in youth predict wellbeing decades later. We applied structural equation modelling to data from 4583 people from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development. We examined the effects of Neuroticism and Extraversion at ages 16 and 26 years on mental wellbeing and life satisfaction at age 60-64 and explored the mediating roles of psychological and physical health. Extraversion had direct, positive effects on both measures of wellbeing. The impact of Neuroticism on both wellbeing and life satisfaction was largely indirect through susceptibility to psychological distress and physical health problems. Personality dispositions in youth have enduring influence on wellbeing assessed about forty years later. PMID:24563560

Forty years of improvements in European air quality: the role of EU policy-industry interplay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crippa, M.; Janssens-Maenhout, G.; Dentener, F.; Guizzardi, D.; Sindelarova, K.; Muntean, M.; Van Dingenen, R.; Granier, C.

2015-07-01

The EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) v4.3 global anthropogenic emissions inventory of several gaseous (SO2, NOx, CO, non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and NH3) and particulate (PM10, PM2.5, black and organic carbon (BC and OC)) air pollutants for the period 1970-2010 is used to develop retrospective air pollution emission scenarios to quantify the roles and contributions of changes in fuels consumption, technology, end-of-pipe emission reduction measures and their resulting impact on health and crop yields. This database presents changes in activity data, fuels and air pollution abatement technology for the past 4 decades, using international statistics and following guidelines for bottom-up emission inventory at the Tier 1 and Tier 2 levels with region-specific default values. With two further retrospective scenarios we assess (1) the impact of the technology and end-of-pipe (EOP) reduction measures in the European Union (EU) by considering a stagnation of technology with constant emission factors from 1970 and with no further abatement measures and improvement in European emissions standards, but fuel consumption occurring at historical pace, and (2) the impact of increased fuel consumption by considering unchanged energy use with constant fuel consumption since 1970, but technological development and end-of-pipe reductions. Our scenario analysis focuses on the three most important and most regulated sectors (power generation, the manufacturing industry and road transport), which are subject of multi-pollutant EU Air Quality regulations. If technology and European EOP reduction measures had stagnated at 1970 levels, EU air quality in 2010 would have suffered from 129 % higher SO2, 71 % higher NOx and 69 % higher PM2.5 emissions, demonstrating the large role of technology in reducing emissions in 2010. However, if fuel consumption had remained constant starting in 1970, the EU would have benefited from current technology and emission control standards, with reductions in NOx by even 13 % more. Such further savings are not observed for SO2 and PM2.5. If the EU consumed the same amount of fuels as in 1970 but with the current technology and emission control standards, then the emissions of SO2 and PM2.5 would be 42 % respectively 10 % higher. This scenario shows the importance for air quality of abandoning heavy residual fuel oil and shifting fuel types (from, e.g., coal to gas) in the EU. A reduced-form TM5-FASST (Fast Screening Scenario Tool based on the global chemical Transport Model 5) is applied to calculate regional and global levels of aerosol and ozone concentrations and to assess the impact of air quality improvements on human health and crop yield loss, showing substantial impacts of export of EU technologies and standards to other world regions.

Change in the southern U.S. water demand and supply over the next forty years

Treesearch

Steven C. McNulty; Ge Sun; Erika C. Cohen; Jennifer A. Moore Myers

2008-01-01

Water shortages are often considered a problem in the western United States, where water supply is limited compared to the eastern half of the country. However, periodic water shortages are also common in the southeastern United States due to high water demand and periodic drought. Southeastern U.S. municipalities spend billions of dollars to develop water storage...

Forty Years of Research and Development at Griffiss Air Force Base, June 1951-June 1991

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-06-01

joints to transfer a number of power sources from the stationary base to the rotating antenna in order to develop high power, multi -beam, long-range...2757. 1 2a. DISTFIBUIOWAVALABLUY STATEMENT 12. DISTILUION CODE Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. a3 ABSTRACT *-= in This historical...did not lend itself to the use of footnotes and a formal bibliography, so a brief note on the primary sources is in order here. The bulk of the

Enduring Documents and Public Doctrines: Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" after Forty Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aeschliman, M. D.

2005-01-01

In the century just past, the immense ethical and political destructiveness of intellectuals was so frequent and protean in form that intellectual historians have a story as complex as it is tragic to tell, and one that many of them do not relish, perhaps out of occupational solidarity or shame. The "treason of the intellectuals," to use…

Forty-sixth annual report of the Director of the Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, George Otis

1925-01-01

SIR: The appropriations made directly for the work of the Geological Survey for the fiscal year 1925 included 10 items, amounting to $1,735,423. In addition $110,000, to be disbursed under the direction of the Public Printer, was appropriated for printing the reports of the Survey, and allotments of $10,000 for miscellaneous printing and binding and of $4,944.75 for miscellaneous supplies were made to the Survey from appropriations for the Interior Department. A detailed statement of the amounts appropriated and expended is given at the end of this report. The balance shown is $15,175.31. Cooperation with the States and other public agencies continued as in other years. The value of the mapping and investigative work of the Survey and the necessity of expediting the completion of this physical inventory of the. country's resources is now so widely recognized that 37 States as well as many counties and municipalities shared with the Federal Government in meeting the cost. The total amount thus contributed was $739, 537. 94. Funds aggregating $231,208.90 were placed to the credit of the Geological Survey for services rendered to other Government bureaus and offices. Balances at the end of the year amounted to about $15,000, and the total expenditure, measuring the amount of work accomplished during the year, was $2,690,994.53.

Why and how do women recover from bulimia nervosa? The subjective appraisals of forty women recovered for a year or more.

PubMed

Rorty, M; Yager, J; Rossotto, E

1993-11-01

As part of a larger study of recovery in bulimia nervosa, 40 women recruited by local advertisement and referral who were recovered from the disorder for a year or more (median recovery = 36 months) participated in semistructured interviews regarding factors they believed to be related to their recovery process. We asked how life experiences and important persons in their lives had helped or hindered their recovery, what aspects of bulimia nervosa they found hardest to change and what they would still like to change, what they felt they gave up by recovering, and their beliefs about the potential for full, lasting recovery. We further inquired about professional and nonprofessional treatments utilized, our subjects' satisfaction with care, and specific helpful and harmful elements in treatment. Spontaneous answers were coded from audiotaped interviews. The women reported diverse experiences, many of which were consistent with clinical and empirical accounts. Almost 90% had received some treatment by a mental health professional, and many also had utilized nonprofessional treatments, particularly Overeaters Anonymous; these treatments were described as helpful by the majority using them. Of note, although parents often provided some practical support for treatment, the majority of subjects reported that their mothers and fathers were more harmful than helpful in the recovery process.

Eighteen-year follow-up of hyperopic photorefractive keratectomy.

PubMed

Wagh, Vijay K; Dave, Reena; O'Brart, David P S; Lim, Wei S; Patel, Parul; Tam, Connan; Lee, Jennifer; Marshall, John

2016-02-01

To investigate the long-term efficacy of hyperopic photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). University Hospital, London, United Kingdom. Prospective case series. Patients with a follow-up of 18 years ± 0.7 (SD) attended for examination. All had spherical corrections with a 6.5 mm optical zone and 1.5 mm blend zone. Twenty-five patients (45 eyes) were included. The mean preoperative spherical equivalent (SE) refractive error was +4.11 ± 1.8 diopters (D) (range +1.125 to +7.25 D). Between 1 year and 18 years, in eyes that had no cataract surgery (n = 34), there was a +1.14 ± 1.48 D increase in the mean SE (P < .0002). The increase between 7.5 years and 18.0 years did not reach clinical significance (P = .1). Uncorrected distance visual acuity improved at 18 years (P < .02). Corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) was reduced (P < .001). The efficacy index was 0.47, and the safety index was 0.83. Six eyes (18%) lost 2 lines of CDVA, of which 4 eyes had preexisting cataract. Keratometry remained stable between 1 year and 18 years (P = .2). Forty percent still had traces of peripheral haze, and 4 (9%) had Salzmann-like changes. Eleven eyes (24%) had cataract surgery and 4 (9%) had laser iridotomy. There was no evidence of ectasia. Hyperopic PRK showed an increase in hyperopic SE between 1.0 year and 7.5 years but was generally stable thereafter. The efficacy was limited. Peripheral haze was evident in 40% of cases with Salzmann-like changes in some. Ocular comorbidity in relationship to cataract was common and reduced CDVA. Dr. Marshall was a consultant to Summit Technology, Inc. No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. Copyright © 2016 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bilateral globus pallidus internus deep brain stimulation for dyskinetic cerebral palsy supports success of cochlear implantation in a 5-year old ex-24 week preterm twin with absent cerebellar hemispheres.

PubMed

Lin, Jean-Pierre; Kaminska, Margaret; Perides, Sarah; Gimeno, Hortensia; Baker, Lesley; Lumsden, Daniel E; Britz, Anzell; Driver, Sandra; Fitzgerald-O'Connor, Alec; Selway, Richard

2017-01-01

Early onset dystonia (dyskinesia) and deafness in childhood pose significant challenges for children and carers and are the cause of multiple disability. It is particularly tragic when the child cannot make use of early cochlear implantation (CI) technology to relieve deafness and improve language and communication, because severe cervical and truncal dystonia brushes off the magnetic amplifier behind the ears. Bilateral globus pallidus internus (GPi) deep brain stimulation (DBS) neuromodulation can reduce dyskinesia, thus supporting CI neuromodulation success. We describe the importance of the order of dual neuromodulation surgery for dystonia and deafness. First with bilateral GPi DBS using a rechargeable ACTIVA-RC neurostimulator followed 5 months later by unilateral CI with a Harmony (BTE) Advanced Bionics Hi Res 90 K cochlear device. This double neuromodulation was performed in series in a 12.5 kg 5 year-old ex-24 week gestation-born twin without a cerebellum. Relief of dyskinesia enabled continuous use of the CI amplifier. Language understanding and communication improved. Dystonic storms abated. Tolerance of sitting increased with emergence of manual function. Status dystonicus ensued 10 days after ACTIVA-RC removal for infection-erosion at 3 years and 10 months. He required intensive care and DBS re-implantation 3 weeks later together with 8 months of hospital care. Today he is virtually back to the level of functioning before the DBS removal in 2012 and background medication continues to be slowly weaned. This case illustrates that early neuromodulation with DBS for dystonic cerebral palsy followed by CI for deafness is beneficial. Both should be considered early i.e. under the age of five years. The DBS should precede the CI to maximise dystonia reduction and thus benefits from CI. This requires close working between the paediatric DBS and CI services. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Advanced technology in neurosurgery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pluchino, F.; Broggi, G.

1987-01-01

Technological improvements in neurosurgery are discussed. The use of surgical lasers, ultrasound aspirators, bipolar coagulator and operative microscopes for surgery of deep-seated neoplasms and vascular malformations is discussed. Intraoperative monitoring, chronotherapy, chronic neurostimulation and stereotactic interstitial irradiation are covered and indications for interventional neuroradiology are reviewed.

Patients' preferences for headache acute and preventive treatment.

PubMed

Mitsikostas, Dimos D; Belesioti, Ioanna; Arvaniti, Chryssa; Mitropoulou, Euthymia; Deligianni, Christina; Kasioti, Elina; Constantinidis, Theodoros; Dermitzakis, Manolis; Vikelis, Michail

2017-10-06

We aimed to explore patients' preferences for headache treatments with a self-administered questionnaire including the Q-No questionnaire for nocebo. Questionnaires from 514 outpatients naïve to neurostimulation and monoclonal antibodies were collected. Patients assessed that the efficacy of a treatment is more important than safety or route of administration. They preferred to use an external neurostimulation device for both acute (67.1%) and preventive treatment (62.8%). Most patients preferred to take a pill (86%) than any other drug given parenterally for symptomatic pharmaceutical treatment. For preventive pharmaceutical treatment, most patients preferred to take a pill once per day (52%) compared to an injection either subcutaneously or intravenously each month (9% and 4%), or three months (15% and 11%). 56.6% of all participants scored more than 15 in Q-No questionnaire indicating potential nocebo behaviors that contributed significantly in their choices. These patient preferences along with efficacy and safety data may help physicians better choose the right treatment for the right person.

One-year vestibular and balance outcomes of Oklahoma City bombing survivors.

PubMed

Van Campen, L E; Dennis, J M; King, S B; Hanlin, R C; Velderman, A M

1999-10-01

This multisite investigation assessed subjective, behavioral, and objective balance function in 30 blast survivors. Subjects with vertigo, dizziness, or imbalance were screened (n = 6) or evaluated (n = 27) during 1 year. Tests included a questionnaire, electronystagmography (ENG), and computerized dynamic posturography (CDP). Ninety-seven percent of subjects were located inside a building during the blast, and 63 percent of subjects experienced dysequilibrium within 48 hours. Forty-three percent of symptoms could not be attributed to head injury. Sixty percent of subjects had abnormal ENG and/or CDP; ENG abnormalities mostly were peripheral or nonlocalizing, whereas CDP patterns were "vestibular," "surface dependent," and "physiologically inconsistent." At 1-year postblast, 55 percent of initially abnormal CDP results were normal, and 72 percent of subjects said symptoms were unchanged or occurred intermittently. A serial, test battery approach is recommended to assess symptoms. Blast-related dysequilibrium had clinically significant manifestations and should be considered a valid component of aural blast injury.

The combined effects of neurostimulation and priming on creative thinking. A preliminary tDCS study on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

PubMed Central

Colombo, Barbara; Bartesaghi, Noemi; Simonelli, Luisa; Antonietti, Alessandro

2015-01-01

The role of prefrontal cortex (PFC) in influencing creative thinking has been investigated by many researchers who, while succeeding in proving an effective involvement of PFC, reported suggestive but sometimes conflicting results. In order to better understand the relationships between creative thinking and brain activation in a more specific area of the PFC, we explored the role of dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC). We devised an experimental protocol using transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS). The study was based on a 3 (kind of stimulation: anodal vs. cathodal vs. sham) × 2 (priming: divergent vs. convergent) design. Forty-five healthy adults were randomly assigned to one stimulation condition. Participants’ creativity skills were assessed using the Product Improvement subtest from the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT). After 20 min of tDCS stimulation, participants were presented with visual images of common objects. Half of the participants were instructed to visualize themselves using the object in an unusual way (divergent priming), whereas the other half were asked to visualize themselves while using the object in a common way (convergent priming). Priming was aimed at inducing participants to adopt different attitudes toward the creative task. Afterwards, participants were asked to describe all of the possible uses of the objects that were presented. Participants’ physiological activation was recorded using a biofeedback equipment. Results showed a significant effect of anodal stimulation that enhanced creative performance, but only after divergent priming. Participants showed lower skin temperature values after cathodal stimulation, a finding which is coherent with studies reporting that, when a task is not creative or creative thinking is not prompted, people show lower levels of arousal. Differences in individual levels of creativity as assessed by the Product Improvement test were not influential. The involvement of DLPFC in creativity

The combined effects of neurostimulation and priming on creative thinking. A preliminary tDCS study on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

PubMed

Colombo, Barbara; Bartesaghi, Noemi; Simonelli, Luisa; Antonietti, Alessandro

2015-01-01

The role of prefrontal cortex (PFC) in influencing creative thinking has been investigated by many researchers who, while succeeding in proving an effective involvement of PFC, reported suggestive but sometimes conflicting results. In order to better understand the relationships between creative thinking and brain activation in a more specific area of the PFC, we explored the role of dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC). We devised an experimental protocol using transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS). The study was based on a 3 (kind of stimulation: anodal vs. cathodal vs. sham) × 2 (priming: divergent vs. convergent) design. Forty-five healthy adults were randomly assigned to one stimulation condition. Participants' creativity skills were assessed using the Product Improvement subtest from the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT). After 20 min of tDCS stimulation, participants were presented with visual images of common objects. Half of the participants were instructed to visualize themselves using the object in an unusual way (divergent priming), whereas the other half were asked to visualize themselves while using the object in a common way (convergent priming). Priming was aimed at inducing participants to adopt different attitudes toward the creative task. Afterwards, participants were asked to describe all of the possible uses of the objects that were presented. Participants' physiological activation was recorded using a biofeedback equipment. Results showed a significant effect of anodal stimulation that enhanced creative performance, but only after divergent priming. Participants showed lower skin temperature values after cathodal stimulation, a finding which is coherent with studies reporting that, when a task is not creative or creative thinking is not prompted, people show lower levels of arousal. Differences in individual levels of creativity as assessed by the Product Improvement test were not influential. The involvement of DLPFC in creativity has

Runners in their forties dominate ultra-marathons from 50 to 3,100 miles

PubMed Central

Zingg, Matthias Alexander; Rüst, Christoph Alexander; Rosemann, Thomas; Lepers, Romuald; Knechtle, Beat

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated performance trends and the age of peak running speed in ultra-marathons from 50 to 3,100 miles. METHODS: The running speed and age of the fastest competitors in 50-, 100-, 200-, 1,000- and 3,100-mile events held worldwide from 1971 to 2012 were analyzed using single- and multi-level regression analyses. RESULTS: The number of events and competitors increased exponentially in 50- and 100-mile events. For the annual fastest runners, women improved in 50-mile events, but not men. In 100-mile events, both women and men improved their performance. In 1,000-mile events, men became slower. For the annual top ten runners, women improved in 50- and 100-mile events, whereas the performance of men remained unchanged in 50- and 3,100-mile events but improved in 100-mile events. The age of the annual fastest runners was approximately 35 years for both women and men in 50-mile events and approximately 35 years for women in 100-mile events. For men, the age of the annual fastest runners in 100-mile events was higher at 38 years. For the annual fastest runners of 1,000-mile events, the women were approximately 43 years of age, whereas for men, the age increased to 48 years of age. For the annual fastest runners of 3,100-mile events, the age in women decreased to 35 years and was approximately 39 years in men. CONCLUSION: The running speed of the fastest competitors increased for both women and men in 100-mile events but only for women in 50-mile events. The age of peak running speed increased in men with increasing race distance to approximately 45 years in 1,000-mile events, whereas it decreased to approximately 39 years in 3,100-mile events. In women, the upper age of peak running speed increased to approximately 51 years in 3,100-mile events. PMID:24626948

A 3.5 year diary study: Remembering and life story importance are predicted by different event characteristics.

PubMed

Thomsen, Dorthe Kirkegaard; Jensen, Thomas; Holm, Tine; Olesen, Martin Hammershøj; Schnieber, Anette; Tønnesvang, Jan

2015-11-01

Forty-five participants described and rated two events each week during their first term at university. After 3.5 years, we examined whether event characteristics rated in the diary predicted remembering, reliving, and life story importance at the follow-up. In addition, we examined whether ratings of life story importance were consistent across a three year interval. Approximately 60% of events were remembered, but only 20% of these were considered above medium importance to life stories. Higher unusualness, rehearsal, and planning predicted whether an event was remembered 3.5 years later. Higher goal-relevance, importance, emotional intensity, and planning predicted life story importance 3.5 years later. There was a moderate correlation between life story importance rated three months after the diary and rated at the 3.5 year follow-up. The results suggest that autobiographical memory and life stories are governed by different mechanisms and that life story memories are characterized by some degree of stability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Far-UV observations of comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) with FORTIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCandliss, Stephan R.; Feldman, Paul D.; Weaver, Harold A.; Fleming, Brian; Redwine, Keith; Li, Mary J.; Kutyrev, Alexander; Moseley, Samuel H.

2015-01-01

Far-UV imagery and objective grating spectroscopy of comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) were acquired from NASA sounding rocket 36.296 UG, launched on 20 November 2013 at 04:40 MST (20.48 Nov 2013 UT), 8.32 days pre-perihelion, from the White Sands Missile Range, NM. The comet was 0.1° below ground horizon, 0.44 AU from the Sun, 0.86 AU from the Earth, and at a solar elongation of 26.3°. The payload reached an apogee of 279 km and the total time pointed at the comet was 353 s. At the time of launch ISON was undergoing a factor of 5 increase in water production rate, going from 3.5e29 to 19.6e29 molecules s-1between 19.6 and 21.6 Nov (Combi et al. 2014), marking what is thought to be a final fragmentation event (Sekanina & Kracht 2014). Our instrument, a wide-field multi-object spectro-telescope called FORTIS (Far-UV Off Rowland-circle Telescope for Imaging and Spectroscopy), observed Lyα emissions in an objective grating mode through an open microshutter array, developed at the Goddard Space Flight Center, over a (1/2°)2 field-of-view. After accounting for slit losses and deadtime corrections we find a preliminary lower limit to the Lyα surface brightness of ~ 400 kilorayleighs, yielding a hydrogen production rate of QH ~ 5e29 atoms s-1, in reasonable agreement with the Combi result. We also acquired a broadband image of the comet in the 1280 to 1900 Å bandpass. This image shows a drop in count rate proportional to altitude caused by increased absorption of cometary emissions by terrestrial O2 located in the lower thermosphere. O2 absorption acts as a selective time dependent filter that attenuates cometary emissions from different atomic and molecular species at different rates during descent. Preliminary analysis suggests that the dominant species in a (1e5 km)2 nuclear region is neutral carbon. The radial profile in comparison to a Haser model suggests that the C parent molecule had a lifetime (at 1 AU) ~ 105 s; much shorter than the expected lifetime of CO. We

Coronary angiography in Qatar: the first ten years.

PubMed

Chaikhouni, A; Gehani, A A; Horak, J; Hajar, H A

1998-08-01

Cardiac catheterization in Qatar was initiated in July 1982. In ten years, a total of 3900 procedures were performed at Hamad General Hospital. Computerized data registry has been maintained since 1982. Isolated coronary angiography was done in 2911 patients; of these, 2635 (90.5%) were men, and 276 (9.5%) were women, the average age of the patients was 47+/-9.2 years (range, twenty-five to eighty-eight). Patients' nationality was Qatari in 492 (17%), and other Arabs in 610 (21%), and 1512 (52%) were from the Asian subcontinent. Myocardial infarction was the most common indication (43%). Single-vessel disease was found in 638 (22%), two-vessel disease in 630 (22%), three-vessel disease in 950 (33%), and nonsignificant coronary artery disease in 693 (24%) patients. Morbidity related to the coronary angiography was reported in 147 (5%) patients, but there was no mortality related to the procedure. In 822 (28%) patients, the age was forty years or younger. The angiographic findings of these younger patients were compared with those of the older ones. Younger patients were usually men of Asian subcontinental origin with a recent myocardial infarction (MI). Often, they had normal coronary arteries or single-vessel disease. Patients of Asian subcontinent origin were usually young male patients with a recent MI, who receive streptokinase, and have single-vessel disease.

Cognitive Development One Year After Infantile Critical Pertussis.

PubMed

Berger, John T; Villalobos, Michele E; Clark, Amy E; Holubkov, Richard; Pollack, Murray M; Berg, Robert A; Carcillo, Joseph A; Dalton, Heidi; Harrison, Rick; Meert, Kathleen L; Newth, Christopher J L; Shanley, Thomas P; Wessel, David L; Anand, Kanwaljeet J S; Zimmerman, Jerry J; Sanders, Ronald C; Liu, Teresa; Burr, Jeri S; Willson, Douglas F; Doctor, Allan; Dean, J Michael; Jenkins, Tammara L; Nicholson, Carol E

2018-02-01

Pertussis can cause life-threatening illness in infants. Data regarding neurodevelopment after pertussis remain scant. The aim of this study was to assess cognitive development of infants with critical pertussis 1 year after PICU discharge. Prospective cohort study. Eight hospitals comprising the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network and 18 additional sites across the United States. Eligible patients had laboratory confirmation of pertussis infection, were less than 1 year old, and were admitted to the PICU for at least 24 hours. The Mullen Scales of Early Learning was administered at a 1-year follow-up visit. Functional status was determined by examination and parental interview. Of 196 eligible patients, 111 (57%) completed the Mullen Scales of Early Learning. The mean scores for visual reception, receptive language, and expressive language domains were significantly lower than the norms (p < 0.001), but not fine and gross motor domains. Forty-one patients (37%) had abnormal scores in at least one domain and 10 (9%) had an Early Learning Composite score 2 or more SDs below the population norms. Older age (p < 0.003) and Hispanic ethnicity (p < 0.008) were associated with lower mean Early Learning Composite score, but presenting symptoms and PICU course were not. Infants who survive critical pertussis often have neurodevelopmental deficits. These infants may benefit from routine neurodevelopmental screening.

Effect of Direct Stimulation of the Cochleovestibular Nerve on Tinnitus: A Long-Term Follow-Up Study.

PubMed

van den Berge, Minke J C; van Dijk, J Marc C; Free, Rolien H; Stienstra, Janke; van Dijk, Pim; van der Laan, Bernard F A M

2017-02-01

Tinnitus is a common entity that may lead to severe impairment in quality of life. An adequate treatment modality for severe tinnitus is currently lacking. Neurostimulation of the auditory tract may serve as a promising adjunct in tinnitus treatment. The aim is to investigate the effect of direct stimulation on the cochleovestibular nerve for intractable tinnitus. This study was conducted at the University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands. We studied 10 patients with severe, unilateral, intractable tinnitus, who were implanted with a cuff electrode around the cochleovestibular nerve between 2001 and 2013. All patients had preoperative ipsilateral hearing loss. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) scores and audiometric values were collected. Treatment success was determined based on the self-assessment of satisfactory usage by each patient. The mean preoperative tinnitus duration was 8.0 ± 5.9 years. The preoperative THI score was 71 ± 18 points. During mean follow-up of 49 months, the mean THI reduction was 24 ± 26 points (P = 0.02). Treatment was regarded successful in 6 patients (60%). In these patients, tinnitus did not disappear, but transformed into a more bearable sound. In 4 patients, transient complications occurred, and 1 patient experienced permanent vertigo postoperatively. Furthermore, hearing deterioration was a result of implantation in 86% of the patients. Direct neurostimulation resulted in treatment success in a small majority of the patients, with a significant decrease in THI score. However, because of a high risk of additional hearing damage, this technique seems not viable for patients with moderate hearing loss. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Forty-first annual report of the Director of the United States Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, George Otis

1920-01-01

Especially gratifying has been the popular demand for topographic maps, the increase in sales this year being 70 per cent. The number of all publications—books and maps—distributed during the year exceeded the number printed this year, this disproving the common assertion that Government publications simply accumulate until they become only waste paper. Indeed, an embarrassing feature of much of the correspondence during the year has been the thousands of requests for reports that were out of print, and more reprints than usual of exhausted editions have been authorized to meet an insistent demand. The public is making use of the publications of the Geological Survey as never before.

Longitudinal posturography and rotational testing in children 3-9 years of age: Normative data

PubMed Central

Casselbrant, Margaretha L.; Mandel, Ellen M.; Sparto, Patrick J; Perera, Subashan; Redfern, Mark S.; Fall, Patricia A.; Furman, Joseph M.

2010-01-01

Objective To obtain normative longitudinal vestibulo-ocular and balance test data in children from ages 3 to 9 with normal middle-ear status. Study Design Prospective, longitudinal cohort Setting Tertiary care pediatric hospital Subjects and Methods Three-year-old children were entered and tested yearly. Subjects underwent earth vertical axis rotation testing using sinusoidal and constant velocity stimuli and performed the Sensory Organization Test. Results One hundred forty-eight children were entered and usable data were collected on 127 children. A linear increase in the vestibulo-ocular reflex gain as children aged was found, without a change in the phase of the response. An age-related linear increase in Equilibrium Scores, indicating reduced postural sway, was also observed. Conclusion These normative data can be used in the evaluation of dizziness and balance disorders in children. PMID:20416461

Seven-year changes in corneal power and aberrations after PRK or LASIK.

PubMed

Ivarsen, Anders; Hjortdal, Jesper

2012-09-06

To examine long-term changes in corneal power and aberrations in myopic patients randomized to photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) or laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Forty-five patients with myopia from -6 to -8 diopters (spherical equivalent refraction) were randomized to PRK (n = 20) or LASIK (n = 25). Patients were examined preoperatively and for up to 7 years after surgery. Measurements included refraction, topography (TMS-1), and ultrasound pachymetry. By 3 years, 16 PRK and 15 LASIK patients were examined and by 7 years, 9 PRK and 7 LASIK subjects were available. Only patients who had not been reoperated and attended the two late controls were included in data analyses. Optical analysis of topographic data was used to calculate corneal power and wavefront aberrations. PRK and LASIK caused a similar reduction in corneal power. During the first year after PRK, corneal power increased, but remained stable from 1 to 7 years. In contrast, corneal power continued to increase from 1 to 7 years after LASIK. Both PRK and LASIK caused an increase in coma-like and spherical aberrations that remained constant for 7 years. No significant changes in other higher-order aberrations were observed. The cornea may not be stable even 7 years after LASIK, as indicated by the continuing increase in corneal power. In contrast, PRK appears stable from 1 year post surgery. Coma-like and spherical aberrations are permanently increased after PRK and LASIK. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00404105.).

The virtual brain: 30 years of video-game play and cognitive abilities.

PubMed

Latham, Andrew J; Patston, Lucy L M; Tippett, Lynette J

2013-09-13

Forty years have passed since video-games were first made widely available to the public and subsequently playing games has become a favorite past-time for many. Players continuously engage with dynamic visual displays with success contingent on the time-pressured deployment, and flexible allocation, of attention as well as precise bimanual movements. Evidence to date suggests that both brief and extensive exposure to video-game play can result in a broad range of enhancements to various cognitive faculties that generalize beyond the original context. Despite promise, video-game research is host to a number of methodological issues that require addressing before progress can be made in this area. Here an effort is made to consolidate the past 30 years of literature examining the effects of video-game play on cognitive faculties and, more recently, neural systems. Future work is required to identify the mechanism that allows the act of video-game play to generate such a broad range of generalized enhancements.

The virtual brain: 30 years of video-game play and cognitive abilities

PubMed Central

Latham, Andrew J.; Patston, Lucy L. M.; Tippett, Lynette J.

2013-01-01

Forty years have passed since video-games were first made widely available to the public and subsequently playing games has become a favorite past-time for many. Players continuously engage with dynamic visual displays with success contingent on the time-pressured deployment, and flexible allocation, of attention as well as precise bimanual movements. Evidence to date suggests that both brief and extensive exposure to video-game play can result in a broad range of enhancements to various cognitive faculties that generalize beyond the original context. Despite promise, video-game research is host to a number of methodological issues that require addressing before progress can be made in this area. Here an effort is made to consolidate the past 30 years of literature examining the effects of video-game play on cognitive faculties and, more recently, neural systems. Future work is required to identify the mechanism that allows the act of video-game play to generate such a broad range of generalized enhancements. PMID:24062712

Management of isolated splenic injuries after blunt trauma: an institution's experience over 6 years.

PubMed

Tan, K K; Chiu, M T; Vijayan, A

2010-12-01

Forty-two patients with traumatic blunt splenic injuries were admitted over a six year period. Vehicular-related collisions and fall from height accounted for the injuries in 38 (90.5%) of them. Eleven (26.2%) underwent immediate surgery (7 splenectomy and 4 splenorrhaphy), while the remaining 31 patients were treated nonoperatively of which 3 underwent angio-embolisation. Twenty seven patients had either grade III or IV splenic injuries. Operative management was more likely in patients with lower haemoglobin or with more severe splenic injury. Nonoperative management can be adopted in patients with blunt isolated splenic injuries but operative management is still indispensable in certain instances.

Replicability and 40-Year Predictive Power of Childhood ARC Types

PubMed Central

Chapman, Benjamin P.; Goldberg, Lewis R.

2011-01-01

We examined three questions surrounding the Undercontrolled, Overcontrolled, and Resilient--or Asendorpf-Robins-Caspi (ARC)--personality types originally identified by Block (1971). In analyses of the teacher personality assessments of over 2,000 children in 1st through 6th grade in 1959-1967, and follow-up data on general and cardiovascular health outcomes in over 1,100 adults recontacted 40 years later, we found: (1) Bootstrapped internal replication clustering suggested that Big Five scores were best characterized by a tripartite cluster structure corresponding to the ARC types; (2) this cluster structure was fuzzy, rather than discrete, indicating that ARC constructs are best represented as gradients of similarity to three prototype Big Five profiles; and (3) ARC types and degrees of ARC prototypicality showed associations with multiple health outcomes 40 years later. ARC constructs were more parsimonious, but neither better nor more consistent predictors than the dimensional Big Five traits. Forty-year incident cases of heart disease could be correctly identified with 68% accuracy by personality information alone, a figure approaching the 12-year accuracy of a leading medical cardiovascular risk model. Findings support the theoretical validity of ARC constructs, their treatment as continua of prototypicality rather than discrete categories, and the need for further understanding the robust predictive power of childhood personality traits for mid-life health. PMID:21744975

Two-year outcome of team-based intensive case management for patients with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Aberg-Wistedt, A; Cressell, T; Lidberg, Y; Liljenberg, B; Osby, U

1995-12-01

Two-year outcomes of patients with schizophrenic disorders who were assigned to an intensive, team-based case management program and patients who received standard psychiatric services were assessed. The case management model featured increased staff contact time with patients, rehabilitation plans based on patients' expressed needs, and patients' attendance at team meetings where their rehabilitation plan was discussed. Forty patients were randomly assigned to either the case management group or the control group that received standard services. Patients' use of emergency and inpatient services, their quality of life, the size of their social networks, and their relatives' burden of care were assessed at assignment to the study groups and at two-year follow-up. Patients in the case management group had significantly fewer emergency visits compared with the two years before the study, and their relatives reported significantly reduced burden of care associated with relationships with psychiatric services over the two-year period. The size of patients' social networks increased for the case management group and decreased for the control group. A team-based intensive case management model is an effective intervention in the rehabilitation of patients with chronic schizophrenia.

A Tale of Two Countries--Forty Years On: Politics and Teacher Education in Russia and England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menter, Ian; Valeeva, Roza; Kalimullin, Aydar

2017-01-01

The relationships between politics and teacher education have become increasingly close over recent decades in many contexts around the world, often causing significant challenges as well as some opportunities. In this article, we draw on a project on the reform of teacher education in Russia and through a comparison with the development of…

Genome changes due to forty years of artificial selection associated with divergent dairy production and reproduction

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Artificial selection in dairy cattle since 1964 has achieved steady increase in milk production that was accompanied by unintended declines in fertility. Direct comparison of 45,878 SNPs between a group of Holstein cattle unselected since 1964 and the contemporary Holsteins was conducted to identify...

Characterization of simple wireless neurostimulators and sensors.

PubMed

Gulick, Daniel W; Towe, Bruce C

2014-01-01

A single diode with a wireless power source and electrodes can act as an implantable stimulator or sensor. We have built such devices using RF and ultrasound power coupling. These simple devices could drastically reduce the size, weight, and cost of implants for applications where efficiency is not critical. However, a shortcoming has been a lack of control: any movement of the external power source would change the power coupling, thereby changing the stimulation current or modulating the sensor response. To correct for changes in power and signal coupling, we propose to use harmonic signals from the device. The diode acts as a frequency multiplier, and the harmonics it emits contain information about the drive level and bias. A simplified model suggests that estimation of power, electrode bias, and electrode resistance is possible from information contained in radiated harmonics even in the presence of significant noise. We also built a simple RF-powered stimulator with an onboard voltage limiter.

Optimization of return electrodes in neurostimulating arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores, Thomas; Goetz, Georges; Lei, Xin; Palanker, Daniel

2016-06-01

Objective. High resolution visual prostheses require dense stimulating arrays with localized inputs of individual electrodes. We study the electric field produced by multielectrode arrays in electrolyte to determine an optimal configuration of return electrodes and activation sequence. Approach. To determine the boundary conditions for computation of the electric field in electrolyte, we assessed current dynamics using an equivalent circuit of a multielectrode array with interleaved return electrodes. The electric field modeled with two different boundary conditions derived from the equivalent circuit was then compared to measurements of electric potential in electrolyte. To assess the effect of return electrode configuration on retinal stimulation, we transformed the computed electric fields into retinal response using a model of neural network-mediated stimulation. Main results. Electric currents at the capacitive electrode-electrolyte interface redistribute over time, so that boundary conditions transition from equipotential surfaces at the beginning of the pulse to uniform current density in steady state. Experimental measurements confirmed that, in steady state, the boundary condition corresponds to a uniform current density on electrode surfaces. Arrays with local return electrodes exhibit improved field confinement and can elicit stronger network-mediated retinal response compared to those with a common remote return. Connecting local return electrodes enhances the field penetration depth and allows reducing the return electrode area. Sequential activation of the pixels in large monopolar arrays reduces electrical cross-talk and improves the contrast in pattern stimulation. Significance. Accurate modeling of multielectrode arrays helps optimize the electrode configuration to maximize the spatial resolution, contrast and dynamic range of retinal prostheses.

Twenty years of meta-analyses in orthopaedic surgery: has quality kept up with quantity?

PubMed

Dijkman, Bernadette G; Abouali, Jihad A K; Kooistra, Bauke W; Conter, Henry J; Poolman, Rudolf W; Kulkarni, Abhaya V; Tornetta, Paul; Bhandari, Mohit

2010-01-01

As the number of studies in the literature is increasing, orthopaedic surgeons highly depend on meta-analyses as their primary source of scientific evidence. The objectives of this review were to assess the scientific quality and number of published meta-analyses on orthopaedics-related topics over time. We conducted, in duplicate and independently, a systematic review of published meta-analyses in orthopaedics in the years 2005 and 2008 and compared them with a previous systematic review of meta-analyses from 1969 to 1999. A search of electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) was performed to identify meta-analyses published in 2005 and 2008. We searched bibliographies and contacted content experts to identify additional relevant studies. Two investigators independently assessed the quality of the studies, using the Oxman and Guyatt index, and abstracted relevant data. We included forty-five and forty-four meta-analyses from 2005 and 2008, respectively. While the number of meta-analyses increased fivefold from 1999 to 2008, the mean quality score did not change significantly over time (p = 0.067). In the later years, a significantly lower proportion of meta-analyses had methodological flaws (56% in 2005 and 68% in 2008) compared with meta-analyses published prior to 2000 (88%) (p = 0.006). In 2005 and 2008, respectively, 18% and 30% of the meta-analyses had major to extensive flaws in their methodology. Studies from 2008 with positive conclusions used and described appropriate criteria for the validity assessment less often than did those with negative results. The use of random-effects and fixed-effects models as pooling methods became more popular toward 2008. Although the methodological quality of orthopaedic meta-analyses has increased in the past twenty years, a substantial proportion continues to show major to extensive flaws. As the number of published meta-analyses is increasing, a routine checklist for

Risk factors for dental erosion in 5-6 year old and 12-14 year old boys in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Al-Majed, Ibrahim; Maguire, Anne; Murray, John J

2002-02-01

Dental examinations were carried out on 354 boys aged 5-6 years, and 862 boys aged 12-14 years, attending 40 schools in Riyadh. The prevalence of dental erosion was assessed using diagnostic criteria similar to those employed in the 1993 UK National Survey of Child Dental Health. Pronounced dental erosion (into dentine or dentine and pulp) was observed in 34% of 5-6 year olds and 26% of 12-14 year olds. Information on food and drink consumed and dietary habits was obtained by means of a questionnaire. Parents reported that 65% of 5-6 year old boys took a drink to bed. Water was the commonest drink consumed (37%) followed by carbonated soft drinks (21%). One third of parents reported that their son had something to eat in bed or during the night and 60% of this was sweet food or confectionery. Seventy per cent of 12-14 year old boys reported consuming drinks at night; these were mainly water (30%), carbonated soft drinks (27%) and tea or coffee, with sugar (18%). Forty-six per cent of the 12-14 year olds reported that they ate in bed at least once a week and 54% of this was sweet food or confectionery. When the dental examination and questionnaire results were correlated, a statistically significant relationship was found between the number of primary maxillary incisors with pronounced erosion of their palatal surfaces and the consumption of carbonated soft drinks at night (P=0.015). A significant relationship was also found between the number of permanent maxillary incisors with pronounced erosion on their palatal surfaces and the frequency of drinks at night (P=0.020), as well as the duration of drinks retained in the mouth (P=0.038). It is concluded that dental erosion is more common in the primary and permanent dentitions of Saudi Arabian boys compared with results for similar age groups from the United Kingdom.

A statement on abortion by 100 professors of obstetrics: 40 years later.

PubMed

2013-10-01

In this Journal in 1972, 100 leaders in obstetrics and gynecology published a compelling statement that recognized the legalization of abortion in several states and anticipated the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade. They projected the numbers of legal abortions that likely would be required by women in the United States and described the role of the teaching hospital in meeting that responsibility. They wrote to express their concern for women's health in a new legal and medical era of reproductive control and to define the responsibilities of academic obstetrician-gynecologists. Forty years later, 100 professors examine the statement of their predecessors in light of medical advances and legal changes and suggest a further course of action for obstetrician gynecologists. © 2013.

Five- and 10-Year Follow-Up of Nonvascularized Toe Phalanx Transfers.

PubMed

Kawabata, Hidehiko; Tamura, Daisuke

2018-05-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate long-term outcomes of nonvascularized toe phalanx transfer. We retrospectively reviewed 54 nonvascularized toe phalanx transfers in 29 children with symbrachydactyly. Forty-seven transfers in 24 children were evaluated at 5-year follow-up and 27 transfers in 14 children were evaluated at 10-year follow-up. We recorded the incidence of the early physeal closure and the length of the transferred toe phalanx on plain radiographs at 5- and 10-year follow-up. Growth rate in the first 5 years and the following 5 years were calculated. Function of the metacarpophalangeal joint (motion, stability, and alignment) was also evaluated. The mean age at surgery was 1.5 years. Seven toe phalanges were trimmed because the skin pocket was tight. Five transfers required revision surgery for partial necrosis of the skin pocket. At 5-year follow-up, the physis was closed in 23%, and at 10 years, 78% of physes were closed. The phalanx length was 87% of expected at 5-year follow-up and 71% at 10-year follow-up. Growth rate was 0.83 mm/y in the first 5 years and 0.22 mm/y in the following 5 years. Active motion was rated as good in 24, fair in 7, and poor in 16. Stability and alignment were rated as good in 37 and 33, fair in 8 and 5, and poor in 2 and 9, respectively. Nonvascularized toe phalanx transfer offered a relatively simple method to lengthen short digits and to provide satisfactory function. The transferred toe phalanges grew at a near-normal rate in the first 5 years, but the growth rate decreased between 5 and 10 years. Therapeutic IV. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Myomectomy to conserve fertility: seven-year follow-up.

PubMed

Sangha, Roopina; Strickler, Ronald; Dahlman, Marisa; Havstad, Suzanne; Wegienka, Ganesa

2015-01-01

To observe the occurrence of pregnancy in women undergoing minimally invasive and open myomectomy for symptoms attributed to uterine fibroids and who desire future pregnancy. We performed a retrospective chart review of women who had undergone myomectomy at least two years previously within the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, MI. We reviewed the subsequent fertility outcomes according to the fertility goals identified by each woman. During the seven-year observation window, 310 women underwent myomectomy and 124 (40%) of these women desired pregnancy. Forty-nine women desiring pregnancy (40%) conceived, and 30 (61% of those who conceived) delivered a viable infant from their first pregnancy. In addition, two women had a live birth after a miscarriage, and one had a live birth after an ectopic pregnancy. Five women had a second live-born baby. There were no differences in the occurrence of pregnancy or pregnancy outcome according to surgical approach, patient age or race, number of uterine incisions, or whether the endometrial cavity was entered. In addition, five of 186 women who did not have a fertility goal (3%) conceived, and one woman delivered two babies. Myomectomy performed to preserve fertility resulted in approximately one in four women having a live birth, independent of surgical technique.

Hyperinsulin therapy for calcium channel antagonist poisoning: a seven-year retrospective study.

PubMed

Espinoza, Tamara R; Bryant, Sean M; Aks, Steve E

2013-01-01

The use of hyperinsulin therapy (HIT) in severe calcium channel antagonist (CCA) poisoning has become a more common therapy within the last decade. The objective of this study is to report 7 years of experience recommending HIT. This was a retrospective chart review utilizing our regional poison center (RPC) data from January 1, 2002, through December 31, 2008. All cases of CCA poisoning receiving HIT were searched. Endpoints included the number of CCA cases utilizing HIT, insulin dose, time of initiation of HIT, patient outcome, adverse events, age, glucose concentration, and lowest systolic blood pressure recorded. Forty-six cases of CCA poisoning were managed with HIT over 7 years. All the patients received standard antidotal therapy (= intravenous fluids, calcium salts, glucagon, and pressors). HIT administration followed our RPC recommendation 23 times (50%), and no hypoglycemic events occurred. Means (age, highest glucose measured, and lowest systolic blood pressure measured) were 51 years, 282 mg/dL, and 74 mm Hg, respectively. Our RPC recommendations for HIT were followed 50% of the time over the last 7 years. In light of the lack of hypoglycemia associated with HIT in our study population, we recommend HIT as an early and safe antidote in significant CCA poisoning.

Two-Year Follow-up of the Collision Auto Repair Safety Study (CARSS)

PubMed Central

Bejan, Anca; Parker, David L.; Brosseau, Lisa M.; Xi, Min; Skan, Maryellen

2015-01-01

This paper presents an evaluation of the sustainability of health and safety improvements in small auto collision shops 1 year after the implementation of a year-long targeted intervention. During the first year (active phase), owners received quarterly phone calls, written reminders, safety newsletters, and access to online services and in-person assistance with creating safety programs and respirator fit testing. During the second year (passive phase), owners received up to three postcard reminders regarding the availability of free health and safety resources. Forty-five shops received an evaluation at baseline and at the end of the first year (Y1). Of these, 33 were evaluated at the end of the second year (Y2), using the same 92-item assessment tool. At Y1, investigators found that between 70 and 81% of the evaluated items were adequate in each business (mean = 73% items, SD = 11%). At Y2, between 63 and 89% of items were deemed adequate (mean = 73% items, SD = 9.5%). Three safety areas demonstrated statistically significant (P < 0.05) changes: compressed gasses (8% improvement), personal protective equipment (7% improvement), and respiratory protection (6% decline). The number of postcard reminders sent to each business did not affect the degree to which shops maintained safety improvements made during the first year of the intervention. However, businesses that received more postcards were more likely to request assistance services than those receiving fewer. PMID:25539646

Treatment of severe tracheobronchomalacia: Ten-year experience.

PubMed

de Trey, Lorraine A; Dudley, Julia; Ismail-Koch, Hasnaa; Durward, Andrew; Bellsham-Revell, Hannah; Blaney, Sean; Hore, Ian; Austin, Conal B; Morrison, Gavin A

2016-04-01

Paediatric tracheobronchomalacia is a rare but potentially serious condition. Severe tracheobronchomalacia requires intervention or operation. This is an evaluation of a ten-year experience at an institution. In this retrospective study all patients were included that required an intervention for severe tracheobronchomalacia from 2003 to 2012. Symptoms, aetiology, comorbidities, localisation of the malacia, age at diagnosis, therapeutic measures and associated complications were evaluated. Forty-four patients with severe tracheobronchomalacia underwent intervention/operation. The predominant aetiology was vascular compression in 48%. The majority of patients had complex comorbidities, most importantly cardiac pathology in 66%. The median age at diagnosis was 3 months. A total of 17 aortopexies, 21 tracheostomies and 25 stent placements were performed. The mean follow-up was 2.6 years. Severe complications occurred in 12 patients. The most common complications were stent obstruction/fracture and tracheostomy tube obstruction. The management of severe tracheobronchomalacia is complex and the population of patients is very heterogeneous. Therefore the treatment has to be adapted for each patient individually. The decision strategies are discussed in this article. The surgical techniques for placement and safe removal of expandable bare metallic stents employed in our institution are presented. A multidisciplinary team of ENT surgeons, Intensivists, Cardiologists and Cardiac surgeons is of great importance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subcutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation with inter-lead stimulation for axial neck and low back pain: case series and review of the literature.

PubMed

Burgher, Abram H; Huntoon, Marc A; Turley, Todd W; Doust, Matthew W; Stearns, Lisa J

2012-01-01

While pain in the extremities often responds to treatment using spinal cord stimulation (SCS), axial pain is notoriously refractory to SCS. Interest in subcutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation (SQ PNS) as an alternative to SCS has emerged, but the most appropriate electrode locations and neurostimulator programming techniques are not yet clear. A retrospective review was conducted of consecutive patients evaluated from August 2009 to December 2010 who had undergone trial of SQ PNS with inter-lead stimulation for axial spine pain. Patients proceeding to implant were followed postoperatively with routine clinical visits and a survey form at last follow-up. Ultrasound was used intraoperatively to ensure placement of electrodes at the appropriate depth in patients with larger body mass index. Primary outcome was patient-reported pain relief at last follow-up. Literature review was conducted by searching MEDLINE (1948-present) and through an unstructured review by the authors. Ten patients underwent trial of SQ PNS and six proceeded to permanent implantation. Fifty percent (3/6) of implanted patients preferred neurostimulation programming that included inter-lead stimulation ("cross-talk"). Average duration of postoperative follow-up was 4.5 months (range 2-9 months). Average patient-reported pain relief at last follow-up was 45% (range 20-80%). One patient required re-operation for migration. Patients not proceeding to implant had paresthesia coverage but no analgesia. SQ PNS is a promising therapy for axial neck and back pain based on a small cohort of patients. Ultrasound was useful to assist with electrode placement at the most appropriate depth beneath the skin. While inter-lead stimulation has been preferred by patients in published reports, we did not find it clearly influenced pain relief. Future investigations should include a randomized, controlled study design, as well as defined implantation technique and neurostimulator programming algorithms. © 2011

Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus affects resting EEG and visual evoked potentials in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Jech, Robert; Růzicka, Evzen; Urgosík, Dusan; Serranová, Tereza; Volfová, Markéta; Nováková, Olga; Roth, Jan; Dusek, Petr; Mecír, Petr

2006-05-01

We studied changes of the EEG spectral power induced by deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Also analyzed were changes of visual evoked potentials (VEP) with DBS on and off. Eleven patients with advanced PD treated with bilateral DBS STN were examined after an overnight withdrawal of L-DOPA and 2 h after switching off the neurostimulators. All underwent clinical examination followed by resting EEG and VEP recordings, a procedure repeated after DBS STN was switched on. With DBS switched on, the dominant EEG frequency increased from 9.44+/-1.3 to 9.71+/-1.3 Hz (P<0.01) while its relative spectral power dropped by 11% on average (P<0.05). Switching on the neurostimulators caused a decrease in the N70/P100 amplitude of the VEP (P<0.01), which inversely correlated with the intensity of DBS (black-and-white pattern: P<0.01; color pattern: P<0.05). Despite artifacts generated by neurostimulators, the VEP and resting EEG were suitable for the detection of effects related to DBS STN. The acceleration of dominant frequency in the alpha band may be evidence of DBS STN influence on speeding up of intracortical oscillations. The spectral power decrease, seen mainly in the fronto-central region, might reflect a desynchronization in the premotor and motor circuits, though no movement was executed. Similarly, desynchronization of the cortical activity recorded posteriorly may by responsible for the VEP amplitude decrease implying DBS STN-related influence even on the visual system. Changes in idling EEG activity observed diffusely over scalp together with involvement of the VEP suggest that the effects of DBS STN reach far beyond the motor system influencing the basic mechanisms of rhythmic cortical oscillations.

Personal medical electronic devices and walk-through metal detector security systems: assessing electromagnetic interference effects.

PubMed

Guag, Joshua; Addissie, Bisrat; Witters, Donald

2017-03-20

There have been concerns that Electromagnetic security systems such as walk-through metal detectors (WTMDs) can potentially cause electromagnetic interference (EMI) in certain active medical devices including implantable cardiac pacemakers and implantable neurostimulators. Incidents of EMI between WTMDs and active medical devices also known as personal medical electronic devices (PMED) continue to be reported. This paper reports on emission measurements of sample WTMDs and testing of 20 PMEDs in a WTMD simulation system. Magnetic fields from sample WTMD systems were characterized for emissions and exposure of certain PMEDs. A WTMD simulator system designed and evaluated by FDA in previous studies was used to mimic the PMED exposures to the waveform from sample WTMDs. The simulation system allows for controlled PMED exposure enabling careful study with adjustable magnetic field strengths and exposure duration, and provides flexibility for PMED exposure at elevated levels in order to study EMI effects on the PMED. The PMED samples consisted of six implantable cardiac pacemakers, six implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), five implantable neurostimulators, and three insulin pumps. Each PMED was exposed in the simulator to the sample WTMD waveforms using methods based on appropriate consensus test standards for each of the device type. Testing the sample PMEDs using the WTMD simulator revealed EMI effects on two implantable pacemakers and one implantable neurostimulator for exposure field strength comparable to actual WTMD field strength. The observed effects were transient and the PMEDs returned to pre-exposure operation within a few seconds after removal from the simulated WTMD exposure fields. No EMI was observed for the sample ICDs or insulin pumps. The findings are consistent with earlier studies where certain sample PMEDs exhibited EMI effects. Clinical implications were not addressed in this study. Additional studies are needed to evaluate potential PMED

Non-motor outcomes of subthalamic stimulation in Parkinson's disease depend on location of active contacts.

PubMed

Dafsari, Haidar Salimi; Petry-Schmelzer, Jan Niklas; Ray-Chaudhuri, K; Ashkan, Keyoumars; Weis, Luca; Dembek, Till A; Samuel, Michael; Rizos, Alexandra; Silverdale, Monty; Barbe, Michael T; Fink, Gereon R; Evans, Julian; Martinez-Martin, Pablo; Antonini, Angelo; Visser-Vandewalle, Veerle; Timmermann, Lars

2018-03-16

Subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) improves quality of life (QoL), motor, and non-motor symptoms (NMS) in Parkinson's disease (PD). Few studies have investigated the influence of the location of neurostimulation on NMS. To investigate the impact of active contact location on NMS in STN-DBS in PD. In this prospective, open-label, multicenter study including 50 PD patients undergoing bilateral STN-DBS, we collected NMSScale (NMSS), NMSQuestionnaire (NMSQ), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (anxiety/depression, HADS-A/-D), PDQuestionnaire-8 (PDQ-8), Scales for Outcomes in PD-motor examination, motor complications, activities of daily living (ADL), and levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD) preoperatively and at 6 months follow-up. Changes were analyzed with Wilcoxon signed-rank/t-test and Bonferroni-correction for multiple comparisons. Although the STN was targeted visually, we employed an atlas-based approach to explore the relationship between active contact locations and DBS outcomes. Based on fused MRI/CT-images, we identified Cartesian coordinates of active contacts with patient-specific Mai-atlas standardization. We computed linear mixed-effects models with x-/y-/z-coordinates as independent, hemispheres as within-subject, and test change scores as dependent variables. NMSS, NMSQ, PDQ-8, motor examination, complications, and LEDD significantly improved at follow-up. Linear mixed-effect models showed that NMS and QoL improvement significantly depended on more medial (HADS-D, NMSS), anterior (HADS-D, NMSQ, PDQ-8), and ventral (HADS-A/-D, NMSS, PDQ-8) neurostimulation. ADL improved more in posterior, LEDD in lateral neurostimulation locations. No relationship was observed for motor examination and complications scores. Our study provides evidence that more anterior, medial, and ventral STN-DBS is significantly related to more beneficial non-motor outcomes. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Video Games for Neuro-Cognitive Optimization.

PubMed

Mishra, Jyoti; Anguera, Joaquin A; Gazzaley, Adam

2016-04-20

Sophisticated video games that integrate engaging cognitive training with real-time biosensing and neurostimulation have the potential to optimize cognitive performance in health and disease. We argue that technology development must be paired with rigorous scientific validation and discuss academic and industry opportunities in this field. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aggravated stuttering following subthalamic deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease - two cases

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Stuttering is a speech disorder with disruption of verbal fluency which is occasionally present in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Long-term medical management of PD is frequently complicated by fluctuating motor functions and dyskinesias. High-frequency deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is an effective treatment of motor fluctuations and is the most common surgical procedure in PD. Here we report the re-occurrence and aggravation of stuttering following STN-DBS in two male patients treated for advanced PD. In both patients the speech fluency improved considerably when the neurostimulator was turned off, indicating that stuttering aggravation was related to neurostimulation of the STN itself, its afferent or efferent projections and/or to structures localized in the immediate proximity. This report supports previous studies demonstrating that lesions of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical motor circuit, including the STN, is involved in the development of stuttering. In advanced PD STN-DBS is generally an effective and safe treatment. However, patients with PD and stuttering should be informed about the risk of aggravated symptoms following surgical therapy. PMID:21477305

Non-pharmacological treatment options for refractory epilepsy: an overview of human treatment modalities and their potential utility in dogs.

PubMed

Martlé, Valentine; Van Ham, Luc; Raedt, Robrecht; Vonck, Kristl; Boon, Paul; Bhatti, Sofie

2014-03-01

Refractory epilepsy is a common disorder both in humans and dogs and treatment protocols are difficult to optimise. In humans, different non-pharmacological treatment modalities currently available include surgery, the ketogenic diet and neurostimulation. Surgery leads to freedom from seizures in 50-75% of patients, but requires strict patient selection. The ketogenic diet is indicated in severe childhood epilepsies, but efficacy is limited and long-term compliance can be problematic. In the past decade, various types of neurostimulation have emerged as promising treatment modalities for humans with refractory epilepsy. Currently, none of these treatment options are used in routine daily clinical practice to treat dogs with the condition. Since many dogs with poorly controlled seizures do not survive, the search for alternative treatment options for canine refractory epilepsy should be prioritised. This review provides an overview of non-pharmacological treatment options for human refractory epilepsy. The current knowledge and limitations of these treatments in canine refractory epilepsy is also discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Forty years of embryo transfer in cattle: a review focusing on the journal Theriogenology, the growth of the industry in North America, and personal reminisces.

PubMed

Hasler, John F

2014-01-01

After the first successful transfer of mammalian embryos in 1890, it was approximately 60 years before significant progress was reported in the basic technology of embryo transfer (ET) in cattle. Starting in the early 1970s, technology had progressed sufficiently to support the founding of commercial ET programs in several countries. Today, well-established and reliable techniques involving superovulation, embryo recovery and transfer, cryopreservation, and IVF are utilized worldwide in hundreds, if not thousands, of commercial businesses located in many countries. The mean number of embryos produced via superovulation has changed little in 40 years, but there have been improvements in synchrony and hormonal protocols. Cryopreservation of in vivo-derived embryos is a reliable procedure, but improvements are needed for biopsied and in vitro-derived embryos. High pregnancy rates are achieved when good quality embryos are transferred into suitable recipients and low pregnancy rates are often owing to problems in recipient management and not technology per se. In the future, unanticipated disease outbreaks and the ever-changing economics of cattle and milk prices will continue to influence the ET industry. The issue of abnormal pregnancies involving in vitro embryos has not been satisfactorily resolved and the involvement of abnormal epigenetics associate with this technology merits continued research. Last, genomic testing of bovine embryos is likely to be available in the foreseeable future. This may markedly decrease the number of embryos that are actually transferred and stimulate the evolution of more sophisticated ET businesses. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chinese literatures of radiation oncology covered by PubMed over the past five years.

PubMed

Niu, Dao-Li; Zhen, Jun-Jie; He, Fen

2010-04-01

PubMed is generally acknowledged for its scientificity in literature coverage and authority of literature retrieval . In recent years, many studies have been published in China about radiation oncology. We aimed to investigate the literatures about radiation oncology in China covered by PubMed over the past five years. We collected primary data by searching the PubMed database using the related subject words. The collected data were analyzed and evaluated by bibliometric methods. In the past five years, 550 articles by Chinese authors related to radiotherapy were indexed in PubMed. These articles were published in 160 journals among 26 Chinese provinces/cities. These articles mainly focused on radiation dose and computer-aided radiation therapy. Sixty-four articles were published by Chinese Journal of Cancer , which ranked the top. Forty-four articles were published by the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics (IF=4.29), with the largest number among SCI journals. One hundred and sixteen articles from Guangdong Province were covered, accounting for 21.09%. Over the past five years, the discipline of radiation oncology has been greatly developed. The literatures mainly focus on clinical radiation oncology and their regional distribution is uneven.

Four-year to seven-year outcomes of advanced surface ablation with excimer laser for high myopia.

PubMed

Hansen, Rasmus Søgaard; Lyhne, Niels; Grauslund, Jakob; Grønbech, Keea Treu; Vestergaard, Anders Højslet

2015-07-01

We aimed to evaluate and compare outcomes after photorefractive keratectomy with cooling (cPRK) and laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy (LASEK) for high myopia. This was a retrospective, single-masked follow-up study of patients treated for myopia between 2007 and 2009 with cPRK or LASEK, using a high-frequency flying-spot excimer laser with eye-tracker (MEL80; Carl Zeiss, Jena, Germany). One eye of each patient was randomly chosen for analysis. Re-treated eyes were excluded. Forty-six cPRK patients and 35 LASEK patients were included. Spherical equivalent averaged -7.69 ± 1.47 diopters (D) in cPRK eyes and -7.98 ± 2.06 D in LASEK eyes (p = 0.31) before surgery. The average follow-up time was 4.6 years in cPRK patients and 6.0 years in LASEK patients (p < 0.05). At final follow-up, no cPRK eyes and one LASEK eye (p = 0.46) had lost two lines of corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA). No eyes had significant haze at final follow-up, although trace haze was found in four cPRK eyes and six LASEK eyes (p = 0.44). However, at 6 weeks after surgery, zero cPRK eyes and nine LASEK eyes (p < 0.05) had significant haze. At final follow-up, 63 % of cPRK eyes and 35 % of LASEK eyes (p = 0.17) were within ±1.0 D of intended refraction. Finally, 100 % of cPRK patients and 92 % of LASEK patients (p = 0.87) were satisfied or very satisfied with the surgery at final follow-up. cPRK and LASEK seemed safe and with high patient satisfaction 4 to 7 years after surgery for high myopia. However, cPRK was more effective than LASEK in reducing initial significant corneal haze.

A Ten-Year Review of Antenatal Complications and Pregnancy Outcomes Among HIV-Positive Pregnant Women.

PubMed

Yudin, Mark H; Caprara, Daniela; MacGillivray, S Jay; Urquia, Marcelo; Shah, Rajiv R

2016-01-01

To review the incidence of antenatal complications among a cohort of HIV-positive pregnant women over a 10-year period. A retrospective review was performed of all HIV-positive pregnant women receiving multidisciplinary prenatal care at an urban tertiary care centre from March 2000 to March 2010. Collected data included the presence of additional infectious or medical conditions, genetic screening information, and the presence or absence of antenatal complications. One hundred and forty-two singleton pregnancies during the study period were identified. Almost 95% of women were taking combination antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy, and greater than 90% had viral loads less than 1000 copies/ml at delivery. The presence of co-infections was low. Forty-one women (29%) had other medical comorbidities. Genetic screening occurred in 104 pregnancies (73%); 4% were abnormal screens. Rates of any hypertension, gestational diabetes, and fetal growth restriction were all low. Thirty-two percent of women were colonized with group B streptococcus. This study adds strength to the argument that good outcomes can be achieved for HIV-positive pregnant women with good access to both prenatal and HIV care, and appropriate management. Women with HIV should be optimally cared for in advance of and during pregnancy in order to maximize the likelihood of good pregnancy outcomes. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bone and heart abnormalities of subclinical hyperthyroidism in women below the age of 65 years.

PubMed

Rosario, Pedro Weslley

2008-12-01

The objective of the present study was to evaluate bone and cardiac abnormalities and symptoms and signs of thyroid hormone excess in women with subclinical hyperthyroidism (SCH) aged < 65 years. Forty-eight women with SCH were evaluated. The control group consisted of 48 euthyroid volunteers. The mean symptom rating scale score was significantly higher in patients. Cardiac involvement, both morphological and affecting systolic and diastolic functions, was also observed in patients. Women with SCH showed a significant increase in serum markers of bone formation and resorption. In addition, bone mineral density (BMD) was lower in the femoral neck but not in the lumbar spine in patients before menopause, whereas a lower BMD was observed at both sites in postmenopausal patients. SCH is not completely asymptomatic in women aged < 65 years, and is associated with heart abnormalities and with increased bone turnover and reduced BMD even before menopause.

A statement on abortion by 100 professors of obstetrics: 40 years later.

PubMed

2013-09-01

In this Journal in 1972, 100 leaders in obstetrics and gynecology published a compelling statement that recognized the legalization of abortion in several states and anticipated the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v Wade. They projected the numbers of legal abortions that likely would be required by women in the United States and described the role of the teaching hospital in meeting that responsibility. They wrote to express their concern for women's health in a new legal and medical era of reproductive control and to define the responsibilities of academic obstetrician-gynecologists. Forty years later, 100 professors examine the statement of their predecessors in light of medical advances and legal changes and suggest a further course of action for obstetrician gynecologists. Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Foot mechanics during the first six years of independent walking.

PubMed

Samson, William; Dohin, Bruno; Desroches, Guillaume; Chaverot, Jean-Luc; Dumas, Raphaël; Cheze, Laurence

2011-04-29

Recognition of the changes during gait that occur normally as a part of growth is essential to prevent mislabeling those changes from adult gait as evidence of gait pathology. Currently, in the literature, the definition of a mature age for ankle joint dynamics is controversial (i.e., between 5 and 10 years). Moreover, the mature age of the metatarsophalangeal (MP) joint, which is essential for the functioning of the foot, has not been defined in the literature. Thus, the objective of the present study explored foot mechanics (ankle and MP joints) in young children to define a mature age of foot function. Forty-two healthy children between 1 and 6 years of age and eight adults were measured during gait. The ground reaction force (GRF), the MP and ankle joint angles, moments, powers, and 3D angles between the joint moment and the joint angular velocity vectors (3D angle α(M.ω)) were processed and compared between four age groups (2, 3.5, 5 and adults). Based on statistical analysis, the MP joint biomechanical parameters were similar between children (older than 2 years) and adults, hinting at a quick maturation of this joint mechanics. The ankle joint parameters and the GRFs (except for the frontal plane) showed an adult-like pattern in 5-year-old children. Some ankle joint parameters, such as the joint power and the 3D angle α(M.ω) still evolved significantly until 3.5 years. Based on these results, it would appear that foot maturation during gait is fully achieved at 5 years. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients report increased pain at five years compared with two years after surgical treatment.

PubMed

Upasani, Vidyadhar V; Caltoum, Christine; Petcharaporn, Maty; Bastrom, Tracey P; Pawelek, Jeff B; Betz, Randal R; Clements, David H; Lenke, Lawrence G; Lowe, Thomas G; Newton, Peter O

2008-05-01

A multicenter study of changes in Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) outcome measures after surgical treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). To evaluate changes in patient determined outcome measures between 2 and 5 years after AIS surgery. Current surgical procedures have been shown to improve subjective measures in patients with AIS. At 2-year follow-up, AIS patients reported significant improvement in all 4 preoperative domains of the SRS questionnaire. In addition, the major Cobb angle was shown to be negatively correlated with preoperative scores in the pain, general self-image, and general function domains. Five-year SRS scores have not been evaluated previously. A multicenter, prospectively generated database was used to obtain perioperative, radiographic, and SRS-24 outcomes data. The inclusion criteria were: a diagnosis of AIS, surgical treatment (anterior, posterior, or combined), a comprehensive set of radiographic measures, and completed preoperative, 2-year, and 5-year SRS questionnaires. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare changes in patient responses for each of the 7 outcome domains. Univariate analysis of variance was used to compare the change in pain score at 5 years to the level of the lowest instrumented vertebrae and surgical approach. A correlation analysis was used to determine the association between changes in any of the radiographic variables and changes in SRS scores. The data were checked for normality and equal variances, and the level of significance was set at P < 0.01. Forty-nine patients (42 women, 7 men; 14.2 +/- 2.1 year old; 5.4 +/- 0.6 years follow-up) met the inclusion criteria for this study. Thirty-seven of 49 (76%) of these patients underwent an open or thoracoscopic anterior procedure. SRS-24 scores improved significantly in 3 of the 4 preoperative domains at the 2-year visit. At 5 years postop, a statistically significant decrease in the pain score (4.2 +/- 0.6 to 3.9 +/- 0.9, P = 0

Two-year follow-up of the Collision Auto Repair Safety Study (CARSS).

PubMed

Bejan, Anca; Parker, David L; Brosseau, Lisa M; Xi, Min; Skan, Maryellen

2015-06-01

This paper presents an evaluation of the sustainability of health and safety improvements in small auto collision shops 1 year after the implementation of a year-long targeted intervention. During the first year (active phase), owners received quarterly phone calls, written reminders, safety newsletters, and access to online services and in-person assistance with creating safety programs and respirator fit testing. During the second year (passive phase), owners received up to three postcard reminders regarding the availability of free health and safety resources. Forty-five shops received an evaluation at baseline and at the end of the first year (Y1). Of these, 33 were evaluated at the end of the second year (Y2), using the same 92-item assessment tool. At Y1, investigators found that between 70 and 81% of the evaluated items were adequate in each business (mean = 73% items, SD = 11%). At Y2, between 63 and 89% of items were deemed adequate (mean = 73% items, SD = 9.5%). Three safety areas demonstrated statistically significant (P < 0.05) changes: compressed gasses (8% improvement), personal protective equipment (7% improvement), and respiratory protection (6% decline). The number of postcard reminders sent to each business did not affect the degree to which shops maintained safety improvements made during the first year of the intervention. However, businesses that received more postcards were more likely to request assistance services than those receiving fewer. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

Prenatal Sex and Other Preferences for Reproductive Career of Final Year Graduation Girl Students.

PubMed

Kadam, Yugantara R; Nirmale, Prachi; Gore, Alka D

2013-01-01

Marriage of girls just after graduation is common in Western Maharashtra. This study was planned to know the views of final year graduation student towards reproductive carrier. To interact with final year girl students of various streams to know their preferences on various aspects of reproductive carrier and contraceptive awareness. Cross-sectional. Academic institutes of Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Corporation area. Study-subject: All willing final year Girl students. Married girls. All final year girl students Sampling Technique: Cluster sample Study-Duration: 7 months. Study-tool: Pretested questionnaire. Percentages, Chi-square test. All girls who have responded prefer marrying and having first child at right age. All feel spacing is needed, at least of 2 years. Two children was the most common choice (52.3%). Forty-three percent girls feel male child is must and 52.3% of total girls will like to have sex determination done if required. Total 47.24% girls were unaware about any contraceptive methods but 88.2% girls knew the place of its availability. Most common source of information about contraceptive was school and friends. E-pill was known to 41.5% of girls. All girls felt the need for more information about reproductive health and according to 81.3% right age for it is 15-18 years. Girls have correct reproductive preferences except sex of child. Sex preference and Low contraceptive awareness needs strong intervention.

Risk determinants of acute mountain sickness in trekkers in the Nepali Himalaya: a 24-year follow-up.

PubMed

McDevitt, Marion; McIntosh, Scott E; Rodway, George; Peelay, Jitsupa; Adams, Doug L; Kayser, Bengt

2014-06-01

Exposure to altitude may lead to acute mountain sickness (AMS) in nonacclimatized individuals. We surveyed AMS prevalence and potential risk factors in trekkers crossing a 5400-m pass in Nepal and compared the results with those of 2 similar studies conducted 12 and 24 years earlier. In April 2010, 500 surveys were distributed to English-speaking trekkers at 3500 m on their way to 5400 m, of which 332 (66%) surveys were returned complete. Acute mountain sickness was quantified with the Lake Louise Scoring System (LLSS, cutoff ≥3 and ≥5) and the Environmental Statistical Questionnaire III AMS-C score (ESQ-III, cutoff ≥0.7). We surveyed demographics, body mass index (BMI), smoking habit, rate of ascent, awareness of AMS, and acetazolamide use. Prevalence of AMS was 22%, 23%, and 48% (ESQ-III ≥0.7, LLSS ≥5, and LLSS ≥3, respectively) lower when compared with earlier studies. Risk factors for AMS were younger age, female sex, higher BMI, and smoking habit. Forty-two percent had elementary knowledge about the risk and prevention of AMS. Forty-four percent used acetazolamide. Trekkers took longer to climb from 3500 to 5400 m than in earlier studies. Prevalence of AMS continued to decline over a period of 24 years, likely as a result of slower ascent and increased use of acetazolamide. The AMS risk factors of younger age, female sex, and high BMI are consistent with prior studies. Awareness of risk and prevention of AMS remains low, indicating an opportunity to better educate trekkers and potentially further reduce AMS prevalence. Copyright © 2014 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Missile cardiac injuries: review of 16 years' experience.

PubMed

Lone, Reyaz Ahmed; Wani, Mehmood Ahmad; Hussain, Zahur; Dar, Abdul Majid; Sharma, Mukhand Lal; Bhat, Mohd Akbar; Ahangar, Abdul Gani

2009-07-01

Penetrating cardiac trauma represents an increasingly important form of trauma due to the frequent use of firearms and bombs in civilian violence. We report our experience over the past 16 years with missile-induced cardiac injuries. A retrospective study reviewing 40 cases (30 males, 10 females) of missile cardiac injuries was conducted. The nature of injuries, management and outcomes were analyzed. The ages ranged from 14-68 years. The mean time in which patients reached the hospital was 4.1 hours. Forty percent of the patients had firearm injuries and the remaining 60% had pellet or splinter injuries to the heart. Survival was noted in 37.5% in the gunshot group and in 66.6% in the splinter/pellet group. The survival in patients with isolated cardiac injury was 60%, while it was only 40% in those with associated injuries. Single-chamber injury was noted in 87.5% of the patients and the survival in these was 62.8%. Fourteen complications were noted in the patients who were resuscitated. One patient was re-explored for excessive bleeding and a missed right ventricular perforation was repaired. In missile cardiac injuries, results are best if operated early, and outcome depends upon multiple factors including clinical status at arrival, time interval till management, nature of injury, and associated injuries.

A 9,000-year record of Chagas' disease

PubMed Central

Aufderheide, Arthur C.; Salo, Wilmar; Madden, Michael; Streitz, John; Buikstra, Jane; Guhl, Felipe; Arriaza, Bernardo; Renier, Colleen; Wittmers, Lorentz E.; Fornaciari, Gino; Allison, Marvin

2004-01-01

Tissue specimens from 283 principally spontaneously (naturally) desiccated human mummies from coastal and low valley sites in northern Chile and southern Peru were tested with a DNA probe directed at a kinetoplast DNA segment of Trypanosoma cruzi. The time interval spanned by the eleven major cultural groups represented in the sample ranged from ≈9,000 years B.P. (7050 B.C.) to approximately the time of the Spanish conquest, ≈450 B.P. (≈1500 A.D.). Forty-one percent of the tissue extracts, amplified by the PCR reacted positively (i.e., hybridized) with the probe. Prevalence patterns demonstrated no statistically significant differences among the individual cultural groups, nor among subgroups compared on the basis of age, sex, or weight of specimen tested. These results suggest that the sylvatic (animal-infected) cycle of Chagas' disease was probably well established at the time that the earliest humans (members of the Chinchorro culture) first peopled this segment of the Andean coast and inadvertently joined the many other mammal species acting as hosts for this parasite. PMID:14766963

Stress among First and Third Year Medical Students at University Kebangsaan Malaysia

PubMed Central

Salam, Abdus; Mahadevan, Raynuha; Abdul Rahman, Amir; Abdullah, Norsyafiqah; Abd Harith, Aimi Aqilah; Shan, Chu Pei

2015-01-01

Objective: To identify the stress-prevalence and coping-strategies among University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) medical students. Methods: This was an observational study conducted among 234 UKM first and third year medical students. Standardized questionnaire on stress and coping strategies was used. Stress data was related to subjective experiences on some positive and negative adjectives such as tense, relaxed etc. Positive adjectives were measured by sign “++” and “+” scoring “1” while stress-negative adjectives were measured by sign “?” and “–“ scoring “0”. Forty-eight coping items under task, emotion and avoidance strategies were measured using 5-point Likert-scale. Results: Overall stress-prevalence was 49%. Female and Malay respondents were more stressed. Significant differences of stress-level was observed between Malays and non Malays in first year (p=0.04) and in third year (p=0.01). Most common strategies used to cope stress was task-oriented while emotion oriented was least. Conclusion: Stress-prevalence and stress-level in UKM medical students was high. Most of the respondents coped stress using task-oriented strategies. Stressor and its effective management must be ensured. Educational institutions should act as a creative designer of learning environment to get relieve from educational stressor. PMID:25878637

A Retrospective Chronicle of the Midwest School Social Work Council: Its Vision and Influence after Forty Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raines, James C.

2008-01-01

In 2007, the Midwest School Social Work Council celebrated its fortieth anniversary in Cleveland, Ohio. This article reviews early efforts to build alliances of school social workers across state lines, the early collaborative relationship with the National Association of Social Workers, and the eventual need for a new organization. The Midwest…

Assessing Forty Years of Language Planning on the Vitality of the Francophone and Anglophone Communities of Quebec

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourhis, Richard Y.; Sioufi, Rana

2017-01-01

This article analyses how language laws favouring French improved the vitality of the Francophone majority relative to the declining Anglophone minority of Quebec. Part one provides a review of Canadian Government efforts to provide federal bilingual services to Francophones and Anglophones across Canada. Using the ethnolinguistic vitality…

It's Not Over in the South: School Desegregation in Forty-Three Southern Cities Eighteen Years After Brown.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Friends Service Committee, Washington, DC.

The focus of this study on school desegregation is on 43 cities in the following areas: Bibb and Chatham Counties (Ga.); Orange, Duval, Hillsborough, and Pinellas Counties (Fla.); Cado, Quachita, East Baton Rouge, and Orleans Parishes (La.); and, Richland County District Number 1, Florence County District Number 1, and Orangeburg County District…

Alpine ski and snowboarding traumatic injuries: incidence, injury patterns, and risk factors for 10 years.

PubMed

McBeth, Paul B; Ball, Chad G; Mulloy, Robert H; Kirkpatrick, Andrew W

2009-05-01

Alpine skiing and snowboarding are popular winter sports in Canada. Every year participation in these activities results in traumatic injury. The purpose of this study was to identify the incidence and injury patterns, as well as risk factors associated with ski and snowboarding injuries. A comprehensive 10-year retrospective review of Alpine ski and snowboarding injuries from 1996 to 2006 was conducted. The Alberta Trauma Registry was used as the primary source of data. A total of 196 patients (56.6% skiers, 43.4% snowboarders) were identified as having major traumatic injuries (Injury Severity Score, >or=12). Forty-three patients required intensive care unit support. The majority of injuries were related to falls and collisions with natural objects. Head injuries were most common, followed by chest, spinal, and extremity trauma. Seventy-nine patients required emergency surgery. Skiing and snowboarding represent activities with high potential for traumatic injury. Safety initiatives should be developed to target this population.

Unpredictable evolution in a 30-year study of Darwin's finches.

PubMed

Grant, Peter R; Grant, B Rosemary

2002-04-26

Evolution can be predicted in the short term from a knowledge of selection and inheritance. However, in the long term evolution is unpredictable because environments, which determine the directions and magnitudes of selection coefficients, fluctuate unpredictably. These two features of evolution, the predictable and unpredictable, are demonstrated in a study of two populations of Darwin's finches on the Galápagos island of Daphne Major. From 1972 to 2001, Geospiza fortis (medium ground finch) and Geospiza scandens (cactus finch) changed several times in body size and two beak traits. Natural selection occurred frequently in both species and varied from unidirectional to oscillating, episodic to gradual. Hybridization occurred repeatedly though rarely, resulting in elevated phenotypic variances in G. scandens and a change in beak shape. The phenotypic states of both species at the end of the 30-year study could not have been predicted at the beginning. Continuous, long-term studies are needed to detect and interpret rare but important events and nonuniform evolutionary change.

One-year treatment follow-up of plantar fasciitis: radial shockwaves vs. conventional physiotherapy

PubMed Central

Grecco, Marcus Vinicius; Brech, Guilherme Carlos; Greve, Júlia Maria D'Andrea

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To compare radial shockwave treatment with conventional physiotherapy for plantar fasciitis after 12 months of follow-up. METHOD: This was a randomized, prospective, comparative clinical study. Forty patients with a diagnosis of plantar fasciitis were divided randomly into two treatment groups: group 1, with 20 patients who underwent ten physiotherapy sessions comprising ultrasound, kinesiotherapy and guidance for home-based stretching; and group 2, with 20 patients who underwent three applications of radial shockwaves, once a week, and guidance for home-based stretching. All patients were assessed regarding pain and functional abilities before treatment, immediately after and 12 months after treatment. The mean age was 49.6±11.8 years (range: 25-68 years), 85% were female, 88% were overweight, 63% were affected bilaterally, and 83% used analgesics regularly. RESULTS: At the 12-month follow-up, both treatments were effective for improving pain and functional ability among the patients with plantar fasciitis. The improvement with shockwaves was faster. CONCLUSION: Shockwave treatment was not more effective than conventional physiotherapy treatment 12 months after the end of the treatment. PMID:24037003

Medical abortion or vacuum aspiration? Two year follow up of a patient preference trial.

PubMed

Howie, F L; Henshaw, R C; Naji, S A; Russell, I T; Templeton, A A

1997-07-01

To describe and compare health outcomes two years after medical abortion or vacuum aspiration in women recruited into a patient preference trial during 1990 to 1991. Women recruited to the original, partially randomised study were contacted for assessment using a structured interview. Grampian region of Scotland, UK. One hundred and forty women who had participated in a partially randomised study of first trimester abortion two years previously. Vacuum aspiration or medical abortion using mifepristone and gemeprost. Long-term general, reproductive and psychological health; acceptability of procedure; perceived value of choice of method of termination. There were no significant differences between women who had undergone medical abortion or vacuum aspiration two years previously in general, reproductive or psychological health. Almost all women placed a high value on the provision of choice of method of termination. There was a significant difference in perception of long term procedure acceptability among women who had been randomised to a method of termination. Women should have the opportunity to choose the method of termination. This opportunity will result in high levels of acceptability, particularly at gestations under 50 days of amenorrhoea.

Vaccination coverage among children in kindergarten - United States, 2012-13 school year.

PubMed

2013-08-02

State and local school vaccination requirements are implemented to maintain high vaccination coverage and minimize the risk from vaccine preventable diseases. To assess school vaccination coverage and exemptions, CDC annually analyzes school vaccination coverage data from federally funded immunization programs. These awardees include 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC), five cities, and eight U.S.-affiliated jurisdictions. This report summarizes vaccination coverage from 48 states and DC and exemption rates from 49 states and DC for children entering kindergarten for the 2012-13 school year. Forty-eight states and DC reported vaccination coverage, with medians of 94.5% for 2 doses of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine; 95.1% for local requirements for diphtheria, tetanus toxoid, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccination; and 93.8% for 2 doses of varicella vaccine among awardees with a 2-dose requirement. Forty-nine states and DC reported exemption rates, with the median total of 1.8%. Although school entry coverage for most awardees was at or near national Healthy People 2020 targets of maintaining 95% vaccination coverage levels for 2 doses of MMR vaccine, 4 doses of DTaP† vaccine, and 2 doses of varicella vaccine, low vaccination and high exemption levels can cluster within communities, increasing the risk for disease. Reports to CDC are aggregated at the state level; however, local reporting of school vaccination coverage might be accessible by awardees. These local-level data can be used to create evidence-based health communication strategies to help parents understand the risks for vaccine-preventable diseases and the benefits of vaccinations to the health of their children and other kindergarteners.

15 Years of Terra, 14 Years of Application Usage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmaltz, J. E.; Alarcon, C.; Boller, R. A.; Cechini, M. F.; Davies, D.; Fu, G.; Gunnoe, T.; Hall, J. R.; Huang, T.; Ilavajhala, S.; Jackson, M.; King, J.; McGann, M.; Murphy, K. J.; Roberts, J. T.; Thompson, C. K.; Ye, G.

2014-12-01

The instruments onboard the Terra spacecraft were designed for long-term Earth science research but not long after launch it became apparent that this data and imagery could be made available in near real-time for applications users. During the year 2000 fire season in the western United States, the US Forest Service approached NASA with a request to expedite MODIS fire detections. The Rapid Response system was created to generate fire detections as well as true color imagery in both swath and geo-referenced formats. This imagery was used by a wide variety of applications, such as NASA's AERONET program, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Antarctic resupply shipping, flood mapping for relief agencies, Deepwater Horizon monitoring, volcanic ash monitoring, as well as print, televised, and Internet media. From 2004, the University of Maryland's Web Fire Mapper helped distribute fire detection information in a variety of formats. However, the applications community expressed the need for near-real time access to the underlying data. This requirement led to the development of the Land Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (Earth Observing System) (LANCE) in 2009. To achieve the latency requirements, many components of the EOS satellite operations, ground and science processing systems had to be made more efficient. In addition, products that require ancillary data were modified to use alternate inputs. Forty Terra MODIS data products are currently available from LANCE. LANCE also includes data from other instruments including AIRS, AMSR-E, MLS, and OMI. To help near-real time users navigate this large data offering, a new imagery service was begun in 2011 - Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS). This service provides very responsive viewing using the Web Map Tile Service protocol. These programs will continue to support and expand the use of Terra data for near-real time applications well into the future.

The development and modeling of devices and paradigms for transcranial magnetic stimulation

PubMed Central

Goetz, Stefan M.; Deng, Zhi-De

2017-01-01

Magnetic stimulation is a noninvasive neurostimulation technique that can evoke action potentials and modulate neural circuits through induced electric fields. Biophysical models of magnetic stimulation have become a major driver for technological developments and the understanding of the mechanisms of magnetic neurostimulation and neuromodulation. Major technological developments involve stimulation coils with different spatial characteristics and pulse sources to control the pulse waveform. While early technological developments were the result of manual design and invention processes, there is a trend in both stimulation coil and pulse source design to mathematically optimize parameters with the help of computational models. To date, macroscopically highly realistic spatial models of the brain as well as peripheral targets, and user-friendly software packages enable researchers and practitioners to simulate the treatment-specific and induced electric field distribution in the brains of individual subjects and patients. Neuron models further introduce the microscopic level of neural activation to understand the influence of activation dynamics in response to different pulse shapes. A number of models that were designed for online calibration to extract otherwise covert information and biomarkers from the neural system recently form a third branch of modeling. PMID:28443696

The development and modelling of devices and paradigms for transcranial magnetic stimulation.

PubMed

Goetz, Stefan M; Deng, Zhi-De

2017-04-01

Magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive neurostimulation technique that can evoke action potentials and modulate neural circuits through induced electric fields. Biophysical models of magnetic stimulation have become a major driver for technological developments and the understanding of the mechanisms of magnetic neurostimulation and neuromodulation. Major technological developments involve stimulation coils with different spatial characteristics and pulse sources to control the pulse waveform. While early technological developments were the result of manual design and invention processes, there is a trend in both stimulation coil and pulse source design to mathematically optimize parameters with the help of computational models. To date, macroscopically highly realistic spatial models of the brain, as well as peripheral targets, and user-friendly software packages enable researchers and practitioners to simulate the treatment-specific and induced electric field distribution in the brains of individual subjects and patients. Neuron models further introduce the microscopic level of neural activation to understand the influence of activation dynamics in response to different pulse shapes. A number of models that were designed for online calibration to extract otherwise covert information and biomarkers from the neural system recently form a third branch of modelling.

[Treatment of non-neurogenic masculine urinary incontinence due to overactive bladder: a review by the LUTS committee of the French Urological Association].

PubMed

Lebdai, S; Haillot, O; Azzouzi, A R; Benchikh, A; Campeggi, A; Cornu, J-N; Delongchamps, N B; Dumonceau, O; Faix, A; Fourmarier, M; Lukacs, B; Mathieu, R; Misrai, V; Robert, G; de La Taille, A; Descazeaud, A

2014-07-01

To perform an update on the treatment of masculine urinary incontinence due to idiopathic overactive bladder. A systematic review was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE with the following keywords: "overactive bladder", "male urinary incontinence", "urgency", "antimuscarinic", "onabotulinumtoxinA", "neurostimulation", "cystoplasty". Antimuscarinic treatments were the first line option for overactive bladder incontinence (decreased incontinence under tolterodine versus placebo respectively -71% vs. -40%, P < 0.05). Their main side effects were dry mouth (16-29.6%) and constipation (4%), which might decrease the observance. In case of failure, neuromostimulation could be prosed with a 67% efficacy rate. Intra-detrusorian injections of onabotulinumtoxinA were an option, however there were still not validated for this indication and their efficacy decreases with time and after repeated injections. The ultimate option in case of refractory major over-activity was cystoplasty, which involves major morbidity for inconstant efficacy. The same treatments are available for non-neurologic urinary incontinence by bladder over-activity for men and women: antimuscarinic drugs, neurostimulation, onabotulinumtoxinA. However, only few data is available for masculine population exclusively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Electrical Stimulation of the Ear, Head, Cranial Nerve, or Cortex for the Treatment of Tinnitus: A Scoping Review

PubMed Central

Adjamian, Peyman

2016-01-01

Tinnitus is defined as the perception of sound in the absence of an external source. It is often associated with hearing loss and is thought to result from abnormal neural activity at some point or points in the auditory pathway, which is incorrectly interpreted by the brain as an actual sound. Neurostimulation therapies therefore, which interfere on some level with that abnormal activity, are a logical approach to treatment. For tinnitus, where the pathological neuronal activity might be associated with auditory and other areas of the brain, interventions using electromagnetic, electrical, or acoustic stimuli separately, or paired electrical and acoustic stimuli, have been proposed as treatments. Neurostimulation therapies should modulate neural activity to deliver a permanent reduction in tinnitus percept by driving the neuroplastic changes necessary to interrupt abnormal levels of oscillatory cortical activity and restore typical levels of activity. This change in activity should alter or interrupt the tinnitus percept (reduction or extinction) making it less bothersome. Here we review developments in therapies involving electrical stimulation of the ear, head, cranial nerve, or cortex in the treatment of tinnitus which demonstrably, or are hypothesised to, interrupt pathological neuronal activity in the cortex associated with tinnitus. PMID:27403346

Analysis of the new code stroke protocol in Asturias after one year. Experience at one hospital.

PubMed

García-Cabo, C; Benavente, L; Martínez-Ramos, J; Pérez-Álvarez, Á; Trigo, A; Calleja, S

2018-03-01

Prehospital code stroke (CS) systems have been proved effective for improving access to specialised medical care in acute stroke cases. They also improve the prognosis of this disease, which is one of the leading causes of death and disability in our setting. The aim of this study is to analyse results one year after implementation of the new code stroke protocol at one hospital in Asturias. We prospectively included patients who were admitted to our tertiary care centre as per the code stroke protocol for the period of one year. We analysed 363 patients. Mean age was 69 years and 54% of the cases were men. During the same period in the previous year, there were 236 non-hospital CS activations. One hundred forty-seven recanalisation treatments were performed (66 fibrinolysis and 81 mechanical thrombectomies or combined treatments), representing a 25% increase with regard to the previous year. Recent advances in the management of acute stroke call for coordinated code stroke protocols that are adapted to the needs of each specific region. This may result in an increased number of patients receiving early care, as well as revascularisation treatments. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

[A ten-year clinical study of cracked teeth restored with glass ceramic crowns].

PubMed

Luo, X P; Yuan, Y; Shi, Y J; Qian, D D

2016-10-09

Objective: To evaluate the clinic performance of high strength glass ceramic crowns for the painful cracked teeth during a 10-year observation period. Methods: Forty-two posterior teeth from 36 patients were diagnosed as having a crack, biting painful and sensitivity to cold were selected in the Department of Prosthodontic, Institute and Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing University Medical School. The lost-wax hot pressed glass ceramic crowns were bonded on the minimally invasive prepared teeth by modern adhesive technology. Patients were interviewed and went through clinic examination after one week, one month, and every six months. Results: The effectiveness of 42 glass ceramic crowns for cracked teeth was evaluated for a mean observation time over 10-year. At the first week, 29(81%) patients were free of pain, three still had sensitivity to cold and chewing pain, three still had sensitivity to cold, one had painful to cold and hot. After one month, two patients still had chewing pain, and one tooth needed endodontic treatment after six months. In 10 years, 2(5%) all ceramic crowns were broken, the other 40 restorations kept good clinical performances with a 10-year survival rate of 95%. Conclusions: The high strength glass ceramic crowns are very effective and successful in treating the cracked teeth and then keep the good mastication function and appearance.

Targeting the Cerebellum by Noninvasive Neurostimulation: a Review.

PubMed

van Dun, Kim; Bodranghien, Florian; Manto, Mario; Mariën, Peter

2017-06-01

Transcranial magnetic and electric stimulation of the brain are novel and highly promising techniques currently employed in both research and clinical practice. Improving or rehabilitating brain functions by modulating excitability with these noninvasive tools is an exciting new area in neuroscience. Since the cerebellum is closely connected with the cerebral regions subserving motor, associative, and affective functions, the cerebello-thalamo-cortical pathways are an interesting target for these new techniques. Targeting the cerebellum represents a novel way to modulate the excitability of remote cortical regions and their functions. This review brings together the studies that have applied cerebellar stimulation, magnetic and electric, and presents an overview of the current knowledge and unsolved issues. Some recommendations for future research are implemented as well.

A Hermetic Wireless Subretinal Neurostimulator for Vision Prostheses

PubMed Central

Shire, Douglas B.; Chen, Jinghua; Doyle, Patrick; Gingerich, Marcus D.; Cogan, Stuart F.; Drohan, William A.; Behan, Sonny; Theogarajan, Luke; Wyatt, John L.; Rizzo, Joseph F.

2016-01-01

A miniaturized, hermetically encased, wirelessly operated retinal prosthesis has been developed for preclinical studies in the Yucatan minipig, and includes several design improvements over our previously reported device. The prosthesis attaches conformally to the outside of the eye and electrically drives a microfabricated thin-film polyimide array of sputtered iridium oxide film electrodes. This array is implanted into the subretinal space using a customized ab externo surgical technique. The implanted device includes a hermetic titanium case containing a 15-channel stimulator chip and discrete circuit components. Feedthroughs in the case connect the stimulator chip to secondary power and data receiving coils on the eye and to the electrode array under the retina. Long-term in vitro pulse testing of the electrodes projected a lifetime consistent with typical devices in industry. The final assembly was tested in vitro to verify wireless operation of the system in physiological saline using a custom RF transmitter and primary coils. Stimulation pulse strength, duration, and frequency were programmed wirelessly from a Peripheral Component Interconnect eXtensions for Instrumentation (PXI) computer. Operation of the retinal implant has been verified in two pigs for up to five and a half months by detecting stimulus artifacts generated by the implanted device. PMID:21859595

Laser patterning of platinum electrodes for safe neurostimulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, R. A.; Matteucci, P. B.; Dodds, C. W. D.; Palmer, J.; Dueck, W. F.; Hassarati, R. T.; Byrnes-Preston, P. J.; Lovell, N. H.; Suaning, G. J.

2014-10-01

Objective. Laser surface modification of platinum (Pt) electrodes was investigated for use in neuroprosthetics. Surface modification was applied to increase the surface area of the electrode and improve its ability to transfer charge within safe electrochemical stimulation limits. Approach. Electrode arrays were laser micromachined to produce Pt electrodes with smooth surfaces, which were then modified with four laser patterning techniques to produce surface structures which were nanosecond patterned, square profile, triangular profile and roughened on the micron scale through structured laser interference patterning (SLIP). Improvements in charge transfer were shown through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and biphasic stimulation at clinically relevant levels. A new method was investigated and validated which enabled the assessment of in vivo electrochemically safe charge injection limits. Main results. All of the modified surfaces provided electrical advantage over the smooth Pt. The SLIP surface provided the greatest benefit both in vitro and in vivo, and this surface was the only type which had injection limits above the threshold for neural stimulation, at a level shown to produce a response in the feline visual cortex when using an electrode array implanted in the suprachoroidal space of the eye. This surface was found to be stable when stimulated with more than 150 million clinically relevant pulses in physiological saline. Significance. Critical to the assessment of implant devices is accurate determination of safe usage limits in an in vivo environment. Laser patterning, in particular SLIP, is a superior technique for improving the performance of implant electrodes without altering the interfacial electrode chemistry through coating. Future work will require chronic in vivo assessment of these electrode patterns.

French firefighter mortality: analysis over a 30-year period.

PubMed

Amadeo, Brice; Marchand, Jean-Luc; Moisan, Frédéric; Donnadieu, Stéphane; Gaëlle, Coureau; Simone, Mathoulin-Pélissier; Lembeye, Christian; Imbernon, Ellen; Brochard, Patrick

2015-04-01

To explore mortality of French professional male firefighters. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated for 10,829 professional male firefighters employed in 1979 and compared with the French male population between 1979-2008. Firefighters were identified from 89 French administrative departments (93% of population). One thousand six hundred forty two deaths were identified, representing significantly lower all-cause mortality than in the general population (SMR = 0.81; 95%CI: 0.77-0.85). SMR increased with age and was not different from 1 for firefighters >70 years. No significant excess of mortality was observed for any specific cause, but a greater number of deaths than expected were found for various digestive neoplasms (rectum/anus, pancreas, buccal-pharynx, stomach, liver, and larynx). We observed lower all and leading-cause mortality likely due to the healthy worker effect in this cohort, with diseases of the respiratory system considerably lower (SMR = 0.57). Non-significant excesses for digestive neoplasms are notable, but should not be over-interpreted at this stage. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Public Regulatory Databases as a Source of Insight for Neuromodulation Devices Stimulation Parameters

PubMed Central

Kumsa, Doe; Steinke, G. Karl; Molnar, Gregory F.; Hudak, Eric M.; Montague, Fred W.; Kelley, Shawn C.; Untereker, Darrel F.; Shi, Alan; Hahn, Benjamin P.; Condit, Chris; Lee, Hyowon; Bardot, Dawn; Centeno, Jose A.; Krauthamer, Victor; Takmakov, Pavel A.

2017-01-01

Objective The Shannon model is often used to define an expected boundary between non-damaging and damaging modes of electrical neurostimulation. Numerous preclinical studies have been performed by manufacturers of neuromodulation devices using different animal models and a broad range of stimulation parameters while developing devices for clinical use. These studies are mostly absent from peer-reviewed literature, which may lead to this information being overlooked by the scientific community. We aimed to locate summaries of these studies accessible via public regulatory databases and to add them to a body of knowledge available to a broad scientific community. Methods We employed web search terms describing device type, intended use, neural target, therapeutic application, company name, and submission number to identify summaries for premarket approval (PMA) devices and 510(k) devices. We filtered these records to a subset of entries that have sufficient technical information relevant to safety of neurostimulation. Results We identified 13 product codes for 8 types of neuromodulation devices. These led us to devices that have 22 PMAs and 154 510(k)s and six transcripts of public panel meetings. We found one PMA for a brain, peripheral nerve, and spinal cord stimulator and five 510(k) spinal cord stimulators with enough information to plot in Shannon coordinates of charge and charge density per phase. Conclusions Analysis of relevant entries from public regulatory databases reveals use of pig, sheep, monkey, dog, and goat animal models with deep brain, peripheral nerve, muscle and spinal cord electrode placement with a variety of stimulation durations (hours to years); frequencies (10–10,000 Hz) and magnitudes (Shannon k from below zero to 4.47). Data from located entries indicate that a feline cortical model that employs acute stimulation might have limitations for assessing tissue damage in diverse anatomical locations, particularly for peripheral nerve and

Public Regulatory Databases as a Source of Insight for Neuromodulation Devices Stimulation Parameters.

PubMed

Kumsa, Doe; Steinke, G Karl; Molnar, Gregory F; Hudak, Eric M; Montague, Fred W; Kelley, Shawn C; Untereker, Darrel F; Shi, Alan; Hahn, Benjamin P; Condit, Chris; Lee, Hyowon; Bardot, Dawn; Centeno, Jose A; Krauthamer, Victor; Takmakov, Pavel A

2018-02-01

The Shannon model is often used to define an expected boundary between non-damaging and damaging modes of electrical neurostimulation. Numerous preclinical studies have been performed by manufacturers of neuromodulation devices using different animal models and a broad range of stimulation parameters while developing devices for clinical use. These studies are mostly absent from peer-reviewed literature, which may lead to this information being overlooked by the scientific community. We aimed to locate summaries of these studies accessible via public regulatory databases and to add them to a body of knowledge available to a broad scientific community. We employed web search terms describing device type, intended use, neural target, therapeutic application, company name, and submission number to identify summaries for premarket approval (PMA) devices and 510(k) devices. We filtered these records to a subset of entries that have sufficient technical information relevant to safety of neurostimulation. We identified 13 product codes for 8 types of neuromodulation devices. These led us to devices that have 22 PMAs and 154 510(k)s and six transcripts of public panel meetings. We found one PMA for a brain, peripheral nerve, and spinal cord stimulator and five 510(k) spinal cord stimulators with enough information to plot in Shannon coordinates of charge and charge density per phase. Analysis of relevant entries from public regulatory databases reveals use of pig, sheep, monkey, dog, and goat animal models with deep brain, peripheral nerve, muscle and spinal cord electrode placement with a variety of stimulation durations (hours to years); frequencies (10-10,000 Hz) and magnitudes (Shannon k from below zero to 4.47). Data from located entries indicate that a feline cortical model that employs acute stimulation might have limitations for assessing tissue damage in diverse anatomical locations, particularly for peripheral nerve and spinal cord simulation. © 2017

Nuttall Oak Direct Seedings Still Successful After 11 Years

Treesearch

Robert L. Johnson

1983-01-01

Forty-five hundred acorns of Nuttall oak (Quercus nuttallii Palmer) were either machine or manually sown at 2-, 4-, or 6-inch depths in a 20-acre, intensively site-prepared clearing within the Delta Experimental Forest located near Stoneville, Mississippi. Field germination averaged 36 percent; no significant differences in germination appeared...

Physiological Response in Ovis Aries Resulting from Electrical Stimuli Delivered by an Implantable Vision Prosthesis

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-25

inner retina. The device is intended as a treatment to blindness. Specifically, degenerative disorders of the retina such as retinitis pigmentosa ...Trullemans C., Chronic electrical stimulation of the optic nerve in a retinitis pigmentosa blind volunteer. Inv. Ophth. Vis. Sci., 1999, 40: S783...stimulation delivered to the retinal tissue is derived from two stimulation channels of the 100 channel neurostimulation electronics [9]. Power and

Feedback of final year ophthalmology postgraduates about their residency ophthalmology training in South India

PubMed Central

Ajay, K.; Krishnaprasad, R.

2014-01-01

Background and Aims: This study documents a survey of final-year ophthalmology postgraduate students on the subject of their residency training. A similar survey conducted 7 years ago published in IJO had concluded that the residency program was not up to expectations in many centers. Our study aimed to see if ophthalmology training and student perceptions differed since then. Materials and Methods: For our study, we added a few questions to the same questionnaire used in the article “which is the best method to learn ophthalmology? Resident doctors’ perspective of ophthalmology training” published in IJO, Vol. 56 (5). Results: Forty-nine students (62.02%) returned completed forms. Most students desired an orientation program on entering residency, and wished to undergo diagnostic training initially. Case-presentation with demonstration and Wet-lab learning were most preferred. There was a big difference between the number of surgeries students actually performed and the number they felt would have been ideal. Conclusion: On the whole, the students still felt the need for improved training across all aspects of ophthalmology. PMID:25116778

A two-year experience of an integrated simulation residency curriculum.

PubMed

Wittels, Kathleen A; Takayesu, James K; Nadel, Eric S

2012-07-01

Human Patient Simulation (HPS) is increasingly used in medical education, but its role in Emergency Medicine (EM) residency education is uncertain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of HPS when fully integrated into an EM residency didactic curriculum. The study design was a cross-sectional survey performed in 2006, 2 years after the implementation of an integrated simulation curriculum. Fifty-four residents (postgraduate year [PGY] 1-4) of a 4-year EM residency were surveyed with demographic and curricular questions on the perceived value of simulation relative to other teaching formats. Survey items were rated on a bipolar linear numeric scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 9 (strongly agree), with 5 being neutral. Data were analyzed using Student t-tests. Forty residents responded to the survey (74% response rate). The perceived effectiveness of HPS was higher for junior residents than senior residents (8.0 vs. 6.2, respectively, p<0.001). There were no differences in perceived effectiveness of lectures (7.8 vs. 7.9, respectively, p=0.1), morbidity and mortality conference (8.5 vs. 8.7, respectively, p=0.3), and trauma conference (8.4 vs. 8.8, respectively, p=0.2) between junior and senior residents. Scores for perceptions of improvement in residency training (knowledge acquisition and clinical decision-making) after the integration of HPS into the curriculum were positive for all residents. Residents' perceptions of HPS integration into an EM residency curriculum are positive for both improving knowledge acquisition and learning clinical decision-making. HPS was rated as more effective during junior years than senior years, while the perceived efficacy of more traditional educational modalities remained constant throughout residency training. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.

One-Year Review of the SCREEN (Skin Cancer Post-Transplant) Clinic.

PubMed

Baldwin, Sarah; Au, Sheila

The Skin Cancer Post-Transplant (SCREEN) Clinic is a skin-cancer screening clinic that is fully integrated into the renal transplantation clinic at St Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia. The purpose of this review was to determine characteristics of patients most at risk for skin cancer, to specify types and locations of skin cancers diagnosed, and to identify areas for patient and physician education. Transplant patients (91% renal; 5% heart) screened by a dermatologist during a 12-month period were stratified into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups based on detailed history and skin examination. In total, 118 skin cancers were diagnosed. White males were found to be most at risk. Squamous cell carcinoma accounted for the majority of tumours, over 25% of which demonstrated invasion. Forty-two percent of patients used only 1 to 2 bottles of sunscreen per year, and sun-protective practices were limited. With this information, we have identified potential target areas for patient and physician education.

One year treatment effects of the eruption guidance appliance in 7- to 8-year-old children: a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Myrlund, Rita; Dubland, Mari; Keski-Nisula, Katri; Kerosuo, Heidi

2015-04-01

The eruption guidance appliance (EGA) aims to correct sagittal and vertical occlusal relations concomitantly with alignment of the incisors. Few reports have been published on treatment effects with the EGA but no randomized studies have been available. The aim was to find out if 1 year active treatment time with EGA was sufficient for achieving normal occlusal relationships and dental alignment in 7- to 8-year-old children. Eligibility criteria for participants were: fully erupted upper central incisors, and Angle's Class I or Class II molar relationship combined with any of the following traits: deep bite, increased overjet ≥5mm, moderate anterior crowding with overjet ≥4mm. After screening of 148 children, 48 7- to 8-year-old children were recruited in the study. The participants were randomly assigned into a treatment group (N = 25) and a control group (N = 23). Children in the treatment group received treatment with the EGA for 1 year. The controls had no orthodontic treatment. Changes in overjet, overbite, Angle's Class, and crowding were used as primary outcome measures. Occlusal assessments were performed on dental casts obtained from all subjects at start of the study (T1) and after 1 year (T2). Lateral cephalograms were obtained from all subjects at T1 and from the treatment group at T2. All measurements on dental casts and cephalograms were carried out blinded. Forty-six children completed the study. Mean overjet and overbite decreased significantly in the treated subjects during 1 year, in contrast to a slight increase in the controls. Class II molar relationship decreased from 46 to 4 per cent in the treatment group, with no significant change in the control group. Mandibular anterior crowding decreased significantly in the treated subjects, while the controls showed a slight increase. In short term, the EGA seems to be effective in correcting increased overjet and overbite, Class II malocclusion, and lower anterior crowding in the early mixed

Severe Varicella Pneumonia in Adults: Seven Years' Single-center Experience from India.

PubMed

Singh, Akashdeep; Parkash, Siddharth; Gupta, Sunil K; Soni, R K

2018-03-01

Varicella pneumonia is a rare but a serious complication of chickenpox in adults. There is paucity of data on varicella pneumonia from India. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical manifestations, hospital course, treatment, and outcome of adult patients with severe varicella pneumonia. This was a retrospective, observational study of patients with severe varicella pneumonia attending a tertiary care teaching hospital. The cases of varicella were identified by a computerized search of the medical record for the period between January 2010 and December 2016. During this period, 137 patients got admitted with varicella of which 22 had severe varicella pneumonia. Mean and standard deviation were computed. Fisher's Z-test of proportions and analysis of variance were applied. There were 17 (77.3%) men and 5 (22.7%) women. The mean age of the patients was 33.4 ± 10.8 years. History of contact with an infected person followed by high-grade fever and typical rash was present in all patients. Forty-five percent (10/22) of patients were immunosuppressed. All the patients received intravenous acyclovir. Forty-five percent (10/22) of patients received invasive mechanical ventilation. The various factors associated with the need for mechanical ventilation were partial pressure of oxygen:fraction of inspired oxygen ratio <150, quick sequential (sepsis-related) organ failure assessment (qSOFA) >2, and early bacterial coinfection. The mean Intensive Care Unit and hospital stay were 7 days (range; 1-16) and 9 days (range; 4-21), respectively. The overall mortality was 22.7% and reached 50% in those requiring invasive ventilation. The mortality was higher among patients with qSOFA >3, mean arterial blood pressure <60 mmHg, and severe acute respiratory distress syndrome at presentation. Patients with severe varicella pneumonia are at an increased risk of respiratory failure and death.

Predictability of SMILE over four years in high myopes.

PubMed

Burazovitch, J; Naguzeswski, D; Beuste, T; Guillard, M

2017-06-01

To determine whether the visual outcomes of the refractive surgery technique small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE), are stable, effective, and predictable for high myopia over a four-year period. This is a retrospective study. The data were collected between March 2012 and July 2016. Two hundred and forty-eight patients participated in the study; that is, 496 eyes: 140 eyes of 70 patients (52 women/18 men) were classified into the highly myopic group (refraction measured in spherical equivalent (RMSE)>-6 D), and 356 eyes of 178 patients (98 women/80 men) into the control group (RMSE<-6 D). Follow-up tests were conducted immediately following the procedure (D+1), after three months, after one year, and after four years. Refraction, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), and best visual corrected acuity (BCVA) were measured. The highly myopic group (HMG) contained more women, and astigmatism was higher for this group than for the control group (CG). These were BCVA, refractive stability, the index of safety (SI: BCVA preoperatively D+1/BCVA postoperatively), and predictability (the percentage of eyes within±0.5 D of the target). In both groups, UCVA was better after the fourth year than it was immediately after the procedure (HMG: P=0.001; CG: P=0.001). Although it differed at one year (P=0.01), the groups' refractive stability tended to converge over four years (P=0.138). The groups' SI was found to be identical in the four follow-up tests (P=0.734 at D+1; P=0.07 at M+1; P=0.160 at M3 and Y1; and P=0.274 at Y4). For the HMG, SI stability was attained after three months (1.00±0.1); whereas it was attained after one month (0.91±0.11) for the CG. Four years after the surgery, we observed that 87% of the operated-upon eyes in the HMG were within 0.5 D of the target. SMILE is a good refractive surgery technique for treating high myopia. It yields stable, safe, effective, and predictable results over four years. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights

Sarcopenia Is Predictive of 1-Year Mortality After Acetabular Fractures in Elderly Patients.

PubMed

Mitchell, Phillip M; Collinge, Cory A; OʼNeill, David E; Bible, Jesse E; Mir, Hassan R

2018-06-01

To determine whether sarcopenia is an independent predictor of mortality in geriatric acetabular fractures. Retrospective cohort. American College of Surgeons Level I trauma center. One hundred and forty-six patients over the age 60 with acetabular fractures treated at our institution over a 12-year period. The primary outcome was 1-year mortality, collected using the Social Security Death Index. We used the psoas:lumbar vertebral index (PLVI), calculated using the cross-sectional area of the L4 vertebral body and the left and right psoas muscles, to assess for sarcopenia. Using a multivariate logistic regression model, we found that low PLVI was associated with increased 1-year mortality (P = 0.046) when controlling for age, gender, Charlson Comorbidity Index, Injury Severity Score (ISS), smoking status, and associated pelvic ring injury. Increasing age and ISS also showed a relationship with 1-year mortality in this cohort (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). We defined sarcopenia as those patients in the lowest quartile of PLVI. The mortality rate of this cohort was 32.4%, compared with 11.0% in patients without sarcopenia (odds ratio 4.04; 95% confidence interval 1.62-10.1). Age >75 years, ISS >14, and sarcopenia had 1-year mortality rates of 37.1%, 30.9%, and 32.4%, respectively. In patients with all 3 factors, the mortality rate was 90%. Sarcopenia is an independent risk factor for 1-year mortality in elderly patients with acetabular fractures. This study highlights the importance of objective measures to assess frailty in elderly patients who have sustained fractures about the hip and pelvis. Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Effects of 5 years of treatment with rabeprazole or omeprazole on the gastric mucosa.

PubMed

Rindi, Guido; Fiocca, Roberto; Morocutti, Anna; Jacobs, Adam; Miller, Neil; Thjodleifsson, Bjarni

2005-05-01

Prolonged gastric acid suppression leads to hypergastrinaemia, which promotes hyperplasia of the enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells of the oxyntic mucosa. The objective was to determine the effects of 5 years of treatment with rabeprazole or omeprazole on the gastric mucosa. Two hundred and forty-three patients received rabeprazole (20 mg or 10 mg) or omeprazole (20 mg) once daily for up to 5 years, for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and 51% completed the whole 5 year period. Gastric biopsy specimens were taken and examined for gastritis, Helicobacter pylori infection, and ECL cell status. H. pylori infection in the gastric corpus was more common than in the antrum, and remained constant, whereas antral H. pylori infection became less common as the study progressed. H. pylori infection was a highly significant predictor of higher gastritis scores, which were similar among the three treatment groups. ECL cell hyperplasia occurred in a minority of patients, and was associated with serum gastrin concentrations. No ECL cell dysplasia or tumours were observed. There were no significant differences among the treatment groups in gastritis or ECL cell hyperplasia grades. This study has confirmed the link between ECL cell hyperplasia and elevated serum gastrin concentrations, but has found no evidence that this progresses to high grades of hyperplasia during 5 years of treatment with rabeprazole or omeprazole.

Muscular Strength and Power in 3-to 7-Year-Old Children.

PubMed

Fry, Andrew C; Irwin, Carol C; Nicoll, Justin X; Ferebee, David E

2015-08-01

To determine absolute and relative (adjusted for body mass) strength, mean power, and mean velocity for upper and lower body resistance exercises, forty-seven young boys and girls participated in maximal strength testing. Healthy young boys and girls, ages 3- to 7-years old, were tested for one-repetition maximum (1-RM) strength, and 70% of 1-RM to determine mean power and mean velocity on the chest press and leg press exercises. Adult weight machines were modified to accommodate the smaller size and lower strength levels of the children. A 2 × 4 (sex × age) ANOVA was used to determine age and sex differences in performance. No interaction or sex differences were observed for any variable at any age. 1-RM strength, mean power, and mean velocity significantly increased across ages (p ≤ .05). When adjusted for body mass, the changes were insignificant, with one exception. Relative mean power for the bench press increased with age. Data indicated children from 3-7 years of age are capable of performing strength and power tests, but may require more attempts at maximal loads compared with adults. It appears that muscular strength and velocity during this stage of development are primarily dependent on increasing body mass, whereas power is influenced by additional variable(s).

MMPI-2 profiles 23 years after paediatric mild traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Hessen, Erik; Anderson, Vicki; Nestvold, Knut

2008-01-01

Research suggest that post-concussive syndrome after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is more common than chronic cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to investigate very long-term outcome of subjective complaints after paediatric mTBI. The study was a follow-up 23 years after a prospective head injury study at a general hospital in Norway. Forty-one patients were assessed with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) 23 years after sustaining mTBI as children. A good overall outcome was found with scores close to the normative mean, average length of education and normal employment rate. However, the children that sustained complicated mTBI showed slightly more pathological scores, typical for mild post-concussive syndrome. The most important predictors of poor outcome were skull fracture and a combination of post-traumatic amnesia > 30 minutes and EEG pathology within 24 hours after TBI. No influence of pre- and post-injury risk factors on current MMPI-2 profiles was evident. The results give support for the notion of potentially differential impact of uncomplicated vs complicated mTBI. The findings suggest that children and adolescents sustaining complicated mTBI may be at risk of developing subtle chronic symptoms typical of post-concussive syndrome.

Harvesting Productionin Uneven-Aged Loblolly-Shortleaf Pine Stands:The Crossett Farm Forestry Forties

Treesearch

R. Kluender; B. Stokes; S. Woodfin

1992-01-01

Twostands managed using uneven-aged techniques werehar- vested aspar-t of a5-year entry schedule. Felling and skidding productivity varied significantly with average stem diameter and volume and was affected by diameter distribution of the removed material.

Normative data for the Words-in-Noise Test for 6- to 12-year-old children.

PubMed

Wilson, Richard H; Farmer, Nicole M; Gandhi, Avni; Shelburne, Emily; Weaver, Jamie

2010-10-01

To establish normative data for children on the Words-in-Noise Test (WIN; R. H. Wilson, 2003; R. H. Wilson & R. McArdle, 2007). Forty-two children in each of 7 age groups, ranging in age from 6 to 12 years (n=294), and 24 young adults (age range: 18-27 years) with normal hearing for pure tones participated. All listeners were screened at 15 dB HL (American National Standards Institute, 2004) with the octave interval between 500 and 4000 Hz. Randomizations of WIN Lists 1, 2, and 1 or WIN Lists 2, 1, and 2 were presented with the noise fixed at 70 dB SPL, followed by presentation at 90 dB SPL of the 70 Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 (T. W. Tillman & R. Carhart, 1966) words used in the WIN. Finally, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (L. M. Dunn & L. M. Dunn, 1981) was administered. Testing was conducted in a quiet room. There were 3 main findings: (a) The biggest change in recognition performance occurred between the ages of 6 and 7 years; (b) from 9 to 12 years, recognition performance was stable; and (c) performance by young adults (18-27 years) was slightly better (1-2 dB) than performance by the older children. The WIN can be used with children as young as 6 years of age; however, age-specific ranges of normal recognition performance must be used.

Are treatment results for eating disorders affected by ADHD symptoms? A one-year follow-up of adult females.

PubMed

Svedlund, Nils Erik; Norring, Claes; Ginsberg, Ylva; von Hausswolff-Juhlin, Yvonne

2018-05-02

To explore the influence of self-reported Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms on recovery rate at 1-year follow-up in an unselected group of patients in a specialized eating disorder (ED) clinic. Four hundred forty-three adult females with an ED were assessed with the ADHD Self-Report Scale for Adults (ASRS-screener), and for demographic variables and ED symptoms. Recovery was registered at 1-year follow-up. A high degree of ADHD symptoms at baseline was predictive for nonrecovery of ED at 1-year follow-up in patients with loss of control over eating, bingeing, or purging. The presence of inattentive ADHD symptoms was stronger associated with nonrecovery than hyperactive/impulsive symptoms. A high degree of ADHD symptoms may have a negative impact on recovery in ED. Screening/diagnostic evaluation of ADHD in all loss of control over eating/bingeing/purging ED patients and studies of the effect of implementing ADHD-treatment strategies in this patient group are recommended. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

The International Polar Year, 2007-2008, an opportunity to focus on infectious diseases in Arctic regions.

PubMed

Parkinson, Alan J

2008-01-01

On 3 occasions over the past 125 years, scientists from around the world have worked together to organize scientific and exploration activities in polar regions (www.ipy.org). The first International Polar Year (IPY) in 1881-1884 marked the first major coordinated international scientific initiative to collect standardized meteorological and geophysical data in polar regions. Fifteen expeditions led by 12 nations amassed a large amount of data, but the scientific value was diminished by disjointed publication efforts and lack of long-term institutional commitment; lessons were learned and corrected in subsequent polar years. The second IPY began in 1932. Forty-four nations led expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic, resulting in greater understanding of the aurora, magnetism, and meteorology. Air and marine navigation, radio operations, and weather forecasting were greatly improved as a result. The third IPY, in 1957-58, was renamed the International Geophysical Year and capitalized on technologic advances developed during World War II. Technologic and scientific momentum was redirected toward research, particularly to studies of the upper atmosphere, a legacy that continues to the present day. Notable achievements included launching the first satellite, measurement of atmospheric greenhouse gases, delineating the system of mid-ocean ridges, and confirming the theory of plate tectonics.

Pathways of translation: deep brain stimulation.

PubMed

Gionfriddo, Michael R; Greenberg, Alexandra J; Wahegaonkar, Abhijeet L; Lee, Kendall H

2013-12-01

Electrical stimulation of the brain has a 2000 year history. Deep brain stimulation (DBS), one form of neurostimulation, is a functional neurosurgical approach in which a high-frequency electrical current stimulates targeted brain structures for therapeutic benefit. It is an effective treatment for certain neuropathologic movement disorders and an emerging therapy for psychiatric conditions and epilepsy. Its translational journey did not follow the typical bench-to-bedside path, but rather reversed the process. The shift from ancient and medieval folkloric remedy to accepted medical practice began with independent discoveries about electricity during the 19th century and was fostered by technological advances of the 20th. In this paper, we review that journey and discuss how the quest to expand its applications and improve outcomes is taking DBS from the bedside back to the bench. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Forty-ninth annual report of the Director of the Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, George Otis

1928-01-01

The appropriations made directly for the work of the Geological Survey for the fiscal year 1928 included 10 items, amounting to $1,807,880. In addition $109,000 was appropriated for printing the reports of the Geological Survey, and $11,000 for miscellaneous printing and binding, and an allotment of $15,763.95 for miscellaneous supplies was made from appropriations for the Interior Department. A detailed statement of the amounts appropriated and expended is given at the end of this report. The balance on August 30, including a budget reserve of $850, was $28,301.48. The total amount of funds made available for disbursement by the Geological Survey, together with State funds directly disbursed for work administered by the Federal officials, was $2,909,170.

Three-Year Follow-Up Comparing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, for Patients With Both Diagnoses.

PubMed

Blom, Kerstin; Jernelöv, Susanna; Rück, Christian; Lindefors, Nils; Kaldo, Viktor

2017-08-01

This 3-year follow-up compared insomnia treatment to depression treatment for patients with both diagnoses. Forty-three participants were randomized to either treatment, in the form of Internet-delivered therapist-guided cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), and 37 (86%) participants provided primary outcome data at the 3-year follow-up. After 3 years, reductions on depression severity were similar in both groups (between-group effect size, d = 0.33, p = .45), while the insomnia treatment had superior effects on insomnia severity (d = 0.66, p < .05). Overall, insomnia treatment was thus more beneficial than depression treatment. The implication for practitioners, supported by previous research, is that patients with co-occurring depression and insomnia should be offered CBT for insomnia, in addition to medication or psychological treatment for depression. © Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

Instrumented posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) with interbody fusion device (Cage) in degenerative disc disease (DDD): 3 years outcome.

PubMed

Ahsan, M K; Hossain, M A; Sakeb, N; Khan, S I; Zaman, N

2013-10-01

This prospective interventional study carried out at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and a private hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from October 2003 to September 2011. Surgical treatment of degenerative disc disease (DDD) should aim to re-expand the interbody space and stabilize until fusion is complete. The present study conducted to find out the efficacy of using interbody fusion device (Cage) to achieve interbody space re-expansion and fusion in surgical management of DDD. We have performed the interventional study on 53 patients, 42 female and 11 male, with age between 40 to 67 years. All the patients were followed up for 36 to 60 months (average 48 months). Forty seven patients were with spondylolisthesis and 06 with desiccated disc. All subjects were evaluated with regard to immediate and long term complications, radiological fusion and interbody space re-expansion and maintenance. The clinical outcome (pain and disability) was scored by standard pre and postoperative questionnaires. Intrusion, extrusion and migration of the interbody fusion cage were also assessed. Forty seven patients were considered to have satisfactory outcome in at least 36 months follow up. Pseudoarthrosis developed in 04 cases and 06 patients developed complications. In this series posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) with interbody cage and instrumentation in DDD showed significant fusion rate and maintenance of interbody space. Satisfactory outcome observed in 88.68% cases.

[Ten years of emergency attendances for cocaine-users in Spain].

PubMed

Galicia, Miguel; Nogué, Santiago; Burillo-Putze, Guillermo

2014-10-07

Cocaine is the second most consumed illegal drug in the western world, following cannabis. Since 1998, it is also the drug that more attendances generate in different emergency devices, and it is responsible for more of 60% of the emergencies directly related to drug consumption. This work reviews the main Spanish scientific articles published in the last 10 years, in which different factors related to the use of this drug have been analyzed in relation to the use of emergency by cocaine users. A total of 8,795 patients were included (interval 57-1,755), with an average age of 32.64 years (SD 3.02), and an average percentage of positives to cocaine of 54.78% (SD 47.03); there were 7 works with 100% of subjects being positive to cocaine. Males predominated with an average of 78.69% (SD 12). They presented cardiovascular symptoms in 30% cases (SD 22.7), neurological symptoms in 11.6% cases (SD 4.28) and psychiatric symptoms in 49.32% cases (SD 23.87). There was a multiple consumption in 49.02% of patients (interval 4.3-76.2), fundamentally associated with alcohol (57.78%, SD 6.18) and cannabis (21.56%, SD 10.72). Two hundred and forty-six patients (2.8%) needed admission and 8 died (0.09%). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Gold nanoparticle-mediated laser stimulation causes a complex stress signal in neuronal cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johannsmeier, Sonja; Heeger, Patrick; Terakawa, Mitsuhiro; Kalies, Stefan; Heisterkamp, Alexander; Ripken, Tammo; Heinemann, Dag

2017-07-01

Gold nanoparticle mediated laser stimulation of neuronal cells allows for cell activation on a single-cell level. It could therefore be considered an alternative to classical electric neurostimulation. The physiological impact of this new approach has not been intensively studied so far. Here, we investigate the targeted cell's reaction to a laser stimulus based on its calcium response. A complex cellular reaction involving multiple sources has been revealed.

Four-Year Physical Activity Levels among Intervention Participants with Type 2 Diabetes

PubMed Central

Unick, Jessica L.; Gaussoin, Sarah A.; Hill, James O.; Jakicic, John M.; Bond, Dale S.; Hellgren, Margareta; Johnson, Karen C.; Peters, Anne L.; Coday, Mace; Kitzman, Dalane W.; Bossart, Suzette; Wing, Rena R.

2016-01-01

Physical activity (PA) has numerous health benefits, particularly for those with diabetes. However, rates of long-term PA participation are often poor. Purpose This study examined the effect of an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) on objectively-assessed PA over a 4-year period among older adults with type 2 diabetes. Methods Data from 2400 participants (age: 59.3±6.9 yrs; BMI: 36.1±5.9 kg/m2) with accelerometry data from the Look AHEAD trial were included in the analyses. Participants randomized to ILI were instructed to reduce caloric intake and progress to ≥175 min/wk of moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (MVPA), while those randomized to Diabetes Support and Education (DSE) served as the control group. PA was measured at baseline, Year 1, and Year 4 using an RT3 accelerometer and bout-related MVPA (PA ≥3 METs, accumulated in bouts of ≥10 minutes in duration) was calculated. Results Despite no differences at baseline (ILI: 93.4±152.7 vs. DSE: 88.4±143.6 min/wk), bout-related MVPA was significantly greater in ILI compared to DSE at Year 1 (151.0±213.5 vs. 87.5±145.1 min/wk, p<0.0001) and Year 4 (102.9±195.6 vs. 73.9±267.5 min/wk, p<0.001), and more ILI participants achieved ≥175 min/week at Year 1 (29.1% vs. 16.3%, p<0.001) and Year 4 (18.3% vs. 10.0%, p<0.001). Forty-one percent of ILI participants who achieved ≥175 min/wk at Year 1, maintained this threshold of PA at Year 4. However, the majority of ILI participants never achieved the ≥175 min/wk threshold. Conclusions When measured objectively and compared to DSE, ILI engaged in significantly more bout-related MVPA over a 4-year period. However, future intervention strategies should target the large percentage of individuals who fail to reach the MVPA goal as result of a lifestyle intervention. PMID:27471785

Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty for the Treatment of Rotator Cuff Deficiency: A Concise Follow-up, at a Minimum of 10 Years, of Previous Reports.

PubMed

Cuff, Derek J; Pupello, Derek R; Santoni, Brandon G; Clark, Rachel E; Frankle, Mark A

2017-11-15

We previously evaluated 94 patients (96 shoulders) who underwent reverse shoulder arthroplasty using a central compressive screw with 5.0-mm peripheral locking screws for baseplate fixation and a center of rotation lateral to the glenoid as treatment for end-stage rotator cuff deficiency. The purpose of this study was to report updated results at a minimum follow-up of 10 years. Forty patients (42 shoulders) were available for clinical follow-up. In the patients available for study, implant survivorship, with the end point being revision for any reason, was 90.7%. Since our 5-year report, 2 patients underwent revision surgery; 1 patient sustained a periprosthetic fracture 7 years postoperatively and 1 patient had a dislocation because of chronic shoulder instability at 8 years postoperatively. At a minimum follow-up of 10 years, the patients continued to maintain their improved outcome scores and range of motion, which were comparable with earlier follow-up evaluations. Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Bristow-Latarjet Technique: Still a Very Successful Surgery for Anterior Glenohumeral Instability - A Forty Year One Clinic Experience

PubMed Central

Ruci, Vilson; Duni, Artid; Cake, Alfred; Ruci, Dorina; Ruci, Julian

2015-01-01

AIM: To evaluate the functional outcomes of the Bristow-Latarjet procedure in patients with recurrent anterior glenohumeral instability. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Personal clinical records of 42 patients with 45 operated shoulders were reviewed retrospectively. Patient age at time of first dislocation, injury mechanism, and number of recurring dislocations before surgery were recorded. The overall function and stability of the shoulder was evaluated. RESULTS: Thirty five (78%) of the scapulohumeral humeral instabilities were caused by trauma. The mean number of recurring dislocations was 9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0–18); one patient had had 17 recurrences. Mean follow-up 46 months (95% CI, 16-88). No dislocation happened postoperatively. Four patients have fibrous union (9%). Only two had clinical sign of pain and discomfort. One of them was reoperated for screw removal with very good post-operative result. The overall functional outcome was good, with a mean Rowe score of 88 points (95% CI, 78–100). Scores of 27 (64%) of the patients were excellent, 9 (22%) were good, 4 (9.5%) were fair, and 2 (4.5%) were poor. CONCLUSION: The Bristow-Latarjet procedure is a very good surgical treatment for recurrent anterior-inferior instability of the glenohumeral joint. It must not be used for multidirectional instability or psychogenic habitual dislocations. PMID:27275242

Changes in groundwater quality and agriculture in forty years on the Twin Falls irrigation tract in southern Idaho

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Better understanding agriculture’s effect on shallow groundwater quality is needed on the southern Idaho, Twin Falls irrigation tract. In 1999 and 2002-2007 we resampled 10 of the 15 tunnel drains monitored in a late-1960s study to determine the influence of time on NO3-N, dissolved reactive P (DRP)...

Still reduced cardiovascular mortality 12 years after supplementation with selenium and coenzyme Q10 for four years: A validation of previous 10-year follow-up results of a prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in elderly.

PubMed

Alehagen, Urban; Aaseth, Jan; Alexander, Jan; Johansson, Peter

2018-01-01

Selenium and coenzyme Q10 are both necessary for optimal cell function in the body. The intake of selenium is low in Europe, and the endogenous production of coenzyme Q10 decreases as age increases. Therefore, an intervention trial using selenium and coenzyme Q10 for four years as a dietary supplement was performed. The main publication reported reduced cardiovascular mortality as a result of the intervention. In the present sub-study the objective was to determine whether reduced cardiovascular (CV) mortality persisted after 12 years, in the supplemented population or in subgroups with diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease or reduced functional capacity due to impaired cardiac function. From a rural municipality in Sweden, four hundred forty-three healthy elderly individuals were included. All cardiovascular mortality was registered, and no participant was lost to the follow-up. Based on death certificates and autopsy results, mortality was registered. After 12 years a significantly reduced CV mortality could be seen in those supplemented with selenium and coenzyme Q10, with a CV mortality of 28.1% in the active treatment group, and 38.7% in the placebo group. A multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated a reduced CV mortality risk in the active treatment group (HR: 0.59; 95%CI 0.42-0.81; P = 0.001). In those with ischemic heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and impaired functional capacity we demonstrated a significantly reduced CV mortality risk. This is a 12-year follow-up of a group of healthy elderly participants that were supplemented with selenium and coenzyme Q10 for four years. Even after twelve years we observed a significantly reduced risk for CV mortality in this group, as well as in subgroups of patients with diabetes, hypertension, ischemic heart disease or impaired functional capacity. The results thus validate the results obtained in the 10-year evaluation. The protective action was not confined to the intervention period, but

Maxillary Three-Implant Overdentures Opposing Mandibular Two-Implant Overdentures: 10-Year Surgical Outcomes of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Ma, Sunyoung; Tawse-Smith, Andrew; De Silva, Rohana K; Atieh, Momen A; Alsabeeha, Nabeel H M; Payne, Alan G T

2016-06-01

The surgical placement of four maxillary implants for overdentures may not be obligatory when opposing mandibular two-implant overdentures. To determine 10-year surgical outcomes and implant success of three narrow diameter implants in edentulous maxillae with conventional loading. Forty participants with mandibular two-implant overdentures were randomly allocated for surgery for maxillary overdentures. Using osteotomes, three implants of similar systems were placed with a one-stage procedure and 12-week loading with splinted and unsplinted prosthodontic designs. Marginal bone and stability measurements were done at surgery, 12 weeks, 1-, 2-, 5-, 7-, 10 years. One hundred seventeen implants were placed in 39 participants, with 35 being seen at 1 year; 29 at 2 years; 28 at 5 years; 26 at 7 years; and 23 (59%) at 10 years. Marginal bone loss was 1.35 mm between surgery and 12 weeks; 0.36 mm between 12 weeks and 1 year; 0.48 mm between 1 and 5 years; and 0.22 mm between 5 and 10 years. Implant stability quotients were 56.05, 57.54, 60.88, 58.80, 61.17 at surgery, 12 weeks, 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years. Four-field tables by implant showed success rates of 82% at 1 year; 69.2% at 2 years; 66.7% at 5 years; 61.5% at 7 years; 51.3% at 10 years. Data showed no differences between surgical technique, systems, or prosthodontic designs. Surgical placement with osteotomes of three narrow diameter implants for maxillary overdentures, opposing mandibular two-implant overdentures, is an acceptable approach, subject to strict patient selection. Implant success is independent of prosthodontic design. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Model-guided control of hippocampal discharges by local direct current stimulation.

PubMed

Mina, Faten; Modolo, Julien; Recher, Fanny; Dieuset, Gabriel; Biraben, Arnaud; Benquet, Pascal; Wendling, Fabrice

2017-05-10

Neurostimulation is an emerging treatment for drug-resistant epilepsies when surgery is contraindicated. Recent clinical results demonstrate significant seizure frequency reduction in epileptic patients, however the mechanisms underlying this therapeutic effect are largely unknown. This study aimed at gaining insights into local direct current stimulation (LDCS) effects on hyperexcitable tissue, by i) analyzing the impact of electrical currents locally applied on epileptogenic brain regions, and ii) characterizing currents achieving an "anti-epileptic" effect (excitability reduction). First, a neural mass model of hippocampal circuits was extended to accurately reproduce the features of hippocampal paroxysmal discharges (HPD) observed in a mouse model of epilepsy. Second, model predictions regarding current intensity and stimulation polarity were confronted to in vivo mice recordings during LDCS (n = 8). The neural mass model was able to generate realistic hippocampal discharges. Simulation of LDCS in the model pointed at a significant decrease of simulated HPD (in duration and occurrence rate, not in amplitude) for cathodal stimulation, which was successfully verified experimentally in epileptic mice. Despite the simplicity of our stimulation protocol, these results contribute to a better understanding of clinical benefits observed in epileptic patients with implanted neurostimulators. Our results also provide further support for model-guided design of neuromodulation therapy.

Managing fatigue in sarcoidosis - A systematic review of the evidence.

PubMed

Atkins, Chris; Wilson, Andrew M

2017-05-01

Fatigue is a common manifestation of sarcoidosis, often persisting without evidence of disease activity. First-line therapies for sarcoidosis have limited effect on fatigue. This review aimed to assess the treatment options targeting sarcoidosis-associated fatigue. Medline and Web of Science were searched in November 2015; the bibliographies of these papers, and relevant review papers, were also searched. Studies were included if they reported on the efficacy of interventions (both pharmacological and non-pharmacological) on fatigue scores in sarcoidosis patients. Eight studies were identified that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. These studies evaluated six different interventions (infliximab, adalimumab, ARA 290, methylphenidate, armodafinil and exercise programmes). There is evidence to support a treatment effect of anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-αtherapies (adalimumab and infliximab) and neurostimulants (methylphenidate and armodafinil), but within five of the studies, the risk of bias was high within most domains and the remaining three studies included only small numbers of participants and were short in duration. Trial evidence for treating fatigue as a manifestation of sarcoidosis is limited and requires further investigation. Anti-TNF-α therapies may be beneficial in patients with organ-threatening disease. Neurostimulants have some trial evidence supporting improvements in fatigue but further investigation is needed before they can be recommended.

Clinical follow-up after cessation of chronic electrical neuromodulation in patients with severe coronary artery disease: a prospective randomized controlled study on putative involvement of sympathetic activity.

PubMed

Jessurun, G A; DeJongste, M J; Hautvast, R W; Tio, R A; Brouwer, J; van Lelieveld, S; Crijns, H J

1999-10-01

The present study assessed the reoccurrence of myocardial ischemia after withholding electrical neurostimulation. After randomization, in the study or withdrawal group, spinal cord stimulation (SCS) was set active during the first 4 weeks, followed by 4 weeks of withholding stimulation. In the control group, SCS was switched off during 4 weeks before the end of the study. The control group had no crossover period. Measurements were done at baseline, then after 4 and 8 weeks. The first periods at 4 weeks of each sequence of both groups were compared. In addition, a comparison of clinical variables was performed between the study group 4 weeks after withholding stimulation and the control group 4 weeks following randomization. A total number of 24 patients with refractory angina and an implanted spinal cord stimulator were included in the study (n = 12) and control group. Angina pectoris complaints, nitroglycerin intake, ischemia, and heart rate variability using 48-hour ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring were assessed. In addition, neurohormonal status and symptom-limited aerobic capacity were evaluated. There was no increase of anginal complaints or ischemia after withholding stimulation. Neurohormonal levels and aerobic capacity were not altered. We conclude that there is no adverse clinical rebound phenomenon after withholding neurostimulation in patients with refractory angina pectoris.

No effects of transcranial DLPFC stimulation on implicit task sequence learning and consolidation.

PubMed

Savic, Branislav; Cazzoli, Dario; Müri, René; Meier, Beat

2017-08-29

Neurostimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) can modulate performance in cognitive tasks. In a recent study, however, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the DLPFC did not affect implicit task sequence learning and consolidation in a paradigm that involved bimanual responses. Because bimanual performance increases the coupling between homologous cortical areas of the hemispheres and left and right DLPFC were stimulated separately the null findings may have been due to the bimanual setup. The aim of the present study was to test the effect of neuro-stimulation on sequence learning in a uni-manual setup. For this purpose two experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1, the DLPFC was stimulated with tDCS. In Experiment 2 the DLPFC was stimulated with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). In both experiments, consolidation was measured 24 hours later. The results showed that sequence learning was present in all conditions and sessions, but it was not influenced by stimulation. Likewise, consolidation of sequence learning was robust across sessions, but it was not influenced by stimulation. These results replicate and extend previous findings. They indicate that established tDCS and TMS protocols on the DLPFC do not influence implicit task sequence learning and consolidation.

Quality of life after TIA and stroke: ten-year results of the Oxford Vascular Study.

PubMed

Luengo-Fernandez, Ramon; Gray, Alastair M; Bull, Linda; Welch, Sarah; Cuthbertson, Fiona; Rothwell, Peter M

2013-10-29

To evaluate the 5-year impact of stroke and TIA on utility and quality-adjusted survival. TIA and stroke patients from a UK population-based study (Oxford Vascular Study) were recruited from 2002 to 2007, and followed up until 2012. Quality of life was assessed over 5 years using the EQ-5D (EuroQol-5 Dimensions), with responses converted into utilities ranging from -0.59 (worse than death) to 1 (perfect health), using UK population valuations. Utilities for stroke and TIA patients were compared with those in matched controls obtained from the 2006 Health Survey for England. Five-year quality-adjusted life years were estimated by combining utility and survival information. Four hundred forty TIA and 748 stroke patients were ascertained and included. Utility remained constant at approximately 0.78 over the 5 years after TIA. Utility improved from 0.64 one month after stroke to 0.70 at 6 months (p = 0.006), remaining at approximately 0.70 thereafter. Matched controls had considerably higher utility levels than stroke/TIA patients (0.85, p < 0.001). Event severity and recurrent stroke were significant predictors of decreased long-term utility. Five-year quality-adjusted life expectancy was 3.32 (95% confidence interval: 3.22-3.48) quality-adjusted life years after TIA and 2.21 (2.15-2.37) after stroke, varying considerably by severity (minor: 2.94; moderate: 1.65; and severe: 0.70). Quality-adjusted survival is low over the 5 years after stroke and TIA, with severity and recurrent stroke being major predictors. There remains considerable scope for improvements in acute treatment and secondary prevention to improve the quality of life after TIA and stroke.

Employment Outcome Ten Years after Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Prospective Cohort Study.

PubMed

Grauwmeijer, Erik; Heijenbrok-Kal, Majanka H; Haitsma, Ian K; Ribbers, Gerard M

2017-09-01

The objective of this prospective cohort study was to evaluate the probability of employment and predictors of employment in patients with moderate- to- severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) over 10-year follow-up. One hundred nine patients (18-67 years) were included with follow-up measurements 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months and 10 years post-TBI. Potential predictors of employment probability included patient characteristics, injury severity factors, functional outcome measured at discharge from the hospital with the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), Barthel Index (BI), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and the Functional Assessment Measure (FAM). Forty-eight patients (42%) completed the 10-year follow-up. Three months post-TBI, 12% were employed, which gradually, but significantly, increased to 57% after 2-years follow-up (p < 0.001), followed by a significant decrease to 43% (p = 0.041) after 10 years. Ten years post-TBI, we found that employed persons had less-severe TBI, shorter length of hospital stay (LOS), and higher scores on the GOS, BI, FIM, and FAM at hospital discharge than unemployed persons. No significant differences in age, sex, educational level, living with partner/family or not, pre-injury employment, professional category, psychiatric symptoms, or discharge destination were found. Longitudinal multivariable analysis showed that time, pre-injury employment, FAM, and LOS were independent predictors of employment probability. We concluded that employment probability 10 years after moderate or severe TBI is related to injury severity and pre-injury employment. Future studies on vocational rehabilitation should focus on modifiable factors and take into consideration the effects of national legislation and national labor market forces.

IDEA at Age Forty: Weathering Common Core Standards and Data Driven Decision Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bicehouse, Vaughn; Faieta, Jean

2017-01-01

Special education, a discipline that aims to provide specialized instruction to meet the unique needs of each child with a disability, has turned 40 years old in the United States. Ever since the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142) in 1975, every state has been directed to provide a free and appropriate…

Bone remodelling after femoral short stem implantation in total hip arthroplasty: 1-year results from a randomized DEXA study.

PubMed

Freitag, Tobias; Hein, Marie-Anne; Wernerus, Dirk; Reichel, Heiko; Bieger, Ralf

2016-01-01

Short stem prostheses have been developed to preserve proximal femoral bone stock. This prospective, randomized study compared periprosthetic bone remodelling following short and straight stem implantation 1 year after surgery. One hundred and forty-four consecutive patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty were randomized to either a Fitmore short or a cementless straight stem (both Zimmer, Winterthur, Switzerland). Periprosthetic bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry performed the day before surgery and at 7 days, 3 months and 1 year postoperatively. Furthermore, the HHS and the WOMAC were obtained. One hundred and thirty-eight patients completed 1-year follow-up. Periprosthetic BMD changes at 1 year were most pronounced in the proximal medial region of interest (ROI) 7 with -17.2% after short stem and -16.7% after straight implantation (p = 0.67). However, there was significantly less BMD reduction in ROI 6 following short (-4.7%) versus straight stem (-10.8%) implantation (p = 0.01). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of the HHS and the WOMAC either before or after surgery. One year after surgery, both stems showed an implant-specific periprosthetic bone remodelling. Nevertheless, proximal load transfer was more pronounced after short stem implantation than with a straight stem.

Sex-Related and Age-Related Differences in Knee Strength of Basketball Players Ages 11–17 Years

PubMed Central

Vardaxis, Vassilios G.

2003-01-01

Objective: To assess hamstrings and quadriceps strength of basketball players ages 11–13 and 15–17 years. Design and Setting: This cross-sectional study occurred during the 2000 American Youth Basketball Tour National Tournament. We investigated whether sex- or age-related strength differences existed among study participants. Subjects: Forty-one tournament participants (22 girls, 19 boys; 11–13 or 15–17 years old) who reported no history of knee sprain or surgery were recruited. Measurements: We used a Cybex II dynamometer to obtain isokinetic concentric peak torques relative to body mass (Nm/kg) at 60°/s for hamstrings and quadriceps bilaterally. From average peak torques, we determined ipsilateral hamstrings:quadriceps and homologous muscle-group ratios. Results: Correlations between hamstrings and quadriceps strength measures ranged from 0.78 to 0.97. Players 15–17 years old had greater relative hamstrings and quadriceps strength than 11- to 13-year-old athletes. Age and sex interacted significantly for quadriceps strength. The quadriceps strength of 15- to 17-year-old girls did not differ from that of 11- to 13-year-old girls, whereas 15- to 17-year-old boys had stronger quadriceps than 11- to 13-year-old boys. Boys 15–17 years old had greater quadriceps strength than girls 15–17 years old. Conclusions: This study is unique in providing normative data for the hamstrings and quadriceps strength of basketball players 11–13 and 15–17 years old. Age-related strength differences did not occur consistently between the sexes, as girls 11–13 and 15–17 years old had similar relative quadriceps strength. PMID:14608433

Physical Fitness and Body Composition Two Years after Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass in Adolescents.

PubMed

Brissman, Markus; Ekbom, Kerstin; Hagman, Emilia; Mårild, Staffan; Gronowitz, Eva; Flodmark, Carl-Erik; Olbers, Torsten; Marcus, Claude

2017-02-01

We have previously shown promising results 2 years after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, within the Adolescence Morbid Obesity Surgery study (AMOS). The aim of the current study was to describe the 2-year outcome in cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and functional capacity in the Stockholm subset of the AMOS study. Forty-one adolescents (10 male, 31 female, age 14-18 years, body mass index 35-69 kg·m -2 ) were included. In addition to anthropometric measurements, participants performed a submaximal bicycle test, 6-min walk test, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and a short interview at baseline, 1 and 2 years after surgery. Relative improvements in maximal oxygen consumption (VO 2 max) per kilogram body mass (+62 %) and per kilogram fat-free mass (+21 %), as well as walking distance (+13 %) were observed after 1 year, and persisted 2 years after surgery. Despite a reduction of fat-free mass (-15 %), absolute VO 2 max was maintained across the full group (+8 %, p = ns) and significantly increased in non-smokers. Body mass and fat mass were significantly decreased (-45.4 and -33.3 kg, respectively). Self-reported physical activity was significantly increased, and pain associated with movement was reduced. In adolescents with obesity, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass improved VO 2 max more than could be explained by fat mass loss alone. In combination with improved functional capacity and body composition, these results suggest that surgery in adolescence might add specific benefits of importance for future health.

The Canadian cigar and tobacco journal in the forties: a remembrance.

PubMed

Warsh, Cheryl Krasnick

2006-01-01

This paper is a period snapshot of the life and times of Canadian smoking culture, filtered through "The Canadian Cigar and Tobacco Journal" (the industry's trade paper) from 1943-1949. "The Journal" provided a vivid portrait of neighbourhood tobacconists, travelling salesman, wholesalers and factory workers, homemakers and entrepreneurs. I discuss the role of Jews in the industry, as manufacturers and retailers. "The Journal" evokes the dangers of the retail trade, such as armed robberies, as well as the dangers of wartime. There is also the parallel danger of tobacco smoking, which, although not explicitly defined as risky behaviour by physicians, nonetheless is apparent to consumers. World War II is a dominant feature of "The Journal," and the celebration of wartime tobacco consumption is epitomized by Winston Churchill and other heroic smokers. Women's increased economic participation during the war years, and postwar demobilization, is reflected in "The Journal." Finally I discuss the growing targeting of children as potential consumers of tobacco.

Forty Years Since the End of the White Primary, Thirty Years Since the Brown Decision, Twenty Years Since the Passage of the Civil Rights Act. 40th Anniversary Papers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manderson, Marge

This report evaluates the progress that has been made since three landmarks in blacks' struggle for equal treatment in the United States. Despite the 1944 case of Smith vs. Allwright, in which the Supreme Court decided that the Texas White Primary was unconstitutional, growing evasion and resistance by whites limited gains in black enfranchisement…

Bilateral sacrospinous vault fixation with tailored synthetic mesh arms: clinical outcomes at one year.

PubMed

Geoffrion, Roxana; Hyakutake, Momoe T; Koenig, Nicole A; Lee, Terry; Cundiff, Geoffrey W

2015-02-01

Bilateral sacrospinous fixation with tailored mesh arms (bSSVF) uses polypropylene mesh to suspend the vault to the sacrospinous ligaments bilaterally with minimal tension, recreating nulliparous midline anatomy. It can be used with uterine conservation. Our primary objective was to determine objective cure rate at one year following bSSVF compared with a control group undergoing abdominal sacrocolpopexy (ASC). Secondary objectives were to compare symptoms, quality of life, sexual function, pain, and global satisfaction before and after surgery and between bSSVF and ASC groups at one year. This prospective cohort study enrolled patients with symptomatic prolapse who chose to undergo bSSVF or ASC. Baseline demographics were obtained. Prolapse quantification, validated symptom questionnaire scores, and McGill pain scores were obtained at baseline, six weeks, and one-year postoperatively. Global satisfaction was recorded. The primary outcome measure was the difference in cure rate (vault stage ≤ 1) between groups. Fifty patients were recruited: 30 underwent bSSVF and 17 ASC. Forty-three patients were available for one-year follow-up. Baseline data were similar. There was no difference in vault stage between bSSVF and ASC groups at one year. Five women who underwent bSSVF had cervical elongation, and four of these were classified as POP recurrence. Women who underwent bSSVF had more anterior recurrences but fewer postoperative complications, shorter hospital stay, and less use of narcotics than controls. Questionnaire scores were similar at one year. All respondents felt subjective improvement after either surgical procedure. Objective and subjective cure rates are comparable after bSSVF and ASC. Hysteropexy may cause cervical elongation that merits further research.

Predictors of a favourable outcome in patients with fibromyalgia: results of 1-year follow-up.

PubMed

Kim, Ji-Eun; Park, Dong-Jin; Choi, Sung-Eun; Kang, Ji-Hyoun; Yim, Yi-Rang; Lee, Jeong-Won; Lee, Kyung-Eun; Wen, Lihui; Kim, Seong-Kyu; Choe, Jung-Yoon; Lee, Shin-Seok

2016-01-01

To determine the outcomes of Korean patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and to identify prognostic factors associated with improvement at 1-year follow-up. Forty-eight patients with FM were enrolled and examined every 3 months for 1 year. At the time of enrollment, we interviewed all patients using a structured questionnaire that recorded socio-demographic data, current or past FM symptoms, and current use of relevant medications. Tender point counts and scores were assessed by thumb palpation. Patients were asked to complete the Korean versions of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), the Brief Fatigue Inventory, the SF-36, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Social Support Scale. Tender points, FIQ scores, and the use of relevant medications were recorded during one year of follow-up. Of the 48 patients, 32 (66.7%) had improved FIQ scores 1 year after enrollment. Improved patients had higher baseline FIQ scores (68.4±13.9 vs. 48.4±20.8, p=0.001) and STAI-II scores (55.8±10.9 vs. 11.5±11.5, p=0.022). Patients treated with pregabalin were more likely to improve after 1 year, based on the FIQ scores (71.9% vs. 37.5%, p=0.031). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, a higher STAI-II score at the time of enrollment and pregabalin treatment during one year of follow-up were the predictors of improvement. Two-thirds of our Korean FM patients experienced some clinical improvement by 1-year follow-up. A high baseline STAI-II score and treatment with pregabalin were the important predictor of improved FM.

Writing in the Park: Inquiry into Urban Youths' Place-Based Digital Writing Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silva, Bethany

2017-01-01

Theories of writing process have informed the teaching of writing for the past forty years, providing writing mentors with a language of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing that broadens ways to invite young writers to approach composition. In the past forty years, new technologies for composition have impacted the products,…

Polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis: a 5-year epidemiologic and clinical study in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

PubMed

Salvarani, C; Macchioni, P L; Tartoni, P L; Rossi, F; Baricchi, R; Castri, C; Chiaravalloti, F; Portioli, I

1987-01-01

Among the population of Reggio Emilia, Italy, 56 patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) were identified during the 5-year period 1981-85. The average annual incidence rates of PR and GCA were 12.8 and 8.8 respectively per 100,000 population aged 50 years or older. Forty-nine patients were followed up and the mean duration of follow-up was 32 months. All the patients received steroid therapy. We have evaluated the cumulative probability of requiring continued steroid therapy between patients with PR only, GCA only, and PR associated with GCA using life-table methods with permanent discontinuation of therapy as an end point. The different duration of steroid therapy between these 3 groups did not achieve statistical significance by the method of Lee and Desu. We identified a 5 variable discriminant function that correctly predicted whether the duration of therapy would be longer or shorter than 16 months (median duration of therapy) in 80% of our patients followed up for at least 24 months. The presence of synovitis in PR is also discussed.

Sixty years of management on a small longleaf pine forest

Treesearch

Rebecca J. Barlow; John S. Kush; William D. Boyer

2013-01-01

A management demonstration in a 40-acre tract of second-growth longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) had its 60th anniversary in 2008. A demonstration was initiated by the U.S. Forest Service in 1948 on the Escambia Experimental Forest in south Alabama. At the time, the management goal for this Farm Forty was to produce high-quality poles and logs on...

Professional boundaries: the perspective of the third year medical student in negotiating three boundary challenges.

PubMed

Gaufberg, Elizabeth; Baumer, Nicole; Hinrichs, Margaret; Krupat, Ed

2008-01-01

The negotiation and maintenance of professional boundaries is a central developmental challenge for medical students in clinical training. The purpose of this study is to assess problem solving strategies, decisions made, level of confidence, and language used by beginning third year medical students when faced with professional boundary challenges. Forty-two students in the first quarter of their third year at Harvard Medical School viewed three brief audiovisual "trigger" tapes, each depicting a medical student faced with a boundary challenge (the offer of a gift, a personal question from a patient, an errand request by a supervisor). There was a high degree of agreement and confidence among students about how to negotiate a monetary gift (reject) and how to respond to a patient's "too personal" question (not answer and/or redirect). However, the students were less confident and more divided on the issue of whether or not to run a personal errand for the team at the request of a superior. Our findings have implications for medical professionalism curricula, especially regarding the importance of mentorship and role modeling in medical education. Effective professional boundaries curricula allow the student to problem solve and practice communication skills in boundary challenging situations.

Use of radiation to discourage ectopic bone. A nine-year study in surgery about the hip

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coventry, M.B.; Scanlon, P.W.

1981-02-01

Patients who had total hip arthroplasty were categorized according to the risk of development of ectopic bone. Radiation therapy was administered after operation to those considered to be at high risk of formation of ectopic bone. The dosage used was 2000 rads given in ten fractions (875 rets). Forty-eight hips in forty-two patients were treated from 1970 to 1977. Massive formation of ectopic bone did not occur in any hip when the radiation was given relatively early after operation. Thus, we believe that radiation aids in the prevention of formation of ectopic bone. Radiation was found to be of doubtfulmore » value, however, hence the ectopic bone was visible on radiography.« less

Thoracic surgery in patients with an implanted neurostimulator device.

PubMed

Meyring, Kristina; Zehnder, Adrian; Schmid, Ralph A; Kocher, Gregor J

2017-10-01

Movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease are increasingly treated with deep brain stimulators. Being implanted in a subcutaneous pocket in the chest region, thoracic surgical procedures can interfere with such devices, as they are sensible to external electromagnetic forces. Monopolar electrocautery can lead to dysfunction of the device or damage of the brain tissue caused by heat. We report a series of 3 patients with deep brain stimulators who underwent thoracic surgery. By turning off the deep brain stimulators before surgery and avoiding the use of monopolar cautery, electromagnetic interactions were avoided in all patients. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Frequency Dependence of Ultrasound Neurostimulation in the Mouse Brain

PubMed Central

Ye, Patrick Peiyong; Brown, Julian R.; Pauly, Kim Butts

2016-01-01

Ultrasound neuromodulation holds promise as a non-invasive technique for neuromodulation of the central nervous system. However, much remains to be determined about how the technique can be transformed into a useful technology, including the effect of ultrasound frequency. Previous studies have demonstrated neuromodulation in vivo using frequencies less than 1 MHz, with a trend towards improved efficacy with lower frequency. However, using higher frequencies could offer improved ultrasound spatial resolution. We investigate the ultrasound neuromodulation effects in mice at various frequencies both below and above 1 MHz and find that frequencies up to 2.9 MHz can still be effective for generating motor responses, but also confirm that as frequency increases, sonications require significantly more intensity to achieve equivalent efficacy. We argue that our results provide evidence that favors either a particle displacement or a cavitation-based mechanism for the phenomenon of ultrasound neuromodulation. PMID:27090861

Long-term effect of sphincteric fatigue during bladder neurostimulation.

PubMed

Li, J S; Hassouna, M; Sawan, M; Duval, F; Elhilali, M M

1995-01-01

Commercially available stimulators lack several features, including multiple channel capability and flexible stimulation parameters. These factors limit clinical application. A new computerized electrical stimulator system was developed by our team and evaluated for its efficacy in bladder evacuation in an animal model after spinal cord transection. The system can generate a wide range of stimulation characteristics and has the feature of being a programmable multichannel pacemaker. It has enabled us to induce a reversible fatigue to the external sphincter that results in proper bladder emptying on stimulation. Using this new bladder pacemaker, 8 dogs were studied. We applied the concept of fatiguing of the external sphincter via the pudendal nerve to avoid rhizotomy. We determined the optimal stimulation parameters that can reliably empty the dog's bladder for the duration of the experiment, which lasted for 8 months. The new computerized electrical stimulation system achieved the objective of reducing bladder outlet resistance without the need for sacral rhizotomy.

Chronic Stress and C-Reactive Protein in Mothers During the First Postpartum Year.

PubMed

Guardino, Christine M; Dunkel Schetter, Christine; Hobel, Calvin J; Gaines Lanzi, Robin; Schafer, Peter; Thorp, John M; Shalowitz, Madeleine U

2017-05-01

Elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease. The current study tested associations between psychosocial stress and CRP in a large sample of women during the first postpartum year. We analyzed data collected by the five-site Community Child Health Network study, which studied a predominately poor population. Participants (n = 1206 women; 54% African American, 23% white, 23% Hispanic/Latina) were recruited shortly after the birth of a child. Multiple linear regression analyses tested associations of psychosocial stress in several life domains (financial, neighborhood, family, coparenting, partner relationship, discrimination, and interpersonal violence) with log-transformed CRP concentrations at 6-month and 1-year postpartum. Forty-eight percent of participants showed evidence of elevated CRP (≥3 mg/L) at 6-month postpartum, and 46% had elevated CRP at 12-month postpartum. Chronic financial stress at 1-month postpartum predicted higher levels of CRP at 6- (b = .15, SE = .05, p = .006) and 12-month postpartum (b = .15, SE = .06, p = .007) adjusting for race/ethnicity, income, education, parity, health behaviors, and chronic health conditions, though associations became nonsignificant when adjusted for body mass index. In this low-income and ethnic/racially diverse sample of women, higher financial stress at 1-month postbirth predicted higher CRP. Study findings suggest that perceived financial stress stemming from socioeconomic disadvantage may be a particular deleterious form of stress affecting maternal biology during the year after the birth of a child.

Clozapine, Diabetes Mellitus, Cardiovascular Risk and Mortality: Results of a 21-year Naturalistic Study in Patients with Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder.

PubMed

Nemani, Katlyn L; Greene, M Claire; Ulloa, Melissa; Vincenzi, Brenda; Copeland, Paul M; Al-Khadari, Sulaiman; Henderson, David C

2017-11-22

The goal of this 21-year naturalistic study of clozapine treated patients was to examine the cardiovascular risk factors following clozapine initiation and resultant mortality estimates from cardiovascular disease. Data was collected from medical records of clozapine treated patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder from January 1992 to February 2012. Demographics, clozapine dosage and laboratory results were extracted at 12-month intervals. At clozapine initiation, the mean age of 96 patients was 36.4 years ±7.6 years; N=27(28%) were women. The mean duration of clozapine use was 13 years. The Kaplan-Meier estimate for 21-year cardiovascular events was 29%, while the Kaplan-Meier estimate for 21-year mortality from cardiovascular disease was 10%. The mean cardiovascular risk increased during the first ten years (p<.01), while a slight decrease occurred beyond ten years (p<.01). Patients involved in cardiometabolic research showed a greater decrease in cardiovascular risk factors over 21 years (p = .05). The Kaplan-Meier estimate for 21-year all-cause mortality was 22%. Forty-one patients were diagnosed with diabetes (42.7%), compared to a nationwide prevalence of 13.7% in a similar age group. These results support the hypothesis that clozapine-treated patients are at risk for cardiovascular events and death secondary to an increased risk of medical disorders. Interventions that target weight loss, smoking cessation, and lipid profile improvement may alleviate the increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.

Total Knee Arthroplasty for Osteoarthritis in Patients Less Than Fifty-Five Years of Age: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Aujla, Randeep S; Esler, Colin N

2017-08-01

The proportion of younger patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is increasing and predictions state that the <55 age group will be the fastest growing group by 2030. We aim to collate data across studies to assess functional outcomes following TKA in patients <55 years of age using a systematic review. The search identified 980 studies for title and abstract review. Forty-three full texts were then assessed. Thirteen studies underwent quality assessment and data extraction. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines were followed throughout. Outcomes extracted included pre-operative and post-operative functional scores, range of motion, and patient satisfaction. Clinical complications and survival were also recorded. Across 13 studies we were able to demonstrate 54-point improvement in clinical Knee Society Score and a 46-point improvement on functional Knee Society Score. A 2.9° improvement in range of motion was found at final follow-up. Satisfaction rate was 85.5%. Cumulative percentage all-cause revision rate was 5.4% across 1283 TKAs at a mean 10.8 years of follow-up. Ten-year survival, for aseptic loosening alone, was 98.2%. TKA is an excellent treatment option for the young osteoarthritic knee with a >50% improvement in functional knee scores. Satisfaction is high and the revision rate remains 0.5% per year. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Primary new daily persistent headache (NDPH): clinical characteristics of forty-three cases in Japan].

PubMed

Takase, Yasushi; Nakano, Misa; Tatsumi, Chikao

2003-09-01

Although the primary chronic daily headache is subdivided into chronic migraine, chronic tension-type headache, hemicrania continua, and new daily persistent headache (NDPH), the characteristics of NDPH have not been well studied in Japan. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical characteristics of the primary NDPH. Twenty-one men and twenty-two women with primary NDPH, aged 14 to 73 years were diagnosed at Toyonaka Municipal Hospital from November 1997 to April 2003. Age of the onset ranged from 13 to 73 years (mean, 34.8). The onset of headache occurred in relation to a stressful life event in 16%, a systemic infection in 12% and an extracranial surgery in 7%. Any precipitating events could not be identified in approximately two-third of patients (65%). Quality of the headache was described as dull and/or pressure-like sensation in 91%, throbbing and/or pulsating sensation in 28%. NDPH needs further study, because it appears to be one of the most refractory headaches.

Horticultural therapy as a measure for recovery support of regional community in the disaster area: a preliminary experiment for forty five women who living certain region in the coastal area of Miyagi Prefecture.

PubMed

Kotozaki, Yuka

2014-01-01

Three years have passed since the earthquake, in the coastal areas in the disaster area, by population transfer or the like from the temporary housing, the importance of the regeneration and revitalization of the local community has been pointed out. This study performed a preliminary study to aim at the psychological inspection about an effect of the horticultural therapy as the means of the local community reproduction support of the disaster area. Forty five women who are living in the coastal area of Miyagi Prefecture participated in this study. They experienced the Great East Japan earthquake in 2011 and suffered some kind of damage caused by the earthquake. The participants were assigned to two groups, the intervention group and the control group, via a random draw using a computer. The HI group attended the horticultural therapy intervention (HT intervention) sessions for 16 weeks. The HT intervention was designed in collaboration with a horticultural therapist and clinical psychologists. This intervention comprised a total of 16 weekly sessions (120 min each) at the community center and 15 minutes per day at participants' homes. We used five psychological measures for an intervention evaluation. The HI group showed a significant increase in post- intervention SCI-2 total scores, post- intervention SCI-2 membership scores, post-intervention SCI-2 influence scores, post- intervention SCI-2 meeting needs scores, post- intervention SCI-2 shared emotional connection scores, and post- intervention RSES score. We believe that these results suggest the effectiveness of the horticultural therapy as the means of the local community reproduction.